The future is already here...

Science proves it: dumb people are too dumb to know they're dumb. (I have witnessed this phenomenon in action.) See how prescient Dirty Harry was? "A man's got to know his limitations."

Physicists done got themselves a new law: the Constructal Law that describes patterns of change in any system so that we can predict how those patterns will change over time. Here's the guts: "For a finite-size system to persist in time (to live), it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier access to the imposed currents that flow through it." The law even has its own web page.

I collect coins, not currency. But this is the original US$1 bill from 1862.

If you also check out currency from 1923 you'll see how it has continually evolved.

It seems that promoting fitness and fighting obesity is actually discriminatory bullying, at least according to the NAAFA (National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance). They have issues with a new attraction at Epcot developed in association with Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Warren Buffet's annual letter to investors is online. My recommendation is to skip to page 17 and read the entire section "The Basic Choices for Investors and the One We Strongly Prefer."

Predator: The Musical. I know you liked the movie. Setting it to music is hilarious. (There are many more of these and the musical of John Carpenter's The Thing set to Sinatra is a gem.)

Are you in the DFW area? Do you like to eat? Is Zagat trustworthy? Then feast your eyes on Zagat's best restaurants in DFW for 2012. Top food = St. Emilion (indeed - excellent French cuisine).

In a brief article about language games, author Daniel Becker is quoted "Indeed, there's an enviable freedom to be gained from approaching literature—or any pursuit protected by a veneer of seriousness—with the same carefree spirit that guides us through the puzzles page of the weekend paper." It's another example of the maxim "form is liberating", like writing a story without using the letter "e."

You like The Beatles? Try The Beatles Player.

The super toilet - it can flush anything. A promise or a challenge? How about 3 pounds of gummi bears. And more.

My confusion with LinkedIn has been documented. I'm not the only one. What's it for? Why is its UI so ugly and disorganized?

This is my last post about artists using their naughty bits or bodily fluids to create art. At a certain point you gotta draw the line and say "this is just crap." (And you know there's an artist sculpting turds somewhere.) So, here's a gal who paints by puking colored water onto canvas.

This is a frame from a nice video illustrating establishment of post offices in the U.S. from 1700 to 1900. I think this frame is from around 1865.

Science is starting to piss me off. Remember last week: women find men with beards more attractive. Just like global warming there are different kinds of beard science.  Now we learn that women don't like men with beards. In fact, women think beards make men appear older and more aggressive. (Which reminds of the time I was in a restaurant with my very young sons when one pointed at another bearded guy and said "Daddy, he looks just like you but less angry.") Lest you think this is faux science, the Journal of Behavioral Ecology says "The beard is a strikingly sexually dimorphic androgen-dependent secondary sexual trait in humans." It then goes on to say that the beard evolved not for inter-sexual purposes (i.e. attracting a mate) but intra-sexual purposes (i.e. a dominance display for other males).

It's not only science that's fickle. While men like happy women, women like angry and frustrated men. Proves that nice guys really do finish last.

I ate breakfast cereals for 40 or so years before switching to smoothies for my morning meal. But I still appreciate a good bowl (see above). Which breakfast cereal has the highest percentage of sugar by weight? I can't figure out how Cap'n Crunch Original comes in at #5 while Cap'n Crunch with Crunch Berries only makes it to #9. First, who the hell buys Cap'n Crunch without Crunch Berries? Second, the berries must truly be magical because adding them makes the cereal healthier.

Of course we all know that the king of cereals is Lucky Charms. Here's a place where you can buy just cereal marshmallows by the boatload.

Enjoy this Tumblr of Batman Running Away from Shit.

...it's just not very evenly distributed. ~William Gibson