Given some of the economic risks taken in the last decade, perhaps a better term would be "stupid averse".

"Would you like to invest in these questionable mortgages?"

"No, no I don't think I would."

"Chicken."

Scola, I got the pog joke (it was a Simpsons reference, wasn't it? "Remember pogs? They're back, and better [bigger?] than ever!").

I'm thinking of doing something similar for Mark, since he doesn't want to do gifts this year, but I'd still like to do something for him

We bought a furnace. I'm thinking about slapping a big shiny bow on it, but Toke the cat would eat it.

Well, I did also buy The Boy an angler fish. It's a thing.

And latex stockings.

Well, sure. Women have been pulling through the recession/stock market fall/housing market fall much better than men. I'm unsure if that has to do with being frightened of risk, or that women have less capital to go bungee jumping with.

MANSPLAINING!

I had to leave the internet yesterday after coming across some pernicious mansplaining on a blog and being unable to point it out without sounding like an asshole. Still was accused of putting sexist words in his mouth!

Same dude just wrote this:

1. We live in a democracy. 2. Women had no right to vote. 3. It was democratically decided by men who did have the vote to allow women to vote too. 4. Therefore, men gave women the right to vote.

Oh, I gotta tell about my glasses!

Um... they're nice. Great to be able to see close up yadda yadda yadda.

Immediately after I left the glasses store with my new glasses, I walked about 20 feet to an ATM. While I was ATMing, a cute woman made eye contact with me. We made eye contact once or twice more, then before I left she smiled at me and held eye contact for a long time.

Then Tuesday, one of my bosses asked me if I had new glasses. When I told him, "Yes," he said, "I thought you were looking smarter yesterday."

So I've concluded my new glasses give me superpowers.

Like it was a present!

Surprise! You were just sitting there darning socks, and I brought you voting rights! What's for supper?

1. We live in a democracy. 2. Women had no right to vote. 3. It was democratically decided by men who did have the vote to allow women to vote too. 4. Therefore, men gave women the right to vote.

Yeah, and women didn't do a damn thing to get the right to vote. You know, besides the organizing and protesting and what-not....

You mean just like how King George III gave Americans their independence?

SFistas: Do you have restaurant suggestions for places near Union Square? There's a academic conference in SF just after the new year and people are asking me, although I haven't lived there for 4 years.

I've never eaten there, but people do like Farmer Brown. I really like Little Delhi. There's also the Westfield food court, which has a lot of nice options.