Talents Too Cool For Most Other People http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283 Moonlightwriter Welcome to a thread where your amazing (If not a little strange) talents can be appreciated. Just feel free to share and ask questions about other people. Just don't put people down and make sure to share some of your own. And feel free to come back and share more on other occasions! So I'll start: I can purr. As in, like a cat I'm excellent at hiding in suitcases I can hit a high F# I can touch my tongue to my nose I can sing the alphabet backwards Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:12:18 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143312 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143312 Angryman I can sing with an accent, but I can't talk with one. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:42:01 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143449 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143449 Moonlightwriter That's awesome! Which accents? I can't sing with one and when I talk, my British accent usually ends up somewhere between there and Australia. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:35:41 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143495 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143495 alysdragon I can mimic cat and sheep noises; with the sheep, I can also make the necessary octave adjustment so that I can convince a ewe that it is her lamb making the noise. Which is a little cruel, I'll warrant. All the joints in my fingers can bend backwards as well as forwards. I can sing the Blackadder theme tune from season 1, and know what the Knights who until recently said Ni actually say. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:12:13 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143709 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143709 Angryman I tend to lean towards Irish. I mostly mimic the artist I'm listening to, but I find myself listening to a lot of Irish songs and bands. Celtic Thunder, Gaelic Storm, The Irish Descendants... yeah, I should have listened to these groups more often when I was in high school choir. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:15:13 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143713 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143713 Spuggey I can make incredibly good monkey noises. I can twist my feet around so they're heel-to-toe (it's kind of hard to explain but it makes people yelp). I can eat ridiculous quantities of chilli. I'm 30 and look 15. I think it might actually be a superpower... I can print pictures off my computer onto ANYTHING: clothes, metal, foil, ribbon, surgical tape, leather, plastic.... I have been told by a specialist doctor that I have possibly the world's fastest digestive tract! Yep, super guts. There's a million more. Sometimes I wish I could have just ONE talent that's actually useful. Oh well... Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:37:17 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143733 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143733 mattskywalker I have perfect pitch. I can do a realistic Gollum impersonation. I too can say the alphabet backwards. I can recite the names of all the books of the Bible in order. Hm... I might be back with more. ;) Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:57:41 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143888 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143888 aliaswriter I can watch a cartoon, and know who voiced the characters. I can listen to 1-2 seconds of a song and know which one it is. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:08:54 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143907 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1143907 paypete1st I still know how to read (and fold) a paper map. I can keep a Fiddlestick going for at least 2 minutes. (If you don't know what a Fiddlestick is I guess you are just not cool enough!) Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:33:57 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1144710 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1144710 Angryman Oh, and being a naturally tenor, I can sing in a slightly higher octave, or a much deeper one. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:37:07 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1145288 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1145288 Angryman I quote The Book of Armaments, Chapter 2, Verses 9 to 21. And silly walk. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:39:15 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1145297 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1145297 Angryman No, I can't do a perfect Gollum. That said, I can do a perfect Gollum on steroids. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:40:17 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1145300 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1145300 Spuggey I can read paper maps and navigate with a compass! Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:31:10 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1161795 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1161795 DeathOfScythes I have a prenatural talent for finding the worse possible liqure. Not counting swim trunks, costumes and bathrobes, I haven't worn any sort of bottom half covering but cargo pants for 14 years. I can type faster with my left or right hand only than the average person can type with both. I can return cans faster than anyone I know, and have mastered the kata of using a aluminum/plastic and glass bottle return machine simultaneously. And the thing closest to a superpower: I can navigate through support line's IVR and first level of tech support faster than anyone else I know. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:44:21 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162435 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162435 alysdragon Oh, here's another one. I can construct sentences in the second person informal. And I can do it properly. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:48:31 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162445 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162445 Itzika I can also sing the alphabet backwards! I can also say or write sdrawkcab without much trouble. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:34:55 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162936 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162936 Itzika I know what they say too--the Spamalot version, at least. What's the original? Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:35:57 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162939 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162939 Itzika High five for the map thing! My mom has started getting directions off MapQuest for all our trips, but until recently we used paper maps for road trips, and she still shows me some routes on paper maps, so as the navigator I have plenty of practice reading and folding them. :) Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:37:56 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162946 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162946 Itzika I have what I call a "flexibility magic trick": I can link my hands behind my back (one elbow up, one down) and then twist my arms so that my hands are clasped in front of me, without ever losing contact between my hands. I can continue typing while someone is talking to me without losing track of either (can't talk while typing without getting messed up, though). I believe Romeo and Juliet is a black comedy, not a tragedy, and successfully got my Shakespeare class to debate this for half an hour. Does that count? I have an awesome memory, so good that at least one person in my graduating class (of around 40 people, for reference) thought I actually had a photographic memory--without me even trying to give this impression. I can and usually do use my silverware the European way. (Too cool for most Americans, at least.) I intuitively understand English grammar. I hate it, but I understand it. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:46:27 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162971 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1162971 WritingGeek97 I can read a paper map and fold it, and know how to acolyte in a Lutheran church service which has Communion and a spur-of-the-moment baptism. (It was in two languages--Arabic and English and I had no idea what I was doing most of the time.), how to sing the Psalms, clap during classical concerts, read classic Latin (not Middle Ages Latin because its grammar is bonkers) and almost always understand it, to teach myself almost anything using only library books, paper, and either a pen or a pencil. (Homeschooled.) and how to strip and burn palm branches for ashes to use on Ash Wednesday (today). :P Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:06:40 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1163090 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1163090 Angryman I apologize for any typos, and if I have the saint's name wrong. Here it goes: "And Saint Etalot raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'O, Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, for with it thou mayst blow thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and the people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and li-" "Skip a bit, brother." "And the Lord spake, saying, 'First, shalt thou take out the holy pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more, no less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number be reached, then lobeth thou thy holy hand grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who being not in My sight, shalt snuff it.'" Amen. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:26:29 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1163762 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1163762 EMT-TKJ I knit, I make my own yarn. Yup, I have a wheel, like in Rumpelstiltskin. I juggle scarves, balls, rings, and clubs, and am learning contact juggling like in the labyrinth. I'm also learning ping pong juggling. There's other things I do, but I have to go be a paramedic student now. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:56:51 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1164064 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1164064 Spuggey I can, with my right hand, write forwards, mirrored and upside down. With both hands at the same time I can write forward with one and backwards with the other. I like taking notes this way in public because people STARE... :P Thu, 23 Feb 2012 07:53:33 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1164286 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1164286 Itzika I am not ambidextrous enough to even attempt writing backwards with my left hand. That said, I can read mirrored, sideways, upside down, or any angle you want to put the writing at with only a slight delay compared to reading right-side up. I can also read Spanish out loud at a natural pace with minimal mistakes (though I probably won't understand it at that pace) and can speak Spanish well enough to leave messages for my mom in it and speak it with one of the counselors I've seen. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:08:46 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1164540 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1164540 paypete1st I have observed some talents that either aren't very cool or are too cool for me to try and learn. Just today I saw a champion snot flicker - perfect shooting from 10 feet away from the wastebasket. Made me forget what I was there to see him about and return to my own cubicle. Then there was the champion desk drummer - enters some data into the PC and does a finger press roll while waiting for the screen to come back. Sometimes it sounds like Wipeout, but most of the time it doesn't. Finally there is the guy with 3 keyboards and several screens. But that might not be a talent since there is no evidence he ever does anything useful. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:02:17 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1165315 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1165315 Spuggey I can read from all angles and in mirrors too! And I can read Spanish and Italian fairly well, even if I have NO idea what I'm saying, because I studied linguistics and they're phonetic languages. Once you know the pronunciations, you know how any worrd is spelled or pronounced. My Italian teacher used to tell people to stop asking how to spell things: It's spelt exactly how it sounds! And is pronounced exactly as it's written! Not like english with its knives and hiccoughs and throughs and other oddities. :) Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:42:50 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1166703 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1166703 Itzika For some words in Spanish you do have to ask how it's spelled, because "h" is silent and there are multiple letters that will make the "s" sound in any given situation. And fortunately, in the US we spell it hiccups. Isn't that much neater? Also: The tough coughs as he ploughs through the dough. That's a pretty good demonstration of how ridiculous English is. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:53:41 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167608 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167608 Spuggey Yeah, but there's rules that govern them! Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:23:59 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167711 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167711 Spuggey Sorry! I'm not arguing.. Just realised that I sound argumentative. I just have flu today so my brain is all... Meh. Anyway, you probably know more about it than me. In Italian, there's various pronunciations of certain letters but they're strictly governed so you can't ever really get it wrong once you know the rule! :) As for English, I read this a long time ago: I take it you already know, Of tough and bough and cough and dough. Others may stumble, but not you, On hiccough, thorough, laugh and through. Well done! And now you wish, perhaps, To learn of less familiar traps. Beware of heard, a dreadful word, That looks like beard and sounds like bird. And dead - it’s said like bed, not bead, For goodness’ sake, don’t call it ‘deed’! Watch out for meat and great and threat, (They rhyme with suite and straight and debt). A moth is not a moth in mother, Nor both in bother, broth in brother. And here is not a match for there, Nor dear and fear for bear and pear. And then there’s dose and rose and lose – Just look them up – and goose and choose. And cork and work and card and ward, And font and front and word and sword. And do and go and thwart and cart – Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start! A dreadful language? Why man alive! I’d mastered it when I was five. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:29:36 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167730 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167730 Chumsy17 I know all the words to all the Starkid productions after only watching them twice (except MAMD, I'm on Act 2, watching it for he first time) I'm kind of a primate freak, and know all sorts of random facts about them I can sing with a British accent too! I can play the viola, which I guess isn't too weird, but not many people even know what a viola is I can also quote the Big Bang Theory, especially the episodes that are on all the time on TBS Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:20:16 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167876 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167876 Angryman Yay for phonetic languages! I will say, though, that Spanish and Italian words are NOT always spelled how they sound. Ll in Spanish for some reason makes a Y sound, and Ci in Italian is a Ch sound. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:56:44 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1168170 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1168170 Angryman Oh, yeah, forgot about those things in Spanish. And if I remember correctly, the letter G can make both the G sound and the H sound. Then again, it's been so long since I took Spanish, and I only did so well. Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:58:40 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1168176 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1168176 Moonlightwriter The mirrored writing! I thought no one else did this! This totally made my day! Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:44:23 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1172419 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1172419 Moonlightwriter I can also do the splits while standing up I get the hiccups at least twice a day. Sometimes it's more of a curse though. I can pick things up with my toes. I can play piano behind my back. Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:47:35 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1172439 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1172439 Angryman Hey, someone else who has flexible toes! It just occurred to me that I've been speaking in quotes a lot recently. Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:38:18 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1172902 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1172902 Itzika Adding to the list of people who can pick things up with their toes. :D And I THINK in quotes and modified quotes a lot, complete with the voices of the characters who said them. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:19:26 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1173915 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1173915 Angryman Personally, I think it's strange that some people CAN'T pick things up with their toes. It's just like picking things up with your fingers (sans thumbs), only it's your feet, not your hands. "You just got sarge'd!" -Sarge, Red vs. Blue Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:56:26 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1174878 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1174878 WritingGeek97 I can pick things up with my toes! I can also spread my toes apart really far. It creeps people out. LOL Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:43:21 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1176512 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1176512 Moonlightwriter I can wiggle my pinky toe without moving any others! Can you do that? Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:16:20 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1176542 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1176542 Angryman Now THAT is talent. Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:56:40 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1177504 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1177504 Pen and Ink Ooo! Yay! I found other people who have movable toes! My cousin thinks I'm crazy 'cause everytime I see him I pinch his leg with my toes. For some reason he finds that odd... *shrugs* :D Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:58:08 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1177830 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1177830 ussauklet First, some background information: In the grade school I went to, they had "puzzle maps": a bunch of wooden puzzle pieces in the shapes of countries that may or may not exist any more (ahem, Yugoslavia) that you had to put together in the shape of the continents. Anyway, if I close my eyes and someone hands me one of those puzzle pieces, I can feel its edges and tell them what country it is with 100% accuracy. I can do the same thing with US states. Even Wyoming and Colorado, because the puzzle pieces had little pegs where the capital was located, so I could identify them based on whether it was Denver in the center or Cheyenne in the corner. Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:25:46 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1177932 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1177932 Red Queen I feel a little dumb now, I don't really have actual talents...^^ I just can pick stuff up with my toes (and will do so because I'm to lazy to bend over). And wiggle my ears, which amuses people. And bend my left arm (broken when I was a child) to a weird angle, which freaks people out. I have fun with both^^ And apparently (or so I'm told), I have mad language skills. I know grammar most people have never even heard of, I know words they would happily erase from the dictionary, and in language classes at school I usually got bored after a few lessons because I was tired of repeating everything for the umpteenth time when some people still didn't get it. Then I would start reading the textbook, and when I was finished with that, I resorted to staring out of the window while the rest of the class talked about how to properly introduce yourself (shouldn't you know that after an hour or so?!)... Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:25:41 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1179766 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1179766 Moonlightwriter I think one talent we all forgot was the ability to do Nanowrimo and retain sanity (Or most of it). Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:23:57 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1180782 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1180782 Angryman Sanity?! What would we do with something as useless as that?! Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:33:20 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1181494 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1181494 alysdragon Another of my little quirks is that I have a memory for doggererl. If it rhymes and has a regular rhythmn, I just pick it up. Because of this: I quite often surprise myself by having memorised two thirds of a poem without even noticing. My knowledge of song lyrics is extensive (although sometimes I mishear) and, for short verse, need only to read it once or twice to get it lodged in my head FOREVER. It makes folk-singing quite easy, but I still have verses from some children's books I read years ago lodged in my head. Plus I can recite the whole of Alfred Noyes' 'The Highwayman', most of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (the heroic verse bits), and the entirity of 'The Smuggler's Song'. I'm a terrible bore at parties. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:16:33 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1182160 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1182160 Itzika I can't. However, I can cross my pinky toe over the toe next to it, and cross my big toe over or under my longest toe. Tue, 06 Mar 2012 10:09:08 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1194039 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1194039 ArtsyGal Not sure if these count exactly but. . . . I can make the vulcan hand sign thing with both hands (you just tried to see if you could do it too, didn't you:) I can pull my thumb straight down and make it go flat against my arm. (Used to be able to do it with both of them but can't do it with my right wrist anymore after surgery.) Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:28:47 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1195207 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1195207 Celticsmc12 I can narrate my life as it's going on in my head. ( Ex: and she typed out her useless talents, having nothing else to do at her Grandmother's house.) It's totally lost on my non and reluctant writer friends. I'm a total butterfingers, but I make the most amazing catches. Once, I dropped my phone, but dove for it and caught in between the tips of my fingers. I can break any electronic device. A Wii, a Xbox, a DS, a Gamecube, a PSP, two laptops, and three phones. All brken. my family calls it "Meagan's museam of broken electronics." Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:54:01 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1197049 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1197049 Phoenix I can jiggle my eyeballs, a skill that was useful in elementary school stare-down contests. Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:39:23 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1197128 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1197128 brian_gott [quote=ArtsyGal] I can make the vulcan hand sign thing with both hands (you just tried to see if you could do it too, didn't you:) [/quote] I don't have to try. I know I can. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:18:37 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1198480 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1198480 WritingGeek97 I can... 1. Make home-made pizza. 2. Wash a 18-pound flea-ridden cat. 3. Hand-sew. 4. Read 1,000 page books in a week and remember what goes on in them. 5. Wrangle a little 3 year old kid who is constantly moving. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:34:07 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1198583 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1198583 Moonlightwriter The thumb things back so many memories of middle school. It freaked out the guys to no end, so you can imagine that I flaunted it at every available moment. Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:11:31 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1200087 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1200087 Ceannaideach Always thought it was Saint Attila and thy foe who being naughty in my sight etc. Myself I love this quote and my secret desire is to read it in church instead of the normal lectionary reading! Sat, 10 Mar 2012 10:25:02 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1202625 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1202625 scammer I've been told that I do a great Austin Powers impression. Not sure if that's a good thing. Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:15:13 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1202950 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1202950 Angryman A friend of mine asked my if I was a packet of Taco Bell hot sauce, what my packet would say. I told him I'd have that whole quote on my packet. Yes, this should be read in church. And Bishop On The Landing should be reenacted in church. As far as songs go, go nuts and go with Ina-Gadda-Da-Vida. Sat, 10 Mar 2012 15:09:17 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1203342 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1203342 Arya Svit-Kona Lemme see.... I can do Stupid Human Tricks, or so my dad calls them. Meaning, I can pick coins up off the floor with my toes and put them in the cuffs of my pants while rolling another two coins across my fingers all while balancing a book on my head. I have really flexible fingers. I can pretty much curl them so they're all piled on top of each other. It freaks my mum out. I also have rather small hands, but the breadth when I spread my fingers is wider than my dad's. Not exactly unheard of, but not exactly common.... I can embroider. Yes, modern day teenager embroidering. I honestly have yet to meet another one. Not exactly unheard of either, but you don't find it in most teenagers.... I can dance. Not ballet (though I can do that), not jazz (I can do that too), not the weird stuff teenagers do at dances, but dance as in waltzing, swing dancing, tango, rhumba, cha cha, and the jitterbug. Not sure if it's a talent or not, but I tend to speak in a British accent (not on purpose) even though I'm not British and haven't left the US. Not much else that I can think of though..... Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:04:51 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1206746 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1206746 Phoenix [quote=Arya Svit-Kona] Not exactly unheard of either, but you don't find it in most teenagers.... I can dance. Not ballet (though I can do that), not jazz (I can do that too), not the weird stuff teenagers do at dances, but dance as in waltzing, swing dancing, tango, rhumba, cha cha, and the jitterbug. [/quote] Okay...I'll date myself--do they no longer teach ballroom, folk, and square dance routinely in high school PE? Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:09:29 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1206751 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1206751 Moonlightwriter The best my school was jazzercise. It was just plain embarrassing. So no, there was nothing you could really call dancing. Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:25:25 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1208035 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1208035 Phoenix Wow. But if you haven't learned the Hokey Pokey, how *do* you know What It's All About? Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:36:10 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1208060 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1208060 Moonlightwriter Oh And I can clap with one hand! Not really slowly like people do, but with my own special method. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:24:08 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210587 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210587 Moonlightwriter Know what what's about? Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:24:51 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210591 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210591 Angryman Does cracking my knuckles with the same hand (and foot) count as a talent? Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:49:54 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210666 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210666 ArtsyGal Ohhh!! I would LOVE to be able to dance like that! Someday I <em>am</em> going to take ballroom dancing classes. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:02:12 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210717 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1210717 Phoenix See above: dating oneself. It's in the lyrics*, and has given rise to the tagline: What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about? *The Hokey Pokey You put your right hand in, You put your right hand out, You put your right hand in, And you shake it all about, You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around That what it's all about. 2) left hand 3) right foot 4) left foot 5) head 6) butt 7) whole self Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:17:49 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1213836 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1213836 Pen and Ink I'm soooo excited because I'm going swing dancing in a month with some friends of mine! I would totally jump at the chance to learn ballroom dancing (come on Mom, it's research for my novel!) but unfortuntely I do not have a place to learn, nor the time to find instructions online. I just hope my future husband understands that I WILL be dragging him to dance classes at least once. :D Thu, 15 Mar 2012 05:42:17 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1214089 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1214089 ArtsyGal Ditto, completely and utterly!!!!!! Except, I might have my sisters 'drop' a hint or two about the subject so my future husband surprises me with it one day:) I don't have anywhere to learn here either, which is a pity, so every time we watch some sort of dancing program I'm always heaving sorrowful sighs. Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:03:28 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1215064 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1215064 Moonlightwriter Thank you for enlightening me. Now I truly understand what it's all about. *Super enlightened pose* Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:17:18 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1215441 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1215441 Pen and Ink As Elizabeth Bennet said, dancing is more the food of love than poetry. :D Sun, 18 Mar 2012 17:54:30 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1222033 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1222033 Cristaliena I knit and enjoy it. I used to be able to, and still can to an extent, lift my leg backwards, pull it in front of my hip and hold it in front of my stomach. I make real-time grammatical corrections for my friends (totally unsolicited, of course). I can be thoroughly entertained by a wall if I put my mind to it. Take that one over there: If you look at it with the light just right, you can see hand prints of varying sizes, when there are no small children in this house. That hand print is probably, what, nine years old? Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:09:20 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1227136 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1227136 Chestergirl28 I can do a pitch perfect Emma Watson as Hermione imitation. I am able to twist my tongue upside down (although I couldn't do the hot-dog roll thing until third grade). I know how read a map AND fold it. And I'm quite good at it as well. I can row. Like, in a wooden rowboat. In the ocean. I am able to shoot a bow and arrow between the split part of a tree trunk. My cousins and I are all able to withstand swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. In Nova Scotia. I read a mile a minute. Well, that might be an exaggeration. I am capable of singing and dancing in the rain. I can climb a tree. Once I'm in it, I can go all the way to the top. I am also able to make a choice between the place where I grew up and the place I only just found. Okay, so not ALL of those are unique to me, but they are out-of-the-ordinary things which I am capable of. And isn't it depressing that I can do those things but not ride a two-wheeled bike? Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:12:11 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1268830 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1268830 Moonlightwriter Oh yeah, can do the tongue thing And I used to climb trees all the time, so people called me "Chipmunk" I really wish I could read that fast though.Would make English so much easier. Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:10:10 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1270678 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1270678 ElliMelody I have a lot of these(mostly language-wise) -I'm a fast reader. I can read about 50 pages of a classic literature novel(Dickens, Bronte, Dostoevsky, etc) in half an hour-an hour, depending on the book. -I can speak almost any word from any language perfectly(as long as it is in english alphabet of course) near flawlessly the first time, but I don't know what I'm saying. -I pick up languages like a camera. Seriously, I'm star student in my french class, and I usually lie to the teacher and say I study because otherwise she yells at me when i say I don't(I really don't need to study. Tell em a word and its meaning, and I know it. Tell me how to form a sentence, I can do it flawlessly nearly each time. My works usually has 2-3 corrections per 5 sentences) -I can sing in accents(mostly Irish when I'm singing along to Celtic music) I can't speak them for my life though. i have one "accent" I can do that is a strange mixture of Irish, Russian, Scottish, and English -I can sing in any language if I listen to a song once through, or if I have lyrics -I can sing along to any song even if I've never heard it before -Not a weird talent, but i can play clarinet and can sightread near perfect, usually(except those stupid who-can-do-this kind of runs. Like a concert b or e scale run. Those are atrocious.) -I have a larger vocabulary then most kids my age(high school). In my advanced placement english class, when we would read literature in class, students would ask what so and so word meant, and the teacher would tell them to ask me. -I can analyse the structure and content of any novel, and usually will. -I can locate grammatical or spelling/typing errors in published works. And I will. And if I own the book, I will mark them(ok, I've done this in library books too, but hey, now others can see the errors too and know the correct way to write it) I also find it hard to ignore said spelling/grammar/typign errors. -I correct myself midsentence. I tend to slur, mix and mis-say words, so I'll fix what I said and continue on as if I never did. -I can bend over forwards and touch my palms to the floor without bending my knees(I'm overweight, so its actually a feat) -Like soemone above me said, I can be thoroughly entertained by a wall. -I can paint pretty designs on my nails all by myself, not fake nails either. -I can clap really fast. -I call literally fall up stairs. Tripped on the bottom step, landed at the top. -I walk into open doors. Not the door part. The actual empty space left when the door opened. Yeah. i can run into it. -I can trip/fall over anything. especially my pants leg. When I'm wearing capris or shorts. -I can catch myself if I fall. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:25:00 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1275726 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1275726 A.L. More I knit, crochet and cross stitch. I have a mind for trivia and retain random information. My supervisor says she's amused by the amount of stuff crammed in my head. I can french braid my own hair. Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:40:36 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1292358 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1292358 ArtsyGal I can control my dreams I can create a while new species of animal simply by looking at the shape of a pat of melting butter. I can sing and play the piano at the same time (Ditto on the french braid and being entertained by a wall, you should the the number of faces you can pick out of a sponged wall:) Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:01:01 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1293432 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1293432 Dream Soul I hide in suitcases too!!! lol one of the requirements of any new case I get is that I must be able to fit inside it, so I can hide and jump out at people XD Wed, 09 May 2012 10:13:54 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1355953 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1355953 Vinxman Unicycle Balancing most things on my nose or chin Juggling Cooking Knife throwing One-handed push ups Nunchaku Tonfa, staff, whip chain, hook swords, archery, bullwhip, shooting, pretty much any weapon, in fact. Karate, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing Writing Imitating voices Speed reading And saying the alphabet backwards in five seconds or less Wed, 09 May 2012 16:54:17 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1356866 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1356866 Vinxman [quote=Phoenix] [/quote] Okay...I'll date myself--do they no longer teach ballroom, folk, and square dance routinely in high school PE? [/quote] They stopped teaching ballroom by the time I was in elementary school (the 'sixties), but we did square dancing once (early 'seventies). I learned ballroom when I was in my thirties because my girlfriend was very into it. She was very serious about it and competed. I didn't want to embarrass her when we went out dancing. I got better, but was never very good. She eventually married her dance partner. They make a good couple. Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:30 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1356893 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/off-topic/threads/50283?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1356893