Blank White Cards and Divergent Tests

4/26/09: The situation at my house: There are about a dozen power tools, a few toolboxes, and some assorted supplies in my living room. There is a fish tank at the top of the stairs which blocks access to the bathroom, and both bedrooms. My brother's idea of cleaning: Take everything that belongs to me that is in the kitchen, including things that belong in the kitchen because they pertain to food, and put them in a big pile. Thanks, roomie.

I never know what the women in my life are thinking, or what the motivation behind their actions is. Its because I never ask them to decide. I hate it when girls ask me to decide, so why should I be able to do it to them. I guess I am just stuck in the dark here. Its just funny that my intuition about signals and such doesn't improve with time or with trials. Although I generally feel like I blew it and I have a sneaking suspicion that its not just pessimism.

I played another one of Evan's awesome games (I am so jealous btw, I wish I was the best at this) called "Blank White Cards." Its more of a design puzzle/ collaborative joke/ war of tongues than a game. Basically everyone makes up funny cards that either ask people to do party-like things or that specifically make fun of someone or reference something that happened, etc. And every time they play they keep all the best cards and get rid of the rest. So it has evolved into its own thing. I guess you could theoretically make a more generic version but it wouldn't be the same thing. While making cards, Rob asked me to draw the artwork on his new cards, and I learned that I am not half bad if I take my time and don't try anything too hard (like people, or hands, both impossible).

I've been thinking so much about divergent tests lately. They come up so much in the parts of conversation that i like the most. Yesterday at the pope we got one started spontaneously that I found particularly delightful. Someone made a vague hand gesture while speaking that was basically their palms up and them oscillating the positions of their hands up and down. And we just all starting thinking about funny things that that hand gesture could mean like someone drunk trying to hold drinks, someone doing the "balancing the scale" thing, someone pumping iron, etc. It ended up catching on and we did it all night for the hand gestures people made. Its like interpretive reverse charades. Regardless, for some one who likes and is good at the regular kind of test, lately I can't get enough of the "take this and run with it" kind.

My brother figured out this awesome thing yesterday where he can download a movie and put it straight to a dvd without putting it on my computer and slowing me down. This is important because no matter how many times I ask him and he promises, he is incapable of deleting anything ever. Because of this I got to see "The Wrestler" on a giant TV last night. Frankly I thought I would like it more. I have a hard time suspending my disbelief when I can't identify with any of the decisions the characters make. Silliness or off-the-wall premises I can get over because the director is flat out asking you to come with him, but when the characters inside the movie themselves makes choices I don't get, somehow I can't follow.