# What's Your Expertise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292 "2015-11-22T18:12:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bb49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bb49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb49)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/21 "2015-11-27T04:24:37Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > So you’re head and shoulders above the rest? He’s an expert on dandruff? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/22 "2015-11-27T04:59:18Z")
I was trained as an electrician back in the day. I can do rough carpentry, sheetrock, concrete, and was also trained as a surveyor even further back in the day. I can operate most heavy equipment, if need be. I’m a fair woodworker, though not at a master level. I’m a damn good cook, but not a chef, despite my username. I’m fairly knowledgeable about RVs. When I was in the working world, my real forte was managing people. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/23 "2015-11-27T17:25:08Z")
Mathematician. Most of you probably knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/24 "2015-11-27T17:57:13Z")
Sarcasm and Leisure. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/25 "2015-11-27T18:19:51Z")
> [@bb49](#): > > He’s an expert on dandruff? His name is a phonetic pronunciation of his height, so it may have been meant literally. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/26 "2015-11-28T12:32:13Z")
I have Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in religious/theological studies focusing on religion and politics. Within that I developed a focus on Islam. I have worked on religious freedom and extremism issues for NGOs and the US government in the past and hope to do so again. If there’s one thing I think people should know about my “thing”, it’s that a definition of religion that uses as a model ‘generic American conservative Christianity’ is not a useful lens through which to view contemporary problems. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/27 "2015-11-28T14:14:52Z")
I’m an ANSI X12 healthcare claims expert. I’ve worked in health insurance for more than twenty years and know a lot about that as well. And I know WAY too much about the show _Law & Order_, the Lennie Briscoe/Jack McCoy years. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/28 "2015-11-28T16:38:49Z")
Video game graphics, but specifically special effects. I’m \*very \*specialized. ---
**Author:** ![LegendHasit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/legendhasit/32/8246_2.png) [@LegendHasit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegendHasit)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/29 "2015-11-28T18:13:11Z")
Graphic designer, Web publisher, former JW. I have the knack of being a good listener. And I can juggle 3 ball-sized things. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/30 "2015-11-29T07:39:19Z")
Not a licensed architect, but I can design residential additions and remodels (new residential construction, too). As long as it is wood frame construction, residential and not over two stories high I can legally design it. I have been doing this since about 1970. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/31 "2015-11-29T07:49:17Z")
I can call someone up on the telephone, persuade them to endure my spiel, and THEN get them to give me their cc details to buy a bloody stuffed toy! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/32 "2015-11-29T14:49:38Z")
Jack of all trades, master of none. I can take on just about any project at home, and did design and build a two story addition. Though, it’s not my vocation (I’m a programmer). Did the excavation (rented a trac-hoe) framing, plumbing (it’s our new laundry mechanical room) laid out the in-floor heat and all it’s components. Moved our well pressure tank to the addition all of it’s necessary plumbing. Roofed it. I hired out the electric. The meter and breaker panel had to be moved. And I hired out the concrete. This took about 4 years though. I’m 55 now (Dec 1st) and I’ve finally arrived at the point that it is ok to contract things out. After the addition, we sunk 25k into a kitchen and bathroom remodel. I designed it, but was OK to hire it out. ---
**Author:** ![bb49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bb49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb49)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/33 "2015-11-30T00:49:53Z")
My first area of expertise that paid the bills was designing bridges for logging and mining companies in western Canada. And now it’s in statistics. Yes,I know, absolutely useless information to the average person. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/34 "2015-11-30T02:42:39Z")
Music. I play piano professionally, and write songs that (I think, based on initial word of mouth) are going to be used in a film or TV show soon. Or maybe not soon, but someday, dammit. 🙂 Links are in my profile if you’d care to take a listen! ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/35 "2015-11-30T03:02:32Z")
Embedded system design (hardware), Voting systems design and certification, and now I’m a patent attorney. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/36 "2015-11-30T05:40:39Z")
GPS ground station operations. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/37 "2015-11-30T08:54:33Z")
I’m a retired software engineer who spent most of my career working on the internals of relational database systems, specializing in query processing. This included query optimization, datatype systems and query semantics. I spent fifteen years collecting and remastering 78 RPM records as a hobby. I got to know quite a bit about the how to play these records (it’s more complicated than playing an LP, for reasons I won’t go into here). I also know a fair amount about the music and performers of the 78 era, especially in jazz, dance bands and early popular singers. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/38 "2015-11-30T23:47:27Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > And I know WAY too much about the show _Law & Order_, the Lennie Briscoe/Jack McCoy years. Oh! I didn’t think I had any expertise, but **Seinfeld** is probably the thing I know best. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/39 "2015-12-01T00:20:07Z")
Game design. I’m been designing games professionally for two decades. I currently work for PlayStation as a fixer. If a game goes off the rails during development, I get it back on. I’ve also written [a scholarly book about play](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UW7X7DS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1). ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292/40 "2015-12-01T01:00:41Z")
State Legislative Work. Which leads to > [@enipla](#): > > Jack of all trades, master of none. because you literally have to be able to do a quick read and brief and prepare hearings questions or floor debate points on the fly for any Bill filed or Committee Report issued on just about anything the distinguished members and the lobbying groups can come up with – it’s like Rule 34, if it exists, and sometimes even if it can be plausibly imagined, someone is going to want to make (or repeal, or amend) a law or a constitutional amendment to allow it, promote it, ban it, phase it in, phase it out, postpone, criminalize, decriminalize, tax it, exempt it, regulate, deregulate, privatize, statize, make it a right, make it a duty, make it an entitlement, mandate it, make it free, charge for it, put it to a popular vote, fund, defund, give it a fancy acronym, name it after someone, or even just put in the books a nonbinding expression of the Sense Of The House about it. Or several of those in competing bills simultaneously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-expertise/738292.md?page=3)