Says you!

In an effort to diffuse to the sheer horror of being labeled a "dork," "techie," "queer," or even "local artist," recently San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom had this to say during a virtual chat.

In a fireside chat in the virtual world Second Life, Newsom responded to a question from Philip Rosedale, CEO of Second Life publisher Linden Lab, about virtual worlds not just attracting geeks.

The mayor laughed and offered a wonderful response: "Why are you so sensitive about geeks? It's all good," Newsom said. "We're all geeks."

Heh. Sometimes the mayor tickles us. But within the palace walls of San Francisco, it seems like one has to to call themselves a geek. Everyone does. Annoyingly so, at times. Even former homecoming queens and high school football quarterbacks arrive here with the I'm-a-geek mentality firmly in place the moment they hit the ground.

That said, "cool" is the new "geek." And we're cool. Totally cool.