Ten Ways Being a Geek Makes You More Attractive

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Being a geek in 2007 is nothing to be ashamed of, the stereotype that once existed is long gone and there are several characteristics of geek culture that could almost be considered chic. Consumating, Threadless, or even Apple are pretty good testaments to this fact.

The picture I'm about to paint is of the ideal, I'm not implying that every perl programmer or 15 year kid who plays WoW all day possesses all these qualities.

1. You're probably very smart.
2. It's hip to be geek. Everyone is familiar with the stereotype of thick glasses, a pocket protector, an obsession with star trek, and social skills akin to a sack of potatoes. Times have changed: geeks are often fashionable, hip individuals who are very aligned with the trends of their own generation
3. You geek out on more than just your computer. Ever seen the movie collection of a film geek? Ever had an automotive geek work on your car? Ever seen the body of a fitness geek? The tenacity of someone like us, when applied to hobbies outside computers and the like, can yield impressive results.
4. Geek humor is the best humor. This is perhaps a biased opinion, but I've never laughed as hard as I have while reading some of the random, funny things that came out of geek culture.
5. You listen to good music. Geeks have access to tools that allow us to hear music that extends well beyond top 40 radio. Want the entire discography of Aphex Twin by tomorrow afternoon? Ask a geek. Not only do they listen to good music, they can find just about anything you're looking for in a heartbeat.
6. You make good money. If there's one stereotype about geeks that usually rings true, it's that they rarely have trouble earning a decent income.
7. You fix stuff. Everyone loves a handyman, especially one that can fix one of the most frustrating devices ever conceived: a personal computer.
8. You've got your own stuff going on. You'll never meet a geek who runs out of things to do, they've got lots of hobbies and interests and are more than happy to dive head first into one of those when they've got some spare time. In other words: they won't rely on you to give them a life.
9. You're very articulate. Compulsively reading a few hundred RSS feeds a day yields a vocabulary that could put most college English majors to shame.
10. You're passionate. When a geek becomes interested in something, they tend to immerse themselves in it entirely. They'll strip a new gadget down to nuts and bolts and re-build it with an xhtml compliant grappling gun. This intense passion can extend to many areas of a geek's life, not just computers and hobbies.

Any others you can think of?

Via mingle2

Boxer Slams Down Inhofe’s Global Warming Filibuster: ‘You Don’t Make The Rules Anymore’

in

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) has said Al Gore is “full of crap” and compared people who believe in global warming to “the Third Reich.” During today’s Senate hearing, Inhofe used a considerable amount of time to attack Gore’s use of carbon offsets and try to convince him to sign a sham “energy ethics pledge.” (Find the real facts on Gore’s energy usage HERE and HERE.)


Inhofe asked Gore for his reaction, but then quickly cut him off saying Gore had taken up too much time. When Gore tried to go on, Inhofe repeatedly interrupted, adding, “I don’t want to be rude, but from now on, I’m going to ask you to respond…in writing.” Inhofe said Gore could respond verbally only if it was a “very brief response.”


Committee chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) finally intervened. “Would you agree to let the Vice President answer your questions?” Inhofe said Gore could respond when he was done talking, but Boxer wouldn’t have it: “No, that isn’t the rule. You’re not making the rules. You used to when you did this. Elections have consequences. So I make the rules.” The hearing audience applauded loudly. Watch it:



Screenshot


Blog for Our Future has a round-up of bloggers’ reactions to Gore’s testimony.


UPDATE: Three more notable videos from Gore’s testimony today are HERE.

(Via Think Progress.)

Senate votes to limit Bush’s power on U.S. attorneys.

in

In a 94-2 vote, the Senate today voted to “end the Bush administration’s ability to unilaterally fill U.S. attorney vacancies as a backlash to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ firing of eight federal prosecutors.” The bill will cancel “a Justice Department-authored provision in the Patriot Act that had allowed the attorney general to appoint U.S. attorneys without Senate confirmation.”


UPDATE: Gonzales was supposed to appear before a House committee on Thursday to discuss the Justice Department budget and other issues not related to the U.S. Attorney purge. He just canceled. (Via Atrios)


UPDATE II: House Judiciary Committee to meet tomorrow to authorize subpoenas against Karl Rove, Harriet Miers, Gonzales’ ex-chief of staff Kyle Sampson, Rove deputy Scott Jennings, and others.

(Via Think Progress.)