tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post7577904351313004838..comments2024-03-22T04:20:11.870-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: Could You Rephrase ThatAustin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-45782640785501148022011-03-28T17:12:53.309-05:002011-03-28T17:12:53.309-05:00@Blam: The phrase that I hate, hate, hate is "...@Blam: <i>The phrase that I hate, hate, hate is "I'm giving 110%" (or more). No you're not.</i><br /><br />That one bugs me too. Mainly because it's the kind of nonsensical pablum self help gurus and amateur coaches dispense ("give 110%") instead of providing any real advice. <br /><br />My favorite word on the matter comes from, of course, <i>The Simpsons</i>, when Mr. Burns hires a hypnotist to work with his team of MLB pros turned softball ringers: <br /><br /><b>Hynpotist</b>: You are all very good players...<br /><b>Team</b>:We are all very good players...<br /><b>Hypnotist</b>: You will beat Shelbyville...<br /><b>Team</b>: We will beat Shelbyville...<br /><b>Hypnotist</b>: You will give one hundred and ten percent...<br /><b>Team</b>: That's impossible. No one can give more than one hundred percent. By definition that is the most anyone can give...Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-31004128324285836242011-03-28T16:52:59.351-05:002011-03-28T16:52:59.351-05:00The phrase that I hate, hate, hate is "I'...<br>The phrase that I hate, hate, <i>hate</i> is "I'm giving 110%" (or more). No you're not.<br /><br />Look, I get the point, but I promise I'm not simply being a pedantic prick when I say this. I don't just object that — unless you're talking about a percentage in relation to <i>something else</i>, which you're not — you cannot by definition give more than your full capacity of energy, time, effort, concentration, focus, whatever-the-hell. You are not giving 110%, or 200%, or 1,000%, because I'm listening to you and you don't even sound all that committed. <br /><br />Part of my issue with this is admittedly that I've been dealing with a debilitating chronic illness for a decade now that means I'm pretty much never giving my all at any given time out of self-preservation, to an even lesser extent than any of us really does. Honestly though, I truly despise hearing people throw off this hyperbole not only because it's ever more meaningless the bigger the nonsensical number but because it's frankly demeaning to the very concept of truly bearing down on something and giving it <i>100%</i>. Very few of us ever do that, for anything short of making sure we don't drop a baby we're holding on it's head, but that's only human; we multitask, we compartmentalize, we get distracted yet still function.<br /><br />VW: <i>ruckwa</i> — The writer of <i>Whiteout</i> at peace in Japan.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-4307202788216596322011-03-28T16:33:45.292-05:002011-03-28T16:33:45.292-05:00@Anne: I read a book once where society had starte...<br>@Anne: <i>I read a book once where society had started allowing people to have children only by a lottery system.</i><br /><br />Then everyone threw rocks at them?<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-36604935851518289442011-03-25T12:32:27.036-05:002011-03-25T12:32:27.036-05:00Anne - It is an interesting concept. I do believe ...Anne - It is an interesting concept. I do believe that confidence and a positive attitude can make someone appear to be luckier than someone else, but it won't literally affect the odds of something happening.<br /><br />Teebore - The fact is you're either an Autobot or Decepticon. Optimus Prime doesn't determine what decal gets slapped on what robot.Dr. Bitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13568570859981368717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-74598642310328992482011-03-25T11:12:05.521-05:002011-03-25T11:12:05.521-05:00Who doesn't want to think that locked within o...<i>Who doesn't want to think that locked within our brain is the secret to seeing through people's clothes? </i><br /><br />Yeah, I have a particular sore spot for that one, since I fell for it hook, line and sinker back in the day (and even wrote it into an early draft of a novel). In any case, that <i>Limitless</i> commercial was like fingernails on a chalkboard every time I heard it. <br /><br /><i>having you drive donuts in my front lawn and then yell to me from the driver side window "Hey, it's a free county!" before throwing an empty beer can at my face and driving off is probably not what they had in mind.</i><br /><br />Only because I know of some of the issues you had with your one-time neighbors, but is that example drawn from personal experience? <br /><br /><i>Everyone makes mistakes...except for Optimus Prime.</i><br /><br />I dunno...what about Hot Rod?Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-33069311205634991492011-03-25T08:12:53.550-05:002011-03-25T08:12:53.550-05:00ha! this is awesome
Sarah beat me to correcting y...ha! this is awesome<br />Sarah beat me to correcting your 'robut' spelling mistake<br /><br />I read a book once where society had started allowing people to have children only by a lottery system.<br />after generations of this they had bred super lucky people because only lucky people would get to breed, and then those offspring would have to be lucky (and then would breed with other lucky offspring). It was a fascinating thoughtAnne Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04695186823472404436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-20854113738665498542011-03-25T08:10:57.253-05:002011-03-25T08:10:57.253-05:00Hah! Teebore Hannah and I just had the "20% o...Hah! Teebore Hannah and I just had the "20% of your brain" usage conversation a few weeks ago.<br />And i agree with everything you said. Except i would classify Optimus Prime as a "Robut". But to each his ownSarah Ahiershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02795455714801965956noreply@blogger.com