Smartie's Bar & Grill #74

I apologise if I used extremes, I don't like that myself. I was trying to exaggerate a point I thought fairly mildly and in keeping with what happens in school sport.
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Is this not the other extreme? I don't think participation awards are the norm. And NO ONE I mean NO ONE gets through adolescence without suffering doubt and negativity. There are plenty of people out there happy to help out in that department.

We have some agreement here, though I disagree on the cause. In my years of employing people the biggest driver of 'deer in headlight syndrome' is parents who defend their children regardless of their behaviour.
"Your 18 year old has been late for work12 times this month"
"Well you shouldn't make him start so early, teenagers need their sleep"

I can't tell you how many times my managers have reported that type of conversation.

 

No winning is when you strive to excel and that is when it becomes relevant. Winning when you are playing against someone who is your equal is not a challenge. If you play chess playing against someone who is your equal is not much of a task. Seek out someone who is better.

 

So if I pit you against someone much better than you and then repeatedly praise that person for beating you, you think that's character building?
I think that I put you up against someone who is similar to you and watch you both strive to get the upper hand, while congratulating both of you for your efforts.

 

If you repeatedly praise someone for something regardless if it correct or a 'winner', what incentive is there to improve?

If you continually pit someone against their 'equal', how do they climb the steps out of their comfort zone?

A favorite phrase of mine as an adult is "Laugh at your self or a whole bunch of people are going to volunteer to do it for you'. I was one of those kids who got picked on as a kid, scrawny, glasses and Mom haircuts. From it, I learned how to deal with adversity, how to respond with words to do the most damage, and how to deal with scrapes and bruises from the times the kid was bigger then me. That doesn't exist now, in goof part from the parental involvement of their 'perfect child'. They have done their kids no favors: what you stated is very, very true, but isn't a valid argument for poor attendence.

 

None, but then no one does that.

I hated sport at school, I was small and weak, I got constantly ridiculed by the sports coach and picked second or last in every team game. I grew to hate sport.
Some years after I left school I was persuaded to join a squash club. I began in the lowest league playing other beginners like me.
By the time I stopped playing I was in league two just below the 1st team and county players.
That's how playing people similar to you takes you out of your comfort zone.

Try asking a few other people, I think you will find the vast majority felt the very same way you did.
Interestingly, when you stop being a kid and become and adult the practice of letting people bigger than you knock you around becomes illegal. Funny that.

 

Work in progress.

 

Well, now you will need to get a cat to sit and watch the fish with you.

 

Five, so far. I think they'd all fit in a teaspoon.

 

Quite a setup ya got there. I love the live plants. I ordered some coontail and elodea.

 

Now that I have my shed pretty much finished it is time to start some broccoli seeds. I have Sun King and Calabrese.

 

My cat slept on my head half the night like a chicken on an egg. Every time I would shoo her away and go back to sleep, would wake up and there she was again.

 

I am having a similar issue. Perhaps if I stop rubbing my hair with catnip, she'll let me sleep....

 

This is my husband and "his" cat.

 

Happy humpday yall. Hope everybody's new year is starting off good. Hate it when I hear somebody say it can't get any worse!

 

DOW broke 31,000 today.
It is a happy new year for somebody.

 

Reminds me of Julian Assange...

 

I planted some parsley seeds yesterday. I am going to help my husband get the land ready for potatoes, beans and corn. I think we will go back to our big gardens instead of the small ones. We sold veggies to restaurants and veggie stands once not doing that this time but enough to share with family. I have two different spots picked out..that is the plan, however plans change by the day.

 

Oh, goody this is going to be as exciting as when you were placing your plants last summer. I had some Siamese fighting fish once and they were fun to watch. Beautiful little fish. Good luck and share your pictures.

 

Good morning gardeners & fish fans. Coffee's ready.

 

I never refuse coffee..Thank you ma'am.

 

My garden is always in the same spot. I just want to grow some veggies and a few watermelon. I don't till so it shouldn't be too hard. Got a different spot for carrots though.

 

I have just the thing for coffee. Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda Rum 151 proof. I bought it to make egg nog but my eggs weren't fresh and now I have 2 bottles. You can't drink this stuff straight, your throat will clamp shut like with Everclear.