From a friend's email:

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
winners.

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until
you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops
bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows
little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of
getting laid.

5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the
subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the
person who doesn't get it.

8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these
really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's
like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day
consuming only things that are good for you. (OBFood)

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when
they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after
you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into
your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in
the fruit you're eating. (OBFood)

And the pick of the literatu

18. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole


modom

"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore

On Mon 24 Jan 2005 04:53:13p, Michael Odom wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> From a friend's email:
>
> The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
> take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
> changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
> winners.
>
> 1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until
> you realize it was your money to start with.
>
> 2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
>
> 3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops
> bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows
> little sign of breaking down in the near future.
>
> 4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of
> getting laid.
>
> 5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the
> subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
>
> 6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
>
> 7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the
> person who doesn't get it.
>
> 8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
>
> 9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
>
> 10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
>
> 11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these
> really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's
> like, a serious bummer.
>
> 12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day
> consuming only things that are good for you. (OBFood)
>
> 13. Glibido: All talk and no action.
>
> 14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when
> they come at you rapidly.
>
> 15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after
> you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
>
> 16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into
> your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
>
> 17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in
> the fruit you're eating. (OBFood)
>
> And the pick of the literatu
>
> 18. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole
>
>
> modom
>
> "Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
> -- Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Imaginative and very entertaining!

Wayne

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 17:53:13 -0600, Michael Odom >
wrote:

>From a friend's email:
>
>The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
>take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
>changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
>winners.
>
that's the *washington post*'s 'style invitational,' a weekly contest
of word games, etc., for readers published in each sunday's *style*
section. you can probably access it at washingtonpost.com. as far as
i know it has nothing whatever to do with mensa, the high i.q. club.

your nitpicking pal,
blake

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 04:19:54 GMT, blake murphy >
wrote:

>On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 17:53:13 -0600, Michael Odom >
>wrote:
>
>>From a friend's email:
>>
>>The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
>>take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
>>changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
>>winners.
>>
>that's the *washington post*'s 'style invitational,' a weekly contest
>of word games, etc., for readers published in each sunday's *style*
>section. you can probably access it at washingtonpost.com. as far as
>i know it has nothing whatever to do with mensa, the high i.q. club.
>
>your nitpicking pal,
>blake

Thanks for picking my nits, Blake. It appears my email informant was
inaccurate, not to say lying.

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

OBFood: I made us quesadillas with home smoked jalapenos and olives
for a midnight snack.

modom

"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom >
wrote:

>OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom >
> wrote:
>
>> OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>> really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that
>> skillful.
>
> Extremely common among Mensans.
>
> Carol

Many of them probably have Asperger's Syndrome or some similar disorder.
See http://www.autism-society.org/site/P...name=Aspergers .

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

"[America] is filled with people who decided not to live in Europe. We
had people who really wanted to live in Europe, but didn't have the
energy to go back. We call them Canadians." ---Grover Norquist in
Newsweek, November 22, 2004

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:07:34 +0900, "Rona Yuthasastrakosol"
> wrote:

>Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
>> On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>>> really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that
>>> skillful.
>>
>> Extremely common among Mensans.
>>
>> Carol
>
>Many of them probably have Asperger's Syndrome or some similar disorder.
>See http://www.autism-society.org/site/P...name=Aspergers .

I wouldn't be surprised at all. Many of the Mensans I've known have been
completely inept socially, but are brilliant. Most couldn't hold a job for
very long.

I learned my social skills as an adult, by reading books. They're not
perfect, but much better than those in my pre-adult years.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Carol wrote:

>> OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>> really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.
>
> Extremely common among Mensans.

That's not exactly true. Except for IQ, Mensans seem to represent a pretty
good cross-section of the rest of the population.

Remember that Mensa is at heart a social organization, so it attracts people
who are interested in socializing.

There are plenty of people who *would* qualify for Mensa who don't join
because they lack social skills and are NOT interested in socializing.
There are also many qualified people who don't join because of the
stereotypes associated with Mensa. The two main stereotypes associated with
Mensa a (1) Buncha socially-inept nerds, and (2) pompous asses who want
to impress each other with how smart they are. But the reality is that most
Mensans are pretty normal; they're just able to think better than most other
people.

Bob

On 31 Jan 2005 06:26:02 -0600, "Bob" > wrote:

>Carol wrote:
>
>>> OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>>> really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.
>>
>> Extremely common among Mensans.
>
>That's not exactly true. Except for IQ, Mensans seem to represent a pretty
>good cross-section of the rest of the population.
>
>Remember that Mensa is at heart a social organization, so it attracts people
>who are interested in socializing.
>
>There are plenty of people who *would* qualify for Mensa who don't join
>because they lack social skills and are NOT interested in socializing.
>There are also many qualified people who don't join because of the
>stereotypes associated with Mensa. The two main stereotypes associated with
>Mensa a (1) Buncha socially-inept nerds, and (2) pompous asses who want
>to impress each other with how smart they are. But the reality is that most
>Mensans are pretty normal; they're just able to think better than most other
>people.

I was once among them. I joined just so I'd have proof (for myself) that I
wasn't stupid, because I often felt that I was. It was a good 2-3 years,
and then I was no longer in a position to pay the fees.

Some of my friends were normalish people. Most were social disasters. I
probably shouldn't have generalized based on my experiences. My apologies.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

On 31 Jan 2005 06:26:02 -0600, "Bob" >
wrote:

>Carol wrote:
>
>>> OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>>> really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.
>>
>> Extremely common among Mensans.
>
>That's not exactly true. Except for IQ, Mensans seem to represent a pretty
>good cross-section of the rest of the population.
>
>Remember that Mensa is at heart a social organization, so it attracts people
>who are interested in socializing.
>
>There are plenty of people who *would* qualify for Mensa who don't join
>because they lack social skills and are NOT interested in socializing.
>There are also many qualified people who don't join because of the
>stereotypes associated with Mensa. The two main stereotypes associated with
>Mensa a (1) Buncha socially-inept nerds, and (2) pompous asses who want
>to impress each other with how smart they are. But the reality is that most
>Mensans are pretty normal; they're just able to think better than most other
>people.
>
>Bob
>
my experience is that it's a bunch of people who like to drink and
talk and laugh and try to get into each others' pants. does this
sound familiar at all?

your pal,
blake

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom >
wrote:


>
>OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Michael if you get a chance.
Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.


Pan Ohco



The Earth is degenerating these days. Bribery and corruption abound.
Children no longer mind their parents, every man wants to write a
Book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching.
--Assyrian stone tablet, c. 2800 B.C.

"Pan Ohco" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom >
> wrote:
>
>
>>
>>OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>>really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.
>
> Michael if you get a chance.
> Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
> members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
> The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.
>
>
> Pan Ohco
>

How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score high on
IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their lives.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

Peter Aitken wrote:

> How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score high
> on IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their
> lives.

You mean like Isaac Asimov?

Bob

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 11:07:32 -0600, Pan Ohco > wrote:

>On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom >
>wrote:
>
>>
>>OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
>>really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.
>
>Michael if you get a chance.
>Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
>members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
>The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.
>
>
> Pan Ohco
>

on the contrary. mensa people don't *have* to try to impress each
other with how smart they are. they know that they score in the upper
2% on any of a number of i.q. tests. not to be snotty, but i'm
guessing you miss the boat.

the key attraction for many is that they don't have to explain their
jokes.

yes, some are socially inept, but i think that occurs in the other 98%
as well.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy >, if that's their real name, wrote:

>the key attraction for many is that they don't have to explain their
>jokes.

Exactly! The Mensans I've known have been master punsters. And we "get"
each other. Makes life more fun!

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

>>Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
>>members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
>>The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.

>> Pan Ohco
>
>on the contrary. mensa people don't *have* to try to impress each
>other with how smart they are. they know that they score in the upper
>2% on any of a number of i.q. tests. not to be snotty, but i'm
>guessing you miss the boat.

Neither my wife nor I "missed the boat" but we were put in the "I
don't give a shit" group.

And it is the upper 8% of people who take an I.Q. test which is
essentially, a problem solving test.

>your pal,
>blake


Pan Ohco

Michael Odom wrote:

> The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
> take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
> changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
> winners.
> (clipped very funnies)

Ovena - the ritual prayer for souffle bakers.