Unusual Hobbies (other than Roadgeekery)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Oh, yeah...

I like trains  (CRASH VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM)

Die, potato.

[OracleUsr]

I was wondering if someone was going to catch that reference.

But seriously, I had an HO-scale model railroad that I had to take down temporarily when I ran out of space for it.  Whenever we move (not sure when that will be) I'm hoping to have enough space to put it back up.

[cjk374]

I also had an HO layout 15 years ago. My then-3-year old son kinda roughed it up a couple of times, so I had to take it down to keep it safe.

Still haven't put it back up yet. Now I have no room.

[Max Rockatansky]

I used to build cities out of Lego and actually got pretty good at it.  They had things like 25 story plus sky scrapers and working elevated trains.  The last time I ever worked on one was about 15 years ago when I was actually building a elevated freeway connection over a bunch of water building pads....which is surprisingly difficult to do with blocks.

[sparker]

Having been extremely bored in traffic (not an unusual situation when using I-880 frequently), I developed a bit of a weird hobby -- prime factoring license plate numbers -- and giving myself a maximum 20 seconds to come up with a solution for the usual 3-digit ones.  Primes are easy; it's the ones that are a combination of powers of 2 mixed with powers of 3 (i.e. 864, which is 3 cubed x 2 to the 5th) that take the most time to sort out.  If you out there can do this without succumbing to distracted driving, try it -- a bit obscure, but a definite brain-teaser!  Eventually you'll memorize a few oddballs (higher prime x another higher prime), but you'll develop shortcuts to getting it done (knowing your squares is really helpful!).  I don't do it with my GF in the car (she thinks I'm crazy enough without this), but certain friends have gotten in on the act at times (IT/coder types kinda like the challenge).

By the way, this is my 1331st post -- which is 11 cubed!

[MNHighwayMan]

Is drinking an unusual hobby?

[hotdogPi]

Having been extremely bored in traffic (not an unusual situation when using I-880 frequently), I developed a bit of a weird hobby -- prime factoring license plate numbers -- and giving myself a maximum 20 seconds to come up with a solution for the usual 3-digit ones.  Primes are easy; it's the ones that are a combination of powers of 2 mixed with powers of 3 (i.e. 864, which is 3 cubed x 2 to the 5th) that take the most time to sort out.

I've mostly memorized which ones are of the form 2^x * 3^x up to three digits. Anyway, how would you figure out 527? (Hint: It's not prime.)

[Takumi]

Is drinking an unusual hobby?

Nope. Cheers.

[vdeane]

I feel like drinking is the OPPOSITE of an unusual hobby (unless it's something more specific like "I want to "clinch" every type of wine ever made).

[US71]

I feel like drinking is the OPPOSITE of an unusual hobby (unless it's something more specific like "I want to "clinch" every type of wine ever made).

Unless you brew your own

[sparker]

Having been extremely bored in traffic (not an unusual situation when using I-880 frequently), I developed a bit of a weird hobby -- prime factoring license plate numbers -- and giving myself a maximum 20 seconds to come up with a solution for the usual 3-digit ones.  Primes are easy; it's the ones that are a combination of powers of 2 mixed with powers of 3 (i.e. 864, which is 3 cubed x 2 to the 5th) that take the most time to sort out.

I've mostly memorized which ones are of the form 2^x * 3^x up to three digits. Anyway, how would you figure out 527? (Hint: It's not prime.)

31 x 17.  Look for the nearest square above the initial number, which would be 529.  One of the factors must be under the square root of that square (in this case 23).  Start eliminating non-5 primes (3,7,11,13) until you come to 17.  3's cycle in intervals of 300 starting with 027, so that's out.  52 (a direct 520 factor, derived by subtracting 7 from the original number) isn't divisible by 7, so that's out.  Subtract 77 (11 divisible) from 527 and get 450, which isn't divisible by 11 (440 is!).  Add 13 to 527, get 540; that isn't divisible by 13.  Subtract 17 from 527, get 510 -- and 51 is divisible by 17 (3).  So multiply that by 10 and add 1 for the original 17 subtracted and get 31.  If you can do math in your head, and know some multiplication products in the first 100 or so, then you're ahead of the game. 

[Nanis]

I am into a hobby called TV DXing. It's where you scan for TV channels during special weather conditions. These special weather occurances, in the DXing world are called "openings". My furthest catch was WYOU in Scranton at 115 miles away.

please do not tell me to get a better camera

[thenetwork]

Along with collecting radio artifacts from the days when AM Radio played top-40 music (jingles, commercials, airchecks,..) I am also a big fan of game shows -- moreso shows from the 80s and before.  Game shows of yore were faster-paced, more challenging and more celebrity-driven than most of the stuff that airs today.

Let's just say the early days of "Wheel of Fortune" are far more interesting and entertaining to me than the version that airs now.

[Takumi]

I feel like drinking is the OPPOSITE of an unusual hobby (unless it's something more specific like "I want to "clinch" every type of wine ever made).

I clinch breweries. One of my goals this year was to visit every craft brewery in the Richmond area. Last year I visited all five on the north side of Hampton Roads.

[I-39]

I've written a fanfiction story and enjoy reading fanfiction if that counts.

[Roadrunner75]

I am into a hobby called TV DXing. It's where you scan for TV channels during special weather conditions. These special weather occurances, in the DXing world are called "openings". My furthest catch was WYOU in Scranton at 115 miles away.

When I was a kid back in the 80s I did like to see what channels I could pull in on my little TV late at night.  This of course was back in the analog days, with a set of rabbit ears.  We didn't get cable until I was off to college, and we were right across the river from Philadelphia so the rabbit ears on each TV were fine for getting a whopping 8 channels.  I remember pulling in WYOU too, as well as various NYC stations, "Baltimore 54", etc.  In a similar vein, it was always fun to 'shoot skip' and talk to people far away on the ol' CB radio.

[freebrickproductions]

I've written a fanfiction story and enjoy reading fanfiction if that counts.

I haven't written any fanfics (yet), but I do enjoy reading them.

[MNHighwayMan]

The problem I have with fanfiction is that most of it is uninteresting trash, and only a very small percentage of it is worth reading.

That's why I've never written any of it, because I'm fairly certain it'd fall under the category of garbage. I prefer making up my own fictional universes (and then poorly writing stories about them)

[Max Rockatansky]

The problem I have with fanfiction is that most of it is uninteresting trash, and only a very small percentage of it is worth reading.

That's why I've never written any of it, because I'm fairly certain it'd fall under the category of garbage. I prefer making up my own fictional universes (and then poorly writing stories about them)

That's because it needs narration and voiceovers:

[7/8]

Is drinking an unusual hobby?

Reminds me of this

[MNHighwayMan]

Hahaha, masterful quote of TPB. Maybe it's time for a series re-watch.

[thenetwork]

I am into a hobby called TV DXing. It's where you scan for TV channels during special weather conditions. These special weather occurances, in the DXing world are called "openings". My furthest catch was WYOU in Scranton at 115 miles away.

When I was a kid back in the 80s I did like to see what channels I could pull in on my little TV late at night.  This of course was back in the analog days, with a set of rabbit ears.  We didn't get cable until I was off to college, and we were right across the river from Philadelphia so the rabbit ears on each TV were fine for getting a whopping 8 channels.  I remember pulling in WYOU too, as well as various NYC stations, "Baltimore 54", etc.  In a similar vein, it was always fun to 'shoot skip' and talk to people far away on the ol' CB radio.

There was one time at college when I hit the Motherlode of TV DXing.  From the 11th floor of my dorm in NW Ohio, I had in one night over 50-some channels out of a then-possible 83 channels.  This was in the mid-80s. The best catch was a Spanish channel out of Chicago.

[kphoger]

I am into a hobby called TV DXing. It's where you scan for TV channels during special weather conditions. These special weather occurances, in the DXing world are called "openings". My furthest catch was WYOU in Scranton at 115 miles away.

When I was a kid back in the 80s I did like to see what channels I could pull in on my little TV late at night.  This of course was back in the analog days, with a set of rabbit ears.  We didn't get cable until I was off to college, and we were right across the river from Philadelphia so the rabbit ears on each TV were fine for getting a whopping 8 channels.  I remember pulling in WYOU too, as well as various NYC stations, "Baltimore 54", etc.  In a similar vein, it was always fun to 'shoot skip' and talk to people far away on the ol' CB radio.

There was one time at college when I hit the Motherlode of TV DXing.  From the 11th floor of my dorm in NW Ohio, I had in one night over 50-some channels out of a then-possible 83 channels.  This was in the mid-80s. The best catch was a Spanish channel out of Chicago.

I'm more familiar with "collecting" radio stations.  I once picked up WBBM (Chicago) while driving in Denver.

[TravelingBethelite]

I am into a hobby called TV DXing. It's where you scan for TV channels during special weather conditions. These special weather occurances, in the DXing world are called "openings". My furthest catch was WYOU in Scranton at 115 miles away.

When I was a kid back in the 80s I did like to see what channels I could pull in on my little TV late at night.  This of course was back in the analog days, with a set of rabbit ears.  We didn't get cable until I was off to college, and we were right across the river from Philadelphia so the rabbit ears on each TV were fine for getting a whopping 8 channels.  I remember pulling in WYOU too, as well as various NYC stations, "Baltimore 54", etc.  In a similar vein, it was always fun to 'shoot skip' and talk to people far away on the ol' CB radio.

There was one time at college when I hit the Motherlode of TV DXing.  From the 11th floor of my dorm in NW Ohio, I had in one night over 50-some channels out of a then-possible 83 channels.  This was in the mid-80s. The best catch was a Spanish channel out of Chicago.

I'm more familiar with "collecting" radio stations.  I once picked up WBBM (Chicago) while driving in Denver.

A man after my own heart. I prefer FM DXing myself, and once late last summer, I picked up stations from Mobile, Miami, and the Kansas City area all in the course of about three to four hours, which I was nearly ecstatic about at the time. (Though the radio wasn't ecstatic  ) I regularly pick up stations out of Albany and Boston on a day to day basis.

[billtm]

Disc golf.

Same! I myself am not really good but am improving slowly. I've been playing for 3 years now, and can now drive around 240 feet. I primarily throw right hand backhands. My main distance driver is a Champion Valkyrie and I putt mainly with a DX Polecat. I also review the courses that I play on dgcoursereview.