and nothing gets me down

As before, I'm testing subjects, and have nothing to do for lots of five-minute intervals. Maybe I can get them to give me a copy of Excel for my laptop, so I can be productive during this time.

So, I was at Target the other day. I don't go there often, because, as you either already know or don't care, the closest one is way down at Genesee and Balboa. While there, I was reminded of a problem I have, a crippling tendency towards overpreparedness. Now, those of you who have spent much time with me may protest "but you're one of the most consistently ill-prepared people I know! You openly defy such rudiments of preparation as writing papers in advance, recharging your phone, and wearing shoes in inclement weather." And while this is kind of rude of you, it is essentially correct. However, I also have a fiercely obsessive streak, one that tends to fixate on outlandish possibilities.

So, for example, when presented with a choice between a set of heavy-duty jumper cables, and a set of shorter and slightly less heavy-duty jumper cables jumper cables that also included a tow rope, a rain poncho, duct tape, and first aid supplies, I had to seriously weigh the possibility of needing rain protection or towing capabilites against that of needing those extra six feet and 100 amps of cable. Eventually I went with the more absurdly comprehensive set, of course. I also got a stud sensor, because you never know when you might need to find studs. Honestly, I'm surprised the need hasn't come up more often already, but I guess I've just been lucky.

This neurotic refusal to be caught off-guard by such possibilities as rain, minor injury, or the absence of duct tape, incidentally, is my biggest weakness when playing games like Magic and Starcraft. In the former, I'm choosing cards, and wondering whether I'd rather have Death Ward, or the nearly-identical-in-effect Indestructible Aura. Since I can think of ample circumstances in which I'd need one of those cards but not the other, I usually end up using both, and my deck's careful architecture groans and ultimately collapses under the weight of my profligate drafting. Likewise in Starcraft, I can either recklessly expand my mining operations and then hedgehog my way in to the enemy's base with about 50 zerglings, or I can very cautiously fox my way over with an army that is perfectly balanced against every possible defensive contingency, and undoubtedly saddened to receive the news that its home base was attacked and destroyed half an hour ago. By zerglings.

Anyways, now you know how to beat me at Starcraft. And who to call when your battery's dead. (300 amperes or fewer, please).

One more thought, in closing: when you go to Target's baby registry, it is on a part of their website called "Target Baby." I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with this phrase.

He stands like a statue, becomes part of the machine

I was down by Kearney Mesa the other day, getting clothes and comics and a game, and, while uncharacteristically searching for hamburgers, I was reminded that there is a Tommy's over there. I confronted my craving with a chili cheeseburger and chili cheese fries, which assaulted my senses, my stomach, and possibly even my values so severely as to satisfy my appetite for the next several days.

Preparations are already underway for this year's Comic-con, and, I thought I'd kick things off on a pessimistic note, with my list of The Four Most Overrated and Uselessly Inconvenient Things To Go To:
1) The Freebie Table: After you get through the long line to pick up your badge, you will find another line squarely in your path. You will naturally be tempted to stand in it, a temptation made ever stronger by the revelation that it leads to the "Freebie Table". Resist this temptation. The freebies in question are advertisements. At the high end, they comprise a wide range of postcards and bookmarks, and at the low end, much flimsier squares of brightly colored paper that vividly bring back the college dining hall experience. You will march past these, dutifully surveying them in order to feel like you've accomplished something by standing in this line, and possibly taking a few, only to discard them that evening. At the end of the line you will probably also get a small poster for a movie that you are not interested in, and, if you are lucky, a bag for putting your squares of paper in.
2) Preview Night: Preview Night is a lot like the other four days, except that it lasts for about two hours, has longer lines, and offers a small fraction of the things to do. Allegedly there are additional "freebies" being given out, and other "comic-con exclusives." You are no doubt already wary of the first phrase. By the end of this weekend, you will be wary of the second.
3) The Masquerade: First, there is something that needs to be cleared up. The Masquerade is not exactly a masquerade in any sort of traditional sense. Instead, think "talent show," where the talent here is "wearing a costume." This can actually be reasonably entertaining. To watch it, you have two options. Option 1 is to sit outside for a while in the line to come inside and wait uncomfortably at a table for a while, to watch Phil Foglio smirk for a while. You will be watching a video of what is happening somewhere else, and the acoustics will be terrible. Option 2 is to watch a recording of the highlights on Sunday. Despite having never pursued Option 2, I am confident that it is superior in every possible way.
4) Spike and Mike's: This is not actually funny. I'm sorry. Yes, I did see that one cartoon three years ago; that was pretty funny. Everything since then has not been, including the three sequels to that one funny cartoon.

I know nobody can do me no harm

I have a new idea for a possible career path: I could study positive psychology. It is one of those rare fields that is both important and interesting to me, and I could probably get into a decent program, given my background. But, man...starting another Ph.D. I still don't know whether I'm ready for that. Still on the table are psychiatry and law (Ig recently mentioned labor law, which is definitely an intriguing option).

Speaking of which, Issa, my roommate, moved out yesterday. He's in Minnesota now, (hopefully) getting a job, and starting law school in the fall. It feels kind of weird; it didn't dawn on me until towards the end, but I lived with that guy for four years. Given that my median roommate duration is something like nine months, that's a pretty long time.

In lighter news, I just ordered some new games. And, much like books, I seem to be acquiring them faster than I'm able to consume them. This summer I would like to try to systematically reverse that trend; I figure if I play two per week, I can put a pretty good dent in my collection. If anyone's interested in helping, I guess what I am proposing is a weekly game night. And heck, since we haven't yet found a replacement roommate, I might even initially be able to host (hopefully we'll have someone by the end of the quarter, but who knows). Also, we're getting the carpets replaced, so anyone who enjoys knocking their drink over is encouraged to indulge their habit.

Matt, I'm looking at you.