Friday, July 31, 2009

Obamicon.Me: My New Addiction


Have you tried the Obamicon site? It's amazing! You can have so much fun with your photos! Here are some of my creations using that site:













Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Why I Am (And Probably Always Have Been) A Nerd

Those of you who know me know that I'm, well...a little different than everyone else. You could blame it on my autism, but I think some other factors are at fault as well. The truth is, I always have been different from everyone else. Not only that, but some of my traits are characteristic of a nerd. I will explain that and more in this post.
I don't really agree with Webster's definition of "nerd," and a friend of mine even said that Webster doesn't agree with the modern world. Still, Wikipedia's "Nerd" entry lists a number of traits that I have noticed in myself. One such thing is:
They typically appear either to lack confidence or to be indifferent or oblivious to the negative perceptions held of them by others, with the result that they become frequent objects of scorn, ridicule, bullying, and social isolation.
Well, that's very true for me. I've been ridiculed at many places I've been to, including every school, from my first elementary school until college. For the most part, I wasn't "indifferent or oblivious to" what people were saying about me, but I'm pretty sure I lacked confidence, because I still do.
Another such thing is:

Some nerds show a pronounced interest in subjects which others tend to find dull or complex and difficult to comprehend, or overly mature for their age, especially topics related to science, mathematics and technology. On the opposite end of the spectrum, nerds may show an interest in activities that are viewed by their peers as immature for their age, such as [...] things relating to fantasy and science fiction.

Some of my friends probably remember what a fanatic I was about things throughout my life that pretty much no one else in my grade cared about. When I was little, it was all about my computer. In kindergarten, we were asked to say what we were thankful for. Others said their family, their friends, etc. Yet, I said my computer. Later addictions were The Magic School Bus, Mork & Mindy, Disney Channel, and Scooby-Doo, all three of which were liked by few people if not no one in my class but me at different points in my schooling, in most cases because they were seen as "immature". I also like "things relating to fantasy and science fiction," especially comic-book movies, fantasy/sci-fi books, etc.
That brings me to my third point:
They are also stereotyped for being obsessed with Star Trek, Star Wars, and other science fiction shows or movies.

Maybe I'm not obsessed with Star Trek or Star Wars, but I would say that I'm more into it than a lot of people. Seriously, how many people do you know that have read as many SW books as I have? More to the point, how many college-age people do you know that even liked Trek before the J.J. Abrams film came out? I asked some of my friends my own age, and most of them said they hate it. Being into comic-book movies may not be that nerdy, because many of those (i.e., The Dark Knight) have become some of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
Now, here's the thing: I don't think there anything wrong with being a nerd. Nerds can be quite helpful at times, especially for those who are computer-illiterate. God loves everyone, including nerds.
What do you think? Am I a nerd, or no? Leave a comment if you have something to say!