# What geeky things do you find cool? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818 "2003-11-07T02:36:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/41 "2003-11-10T05:17:18Z")
[ul] [li]Model rocketry[/li][li]Radio-controlled planes, choppers, cars, and boats[/li][li]Classic console and arcade video game emulation on the PC[/li][li]Bizarre PC case modifications (like the guy who put an [aquarium](http://www.hardware-test.dk/test_show.asp?id=2013) in his PC)[/li][li]CPU cooling with [Vapor Phase change technology](http://www.ocprices.com/index.php?rev_id=101&page=2&action=reviews). In other words, a refrigerator in your PC.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/42 "2003-11-10T06:53:49Z")
Buying the Lord of the Rings books for the alphabets in the back (give me credit: I eventually read them, too). Watching the original Star Trek series as a kid and memorizing the layout of the control panels so I could draw them out to play on and eventually build my own someday. Listening to the music group RUSH in the 1970’s because they kicked ass, and _not_ just because the popular kids at school had never heard of them. Buying a first edition of the [Pantographia](http://www.otherthings.com/uw/alphabet/pantographia.html) because alphabets blow my visual circuits better than sex (I’ll admit, I haven’t done this one yet; I’m still settling for a reprint at this point, but it’s on my list). Having the eternal hots for [Kim Richards](http://www.kimrichards.net/Kim/from-the-net/Kim5.jpg) because when I was twelve she played a foxy telekinetic alien in [Escape to Witch Mountain](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0072951/). That geeky enough? ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/43 "2003-11-10T17:47:48Z")
Knowing what are not valid switches for ls. Happier in vi than Word, GUIs are for wimps. Quoting Tom Lehrer (bonus points if you can sing/recite The Elements or AnalyticalAndAlgerbraicToplogyofLocallyEuclidianMetrizationof InfiniteDifferentialbyReimannianManifold\*) _Double bonus for know what this means_\* \*\*Self referential footnotes ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/44 "2003-11-10T20:47:00Z")
Yumblie wrote: > [@](#): > > Board games, especially long complex ones like Monopoly and Risk **complex**??? bwahahahahahaha… ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/45 "2003-11-11T02:15:13Z")
-Inventing and playing homemade games of all sorts. This includes modifying the rules of previously-invented games. (For instance: inventing, printing out, and playing with alternate progress cards for **Cities and Knights of Cataan** , or playing **Pictionary** with words that the players themselves have submitted, which makes it zillions of times more fun.) -Going to Florida to see a rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center -Owning polyhedron-construction toys -LEGOs -Getting really excited that ESPN was actually broadcasting **Scrabble** yesterday ---
**Author:** ![Mini-Thud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Mini-Thud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mini-Thud)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/46 "2003-11-11T02:23:17Z")
oh, and to add to my list of geeky things i like: Stargate SG:1 Farscape Can’t get enough of either show… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/47 "2003-11-11T04:17:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chaoticdonkey \* > \*\*Très geek. > > Correcting people’s spelling to make myself feel better about… myself \*\* YOU know what I meant, I don’t know how to put the accent on my typing yet… GAWD, leave the computer virgin alone!!! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Paulonius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@Paulonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paulonius)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/48 "2003-11-11T08:22:46Z")
My geeky thing: “The Last Farewell” by Roger Whittaker. Cheeseball Brit-easy-listening-pop-something song by Mr. Overenunciation. For a white 30-something, this is as pathetic as Carlton liking Tom Jones on “Fresh Prince.” (Damn! That’s TWO geeky things…) ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/49 "2003-11-11T19:17:13Z")
- Reading the dictionary for fun - Lederer’s The Joy of Lex - The Fibonacci Sequence ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/50 "2003-11-11T19:41:20Z")
ColecoVision. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/51 "2003-11-12T03:53:51Z")
[ul] [li]Medieval Heraldry[/li][li] _Star Wars_ Lego[/li][li]Hand-coding web pages in XHTML and CSS[/li][li]Still playing an RPG that’s been out print for over 20 years[sup]_[/sup][/li][/ul][sup]_[/sup]DragonQuest[sup]**[/sup] [sup]**[/sup]No, 3rd Edition doesn’t count. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/52 "2003-11-12T15:09:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*Old Atari systems. > > So geeky and cool nothing else needs to be said. \*\* That’s _so_ 1970’s, **clayton\_e**. :rolleyes: Commodore 64 systems, real or via emulation, are the _true_ ultimate classic game machines! 🆒 > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Palve_ > **I forgot to mention I’m also a licensed amateur radio operator.** QRZ ke3om. QTH? I suppose using ham radio Q signs on a text forum counts as much as anything else that’s been listed. As I look over this thread, I see that even with my ongoing work in interpersonal skills, I am in no immediate danger of forfeiting my geek card. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/53 "2003-11-12T23:46:12Z")
Forgot to mention the amateur radio, KC2IBN, here. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/54 "2003-11-13T00:01:18Z")
- Car Wars tournaments (three times a year!) - Rejecting AD&D 3rd Edition… and going back to 1st ed. just for grins. - Attending Styx, Yes, and Rush concerts - [Model Warship Combat](http://www.modelwarshipcombat.com/) - Usenet - Nethack - Foxtrot ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/55 "2003-11-13T00:32:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MaxTheVool \* > **-Inventing and playing homemade games of all sorts. This includes modifying the rules of previously-invented games. (For instance: inventing, printing out, and playing with alternate progress cards for Cities and Knights of Cataan, or playing Pictionary with words that the players themselves have submitted, which makes it zillions of times more fun.)** Slight hijack, but I had a friend from college who was recognized on the website and in a Settlers of Cataan manual for thinking up an alternate rule scheme. We were all so proud. 😃 Also interesting to see someone besides me doesn’t immediately think of the card game when they hear someone say, :The Gathering." To add my own: [ul] [li]Webcomics[/li][li]Computer gaming[/li][li]Memorizing entire video games by heart and can know exactly where someone is in the game just by them describing the room.[/li][li]Going to renfairs and whatnot for both the cleavage factor of girls in chainmail and to see what neat swords/daggers/polearms/suits of armor are on sale.[/li][li]Going off for 15 minutes at a time talking about how awesome scythes are in DnD 3e compared to two-handed axes. Bonus points if the other person argues back about greatswords. :p[/li][li]Watching the History channel or Discovery channel for hours on end.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818/56 "2003-11-13T00:50:52Z")
Knowing what the perfect ratio is [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-geeky-things-do-you-find-cool/211818.md?page=2)