New faculty orientation tomorrow – wonder if I’ll get to meet Mr. Okra, or if I’ll have to wait for a game.
I Definitely Grew Up in Ohio
I’ve joked about this before, but a while back it made news that Ohio was the “sweariest” state in the US. Apparently those of us who hail from the Buckeye state swore in 1 out of every 150 phone conversations in the study. Karey & I had great fun talking about this study, peppering our words with profanities beyond what I feel comfortable printing on my blog. And while we joked about it, I wondered if there was any truth to it. Sure, I can swear (I grew up the son of a salesman who hated people, so I heard a lot of swearing), but can I really swear better than my non-Ohioan peers?
Tonight I was editing some old writing of mine, in preparation to publish it on this blog. These are old stories that I never actually published on the blog, and I figured I might as well put them up as a sort of reminiscing over my childhood. And you know what? I had to edit that article something fierce! It sounded exactly like I would tell a story, not as I would print a story (since I like to keep my editorial tone on here G rated as much as possible). I suppose there is something to that study – if left to my native tongue, I will unleash a string of profanity quite epic. Next time I joke with my students that I’m showing amazing restraint by not swearing in my lectures, I suppose I might not be exaggerating!
Essentials of Being A Geek
In addition to an academic, I also consider myself a “geek“. But am I really one? It seems according to BuzzFeed, I don’t make the cut. However I cite the following:
- I have a love of learning in depth information on a variety of subjects.
- I independently seek out new items to geek over, since I know if I took everyone’s suggestion, I’d probably be very unproductive (for example, I’ve been avoiding Doctor Who for a few years now since I have a feeling I’d probably fall hard for it)
- I own more gadgets than everyone in my family combined.
- I consider building VoIP phone systems, creating new software products, and configuring network services on my home network “leisure” activities.
Yet when I took the BuzzFeed quiz a few weeks go, it told me that I was barely geeky. Surely, the BuzzFeed article must be wrong! Upon closer inspection…
- The first 40 items relate reading comic books
- The second 40 refer to playing traditional ‘geek’ games, like D&D, Magic, etc…
- Then a giant chunk on gaming, tabletop and video
- Around question 140 we get to books (Oddly Star Wars books are mentioned, but not Star Trek)
- For about 100 questions we cover Science Fiction franchises.
- Around question 237 we hit computers, and cover them for only 30 questions.
- The remainder hits academia (Because us academics are geeks now, thanks probably to The Big Bang Theory), and science.
It’s interesting to me that the BuzzFeed staff seems to have a bit of a skewed idea of what a “geek” does. Most the list (80%) focuses on consumption of content, versus creation of content. I suspect though that the ‘geekiest’ among us probably are more than passive absorbers of material. How do you fix the list? In my opinion, weigh the “create” items heavier than the “consume” items, but that is just my geeky opinion! What’s yours?
Happy 10th Anniversary to JonWestfall.Com
A little over 10 years ago, on March 24, 2004, I posted the first entry on my LiveJournal blog – what would eventually become JonWestfall.com (I actually mentioned in that post that I was trying to figure out how to show the RSS feed from my LiveJournal blog to the relatively static homepage of JonWestfall.Com). 10 years and counting!
Your Geek Squad Badge Just Isn’t Worth That Much
When will Geek Squad employees (or ex-employees) learn that their badges are not worth > $100, even if…
- They were a deputy counter intelligence (While Double Agent badges are most common, deputy badges come up about once every 2 months)
- they have a low number (Unless it’s less than 100, nobody cares)
I’ve seen badges like the one below sit on eBay for months until they finally drop the high start bid. In case you’re wondering, Geek Squad badges go for around $60 on average, although I (and I suspect most serious collectors) have gotten them for $25 or so.
Quotes On Homepage
Anyone who cares might find it interesting to read some of my favorite quotes, now on the top of the sidebar on the right. You can read them by waiting 20 seconds for each to reload, or just look at the list below (automatically updated as I add quotes I find).
Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.
I do not feel obligated to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reasons, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
Luck has a way of rewarding those who do not depend on it
God grant me the serenity to remember who I am
Some say life is unfair. Hey, I don’t know, I don’t care.
Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
I speak LOUDLY, and I carry a BIGGER Stick… and I use it too
Back off man, I’m a scientist
It’s a game [baseball] you’ll hate for 5 minutes and love for 2 hours
Sheesh Vinny, what did my DVD collection ever do to you? Kick your cat or something?
It’s 3:30 in the afternoon and people are trying to sleep!
I have no idea. People who boast about their I.Q. are losers.
You’re with someone for like 2 weeks in and you’re like, F*** no way. I can’t stand this person. I’ll stay around for 5-6 years and we can end this thing violently I got time.
The only person I can be is the person I am
If society fits you comfortably enough, you call it freedom.
The ends do not justify the means. Because there are no ends, there are only means.
From there Elisha went up to Bethel. While he was on the way, some little boys came out of the city and jeered at him: “Go away, baldy; go away, baldy!” The prophet turned and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the children to pieces.
You know what made it easy? I never went to engineering school. I didn’t know you couldn’t do it.
All Of The Bags!
I’ve often told others that I probably own more bags than they do, and my wife admits that I definitely own more “purses” (in the sense that purses = bags; and honestly fellow men, can we really pretend that the bag we take with us isn’t a purse?). I’ve decided to compile a gallery of bags!
Not pictured…
- A Windows Phone messenger bag
- A green european school bag
- A samsonite laptop sleeve
- Skooba Sleeves in 14” and 17” sizes.
- A BUNCH of smaller cases, portfolios, holsters, and pockets.
Holy Choice Overload Batman
Don’t get me wrong – I like Coke Freestyle machines. In this case, I don’t feel any sort of choice paralysis!
Science & Engineering are Cool
In the city this wonderful Sunday morning to judge the prelims at the New York Science and Engineering Fair.
Should be fun. We’re about to get our ‘orientation’, so I guess I’d better listen up!
First Goal Hit & Thoughts on Owning a Scale
Note: I totally meant to write this last week, however other tasks came up that stopped me. So this is actually two entries at once. The bold part is what I’m writing today, and the part that begins “Nearly 4 weeks ago” was started last week (albeit finished today). Before we get to thoughts on owning a scale, let me talk about the graph above. It’s my weight loss pattern for the past month that I’ve been keeping accurate records. As you can see, for the past 2 days I’ve been under 400lb. This was my first goal. Next goal will be 380 or so. We’ll see how long that takes. Of course, I’d have no idea what my weight was if it wasn’t for this: Continue reading “First Goal Hit & Thoughts on Owning a Scale”