Check out all the SNGCs here and join us every week for a new original SNG Webcomic!
Alex is our resident Webcomic creator. He grew up in Puerto Rico, but didn’t reach true Nerdom until he came state side when he was in middle school. He’s been drawing since he was five, but has only started posting Webcomics in the past year. You can check out his amazing and original work at tapastic.com/gomezalexj.
When I quit full-time work to become a freelance writer, I revelled in the joy of leaving office life behind. I could work my own hours, wear what I liked, and never again have to deal with congealed kitchen encounters or un-flushed toilet surprises (seriously, why do people do this?).
But after just a few weeks of solitude, I started experiencing peculiar mood swings. By the end of each week, I’d pace about my study room, anxious and a little manic. All this in the midst of enjoying my own company. What was going on?
I like spending time by myself. Ever since I got online in my teens, I enjoyed friendships the most when they’re over text. In my 20’s, I had a face-to-face social life so active that I burnt myself out on human contact. (Yes, it can happen; read Eve’s post on introversion to learn more!) So, in rebounding, I took every opportunity for solitude and never questioned my preference for being alone.
You can see where this is going. And you don’t have to look far to learn what science has to say about it. Loneliness affects our sleep, our stress levels, our understanding of our surroundings; it can trigger changes in our bodies that leave us prone to illness. Funnily enough, being lonely can also make you stay lonely, as you develop self-esteem and perception habits that make it hard to feel comfortable connecting with people.
It was difficult to fathom, and even harder to admit. After all, I talked to people every day over the internet, sometimes sharing the kinds of conversations we had when we still saw each other face to face. I love my solitude and quiet. And most importantly, I didn’t feel lonely.
But – HAHA, GUESS WHAT…
According to a 2015 study, published Perspectives on Psychological Science, you can still be socially isolated even if you don’t feel lonely. And the ensuing risk of mortality is up there with alcoholism and smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Seems ridiculous, doesn’t it? Especially when it’s easier than ever to stay in touch with technology, and remain constantly tuned into what our friends are doing. To be honest, sometimes I find it overwhelming and actually crave that peaceful isolation.
This, suggests cultural analyst Sherry Turkle, is exactly the problem.
In her TED talk, Turkle explains that all these ‘sips’ of communication, even in the quantities we consume, still don’t add up to a big gulp of real conversation. Our technologically enhanced connectivity is a poor substitute for a real human connection, yet we consistently turn to it out of habit or desire for entertainment and distraction, leaving us isolated even as we continue to stay in touch.
It’s not that we intend to become withdrawn; that’s just a natural byproduct of overdoing the solitude, and falling back on digital products to replace analog contact.
Let’s balance things out a bit, shall we? Solitude isn’t bad. Making an effort to spend time with yourself and enjoy your own company can offer a world of benefits, especially if you’re naturally predisposed to needing lots of time alone.
The internet isn’t bad either. And nor is social media. Where people already suffer from social isolation and loneliness, maintaining contact online can go a long way in reducing the probability of depression, to the point where it’s now deemed healthy for the elderly.
But you know what else isn’t bad? Seeing people. Hanging out. Lessons from Rat Park suggest that not even chemical coercion can defeat genuine social bonds and healthy emotional support. Well, in rats, anyway.
So, if you’re like me and have a penchant for solitude; if you’re generally low on extroversion and default away from social gatherings; if you’re prone to information overload and feed a mild obsession with switching off, remember to take a break from soloing every now and then. And contact someone for real.
I have a part-time job now. Spending two days a week with creative, nerdy people has done wonders for my well-being. It’s a big enough window to have real, healthy human contact. And a small enough portion of my week to give me the right amount of solitude.
This aside, my study room is comfortable. Some days, I still can’t bear to leave it. My books are there; my craft supplies, games, endless access to social media and Slack channels – almost everything I need.
But only almost.
Sandy is a writer and maker from Perth, Western Australia. She keeps busy with homesteading, horticulture, football, martial arts, games, code, tinkering, DIY, fussing the cats, and drinking tea. She blogs long things at sanlive.com and tweets short things at @sandysandy.
You planet
The atom replies, “Yes, I’m positive.”
FISH!
Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
Helium doesn’t react.
The good ones argon.
He’s 0K now.
And my personal favorite…
Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Jokes provided by…
Sandy is a writer and maker from Perth, Western Australia. She keeps busy with homesteading, horticulture, football, martial arts, games, code, tinkering, DIY, fussing the cats, and drinking tea. She blogs long things at sanlive.com and tweets short things at @sandysandy.
Barbie O’Havoc has been considered a nerd since the first time she pissed someone off for having a weird opinion. Since then, she’s been spending her time indulging in the surprisingly expensive habits of reading trashy vampire novels and hitting people while playing roller derby. Both of her main hobbies have led to a love of terrible puns, much to everyone’s dismay.
Barbie O’ also loves coffee and local restaurants, and occasionally rambles about both on the Johnstown Food Blog.
Eve is the founder of Some Nerd Girl and the author of urban fantasy novels Children of the Fallen and Unforgettable as well as science fiction novel Colony One. She has been writing since the age of 13 and has been flying her nerd flag for the past 16 years. Fandoms include Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. Basically if it has ‘star’ in it, she’ll give it a shot.
A tea party, outside of politics, is a social gathering for the small meal known as “afternoon tea”. It’s less weighty than a dinner or a lunch, typically featuring tea and finger foods, and may even include some light entertainment or activity on top of the usual mealtime banter.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I love a good low-key affair. Even more if it includes a theme I like. Forget Sexy Santa and James Bond (you’d be serving cocktails for this), here are a few ideas for kitsching up your very own nerdy tea party.
Pour tea in style from an R2D2 ceramic teapot or Stormtrooper ceramic teapot. These Stormtrooper teacups and saucers come closer to standard tea party ware, but the Star Wars musical mug adds to a more casual ambience. For a more down-to-earth, DIY feel, grab some plain coloured crockery in a variety of Star Wars-esque colours (black, white, brown, gold) and draw the features of your favourite characters with a porcelain pen. Bring out your Princess Leia cupcakes, Wookie Cookies, and Darth Vader truffles on a Millennium Falcon cutting board (wrap in aluminium foil if your friends also watch Robot Chicken). Entertain your guests with a game of Celebrity Head, featuring characters from the movies, or step it up and use the whole universe if you’re that way inclined.
Serving your guests with Captain Picard’s tea set is an impressive but expensive ask for a casual Star Trek tea party. You could get away with any teapot really, as long as your tea is Earl Grey and hot. You may even find those famed, no longer produced Bodum glass teacups up for auction. Tasty trek nibbles include Seltin Pate (Voyager), Algae Puffs (Voyager), and Plomeek Soup (Original Series) – bonus points if you serve your soup in a silver bowl (these Korean rice bowls will do nicely). Finish up with a round of Blowing The Tribble, known more commonly as The Ball of Wool, or some hilariously violent Are you there, Moriarty?
This Turtle Teapot is a classy, subtle nod to the genre, as are these Mushroom Mug Cups, but if you don’t mind larger vessels on the tea table, these Level-Up Pipe Mugs and Power-Up Mugs will give you the exact Mario aesthetic. Help your gamer mates snack healthier with Super Mario Mushroom Radishes and Spelt + Cinnamon Cookies, cut into stars. Or indulge for the day with 1-Up Mushroom Cupcakes and Easy Chocolate Truffle goombas (instead of rolling them in coconut, pop two edible silver balls on them for eyes). Coin-related games are an easy nod to the Mario franchise. Try Quarters if you’re not precious about the tea table, Penny in the hole if you are, or Up Jenkins to entertain a larger crowd.
This simple Oil Can tea set ticks the boxes for industrial chic, but any old looking metal teapot will do the trick. The Nut Handle tea cups will set the mood just as well as an on-the-nose Upcycled Steampunk teacups. If you’re a baker, adorn your cookies and cupcakes with Edible Chocolate Candy Gears or opt for simpler Victorian Plaque cookies featuring the colourful vernacular of the era written directly on the biscuit with an edible food pen. To really capture the vintage steampunk spirit, humour your inner history buff and look for traditional Victorian finger food recipes. Charades makes for great entertainment, as well as photo-worthy slapstick if your guests come in costume. For parties with creative types, draw and decorate your own Victorian hot air balloons (instructions in Hungarian; use Google Translate).
A ‘mindfuck’ tea party is a novel alternative to branded and trend-conscious themes. It relies on good old-fashioned head science for kicks. Start with an awkwardly formed Tilting Teapot to lay a solid foundation of psychological discomfort. Failing that, a custom designed teapot featuring your favourite optical illusion will do the trick (especially for the hungover) at half the price. Serve sour treats and Miracle Berry Fruit Tablets to mess with your guests; be sure to set aside a dish of baking soda in case anyone needs to rinse their mouth out. Play F**k. The Game to test your party’s visual recognition and verbal response skills; try Avalon to doodle with logic, cold reading and treachery; or find a good cryptic crossword puzzle for some co-op pun fun.
Sandy is a writer and maker from Perth, Western Australia. She keeps busy with homesteading, horticulture, football, martial arts, games, code, tinkering, DIY, fussing the cats, and drinking tea. She blogs long things at sanlive.com and tweets short things at @sandysandy.
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