links for 2009-03-10

"A busy place for some reason seems to be the most congenial kind of place if you want to be alone. The number one activity is people looking at other people."

"If you’re still having trouble understanding big-time bankers’ huge paychecks — and who isn’t? — try thinking of the problem in more primitive terms. Like, say, the lives of elephant seals.
Bull seals put on flab for competitive reasons: the bigger the bull, the greater its chances of thrashing other males on the beach to win a harem of cows.
The problem is that while each bull may be happy with his success, the competitive dynamic has a cost to elephant seal society. When the fattest seals always win, they will be more successful in passing their genes to the next generation —which will lead to a fatter population over time."