Mine is a strange power to be sure, and very far from useful - the dish patterns that I choose become discontinued fairly rapidly. When I got married, I chose a lovely set of everyday dishware from Crate and Barrel, and within 6 months I got a postcard saying the pattern was being discontinued. Over time, the glaze began developing cracks in it, so about a year ago, I picked up a new set of dishes at the same store. Within about 3 months, I got the dreaded postcard - yes, this style was being discontinued too.
The one that really makes me sad is my china pattern. I picked Villeroy & Boch’s Cannes (aka Villa Cannes) pattern when I got married, and supposedly it was a rather classic pattern - from what I was told, it had been around for over a decade. Within a couple years, though, it was discontinued, and I hadn’t been able to buy the serving dishes (platters/bowls/vegetable trays) that I wanted. Online I’ve seen the place settings, which I’m set for, plus a coffee service that I don’t want. And of course, I’ve seen sites in other languages - notably a Russian one - that sell pieces I’m interested in, but I don’t understand them. And Ebay, which supposedly sells everything, doesn’t have any entries for this pattern any of the times that I’ve checked.
My husband and I once could also make it rain on any given weekend that we planned ahead to go to a particular beach, but we haven’t tested that one out for a while.
I’ll refrain from the little skills & talents I have, as most of them can be learned.
My one ‘power’ is a strange ability to predict a coin that I flip. There is close to 80% chance that after flipping the coin it will show the opposite side it started on. I showed a friend this once and rattled off 10 correct guesses in a row. My theory is that my coin-flipping motion is so consistent that I can predict what I will flip it to. Unfortunately I can’t make any money since no one would bet me when I’m flipping the coin and calling it at the same time.
I have the power of getting people to drink more than they normally would. That and I have the ability to effortlessly scare most children other than my own.
Now folks, we all know the SDMB has the uncanny power to attract trolls; that’s such a passé example. It’s like saying “I wash my car and it rains”. Anyone else have something different to contribute?
Oh, I forgot one - my husband has the power to be invisible to toddlers and other young children. In shopping malls and similar locations, they will run right into his legs without any apparent attempt to slow down or change course, step on his feet, and otherwise show no realization that he is there, contrary to all reasonable expectations.
I’d have guessed, from previous threads, that you just attract weird bathroom incidents in general. (Thankfully, you seem to have missed encountering Billy Rubin’s coworker who has the infamous “prehensile rectum”.)
Moderator’s Notes: The seeming non sequiturs in this thread are in reference to a post I’ve deleted. Please carry on and ignore these folks the best you can. Replying to them in any fashion will end up, well, looking like the non sequiturs here.
My car seems to be invisible. People keep trying to come over into my lane, right into me. I wouldn’t think the car would be invisible - it is quite large - but there it is. I’m constantly honking at people.
And I have a trick memory. Ask me about something that happened fifteen years ago, and I can tell you what day of the week it was, what I was wearing, who was around, and all sorts of other minutia. Ask me to remember something that’s actually useful - forget it.
I can pop 18 joints at once, which is actually rather useful for annoying my family members…
Which joints, you ask? Lesse…
My 2 big toes
my 2 elbows
my 2 wrists
my 2 knees
my neck
my back
my 2 thumbs (first joint)
my 2 thumbs (second joint)
my 8 fingers (middle joint)
my 8 knuckles (fingers’ first joint) (I know, that’s 30 joints, but the knuckles and thumbs are only 75% of the number of times I try, the rest are guarantees)
But actually useless powers, hmm…
I’d have to say my uncanny ability to choose the exact moment that the subject changes to say something (and getting me to say anything is pretty rare).
Well I can smell tomatoes within a 10 radius, I print fairly quickly, and speaking of popping joints, I can pop my hip/butt bone (I don’t know what bone it is exactly…) out of it’s socket.
I can juggle. Only 3 items, but I can do amazing and confounding tricks with them while juggling.
And, like dougie_monty, I can guess the time within 15 minutes or so. This skill developed when my watch broke a few years back and I never got around to replacing it.
Finally, I have double-jointed thumbs. OK, I know “double-jointed” is a misnomer, but my thumbs can bend really far backward. I always win thumb wars.
I can often guess when I’m going to get home down to the minute when I’m driving back from school.
I also have the uncanny power to be on the floor of the parking garage that has no vacant spaces. Other powers include always being behind somebody that is getting a parking space, following people who wind up going to their car just to check something, and being the only person who pulls into a vacant spot only to realize there is a NO PARKING sign posted on the wall.
I too can juggle. Three items, but I’m working on 5.
I have the amazing power to match colors in paint. You bring it in, and I can match it. It took me years of hard training to perfect my talent. Some colors may look different than what you bring in, but rest assured, that’s what the color is. Trust me.
I’m also telepathetic. And I really do mean this. I have this weird ESP thing that I can see rediculously mundane things happen ahead of time. One could call it déja vù if it weren’t so damn pitiful. . .
Tripler
OooOooOOOOoooh! I can see what you will eat for dinner. . . next Tuesday. OoooOooo!
I am freakishly accurate at identifying celebrity voice-overs in animations and TV advertisements. It is a completely worthless talent that amazes and delights absolutely no one.
I have an uncanny ability to finish other peopple’s sentences. Generally, they don’t like it. Generally, it doesn’t help.
I am outstanding at amusing myself.
My only talent useful in the marketplace is some kind of affinity with machines. Things seem to work for me that don’t for other people. It makes me look smarter than I am.
Lesser talents:
Three ball juggling.
Spinning record album jackets on my fingertips (I can to this for hours).
Online I’ve seen the place settings, which I’m set for, plus a coffee service that I don’t want. And of course, I’ve seen sites in other languages - notably a Russian one - that sell pieces I’m interested in, but I don’t understand them. And Ebay, which supposedly sells everything, doesn’t have any entries for this pattern any of the times that I’ve checked.
(Thankfully, you seem to have missed encountering Billy Rubin’s coworker who has the infamous “prehensile rectum”.)