This Little Piggy

The next few days on the calendar are fraught with animal auspices. If you find yourself taking a serious interest in reincarnation, or maybe even just contemplating a one-time donation to PETA, well, there's something in the air. Saturday is Groundhog Day (which more or less represents the nirvana that ever zany This or That Day out there strives to achieve). On Sunday, we've got the Rams in the Super Bowl. And, perhaps of greatest moment, next Tuesday is the first day of the Year of the Pig.

The pig is the twelfth and last of the dozen animals used to demarcate the passage of time on the Chinese calendar. And in 2019, the specific element attached to the pig is Earth. The Year of the Earth Pig runs from Feb. 5 to Jan. 24, 2020. Pigs love mud, and mud is definitely earthen, so you could say that the Earth Pig is the happiest pig. It's probably not as wicked awesome as, say, the Fire Pig, or as well-protected as the Metal Pig, but sometimes you have to work with what you've got.

The Earth Pig is said to be both kind and considerate, while also staying rooted in things as they are: Earth Pigs are pragmatic and prudent. If you were born in the Year of the Earth Pig (which last came around in 1959), then you are both a hard worker and a peacekeeper. You don't like conflict or unpleasantness, and you are generous to a fault. Well, maybe you're none of those things, and you tend to scoff at the Chinese zodiac in particular and calendar-divined portents in general.

The point is that TestOut was founded in 1991, which was the Year of the Goat (or the Sheep as it is sometimes called), and the Metal Goat in particular. A Metal Goat is systematic and reliable. That sounds a lot like the kind of training materials that we develop here at TestOut Continuing Education. Our training is highly organized and very systematic. We take you through concepts step-by-step. It's also extremely reliable: You can count on us to help you pass your certification exam.

This next part, however, is where it gets really good. Each animal in the Chinese zodiac is especially compatible with two or three of the other animals. There's always at least one that doesn't fit at all, and several others that offer only average compatibility. Goats, however, are one of the best possible matches for Pigs. So if you need a reason to train with TestOut in 2019, well, the omens are aligned and the calendar is in your favor. Take advantage of celestial harmony and start your training today!