I bet you'll never see Commie's away message "In NYC" in the same light again. While it has no real basis in reality, this strip does make me think about the male membership of the Sci-Fi club, and most of our complete and total ineptitude with women in general.
     I've always wondered where the timidness and tepidness in geek-to-girl interactions comes from. Is it because geeks use words like "timid" and "tepid," or is it because of something else? I mean, we've always looked at this thing from two angles, the geek angle which says "we're too smart for most people and tend to overthink situations," and the popular angle which says "geeks are obsessive people who are embarrassing to be around." Do I have an alternate angle? Not really. Both are partially accurate, in my humble opinion. Geeks are to blame because of their poor interpersonal skills which come from first a feeling of social inadequacy and an overcompensation by using big words, obscure references, and angry sarcasm. Popular girls avoid interactions with geeks because of the poor interpersonal skills, but some will force themselves into interaction in order to acheive a goal (like the successful completion of a homework assignment). So, as a result, the few interactions between popular girls and geeks are forced and particularly grating.
     What I do have are some tips for geeks to get along with popular girls. (A) If she asks you over to help her with her computer, just help her... don't get preachy about "you shouldn't have this installed" and "I can't believe you use 'view as web page' in your folder views." That's not exactly sweet talk. (B) Never ever talk about Star Trek. Period. (C) If she gives you a hug good-bye or puts her hand on your shoulder... don't freak out. Such things are normal. Not only that, but don't assume that means she's into you.
     And lastly, for any geek guys interested in asking any girl out... I recommend using this syntax: Would you like to <social interaction> with me <time frame>? Don't ask her if she wants to start dating. Don't look to even get a second date out of it. Start small, build a friendship, and work from there. And what ever you do... don't get frustrated when she introduces people to you, and refers to you as her "guy friend." You know who you are.
     Anyway... I'm gonna cut this hypocritical rant short and go back to watching Star Trek: TNG. It's the episode where Geordi has troubles dating and then learns to interact with women thanks to a holo-deck program... I'm such a geek. Such a hypocrite. I'd better stop over-analyzing this before I give myself another migrane.