Tourists Love to Rub the Bronze Balls of Wall Street’s Charging Bull Statue. Why? | Atlas Obscura

Right, so back to the balls. It’s clear they represent the intersection of two universal and timeless human fascinations: money and genitals. But when did touching them become good luck? Why do Brazilian businessmen rub their briefcases against the giant genitalia? Why do groups gather around the bull’s majestic butt crack for family photos, parents gently pushing their children to climb underneath and hug the balls from below?

Source: Tourists Love to Rub the Bronze Balls of Wall Street’s Charging Bull Statue. Why? | Atlas Obscura

Life is Short

“One heuristic for distinguishing stuff that matters is to ask yourself whether you’ll care about it in the future. Fake stuff that matters usually has a sharp peak of seeming to matter. That’s how it tricks you. The area under the curve is small, but its shape jabs into your consciousness like a pin.”

Source: Life is Short

The Curse Of The Fire Horse: Japan’s Ultimate Form Of Contraception – Tofugu

“People born during the year of the Fire Horse are notorious for being bad luck. People born during a Fire Horse years are said to be irresponsible, rebellious, and overall bad news.

And for some reason, women are said to be especially dangerous Fire Horses. They supposedly sap their family’s finances, neglect their children, and drive their father and husband to an early grave.

This myth is so powerful that it seriously affects how people behave. Men might avoid marrying a Fire Horse, and families avoid giving birth to Fire Horse children.”

Source: The Curse Of The Fire Horse: Japan’s Ultimate Form Of Contraception – Tofugu

A New Year, a New Blog

After many fits and starts (and sitting on this domain name for years), I’m choosing 2016 as The Year Brian Gets Serious About This Blog Thing.

Instead of annoying friends and family on Facebook with my obsessive posts about the robot apocalypse, now they’ll have to come here to examine my neuroses.  Other than journaling about humanity’s impending doom, I intend to write about my school learnin’s, food fixin’s, and life in the Cool Gray City of Love.