Tag Archives: geek

My theory as to why some guys are threatened by “Geek Girls”

I’ve been a geek since before I knew the term existed.  I would say it probably started when I was about four or five years old, when my sister started reading me The Hobbit.  I didn’t truly “identify” as a geek until I was about 14 or 15, and it was part of a process of realizing I wasn’t alone.  I discovered that other people liked Star Trek, perhaps a bit too passionately.  There were folks out there like me that read Asimov, Tolkien, Pohl, McCaffrey,  Niven, Lackey, Heinlein, and the rest of the pantheon like a form of alternate truth.  People who saw the world through a slightly different lens, intensely, with a quiet (or sometimes not so quiet) passion. 

Given my long-standing sense of myself as a “geek”, my ears perk up when I see discussions of what the term means.  Of who is “in” or “out”.  Apparently there is some sort of brouhaha in progress of late regarding whether female geeks exist.  Some guys claim they don’t, or that many of those of the feminine persuasion who claim to be geeks are lying.  One recent article I read on the topic gave me much food for thought.  For that I thank the author, Sarah Kuhn: thinking is something I like to do 😉

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Licensed to Ride

I successfully passed my ICBC motorcycle road test on June 15.  It was, like all tests, pretty stressful, but once I was finished the effort disappeared into my rear view mirrors surprisingly quickly.  I’m planning on taking some sort of “advanced” training in a year or two: my feeling is that simply riding can improve confidence, but that there are some skills that require specialized practice and a knowledgeable instructor.

I’ve been gradually personalizing my bike since I first bought it, but with my licensing behind me the brakes are off.  I’ve replaced the grips, added a license plate frame, installed chrome trim on the fenders, put a gel pad on the seat for my aching behind, and acquired a sissy bar bag for when I need to carry a ton of gear.  This is only the beginning of my list, which extends to include a new saddle, an air horn, new mirrors… I’m pretty sure, though, that I won’t be adding a cup holder (and yes, they are available).

Picture of Vulcan 900 with accessories

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Shiny….

I like new gadgets. This isn’t really a general desire for new things, but rather new technology. Sometimes this desire can be beneficial: as a direct result of my interest in technology that is desnew, I am arguably more aware of the current state of the computer, game console, and smart phone markets. Other times, though, my interest becomes a bizarre kind of fixation, one which I often can not logically justify.

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Common sense is hardly common…

I am feeling “fat”, and I know exactly what I need to do to fix it.  Eat less junk (not necessarily less *food*, just less junk), and be more active.  But knowing what needs to be done and doing it are two entirely different things.  Fortunately (?), I’ve stabilized for the moment at around 190 pounds.  But I fear waking up one day and realizing I need a crane to get out of bed.

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