The Battle Bar, Our Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Originally posted by Gideon
Nor mine.

I live in southern Kentucky, which is well within the heartland of the inbred, the inept, and the insufferably stupid. Despite that, I've been a homecoming candidate for three years (football and basketball), was voted "Most Unforgettable" (came in second place for "Biggest Flirt"😉 in my senior class superlatives out of a class of 275 students, and currently monopolize the attention of an obscenely hot girl.

I think the social stigma of being intelligent has been consigned to mythology; it depends on whether or not you can balance your intellect with a comfort in a social atmosphere. Sadly, there are plenty of brilliant guys and girls out there who come off as irretrievably awkward in a social setting.

That's when it's considered "uncool" to be smart.

Well, any small measure of popularity that I've gained seems to be despite my intelligence (It's hard to talk about this without sounding arrogant) rather than because of it. The sports I play (X-C, which is kind of a sport, and Soccer, which is definitely a sport) almost counteract the stigma from Forensics, Acadec and Quiz bowl (and I was just in the paper for Science bowl). I'm good enough at FPS videogames to be a challenge but I'm still bad enough to never win. Really, social life seems to be a balancing act between remaining smart enough to excel while keeping a lid on how smart I really am. (I'm also almost painfully shy- I'm really bad at meeting new people. The friends I already have make fun of me for it.)

So, was that emo enough for you?

(Gideon, you're a senior?)

Litigation? Really?

Well, I'm not one to talk; I'd much rather discuss law casually than try to make a living out of it. I wanted to go into medicine before realizing that I'd be thirty-one before I could even start my own practice. Then came law, when I found out how much money my cousin was making; a day at his office blew that away. Next up, engineering, because I apparently have a knack for figuring out how things work. Pre-calc completely destroyed that for me; anything other than mental math, at which I pwn, makes me nauseous, so I couldn't possibly spend my life in a career that requires number-crunching. And banking and accounting... ugh.

Now I'm looking into business; far from the easiest field to break into and keep stable, but it's about as lucrative as they get if you hit it big.

Originally posted by Red Nemesis
Well, any small measure of popularity that I've gained seems to be despite my intelligence (It's hard to talk about this without sounding arrogant) rather than because of it. The sports I play (X-C, which is kind of a sport, and Soccer, which is definitely a sport) almost counteract the stigma from Forensics, Acadec and Quiz bowl (and I was just in the paper for Science bowl). I'm good enough at FPS videogames to be a challenge but I'm still bad enough to never win. Really, social life seems to be a balancing act between remaining smart enough to excel while keeping a lid on how smart I really am. (I'm also almost painfully shy- I'm really bad at meeting new people. The friends I already have make fun of me for it.)

So, was that emo enough for you?

(Gideon, you're a senior?)

Forensics is considered a "smart" class for you guys?

All the people who are too retarded to get good enough grades to get into physiology and physics go to Forensics. All the D-average students are in that class at my school. 😐

Meh.

Originally posted by Publius II
Litigation? Really?

Now I'm looking into business; far from the easiest field to break into and keep stable, but it's about as lucrative as they get if you hit it big.

Eh the best businessmen I know are ones without business degrees that do their own thing. It's what I always tell peoplel; you don't need an MBA to be a businessman. Again, it depends if you want to work for somebody, and business is a very broad field so I don't know what specifically interests you.

@RN: XC is for the weak. Soccer is more acceptable.

And I did something similar to Acadec in 10th grade, although it was hosted by the English department. After a fairly stupid quiz round, it went to a series of debates; each team of three or four was paired with another on a certain issue (gun control, for example) and they had to argue opposite sides. Out of a grade of 180, they ended up with about 20 pairs of teams (the weak ones lost out in the quiz). The debate portion went on for about a month during second semester, with a day or two a week being devoted to the debates in each Englsh class.

My team ended up in the "semifinals" in my grade, supporting gun control (not our fault). We actually made an amazing case, when our particularly moronic teammate decided to misquote the ****ing NRA and said that twice as many individuals under 18 were killed playing high school football than by guns. We lost. The two sane teammates and I asked our teacher about it later, and he confirmed that we lost because of the idiot.

I was angry.

Originally posted by Final Blaxican
Forensics is considered a "smart" class for you guys?

All the people who are too retarded to get good enough grades to get into physiology and physics go to Forensics. All the D-average students are in that class at my school. 😐

Meh.

Originally posted by Publius II
Same here. I just refused to take a Science; I'd taken an AP science as a junior and decided it was stupid, and forensics for seniors is for the dumb and the slackers.

Competitive forensics. As in, competition with other schools.

I'm in extemporaneous speaking- we're given 30 minutes to prepare and present a 5-7 minute speech.

Faunus, that doesn't sound like acadec at all. It sounds like a non-conventional debate format to me. I'm trying debate as soon as the next topic is introduced. (Speech is over and we probably won't make nationals for acadec. [even though we made state] State's this weekend so that'll be over too.)

Originally posted by Darth Sexy
Yea, I don't have public speaking issues. I make jokes in front of crowds, all that stuff.

I love discussing law casually but perhaps it's something I will eventually teach. I have a strong passion for it, I've read a few crim/con law books that are issued in law school and they're badass. The thing is I'm more of a "good for society" person. I don't believe in doing something that could set a dangerous precedent (nevermind the same sex marriage case), and I'm very conservative with justice. And this is coming from someone who has been in the system, and I deserved every minute of it and I got off light.
In terms of how much you can make in law, you could make a hell of a lot as long as you are good. It also depends if you want to work for someone and eventually become a partner, which means you'll have to bill hours, which is one thing I dread. Or you can open up your own firm and do it your way. My friend's 27, and he already has his own firm set up raking in the money. It's all about what's more important. The money, or doing what you love. Ideally, you'd want to find a mixture of both. But hell it took me almost 6 years to graduate college because I didn't know what I want. So I figured out everything I DIDNT want.

Medicine is very demanding. I know a few people in med school and the work load is ridiculous, not to mention what is it, at least 7+ years of grad school?[/b][/quote]Three to five years of grad on average, around four years of residency at the least.

My parents are both mechanical engineers, but that's something that never appealed to me. I have a math deficiency so anything like that is ruled out.

Eh the best businessmen I know are ones without business degrees that do their own thing. It's what I always tell peoplel; you don't need an MBA to be a businessman. Again, it depends if you want to work for somebody, and business is a very broad field so I don't know what specifically interests you.

That's impressive.

Originally posted by Red Nemesis
Faunus, that doesn't sound like acadec at all.

Sorries.

It sounds like a non-conventional debate format to me. I'm trying debate as soon as the next topic is introduced. (Speech is over and we probably won't make nationals for acadec. [even though we made state] State's this weekend so that'll be over too.)

I'm in extemporaneous speaking- we're given 30 minutes to prepare and present a 5-7 minute speech.

So... is the debate officially dead?

*baitbaitbait*

Originally posted by Publius II
I hate public speaking. I'm actually pretty good when I'm prepared and calm, but I get psyched out easily.

My cousin (I have a lot)goes to school with the guy who started Bizchairs; they're at Emory now, and the kid was in 9th grade when he opened. He was worth $15 million as of his 20th birthday.

That's impressive.

That's very impressive. But for every one of those, you get a ridiculous number of failures. In the hundreds of thousands, even millions maybe. I always believed that people that go to school so they can work for other people are ones who to some extent, want job security and to generally be content with what they get. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that either. It takes balls to start something yourself. Balls and lots of money.

Raz ****ing denied my username change. Ass. I have a back up, but still...

If it's because Nebaris took it, I will bring eternal wrath down upon him.

Originally posted by Master Crimzon
So... is the debate officially dead?

*baitbaitbait*

Yea I don't really read my own sources and I do worse the longer the debate drags on. Lets just agree to disagree and just so we're clear, I do believe in government assistance for those who are victims of circumstance, and for those who work their asses off but can't make the money.

I also believe that there's less racism in this country than there is perceived racism. I think that's a poor excuse.

Finally, if you want evidence of welfare abuse, I will show you statistics. Obviously not everyone who is on welfare deserves it.

Originally posted by Darth Sexy
Know how I learned? Excessive drinking in college. Sooner or later, you don't need the booze, but carry a flask on you just in case.

In our generation, there aren't the pressures of going to college and then getting a job right out of college, like it was for our parents. Hell, the average age for entry into law school is what, 24? 25?

Pressure sucks.

Yep, math geniuses usually pass those traits down. Didn't happen in my family. You said math makes you nauseous? Or hard math?

That's very impressive. But for every one of those, you get a ridiculous number of failures. In the hundreds of thousands, even millions maybe. I always believed that people that go to school so they can work for other people are ones who to some extent, want job security and to generally be content with what they get. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that either. It takes balls to start something yourself. Balls and lots of money.

Originally posted by Publius II
That's not a viable solution for me, but thanks...

All true. Still, if you find a niche and you're smart, things can work out.

Originally posted by Darth Sexy
Yea it's not for everyone. All I know is I was extremely antisocial in high school and I really grew up (socially not mentally) in college. I had to place myself in social situations and to do that and be comfortable, I first had to get drunk. After a year or two it became sort of natural. I still have a little trouble if I have to give a D'var Torah in front of people but hell, practice makes perfect.

Stage fright is weakness...

That sucks man. Well not really, you have a family of overachievers, so do I. Nothing like being the first person in the family to graduate college in America. People mature at different paces. I'm still 18-20 mentally, whereas I was like 15 last year. If i graduated college at 21-22, I would have failed at anything I did afterwards.

Eh tell me about it. The only thing a TI-83 is good for is tetris, or worm.

Originally posted by Publius II
I'll probably dose on something next time I have to make a speech, to be honest. I hate it that much.

Stage fright is weakness...

And Block Dude. And programming stuff in you so can cheat on tests. Not that I know how...

Oh hell yea. Brings back high school memories. People pay you for math programs.

Originally posted by Darth Sexy
Yea, but a weakness that can be overcome by anybody. If you could publically do what you do on this forum you're well on your way to being a litigator.

And you?

Oh hell yea. Brings back high school memories. People pay you for math programs.

Originally posted by Publius II
I can do it in a crowd setting, or something like a classroom debate. Standing up in front of a group of silent people and reading or presenting something usually sucks for me. I can pull it off, but I'm nervous as hell both before and during the actual event.

There's a legit subculture around it in Westchester. It's amazing.

Originally posted by Darth Sexy
Interesting. Yea the debating part seems much easier. I guess it's a lot harder when all eyes are on you. But again for me, that's where the alcohol came in. Everything sort of became hilarious, and I wasn't worried what anyone thought anymore.

Haha senioritis, now there's a word I haven't heard in ages. And 3.4-3.5 is not bad at all. My HS GPA was a 2.9. My college GPA was a 2.2. Very hard to put forth effort when you're not interested.

I didn't know this was still that dominant, what with things like the iphone and new technology coming out. This was huge back in 98-2002.