Mentor-A-Geek!

[Trainz]

Great idea, but the only thing that will really help is to teach them how to get a date. Good luck.

NOOOOOOOOO !

I've seen too many geeks throw away all geeky stuff when they finally meet the "speshul one". They're so engrossed with the fact that they have a relationship that some of them will disappear (seen it, for real).

Eff their sex lives. I want my players dammit !


I keed, I keed...

 

[Nisarg]

Mentoring someone younger is always a fine idea in principle. Adolescents especially need adult non-parental role models, and in western culture this often ends up lacking, and being substituted for being stuffed in confined spaces with hundreds of their own age-group, just about the worst thing you can do psychologically as far as the maturing process goes (short of abuse).

I more or less mentored my younger brother (he's a decade younger than me) in this way...
In practice, the problem is that western society also looks at most interactions between adults and adolescents with a lot of suspicion, so unless its your kid brother, or best friend's kid, or nephew or something like that, you have to be very very cautious about not ending up creating the wrong impression.

Here in Uruguay, the culture is different and there's less paranoia about that sort of thing. Also, the gamer culture here centers around a gaming club called Botch!, which has members ranging in age from about 12 to about 50. One thing I saw in north america was that usually you don't get a huge age range in any single gaming group; a group might have 14-18 year olds, another might have 18-22 year olds, another 22-35 year olds, etc etc. but rarely will you see a 14 year old at the same gaming table as a 35 year old.
Here, in Botch!, you do, and I think that helps the younger gamers develop (both socially and as gamers), and the older gamers get a shot of youthful vitality, the chance to teach something, and reminded that RPGs are supposed to be about having fun.

So, consider that maybe one of the best ways to "mentor" in a way that will cover your own ass is in the group context of your gaming table. Consider inviting that 14 year old to try playing at your gaming table at the FLGS, you might just be surprised at the results.

Nisarg

 

[dreaded_beast]

Great idea, but the only thing that will really help is to teach them how to get a date. Good luck.

Bah. Dating is overated.

 

[dreaded_beast]

6) Style training. Outside of a small number of groups that don't generally include nerds, messy hair really isn't going to get you much positive attention. Hair gel is your friend. Also, avoid extreme hair (especially facial hair) unless you can really pull it off. I get much more attention without a beard than I ever did when I had one. Looking clean and youthful -really- goes well with 'mature'.

It's called "product" not gel!

Your hairstyle will probably depend alot on the shape of your face: round, oval, square, etc. Messy hair is actually a style in itself. The trick is to style your hair to "look messy" without it actually being messy. Depending on your overall style and tastes, one person's idea of extreme hair is another person's idea of mundane. Style is very subjective.

 

[Gorilla726]

I would like to clarify my previous post. The kids I'm helping out are not losers. They're great kids and they're my friends. I realized after posting that I made it seem like my friends were pathetic and I'm just helping them to make them too make me seem like a nice guy. I love this kids. They're good kids. Did that make sense?

Gorilla

 

[Incenjucar]

It's called "product" not gel!

Your hairstyle will probably depend alot on the shape of your face: round, oval, square, etc. Messy hair is actually a style in itself. The trick is to style your hair to "look messy" without it actually being messy. Depending on your overall style and tastes, one person's idea of extreme hair is another person's idea of mundane. Style is very subjective.

I'm a nerd, I use scientific terms, like 'gel' and 'plasma', so nyeh!

And yeah, the messy hair look is popular right now (Bed Head and such), but it tends to be sub-culture dependant (unless you have JUST the right look; tends to look really nice on girls who go for a 'natural punk' look and such.)

But then, real dreadlocks are also popular in some groups (and if you know what 'product' they use for those.. eh heh...)

You get the look for who you want to attract, mainly. For instance, I like women with a bit of wild to them, who might feel the need to grab hold of my hair when nice things happen. As such, I'm somewhere between Aragorn and Solid Snake right now. Now if only I hadn't lost my two big bottles of 'product'... *grumbles*

 

[dreaded_beast]

For instance, I like women with a bit of wild to them, who might feel the need to grab hold of my hair when nice things happen. As such, I'm somewhere between Aragorn and Solid Snake right now. Now if only I hadn't lost my two big bottles of 'product'... *grumbles*

I actually knew a girl who liked to do that, but I had very short hair at the time. I'm trying to grow my hair out, but right now, my hair looks like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber, if you can picture that image. I wear a hat now. :\

Actually, I only call gel "product" because I watch Queer Eye from the Straight Guy, hehe.

 

[Incenjucar]

I actually knew a girl who liked to do that, but I had very short hair at the time. I'm trying to grow my hair out, but right now, my hair looks like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber, if you can picture that image. I wear a hat now. :\

Well, if she's anywhere near Fresno, send her my way.

(And to be more useful, I suggest much gel, and much combing. Make sure your hair is wet when you gel, so it looks slick and all. Also, hats=bad. It messes up your hair, and suggests you don't have the hygeine to pull off showing your hair off -- long, exposed hair that's kept clean and slick is a sign of good hygeine, self-confidence, and so forth. Never make anyone choose between 'attractive' and 'smart'. Even if they'd go for the latter, you want'em fantisizing about -you-, and being able to show you off to their friends.)

Actually, I only call gel "product" because I watch Queer Eye from the Straight Guy, hehe.

I figured that. Else you saw the "Metrosexuals" South Park episode.

Beware the Crab People.

 

[dreaded_beast]

(And to be more useful, I suggest much gel, and much combing. Make sure your hair is wet when you gel, so it looks slick and all. Also, hats=bad. It messes up your hair, and suggests you don't have the hygeine to pull off showing your hair off -- long, exposed hair that's kept clean and slick is a sign of good hygeine, self-confidence, and so forth. Never make anyone choose between 'attractive' and 'smart'. Even if they'd go for the latter, you want'em fantisizing about -you-, and being able to show you off to their friends.)

Thanks for the tip, but I think I pull off wearing a hat fairly decently: a trucker hat with some inane saying stitched on the front, tilted to the side a bit, with a few bangs straying out for character. Match these up with some "metrosexual" J-Lo shades and a vintage shirt, like from American Eagle or Abercrombie. Think the Ashton Kutcher look. The trucker hat is actually quite in nowadays for the guys, depending on how you wear it and what you wear it with. Well, I guess it depends on what age bracket you are in as well or what age bracket you look like you should be in.

I wouldn't recommend someone who looks like they're in their 40s to try and pull off a look like that. they would probably be much better served looking more "distinguished"

 

[Gnarlo]

How about a telethon? Hold it over the Labor Day weekend or some such. Lots of booth babes / cosplay ladies manning the phones for folks to call in to; bands like Wheezer and BNLs providing entertainment; LARPers acting out scenes from their favorite movies / TV shows for talent; and a comedic host keeping a rolling tally and begging folks to send in money for "Gary's Kids" ?