Since I never changed my watch in November, it's correct again.

Apologies for the accidental early publish - this keyboard in the lab has an inconveniently placed enter key. It's been a long time since I used a full keyboard. So while I mean well, by typing this out in order kill more time before I head out, so I can go straight to dinner and then home to study, I sabotaged myself and revealed my position to my enemies.

But, you know, zombies don't have internet access that I know of, so I might be safe while I finish typing. If you don't hear from me tomorrow, they got me. Brains.

As I've already revealed, I'm working in the SuperLab here on campus today, due to a charming little thing called Linux Prejudice. It works like this:

1. I am a geek. I use Linux because I am That Sort of Geek.

2. As That Sort of Geek, I don't particularly care for social interaction except under certain circumstances.

3. Therefore I want to do as much as possible via the internet.

4. Other Types of People, perhaps deciding that allowing me to live my life like a much more banal Second Life would be indecently kind, make things that would allow me to accomplish All Necessary Tasks while at my desk not work in Linux.

5. I become so upset I forget how to structure a good sentence.

6. Lady Gaga and I have to go and sit in a Public Place while I get my shit done. I feel exposed and violated, and am convinced that the chair in my peripheral vision is actually a white b-boy in a blue velour track suit who is trying to steal my identity. And also possibly my soul.

The boy next to me is playing Bejeweled. I assume also in an effort to kill time, but I admit that this is an etic assumption. Maybe he's really into Bejeweled. Just because I'm not doesn't mean everyone isn't. I'm not into guys but babies keep getting made somehow.

I sometimes think that life would be much more fun if we all treated it like a big Live Action Role Play. Then I remember that people who don't understand the concept of LARPing think that LARPing is kind of silly, because Real Life exists. But sometimes a run is much, much better if you pretend the whole time that zombies are chasing you and Ali Larter is yelling for you to hurry up so her helicopter doesn't have to leave without you. That's LARPing. I suspect that we all do it from time to time.

Maybe not to that extent, but everyone does it. When you walk into a bar, intending to pick up someone, you're pretending that you're the hottest creature that ever did walk into that bar. This is probably not true. It is pretend. We all have our things that we tell ourselves in order to get by.

We all have to reference our character sheets from time to time, sit back with our dice and count up the damage points other people gave us, do diplomacy checks to see if we can make the joke we feel like making. Remember our back stories and that we've been trusted with important quests and artifacts, and are therefore worthy of at least a modicum of respect.

Well and so. I've filed my taxes for the year, because in my heart I'm a good and law-abiding normal person, despite my ennui to the contrary. And now because I've gotten used to sitting here in the middle of a massive room full of computers I'm glad I don't have to maintain, and also because I ran ten and a half miles and my legs are sore, I'm taking the time to educate people on Linux Prejudice and LARPing instead of scuttling away.

I'm also stubborn. Blue Velour Track Suit is not going to win.