I've always said Chel is a major league geek. Here's the proof.
See, last night, I was reading through my old entries and I found one that documented a conversation I had with him. I'm going to just paste it here so you don't have to go clicking all over the world.
Conversation with Chel:
(he was trying to give away children in Africa)
Me: You sound like Sally Struthers�but she�s heavier than you.
(pause�.Chel is very tall)
Welll�.maybe not heavier�.
Chel: Just more short than tall.
Me: And rounder.
Me: I know�.she�s just more dense than you.
Chel: Yep, I�m a sinker.
Me: ???
Chel: I don�t float.
Me: (pause to consider and figure out WTF he is talking about) Hmmm�..I can float on my back in the pool
Chel: Yes, 90% of the population can float so if they bound your arms and threw you in the water you would float and they would think you were a witch and burn you.
Me: ???
Chel: Whereas I would sink and drown. That�s what it was like during the Salem witch trials. And that�s your history lesson for the two o�clock hour.
I got a renewed giggle over it so I emailed it to him, figuring I'd share the chuckle. I got the following email in return I remember parts of this conversation but it appears the reporter�s lack of understanding led to some misrepresentation in the story. To wit:
1. Chel has never tried to give away children in Africa.
2. Density (symbol: � - Greek: rho) is a measure of mass per unit of volume. The higher an object's density, the higher its mass per volume. The average density of an object equals its total mass divided by its total volume. A denser object (such as iron) will have less volume than an equal mass of some less dense substance (such as water).
The SI unit of density is the kilogram per cubic metre (kg/m3)
where p=m/v
� is the object's density (measured in kilograms per cubic metre)
m is the object's total mass (measured in kilograms)
V is the object's total volume (measured in cubic metres)
Density of substances
Perhaps the highest density known is reached in neutron star matter (see neutronium). The singularity at the centre of a black hole, according to general relativity, does not have any volume, so its density is infinite.
Therefore, anything with density greater than 1.00 sinks, less than 1.00 floats. I make no representations of Sally�s density.
Free extra:
To wit is now just a fixed expression. It�s a shortened form of that is to wit meaning �that is to know; that is to say; namely�, from the English verb wit �to know�. This was a strong verb with past tense wot, as in �A garden is a lovesome thing, God wot�. In Old English it was spelt witan, and even further back it was linked with a Germanic verb meaning �to see�. In the first of these senses, it�s closely connected with the modern German verb wissen; in the second it�s the origin of our witness. It developed further to refer to a person�s understanding or judgement or mind (hence �keep your wits about you�).
Oh, here's more. I wrote back to him and told him that he is in fact a total geek. (I can say that now that he's no longer my boss. He wrote back:
A geek?
A geek is a person who is fascinated, perhaps obsessively, by obscure or very specific areas of knowledge and imagination. Geek may not always have the same meaning as the term nerd (see nerd for a discussion of the disputed relation between the terms).
The definition of geek has changed considerably over the years. Below are some definitions of the word "geek", in order from newer to oldest. All are still in use.
A person with an encyclopedic knowledge of random trivia especially those bordering on the highly obscure. Trivia geeks are often also known as ubergeeks.
A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media. Comparable with the classic definition of hacker. Late 20th century and early 21st century
A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad, and allows for mathematics geeks, band geeks, computer geeks, politics geeks, geography geeks, geeks of the natural sciences, music geeks, history geeks, Good Eats geeks (Briners), linguistics geeks, sports geeks, figure skating geeks, SCA geeks, gaming geeks, typography geeks, ham radio geeks, public transit geeks (metrophiles), anime and manga geeks (otaku), Stargate geeks (Stargate SG-1/Atlantis fans, Gaters), Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel geeks, Star Wars geeks, Star Trek geeks (Trekkie), Tolkien or fantasy geeks (Tolkienite), geeks of many colors, genders, and styles, and last but not least, Wikipedia geeks. Late 20th Century and early 21st century
G.E.E.K. as an acronym came from the United States Military. It stands for General Electrical Engineering Knowledge. It is unclear if this was the origin of the current meaning for geek, or if the acronym was used in a joking way toward the pre-established meaning for geek (a backronym).
A person who swallows live animals, bugs, etc., as a form of entertainment at fairs etc. This often included biting the heads off of chickens. The Geek would usually perform in a "geek pit." This probably comes from the Scottish geck, meaning 'fool', in turn from Low German. 19th century
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This definition is now mostly used to define a nerd, not a geek
A derogatory term for one with low social skills, often with average intelligence, as opposed to nerds, who are generally viewed as having low social skills but high intelligence. It is theorized that many of these people have Asperger's syndrome. Late 20th century
In an exhibitionist social experiment, Dr. Simon Ronald, a computer geek from Adelaide, Australia set out to determine public reaction to the term "geek." He arranged white teeshirts with GEEK printed on one and CODER1 printed on another. These are observations from lunchtime walks through the busy streets of Adelaide over a six month period. "CODER1 raises a few eyebrows, but GEEK is a reliable head-turner. Pedestrians breaking out into smiles as well as spontaneous sniggering and finger pointing. Strongest reaction is pity from the blue collar demographic where perhaps the word geek is associated more with vulgar social connotations. When quizzed about geek, people quipped: 'awkward', 'nerdy', 'space cadet', and 'socially incompetent'. Some said, 'Hey I like your t-shirt', but those tended to be tech types as well.
Geek has always had negative connotations within society at large, where being described as a geek tends to be an insult. The term has recently become less condescending, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields and subcultures; this is particularly evident in the technical disciplines, where the term is now more of a compliment denoting extraordinary skill. This may have in part been caused by the popularity of the Dilbert comic strip, though in the larger society, the geek classification is still a negative one.
A geek can be so absorbed in her imagination that she exhibits the geeky 'lost-in-space' gaze, and may appear to be unresponsive due to her absorption in other thoughts or pursuits. The level of concentration and focus may feature at the expense of cultural plumage. Geeks are often considered technological monks - too busy working within their intellectual domain to do menial chores or worry about current trends.
Modern geeks run the gamut of society, with every shape, size, color, political stance, athletic ability, music taste and age accounted for. Most people would not recognize a modern geek by looking at him, as many do not fit into the old stereotypes of the pocket protector and black-rimmed glasses with white medical tape in the middle. Modern geeks are granted a certain amount of respect, as the technology they foster brings greater convenience to the lives of many.
Perhaps due to the high prevalence of High-Functioning Autism among geeks, especially Asperger's Syndrome, the INTP type of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is common in geekhood (description 1, description 2.)
"Geeks are their own society: a literate, hyperinformed underground" (What is a geek?)
Hackers tend to mostly be geeks, although the converse may not be true. (What is a hacker?)
The most popular Urban Dictionary definition for geek is acute in mirroring the general social acceptance for geeks - Geek, n. Someone who you beat up in high school, and end up working for in later life. To quote one character from the popular television show Stargate Atlantis, "This is some sort of pay-back for guys like me beating up guys like you in high school, right?"
Oh. My. God. I do love that man. He just gave notice, though. He's leaving at the end of September. I will miss him
