He said, "emo," not "Elmo..."

Language alert! (I've asterisked the really "bad" words)

Your result for The Personality Defect Test...

Emo Kid

You are 14% Rational, 14% Extroverted, 0% Brutal, and 14% Arrogant.

You are the Emo Kid, best described as a quiet p*ssy! You tend to be an intuitive rather than a logical thinker, meaning you rely more on your feelings than your thoughts. Not only that, but you are introverted, gentle, and rather humble. You embody all the traits of the perfect emo kid. You are a push-over, an emotional thinker, gentle to the extent of absurdity, and so humble that it even makes Jesus puke. (And Jesus almost never pukes, being immortal and not requiring an act of puke to dispel toxins from his corporeal manifestation.) If you write poetry, you no doubt write angsty, syrupy lines about depression, sadness, and other such redundant states of emo-being that go something like this:

life is a spike / upon which i have impaled myself / *** you dad

So, your personality is defective because you are too gentle, rather underconfident in yourself, decidely lacking in any rational thought, and also a bit too inhibited. Plus, your poetry really upsets your father.

I probably made you cry, didn't I? ****ing Emo Kid.

To put it less negatively:

1. You are more INTUITIVE than rational.

2. You are more INTROVERTED than extroverted.

3. You are more GENTLE than brutal.

4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant.

Compatibility:

Your exact opposite is the Smartass.

Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Hippie, the Televangelist, and the Starving Artist.

*

*

Be sure to take my Sublime Philosophical Crap Test if you are interested in taking a slightly more intellectual test that has just as many insane ramblings as this one does!
Take The Personality Defect Test at HelloQuizzy

No, you didn't make me cry, you screwed-up idiot.

I will say I find it somewhat annoying being labeled an "Emo Kid," but it's better than some of the other designations, I think....

I guess so....

Find out how totally 80's are you at LiquidGeneration!

Actually, I was sort of a big nerd in high school (that was in the 80s.) If I had wanted an "alternative" mode of being, I probably would have been an Emo Kid, except Emo Kids didn't exist yet, at least where I went to high school.

But I guess in its own strange way, New Wave is kind of a counterpart to Emo. At least it's weird. I'd've hated to have come up a "Heather" or something like that.

(Oh, and New Wave always makes me think of "Maybe I'm new wave." "Maybe you're just stupid" from Calvin and Hobbes.)

President's quiz

Ken and others did this, so I figured I would, too.

I tend to get Washington on these things. (There was another, different, presidential quiz out there). I'm not sure what that means - either I come from a more aristocratic background than I think of myself coming from, or it's the fact that I only accept responsibility/power because people tell me I will do a good job at it, and not because I want it so much.



Or maybe it's those wooden teeth.

Which Great US President Are You Most Like? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as George Washington 1st President, in office from 1789-1797 Born: 1732 Died: 1799 George Washington 79% Dwight Eisenhower 69% Abraham Lincoln 62% Ronald Reagan 62% John Kennedy 60% Harry Truman 53% Theodore Roosevelt 52% Franklin Roosevelt 50% Thomas Jefferson 45% Lyndon Johnson 43% Woodrow Wilson 40%

weird....

I saw this on someone's blog, but the link seemed to be broken, so I couldn't do it. Then Big Arm Woman had it up on hers - and the link worked:

Your past life diagnosis: I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Mexico around the year 1575. Your profession was that of a writer, dramatist or organiser of rituals.

Your brief psychological profile in your past life:
You had the mind of a scientist, always seeking new explanations. Your environment often misunderstood you, but respected your knowledge.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:
Magic is everywhere around you, even in the most usual, most ordinary situations. Your lesson is to understand this magic and to help other people to see it, too. You are a magician! Do you remember now?

Oooooo-kaaaaaaay. So was I Latina or was I of the "oppressor" class? What is this "organizer of rituals" you speak of - that sounds seriously voodoo. Was I using chicken blood to divine the future? Or was I like some kind of proto-magical-realism writer? Like a female Jorge Luis Borges?

I also am amused by how I had the mind of a scientist, and yet learned that magic was all around me.

Oh, and apparently I'm a magician. Didn't Mr. Norrell claim that women COULDN'T be?

(OF COURSE I do not believe this. It's silly. Even if I believed in such things as past lives, there's no way the computer could divine mine based on the information given. But if you want to play, go here)

Ken did it...

And now, so have I





I'm a little surprised I didn't score higher on math/science, but perhaps that comes from openly admitting I would have "run away" when I saw that triple integral symbol. (And yes, I haven't had to do that since Calculus in college). And yes, I can lay my hands on a copy of the Iliad in less than 15 seconds. (It's the newer Fagles translation; I have to admit I've not read it yet but I fully intend to.)

death, not taxes

How will I die? Your Result: You will die in your sleep.   A peaceful departure into the next life. You are blessed with the good fortune of passing from sleep into eternity. Do not fear sleep. To dream into the next life is a rare gift.
You will die while saving someone's life.
You will die of boredom.
You will die while having sex.
You will die from a terminal illness.
You will die in a nuclear holocaust.
You will be murdered.
You will die in a car accident.
How will I die? Create a Quiz

It makes me think of that horrible, sick, old joke:

"I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror and fear like the passengers in the car he was driving."

muttering with Caltechgirl

I intentionally didn't look at any responses, so hopefully I won't have been unduly influenced...As always, saw this at Caltechgirl's

1. Dork :: whale penis (I don't know if that's true or not but I've heard that that's where the term originated.)
2. Refurbished ::not quite renovated (There's a sort of shady place here that offers "refurbished" goods. I wouldn't buy from them, there's this "it fell off a truck, HONEST" vibe about them)
3. Basket ::case
4. Mousse ::chocolate
5. Studio ::apartment
6. 8 ball ::Magic
7. Masking tape ::uhhh...duct tape?
8. Love ::not easy
9. Wilder ::Gene
10. Lindsey ::two students in one of my classes who always sit together are both named this.

55 questions

Spotted both at Caltechgirl's and at Ken's. So wotthehell, here are my answers:

1. Is your second toe longer than your first?
No, in fact my first toe is longer.

2. Do you have a favorite type of pen?
Whatever kind is close at hand. Whatever kind my colleagues won't borrow and "forget" to return. (Maybe, seeing as most of my colleagues are male, I need to get Hello Kitty pens or something).

3. Look at your planner for March 14, what are you doing?
Not a clue. That's much to far away for me to plan. Who wrote this thing, a marketing type?

4. What color are your toenails usually?
I used to paint them - color called Vixen - but I haven't in a long time because I've just not felt like putting the time in on upkeep. So now they're just normal toenail color.

5. What was the last thing you highlighted?
Highlighters are tools of the devil. Bite your tongue for even asking that.

6. What color are your bedroom curtains?
Green and pink plaid. Because if there's no other perk to being a single girl, it's that I get to decorate my bedroom the way I want.

7. What color are the seats in your car?
Gray.

8. Have you ever had a black and white cat?
No. Lived with (but did not actually own) a few Siamese, but never black and white.

9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on?
Oh, gosh, some bill or other.

10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming?
No.

11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time?
I don't use an ATM. Too hard to keep track of withdrawals.

12. Whose is the last baby that you held?
No idea. I'm a shockingly unmaternal woman. I don't go all drooly over babies.

13. Unlucky #?
13 and 52. I'm surprisingly superstitious about those for a scientist.

14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste?
Sounds kind of nasty but I've never tried it. I can't use any whitening toothpastes as they make my teeth sensitive.

15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago?
Ford Windstar.

16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators?
Neither. Not really a football fan. (Michigan, as much as anyone, at least when they're not getting their asses handed to them on a regular basis)

17. Last time you went to Six Flags?
Willingly? Never. Supervised a youth group trip to one of the Six Flags family of waterparks once; that is something I will never do again without either a very large bribe or a large dose of tranquilizers first.

18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house?
Both bedrooms and the kitchen. It was there when I bought the place, and a quick check revealed it had been put on over paneling (which probably means the plaster underneath is totally shot), so I've not considered taking it down, even though wallpaper's not my favorite

19. Closest thing to you that is yellow?
Yeah, one of the stripes on the yellow-and-white-with-big-ass-pink-roses wallpaper.

20. Last person to give you a business card?
Some guy who was doing environmental consulting for a highway bypass near me. He found some plants and didn't know what they were and wanted me to identify them. Luckily it was nothing rare.

21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to?
Person? No idea. I wrote one to my church this morning, though.

22. Closest framed picture to you?
A picture of an outdoor cafe.

23. Last time you had someone cook for you?
No idea whatsoever. I mostly wind up having to cook for myself. Probably the last time I visited my folks.

24. Have you ever applied for welfare?
No, never had to, thank God.

25. How many emails do you have?
No idea at all.

26. Last time you received flowers?
It's been too long.

27. Do you think the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a man & woman?
My attitude is this: I don't care what consulting adults do in the privacy of their homes as long as I don't have to hear the details of it. And that goes for mixed-sex as well as single-sex couples.

(Actually, I have to add to this: as for governmentally-sanctioned "unions," I don't give a fig - I've known gay people who really wanted to have some kind of long-term commitment to their partner - I mean, like a formal commitment. However, for church-sanctioned marriage - I think it should be up to the leadership of the individual church or denomination to decide. I don't think priests or ministers or rabbis who have an opposition to marrying a gay couple should be forced to marry them. I admit some considerable conflict here: I've read all the Scriptural arguments, but then again: I also have known gay people. And from what I've read, it seems like "gayness" is at least partly biologically determined. I'd rather see someone accept that they are gay, than marry a person of the opposite sex and wind up cheating on them.

I guess the best thing to say is: I feel conflicted about this issue. Perhaps if our culture weren't so heavily sexualized it wouldn't BE an issue [they used to talk about, for example, "Boston marriages" between women - and it wasn't always clear that they were a lesbian relationship; in some cases it may have been two straight-but-uncoupled-and-uninterested-in-having-children women who banded together. Because, one thing I've learned is this: even today it's easier if you have another person around.))

28. Do you play air guitar?
No. I kind of think that's a Y-chromosome linked thing.

29. Has anyone ever proposed to you?
No. At least not a guy who was sober.

30. Do you take anything in your coffee?
I don't drink coffee. You wouldn't like me when I drink coffee.

31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines?
No, not a figurine kind of person. I'd rather have a couple of nice vases, even when they're empty.

32. What is/was your high school's rival mascot?
Lord, I don't remember - a cougar, maybe? I went to prep school, we didn't really do rivalries.

33. Last person you spoke to from high school?
One of my old friends and I email back and forth occasionally.

34. Last time you used hand sanitizer?
I think after the last town trash-off, because there was no actual water to wash hands with and I was kind of skeeved about some of the stuff I had picked up. Normally I don't use it because I think it just breeds more resistant bacteria.

35. Would you like to learn to play the drums?
No, would rather learn violin, cello, or piano.

36. What color are the blinds in your living room?
White.

38. Last thing you read in the newspaper?
The tv listings.

39. What was the last pageant you attended?
I don't do pageants.

40. What is the last place you bought pizza from?
I prefer to make my own pizza. In the town where I live we have Pizza-the-Hut and Domino's, and the last Domino's pizza I bought had this weird, steamed-cauliflower smell when I opened the box.

41. Have you ever worn a crown?
"Some people out there in our nation don't have crowns, and, uh, I believe that our beauty pageants such as in, uh, Iraq and South Africa and everywhere like such I believe that they should, our beauty pageants over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. and uh, er, should help South Africa and Iraq get crowns..."

In other words: no.

42. What is the last thing you stapled?
A student paper. ("Dr. Ricki, do you have a stapler?" "Sure, let me go over to the pack-mule I bring to every class with me and get it.")

43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi?
I don't drink BROWN Pepsi. (Heh: "Don't drink the brown Pepsi. People. Don't drink the brown Pepsi; there is some bad Pepsi out there.")

44. Are you ticklish?
Not any more

45. Last time you saw fireworks?
It's been a while. Last heard them the other night - apparently there was a high school football tourney and they shot the $()%$$ things off after every touchdown. (At 11 pm? WTF?)

46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?
I don't remember. Never had a hot one.

47. Who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it?
A student, the other day.

48. Last time you parked under a carport?
I don't think I ever have.

49. Do you have a black dog?
Only in the figurative, Churchillian sense.

50 . Have you had your mid life crisis yet?
I have minor crises a couple times a year. I'm hoping to spread out the midlife crisis amongst those.

51. Are you an aunt or uncle?
Nope.

52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of?
Oh, geez, I don't know.

53. What kind of soap or body wash do you use?
Usually some kind of lavender stuff.

54. Do you remember Ugly Kid Joe?
No clue at all who that is.

55. Do you have a little black dress?
I own a black dress but it's not exactly "little" in the sense that you mean. I don't look so good in black so I reserve other colors for my "date" dresses.

notabitch

Saw this at CalTechGirl's:

You Are 27% Bitchy

You're a pretty sweet person, and you're definitely not prone to bitchy outbursts. Sometimes, though, you can't help thinking mean thoughts about people. But at least you don't act on them!

How Bitchy Are You?

Hrm. My mother sometimes said, regretfully, that she "raised [my brother and me] to be "too nice."" We were kind of the kids who got rolled over by the meaner kids at school. I've toughened up SOME (hence, the 27% rating), but I'm probably still nicer than is maybe good for my own self-preservation sometimes.

I'm challenging the guys to take this quiz, just to see if a guy taking a "bitchiness quiz" will cause the universe to collapse in upon itself.

Only slightly dumber than Ken*....

Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?

....but then again, I haven't lived for quite as long. (I got all the questions correct but it took me 3 minutes and 36 seconds to get there, mainly because I dithered a bit about the "average male height" one...I know an AWFUL lot of short guys (more than half the guys I work with are shorter than I am, and I'm 5'8").)


I guess I dithered on the Paris Hilton one too, because I was kind of wondering if it was a joke/trick answer, like the correct answer being "where she made her sex tape." But I decided it was best not to try to out-think the question, considering question #2 on the quiz....

(*And that .2% might not even be statistically significant, but I don't have a big enough sample size to test...)

Oh NOES!

You're an Aphid!

In the grand scheme of things, you are really quite small and
insignificant. In fact, even from a more local view, you have little to offer.
Few have heard of you, and even fewer care to actually look at you if they can
help it. You never seem to get invited to garden parties, or gardens, or parties,
for that matter. Nevertheless, you know deep down that you're part of a huge
society of equally insignificant folks. Together, you have strength in numbers
and can unite to take down almost anything green! Just try not to be such a
pest.


Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Seriously, that made me laugh. I needed that after how these past couple days have been. (I guess "sometimes you're the windshield; sometimes you're the bug" seems to be in play here.)

Not sure whether to be happy about this or not...

Spied this over at Joel's


$5525.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

Mingle² - Online Dating

$5525? I suppose that would buy a pretty bitchin' hi-def tv...probably a good thing none of my neighbors know.

(I'm guessing that's not just the value of the minerals in one's body; I remember seeing that tallied somewhere and it was considerably less. And considering that they asked a question about hair length...there's something a little gruesome about that quiz. I haven't any problem with organ DONATION after one's dead, but the thought of someone - even next-of-kin - seeing a profit skeeves me a little)

whoo-hoo!

I got a "R"!

Mingle² - Online Dating

It's because, or so they claim:

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

* crap (5x)
* kill (4x)
* screwing (2x)
* bitch (1x)

Well, I think I actually used "bitch" as a verb (as in "bitching and moaning"), which I don't think is as bad as "bitch" as a noun. And I think I used "kill" figuratively - like "would it kill ya to do this" rather than "I want to kill him."

But whatever. I'm laughing because I'm actually usually one of the more G-rated people in my department.

And I'm also laughing because my favorite joke in the whole world is this:

"Did you hear about the new Pirate movie? It's rated 'Arrrr!'"

(I'm still not laughing about that paper though. I'm really unhappy about how it is going.)

quiz thingie

Usually I don't really go for the quiz thingies that are on the internet, because so often they seem to be mostly Barnum statements ("say what the people want to hear, be very general about it, and they'll think it's true") or the questions on the quiz have no answer I agree with (e.g., "I like this musician best" followed by the names of four people in pop that I've never even heard of)

But this one, I like.

If it's Barnum statements, at least they're Barnum statements I agree with:

I'm a Mandarin!

You're an intellectual, and you've worked hard to get where you are now. You're a strong believer in education, and you think many of the world's problems could be solved if people were more informed and more rational. You have no tolerance for sloppy or lazy thinking. It frustrates you when people who are ignorant or dishonest rise to positions of power. You believe that people can make a difference in the world, and you're determined to try.

Talent: 41%
Lifer: 28%
Mandarin: 74%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.

(The funny thing is - the Time article linked to - claims that the Clintons are "mandarins" and also that much of Republican thinking now is very anti-Mandarin; that the so-called "elites" of the Democratic party are Mandarins. I'd disagree; I think that there are people across the political spectrum fall into every category.

I think Time's article really doesn't fit with the quiz results.

It seems to me that

Lifer = "I've been here the longest, I've put in my time, I deserve good things"
Talent = "I have natural skills and talent. I'm special. I deserve good things."
Mandarin = "I worked hard for what I have, and I continue to work hard. I deserve good things."

I suspect the basic principle behind all of these groups is that they feel they are the deserving one by virtue of whatever characteristic they consider is the most vital: seniority and reliability, or talent, or hard work. Probably everyone's a little bit wrong.

But I have to admit I'm a little proud of that description given up there.

And I'd also argue against the perception, claimed in the Time article (and yeah, it's an article from '96, so whatever) that people think the Mandarins didn't earn what they have. Education? Trust me, it's hard work getting a degree. It's hard work training your mind so you are not a victim of lazy or sloppy thinking. And it's hard holding on to your principles in a world that often seems to have lost them - which is what seems to me to be a guiding characteristic of those who value hard work and achievement as the path to success. Not that any of the groups - the Talents or the Lifers - seem particularly predisposed to dishonesty or sloppiness; perhaps a better way of looking at it is that these are the Platonic ideals of different paths and far too many people fall off them. Clinton may be a Mandarin in some respects, but I don't see a person who truly hews to the path as being willing to do some of the things he did to get/keep power or privelige.)

ABCD

Swiped this from both 'fly and Tracey:

A- Single, yes. Available, not so sure....I'm awfully picky about men and not so sure that being WITH someone is always preferable to being alone

...B- Best Friend. Haven't had one since my former BFF betrayed me in 7th grade. I have FRIENDS but not anyone I'd refer to as a "BFF."

...C- Cake or Pie. Cake, unless the pie is coconut cream

...D- Drink of Choice. Hot tea. Water if it's a hot day out. I'm not real exciting in my beverage choices but I don't like alcohol and I try to avoid sodas because they're not that good for you and are calories I don't need.

...E- Essential Item. Books. Craft supplies.

...F- Favorite Color. Green, possibly purple. But not together. (When I was a teenager, there was a particular "symbolism" to wearing green and purple together, or wearing green on Thursdays. I wonder if that was unique to the part of the world where I grew up or if that myth had larger circulation?)

...G- Gummi Bears or Worms. Only if the Gummi Bears are Buderim Ginger Bears. Otherwise, no thanks.

...H- Hometown. A small town in Northeast Ohio. It's small enough that I fear revealing the exact name because then someone might be able to pinpoint who I am. Haven't been back there in nearly 20 years though.

...I- Indulgence. Shopping. I love to shop. Not at the mall, though - I like to go to those little chi-chi towns that have a Main Street with boutiques and gift stores and antique shops and stuff.

...J- January or February. February, because that's when I was born, and because January is just the letdown from the holidays.

...K- Kids. A good thing for other people to have.

...L- Life is incomplete without …. Oh, I don't know. I could probably manage without most of the stuff I have. Indoor plumbing is pretty important. I guess I'll be serious though and say, "Faith"

...M- Marriage Date. Probably never at this point. Not that that matters to me. I like being alone.

...N- Number of Siblings? 1

...O- Oranges or Apples? Depends on which is in season. Apples, when they're in season in the fall. Oranges, in the winter.

...P- Phobias/Fears. Emerging diseases like Ebola. Tainted food. That some twisted freak will think that shooting up the campus where I teach will solve all his problems. That people are laughing at me behind my back.

...Q- Favorite Quote. "Every act of love adds to the balance of love in the universe." It's attributed to Therese of Lisieux.

...R- Reasons to smile. The funny stuff my students say. Nice comments on a blog. Being able to go home and relax at the end of the day. Getting some useful research done.

...S- Season. Fall, all the way.

...T- Tag Three. Nope, not gonna tag.

...U- Unknown Fact About Me. Oh, I could totally lie here and say something really impressive. But I'm not gonna.

...V – Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals. Well, if you're gonna phrase it that way, I guess you'd say Oppressor. (I do eat semi-veg, mainly because it's easier: you can keep a can of beans or a bag of dry beans for months but you have to cook meat within a few days of buying it, and my schedule is variable enough that I may only be home to cook one night some weeks).

...W- Worst Habit. I do not think very highly of myself a lot of the time. I tend to compare myself to other people too much. Like, I have one colleague that wrote a book and that just KILLS me. Every time I see it on a shelf, I'm like, "Ricki, you are a total slacker. You have not done anything with your life. And look, Dr. X has written a whole BOOK!" (Don't even talk to me about people like Alan de Botton, who was born in the same year as I was, and who has written NUMEROUS books, some that have sold very well. And don't talk to me about Josh Groban, who shares a birthday with me but is a good number of years younger than I am and is a famous and well-loved singer.)

...X – X-rays or Ultrasounds. Depends on what they think is wrong with me.

...Y- Your Favorite Foods. Oh, I don't know. My stomach is a little upset right now and food doesn't sound so good. Fresh homemade bread, I guess.

...Z- Zodiac. Pisces. And as much as I talk about astrology being bunk, some of the personality traits ascribed to pisces seem to fit me.

Because Ken asked....,

Ken S., who, despite all the crap he takes on his site seems to be a real sweetheart, did the geek test and tagged me.

So I did it.

Damn, that was long. I'm more used to those stupid Quizilla things (with their incorrect grammar and references to pop culture things that make me shrug in confusion) that are about eight questions long.

But I took the test, and I came up 20.9073% geek - between Geek and Total Geek (and I agree; Total should have been a higher class; the third step should have been Major Geek. Do I get more geek points for making that observation?)

That said - some of the questions on the test - like the one about knowing the chemical symbols for >10 elements - well, I'd just take that as a hallmark of having a decent education. And some of the questions, like the ones about "have you read history on your own" seem to suggest that "geek" is merely a synonym for "person who is NOT dumber than a sack of hammers."

But whatever.

I'd have liked to seen some classification into types of geekdom. I know I'm a geek, but I'm an academic/learning/science geek and definitely not a computer geek. (When my computer breaks, I don't open it up and go, "Let's see if I can fix this." I call someone whose job it is to fix it). I'm also not into Sci-fi (or, as a friend once very seriously insisted, SF, because "sci-fi" is what people say to deride it).

Let me take a stab at categories. I know some of these will overlap, for example, computer geeks are very often gaming geeks:

Computer geeks
Band geeks
SF geeks
Comic geeks
Fantasy geek
Gaming geeks
Trivia nut geeks
Learning for the sake of learning geeks (that's me, more than any of these other things)
Theater geeks
Band geeks
Math geeks
Goth geeks (the ones who want to be vampires, etc.)
Science geeks (I guess I'd be one of those too)
Food geeks
Natural/healthist geeks

I'm sure there are more.

I don't know that "geek" is such a pejorative...most of the people I know who are geeks flaunt it proudly. And thinking back to high school - the petri dish for all social interaction - there were the geeks and the populars. And you know? The populars by and large tended to be kind of ratty to other people, especially non-populars. Whereas geeks, probably by virtue of the fact that they didn't feel the need to impress anyone, tended to be really nice people. The kind of people who, for example, if the lock on your bike jammed, would sit down and figure out a way to fix it for you, rather than just shrugging and either saying, "Sucks to be you!" or suggesting you call someone.

I think also a lot of self-proclaimed (or otherwise) geeks are comfortable manipulating THINGS. I know I am. I'm happiest when I'm making stuff or when I'm playing with data. Human interactions, not so much. I'm not always so hot at interpreting the subcontexts in what people are saying; I tend to take people at face value which can lead to embarrassing situations, for example, responding in earnest when someone is making a joke. (I honestly wonder sometimes - I know there is a whole "autistic spectrum" ranging from normal to so severely impaired that you cannot function as a human - if I'm not a bit farther towards the autistic end than other people who are out in society: my discomfort with "unscripted" interaction, my rigidity of schedule, the fact that I'm more comfortable working with data or soil or embroidery floss or fabric or food than I am with people. And in the past I'd occasionally have that compulsion to sometimes parrot things I'd just heard [I can suppress it now, but as a child, not so much]...)

I don't know. I do know that being a geek, when you're among geeks, is a happy thing. But when you're among people who were more like the "populars" of high school, not so much. The "populars" make me feel weird and kind of gray and awkward...like there's some secret knowledge people are supposed to have that I lack.

Which is probably why I mostly hang out with other people who would self-describe as geeks.