Meaningless Tidbits

I deleted a post of my own from The Great Sea the other day. It didn't really fit there. It belongs here. But I have more to say than just that (oh, who would have thought that).

I didn't save the post, so I will have to rewrite it from scratch. The old post will go first. Then I will add the other part I want to say.

When I was seventeen I took my first I.Q. test. The guy who administered it was one of those smug jerks who saw himself as some kind of genius. I still remember his patronizing voice while telling me: "Don't feel bad if your score isn't too high. Everyone can't be a genius. My score is 130." Well, wasn't he special? I took the damn test, not particularly enjoying it at all. Most of it struck me as stupid. When I was finished and he had tabulated me score, he wouldn't tell me what it was. But all of a sudden he treated me differently, like he was intimidated or something. My thinking was he was just some kind of jerk and I was glad to be rid of his company.

A year or two later Gayanne convinced Mother to have the whole family take I.Q. tests. Gayanne and Mother loved those kinds of things. Mickey and Judayl thought they were stupid and the rest of us just did what we were told. It was home test, so the results were not wholly reliable. I remember Mother, Helvie and Lynahr all scored in the 120s. Judayl and Mickey scored in the 130s and Gayanne, Daddy and I all scored in the 140s. Gayanne was annoyed because Daddy's score of 143 beat her 141, and my score of 146 beat both her and Daddy. Ranlan wasn't tested, but I have heard rumors his was in the 150s or 160s. But I.Q. was just a joke. Who cared? Well, Gayanne did.

A number of years later my sister-in-law, B, wanted to have her I.Q. tested. She suspected it was high, but she didn't want to test alone. So I joined her. (What did I care? It was her dollar.) This time it was a series of tests, I think eight or ten. When the results came back B was happy. She had scored 144. My results were odd. (That should surprise no one.) You see, the tests were progressively more difficult, and the last two were weighted with the understanding no one would complete them. I did. So they didn't know how to score me. In the end they said it could be anything from the 150s to the 160s - or maybe higher. They didn't know.

What a waste of money. What the h*ll kind of test assumes you won't answer all the questions?

Why bring this up? Well, I just had an opportunity to be tested again on someone else's dollar. So, why not? I took the test a few days ago and forgot about it. I just recently got an email with the result. I scored 151.

It's still meaningless but, you know, we all need to feel good about ourselves for something, and I guess I.Q. is as good a something to feel good about as anything.

That's Part I.

Part II has to deal with personality profiles. These are really cool, and they mean even less than I.Q. (That's what makes them so cool!)

While making my daily Cat Rounds around the world via the internet I noticed for the first time that someone had put their Chinese Zodiac sign in their profile. I love these. It's so cool to sit down in a Chinese Retaurant and compare profiles with the others in your group. I mean, everyone is wonderful, right? So we all leave thinking we're the grandest.

Well, I did a quick search and got my profile.

I'm a Monkey. A Fire Monkey to be precise. That sounds so cool. I should add Fire Monkeys to Swords of Fire.

"Madatar, help! The Fire Monkeys are upon us."

"Toss 'em a banana and leave me alone."

So, here is my profile, paraphrased.

The Monkey possesses such character traits as curiosity, mischievousness, and cleverness. Forever playful, Monkeys are the masters of practical jokes. Even though their intentions are always good, this desire to be a prankster has a tendency to create ill will and hurt feelings.

Tell me about it. Sigh.

Although they are inherently intellectual and creative, Monkeys at times have trouble exhibiting these qualities. When that happens, they appear to others to be confused. (Ah! That explains a lot, huh?) But nothing could be further from the truth as Monkeys thrive on being challenged. (Don't bet on it.) Monkeys prefer urban life (swing and a miss) to rural, and their favorite pastime is people-watching. (My favorite pastime is - well, since this blog is rated G, I will say listening to music. [grin])

Believing that being sick is a waste of a valuable day, Monkeys very rarely feel ill.

Right.

When it comes to work, Monkeys can do just about anything. (Whoopee!) They adapt well to changing environments and they’re very intelligent. (You bet we are.) They work quickly, but they’ll frequently charge double (What? When did this happen? Where was I?) for their services. Good career fields for Monkeys are accounting and banking. (Are you out of your mind?) Other good careers for Monkeys include: scientist, engineer, stock market trader, air traffic controller - (you are out of your mind) - dealer (drugs?), film director (Finally!), jeweler and sales representative. (No.Effing.Way.)

When it comes to relationships, Monkeys aren’t quick to settle down. In fact, they generally are promiscuous (ooh, naughty me [grin]); a tendency that probably has to do with the fact that Monkeys are easily bored. (Yawn! What was that?) Monkeys will end this type of behavior once they pair up with the perfect partner. (Oh. Well that explains me, then.) In fact, more often than not, they’ll commit to that person in every way for life.

And now, for the coup de gras: Fire Monkey.

Full of strength and determination, Fire Monkeys are excellent at not only setting goals, but in meeting them as well. (Sorry for bringing down the average, fellow primates) Others enjoy being in the company of Fire Monkeys, even though these Monkeys want the upper hand in every situation. (Not sure what to make of that. Sounds dirty. But then, I am supposed to be promiscuous.)

This is all wonderful stuff to look at for a lark. If you're interested in finding your own profile, the website I used was here.

Hmm. Does this mean my son really is descended from a primate?

You all have a good day.