Month: April 2008

Let’s stipulate for this conversation that everything the experts say about evolution is true. Creatures that are the most successful at reproducing pass their traits to the next generation, and so on. But I have another hypothesis that I think is testable. What if there is another influence that also…

Last night I saw some pundits on the news discussing the results of a poll. When Americans were asked if they would vote for an African-American for president, more than 9 out of 10 people said yes. But when asked if they knew anyone who would not vote for an…

Yesterday I went to a Giants baseball game. It was Little League Day, so there were about ten thousand young boys running wild in the stands. It was also free bat day, courtesy Bank of America. I will pause while you digest this concept. Do you know what happens when…

Recently we redesigned the Dilbert.com web site and added a ton of features, such as animation, deeper archives, mash ups, and more. The reaction from readers has been fascinating. www.dilbert.com [no longer available] Let me get this out of the way: I realize the Beta version of the web site…

In Congo there is a wave of penis thefts. http://au.news.yahoo.com/080422/15/16ktt.html [no longer available] Well, add that to the list of reasons for not visiting Congo. My first reaction to the story was to dismiss it as a bunch of superstitious simpletons caught in a wave of mass hysteria. Then I…

Did you hear about the priest who tried to set a record for balloon powered flight? This might come as a huge surprise to you: He’s missing. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7360416.stm When I first heard about the incident I figured it was some sort of fund raising stunt to feed the poor. That…

Recently I got tricked into seeing a movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture. It left me feeling confused, anxious, and pissed off. By the closing credits I hated everyone involved with it. I actually paid good money for that experience. As a rule, the quality of a movie…

One of the great banking laws in this country is the mandatory APR for loans. That’s a calculation that allows consumers to easily compare loans that have different fees, terms, and rates, making it all apples to apples. We need the same type of law for home buying. The formula…

Let’s say you have a typical life and try to live it in the healthiest way. You might allocate your 24-hour weekday this way: Sleep: 8 hoursExercise: 1 hourWork: 8 hoursEating: 2 hours (leisurely)Hygiene: 1 hourTravel: 1 (Commute, errands) That leaves you three hours for family time, sex, shopping, food…

I notice that our presidential elections always seem to boil down to cartoon characterizations of the main candidates. The Republican is generally characterized by the media as the person of principle and character, albeit a bit dim-witted. (Reagan, George Bush junior, McCain) The Democrat is generally characterized as whip-smart but…

Have you heard of the famous Monte Hall problem in statistics? It’s freaky. And I believe it offers the best evidence that our reality is subjective. The set up is this. Game show host Monte Hall offers you three doors. One has a car behind it, which will be your…

Over the weekend I learned that all of my current and future problems have been solved. For example, I was worried about the cost of energy, but scientists recently figured out how to make gasoline out of plants. Problem solved. http://www.chemistrytimes.com/research/Money_Doesnt_Grow_on_Trees_But_Gasoline_Might.asp [no longer available] With the energy problem solved, America…

Science continues to discover what I have long considered obvious: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/04/mind_decision [no longer available]

What does it mean to exist? When we talk about a person existing, we are referring to that person being a material object in the universe. Concepts are also said to exist. For example, patriotism exists, but you can’t hold it in your hand. For this discussion let’s agree that…

When was the last time a relatively poor country successfully attacked and conquered a richer country? You history buffs might come up with some examples, but I think they would be strange exceptions. I think someone smart could develop a theory that a strong economy is as good a national…