Ask Again Later

Here's a social science puzzle for you.

Why was the Magic Eight Ball ever remotely popular? Why did we buy these things?

What is wrong with us?

A cheap shot

Two fat girls under a tiny umbrella in the pouring rain. I'm sorry, dear readers, it is insensitive, but it is also funny!

[Insert Venn Diagram where the circle on the Left is INSENSITIVE and the circle on the Right is FUNNY here.]

Dear Mr. Boss, Sir:

I have decided I will no longer allow others to tell me what to do. Please let me know if this is acceptable. In addition, I refuse to continue apologizing for my decisions. I am sorry if this is an inconvenience for you.

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

This mnemonic never really worked for me because I always got hung up on what it was Sally did that needed so much excusing. I am pretty sure she got blackout drunk at a strip mall, but that doesn't make any sense, because then it would mean you set something to Base 2 before Differentiating and Setting equal to zero and Measuring. Which, obviously, is wrong.

If you gather the berries, I'll slaughter a rabbit

For how long will we be beholden to our evolutionary past?

This article is about how men tend to be more intelligent than women (you read that right). It claims that the reason for this comes from two factors:

1. Our hunter male ancestors had to solve complex problems to hunt. This meant the smarter ones survived. Our female ancestors who were in charge of the mindless task of collecting berries, on the other hand, could be as dumb as they pleased.
2. Our hunter male ancestors also increased their chances of survival and reproduction if they were more competitive. Thus, not only are men more intelligent, on average, than women (by 5 IQ points!), but also they are more likely to ruthlessly pursue success.

I understand that our old Neanderthal brains are all kinds of stressed out in our new, rapidly evolving social world. But, evolution hasn't come to a standstill. The verdict doesn't have to necessarily be in forever, right? Perhaps these days men and women face tasks that are more equally challenging than before. Perhaps in a million billion years we'll close that 5 point gap.

Surely we're now (and have been for the last, say, hundred thousand years) being selected on different features of brains from those for which our hunter-gatherer relatives were rewarded.

Or are we?

Think about this at your own risk

Many say we should have reasonable expectations, lest we get disappointed. Many also believe prophecies can be self-fulfilling.

Where you Stand is Where you Sit; Or, Epilogue part 2 of 1

This just in, eager and breathless readers! The Moment Yours Truly got up and began to Collect her Things (loosely defined), something. Happened.

He sat down!

I am filled with instant calm. Like a babbling brook that ceased to babble, but because it was calm, not stagnant or filled with styrofoam.

Standing for Change; or, Epilogue, part 1 of 1

Your Fearless Leader Cannot Take It! Trying to sit and work next to a man who is standing is officially impossible. Why, dear ones? Clearly, it is related to our evolution on the grasslands. I do not think I need to bore you with the details of how those connect.

Your preferences don't look so ordered from the other side, eh?!

Dear Readers!

Your Fearless Leader read a blog post the other day about how terrible sitting is for us, and how we should do less of it. This is probably true.

Today, Yours Truly is in a café and the man next to me is standing while working at his computer, and has been for the past One Hour Or More.

This has translated into Your Leader spending the last One Hour Or More feeling Mighty Nervous! Leave, sir! Or sit! How can you spend your life in this purgatory?!?!?!?!

Your Seated Leader may even need to move to a new room.