Dark and Twisted Ink

If you could go back in time and choose your career, what would it be?

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Fodder topic posted by Heather.

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"Which is more important, intelligence or common sense?"

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This topic is dreamed of by Karen.

As I was reading this weeks topic, I thought I blinked and landed in a beauty pageant land. "Hello there, Ms. BookWorm" says a very handsome not-Billy-Crystal host as he twinkled his question to me. "which is more important, intelligence or common sense?" he said.

After which we were sent inside a locked glass cabinet while each of us contestant give our answers. This is to insure that we don't cheat and copy each other's idea. Do you get that feeling?

I love beauty pageant when I was growing up. Those were the only nights the sleep-Nazi, aka my BookMama, allowed us to sleep late. Very, very late. Beauty pageants never aired earlier than 9 PM in my Asian country.

I believe that Albert Einstein is an intelligent person, and so is Stephen Hawking. (I have to say, for a long, long while, I thought he's the same one as Steven Hawkins of Stephen King movies!). We all know that. What is not so common was how he was sadly missing common sense.

Common sense is defined by some dictionary as "sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge; native good judgment." I don't think Einstein have it. His marriage sucks. I am a firm believer that if you were to have a good marriage, then you must have common sense. Lots of it.

Of course, a small amount of intellect goes a long way towards this common sense.

Is this begging the question of whether one is mutually exclusive of the other? Is this like saying which is better, inhaling or exhaling? That would probably lead down to a long and winding road of discussion which I don't feel up to right now.

Intelligence is defined as the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge;the faculty of thought and reason; superior powers of mind. I think they should go hand in hand. How can one have common sense if they don't have the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge?

For example a person sits on a bus stop bench. Then the rain started pouring. His intellect will identify that's it's raining and it's going to get him wet. He knows all about the chemical identity of water. As he was thinking of this, he's getting soaked through the skin. And right now, it's not really the best time to get soaked in water because we're having freezing temperatures. If he possessed common sense, at the first droplet, he'd have high-tailed it out of there and find the nearest shelter.

If I could only have one, though I'd prefer to have both, I'd side with intelligence. Common sense might just follow if I deemed it important enough to acquire.

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“What is the best practical joke you have ever participated in, or one that was done on you?”

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This subject was posted by Shane

Years ago, my husband's delivery job takes us all over town. We'd go into different grocery store and leave behind a publication or two. Some of these grocery stores have a lot of older women who really cares about other women too. You can tell by their wonderful camaraderie that they got along well with every one.

Picture there. An American, six-foot tall, intelligent-looking and his wife. An 85 pounds, five foot-two, small build girl. She's dark from weeks of snorkeling and beach combing. I'd go in these stores carrying a foot-thick publication for the shelves.

One time, I noticed that they have food for our pet dog. They had a sale for Alpo. These luscious looking stew in cans. Some had image of a dog in it. I grabbed a dozen or more of these cans. I didn't have a basket, so I carried them to the register in my arms.

It was heavy, and I was staggering. When I was ready, I called my husband over to pay. I acted scared and apologetic about buying so many.

"I promise to only open a can a day. I like these kind because they're not so dry." I said.

"See that you're careful with them. The other day, I saw you threw a few pieces in the trash. These are not free young lady!" He said.

"Okay. I promise." I answered. Then I said, "Honey? Why are my food have pictures of dog in them? In the aisle, it was shelved near other food with pictures of animals in them?"

"Shush! No back-talking young lady!" He said.

If the ladies of that store were shooting fires, my husband would be singed in seconds! They were appalled and mad at him for treating this meek, little girl like that.

It was really funny. One of the funniest practical joke we did.

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Do you have any memories of a childhood illness?

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This subject was posted by Judy

My mother told me that I was a very sickly baby. I fart, and off to the emergency room we go. I remember being given this medicine which was quite foul, and it sounded like Odena.

I have vague pictures in my mind of my hand restrained in a board with needles and dextrose IV on it. I have faint impressions of mint green walls, metal-railed beds, glass I.Vs. I was never quite clear if this were my memories, or somebody else's which I've adapted for my own.

I cannot say I have major illness. I just tend to fall into fever and bronchitis and occasional pulmonia, as my doctor would call it. I remember breathing treatments with nebulizer. I like that one...the buzzing noise, the cool air on my face.

These are usually followed by a treatment of something-mycin. I can still recall the shinny bald head of Dr. Megdonio Bacal. He has liver spots all over his face and hands, and I remember his kind face. I remember his glass thermometers in cups in front of his desk. I remember him cheeking my lungs for something.

Ever since I could remember, I didn't have an illness that needed hospitalization. Just enough fevers to keep me home from school. Now I am not so sure I did not wish for those fevers to come just so I could catch up reading my favorite books instead.

The great thing is, I seem to have outgrown them when I joined cheer leading. It must be all those jumping around, the will not to miss a baton-twirling practice which cured me.

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Tell us about somebody who has changed your life, even if just a little bit.

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This subject was posted by Nikki-ann

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“What are some of your memorable experiences at school? ”

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This subject was posted by Jean-Luc Picard

Can you remember the person who beat the love out of math from you? I do! I can't recall her name anymore, but I remember her picking up her red pen and drawing a huge, heavy line across my worksheet and the "0" she put on the upper right corner of my paper.

I was in 3rd grade. One morning, we were told to answer some Math questions. Our teacher made a big deal out of telling us to put the answers only! Answers only! She wrote on the blackboard, 'ANSWERS ONLY.' OK.

So I worked the 25+ problems in addition and subtraction, and I was the first one to finish. I was very careful about my work-ups. I was the new kid in school. I need to make good impression. It was my 3rd school. I moved school a lot due to my parent's work.

I went up to her and she looked at it. Then she stared at me, eyes squinted, and lips pursed. I think she asked me if I was stupid. I said no. Then she asked me why I only have answers on my paper. I replied, "Because you said "answers only, Ma'am." She then told me I was being rude and impertinent.

That's when she picked up her pen and marked across my paper. She proceeded to berate me about listening and following instructions. About how I'd never succeed in school as I was not smart enough to understand anything.

I did follow her instructions. I put in my answers. I had my notes where I did the work-up, but she would have none of it. She had gleefully graded me zero.

I had all correct answers in my paper yet I failed that test.

I was a straight "A" and an honor student. Yet, I let her remark of my "stupidity" get to me.

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