Variations on a Theme by Josh Matta

[Tony S]

This is one whose truth was brought home to me today:

It's not that I don't have the legs for road riding; it's that I don't have the legs for riding and the road proves it.

 

[Philpug]

lets keep this going...

It's not that you are a mean drunk; it's that you are mean, and the alcohol proves it.

 

[Bad Bob]

If you've got a dollar, and you spend a dollar; you don't have a dollar anymore do you.

 

[mdf]

I like it, but I can't come up with anything at the moment. Actually a few work-related ones come to mind, but, well. ... nah.

Should we quote the original for the benefit of anyone who has joined our program already in progress?

 

[Jim McDonald]

It's not that you can't play Stairway to Heaven on the accordion; it's that you can't play the accordion and Stairway to Heaven proves it!

 

[Tony S]

Should we quote the original for the benefit of anyone who has joined our program already in progress?

Yes, please. Do the honors. But maybe with a proviso around "This is not a technique thread."

 

[neonorchid]

Lonelyness increases selfcenterness - Selfcenterness increases lonelyness.

 

[mdf]

"It's not that you can't ski bumps. It's that you can't ski, and the bumps prove it."

- Josh Matta, circa ten years ago and still a key insight.


****** Disclaimer *******
This is NOT a technique thread.

 

[Crank]

This is one whose truth was brought home to me today:

It's not that I don't have the legs for road riding; it's that I don't have the legs for riding and the road proves it.

This is why xc racers do a lot of training on the road.

 

[KingGrump]

One of my recent favorites from Josh.
"Skiers judge themselves on the terrain they ski and not how they ski it."

There is a YUGE difference between survival and thriving

 

[1chris5]

It's not that you can't play Stairway to Heaven on the accordion; it's that you can't play the accordion and Stairway to Heaven proves it!

Or can play on the nijugen-koto;

 

[KevinF]

This is one whose truth was brought home to me today:

It's not that I don't have the legs for road riding; it's that I don't have the legs for riding and the road proves it.

Eh, it's ok. As you aptly proved to me two or three years ago, it's not that I don't have the skills to ride a mountain bike, it's that I don't have the skills for riding and the rocks / roots / trees / obstacles / etc. prove it.



It was damned fun though!

 

[Bill Miles]

It's not that you can't drive a stick shift, it's that you can't drive and stick shift provies it.

 

[Philpug]

It's not that you can't dodge a ball, it is that you can't dodge and not being able to dodge a wrench proves it.

 

[Mike Thomas]

Those pants don't make you look fat...

 

[KevinF]

It's not that you can't ski a slalom ski in Stowe trees, it's that you can't ski and the slalom ski proves it.

 

[Monique]

I've always said I just struggle with the whiteboard part of a software engineering interview, but I fear this might be the case:

"It's not the case that you don't whiteboard well. It's that you can't think on your feet, and the whiteboard proves it."

 

[Tony S]

I've always said I just struggle with the whiteboard part of a software engineering interview, but I fear this might be the case:

"It's not the case that you don't whiteboard well. It's that you can't think on your feet, and the whiteboard proves it."

Monique, this is an interesting topic. Really deserves its own thread. I happen to think that few of us are Mozarts, so it's fine to admit that I need to come at things in a kind of spiral fashion. Iterative, if you must. Whiteboard a little, code a little, Google a little, code a little more, repeat.

P.S., I have to interview two people in the next two days, so this is on my mind.

 

[mdf]

Yeah, I don't come up with designs on the fly very well either. On the other hand, I'm pretty confident that I am very good at what I do.

 

[Tony S]

Yeah, I don't come up with designs on the fly very well either. On the other hand, I'm pretty confident that I am very good at what I do.

Yeah, and I hear your professional skills are pretty good, too. Just keep working gently on that knee.