[August 12, 2011] Nerrrrrrrds! Five reasons Boulder is so geeky Tweet Aug 12, 2011 (Colorado Daily - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A ll right, Boulder. You've done it. Forbes has just named you the "Geekiest City in America" after San Jose, Calif. (Silicon Valley, duh). Clearly, you haven't been reading any of my many, many articles about why social networking is evil and why technology is evil-er. Ef Rodriguez, you win this round, my friend. Though, according to said Forbes piece, "Boulder has a more than ample supply of brains to bake," with our "large state university campus, numerous scientific institutes and a strong tech sector," there must be more reasons we're all such Lambda Lambda Lambda/Omega Mu material (including those who would seem to be more Alpha Beta/Pi-Delta acolytes). 1 Reading is for girls The fact that we have so many delighful young things mintzing about town -- without need for drastic makeup or hair whatnots -- left my buddy from Hollywood who'd never been to Boulder before in awe (and this dude just got married). Shit really hit the fan when I told him, "Yeah. And a lot of them know a lot about physics, too." 2 Computers are people, too When I walk around town with my various large-sized books (all right, guys read, too), I can't help but notice everyone's faces are turned down. Down to their smart phones or iPhones (is there a difference? You tell me.) Down to their Dick Tracy spy watches and vid-screens implanted in the palm of their hands. So, yes, I'd say Boulderites do love their computers. Some of them, from what I've heard on the police scanner late night, a bit too much. 3 Don't just speak American Sure, Boulderites might be intolerant of intolerance, and you do cheer and applaud media tyrants like John Stewart, but in the end, y'all stay pretty open-minded. Which is a problem. Open your mind too much, and you just don't know what might fall out. This is why I sometimes worry when people know too many languages, aside from our country's signature American. With all these polyglots floating about infecting the children with other cultures, it makes one wonder: Will being United States of Americanian mean anything in the future? 4 You are dumb Chances are, the guy sitting next to you is probably a lot smarter than you. With so many PhDs per capita here in Boulder, he's definitely probably more educated than you (which, in this day and age, let's face facts: sure, it might mean little more than the guy just never knew how to get himself out of school and into the Real World). But, yeah, that dude programming in Matrix code on his computer while you're reading this and texting your friend about your favorite episode of "Friends" might not have glasses and might have just gotten back from a rigorous rock climb. But, he's still probably better than you. Intellectually. Who knows: Maybe you're sitting alone right now. Loser. 5 Healthy brain food As the foodiest city in the country (how many "-iest cities in the country" can one city be? Do we win some kind of award eventually? Our next coffee is free?), Boulder sure knows how to plant, grow, pick and cook its food. Serving might sometimes be a problem, but that's only because of No. 2 (in this list, not the euphemism for "poo," mind you). With all this good, hearty, healthy eating -- except for those who cut out meat for some cartoonish reason -- no wonder our brains are as strong as our muscles and egos. To see more of the Colorado Daily, go to http://www.coloradodaily.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, Colorado Daily, Boulder Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]