Schreiber

Does anyone else get that thing where you get a cramp in your jaw muscles, and so one side of your mouth hurts and you can't chew properly and opening your mouth wide involves sever pain and it just doesn't go away?

Hey, guess what I've got?

(In happier news, this weekend features lots of bellringing and sugary things. And apparently also a date. I'm leaving in...eep, half an hour. OK, the date thing is actually kind of terrifying. But positive! I hope.
All this would be more fiun if I could chew, though.)

I sorta feel like I need to get a copy of Dating for Dummies.

#sociallyawkwardpenguin

OK, right. Let's talk about Common Sense vs. Social Life.

Some of you may be familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Basically, the theory is that we have a chunk of our hindbrain or something dedicated to prioritizing, to remind the rest of the brain of what's really important. WOrks something like this:

* Are we breathing?
If NO, resolve; else:
* Are we in immediate physical danger?
If YES, resolve; else:
* Are we sufficiently nourished and hydrated?
...
And so forth, up through shelter, companionship, sex and personal fulfillment.

The problem (at least in my case) is that the part of the brain which does this kind of prioritizing doesn't really understand about money.

Common Sense is telling me that my first priority ought to be getting a job, already. Tiny Maslow, however, is still in the Neolithic somewhere, so while he officially accepts Common Sense's memo, he regards it with a mixture of incomprehension and [disparagement]:
"Job...? You mean working to get food, right? But that's not an issue: that was a perfectly good rabbit we ate the other night, and we've got lots of leftovers; there's plenty more food in the cool place in the back of the cave, and anyway we know where to get more food: that store thing is right down the street..."
"What do you mean, "rent"? You're talking about ensuring shelter, I think; but this is a perfectly acceptable cave, we feel safe from sabretooths and things in here, and the roof hasn't leaked on us ONCE!"

Consequently, in the brain's weekly staff meeting Tiny Maslow stands up and announces that while he has taken Common Sense's memo under advisement, our first priority for the week should be finding companionship (it's lonely in the cave) and personal fulfillment. Common Sense fumes, but to no avail; and I expend much more serious attention to the Personals section of craigslist and the local geek club than to, say, writing cover letters...