Speak Out with your Geek Out

The following I originally posted not too long ago on both Google+ and Facebook but I have decided to post it again because of a week-long internet event called Speak Out with your Geek Out, encouraging all geeks everywhere to post, tweet, blog, and basically speak out, both on the internet and in person/face-to-face, about your geeky hobbies and act as an example and/or mentor to other geeks who might be a little shy about saying "I'm proud to be a Geek". Since, as you will read below, this is an important concept to me, I decided to join in by reposting this. Now, I'm not saying this is my only geeky interest. This was inspired by a contemplation of the general types of geek out there (sports, computer, D&D, video game, Harry Potter, etc.) and a realization of the category I feel most comfortable labeling myself. Enjoy, and feel free to comment and take part in Speak Out with your Geek Out, yourselves.

(original post:)

Most of my life I've had a hard time feeling like I fit in with anyone (Don't run away, this isn't some sob story, just describing background before my epiphany). As I've gotten older, it has come down to what type or group of people I am or want to be. I enjoy playing sports, but I'm not very good and I don't feel like a "jock". I enjoy lots of geeky topics but I don't know how to program computers, etc. And, "geek" still had a negative connotation in my mind (it was synonymous with nerd and dweeb).

But a couple years ago I found the GeekDad blog (wired.com/geekdad) and began to realize I truly am a Geek and proud of it. I also learned that geeks have interest in lots of different topics and not just comic books and computers, and many even enjoy outdoor activities like biking, camping, etc. Furthermore, I even began to realize that the geek community (I like to call it Geekdom) is a very accepting and very diverse community. Since that time, I have really been growing into my geekery and even feel more confident knowing where I fit in. 

Sometimes I still struggle feeling like I fit in with other geeks that have a large depth of knowledge because I am more of the type that was a wide breadth of knowledge of many topics. This post: (http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/04/the-geeks-dilemma-breadth-vs-depth-of-interests/) helped immensely as I saw in the comments lots of others that were jack-of-all-trades type people, too. (If you can't tell, I rely heavily on the authors of GeekDad, and their companion site GeekMom, to guide me through this journey of self-discovery. My largest circle, so far, is the one I have reserved for the writers on those blogs).

Then, recently, I started struggling with the type of geek I am. I'm not a computer geek, because I don't know how to program them, I'm not a video game geek, because I don't own any consoles, I have always enjoyed tv shows and movies about the Marvel superheroes (and Batman, from DC) but I'm not a comic book geek. I don't even own a single comic. But then, from recent experiences, I realized what type of geek I am.

I am an information/research geek. I like to know things and I am good at finding the information I need, on the internet and other sources. I get a thrill trying to solve the puzzle of how to find what I'm looking for. That's why I like reading so much, I like to learn and take in as much information as I can. I am an info/research geek and I'm proud!

Blog Changes

I (Dave) came upon the realization recently that I am more of an internet consumer than I am an internet producer. This stems from the fact, as I mentioned on G+ and FB, I am an info/research geek, so I love reading and learning (i.e. consuming information) and not so much spending the time to produce internet content. When I first created my blog, I had grand plans of being a well-known/well-followed blogger that consistently produced relevant web content. Yeah, that didn't happen.

I have been thinking of making some changes (i.e different URL, different layout, etc.) and then realized that maybe I should just merge my random rambling blog with Corrina's family matters blog (since on occasion, I have also covered familial happenings) and get rid of Ruminations all together. Therefore, that is what we are doing. I will be importing everything I have posted on my personal blog into Corrina's blog, and then eventually delete mine. We will still login with separate ids, so you'll be able to tell who is creating what post, but it will be nice to cut down on some o the web-clutter. Therefore, if you're reading this from Ruminations, follow this link to our newly conjoined blog. If you are reading this on Corrina's blog, congratulations! You don't have to do anything different. Enjoy!

AHH!!!!!

it really sucks not having high speed internet. last week we had to disconnet cable and hispeed b/c C's mom went home. therefore we went back to our free dialup. i'm currently blogging from our new palm centro smart phone. please keep guessing at the movie quote game. i'll try to update the correct answers when I can. (shankar is correct with my fair lady)

the new microsoft?

as i was loading trucks this morning, i started wondering if google has become the new microsoft. it almost seems that nothing can be done on the internet without the use of a google product. the google search engine, google toolbar, google maps, google earth, google news, gmail, blogger, and even the new google chrome. and how did google get verbified? (ex: if you're looking for something, just google it) and now its not just this, they are delving into the world of mobile communication with this. with all these applications, could google gain a monopoly on the internet world, and if so, how do they justify this when their unofficial motto is "don't be evil"?

p.s. prepare for a knock-your-socks-off post-election post. it is already in the formation stage in the brain of the dave

random ramblings of randomness

in an effort to teach myself the ways of the blog (or is it like the ways of the force: an apprentice must be taught by a master?) i have made several attempts to post an interesting video i have found on youtube to practice the art of videoposting. the concept is simple, find the video, copy the embed code, paste code into blog. the execution is confounding me. i find the video, i copy the embed code, and yet when i paste said code into blog, only a short portion of the code is pasted. i try to scroll thru the code on the youtube page, and it is missing there as well. i have tried it with two different videos. stunning conclusion to follow?



frequently at ups we ship packages containing hazardous materials. every hazmat package has to have diamond hazmat labels, hazmat shipping papers, and orientation arrows. there are certain classes of hazmat that are completely prohibited in the ups system. one of which being spontaneously combustible. as a loader, the only step between me and the customer is the driver so i am basically the very end of the chain. yesterday i see a package with diamond labels on it so i immediately look for shipping papers. there are none so normally it gets sent down to the clerk for him to fill them out. but then i look at the diamond label and discover its from the aforementioned prohibited class. i immediately stop the belt and call the supervisor over to take care of it. the ridiculousness of it is, this is the second time in just a few months where a prohibited hazmat package, without shipping papers (just to make things worse) has made it all the way to me and almost on the truck. that means the unloader never should have taken it off the truck, the scanner should never have scanned and p.a.l.'ed it, the sorter never should have put it on the blue feeder belt, the splitter at the head of the blue belt should never have pushed it to my side of the belt. but more than that, this package came from florida! it never should have been accepted by ups in florida, it never should have been put on the feeder truck in florida, and it never should have come across country to chico. this is a major dropping of the ball that has inccurred some heavy safety violation fines. and to think it has happened twice!!!