Another silly fortune cookie

[tsdragon]

Indulge yourself - but with moderation."

I'd consider moderation to be the antithesis of indulgence.

Comments?

(That was a moot question, of COURSE there will be comments.)

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[craigsboyd]

Depends on whether there are degrees of indulgence. If there be degrees then there be moderation, I say.

My wife and I sat eating some take-out one night, and there on the table before us were two fortune cookies. I, being the faster eater, reached for one of the fortune cookies and nearly drew back a stump as my wife had already mentally made her pick some time earlier and it was of the very same fortune cookie I had reached for. She kiddingly hissed, "My fortune, this one is mine!". Upon opening the fortune cookie it was discovered that it was empty. True story - pity that.

SweetPotato Software Website
My Blog

 

[CajunCenturion]

To me it sounds very much like a re-statement of Hofstadter's Law:
Everything in moderation, including moderation.

The moderation may be in regards to the frequency of indulgence, not the to degree of indulgence.

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[LFI]

I know that my co-workers and I like to go to a Chinese buffet for lunch sometimes. We consider those outings indulgences because we tend to eat a lot at this sort of thing. Which is why we only go once in a while. You might say we indulge ourselves, but in moderation!

--Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[Trevoke]

I still hold, to this day, what I believe to be the most unbelievably true fortune ever.
.. Well, I may have thrown it away, as I got it three years ago... But, anyway, here's how it went:

Every man has enemies.

I kid you not.

-Haben sie fosforos?
-No tiengo caballero, but I have un briquet.

 

[columb]

So who thinks up these things. Does the Acme Fortune Cookie Co employ a special wise man who churns out suitable sayings or are they bought in in bulk from Wisdom-R-Us?

Whichever, if it were my job, I couldn't resist the temptation to become inscrutable from time to time.

Columb Healy

 

[BJCooperIT]

We used to get a good giggle out of adding "in bed" to the end of our fortunes. So

Speed is substitute for accuracy.

becomes

Speed is substitute for accuracy - in bed.

^{Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw}
Consultant Developer/Analyst Oracle, Forms, Reports & PL/SQL (Windows)
My web site: Emu Products Plus

 

[sleipnir214]

So who thinks up these things.

Your question reminded me of this story from the New Yorker.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/050606ta_talk_olshan

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[gmmastros]

I ate at a chinese restaurant one time with several co-workers. Two of us got the exact same fortune in our cookies. I've often wondered what the chances are for that to occur.

Of course, these co-workers were a little odd. One of them had a superstition where nobody else at the table is 'allowed' to touch a forune cookie before the intended recipient. They beleived that the fortune belonged to the person that first handled the cookie. Apparently this does not apply to the waitress that delivers the cookie to the table. Has anyone else heard of such a thing?

-George

Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause. - Fortune cookie wisdom

 

[2ffat]

Yes, we also had a person who believe that, too. She also would never read the fortune out loud or allow anyone else to read it for fear the fortune would reverse and become a curse.


James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[tsdragon]

LookingForInfo: If you were to eat at the Chinese Buffet all the time it would no longer be an indulgence, it would be normal. The fact that it is something you don't do regularly is part of what makes it an indulgence.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[columb]

Thanks sleipnir214 for your New Yorker link. Fancy applying for the job of Fortune Cookie Writer?

Columb Healy

 

[LFI]

Tracy,

I see your point: you cannot be said to be indulging in something you do all the time.

I would tend to agree with you, but dictionary.com doesn't mention frequency-of-action as part of any of the listed definitions.

Yes, I know there's what is technically correct and what is commonly accepted/understood usage, so write up the petition and I'll sign it!

--Dave


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[columb]

Dave
This is way off topic and maybe belongs in its own thread but...
Your last line touches on an interesting debate. Given that any live language is dynamic which is the 'correct' meaning of a word. That which is technically correct or that which is commonly accepted/understood usage.

To illustrate the point the technically correct meaning of the word 'artificial' is 'filled with art' but it doesn't mean that nowadays. The technically correct meaning of 'awful' is 'inspiring awe' but it doesn't mean that nowadays.

I've picked two easy targets but they illustrate the point.

Columb Healy

 

[Trevoke]

Actually, I do believe that "awesome" means "inspiring awe", although you are right that "awful" used to be synonym with it.
Also, "artificial" is based on the word "artefact", which means "made by humans".

-Haben sie fosforos?
-No tiengo caballero, but I have un briquet.

 

[elanor]

I'd have to add the following fortune (taped to my monitor lest I forget) to Trevoke's collection of ubelievably true fortunes:
"You are almost there."
No joke!
Thanks!
Elanor

 

[sleipnir214]

<aside>
columb:
Be their cookie fortune writer? Not likely -- I checked into it and found out their health plan reads in its entirety, "You will have a long and healthy life".
</aside>

All:
I seem to remember getting bad (at least, less than the modern routinely stellar) fortunes in cookies when I was a kid. Does any one else remember this, too?

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TANSTAAFL!!

 

[Trevoke]

Elanor, that fortune may beat mine when you apply it to the computer industry: the first 90% of the road take 90% of the time, and the last 10% take another 90%.

-Haben sie fosforos?
-No tiengo caballero, but I have un briquet.

 

[SilentAiche]

We used to get a good giggle out of adding "in bed" to the end of our fortunes. So

[red]Caution: This is a stupid guy thing (as if most stupid things aren't)[/red]

Somewhere back in elementary school the joke was to add "tex" to whatever was said.

e.g., "Suzie, it's cold out. Can I help you with your coat [blue]tex"[/blue]? Hehe.

Tim

[blue]______________________________________________________________
I love logging onto Tek-Tips. It's always so exciting to see what the hell I
said yesterday. [/blue]

 

[Trevoke]

Tim, English isn't my first language; could you explain, please?

-Haben sie fosforos?
-No tiengo caballero, but I have un briquet.