OT: Things You Suck At Worse Than You Should

[Mano]

It's something I didn't realize I was terrible at until we had kids but whenever we are trying to covertly discuss things while around them and the wife starts spelling out whatever it is we're trying to keep secret it takes me forever to put it together in my head lol. Makes me feel like a complete simpleton every damn time. One more time honey? I C E C R E A M. Wait, what?

I also have a horrible memory. Enter a room with a purpose and... gone. A short list put together in my head while still in the car before entering the grocery store and... gone.

I am also terrible with knots. Don't let me dock your boat, but maybe you want me as your hangman.

I'm a champion gift wrapper tho.

 

[uconngb]

I'm great at folding towels. Easy for me.
But folding fitted sheets? I will never figure it out.

That’s because it’s impossible

 

[RedDog]

I can’t pack for a short trip. I always wind up taking too much stuff and needing a bag that looks like I’m circumventing the globe.

I used to be embarrassed having to check my bag at the airport for a weekend trip. Now, you have to pay for carry ons, so I don’t care anymore.

 

[Husky68]

Picking UConn starting QB's.

 

[8893]

I can’t pack for a short trip. I always wind up taking too much stuff and needing a bag that looks like I’m circumventing the globe.

I used to be embarrassed having to check my bag at the airport for a weekend trip. Now, you have to pay for carry ons, so I don’t care anymore.

I am also a chronic over-packer.

I know you meant ”circumnavigating,” but I love the thought of “circumventing the globe.” I guess that means your plane does’t return to earth.

 

[87Xfer]

Letting go of stuff. I'm not a hoarder at the level of people on the TV shows, burried in their own trash, But my garage is literally full of bike and car things that i haven't even thought about in years. If i was on top of it, I could probably have sold $20k of stuff that is now basically worthless.

 

[Conndog]

Whistling. Just can’t do it.

 

[tdrink]

Yes to the Gibson Les Paul. Too heavy to practice with, but beautiful. I have a D18. No PRS. I have more time these days so I've picked them up again recently. The missus gets bothered from hearing Bad Moon Rising over and over. Oh, it's anesthesia. Hence the zzzz.

Loop pedal + backing track + scales = whole new world.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I can’t pack for a short trip. I always wind up taking too much stuff and needing a bag that looks like I’m circumventing the globe.

I used to be embarrassed having to check my bag at the airport for a weekend trip. Now, you have to pay for carry ons, so I don’t care anymore.

Mrs. Diesel's soul mate.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Remembering people's names.

 

[DrZzzz]

Loop pedal + backing track + scales = whole new world.

Any recommendations for a loop pedal?

 

[Chin Diesel]

It's something I didn't realize I was terrible at until we had kids but whenever we are trying to covertly discuss things while around them and the wife starts spelling out whatever it is we're trying to keep secret it takes me forever to put it together in my head lol. Makes me feel like a complete simpleton every damn time. One more time honey? I C E C R E A M. Wait, what?

I also have a horrible memory. Enter a room with a purpose and... gone. A short list put together in my head while still in the car before entering the grocery store and... gone.

I am also terrible with knots. Don't let me dock your boat, but maybe you want me as your hangman.

I'm a champion gift wrapper tho.

I didn't watch Friends but aren't there a bunch of memes with Phoebe and Joey doing this routine?

 

[navery12]

I didn't watch Friends but aren't there a bunch of memes with Phoebe and Joey doing this routine?

Same idea but she's trying to teach Joey French so they're going one word at a time and he can repeat it with one word but not the full sentence

 

[tdrink]

Any recommendations for a loop pedal?

Donner Circle Looper. It has 100 drum beats , metronome, and the ability to have the drum beat rectify the loop.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I know you meant ”circumnavigating,” but I love the thought of “circumventing the globe.” I guess that means your plane does’t return to earth.

Funny story about this -- I was reviewing an academic article where the authors did the opposite, and used "circumnavigating" where they pretty clearly meant "circumventing".

So, smartass that I am, in my formal review, sent to the editor and the authors, I actually wrote "I don't see a Magellan among the authors, so I can only assume you mean 'circumventing' and not 'circumnavigating'". I never saw the revised version, but I assume they made the correction.

 

[Get a Job]

Funny story about this -- I was reviewing an academic article where the authors did the opposite, and used "circumnavigating" where they pretty clearly meant "circumventing".

So, smartass that I am, in my formal review, sent to the editor and the authors, I actually wrote "I don't see a Magellan among the authors, so I can only assume you mean 'circumventing' and not 'circumnavigating'". I never saw the revised version, but I assume they made the correction.

I had the same impression as you: The two words have non-overlapping meanings. However, looking at the dictionary definition of circumnavigate, it appears it can be used a synonym, or at least near-synonym of circumvent. If I circumvent the rules, it appears to be valid to say that I circumnavigated the rules.

The fact nonetheless remains that it is invalid to say I circumvented the globe when I mean that I traveled around it, of course.

 

[Improviser]

I had the same impression as you: The two words have non-overlapping meanings. However, looking at the dictionary definition of circumnavigate, it appears it can be used a synonym, or at least near-synonym of circumvent. If I circumvent the rules, it appears to be valid to say that I circumnavigated the rules.

The fact nonetheless remains that it is invalid to say I circumvented the globe when I mean that I traveled around it, of course.

The prefix circum means around so if you circumvent something, you are going around it, or avoiding it. Like circumventing an issue or a problem or a reef to avoid a collision.

No, circumnavigating is not the best word to use in the above case, though with the word circumnavigating, you are navigating around the obstacle technically.

When you circumnavigate, by design you are going around a land, island, whatever. So the around part of circum still has validity.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Awesome! Keep playing! It’s a wonderful salve for the soul skill level need not apply.

Ok guitar folks, I thought this would be the case for me. Bought a Fender acoustic about 12 years ago. Tried to learn from YouTube lessons for about a year and a half. Got some chords, but never really any progressions. I have big palms but shorter fingers and just struggled mightily with the mechanics of the strings. I never had the guitar adjusted to make that easier, like filing the frets.

As a person who's hobbies mostly include booze and movies, plus some golf, I am often tempted to try again. But I know I won't succeed on that guitar. I believe I'd need an electric. Is it still worth making the attempt at 56? If so, what's a versatile fairly inexpensive guitar and amp for learning? I imagine Guitar Center would give me something for my Fender, it's in perfect shape.

 

[Captbluefin]

For me it’s.

Spelling and grammar

 

[Improviser]

Ok guitar folks, I thought this would be the case for me. Bought a Fender acoustic about 12 years ago. Tried to learn from YouTube lessons for about a year and a half. Got some chords, but never really any progressions. I have big palms but shorter fingers and just struggled mightily with the mechanics of the strings. I never had the guitar adjusted to make that easier, like filing the frets.

As a person who's hobbies mostly include booze and movies, plus some golf, I am often tempted to try again. But I know I won't succeed on that guitar. I believe I'd need an electric. Is it still worth making the attempt at 56? If so, what's a versatile fairly inexpensive guitar and amp for learning? I imagine Guitar Center would give me something for my Fender, it's in perfect shape.

I know nothing about guitars or musical instruments except to identify what some of them are.

But, why not take lessons from a live person who can give you real time input. The guitar store should know of someone in your area.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I know nothing about guitars or musical instruments except to identify what some of them are.

But, why not take lessons from a live person who can give you real time input. The guitar store should know of someone in your area.

Mostly the time of it. I tend to have very variable times I can devote to these things. Maybe I'm free at 10 PM or whatever. I was planning to do that once I got enough of the basics down.

 

[ConnEd]

Names. I cannot remember names of people I'm introduced to. In one ear, out the other. I try to repeat the name to myself to imprint it. Still, nada. I've been on a committee with a guy for over a year. Ran into him at the gym. Total blank.

And chronology. I do not remember when things happened, often, not even relative to other things. I would be a terrible witness.

Like others, I have pretty good hand-eye coordination. I've done well at baseball, racquet sports, basketball. But I am terrible at golf. I've played a fair bit. Taken lessons. I still almost never break 50 for 9 holes. Even when I make good contact, I hit it 20-40 yards shorter than my friends.

I'm also terrible at kicking balls. Soccer. Football. I think I can punt it maybe 20 yards. Awful.

For pool, I improved immensely once I noticed that I was always looking at the object ball and not the cue ball when I executed my shots. Once I started focusing on the cue after lining it up, I got a lot better.

 

[JMick]

Ok guitar folks, I thought this would be the case for me. Bought a Fender acoustic about 12 years ago. Tried to learn from YouTube lessons for about a year and a half. Got some chords, but never really any progressions. I have big palms but shorter fingers and just struggled mightily with the mechanics of the strings. I never had the guitar adjusted to make that easier, like filing the frets.

As a person who's hobbies mostly include booze and movies, plus some golf, I am often tempted to try again. But I know I won't succeed on that guitar. I believe I'd need an electric. Is it still worth making the attempt at 56? If so, what's a versatile fairly inexpensive guitar and amp for learning? I imagine Guitar Center would give me something for my Fender, it's in perfect shape.

I'd find a local guitar shop and ask them to help you out. They'll help you pick out a good $400-$600 electric and also set up the guitar for you. Setup and good strings make a big difference. I'm not very good and I don't play much anymore, but a good set of strings is the difference between me sounding competent and it looking like I've never picked up a guitar.

 

[nomar]

I can parallel park with the best of them, and I can back into a spot with my eyes closed, but for the life of me I can't just pull into a freaking parking spot the normal way without ending up completely crooked and/or about 2 inches away from another car.

It's just weird.

In my defense, I suppose, I don't drive all that often, since I live in NYC, but it's been a life-long problem and the sample size is large enough.

 

[ConnEd]

Never could pick up chess either. And though I am now a "senior," I don't think I would want to try to learn bridge. Setback was as far as I got with card games.

Setback! I knew there had to be other setback players out there somewhere. I was raised in a setback-playing home. My father played in a league back in the 60's. Ever played the variation called "Southern Setback"? I'm trying to teach my kids, but with no screens involved, I just can't get them interested.