Some Things Don't Mix Well
Posted by TestOut Staff on
Among the many discoveries of science, we've learned that some things not found mingled in nature are surprisingly beneficial when mixed together. Peanut butter and chocolate, for example. Peanut butter bushes don't even grow in the same soil as chocolate trees — er, or something like that — and look at all of the remarkable products we've created by combining peanut butter and chocolate. The world would be a poorer (as would the world's dentists) without them.
There are examples in the IT certification world as well, including some that are found right here at TestOut Continuing Education. We've written before in this space, for example, about all the advantages of training bundles. You might not automatically set out to get your A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications from CompTIA. Put them all together, however, and suddenly you meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense's 8570 initiative. Hence, our DoD Bundle.
There are some things, on the other hand, that you just shouldn't mix. Not even if you really want to. Not even if the fates seem to be nudging those things together. There's no productive end, for example, to mixing Coca-Cola with paint thinner. All you've done is take two things that each have a productive use and make it impractical, if not impossible for either to serve its intended purpose. Yes, sometimes people do crazy things in the name of scientific inquiry.
Even a scientist, however, could tell you not to get a tattoo of an emoji — without needing to conduct any experiments first. We mention that particular example because tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17, is both World Emoji Day and National Tattoo Day. This sort of bad mojo mashup was bound to happen sooner or later, given that we now have a special day for everything. All we're saying is just don't go there, no matter how tempted you may be. Regret is a kissy-face smiley on your bicep.
Instead of bowing to the strange confluence of randomly assigned non-official holidays, take the same $79 you were about to spend on getting the poop emoji tattooed — ahem. You know what? It doesn't matter where it was going to be. Why put bad ideas out into the world? Instead, take that same $79 and start a monthly subscription to our Library Suite. That's a winning combination and an investment you won't regret. Or ever have to explain to a shocked spouse.