The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

3 May 2006

Welcome to eHardly

Joanne Jacobs has an idea for a dating service:

Match low-earning, socially adept teachers with high-earning, socially challenged engineers. Good for the teaching profession, good for family income, probably a good mix for the gene pool.

This strikes me as just slightly problematic: the socially-adept educators might assume that they don't need a dating service, what with their surfeit of savoir-faire and all, and the nerds with the slide rules probably aren't as lonesome as the stereotype suggests.

Of course, even if this scheme comes with a money-back guarantee, there's no point in sending me the brochure.

Posted at 6:20 AM to Table for One


I don't think they carry slide rules any more. Slide rules can now be found in antique shops. People collect them.

Posted by: miriam at 7:44 AM on 3 May 2006

Ah but the sliderule is making a comeback:

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/august24/slide-082405.html

What's wrong with nostalgia for nerds? If slide rules are dated, then (according to my calculations) nerds who carry them should be dated.

Posted by: Eric Scheie at 11:10 AM on 3 May 2006

That's a good way to reduce the pool of available teachers! Why work when hubby/wifey is making the dough? Stay home and take care of the kids. That's what I'd do, given the choice.

Posted by: Dan at 12:19 PM on 3 May 2006

For the record, during the period I carried a slide rule, I was never dated.

Posted by: CGHill at 12:23 PM on 3 May 2006

Actually my brother is an engineer.
Many of his friends are not socially adept. But they usually end up marrying a nurse or another woman who loves the strong steady type and recognize that glib outgoing types are often more superficial. (my brother married a physical therapist).

Posted by: Boinkie at 7:07 PM on 4 May 2006