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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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.

Woody Allen made his movie debut in 1965 in the smash hit What’s New, Pussycat? Allen, besides being Lewis’ successor as the next great movie comedian, also took over the crown as “movies’ next great nerd.” By the late 1970s, Allen had stopped playing a nerd in hilarious comedies and took his bespectacled character into more serious films.

In 1972, in a homage to the film Bringing Up Baby, Ryan O’Neal dons glasses and plays a nerd character in What’s Up, Doc?, one of the last great screwball comedies (and the only Barbra Streisand film I ever liked).

It was in the wonderful classic American Graffiti (1973) that Charles Martin Smith played a 1950s-type nerd character named “Toad.” Smith was wonderful and his portrayal was the first modern movie “nerd.” Smith’s brilliant portrayal set the standard for the modern nerd as we all know him -glasses, pocket protector, unkempt hair, etc.

About five years later, after a fallow “no nerd” period in the mid-1970s, I started playing the nerd character as my one and only character. I may be a lot of things, but a versatile actor is not one of them. Maybe because I grew up worshiping the great comedians: Chaplin, Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers, Dean and Jerry, Laurel and Hardy, et. al., I early on decided that I would only ever play one character. These classic comedians always played just one basic character.

I just did a slight variation on the person I am in real life. I was always the offbeat character, never a handsome guy, never a great athlete, never a ladies’ man. But I was always a relatively funny guy; I always enjoyed making people laugh. I wore glasses naturally and because I was skinny and had scoliosis (my spine is curved), I always moved in a comic way.

(YouTube link)

I started churning out films -mostly B-movies, but a few good ones. Grease is the standout, although ironically Grease is actually the movie I have the smallest role in. I started playing the squeaky-voiced, spastic, clumsy nerd character and soon, a lot of nerd movie (and TV) characters followed. Okay, enough of my autobiography.

Nerds quickly spread like wildfire in many movies, A-movies and B-movies alike. The nerd character was frequently featured in 1980s low-budget films, and it became a standard movie “type,” much like the “jock,” the “spoiled rich kid,” the “dumb blonde.” the “best friend,” and the “gay guy.” In 1984, the nerd in movies reached its peak in Revenge of the Nerds, a comedy classic.

The last truly great nerd character was in one of my all-time favorite films Superbad (2007). Christopher Mintz-Plasse as “Fogel” creates a hilarious nerd character and almost steals this excellent movie, except for the fact that the entire cast is great.

Okay, enough movie history- Why do nerds so often wear glasses? I have always had three theories about this…

1. The nerd is always an outsider. Glasses immediately make a person appear different. In a random group of ten men (or ten women), if one person in that group is wearing glasses, he or she is very easily identifiable. In a quick glance at any group, a person wearing glasses is immediately seen as somehow looking different. The ‘different one” in almost any group is the one who is laughed at, and put at a distance from the other, more “normal” group members.

2. Glasses symbolize weakness or a low confront. The nerd is thought to be a not very strong character. Let’s face it, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris, etc. would not wear glasses in their movie roles. Neither would James Bond or Rambo. Superman wore no glasses. Clark Kent did. Whereas Superman could and would confront anything, Clark Kent would inevitably run away. The typical guy hero can face evil or villains or tough situations. Glasses symbolize a type of low confront or non-confront. Where a typical guy hero has a “high confront” of life, a guy wearing glasses apparently has a “low confront” level. There is also something inherently funny about a guy who is in fear.

It is worth noting that almost every great comedian in movie history had a cowardly side: from Bob Hope to Jerry Lewis to the Three Stooges to Laurel and Hardy to Don Knotts to Abbot and Costello. Pretty much every great comedian has been in a haunted house and ran away scared and screaming from ghosts or whatever. The sight of a man running away in fear is just naturally comical. The nerd wearing glasses appears to be a “low confront” guy.

3. Glasses symbolize sexual unattractiveness. This generally seems to hold true for both men and women. Remember Dorothy Parker’s famous quote: “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.” The nerd is thought to be sexually unattractive and thus wears glasses. Interestingly, I have never though this about women or girls. On the contrary, I have always been very attracted to girls and women who wear glasses. I never thought they lessened a woman’s attractiveness.

Miss C says: Glasses may designate a nerd character, but we aren't really fooled.

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!

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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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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!

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

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.

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.

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

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)

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 ziggystardust.

Yet another nerd tattoo. This one in the form of HyperText Markup Language (HTML)