My Geek Alert is at Amber!
Okay, so here’s the thing. As a geek, I’m starting to get a little tired of being excited all the time. “Dude, did you see the awesome trailer for the Watchmen movie?” “OMG, did you get the link I sent with the teaser for the new Terminator movie?” “Did you hear the rumor that there might be as many as THREE Battlestar Galactica movies?” Well, did you? DID YOU??? The truth is, I think I’m just about all trailered and teasered and rumored out right now. How much sustained anticipation can a person actually experience before their brain simply shuts down, or — as in my case — before the state of being excited actually loses all meaning?
I’m reminded of the Terror Alert System. As you may or may not know, the U.S. alert level hasn’t gone any lower than yellow since the day it was first instituted by the Department of Homeland Security back in 2002. That’s six years of either “Elevated” or “High” risk of terrorist attack. What message does that send, and as a society, how do we process that? By being stressed, of course. All the time. By being worried and afraid. Which, many would argue (and I would agree), is exactly what this administration wants us to do. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
But what does this have to do with geeks?