Love the Geek.

As a kid, I was short, skinny, bespectacled, a good student, socially awkward, and frankly, just plain weird (some things don't change).  As you might imagine this made me one of the less popular kids in school.  By the time I reached high school I had fully embraced the weird and the nerdy.  When it comes to geek references and jokes in real life, I am a HUGE fan.

Fortunately, there is no lack of amusements for the geek in all of us.  Don't be afraid.  You don't need to be an engineer or wear a pocket protector.  I promise it won't hurt.

Start small.  Do you like Star Wars AND the Bee Gees?  (don't worry, it's OK)  In that case have I got a T-shirt for YOU!

"That's no moon!"

Or, perhaps, math is your thing?  Then have some Fibonacci pigeons!

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21!  Woo hoo!

If you like music, you need go no further than They Might Be Giants.  I saw these guys in Napa a few months back and they rocked that deco theater.  TMBG has some songs that are weird, some that are geeky, and on the whole the Johns are great musicians and lyricists (also: they are not afraid to use giant confetti cannons and sock puppets in shows). 

Exhibit A:


HAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA!  It's funny because it's true!  Wait, wait, here's another one!  Extra bonus points for cracking up while performing.



Or perhaps you like cats and have an eye for Monty Python references?

And, of course, the home of geek deluxe T-shirts and other assorted doodads, Think Geek.  Great for birthdays.  There must be someone on your list who is in need of magnetic buckyballs, something from xkcd, a little something from the caffeine section, an interactive T-shirt, or a Tauntaun sleeping bag.  YOU KNOW YOU WANT. 

My favorite part of this sleeping bag is the gut print on the lining.

Of course, xkcd itself is awesome.


Sweet.

For those with a literary turn, I recommend Neal Stephenson or Jules Verne. 

So, enjoy, enjoy, don't be afraid to let your geek flag fly high!  You're not alone.  You're never alone.

She's baaaaaack!

Kent had to go to his east bay house today because his dishwasher was in the latest Maytag recall.  He was working on the drip system out front when the crazy neighbor came out and started taunting him.  He finally asked her what her real problem was (my own theory: she is low on lithium), and she told him that he beats women.  The huh?  He asked how she knew, had she seen him?  And then she started yelling gibberish, he told her she was even crazier than he thought, and she went into her house.

I guess she must stew after confrontations, too, since shortly after that she came out and told him "You can suck your dick!" 

Now, that is funny.  I told him he should have told her he couldn't, he tried.  (HA HA HA)  I am sorry I wasn't there, just for missing that fine salvo.

She only gets really nasty and confrontational like that when no one else is around (the husband/daddy/uncle/whatever, or the kid).  The theory now is that she lives in a really repressive and maybe abusive household, and projects and lashes out where she knows it's safe.  Sad yes; license to act like a junkyard bitch, no.  Take your lithium, woman.

No video, unfortunately.  I know her youtube audience misses her.

Theory: Weight and Relationships

You've heard the stories, and, like me, you may have seen the signs.  When you're single, you tend to weigh less than when you're in a relationship.  I realize this is not what happens to everyone, but apparently I'm one of the people this happens to.  My new "normal" is higher than my older "normal". So, what is it?

My newest theory is that it's my competitive nature.

When I was a kid, fairness in the amount of food I got vs. what my sister got was a hot button.  When mom would heat up a can of Spaghetti-O's for us to share, if we didn't each have the exact same number of meatballs, there'd be a scene.  If the number of meatballs in the can was odd, one would have to be cut in half to keep peace in the house.

Now, I don't expect to eat as much as Kent does, but I think I still eat more than I do when I'm on my own, and I think it comes down to subconsciously thinking I'm not getting my fair share if I eat sparingly.  Silly, right?  But I end up feeling full more often than I used to (when I would aim for feeling 70% full).  And, of course, filling up more often can lead to, how shall we say, a shift in the calorie equation.

Of course, it could also be due to metabolism shifts, or eating on a schedule rather than checking appetite, but I'm liking my competitiveness theory.

The one friend I floated this idea to says that he weighs more in his relationship because his partner cooks real meals and serves large portions, but when he's on his own he makes something simple and small.  So, my theory does not apply in his case.

What do you think?

I think I need to get more conscious (again) about what I'm eating, and make sure that I'm hungry first before eating something.