First off, Dexter’s Laboratory rocked. That was fun scifi masked as a cartoon, and going back to Alternate Histories, there are a couple of book series aside from Turtledove’s you check out.
The Belisarius Series, a series set in the late Roman Empire under Emperor Justinian by Eric Flint and David Drake, and the 1632 series also by Eric Flint about a an american town in 2000 AD’s West Virginia sent back by a cosmic event to Germany in the year 1632 and another sent back in time trilogy by John Birmingham called The Axis of Time about WW2.
On chucks rant:I get, I really get it because i am the 14 year old geek who is marganilized(for my spelling of course). I had a ‘popular’ girl laugh at me, and make fun of BSG so im like whats your favroite show…i get Gossip Girl, real quality TV there. So i go on on this 5 minute rant on how I enjoy a deep show about human nature, and the essence of man, and she watches a show about how its cool to be 5’10’’ and weigh 90 pounds. She gave me this really dumb look and said, i kid you not "But its soooo nerdy"And i aptly respond with "and you watch a show to support your own persnal hate of your self and rationalise your insecurities. You feel good only in the matter of superficial matters"She has not spoken to me since, and im perfectly happy. Was it a bit harsh?yes, it was; but did it get the point across?indeed.I might not be able to get a date because of how people look at me, and my little bubble, but i like my bubble; it has cool people like all of you in it.
Minority Report was one of my first Sci-Fis And I still enjoy it. I love the story, the movie, the game. The whole thing really struck a note with me. One of the first movies that made me think
Hey, gwensdad and ElsaDax - I can confirm that there’s no intentional avoidance of talking Dr. Who. Honestly, I never saw the old series (except little blips of the music stick in my mind) and I’ve seen the new one once or twice - not nearly enough to comment on it. I don’t know about the guys, but if we got away from the topic it was either because we didn’t have anything remotely intelligent/interesting to say about it (YET!) or maybe just got distracted by something else. I’ll bring it up to the guys - and we’ll do our best not to let it slip through the cracks again.
Wow, Boxy, that was some verbal smack-down you gave there! Look, I promise you that smart, attractive women with substance are out there and will notice you; just give it time. [Yoda] To those who wait, do good things come. [/Yoda]
It was cool to have a bit of a Star Trek discussion during the pod cast. It generated some quick thoughts.
First, I have to suggest that Kahn’s physique in the movie has much more to do with prosthetics than it does working out:
I mean, we’re bordering on Pamela Anderson territory here.
Second, I have to say that DS9 was my favorite of the series. While it took a while for all of them to find their feet at first, I think it was the quickest to get up an running. That said, Sean’s discussion of how ‘Warf’ is his favorite character, reminded my that my least favorite Worf/Klingon moment occurs on DS9. While there were a lot of great Klingon episodes, the one where his brother Kern shows up having difficulties dealing with his dishonored House rubbed me the wrong way. Especially the part where Worf thinks he does him a favor by having his memory erased, ridges modified, and adopted by a new House. Seemed like a very un-Klingon like way of going about things (then again Klingons rarely lived up to the Klingon ideal). What was really sad was that a few seasons later the Klingon government was overthrown, Worf’s House’s honor was restored, and no mention was made of his brother. Kind of seemed like a bummer. Anyway, Rant off. Sorry about that. Then again I guess GWC appreciates a good rant now and then…
THANK YOU!! Lol. Even if they are “real,” they still are quite plump and shiny for man-pecs.
Somehow I never noticed this oversight. I’ll have to go back and look into that - thanks for the tip, Phil! Also, DS9 is my favorite of the Star Trek series as well, and I think it was good already in its first season and only picked up from there. As Chuck says, I love a good epic sci-fi storyline that spans over a long period of time (or at least seven years).
No kidding! When I was that age I would’ve been cowering behind the vending machine, hiding from anyone who’d laughed at me. Props to Boxy!
Harsh? It was the nicest thing you coulda done for her. At least she’s heard the truth once in her life. Maybe one day when she’s outgrown her prettiness and popularity, she’ll sit there contemplating her days on Earth and think, “That Boxy kid sure knew what’s what.”
I know exactly what it’s like to be that 14-year old guy who’s ridiculed because of his geekness. Trust me, I’ve gone through that period ten years ago and I felt all your pain. It’s like you just know that you have these big, worldshaking questions in your mind, all these cool ideas instilled in your head by scifi and you know that you’re a person who’s got so much to offer and wants to talk about so many important things and discuss the essential issues of life, the universe and everything with other people and then there’s just nobody there who understands you - especially not the girls.
Does it ever get better? Yes and no. As Audra said, there’s a certain amount of patience evolved. But college won’t be a magical cure for all your problems (neither is a car) and of course you don’t wanna wait that long and I can totally understand that, I was the same way. Now, when I was in high school, I was totally clueless and had to figure it all out by myself - which is okay to some extent, because it’s a growth experience but from time to time you’re just craving a piece of advice. So here’s my first tip: treasure this community. It’s definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of (and I’m saying that proudly) and there’s a lot of cool geek folks with interesting stories here and I’m sure that if you ask Pike or Solai or Topgun or frakkintalos or Chuck/Sean/Audra, they’ll all be glad to help you out a bit (but you have to ask them nicely - a little A Few Good Men reference ;)).
Now, if I would have to do high school all over again, with what I know now, my prime directive would be to stay calm and relaxed in all circumstances. I know what it’s like to be restless every day, nervous every time you have to talk to a girl or in front of a lot of people or a group, anxious that any tiny mistake on the social playing field might mark you as a misfit forever. Thinking that you’re the only one who’s unsure of himself. Guess what: it’s not that way at all. Everybody else is, too. They’re all doing the trial and error approach to life, there’s nobody in high school who has perfectly mastered the aquisition of social skills. There are some who seem to have gotten the hang of it, but they have their issues as well, they’re craving popularity to paper over the cracks in their personality. So relax. Don’t panic. It’ll all work out.
Easier said than done? Well, there’s some work involved on your part, too. I totally admire the repartee that you gave to that chick, it shows that you’re a) self-confident and b) quick-witted. Ten years ago, I certainly would have run with my tail between my legs instead of dishing out such a cool comeback, so great props to you! Foster that kind of self-confidence and it’ll keep you going through a lot of rough patches!
So here’s my next tip: Shape your personality/individuality. Don’t give them the chance to stereotype you by doing lots of different cool things/hobbies. Try out a great variety of hobbies, sign up for extra classes/clubs. You’re a geek, so in all likelihood you’re a pretty smart guy who’s interested in lots of things, so find as many cool outlets to express yourself as you can. Try painting, playing an instrument, writing, visual arts and find out where your talents are and then to stick to what you’re good at. Try reading other cool stuff than scifi, Shakespeare maybe or Beowulf or Sherlock Holmes, something classic. Join a book club or if there’s none around, start one yourself. Or a drama group. Write something, a short play maybe or a novella about anything you want, about geekness, about high school or anything that comes to mind and then let people read it or do a public reading in the basement or the garage or whatever and invite people over. Learn to play a guitar or do sports, anything you’re good at. If you join a gym, remember that it’s not about having the perfect body, it’s about the effort. In a nutshell, try to meet new and interesting people and don’t be too shy to start something yourself. You’ll be surprised how many people there really are who are actually into cool things and you never knew it. And you’ll probably also meet a lot of interesting and cool girls that way too.
One more thing: being a geek is cool, but it’s not everything. Nobody’s life is exclusively about geekness. It took me a long time to figure that out. Example: for a very brief span of time, I used to wear a Star Trek communicator to school. Not a good idea. Why? Because school is a public place, people see you, people judge you. Don’t give them a reason to prejudge you. I’m not saying that you have to conform, just tone your geekness down a bit in school or limit it to more private places. Case in point: you wouldn’t vote for a guy wearing a communicator on his business suit, would you? well, GWCers probably would, but imagine the same guy with long black hair and a heavy metal t-shirt. That’s totally cool when you’re at home or out with friends, but it’ll do you good to think of school as like your work place and try to dress like you would in say, a bank maybe. Maybe dark jeans and just a plain blue or white shirt or something, catch my drift? Something classy, something adult that makes you feel confident and then spice it up with a cool accessory like a BSG keyring pendant or so, something inconspicuous at first sight - way cooler than the in-your-face kind of geekness.
And be nice to everybody and really mean it. Don’t be a hater. Don’t trash people when they’re not around, even if you really can’t stand them and they’re jerks. Try to talk nicely with the football guys as well as the math club geeks. You don’t have to be best friends with everbody and it’s also okay to have enemies or people you don’t talk to, but generally, treat people like you’d want them to treat you.
Be generous. Don’t let yourself get exploited, but offer to help out. All these things will reflect upon you.
Don’t be too nice, either. It’s a cliché that girls fall only for jerks and that nice guys always finish last, but there IS some truth to it. Be playful with the girls, kid around a lot, make fun of yourself, use your wit to make them laugh and make them acknowledge you as a man, not a macho. Don’t worship girls you’re not dating yet. Make sure you meet lots of cool girls and approach them playfully. Flirting is a game, not rocket science. If you’re comfortable with yourself, chances are that they’ll be comfortable around you too. Flirt a lot. Just for the fun of it, doesn’t have to mean anything at first. And then if you think that there’s someone you really like, ask her out. With a firm voice and a childish smile (think Richard Gere in Pretty Woman). And NEVER ever do all the hard work yourself. You’ll have to do the first step (there’s no girl in the world who’ll ask you out herself, they all told me that they’re still expecting the guy to do that) and you’ll probably also have to arrange the second and maybe the third date. But don’t do all the work alone. Building a relationship is a job for two people, so make sure you tell her to call after the second or third date and then wait until she calls. Give her the impression that you’re worth a little effort and a little fighting for, because hell YOU ARE and girls will love the challenge. And then, after she’s proven that she’s worth it, and only then, is it okay to worship a girl. And don’t let any setbacks discourage you. Think of yourself as Picard at the academy. He became this totally cool captain, but he too was a total geek, you know with all the archaeology and stuff and he too had to learn how to handle the girls.
Okay, that’s enough for now, this took an hour and a half to write down in English, so I hope you don’t mind if I got carried away a little. Hopefully, somewhere in there I could help you out a bit. And Boxy, if there’s anything you need or feel like talking about, shoot me a PM, I’m there for ya, man, I remember being 14 only too well. And now I’ll finally have lunch…
Edit:
how its cool to be 5’10’’ and weigh 90 pounds
just as a side-note: my GF actually fits that description and she’s the nicest person in the world, so there’s another stereotype falsified
Man. We’re getting POUNDED with a gigantic ice-snow storm here. It normally takes a half hour to get to work. I just drove to the office to get my work for the day, take it home, and work from the house today, thus avoiding any further snow. Took a good two hours, most of which I spent in the good company of podcast #88. So now that I’m running late and need to bear down and get to work, here’s some ramblings…
As always, thanks for the podcast. Its made the drive very tolerable.
Having spent two hours on the road, I hereby give extra belief in the “The more you drive, the less intelligent you are” line from Repo Man. With some exceptions.
I stopped reading the Incarnations of Immortality after a few books; got bored with the same story over and over. Does it pick up toward the end?
Chuck: From the reasons you give for liking Firefly, you won’t like Buffy as much. And know you’ve had some cursory experience with the Buffy-verse. But I’d be totally surprised if you wouldn’t ultimately totally dig Buffy if you got the right exposure to it. It’s a Whedon universe with SEVEN seasons.
That said, season one is pretty rocky. Kinda bland monster-of-the-week stuff. But – as is a common phenomenon – by season three, it’s a whole world that fires on all cylinders.
I too am very glad I joined in the Firefly re-watch. I watched it as it was broadcast, and I just remembered it as being some show about some people doing stuff in space. Oh, it’s so much more. And if you’re hesitant to join in at this late juncture, don’t be. You’re just one or two insomniac-al nights away from catching up.
I haven’t read all the previous 'cast comments, but the moon has a pretty feminine tradition. Kinda tangent from there: Watchmen author Alan Moore really made his bones with a run on DC’s Swamp Thing. He took the horror comic and REALLY ramped it up to a literary level. One issue, I forget which, he links the werewolf conept with Native American folklore and ties them together with oppressed-woman issues and menstrual cycles. Brilliant stuff.
This is off-topic, and I’ll probably post in the Song You Should Listen Too post, but if you need some good, moody background music, the new Nine Inch Nails instrumental double-CD is frickin’ awesome. Nin.com has a free download of the first nine (of 36) tracks, and Amazon.com has the entire thing as non-DRM mp3s for a mere $5.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide experience and its archetypal plot are kind of a distillation of the elemental appeal of sci-fi, and I think that’s why it’s popular with so many teenagers: There’s this plain guy in a mundane life. And then he discovers there’s this whole other world. And then he’s drawn into it. How many sci-fi-fantasy classics can you apply that to?
Choose-your-own-adventure books? I remember as a kid, how happy I was with myself when I reached the end and all my choices had been right. Then i re-read the book and discovered that any choice you made ended with you emerging triumphant. Didn’t feel so smart after that.
And as far as Chuck wanting to watch Lost with a roomful of GWC people, I think that’s exactly what GWC provides: Even if you can’t watch every episode with people, at least we have a virtual room of people to talk about it with later. And that’s valuable. So thanks again!
xfd
Also, for alt-timeline histories, beyond Marvel’s What If? series, the first pick that comes to mind is Robert Harris’ Fatherland, which you can get cheap via the Amazon.com:
Tales place 20 years after the Nazis win WW II. With that backdrop, it’s essentially – if I remember correctly – a kinda noir-ish detective story. Made into a film with Rutger Hauer in like 2001, which sank like a rock. (Never saw it myself).
pps. What and who was the story about what happens when people can copy actual physical items?
ppps. The Chuck Paradigm recalls a Big Daddy Kane quote: “Not trying to the be king or boss / Just trying to get my point across.”
Closest I’ve ever seen to that level of verbal smakc down was a Family Guy episode when Peter went ot the prom with Meg and the popular girl said something bad ot Meg adn Peter just let in to her verbally in a very offhanaded Peter Griffin kinda way.
Just want to take a second and say - this is really cool how everyone is responding to the Geek arguement and most especially to Boxey’s e-mail. Just when I think this is the coolest bunch of folks on the web, y’all gots to be taking it up a notch! Well played all!
However, Galaxy Ranger - tho I agree with a vast majority of what you said…
Girls of BSG don’t apply - they deserve mucho worship. 'Specially Sharon. Giggedy
(think Richard Gere in Pretty Woman). And NEVER ever do all the hard work yourself. You’ll have to do the first step (there’s no girl in the world who’ll ask you out herself, they all told me that they’re still expecting the guy to do that) and you’ll probably also have to arrange the second and maybe the third date. But don’t do all the work alone. Building a relationship is a job for two people, so make sure you tell her to call after the second or third date and then wait until she calls. Give her the impression that you’re worth a little effort and a little fighting for, because hell YOU ARE and girls will love the challenge. And then, after she’s proven that she’s worth it, and only then, is it okay to worship a girl. And don’t let any setbacks discourage you. Think of yourself as Picard at the academy. He became this totally cool captain, but he too was a total geek, you know with all the archaeology and stuff and he too had to learn how to handle the girls.