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To: alt.religion.wicca.moderated Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 19:48:59 CST Subject: Re: Wicca vs Witchcraft From: "-A."RadiantMatrix wrote: > The thoughtful -A. elucidated: > >>RadiantMatrix wrote: >> >>>The thoughtful -A. elucidated: > > --snip-- > >>>Any woman who can install Debian on her first try.... purrrrr. :P >> >>Making me jealous now. If she can do that, she's outgeeked me in Linux. >> Correction from my earlier sentiment: You're *extremely* lucky... > > And you've made her blush - she lurks here from time to time. Sorry... > --snip-- > >>>I've noticed this too - partially, I think, it has to do with the 90's >>>"hip to be a geek" fad. >> >>I don't think so. If you look at the geek-related films of the mid >>90's, even at the pseudo-geek films (films in which the geek hero saves >>the world by using a Win95 gui, e.g.), you'll see that the depictions of >>geeks are nowhere near the true geek archtypes. I think I made a >>comment to Yowie (I know I made it to someone, though I don't remember >>to whom) that I thought that the "popularity" of geekdom in the mid 90's >>was due to the "Internet Stock Bubble" and pseudo-geeks hiring every >>geek they can. > > > Ok, you got what I meant somewhat backward, though your point stands. > What I meant is that the changing attitude of Geek-sub-F's toward > brandishing their Geekdom has a lot to do with the 90's "hey, geeks are > cool" attitude. That attitude, as you say, was largely because suddently > geeks made large amounts of currency. Oh. I see it now. Allow me to retract my earlier "I don't think so" comment. > > --snip-- > >>>>Pie Caffeine Domine, dona eis Jolt Cola! >>> >>> >>>*big grin* Monty Python and Caffeine in one line: my hat's off to you sir! >>> >> >>Thanks. I actually sing the more common variant (Pie Caffeine Domine, >>dona eis Strong Coffee) every morning as I am pouring my first cup. The >>cashiers at the coffee shop/convenience store on campus have finally, >>after almost 2 years of my daily singing, started to sing along. And, >>yes, I did come up with the Caffeine version lyrics. You're all welcome >>to use them. I've already got a small "Cult of the Singing, Pythonesque >>Caffeine Addicts" here and back in my home town and I see no reason >>against increasing our numbers... > > > I've already started singing at work (since everyone is used to the usual, > unaltered version streaming out of me at random times); though I adjust > the last three syllables as appropriate (black coffee, espresso, etc.) > Yes! > --snip-- > >>>Mmmm... Daria. The original popular (sort of) geek. There's just >>>something satisfying about being smug that makes the sardonic wit roll >>>glibly (WHY is that word so hard to say?) off the tounge... >> >>She was quite popular. > > > Well, the *show* was popular, partially because the entire point was that > Daria *wasn't*. Hence my nervous use of the term. > My bad. > >>Now, however, they've cancelled the show, moved >>the reruns to air at 2am (EST) on a premium cable chanel for the 12-17 >>age group and edited out at least 3 minutes worth of content per >>episode. The effect is Diet Daria (complete with saccharine "house ads" >>in place of commercials). True pity. [Although, Tracy Grandstaff is >>still with MTV and still gives autographs to those who know who she is. >> She has also been known to slip into her old character's voice on >>occasion.] > > > I tend to randomly hug people who do impressive renditions of Daria. > > --snip-- > >>>Actually, geeks have more honor (in the *traditional* sense) than your >>>average carbon-based life form: there's a degree of art in code, and >>>there's a feeling of competing against self that's wonderfully >>>constructive. Further, though competition among geeks is heated, it is >>>rarely ill-willed - you'd hardly ever see a geek destroy a fellow geek's >>>computer, game cards, etc. >> >>I take it you have read ESR's Portrait of J. Random Hacker, spec. the >>"Physical Activity and Sports" and "Religion" sections? As for the >>willfil distruction of geek-related property, most of the geeks I know >>would sooner proclaim the advantages of Windows 95 than damage another >>geek's "toys". I think it's because, deep down, we all know how we'd be >>if anyone ever damaged our own stuff. Heck, I don't even let anyone use >>my computer when I'm standing over their shoulder watching them like a hawk! > > > Methinks geeks have an inate understanding of "enlightened self interest" > - you see it in the Open Source movement, security world, and even hacker > cons. Open Source, yes. Security world? Now that's just an oxymoron. And I have yet to attend a so-called "hacker con": too many script kiddies, warez freaks, and other folk for whom hacking refers to the felonious arts of cracking rather than writing beautiful, efficient, poetic code. > > Speaking of inate understandings, ever notice how geeks excel in > philosophy? I suggest this is a result of such things as being > comfortable with "false" having several meanings (including, on occasion, > "true"). > But of course. However, I believe that our excellence in philosophy stems from our ravenous, omnivorous reading habits (someone once called my reading habits "tarrasque-like") rather than from our understanding of true/false(1)/false(2)/false(3). > --snip-- > >>>However, I'm not primarily a hardware guy. Now, if a grrl were to compile >>>a cleaner kernel, or hack my network... I might be impressed, but she'd >>>have to let me forget about that or it would never work. :D >> >>Exactly. This should have been included in my original post on Rules to >>Live By to Get Along With Geeks: >> >>"If, by some strange happenstance, you should outgeek the geeks around >>you, do not, under any circumstances, rub it in for longer than is >>absolutely necessary to reaffirm your position as Ubergeek. We tend to >>be quiet intricate, devious, crafty and unpredictable with our revenge >>strategies..." > > > Also, geeks are very, *very* patient. We might get you back in a few > years. :) > Oh yes. Nothing like prolonging revenge so that our "victim" loses sleep for 5 years, waiting for the revenge plot to rear its ugly head. > --snip-- > >>>Quite possibly, though pedantry scores pretty high too. Most geeks are >>>very precise people, and it irritates us when people are needlessly vauge >>>or verbose. >> >>Or needlessly verbose about vagueries. > > > You do this too? I can't resist combining terms like that... it's almost > a neurosis. > I've been trying for years to come up with something on par with "nattering nabobs of negativism." Haven't yet. Of course, when I get really angry, I tend to utter a swear sentence in 5 languages (US Slang, Brit Slang, Latin, Yiddish, Japanese)... It really confuses the people around me! > --snip-- > >>>Partially, but also that most men are actually so bent on machismo that >>>they think they perform better than they do (or at least act like it). >>>Geeks tend to have much more honest opinions and encourage sexual >>>dialogue. Thus, if their partners are patient enough they end up with >>>very good lovers. >>> >> >>That's kind of what I was getting at, but in my case I tried not being >>too specific (Since I have no actual experience, I shouldn't be >>discussing this point...) > > > Sexual "experience" is over-rated. It's so much more fun to *learn* with > your partner (or let them teach you things) than to be Mr. Experience. > > --snip-- > >>>Well, you seem to have the art of conversation reasonably mastered - you >>>know that geeks love to talk. Find out enough about her interests that >>>you can ask short questions with long answers. :) >>> >> >>Yes. I've done that. I'm talking advice in making my intentions (or my >>hopes at any rate) known... > > > You'll know when that's time. Also, lit geeks tend to be fairly > perceptive to romantic overtures (at least, IME). It never hurts to > invite her out for coffee. > > >>>Also, find good poetry, and read it aloud. That works with almost *any* >>>female (and most males), but it has special meaning to lit geeks: esp. if >>>you can discern a favorite author, or if you want to spark discussion >>>about poetic interpretation. >> >>Hmm. This is the second time today I've heard poetry mentioned in >>conjunction with the female geek-in-question. Downside is that it's >>very hard to come up with the meter, rhyme scheme, stanza length, and >>verse style of C++/Java code (the one flaw with being a Code Poet is >>that there are no Poetry Readings that will accept you). > > > Sad thing, that. However, don't worry about writing your own. Find a > poem that is complex and may even escape your powers of literary > interpretation. Read it to her, and ask her what she thinks. Not a geek > alive will resist the opportunity to speak her mind - especially if it's > invited. > Good point. Plus, my attempts at (non-code) poetry are really, REALLY bad. Almost to the level of "Ode to a Lump of Green Putty I Found in my Armpit one Midsummer Morning" bad. > Also, your personal interest will be noted, and you are likely to start a > good friendship. Friendship is, IMO, the best place to start romance. > > Side note: if you ever pursue a gaming geek, it's actually ok to cast a > love spell... in a D&D game. Done right, it's wonderfully amusing! > Huh. Never had *that* in a game. What happens? > >>>Suggestion: avoid love/sex poems until you know her a little better, >>>unless you know her well enough that she won't get the wrong idea. (Well, >>>the right idea, but you know what I mean... :P) >> >>Yessssssss. Not there yet, by any stretch of the imagination. > > > Best two words of advice for any potential relationship: just converse. > > --snip-- > >>>>Hurk! Must fight visual! Visual is winning! Visual is winning! >>> >>> >>>Muahahahahaha! >> >>To give credit where credit is due, this came from the absolutely >>brilliant webcomic "Something Positive". If you like[d] Daria, check it >>out (www.somethingpositive.net). I've interview the artist and he is >>definitely geek-friendly. > > > Been there - quite amusing, in a twisted and sociopathic kind of way. > Part of my daily diet of webcomics. I think of it as a daily dose of cynicism, (mild) violence and misanthropy. Quite the balance to UserFriendly. > --snip-- > >>Umberto Eco. He writes historical fictions. His two most famous are >>_Focault's Pendulum_ and _The Name of the Rose_. FP is about 3 editors >>at an Italian publishing house in the 1960s-1980s who stumble across >>(and invent) the grandest conspiracy theory of all time (involving the >>Templars, the Jesuits, Hospitaliers, and all of history from the >>Crusades up until now). TNotR is about a murder in a monastery where >>the only witness is a peasant woman charged with heracy. Also rich in >>history. > > > Danke. So noted. It goes onto my *very long* reading list. *sigh* > > --snip-- > >>>And how... my favorites are "nitpickers", people who are so theatre/film >>>geeky that they will pick out plot flaws, bad camera work, inconsistent >>>staging, etc. and voice every flaw (quietly) during the performance. >>> >>>Great fun! >>> >> >>Film geeks are actually great companions for any other type of geek. My >>closest friend is a film geek and a Kubrick geek and a (*shudders*) film >>student at Emerson. I've finally trained him to keep his opinions to >>himself until the credits start rolling. > > > See, I would never train my film-geek friends that way: it's great the way > they are! If I want to see flick without the MST3K-type dialogue, I just > don't invite them. :) > MST3K is one thing, criticising camera angles is another. What he says would fit a professional critic, not one of the 'Bots (as it isn't ever meant to be funny). Plus, I've been kicked out of theatres for his remarks one too many times. > Cheers, > Radiant > Blessed Be, -A. -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.1 GCS d-- s-:+ a-->? C++++ UL+++ P+>++ L++>+++ E+++ W++>+++ N++ o K- w>--- O- M- V- PS++ PE- Y+ PGP+ t+++ 5-- X R+ tv+ b+++ DI++++ D---- G++++ e* h! !r !y+>** ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------
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