h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Okay, brief history (really brief, as it has little^Wno direct bearing on this entry):

A lady who's ISP was banned from an IRC network because of lame luser(s) there wrote her opinion to a mailing list of discussion of that network (the wrong list -- they have several -- but that's beside the point). A rather crude reply was drafted by a Dilbert fan and sent to the same list, calling her stupid (I thought that was rather lame, too, but that's yet another aside -- at least he had a great little snippet in his sig ). She, of course, being slightly offended, replied to his reply (we're still on the wrong list.. but the thread goes on forever so I suppose that's a mass-stupidity thing ).
Unfortunately, her opening line disproved her own theory:
"Stupid hardly I have a college education."
(Yes, that's a direct C&P quote. )

I know an unfortunately large amount of stupid people with college degrees, even Masters and PhDs. Stupidity has nothing to do with education, how many famous dead people you can quote, or how much your residence is taxed every year. It has to do with how much (or how little, more precisely) common sense you actually display in your day-to-day life.

An very wise old farmer who used to live down the road from me (though that description is not exactly accurate: he was not all that old even when he died, and until he retired from his 30-some-odd-year job as the high school Maintenance Supervisor he was only a part-time farmer) had a penchant for saying, "I wonder how many years and how many thousands of dollars it took for that guy to get that stupid." He, of course, was refering to a college education. He would always say it with a smile on his face, and everyone would laugh, but we all knew precisely what he meant and we also knew he -meant- it. We also knew he was right.

PS: The "great little snippet in his sig" was:

"Out the 10Base-T, through the router, down the T1's, over the leased
line, off the bridge, past the firewall...nothing but Net."
--from .sig of Eric Whitehill

Hmm... I have common sense, and I utilize it, but I rather often think of myself as stupid. Every day common sense isn't the same as looking at something and having a *bing* go off somewhere, i.e. having a thought occur that, hey, I might just know what to do. Do you know what I mean? Probably not.
"stupid is as stupid does"

There is a difference between being stupid and not having learned something yet, too.

'All brains and no common sense' as my mother would say.

Educated doesn't mean smart. And Uneducated doesn't mean stupid.
Even then that's a stupid statement: 'educated' has a tendancy to mean having studied (and succeeded) at college or university - but I have seen many do this and 'learn' nothing. Many who recieve no Tertiary education are quite educated - infact moreso: they've educated themselves and therefore 'learnt' so much more.

Stupid is everywhere: avoid it as much as you can!

I've always said, "a person is not stupid; people are stupid" (this is also the way US television broadcasters think). We all have our mental lapses from time to time.

For example, not too long ago I was given a programming task at my job, and it caused me to fret because I couldn't think of an elegant way to write the program. Eventually, I asked a long time friend and colleague for help with it and he gave me a strange look and mentioned (in very few words - three words I believe) how to do it.

I actually slapped my forehead (no, really) because not only was I familiar with his solution, but I had, in fact been using it for years (about 10 years) writing programs of a similar nature. I'm fairly certain I was pretty stupid at that moment, but I think I might be OK now. Still, it's only a matter of time before something like this happens to me ( and most other people) again.

I also hate noticing typos in my posts _after_ I've posted them.

I hate that too.

Everyone has stupid moments. I just know that I (and many others around me) have more stupid moments than most.

Oh don't get me wrong... An education is a good thing, or can be. It just depends on what you get out of it (which is often what you put in to it ) and how you keep it in perspective. Even that 'old' farmer down the road knew the value of an education, and his kids learned many of their lessons on the business end of .. well... anyway...

It sounds silly, but I used to train officers in the Navy. they were very educated people but AS THICK AS TWO SHORT PLANKS!

Heehee.

LOL Military Inteligence?

Oxymoron, anyone?

You know that, as you refine your skills and become more specialized, the field of things of which you are stupid becomes more broad and general.

I see no surprise that someone with an exceptional education and good skills in a particular field would be pretty stupid as, say, a soldier in training. I suppose that's what training is for, isn't it? Holding people upside down by their ankles and shaking them until all the stupidness falls out.

This fella in the above slot is'nt daft is he?

Sorry, I have a penchant for imagery I find humourous. Perhaps that means I'm daft. I've never thought about it before. A few of my long-time friends call me daft on occasion, but they're just being stupid.

Sorry Nick. I meant that you wern't daft as in the meaning:- he's all about , or he knows what he's talking about Sorry if I caused offence.

Happy New Year.

No offense taken. I saw the smilie.

Of course, I could still be a bit daft nonetheless.

Well, Nick, I suppose if you insist we can allow it, just this once.

YEAH!

yay!

*laughs* One of these days I must sit down long enough (okay, three or four of these days) to get through -all- my previous postings.