Do I need a laptop computer and what happened to geeks?

I have wrestled with this issue more and more these days. I would like a laptop for the portability. However, as an IT professional, I am usually at my office PC 8-12 hours a day, so I don’t know if I would use the laptop simply out of overexposure. I have a family, and I don’t want family time to be spent IM-ing or web browsing or (heaven forbid) working even more.

In fact, I spent a lot of time/money making a decent desktop a few years back; so much so that it is just now getting to be lesser than the current market norm; and yet I spend less than five hours a month on it and it is literally within arms reach of my bed.

I guess if I needed a laptop, I would already know. I just don’t want it to be another thing that I got along without before, but now it is a part of me; like the cell phone.

I used to say "I’ll never get a cell phone", yet one day a sales job came up that needed "constant contact" and even after I left the job the home phone was simply not enough.

When did being a good geek mean spending every last dime on technology that simply made us use more technology?

Maybe it’s just me, or maybe I’m just not as good of a geek as I used to be?

According to TV, geeks are no longer the awkward, unattractive, impish, social pariahs they once were. Now, thanks largely in part to the Dot Com boom (later followed by a bust!), geeks are perceived as wealthy urban hipsters (aka yuppies). Geeks are the ones who go to coffee bars in trendy jeans and labeled shirts with cool retro logos.

The Big Bang Theory would have you believe anyone of above average intelligence is a successful physicist who lives in a spacious upscale San Francisco loft; which costs more than most people pay for a mortgage on a house three to four times as big and has supermodels living next door that would go out with them, if only they could summon the courage to ask them out.

In fact, in recent pop culture, the geeks are the good-looking ones who have glasses and less than sleek clothes that once taken off transform them as Superman from Clark Kent; instantly the stigma of geekdome is gone and all but forgotten e.g. The Princess Diaries, "Ugly" Betty, 10 Things I Hate About You, The New Kid, etc.

The reality is that geeks are by nature the obsessive, compulsive, seekers of whatever their fancy happens to be. There are multitudes of flavors of geek.

However, I have yet to see the majority of them be the Dot Com millionaires so publicized. In fact, most of us have been through some tough unemployment in the last few years; and some are just barely riding the fence to get to retirement.

So the wannabes will continue to buy iPhones, and iPods, and laptops, and setup personal wi-fi hotspots in homes and cars while the tried and true real "geek" will still be that guy with bad hair, awkward body type, and the pale skin, or paler skin; due to lack of sunlight, since geeks are usually in the basement.

Real geeks will be the ones who write blogs about being a geek. Real geeks will revel in Star Trek, or Star Wars, or Warhammer, or Cosplay, or ComicCon to the point of actually being in costume, or wearing the t-shirt from every tech convention they have ever attended. All the money may go to hobbies, while they still have Commodore 64s with working drives or HP Pavilion’s working as print servers. Because the geek can work all the programs they need including Fortran, Delphi, Cobol (which many municipalities still use!), Visual Notepad, or Macromedia from a basic 1 Gb ram ugly-off-white tower with an over clocked Pentium and a new graphics card.

 Do I need a laptop? Probably not. Do I want one? Yes, please.

 After all deep down inside, the real geek is the one who resents the beautifying of geekdome because they themselves secretly want it to be that way. Which, by the way, includes me too.

About the author: Aaron Sheppard is an opinionated self-described conservative geek and all around good guy. His many interests and hobbies push his mind into an interesting pretzel of art and science.  On a given day the books on his  "to read" list range from Physics to graphic novels to politics.  He enjoys a good beer and a good cigar on occasion. In a nutshell, he’s the estranged love child of Dr.Who and Donna Reed. Read more at www.theperegrin.com

Editor’s note: Tulsa Today offered each of the three primary mayoral candidates the opportunity to write an “open letter” to Tulsa voters. This was designed to be an open forum whereby the candidates could “speak” directly to Tulsa Today readers. There were no restrictions other than a maximum of 750 words. Names were pulled from a hat and the order is: Mark Perkins, (Monday), Dewey Bartlett Jr., (Tuesday) and Tom Adelson, (Wednesday). The articles are printed as submitted.

Dear Friends,

It’s time to choose Tulsa’s next mayor, and I want to take this opportunity to tell you about my hopes and dreams for our city. I think you’ll see they’re like your own vision.

As a longtime public servant, I’ve demonstrated that I work hard for the people of Oklahoma, and as your next mayor, I’d like to prove that I’m going to work for you. From the beginning, I’ve focused on listening to Tulsans and expressing the changes they’d like to see. You want a stronger Tulsa. You want a city government that cooperates on all levels. You want a home that’s safe and healthy, for body and mind. You want Tulsa to excel in education. And you’d like to see fewer potholes, too.

You’re also tired of the negative attacks that seem to be clogging up airwaves and TV screens. For the past three weeks, you’ve been subjected to an inordinate amount of mudslinging from my opponent. I’ve taken the time to respond with fair criticism, but I’ve only challenged my opponent’s ideas, not his personal dignity. As you might imagine, his attacks aren’t working; instead, they’re taking their toll on my opponent’s campaign.

In this last week of our mayoral campaign, I’ll be speaking directly to you, and presenting a positive vision for Tulsa. Some of the ideas you’ll hear include: 

A Vibrant Tulsa. Tulsa is teeming with a new urban synergy; your neighbors want to connect, participate, and get involved. Now is the time to harness and direct that energy in a productive, tangible direction. By investing in our city. We’ll make Tulsa more walkable. We’ll fix the areas that are in disrepair, and we’ll connect our neighborhoods in ways that encourage a stronger sense of community. And we’ll set a course for more efficient government. We’ll achieve this by making smart public investments that reflect the needs and hopes of Tulsans. As your mayor, I’ll keep your best interests in mind as we cultivate a more dynamic environment for our city.

An Efficient, Cooperative Tulsa. Tulsa’s heart is bigger than its borders. We care about our neighboring communities, and they rely on us as well. That’s why it doesn’t make sense to duplicate services, and it’s simply wasteful to spend dollars on uncoordinated infrastructure projects. Oklahomans don’t benefit when their municipalities compete with each other, and everyone loses in a fight over the tax base. Through better leadership, we’re going to earn a reputation as a fiscally responsible city. As your mayor, I’ll champion a progressive stand on regional cooperation and unity.

A Healthier Tulsa. There are a number of areas where Tulsa’s health and its economy intersect, and we need a leader who can understand how the two operate. As a civil servant long committed to healthcare issues, I’ll embrace health initiatives that focus on efficient, cost-effective answers. Together, we’ll make Tulsa a healthier city for people and for businesses.

A Safer Tulsa. Not long ago, I spoke with a woman who felt trapped in her home because of nearby gang violence. That’s not the Tulsa I grew up in, and that’s not the Tulsa we desire. There are ways to prevent, reduce, address, and punish gang violence, from beefing up our police force to maintaining programs like CompStat, a computer-based crime analysis system, and the Confidential Citizens Program, which trains locals to prevent neighborhood crimes.

An Exceptional Tulsa. Tulsa’s educational institutions are its treasures. We’re already a leader in early education, but we can still bolster the local educational systems by working with school superintendents to address and improve educational quality. As your mayor, I’ll support Tulsa education by fostering an atmosphere of achievement and collaboration among our various learning centers. And for our higher education institutions, I’ll nurture the kind of environment that will not only attract exceptional talent toward Tulsa, but retain it as well.   

As you can see, my vision for Tulsa isn’t exclusive. It’s built on the hopes and aspirations of your neighbors and friends; it’s based on the feedback that you yourself give. My vision for Tulsa includes you, and that’s why I hope to earn your vote during our upcoming mayoral election on November 10. I love Tulsa, and I’m ready to work hard to make it an even better place to live, to work, and to raise a family.

Sincerely,

Tom Adelson

If you’d like to know more about me, my values, and my vision for Tulsa, I invite you to my website, adelsonformayor.com.

Editor’s note: Tulsa Today offered each of the three primary mayoral candidates the opportunity to write an “open letter” to Tulsa voters. This was designed to be an open forum whereby the candidates could “speak” directly to Tulsa Today readers. There were no restrictions other than a maximum of 750 words. Names were pulled from a hat and the order is: Mark Perkins, (Monday), Dewey Bartlett Jr., (Tuesday), and Tom Adelson (Wednesday). The articles are printed as submitted.

We have arrived once again at a crossroads.  This election will decide the future of our city and the differences between my opponents and I could not be clearer.  I am a conservative businessman who has survived in the good times and the bad.  I served in the Air National Guard for six years, and I have a Masters Degree in Finance.  Unlike my opponents, I will keep government in its proper role: limited, but effective in the areas of service it should be, such as public safety and infrastructure.  My support of other Republicans, including Senator Jim Inhofe, Dr. Tom Coburn, Congressman John Sullivan and our Republican Presidential ticket in ’08, John McCain and Sarah Palin, is a point of pride for me and my family.  Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary Clinton see me as a foe and not a friend.  My opponents cannot say that, they are right in line with the liberal politicians from Washington, D.C. who are trying every day to chip away at our liberty and our sovereignty.  

I am the only candidate who has pledged not to raise our taxes.  I am the only candidate who will fight to defend the Tenth Amendment so that our rights as a state are defended within our union.  I am the only candidate who will defend the unborn from abortion.  I am the only conservative in this race, plain and simple.  Which way shall we take our city?

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this article.  It is important that you know my core values.  I have listed those values below.  I will be a job creating mayor who grows jobs, not government.  I will prioritize public safety.  I will improve our roads.  These are my goals, and here are the principals I will follow to get there:

–    Public Safety: Strong public safety is my first priority.  I will hire more police to combat crime with existing revenue streams.   I believe in enforcement and punishment, not the latest social program to treat criminals.  Any increases in the police and fire budgets will go to protecting Tulsans or fighting crime.
–    Taxes: I pledge not to raise our taxes.  Taxes should always remain low, and now more than ever we simply cannot raise taxes.  
–    Fiscal Restraint: I will manage the budget, making sure we cut unnecessary spending.  I will utilize internal and external audits to find out where we can reduce the size and waste in our government.
–    Infrastructure: I will ensure our roads are improved.  We will have transparency. I am currently pushing to have updates of infrastructure repairs and projects posted online by the Public Works Department.  I will see that our streets package is completed on time and under budget in a manner that keeps your confidence.
–    “One Tulsa”:  We must improve our entire city and be sure that each part of town has proper investment, representation, and service.  I will work with, not against, the city councilors to achieve this goal.
–    Pro Life: I am 100 percent against abortion.  We need to encourage our faith communities to continue to help pregnant women cope with the challenges of motherhood and eliminate this terrible practice.  I also support the efforts of others, such as Catholic charities, in their fight to stop abortion.
–    Second Amendment: I personally keep and bear arms.  This right is a city issue, contrary to what some liberals might say.  I will not support limiting our Second Amendment right.
–    States Rights: I support the Tenth Amendment and I will fight against any overarching effort by the federal government to infringe upon those rights.
–    Property Rights: I support property rights of the individual from eminent domain abuse.  People are allowed to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in this county and I will stand behind individual property rights which are so essential to this principal.

    I want to ask you for your vote and for your support.   We cannot afford to sit this election out, there is too much at stake.  We have arrived at a crossroads, and the future of our city, liberal or conservative, depends on our decision. We can set the course of our city for years to come by standing together and fighting for our common conservative values.

Sincerely,

Dewey Bartlett Jr.

P.S. – Please consider going to my website at www.deweybartlett.com and signing up to volunteer or request a yard sign.

Editor’s note: Tulsa Today offered each of the three primary mayoral candidates the opportunity to write an “open letter” to Tulsa voters. This was designed to be an open forum whereby the candidates could “speak” directly to Tulsa Today readers. There were no restrictions other than a maximum of 750 words. Names were pulled from a hat and the order is: Mark Perkins, (Monday), Dewey Bartlett Jr., (Tuesday), and Tom Adelson, (Wednesday). The articles are printed as submitted.

Dear Tulsa Today readers,

The primary focus of municipal governance should be on public safety, infrastructure, education, and economic development. These fundamental responsibilities should be carried out with vigorous efficiency, pragmatism, and a creative vision for long term prosperity.

I am running for Mayor because I believe it is time for a new approach.  I am simply a citizen who cares less about politics and more about solutions.  As a political outsider with no political debts and no political agenda, I have the courage to modify or eliminate wasteful and inefficient policies, contracts, and procedures.  I have also demonstrated the collaborative leadership style necessary to work effectively with other elected officials and civil servants.  Under my leadership Tulsa will become a more vibrant and business-friendly city that is respectful of taxpayer dollars.

The most pressing issue facing the city is the budget crisis.  Short term, our only real solutions are to cut costs and work to increase revenues.  As to cutting costs, I will make these decisions like I make all my decisions:  after thorough consultation with knowledgeable professionals, armed with all the information, and carefully calculated to produce results.  My approach:  1) What are the primary expectations of the taxpayer citizens? 2) Is the funding directly related to fulfilling those expectations? 3) Are the allocated funds being used efficiently and effectively to satisfy those expectations? 4) Can we make modifications that enable us to produce the same results at a lower cost?

As to increasing revenues, I will immediately support responsible economic development initiatives that increase city revenues without having a tax effect.  Tulsa needs to become more business-friendly by working to 1) eliminate multi-step permitting; 2) facilitating proper implementation of the infrastructure development process; and 3) adopting a sensible mixture of form and use-based zoning codes that fit the character, wants, and needs of Tulsa’s varying districts.  These modifications will encourage private investment within the city limits, thereby increasing our sales tax revenues, improving property values, and creating Tulsa jobs.

Long term, we need to diversify our funding sources.  This will require action by our state legislators, but I think Tulsa should be allowed to use more of the revenues generated within our city limits to address our infrastructure needs.  We should also consider core-inflation budgeting.  Unlike my opponents, I believe the consolidation of regional governments would be bad for the City of Tulsa.

An improved budget position will enable me to achieve my primary goals of reducing crime, finding new solutions to old road problems, and working with out partners to improve public education so the next generation has the tools to succeed.

I am the only candidate who has demonstrated leadership and good judgment during this campaign.  It is a sign of weakness to rely on scare tactics to earn support, and it is a poor reflection of the Tulsans.

Now that I have garnered a large base of supporters, the status quo has started making comments intended to scare you out of voting for me.  Those who seek power try to create the illusion that we can only afford to elect people who look like them, talk like them, have the same ideas, or belong to the same organizations, political party, or age bracket. 

Do not buy what they are selling you Tulsa.  It is time to let go of the status quo.

I have as much education as either candidate, and as much experience being Mayor.  I have the education to understand our challenges, the intellect to solve our problems, the personality to unite our citizens, the candor to be transparent, and the wisdom to surround myself with the most capable leaders.  If you have seen any of the forums, you will agree that I have demonstrated a firm grasp of the issues with a depth of perspective my opponents lack.

It is time to turn the page.  It is time to take ownership of your city and follow me into a brighter future.  My supporters are the only ones who feel proud right now, and it is time for you to join their ranks.

There are two choices in this election:  the politicians who divide us, or the leader who unites us.

Make the right choice, not the easy choice.  I am the Independent choice, and I am the only alternative.

Tulsa Today’s new Executive Editor John A. Winters recently called me a
“flaming conservative” and I am not sure I appreciate the reference. 

Is he right? Setting aside a lifetime of participation in organizations
of both the Left and Right, I have worked for the last 6 years as an
employee of a contractor for government.  From a child’s awakening at the
assassination of John F. Kennedy, I have followed public policy, thus a
twenty-five year career in journalism was a natural fit.

When did I flame on and why?  After all, flaming is a fine English word that should not be exclusive to lifestyles or blog-o-sphere raves.  Conservative yes, but my considered opinions are not party centric. George W. Bush lost my support as he expanded government, failed to secure the border and, finally, bailed out businesses that should have been indicted with their government regulators for fraud.

In my first review of then candidate Barack Hussein Obama in May of
2008 I questioned if he might be a socialist, but now, I am convinced
he is a raving Marxist ideologue who lied about almost everything
almost all the time to get elected and even then, he would not have won
without voter fraud perpetrated by ACORN in more than 14 states.  Yes,
I believe this is an illegitimate administration – an illegal coup.

In addition, Obama promised “the first post-partisan, post racial” administration in American history.  He lied.  Obama promised transparency and that all bills would be posted online for “at least five days” before he would sign them.  He lied.  Obama does not even provide electronic copies of most bills to Legislators before they are required to vote on them.  Obama encourages crass partisan attacks on his critics and media.

America, this is not the change Obama promised with lobbyists writing bills no one else can read, partisan sales of official access, renting the White House for huge rockin’ parties on the lawn, and date nights worldwide for Obama’s babe.

Obama invited the public to judge him by the people that surround him to provide advice on important topics.  The preponderance of those are Marxists including, but not limited to; Rahm and his brother Ezekiel Emanuel, Valerie Jarrett, Van Jones, Robert McChesney, Susan Crawford, Mark Lloyd, and most notably Anita Dunn the self-professed admirer of China’s Marxist mass murder (70 million plus) Mao Zedong.

Obama never clearly outlined what seems to be the most central theme of his administration: To collapse our free-market economy. That economy assures value to your home and savings and, in total, built the most prosperous nation in human history. In spending trillions on unread bills not vetted in open hearings by our elected representatives, Obama betrays his oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America as has every elected official that votes for passage of such bills.

This obscene spending of our children’s future earnings totals $343,973 per citizen as of this writing – that’s right, each living American owes that much money in taxes today.  You can watch the debt growing by the second at http://www.usdebtclock.org. 

If citizens write checks without value we get arrested; so who can file charges on government doing the same?  How can we make that happen short of taking up arms?

With the stroke of Obama’s pen Wednesday, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act became law.  It creates additional penalties for violent crimes motivated by the victim’s"actual or perceived" gender, "gender identity," sexual orientation, or disability.

Michael Marcavage was one of 11 Christians jailed and charged with a hate crime for carrying Bible verse banners and preaching at a 2004 homosexual pride event in Philadelphia. While the charges were later dismissed on a technicality, Marcavage offers three reasons why he opposes the new law. He says it; "seeks to shut down the gospel of Jesus Christ"; is unconstitutional because it violates the equal protection guarantee of the 14th Amendment; and also unnecessary because there are already laws on the books that punish violent crimes.

It reminds me of a T-shirt worn by a pretty young girl in a Laundromat in Tulsa years ago.  Soon after Bill Clinton’s attorney general ordered an assault killing children on the pretense of protecting children. The T-shirt said, “Pray the government never names your church a compound.”  Will Obama’s homosexual thought police soon monitor church services?

I believe the Constitution of the United States of America guarantees specific individual freedoms and limits government.  My personal choice of faith is Christian and I believe God calls us to love and laughter.  I don’t care and don’t want to know what anyone does in their own bedroom. The right of personal privacy in such matters is assured by the Constitution.  The 9th Amendment states,“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”  If that doesn’t cover personal privacy, what do those words mean?

Is there an Obama war on religion?

Playing pool one night in a local music club, a man forced a conversation that asserted religion was the root of all evil.  He said there was no difference between Christians and Islamic Terrorists.  I answered that his faith in man or mankind was just as much a faith as mine and no one was going to change the other’s mind so “shut up and play or we can go outside and finish this, but one way or the other the conversation is over.”

Is the national debate over and is it time for Christians to act in their own defense?  Obama spent twenty years as a member of a church preaching heresy if not apostasy and he has yet to find a church in Washington. So what faith he may hold appears limited to that of base political opportunity.

I am a small businessman, as were my parents and grandparents.  Apparently, the freedom from which we built success must be taxed out of existence all in the name of the new masters of America – the Industrial Environmental Complex.  Now that race as an issue of disagreement among American has faded into irrelevance, our Marxists manipulators of continual concocted crisis crap-out the value of humans to be less than that of blades of grass.  Surprise, the climate has always and will always be changing – nature does that regardless of human activity.

The Left continually steals language and the first victims are journalists.  There is no liberty in Liberal, no progress in Progressive, and no Democracy in Venezuela as, despite the slogans, facts show it is a Marxist dictatorship that kills people who disagree with the government elite.

Writers need only read “New Deal or Raw Deal? How FDR’s Economic Legacy Has Damaged America,” by Burton Folsom, Jr. for guidance to Obama’s growing corruption.  In 1939 Henry Morgenthau, Jr., then secretary of the treasury said of FDR’s Administration, “We have tried spending money.  We are spending more that we have ever spent before and it does not work … We have never made good on our promises … I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started … and enormous debt to boot.”

Folsom outlines how money was spent primarily for regional political purposes.  It is the same today – productive areas of the nation are being robbed to benefit the rust belt and bi-coastal congestion of fraudulent real estate markets.

Network Neutrality is coming next to America by way of Obama and the effort will limit the 1^st Amendment online. Never before in the history of mankind has there been a communications platform; more neutral, more open, more available, and more diverse than the Internet.  Marxists within the Obama administration, however, realize that no tyrant arises without significant propaganda assets and, therefore, the thought police must enforce restrictions.

Now that he is in the middle of history, I pray Barack Hussein Obama will study it.  There is no empirical evidence that Marxism’s tenet of “to each according to his need, from each according to his ability” has ever worked.  It has been tried countless times in many nations, but it never works.  Government control by authoritarians “wastes the labors of the people under the pretext of caring for them” as Thomas Jefferson noted so many years ago. Redistribution of wealth only creates more poverty and virtual slavery to government.

So what should be done?

Tulsa Today (est. 1996) is the oldest largest independent local news service on the Internet anywhere.  We have investigated and published news that ended political corruption (example: Jeff McMahan) and international fraud (example: Ad Surf Daily). We have defeated several local tax proposals and helped others pass depending on their specificity, long-term value and operational transparency.

Executive Editor John A. Winters is engaged here to expand journalism coverage.  He will manage staff, edit news, and develop new content offerings.  As publisher, I demand facts be correct and proportional perspective be provided in every news story.  That is where old journalism has failed.  Getting two different quotes or people to disagree provides no wisdom on any issue without empirical evidence (current or historical) and proportional perspective.

My job as Publisher is first to manage the business side of this product.  From selling advertising to managing Internet, print or broadcast expansions of the brand, I daily seek business relationships with those who support Free Enterprise and Capitalism.  If you are in business and love freedom – Tulsa Today is where freedom operates and we have an advertising package to help your business connect with over 100,000 of our local readers per month.

My second mission is to write editorials such as this piece.  You may agree or disagree and Tulsa Today will feature your dissenting opinions, but I will write what I believe is true and just and right.  My first death threat was delivered to my parent’s home when I was still in high school (over public support for racial equality) and there is no cost that I am unwilling to pay for my family and for the people of this community, state and nation.

Thus, my third mission is to go national.  Tulsa Today has always published and covered news worldwide, but there are now interviews and meetings and work to be done nationally.  There are consequences from each election and each act of government and the time has come to loosen the beltway that is choking life from America’s future. 

President Barack Hussein Obama provided the motivation. He said in a broadcast on Chicago Public Radio in 2001, “The Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth … The tragedies of the civil rights movement was, um, because the civil rights movement became so court focused I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalition of powers through which you bring about redistributive change.”

Redistributive change is Marxism.  It sounds good on a superficial level to the simple minded.  Hitler and Chairman Mao were very popular in the beginning of their terms.

Winters could be right, but rather than “flaming” maybe I am more of an Antiauthoritarian Conservative.  Regardless, Obama has my attention and whatever talent, skills, or labor I can physically offer to defeat his new age Marxism I am ready to volunteer.  I would rather be playing music, brewing quality beer or hanging out with my grandkids, but now in this day for this soul as long as I have life … it’s flame on!