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The “Idiots” Corner by “Billy Bob Smith” If you think it’s just idiots who do dumb or stupid things, here are a few examples of so-called smart people doing stupid stuff. First, I need to give you a smart person’s take on this topic, so you can make your own compar- isons: “We all probably know someone who is intelligent, but does surprisingly stupid things. My family delights in pointing out times when I (a professor) make really dumb mistakes. What does it mean to be smart or intelligent? Our everyday use of the term is meant to describe someone who is knowledgeable and makes wise decisions, but this definition is at odds with how intelligence is traditionally measured. The most widely known measure of intelligence is the intelligence quotient, more commonly known as the IQ test, which includes visuospatial puzzles, math problems, pattern recognition, vocabulary questions, and visual searches.” Anonymous professor at a prestigious university Feel better now? Back to a few examples: • A psychology prize was given for - well, you decide. Researchers in Belgium, Germany, Canada, and the U.S. interviewed 1000 liars on how often they lied, and the prize went to the person who guessed which liar was telling the truth. • The police department in a “C” city (which will remain nameless) offered to pay police officers bonuses if they would refuse to take bribes. How about a few U.S. laws passed by state legislature: • If you sell liquor, it’s illegal to advertise wine in a manner which suggests it has alcohol in it. • A senior government official had his computer hacked because his password was 123456789. How about wasted government money? • The National Institutes of Health spent $230,000 to find out the color of red made monkeys amorous. • Brown University researchers received $5,000,000 for a study to see if fraternity and sorority members wanted to drink more than nonmembers. • The National Science Foundation got $150,000 to find out why Americans are so stressed about politicians, when they would have gladly given the answers for free. Let’s close with a few of my favorites - lawyers. Lawyers have actually asked witnesses the fol lowing: How many times have you committed suicide? Was it you or your brother who was killed? Without saying anything, tell the jury what you did next. Was that the same nose you broke as a child? I could go on for pages with dumb stuff so-called smart people do in every profession, but I’m sure you have some of your own favorites. Why not share them with us? Billy Bob Contact him via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” ~Mark Twain 30 MARCH 2018 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®