Something Inside Us...

“Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't be able to stand looking at it. But it's when we're willing to come face to face with that demon that we face the angel.”  - Hubert Selby Jr.

It's a Geek Girl Revolution!!!! GEEKS R CHIC!! Especially the female variety!!!

Recently it has become trendy to be a “Geek Girl”. I discovered this while I was reading some articles online. I came across an article about this "Geek Girl" movement. I learned that geeky chicks (intelligent, gaming and/or technology oriented women) are awesome! I mean, I already knew that, but it seems the rest of the world is catching on to this fact.

Maybe your geekery is something you have attempted to conceal in the past? Well, no need to hide it now. Let your freak flag fly for all to see!

So, HEY LADIES(Those of you who are nerdy, smart, goofy and are into sci-fi, comics, gaming and/or technology)!!!! TAKE NOTE:

FACT 1:     You are a nerd/dork/geek…
FACT 2:     It’s now cool to be a nerd/dork/geek!
Fact 1 + Fact 2= Your a cool ass chick!

Welcome to the “in” crowd! You are now a member of the CHIC ÜBER GEEK Crew!!!! (I MADE THAT UP, JUST NOW)

Okay so now that the celebration is out the way… I have one major issue with this whole Geek Girl Revolution and that is:
 (DRUMROLL PLEASE……)

I despise, reject and ABSOLUTELY avoid all things trendy and aspire TO BE the complete opposite of TRENDY!

The world is full of followers it’s like no one can think for themselves. All these brainless drones just DO WHATEVER THEY ARE TOLD OR WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING! Like a giant herd of sheep!!!

I refuse to be ordinary, only extraordinary!

So I am torn between avoiding trends and being who I am. I am totally and Utterly a geek girl but now that is trendy. Am I or Aren’t I, that is the Question! Also by choosing to be the opposite of trendy I have started a (or built upon an existing) trend… ??????

I ignore fashion trends, don’t watch television. Most of the time I am in the dark when it comes to what is “in” right now. I wear what I like and/or what looks good on me and is appropriate to the situation. I don’t buy a certain brand of jeans because others think it’s cool, I buy jeans if they make my butt look good and they are reasonably priced.

I wear lime green and bright blue eyeliner, even though I've been told that it is a no-no, especially for a woman my age. I adore crazy hats, my favorite being a giant frog head knit hat with a glitter encrusted tongue sticking out (See picture). I wear offensive t-shirts whenever I want, my favorite being a tee shirt with “Frock You” emblazoned across it, to which I added some sparkles (Frock is a dress shop in Seattle that Johnie & I visited after I aced my mortgage licensing exams).

Sometimes I can offend people without even opening my mouth just because of what I wear or how I look.

I don't EVER wear anything because it’s what everyone else is wearing!!! I don’t pick up new hobbies because it’s what others do or what they think I should do. Don’t get me wrong, I am open to new products, experiences and hobbies. If someone shows me something I like, I am not opposed to adopting it into my arsenal of favorites. I will however only do this because I like it not because it’s what is socially acceptable or expected of me. If something is expected of me I usually tend to do the opposite.. Even as a child I would choose the road less traveled.

I don't care what most people think of me! It's the most freeing feeling when you can just let go and be yourself. Now, I care about what my loved ones think of me but they are also more willing to accept me as who I am.

The majority of humans that I come into contact with judge me based on ignorant surface observations. Some common assumptions: I am skinny so I must not eat, I am blonde so I must be dumb, I have tattoos so I must be a criminal! The truth is that I can put away quite a bit of food (especially cookies!), anyone who knows me will tell you that I am very intelligent and I have a clean criminal history, not a spot on my record!!!

These assumptions sound pretty absurd but it’s a knee jerk reaction for most to judge others based on so little. No one takes the time to learn anything concrete about who you are inside before passing judgment on you. That is exactly why I don't value other's opinion of me.

I actually get a kick out of people’s reactions to me. With my freak flag flying proudly people either duck and cover or they come out of the woodwork to talk to me. People either love me or hate me, they are either entertained and fascinated or completely disgusted by who I am. One thing I can say is that: I am always me, nothing more and nothing less.

I hope this whole Geek Girl trend does not create a bunch of fake she-nerds! I can just see a horde of insecure chicks rushing out to by glasses, gaming systems and computer equipment to imitate us. Might be good for the economy but bad for true geek girls.

I guess if they do try out the geek style, maybe some of them will actually find themselves buried under all the trendy bullshit. Once the avalanche is cleared away they may realize they have been a girly geek all along and just covered it up. Either that or all these “wannabe” geeks will totally ruin the name “geek girl” for the rest of us that are true to our geekery and always have been.

I have pretty much considered myself a geek for as long as I can remember but for sure I HAVE BEEN ONE from the moment I laid my fingers across my first keyboard, way back in the DOS days… I was probably plenty geeky before then but that would have been my defining "geek girl" moment...

Somehow I instinctively knew how to operate my mother’s computer (when I was probably 7 or 8) without any prior knowledge except playing Oregon Trail in the school library. I was enthralled with any machine I was able to use and my interest only grew as time went on.

When I was 12 my mother bought me my very own desktop with all the bells and whistles available at the time (She really couldn't afford it but I think she charged it to my ex-step dad’s Sears account, Oops!!!). I even had a feed through style compact scanner! So I of course got online and started messing around with chat rooms and the infancy of social media platforms.

Since then I have taught myself hundreds of programs, built databases from the ground up, built websites, tried my hand at various types of coding, fixed so many computers I couldn’t count them all, given a ton of computing advise and done my fair share of “hacking” this and that.

“Considering it’s "in" to be a geek now, Do I get geek girl seniority???”

I don't want to toot my own horn but I could run circles around most chicks (or dudes for that matter) when it comes to computers in most any capacity (software, html, coding, hardware, repair, diagnosis, etc.) See the photo above… I think this proves how much of a nerd I am… I have pretty much every file I have ever worked with or created on any of my personal computers since about 2000… Of course it’s all archived but available if I needed to access something.

In my research on the “Geek Girl” topic I came across a lot of “Fake Geek Girls” or mention of impersonations. That led me to thinking about why people pretend to be something or someone they are not, why just being themselves isn't good enough.

It’s strange how so many people (online) try to distinguish themselves from the masses. Some just exaggerate themselves to appear cool(er). Others create elaborate alter egos or even worse, they take on the identity of someone they wish they were more like. All because they don’t love themselves as they are.

When out in public in the real world, those same people try to blend in and not be noticed. Shy, self-conscious and meek here in the real world… Weird right??

The anonymity and false sense of security that the internet provides allows people to pretend they are outgoing, social individuals. They must believe that their internet alter ego is completely separate from themselves. That sense of separation must give them guts that they don't have in reality…

Does anyone remember that show “Freaks and Geeks”?

It aired starting in 1999 and the setting was a high school in the mid-west? in the early 80’s. It centered around Lindsay (dark haired girl in the photo) who didn't really fit in so she hung with the “freaks”, her little brother hangs with the “geeks”. The show was genius but for some reason only ran for a season or maybe half of the second season before it was cancelled. I think it should have continued on. It was one of those great shows no one knew about until it was too late!

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts on the Geek Girl subject!

When you buy art...

http://instagram.com/p/xccdsKrywC/

If you love so much it hurts... Maybe you have too much compassion?

Here are some inspiring words by Mother Teresa...  and an inspiring Graphic By Me!

Blank Wall Transformed!

Post by Malibu Ninja Über Geek.

150 Years Has Passed Since Lincoln Spoke The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So Tuesday, as Google so kindly informed me, was the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (Photo credit: howardignatius)

I started writing this post on Tuesday morning, I saved it with the intention of finishing it shortly thereafter.  Unfortunately, my laptop crashed and I have been unable to revive it.  I am currently on my back up laptop which loves to shut down frequently when the memory gets overloaded!

I have to say that many presidents in our history have given good speeches but this is my favorite.  Lincoln was a crowd pleaser and must have been quite a charmer.  Of course he obviously had enemies considering he was assassinated but people throw rocks at things that shine, right?

If you haven't taken a peek around Google's Cultural Institute, do yourself a favor and take a look.  The caption of the following photo will take you there!.

Bancroft Copy of the Gettysburg Address. (Front) - Google Cultural Institute: 'via Blog this

The only known photograph of President Lincoln giving his Gettysburg adress on November 19. 1863 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Quotable Moment

In response to a friend's status about jotting down his ingenious breakthrough ideas, then not being able to read his own handwriting later, I had a "Quotable Moment". 

I thought I would share my awesome words of wisdom since they are so few and far between... 

"The best ideas are often recorded in the haste of excitement and then later undecipherable!" -Stacy M Price 2013

Dear Mankind **WIZ-DUMB PAI**

“True success is achieved when you stop trying to empress others and start believing in yourself” –Johnie Pai

Dear Mankind,

You always want what you can't have. You think you need more then you truly need to sustain life. Apparently you can't tell the difference between needs and wants. Your priorities consist of you and all your needs/wants, nothing of substance and no one of importance. You always want more, more than you already possess, more than all the money in the world could buy. Your gluttonous display of excess is not enough and no matter how many expensive things you collect none of it will ever be enough for you to be satisfied.

You are correct!

Johnie Pai & Wiz-Dumb Pai

Johnie is an amazing man; he has patience like no other, is a great listener and gives awesome advice when you need it.

He is the best kind of friend to have; a supportive, honest and trustworthy man. He will always make himself available to lend a hand when someone needs help. He is selfless, compassionate and considerate.  If he was about to eat his only sandwich and realized you needed it more than him; no matter how hungry, he would give it to you and go without.

Johnie would give up anything and everything to improve someone else's quality of life. I have personally witnessed him making so many sacrifices, most without a single complaint, so that others can have what they want or need. Even when his efforts are never acknowledged or appreciated; he still gives and gives, never expecting anything in return.  He will suffer endlessly, if it means that you don't have to.

Not only is Johnie genuinely empathetic but he actually feels the exact emotions that people around him are feeling. He absorbs your undesirable feelings (sadness, pain, anger) and suppresses them.  You are free from that emotional burden while in his presence. Just being around him relieves physical pain as well and stress; I relax when he walks into the house.

---

Quote of the Day:      “Comedy is tragedy plus time.”  --Carol Burnett

---

Sometimes I wonder how Johnie has become so insightful, so patient. I know that he has been through a lot in his time on this earth, he has made his share of mistakes and had his share of triumph.  Most importantly, he has learned from his experiences. 

Johnie will freely admit that he isn't perfect and has made plenty of stupid mistakes as everyone does. "Those who have never made any mistakes have never tried anything new" -Albert Einstein.  Those mistakes are behind him, a lesson learned and he never dwells on what could have been different.

He understands people, animals and nature more than anyone I have ever met. He has this innate ability to "read" people but amazingly he never passes judgment. Within 5 minutes of meeting someone he has a good idea of what they are about and where they are going in life. It doesn't matter if you are the president or a homeless person he will always treat you with respect and kindness and won't pass judgement.

He sees every person is a unique individual, understands that just because they may have chosen a different path in life than most that it doesn't make them good or bad, wrong or right.  Everyone is on their own crazy journey and who are we to judge one another when many of us have been in situations we weren't proud of.

Most times Johnie knows that something is bothering me just by hearing my voice, I don't have to say it.  He sees right through me, even when I am not myself.  Johnie knows what to say to lift my spirits and put me back on track when my train has derailed.

Johnie's intuition is so accurate it is scary. I cannot count how many times he has said something like "I have a feeling…” followed by his “prediction”. I always argue with him and I always have to eat my words. Never has he been wrong. See, if he is unsure of something he won’t say anything at all. So when Johnie does say something it’s because he knows it to be fact, so you better listen.

His outlook on life is so bright. Johnie is a dreamer, head in the clouds but somehow still has one foot firmly planted in reality. Johnie knows that dreams can come true, if you believe in yourself and take the time to follow the path that leads to achieving them. His Philosophies are simple but profound and they have had a positive effect on many lives already.

For months, I have been trying to convince Johnie to allow me to share his thoughts online with people who might benefit from them. Of course, he is very humble and thinks that his musings are not worth sharing.  He says "someone has thought the same things before, it's not like I am the first". 

I enjoy reading his "Johnie-isms" and I tell him that many others on Facebook do as well. So why not blog it up? It couldn't hurt. Finally, he agreed and here we are!

I will feature Johnie's Wiz-Dumb right here on Malibu Ninja Über Geek. Eventually I will have a separate “Wiz-Dumb Pai” blog up and running, which will be specifically dedicated to sharing Johnie’s Wiz-Dumb! I hope you enjoy his philosophies and musings as much as I do!

Mustache The Right Question

"What are you?" asked a passenger.

"You must ask the right question for the answer you seek"  Johnie replied.

"What nationality are you?" The passenger rephrased his question.

"I have no boundaries, no borders; I am but one resident of earth; connected to all living beings on this planet; for I exist as they do. I am connected with you and the evidence is that you sit here with me here; we have been united for some reason however random it may appear." Johnie answered the question.

Johnie drives a hybrid Taxi cab in Bellingham, Washington.  He is a patient, kind, gentle, friendly man who puts up with a ton of craziness on a daily basis but still has an amazingly positive outlook on life.

Johnie continues when the man appears confused.  He tells the man that he is Hawaiian and when the passenger doesn't seem satisfied with that answer, he tells him that he is also Scotch Irish on his mother’s side. Still the man was not happy with the answers he was receiving.

Unfortunately, many people have this or a similar reaction to Johnie. He has brown skin; some people say he looks middle eastern, some believe that he is Mexican or Asian. I don’t think it should matter what color his skin is or where he came from because those things don’t define who he is.

Everyone's Favorite Vacation Spot...
Hawaii

"You ask me a question to set your own curiosity at ease. I answer your question honestly and tell you I am Hawaiian and you get upset. I tell you I am Scotch Irish on my mother's side and still you are not satisfied. Why must people classify me? Why not see me as what I am, just a peaceful, caring and kind human being." Johnie asks the passenger to which he receives no response.

Why must we label each other? Why put others into categories and form opinions without taking the time to learn who that person is on the inside? Why not be observant, ask meaningful questions, and have a decent chance to gauge who that person really is, based on your interactions?  Can’t we all just open our eyes and see the person in front of us for who they really are?

Before you stamp someone with your label and judge them by it, think about how you have been judged unfairly and inaccurately. As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover. When will we learn that what goes around comes around? Can’t we just embrace individuality and live peacefully and blissfully side by side?

If everyone could be measured based on a set criteria then sorted into say 6 or 10 different classifications, then everyone would be the same 6 or 10 people. The world would be nothing but a whole bunch of sheep following each other around.

 

I don't know about you but I refuse to conform to guidelines, criteria or categories. I am me and there is no one else like me!** Johnie is a very unique person as well, he is like no other that I have come across and it is unfair that he is often judged or worse because of his skin color. Smart people know better than to try to catalog a human being based on surface assumptions…

**(Many people choose to live their lives as sheep because it's easier to do what everyone else is doing and think what you are told to think, than it is to make your own decisions and think your own thoughts. More on the sheep subject in a later post.)

 I would have hoped that we as humans would have learned from our past but we have not and therefore it will repeat itself. How many times in history has a certain "kind" of people been mistreated or killed off? Chaos and destruction of valuable human life simply because the victims were different and fell into an unfavorable minority. People fear what they do not understand and if they don't take the time to understand "different" people then that fear breeds hate and that hate turns to violence, (violence doesn't always occur when hate is present but most of the time it does).

Think of the many instances of genocide; the Armenians massacred by the Ottoman government (during the First World War), the Holocaust when Jews were rounded up and massacred by the Nazis, during the Second World War and more recently the Rwandan Genocide (during the Rwandan Civil War). There are more but you get my point. All of these examples of acts designed to dehumanize a particular ethnic, racial or religious group. I could go on for days about the injustices that the world has seen all because of human classification.

Obviously one passenger attempting to classify and label Johnie is minuscule in comparison with Genocide but it all starts small. Starts with placing labels on people and passing judgment.

We each have the power to make a small difference by existing peacefully. When you come across someone you do not know and maybe do not understand, look for the things you may have in common instead of looking for the differences. Learn to understand them by finding common ground. Don’t assume the worst but give them the benefit of the doubt.

So which is it? Don't judge a book by its cover? Or, your first impression is solely based on the presentation and appearance? I already have my answer, and it's actually quite easy to know others opinion within a matter of seconds.

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Special thanks to Johnie Pai for this story and for being awesome!!

Wise and Inspiring Words

Albert Einstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of my Favorite Quotes…

“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on it's ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing that it is stupid.”-Albert Einstein

Some of my Favorite Photos & Quotes