What makes you geeky?

[drothgery]

I've got a degree in Computer Science, program for a living, and started programming in 2nd grade.
I'm 29 years old, and live alone.
I own several hundred fantasy novels -- and wrote a very bad one while in college.
I own three video game consoles.
I play D&D in person every week, run a PbP game, and play in two others (counting semi-active games only).

I think that's sufficient.

 

[Desdichado]

I named my fourth kid after Wolverine. I was able to convince my wife that Logan was just a nice name.

I also refuse to use my wife's nickname for our third, instead calling him Zander after the character in Buffy, where I first heard it.

She did veto Captain America Dyal, though (I'd call him Cap.)

I also own three video game consoles, but since they're SNES, PS1 and Dreamcast, that makes me some kinda retro old skool nerd.

 

[francisca]

Harlan Ellison yelled at me on the phone for over 10 minutes, and all I could think about was how cool it was to be yelled at by the most obnoxious and opinionated SF author alive.

Damn dude. That's geeky. if this were a contest, you'd win.

I thought I was prety geeky, but recently, one of my former students was shocked to learn that I play D&D. He said I hid my geeky-ness well. But I don't try to hide it. Except for my wife, every one of the players at my table are co-workers that I flat out asked if they play/played D&D. Three of them are complete newbies that I've recruited into the game. Hell, monday and tuesday this week, I had guys sitting at my desk at work, dice and PHB in hand, rolling up chars at lunchtime. You can't get much more open than that. (I work at the proverbial "large, conservative, midwestern state university" of Penthouse Letters fame.)

Edit: Actually, my wife just pointed out that in the past 5 or so years, I've spent more money on D&D crap than we have on furniture and household appliances.

 

[cybertalus]

I wear glasses. Never contact lenses.

I built my own computer. It works better than most factory-built machines I've used.

I use a web browser many people have never heard of.

I once installed Linux on one of my computers.

I've pulled CAT-5 cable through walls. I used plenum cable.

I'd still be in IT if I didn't hate dealing with people so much.

I know more about the history of Waterdeep than I do about the history of my hometown.

I like the people who live in my computer better than I like the people who live next door.

I stopped counting how many times I've seen the first Star Wars film when I hit 100.

I can do a very good Gollum voice, and have been doing it since before I'd ever heard of Lord of the Rings.

I hate organized sports with a passion.

I was introduced to D&D by someone I knew from the astronomy club.

When it comes to clothes I always choose comfort over appearance.

I wish Blake's 7 would come out on R1 DVD.


I also exhibit some decidedly ungeekly traits though:

I don't like comic books. Or action movies.

I don't like anime or any other form of animation.

I've stopped buying toys. (But not games.)

I typically see less than half a dozen films a year, most of those at the independent theatre.

I can't quote many movies, but I can quote lots of rock lyrics.

I watch virtually no television, and what I do watch is drama, not sci-fi/fantasy.

I don't read regularly, but when I do I'm as likely to pick up a literary classic as I am a Star Wars or Harry Dresden novel.

I don't think Monty Python is all that funny, especially after the first time.

I liked the first two Harry Potter films better than the first two Lord of the Rings films.

I stink at chess and Scrabble, and have no desire to improve my skills at either.

 

[Breakstone]

My weekend line up is the following:

Saturday- Trip to the Comic Book Shop, Life of Brian
Sunday- Dungeons & Dragons (starting a new campaign!), Super Smash Bros Tournament


This is going to be a Wonderful weekend!

 

[Turanil]

Actually, my wife just pointed out that in the past 5 or so years, I've spent more money on D&D crap than we have on furniture and household appliances.

LOL! Actually I spend way more money on sci-fi/fantasy DVDs and D&D and d20 "crap" than on clothing, and furnitures / household appliances put together.

Otherwise:

At 42 still spend 90% of my free time thinking about rpg some way or another (and usually on Enworld).

I am planning four D&D/d20 campaigns, while I will probably run none...

I have three computers at home.

I still live alone mainly because a wife would probably go against my obsession for geeky interests.

 

[Algolei]

It's phenomenal. I really like it. Brilliant work. It's diametrically opposed to Colin Renfrew's theories, and in fact, Mallory makes no secret of what he thinks of Renfrews theories (although always in a professional manner!)

I don't know either of their works yet. I'm only just starting to get interested in the indo-european roots of modern languages.

My Christmas wish list included the following books:

In Search of the Indo-Europeans: Language, Archaeology, and Myth
by J.P. Mallory

The Origin of Language: Tracing the Evolution of the Mother Tongue
by Merritt Ruhlen

The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed)
by Calvert Watkins

Comparative Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction
by Robert S.P. Beekes

Old English and Its Closest Relatives: A Survey of the Earliest Germanic Languages
by Orrin W. Robinson

The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots
by Joseph T. Shipley

I didn't know where to start, so I tried for a random smattering. Think I should add Renfrew's Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins to my list?

Not that I'm likely to be getting any of them, even though my birthday is coming up in less than a month. *grumble* One more pair of plaid socks and I'll scream like a little girl.

 

[Allanon]

I own and play:

My NES, SNES, Gameboy, Playstation, Playstation 2, Gameboy SP.

My favorite games are mostly all NES.

My ringtones are the themes from: Kid Icarus, Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, Super Maria Bros., Metroid and Megaman.

I work in the IT.

I post on ENWorld.

I'm saving up to go to a Gen Con in America.

My girlfriend says I'm geeky before letting anyone that doesn't know me into our house, or in a room I'm in.

I've watched Star Wars episode 4,5,6 at least once every year since my 5th birtday. I'm 22 years old at the moment.

I build and repair computers for fun.

I build a complete home theater system for a friend of mine, based around a PC running Meedio (Used to be MyHTPC). I even completely remoted his house via X10 and hooked it up to a central server.

I first read The Lord of The Rings when I was 10.

I own every Terry Pratchet in two languages English and Dutch.

I've converted 10 people in my surroundings to reading either Lord of the Rings or Terry Pratchet.

My desktop background is always the latest issue of Penny Arcade

Thus I'm not geeky, or am I? :S

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Harlan Ellison yelled at me on the phone for over 10 minutes, and all I could think about was how cool it was to be yelled at by the most obnoxious and opinionated SF author alive.

That's.....awesome!!!

I first read The Lord of The Rings when I was 10.

I first read the Silmarillion when I was 11.

I've read almost the entire Berserker series (by Fred Saberhagen, not the anime/mange) and the Books of Lost Swords.

I read the Hitchhiker Trilogy and the Foundation books at the same time.

I wear glasses. Contacts are strange.

I shop extensively at my local thrift store. The amount of loot I've gotten there would shock you.

 

[diaglo]

i'm a fatbeard.

not only do i bite the heads of chickens.

i make a decent meal out of the rest of the bird:

HUNTERS BLOOD PUDDING

Any freshly killed bird... a goose, chicken or duck may fall victim to this recipe.

1 cup fresh blood
1/4 cup rendered poultry fat
3 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat fat and saute onions, parsley, pepper and garlic. Quickly add blood, saute, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot on buttered pumpernickel or black bread with mustard and pickles for a first course; add grilled tomatoes, cheese and fruit for a light supper.