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Why Do Other Geeks Leave the House?
JG_Elliott asks: "Being a geek getting more and more frustrated with shopping trips, I've turned to the internet to buy things to save time and effort. This made me wonder, other than leaving the house for work/lectures/school, why do other geeks leave the house? What is in the big wide-world that you can't get online (other than real sex)? What do other geeks get up to in their spare time, that they recommend, as something to do out of the house?"
I go out to eat often. I'm also a frequent movie goer and love playing darts if I can find people to go out with.
Excercise, fresh air, sun.
The ability to poke at my greens before paying for them.
Oh yeah, and I have WLAN and my are is heavily saturated by unsecured networks.
Life is out there.
To go see the new star wars..duh.
Buying a new house. If my current house runs out, I have to buy a new one. In order to do that, I have to leave my current house.
...that's about everything I can't do online. Of course,if you have a laptop,everything changes
although to actually answer the question, it is nice to go for walks outside of the house, and you do need a change of scenery every so often.
Geoff "Mandrake" Harrison
Some Random UI Hacker
I'm in college, so naturally I have to go to class and things like that. After that, I assume I will have a job to support myself and that I'll be working there (whether that is the US or India, I don't know). For recreation, I typically leave for sex, mountain biking, or swimming. Yes, I do have non-computer interests. That doesn't mean they're non-geeky though :).
By throwing your pc out the window you will be overcome with the need to go out of the house for things like... food... shopping.. CONTACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
This might in turn lead to things like... a social life.... friends... things to do.
Remarakbly this actually leads non-internet people to opertunity to do things out of the house as will as get them invited to such events.
Think about it.
Because, quite frankly, you can't get decent produce by sending somebody else to get it.
This sig no verb.
I know this is another April Fools Day post, but I'm going to bite anyway.
Human Intereaction. Way to many people are allowin IM, forums, or similar means to replace the simple act of dealing with your fellow human beings. The internet merely presents the illusion of communication. All you get is the words. The emotions, the non-verbals, the subtext of it all is lost.
While your low slashdot number, your beowulf cluster, and your collection of Star Wars action figures can provide a lot of enjoyment, ultimately you are depriving yourself of life by living everything around the "Geek subculture."
It's easy to hide behind elitism, Aspergers, or whatever excuse you want to make up for why you avoid people, but the truth is that the meaning of life is found in other people.
I was once a hard core geek, and for a long time I thought I was happy, and better than the common masses. But since I forced myself to get over my unease, get out and meet new people and engage in "normal" activities, I have become a much happier person. It doesn't mean I don't kick back with a good video game, or experiment with robotics, or any other geek hobbies from time to time, just that I've found much more happiness through a balanced life.
He simply replied, Kathy Fent.
I totally forgot that it's April Fool's Day today. But it's OK, because I put a green shirt on this morning.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
you know.... ZugZug...
I like to shop because it takes me out of the house, and out of Geekdom for a while. I also like being able to see and touch things before I plunk down my hard-earned.
:-).
I find that a bit of human contact, even if it's saying hi to the cheerful checker at Gelson's, leaves me reenergised and ready to take on new items back in the Geek Castle
Besides, how could I check out the latest Apple stuff without visiting the Apple Store?
D
Going to the gym.. meeting women.. the real ones.. not the ones that you pay $1.95/minute for and can only talk them through a chat window..
Go watch that movie. It should answer your question.
I usally go to Best Buy or somtin to actually see the product I can buy at hlaf the price the sell it in stores!
April Fool to you, too...
I just got back from a walk around the building where I work. Sunny, mild breeze, low 70's (F). Gorgeous day. Too nice to spend all of it sitting in front of a computer screen.
Bye now...
Concealed Handgun License Courses in Plano, Texas
(btw, is this topic amusing or depressing? insightful or flamebait? not sure.)
This is my Sig, this is my Gun. One is for Slashdot and one is for Fun.
but do you know how to drive?
if no, i suggest you learn.
Driving makes shopping trips much easier.
-Grump
Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
Food, they deliver.
Shit, they pick it up.
And Sex has two methods of delivery.
1) Booty call. And with text messaging more convient and less labor intensive than ever.
2) For those unable to meet the prequisets for #1 (those with strong empathy, deep belief in karmic justice, etc.). Prostitues: They deliver. Now you get what you pay for. But hey, hot pussy, home delivered, and a phone call away... It's not without its advantages, and can even sometime be cheaper than 3 - 5 dates. And almost certainly is if you factor in how much your time is worth, to say nothing of the likelyhood success.
passing clubs, balls, devil sticks; hitting the streets You've GOT to get out of the chair, move and focus your eyes at a distance greater than 18"!
I can't race my car inside, that's why I go out there.
-- Breaking Windows: Not just for kids anymore KDE
I think a more interesting and honest question is 'Why do people not leave the house?'. Is is related to past experiences? Is it a result or cause of social phobia? Is it related to the satisfying of short-term objectives? Is it related to intelligence or laziness? Is there a correlation between any variable (e.g. happiness) and time spent ouside? ... (fill in gap yourself)!
So does the good of outside-activity outweigh the bad, or vice versa? The relationship between obesity and inmobility has already been discussed numerous times.
In my opinion, there are lots of reasons to leave the house, which outweigh spending time inside. The best answer was already given: Life is out there! Nothing beats the sweet smell/feel/taste of
Maybe I am a misfit, but heck I am virtually never at home, except for sleeping, watching dvds or cooking....
Being a geek getting more and more frustrated with shopping trips
Why, having trouble squeezing your fat ass down those tiny supermarket aisles?
Wherever the house music and techno is, I'm there.
What is in the big wide-world that you can't get online[...]
Well, sunshine and fresh air come to mind.
You'll also find there's far more opportunity to expand your horizons out in the "big wide-world" than there will be within your residence.
All opinions presented here aren't mine.
One, fresh vegatables at the local farmers market, and two, basics like milk and eggs.
"Your having a bad day when the voices in your head put you on hold"
Taking photographs. Walking to the riverside and watching swans. To feel the sun shining, wind blowing. For going to the pub and having a couple of pints of warm ale. To go and lay down on the grass in the park and read a good book. For fun and joy.
Golf
What do other geeks get up to in their spare time, that they recommend, as something to do out of the house?
A job?
SB
It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
You put on an anorak, find somewhere you can watch trains going past, and write down their numbers.
camping, off roading, fishing, hiking, new restaurants.
Crap, did I just surrender my geekhood?
It is more productive to voice thoughtful opinions (reply) than to judge (moderate) others.
Soccer, Kneeboarding, paintball.
All non-computer related activities.
All semi-healthy.
All adrenaline pumping.
----- LoboSoft specializes in Digital Language Lab
A lotta slashdot types love photography. Look for digital camera articles and count the comments...
Many others like me also have radio-controlled devices like airplanes to fly. Beside these, I enjoy travel in general, camping, visiting nearby cities and large scientific installations like the Brookhaven National Labs, although I have to visit the Sudbury Neutrino obs. up here. Aircraft museums arent too bad either.
Beside these, I also happen to work. I cant quite debug a crashed firewall from home. I still have to install a dialup line for debug.
Lanparties too are a reason to sortof, LEAVE the house.
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
To throw garbage
(The cleaning company refused to send their employees inside my house to pick up the garbage bags)
http://efil.blogspot.com/
Well here are some of things things that get me out of the house:
1) walk around the block, its good exercise, which i need because my wife cooks good food
2) take the Labs to the dog park. Not only do dogs get to play, you can talk with other people who understand about having a 70lb lap dog
3) you have to go outside to go to first saturday in downtown Dallas. Where else can you buy a SGI server off a flat bed trailer?
4) I fly R/C gliders. It combines electronic gadgets with learning how to read the wind and air currents
And that is just off the top of my head!
Apart from work, I leave the house to be Rejected by Women at parties.
:P )
It's better than drinking alone alone.
(I'm joking THey Run screaming before they can reject me
..besides getting drunk with my friends? :)
Go to your local coffee shop and relax with a cup of java. Then do one of the following, depending on who you are:
1. Feel good about yourself as you observe the fact that you are not like the other complete losers who frequent coffee shops because they have no life, no job, and have nothing but superficial "friends" and juvenile dramas. Then go home and truly appreciate it.
2. Revel in the fact that all your friends are there and enjoy the sense of community and belongingness that comes from being just like everyone else while you enjoy your Starbucks coffee which you think is just the pinnacle of fine coffee enjoyment. Then go home and be patheticaly depressed.
-- Senior Software Engineer, Attorney appearance services, locallawyerapp.com.
I can think of lots of reasons I leave the house.
I meet people in real life.
I like to go and browse second hand record and book shops.
I go to see music performed.
I sometimes go to a museum or art gallery.
Sometimes I even just go for a walk because I feel like it and the house is somewhat limiting for walks.
I really can't be a geek...
I head out to teach my martial arts classes - Zen Do Kai twice a week and kickboxing once a week.
Plus real things like go to the supermarket, meet friends for lunch - repeat after me 'real life human interaction is good for me'
'Geek' doesn't mean hiding away shunning human contact - loser, reject are more appropriate words for that.
Every Sunday, it's time for church. As a dedicated sleeping-iner, it's always been tough for me to get up and out of bed on Sundays, but it always proves worthwhile.
Ha ha that was really funny, until I realized that since I've been engaged I rarely leave the house for any reason other than work, family obligations (includes things I do "for" my fiance) and food shopping.
My entire life is now ruled by work and a girl with an unending supply of ballet tickets!
Sunlight.
Wind.
Clouds.
Sounds of Nature.
It is perfectly sunny inside with my one-way polarized glass to ensure my privacy. I can go out with friends virtually while testing the beta version of the There virtual world. Whenever I boot Windows, I see a lovely blue landscape. Meh, sex is overrated anyway. There's nothing that Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation can't fix (nice in my basement).
...from all of the stupid April Fools posts on /.
Many online escort services make house calls. If you promise to tip them nicely, they'll even bring pizza and beer.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
...because you can only survive so long in the stench of your own body odour and farts.
not to mention the rotting food in the fridge (man that is so far away...)
---- Design. Invent. Cheese.
Out is filthy. Must stay home!
...but I can't get my pot dealer to deliver. Plus, once in a while my TiVo has to download a software update over dialup. That can take a little while, so it's a good opportunity to get some fresh air.
Seriously though, there's a good excuse to go out once a month right in my sig.
Bush is a cylon.
The last time I was at peace with the universe was a week I spent backpacking in the wilderness. In some ways it was like being at home (i.e. sleeping alone, almost no human interaction), but the only electronic device I had on me (or within a few days' hike) was my camera. No TV, no computer, no PDA, no phone, no pager, no radio, not even a watch... nada. Just me, the trails, the moose, the lakes, the wolf tracks, and the stars.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
golf is good and relaxing...not to mention a fine way to enjoy a cigar outside. If that doesn't lose my geek statues nothing will...although I probably lost my geek status sometime around getting married and dealing with children...
currently, tho, I do have to admin the house...which consists of 4 desktops and 3 or 4 laptops...of which I have 2 iBooks, 1 WinXP, 1 Win98, 3 WinME, 1 FreeBSD, and 1 RedHat...plus the collection in the basment..oh, well...
IANAL
Have the company based out of somewhere like Chezkoslovakia, Paypal the money in, hooker comes to your door, no money exchanges hands in the country?
(Score:0, Interesting)
The geek habitat is warm, cozy, and smells like bawls mixed with sweat, blood, and sorrow. Sometimes you just need to get out to breathe after drowning your memories in brute force.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
If you don't go out of the house, you can't justify the purchase of your mobile (cell) phone, PDA, portable MP3 player and so on. So clearly, one important reason to go outside is to use your personal gadgetry.
sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
"Train spotting" is now a loaded term, being associated with heroin use.
The politically correct term for someone who does this is "railway enthusiast" or "rail fan". If you wear an anorak, "gunzel" may also be appropriate.
sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
I find it hard to go scuba diving indoors. Even if I did have a deep pool I think I would miss the pretty fish and stuff.
Once a month I have to go to the bank and deposit my paycheck, lest I run out
of usable funds. Fortunately the bank is right nextdoor to where I work, so
I generally can just leave for work five minutes early and go to the bank on
the way, so it only adds a couple of minutes to my total time outdoors for the
month. Also any time I want to mail something (like, say, the checks to pay
my phone bill and ISP once a month) I have to go to the post office. But
fortunately the post office is just across the street from the bank, so I
usually go when I go to the bank, and just leave another five minutes earlier,
only adding another couple of minutes to my total time outdoors for the month.
If I have to buy stamps, I do that at the same time.
No, I'm not joking. The above is all true. Okay, I'm joking a little in that
the above reasons are not the *only* times I get out. I also go to church,
and occasionally I go to the hardware store (one block past the post office)
or some other place. Once in a great while (read: several years) I take the
dog for a nice long walk (read: several hours at one go) on a day off, just
because. Also occasionally I go for a walk by myself for a while, just
because. Usually I do this at an odd time, like the middle of the night,
when nobody's out. (I live in a relatively small community; at 3am you can
cross the biggest streets in town at your leisure without looking.) That's
my favourite time to go for a walk, because I can think out loud, wave my
arms around, gesturing to myself or an imagined audience, and just generally
do stuff that's only kosher to do in our society when you're alone, stuff
that gets me funny looks even from my immediate family -- but sometimes it's
nice to be able to cut loose like that someplace where you've got plenty of
room to walk around, such as outside.
Hmmm...., what's that? Oh yeah? Define "crazy".
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
Nope, and when we do you're lucky if we bother to shower for you.
When you are content enough working on your own things and have the capabilities to keep yourself sustained and even well-off from the Internet, the concerns about the rest of the world seem like an after-thought.
To go Geocaching!
It's a Bagel.
Two things I try to get first in the real world, and only resort to the net when that fails.
Beer, shows, beer, cinema, beer, D&D, beer, beer.
Playing D & D is usually a lot more fun in Real Life vs. over the internet. Actually using Dice and having a paper stat sheet. A board with squares and some putter figurines (I Have monorail operator Homer Simon from Simpons Monopoly). It is just better that way. It is not always can I do it Online but more of is it better offline.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Go to the movies. (I work there, so I get in free.) I LOVE movies. Also, this includes my date.
Seeing my girlfriend in general. Pretty weird for a geek to have a girlfriend, eh?
Radiohead concerts. Concerts in general though.
Hanging out with friends
Besides this, I stay at home programming/hacking/playing video games/talking online/talking on the phone/social engineering/etc.
"Instant gratification takes too long." - Carrie Fisher
out....side? Never heard of it.
While I know it may not be an ethical reason, I know some of you like your war driving trips to find more "toys" to play with.
What "other" geeks?
http://efil.blogspot.com/
I work from home, which means a guaranteed 9+ hour stretch of having to be indoors. Then I get off work and have to play a few minutes of stress relief in the form of HL or BF1942. By that time I have to go sit down and relax cuz I'm tired from the long work day. After about 30 minutes of that my computer chimes and starts up Stargate, so 50/50 chance I'll watch it live rather than let it record it (I never go back to watch the recorded ones, wierd I know). Then I or my fiance makes dinner (she has now come home from work). Then I sit with her for a while, then a little more gaming or work on a side project. Then bed time.
:)
Complete list of Leaving the House:
- I smoke and my cat has fragile respiratory (projectile cat snot sucks) so I smoke outside. 15-ish trips/day tothe side patio
- We just moved a month ago and have a horrendous lawn, so 3 afternoons outside doing yardwork and 1 trip to Lowes for way to expensive equipment
- Food shopping. I eat better than my fiance (I grew up eating fresh food) so I have to be there to do stuff like order the deli meat and pick out fruit and such. Haven't signed up for the Lowes food delivery pogram yet
Food shopping and buying cigarettes are the only reoccurring trips out of the driveway. Sometimes it worries me that I don't leave as much as I used to, but one plus side is that for the first time in 6 years I am putting less than average mileage on my car...and while I do enjoy things that can't be done at my house, there are many more things that I enjoy more at my house. Plus we have pampas grass. It's evil. I cut the 12 foot one down to two feet, I feel the need for a maniacal laugh coming on....
Whee signature.
However, you'll have to find a hardware company that delivers, or for those without a good set of tools, you can look into kits and I'd suggest changing to heavier trash bags.
But really, in the whole scheme of things, one trip outside to make your own would save countless other trips.
My other thought was to dig a tunnel to the edge of my property, and installing an elevator there that I can lower, put the trash on, and raise back into position, but I still need something to dispose of all of the dirt that I'd accumulate.
For now, I just take out my trash in the middle of the night, when that big glowy thing isn't in the sky, trying to burn me.
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
I play Ultimate Frisbee, in the UK. There are LOADS of geeky people who play Ultimate. It's really good fun and very relaxed, so get involved!
Nothing gets the kinks out and helps get fresh insight like a long cycling trip or a day in the sun walking around Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. The smell of hot oil, rubber, and racing fuel. Engines tweaked to within a millimeter of their lives. Yeah, baby.
And then when you go home and sit in front of Emacs, long-standing mental blocks are often cleared.
Some of us live with our girlfriends, so we don't have to walk around outside looking for sex... Hmm, I think I've always done it inside. What kind of people go outside when they want to have sex? Are you from Arkansas? Baaa.
Aside from school (necessary evil, blah) and work (consultant, $40+/hr) and the occasional (2x monthly) LAN party, or supply run, I never leave the house except to: :p
Go to movies w/ LAN pals
Bowl (league type)
um... that's it really
If the weather's bearable (read: 3 months out of the year), i may shoot off a model rocket or two. Most of the time the sun is just too damn bright and it's too hot. I have insulating foam over my windows, it may make it real dark in the winter but when summer comes along it's bright enough, I can do without that glare thank you very much. Did i mention that I live in southwest florida?
Logistical Chaos Officer http://www.slagg.org - LAN Gaming in Sarasota FL,USA
I balance geeking with gardening. When I start dreaming in code (I had an XSLT nightmare the other night...), I know I need to spend some more time with my plants.
Also, if it would ever stop raining, I would spend more time in the convertible
(S(SKK)(SKK))(S(SKK)(SKK))
Cause, Grizzlebee's delivers! I'm fixin to get me an order of zesty onion wings! With Holla-Maple-peno sauce! Grizzlebee's, you'll worry you had too much fun!
this sig left intentionally blank
That bright yellow thing outside that keeps us warm. I've yet to find a sutable replacement online. ..of course, I live in Seattle, so I've yet to find the real thing either.
Work
Movies
Kid's baseball/scouts/school events
Dinner
Boardgames at a friends
Costco
It's a pleasant night when I don't have to go somewhere.
Beacuse buying tangible products for your tangible body is tricky business. Unless you want to lose your ass on shipping charges.
I've bought stuff from Old Navy once or twice. Sometimes I'm a M, others a S, and once I was an XS. And that was in the same visit. Other times, you may like it online, only to find out its junk. The camera does hide a lot.
Then there are things where you care more than a store staff would. Think fruits and vegitables. You pick the best ones, and you expend your measure of "decent" effort doing so. Store staff will just move whatever product they have. It's all got to be sold to them.
In some states, wine can not be mailed in. It has to come froma distributor. So your options there are limited.
Car shopping: yu gotta test drive it, and you definately have to do that if it is used. It might have an odor, or the suspension is too stiff.
I guess it all comes down to you want to experience first hand the things you put in and around you. It's a comfort thing.
Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
It's amazing how much a trip to the park can brighten the day of your average four year old.
I spent an hour and a half there yesterday with my little ones, climbing in the jungle jim (or at least the super duper triply safe child exploration environment that has replaced what we grew up with), jumping from the swings, and just generally being a kid again myself.
Now that spring has firmly taken hold here, I plan on at least two trips to the park a week. Knowing me though, it will probably be more like 3-4 pre week. Kites, basketball, riding bikes, and exploring the creeks; things that can only be done outside.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity -RAH
What activity outdoors can be more geeky than sailing? Nothing is better than screaming over the waves while you try to optimize your heading based on vectors, aerodynamics, and hydrodynamics.
First off, I go out because I sit behind a desk and type for a living, oing out to the mall with my SO brings in for some fun not only people watching, but also i get a bit of exercise walking around one of the largest malls in the world (M.O.A.). Being in the mall also gives me a chance to check out the wierdass shops they have, and also saitiate my SO's want of material things I don't understand, e.g. shoes. That's just the mall too, I go disc golfing, and I take my neighbor's dog for a walk, because he's a cute bastard and she works late. I'd think the main reason people leave the house (besides work) is exercise, and well, fresh-air. I like fresh air.
How to Speak Leet
www.geocaching.com Running around in the big room looking for hidden treasures.
Whenever I leave the house I end up coming home WAY too late with WAY too high a blood alcohol content.
I've found that by staying home during the week I can get much more done and feel much healthier.
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
Are the rumors of the Great DayStar true?
He put his boots up on the table and made a face. "The sig," he smirked. "You can waste your life in search of the sig."
Leela: Fry, you're wasting your life sitting in front of that TV. You need to get out and see the world.
Fry: But this is HDTV. It's got better resolution than the real world.
I guess that means the answer to the question is mu.
Please go out and see the desert, especially Death Valley. Experience the perfect silence and more stars than you've ever seen. Go out on a moonless or cresent-moon night and feel completely encased in darkness so perfect you can't even see your hand in front of your face.
Sometimes it's nice to get out of the house and do things, like take a walk, read at a cafe, socialize with people, enjoy a nice spring day, go skiing, vacation, and to live life!
While the world is wired, there still is a world out there to explore and see and experience.
III.IIVIVIXIIVIVIIIVVIIIIXVIIIXIIIIIIIIVIIIIVVIII
the little mutant faggot also known as esr, who types up dictionaries for the internet because his degenerate physique is repulsive to the man on the street (and women in general), likes to suck a cock. doctors say this is attributable to his own tiny penis being bent and misshapen, like the rest of his body.
frequently on the soapbox to appear not unlike a dog-turd except higher off the pavement, raymond writes about how much he knows about what his able-bodied and vagina experienced superiors do.
to get more beer.
what's this "outside" shit, overclocking or something?
boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
Besides the human contact at work, it is nice to get out and do things with other people. Going to a club, even if you don't dance, can be fun. Watching movies is the all time favorite, and going out to eat. There is of course the chance to take a walk in the park, and just get out into nature. In the winter there is skiing, sledding, or other fun activities. In the spring, walking through the parks is always nice to see the flowers, and new growth. In the summer, there are numerous events that can hold your attention outside of your house. The fal is beautiful when you get out to see the leaves change color. The smell of a fireplace burning is great. Heck throwing a BBQ for your friends is always good, even if you throw it to make friends.
Drugs man, drugs. A geek leaves the house to consume drugs, and to dance away the day-to-day boredom.
Don't you have friends you want to meet with?
You should be lifting weights in a gym at least three times a week.
Poontang?
I am forced to go to my BS straight world J.O.B.... other than that I like to do things with my kids when they are not glued to some screen themselves
WARDRIVING!
:-)
It's more fun to go wardriving when I leave the house.
Sure I can walk around the place waving an antenna around and pick up an additional eight or nine SSID's but it's a lot more enjoyable to hop in the vehicle and go 'discover' the neighborhood.
Plus, then I get to pick up an additional eighty or ninety SSID's.
Besides that, my roommates get perturbed when I try to snowboard, mountain bike, geocache, play frisbee golf, drive real golf balls, or skateboard inside the house.
skateboarding's the only one that remotely possible out of the list, BTW.
T
Not the Big Blue Room with the Yellow Burning Thing hanging from the ceiling! NO! ***NOOOOOO!***
When the opportunity arises... Sailing, skiing, walking...
Or just the good old dinner and movie with the wife.
-- The universe began. Life started on a billion worlds...
-- Except on one where stupidity was there first.
In the 80's, I thruhiked the Appalachian Trail. I so enjoyed the experience, that for the next dozen years, I spent 8 or 9 months a year hiking, and made furniture over the winter to finance things.
One Day, someone said, "Why don't you get a computer?"
And I said "Why not."
Play with my kids at the park, or just in the yard.
Sing (in choir, with other people).
BBQ ribs on the patio.
Going for a walk with my wife, or entire family.
Tai Chi.
Shopping, or doctor office (these aren't any fun, though).
Seriously, get the hell out of the house. Spend time with people without electrons mediating the conversation.
Friends: It's nice to go visit them sometimes.
Frisbee: Most houses dont let you get that distance
Firetwirling: You really need good ventilation and high ceilings to do this indoors, and the smoke can cause sooting on the walls and ceiling, meaning you lose your bond.
Yay me!
I go to a meeting every month to meet the other geeks.
Bleh, you aren't a geek.
My house is like java. It has an automatic garbage collector!
The kind of weird SHIT they have outside? I never go out there anymore.
I'll tell you. This one time, I went outside, and there was this little brown thing, with a long fuzzy protuberance from the posterior quarter of it's torso. It chittered at me, and snapped it's protuberance in the air, and then - I kid you not! - it ran STRAIGHT UP the side of a TREE.
That can't be natural.
I leave the house often enough to spend some time at practice for Rugby and for general fitness at the gym. I think the true meaning of the word geek follows different meanings.
I have some friends that are true die hard geeks, to the point of playing D&D, and collecting an insande amount of Star Wars stuff. Those guys are going to be dead inside of 10years tops.
I recommend that everyone go outside and enjoy a little sunlight, else you all end up like Gollum.
Take my advice, geeks can get lovin too, they just need to get out and go get it... you'd be surprised at how many chicks will truly dig the smart guy, especially at the local pub as opposed to the a club.
harryk
think before you write, it'll save me moderator points.
Working - gotta pay the bill!
(OT: GUI as topic?)
"...a generation of kids has grown up thinking Trance is the shittiest music since country and western." - Paul van Dyk
Online play is okay, but snapping down stones in person is so much more enjoyable.
-chad
You've heard the expression "Everything is bigger in Texas," right, probably from some obnoxious Texan... Well a lot of Texans are shocked to learn that Alaska is roughly twice the size of Texas...
Hearing this, one especially boisterous Texas went to Alaska to see if it was true.
He showed up at a typical Alaskan lodge in the wilderness, and was awestruck by it's scale. He was hungry from his long journey, so he went into the restaraunt, and sat down. Soon after, a waitress approached and asked him what he wanted to drink.
"Whiskey," he said.
"What size? Small, Large, or Alaskan?"
"I'll take the Alaskan," he said, doubtful that it would impress him.
The waitress scurried off, and returned a few minutes later with a gigantic glass of whiskey, larger than the man's head. It easily contained a gallon and a half of booze.
She asked him what he was going to have to eat.
"I'd like one of your finest Steaks."
"How big a cut do you want? Small, Large, or the Alaskan?"
He was too proud to swallow his pride, so he once again asked for the Alaskan.
She went back to the kitchen, and when she returned, some 25 minutes later, she was wheeling a cart with a huge covered tray. She strained to lift the tray from the cart to the table, but managed, and then she removed the lid.
There, before the Texan, was the largest single piece of meat he had ever laid eyes upon. It must have been 25 pounds. It was easily 5 inches thick, and 24 inches across.
He gulped aloud, certain that he would be unable to finish the meal. With reservation, he dug into the steak and ate as much as he could. He'd barely eaten a quarter of it when he pushed himself away from the table, completely stuffed.
After drinking some more of his whiskey, and talking some time to digest, he needed to use the restroom. When the waitress returned, he asked when he might find the facilities.
She directed him down a long, dimly lit hallway, and told him it was the last door on the left.
He walked down the hall, which seemed to stretch on forever, particularly in his bloated drunken state.
When he reached the end of the hall, he mistakenly chose the right hand door, rather than the left. He stepped through the darkened doorway and immediately fell into the lodge's indoor pool.
Having seen him take the wrong door, the waitress appeared a moment later, reached through the doorway, and turned on the lights.
In a moment of panic, the Texan, sloshing around treading water screamed, "For the love of God, don't FLUSH IT!"
For those that would die defending it, Freedom
has a sweet taste that the protected will never know.
Because their mom forgot to lock the basement door and they built up the courage to escape.
...perhaps the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
Dragging a knee in real life is much more fun than doing it in MotoGP2 on the Xbox.
,\m/
Not to mention wheelies, stoppies, and smoky burnouts. \m/, -.-
To buy lottery tickets.
Am I the only one who gets stoned all day and is too paranoid to leave the house? Whenever I get wasted, the idea of having to interact with normal people (especially if I can't leave my sunglasses on) goes from being mildly distressing to unbearable.
Just in case, you know.
Since I don't have the money to make an indoor lawn big enough to be a battlefield, my sword battles have to be outside. -Lars
Notice in the movies that most geeks are some how geeks in disguise. Look at Superman and Spiderman.
Subzerorz
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I get Real Sex. It's on HBO. I *do* have to turn slightly in my computer chair to see it, though. Sigh.
<li>Chinese Food - why do take out when you can go to a buffet?
<li>Bars - beer, pool, darts, karaoke, <a href="http://www.ntn.com">NTN trivia</a>, beer, what more can you ask for?
<li>Work - it sucks, but it's so you can fund your Chinese food, beer, DSL, etc.
<li>And most importantly.... you get to leave your spouse behind
</ul>
Im in my last year of school (last few months), and hoping to go to Uni next year. Currently i go to school every morning, come home, and sit on my computer until i go to sleep. Rise and repeat. I do however hang out with some friends on a friday and saturday night. Go see a movie, have a few drinks, that sorta thing. But right now most of my life in on the internet.
You could always try rock climbing, I find that quite alot of geeks like to do that, if they can ever pry themselves away from their games... You can always learn some good stuff by rock climbing, like how to be able to rappell off of the roof of your school, etc. Believe me, my class is going to make some good use of our knowledge. If you see a news piece about a car being put on the roof of a High School, you know who it was.... ; )
Unfortunately I have not yet found a pizza place that will deliver a six-pack of beer along with my pie.
You don't need to leave the house for sex. There are prostitutes that make house calls.
--I am Sun Tzu of the Borg. Resistance is feudal.