Last night I went out to the Malthouse with the monkeys. We saw Eddy Perfect, a comedy/music act. He does anti-capatalist anti-consumerism lefty stuff, and it was really good. I enjoyed his performance a hell of a lot. It was a very good recommendation on behalf of the monkeys.

However, I had a bit of an awkard incident. I did it to myself, stupid me.

It was elliot's birthday that day, and mine the day after (ie today). Kara gave me the ticket as a birthday gift, Amanda gave me some cool toys, and Elliot, bless him, gave me THX 1138 (you know, the movie. It's really cool).

But i hadn't got him anything...and it was his birthday that day...and as he handed me my gift, my stomach filled up with rocky guilt and embed itself there.

I couldn't believe how bad I felt. I didn't even have any good excuse. I knew it was his birthday in advanced because i'd discovered that the year before. I knew that the monkeys are the gift giving types. I just didn't think about it. I'm either a bad person, or have bad social skills, or both.

One theory in human evolution is that trading was responsible for the massive increase in the size of the human brain. If humans were going to start collaborating and trading brains that could tell when they were getting the short end of the stick and motivations to fix it. Infact, studies have shown that people do much better at certain tests of logic when the test is phrased in terms of a 'cheating' scenario.

People have a deeply embeded sense of receprocity. And it works both ways - for the cheated, and the cheater. It's as human as sleep, sex, and noun-phrases.

Today I bought elliot a retrospective gift - a domain name. I sent it to him about ten minutes ago. It can't undo that awkward moment, but it's better late than never.

I'm fine about it today. I'm proud of myself for not ruminating.