"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."
-----Romeo and Juliet (Act II, Scene II)
An appropriate quote, given certain events that have transpired this week.
A friend of mine and I had a falling out over (among other things) his not liking being referred to as a 'nerd' by my wife. This despite the fact that she has never meant it as anything but a term of endearment. She calls me one all the time, and I enjoy it!
Unfortunately this person (who dissociated himself from us and a few other friends) seemed to regard 'nerd' in the same light as a certain other 'N'- word. That other word has a very nasty and bitter history associated with it, one which entailed real human suffering and corrupted the best principles upon which this country was founded. The sooner it leaves the vocabulary the better. You can't say the same thing here!
Nerds are the Secret Masters of the Universe. We create the things that non-nerds find an indispensible part of their lives. Remember 10-15 years ago, when only 'nerds' got online? Now everyone's online. Rather than being hopelessly out of touch, we are the pioneers, the trailblazers, the ones who clear the way for everyone else. We're the ones who cure diseases, send probes throughout the solar system, and make it possible for folks to send LOLCats and porn to one another at 108 Mbps. ;-) Why would anyone not want to be a nerd in light of all this?
Looks fade, and a single dirty trick by a bank or investment broker can wipe out your wealth. In the end, all you truly have is your mind and your soul. So invest wisely!
I may write about this more later, but for right now, I'm shutting it down for the night.
-----Romeo and Juliet (Act II, Scene II)
An appropriate quote, given certain events that have transpired this week.
A friend of mine and I had a falling out over (among other things) his not liking being referred to as a 'nerd' by my wife. This despite the fact that she has never meant it as anything but a term of endearment. She calls me one all the time, and I enjoy it!
Unfortunately this person (who dissociated himself from us and a few other friends) seemed to regard 'nerd' in the same light as a certain other 'N'- word. That other word has a very nasty and bitter history associated with it, one which entailed real human suffering and corrupted the best principles upon which this country was founded. The sooner it leaves the vocabulary the better. You can't say the same thing here!
Nerds are the Secret Masters of the Universe. We create the things that non-nerds find an indispensible part of their lives. Remember 10-15 years ago, when only 'nerds' got online? Now everyone's online. Rather than being hopelessly out of touch, we are the pioneers, the trailblazers, the ones who clear the way for everyone else. We're the ones who cure diseases, send probes throughout the solar system, and make it possible for folks to send LOLCats and porn to one another at 108 Mbps. ;-) Why would anyone not want to be a nerd in light of all this?
Looks fade, and a single dirty trick by a bank or investment broker can wipe out your wealth. In the end, all you truly have is your mind and your soul. So invest wisely!
I may write about this more later, but for right now, I'm shutting it down for the night.
