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.

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

DAMN YOU SCOLA FOR THINKING OF THAT FIRST

Do you have restaurant suggestions for places near Union Square?

Kuleto is right there and was quite tasty for Lee's birthday party.

Yeah, and his right to vote was given to him by white male property owners.

pernicious mansplaining

Is my new favourite phrase!

Re risk aversion, I vaguely recall studies finding this in driving too (which of course equates to safer driving). There is also an obvious jump in male mortality rates when they're old enough to drive and generally do stuff without a signed permission form. Usual caveat: variation within the sexes will be substantially greater than variation between the sexes. Results in one area are not necessarily applicable to different areas. Past performance is not a guide to future returns, to which may I say, thank goodness.

Actual call from Omaha Steaks:

Omaha Steaks Guy: Hi there! Thanks for ordering steaks for Steven (my dad)! This is the last day to order in time for Christmas!

Me: No thanks, I'm all good.

Omaha Steaks Guy: So you won't be getting Jason (my brother, who got steaks for his bday) a Christmas gift this year?

Me: Probably not, because he's a Jew.

Omaha Steaks Guy: WE HAVE KOSHER CHEESECAKE!