

Damn the torpedoes - jgrahamc
http://www.jgc.org/blog/2009/10/damn-torpedoes.html

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mg1313
Soooo...this teacher of mine said I could never go to the best class in the
high school because only the best were going. I wasn't the best but I was
stubborn: really, only the best? Teacher, you don't really know inspite of
being my teacher several years. I went to that best class after taking the
exam. And i was the only one from my colleagues to do so. Take that...teacher!

I worked in a coal mine for several years (no other alternatives at that
time). One day I tokk the chance to get out for good and do something else. My
work colleagues said I will not find anything else (tough economic times,
thougher than this one in my country). Well, I learned computers and never
loked back. I'm working now as a web developer (10 years since I started).

I'm mingling now with theidea of changing my career again, becoming a
filmmaker. I know I can do it and nobody can stop me, that's for sure!

Thanks for this post, John.

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mfr
I'm reminded of the Latin phrase "Age quod agis", literally "Do what you are
doing."

It has been my experience that half-hearted attempts to learn/do things end up
taking twice the effort of making an honest attempt and getting real results.

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swannodette
Damn the torpedoes and follow the fox. Truly words to live by :)

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cpr
That reminds me that I saw a wolf slinking out of a graveyard in semi-urban
shoreline Westbrook, CT, just the other month.

Apparently, wolves are moving back down from the wilds.

I know it was a wolf by the distinctive walk & size, as it crossed in front of
my car.

I might have followed the wolf, but (a) I was driving, (b) it was a wolf, and
(c) it was a dark and misty night with the mist hanging over the graveyard.
OK, I'm a coward. ;-)

~~~
Luc
Wolves are scared of people...

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Xichekolas
Well said.

You know, the whole "X is not for mere mortals" crap gets old. Yes, writing
multithreaded apps in C is probably a bit harder than following the "blog in
30 seconds with framework Y" tutorial, but it doesn't require supernatural
abilities.

Anyone can accomplish anything with sufficient motivation. Writing something
off as a task for "programming gods" is just an excuse to not even try it. You
too can be a programming god, and there is no better feeling than when you
solve a hard problem.

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futuremint
I've found that is a pretty good philosophy. I'm not sure what my personal
phrase is, but I often find myself telling other people in meetings &
conversations, "Now wait a minute. Nothing is impossible lets just think about
this a little."

Maybe thats what it is? I don't tell myself that nothing is impossible, I just
never admit defeat. I think thats what it takes, just don't even think about
giving up or giving in.

Just do it (whatever it is) until you're done. And the move on.

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jacoblyles
Also a useful philosophy if you happen to become involved in a sea battle in
the Gulf of Mexico.

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chrischen
I push myself through a large project by convincing myself that I never finish
anything, and that I don't want to be like a _wannabe_ entrepreneur, who just
starts a bunch of things because they seem interesting but never commit hard
work.

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edw519
_If you are going to do something, go all the way. I can't promise that you'll
succeed, but you'll be better off for recognizing the obstacles you create for
yourself through doubts, the obstacles others create for you for no good
reason, and for sticking to what you believe._

Bulletin board material.

Reminds me a little of what my mentor told me after accomplishing what I
thought was an impossible task, "I didn't know that I couldn't do it, so I did
it."

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biohacker42
I won't be able to sleep until I know what the fox was up to.

~~~
ludwig
Fox shenanigans.

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pjvandehaar
This phrase is only fun to subvocalize because of its resemblance to "Fire the
Torpedoes!"

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prakash
So, where did the fox go?

~~~
jgrahamc
Into someone's back garden. I assume it lives there. I used to have foxes
living in my garden in Oxford, so it's not that unusual (especially in large
British cities).

~~~
prakash
no law against having a fox as a pet? aren't they considered wild?

~~~
RiderOfGiraffes
Not as a pet. Urban foxes are well-known in the UK, and they have dens in
people's gardens/yards, often without the owners having a clue.

~~~
dtf
Save for their fox talk, which sounds like a thousand babies being put to
death in the fires of hell. (That's how they talk in London at least. Perhaps
Oxford foxes have more couth?)

------
lgv
Damn, now I have MDFMK's "Torpedoes" stuck in my head.

