Cranial Herbs & Rice

Here is a look at D&D mechanics and how it compares to "real-world" activities.  It's written based primarily on 3.0 edition, with a couple of comments on 3.5.  His take is interesting and makes sense.  The end result?  Reality makes sense according to D&D rules.  Give it a read to find out what level Einstein or your typical Olympic jumper would be (lower than you might think).  Aragorn gets a stat build as well, again at far lower levels than you might think.

http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/d&d-calibrating.html

And here's some discussion on encumberance.  Some of the posts are useless, but some make sense: http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=69