Yay Mr. Flowersocks!

Well, and there's physiological stuff too for sure. Not to cross the human line, but horses like Seabiscuit ended up having larger than normal organs that did stuff like increased his lung capacity and blood supply but cost him in terms of lifespan. When it comes to athletics or physical arts like dance, that stuff plays in. Is it talent that gives Alex Wong unnatural flexibility and extension? No, but something let's him take advantage of it.

Isn't Michael Phelps freakishly well suited for swimming?

Muppet tribute done right: [link]

Muppet tribute done OMGWTFMEEP wrong: [link]

I can finish my writing this weekend. I can. Talent or no. It will be done.

Right -- Phelps and Lance Armstrong have a freakishly large wingspan and heart, respectively.

I can say from three years of running I have no aptitude/physical skill for it!

Lost cat found.

I just ordered custom Chuck Taylors for two of my nieces!

I'm not sure if my these links will work but they're here, and here.

But! They take 4–5 weeks for delivery! I'm not sure I'll get them in time!

Those are awesome!

It seems to me that talent is the opposite of things like dyslexia -- if you have a brain or nervous system disability, it could also be enhanced, like a person with perfect pitch versus someone who can't distinguish tones in music (there are actually people like that, to whom do-re-mi sounds all the same!).

And just like dyslexia which can be accommodated with different strategies, learning to do something superlatively if you've got an Average Brain may be possible. So while you may not be the next Beverly Sills, you could still make a good contribution to your choir and enjoy the heck out of it while you did.

versus someone who can't distinguish tones in music (there are actually people like that, to whom do-re-mi sounds all the same!)

They do kinda sound the same. I am the opposite of perfect pitch. I still sing in the shower or the car but almost no one gets to hear it. I know I'm not a good singer in general, but what I really never know is when I am close to or far away from being in key.

Happy DJ day! May it be full of love and raucous laughter.

I am profoundly a non-singer, and at this point I've given up being taught; many, many, many, many hours of singing lessons strongly indicate that it's utterly unpossible for me. I can distinguish tones and memorize tunes just fine, I can tell when a human voice or instrument is off, and I can hear my own off-ness. But I can't make the right adjustment; I start off on whatever note by happenstance and barrel on through, going up and down exactly as the tune dictates, in perfect rhythm, but usually a note too high or low, like when you're touch typing and place your fingers wrong at the start--it's all flawless and typo-free except for the one-letter-off-thus-unreadable part. And when I try to adjust, my voice's fingers go just one off in the other direction.

And every now and then, totally randomly, I'll start off on exactly the right note and sound just fine, the whole way through. But I don't know how I'm doing it, and I can never do it again.

Those shoes are awesome, Tom! The flowered ones especially are killing me. Well done, you.

Holy damn. Just spent almost four hours cleaning, and the living room is... not a filthy pighole. I can't honestly say it's any better than that. This place needs a Queer Eyeing and deep cleaning like nobody's business (er, I know, Queer Eye is long gone, but it's still my favorite and I don't know that I'd trust anyone else).