Is it too late to go back to school and pursue a different career?

[Art]

As a half-Scot, I am half-offended by that remark!

Sorry Chi I thought the Scots prided themselves on their thrift

 

[turbo]

You evidently don't have Scottish blood in you

Actually, I do, but my thrifty nature is partially offset by my more generous French-Indian heritage. I'm a real Heinz-57. My paternal grandmother's family was founded in PEI by a Hessian officer who chose a land-grant in lieu of getting shipped back to Germany with a little bag of gold. He married an Indian woman and the family was later intermixed with Scots who colonized Nova Scotia. My paternal grandfather's family emigrated from Ireland during the famines. The males had to leave Ireland to avoid being subject to British laws that forced every family to split up their lands equally amongst all sons, and forbade the lending of money to Irish for the purpose of buying land. The intent of these punitive laws was to make Irish farms so small that they could not sustain a family, and allow British landlords to buy them and rent them back to the Irish on a share-crop basis. My mother's side of the family started out French and Indian (trappers and native wives) from the St. John Valley of northern Maine.

 

[turbo]

As a half-Scot, I am half-offended by that remark!

as a much less than half Scot, I resemble that incineration. Darn, got to lay off the bourbon and drink some real whiskey!

 

[Kurdt]

I'm afraid that everyone on this thread has it wrong. It is not Scots or Scot, it is Scotch. That is a fact.

 

[Art]

I'm afraid that everyone on this thread has it wrong. It is not Scots or Scot, it is Scotch. That is a fact.

Only if you are going to drink it. The adjective Scotch is used for their whisky and for a few other foodstuffs. The Scottish find the term offensive if applied to their nationality and would not be slow about telling you so. Don't say you weren't warned

p.s. The reason they don't like it is because the English invented it as a shortened form of Scottish and as you may know the Scottish are not overly fond of the English.

 

[Kurdt]

Only if you are going to drink it. The adjective Scotch is used for their whisky and for a few other foodstuffs. The Scottish find the term offensive if applied to their nationality and would not be slow about telling you so. Don't say you weren't warned

p.s. The reason they don't like it is because the English invented it as a shortened form of Scottish and as you may know the Scottish are not overly fond of the English.

Well I was aware of this. I am British and made the comment for comic effect, but clearly it didn't work.

 

[Chi Meson]

Well I was aware of this. I am British and made the comment for comic effect, but clearly it didn't work.

"Gie this tae yer pie-hole, clever clogs!"

 

[TOwnMouse]

Just wondering...

Wonder, no more. I took the test in Orange County, California, years ago. I was pleased to pass the test: enrolled with great anticipation of meeting brilliant new friends. A CPA cautioned me that I would not like the group.

Shortly thereafter, attended MENSA's biggest monthly gathering (at a private home; 100+ people were there). Nervous that I knew NO ONE, I gravitated to the chapter president (believe that was his title). Pleasant words of welcome from him and several members made me think this might be a good group.

A few minutes later, about 5 people joined our conversation. A woman began talking about their recent venture to the Doo Dah Parade (Pasasdena, look it up). I cannot remember if they had been asked to leave the parade for inappropriate behavior/costumes, or if I simply thought they should have been thusly ordered.

All parties seemed to delight in and support her tales of _DISGUSTING_ behavior. But, wait! There's more. She next shared several photos of herself (and other MENSA members): nude, contorted so that each formed a single letter of the alphabet, grouped to spell the filthiest words you can think of (yes, that one, too).

Except for me, _EVERYONE_ exposed (pun intended) to that conversation and to those photos laughed and wholly encouraged this -- her newest -- expression of Self. I backed away, realizing that the chapter president was elected by this large membership as THE BEST to represent them -- and THIS was behavior he endorsed. But, wait! There's more.

I crept into the other room and chatted briefly with a few pleasant strangers. People drifted in and out of the conversation, until I was left alone with one adult male. Within minutes, he expressed that dating was something he and I should share -- but first he had a quiz for me. From his pocket, he produced a multi-page, self-typed compatibility test.

I torn it up a few minutes later, after I had run to my car, locked the doors, and started the engine. All of the questions on his test were similar. They were about sex. And NOT the kind I had ever even heard of (e.g., urinating on one's partner(s) and pets). He had given me his "personal" business card so that I, later, could contact him for our date: his name was Kegal or Kegel (the was a cartoon of a beer keg on it so that one could not forget his name).

Needless to say, I did not renew my membership. Not all members of MENSA are perverts, I hope. But I wasn't inclined to spend any more time with them in order to find out.

 

[jobyts]

Ah... now it's worth the $30

 

[Chi Meson]

Honestly, I've only seen them play Scrabble! Not even Rummykub, just Scrabble!

 

[lubuntu]

Wow you guys make are like an infomerical for Mesna, after reading these stories I want to sign up! :)

 

[S_Happens]

I hate to dig up a thread that shouldn't have been exhumed in the first place, but I will because it reaffirms my recent decision.

Due to nothing but my own indecision I didn't finish school. I work a boring job (most of the time), making good money. I never before had a need to be recognized intellectually (everything I experienced previously was enough). I guess my own lack of intellectual respect for the job title I hold left me looking for something to tell me that I was intelligent.

I went through old tests and found ones to automatically qualify me for MENSA. I debated for a long time about joining, called up the office to confirm that what I had was valid, looked up the local chapter, and thought I had found something special. Luckily just before I sent in my application, I decided to ask others and search for opinion. I found nothing but what I should have expected, that it is little more than a way to stroke one's ego.

I'll be back at school soon enough, and receive the affirmation I desire. I wish to hang it on my own wall, for no one else but myself and that will suffice. It's easy to see now that MENSA is not what I need.

BTW- Even though I haven't been a PFer very long, I'm sure glad to be a member. Discussions that can be found here are exactly what I'm looking for, and the price is just right.

 

[Evo]

S, I watched a show on, yes, Trauma ER. One of the doctors said that after high school he didn't want to go to college and instead became a truck driver. It wasn't until 10 years later that he even started college, now he is a neurosurgeon.

It's never too late.

 

[skeptic2]

I know that mensa means table in latin but in Spanish it is an adjective meaning dumb or stupid. I've wondered if membership in mensa in Spanish speaking countries has a somewhat different stigma.

For a while I monitored the mensa newsgroups but found it to be more of a high ego society than a high IQ society. Besides, the arguments they proffered were often seriously flawed.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

S, I watched a show on, yes, Trauma ER. One of the doctors said that after high school he didn't want to go to college and instead became a truck driver. It wasn't until 10 years later that he even started college, now he is a neurosurgeon.

It's never too late.

It took me three years of odd jobs at manual labor to realize that I needed to get a degree. Now I have a Masters in Math and work sitting down, with air conditioning and heating when appropriate.