Results 1 to 30 of 38

Thread: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Isca
    Posts
    13,477

    Default Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Me, I learned how to field strip and assemble an SA80 rifle and it's derivatives by age 13, by 16 I could do it in a minute.

    This is totally useless, as I'm not a soldier and I'll never touch one of the things ever again; hopefully.

    Anyone else have bizare skills from past lives?
    "If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."

    [IMG]https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4917/logoromans23pd.jpg[/IMG]

  2. #2
    Nobody expects the Senior Member Lemur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Wisconsin Death Trip
    Posts
    15,754

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Stage combat. I had a brief and productive career as a stage actor in Chicago, and I had to learn how to do swordwork. Utterly useless.

    I'd say singing, since it's such a marginal skill (unless you're pro), but people pay me to do it from time to time, and the kids love their bedtime songs, so it's marginally useful.

  3. #3
    Bruadair a'Bruaisan Member cmacq's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Where on this beige, brown, and olive-drab everything will stick, sting, bite, and/or eat you; most rickety-tick.
    Posts
    6,160

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    I am a mostly useless skill.


    CmacQ
    quae res et cibi genere et cotidiana exercitatione et libertate vitae

    Herein events and rations daily birth the labors of freedom.

  4. #4
    Ranting madman of the .org Senior Member Fly Shoot Champion, Helicopter Champion, Pedestrian Killer Champion, Sharpshooter Champion, NFS Underground Champion Rhyfelwyr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    In a hopeless place with no future
    Posts
    8,646

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    When riding a bike, I used to put both feet onto one pedal, stand up, steer the handlebars with one hand, and put the other hand above my eyebrows to shield my eyes while I look ahead (you know the dramatic looking-into-the-distance pose). My brother and his friends like doing all the fancy bmx stuff and they thought my trick was pretty cool. Well probably more comical but still.
    At the end of the day politics is just trash compared to the Gospel.

  5. #5
    Voluntary Suspension Voluntary Suspension Philippus Flavius Homovallumus's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Isca
    Posts
    13,477

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lemur View Post
    Stage combat. I had a brief and productive career as a stage actor in Chicago, and I had to learn how to do swordwork. Utterly useless.

    I'd say singing, since it's such a marginal skill (unless you're pro), but people pay me to do it from time to time, and the kids love their bedtime songs, so it's marginally useful.
    That's a good one.
    "If it wears trousers generally I don't pay attention."

    [IMG]https://img197.imageshack.us/img197/4917/logoromans23pd.jpg[/IMG]

  6. #6
    Master of Few Words Senior Member KukriKhan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Posts
    10,415

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Using a manual Royal typewriter, I can accurately complete a DA Form 1 (in use since the early 1800's, documenting unit strength, disposition, and ability to perform its mission, it was the one thing that a Company Commander had to get right every morning, the numbers and comments being transmitted through the chain of command to army HQ daily by 0900)...



    It was ditched in the late 70's for 5 other management reports of army unit strength - all of which in turn have been digitized and put entirely online.
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    I can sort and accurately deliver hard-copy mail to up to 1,000 addresses per day, 6 days a week. So far, that's still a useful 'skill', but I think it will be obsolete/automated/electronicized by 2019. You guys don't send enough birthday cards or Mother's Day cards via hardcopy anymore. :(
    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    I can still double-clutch. The number of people who even know what that is diminishes daily.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Be well. Do good. Keep in touch.

  7. #7
    Amphibious Trebuchet Salesman Member Whacker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    in ur city killin ur militias
    Posts
    2,934

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    I could get out of my car, pop the hood, pull the steering-column shifting gearing back into place, drop the hood, be back in my car with the door closed in well under 30 seconds.

    I really miss my old Chevelle.

    "Justice is the firm and continuous desire to render to everyone
    that which is his due."
    - Justinian I

  8. #8
    Stranger in a strange land Moderator Hooahguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    The Fortress
    Posts
    11,852

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    chemistry
    On the Path to the Streets of Gold: a Suebi AAR
    Visited:
    A man who casts no shadow has no soul.
    Hvil i fred HoreTore

  9. #9
    Devout worshipper of Bilious Member miotas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    2,035

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Quote Originally Posted by KukriKhan View Post
    I can still double-clutch. The number of people who even know what that is diminishes daily.
    Hate to break it to you, but double clutching is a very useful skill.

    The most useless skills I know are related to doing things like line lockys, doughnuts, reverse 180's and what not in a car. I destroyed the diff in my first car implementing those particular "skills".

    - Four Horsemen of the Presence

  10. #10
    Clan Clan InsaneApache's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Grand Duchy of Yorkshire
    Posts
    8,636

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Isn't it double de-clutch?

    When I was a plant operator I used to blow down the steam boilers everyday. Massive Lancashire boilers at that. Very useful in the 21st centuary!

    Mind you when I take the grandkids on the steam trains at least I can explain to them what all the knobs and glasses are for on the engine.

    Algebra.

    Did it for five years at grammar school and never used it once since I left. Along with quadratic equations and Latin.
    There are times I wish they’d just ban everything- baccy and beer, burgers and bangers, and all the rest- once and for all. Instead, they creep forward one apparently tiny step at a time. It’s like being executed with a bacon slicer.

    “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”

    To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise.

    "The purpose of a university education for Left / Liberals is to attain all the politically correct attitudes towards minorties, and the financial means to live as far away from them as possible."

  11. #11
    Urwendur Ûrîbêl Senior Member Mouzafphaerre's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Mikligarðr
    Posts
    6,899

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    .
    I can make nigh perfect (an occasionally compose rather good) music; read and write in four different alphabets; foretell what the professor will say at the Classical Greek and Latin classes; seamlessly translate English text in a few minutes half asleep; make good company etc. etc. All of the above are useless skills; I can't make enough money and whenever I want to pick a girl she prefers to be good friends -on each and every instant in my ~20 years of adult life- and goes after a total or semi-jerk -in more than half of the occasions.
    .
    Last edited by Mouzafphaerre; 09-27-2009 at 21:25. Reason: addendum
    Ja mata Tosa Inu-sama, Hore Tore, Adrian II, Sigurd, Fragony

    Mouzafphaerre is known elsewhere as Urwendil/Urwendur/Kibilturg...
    .

  12. #12
    Bruadair a'Bruaisan Member cmacq's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Where on this beige, brown, and olive-drab everything will stick, sting, bite, and/or eat you; most rickety-tick.
    Posts
    6,160

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mouzafphaerre View Post
    .
    I can make nigh perfect (an occasionally compose rather good) music; read and write in four different alphabets; foretell what the professor will say at the Classical Greek and Latin classes; seamlessly translate English text in a few minutes half asleep; make good company etc. etc. All of the above are useless skills; I can't make enough money and whenever I want to pick a girl she prefers to be good friends -on each and every instant in my ~20 years of adult life- and goes after a total or semi-jerk -in more than half of the occasions.
    .


    You...
    my well-adjusted friend, are too bloody Civilized. As the barbarous Kelt are wont to say; Return to your Wild and there you’ll find Her Derde Deva.


    Cryptic ambiguity, another mostly useless skill?

    CmacQ
    Last edited by cmacq; 09-28-2009 at 07:45.
    quae res et cibi genere et cotidiana exercitatione et libertate vitae

    Herein events and rations daily birth the labors of freedom.

  13. #13
    Urwendur Ûrîbêl Senior Member Mouzafphaerre's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Mikligarðr
    Posts
    6,899

    Wink Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    .
    Quote Originally Posted by cmacq View Post
    You...
    my well-adjusted friend, are too bloody Civilized. As the barbarous Kelt are wont to say; Return to your Wild and there you’ll find Her Derde Deva.


    Cryptic ambiguity, another mostly useless skill?

    CmacQ
    Dear sir;

    Ne Ararsan Bulunur Derde Devâdan Gayrı



    Command of classical poetry, yet another useless skill.
    .
    Ja mata Tosa Inu-sama, Hore Tore, Adrian II, Sigurd, Fragony

    Mouzafphaerre is known elsewhere as Urwendil/Urwendur/Kibilturg...
    .

  14. #14
    Bruadair a'Bruaisan Member cmacq's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Where on this beige, brown, and olive-drab everything will stick, sting, bite, and/or eat you; most rickety-tick.
    Posts
    6,160

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Aye, remedy the chase with the hurly burly done, 'Cry Havoc' and let slip the Dogs of War.

    Recital of Spear-Shaker, most defiantly a useless half-skill.
    Last edited by cmacq; 09-28-2009 at 18:04.
    quae res et cibi genere et cotidiana exercitatione et libertate vitae

    Herein events and rations daily birth the labors of freedom.

  15. #15
    Moderator Moderator Gregoshi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Central Pennsylvania, USA
    Posts
    12,980

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    Alas, I have no useless skills (that I've learned). In fact, "skill" is a word I find difficult to apply to myself at any level.

    Hmmm, maybe that is
    a skill in itself...
    This space intentionally left blank

  16. #16
    Prince Louis of France (KotF) Member Ramses II CP's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    3,701

    Default Re: Mostly useless skills you can't believe you learned.

    VMS version 2&3 commands for automated picker machines. This wouldn't be useless if I'd learned it in the 80s, but I learned it in 1998, about fifteen years after it went out of date, just because I worked with a guy who happened to keep some of the machines around for fun.


Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO