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I Love Nerds Knit Beanie | $29.95
Let the world knew you love nerds with this rockin’ Nerd Beanie from the NeatoShop! Keeps your head warm and serves as an excellent icebreaker (pun intended) at the same time. These 100% handmade hats are made from 100% wool on the outside with 100% polyester lining, then there’s the button-and-felt decorations that tell everyone how you love nerds! Get yours while they last, and while you’re at the NeatoShop, check out the other nerd products you’ll also love.
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Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.
Why do nerds so often wear glasses? This is an interesting question, and obviously it has a significance in my own life and career.
The word “nerd” was actually coined by my favorite fiction writer, the great Dr. Seuss. In 1950, in Dr. Seuss’s book If I Ran the Zoo, Seuss drew a non-human creature called a ‘nerd” from the land of Ka-roo. This is the first instance of the word “nerd” in print. Some theorists believe the word started at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the 1940s. The students who liked to party there were called “drunks” and the quieter, less-inclined-to-party types were labeled “knurds.” See, “drunk” spelled backwards is “knurd,” the precursor to the modern “nerd.”
In 1957, in Glasgow, Scotland, “nerd” was first defined as “square.”
Motion pictures, the most powerful medium of communication in human history (before television) had, of course, a huge impact on the lives of almost everyone on earth. The “nerd” in movie history has not, to my knowledge, ever been fully written. As far as I can determine, the first nerd in movie history was the popular silent comedian Harold Lloyd. Lloyd played a weak, underdog type of comedic character, one bullied by men and ignored by women. But in the end, he would triumph and inevitably get the girl of his dreams. The Lloyd character wore trademark glasses. In fact, Lloyd always referred to his character as the “glasses” or “glass” character, much as Charlie Chaplin was “the Tramp.”
After Lloyd, the nerd character was on the shelf for many years in movies -with sporadic exceptions. Ironically, Cary Grant, perhaps the most dapper actor in movie history, donned glasses and played a nerd character in 1938′s classic comedy Bringing Up Baby.
In the 1950s and ’60s, the great Jerry Lewis often played a nerd-type character in his wonderful comedies. Once in a while, Jerry would wear glasses in his films, notably The Nutty Professor and The Ladies Man. One of his early films with Dean Martin (That’s My Boy) Jerry played a classic glasses-wearing nerd. Jerry as “Junior Jackson” is a shy, clumsy nerd who is trained to be a football player by the handsome, popular Dean Martin. Lewis almost always played a semi-nerd, but it was always a bit of a very cool nerd with Jerry Lewis. While Jerry was always a dumb klutz in his films, he always danced gracefully and also, Jerry was a relatively good-looking fellow, unlike most nerds (or comedians) in comedies. And of course, Jerry did not usually wear glasses. But the movies next classic nerd did.
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Elmo with Glasses Sesame Street Junior Backpack – $16.95
Are you a nerd? Are you hoping your child will follow in your footsteps? You need the Elmo with Glasses Sesame Street Junior Backpack from the NeatoShop. This adorable toddler sized backpack is the perfect way to teach your mini-me that it’s hip to be square.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Schooltime fun!
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Ahh NYC, the sprawling metropolis that inspired Metropolis, a gritty gothic landscape that inspired Gotham City, the home of X-Men, Ninja Turtles and Futurama’s Planet Express.
In honor of the New York Comic Con taking place this weekend, here’s a geeky tour guide’s dream map of the city, showing where things would, should and might someday be located, complete with color coded genre so you can tell whether the location is from a comic book, movie, tv show or video game.
Now go forth and see the mundane real life counterparts of these fantastic locations for yourself!
Hello Kitty Nerds Face Clutch - $27.95
Are you looking for a wallet that expresses your adorable inner nerd? You need the super cute Hello Kitty Nerds Face Clutch from the NeatoShop. This great little clutch, with fantastic embroidered details, will have you purring with happiness.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous Hello Kitty & Sanrio items.
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Nerd Hello Kitty Backpack with Ears – $39.95
Are you ready for your next adventure? Whatever your plans are this summer you are going to need a great backpack to carry all your stuff. The Nerd Hello Kitty Backpack from the NeatoShop is there for you. This backpack is functional, unique, and super cute.
Angry Hello Kitty Backpack and original Hello Kitty Backpack also available. Be sure to check out all the awesome Hello Kitty items available at the NeatoShop!
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Mergatroid - $14.95
Heavens to mergatroid!
How do you make a sock monkey even cuter? You give him a nerdy spin.
If you love all things nerdy and geeky you need to check out the Mergatroid from the NeatoShop. This little guy looks a whole lot smarter than your average teddy bear.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous Plush Toys!
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What makes a nerd nerdy? Is it a proclivity for using words like “proclivity,” or the social ineptitude only a lone acne-suffering lunchtime outcast can claim? It’s the always-handy calculator, isn’t it? Kuriositas explores the history of the nerd in an interesting piece that looks at the history of the word “nerd” and the image associated with Nerdus sapiens through history. (Note that this word nerd has subtracted two points for use of the non-word “irregardless.”) Link
Image: Flickr user Bayat
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Attention Domo fans! Behold the Domo Nerd Plush from the NeatoShop. You know you want him!
What’s cuter than a farting, saw toothed creature who hates apples? A farting, saw toothed creature, who hates apples, and is dressed like a nerd! Oh, he is just too adorable.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more fabulous Plush Toys.
Comments Off She loves playing Dungeons & Dragons, but she wants more. Can true love drag a nerd out of the basement long enough for a dinner date? The animation by Brad Jonas accompanies a song by the Doubleclicks. -Thanks, A Seventy!
I Heart Nerds Socks – $9.95
Forget the sexy lingerie this Valentine’s day! Get her the I Heart Nerd Socks from the NeatoShop instead. We all know that nothing is sexier than a girl with a great pair of socks.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more nerdy fun.
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I suspect that our pal Sean Fallon of Nerd Approved, Fashionably Geek, and CubicleBot is secretly a master of time and space. He’s probably got it rigged so he’s got more than 24 hours in a day – that’s my only explanation on how he can create a new cool blog in addition to the ones he already run:
It’s called That’s Nerdalicious!—and it’s dedicated to nerdy gastronomy…the geeky gourmet…beer, bacon, candy and caffeine.
Take a look around—there’s categories on food porn, bacon, beer, candy, caffeine, nerd cakes, cooking tools, cooking gadgets, recipes, drunken misadventures and more. And don’t forget to check out our homebrewing features, like the taste test of our Oatmeal, Coffee, Chocolate Bacon Stout.
Congrats, Sean! Link
Comments Off The following is a guest post by D. Salmons from iGadget Life. If you are looking for the television reviews or interested in some other products, this website is good for you.
We all know about the major holidays, and most of us celebrate at least a few of them. But, underneath those happy holidays that we all share, there lurks a mass of lesser known holidays that beg for our attention.
As it would happen, there exists a segment of our population that closely mirror these unsung holidays. These people work under the radar, providng society with the technology to keep life interesting. These hardworking and dedicated people, that we affectionately refer to as geeks, should get their own holiday.
Well, we’ve found some that seems to celebrate the geekiness in all of us. So, we offer these holidays in tribute to those socially crippled huddled masses that keep life advancing forward.
National Clean Up Your Computer Month – January
The geek in all of us (including you Facebookers out there) can appreciate this holiday. This is the time to take a look at our computers and give them the attention they so desperately need. We can check disk space, remove old programs, finally empty the trash, and even clean up around the computer itself. A great holiday for geeks everywhere.
Macintosh Computer Day – January 25
The Apple geeks in the crowd get to have a double computer holiday this month as January 25th is Macintosh Computer Day. If you haven’t already this month (see above), spend some time cleaning up your Macbook, MiniMac, or iMac. This would also be a great day to dig out those Apple stickers in any product boxes lying about and proudly display them. You are an Apple Geek, show it!
World Thinking Day – February 22
I did not realize there was a day dedicated to thinking. I personally believe that every day should be a day dedicated to thinking, at least on some level and at some point during said day. However, there is such a holiday, and what better day to dedicate to our ever thinking friends than World Thinking Day.
24-Hour Global Marathon for, By and About Women in Engineering and Technology – March 10-11
Geeks are not just guys – there is a very strong and dedicated segment of the population that do have double X chromosomes. The geek gals have proven to be an equal and capable group, so they definitely deserve a special holiday for themselves. What can be better than a two-day global holiday blowout that celebrates women in engineering and technology?!
Morse Code Day – April 27 (or May 24)
Geeks everywhere have heard about Morse code. Even though that has been superseded by ASCII code in most memorized tables, a tribute to the original geek code seems like a fitting way to celebrate the classic geek. From the telegraph to the cell phone, geeks have influenced our lives and given us new ways to play together online.
Geek Pride Day – May 25
It is everyone’s right to be a geek, and Geek Pride Day celebrates this on one of the most important dates in geek history, the opening day of the original “Star Wars” movie. The holiday even comes with its own geek Bill of Rights (meant to not be taken seriously, of course):
1. The right to be even geekier
2. The right to not leave your house
3. The right to not have a significant other and to be a virgin
4. The right to not like football or any other sport
5. The right to associate with other nerds
6. The right to have few friends (or none at all)
7. The right to have all the geeky friends that you want
8. The right to not be “in-style”
9. The right to be overweight and have poor eyesight
10. The right to show off your geekiness
11. The right to take over the world
Of particular interest is the last item, which just may happen at some point. (I guess it is a good thing that we are giving geeks their holidays now, it can’t hurt to be on their good side…)
Ball Point Pen Day – June 10
Pocket protectors everywhere, rejoice! Without the ubiquitous ball point pen, then geeks everywhere would have no need of the pocket protector. It would be like Superman without his cape, or Batman without his utility belt. So, I think we should really take note of this day, and everyone out there write an email to pass the word – even if ironically the emails hasten in a small way the eventual demise of the ball point pen.
Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day – July 6
When you get up on a chilly winter morning and check your favorite news site and weather for the day, you should thank a geek for making sure that the server is up and running. The specialized geek responsible for doing this, is known as a webmaster, and they work tirelessly (more or less) to keep the web communicating. So, celebrate this day by taking your favorite webmaster geek to lunch. And please, keep all jokes about “downloading lunch” to a minimum.
Embrace Your Geekness Day – July 13
Some people are ashamed of their inner geek – they are afraid to be stereotyped as anti-social, and have an innate fear of fixing things for others. But on this day you can cast away your fears and embrace your desire to defrag your computer drive. Who knows, by the end of the day, you too may have an appreciation for the geek culture.
National Inventor’s Month – August
Where would we be without the geeks known as inventors? From the automobile to the TV, from the typewriter to the internet, inventors have given us ways to make our lives better and more interesting. During the month of August we can pay tribute to those inventive folks who saw the need and a way to fulfill it.
IBM PC Day – August 12
The IBM PC has probably had one of the biggest impacts on early computing than any other product, and its influence is still felt to today. Generations of geeks have cut their computing teeth on IBM PC clones, and Microsoft would not be as big as it is if it were not for the IBM PC. Geeks everywhere, wave a lighter in the air for IBM PC Day.
Google Commemoration Day – September 7
Google is everywhere, and apparently all types of geeks love (and built) Google. So it seems natural that a day celebrating Google-ness would also be a tribute to geek-ness.
Techie’s Day – October 3
Where would we be without those techie geeks that keep our office computers humming along? Without them we would soon be reduced to pen and paper, and getting a fax or email would literally take days. This October 3rd take time to appreciate your local techie geek, and give them their day by trying to avoid breaking things until at least after lunch that day.
Computer Security Day – November 30
Geeks everywhere, take note – there are such things as evil tech people, and they want to enslave your computer for their nefarious uses. Take this day to celebrate the comfort of knowing that you have taken steps to keep your computer safe. And if you need help, go find a computer geek!
International Shareware Day – December 11
Rounding out our geek holidays for the year is International Shareware Day. Shareware was created (or at least named) by uber geek Bob Wallace, and the premise is simple – try it before you buy it. This concept thrives today, where computer users everywhere download programs on a wide variety of topics daily. It just goes to show – geeks know business.
Hopefully this list of holidays will give our geeks a reason to celebrate being what they are. Without them, the world is a slower, uncommunicative, and boring place (no video games). More importantly, we all have a little geek inside of us, so we in turn celebrate ourselves.
(image credits: Flickr users Sidereal, mr.beaver, and x-ray delta one)
As Wil (Wesley Crusher) Wheaton proudly displays his awesome recursive shirt, he tells us that whoever animated it “wins at the Internet.”
Original photo by Paul. Who gave Wil the shirt as a fun gift. Now, it’s a fun GIF!
About 45 days later, I finally picked it up. I opened it in my office, saw myself looking back at me from infinity, and couldn’t believe that I’d waited so long to pick it up. (On the other hand, it was a wonderful reward for completing the first draft of my keynote.)
I called Anne into my office, and revealed it in the usual manner, by slowly lifting it up to my chin and showing it off.
“Oh my god,” Anne said. “It’s you … and you … and you … and you …”
“All the way to infinity,” I said.
We shared a Sci-Five, to commemorate the occasion. You know, like you do.
The Recursive Wheaton (also known as the Wheaton Singularity) is an Infini-tee, created by Scott Meyer, who also creates an amazing and wonderful webcomic called Basic Instructions.
Sci-Five also wins. Much lurv for WW. See also: Recursion Google
(via TwistedSifter)
Link - via metafilter
From the Upcoming Queue, submitted by 
Yet another nerd tattoo. This one in the form of HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
