Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Afternoon Edition - 9/18/07

Common Sense, Intuition and the Boil
My past has shown me that I can’t trust folks to know what I'm thinking or better, that they will put themselves in my shoes to do what appears to be right. Case in point, I had been holding back important information from BD in an effort to appear the cool, calm and collected brotha that’s as easy as “Sunday morning”. Instead, issues that stood to irritate me and drive a wedge between us began bubbling beneath the surface. I felt trapped. If I spoke up I believed I’d be viewed as zany or off – when in fact, I’d simply be steering him in the right direction and giving him the opportunity to rectify issues that were making me uncomfortable. By the time the puss-filled pimple came to a head late last week I was hotter than the dry season on the Serengeti. I waited too long and had no emotional reserve to buffer my concerns with tact. I poured out my concerns and frustrations and discovered that BD was unaware of the extent of my anxiety. I accepted that I can’t expect him to intuitively know what works for me and that I have the responsibility to tell him what I’m thinking and feeling. I’m not going to “front,” I did feel that common sense should have served as his guide in some instances…but whose common sense? Mine? Or is common sense supposed to mean that there are issues where we are all expected to use the same reasoning? At any rate, the issues appear to have been immediately resolved. I’m a happier person for it and more importantly, we took another step forward and had our first real serious conversation. I closed that chapter with one promise to him and myself – I will always communicate what I’m thinking and feeling so that nothing ever festers. He’s now also aware that giving me time to think doesn’t calm me; actually it allows me time to simmer. For those of you who are dating a Puerto Rican man (moreover, a Leo at that) this is a deadly mistake; one that we’re now aware doesn’t work in our relationship. If you’re wondering, we’ve reached Phase 3.

Doling Out E-Coli
Dole, a manufacturer best known for their pineapples, is now facing a second recall for salad products tainted with E-Coli. The new outbreak affects their Heart’s Delight salad with a “best used date” of September 19, 2007. Last year three people died as a result of Dole’s E-Coli tainted spinach. No illnesses have yet been reported and the recall is purely a voluntary action taken after a sample of the product tested positive for E-Coli.

Shake Yo’ Ass; No Need To Watch Yourself
Reclast or Zometa, a new drug by Novartis used in post-menopausal and elderly patients, is showing amazing results – 28% fewer deaths and 35% fewer fractures. Each year 300,000 people experience hip fractures and 1-in-5 die within the first year of their fracture. No other osteoporosis drug has shown such favorable results in over 15 years. It is expected that Reclast will be the new prescription drug of choice for the prevention of broken bones and more important, fewer deaths.

On Blast
Do you believe that common sense is a direct result of life experience or more an indicator of someone’s intelligence quota (IQ)?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

10 comments:

bLaQ~n~MiLD said...

Common sense is one part 'life experience' and one part 'upbringing'. I find it quite interesting as I navigate through life that there are many people that posess little common sense. I mean I'm not the smartest person in the world by far, however, I think that I have more sense than a little bit. Some of it depends on where you grew up as well (ie: big city -vs- suburbs/country). I learned that while in college and encountering people from around the country and the world.

~Damnit!

Mr. Jones said...

Hmmm....this is a tough one.

I'm very particular and most things seems very common sense in my mind, but what seems fairly obvious to me, doesn't always register with everyone else and I realized that I have to accept that. I can't change what seems apparant to people.

So, about a year ago, I realized that it's unfair for me to hold people accountable if they don't know the standard I hold them to. It's helped me a lot. I realize that people, for the most part, don't just piss me off to be pissing me off. So, I give them a pass. I let them know that what they did pissed me off. Now, if they continue to piss me off, then I let them have it. Its fair game at that point.

As for Dole...I just bought some bagged salad from the grocery store the other day. I saw the recall on CNN, but haven't checked the bag yet. I need to do that when I get home.

WhozHe said...

I guess the definition of common sense varies from person to person. What maybe commom to me may not be common to you. To keep the playing field level its best to not to assume.

Tim said...

I have to agree with Whozhe on this one. Common sense varies with each individual. Please, please, please my fellow PR brotha, don't assume.

Unknown said...

I agree with "Blaq" that it pretty much depends on where/how you were raised. Many people have different ideas about what makes sense and what doesn't. Sometimes it gets irritating, but you pretty much have to roll with it. We also have to remember that our beloved country has become very crowded, as we host folks from around the world and from many cultures. Cultural background plays a big part in the "Common Sense" issue. And let's face it, we've all had lapses in common sense, at one time or another.

This being said, I think that on some level, there is an intelligence factor to look at. Once you've reached a certain age, it's entirely possible to look at the world around you and make judgments as to whether or not what you believe to be common sense actually is or isn't.

For instance, when an adolescent is in high school, it may be common sense to keep your voice down in class (considered to be an orderly environment), and be more "vocal" in the halls or on the grounds (considered to be more public). But when that same person grows and goes out into the world, they should possess the intellect to realize that this same reasoning may not apply. It no longer makes sense to be so "vocal" in public areas. Especially if, when looking around, they would notice that everyone else was not behaving in that same manner. Failure to notice such an obvious shift in what appears to be behavioral common sense, in my book, is just plain ignorant.

I think, though, that there is a definitive set of social guideline of what others will consider to be common sense. The same is true for ethics. Now, if they taught classes in common sense, as they do in ethics, I probably wouldn’t need to be answering this question.
HA!

Darius T. Williams said...

Definitely life experience...whew, definitely life experience.

Joey Bahamas said...

I think Common Sense is a mix of those things...and I also think it's in short supply...just my take...

Dayne Avery said...

I think common sense is relative, but is a reflection on life experience--the more you experience, the more you know. We all know someone who is street smart and book dumb and vice versa.

Before moving to Atl I was smart as hell but naive to the ways of the world. It took me experiencing things outside of small town life to boost my "common sense".

life said...

Definitely life experience!

yet another black guy said...

man you did what you had to do and it paid off nicely.

i think common sense is a direct result of both life experience and courtesy towards others.