Dorky Don Juan Proposes During 'Super Mario World' Session
geek posts
How a Geek Can Bomb a Job Interview
While usually well-intentioned, geeks are often awkward in social situations. (No, Facebook doesn't count.) We're talking about face-to-face conversation. Short of a permanent power outage, it might be the geek's worst nightmare.We understand nerves can get the best of a person sometimes. Nonetheless, there are times when direct communication is simply unavoidable. For example, a job interview. Now, if you're not a master orator (no, speaking through a wireless headset while playing 'Halo 3' doesn't count, either), the prospect of sitting across a desk from a potential employer sends shivers up your spine. Don't fret! Just commit this list of 11 ways geeks ruin job interviews to memory.
Man Gets 'Blue Screen of Death' Tattoo
Sometimes, a picture says it all. This one, though, might need some explaining. According to the Next Web, the words inked on the man's arm are what appear on a Windows machine's monitor when it crashes. For geeks the world over, the 'Blue Screen of Death' is a terrifying sight to behold, and this unnamed young man decided he would like to have it permanently displayed -- slightly off-center (check out the full size image after the break) -- on his body. Look, we love computers and spend most of our waking lives plugged in, but is it really necessary to permanently ink yourself with Microsoft's failure? We can only wish that the death of this man's PC were instead the death of his brand of decades-old hipster irony. [From: The Next Web, via urlesque]
'Star Trek' Dog Costume, Engage! (Caption Contest)
Josh F: "I swear to God if you laugh even a little I will totally bite your #@&*@ ankle."
Chad: "Dog's [sic] die in space"
Leila: "Deep Space K-9: The Trouble with Kibbles"
Warren: "Where no dog has gone before and, hopefully, will never go again."
Tom S: "I went on the U.S.S. Enterprise and all I got was this dumb spaceship suit."
Tom C: "And I thought being neutered was as humiliating as it got."
Dan R: "If you hadn't drank those bud lights, you'd see how dumb this looks for both of us."
Tim: "The perfect accessory for picking up green alien chicks at the park."
Jon C: "Set course for planet dry hump, Mr Crusher. Engage."
Thomas H: Joke's on you, owner. The shuttle bay is full and needs to be evacuated.
Mario Family Tree Sorts Out Long and Storied History
Thankfully, some industrious gamers at Limit Break sorted all this out with the help of a handy little graphic. It's a family-tree-style breakdown of every Mario game in the Nintendo lexicon. After one look at this, the Royal Family's lineage even looks normal. It's all there -- from the oft forgotten 'Mario's Cement Factory' to the juggernaut that was 'Super Mario 64.'
Looking at this graphic is like going to a family reunion, but fun. The best part? There's no bland potato salad or awkward hugs with relatives you haven't seen in years. Just pure, digital nostalgia. [From: Limit Break]
10 Nerdiest Cakes Ever
Having trouble? The folks over at Streetlevel has you covered. They've scoured the Web and have found ten incredibly nerdy (cool?) cakes for your viewing pleasure. If you doubt how nerdy a cake can actually be, just take one look at the Twitter Fail Whale cake pictured above. Yes, that's real. Hit the link for nine more cakes that will either make you cringe, or yell "Awesome!" (complete with a fist pump). [From: Streetlevel]
Man Builds 'World's Biggest Alarm Clock'
One thing is clear from watching the above video: The inventor of the world's biggest alarm clock (or so he claims) might not be the best bed buddy.
Our man in question, YouTube user stampmaille, claims to have used this computer-controlled, air compressor-powered "alarm" to wake himself up every morning for the past four years. As the video above shows, the entire bed is lifted in the air and slammed back down when it's time to rise and shine. Repeatedly. The machine literally throws this self-professed "really heavy sleeper" around, banging his head against the mattress and headboard to get him out of bed.
We do have to give the unnamed guy some extra geek points for the clicky, Model-M keyboard sitting on his bed. We're just wondering where he was hiding the life-sized Boba Fett statue. [From: BuzzFeed]
Sketches Show Off Geeky Wearables
Occasionally, Hosmer shares scribbles of half-baked ideas. His latest giggle-inducing doodles are mostly of wearable items for tech geeks. Sure, the 'Rendering' t-shirt is cool, but we think it might be pushing it to define a Facebook tattoo as "wearable." And the Photoshop paint bucket beer cozy is certainly not going on catwalks any time soon.
Of course, our favorite item on the list is the iPhone belt buckle, which Hosmer suggests you spruce up by displaying images of an actual belt buckle on the screen. We give it a week before you see it on the streets of Williamsburg, New York. [From: Mister]
Couple to Wed in Zero Gravity Environment
A New York couple will soon take the term "destination wedding" to another level. On June 20th, New York couple Noah Fulmor and Erin Finnegan will marry 36,000 feet in the air aboard a Boeing 727 that simulates weightlessness, according to the Telegraph.
The flight will depart from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Richard Garriott, a space tourist and son of an astronaut, will preside over the ceremony, which will take place as the aircraft repeatedly dives from 36,000 to 24,000 feet and climbs back up, creating a zero-gravity environment. Friends and family brave enough to attend the ceremony must pay more than $5,000 out of their own pocket, according to Lemondrop. If you ask us, their stomachs and wallets would be better served if they just waited for pictures and videos from the ceremony.
This wedding is certainly unique, albeit a little nerdy. The Telegraph reports that the couple met at a science fiction convention, and Fulmor will give his bride a ring made from meteorite fragments at the June 20th ceremony. This couple has definitely set a high bar for future nerd weddings. [From: the Telegraph, via Lemondrop]
Tips on Dating Nerdy Guys
Our friends over at Lemondrop.com have compiled a list of ten major faux pas for gals who are interested in dating nerdy guys. This, of course, is a major validation for us TI-83-toting, Linux-using, 'Batman'-issue-citing young adults who spent high school pretending we didn't know what a "Degobah System" was. We've always known what Hollywood is currently finding out; as Justin Long (pictured), Shia LeBouf in 'Transformers,' and the entire cast of 'Superbad' prove, being nerdy is awesome. So we applaud Lemondrop for pointing out some annoying assumptions and for deflating some stereotypes. But honestly, if you are dumb enough to ask anybody these questions, regardless of their pocket protector status, you probably need to start with someone a little less complex than a guy who is fluent in Elvish. Do you really need to ask someone, "Do you live with your parents?" or inquire, "Were you a nerd in high school?" Find us someone who wasn't a nerd in high school.
Here's the bottom line. Before we start fetishizing taped-up eyeglasses, we need to understand that being a nerd only means being absurdly interested in something that is semi-pop cultural. You could be, say, a 'Sex and the City' nerd, completely familiar with the canon of Carrie. In fact, we'd find that slightly more disturbing than someone who is obsessed with a fully realized universe that is filled with different races, languages and timelines, but just so happens to be in a galaxy far, far away... [From: Lemondrop.com]
Are You a Geek? Then Make Sure You Know This Stuff....
Sure, you speak Klingon and have figured out how to access blocked Web sites from your work computer, but does that really make you a geek? To find out if you actually qualify for geek status, Laptop Logic has amassed 64 processes and items with which every true geek should be familiar.
The list encompasses almost all facets of geekdom, from the mundane to the obscure. We raised an eyebrow at some entries, such as replacing a laptop keyboard or knowing the meaning of USB (Universal Serial Bus), while others -- like flashing the BIOS on your laptop -- definitely made us scratch our heads a little.
Biggest Tech 'Cults'
Behold, worshipers at the altar of the keyboard! Since we've all lent our whole-hearted support to one particular operating system or gadget at some point, and since we're committed to promoting peace and understanding between rival tech factions, we pass on to you a canon of tech cults -- complete with a list of their practitioners' strange habits. The list, courtesy of the scribes of Infoworld, reveals the principles and practices of a multitude of technical denominations, and the sources of strife between the pious and the non-believer.
The list of "True Believers" describes seven predominant cults, their belief systems, and the rituals of their hosts of followers. Some of the different faiths, and their flocks, include "The Way of the Palm" and its legion of PDA devotees, and "The Commodorians," who seek to uphold the sanctity of the Commodore personal computer. These blind-faith disciples, even today, continue to program software for their ancient and forgotten relics.
DorkYearbook.com Shows Off Early Days of Dorkdom
If you're ever feeling nostalgic for the geeky halcyon days of the '70s and '80s, or if you're just looking for a good laugh, take a visit to DorkYearbook.com, where you can relive your cherished childhood memories of Atari and the awesome Apple II. If you're secure enough in your matured state of dorkdom, you can even post photos proving what a technically-versed dork you really were.
We don't want to give away too much, because the uploaded photos really need no explanation (unless, of course, you aren't old enough to remember 5 1/4-inch floppy disks). As an example, though, and to pique your interest, one of our favorite images depicts a young girl donned in Dr. Who regalia. It's too bad that we weren't cool, or dorky, enough to wear a multi-colored scarf. We had no idea that Dr. Who attracted such a devoted female following.
The site offers a virtual history of nerdity, so, if you're longing for the days of Commodore 64, She-Ra, Jams and "Sierra On-Line," or if you kids out there just want to make fun of geeks past, Dork Yearbook has your fix. You can even follow the geek action and catch the latest nerd uploads through Twitter, everyone's favorite dork-endorsed micro-blogging site. [From: Dork Yearbook Via: Coudal]
Related Links:
10 Habits of Highly Annoying Geek Couples
Thanks to a heads-up from the good people over at geeksugar, we've come across an interesting list relating to marital bliss: Wired's own Geekdad has compiled the 10 Annoying Habits of a Geeky Spouse, and if we weren't so painfully cool, or didn't spend so much time memorizing everything Homer Simpson has ever said, we might see a few of these reflected in our own relationship. Throwing in 'Simpsons' references whenever possible makes us cool, right? We think so, but our spouse won't give us a straight answer.
Anyhoo, the list seems pretty dead-on, although we do have some small issues with a few of the habits on the list -- Both the Wired crew and Geekdad admit to using "frak" instead of actually cursing, but they attribute the origin to 'Battlestar Galactica.' Sure the original version used "frack" but not with the same spelling or frequency, and every true geek remembers playing the game 'Frak!' on their Commodore 64 (ownership of which immediately classifies one as a geek of the highest order).
Gadgets You Can Wear (But Really Shouldn't)
- Oakley Thump MP3 Sunglasses - The style is good, but the fold-down headphones make these a bit cheesy and, dare we say it, not quite socially acceptable.
- The Connect-a-Desk - This backwards backpack lets you type on a laptop while walking around. Great for system admins who are constantly walking around the building. Not so great for being seen in public.
- iPod Lederhosen - Okay, if you happen to live or work in an area where lederhosen (traditional German pants) are socially acceptable (which we doubt), don't further push your luck by wearing this model of pants sporting integrated iPod controls. There's nothing trendy, or traditional, about them.
- R2D2 Backpack - This would be undeniably cute for your kids, but, regardless of how badly you want to go back to the time when you were a young Padawan learner, there's just no place for one of these on an adult.
- The iPod Hat - Yes, it's a hat that holds an iPod. Need we say more?
Gallery: Tech Fashion
Related Links:
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
