Notorious (coming in 2008),
Cover-Up (2007),
The Finishing School (2006),
Most Wanted (2005)ELAINE VIETS: (Related)
Murder Unleashed: A Dead-End Job Mystery (05/06), Just Murdered (2005), Dying to Call You (2004), Murder Between the Covers (2003), Shop Til You Drop (2003) Dying in Style, High Heels Are Murder (2006)HARLEY JANE KOZAK: (Related)
Dead Ex (TBA), Dating Is Murder
(Doubleday, 2005),
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(2004)NANCY MARTIN: (Related)
A Crazy Little Thing Called Death (3/07)
Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too
Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die (2005),
Some Like It Lethal (2004),
Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds (2003),
How to Murder a Millionaire (2002)SARAH STROHMEYER: (Related)
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOSAL (JUNE 21!!)
The Cinderella Pact (in paperback - June 6 - in hardcover, June, 2006)
Bubbles All The Way (November, 2006), The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives (Dutton/NAL),
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Bubbles A Broad
(2004),
Bubbles Ablaze (2003),
Bubbles in Trouble
(2002),
Bubbles Unbound
(2001)
Barbie Unbound: A Parody of the Barbie Obsession
« Dispatches from The Backblog (Related) |
Main (Related)
Embrace Your Nerdliness
My husband came home from work with a huge ink stain on his shirt from a pen that had leaked. "Somedays," he said, "I wish I was nerdy enough to wear a pocket protector."
This happened just minutes after one of our regular commenters here at TLC got all lathered up about the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology: "Founded by Louis Agissiz! Ernst Mayr and Stephen J. Gould worked there! E.O. Wilson still works there! Seventh largest natural history collection in the US and second only to the Smithsonian in---" well, you get the drift. (Full disclosure: The exclamation marks are mine. I could hear them in her voice, though.) She concluded breathlessly, "My little natural history museum geek heart is going pit-a-pat."
Classic nerd stuff. Mind you, I happen to know this lady is a respected academician and could kick a hapless burglar's butt, so she's no geek all the time.
In an email later, she wrote, "I love it all, from Star Trek (starting with the original series, natch--how many professors do you know use the call numbers of the Enterprise as mnemonics for remembering the core structure of amino acids?) to ScienceNow, my favorite source for breaking science news."
Yeah, pretty dweeby.
I'm not poking fun at her or anyone else. I'm actually a firm believer in embracing your inner nerd.
For those of you who come to TLC every morning for the Intellectual Stimulation we endeavor to provide, here's the Wikipedia definition: " Nerd , as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric knowledge or pastimes rather than engaging in a social life, participating in organizes sports, or other mainstream activities. . . . An unstylish, unattractive or socially inept person; especially: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits."
Peronally, I find this definition a little harsh, don't you? I mean, aren't we all a little lame underneath our Armani? Behind our graduate degrees? Even in spite of our supreme athletic ability on the bunny slope?
The first recorded use of the word "nurd" (note the archaic spelling) appeared at the Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute. (Of course!)
Me, I'm an Elvis fan. I love the PBR, (Related) too. So sue me.
And . . . I'm among friends, right? My husband and I actually took our children to a Star Trek convention. For purely education reasons, of course. (Parents should expose children to all kinds of culture, don't you think?) I swear we didn't wear costumes, but I will not verbally abuse anyone who does put on fancy dress to attend a convention of any kind. (I hereby send a shout-out to all my friends--Tarts included--who are attending the Romantic Times convention right this minute. And--brace yourselves---Margie's there. I think she packed her boots, too, so Sarah and I--holding the fort here at TLC headquarters--are waiting for some spectacular jpegs.)
The other day, I walked into our bedroom and discovered my sniffling husband (he was not weeping--he has a headcold) enjoying an episode of Andy of Mayberry , and he didn't immediately click over to ESPN as if he were simply cruising through the channels either. When I made an appropriately appalled remark about his taste in television, he said sheepishly, "I like Andy!"
A nerd? Oh, yeah. Adorably so. Jeff could give Bill Gates a run for his money. (Well--not exactly. You know what I mean.) But think about it. Superman was really Clark Kent all along!
I believe nerds have an admirable sort of inner strength--the courage to be non-conformists in an age when 9 kids out of 10 wish they looked like they walked out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. We should celebrate the Kingdom of Nerds once in a while, don't you think?
One of my children adores the Muppets . Always has. (I think she first watched the show while I was nursing her.) The other daughter has seen Pride and Prejudice at least forty times. (Pick a version. She's seen them all and will argue at length who plays the best Darcy, the best Mr. Bennett, the best Mr. Collins.) And, truth be told, who among us can not watch The Hunt for Red October or You've Got Mail when you come across them?
I'll bet there are some prime nerds reading this right now. So tell your friend Nancy. How do you embrace your inner nerd? NASCAR? Playstation? Garden gnomes? Tell me about Soap Opera Digest subscription. Your nightly fantasies about Captain Kirk. (Or is it Wonder Woman?) C'mon, 'fess up. I won't tell a soul.
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I saw a segment on tv about a tech support business called something like Dial-A-Nerd. These guys wear short-sleeved drip-dry shirts, highwater pants and heavy-rimmed eyeglasses and they'll come to your house to fix your computer. It's a runaway success because everybody feels they can trust a nerd.
Heading off now to Houston for RT. I hear it's a wild scene. Rebecca, Margie and Harley are all there, and we're going to dinner with that debonair M.O.B. William Simon. Expect some interesting reports!
Posted by:
michele martinez (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 07:45 AM (Related)
I like Andy too. And Country Music (I subscribe to Country Weekly Magazine).
Posted by:
Laura (in PA) (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 07:51 AM (Related)
Imagine being the gun-toting, tough-guy cop who read Poe. During high school I was in the chess club, the science club, and played trumpet in the high school's, marching band, the jazz band, and the concert band. I was even a soloist! The shame of it all was nearly unbearable.
I was on the geek fence in those days, but peer pressure forced me to play sports - football, track, and basketball. To make this work I had to wear my band uniform to the game; march onto the field to play the National Anthem, and then run to locker room to put on my football uniform for the opening kick-off. A few plays before halftime the coach pulled me out of the game so I could change back into my spiffy band suit for the halftime show.
Whenever I feel myself slipping into a geeky remission I watch NASCAR while pretending I'm Jack Reacher. During those times I also shy away from the phone we have that's shaped like the Enterprise.
Posted by:
Lee Lofland (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 08:03 AM (Related)
Sarah and I were definitely nerds in high school. Not sure about her now, but I certainly am. My secretary calls me "Dork" from time to time when I IM a particularly witty joke. Except when she responds with a loud "Pig!," which means that the joke worked.
Posted by:
Josh (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 08:20 AM (Related)
I embrace my inner nerd using Star Wars humor, such as:
http://tinyurl.com/35jjwu (Related)
(The Emperor Gets a distressing phone call)
And:
http://starpants.ytmnd.com/ (Related)
(25 lines in Star Wars Than Can BE Improved by substituting the word "pants"
Or:
http://tinyurl.com/2hg2gv (Related)
(The e-mail inbox of the Empire's Worst Engineer)
Posted by:
J.D. Rhoades (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 08:43 AM (Related)
JD---You made my day. The music alone is worth the trip to the pants thing. Bless you. You know not what good you've done today!
Posted by:
Nancy Martin (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 08:59 AM (Related)
General Hospital. I had a major thing for BadJason.Even though I 'officially' gave it up when they benched my favorite players, I still read the recaps. Port Charles is in my blood! And yes to Red October(Connery...yum) and You've Got Mail (or Sleepless in Seattle or Love Affair...the original with Cary Grant) or any old musical! I was a choral geek in high school and still sing songs from Brigadoon in the shower. Proof of geekiness? I'm going to see Aida(for the second time)tonight and have been listening to the CD for weeks. I'm as happy as if it were the original broadway cast.
Does preferring Phil Collins and Barry Manilow over Bon Jovi and Mel make me a nerd? Or just in need of serious counseling?
And by the way, those pocket protectors have probably saved many a marriage. :o)
Posted by:
Maryann (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:00 AM (Related)
I am married to a nerd! I love, love, love my nerd, and he loves me. Nerds get bad press.
My husband is in the top five in his field of study (which is much too nerdy to explain here even if I could, but I can't). He is also articulate, kind, gentle, a great father and lover.
Yes, he is (literally) colorblind, but I can help out with wardrobe issues. He also isn't particularly concerned about what other people think--and most of the time that's a good quality. He is an EXCELLENT problem solver (okay, maybe not the best listener, but when I'm ready for solutions, he's there with great ones).
A lot of our friends are nerds too. I think the idea that nerds are totally socially unaware is a bit exaggerated. I have met some like that, but most dress up and perform well in public. After all, they have to convince venture capitalists to invest in them.
My nerdy husband sees no need for such things as panty hose. If your feet are cold, wear socks (I agree, but still wear hose). He also can't understand why a misses' size 10 is a different size depending on the designer/manufacturer. I'm with him there too!
My son, I think, could go either way. He's smart enough to be a nerd, but lacks the hard to define "nerd" quality my husband has. My daughter is definitely not the nerd (and I've met many females nerds too), but perhaps she'll marry one. She could do worse.
Mary
Posted by:
Mary Walker (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:04 AM (Related)
JD - you rule. My daughter is a self-confessed news geek. I think the really great thing about nerdiness is that it means we have a passion about something, and that we act on it in some way, whether it be an intellectual or physical pursuit. I see way too many young people who seem to lack that passion these days. Which is one reason I'm proud to proclaim my nerdiness loudly and often, especially to my students!
Posted by:
Kerry, The Martial Tart (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:09 AM (Related)
My husband went to M.I.T., yet I am the Family Nerd.
STAR TREK. I never played favorites between Kirk and Spock, by the way, in case there's anyone out there who thinks you have to choose, like you do with The Beatles versus Rolling Stones. You don't.
Posted by:
Harley (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:12 AM (Related)
I always preferred the term "dork" to "nerd". I pursue all General Hospital knowledge (after not missing an episode, other than due to power outage, in 18 years), and I get REALLY excited when I meet someone who watches too. I have seen Star Wars (the REAL one)at least 70 times, and can pretty much say all the lines with the sound off.
My mother was always embarrassed at my nerdy father's pocket protectors, but I think they're secretly awesome. Really, what's sexier than a man who can keep his clothes ink-free?
Posted by:
Amy (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:31 AM (Related)
I finally can confess. I am addicted to Star Wars and Star Trek. The originals are nearest and dearest to my heart. Although with Star Trek I like all the new ones as well. I also loved the series V and Seaquest.
Posted by:
HollyD (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:37 AM (Related)
I married into a family of bona fide nerds and I would not have it any other way. Really, who else gets a PhD in Theoretical Applied Mathematics? In my first car ride with his parents, then boyfriend and his dad had an in depth conversation about elliptical orbs. I just stared out the window at Champaign's cornfields.
I think that Nancy hit it on the head in the admiration of not needing to conform and having a passion about something that over rides social convention. What I would do to instill that quality in more people.
At the risk of repeating myself, here's a great link for you or your little girl nerds: http://www.mindcandyclothing.com/welcome.html (Related)
I'm partial to "that's Dr. Princess to you".
Posted by:
Cheryl (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 09:49 AM (Related)
It must have started when I was a teenager, and while my friends were into heavy metal (it was the 80s), I loved a Judy Garland album I found in the basement, and my mother's Mills Brothers tape (Glow little glowworm, shimmer, shimmer....). Yes, and Barry Manilow. And I'm sure this will be familiar to the people here: I was the one my mother always told to get my nose out of the book and go outside.
Posted by:
Laura (in PA) (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 10:02 AM (Related)
I'm all choked up over the enthusiasm here today. Either that, or I'm swallowing laughter. What is "Theoretical Applied Mathematics?" How can it be theoretical and still applied??
Nevermind. I'm too busy refereeing an email debate on Spock vs. Kirk to really want to figure out the explanation. And BadJason. Doesn't anybody else miss BadTodd? Oh, Roger, why have you forsaken us??
Me: Stones.
Posted by:
Nancy Martin (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 10:23 AM (Related)
Amy, did you watch Port Charles too? :o) I also loved Dr.Kevin Collins and his 'evil twin' :o)
Such great company to be in! Now we can say some of the nicest, smartest and most passionate people we know are geeks (or nerds, or dorks...whatever your preference).
Posted by:
Maryann (Related) |
April 26, 2007 at 10:26 AM (Related)