This is probably about the fifth post I’ve written that refers to the word serendipity.
It’s no surprise given how much I surf the web, and end up clicking on random links that pop up.
Today’s serendipitous moment started while watching ESPN’s Gameday show, which was set at Penn State (where they are having one of their famous whiteout games, as shown above).
One of the student signs said something along the lines of:
“Lions Eat Tigers”
which refers to the fact that the Penn State Nittany Lions were playing the Auburn Tigers.
One of my first thoughts after seeing the sign was who would win such a fight.
So I typed lion vs tiger to Google, and there were over 320 million results, which included several videos. I read a few of the results, and the consensus seems to be that a tiger would win such a battle.
That then led me to see what animal would beat a tiger, and it looked like an elephant is a pretty formidable target for just about any animal.
So I typed in elephant vs tiger and after scrolling down the page a bit, the following results caught my eye:
There was no way I could avoid clicking on some of those links
So of course I checked on the link to find out what is the dumbest animal, half expecting to see my dog at the top of the list
But here is what I found out. It wasn’t my dog, but an ostrich.
When faced with an imposing threat, the ostrich will push its head at the ground (not shove it under the sand, as the legend goes), close its eyes and go invisible. Well, the bird thinks it’s invisible. They’re kind of stupid animals.
I also couldn’t resist clicking on “what is the stupidest state?”
I was hoping it would be a bit more humorous, making fun of a state for some of the antics of its citizens. Instead, it was a list based on real data, using a combination of IQ scores, SAT scores, ACT scores, and percentage of college students. Based on these factors, here are the 10 “dumbest” states:
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Florida
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
- Louisiana
- North Carolina
- Arizona
So yes, serendipity is alive and well on the web. But that’s not to say where it leads will make you any smarter.
In that respect, it’s a lot like this blog…
I don’t know what smart or dumb is. I think we’re all smart in our own ways, and dumb in our own ways. But to quantify smartness, stupidity, or dumbness is impossible, since it all boils down to a matter of opinion. But I do feel very glad that I’m not an ostrich.
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I think I actually followed what you said and I agree. 🙂
Would you like to be an ostrich? I could probably make that happen? 😉
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I’m already a goose. And I don’t know what sound an ostrich makes. I promise, I will be good.
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I have a feeling that not knowing what sound an ostrich makes, wouldn’t stop you!
I guess I never really did turn you and Mason back into people did I? Oops! 😄
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Yeah, what’s going on here? We’ve been behaving ourselves. Honk!
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🙂
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You all been “behaving yourselves?” Oooh that is FUNNY that you actually think rhat. 😜
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Pffft
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I am waiting for the big transformation…
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Hmmm….may have to see what I can do. 🙂
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I’m guessing it doesn’t make any sound when it sticks its head in the sand…
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It’s a sort of muffled sound. Very subtle.
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that sounds about right…
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maybe he could practice burying his head in the sand on your vacation…
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Good idea! He probably will be sad about not seeing the 😶🤚 for a little bit, so yes, he can mope in the sand.
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maybe we should all just show up at your beach house…
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LOL!! Yeah, not too worried about that happening. In fact that would be one bet that I would know I could safely make and not lose money. 😄
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but if you do lose money, you can always get some from Tippy…
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Yes, The Bank of Tippy. 😃
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just be careful of his loan terms…
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quite true. one person might score a perfect sat score and have no idea how to change a flat tire.
I wonder if the ostrich trick works at all, because I may want to try it someday. especially if you come looking for your money…
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I’ve tried the ostrich trick a few times. It does seem to work on occasion. But I would remind anyone who owes me money that the head of an ostrich is about the size of a baseball.
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I think ostriches are on the protected species list…
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For good reason. Many past ostriches owed money.
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that’s what happens when your stock market bets don’t pay off… I heard ostriches liked to take big risks…
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I think you might be mistaking ostriches for bulls.
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I think they are in the same genus…
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Oookay.
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“Haha!”
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Hey, I lived in South Carolina before! Obviously these scores came out after I left. 🙂
It is a beautiful state. Its where I fell in love with the beach!
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I did like our visits to Hilton Head, Charleston, and Savannah…
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I was on John’s Island, close to Charleston, loved it!
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I’ve heard of it, but did not get a chance to visit it…
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It has the famous Angel Oak Tree on it. 400-500 years old! Its a huge, lovely tree.
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that I have not heard of… sounds impressive though!
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Even if lions could eat tigers, the student’s sign would not apply to Auburn v. PSU. Penn State’s mascot is the nittany lion — otherwise known as a cougar, mountain lion or puma. Fortunately for Penn State fans, the game wasn’t a mascot battle. PSU won.
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I think a mountain lion would probably stand less of a chance than a regular lion. Good thing it wasn’t a battle of mascots – it was a great football game…
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The Big Ten beat the SEC for a change.
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WE ARE… PENN STATE…
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I gather a white out game is where everyone wears white?
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exactly, and with 100,000 people, it is quite a sight…
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Lions 28 Tigers 20. The Lions win again.
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it was a great game…
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It is difficult to not click on some of those links. What surprises me when I search for the answer to a question is that I only type a couple of words and my whole question comes up. I can’t believe I am unable to ask an original question.
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it does seem like every question has been asked by someone…
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It does!
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living in michigan, as soon as i saw ‘white out game’ , i just assumed it was a snow game. )
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I can see why you would assume that!
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Who could not have guessed Florida would be on that list?
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I had the same thought!
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I had the same thought as well!
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poor Florida, and that’s one of the places we have thought about retiring to!
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I lived in Florida for three years, and when I beat feet out of there, I swore I’d never go back–and I haven’t.
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what part of Florida were you in?
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I lived in San Antonio, Florida in Pasco County. It was 30 miles from Tampa.
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at first my biggest concern about moving to Florida was alligators; now it looks like there may be other things to worry about as well…
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When I lived there, it was a very, very strange place. It struck me as the land of broken dreams, with the scraggly palm trees and smell of decay.
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hmmmm…. that does not sound very appealing. but I do like the weather down there!
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Quite a few southern states on that list. Just saying…
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I noticed that as well…
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Was Deliverance a documentary?
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parts of it may have been… 🙂
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That wouldn’t surprise me!
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👍
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This made me laugh and now I want to click on some of those same links. Right after I check to see if I can find a streaming or OnDemand version of 2001’s Serendipity. Wonder what John Cusack is up to these days? There goes my Sunday . . .
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it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that movie as well, but I do recall liking it. I’ve always liked his movies…
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It’s a good thing Arizona’s on that list. It makes it easier to sell ocean front property there!
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do you know a realtor I can contact?
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Several, actually.
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maybe they will start a bidding war over trying to sell me that beachfront property in AZ…
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Shmart.
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Hawaii is a surprise. But they have a lot of laid back culture and that probably applies to studying too.
The SD Wild Animal Park had an ostrich that figured out that staff vehicles stopping at a certain point meant the gating system would open. It would try to get ahead of the vehicles to go through.
A rhino did the same… but also figured out the button that triggered the gates. When I was there, the “safari” vehicle had to back up, coax the rhino to the back, give it a bunch of apples, and take off while it ate. Only to have the ostrich waiting on the other side!!
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But Hawaii makes up for that ranking with its beauty.
and I guess those animals aren’t as dumb as we might think!
thanks for sharing that story…
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Hahaha I thought you were describing me (bc that’s how I handle stress and fear lol) but alas, you were talking about the ostrich LOL.. I need to do more ostrich research, that’s so interesting 😁
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I think I’ve behaved like an ostrich on a few occasions… 🙂
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I did know that ostriches were pretty stupid, Jim. They are also rather scary when pecking grain from a bucket over your shoulders. Hmmm! Maybe I the stupid one.
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that sounds quite scary; I just read they can deliver a powerful kick and slash someone with their claw…
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Yes, they can, but they were actually behind a fence. I was a little worried about being pecked but they were only interested in the food. I was trying to teach my boys about overcoming fear …
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sounds like a good lesson!
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Your research sounds very much like mine keep clicking links and it’s amazing what you find but like Norah, I do find my question comes up in full b4 I have finished typing…great comments…
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the web is an amazing place to visit, but sometimes you can overstay your welcome…
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I was sweating on the list of the least smartest states. Thankfully, Ohio, Montana, and Pennsylvania didn’t make the list. Perhaps the researchers were still blinded by the whiteout at Penn State.
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I was nervous about the listing as well, glad we survived. and what a great game Penn State had…
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I have tried that Ostrich head in the sand trick when faced life’s challenges and can testify it doesn’t work, I too find myself clicking through once I get started and have found myself in some very strange places, but sometimes serendipity is behind it and I meet interesting people and discover little known facts that might help me beat The Chaser… thanks Jim…x
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yea, that ostrich trick doesn’t fool anybody except the ostrich. and it is fun to go down those rabbit holes sometimes to see where it leads…
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thanks for the mention, Sally! I am always honored to be in one of your posts…
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If there is a prize for the most clickable blog post title, this one wins!
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thanks, Liz. I do have fun coming up with my titles. sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t…
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You’re welcome, Jim.
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Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you for this very interesting and also funny information. Have a nice weekend! xx Michael
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thanks, Michael. I hope you have a great weekend as well!
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😊 Thank you, Jim! Also enjoy your weekend! xx
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