Shopping Siren is a geek.

 

There. Someone had to say it.

 

I am both a traditional geek (I get every science joke in “Big Bang Theory.” All. Of. Them.) and a nouveau geek (comes with a penchant for words like “nouveau.” Also, “penchant.”). It used to be embarrassing, this enthusiasm for things/ideas/entertainment that were less than popular. But now I embrace the geek-dom. Cherish it. Shout it from the rooftop … er, shopping column.

 

Geeks rule!

 

Turns out everyone is a geek about something. Like cooking. Or music. Or that weird ’70s TV show with the kid and the talking flute and the puppet people.

 

No judgment.

 

Even dads are geeks. They might hide it behind yardwork and car repairs, but guaranteed they get all fanboy over something.

 

And, you know, Father’s Day is coming up.  

 

Which is the perfect time to indulge your dad’s geeky side, whatever kind of geek he might be.

 

In the meantime, I’ll be over here, laughing at a science joke about the first electricity detective. His name was Sherlock Ohms.    

 

* DVDs, various, Bull Moose, $4.97

Perfect for: movie geek, action-adventure geek, genre geek

Tons of new classics to choose from, including “Terminator,” “Transporter,” “Tommy Boy” and “Fight Club.” If your dad is more kid-at-heart, try “The Neverending Story.” You can bond over popcorn and deep philosophical discussions of how awesome it would be to have your own dragon-dog.
 

* Records, various, Bull Moose, prices vary

Perfect for: vinyl geek, music geek, old-school-anything geek

Tons of LP choices, including Elvis, U2 and Bruce Springsteen. Or go unconventional and grab the soundtrack to “Game of Thrones” ($22.97). Fantasy, vinyl and soundtrack, it’s the geek trifecta!

    

* Astronaut ice cream, Bull Moose, $3.97

Perfect for: space geek, ice cream geek

Small packet of freeze-dried Neapolitan ice cream just like the astronauts eat. Or so says the promotion. As a Space Camp alumna (twice!), I don’t know if I can honestly say freeze-dried ice cream features prominently in the preparations for outer spacing, what with other concerns, like oxygen and fuel and pushing the button that closes the cargo bay doors rather than opens them. But surely astronauts need some celebratory chocolate-vanilla-strawberry at some point. I’ll take mine with freeze-dried hot fudge.      

 

* Major League Baseball mini helmet standings board, Olympia Sports, $14.99

Perfect for: baseball geek, geek of tiny helmets

Itty-bitty baseball batting helmets emblazoned with the logos of MLB’s American League and National League teams. Comes with a cardboard display so your dad can use said helmets to track the teams as they rise and fall in the standings. Adorable and dad-friendly. It’s hard to find both in a Father’s Day gift that is not a puppy.     

 

* “Dad” Red Sox T-shirt, Olympia Sports, $24

Perfect for: Red Sox geek, T-shirt geek 

Blue T-shirt with team name on front and “Dad 1” on back. The insinuation being that the wearer of the shirt is a No. 1 dad. Or a Red Sox player with an unusual last name and a very cool player number. Either way, Dad will love it.  

 

* Ceramic kitchen sets, Hobby Lobby, $14.99 to $59.99 (half off!)

Perfect for: cooking geek, pun geek

Ceramic kitchen pieces, including a large red bowl emblazoned with “Weapons of Choice” crisscrossed with cooking utensils and a red coffee mug emblazoned with “This is How I Roll” beside cartoon baking implements. Help your dad geek out in the kitchen and you can both nosh on the results — that’s pretty much the definition of win-win.   

 

* 1965 Mustang desktop sound/clock/thermometer, Hobby Lobby, $69.99

Perfect for: classic car geek, gadget geek 

Desktop clock/thermometer that looks like it came from the dashboard of a 1965 Ford Mustang. Super cool. And, in case that’s not enough, the sound of an engine roar marks the top of every hour. Because that’s what 3 a.m. is missing: sound effects.

 

Best find: classic comic tin reproduction, Hobby Lobby, $17.99 (half off!)

Perfect for: sci-fi geek, comic geek, superhero movie geek, childhood geek 

Classic comic covers reproduced as sleek tin wall hanging. Choose from Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man and “Star Wars,” among others. Ultra cool. Just like your dad.

 

Think twice: About ignoring your (or dad’s) inner geek

It’s what makes life fun.