Great one-liners from PF members

[gmax137]

I worked with a guy for over thirty years before he told me he was an accordion player. "I just don't talk about it," he said.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Well, since The Far Side is back..

 

[sysprog]

I worked with a guy for over thirty years before he told me he was an accordion player. "I just don't talk about it," he said.

As a not-so-great accordion player myself, I can relate $-$ I recall Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty in the movie "Ishtar" making a song entitled "Dangerous Business" that included them singing the words "if you admit that you can play the accordion, no-one will hire you in a rock and roll band":

 

[Vanadium 50]

@PeroK's recent "A proof no longer works if you screw it up! "

 

[Wrichik Basu]

An extremely important observation:

You'll be a lot happier if you don't try to base your happiness on other peoples' choices. You can state your opinion, but then you have to let it go. Otherwise you create unhappiness for both of you.

My mother says the exact same thing.

 

[phinds]

My mother says the exact same thing.

Wait ... Russ is your mother?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Wait ... Russ is your mother?

That explains so much.

 

[Wrichik Basu]

Wait ... Russ is your mother?

Some days back, I said to a friend,

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Einstein said the exact same thing.

Wait...am I Einstein?

 

[russ_watters]

Jeez, with the one-liners guys...

Wait ... Russ is your mother?

Einstein said the exact same thing.

Wait...am I Einstein?

Actually, I think it means my mother is @Wrichik Basu's mother...and Einstein.

 

[Frigus]

If you want to have a $1M salary, you might be better off starting your own business. It's the easiest/hardest way to get there.

 

[OmCheeto]

He's not wrong.

Coincidentally, the very next day I was researching the "Duck Test", when I ran across something that made me think that you might be an active editor for Wikipedia:

 

[phinds]

I think this exchange HAS to rate at least an honorable mention. This has GOT to be the best set-up @Nugatory has seen in years:

Davenn: Well if you want to be that picky, all changes in the EM field ALSO propagate at the speed of light
phinds: As do comments by all us nitpickers here on PF
Nugatory: Those actually move at speeds faster than light, but there is no violation of relativity because they transfer no information.

 

[kuruman]

If something can't go on forever, it won't.

 

[Vanadium 50]

That is not original, I'm afraid.

 

[kuruman]

That is not original, I'm afraid.

Thanks for the clarification; consider it a finder's recognition fee.

 

[jack action]

So if I study Container Classes and STL, I am knocking on the door of data-structures already?

More like trying to sneak in by a second-story window.

 

[Tom.G]

And @phinds strikes again!

You are mixing apples and oranges, so naturally your conclusion is bananas

(If this was a horse race, I think he would be three lengths ahead!)

 

[epenguin]

Doesn't $4 \times 10^{-7}m$ seem just a little small for a satellite orbit?

 

[sysprog]

RSVP! If I trouble to help your homework and you never reply or react I will enter your name in a black book and not help you next time.

[humorousness here intended]

I sympathize with your wanting a response when you've taken the trouble to help; however, I also question the ideolection of your adjurement: doesn't RSVP (répondez s'il vous plaît $-$ literally, 'respond if [the French word 'il' is superfluously masculine in this expression wherefore I think that 'it' is a better translation than 'he' in this context would be] it you pleases'), include the meaning of responding being optional? If I get a card that says RSVP is it impolite to not have responded to the effect that I won't be attending? Isn't it true that I should feel obligated to respond if and only if I intend to show up at the referenced invitational event?

 

[strangerep]

[humorousness here intended]

If I get a card that says RSVP is it impolite to not have responded to the effect that I won't be attending?

Is this question serious, or some kind of humour that I don't get?

If the former, then yes, failing to respond would be impolite, since the host needs to estimate the number of attendees for logistical planning reasons.

Unless you think the host is a complete tosser that you never wish to interact with ever again, I believe it's polite to send a reply giving some reasonable-sounding excuse why you can't come, but nevertheless wishing them well for their event.

 

[phinds]

Is this question serious, or some kind of humour that I don't get?

I had the same problem. The post doesn't really seem coherent which is very odd for sysprog, I don't recall his posts being like that in the past.

@sysprog it looks like your humor fell flat this time. It happens to the best of us. Here's an example where it really DID happen to one of the greatest humorists of all time:
https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/mark-twain-bombs-historys-first-roast/

 

[Bystander]

it really DID happen to one of the greatest humorists of all time:

Poets do NOT have senses of humor.

 

[phinds]

Poets do NOT have senses of humor.

Well, maybe but there were prose luminaries there as well and apparently all were horrified. Twain just flat blew it.

 

[sysprog]

Is this question serious, or some kind of humour that I don't get?

I think that it's serious-comedic and that you get it rather well.

If the former, then yes, failing to respond would be impolite, since the host needs to estimate the number of attendees for logistical planning reasons.

Of course; however, shouldn't the default presumption be that the non-responding invitee doesn't intend to attend? Isn't the need for me to respond stronger if I am going to attend than if I'm not? I don't need a chair to be reserved for me if I'm not going to be there, and if I show up without having responded, if there's no chair for me then that's my fault. I think that your not responding should be taken to mean a default presumption that you won't be attending.

Unless you think the host is a complete tosser that you never wish to interact with ever again, I believe it's polite to send a reply giving some reasonable-sounding excuse why you can't come, but nevertheless wishing them well for their event.

requoting this part for its haha value:

Unless you think the host is a complete tosser that you never wish to interact with ever again,

I think that we should not without sufficient cause impose duty on our friends; however, if I receive a message that says RSVP, I will respond, and will earnestly endeavor that I not fail to do as I will then have in my response said.

 

[sysprog]

@phinds thank for that comment -- I'll mull it over . . .

 

[StevieTNZ]

One of my favourites is "you must be popular at parties", stated to a member by some SA or mentor in a soccer maths thread. Very appropriate attitude I say.

 

[Borg]

This one isn't from PF but it was just too good to pass up.

I would agree with you but then we'd both be wrong.

 

[sysprog]

I wish that I could give both a like and a haha to that one from @Borg $\dots$

 

[davenn]

my fav. and why it has been in my signature for some years was from the late Jim Hardy
and it fits me nicely ...

"We old guys often have to dredge back through forty or fifty years of life's detritus to remember our basics and our RAM isn't completely non-volatile" -- Jim Hardy ( PF)

 

[sysprog]

my fav. and why it has been in my signature for some years was from the late Jim Hardy
and it fits me nicely ...

"We old guys often have to dredge back through forty or fifty years of life's detritus to remember our basics and our RAM isn't completely non-volatile" -- Jim Hardy ( PF)

I think that anyone here on PF might benefit from reading posts of Dearly Missed "old jim" Jim Hardy . . .