Is the location of the party secret? Am I invited?

It's allllll about you, foot, isn't it?

Where's the sympathy for choco and her radical, forced-upon-her lactose-freeness?


Oh, no...we just want to know where the party is!

see how you are?

now you're on report.

Pahty ovah heah! Pahty ovah heah!! :p:

Unfortunately my parties at the moment are confined to wearing a sparkly hat and waving a noisemaker all by myself, since I have essentially zero white blood cells - hiding out until my immune system resurrects itself ...

End of thread hijack - Chocolatl, if you don't mind soy, Silk Nog is delicious. No soy taste. Throw in a little nutmeg and yummm ...

The sympathy is duly appreciated. As I can no longer eat any of the good foods in life, the party is most definitely not here.

No sorrows about milk directly, as I think it's disgusting and have never in my memory had a glass of the stuff or poured it on my cereal or what have you. But boy do I love cheese and ice cream.

I'm pretty sure chocolate makes baby Beans irritated in its own right, regardless of milk content, so that means for now dark chocolate is out, too. I'm going to try dark choc. again in a few weeks, once we've figured out if the dairy was to blame, but I'm in no rush as I'm not really a big fan of cleaning poop out of my kid's hair. (The day after Halloween. Good times.)

Chocolatl maybe Beans is irritated by your user name too. :(

IF there is a spaghetti monster in heaven you will not be reduced to eating carob.

Ortho: I'm so sorry to hear. :sniff: at least you can party here. :)

Chocolat: it is a real bummer not being able to eat cheese and ice cream.

Alright, tonight I was doing my Wikipedia rounds and reading about IQ tests. I've taken a number of them in my life, from grade school through the not too distant past. Over the years the score has always been the same.

Wikipedia tells me that my score is higher than 94% of the general population and that careers associated with my IQ are Physician, Surgeon, Lawyer, & Ph.d.

I know the tests are bullshit and all, but knowing that I graduated HS in the top 98% of my school (~1500 in my class) and Magna cum Laude from college I am left with wonder at why I feel so at a loss to find a meaningful career that allows me to put my intelligence to work.

I suspect if they had an IQ test that measured figuring out what the fuck to do with my life and or how to actually toot my own horn I'd probably be on the far left of the bell curve.

In summary, if I'm supposed to be so smart then why am I so dumb?

Sometimes the most intelligent people have the hardest time finding their niche. That's a huge frustration, but it's not all that uncommon when someone has a lot of ability.

Sorry you're feeling that frustration, foot. :(

There's IQ and there's aptitude. I know that my tested IQ is in the top 2% of the general population; but, my aptitude varies among vocations. I know this from military service which screens for aptitude as civilian career councilors do. Identify all those things you have an aptitude (talent) for and pursue a vocation from among those. If your talents aren't in demand, pursue any honest work and apply your talent to other activities knowing that your honorable means will support a meaningful life in other areas. The job isn't everything. I've seen a lot of people die; but, I've never heard even one dying person say "I wish I had spent more time at work."

Those four careers aren't necessarily putting your intelligence to work, they're four jobs that allow you to bluff and bully. ;)

There are plenty of areas where you could put your intelligence to work but they generally don't offer money or security, which kind of dulls the satisfaction.

foot-I'm not as smrt as you but I have found trouble with my 'niche', too. i can't find it.

I used to want to write-but University and Time have ---- well, let's just say the momentum passed. Besides, I could write when I was young and didn't know that I couldn't write-if you know what I mean. The self-conscious bit of growing up and being judged. Cherry, Dana and Clod and UT-they can all write each with different talents of writing style. That's just to name of few of the people on this board who can write well.

Intelligence has nothing to do with success or happiness ( I believe Lisa Simpson has a chart that shows as intelligence goes UP, happiness goes DOWN ) or job satisfaction.

I've known oncologists who HATE their jobs and just wish everyone would go away.
My younger son works as an entertainer-he, in fact, works for a circus. HE LOVES IT. He got a scholarship-went thru school hating every minute and then found that he really loves to perform. Not only that, the 'woman' (I would say 'girl') he is dating turned from bartending to stripping. So now he's a magician who is dating a stripper. I'm so proud.

I guess what all this rambling on is my way of trying to reassure you that it is OK to be where you are right now. My BIL has two master's degrees (one in economics) and he didn't pay his taxes a few years back leaving them 11,000 in debt to the IRS. And HE was a scholarship boy to Oberlin.

SMRT means nothing. Happiness is all. Find what makes you happy. It can be ellusive, but you still must try.

PS - All work is noble.

Unless you're working for the Mob and then it's pretty shameful.

As a 5%er, I always thought I'd figure out what to do when I grew up. Well I'm pushing fifty now, I have a great family and crap job. I've had times of great joy and satisfaction but never at work. The process of building my house was very satisfying but I'd never get the same boost doing it for money. So I'm trying to accept that work satisfaction is really some imaginary thing or something for others to achieve. I'll just try to man up and grind it out.

Job / career / vocation / occupation / craft / trade / profession

Role-in-life / calling / goal / mission / dedication / obsession

It seems to me the job/career/etc is just whatever way is chosen
to earn a living, and whatever toys and baubles one wants or needs.
Maybe IQ just plays the role of a "tool" here,
but in the long run the question arises "Is more enough ?"

I believe the role-in-life is where the satisfaction, zeal, enthusiasm,
passion, and most importantly... contentment lie.
Partly, it's a matter of age... earning a living usually comes first in time.
For some, their role in life is in family and/or community,
for others it is in finding worthy missions.

I feel many people look on education as job training.
I don't.
I look at it a way to gain appreciation of so many different aspects of living.
Sometimes this "appreciation" leads to periods of dissatisfaction,
and the need to sort out a way of change... which can be difficult.

Maybe neither IQ nor vocational tests deal sufficiently
with our basic need for goals and contentment.

My generation was raised by people who traded a great deal of time and energy for job security, a solid pension, and a good wage. They were a very dedicated bunch. We willingly put ourselves on the same track, but now we are asked to show the same dedication without competitive wages, a pension, or job security. It is not strange that we seek fulfillment outside the workplace.