# Stupid things you ought to know how to do, but don't **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799 "2005-02-18T22:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/1 "2005-02-18T22:06:56Z")
Another thread mentioned that a woman’s body temperature was 30C. And I wondered how warm that was in Farenheit, because I have no idea how to mentally convert Celsius to Farenheit. Yeah, it’s pathetic. What dumb things can’t you do? Make me feel better. ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/2 "2005-02-18T22:11:01Z")
Make coffee. ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/3 "2005-02-18T22:14:06Z")
Whistle. Not in any recognizable sense. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/4 "2005-02-18T22:14:29Z")
30 sounds a leeeetle low. Anyhow, for quick and dirty, you can multiply by two and add 32. More precise is T\*(9/5)+32. (T-32)\*5/9 to do the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/5 "2005-02-18T22:15:25Z")
Boy, if that woman’s body temperature is 30 C, she won’t be with us for long! 98.6 F = 37 C. For starters, I can’t play a harmonica. Should be easy, right? I play several other instruments, but on the harp I sound worse than the stuff they wouldn’t let on Bob Dylan’s records. ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/6 "2005-02-18T22:16:32Z")
Or, even better, ride a bike. Never learned! ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/7 "2005-02-18T22:25:53Z")
Drive a stick shift. Understand how it works, and could do it if I _had_ to (even have, once or twice). But I can’t really say I know how to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/8 "2005-02-18T22:28:42Z")
Well, she was trapped upside down in her car in a river covered in ice. But yeah, that’s pretty darn low. And I know that now because you guys told me, not because I could figure it out. [Here’s the thread with the story.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=303130) ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/9 "2005-02-18T22:32:53Z")
Sew. Which is ironic, because I can tie lots of complicated knots. I mean, I can ram a needle through cloth and fix something to the point that the hole is closed; but the results aren’t exactly aesthetically pleasing. I’ve attempted my wife’s sewing machine, and _that_ little project looks like five miles of bad railroad tracks. We have an agreement: I fix her computer problems\*, she sews. \*My wife can render inoperable _any_ computational device merely by expecting something from it. Her powers increase in inverse proportion to the amount of available time she has to finish a project. Asking her to patch up my socks occasionally is a pretty generous trade, under the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/10 "2005-02-18T22:39:28Z")
I can’t curl my toungue, and everyone else can. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/11 "2005-02-18T22:41:55Z")
Socialize, and be comfortable with it. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/12 "2005-02-18T22:42:13Z")
Belch. Whenever I try, it sounds more like a duck quacking. I’m not sure if it echos. ---
**Author:** ![FlippyFly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FlippyFly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlippyFly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/13 "2005-02-18T22:43:56Z")
Oh and spell. I can’t spell at all. I have to spell check all my posts. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/14 "2005-02-18T23:06:43Z")
Swim. Never learned. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/15 "2005-02-18T23:11:34Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > Sew. Which is ironic, because I can tie lots of complicated knots.[/SIZE] And on the flip side of the coin, I can’t tie knots. Can’t tie my shoes properly - I always do two loops, because the wrapping around your thumb maneuver has never been something I’ve been successful at. Not even once- and I can’t do a french knot either. Which is ironic since I can embroider fine, but can’t do the tiny handful of finishing stitches than always are included in \*\*every \*\* damn project I ever buy. ---
**Author:** ![MsPrufrock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@MsPrufrock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsPrufrock)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/16 "2005-02-18T23:19:09Z")
Parallel Park - ☹ I…I…never learned and just avoid it at all costs Drive a stick shift - I probably could but I got the automatic on my car because when I bought it the ONLY time I was going to drive it was home from college on visits through LA traffic - yick! So I opted for a safer route for that. Whistle a tune Snap my fingers - I can do it but it generally makes very little sound ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/17 "2005-02-18T23:20:41Z")
Blow a chewing gum bubble. And to the OP, I offer [this pic](http://www.sirblah.com/photo/view.php?album=Montreal&pic=IMG_2103.jpg&picindex=6) I took during a recent trip to Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/18 "2005-02-18T23:45:15Z")
I’ve always wanted to roll my R’s. I’ve never been able to. I’ve never been able to do that really loud two pinky whistle. That would be neat. When I was in Junior High, some people could lift up their tongue and shoot out saliva in a really thin, straight, line. I used to think it was awesome but couldn’t ever do it. I would like to be able to. ---
**Author:** ![thewombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@thewombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thewombat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/19 "2005-02-19T00:03:57Z")
> [@drm](#): > > I’ve always wanted to roll my R’s. I’ve never been able to. > > I’ve never been able to do that really loud two pinky whistle. That would be neat. > > When I was in Junior High, some people could lift up their tongue and shoot out saliva in a really thin, straight, line. I used to think it was awesome but couldn’t ever do it. I would like to be able to. I’ve never been able to do anything of those, or blow bubbles with chewing gum. Also, the third thing you mentioned? We used to call it “gleeking”. ---
**Author:** ![thewombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@thewombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thewombat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799/20 "2005-02-19T00:05:03Z")
:smack: \*Any \*of those, even. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-things-you-ought-to-know-how-to-do-but-dont/290799.md?page=2)