It started out simply enough; a request via my contact form to interview me about a fluff piece he was doing about how ‘being a nerd is actually cool these days’. Well, alrighty then, who am I to argue? I immediately wrote him back, and he must have been working tight against deadline, because within an hour and a half we were on the phone with one another.

My basic spiel goes like this:

It starts with Star Wars in 1977; all of the sudden ‘Nerd Subjects’ like sci-fi, fantasy, etc. became noticed as marketable commodities because, guess what, nerds aren’t spending their money on cars and babes, they’re spending their money on products associated with nerddom. Then, compound that with the rise of nerd corporate success through the 80s and 90s as technology became accessible, and even necessary for the public at-large, and suddenly our skills and knowledge became marketable, and where the money goes, so does society. Meaning, voila, nerds are cool.

But, after about 15 minutes, Matt asked if I had a bit more time to chat because, apparently, the other people he’d contacted were a bit ‘dry’ and not as ‘engaging’. Well, duh…nerds. I was more than happy to oblige and pretty soon I found myself the focus of the piece, not knowing whether that would be for better or for worse given the juicy details of humiliation and dismay I’ve sometimes suffered and was providing. But damn if some of it wasn’t funny.

So, on Wednesday the Tulsa World photographer came and took some shots (non-liquor-based) of myself both in cocktail and full-on nerd form (my replica of Glamdring came into play at one point…yeah, I’m that sort of nerd, yo) and two photos made the paper with my story gracing the front page of the Tulsa World’s ‘Scene’ section which covers entertainment, arts, and human interest topics. So, with mild trepidation and a small bit of pride, I give you my nerdly story: ‘Geek power‘

And for those of you visiting from the online version of the story; first of all, welcome! I hope you find something informative and that you enjoy, and second of all a tip that will make any drink you make after pulling that dusty old ‘Mr. Boston’s Bartending Guide’ off-the-shelf at home infinitely better and is the quickest road to begin enjoying drinking better, and not just more:

Ready? Use fresh juices…always (sorry Doug). Take the time to squeeze the lemons, the limes, the oranges, etc. because that sweet & sour mix you’re using? It makes drinks taste like the one I’m having up there, and I’d hate for you to have to share that expression. So, any time you’re tempted to use sweet and sour mix or grab a green bottle of bile-tainted citric acid, just use a 2:1:1 ratio of lemon juice to lime juice to sugar and have yourself a much better and less battery-acid infused drink. In the meantime, Na zdrowie!

And while you’re here, while I’ll be doing more on these subjects in the future, I’d like to draw your attention to an organization called ‘Oklahomans For Modern Laws‘, a non-profit advocacy group that supports and petitions for the ability of grocery and convenience stores in Oklahoma to sell high-point beer and wine for off-premise consumption only. To learn more or lend your support, please visit their website here.

And, along with my piece in the paper today, the Tulsa World has an editorial on whether the sale of wine in grocery and convenience stores should be allowed. It’s informative and discusses the economic restrictions the current laws place on local wineries, attracting businesses, and the tax base. It’s worth the read; click here to do so.