Interesting Links for 06-12-2013

• Why You Can't Build a Smartphone
  (tags: mobile_phones )
• Forget Winning the Hunger Games — One of the Best YA Series Is a Story of Failure
  (tags: fiction scifi )
• An Obituary for the Letter E
  (tags: language )
• UK government to pave way for driverless cars
  (tags: cars robots )
• Yes Scotland have a bunch of answers to frequently asked questions. Is there somewhere impartial doing likewise?
  (tags: independence scotland )
• Women find sexually explicit ads unappealing -- unless price is right
  (tags: sex money gender advertising )
• 80 years ago the US realised banning didn't work for alcohol. Some day they'll realise it doesn't work at all.
  (tags: alcohol prohibition usa viasupergee )
• The Music Theory Song
  (tags: music video viaAndrewHickey )
• A hint as to why the Republicans don't appeal to the African American or female vote...
  (tags: voting usa republicans funny )
• 'Determination' can be induced by electrical brain stimulation
  (tags: neuroscience brains electricity )
• Probiotic therapy alleviates autism-like behaviors in mice
  (tags: autism food mice biology )
• Fact-checking Cameron on Mandela
  (tags: davidcameron NelsonMandela facts )

Best. Relationship. Advice. Ever.

From the discussions under a (deliberately) very silly post on monogamy:

Confucius drew a line in the dirt with his staff and asked his student, "How can I make that line shorter"? The student suggested rubbing some of it out, but Confucius said that would be messy. "Watch", he said, and drew another, longer line next to it. "Now it's shorter".

Encourage your wife to read about other women's husbands on Mumsnet.

I can certainly certify that at least twice a month Julie observes someone else's relationship awfulness* from a safe distance, and then tells me how happy she is to have me.


*Either on a bus, or Eastenders. All of our friends and family have amazingly perfect relationships. Obviously.