Wednesday Motivational: Listening

I hate macho crap. The aggro, the bluster, the catcalls, the “words are for PUSSAYS” of it all. It’s a gushing blast of testosterone and a complete waste of brain. In a word, blech.

Here’s one thing nobody will ever say about macho types: he was a good listener. Listening requires no outward activity. In fact, you only need two things to be a good listener: pay attention and shut the hell up. Those are conditions I can readily accept, especially if on a couch that allows for lying down. I am definitely more understanding while lounging at full sloth.

I came across this quote from the Dalai Lama: “Shut up and kiss me”. Then I logged off Reddit and found this quote:

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.

Two observations. First, this “talking” being about things you already know, erm… These Wednesday posts are stuff I find constructive and aspirational, not stuff I do on the regular 24 / 7 / 365.25 always because gimme a fucking break I’m an adult with responsibilities and therefore at-stress. Maybe, for intellectual integrity, the posts should be called “Wednesday Aspirational”, but you never court the cokehead demographic and then fail to deliver. Never going down that road again [makes sign of the cross twice].

Plus, tWBS [pours eye drops] created the Motivational. I am happy to continue it and, yes: stepping out of my Neurosis Chamber to think about positive stuff once a week is peachy.

I bet you read “preachy”. Well I’m working on it, k? Anyway, the second thing is

🚨🚧OBVIOUS CRAP ALERT🚧🚨

listening as a way to learn something new. Imma guess that everyone who has ever been employed has heard “listen and you might learn something” in the workplace at least once, perhaps shouted with an invitation to sit down NOW. But it’s absolute, dynamite advice: listening well is absorbing all the information that you can then process and evaluate. Related: do NAWT interrupt constantly with “But”s and shit. It’s common decency to let someone speak; but say to me that Trump is being mistreated by the judicial system and

 

. Plus I’ll add some nonverbal invective. That’s what the hands are for, my Anglo amigues.

There are things that are not worth anyone’s time, like Qanon or Qaron’s opinions about anything. Not everything is worth listening to, hashtag Obvio. Like the explanations, by QBs or Offensive Coordinators, for consistently passing behind the sticks over and over in 3rd and 4th down situations. Those passes are prayers, prayers for the YAC Fairy to materialize and bless a receiver or back with a bailout play. “What can I say, I’m a coward” is how I’ve interpreted some of the explanations.

Smart folks are usually not known for their listening skills. Allow me an irresponsible generalization: intelligent folks are prone to dismiss an idea the instant its internal logic fails. Sometimes, instead of actually processing the information, you are actively looking for flaws because you are smarty smart—unlike, say, all those vocal fans who just loved (loved!1!1) movies like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and [spits on the floor] “Barbie”. Hey, hey, I’m not putting down anyone; just expressing a personal taste preference against, resp., the multiverse hack and “We are being overtly commercial!” lazy meta- crap that wears out after the second gag.

So yeah. Sometimes you don’t like something, and that’s fine, just fine. If it’s not your bag after getting a taste, why submit yourself to mumblecore or Frank Zappa or Fellini films? It’s wellness stuff; if you have no need or curiosity to engage with certain art or works, who cares what windbag types say about canonical stuffs.

Analytical reasoning and critical thinking, howevah, must require getting informed on opposing views and wrestling with stuff that can get too boring, too dense, too complicated, too dumb, too foreign, too British, too provincial, too far-and-away, too RAYCESS, you name it. Twitter (i.e., the U.N. of all human hatreds), can be useful for identifying common topics in communities different than yours. I’ve followed a lotta accounts (and still do), that are different than, or antagonizing to, my origin, politics, team preference, and lifestyle. It has been an incredibly rich experience for me because–

[Ed. Note:

 

.] Ok fine. It’s the memes, I follow for the sick memes. Yes BUT: following accounts outside your cultural or social bubble allows you to see what the conversation is in other communities, between the members of those communities, and get some taste of what they think. I’m not a “source?” pedant or anything like that, but Horse’s Mouth is near the top in my Information Pyramid. I mean, psht. Even honest-to-goodness troglodytes can benefit from radically different perspectives and having a quiet listening moment.

John Madden coached those RAAAAAIIIIIII DUUUUUUURS teams of the 70s, and said he only had three rules for his players / visigoths: be on time, pay attention, and play like hell when I tell you to. That’s a great balance, discipline in preparation (including listening), followed by berseker ball. On that note, enjoy almost two minutes of Oakland RAAAAIIIII DUUUUURS Simpsons love. Have a great day.

Banner via Redbubble.com

5 6 votes
Article Rating
Don T
Poor choices, mixed results. ¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre! Titans4Eva
Subscribe
Notify of
57 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Gumbygirl

Ugh, I had to go try on pants today. Kill me now.

SonOfSpam

Were you not apprised of the pants situation in this clubhouse?

Gumbygirl

I’m thinking the funeral home and the Catholic church would strongly disapprove of the no pants rule. Brother in law is still hanging in there, but it’s only a matter of time. I am not shaving my legs for this shit, so pants it must be!

Doktor Zymm

Why were you being punished?

Gumbygirl

BIL is dying, can’t wear fuzzy pj pants to the funeral. Not wearing a dress in PA in Jan/Feb.

WCS

Schefter saying Lesser Harbs will officially join the Spanoi clan.

SonOfSpam

Chargers hosting the Ravens next season. Wonder if there’ll be any narrative pounded mercilessly into the new SoFi turf.

Doktor Zymm

Fun word of the day: merkin

SonOfSpam

Plus it rhymes with other fun words!

Also, this is good beer:

https://www.firestonewalker.com/velvet-merkin-3-pack/

Doktor Zymm

There is also a merkin vineyard. I’ve never had their wine but the logo is pretty sweet

DSC_0431-3363148587.jpg
SonOfSpam

lol exactly the pic I want while enjoying a nice pinot

WCS

Maynard James Keenan of Tool’s winery.

SonOfSpam

Huh, so that whole “Sober” song is not really a thing.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“My pain is constant and sharp, and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. In fact, I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape.” – Fitzpatrick Bateman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J08ZwySCoJ8

King Hippo
Gumbygirl

I thought of it too, but I was convinced it was an Alice in Chains song, and I couldn’t find it!

scotchnaut

Formenton was a Senator, btw. It’s a horrible story to read.

WCS

I don’t know if I should +1 this or not.

Fucking nauseating.

Sharkbait

I did, for Rick Westhead and Katie Strang who busted their asses keeping this story going

King Hippo

Between this, Fargo being all-too-believable, and how badly we are fucking up the RUS/UKR situation…I am really this close to losing all hope.

Actually, I probably already have, but new logs on the fire still bum me out.

Sharkbait

Mrs. Sharkbait is convinced Orange shitgibbon 45 is gonna win the election in November. If that’s the case

comment image

SonOfSpam

He will not win. I REMAIN STUPIDLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A FEW THINGS.

All the same, I have been looking at property in Europe.

Doktor Zymm

I am not looking forward to the election or any of news coverage until then.

SonOfSpam

No reason to. There will be two people on the ballot who can win, we need to vote for not-Trump. Everything else is noise.

Doktor Zymm

That’s my plan, but there is going to be a LOT of very obnoxious noise and it’s going to be hard to avoid.

King Hippo

I want to explore Afrika with Gov. Rhodes, find some land where we can establish Guinea Nation #4!

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I assume one of the first three is this guy’s house?

comment image

BeefReeferLives

Listening skills can be a blessing & a curse

“An American Airlines passenger reportedly passed gas and loudly bragged about it on a recent flight from Phoenix to Austin.

The plane was forced to return to the gate and the passenger was removed.”

 He reportedly exclaimed, “You thought that was rude? Well how about this smell,“ and proceeded to loudly pass gas.

“[I don’t know] what provoked that comment, and while kinda funny to overhear, it was uncalled for especially coming from a grown man on an airplane nonetheless,” the user continued.

Farting Passenger Causes American Airlines Flight to Return to Gate (people.com)

Dislike Do Not Want GIF (giphy.com)

BeefReeferLives

comment image

King Hippo

causing a plane to return to the gate from one’s gas? Boomer achievement UNLOCKED.

BugEyedBoo

Old-timey fart joke.

======================

He sent against Amasis an esteemed Egyptian named Patarbemis, one of his own court, instructing him to take the rebel alive and bring him into his presence. When Patarbemis came and summoned Amasis, Amasis, who was on horseback, rose up and farted, telling the messenger to take that back to Apries.

– Herodotus 2.162.3

BeefReeferLives

Don’t forget frisky lil “Wide Right”!

Gumbygirl

And everyone’s favorite, Doink!!!

Game Time Decision

I fucking LOVE this from the Bills Mafia.

Doktor Zymm

They are such a nice fanbase sometimes, it’s so sad they’re cursed

King Hippo

I have no idea who to root fer between Tunisia and the Lesser Springboks, but I am a-watchin.’ And kinda sorta listening.

/pats self on back
//pulls muscle
///smiles at pill bottle

Senor Weaselo

This Zoom meeting I just attended probably could have been an email, considering a solid 20 minutes of it was trying to figure out how to finesse the timesheet if we had 3 or more clock in/outs in a day.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Hey, Barbie was a good movie.

King Hippo

My kids did the “Barbenheimer” thing, and said Oppenheimer seemed like sommet I would like. Which probably means they played on their phones the whole time.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I like Oppenheimer fine, but it bums me out a little that based on its Oscar nominations it’s considered the best thing that Hollywood had to offer this year.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Oppenheimer was fine, too long and Emily Blunt’s performance was meh.

yeah right

Thought it was solid but could have shaved of about half of the hearing scenes.

King Hippo

but they already cut his MC Oppie gangasta lyf era!

BrettFavresColonoscopy

I thought it was a ton of fun but they had no idea how to end it.

WCS

Excellent advice.

ballsofsteelandfury

Someone is quickly becoming a Raiders fan…

Don’t fight it. It’s the Latino way.

Horatio Cornblower

Our office is switching support programs today, so we can’t bill anything or add documents to the files, or do much of anything that involves documentation.

Suffice it to say I’ll be leveling up in Fortnite and catching up significantly on the Immaculate Grid for baseball.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“Wait, the whole ‘play like hell’ thing applies to Fortnite?” – Elisha, pumping a fist

Doktor Zymm

It would be great if there was a job interview that just involved listening.

Side note: if this was real I would totally buy one

FB_IMG_1706112413136.jpg
Horatio Cornblower

It will be the second Jason Kelce’s agent sees it.

I would buy 4.