what qualifies as wasting time?
$Zero
apparently, that's a very difficult question for anyone to answer.
are most people just incapable of admitting that they've wasted time?
i don't get it.
does it highly embarass them somehow?
so anyway, just for kicks, i'll ask it again:
approximately how much of your time have you wasted so far?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/a030caec90ded4fb
and...
what qualifies as wasting time?
how would you define it.
now, certainly, that last question is a ground ball for some.
but sometimes the quick quip is just another way to cheat yourself.
so why not give it a tad more thoughtful effort.
as if.
oook.
nevermind.
-$Zero...
entrepreneur alert!
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/389516280a2545db
Ultraviolet
> what qualifies as wasting time?
For me it's something like engaging in an action that gives me no
pleasure because I think a reward of some sort will ensue, and then
there's no reward.
> apparently, that's a very difficult question for anyone to answer.
>
> are most people just incapable of admitting that they've wasted time?
>
> i don't get it.
>
> does it highly embarass them somehow?
I think so. It's basically an admission of wrongness: "I thought this
was a good idea, but it wasn't, so I WAS WRONG." You've seen how
difficult it is for people (especially men) to admit any minor error
even in a silly Usenet discussion, and so confessing that they
committed a major misjudgment is impossible for them.
> so anyway, just for kicks, i'll ask it again:
>
> approximately how much of your time have you wasted so far?
> http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/a030caec90ded4fb
I don't know, some, but probably not a huge amount. I have a very low
"pain tolerance," and so do not spend much time doing things I find
unpleasant if a reward doesn't materialize pretty quickly. This is
also a flaw obviously and why I've had many small to moderate rewards
but not a lot of big ones.
--
UV
Alan Hope
>On Aug 19, 5:05 am, "$Zero" <zeroi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> what qualifies as wasting time?
>For me it's something like engaging in an action that gives me no
>pleasure because I think a reward of some sort will ensue, and then
>there's no reward.
>> apparently, that's a very difficult question for anyone to answer.
>> are most people just incapable of admitting that they've wasted time?
>> i don't get it.
>> does it highly embarass them somehow?
>I think so. It's basically an admission of wrongness: "I thought this
>was a good idea, but it wasn't, so I WAS WRONG." You've seen how
>difficult it is for people (especially men)
Oi!
>to admit any minor error
>even in a silly Usenet discussion, and so confessing that they
>committed a major misjudgment is impossible for them.
>> so anyway, just for kicks, i'll ask it again:
>> approximately how much of your time have you wasted so far?
>> http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/a030caec90ded4fb
>I don't know, some, but probably not a huge amount. I have a very low
>"pain tolerance," and so do not spend much time doing things I find
>unpleasant if a reward doesn't materialize pretty quickly. This is
>also a flaw obviously and why I've had many small to moderate rewards
>but not a lot of big ones.
I piss away lots of time on stuff that's of no importance, but I don't
consider it wasted. Loafing around watching some old guys playing
petanque is not time wasted. Reading Boing Boing is not a waste of
time if it's what I feel like doing. Going to a drinks reception
because I'm expected to, and not finding anyone to have a pleasant
chat with when I knew that was never going to happen -- that's a waste
of time because it could have been avoided. Being stuck in traffic
because of an accident is not a waste of time because it was
unavoidable. It's a loss of time, at the most.
I don't think I waste much time at all. Others may look at my
timetable and think otherwise, but "others" can kiss my arse.
I tell you what does strike me as a waste of time: posting limitless
question threads when you've no intention of listening to the answers.
What's that about?
serenebabe
> what qualifies as wasting time?
>
> apparently, that's a very difficult question for anyone to answer.
>
> are most people just incapable of admitting that they've wasted time?
>
> i don't get it.
>
> does it highly embarass them somehow?
<...>
I think it's just the phrase "wasted" that's problematic for me. I
spend most of my time doing what I want to do which is definitely not
always "productive" in a traditional sense. (Hello, I'm posting on
Usenet right now!) But, like Sal said in another thread, everything
I've done before got me here so I'm pleased with all of those moments.
There's value in every minute of my days, truly. Other people who think
in terms of "wasting" might view my choices as "wasting" a lot of time,
but then again, other people might also think same-sex love is wrong or
that spanking a child is right. We will disagree.
I expect if you said, "how much time have you goofed around today," or
"played," or "avoided Real Work" or something like that, you'd get
different answers.
--
It's All About We! (the column) -- NEW August 1, "What I did with all
that kale..."
http://www.serenebabe.net/
$Zero
> Ultraviolet goes:
>
> >On Aug 19, 5:05 am, "$Zero" <zeroi...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> what qualifies as wasting time?
> >For me it's something like engaging in an action that gives me no
> >pleasure because I think a reward of some sort will ensue, and then
> >there's no reward.
> >> apparently, that's a very difficult question for anyone to answer.
> >> are most people just incapable of admitting that they've wasted time?
> >> i don't get it.
> >> does it highly embarass them somehow?
> >I think so. It's basically an admission of wrongness: "I thought this
> >was a good idea, but it wasn't, so I WAS WRONG." You've seen how
> >difficult it is for people (especially men)
>
> Oi!
>
> >to admit any minor error
> >even in a silly Usenet discussion, and so confessing that they
> >committed a major misjudgment is impossible for them.
> >> so anyway, just for kicks, i'll ask it again:
> >> .... http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/a030caec90ded4fb
> >I don't know, some, but probably not a huge amount. I have a very low
> >"pain tolerance," and so do not spend much time doing things I find
> >unpleasant if a reward doesn't materialize pretty quickly. This is
> >also a flaw obviously and why I've had many small to moderate rewards
> >but not a lot of big ones.
>
> I piss away lots of time on stuff that's of no importance, but I don't
> consider it wasted. Loafing around watching some old guys playing
> petanque is not time wasted. Reading Boing Boing is not a waste of
> time if it's what I feel like doing. Going to a drinks reception
> because I'm expected to, and not finding anyone to have a pleasant
> chat with when I knew that was never going to happen -- that's a waste
> of time because it could have been avoided. Being stuck in traffic
> because of an accident is not a waste of time because it was
> unavoidable. It's a loss of time, at the most.
>
> I don't think I waste much time at all. Others may look at my
> timetable and think otherwise, but "others" can kiss my arse.
>
> I tell you what does strike me as a waste of time: posting limitless
> question threads when you've no intention of listening to the answers.
> What's that about?
well, i know that i'm probably totally wasting my time when i make the
next suggestion, but here goes anyway.
yo, Alan.
why don't you take a few minutes each day to pose some questions for
us all to consider?
understand, i'm not suggesting that you take several hours to do so,
just a few minutes.
start a new thread.
open up a brand new "compose post" window and ask a few questions.
see what develops.
or not.
-$Zero...
does asking questions make you a creative genius?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/b4d6e507c593b4b3
how to find beauty in a cynical world
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/6a5c3eff425f8ada
Alan Hope
>well, i know that i'm probably totally wasting my time when i make the
>next suggestion, but here goes anyway.
>yo, Alan.
>why don't you take a few minutes each day to pose some questions for
>us all to consider?
Don't you think there are enough questions out there for us to
consider without me adding witless nonsense of the order of "How much
time do you waste"?
Especially for the benefit of people who are not interested in
listening to any answers.
$Zero
> $Zero goes:
>
> >well, i know that i'm probably totally wasting my time when i make the
> >next suggestion, but here goes anyway.
> >yo, Alan.
> >why don't you take a few minutes each day to pose some questions for
> >us all to consider?
>
> Don't you think there are enough questions out there for us to
> consider without me adding witless nonsense of the order of "How much
> time do you waste"?
like i said, it was probably a total waste of my time to make the
suggestion.
but being an optimist of sorts, i'll offer it yet again.
why not give it a try and see how it goes?
> Especially for the benefit of people who are not interested in
> listening to any answers.
let me guess.
you don't want to embarass yourself by asking questions?
or you just don't have any questions?
-$Zero...
is this the best post i could write right now?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/3df0e1c9adf7a586
Alan Hope
>On Aug 20, 5:08?am, Alan Hope <usenet.ident...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> $Zero goes:
>> >well, i know that i'm probably totally wasting my time when i make the
>> >next suggestion, but here goes anyway.
>> >yo, Alan.
>> >why don't you take a few minutes each day to pose some questions for
>> >us all to consider?
>> Don't you think there are enough questions out there for us to
>> consider without me adding witless nonsense of the order of "How much
>> time do you waste"?
>like i said, it was probably a total waste of my time to make the
>suggestion.
Well, it's not like you have anything better to do, is it?
>but being an optimist of sorts, i'll offer it yet again.
>why not give it a try and see how it goes?
>> Especially for the benefit of people who are not interested in
>> listening to any answers.
>let me guess.
>you don't want to embarass yourself by asking questions?
>or you just don't have any questions?
Talking to you is a waste of time. There you go.
$Zero
such as he is can change the world for the better]
"I don't think so.
I've got a song I'm working on now.... it's called:
'Just singing a song won't change the world.'"
-- Neil Young
[on Letterman, July 2008]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_vzNH0nkX4
"people aren't wearing enough hats"
-- Corporate Researcher's Conclusion
[from the movie: "Monty Python's Meaning of Life" ]
On Aug 20, 8:47�am, Alan Hope <usenet.ident...@gmail.com> wrote:
> $Zero goes:
>
> >On Aug 20, 5:08?am, Alan Hope <usenet.ident...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> $Zero goes:
> >> >well, i know that i'm probably totally wasting my time when i make the
> >> >next suggestion, but here goes anyway.
> >> >yo, Alan.
> >> >why don't you take a few minutes each day to pose some questions for
> >> >us all to consider?
> >> Don't you think there are enough questions out there for us to
> >> consider without me adding witless nonsense of the order of "How much
> >> time do you waste"?
> >like i said, it was probably a total waste of my time to make the
> >suggestion.
>
> Well, it's not like you have anything better to do, is it?
now there ya' go, Alan!
there's a great question that you could have posed as a stand-alone
post.
in a stand-alone thread.
of course, that's assuming that you have the requisite imagination and
intelligence and gumption to figure out how to ask the question in a
general way.
do you?
> >but being an optimist of sorts, i'll offer it yet again.
> >why not give it a try and see how it goes?
> >> Especially for the benefit of people who are not interested in
> >> listening to any answers.
> >let me guess.
> >you don't want to embarass yourself by asking questions?
> >or you just don't have any questions?
>
> Talking to you is a waste of time.
hi.
> There you go.
bye.
The following year, Young reunited with Stephen Stills
for the album Long May You Run (1976), credited to The
Stills-Young Band; the follow-up tour was ended midway
through by Young, who sent Stills a telegram that read:
"Funny how some things that start spontaneously
end that way. Eat a peach, Neil."
-$Zero...
staring at the wall
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/e71131b3e97fd19f
does asking questions make you a creative genius?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/b4d6e507c593b4b3
who, for no practical reason, types only with his pinky fingers.
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/ce39b0c0696d1aa8
"the dude abides"
-- The Dude (Jeffrey Lebowski)
[actor: Jeff Bridges; from the
film: The Big Lebowski (1998)]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/
Alan Hope
$Zero
> $Zero goes:
>
> >Dave asks
>
> Dave's not here, man.
LOL.
do you think C&C will ever do a reunion tour?
if pot became legal...
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/e797b0b281cb4d56
or at least a follow-up album?
-$Zero...
let's pretend to be writers -- the top ten list
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/fefbd1fd24cf3e55
Alan Hope
>On Aug 20, 1:49?pm, Alan Hope <usenet.ident...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> $Zero goes:
>>
>> >Dave asks
>>
>> Dave's not here, man.
>
>LOL.
>
>do you think C&C will ever do a reunion tour?
>
> if pot became legal...
> http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/e797b0b281cb4d56
>
>or at least a follow-up album?
They start touring on September 12. Here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSN3034914820080730
$Zero
> $Zero goes:
>
> >On Aug 20, 1:49?pm, Alan Hope <usenet.ident...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> $Zero goes:
>
> >> >Dave asks
>
> >> Dave's not here, man.
>
> >LOL.
>
> >do you think C&C will ever do a reunion tour?
>
> > �if pot became legal...
> > �http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/e797b0b281cb4d56
>
> >or at least a follow-up album?
>
> They start touring on September 12. Here:
> http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSN3034914820080730
wow.
is that real or did you just type that up and send it off to some
hacker pal of yours at Rueters?
-$Zero...
newly created joke (tweaked for reference-free retelling)
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.writing/msg/c3a07433f9f50712