Embracing your nerdiness t-shirts

OK, I get it. Being a nerd is now cool. But why did it have to go so far?

Going back and forth from UBC on the bus these days and even just walking around Vancouver I can't help but notice all the t-shirts that have something to do with being a "nerd". There are so many different ways of showing your nerdiness. Whether it is through math equations, chemistry symbols or physics diagrams. But why oh why did it have to be cool?

Making nerdiness the new "cool" has totally detracted from it's uniqueness. I used to be proud to be a nerd. And, although I think I was one of many geeks, people were still surprised when I would straight up admit to playing board games. Or liking math. Or not drinking alcohol. At the time, most people preferred to be geeks on the inside, but fit in with the masses on the outside. Those who admitted to being geeks normally didn't have many friends who didn't also admit to being geeks. Those kinds of geek spent most of their time playing dungeons and dragons. I was one of a handful of math/physics lovers who also played sports, went on ski trips and went to parties and the like. We were a rare breed. And that was nice. One had some honour and distinction (and probably used to get "honours with distinction" in high school!).

OK, I'll admit that this new fashion of embracing your nerdiness isn't all that bad. I had once thought of starting my own line of t-shirts revolving around the number pi. In fact, I'm pretty sure I made a "pi" t-shirt before anybody else (with friends) had socially announced that they even liked math. So maybe that's it, maybe I'm just jealous. Damn you people for stealing my ideas!

With all this said I would hereby like to renounce my acceptance of being a nerd. I am no longer a nerd. I am now too cool to be a geek. I can't just be another guy with a "nerds 2² ever" shirt. I normally don't fight too hard to be unique. I really don't have much to prove, but this may just be an exception. I can't just fit in with everyone as they submit to their inner nerd. It makes me feel so plain.



Bah! Who am I kidding? I can't renounce being a nerd!! When I wrote the word "exception" just now I couldn't help but think of mathematical formulae that are "exceptions to the rule"! It's ingrained in me. My geekiness surrounds me!

Math calculates the tips.
Physics gets me around the pool table.
Biology helps me understand bowel movements (and how whales eat).
Chemistry... well chemistry still sucks.
I wear glasses.
I like the movie "The Matrix" for more than its crazy story.
I've played Agricola more times Einstein has been quoted.
I write blog posts about Google and Apple.
Heck, I write blog posts with the word "heck" in them!

The nerd in me cannot die...
But please, pretty please, stop making those dang nerd-lovin' t-shirts!

The Number 654

Having fun with the number 654. Can you add anything to the list?

• 654A.D. - Arab invaders plunder Rhodes and seize Cos
• 654A.D. - Japanese emperor Kotoku dies and empress Kogyoku is restored under the name Saimei
• The first time that the sequence of digits "654" occurs in the number pi is at the 672nd position after the decimal.
• The number 654 is not mentioned in the Bible
• John 6:54 states "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
• There is no 654 area code. Anywhere. In the world.
• The prime factors of 654 are 2x3x109
• 654A.D. - Pope Martin I is publicly humiliated in Constantinople after condemning emperor Constans II Pognatus. Eugenius I takes over the Papacy
• The Black Crowes have a song called "Thunderstorm 6:54". It has confusing lyrics.
• Air Canada flight AC 654 goes between Halifax and St. John's
• Delta Airlines flight DL 654 goes from Aruba through Atlanta to Minneapolis
• American Airlines flight AA 654 goes between Dallas and Boston
• By 6:54pm all those flights will have departed. You're late.
• On 06/05/04 (June 5, 2004) Ronald Reagan died
• Roger Federer recorded his 654th career victory against Robin Soderling in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2009 (that took me forever to find! Like 654 seconds!)
  
• 654A.D. - Battle of Bulcamp between Penda of Mercia and Anna, Christian king of the Angles, is fought at Bulcamp in Henham Park killing Anna and his son, Jurmin
  
• This post was posted at 6:54am
  

Belugas, seals and sea lions OH MY

Baleener's school mate and loner resident of 654 has gone on vacation. Just in time for Baleener to need some help running some tests for his Masters project down at Vancouver's Aquarium. So I offered to help. My ulterior motive was that I knew this would grant me a behind the scenes look at the aquarium. If any of you know me well or read the camping blog post, you would know I love animals. I love watching them, I love petting them, I really love feeding them, and I LOVE LOVE to kiss them!!! Which is kinda a problem with cats because I will kiss a cat (there are three living within the 654 alone) and then forget and kiss Baleener shortly after...causing an immediate allergic reaction for him...and a mild fight for us.

So today I traded 4 hours of work (holding a flow probe in a flow

tank) for about 30-40 minutes of AMAZING ANIMAL EXPERIENCE! I got to feed and pet the Beluga whales, a Stellar Sea lion, and Alaskan fur seals. The Stellar Sea lion's name was "Izzy" and she was so wonderful! She was very gentle and performed great tricks! My favorite trick was: You hold up your hands like guns and go "bang" and then she falls dramatically on her back like you shot her.

Best part though, of course, was getting the opportunity to kiss a fur seal named "Tafika". It was our first kiss though so she kissed me on the nose.

Very modest of her I think. The whole experience made me very jealous of the trainer's job, but then I remembered that I like making money and not living with my parents. So I guess I will just be a visitor.