What did you learn today?

[dwm74]

I learned that I'm a HECK of a lot rustier on the guitar than I thought. Started on the six-stringer back in the late 70's, but sometime in the 90s it became less and less used, due to family and life in general. When I started playing bass around '07, it literally was pushed to the side completely, save for maybe 2-3 times a year I might pick it up and noodle around for 15 minutes here and there.

So last Friday, one of my coworkers brought in her brand new guitar, and since people know I play they asked if I'd tune it up for her and show her a few chords. Tuning was not an issue, nor was demonstrating a few open chords, but when I tried to play a few songs it sounded like excrement. Fat-fingered muted strings, missed pickings, wrong chords, etc...a total train wreck. Not to mention I couldn't remember the chord progressions of even the simplest of songs. The couple of people who heard me said it sounded fine, and it probably wasn't as bad as I'm making it out to be, but still, I was bummed.

So I went home after work and picked up my acoustic, and proceeded to play until my fingers bled (Not really). But thankfully a lot of my 'ability' came back rather quickly, and over the weekend I was playing close to the level I was playing at in the past. Nailing old favs like Highway Song, Magic Power, and Diary of a Madman. Not a pro by any means, but at least next time I won't embarrass myself. I hope!

 

[MattZilla]

Today I learned that, for some reason, with some strings available in the 70s, Geezer Butler preferred a short scale bass for tuning down to C#.

 

[Oddly]

Today I learned that I have maybe kind of sort of possibly tentatively agreed to approach a relationship with a female for the first time in 16 years.

Fantastic! Whatever you do, don't ask for relationship advice here. Some people are just nuts.

 

[FingerDub]

Today I learned that I have maybe kind of sort of possibly tentatively agreed to approach a relationship with a female for the first time in 16 years.

The key to nurturing this potential relationship is to act like you care, but not *that* much. Trust me.

 

[PWRL]

The key to nurturing this potential relationship is to act like you care, but not *that* much. Trust me.

Noted. I'm pretty rusty on the relationship thing.

 

[Lobster11]

Fantastic! Whatever you do, don't ask for relationship advice here. Some people are just nuts.

Good point. Bass players are probably not the best population to sample for relationship advice....

 

[PWRL]

Well it's all very early right now, so it just is what it is. But the acknowledged possibility is a good feeling. Oh, and she's a former bass player herself, so there's that. Anyway, it's nice. Even if it doesn't work out, it's still nice.

 

[the harp unstrung]

 

[catcauphonic]

The key to nurturing this potential relationship is to act like you care, but not *that* much. Trust me.

I think a better way to put this is to 'have your own stuff going on' with or without a partner, but don't act too aloof from this advice. If you enjoy spending time with someone, definitely show it

 

[StudioStuntz]

I finally learned that dialing numbers on my cell does not require entering a '1' first....duh.
A Verizon rep told me that the other day face to face and I just implemented it.
Boy did I feel my technological age.

Now if I can only break the habit of first holding the device to my ear to wait for a dial tone before making a call, I'll be stylin'.

 

[StudioStuntz]

...Some people are just nuts.

Help-help officer-officer...that man's NUTS, grab-um (him).

 

[Biggbass]

I learned that it's simpler to use a Speakon>1/4" adapter than to wire up a special speaker cable.

 

[noveltea93]

Well I'm learning to read music in bass clef finally. Also that in general one should not wash freshly laid chicken eggs. Apparently it actually increases the risk of bacterial exposure even if it makes the surface look prettier.

 

[StudioStuntz]

Great 1960s advice, yet looking at the past helped give those guys a catchy chorus:

 

[Tom Bomb]

Took in this ticklish tale of a scam today, about a scrupulous scammer, and the Sydney Museum of Words.

"
[This joker] wrote to the Queen asking her to donate a word to the Sydney Museum of Words, Buckingham Palace sent a polite apology saying it would be unfair because Her Majesty received so many requests for donations.

‘‘My wife said the Queen was the only person who picked it as a scam" …

"
​

 

[Tom Bomb]

Who nose? But I do find it all just a little bit whiffy — Invalid Link Removed — and quite stimulating. Everything's coming up roses And, would you believe, they're training dogs to sniff out nightmares!

"Have nose, will haunt!"​

​

 

[paste]

TIL that in apartheid South Africa, a bus driver was fired for refusing to pick up a Japanese man (considered white at the time), but was reinstated after he stated he couldn't tell the difference between a Japanese person (white) and a Chinese person (not white).

What about the K word?

 

[sissy kathy]

TIL that 'kaffer' is a racial slur in most contexts. WOW, was I ever misinformed.

 

[StudioStuntz]

Today I learned that I have maybe kind of sort of possibly tentatively agreed to approach a relationship with a female for the first time in 16 years.

In that case, allow me to give you a speculative congratulations!

 

[StudioStuntz]

The key to nurturing this potential relationship is to act like you care, but not *that* much. Trust me.

Oh I do, and then some, which is why I opt to not get involved, though I so want and need to...it's the lesser of the unpleasantness.

I hate games, yet I know that whoever likes or loves the least, ends up running the family, workplace, friendship, relationship, or marriage, and then ends up secretly resenting you for letting them get away with it.