Hey, Big Spender

My friend Kim sent me an article about evolution playing a part in male spending. It's not a huge surprise that men spend money to attract mates, but it is fascinating to find that there is a direct correlation between the amount they spend as a percentage of income and how many sexual partners they have and desire in the future.

From a LiveScience article posted on Yahoo News -

"It is partially a result of our economic system and recent financial policies, but I really do think that our evolved mating strategies have an influence. Our competition for economic displays drives our consumer economy and culture of affluence.

"In terms of the current mortgage crisis, the findings suggest that one of the reasons why we overextend ourselves is that we're basically in a status race. We have expectations that spiral upward as people make more money, and everyone wants to show that they are better than average."

Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll (Are Bad for Your Health)

There's an article in the UK's Daily Mail about a recent study of famous musicians and the likelihood of their early demise. In the first five years of their newfound fame, they are 3 times as likely as their peers to meet an untimely death.

"The findings come from a study of more than 1,050 American and British musicians who found fame between 1956 and 1999. All featured in the All-Time Top 1,000 Albums list selected in 2000."

"The British team behind the study say the statistics are so shocking that the music industry should be regarded as a 'high-risk' profession."

I'll have to keep that in mind if my friend, Jeff Boden (RidiQlis), ever makes it big and wants me to write him a policy.

This Stuff is Bad (and by "bad" I mean "good")

"The Top Ten Bad Things That Are Good For You"