Author Topic: Park Your Amusements Here  (Read 98642 times)

Mr Bekkler

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #870 on: November 03, 2011, 06:28:51 pm »
"hosted on zerochan.net"

i bet that's supposed to be an image, but instead it's a big text block. glad you're feeling good, but i don't think that massive image is necessary.  :lol:

Thought

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #871 on: November 04, 2011, 03:00:14 am »
I have taught my dog the command "high five." I am currently working on the follow up, "Down low." I just need to figure out a command for the explosion.

tushantin

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #872 on: November 04, 2011, 05:28:37 am »
I have taught my dog the command "high five." I am currently working on the follow up, "Down low." I just need to figure out a command for the explosion.
Evil laughter? XD

i bet that's supposed to be an image, but instead it's a big text block.
Fixed it. And pictures are always necessary. Remember: Don't tell em, but show em.

"Without disturbing the stillness of the night, he landed silently in front of my eyes, along with that fearless smirk that said he had foreseen everything."


tushantin

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #873 on: November 04, 2011, 05:24:14 pm »
Two amusements:

First, I'd like to say that we have a lot of pigeons here. Heck lots! Rise of the sun, and they wouldn't leave ya alone with their "Hoots". They stalk you from the windows, they make out at a nearby ledge. What's funny is that they managed to sneak past my window tonight. it's past midnight. And one of them is in my house. In the kitchen. Hatching eggs. In my house!

Didn't wanna wake up my parents, and didn't wanna get rid of the mother and unborn children either. True, these birds walk fly all over our house like they own the place, but I'm actually a sucker for those innocent faces. Despite all the trouble they cause, I think I'll leave them alone until their children are hatched and are capable of flight. Guess I'm an animal sympathizer, or simply don't like getting in the way of "miracles" (aka, childbirth, be it human, animal or bird).



Second. Whenever you're with girls (though not in large social situations like parties; make things more close and intimate), whenever you get the chance to do them favors, and especially when it involves writing their names, help with essays, anything on paper or computer, or art, poem and tattoo, try to sneak in intentional practical jokes, such as misspelling their names, writing opposite conotational essays, or drawing "weird things" in their notebooks and keep quiet. Wait for them to notice. Anticipate them running after you, yelling and kicking. Be prepared to run for your life!

Lord J Esq

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #874 on: November 04, 2011, 05:50:24 pm »
I don't recommend playing practical jokes on people, except for close friends, and even then only sparingly. Practical joking is more often a form of abuse, and I condemn what tushantin wrote. In the case of directing it against females in particular, that is both sexist in itself and will serve against the cause of sexual equality.

tushantin

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #875 on: November 04, 2011, 06:18:46 pm »
I don't recommend playing practical jokes on people, except for close friends, and even then only sparingly. Practical joking is more often a form of abuse, and I condemn what tushantin wrote. In the case of directing it against females in particular, that is both sexist in itself and will serve against the cause of sexual equality.
Chill, don't break a blood vessel. These are for close friends, and I did say not to do this in large social situations. I'm wise enough to know what behavior would be harmful where, and I almost never indulge in vandalism (i.e., I never use any notebook of importance, etc.)

Also, I play jokes on both genders, and this one is the least harmful (and extremely flirtatious -- which is why I never mentioned "dudes"). My practical jokes on guys are even worse than this, but for girls I tend to be a gentle goof. XD Writing "weird names" only gets them angry temporarily where they hurriedly scribble it out, but they have fun nonetheless and we laugh it out. And in case you weren't aware, I'm also a victim of practical jokes (usually by females, obviously).

Josh, seems to me you don't have any "fun" over there. What's wrong?
« Last Edit: November 04, 2011, 06:21:05 pm by tushantin »

tushantin

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #876 on: November 04, 2011, 06:31:10 pm »
Okay then, another amusement because Josh isn't the first to think this way.

Practical Jokes is actually an excellent method to provoke and promote empathy, human bonding, cheerfulness and tolerance, provided you approach the right way and try not to disrupt anything your partner holds precious. Practical jokes are psychological and effective.

But unfortunately, a lot of people (the "dead serious" people; we have a Hindi slang for them -- "Khadoos") feel it's a form of abuse and bullying, but sometimes because they are scared of such jokes, even at the lowest and safest level, and they are quick to condemn or discourage playfulness. This lack of encouragement to human bonding appears mostly in adulthood who are too cautious, and they discourage their children from doing so. But they're really missing out life! They're missing out what it means to be human!

They're missing out the empathetic connection that binds people at an instinctual level!

Just a note: There is a difference between "Sharaarat" and "Shaitani", i.e. "playfulness" and "vandalism/destructively/demonically abusive", but most adults seem to get them confused and worry too much.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2011, 06:40:01 pm by tushantin »

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #877 on: November 04, 2011, 08:01:46 pm »
I do pranks sometimes too, but they're harmless and I wouldn't be doing them if I didn't think the person on the receiving end would appreciate them. My most recent "prank" was slipping in a "Yo Momma" joke into a discussion about Zeno's Paradox. Yes, it was lame, but I have a very lame sense of humor and am a pretty lame person. Still, there's nothing antagonistic about it, and when the shoe's on the other foot I laugh and roll with it. I guess you'd call it "busting chops" rather than pranking. I dunno.

Lord J Esq

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #878 on: November 04, 2011, 09:20:59 pm »
It takes a certain level of good judgment to discern whether one's pranks and practical jokes will be as well-received as one imagines they will be. It is in this gap of ignorance that the abuses occur. You also should not uncritically trust the feedback you get from the victims of your jokes. Many will lie, or will not fully realize that they have been hurt.

I am particularly wary of justifications which amount to "you're too serious." Those are almost always dead giveaways that the person doing the joking is unaware of the consequences of their behavior.

And, lest it be forgotten, tushantin's comment about directing this kind of conduct specifically at females is totally unacceptable.

Awareness and responsibility will go a long way here.

FaustWolf

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #879 on: November 04, 2011, 11:38:03 pm »
In my own cultural experience, practical jokes have never been a means of empathetic communication; whenever a "friendship" involved one person pulling a chair out from underneath another, it was abusive and better abandoned in my case. So I definitely identify with J's concern here, and view it as well worth raising.

On the other hand, I think the context of a particular act has an important role to play too. For example, I've never enjoyed roughhousing and quite frankly have seldom seen others enjoy it in real life, but I seem to recall some authors of young adult fiction embracing it as a bonding ritual between close friends. In the end, tushantin, it couldn't hurt to ask whether the episodes you describe bother these people on some level, or whether they truly relish in it as you do. Get a cultural conversation going when the opportunity arises -- this is obviously an important part of your day if it inspired you enough to write a post about it, and maybe the others reflect on this phenomenon as powerfully as you do. A conversation on a subject that's apparently implicity understood may be blunt and embarrassing, but perhaps this, too, is part of pursuing your ideal of absolute honesty in human relations.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2011, 12:04:39 pm by FaustWolf »

tushantin

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #880 on: November 05, 2011, 07:54:38 am »
And, lest it be forgotten, tushantin's comment about directing this kind of conduct specifically at females is totally unacceptable.
"Ooh, I'm scared of flirting with people because I worry it might be sexist."  #FirstWorldProblems

To be frank, I've seen a going trend here: between urban and rural lifestyle, the latter tend to have higher tolerance level and bonding compared to urban folks because they have no rules of "civility". Instead, even signs of disrespectful dominance (unless it's outrageously offensive) is considered to be a sign of informal friendship and is almost always mutual and playful. In urban areas on the other hand, play a simply, innocent joke and it's suddenly a big deal. Which is where us Modernists come in, who try to blend the best of both worlds.

As for sexism, it's not like I'm offending are hurting a woman (harming any woman is against my ethos). My practical jokes are a means of communication provided the girls are capable of catching on (otherwise I take the hint and stop), and I enjoy communicating with women. It's a means of making them smile, because when they're happy I'm also happy. Or is it that you refuse to acknowledge that "Heterosexuals" exist?

It takes a certain level of good judgment to discern whether one's pranks and practical jokes will be as well-received as one imagines they will be.
I won't argue with this one. That's precisely correct. But did you ever think about "measuring" the disruptive nature of your prank?

I am particularly wary of justifications which amount to "you're too serious." Those are almost always dead giveaways that the person doing the joking is unaware of the consequences of their behavior.
When some say "you're too serious" indeed there is some ignorance in their behalf. When I say the same, I mean exactly as I say it: You're just being too serious.

Awareness and responsibility will go a long way here.
I don't mean to be rude, Josh, but I've noticed something incredibly interesting here: the First World civilization indeed has incredibly low tolerant attitude towards anything and everything, in which case if an element seems even "slightly" harmful then, according to America, it ought to be eradicated. But that attitude backfires and destroys levels of social tolerance, empathy and self-awareness.

Okay, why did I say "self-awareness" there? Because I was trying to imply that a lot of things are good when they're in moderate use. Even pranks are great from time to time. It's not about perishing the thought entirely, but about knowing limitations. It's about knowing when you've gone too far! Which is why my pranks and shenanigans tend to be psychological, minimal, and rewarding (yes, rewarding). Knowing ones' limitations and weaknesses is crucial in social and professional life because it gives us the ability to deal with it rather than try escaping from it (it's impossible to escape from it), and also offers means of caution.

In my own cultural experience, practical jokes have never been a means of empathetic communication; whenever a "friendship" involved one person pulling a chair out from underneath another, it was abusive and better abandoned in my case. So I definitely identify with J's concern here, and view it as well worth raising.
See, this is why I tried to distinguish between "playfulness" (sharaarat) and "disruptiveness" (shaitani). Somehow a lot of developed countries are unaware of the differences between the two. However, I also realize that the word "prank" has a negative connotation, even though the Hindi equivalent is positive. I've also created my own level of distinguishable understanding that I cannot seem to explain because of lack of English words. For instance, your idea of "prank" is to pull a chair out from beneath someone, but I recognize it as "vengeance", something you'd like to use when challenging your rival in climbing social hierarchy and showing them their place, something I despise.

My idea of "prank" is to temporarily infuriate someone to chase you enough until you can reveal motive behind your actions and reward them. The reward could be physical, materialistic, verbal, visual, or anything that can bring a smile to their face. This inevitably promotes tolerance and empathy, but the catch is that you do it intimately, not in front of larger groups -- your goal isn't to embarrass your target. I can explain the psychology of it later (don't have much time right now).

In the end, tushantin, it couldn't hurt to ask whether the episodes you descirbe bother these people on some level, or whether they truly relish in it as you do. Get a cultural conversation going when the opportunity arises -- this is obviously an important part of your day if it inspired you enough to write a post about it, and maybe the others reflect on this phenomenon as powerfully as you do. A conversation on a subject that's apparently implicity understood may be blunt and embarrassing, but perhaps this, too, is part of pursuing your ideal of absolute honesty in human relations.
Yeah! We could converse about this some time in length if you're interested. In brief, I can say this: Have you seen playful rituals in animals and pigeons, and how it fosters social relations? Practical jokes serve the same purpose here, because they're mostly physical and not verbal (hint: do it sparingly, and be unpredictable).

They do relish it! Everyone desires to be "happy" once in a while but many simply don't have the idea where to search for it. If I have that happiness already, why shouldn't I share it with someone else? When you're intimate with your close friends, and not in public or large groups, there's less of the danger in undermining someone's social respect; things can be weird here too, but it works two ways -- there's a subliminal effect that they know that you know them well, and that you're comfortable with who they are fosters better relations, in which case any temporary embarrassment is relieved. The objective is to have fun in the excitement, and take advantage of the thrill of the moment. Emotions are complex: when you reward them for chasing after you they hate you for making them hate you, but they love you for it anyway, and when there aren't any rewards they'd get back to you with a prank of their own. I then purposely build defenses saying "real men don't surrender", which entices them to strengthen their ropes in pulling the trap until I scream "I surrender! Oh, please, I surrender!" Yeah, they laugh at me, but it's a laugh nonetheless, and I'm glad for it. But for those who aren't as active in the art of prank, or those who are introverts, minimal pranks are quite rewarding in order to encourage them to participate in social events, and they appreciate your efforts for it; they even enjoy opening up and hanging around. Because every friend matters. It builds a strong community: gone are the days where you make friends discussing "what movie did you watch yesterday", but today we know each other via communication, to know people for who they are, to listen to their dreams, to support them, and to have fun with them. It brings me great happiness when I'm able to help someone or make them smile.

Yeah, there are times when it bothers them, and when it does I tend to notice and stop. I'm good at reading body language (unless someone's a master of Poker Face) and can generally know what prank will work when, and if the person really is down then I dismiss the idea and simply try to establish a verbal communication. The thing about pranks is that you need to know when it's not important, and how for you go with it. The only reason I rely on Practical Jokes is because I'm a mook when it comes to verbal communications. I like to show people rather than explain it to them, because I do more damage talking rather than embracing a friend.

FaustWolf, you remember reading my novel manuscript, don't you? You know the disruptive nature and annoyance factor of the protagonist in there, and you can probably predict where that will head, but it's his best friend that realizes the protagonists' intentions and helps him turn into something amazing. The story depends on human relations, where the protagonist eventually turns into a person who touches people's hearts through his shenanigans and becomes a catalyst for humanity itself. My goals are the same, and empathy and absolute truth is the driving point here. I want to help foster human relations the right way, I don't want any person left out because of his/her differences, and yes, it does inspire me. Frankly, to hell with formality.

Katie Skyye

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #881 on: November 05, 2011, 02:00:42 pm »
In my own cultural experience, practical jokes have never been a means of empathetic communication; whenever a "friendship" involved one person pulling a chair out from underneath another, it was abusive and better abandoned in my case. So I definitely identify with J's concern here, and view it as well worth raising.
For instance, your idea of "prank" is to pull a chair out from beneath someone, but I recognize it as "vengeance", something you'd like to use when challenging your rival in climbing social hierarchy and showing them their place, something I despise.

See, this makes sense to me. I once pulled the chair out from under a teacher I hated, and it was specifically an act of vengeance. And you know what? I talked myself out of punishment, too, which was the icing on the delicious revenge cake. (I used to be big on revenge, not so much any more.)

...but I would never never never do that to Red! The only reason I'd do it is if I knew I was strong enough to catch him and pick him up when he would try to sit down, but he's like half a head taller than me and I am pretty damn weak, so I know I wouldn't be able to--so I would never do that! But it doesn't mean I don't play practical jokes on him from time to time. And we have a good laugh!  :lol:

Lord J Esq

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #882 on: November 05, 2011, 05:22:05 pm »
One thing I like to do is collect English words that can be used to refer to things elsewhere besides the Earth. For example, "water" is water probably everywhere in the universe. But cauliflower? Very unlikely that it exists anywhere but here.

A cunning trick is to go for words that describe the group that a thing belongs to, rather than specific things.

To that end, I have discovered that the three words "tea," "milk," and "juice" cover a broad variety of beverages and would continue to do so at any location beyond the Earth. The "tea" of Tau Ceti VIII wouldn't come from the sinensis plant, but insofar as we can allow "tea" to refer to any infusion of flavorful substances with water, it's quite possible to have tea without any sinensis in it. Indeed, we have that on Earth already. Even coffee can be considered a kind of tea; although it is made with roasted berries instead of cured leaves, the principle is the same. Milk, of course, refers to the nourishing secretions of mammals as well as the fatty emulsions made by mixing water with the pressed oils from nuts and beans. And juice is universal.

I find it helpful in my fantasy settings to be able to use terms familiar to the reader to describe things which are different in the particulars but similar in principle. I personally prefer that to the broad introduction of fantasy language terms (e.g., the Klingons call coffee "raktajino"), and I especially prefer it to the corny fusion of toponyms or demonyms with an existing English word (e.g., "Klingon blood wine").

Anyhow, what amused me is just how many of our drinks fall into the categories of tea, milk, or juice.

tushantin

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #883 on: November 05, 2011, 05:35:49 pm »
What amuses me is how many ideas I can steal borrow without asking to integrate into my own method of thinking. That post of Josh's will go into my Evernote.

If you're thinking I'm copying you, I assure you that I actually am the idea will be used as a catalyst for my future free-time musing and self-development. If you're still not convinced, then note that a wise man once said, "Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but clones kind of get it wrong because we are promoting individuality and being proud of being yourself."

EDIT: BTW, does "Lassi" fall into the category of Juice?
« Last Edit: November 05, 2011, 05:48:08 pm by tushantin »

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Re: Park Your Amusements Here
« Reply #884 on: November 05, 2011, 05:50:55 pm »
I had to look that up. It seems like a complex drink, but closer to milk than juice. However, "milk" would be a stretch for me. Your prerogative.