Complex Numbers

Wondering

I'm sure most of you have been to websites that list the top 5 or 10 "Most Viewed Articles."

Something always bugged me about that, and today, I finally realized what it was.

"Duh," I sez to meself. "If you're going to list 'Most Viewed,' it's a rather self-fulfilling thing, isn't it? People will click on them and they'll be Way More Viewed."

It would be difficult for lesser-viewed articles to rise to the top then, yes?

I think websites should have a list of their LEAST viewed articles, instead. Then, when enough people click on one, it starts to move up the list, making room for the next-least-viewed articles, which are then clicked on... etc. That way the site, whatever it is, will get more views overall.

Anyway, I found this from a "Most Viewed" list:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0712/gallery.101_dumbest.fortune/8.h...

That particular URL points to #8 in a 101-item list, mainly because #s 1-7 are boring, but #8 is amusing: "hordes of rats" in a KFC/Taco Hell in NYC. Ratatouille, it ain't!

Everyone knows NYC has rats, both the two- and four-legged kind. What you may not know is that even the four-legged kind have opposable thumbs. Now, you see the rats in that picture? That is the actual color of a New York City rat. They're darker than your average gray rat and a LOT darker than your cute little lab rats.

Why is this, you wonder? Well, the New York subway track pits are all painted black. A black that, over time, fades to a kind of 85% - 90% gray. And other than in fast food outlets and the mayor's office, the single easiest place to find a rat in NYC is the subway. Now, the subway rats don't get up on the platforms - at least not when anyone's on them - but you often see them scampering along beside the third rail. But that's the ONLY time you see them - because when they stop, they blend into the background because their fur is 85% - 90% gray.

Natural Selection does work.

Anyway, here's the BEST part of that list, appropriately enough at #13:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0712/gallery.101_dumbest.fortune/13....

Disneyland announces plans to close the "It's a Small World" attraction to deepen its water channel after the ride's boats start getting stuck under loads of heavy passengers. Employees ask larger passengers to disembark - and compensate them with coupons for free food.

Disney: Unclear on the Concept since 1939.