Web Hopping

I was bouncing around the web today when I reached a new website, the Freakonomics one, where I started reading an article on online poker.  The article wasn't particularly revolutionary or informative, but something strange happened while I was reading it.

Along the bottom right of the screen, a tiny pop-up appeared.  It read: "Recommended for You: Cats and Dogs, Donkeys and Elephants."  Inside the pop-up, I saw a tiny picture of a grey cat that was apparently resting its head on a pillow.

Now, I had never been on this website before, so my question is how could they know that I would find this link irresistible?  These freakonomics people are geniuses.

I am clicking on it right now.  The first thing I see is the cat.

In the article, I learned things.

1.  British cat owners are better educated than British dog owners.  Okay, informative.  Useless but informative.  I say useless because this is not the kind of information that will better my chances at winning on Jeopardy! if I should ever get the chance to compete on that show.  

If I did get a chance on Jeopardy!, by the way, I would like to give my occupation as "homeless," even if it happened not to be true.

"Hello Alex Trebek, I'm Yakshi.  My occupation is homeless."

If I were sitting at home watching Jeopardy! and a contestant identified himself as homeless, I would think two things.  (1) That guy rules, and (2) I want that guy to absolutely destroy his homeowner opponents.

2.  In the U.S., there is an insignificant difference in the education level of American cat owners and American dog owners.  As informative as #1 above.

3.  Another study suggests that dog owners are more extroverted, conscientious, and agreeable compared with cat owners, who are neurotic but more open.

Hmm.  I own a cat.  It happens to live with my mother, who likes it more than I do.  I happen to be neurotic as well.  But I am fairly closed.  I'm happy to say that my coworkers know almost nothing about me.

Still, Freakonomics was able to predict what would interest me.  Does a website know me better than I know myself?

* * *

To increase my productivity, I recently bought a white board.  It acts as my conscience.  (Otherwise, I have none.)  On it, I write the things that I have to do.  Then, as I do them, I erase those things.  It is fantastic.  For today, I have four things written.

1.  Sweep and mop

2.  Walk 1 hour

3.  Kill 100 ants -- next to this goal, I have the number 25 written in red, which represents "Daily Dead"

[Edit: Previously, I had written "Kill 100 hands."  I don't know how I could do that.]

4.  Write 1 hour (nonblog)

If I could achieve this last goal, it could be the start of something that would make me feel good.  I haven't written a nonblog word creatively in years.