Showing posts with label Odd News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Odd News. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

IPTypewriters: Last manufacturing plant shuts down production

 

The final typewriter manufacturer shuts down in Mumbai

BY: Brett Register
CATEGORY: Trending Now

#RIPTypewriters: Last manufacturing plant shuts down production

An old manual typewriter is seen in Finca de Vigia, the villa where author Ernest Hemingway lived outside Havana, Cuba

(Credit: GETTY)

(CBS / What's Trending) Today in Mumbai the doors to the final typewriter manufacturing company Godrej and Boyce closed its doors. With over 140 years of production under its belt, the typewriter has stood as the definitive writing utensil for many generations. But, with the "electric" typewriter serving as the last major update, the speed of technology has finally overcome the primitive writing device. We must say goodbye.

The passing of such an iconic piece of our history has struck a vein with the social populous, as one can't help but ask the question, "What's next?"With Flip video closing due to the iPhone's market dominance and touch screen computing is putting serious fear in the hearts of people -- and inferior non-touchscreens, it's important that we keep our eyes trained to the future and try to remember only the good times had with these obsolete devices.

VIDEO: The typewriter is officially dead

And, while it's sad to think that in the next generation people will only know of typewriters from what they read in books, see in museums and dig out of their hoarding grandmother's basement, it's important to remember that this is not the first time the death of a beloved device has touched our lives:

But, while the world sheds a single ink stained tear for this revolutionary advancement in modern word processing,  I can't help but wonder, "Who will buy the last one?"

More on CBS News: 500 machines left at world's last typewriter factory

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Last Typewriter Manufacturer Shuts

 

 

    Tuesday, November 16, 2010

    Best divorce letter & answer

     

    Dear wife:
            I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you forever. I've been a good man to you for 7 years & I have nothing to show
    for it. These last 2 weeks have been terrible. Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today & that was the last straw. 
           Last week, you came home & didn't even notice I had a new haircut, had cooked your favourite meal & even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers. You ate in 2 minutes, & Went straight to sleep after watching all
    of your soaps.
          You don't tell Me you love me anymore; you don't want sex or anything that connects us as husband & wife. Either you're cheating on me or you don't love me Anymore; whatever the case, I'm gone......
          Your EX-Husband,
    P.S. Don't try to find me, your SISTER & I are moving away to Oklahoma together. Have a great life!
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Dear Ex-Husband
            Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter.
    It's true you & I have been married for 7 years, although a good
    man is a far cry from What you've been.
           I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining & griping. Too bad that doesn't work.
          I DID notice when you got a hair cut last week, but the first thing
    that came to mind was 'You look just like a queer!' Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can't say something nice, I didn't comment. And when you cooked my favourite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork 7 years ago.
           About those new silk Boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them, and I prayed it was a coincidence that my sister had just borrowed $50 from me that morning.
           After all of this, I still loved you & felt we could work it out. So when I hit the lotto for 10 million dollars, I quit my job and bought us two tickets to Jamaica , but when I got home You were gone.
           Everything happens for a reason, I guess. I hope you Have the fulfilling life you always wanted. My lawyer said that the Letter you wrote ensures you won't get a dime from me. So take care.
    Signed,
    Your Ex-Wife, Rich As Gates and Free at last!

    P.S.  I don't know if I ever told you this, but my sister Carla was born Carl.   I hope that's not a problem!

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    Saturday, April 26, 2008

    Beer, Blogs And Bias

    Beer, Blogs And Bias (Say That Again)

    techdirt_logohorizontal by Michael Masnick from the i'll-drink-to-that dept on Friday, April 25th, 2008 @ 7:40PM

    The Wall Street Journal has an article focusing on a blog set up by Miller Brewing Company called Brew Blog. There are a few different, interesting points worth discussing here. First, the blog isn't used as a blog about what's going on at Miller Brewing. Instead, Miller hired an experienced reporter, and told him to just cover the beer industry as if he were a beat reporter. In other words, it's reporting news -- and even breaking stories on the competition. In fact, it revealed that main rival Anheuser-Busch was planning a new beer before A-B was able to make the announcement itself. This is certainly a recognition of how content is advertising. The blog clearly isn't "advertorial." It's full-on reporting about the industry, in a way that's interesting and relevant to those in the industry.
    What may be even more interesting, though, is what the article says about journalism. In an age in which journalists are whining that their jobs are disappearing, here's yet another example of where suddenly there are new types of jobs for journalists appearing every day. But, even more interesting, is a quote at the end of the article highlighted by David Card. It's from Harry Schuhmacher, the editor and publisher of a fee-based trade publication on the beer industry:

    "I tell Miller you're subsidizing a free publication, and it hurts the trade press," he says. "But they don't care."...Mr. Schuhmacher adds that he writes fewer positive pieces about Miller than he once did because he knows Brew Blog will always publish the same stories.
    Think about this for a bit. People complain that when you have a company-sponsored publication it will inevitably be biased -- but the sponsorship of that site is totally open and in the clear. The site's content stands for itself. Yet, at the same time, a supposedly "objective" traditional journalist is admitting that he writes fewer stories about Miller because he's upset that it's competing with his own publication. From that, it would certainly seem like the Brew Blog is a lot more credible (it's biases are out in the open), while this fee-based trade pub admits that story choices are sometimes based on personal vendettas.

    3 Comments

    Thursday, March 6, 2008

    10 Things Every Adult Should Know

    f*cking c*nts because there are far too many of them in this world

    Feel free to stalk our every post with the f*cking c*nts RSS feed, subscribe to f-ckingc-nts.com by email, or follow our new posts and random comments on Twitter. Go on. You know you want to! All the cool kids are doing it ...

    Sometimes it's hard to come up with a full-length, balls-to-the-wall rant, but a lot of "too long for Twitter, too short for a whole post" ideas float in and out of my head all the time. Here's 10 things every adult really ought to know, but a lot of people are apparently just too fucking stupid to figure out:

    1. Having sex can cause pregnancy. This one seems too obvious to mention, but judging from the number of accidental children in the world, I thought it bore repeating. Nothing is 100% effective against pregnancy except abstinence, or the removal of your ovaries or testicles. (Incidentally, abortion is still legal in the US and most of Europe, just in case.)
    2. If you cover your face with piercing jewelry, you may not be able to find a job. This also goes for doing weird things to your hair, and getting tattoos in conspicuous places. And for fuck's sake, don't give me any bullshit about "freedom of expression", you little dumbass. You go right ahead and express yourself all you want, but body modification is not a constitutionally protected belief system. They can't not hire you for being a Jew, but they certainly can not hire you for looking like a fucking freak. (caveat: I have both piercings and tattoos … nothing against tattoos, piercings or fucking freaks. Just don't whine about it when you're treated like one.)
    3. It's 2008. Racism is seriously outdated. That means, yes Virginia, it is TOTALLY FUCKING UNACCEPTABLE to refer to that black guy on TV as a "junglebunny." Also, don't use the word "they" as though black folks are some separate species who all think and act the same way. They're "They" are humans, not dogs. And do I really need to remind you that "nigger" is a bad word?! Here's a nice rule of thumb for you, dearie: If you wouldn't say it to a black person's face, you probably shouldn't be saying it at all. (For those of you who really don't get it, this also applies to spics, pakis, chinks, gooks, jews kikes, towelheads, gringos and anyone else you care to slander.)
    4. Spontaneous anal sex often involves small amounts of feces. Yes, yes it does. This point is mainly aimed at straight guys, who seem to have a frighteningly widespread lack of understanding on this issue. If you want your backdoor action all nice and sanitary, you need to plan ahead. Buy a little something called an anal douche, and find a way to gracefully suggest she use it before bed if you want a little booty nookie. If you just swap holes in the middle of the action, without such careful forethought, things often get messy … because guys, it's a butt, and [big secret]there's poop in there[/big secret]. And as long as we're on the subject of anal …
    5. Anal sex does not make you gay. Again, for the benefit of you straight boys. Even if you secretly want your girlfriend to bend you over with a strap on, it's OK. You're not gay. You know why? Because you want to be assfucked by a girl, not a boy. That's what the whole "gay" thing is about: Liking boys instead of girls. Anal sex is irrelevant. [added]I am a straight white female … and fwiw, I have never given it to anyone with a strap-on. I just also happen to NOT be an ignorant homophobic twat.[/added]
    6. Marijuana is not a "gateway drug". Oh sure, maybe 99% of "hard" drug users also smoke pot. And maybe a lot of them smoked pot before they got into crack or heroin or whatever. But that's not because the pot made them do it, it's because damn near fucking everyone has smoked pot at some point.
    7. Creationism is bullshit. Seriously. A big magic guy in the clouds did not wiggle his fingers and create the earth in 6 days. Didn't fucking happen. And I think anyone who professes to believe such a thing ought to be barred from political office. What if there was a religion claiming the world was flat, and the whole "round" thing was just an optical illusion created by God to test our faith? Would ANYONE be suggesting we teach it in schools? Would anyone vote for a politician who claimed to believe it? For fuck's sake, people. It's 2008. We have fossils. We have carbon dating. Get a clue!
    8. You have no right to be proud, unless you did it yourself. That goes for anything from racial pride to patriotism. Your race, gender and nationality are fucking accidents of birth. Being proud of something you got stuck with when mamma squeezed you out is stupid. You have a right to be proud of your own personal accomplishments, and perhaps those of your children (if you were actually a good parent, and your kids didn't succeed by sheer bloody-mindedness alone). That's it. Your parents fucked, Mom got knocked up, and ~9 months later, there you were. Race, gender and nationality handed to you out of some cosmic lottery machine. Fuck your white pride, black pride, national pride, and all the horseshit that goes along with it.
    9. Police and Politicians have a lot in common. Maybe half of them go into their chosen careers wanting to genuinely do good. Save people, and make the world a better place and all that. The other half are greedy, power-hungry fucks. And the good half? After a few years on the job, most of them have become so corrupted and/or insulated from the real world, they become vicious, rotten twats too. You can't trust 90% of either of 'em.
    10. America is not #1. Well, not unless you count military spending and handgun related deaths. We're shit at public education. Our health care system is both the most expensive and the least effective in the developed world. Literacy, infant mortality, per capita living below the poverty line and/or without any health insurance … etc., etc. We're kind of horrible at a whole lot of things, if you want to be honest about it. We're also, on average, fat as fuck.

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    Tuesday, March 4, 2008

    7 Kinds of SEX!

    200px-Facebook_Logo.svg

    I buddy of mine passed this on to me on Facebook tonight & I just had to post it

    Results of a recent research shows that there are 7 kinds of sex:

    The 1st kind of sex is called Smurf Sex.

    • This kind of sex happens when you first meet someone and you both have sex until you are blue in the face.

    The 2nd kind of sex is called Kitchen Sex.

    • This is when you have been with your partner for a short time and you are so needy you will have sex anywhere, even in the kitchen.

    The 3rd kind of sex is called Bedroom Sex.

    • This is when you have been with your partner for a long time. Your sex has gotten routine and you usually have sex only in your bedroom.

    The 4th kind of sex is called Hallway Sex.

    • This is when you have been with your partner for too long. When you pass each other in the Hallway you both say 'screw you.'

    The 5th kind of sex is called Religious Sex.

    • Which means you get Nun in the morning, Nun in the afternoon and Nun at night. (Very Popular)

    The 6th kind is called Courtroom Sex.

    • This is when you cannot stand your wife any more. She takes you to court and screws you in front of everyone.

    And; Last, but not least,

    The 7th kind of sex is called Canada Pension Sex.

    • You get a little each month, but not enough to enjoy your self.
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    Monday, March 3, 2008

    It's behind you!

    The amazing moment a couple had a close encounter with a humpback whale

    Daily Mail Head2

    By NEIL SEARS - More by this author » Last updated at 00:59am on 3rd March 2008

    Comments Comments (1)

    Kayaking through the calm Pacific waters of Hawaii, all these holidaymakers were hoping for was a glimpse of a passing sea turtle.

    But they got rather more than they bargained for when a mighty humpback whale suddenly surged from the depths and shot towards the sky.

    Lucky to see one of nature's most impressive sights, they were even luckier not to be swamped by the huge splash when the whale crashed back on to the surface.

    Scroll down for more...

    whale canoists hawaii

    Look out: The canoists look back in shock as the humpback breaches making a enormous splash

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    These extraordinary images show one couple calmly watching one of these giants of the sea as it raises its fin.

    But when it suddenly slaps it down - sending a wall of spray towards them - they realise how vulnerable they are and think better of their proximity.

    Digging in their paddles, they turn away. But the whale becomes increasingly boisterous, this time "breaching" the surface.

    Clearly alarmed, the holidaymakers paddle desperately towards the shore.

    whale canoists hawaii

    Unexpected visitor: The whale puts on a show for a second kayak

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    whale canoists hawaii

    Having a whale of a time: The humpback appears from the depths of the water

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    In another dramatic encounter, an astonished couple see a humpback soar up out of the water, its vast bulk - they normally weigh up to 35 tons - dwarfing them.

    It then twists in the air towards them before crashing down just yards away.

    The kayakers had headed off the coast of Maui, where the mammals gather to give birth and nurse their calves in the warm, shallow waters of the archipelago.

    It is estimated that two thirds of the entire North Pacific population of humpback whales migrate to Hawaii each winter.

    Scroll down for more...

    whale canoists hawaii

    Breach: The whale warns the canoists away from her baby

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    Scientists are unsure exactly why humpbacks leap out of the sea.

    Some argue it is to scrape skin parasites off their barnacle-encrusted bodies, others that they are simply jumping for joy.

    Their numbers dropped drastically with the onset of mechanised whaling, and it is only recently that the population has begun to edge back up to an estimated figure of 35,000.

    So every sighting like the ones shown here truly is a gift from the seas.

    Saturday, March 1, 2008

    If You're A Wanted Fugitive In The US And You Blog

    Maybe Don't Mention Plans To Travel To A US Territory   from the just-a-suggestion dept

    techdirt_logohorizontal The LA Times has a story about a Japanese man who has been wanted on charges of murder for over 25 years, who was finally arrested thanks to him tipping off authorities on his blog that he would be traveling to the US territory of Saipan. Kazuyoshi Miura is believed by US authorities to have killed his wife, while the pair were visiting the US in 1981. He was tried and convicted in Japan -- but the case was overturned. US authorities have been trying to arrest him ever since. Apparently, a few years back he set up a blog, and US police have been monitoring it to see if he would do something so silly as to mention the fact that he'd be traveling to a US territory -- which he actually did. So, just as a public service announcement: if you're a wanted fugitive in the US, perhaps don't announce on your blog that you'll be traveling there.

     

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    Wednesday, February 20, 2008

    Have You Fallen for these 7 Negative Attitudes Pushed by the Media?

    Les Muise

    The following came from   john place online . com

    The Pursuit of Happiness in the Modern World

    cooltext78187361

    Like it or not, we live in a media driven world. We spend on average 11 hours a day bombarded by television, radio, Internet, and other forms of media, a non-stop onslaught on the psyche, an ever-churning series of images, sound bites, opinions, and advertisements, but precious little substance.


    The media provides shared experience, collective memory. Unfortunately, many of the ideas we’re exposed to are negative and self-defeating. The pervasiveness of these negative ideas makes them hard to ignore; easy to internalize.
    If you’re curious about the cumulative effect of all this media upon the mind, here’s a list of 7 negative attitudes common in the media and tips for dealing with them.


    1. Mindless Consumerism: The average American is exposed to 247 commercials everyday. Buying things has become reflex, due partly to the ideal lifestyle flickering on the television: big house, giant SUV, three-car garage, flat-panel television. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying life, but are you buying things to improve your life? Or to compensate for feelings of emptiness? Find something to believe in; fill the void with something real.


    2. Poor Body Image: Never before in history have we been surrounded by so many examples of physical perfection, shaped by cosmetic surgeons, airbrushed by artists, and distributed by print and video. Remind yourself that fitness is more important than perfection. And while it’s true that Americans outside the media are fatter than ever, even physically fit individuals struggle with a poor body image. Yes, attractiveness is an advantage, but your value runs deeper than your appearance, and those actors don’t look half as good without make-up and lighting.


    3. Roaming Eye: Television gives everyone (men in particular) the idea that the world is overflowing with beautiful, willing sex partners; even if it’s true (which depends largely upon your own skills with the opposite sex), that roaming eye, that tendency to want what you don’t have, can be destructive if not monitored and controlled. Like all the elements in this list, human nature is the root here. Remind yourself that relationships are built upon more than physical attraction.


    4. Destructive Communication: Electronic media brims with insults and anger. On message boards, gentle persuasion has collapsed beneath the weight of incivility. In real life, victory is seldom obtained with witty one-liners or rude put-downs. Hone those communication skills. Learn to Persuade without offending. Connect.


    5. Clique Mentality: As if cliques weren’t prevalent enough, television programs often have casts that are socially, ethnically, and racially homogenous. That’s fine; it’s free enterprise at work, for the most part, and not every story involves a melting pot. I make no bones about it; I’m simply reminding everyone not to be afraid of diversity in the real world.


    6. Stereotypes: As evolved as we believe we are, television is overflowing with stereotypes: the dumb jock, the bubble-headed blonde, the geek with a pocket protector, all products of lazy writing. Most of us are smart enough to recognize a stereotype for what it is, but I question the subconscious impact of such repeated exposure. The best defence is to remind yourself that every human being deserves to be evaluated as an individual, no matter how prevalent or justified a stereotype might seem.


    7. Danger Fixation: We’re wired to pay attention to danger, which is why the Discovery Channel broadcasts so many programs that show the world being destroyed by tsunamis, earthquakes, and giant asteroids; why the news leads with gunfire and bloodshed. Remind yourself that there are just as many positive forces in the world as negative; your focus on the negative is a matter of personal choice and perspective.


    Listen, I’m not trying to say all media is bad; it’s not. Movies in particular can be wonderful works of art or much-needed distractions, and there’s nothing inherently evil about television, radio, print, or the Internet; quite the contrary, all forms of media provide wonderful channels of communication. I’m simply saying that the media’s darker side is bound to seep into our collective conscience; it surrounds us. And we’re receptive to it.


    Earlier this year, I watched a short film entitled Evidence. More art film than documentary, the film focused on the faces of a group of small children as they watched television: their blank expressions, comatose eyes. Every now and then, their facial expressions hitched in response to some image on the television, but for the most part, they appeared undead.


    I’ve never forgotten that film. And now, whenever I’m watching a sitcom or game show, I think of the way my own face must look, staring blankly up at the glowing screen. Sometimes, this compels me to turn the tube off and go outside, exchanging the gloom of the TV room for the calming brightness of sunlight, the sound of commercials for the chirping of birds; detaching from the hive mind long enough to find some peace and quiet and develop some memories (and a few ideas) of my own.

    cooltext78872117

    Tuesday, February 19, 2008

    You don't have to be from the Maritimes per say, but if . . .


    1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

    2."Vacation" means going to Moncton for the weekend.

    3. You measure distance in hours.

    4.You know several people who have hit a deer.

    5. You often switch from "Heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

    6. You use a down filled comforter in the summer.

    7. Your Grandparents drive 100 km through 13 feet of snow during raging blizzard without flinching.

    8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.

    9.You install security lights on both your house and garage and go and leave both unlocked.

    10. You think of the major food groups as: Meat, Fish and Tim Horton's.

    11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them.

    12. There are seven empty cars running in the parking lot of the Canadian Tire store at any given time.

    13. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

    14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

    15. Your lingerie consists of tube socks and flannel pajamas.

    16. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Construction.

    17. It takes three hours to go to the store for one item, even when you're in a hurry because you have to stop and talk to everybody in town.

    And Finally: You know you live in the Maritimes when...


    18. You actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends from the Maritimes.

    cooltext78872117

    The Best: Geek Sports — Segway Polo, Anyone?

    wired_logo

    By Mathew Honan Email 11.27.07 | 12:00 AM

    Illustration: Barry Blitt

    Start

    1) Race walking
    The sporting equivalent of marching band. Inhaler required.

    2) Segway Polo
    The only sport in the world in which Woz (and his trusty personal transporter) could make the A team.

    3) Badminton
    When tennis balls get silly drunk, they dress up like shuttlecocks.

    4) Hacky Sack
    Based on our exhaustive research of this game, prog-rock T-shirts and ponytails aren't mandatory, but they help.

    5) Curling
    More a physics exercise than physical exercise. Bonus: tracksuits.

    6) Jousting
    Armor + the potential for internal hemorrhaging = pretty cool. If only the Ren Faire were every weekend.

    7) Fencing
    The fake swords — they're actually fake lightsabers. (Jedi mind trick.)

    8) Disc Golf
    In an ideal world, we would all put down our clubs and pick up a disc. Frolf, anyone?

    Previous: Star Wars-Obsessed Rocket Geeks Build and Launch an X-Wing Fighter

    next: Japanese Schoolgirl Watch: OMG! MMORPG on My Cell Phone!

    cooltext78872117      

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    Friday, February 8, 2008

    What a Nasty Letter for Only $16.96!

    ap_logo

    cooltext78187361

     

     

    Feb 1, 2008

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A collection agency tried to collect a $16.96 debt with an letter that addressed its recipient with a four-letter word for excrement.

    "Dear S---," began the letter attempting to collect from an old record club membership. The word was spelled out in the letter, which arrived in an envelope addressed to "S--- Face."

    "I've never seen anything quite so brazen," said attorney Kenneth Hiller.

    He said his client plans to sue Nationwide Collections Inc. of Fort Pierce, Florida, next week.

    Under U.S. law, debt collectors are not allowed to use profanity to collect a debt, Hiller said, nor are they supposed to threaten legal action over such a small amount.

    Nationwide President Phillip McGarvey said the October 2007 letter was automatically generated after his company bought about 350,000 Columbia House accounts. "S--- Face" is the name under which the account was opened and the way the coupon to start the club was filled out, he said.

    Hiller's client has signed an affidavit saying he never signed up for the music club membership under that name.

    "It looks bad to the observer who is not familiar with the industry," acknowledged McGarvey, "but anybody who understands the volume would understand how this could happen. ...You've also got people filling in famous people's names."

    Tuesday, February 5, 2008

    Drug legalization proposed at conference on drug use

     CBC logo

    The legalization of drugs, including marijuana and heroin, is among the controversial solutions being offered at an international conference in Vancouver.

    The conference on drug use will give advice to the United Nations and is expected to play a role in forming international policies to deal with addiction.

    'The war on drugs is coming to an end, hopefully in my lifetime.'—Philip Owen, former Vancouver mayor

    Ten years ago, the UN pledged to dramatically curtail drug use around the world. But the goal has not been met and discussions at the forum are designed to find a fresh approach to the problem.

    The 10,000-member organization Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, among groups attending the conference, is made up of judges and police officers who want drugs legalized.

    "I decided this didn't work three years into my undercover work," said former police lieutenant Jack Cole, executive director of the organization. "I started working undercover in 1970. That was the beginning of the war on drugs.

    "Cops are so concerned about being labelled soft on drugs, soft on crime, and that next promotion, that we don't even talk to our peers about what we believe."

    Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen said drug use shouldn't be treated as a criminal problem.

    "The war on drugs is coming to an end, hopefully in my lifetime.

    As mayor, Owen lobbied for Vancouver's safe injection site and other measures to reduce harm to drug users. He said the federal government's anti-drug policies put too much emphasis on enforcement.

    "They say, 'It's not an illness, it's a lifestyle choice to use drugs. So just smarten up, get a job, and start paying taxes and be like the rest of us, and we're not going to burden the health-care system with your illness.' That's just stupid."

    But others at the conference argue legalization would lead to more drug use.

    "I don't think liberalizing drug laws is the way to go," said Colin Mangham of the Drug Prevention Network of Canada. "The only person that would benefit is the person who uses drugs who has no desire to stop."

    Kelly Corcoran, director of international affairs for the Drug Free America Foundation, said legalizing drugs will only hurt society.

    "Look at alcohol and tobacco. They're legal and they've had a tremendously negative impact on society," Corcoran said. "Why would we want to legalize other substances that are clearly harmful to individuals?"

    Monday, February 4, 2008

    A Girl's Guide to Geek Guys

    ifaq

     

     

     

     

    http://ifaq.wap.org/sex/geekguide.html 

    By Mikki Halpin and Victoria Maat geek guide geekguidesm See the Web site!

    So, your crush on the bass player from Vibrating Sandbox has finally died a whimpering death and you're wondering where to go from here. All the sinister dudes are either dating a series of interchangeable high-school riot girls in baby doll dresses and an overdose of manic panic, or permanently shacked up with some bitter old lady who pays all the bills. Which will it be, a wifely prison or a humiliating one night stand? Into this void of potential mates comes a man you may not have considered before, a man of substance, quietude and stability, a cerebral creature with a culture all his own. In short, a geek.

    Why Geek Dudes Rule

    • They are generally available.
    • Other women will tend not to steal them.
    • They can fix things.
    • Your parents will love them.
    • They're smart.

    Where The Geek Dude Lurks

    While they are often into alternative music, geek dudes tend not to go to shows too often. Instead you'll find them hanging out with their friends, discussing the latest hardware revolution or perfecting their Bill Gates impressions. You know how some people wear t-shirts with their favorite bands on them, thus showing that they went to certain shows? Well, geek dudes wear t-shirts with the logos of different software companies on them, thus showing that they are up on the latest, um, releases. A small, though convivial, rivalry may be detected here amongst the geek dudes. Try wearing one yourself and see if he strikes up a conversation.

    Of course the best way to meet a geek dude is through the Internet. All geeks harbor a secret fantasy about meeting some girl in cyberspace, carrying on an e-mail romance in which he has the chance to combine an activity he is comfortable with, computing, with one he is very uncomfortable with, socializing. To many geek dudes, cyberdating is just an advanced form of some kind of video game, but they are frustrated by a lack of players. Their lack is your strength.

    Imprinting

    You might notice that these men harbor some strange ideas about how the world works and some particularly strange ideas about women. There is a reason for this. Because they've had limited interpersonal experience, geek dudes must look elsewhere for behavior models. Lacking a real world social milieu, geeks often go through a transference stage with such narratives, and try to model their interactions on them. Thus, certain media images and themes come to have an overly cathected, metaphorized reality to them, while the rest of us view such programming as mere entertainment. Case in point, our next topic...

    The Trek factor

    If you're not up on your Star Trek, you can forget about getting or keeping a geek dude. And I'm not just talking vintage-era Captain Kirk and Spock either. You've got to be up on your The Next Generation, your Deep Space Nine, your Babylon 5. Armed with your own knowledge of Federation policies, you can better gauge when and how to act. The sexual politics of Star Trek are pretty blunt: the men run the technology and the ship, and the women are caretakers (a doctor and a counselor). Note the sexual tensions on the bridge of the Enterprise: the women, in skin tight uniforms, and with luxuriant, flowing hair. The men, often balding, and sporting some sort of permanently attached computer auxiliary. This world metaphorizes the fantasies of the geek dude, who sees himself in the geeky-but-heroic male officers and who secretly desires a sexy, smart, Deanna or Bev to come along and deferentially accept him for who he is. If you are willing to accept that this is his starting point for reality, you are ready for a geek relationship.

    Once You've Nabbed Him

    Of course, catching that geek guy is only half the battle. Keeping him by your side is another story altogether. I was privileged to speak with Miss Victoria Maat, who not only got herself a geek guy but was also clever enough to marry him just a few short months ago. She interrupted her newlywed bliss to give us a few tips on the care and feeding of a geek man: Geeks are sensitive and caring lovers and husbands. If you can hang with the techno-lifestyle, they make the best mates. They are the most attractive people, not flashy or hunky, but the kind who get cuter and more alluring over time (I told you she was a newlywed). Definitely give geeks a chance.

    Geek Cuisine

    Geeks tend towards packaged, junk foods since they prefer to work and think and aren't all that into cooking for themselves. Make sure that your geek understands that you are not merely a replicator, and provide him with home cooked food. A batch of chocolate chip cookies will let him know that you love him. You do have to monitor your geek for weight gain; however, remember that most of their days are spent sitting and staring at a monitor.

    Geek Lifestyle

    The geek dude has long work habits and tends to bring his work home with him. He seems permanently connected to his hard disk. You must at least appear interested in his work. Generally, a solid understanding of the computer is a must; if you cannot master this, you should at least be able to talk the talk. Remember most geeks are anal and they get stressed about details which appear insignificant. Be understanding, put on your best Deanna Troi face (see above) and empathize.

    To relax, geeks love to play the latest computer games. Let him play Myst or Chuck Yeager's Air Combat for hours if he wants to. Act concerned if he's stuck or has just been ambushed by three MiGs. My geek loves to try to help people on the Internet who say that they are stuck in Myst. He comes up with clever riddles instead of directing them point blank. Geeks also like to go to sci-fi and Japanese animated movies, again, a basically harmless vent for your man.

    Geek Buddies

    Many geeks extend their work friendships into what they jokingly refer to as RL (Real Life, also known as "that big room with the ceiling that is sometimes blue and sometimes black with little lights"). The greatest thing about your geek's buddies is that you can feel secure in setting them up with your girlfriends. They may feel awkward around females at first, so don't overwhelm them. In time they will come out of their shell and realize that you are into the same things they are.

    Post-It Note

    I thank Victoria for the above advice. I must say that when she read my draft of the piece, before writing her section, she asked her husband which one he thought she was more like, Deanna or Beverly. Howard, the devil, immediately replied that he had always thought Victoria was actually most like Ensign Ro Laren, a cute character with a slight authority problem who is always had trouble (this is fairly apt).

    This exchange is interesting for several reasons:

    Howard had already thought about who she was most like.

    He could summon up characters from seasons past with ease.

    Victoria actually knew who he meant.

    Folks, I think this marriage will last.

    One Last Thing

    Because they have been so abused and ignored by society, many geeks have gone underground. You may actually know some and just haven't noticed them. They often feel resentful, and misunderstood, and it is important to realize this as you grow closer to them. Don't ever try to force the issue, or make crazy demands that he choose between his computer and you. Remember, his computer has been there for him his whole life; you are a new interloper he hasn't quite grasped yet.

    Geek dudes thrive on mystery and love challenges and intellectual puzzles. Don't you consider yourself one? Wouldn't you like a little intellectual stimulation or your own? We thought so.

    Monday, December 24, 2007

    2007 Foot-in-Mouth Awards

    From - http://www.wired.com/
    Entertainment : The Web

    2007 Foot-in-Mouth Awards

    By Ryan Singel 12.24.07 | 12:00 AM

    Once every year, Wired News compiles a list of the most entertaining tech-centric misstatements and verbal foibles from government officials, CEOs and tech luminaries.

    Once every hundred years, an upstart Web 2.0 CEO says something so ridiculous it rockets to the top of the list faster than a story about Digg gets to the top of Digg.

    This century's momentous proclamation came in November when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg trumpeted his social network's new ad technology, Beacon, saying:

    "Once every hundred years, media changes."

    Zuckerberg went on to describe how his company's mining and selling of Facebook users profiles would revolutionize ad sales, and thus media. Within weeks, Facebook did an about-face and apologized for not letting users opt-out of Beacon -- a system that announced to your Facebook friends what books, gadgets and movies you'd bought.

    Journalists, advertisers and publishers around the world, however, took deep solace in knowing that media only changes once every 100 years, so they no longer need to worry about losing the new media war to free online news sites, blogs and YouTube. Instead, they just need to publish all their stories on their Facebook pages, until the next media change comes in 2107. Read More ....