Are There Fake Geek Girls?

I'm going to take a break from the serious stuff to touch on a more lighthearted topic.  Recently, I've seen a lot of debating over whether girls can truly be geeks or not and whether they're truly interested in geek culture.  I feel that there's no black or white to this, since there's such a huge variety of geeks and since everyone has their own opinion.  But I thought I'd share my own, and I am going to be blunt here.
First off, how exactly does one define the word "geek?"  Merriam Webster says it's a "person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked" or "an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity."  It's a rather broad term, so I have to disagree with the dictionary here.  My definition would be "someone who is enthusiastic about a certain activity or subject."
Digging deeper, however, you'd see that it doesn't necessarily apply to everyone.  There are tons of Twihards out there, but to most geeks, Twilight isn't considered to be truly geeky.  But by my own definition, shouldn't they be considered geeks?  (In case you were wondering, I'd have to say no.)
There is also this wide range of geeks.  There are the ones that can tell you what each country from Hetalia is like, the IT techies who know the anatomy of a computer better than their own, the ones who enjoy putting together steampunk ensembles.  There is no true picture of what a geek should look like.  But there are the ones who get upset over the newbies.  For example, I've seen die-hard Legend of Zelda fans get upset at the newer fans because all they've played is Skyward Sword.  There are also the Harry Potter die-hards who are angry at the fans who have only seen the movies.  So by my own definition, can they all be considered geeks despite the varying degrees of geekiness?  (In case you were wondering, I'd have to say yes.)
So in order to truly determine geekdom, I've created a few rules.  They include:
1) It has to be something directly related to geek culture.  No Twilight.  I know that this seems a bit hypocritical, but I highly doubt the Twihards are going to care if I consider them to be geeks or not.  If they do, they are certainly welcome to shoot me an email.  If they give me some good points, I will amend this post.  But I find it doubtful that anyone will.
2) The geek caste system/varying levels of geekdom is irrelevant.  Unless you are Steve Moffat (in which case, I am highly honored that you are reading this), I highly doubt that you own Doctor Who, so who are you to say who is a true fan and who isn't?  This point will also seem hypocritical later, but I'll get to that.  I don't think you are in any place to tell someone that they're not a true Whovian because they haven't seen the classic episodes or how someone can't possibly be an anime geek because they've never been to Anime Con.  We're all in the same boat!  We're all fans of the same thing!  Why don't we just use our love for the geeky things to work together and have fun rather than get into debates?  (Not that debates are bad.  It's just that it shouldn't be the only thing you do and you shouldn't look down on others.  Just know that they have different opinions.)
3) You don't have to like everything out there that's considered geeky in order to be a geek.  I consider myself a geek, but I don't like everything out there that is nerdy.  I'm not a math geek; in fact, I hate math.  I'm not an anime freak, even though I do enjoy watching it.  But I'm a geek.  I like various things that are considered geeky.  It's that simple.
Now here's the big question: can girls be geeks?  Of course!  There is no reason for only guys to be geeks.  It's a bit silly to say that simply because you are a girl, you cannot be a geek.  That question doesn't require a huge answer.  But there's the other question: are there fake geek girls?
The answer?  Yes.
I texted several geeky friends asking them about this and the majority said yes.  (I actually haven't had anyone say no yet.  Just "I don't know.")  Here's the issue: several girls will cosplay in skimpy outfits, then complain about being "slut shamed," thinking that the only reason why this is happening is because they are female.  And in some cases, that is the reason.  There are some people who are sexist and seriously think women have no right to be geeks.  But in most cases, is that the real reason?  Not really.  Here's my reasoning: let's say you're posing as a character from a popular game, but you've altered the character's image to your own liking, making the photo very sensual.  First of all, you're not staying true to the character.  I'm not saying that the cosplay has to be exactly like what the character looks like, but what I am saying is that wearing just a green hat upon your head does not make you Link.  Link does not run around wearing just his green hat.  That'd be terrifying.  So that is not staying true to his character.  Second of all, if you spend more time doing this photo shoots of yourself as "sexy Link" than you do actually playing as him and trying to save Hyrule, how exactly does that make you a geek?
It is insulting to pretend to be a geek in this way.  I am a female geek and I can tell you right now that I have never gotten flack about it.  Why?  Because I don't pretend to be what I'm not.  I'm not saying this to be self-righteous.  I'm saying it to make a point: 99% of the time (if not 100%), girls posing as these geeky characters but making them racy and scandalous is demeaning to geekdom.  In point 2, I said that this might be considered hypocritical.  Here's the thing.  There may be people out there who proclaim their love for Sherlock despite having only seen one episode.  I have no problem with that because they have a genuine interest in it.  I have a problem when people proclaim their love for the show when in reality, they only enjoy dressing up as sexy Irene Adler without even knowing who she is.
So what's the solution to this problem?  Don't pretend to be something you're not.  You'll get a lot more respect for it, whether you're a geek or not.  It's perfectly acceptable to be a geek girl and enjoy things that are both geeky and girly.  I certainly do.  But if you want to be seen as a true geek, put on some clothes, turn on your N64, and actually play Ocarina of Time.

Love Story

Valentine's Day is never easy for singles.  I think of it as a silly holiday, but I have to admit, it's difficult for me, even though I'm only 16.  While I don't want a boyfriend and am not ready for one, there's still a part of me that gets this little pang of jealousy whenever I see my friends hanging on their significant others.  It used to get to the point where I'd wonder what was wrong with me for not having a boyfriend.  So I was dreading Valentine's Day, knowing that despite the fact that I still had plenty of single friends, I also had many friends who were in relationships.  I signed up for a choir trip to an opera house in hopes of escaping all the "festivities," but it was in vain.  There were still couples giving gifts to each other and adoring each other and such.
As I stated before, I think of Valentine's Day as a silly holiday.  Here, it's a day mostly focused on romance, whereas in other countries, it's also about friendship and family.  As one of my friends said, it's silly to just have one day of the entire year to focus your attention on your significant other.  I used to get so excited for V Day because of all the cards and candy I'd get from classmates in elementary school.  Now I just dread it every year.  Perhaps my cynicism and pessimism contributed to that.
But when you've been single all your life and you watch your friends get boyfriend after boyfriend, it's disheartening, even if your dream is to live up in Wyoming with 82 cats.
I used to always ask myself if there was a reason that I didn't get guys like my friends did.  I wondered if I was ugly.  I wondered if I was annoying.  It would often switch back and forth between those two most days; I'd feel pretty but annoying some days and charismatic but looking more hideous than the goblins from Labyrinth (only recently have I seen that movie, so I did not use that analogy back then) on other days.  Despite always putting myself down, I'd always get my hopes up that someone would come and tell me that they'd secretly liked me on V Day until finally, I just gave up.  And all that hoping and self-loathing really takes a toll on you.
It took me so many years to find the one who loved me to the point where he was jealous for me.  We'd always been great friends, but it took me so long to figure out that he actually loved me.  He didn't think I was ugly and is incredibly patient with me.  He picked me up when I was having issues and celebrated with me when life was running smoothly.  He always listens to what I have to say no matter what it is and he offers some of the best advice.  I've done several things to hurt him, but he's always forgiven me and he knows me better than I know myself.  But that revelation - it finally dawning on me that he loved me - is overwhelming.
Here's the turning point.  He knew of me before I even existed.  He had every little detail about me planned out because he cared that much.  He was mocked and humiliated, then nailed to a cross to bleed freely and struggle for breath because he loved me to the point where he'd die to make sure that I'd have a place by him someday.  That's the best kind of love story.  It illustrates true love, the kind of love that movies try to portray as sex and lust when in reality, love is so much deeper than that.  It's sacrifice and commitment.  Love is not the butterflies you feel in your stomach.  It's a choice.  Love is not always easy.  Infatuation's easy, but love isn't.  But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that it's the thing we need most in this broken world.
Truth is, I still struggle with self-esteem sometimes.  But I found the best kind of love out there.  It's a kind of love that has given me worth and value, something that no boyfriend will ever be able to give me, and for that, I'm incredibly grateful.

Pain

These past couple of days have not been easy for me.  In fact, it's been quite the opposite.  My poor parents have been doing so much to take care of me and it worries me to see others worried about me.  Even my sister, who has no idea what the heck is going on, is concerned.  But it makes me feel so blessed to know that these people care so much for me.  I am especially blessed for my parents, who have done so much for me.  They even sat down and watched My Little Pony with me despite the fact that they loathe that show with a fiery passion.  Gotta love them.
But if I haven't felt a need for Jesus before, I'm definitely feeling it now.  It's so easy to just slip away and not trust in God, but to cling to Him for protection is the thing I need most.  Reliance on other things is going to make the situation worse, not better, so I need to have confidence that He will take this pain from me eventually, whether it takes a day or fifty years.
That said, I'm considering it a blessing to feel this kind of pain.  I don't mean to say this in a boastful way, but the King wouldn't entrust this pain to me if He knew I couldn't handle it.  It's kind of a huge honor.  I feel like He has plans to take it and transform it into something beautiful.  It's happened before - not just to me, but to people all around me.
I am so excited for the end of this - not just for the pain to be over, but to see what it turns into.  See how God uses it.  The very idea of the Lord using me for His purpose just fills me with such joy that I can't even describe it.

A Few Points for My Friends

To my friends:

-I am always here for you.  Come borrow a cup of sugar from me.  Call me at midnight if you're having issues.  Go for a walk with me so we can talk about what's going on.  I don't have a lot of money, but I'm available and ready to listen.

-I am not perfect.  Neither are you.  No friendship is.

-If you cannot accept the fact that I may have different views, kindly see yourself out.  As much as I'd love to listen to you go on about how I'm an ignorant little bigot, I simply do not have the time.

-Have an issue with me?  Just tell me.  We can either get the issue figured out or you can just tell me to leave you alone.  Problem solved.

The Tragedy in Connecticut and More Gun Control

Since yesterday, I have been trying to make sense out of a senseless tragedy.  Despite the fact that I lost innocence long ago, I feel that I'm still desperately clinging to this false hope that all people simply make mistakes and that people aren't intentionally malicious.  It's rather silly to hope for something like that so I can justify what happened as just a mistake - perhaps selfish, too - but in a world where heinous acts are committed every day, I feel that it allows me that sense of innocence again, the innocence I haven't had since I was a child.  Ignoring the situation in its entirety will not do anyone good.  But sometimes it's rather nice to pretend that everything's just peachy when things slip and shatter to pieces before you silently bend down and pick each one up, not even sure of what you're doing.  You just feel like you had a huge dose of Novacain and when it finally wears off, it just sort of dawns on you, and you can't stop the grief that breaks through the floodgate.
It makes you wonder why God hasn't finished writing your final chapter yet.
The thing I hate is the fact that I am not surprised.  Enraged, yes.  Saddened, yes.  But not surprised.  Nothing surprises me anymore.  In some ways, it's actually rather nice; it's better than finding out for the first time that the world goes beyond your nice, neat little cul-de-sac.  It's better than finding out that there are real problems that matter more than the fact that your pink crayon is missing or Mommy won't let you eat another cookie because you've already had six.  But I still wish it could surprise me nonetheless.
I sort of took a hiatus on this blog after I realized that no one really reads it.  It just didn't feel as important to me after a while, and with the start of school and band competitions, I decided to just stop blogging altogether.  After all, who would want to read the rants of a Republican teen, meaningless (The Care and Well-Being of Christi) or not (Abortion)?  But after what happened, I decided that posting something like this on Facebook (as I was going to do) probably wasn't the best idea.  I will, however, post a link to this on there once I'm finished writing this.  Then I will wait patiently for someone to come and scream at me about how stupid I am or how I belong in the kitchen or something.
The last two posts I wrote were also about guns; the last one being about the massacre in Aurora and the one prior to that being about gun control.  I'm probably wasting my time writing yet another post on this.  So I'll try not to make it too long.  I'd just like to bring a point up.
A friend, Stacy, said that banning guns would be like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping, gushing wound.  Trying to ban them wouldn't fix the problem; instead, it'd make us feel better, like when a kid scrapes his knee while learning how to ride a bike for the first time and his mom kisses it.  The kiss didn't completely heal the cut.  All it did was make the boy feel better.  Similarly, banning guns will do nothing but make us feel good, like we did society a favor and we can just leave the issue alone.  When we talk about banning guns, we fail to think of the consequences.  We don't think of how a father can no longer protect his wife and children when someone breaks into his house with a 9mm.  We don't think of how people use other things to kill, such as knives and baseball bats.  We don't think of how firearms will still continue to be distributed illegally to criminals so that, like the defenseless father, will have the advantage.  We don't think of the people who use guns simply for recreation.  And we definitely don't think of the people like this woman who managed to defend herself with her gun.
If you're one of the people who doesn't like reading and skimmed through this whole thing, I'll be nice and summarize it for you: gun control doesn't work.  Period.

Shooting in Aurora

Yesterday marked one of the largest massacres in the U.S.  It was a bit difficult to believe.  I know that there are sick and crazy (not good crazy, but bad crazy) people out there, but this was one of the reasons we moved from California.  I knew that bad people exist everywhere, but I never thought it would happen here, despite what happened at Columbine High in '99.

I guess I was a bit naive to believe that.

I woke up yesterday and talked to my mother, who told me about the tragedy.  I immediately started freaking out.  I had yet to find out it happened in Aurora.  I knew I had friends who would be seeing the movie at midnight.  I can't remember what went through my head at that moment, but I do know that there is nothing more scary than wondering if your friends have been shot.

"Where did this happen?" I asked my mom.

"Aurora," she said.

No friends in Aurora.  I was a bit relieved, but at the same time, I could just feel that ache in my chest.  That physical pain you get something absolutely tears at you (who knew heartbreak wasn't just emotional?).  Not just the fact that people died and were injured, but also the fact that people had to watch that.  Adults and children.  I feel terrible for the people who watched people die, but the children?  I am disgusted with the fact that a monster would rob them of their innocence like that.  When my sister found out, she commented, "Well, that's not very nice.  He must not read his Bible."  I wish I could have her innocence.

Later, my mom came up from the basement and asked if I wanted to watch Lost with her.  She needed to get her mind off of it and some other things, so I said yes.  We'd never seen the show before and we quickly became addicted.  It provided a good distraction and the plot drew us in.  We ended up watching it for hours.  All the TV channels had something about the massacre on them (we only get a few channels, so I can't speak for all of them, obviously, but still).  I'm sure that they're going to continue reporting about it for a bit, so it's just going to be Netflix for right now.

Please keep the victims' families and the other people at the theater in your thoughts and prayers.

Guns

I've decided that posting about politics, even though I've done it before, is probably not the best idea.  I don't have a ton of readers, though, and if you don't like it, don't read it.  It's probably not the best thing on Facebook, but this is my blog, and I'll post whatever I feel like posting.

I will warn you right here that this post might frighten a few people because I talk about a few different ways that people can be murdered.  Read with discretion.  (That was so cool to say.)

So this morning, I was feeling absolutely terrific.  Until I watched this video.  I couldn't make it all the way through because I felt sick.  Not just a "my blood is boiling" sick.  It was a literal stomach churning sick.  And I can't tell if this video did that all on its own or if the coffee I had helped.

My first question is this: How the heck is gun control going to make us safe?  If anything, it's going to make us less safe, not more.  Because there will be people who will use guns despite the fact that it will be illegal and the rest of us will be unarmed.  If some guy comes into my house uninvited, I will shoot him, no questions asked.  I will protect myself and my family (even though it's just my dad that has access to the guns when we're at home and not at the range, not me).  But if he's armed and I'm not?  That means I have no way to defend myself.  Because trying to defend yourself when your opponent has a gun is pretty futile.  If I do have a gun, and he also has one, then I can easily shoot him before he gets to me.  I would have no regrets about it.

Now here comes another question: What if we're both unarmed?  If there's an intruder, you never know if he has a gun on him.  But for the argument's sake, let's say he's not.  If I don't have a gun because of this silly treaty either, then guess what I'll do?  I'll do whatever it takes to get him the heck away from me.  I will use whatever else I can think of to defend myself.  I'll use my fists (even though I seriously can't punch - ask anyone), one of the steak knives in the kitchen, whatever.  The only time I would EVER kill a person is out of self-defense, and taking a gun away isn't going to stop that.  There will be people who will still murder.  There are more ways to kill a person than with a gun, so taking the guns away won't lower the amount of murders that happen.  And people will still own guns - making it illegal doesn't mean every single gun owner out there will immediately let go of their guns.  You might as well ban everything else if you're really bent on keeping the crime rate low, Mr. President.  Anything and everything can be used as a weapon.  If you want people to stop stabbing, ban scissors.  If you want people to stop suffocating others, ban plastic bags.  I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.  The only difference is that guns are more effective than any other weapon.

My final question: How do you think we've been fighting wars?  And how will we fight in the future without firearms?  We will be toast if we don't have them.

You have no reason to fear gun owners.  George Washington once said, "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference."  The majority of gun owners own guns to protect themselves and use them for recreation (hunting, for example), not to kill or harm people.  The only people to be feared are the ones who misuse guns.  I am not losing my second amendment rights without a fight.  "They'll have to shoot me first to take my gun."  (Roy Rogers, everyone.)

If you want to debate with me on this issue, I'd be more than happy to do so.  My only requests are that we do it in person and that you are civil about it.  If you start to hurl insults at me (which has happened to me - one of the big reasons I usually don't get into debates - seems like no one can be civil and respectful about it), I will immediately leave.