UPDATE: Finally Did Hands

[Cole Wyeth]

Hi everyone!

With this update I finally got into calluses on hands, which people always bring up. Unfortunately it is very difficult to say anything based on calluses - trust me, I have failed many times. There are just surprisingly many ways to get them. Seriously, please give it a try and let us know how it works out!

But this time I encountered some specific types of calluses that I am relatively convinced MIGHT actually be reliable, so broke down and added them to the list.

Before I get into that, I wanted to drop links to a few subreddits it might be worth checking out for practice / other people's ideas. In order from most to least rigorous thinking IMO (but all good enough to be worth checking out):

https://www.reddit.com/r/howtobesherlock/ and its predecessor https://www.reddit.com/r/abductivereasoning/

https://www.reddit.com/r/scienceofdeduction/

https://www.reddit.com/r/thescienceofdeduction/

I'm also considering practicing on Jubilee videos, do you guys have other ideas?

With that, on to the new entries:

Rastacap -> Rasta = Adherent of Rastafari(anism)

Source: Me (Cole Wyeth)

Confidence: Mid-High

Relevant Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafari

Rastifari is a complex philosophy / religion /movement. Briefly, it can be viewed as an Afrocentric sect of Christianity. The colors originate from the Ethiopian flag with the addition of Black (referencing the skin color). I've seen this pattern on various objects (such as scarves), not just the cap. Rasta also tend to wear dreads. Anecdotally, there's a chance that someone might wear these patterns to indicate marijuana use/affinity (which is pretty central to the customs of this group) rather than actual religious adherence.   

Red Poppy Pin -> Support for Veterans

Source: Me (Cole Wyeth)

Confidence: High

Relevant Background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_poppy, https://www.legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy

I see these very frequently around Remembrance Day in Canada, but apparently its not unique to us (it's mostly particular to Commonwealth nations). Fortunately, the poppies look different in different countries! The top (possibly left in the email) picture is a Canadian poppy, which is also visible in the second picture beneath a Scottish poppy. Other colors also have meanings, for instance white is for peace, purple for animal casualties. Take a look at the first link for details, there is too much for me to repeat or memorize.

Thumb Callus/Bruise -> Weightlifting (Hook Grip)

Source: @hotpomm 

Confidence: Low

Background: https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/nalmj/does_anyone_else_get_this_from_hook_grip/, https://www.catalystathletics.com/article/2167/The-Hook-Grip-Why-How-to-Do-It-Correctly/

According to hotpomm:

...Additionally if there are some callouses on the thumb that can indicate that they do olympic weightlifting meaning snatch and clean and jerk because there everybody uses a hook grip where the thumg is squeezed on to the bar by the other fingers to increase grip strength. 

Notice that there are also calluses on the (inside) knuckle joint of the palm (sorry, don't know the correct anatomical name) and the fingers near the base. These signs are not as reliable for weightlifting specifically - I've also seen them occur from biking and climbing. 

Somewhat validating my skepticism, I tried to use this in real life and was wrong. The woman did some manual labor but not weightlifting. 

Mid-Hand Calluses -> Weightlifting

Source: Me (Cole Wyeth)

Confidence: Low-Mid

Relevant Background: https://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/comments/mzyzdk/anyone_got_any_experience_with_these_calluses/

Though it's generally difficult to classify calluses in practice (as noted in an above entry) I imagine that a clear line on the center of the hand like this is a pretty reliable indication of weightlifting.

Lower palm blister or bruise -> (Active) Baseball player

Source: Casey

Confidence: Mid (not sure how to determine this objectively; not all baseball guys get this as it is conditioned on how you swing, how much you swing, whether you use batting gloves, and what bat you use)

Relevant Background:Anybody else get blood blisters on the lower part of the palm (from i think the knob of the bat)? If so any solutions? thanks. : r/Homeplate

According to my friend Casey (who used to play a lot of baseball):

The constant swinging of a baseball bat can cause the knob of the bat to rub the palm. After hundreds of swings this can cause bruises and blood blisters. I had a teammate in college who would get a very large black blister in this area from swinging. I also personally would get a similar though less pronounced form of this blister.

Also, for you guys (but not the primary list) some more baseball: 

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(2) Clean Hat + Active Baseball Player -> Catcher 

Confidence: Low-Mid

The reasoning is as follows. You practice and play games 5+ days a week as a college player, and catchers are the only guys whose regular activity during a practice or a game have them not wearing a baseball hat for the vast majority of it. So, relatively speaking, catchers have the cleanest hats of any one on a baseball team. 

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(3) Excessive wearing of one cleat compared to the other + Active Baseball Player -> Pitcher 

Confidence: Low - Mid 

When many pitchers throw off a mound their backfoot will drag the ground. So, the toe of the cleat on the same side as their throwing arm will be excessively worn. I destroyed the toe on a pair of cleats from toe dragging when I pitched. You can actually purchase materials to fight against this wear and tear on your cleats. I also got something like this to fight against destroying my cleats.

Back to full entries:

Ridges on Nails -> Sometimes Vitamin Deficiency, Damage, or Disease

Source: SeñorDingDong

Confidence: Low

Background: https://www.riverchasedermatology.com/blog/fingernail-ridges-what-causes-them/

The vertical lines pictured in the top (possibly left here) image occur in everyone to some degree, particularly with age, though they may be more distinct in cases of vitamin deficiency or as a result of some diseases. Horizontal lines (Beau lines) as pictured in the bottom image seem to be more rare and may result from interrupting growth by wearing fake nails or damaging the nails.

Right Pantleg Rolled up, Strapped, or Torn/Greasy -> Bicyclist

Source: @whestler 

Confidence: Mid-High

Background: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/164gdgj/why_do_a_lot_of_bike_riders_roll_up_one_leg_of/

Rolled pants leg up to the ankle on the right hand side, but not the left - this is a fairly clear sign that someone is a cyclist, and has probably recently arrived.

They do it to avoid getting bike oil from the chain on the cuff of the pants, and to avoid the pants getting caught in the gear. Bicycles pretty much always have the crank gear on the right hand side.

Lanvin Sneakers -> Silicon Valley / Elite

Source: Me (Cole Wyeth)

Confidence: Mid

Background: https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-is-obsessed-with-lanvin-sneakers-2017-9

Lanvin sneakers seem to be the West Coast version of Louboutins below - a lot of tech CEO's are apparently wearing them lately. Not sure how long this will last. They cost around $500 so a pretty expensive signal to send if you're not wealthy. 

From last week, shoelaces and belts are used to stop blood flow during injection.

Reports on inference in real life:

I successfully identified a Taylor Swift fan by friendship bracelet but maybe too obvious for the list (?). I noted a Canadian engineer ring on the same person correctly. 

I tried to identify concrete but it turned out to be either paint or drywall and even he didn't know. They all look pretty similar but at least I was in the ballpark.

Also I've got a questions for you all: 

Can you tell anything about a Christian's denomination by the type of cross/crucifix, and do some not wear them at all?

 https://www.reddit.com/r/Protestantism/comments/srtjtk/whats_so_wrong_with_the_crucifix/

Do Air Jordan's belong on the list?

Can you recognize orthopedic shoes and what they're for?

Thanks!

Cole