Ask the person after you a random question

[Jan D]

Because they are thicker and fairly stiff, I save old ukulele C strings and cut them into 1” pieces. Whenever I have to install a new string on one of my harps, I slide one of those 1” pieces through the knot that I tie at the end of the harp string. It keeps the knot from slipping through when I feed the new string through it’s hole in the soundboard.
Interesting fact: When all the strings on a 34 string harp are tuned up to regular pitch, the strings exert between 850 and 1250 pounds of total tension on the harp.

Have you ever made fresh pasta from scratch? And if so, was it worth the effort?

 

[mountain goat]

what was the first record you ever bought?

 

[LorenFL]

Ooooh, a two-fer!

I've never made fresh pasta, but from what I understand... done properly, it should be worth the effort.

Not counting a couple odd 45's, the first album I bought was Pink Floyd's The Wall in 1979. Like most middle-school aged kids at the time, any band that sang "we don't need no education" was cool in my book! I had to have it, and certainly didn't UNDERSTAND it for many years after.

Have you ever been diagnosed with ADHD (or any other "autism spectrum disorder"), anxiety or depression? I've not, though I sometimes feel that I may have very mild symptoms below the threshold of a diagnosis. I think about this a lot because I'm a driving instructor and it seems that a lot, possibly even "most", of my students have ADHD, some kind of autism, anxiety or depression, most of it unmedicated. (though if they mention depression or anxiety, it usually is medicated) It's particularly frustrating when they have such issues that are apparent enough that I (a non-psych professional) can readily see them, but they (or their parents) don't feel that it's important to tell ME, their driving instructor about it.

(thanks for letting me vent with a thinly veiled random question)

 

[kkimura]

Possibly. Of course it may be that interaction with artificial or mechanical devices like car driving or ukulele playing can set off autistic spectrum symptoms.

Do you ever find yourself "in the zone" while playing your ukulele?

 

[Joyful Uke]

Yes. Sometimes I sit down to play and the next thing I know, a few hours have lapsed and I had no idea that it had been that long. It was all just flowing so well. It would be nice if that flow happened all the time (and if I could have a couple hours with no other demands, too.)

Jan, no wonder you don't want a harp string to slip with that amount of tension!

If you have a dog or cat, how many nicknames do they have? My dogs have a long list of names that they know are their various names. I have no idea how some of the names developed.

Possibly. Of course it may be that interaction with artificial or mechanical devices like car driving or ukulele playing can set off autistic spectrum symptoms.

Do you ever find yourself "in the zone" while playing your ukulele?

 

[LorenFL]

Most recently, we had two cats that we picked up as kittens. One was dark grey, the other orange/yellow. Being brunette and redhead females, naturally, we named them Deanna and Beverly (that'll make sense if you're a Star Trek geek). For YEARS, I had trouble remembering their names! Had to THINK about it, every time. (oh, this one is orange... that's... uh... Dr Crusher... Beverly) Good thing cats don't care what you call them.

Now, we've lost the Beverly to Feline Leukemia, and just have her sister... and I've all but forgotten her name! She's just "the cat", and she's whiny as hell. She responds more to tone of voice than specific words. Even sounds work just fine for her. If I catch her whining out in the living room while I'm lying in bed, all I have to do is rub my thumb and index finger together and make the very slight sound. She'll hear it and come running, I'll pet her for a while, and she'll chill out.

We mostly call this one "stupid cat", her sister was more the "evil cat". This one is literally stupid. Her sister, if she was hungry (or just bored and felt like eating or scrounging), she'd jump up on the counter, find any cat food, treats, a loaf of bread, bag of chips, slice of cake (she loved late night carbs), and no electrical cord was safe! She loved to chew through phone charging cords. This one, if her food bowl is empty (sometimes even if it's not), she'll just whine. We often feed her a half can of food, and the other half can is on the counter with a piece of plastic wrap over it. She won't apply any thought. She won't explore. She'll just whine! Dumb as a brick. On the plus side, she doesn't chew up cords.

What's the most money you've ever spent on a piece of art? Did you "commission" it, or was it something you found in a store? My crazy wife is currently having a full wall mural (8 x 24') painted in her new "greenhouse" screen room. It's going to take 2-3 weeks to complete, you can imagine what that's going to cost. But, she can afford it, and it makes her happy. Who am I to judge? I buy old sports cars.

 

[Jan D]

…This one, if her food bowl is empty (sometimes even if it's not), she'll just whine. We often feed her a half can of food, and the other half can is on the counter with a piece of plastic wrap over it. She won't apply any thought. She won't explore. She'll just whine! Dumb as a brick. On the plus side, she doesn't chew up cords.

Loren, your cat is far from dumb. Lazy, perhaps, but probably bright, and certainly manipulative. After all, she has managed to train her owners to be her “go fetch it for me” servants.

 

[LorenFL]

Nah, she's stupid. Always has been. Until her sister died, she was always the beta cat, VERY timid in every way. The pair of them started life in a house full of dogs, so always having to almost fight for food, and certainly eat fast or not at all. The orange one was a little girl's "baby", and got lots of love, this one hid under the couch. They literally had to drag her out from under the couch when we went to pick them up. Now she's the only cat, and has become much more social and affectionate. She really doesn't like to be alone, or for anyone to go behind a closed door. I think she has separation anxiety from losing her sister... which is something she surely didn't understand.

I'm tired of pets dying on me. Since 1989, I've had 4 cats die, and none of them quickly. Not sure if I'll get another cat when this one's gone. (and the clock is ticking on her, even though she's healthy... vet says that impossible for her to NOT have Leukemia given that she lived with her sister, it's just a matter of time unless she gets really lucky)

 

[PTRarch.]

What exactly was the question?

 

[Joyful Uke]

"I think she has separation anxiety from losing her sister"

Very likely. I used to always have 3 dogs. When I was down to one, after 2 elderly dogs passed away, the remaining dog went up on my bed and cried for days, refusing to come downstairs except to potty outside and eat a little bit, (but not much.) I adopted another dog, and she returned to her normal, very active self. They grieve and suffer from the losses, too.

"What exactly was the question? "

I guess that counts as a question.

Well, it was about nicknames for our animal companions, but now:

Do you name inanimate objects? Seems like a lot of people name their ukuleles, cars, and so on.

 

[LorenFL]

I don't often name things. I have trouble remembering names, so why bother?

I did ask a question about art up there... nobody noticed it, I guess. I'll repost it.

What's the most money you've ever spent on a piece of art? Did you "commission" it, or was it something you found in a store? My crazy wife is currently having a full wall mural (8 x 24') painted in her new "greenhouse" screen room. It's going to take 2-3 weeks to complete, you can imagine what that's going to cost. But, she can afford it, and it makes her happy. Who am I to judge? I buy old sports cars.

 

[kkimura]

I once spent thousands on a red Ducati 996. Trust me, it was a fine example of motorcycle art.

Have you ever knowingly broken the speed limit?

 

[PTRarch.]

Yes, offcourse - with my Ducati Mostro . Frequently.

What question do you have that nobody has been able to give you a good answer to?

 

[LorenFL]

Okay, here's one that I've never gotten an answer to, and I don't expect to get it here.

I'm an observer of things, and the history behind the names of things and places interests me a little bit. I'll often look up street names when they're obviously named for people. Who was that person? Why did they get a road named after them?

There is a rural road on the East side of Tampa. (I guess that area is rapidly developing, so it's becoming more suburban as we speak) Everybody in the area knows the road. It's called Morris Bridge Road. There's even a Morris Bridge that goes over the Hillsborough River. Lately, they've added a Morris Bridge Road Preserve, and Morris Bridge Park. I've been looking and asking for over a decade... can't find anyone who knows who "Morris" is! Surely, there had to be a person named Morris in the history of that area. They have apparently been forgotten other than their name.

What's the oldest man-made thing you've personally experienced?

 

[Jan D]

In 1982, I experienced an underground visit to parts of the excavated tunnels below the Temple Mount and the Western Wall (a.k.a. the Wailing Wall) in Old Jerusalem. The excavations were not open to the public at that time, but the head of our small group was an archeologist with connections. Lucky me. I truly felt like a time traveler down there. In 1985, I visited the Oracle of Delphi in Greece. I’m not sure which of the two historical locations is the oldest.

How many pets, if any, have you had to date?

 

[kkimura]

Seven not counting various fish. (Hard to get close to fish, they ignore you worse than cats do.)

Favorite Hawaiian food? Substitutes for Hawaiian okay too.

 

[LorenFL]

I fell in love with a good Moco Loco while in Hawaii, though I never did the full "Luau" thing... I'm sure I'd love a proper Hawaiian pork roast. My wife discovered liliquoi (passion fruit) while there, that's her fave.

What's your favorite kind of fish to eat? I like a fish with a little bit of texture. Big fan of swordfish. But, also Mahi and Grouper, which are very prevalent in this area.

 

[kkimura]

Halibut by choice, tuna by volume.

Hamburgers with onions or not?