Saturday, May 23, 2009

Geeky Energy

HigH 8-|

HigH!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8-|

the blog

welcome to geeky energy! i've created this blog to share some of my geeky ideas with my friends around the world, and i also hope to pique the interest of curious(maybe even geeky!) people who happen to stumble across this blog. in this introductory post, i hope to clarify the purpose of this blog, as well as to give you an idea of what type of geeky geekiness to expect from this geeky blog. geeky geeks with geeky energy unite! (flex)8-|

what is geeky?

in my discussions with people around the world, i have, quite understandably, encountered some confusion as to the meaning of "geeky". to be completely honest, i think i might even encounter some resistance from my fellow english speakers on the definition, since(as you will see later) i have expanded it to suit my own purposes. basically, the main two dictionary definition of "geek"(on dictionary.com) is as follows:

1. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.
2. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)

it seems to me that some people think of the word "geeky" as specifically pertaining to computer geeks, but as you can see, the main definition is more broadly encompassing. i think it describes me pretty well, as i am certainly "peculiar", and considered by some to be extremely "intellectual", perhaps even "overly" so. here is the main definition from thefreedictionary.com:

1. a. A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy.
b. A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.

i can't say that i'm accomplished in any scientific or technical pursuits, but i am definitely socially inept in many cases, and have been for most of my life. of course, i'm not as inept as i used to be, because i've learned to subdue my geeky energy sometimes, as the situation requires. still, i'm constantly faced with a need to find outlets for my geeky energy; so, perhaps this blog will help me a little in that respect.

geeky etymology

now, let's talk a little about the origin of the word. if you visited either of those dictionary sites, you might have noticed that i omitted the final definition in each case, as it wasn't germane to my analysis at that time. now, however, we'll discuss the etymology of the word "geek". also, at the end of this introduction, under "taking back geeky", i'll reveal the final definition.

Origin:
1915- 20; prob. var. of geck (mainly Scots) fool < class="ital-inline">gek
[Perhaps alteration of dialectal geck, fool, from Low German gek, from Middle Low German.]

Our Living Language
: Our word geek is now chiefly associated with contemporary student and computer slang, as in computer geek. In fact, geek is first attested in 1876 with the meaning "fool," and it later also came to mean "a performer engaging in bizarre acts like biting the head off a live chicken." Perhaps the use of geek to describe a circus sideshow has contributed to its current popularity. The circus was a much more significant source of entertainment in the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries than it is now, and large numbers of traveling circuses left a cultural legacy in various unexpected ways. Superman and other comic book superheroes owe much of their look to circus acrobats, who were similarly costumed in capes and tights. We also owe the word ballyhoo to the circus; its ultimate origin is unknown, but in the late 1800s it referred to a flamboyant free musical performance conducted outside a circus with the goal of luring customers to buy tickets to the shows inside. Other words and expressions with circus origins include bandwagon (coined by P.T. Barnum in 1855) and Siamese twin.

it's very interesting to consider the word "geeky", in all its grudgingly appreciative and derogatory connotations. it's pretty much an asteism(backhanded compliment); almost like saying "wow, you're pretty smart, but really weird!" well, welcome to my world. 8-|

my geeky interests

i think you'll find that my geeky interests range far and wide, and comprise a variety of different topics. for starters, i love music(history, theory and practice), philosophy(including, but definitely not limited to theology, and especially logic and ethics), science and technology, literature, linguistics, etymology, history, world culture, and SOME aspects of law, politics and economics. pop culture sometimes vaguely amuses me, but rarely does it ever actually capture my active interest, unless, for example, i see or hear some funny story about a man going insane fuh cheezboiguhs. at the moment, those subjects are the only ones that come to mind, but i'm sure i'll find that there's some other subject or range of subjects that i've forgotten to mention, yet would be completely geekily enthralled by.

my geeky style

since i mentioned above that i'm not accomplished in any scientific or technical disciplines, you may be wondering why i don't hesitate to call myself "geeky". well, as i'm sure you've noticed by now, i have a peculiar style of imparting my geeky ideas. i like to use long, geeky sentences which contain as much geeky information as possible, including many subordinate clauses and parenthetical remarks which serve to elucidate my intent, exclude possible unintended corollaries which might be inferred from my chosen constructions, and eliminate any fallacious conclusions or mistaken assumptions regarding my line of reasoning. the extent of my success in these pursuits is left to the reader to evaluate, and i am open to any criticisms, geeky or otherwise, about the content of my writing. however, thinking back on an excruciating conversation i had recently on skype, i should mention that, while criticisms of the underlying content of my words are more than welcome, i should warn you that anyone's attempts to actually change my personal style(e.g. personal choice of words) are likely to be summarily rebuffed, unless you present irrefutable, concrete reasons why such a change would be warranted(i'll give you a hint: accommodating anyone else's personal preference is not a compelling reason for me to change my style). i think i might eventually dedicate a whole blog entry to this someday, as the subject of personal style can be very interesting(e.g. when to curtail one's own natural impulses to conform to certain social situations, or to better facilitate an exchange of ideas, and indeed, when conformity is appropriate at all).

why i made the blog

i should mention that i never thought i would make a blog, mainly because i'm sure i won't bother to update it very much. however, i've recently finished making a comment on another blog regarding my speculations about the natural origins of morality, and when i showed it to my friends, they encouraged me to put it on my own blog. i should also inform you that lately, i have been doing a lot of geeky research into theology, especially as pertains to my own belief system, so that i can more clearly and honestly define it to myself and others(should they ask). i think i'll work on a post about that sometime in the near future, and "lay my cards on the table", as it were. anyway, now that i've actually gotten a solid start on this introduction, i've realized that this will be a great medium through which to freely express my geekiness!

taking back geeky

above, you'll notice that i mentioned the "asteistic" aspect of the word "geeky". well, i think that one of my intentions in using the word as i do is to remove the stigma attached to geekiness. i proudly proclaim my geekiness to the world, and with that in mind, here's the final definition:

tr.v. geeked, geek·ing, geeks
To excite emotionally: I'm geeked about that new video game.

basically, i'm hella geeked to get this geeky blog underway, and i hope i can enlist a throng of geeky followers who also appreciate the geeky things i'm geeked about. i hope you fully understand what i mean when i say "geeky" now, and realize that when i refer to "geeky energy", i'm referring to the unbridled enthusiasm for the passionate, fearless pursuit of knowledge, in all its forms. so, with no further ado, here begins my geeky energy blog! i hope to instill it with more and more geeky energy and fill it with more and more geeky ideas as time geekily marches on into the geeky future! stay geeky!

peace,
-b

No comments:

Post a Comment