You might remember a blog I wrote a few weeks back about geeky, nerdy Things. I mentioned how it's hip to be square these days because everyone has a computer and therefore everyone needs a nerd or a geek friend. Because eventually you're going to need help with that computer. In my circle of friends, I'm that nerd. Which means I spent the better part of my weekend trying to help two friends undo the heinous damage they did to their PCs by downloading all kinds of unknown garbage from the web.

Now, I'm not going to give a big lecture about downloading Things from the internet. You know better. You know you know better and I know you know better. But here's my Public Service Announcement: the "download" button is a suggestion, not a command. 'Nuff said. But even more important is this: back up your computer! Back it up completely. Back it up often. Back it up to a reliable device. Do that and you won't have to suffer through disbelief and eyeball rolling when you bring your now sluggish, unresponsive, blue-screened mess of a computer to your geeky, nerdy friend for fixing.

Here's the contrast: one friend had a fairly recent backup, only about a month old. When I told her I had to wipe her hard drive and reinstall her operating system to get rid of all the malware on her computer, she was a little bummed. She lost recent photos, contacts, emails and had to redo some of the work she'd done before her system crash. Inconvenient, but not disastrous. The other friend had never, ever backed up his files. Ever. His computer required the same heroic effort: complete hard drive wipe. The difference is he lost everyThing. Every photo, email, contact and file he'd ever saved to his hard drive, gone. He suffered what is known as Catastrophic Data Loss.

It won't happen to him again. It's like touching a hot stove: you learn your lesson quick. But this doesn't have to happen to you at all. Just take an hour or two out of each month or week (depending on how much you use your computer) and back up your files. Get a hard drive, a memory stick, a mouse that backs up as you work -- anyThing that has the capacity to hold your important files. Set a reminder in your calendar and your phone so you don't forget. You won't regret the time and money you spend now to avoid the heartbreak of data loss later. I promise.

I'll see you next week,
Bobby

It's time to start building our list of Things to read for the summer. You won't find the classics or any New York Times best sellers on my list of beachworthy books.

At the top of my list is Uncle John's True Crime Book. From dopey dopers (you can't believe where they'll hide Things!) to silly sentences to serial killer quips, it really is a fun read. Much more fun than you'd expect from a true crime book, but exactly what you'd expect from the Uncle John's series. Which is why the 24-Karat Gold Bathroom Reader is (pardon the pun) number two on my list. As always, organized by the length of your expected sitting, you can learn about everyThing from the biggest product flops in history to people who did surgery on themselves to (perhaps related) people famous for how they died.

As its name implies, The Fart Dictionary will help you discover and define types of flatulence - yours or theirs. You'll learn the ins and outs of all kinds of emissions, from the abandoned fart (a fart left to be enjoyed by others; i.e. elevator exit, crowded room or your supervisor's office) to the zombie fart (a fart whose seems to return to life with renewed vigor every few minutes). For a little more substantial reading, someThing more solid, if you will, pick up A Ton of Crap. It's full of crap you should know, but might not. Like when to use a semi-colon and how the zero functions as a placeholder. Like I was, you might be disappointed to learn this isn't a book about poop, but trust me: you'll like this book. It's full of interesting crap - even if none of it is actually about crap.

Last, but most definitely not least is the Mammoth Book Of Weird But True. You've heard the cliché "truth is stranger than fiction"? Ever wonder how a cliché becomes a cliché? Because they're true! This book wins my "best time-waster" award for the summer. A chimp who makes prank calls? It happened. A pickpocket trout? Yep. Panda porn? All true. And all better than any urban legend destined for your email inbox this summer. It's a mammoth trip through Things strange, stupid, weird, wacky, morbid, disgusting and most of all funny.

Happy reading! I'll see you next week,
Bobby

We love all Things comic around here, including and especially comic books. On Free Comic Book Day, stores around the country will give away over 2 million comic books -- free.

We've had a relationship with comic books since the beginning of the art form. Back then, our "Things You Never Knew Existed" catalog was called the "Johnson Smith & Co." catalog. We were among the first to advertise in comic books. The ads were densely packed pages of astounding merchandise that -- even then -- you couldn't possibly live without. This ad was the back cover of the very first issue of "Action Comics" in 1938. You can click on it for a larger version if you're dying to find out how much a Whoopee Cushion cost in '38.

"Coming across their ad was like encountering an intricate wallpaper sample," says Imprint writer J.J. Sedelmaier, "but it was also like a friend that you could count on to appear in every issue with your favorite superhero or comic book character." And those ads influenced generations of comic book and graphic artists.

Since we're so closely related to comics, Free Comic Book Day feels like a family holiday. A lot of us will hit the comic book stores as a group tomorrow. We think of it as of a mobile company picnic -- without the ants and sunburn.

See you next week,
Bobby

Before computers came along, nerds and geeks weren't in very high demand. I know. I was one. I am one. I like math and science and computers and comic books and superheroes and I get sweaty-nervous in unfamiliar social situations and my favorite dessert is pie (guess why.) But now everyone needs a nerd or a geek because they need a computer guy or girl. And suddenly, it's hip to be square. Well, almost.

It's not exactly cool to be a nerd yet, but I think we're making serious inroads. There's even a WikiHow to show you what it takes to become a nerd. Honest. Never thought I would see the day. It's not complete and the distinction it makes between the words "geek" and "nerd" don't stand up to the test of popular use, but it's a fun read.

Very popular nerd Paul Graham even wrote an article about why nerds are so unpopular. Since he authored the very first web application (Viaweb) and described a statistical SPAM filter that even now keeps unwanted mail out of my inbox, his opinion matters to me. So -- spoiler alert -- I'll give you the gist of it: nerds would rather be smart than liked.

Why? Because nerds might not be able to navigate the pitfalls of a formal dinner party or speak to the opposite sex without choking, but only a nerd or a computer geek knows what to do in a kernel panic. Windows' Blue Screen of Death and Mac's classic Crash Bomb are a few of our favorite Things. Nerds are curious people. Nerds want to know Things and then design Things and then build Things. That's why we now have computers and smart phones and tablets. Because they're Things nerds think are cool. Who knew everyone else would think so, too?

See you next week,
Bobby