Possibly the importance of the education and socialization is its relationship to a structured environment - read "corporate environment." Those who excel at both, the grades and the popularity, usually end up being our corporate business management. It is not the oversight that is important, but the practice.

Isn't every planet other than Earth "alien?"

Geeks have never been "intellectual." They have been smart and focused on their own subject (read "obsessive'). The internet has now made it possible to for these DIYers to bypass the traditional form of education. Intellectualism equates to being well rounded - that only happens later in life, when the geek has saturated his knowledge on his own subject and decides to branch out.

...which can be found at http://search.dilbert.com/comic/Two%20Monitors

The examples given include "Yahoo!, historical and current celebrities, Steven Spielberg, Lady Gaga, Steve Jobs, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen and Angelina Jolie." In one case you have a tech company where the culture is to bring in geeks and in the other cases listed, they can be defined as creators of their own product (entrepreneurs). What is missing is the standard business model - starting in the mail room and working your way to the top. I find that the popular kids still kick butt in the standard business world. In addition to high intelligence and drive, one needs a keen set of social skills to understand management at the highest level. Most geeks do not, as per the popular Venn Diagram

As far as making them "good" adults, obsessing about your kids is a good thing.

...a message proves that it is either impossible or that their are infinite timelines.

Blame Canada.

John Stewart is onto this growing phenomenon

So take an animal, sequestered for experimentation, and give it a modicum of stimuli and see if it likes it? I tell you what, release the monkey, put a TV into the wild and see if free monkeys will stop and watch.

...and take the dang headphones off.

Right?... Bueller?...

If only iTunes were easier to use...

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174828/NASA_Key_antenna_fails_as_i_Discovery_i_enters_orbit?taxonomyId=12

Ticketing is not just a management reporting tool. It allows us to see if there is an issue that is repetitive and needs a deeper fix. It allows IT to search on previous similar issues to quicken the time to a fix. It quickens response time to a problem and is a useful tool to make sure that issues do not get dropped. I'm a fan.

That said, IT as a business within business is bound to fail because, at the heart of IT, us guys ain't in sales and we rarely sell ourselves well. IT is a business catalyst. IT is a cost center, but you need to spend money to make money. Good IT management is good cost analysis.