What to Get My Geek for Valentine's Day?

A reader writes "Help!!! I've been dating my geek for three months and I'm in a bit of a dilemma. So I thought I'd ask the men of Slashdot what they would want as a Valentine's Day gift. I'm looking for something out of the ordinary that will knock his socks off. Somthing clever, crafty and unique. The budget is $100. My geek's interests are typical geek fare, games, computers, music and gadgetry. So! You, men of Slashdot, tell me what you would want to recieve for Valentine's day and help me make my geek happy."

Blow job

give him a blow job

Re:Blow job

How is that off-topic? Every (male) geek wants one of those for valentines day.

Who are these mods?

Re:Blow job

Clearly the mods were looking for a "too explicit for a public message board" mod ;-)

Re:Blow job

When I got one, I stopped being a geek. It's kind of like Samson's hair - you cut it off, and he loses he strength. With geeks, they have sex and they lose their programming ability.
Since my experince, I have no idea how to use objects or even semi-colons!

Re:Blow job

Since my experince, I have no idea how to use objects or even semi-colons!

If you aren't using objects or colons, you've got to be having some pretty boring sex.

(Sorry, but someone had to say it)

Re:Blow job

With geeks, they have sex and they lose their programming ability.

I can see the ad now: At Microsoft, we need the best programmers. Only virgins need apply. We attribute the numerous security flaws in Windows to programmers who have gotten laid. Our studies show that one blow job is responsible for an average of seventeen buffer overflows. Be pure and join our team.

Re:Blow job

I guess Microsoft isn't just their name, but a reminder of their duty to the company.

Re:Blow job

(OT) Reminds me of the time on Seinfeld when George stops having sex and becomes smart. Geeks start having sex and loose programming ability. :)

Obl. Family Guy quote

Peter: I say Quagmire, it seems to me we've each made another $500 million dollars.

Quagmire: Good thing we swore off women so we wouldn't be distracted and unable to accumulate this vast amount of wealth.

Peter: Yes. You watch the ticker. I'm gunna go microwave a bagel and have sex with it.

Quagmire: Butter's in the fridge!

Re:Blow job

Don't agree. A good BJ is not a distraction; a non-geek woman hanging about and wanting your attention all the time when you are trying to do SERIOUS WORK - that's a distraction.

But some women don't understand and some women do - and the ones that do, those are the ones we stick with.

If you want to make sure you get that BJ for Valentine's Day - buy her velour knee pads.

Re:Blow job

Don't agree. A good BJ is not a distraction;

Yeah, anyone who's seen Swordfish knows that it enables a good cracker to break 128-bit encryption in under a minute.

Techs & sex

Brings to mind this billboard. [livejournal.com]

Re:Blow job

How is that off-topic? Every (male) geek wants one of those for valentines day

This is 2004, not 1904. If they've been dating for three months, he's already getting blowjobs, or better. A Valentines gift should be something special.

First thing that comes to mind after the blowjob suggestion gets us stuck on thinking of things involving genitals is to do something in the bedroom that you wouldn't normally do because it is too much effort. For instance, he's a gamer...so how about some cosplay? Dress up as some kind of young Japanese girl, anime style, and let him have his perverted way. :-)

Re:Blow job

This is 2004, not 1904. If they've been dating for three months, he's already getting blowjobs, or better. A Valentines gift should be something special.

Then she should swallow. That always makes it special.

Re:Blow job

There is only Zuul.

Are you the Gatekeeper? Where the fuck you been?

Re:Blow job

Sort of related to that . . .

While in a sex store buying stuff for one of my friend's bachelorette party, I saw some instructional tapes. One of them was simply labelled "Fellatio." I had the idea of buying it for my girlfriend on Valentine's Day. I think it might be fun . . . .

And if she doesn't like it, I can just say, " That's alright, I just got it as a gag gift."

Re:Blow job

<i>"That's alright, I just got it as a gag gift."</i>

*Gag* gift? Braggart.

<rim shot />

Either that or, if gagging is a problem, you need to get her the *Advanced* Fellatio tape.

Re:Blow job

You should just hope she doesn't get you one of those tapes instead...

Re:Blow job

Yay, we found one job that will definitely cost more if outsourced.

Re:Blow job

Yay, we found one job that will definitely cost more if outsourced.

Actually, they cost a lot LESS if you get them in a foreign country.

Recipe for a perfect Valentine's Day

It's pretty simple... V-Day is on a Saturday, which means no work (hopefully), so it's perfect.

Arrange ahead of time to take the first half of the day for V-Day, and let him have the second half. Take him to the nearest arcade, with $40-50 worth of quarters, or go-kart racing, follow it up with lunch at something cheap but not fast food (maybe Bennigan's or Chili's), then to a movie he wants to see (maybe The Butterfly Effect, or Cold Mountain, but you know better), and have popcorn and icees/slushies or that 128oz. monster size soda.

Next, let him take over, hopefully he'll have something planned for you (remember you arranged ahead of time, so that's a good reminder for him).

When you get back, he'll have had an incredible day, hopefully you'll have had an incredible night, finish it off by taking him home (your place or his), for some intimate time. Do something with him that you've never done before, whether that be letting him get to second base, or your first time having sex in the shower (or the kitchen table, washing machine, etc. ;) )

As for me? My gf and I are currently seperated by that little pond we call the Atlantic Ocean, so I'm having flowers delivered to her, as well as a DVD player (she doesn't have one yet), and the complete Family Guy collection (I know my girl). I'm going to pick up some candles, break out the webcam, and we're going to have a candlelit dinner some 2000 miles apart...

Re:Recipe for a perfect Valentine's Day

"When I treated him to BJs..."

you just posted on slashdot, and you posted about oral sex. i dont think its possible to count the number of slashdot guys who want to be your valentines day date right now.

Re:Blow job

Give him a Simpsons Valentine [web-goddess.org]. It says "I Choo-Choo-Choose you", and there's a picture of a train!

Valentine's day gift for a geek.

If you really care and your significant other is really a Geek,
a great gift is to let him know what you want him to get YOU on the holiday as well as where to eat.

How can YOU prevent the following conversation?

"Honey," (he begins ever so sweetly), "Where would you like dine?"
"Oh, I don't know dear, surprise me."
"But dear, my love of food means that there isn't a restaurant on planet earth that I don't like and you were so unhappy the fourth time Christmas week I took you to MickeyDee's, there was no lovin' for weeks after."
"Just pick a romantic place, OK?"
"Bunchkins, just name one or two or three you like, and I'll be more than happy to pick one."
(Tone at this point turns icy.) "That is NOT romantic. I want you to surprise me with a romantic choice."
"My love, when I surprised you on your birthday with a McFlurry and a hot McPie with a candle on top, I thought you would appreciate the originality. Instead, I obviously did something wrong when you threw it at me. Please just tell me what you would like."
"What I would like is for you to have a romantic thought. And since you want advice, make sure your gift is romantic, but not too flashy or ostentatious."
"Dearest, I am just too Geeky to translate the word 'romantic' into the most appropriate gift and dinner. I know you love me despite my geekiness. Couldn't you just give me a note with the details of what to get you and where to take you?"
"If you ever want affection even once in you life after the holiday, I suggest you drop this conversation now and do what you need to do."
Geek mutters under breath, "I should have slit my wrists a long time ago."

Re:Valentine's day gift for a geek.

> (I should have added to the above: Of course sex and Legos are great geeks gifts. Bundle up a bunch o' Legos in a box and tell him, "These are for the office.")

And you can choose whether to give him the Lego before the sex or after the sex.

If you give a real geek a big pile of Lego, (Mindstorms, or maybe the 3-foot-long Imperial Star Destroyer), you won't be getting sex for a week.

If that's a bug, give him the sex first. If that's a feature, give him the Lego first.

Do not attempt to give both things at once. For instance, you could dress yourself up in a bikini made of Lego hinges, flats, and two radar dishes, but it'd be pretty damn unconfortable for you. And sure, he'd want to take that bikini apart as soon as he laid eyes on you in it... but only because it's got the parts he needs for the movable laser turrets on Page 23 of the assembly booklet. And he's been looking for the missing parts all freakin' morning!

Geeks are NOT sad losers

Who the fsck are you to determine whether someone is a loser? I'm a self-professed geek, and in this day, that's like saying I'm a renaissance man. Being a geek is a philosophy which extends beyond computers, into all things logical and illogical. I see my problem solving (ie - programming) skills as being a form of art. I feel complete and satisfied when I have `finished` a program/module that I know is exactly the way I want it.

Aside from programming (and computers in general), I enjoy other forms of art including photography and sketching. I've been married for 15 years, and I'm a father. I enjoy riding my Triumph Trophy 1200 motorcycle, and training my dog to do agility. But even when I'm doing all of those things, my mind is still racing with hundreds of ideas for the project d'jeur.

I don't know what your definition of `geek` is, but most of the people I know, who call themselves one, use my definition. Not the one in Websters, and they don't feel like it's a limitation either.

One more important point, I would like to direct your attention to, is that you are enjoying the benefits of the geeks. Many of us designed the computers, along with many other things, and wrote the code to contol them. Obviously you don't scoff at the use of these items, and we've made our money doing it.

So again I ask, who are you to determine that being a geek qualifies us as losers. I see you as the loozer, since you don't have the sack or brains to do it yourself.

Re:Geeks are NOT sad losers

Looks like somebody touched one of the renaissance man's nerves.

Rez + Trance Vibe (Re:Not really a geek )

If he plays games, and he has a PS2, get him Rez with the Trance Vibrator [gamegirladvance.com]. It might be a bit of a rush by now.

The Best Store

That's easy, almost anything from Think Geek [thinkgeek.com]

Re:The Best Store

Sheesh, talk about your sycophantic posts, Were you angling for a discount. Here are more a few more realistic things you can get:

- get undressed and possibly into a leather and chains (with whip) outfit. Substitute rubber or lingerie according to (his) taste.
- get out the KY
- get a couple of your/his friends around
- get at it

If he gets presents like these, he's soon be much happier about turning older each year.

Re:The Best Store

Geeks also appreciate it when you dress up as Princess Leia in her slave outfit from Return of the Jedi.

Re:The Best Store

Agreed. There is lots of cool stuff there.

I would also suggest a Leatherman [leatherman.com], if he doesn't already have one. Most models are in the $30-$70(US) range, and are very handy. I have actually given them to two of my past girlfriends (no jokes about the reasons for them being ex's, please). They both loved them.

Re:The Best Store

I would also suggest a Leatherman

I don't know if that's such a great idea [google.com].

~jeff

Re:The Best Store

Heh the HTTP Panties Valenties Box is pretty funny. http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/valentines/6796 / [thinkgeek.com]

Although they forgot some errors that would be equally amusing

402 "Payment Required"
405 "Method not Allowed"
411 "Length Required"
500 "Internal Server Error" (you know, for that time of the month)
503 "Service Unavailable"

If you've read this far I'm sure you can tell I'll be on my own for Valentine's Day. Fuck.

Re:The Best Store

Now there's a thought... Slashdotting someone's girlfriend...

Re:The Best Store

Well there are only a limited number of ports to begin with and the administrator may very well have closed off at least one of them. After that you've got simple load-bearing issues as to how many users can be served simultaneously. The system doesn't scale particularly well on its own and you're likely to get a great number of dropped packets from clients even if the host is set to promiscuous.

A mirror or two can help, but not nearly enough to distribute the load. You'll need to get a whole server farm going just to be able to handle a moderate number of requests.

Re:The Best Store

Some people get of on seeing a girl with lots of dropped packets.

Re:The Best Store

Yeah...but it's been done. I broke up with my last girlfriend after I found out she served more requests than Apache.

Re:The Best Store

Shouldnt it be 503 "Cervix Unavailable"?

Re:The Best Store

LOL.. never has ThinkGeek's "see this item in action" feature seemed so useful.

Re:The Best Store

FireBox [firebox.com] is great for gadgets and toys, run by a couple of real geeks, and no I dont work for them, family member etc, I'm just a customer.

ThinkGeek Valentine guide

Check out the ThinkGeek Valentine guide [thinkgeek.com].

Woohoo!

A greased up yoda doll!

Get him/her in the stock market

Buy him/her some SCO stocks... not for the profit, but for the historical value.

A threesome with your girlfriend

nuff said....

Re:A threesome with your girlfriend

Amen... for extra bonus points, dress her up in nothing but a bow, and start off with some hot girl-on-girl action.

Re:A threesome with your girlfriend

Yup - then blog [indecentblogging.com] about it :)

Re:There's a link to one place

OSDN personals powered by match.com?

That's so cruel!

one suggestion

stop calling him GEEK every other sentence. That's a start.

Re:one suggestion

Hey, some of us are geeks and proud of it. I have no problem with someone calling me a geek when it isn't done in an insulting manner. Even then I often take it as a compliment.

This is a good thread. My gf has a hard time shopping for me sometimes. I maintain a list of DVDs I want, and she often snags something off that list. A lot of geeks maintain a wish list somewhere. Other times, it is just something I've mentioned I've wanted.

Although, one time I had been mentioning wanting an umbrella for a while, but hadn't gotten my butt to go shopping for one. So she hands me this blue-purple umbrella. For some reason, women seem to think purple works for guys. I had to be careful not to offend her, but I ended up going to the store and returning it for a nicer black one.

I do have some male friends that like purple, but most of them are gay. The general advice about shopping for men, still applies to most geeks.

The difference for geeks is they like cool toys and often care a lot about quality. If you get something that normally comes in a cheap plastic, but they make a nice shiny metal one. Most people might not care, but a lot of geeks will like the nice shiny metal one. I wish I had an example, but I hope I got the idea accross.

Re:one suggestion

Man all I can say is when people call me a geek, it's almost enough to make me quit the circus. Bitin' the heads offa chickens ain't no joke.

Geek with a girlfriend?

If your geek has a girlfriend he doesn't need a present too. Buy chocolate for yourself.

Re:Geek with a girlfriend?

He's right. Having a girlfriend is enough for me; I don't need any presents! Love is the best present anyone can give or receive (that and 8 processor Opteron workstations, for the receiver anyway)

Combine his two biggest interests

and get yourself some coded underwear [thinkgeek.com].

Just don't get it backwards-- wear the 200 ones when you are gearing to go.

Hmm....

Dress as:
- Seven of Nine (Star Trek)
- Princess Leah (You know, the mini stuff)

What else? ohh...he might wanna have sex with you but our kind is used to rejection so it should be ok.

Re:Hmm....

If Seven of Nine is too complicated of an outfit, just plain naked works well too.

PS- If he shouts, "That's a lot of polygons" ignore it. S'all good.

Re:Hmm....

PS- If he shouts, "That's a lot of polygons" ignore it. S'all good.

Newbie. Everyone knows bezier curves and bump mapping are the best ways to turn a guy on. Just as important, of corse, is the "bounce algorithm" - don't forget to debug yours!

Computer Parts

Computer parts can be a very good thing to get: new hard drive, more RAM, new CPU. If you realy want to make a statement there is always that realy big LCD panel screen that most of the geeks I work with drool over.

Or if you have a hard time picking one of those out, then sex is always appricated ^_^

Re:Computer Parts

Yeah, and for the $100 stated in the article, that is like a 5" LCD. drool!

Re:Computer Parts

Yeah. Nothing will be more fun for him than trying to take back the CPU that doesn't fit his motherboard, or the ram he has no use for since his slots are already filled, or the 20GB ATA66 5400RPM hard drive.

My advice: let him pick the parts himself.

Lucky bastard...

It's not enough that he has a girlfriend, she has the brains to get him a geek toy too. Like i said - lucky bastard

Asking a Geek?!

I'm sure most men here would just like a girlfriend at all.

Maybe you could get him some soap, a razor or decent clothes.

A room that is NOT in the basement would probably be good, too.

Sunlight is also a good possibility.

Re:Asking a Geek?!

Good lord! Are you saying that the rumours of the daystar are true?!?

Something non-geeky

If he's anything like most of us geeks, we'll buy the geek toys ourselves to make sure we get exactly what we want.

So, my suggestion is, get him something non-geeky that he'd like or has commented on that shows you realize he is much more than just Geek.

Re:Something non-geeky

I would have to second this comment. I think if my gf bought me a HD or a thinkgeek t-shirt i would be kind of disapointed because those are things that i would just go out and buy if i need. I would rather have something that would remind me of her whenever i see it.

Re:Something non-geeky

And I hate to say it, most geek toys cost more than $100.

Here's an idea: get him something that is not geek-oriented at all. He will probably treasure it more than something destined to end up in one of his techno-junk piles or handed down to his "lower-tech" buddies.

Re:Something non-geeky

Damn straight. Get him something you want to get him. Don't look for something that he wants or needs, because if he wanted it himself then he would have already bought it. I know I would have. If I haven't bought the item then it's probably too expensive, in which case my girlfriend couldn't afford it either.
The whole idea of setting aside certain days of the year to give gifts just pisses me off to no end. I have no problem with getting gifts for people, but only if I feel like it and I want to. I just absolutely hate the feeling of obligating to get gifts for people. The problem is when people expect gifts and then I don't get them somthing, they are disappointed and then it makes me feel bad. They never fuckign seem to take into account that I'm a poor college boy and I can't afford all that shit. Am I supposed to not eat so that I can buy shit for people? I'm sorry guys, but I have to think of myself first.
uh, sorry about that rant, but it's that time of year and I'm pissed off about it.

Re:Something non-geeky

I wish I had mod points (time expired yesterday).

But I can't agree with you more. I don't give christmas gifts, birthday gifts or whatever. If I see something in the store that reminds me of someone and think they'd like it, and I can afford it, I'll get it for them. I hate the attitudes of people of expecting something, and thankfully, my family is understanding of my philosophy. If it's about giving, why hold it to a particular day (here's your christmas gift, I got it weeks ago but you can't enjoy it until a certain day). How idiotic is that? Then, it becomes more about making yourself feel better about giving than the actual giving.

And as others have said, dont get me "geek" stuff unless you know I want it. I always appreciate the thought, effort put into gifts and the caring by the other person, but if I had wanted to buy an mp3 player or whatever, I would've. Maybe I want the Rio instead of an iPod. Maybe I care more about the RPM than HD size. Even if you get expert advice from other "geeks", their values and tastes can (and tend to) differ.

The best thing about a relationship, imo, is the intimacy. Spend valentines day together playing games that you both like or watch some movies that you guys like or whatnot. Plan the day together and lose yourself in each other's company and love.

Re:Something non-geeky

The old saying that 'it's the thought that counts' works here. My girlfriend knit me scarf one time. Give her a single red rose. Give something you make. Give of yourself. If a person really loves you, they'll like that better than anything you can buy them. Girls like attention as much as they like gifts. A lot of small gifts are better than huge expensive things, because many small gifts (of inconsequential cost. A piece of foil wrapped chocolate on her pillow, for instance. Breakfast in bed, etc.) demonstrate that you're thinking about her.

If she wants more, ask yourself if she's worth it.

Re:Something non-geeky

As a particular suggestion along these lines, geeks tend not to pay much attention to the ergonomics of their computers. It is pretty likely that you could get him something cheap that he'd never think to get that would substantially improve how he feels after a long coding session. Good candidates include lighting, comfortable indoor footwear, and a good chair.

You can also generally find better keyboards and mice, but you'll want to have him try a bunch and pick his favorite, because different ones feel better for different people.

To all those who said "BJ"

She asked what _her_ geek, who HAS a girl, would like. Not what YOU want so badly.

Re:Dinner

My wife burns cereal..., and is scared of touching my feet because I had foot surgery and am missing a thing or two.

I decided to give up my chance to moderate this story because I couldn't find a -1 "Too Informative" mod for this.

Re:One thing that doesn't cost anything

Is it bad that I thought he was going to say linux?

Tools!

$100? How about some useful tool or hardware necessity. First thought would be one of those Keychain USB drives. If you want him to think of you often get him something he finds useful and will use a lot.

Re:Tools!

just don't forget to store a nice picture of you on it! (Will make a nice surprise the first time he uses the drive)...

...at work.
"OOPS!!. You guys weren't supposed to see that!"

Gadget coat

Take a look at the stuff at ScottEVest [scottevest.com]. If he's a gadget geek (aren't we all) he's gotta have one of these.

IPod!!

If he already has an IPod, or if that's too expensive -- get him the mini IPod. Or get him IPod accessories, like the dock that doubles as a set of speakers. Check it out at www.store.apple.com

Gift banking

Yeah, I read that too late. But they can do what my gf and I do -- gift banking. She likes jewelry, but the kind she likes costs roughly twice my typical gift budget. Rather than getting her crap that she wouldn't like, we agreed to "bank" the gifts and combine them later. It helps if you also buy small, fun, inexpensive gifts when the larger gift is deferred.

Hrm

This story is kinda fishy.

"A Reader" writes... A reader of Slashdot that doesn't know what a geek wants as a gift, Okkaaay.

This whole thing seems like a big shill story to get people to post links to ThinkGeek, which is of course owned by the same company as Slashdot.

Re:Hrm

Wait, you are actually suggesting that a non-geek figured out the user interface of Slashdot?? :)

What do you *both* want?

It's easy to give a geek gifts. ThinkGeek.com alone should satisfy you there. For V's Day, you might want to look for something you'd both enjoy, so that his immediate response isn't "Must go off and use new gadget alone!" Two-player videogames you're willing to play with him, DVDs you'll both like, that kind of thing. Stuff like books or single-player video games can wait until his birthday.

My suggestion

All geeks would love an Windows XP license or subscription to MSDN.

(I'm jealous and trying to break you up)

A quick search on google

Well, lady, just typing "the perfect present for a geek" [google.com] in google gave me some interesting links...

This one might help you [presentpicker.com].

A poem from the heart.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
All of my base
Are belong to you

Re:A poem from the heart.

You mean:

Roses are #FF0000
Violets are #0000FF

Re:A poem from the heart.

"red" and "blue" are defined in rgb.txt, so the first poster was correct.

Re:A poem from the heart.

And, to complete the poem:

Roses are #FF0000
Violets are #0000FF
chown -R you ~/base

Re:A poem from the heart.

...also from bash.org
Roses are red
Violets are blue
In Soviet Russia
Poems Write You

Amazon's hidden "Geek" section

Amazon has a well-hidden Early Adopers Store [amazon.com] that has all the latest gadgetry and toys. Lots of fun stuff there....

Love

Being a lonely geek myself, I would say that I would be happy just getting to spend my day with a girl I love. The only thing that I would ever want would be her company for that day. There is no material object on the planet that would make me as happy as just getting to spend time someone I love. Just to hold her in my arms, and enjoy her company. Maybe sitting out in a park bench in the middle of the night looking out over a lake at the cityscape.

Re:Love

Not even an iPod? Dude, they've got 40GB ones now.

Re:This is why I dislike humanity

Patience required?

I'm somewhat of the opinion that women just take awhile to come to their senses, and the geek men just don't change at all. Women spend all those years going out "to have fun" and dance and "spend time with friends" and the all of a sudden one day that biological starts ticking louder and louder, and suddenly the hilarious well-coordinated pub-crawling metrosexuals just don't seem like the guys they're looking for anymore.

Obviously don't take this post too seriously.

Second that.

A few years ago I was student teaching (for those who've never done it, that's a pretty big time of stress, because you're essentially learning the ropes of a more-than-full-time job while not getting paid a thing and, in fact, having to pay tuition. So combine no income and no time and going back to high school. Fabulous). When my birthday came around, my girlfriend came and picked me up as soon as classes were out, pulled me away from the stuff I probably would have been doing, and we just went walking in the hills for a few hours, and then to dinner. I did have to be back at parent teacher conferences that night, but those few hours were remarkably refreshing. Just time. It's a great gift.

Really consider sex

Unfortunately "give him sex!" comments are getting modded down.

Seriously, healthly people like sex. Good caring sex, more so.

You get him $100 worth of somethng from ThinkGeek and its something anyone could give, really lacks creativity and will be forgotten in a year.

Hot, wild monkey sex with a liberal dose of caring and understanding towards your partner's needs will blow his/her mind away, is going to be unique to each other and will strengthen your relationship.

If, for your personal reasons, you are waiting to get married or whatever, then head over to ThinkGeek.

Re:Really consider sex

And if you're in to that sort of thing, you might want to spend that Benjamin on some toys for the night (or afternoon's, or morning's) activities:

babes in toyland [babeland.com]

Or if you resent a web forum telling you how to run your sexlife, then yeah, thinkgeek.com. Or how about this take him to CompUSA or Electronics Boutique or Best Buy to pick up something basic (you need new blank CDs or something) and as soon as you see him oggling something in your price range, yank it from his hands, march to the register, say "I love you sweetie." (or "happy valentines" if at 3 months, that's a bit much) and buy it for him.

Re:Really consider sex

Hot, wild monkey sex

Monkey sex? Pff, I'd rather just have an army of monkeys. With that I could take over the world and get sex whenever I wanted.

Re:Really consider sex

the most reserved females out there become total sluts

Which only goes to prove there's good in the meanest of us.

Re:Really consider sex

Sexist generalization? Yup. But true.

Really? Maybe some places. My wife and I waited until we were married, and most of our friends did, too. So we went to a private school, whatever. Even at the university where I did my grad work, there were a lot of people waiting for engagement or marriage. I think it tends to get exaggerated that people don't wait for marriage anymore. A lot of people do, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Suppression, as opposed to repression, is not a bad thing... it just means you think something is special or important enough to reserve it, despite the fact that it may mean delaying gratification. Repression gets people into trouble because it's hard to break the guilt and shame association that they've convinced themselves of, and it ends up screwing up their married sex lives.

Also, I have to say that it's pretty shallow to break off a relationship because your partner wants to wait to have sex. It's only one part of a multi-faceted interaction, and you'll do just fine without for a while.

Re:Really consider sex

And how long have you been married? My wife and I were each other's first and only. And I thought it was really something special. For the 12 years that it lasted, that is. Then I found out that she had three affairs behind my back over the course of the last year.

Now I really wish I had been a little more free in my earlier years. Nobody likes to get cheated on, but I think it's worse when you're an innocent fool like I was. Now I'm a balding middle aged guy with few prospects and the only love I've ever had demoted me to fourth place (at best).

Anyways -- everyone's different. But don't be surprised if it happens to you. 70% of all marriages include infidelity, I've learned. And that's just the ones who admit it on a survey.

I used to think that sex was a meaningful act of love. That's still the only way I've experienced it. But I think that it's healthier and more realistic if you think of it as a game.

Cheers.

Re:Actually...

he is probably the guy that said blowjob

Shower Shock!

Yeah, from ThinkGeek.

My wife got me 3 bars and the first time I tried it I got a nasty buzz. It is actually a very nice soap even if not taking into account that it delivers as much caffeine as two cups of coffee with each shower.

A memory is the best present one can give

You need to be original, so what you should do is not buy him just anything but you should give him a memory. Things can break, but a memory is alwayys there so plan a roantic dinner with candles, inscence, rent his favorite movie, and prepare a home cooked meal (if you can't cook buy something and make it look as if you prepared it). You don't want to out do him because then he will hate himself, and after dinner go for a walk and then finally go back to your place put on the movie, cuddle up next to him and just enjoy. Thats the best present you can give him, because a memory like that is priceless. Hope I helped and good luck

March 14

More importantly, what happens on the 'other' holiday [steakandbjday.com]? Don't 'stiff' your geek on that day either! (pun intended)

One Sugestion

Call me old fashioned, but even though I am a geek, I don't really want or expect geeky gifts for valentine's day. That's what Christmas and birthdays are for. Is it just me or are gifts for this occasion suposed to be romantic in nature and not practical? That said, $100 would probably cover the tab for a nice romantic dinner out at a nice restraunt. Or, if he's geeky enough to still live in his parents' basement, you could always rent a hotel room...

A sincere smile, an embrace ...

... are the things that meant the most to me. Spend some time with him, go somewhere really cool, have an incredibly wonderful and intimate conversation, witness a beautiful sunset, stay up all night and contemplate the stars, the planet, and the joy of being with one another. Sing him a song if you're inclined!

These all last much longer, and go much deeper, than any consumable, in my opinion.

Regards,

John

USB pendrive/MP3 player

my girlfriend got me one for x-mas, and i love it. although it looks sorta stupid (and she was the first to admit it), its hella handy. its only about 75 bucks i think for 128mb, but shop around online.

the only thing that sorta sucks about it is, if you drop it, or tap it, or once in a while, look at it wrong while its playing mp3s, it turns off, and then give a low battery warning, but that could just be mine. i just take the battery out, and pop it back in, and all is well again.

http://www.apacer.com/

Something special

Well, so far everybody has suggested some kind of sexual favour... but either it's happened already or you have reasons why not. Oh well. Here are ideas you can actually tell him about in front of your parents:

• take him to the luxus sauna for a day. Complete relaxation, total comfort. Gets you off at 60$
• Get him a nice piece of decoration he can use to brighten his computer/workplace/shrine with. Good modern art, some kind of astronomy picture, something to focus his eyes on when he needs to calm down after some bughunting
• Any book he always wanted but could never afford? Get it and a few tidbits from the left-over money.
• Invite him to dinner to a nice restaurant. Something classy, but not necessarily posh. Good food is a must.
• Organize a surprise network party for him
• Music or a game he likes.
• I think you get the drift. Do
• not give him a bulk network card, no matter how useful it would be, because, while it would make him happy, it would also lack the certain something. What's important is something that makes the gift seem thoughtful, so either good presentation or a truly original idea are necessary. Hope I could help :)

Re:Something special

"Get him a nice piece of decoration he can use to brighten his computer/workplace/shrine with. Good modern art, some kind of astronomy picture, something to focus his eyes on when he needs to calm down after some bughunting"

As cheesy as some might think it, most geeks I know would appreciate a lava lamp. I've got one on my desk at work -- it's relaxing after a long coding session to lean back and stare at the globs rising and falling and smacking into each other.

Just a thought. :)

Cheers

Re:Something special

You know what?

Go look at the slashdot hall of fame. It's a long shot, and it depends on the guy, but get him something political. A tiger, or an acre of rain forest, or whatever. Or a donation to the EFF, or Debian, or Gentoo, or Fedora, or Blender or Wikipedia or Mandrake or any of hundreds of worthy projects that he probably takes advantage of on a daily basis.

Geeks have money, and they buy exactly the toys they want when they want. You can't win buying him a gadget.

Victoria Secrets

Something that you wear. Trust me, this would be better than any gadget you could possibly purchase.

Something that will knock socks off

How 'bout an Airzooka! [airzooka.com]? They're a good bit of harmless fun, especially at the office. I know that the one I picked up recently can knock about a lot of lightweight things (including socks that aren't actually being worn) from a range of 15 feet or more. Household pets tend to get annoyed but then seem to enjoy it. Our dog gets all excited and wants to play every time I bring it home. Plus, they're reasonably priced (I got mine from a local Biggs for about $13).

Asking on Slashdot

It's Valentine's day. Save the hardware and gadgetry for his birthday, Christmas, etc. Valentine's day, for one day, you can be sentimental, even to a techie. The geekiest you'd want to go would be, like, "his and hers" memory cards or something. :-) Something you've made yourself, even if it is tech-related, is best.

Of course, you could just let him see this thread. A girlfriend who likes her geek beau enough that she'll ask the nexus of geekdom how to best make a geek happy? Just the knowledge that a girl cares that much and knows him that well is a major gift in itself. Maybe frame the thread or something. :-)

• Widget from ThinkGeek: $30
• New iPod: $300
• New gaming rig: $3000
• A girlfriend willing to say "I love my geek and want to show it" on Slashdot: Priceless

How about a nice pair of headphones?

It's 30% over your budget, but the Etymotic ER-6s [headphone.com]
might be a good choice.

Or a pair of the lower-end Grados or Sennheisers if the in-ear
thing is too weird.

Best gift: take some of his worries away

Speaking as a geek in a long term relationship (defininition: over a year, no rings yet though), Valentine's Day is one of the most difficult holidays to deal with. I had intense social anxiety in high school, but even now, years and years later, there are still some things that trigger it for me. Number one is my fear of getting lost--if I have to go to a new place (say, a restaurant) and worse, I have to get there by a certain time (say, a reservation), I'll worry about it for days unless I take a drive during my free time before the event to memorize all the markers and distances. Number two is crowded places with no places to walk around (I usually solve this one with frequent trips to the bathroom or bar.) At Valentine's Day, though, every restaurant is going to be absolutely packed, and there will be no space at the bar.

I'm not saying your geek has any of these problems, but chances are, he's still feeling the stress of his first V-day in a relatively new relationship. The absolute perfect gift for me would be for my girlfriend to show up at my place on February 13th, tell me she had cancelled my reservations, and drive me to dinner. (Regardless of who pays.) It would show that she understands my problems. (And she does--she's been a huge help getting this far, and it was her suggestion that we take Friday off and spend the weekend with my recently divorced mother.)

As for presents though, every guy honestly really just wants the same thing--a great night in bed with no distractions. Pay any roommates to be conviently not there if necessary. If you want to get him something physical though (ah-ha), consider a framed picture of the two of you for his desk at work. Guys like pictures. Honestly. We're just too lazy to get a nice print, frame, etc etc.

This works nicely because guys NEVER ask other guys what they got for Valentine's Day. The only people who ask are women, and women will appreciate you for the thoughtful gesture and will respect him for having such a wonderful girlfriend.

Leatherman + packaging

Give him a leatherman tool (provided he doesn't already have one)... A lot of choice in your budget range: for $100 you can get a nice one.

For the 'crafty' 'unique' bit, you may want to consider some special kind of packaging that is challenging to actually open... My little brother always gets the same gift for his birthday (money), but he never got a gift from me that didn't take at least 15 minutes get fully open.
One possible example: present him his gift in a box closed with a couple of padlocks, and make him earn the keys with some fun assignments (up to you to think of those).

WRT all the 'sex' postings: sex is not a 'gift' or something you should 'give'. On valentine, you should most importantly make time for each other and enjoy being together in whatever way you spend the day/evening.

Does it have to be geeky?

Seriously- some of the most memorable things I have ever received were *not* geeky. Geeky things fade pretty quickly; they become outdated.

Now, I don't know where your BF stands financially, but chances are anything that runs ~100$ he could get for himself, or it's something that would be completely meaningless after about a year. Maybe that's not a bad thing. Dunno.

*My* favorite gift from a GF from all time, was a CD she created for me. Did the cover artwork, typed up the lyrics, and everything- all songs that were something to us.. things like Adam Ant's "Wonderful" (which is pretty generic for any happy relationship) and several songs that were more personal. That gift kicked ass because it was personal, had a human touch, it was very clear that time and effort had been made thinking about me/us.

But then she knew her tunes, and she clearly put some effort into it. If you don't, you would probably make a sucky gift.

Other good ideas would be a really nice night out. Spend some money to go get you both a massage (something to relax you both), then dinner at a nice italian (or whatever floats your boat) restaurant- someplace nicer than you could/would normally go. Maybe a private hot tub afterwords? Just something that is about the two of you- not something that will break in 2 months, or become outdated in a year.

Something personal is always going to mean more. Memories of a special occasion can last a lifetime. A geek toy won't even come close.

Commenting on lots of comments here ...

Sex: I've always been of the opinion that sex and sexual acts should not be "gifts" to your significant other. If you're not both into it, then it shouldn't be done. And if you're getting something out of it for yourself is it really a gift? That's not to say I wouldn't like a lil' sum`n sum`n, but it shouldn't be the gift.

ThinkGeek: A friend of mine gave me a $100 gift cert to TG for Christmas. It was actually difficult for me to find something with their current stock. Perhaps TG isn't your best option right now - it'll improve soon I hope.

Non-Geek: I think this is a really great idea. Geeks have non-geek interests. In fact their geekiness is probably a small part of their personality, but because it's so in the media right now it tends to be the only thing people see. The computer geek persononality is usually paired with a mechanical personality, tools, cars, the like ... musical interests, and even art. Not to sound pompus (but it does) "geeks" like smart people stuff .

Here's an idea. A nice picture of yourself in a nice frame. Prepaired dinner. Rented movie. And a smaller purchase. Perhaps a little toy of some sort he can keep on his desk near his computer. The dinner and movie at home would be excellent as resturants are usually flooded. You can still get dressed up and all that, I would suggest it even. Geeks like romance too, you know.

Something classy

One of the biggest problems geeks have is that they have no sense of class or taste. If it doesn't have a million blinking blue leds on it, they don't buy it.

So buy him something nice and classy. For $100 you can buy him a nice analog watch or maybe a nice shirt or two.

He may not appreciate it at first, but this way when you drag him along to a social function or he has to work with someone other than a fellow geek he'l have something to wear that actually looks good and he'll be able to fit in. After he gets a few compliments on his watch or clothes he'll want to wear them every time he goes out.

LEGO!!!!

Too many people have thier heads in their pants to think of the one true geek gift, the all-mighty LEGO set. I can't think of any geeks that don't love them.

Granted, nowardays the selection isn't that great, but for $100 you can get a reasonably complicated one.

And as an added bonus, the gift is somewhat romantic as you can spend some time that day putting it together before engaging in more traditional romantic endevours.

I'm kind of a geek, and here's what I'd want..

First, most of the geeky ideas are right out. Yes a USB keychain flash drive, or mp3 player or something would be very cool. The problem is when it comes to computer devices or things like that, I'd probably so much rather pick it out unless you really knew what you were doing and did a great job of feeling me out on exactly what i wanted. If you did that, then it'd no longer be a suprise and probably wouldn't work well.

Secondly, the ideas about sex and whatever are all great. However, these sound like ideas from people currently not getting sex. If you're sleeping with your boyfriend already, then sleeping with him some more on valentine's day is probably something that will happen anyway and isn't a great gift. If you wanted to turn sex into a gift, then I think you'd better be doing something that's more fantasy based or something unusual (a trip to VS or a night at the sybaris (or one of those sex hotels if they don't have the sybaris by you).

As for just spending the day together, while that is beautiful and I really want to spend the day with my wife on valentine's day, it's something that's going to be done anyway, and you'd probably feel pretty silly saying my gift to you is spending time with you. (I can't think of many things that would sound more conceited). Since basically, he could reply the same way.

So with those things in mind, here's a few ideas:

1) Take an interest in something he loves that you normally have no interest in. It depends on what kind of things you normally do together, but if you hate action movies renting one of his favorites, or watching star wars even if you hate it, or playing some multi-player games you don't like are all great ideas.

2) Get tickets to an event. This is even better when combined with item #1. If you hate sports and he loves them, he'll really appreciate tickets to a basketball, baseball, or hockey game. Tickets to a comedy show, or some other show (as long as it's something he'd like, and not something you'd like, but he'd hate) would also be great.

3) Agree not to make valentine's day a big deal. He's probably stressing out about what to get you for valentine's day, because he wants to do something special for you, but it's hard to feel special buying the same stuff everyone else is (you are obviously feeling somewhat of the same challenge). That being the case, agree to not buy each other gifts, but instead mutually plan an evening together. Go out to see a show, get some nice dinner, maybe plan some bedroom sports for afterwards that are a little spicier than normal (if you are doing that kind of thing that is).

Anyway, just some thoughts!

Open Source Thong!!!!!

Right here. [cafeshops.com]

My ex said this looked cool AFTER we broke up. Grrrrr.....

Seiously, though, I think this'd be every geek's dream come true.

give him some bits

OK, let's think about this. A Valentine's gift should be something that is unique to you, and somehow shows your love or symbolizes your relationship.

My suggestion for a three-month relationship: give him the high order 32 bits of the prime factors of the modulus of your RSA private key.

Give 96 mores bits at your 1 year anniversery. 64 more bits at your engagement, and 192 bits at your wedding.

The perfect gift for a geek:

A discussion on slashdot devoted to him.

no cost, no sex involved

Ask him to (select one, as appropriate to your particular geek and your own curiosity)

• show you how to install Linux
• explain the dis/advantages among IDE, SCSI, and SATA hard drive technologies
• teach you the basics of relativity or quantum theory
• help you make a web page about something you're both into
• explain what the controversy is over copyright, p2p, open source, patents, etc.
• etc.

The point being A) to show him that you're interested (to some degree) in whatever geeky stuff he's thrives on (which assumes that you are, of course), and B) to give him a chance to feel good showing off what he knows (which assumes he does). One of the many fond memories I have of the time with my late boyfriend was the evening we spent years ago, drinking a bottle of wine while I explained everything he'd ever wanted to know (and probably a little more) about the intermingled history of DOS/Windows and the Intel CPU line, and the sun went down. Sure, it was probably a ploy to get me drunk and horny, but he learned a bit, I got my ego stoked, and he ended up spending the night.

here is somethings that are unique

pretty much a boring list of things.

How about a nice watch? something that connects to a USB port perhaps?
http://www.usbwatch.us/

You could also check out the local airport for an intaductory flight lesson. Where he gets to go up in a craft and check it out. Unique, fun.

I am not sure of the cost of this one, but you could lookinto getting him a tandem parachute jump.

Some local race ways will sell a ride in a race car. again, price will vary substantially.

If he's a gammer, you could get him some unique dice:
http://www.buncogame.com/bcat1.shtml

another good site for gamers is:
http://www.game-universe.com/default.php?cPat h=_30 &

Does he have a favorite comic? see if you can find some signed art.

into linux? adopt a penguin:
http://www.seabirds.org/adopt.htm

If he's into BSD, he could adopt a demon. heh.

Nice clothes, or something non-geeky

Speaking for myself (a geek with a 2+year lasting relationship) ... I like to get the geeky stuff myself.

What my girlfriend usually gets me are some clothes that make me look good (I have a tendency to buy comfortable clothes), which i can wear to nice events or dates. This works out because I hate spending more than $20 on a pair of pants or shirt (or clothes in general), because she has better taste than I do, and because it leaves me to pick my own geeky self-presents.

Seriously, if you wanna make your geek happy, buy him some clothes that you think make him look hot and then tell him how great he looks in them. :) Of course, you have to know a bit about his taste too.

A green laser pointer

One of the coolest gadgets I have ever owned is a green laser pointer - got it about 4 months ago. It's truely amazing and gets oohs and ahs too from other geek friends.

eBay is probably the cheapest place to get one but thinkgeek has them too.

Take him outside and PHYSICALLY point to his zodiac sign and planet and tell him you like him so much that you feel like your connected to the heavens. :)

You also can have lots of fun at planetariums and "theater" events. Plus, the persiad meteor shower is a lot more fun with a laser and a star map in the fall.

It's so bright - makes a good emergency light too.

Together

Well valentines day is not about material gifts, it's about celebrating love and each other. If you two aren't at the "love" stage yet then focus on each other. You mention you have been dating your "geek" for three months so you must have some insights into his character. Think of something that he as well as you would enjoy to do for valentines day, and then do that.

I've noticed many different answers ranging from sex to thinkgeek to romantic dinners, and that is because each "geek" is different. If you go to slashdot and ask a question like this, you'll get diverse answers from the diverse user base. The truth of the matter is that you know him better than anyone, you have all of the customized knowledge of your "geek" who is really just a normal person like everyone else. There is no greater expert than you except maybe for his family members.

But keep in mind Valentines day is not like a Birthday or even Christmas, it isn't about getting or giving gifts. As I stated above it is about love and celebrating it. Really the day is not about him or you, it's about the two of you. Getting him a gadget or something may be okay for Christmas or his Birthday because A) it is HIS Birthday so the day is about him and B) Christmas is about exchanging gifts....but Valentines day is about the two of you.

Some of the standard type ideas to get you in the right frame of mind:

• Day at couples spa
• Romantic Bed and Breakfast (if you're gonna do sex make it special
• candlelight dinner
• Go see a movie you both would like
• Romantic night time walk together if he is into that thing
• Quiet evening at home working on some geeky project you both would enjoy together [Well you posted to slashdot so he is probably not the only geek in the relationship....]

Some ideas are lame, some are good, but all of them involve not just him and not just you, but the two of you.

Well you get the idea, I don't want to give away any specifics lest certain other people read this and are not surprised.....But don't underestimate the gift of your company. It goes without saying that you should try to spend all the time with him on Valentines day that you can. If you could take the day off from work and so could he (or school or whatever) and spend it together, that in itself would be a great gift.

Nothing

Don't bother celebrating a holiday that has no meaning for either of you. Save these suggestions for your anniversary. And if you just want to give him something, do it when you think of it, don't wait for a specific day (especially an arbitrary one like 2/14), just go ahead and do it. He'll appreciate the spontaneity and the fact that you were thinking about him far more than he'll appreciate any gift on 2/14.

Lingerie

I don't know a single guy out there that doesn't dig lingerie, or chicks wearing scanty clothes. If you have any clues as to what might tickle his fancy, get it and SURPRISE him with it. I would go into more of a description, but that would be giving too much away - it'd be *MY* fantasy, not his.

Really, geek toys are for Christmas. This is VALENTINE'S day coming up, the day of non-material gift-giving.

(Though I suspect he'd dig either the blowjob and/or threesome ;))

If he's like most geeks...

...he's into sex, but pretends not to be. At least until he gets to know you better. If you are aware of what some of his interests/fantasies are, you could indulge him a little in that way. Rather fitting for Valentine's Day.

Dressing up in something a little sexy and waking him up that way one morning might just fit the bill.

The supposed lack of interest or opportunity related to sex is largely a myth. Geeks have very strong sexual desires and usually can be quite "open minded" once they are comfortable with their partner.

if you are his girlfriend...

he has the thing most geeks want but cant get already.

A bagpipe chanter

For the geek who likes music, here is guaranteed geeky music. Yeah, sure, lots of guys play guitars, drums, etc. Some may even scratch on a violin. But how many play the bagpipes! Hard to learn? Sure, but so was programming. It's a challenge. But when he learns, think how sexy he'll look in a kilt!

WARNING: If you own a dog, the duets may be less than melodious.

Exchange secret interests

This can be sexual or non, but share with him an interest that he doesn't already know about. Likewise, the follow-up is that you can indulge him in his and provide him with a new facet of yourself to get involved with...

Even if you've been together for a long time, you can probably think back to an old interest / hobby, or good old-fashioned fantasy which you haven't made apparent to him.

Do Something Geek Instead

Acknowledge to him that it's "for" Valentines, but prepare a celebration based on something strange, unique, trivia-laden, or in other ways geekish. The act of having done so, in order to honor the geek in him/her/it, will probably be far more appreciated that a cool gift for a common holiday. Pick a "holiday" near by Valentine's, such as:

Feb 11: White Shirt Day, as well as 40th anniversary of the Beatles first US concert.

Feb 12: Barbie's (the doll) birthday. Dress up like Barbie and um.....

Feb 14: Ferris Wheel Day

Feb 15: National Gum Drop Day, as well as Jewlery Day (something for everyone!)

Feb 20: Hoodie-Hoo Day

Or just celebrate any of the things February is chosen as the 'month of' such as chocolate, snack food or candy.

http://www.butlerwebs.com/holidays/february.htm# 14

You know, be romantic!

Take him to dinner at a cozy little restaurant.
Buy him some roses and chocolate.
Go for a long stroll on the beach in the moonlight.
Expect great sex afterwards!

you should know better

You should know better than to ask a bunch of geeks what a girlfriend should get for her boyfriend. The obvious answer will more than likely be: a blowjob, sex, unobligated sex of his type choice (my vote :P), and "Just feed and water him, he should be OK".

However, in terms of gadgetry, I'd have to put up for these as particularly good products:

Arc-AAA LED Flashlight (they look damned cool and industrial, and are incredible little lights - possibly the AA model, depends on what you're going for)
Kershaw folding knife (I personally like knives; he may not. However, there are a lot of things you can do with a knife that most folks don't think about. You might find that getting him a Swiss Army knife (or leatherman's tool) would be more appropriate to his tastes)
a flight watch - you might be able to find one of these at sub-100$ prices, I'm not sure. Flight watches have lots of nice dials and such that are sure to entertain him; a nice timepiece is fun to wear, IMO.
possibly something like a dremmel - it depends on how much he's into making things; it's possible he already has one, though.

Remember, the cardinal rule when buying gifts for guys, and geek guys in particular is: the exact opposite when shopping for woman. If it's not practical, we don't want it (more often than not). Don't waste your time/money on a card; they're impractical and don't mean anything unless you wrote it/made it yourself anyway.

I'd probably say it's harder to shop for men, as there's got to be a balance met amongst various factors: practicality, whether the person could/would use it, and the "nice to have" factor: sure, you could use a sexy looking flashlight, but a 10$ from kmart would probably do just fine: a nice one like the one above shows you care.

IMO. :P Of course, doting on him and making him dinner or such would likely be just as appreciated, if not more so: not many typical geeks spend their time cooking. Show him how cool and counter-culture you are (valentine's day is typically a "guy sweats blood trying to please the female, for hopes that she'll appreciate his efforts" affair), and break some rules.

something ungeeky!

i would want to have a very different valentines gift. something you don't do everyday.

- scuba
- bungee jumping
- trip to magic mountain
- kayaking/canoeing(?)
- beach
- surfboarding
- trip to nasa where you can get to train to be an astronaut
- go in a sea land (aquariums)
- skydiving
- building skydiving (or some term that i forget)
- hiking
- cruise
- sleep!
- parasailing
- trekking
- visit a zoo
- visit a museum/art gallery
- getting wed again!
- rock/wall climbing
- exercise!
- gliding
- skiing

etc.

Re:The gift he'll cherish

I've often wondered why there are no girls on slashdot. Now I know.

Geekier than that...

ThinkGeek is too easy. Here's an idea that is sure to please:

1. Go to Molecular Expressions Beershots [molecularexpressions.com], locate the microscopic photo of his favorite beer, and order the poster.
2. While it is shipping, go have a custom frame made for the poster.
3. Give framed poster and 6-pack of favorite beer as Valentine's Day presents.

You should be able to accomplish this for around $100, and it will appeal to many geek traits: Science, Art, the Unusual and Extraordinary, and Love of Alcohol. He'll totally dig it. And as an added bonus for you, after a few beers he'll probably be better in bed. ;)

-FF