Ask HN: What skills/things are you learning?
I'm learning to use guitar with capo right now, and hopefully can learn using arranger such as Yamaha PSR-SX700 to be able to accompany music
49 comments
I've been doing muay thai (kickboxing) for a few years and trying to get my girlfriend into it, but she doesn't like it much :/ Took her to a taekwondo class instead and she loved it, so gonna try that with her for a few months. Will be interesting starting a new martial art at 40 years old, lol...
Also been taking vocal lessons at the local community college. Because karaoke, heh. Turns out the singing is way more fun than the drinking.
Also trying to get more into climbing and mountain & gravel biking. My body aches everywhere all the damned time, and the dad bod makes it hard to do anything well, but that's ok :)
Spread pretty thin, ultimately. This is how you end up being a lifelong amateur at many different things... it's all fun though, and I'd be hard pressed to give any of it up. I'm a nerd like anyone here, but it's nice to use different parts of the brain and body once in a while.
Also been taking vocal lessons at the local community college. Because karaoke, heh. Turns out the singing is way more fun than the drinking.
Also trying to get more into climbing and mountain & gravel biking. My body aches everywhere all the damned time, and the dad bod makes it hard to do anything well, but that's ok :)
Spread pretty thin, ultimately. This is how you end up being a lifelong amateur at many different things... it's all fun though, and I'd be hard pressed to give any of it up. I'm a nerd like anyone here, but it's nice to use different parts of the brain and body once in a while.
Many people don't enjoy "hardcore" martial arts like Muay Thai, Kyokushin Karate etc. and prefer a relatively "gentler" one. Also most styles are not well rounded but focus only on a subset of techniques eg. Kicking in Taekwondo, Throws in Judo etc.
I recommend (disclaimer: i am a 1st dan) you also take a look at Shorinji Kempo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorinji_Kempo) which is relatively gentler/fluid/quick/fast, has a defined good balanced syllabi of "hard" (i.e. kicks/punches) and "soft" (i.e. joint locks) techniques. The other main thing is that the blocks are done with the fleshy part of the arm and not the bone and so people find it easier to practice combat. Finally, right from the beginning you do pair practice with a partner (there are very few katas) and so all techniques are application oriented. It is well suited for youngsters, the elderly and those looking for a gentler and yet well-rounded martial art. Checkout Youtube for demonstration videos.
I recommend (disclaimer: i am a 1st dan) you also take a look at Shorinji Kempo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorinji_Kempo) which is relatively gentler/fluid/quick/fast, has a defined good balanced syllabi of "hard" (i.e. kicks/punches) and "soft" (i.e. joint locks) techniques. The other main thing is that the blocks are done with the fleshy part of the arm and not the bone and so people find it easier to practice combat. Finally, right from the beginning you do pair practice with a partner (there are very few katas) and so all techniques are application oriented. It is well suited for youngsters, the elderly and those looking for a gentler and yet well-rounded martial art. Checkout Youtube for demonstration videos.
I've been getting into climbing a lot more lately as well. pretty fun sport and requires a bit more thought than my normal lifting routine so it's nice to switch it up.
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being spread thin seems to me a good thing. even if you aren’t an expert you get to experience the various facets of life. i don’t have the source but wasn’t there a study that links longevity and brain health to trying diverse activities?
IMO it's not necessarily a good or bad thing, just its own set of tradeoffs :) I think it's a balance between short- and long- term fulfillment, maybe? And breadth vs depth? There's not enough time to in a human lifespan to get really good at everything (or even several things), so you have to pick and choose what to focus on if you want to see any real gain... or you choose to be a jack of all trades and find fulfillment in the here and now rather than achievement over time.
This year alone we've tried salsa, line, and Scottish dancing, blacksmithing, mosaics, welding, cross-country skiing, and a triathlon (last place, lol). And that's not counting all the rabbit holes I went down on my own, and the dozens of board games, video games, escape rooms, 10-minute samples of different films and shows, etc... ADHD much? :)
They were all fun, but most of those were one-offs that we probably won't do again for quite some time, if ever. Were they a good use of time? Sure, if entertainment and novelty were inherently what you wanted (it was for me). Feels like living through a hyper-VR version of Nat Geo, where you just channel-surf through life. It's fun for a while but doesn't really get you anywhere.
On the other hand, the more focused people I know have stable professional and home lives and one or two hobbies they've developed over time to a high degree of mastery, whether that's becoming expert snowboarders, fighters, mountain bikers, van-lifing dirtbag climbers, triathletes (a working mother I know got 2nd place overall in some national race), etc. Or on the more professional side, my childhood EverQuest buddy is now an E.R. surgeon with a Ph.D and M.D.. Other peers have their own highly-paid jobs and nice houses and spectacular weddings, or manage national parks, or have become successful solo musicians, etc. They chased their dreams and eventually caught them.
To be clear, it's not really envy. I don't necessarily want their lives, though I'd certainly pick and borrow parts of them if I could. It's just good to be aware of where different life paths can take you. There's infinite dishes at the buffet of life, but you quickly get full after just a few. Wouldn't it be nice if someone could tell you what they tasted like beforehand? Wouldn't it be nicer, still, if they could've told you 20 years ago when you were still young and dinosaurs roamed the earth? Alas.
At the end of the day, it's always a balance. You'd be a really boring person if you only ever did one thing – my dad was like that, had one job his whole life, and basically had no hobbies or friends or outside interests, and was generally unpleasant to be around. But you'd also be a really shallow person if you did 100 things and never the same thing twice, and it'd be hard to make or keep stable friendships or careers that way.
If I could do it all over again (or even now... still working on it), I'd probably choose 3-4 things max to focus on, as opposed to 100 new hobbies a year. It's possible to become addicted to novelty (I think it's a genetic trait, actually, possibly exacerbated by modern life?). It's fine to try a lot of things (especially when you're younger), but I think most people, myself included, would be better-served by eventually honing them down to just a handful at a time. IMO only!
This year alone we've tried salsa, line, and Scottish dancing, blacksmithing, mosaics, welding, cross-country skiing, and a triathlon (last place, lol). And that's not counting all the rabbit holes I went down on my own, and the dozens of board games, video games, escape rooms, 10-minute samples of different films and shows, etc... ADHD much? :)
They were all fun, but most of those were one-offs that we probably won't do again for quite some time, if ever. Were they a good use of time? Sure, if entertainment and novelty were inherently what you wanted (it was for me). Feels like living through a hyper-VR version of Nat Geo, where you just channel-surf through life. It's fun for a while but doesn't really get you anywhere.
On the other hand, the more focused people I know have stable professional and home lives and one or two hobbies they've developed over time to a high degree of mastery, whether that's becoming expert snowboarders, fighters, mountain bikers, van-lifing dirtbag climbers, triathletes (a working mother I know got 2nd place overall in some national race), etc. Or on the more professional side, my childhood EverQuest buddy is now an E.R. surgeon with a Ph.D and M.D.. Other peers have their own highly-paid jobs and nice houses and spectacular weddings, or manage national parks, or have become successful solo musicians, etc. They chased their dreams and eventually caught them.
To be clear, it's not really envy. I don't necessarily want their lives, though I'd certainly pick and borrow parts of them if I could. It's just good to be aware of where different life paths can take you. There's infinite dishes at the buffet of life, but you quickly get full after just a few. Wouldn't it be nice if someone could tell you what they tasted like beforehand? Wouldn't it be nicer, still, if they could've told you 20 years ago when you were still young and dinosaurs roamed the earth? Alas.
At the end of the day, it's always a balance. You'd be a really boring person if you only ever did one thing – my dad was like that, had one job his whole life, and basically had no hobbies or friends or outside interests, and was generally unpleasant to be around. But you'd also be a really shallow person if you did 100 things and never the same thing twice, and it'd be hard to make or keep stable friendships or careers that way.
If I could do it all over again (or even now... still working on it), I'd probably choose 3-4 things max to focus on, as opposed to 100 new hobbies a year. It's possible to become addicted to novelty (I think it's a genetic trait, actually, possibly exacerbated by modern life?). It's fine to try a lot of things (especially when you're younger), but I think most people, myself included, would be better-served by eventually honing them down to just a handful at a time. IMO only!
I'm finally learning to slow down on the attempts at self-improvement and put more effort into trying to pass on my findings ;)
For one thing I've tried a lot of capos over the decades, and used a number of them on different instruments routinely, but was always disappointed by their effect on tuning, except for the Sabine capo which is long out of production:
https://reverb.com/item/2776684-sabine-capo-1980s
https://umgf.com/wtb-sabine-capo-remember-these-late-70-s-80...
These were precise enough to use on an electric guitar without having to adjust tuning.
Anyway, the hard plastic did deteriorate with age a long time ago so NOS they are not good any more either.
I didn't really depend on it anyway, usually only using it to play tunes that were originally recorded with a capo, or to accommodate a vocalist's preferred key. It sure makes it easy to play in any key, whether sharp, flat, or natural, which is a very worthwhile thing to do.
So worthwhile that I set an objective to be able to play in any key without a capo. This is not as easy.
It took a few years but eventually when a singer was putting on their own capo I was not doing that and ready to play with the bare hands no matter what. Not that I'm a real musician, I need tricks like this to make me sound better than I actually am, and I admit it ;)
For one thing I've tried a lot of capos over the decades, and used a number of them on different instruments routinely, but was always disappointed by their effect on tuning, except for the Sabine capo which is long out of production:
https://reverb.com/item/2776684-sabine-capo-1980s
https://umgf.com/wtb-sabine-capo-remember-these-late-70-s-80...
These were precise enough to use on an electric guitar without having to adjust tuning.
Anyway, the hard plastic did deteriorate with age a long time ago so NOS they are not good any more either.
I didn't really depend on it anyway, usually only using it to play tunes that were originally recorded with a capo, or to accommodate a vocalist's preferred key. It sure makes it easy to play in any key, whether sharp, flat, or natural, which is a very worthwhile thing to do.
So worthwhile that I set an objective to be able to play in any key without a capo. This is not as easy.
It took a few years but eventually when a singer was putting on their own capo I was not doing that and ready to play with the bare hands no matter what. Not that I'm a real musician, I need tricks like this to make me sound better than I actually am, and I admit it ;)
I'm learning to draw with the help a book called "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".
You should also definitely checkout The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides.
I’ve heard about that book. Is it good/enjoyable?
It's a good book. After following it, I was actually able to draw a recognizable self portrait.
It also reinforced the point that I have zero talent. The drawing that took me hours of painstaking work is something that my wife could sketch in about 30 seconds.
It also reinforced the point that I have zero talent. The drawing that took me hours of painstaking work is something that my wife could sketch in about 30 seconds.
There is an (apocryphal) anecdote about the person next to Picasso at a corrida being amazed seing him sketch a bullfight in seconds, to which Picasso allegedly replied "Seconds? It took me my whole life to be able to draw this."
I'd wager your wife has much more drawing experience than you. If you keep practicing, you'll be able to draw faster and faster.
I'd wager your wife has much more drawing experience than you. If you keep practicing, you'll be able to draw faster and faster.
I'm enjoying it. It has a companion workbook that sets up a pretty clear learning path which has been useful.
I've also recently picked this one up, can you elaborate more on the book? I've been doing drawabox.com and it seems pretty good for muscle memory and skill but otherwise it lacks a lot of areas.
I'm only midway through it, but its hypothesis is that (a) we typically draw using preconceived symbols and (b) we can improve the accuracy of our drawing if we learn to ignore these symbols and focus on what we can literally see (ie., shapes and colours). I don't know how universal this perspective is, but as a beginner, I have found the approach to be helpful.
I dropped out of college to be a full time software engineer and I decided to go back to community college to learn more fundamental math. I'm starting a calculus class next week
Very good; keep at it. Mathematics is the language of Science/Nature and hence studying and applying it (at whatever level) is enlightening. There have been lots of threads on HN on good Mathematics books and how to study which you may find useful.
What were you originally going to college for? Why the interest in math in particular?
CS. I want to use math in my job and work on some of the more interesting problems instead of just making CRUD webapps forever. I also liked the math classes I took in my CS degree
Unity modding via BepInEx and Harmony, I guess lol. https://github.com/Stan-Stani/SummerhouseFlipped
Got back into drawing recently. https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Tdnj4uIlN/?img_index=1
Got back into drawing recently. https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Tdnj4uIlN/?img_index=1
Sewing with my mother's machine that I inherited. I'm hoping to finish one of the projects she left unfinished. One of these days.
Want to get into some sewing. I believe this is an incredibly undervalued skill.
Learning how to use GitHub's CoPilot as a pair programmer to get me through doing C and Javascript programming, as part of my BitGrid project, so I can eventually have something worthy of ShowHN.
I apparently also need to learn about VENV as it applies to python, so I can get WikidPad to run properly, as it's frozen in 2012-ish python.
I apparently also need to learn about VENV as it applies to python, so I can get WikidPad to run properly, as it's frozen in 2012-ish python.
it might take a bit of work to get going but if poetry is compatible you might try poetry as it is excellent at compiling and freezing dependencies.
Is the source only available here? https://wikidpad.sourceforge.net/. OH NVM I found https://github.com/WikidPad/WikidPad
Spoiler alert the tests folder is empty. There appears to be a bunch of branches including this one https://github.com/WikidPad/WikidPad/tree/experiment-convert... which might help you along the way with getting a modern build actually working.
Spoiler alert the tests folder is empty. There appears to be a bunch of branches including this one https://github.com/WikidPad/WikidPad/tree/experiment-convert... which might help you along the way with getting a modern build actually working.
I’ll soon start a course to learn operate a manual lathe and mill at a local workshop run by volunteers. I actually found a nice US army machinists guide to prepare for the course [0] as a welcome alternative to the youtube machining rabbit-hole. If others have other great text-based resources or advice on what to make as a beginner, I would love to hear about them!
[0] https://archive.org/details/usarmymachinistcourseprincipleso...
[0] https://archive.org/details/usarmymachinistcourseprincipleso...
How to repair a 100 year old house:
- replace window sash cords
- repoint a rubblestone foundation and exterior brickwork
- replace the surface of a deck
- rebuild a rotted cellar door
- till my yard where a large tree was removed
- lots more small stuff
Ask This Old House videos have been most helpful.
- replace window sash cords
- repoint a rubblestone foundation and exterior brickwork
- replace the surface of a deck
- rebuild a rotted cellar door
- till my yard where a large tree was removed
- lots more small stuff
Ask This Old House videos have been most helpful.
Whatever current circumstances or values or life goals require me to.
Recently: apache flink, scala, parenting, self regulation, patience :)
Recently: apache flink, scala, parenting, self regulation, patience :)
Boat resto and outboard engine maintenance. On my second, bigger restoration (old fiberglass boats). Knee deep in electrical right now. I really want to get a smaller two-stroke outboard and fully take it apart and rebuild it, and work my way up to larger engines.
I have a hobby farm and late summer is when all of the ducks and geese we hatched in the winter or early spring need to be butchered and put in the freezer. Get more efficient at it each year.
Recently learned to fly and got my private pilot license. I'm working on an instrument rating next...
I've also played drums most of my life and am planning to learn to play piano next year.
I've also played drums most of my life and am planning to learn to play piano next year.
Half-way through "Essential Calculus-based Physics Study Guide Workbook: Waves, Fluids, Sound, Heat, and Light".
Training for my first Muay Thai competitive fight.
Training for my first Muay Thai competitive fight.
Learning quantization approaches in deep learning.
Tango, djembe (Senegalian rhythms), piano.
Practicing each of these gives me pure joy and makes me feel invigorated and recharged, happy to be alive.
Practicing each of these gives me pure joy and makes me feel invigorated and recharged, happy to be alive.
I have been learning to speak Dutch, and spend at least a few minutes practicing every day.
Thats great! I’m Dutch, feel free to reach out if you ever want to have a chat to practice
(Edit; email in bio)
(Edit; email in bio)
Linear Algebra. I'm taking a class at a community college.
What kind of topics are you covering?
This course was posted a few days ago which looks good: https://ee263.stanford.edu/archive/
Learning using Figma with tailwindcss recently.
Music(Piano)
Cooking
Finance management(investment instruments)
Cooking
Finance management(investment instruments)
How to be a dad.
Nice! I'm learning Portuguese now. It's been a long journey of about two years but I can now have very basic conversations in it and read simple books. I don't have much time for it due to other constraints but it's fun.
I am about to start learning architectural drawings
RAG with ollama
Educational Science, on evenings and weekends. Just handed in my bachelor‘s thesis.
Molecular biology. Building plasmid editor software, make some liquid cultures and glycerol stocks, did a miniprep, about to try transformation into competent cells, cloning, and expression.
Any recommendations for a 3D Graphics Software programmer to learn molecularly biology. In the past, I have worked on building 3D scientific visualisation backends.
-Addgene's articles: https://blog.addgene.org/
-The Bumbling Biochemist's youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChzTIByeodToYsKiNiwKQrw
-(There are a lot of other good Youtube channels)
-ChatGPT is solid for answering fundamentals questions, but don't go off the beaten path.
- The easiest to follow protocols are the ones in the official kit/reagent etc manuals.
Look at eBay, and the Chinese vendors on Amazon and Ali for equipment. Initial costs will be significant, but doable.