Some people are embarrassed to admit that they?e geeks. Then there are those who not only embrace their geekiness, but throw parties to celebrate it.
That? what happened May 11 at the W Hotel in Westwood, where an invitation-only event was held by the Society for Geek Advancement, a tongue-in-cheek group for those in the tech community. And in case you had any doubts about the people in attendance, some wore black T-shirts with ? am a geek?printed in white letters on them. The shirts also were worn by the bartenders, who may or may not have been geeks.
Among the geeks in attendance: Lon Harris, editorial director at Mahalo.com; Amanda Coolong of TechZulu.com; Drew Baldwin, co-founder of Tubefilter; and Shira Lazar, a TV and radio host who? a mainstay in the local tech community.
Handful for Charity
Robin Patterson, executive vice president and a founder of the American Business Bank in downtown Los Angeles, recently ate an elegant dinner using only his fingers. Some of his food dropped inelegantly onto the napkin stretching from his necktie to his lap.
? had a little spill,?Patterson, 46, acknowledged. ? had a spoon, but decided to just use my hands.?p>Patterson? meal ?chicken filet with sauce and potatoes ?was at the Beverly Hills Hotel on May 12 and it was the local kickoff of Dining in the Dark, which is sponsored by the national Foundation Fighting Blindness. The $300-a-plate dinner helps fund research into various diseases affecting sight. To simulate blindness for the nearly 200 attendees the lights were doused.
Patterson, who with his wife, Pamela, co-chaired the event, got interested in the foundation? work a year ago after the couples?17-year-old daughter, Chelsea, was diagnosed with a form of macular dystrophy, a condition often resulting in legal blindness.
The evening? biggest lesson, he said: ?etting through a meal blind is a bit of a chore.?p>
Staff reporters Charles Proctor and David Haldane contributed to this column.
Page 3 is compiled by editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
