I'm also into:
* Computer programming (often as an artistic tool)
* Nudism
Well, collecting comics or matchbook covers is not that unusual. I do, however, like to watch friends beat each other with sticks ;)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.staticflickr.com%2F2213%2F2399366318_a2018d6b52_z_d.jpg&hash=3569b4248aa517c297668fa6b3a5ec7d3ff2fba7)
Is that a college campus or a highway rest area?
Quote from: vtk on August 03, 2012, 10:13:50 PM
Is that a college campus or a highway rest area?
City Park.
I collect music, mostly CDs but the occasional vinyl 12" as well. While that seems like a perfectly reasonable hobby, keep in mind I'm from the generation of "lol paying for music". (And that's all I'm going to say about that can of worms. :poke:)
I also enjoy driving my car around randomly, but I guess that can be considered part of roadgeeking if I find something interesting or take photos/video.
* coin collecting
* collecting of random other things (rocks, shells, magazines, model cars)
I've always had an interest in radio and television broadcasting, and the internet allows me to indulge that interest in ways I never would have been able to before. One thing I like to do is read the Wikipedia pages on TV stations, and then watch clips of the stations on Youtube. I particularly like watching clips of old newscasts.
Quote from: Steve on August 04, 2012, 01:57:59 AM
* coin collecting
Same here, although I'm less involved with it in the past decade or so, except for the state quarters. In a few years, I'll hand down some stuff to my kids (it will be very hard for them to spend foreign currency, although I used to give/trade samples to my friends as a kid.)
Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2012, 10:28:16 PM
I collect music, mostly CDs but the occasional vinyl 12" as well. While that seems like a perfectly reasonable hobby...
About 75% of my music is still the hard-CD-based stuff. The rest comes from iTunes or Amazon. Despite so much travel, I prefer the disks as "backup", and get more pleasure out of opening it, reading the booklet inside (if there's anything to say or look at); even if nowadays, it just goes right into the car's CD player 2 minutes later.
* Auto industry stuff. (Part of the job, too.)
* Motorsports, particularly F1 racing (grandprixgeekery?).
* Moderating a video game/motorsport/automotive website.
* Brushing up on my Japanese...sort of. Can still recognize the meaning of about 500
kanji, down from roughly 1900 or so from when I was in college.
I also like following the comings and goings of the railroad industry ('railfanning'), although not as much nowadays as when I was younger. I'm also mildly into coins, antique radios and several newspaper comic strips ('Prince Valiant' has always been a favorite of mine).
Many of us roadgeeks share other personality traits, too, but that is for a different thread.
Mike
Quote from: formulanone on August 04, 2012, 05:20:03 AM
About 75% of my music is still the hard-CD-based stuff. The rest comes from iTunes or Amazon. Despite so much travel, I prefer the disks as "backup", and get more pleasure out of opening it, reading the booklet inside (if there's anything to say or look at); even if nowadays, it just goes right into the car's CD player 2 minutes later.
That sums up my collecting experience as well. It's more satisfying to have
something there, especially when you can go buy it at the store, and it can serve as back if you have a computer failure (which did happen to me once). I will buy digital releases of singles, unless the vinyl edition is unique (for example, a recent single was released on white vinyl, and the B-side was exclusive to that, so I had it imported from the UK). I also find the occasional signed or promo version of a CD. Having said that, I normally listen to it in my car once or twice, then rip it to my computer so I can listen to it on my MP3 player in the future. Sometimes I'll break the CD back out for a road trip, though.
Quote
* Motorsports
Same, although I don't necessarily have a preference for a particular series. I'll watch anything on a circuit track. F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, World Superbike, V8 Supercars, you name it.
Quote
* Brushing up on my Japanese...sort of. Can still recognize the meaning of about 500 kanji, down from roughly 1900 or so from when I was in college.
I never really made it past
hiragana in college, although I never had a formal Japanese class.
As most of you know, I also have a large interest in traffic signals. I love taking photos of them, talking about them, and even collecting them (I have about 4 in my collection, and a few I want to sell). Other than that, I have a huge passion for photography, as well as drawing, driving, and playing Xbox. :nod:
Baseball card collecting, although I wouldn't call that "unusual" per se. People know what it is, I don't have to explain it to them (unlike roadgeekery) - although, some people think it's weird for someone my age to be doing it. There's a perception out there (among women, anyway, I've never had a man say this to me) that it's a kiddie hobby and that I should grow up and give it up. The reality is that these days kids aren't really collecting baseball cards anymore (they collect Pokemon and other gaming cards instead) and most baseball card collectors are middle aged to older men. If anything, I'm unusually young to be into it, not old!
Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2012, 10:28:16 PM
I collect music, mostly CDs
I have a rather large music collection, mostly ripped from CDs borrowed from the public library. What I think is a little less common about my music collection is the way I compile playlists, usually for a specific sound, emotion, or context. Most folks I know with large music collections just tell their media player to play an artist, or play an album, or shuffle everything...
Most railfans usually go nuts over equipment. However, unlike others, my preference is the station depots, and as a result, I do a lot of research into station history, their evolution of communities. My photography in railroads is of depots, their sites, etc. (I am not afraid to photograph a patch of dirt if it means I have this station recorded.)
This has gained me quite the opportunities to help with fundraising (the Leiters Station in Leiters Ford IN being my hardest work fundraising campaign, yet I've never been to Indiana). Slowly I am compiling details for all Erie stations, hope to write my own book someday (or series.)
Quote from: vtk on August 04, 2012, 06:42:40 PM
What I think is a little less common about my music collection is the way I compile playlists, usually for a specific sound, emotion, or context. Most folks I know with large music collections just tell their media player to play an artist, or play an album, or shuffle everything...
A lot of times when I have playlists that are all electronic music, I put the songs as I imagine they would be in a DJ mix, so it flows better. Had I any real mixing skill, I'd do that as well in those cases.
Mine are:
1. Socks. I have about 175 pairs of socks in all imaginable colors.
2. Converse. I have twelve pairs of them. I could have more, but I don't really have the space.
3. Taking pictures of socks and Converse. It could be said that I'm better at taking pictures of those things than I am taking pictures of road-related things.
4. The Weather Channel. My television is almost permanently tuned to The Weather Channel, and I enjoy watching old WeatherSTAR and IntelliSTAR (and Weatherscan) clips on YouTube.
5. Writing. Car and Driver magazine is one of my biggest inspirations as a writer, and it's still my ambition to write for that magazine one day.
6. Cars. Particularly Buicks, and I mean all Buicks, from the big and ostentatious models of the 1960s and 1970s, to the drag-strip burners of the 1980s, to the Wednesday-night bingo fixtures of the 1990s, to the stylish models of today. I also like cool and eclectic cars such as the Ford Flex, trucks, diesel-engined cars, station wagons, and near-supercar cars such as the Corvette ZR1 and the Nissan GT-R.
7. Star Trek. Live long and prosper.
I couldn't say that any of my interests are particularly normal.
Unusual hobbies, eh....
I am (and always will be) a railfan, so much so that somehow I was given the keys to the local Amtrak station - literally... I occasionally volunteer to greet the train (usually on Saturdays)
I also dabble in writing and illustrating Star Trek Fan-Fiction... part who I know, part concepts in my head, part references to other shows I watch or have watched (Doctor Who, Heroes, and JAG in particular.... haven't had a chance to drop in something from NCIS yet)
My illustrations mostly come in the form of 3D renderings using Blender. There are quite a few trek-themed 3D meshes out there to do starship renderings.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.route56.com%2Ffanfic%2Fbg_images%2Fblue4.jpg&hash=da504a14ea655c5c0c029eca99af38ffcc1ac7cf)
Then there's my cast of characters... I purchased a older version of Poser to pose the characters and establish facial expressions... then I export them to Blender for final rendering.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.route56.com%2Ffanfic%2Fbg_images%2Fblue6.jpg&hash=4f71a4a7060bd5b348693d52fb7f1331a3bbf996)
EDIT! 1/17/17 - corrected stale image links
Besides the internet and roadgeeky things...
- Watching sports
- Going to da bar
- Playing Sim City, Civ 4, and other simulation games
- Watching cable news
- Attending large outdoor gatherings (brat fest, fairs, etc)
- Ordering ridiculous amounts of fast food (usually drunk but not always)
- Reading monthly (Madison) transit commission minutes/ reports
- Hanging out around the city
My own hobbies are fairly mundane compared to some others have described.
* To stay fit, I work with weights at the gym and try to take a long walk every day. I walk more for the psychological benefits, which have been linked to moving forward under tree canopy, than for the exercise.
* I cook, both for nutrition and mood stabilization. I lean Italian and light, though I also like Spanish and Mexican, and I love garlic.
* I like to travel and experiment with hand-held available-light photography.
* I program in NT batch. (It is more for survival than anything else--I am not skilled by any means, but generally obtain very considerable savings in time and annoyance from the modest abilities I do have.)
* I am a TV completist: when I find a TV series I like, I generally watch it from pilot to season finale, typically long after initial broadcast.
* I like crime thrillers and science fiction, and indulge in completism for some authors. I have almost finished Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles novels, and have been finishing up Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and James Lee Burke.
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on August 04, 2012, 10:41:14 PM
4. The Weather Channel. My television is almost permanently tuned to The Weather Channel, and I enjoy watching old WeatherSTAR and IntelliSTAR (and Weatherscan) clips on YouTube.
I like watching old Weather Channel clips too. I love the music they play(or used to play now since they've gone to regular pop music) on the local forecasts. I even call such music "Weather Channel music" even if I hear it in another setting. I especially like listening to playlists from the 90s-when I was in college, TWC was usually what I had on TV late at night while I was studying or writing papers. So listening to songs from the playlists of that era brings back memories for me.
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on August 04, 2012, 10:41:14 PM
6. Cars. Particularly Buicks, and I mean all Buicks, from the big and ostentatious models of the 1960s and 1970s, to the drag-strip burners of the 1980s, to the Wednesday-night bingo fixtures of the 1990s, to the stylish models of today. I also like cool and eclectic cars such as the Ford Flex, trucks, diesel-engined cars, station wagons, and near-supercar cars such as the Corvette ZR1 and the Nissan GT-R.
I'm also into cars, but as some of you know, I'm biased towards sporty Hondas (including Acuras) like the S2000, Prelude, NSX, Civic Si, and anything Type-R or Type-S. For other car makes I have a general knowledge of makes and models, but I lack a lot of specifics, especially with European marques.
A former hobby of mine was playing arcade games. In my late high school and college years I often visited now-defunct local arcades. One of my favorite games, despite being bad at it, was Initial D, where I got my nickname (the story's protagonist is named Takumi, so it's kind of an ironic nickname).
Quote from: huskeroadgeek on August 05, 2012, 02:07:47 AM
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on August 04, 2012, 10:41:14 PM
4. The Weather Channel. My television is almost permanently tuned to The Weather Channel, and I enjoy watching old WeatherSTAR and IntelliSTAR (and Weatherscan) clips on YouTube.
I like watching old Weather Channel clips too. I love the music they play(or used to play now since they've gone to regular pop music) on the local forecasts. I even call such music "Weather Channel music" even if I hear it in another setting. I especially like listening to playlists from the 90s-when I was in college, TWC was usually what I had on TV late at night while I was studying or writing papers. So listening to songs from the playlists of that era brings back memories for me.
I was a huge TWC fan from when I first discovered it in 1986 until the changes made the channel Weather Entertainment. I avidly recorded TWC from 1989 until 2002 and recently sent all 30 plus VHS tapes from that era to a friend of a friend to have them DVD'ized. I have the 1989 to early 1994 stuff on DVD now and can relive the weather, OCM's, music whenever I want. Like others, TWC was my defacto channel of choice for late at night or when nothing else worth watching.
Used to also go stormchasing with fellow road guy Cary and a couple of non road friends. Now I just complain about the weather more than anything. Watching TWC obsessively and stormchasing were considered unusual during their time.
My hobbies
* Outdoor activities - hiking, kayaking, geocaching, organized orienteering events, and I'm going to teach myself to surf this fall
* Traveling (air travel geekery and air/hotel status/points included - I'm active on flyertalk)
* Photography
* Firearms (target shooting at the range)
* Beer and home brewing (I'm about to start brewing an Octoberfest)
* TV shows
* Watching soccer and football, specifically college football (Purdue, UCF) and the Premier League (Arsenal)
While not really a hobby, I do follow a few weather blogs, especially the tropics this time of year.
I used to be into computers when I was younger, but doing it for a living now, I have little interest in tinkering or programming after work anymore.
Railway networks - much rarer than signalling or train geekery. How it all fits together, fantasy plans both low key and fairly crazy (but not interstate to Yellowstone crazy) - mostly in the London area.* This extends to the more niche area of transit map design including the psychological effects certain features bring.
Other odd hobbies include reading books written a long time ago and walking places.
*I have been totally surprised by some quarters' almost-phobic dislike of discussion of non-official plans, even if on-topic, small tweaks and a brief aside in a fairly long on-topic post - one forum (with apparent widespread backing) deleted a couple of fairly long on-topic posts because in them was a snippet of fantasy: "(this problem wouldn't exist if I had my way and extended line X to Y)" "via where?". Needless to say, not been back since then, nor have about 5 people of the then-posting membership of about 30.
I like watching college football and basketball, and I'm also a classical music nerd.
I'll admit to being a Trekker. Not a very good one, mind you. I've been going through the entire DS9 series and I've seen so few of them, it's like I'm watching a brand new show. :) I think I'm at the point where they're about to introduce The Dominion in a serious way. I've been so much more about TNG because there's a lot more syndication out there in cable land. But thanks to the power of the web, I'm going through the entirety of the three Next Generation era shows this summer.
I'm also way into South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are goddamn geniuses. The lamest episodes of South Park are 10 times better than most of the comedy shlock on TV these days. Due to its production schedule, the show is a total stream of consciousness from the creators. It's the only other thing I discuss with other people on the internets. Certain episodes of this show are the standard by which I judge all others. It's even great when they lampoon something I like.
Shablagoo!
Quote from: vtk on August 05, 2012, 11:28:52 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 05, 2012, 10:09:43 PM
Shablagoo!
Isn't that a Simlish word?
That's the catchphrase of Mintberry Crunch.
The power of mint and berries, yet with a satisfying, tasty crunch!
Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 06, 2012, 12:16:15 AM
Quote from: vtk on August 05, 2012, 11:28:52 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 05, 2012, 10:09:43 PM
Shablagoo!
Isn't that a Simlish word?
That's the catchphrase of Mintberry Crunch.
The power of mint and berries, yet with a satisfying, tasty crunch!
I guess that word didn't stick in my mind. I still say Mint Berry Crunch sounds like a possibly marketable cereal. I don't recall if anyone in the episode said that, however.
Star Trek. Cars. Football. Dining. Military history. Gaming. Nothing is unusual about those hobbies of mine. Now let's look at shortwave radio. It's not that big a hobby anymore so it has gone into the less usual than in the past kind of hobby category.
What I do to make it unusual is in the collecting of Grundigs. In hand is a 5088 (top of the line table model from 1957), a Satellit 6001/210 Woodie (best portable of it's time-1970-and still highly regarded). two Mini 300's (amazing for their size) and an FR-200 dynamo crank survival multiband radio with a flashlight. Strangely enough I didn't start off with the idea of being a Grundig grabber, it just worked out that way! I have given away for presents two Mini 300's and a Traveler-series with a G8 set aside for my nephew when he graduates from the US Naval Academy next summer.
One of the Mini 300's is orange and I am waiting to get a black one. Then I will play mix it up with the parts using the two colors and then put on an Oregon State sticker on each one, followed by adding orange and black headphones. No one else will have anything like it!
Other shortwave radios: A Sony ICF-2010, which is acclaimed as the best ever portable SW radio ever made, and a Realistic DX-440, which isn't a half-bad unit either.
For a radio accessory I have a radio room clock, which has the silent periods marked off. Remember the sinking of the Titanic? Right after that, the US Congress passed a law requiring a radio watch be kept on 500 Khz with the 15th through 18th minutes and the 45th through 48th minutes being the silent periods so even if a ship was dismasted or had a low powered signal for other reasons, their Morse code distress call could be heard. Shortly after that an international treaty did the same thing. Red areas on the radio room clocks marked off the silent periods as well as the 4 seconds with 1 second of silence intervals for those sending out the SOS's. Later on when voice communication tech had gotten to a higher quality, the 2182 Khz frequency was set aside with it's split silent periods running from the top of the hour to the 3 minute mark and the other silent period was from the 30th to the 33rd minute. This section of a radio room clock was marked in green. Radio operators on ships were required to log their observance of each silent period.
Being an accessories maven is another part of my radio hobby and that adds a bit of uniqueness to how I go about it. The DX-440 has the original owner's manual, an AC adapter, an adapter plug to go into the now-obsolete RCA-style plug so it can handle miniplugs and an external windup antenna from Sangean, who also made this radio. I also plan on adding a Radio Shack amplified antenna (plus I'll go find an AC adapter for it) and then for sound reinforcement, a computer sound system so the FM stereo can be heard in stereo.
The Grundig Satellit came with the very hard to find AM external antenna plug. I added in a DIN to miniplug cable so one could play an iPod or any other audio-generating device through it. Also in hand is a repair kit containing the belt and two bulbs from a German who specializes in such items. The real find was getting the SSB adapter for this radio. Only one has been on eBay this year and I snagged it! Add in a mono to stereo miniplug for using headphones (plug in stereo phones and all you will hear is one channel if you don't use the adapter) to the list of goodies that go with my Satellit.
The most unusual accessory is one not normally associated with shortwave radio. I use Dr. Dre Beats Pro headphones. Why? Their clarity is so outstanding! A lot of muddled audio as heard through the speakers becomes clear as a bell when using these high end headphones.
Also in hand is an Uniden BC590 scanner, a Lasonic 931 boombox. a Pioneer SX450 home stereo, a GE AM/FM clock radio with battery backup and a Citizen AM/FM CD player portable. You can't swing a dead cat in my place without hitting a radio, I guarantee it! In my car is a high end combination of Pioneer and Alpine car audio equipment. The iPod hooks up to it as well. Yup, you want to hear something, I'll have something for you to hear...LOL!
My radio background is CB, ham, broadcast and military. It is one of the great loves of my life since I was a child. It seemed like such a miracle, voices out of the air and from all over the world. Today the net has supplanted so many forms of old-fashioned radio for communicating but I still love what radio represents and the men who made radio, both on the tech and programming end.
Remember, there was a time in history when listening to foreign broadcasts merited the death penalty in some nations and the immediacy of radio was combined with propaganda geniuses like Josef Goebbels to lead a people to war and ruin. Our nation (the US) was not blameless in it's radio practices either as the Radio Free Europe broadcasts encouraged the Hungarians to rebel against Communist rule in 1956. Eisenhower didn't back the rebellion and the Soviets smashed it in bloody fashion. So much for our big mouths, all talk and then we balked. The Hungarians paid in blood for that oops. The real masters of smooth talking deception were not so much political as commercial. Madison Avenue sold a lot of goods (and hokum) to the American population via radio.
Radio was literally a matter of life and death for this planet. If I ever had to broadcast the Emergency War Orders back in the 70's, none of us would be alive today. The EWO is what would have sent in the B-52's, FB-111's and ICBM's to wipe out the Soviets. Even if they had never retaliated, there would have been so much dust raised that a nuclear winter would have wiped out the human population and the radiation would have just been a finishing touch. Radio setups included the Survivable Low Frequency Communications System, radios broadcasting the go codes on some Minutemen missiles, 4 main stations for the Alfa/Bravo network ran by SAC (Strategic Air Command), a whole host of lower powered overseas stations and the ever-present Looking Glass plane which was also equipped to handle missile launches as well as handling radio communications in event of a nuclear war.
With so many facets to radio, how can it be seen as anything but a subject of intense interest for those who love it? Alas, those numbers are declining. Once again we see the old adage that the only constant is change at work! What makes it funny is how high tech radio technology has become and there is more of it coming out all the time, yet it seems that radio itself has precious little interest paid to it. Bluetooth, WiFi, satellite, G3/G4 cellular, HD Radio, FRS and more have come down the pike. People use these devices in the billions but you won't find much of a hobby relating to these new ways of utilizing the RF spectrum.
Rick
Take Trains, Planes, Transit and Ferries........add Geek and that's me.
Also like to hike and ATV ride old abandoned RR right-of-ways
Disc golf.
Kinda unusual: I have quite a collection of cuff links -- probably over 100 pairs. (Even my closest friends probably aren't aware that I'm afflicted so.)
Not unusual: Postage stamps.
Quote from: vtk on August 03, 2012, 09:45:07 PM
I'm also into:
* Computer programming (often as an artistic tool)
* Nudism
I'm a repressed nudist, by which I mean my wife is not one and there are no clubs in the vicinity that either (a) allow single guys, or (b) are clothing-optional to where my wife could keep her clothes on. This is something I very much keep to myself, as nudism is most certainly not widely accepted in the Christian church, especially our branch of it (Southern Baptist). My first foray was nude bowling in Oak Park, Illinois. The most enjoyable was skinny-sailing with a guy on Kentucky Lake.
Most of my other hobbies are either fairly normal or roadgeeky in nature. I used to do a fair amount of hitchhiking, but haven't done that for 4½ years now. My longest and most enjoyable hitchhike was across Upper Michigan, down through the lower peninsula, and over to Chicago–it was a just-for-fun weekend trip during the summer of 2006.
I recently purchased a molcajete, which is a Mexican mortar and pestle. So I've recently taken to making guacamole and different kinds of salsa. The problem is, I get a hankering to make salsa more often than we cook Mexican food.
Quote from: nexus73 on August 06, 2012, 01:22:43 AM
With so many facets to radio, how can it be seen as anything but a subject of intense interest for those who love it? Alas, those numbers are declining. Once again we see the old adage that the only constant is change at work! What makes it funny is how high tech radio technology has become and there is more of it coming out all the time, yet it seems that radio itself has precious little interest paid to it. Bluetooth, WiFi, satellite, G3/G4 cellular, HD Radio, FRS and more have come down the pike. People use these devices in the billions but you won't find much of a hobby relating to these new ways of utilizing the RF spectrum.
Like any other tech, as the technology matures and becomes a commodity, the hobbyist interest shifts. It's partly due to the fact that, as technology matures, it also becomes complex to the point where tinkering becomes near impossible. In the RF examples you name, things like Wifi and Bluetooth are well defined protocols that don't lend themselves to hobbyists at the RF level. Instead, the hobbyists are creating devices that use the underlying technologies in novel ways.
Look at how Arduinos changed the electronics hobby a few years ago. Now that people aren't having to sit around with a soldering iron and a perf board for hours at a time getting an embedded processor up and running, they're able to spend that energy coming up with increasingly interesting applications. Programming is similar. Few people know (or care) about assembly programming anymore, but the result is that they can create programs in higher level languages that would be near impossible to do in assembly directly.
all my hobbies seem to be tangentially road-related: driving a lot, collecting route markers, landscape photography, defecating...
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 06, 2012, 04:49:37 PM
all my hobbies seem to be tangentially road-related: driving a lot, collecting route markers, landscape photography, defecating...
...photographing feces on the road...
Other than roadgeeking (taking mini-road trips, using SignMaker, thinking of fantasy freeways and odd interchanges), here's mine:
1. History (especially alternate history)
2. Playing SimCity (3000 Unlimited, 4, and Societies)
3. Pinball and Playing PS3
4. Writing and Drawing
5. Writing Music Parodies (though I must admit, I'll never be as good as Weird Al Yankovic :))
Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 05, 2012, 10:09:43 PM
I'll admit to being a Trekker. Not a very good one, mind you. I've been going through the entire DS9 series and I've seen so few of them, it's like I'm watching a brand new show. :) I think I'm at the point where they're about to introduce The Dominion in a serious way. I've been so much more about TNG because there's a lot more syndication out there in cable land. But thanks to the power of the web, I'm going through the entirety of the three Next Generation era shows this summer.
I'm also way into South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are goddamn geniuses. The lamest episodes of South Park are 10 times better than most of the comedy shlock on TV these days. Due to its production schedule, the show is a total stream of consciousness from the creators. It's the only other thing I discuss with other people on the internets. Certain episodes of this show are the standard by which I judge all others. It's even great when they lampoon something I like.
Shablagoo!
On Kurumi's website, search I-570 South Park. Very funny script!
Happy Roadgeeking,
NYYPhil777 ;-)
I made a fake football league and use random numbers to decide winners and losers. Phase 2 of this is I've projected the USFL and done the same. Currently up to 1989.
I guess my "hobby" would be working out... I think it might be more of an addiction... I love it. I regularly run just like 5 miles. Now that I've started two-a-days for football, I'm working out A LOT! Not really unusual, maybe increasingly unusual in the U.S. though.. :-/
BigMatt
Is anyone else on here a wine fan? By which I mean you know more about what you like than "red or white", can pick a wine based on what food it will be served with, have held a serious conversation with a liquor store employee, etc.
Quote from: kphoger on August 06, 2012, 08:53:15 PM
Is anyone else on here a wine fan? By which I mean you know more about what you like than "red or white", can pick a wine based on what food it will be served with, have held a serious conversation with a liquor store employee, etc.
not with wine but yes with beer, and I am also learning to appreciate the subtleties of various styles of liquor as well - mainly whiskey and tequila. (also, am getting into making surprisingly delicious mixed drinks based on just the items I have at hand!)
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on August 06, 2012, 06:35:20 PM
On Kurumi's website, search I-570 South Park. Very funny script!
I read that many years ago and I think I even saved it. (checks folders) Yup, looks like I grabbed it some 10 years back. It's very much an old school fanfic. There's even lines for those kids Terrance and Fossey, the boys from the first few episodes who called everything gay and aren't even around as background characters anymore.
It's kind of ironic that some years later they did an episode where the boys had to stop an Indian casino from building a superhighway through South Park. (7th season, "Red Man's Greed")
Quote from: texaskdog on August 06, 2012, 07:17:41 PM
I made a fake football league and use random numbers to decide winners and losers. Phase 2 of this is I've projected the USFL and done the same. Currently up to 1989.
Same here, but I do it as part of my Super Bowl alternate histories.
I like to soak in hot springs, and also do county-counting (both in the U.S., and Canada where I am now for a few more weeks). The latter is pretty close to roadgeekery, but all three interrelate. I live on the opposite side of the country from the best hot springs in North America, which also tend to be in rural areas rather than near big cities and off the major highways, so my hot springing means lots of road travel. It also meant I had a lot of counties under my belt when I got interested in county-counting around 2002, which encouraged me to pursue that hobby. In turn, once I got serious about county-counting, that meant a lot of road trips (especially off the Interstates and other major roads) to snag additional counties and fill in the holes in my county map.
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on August 07, 2012, 10:09:08 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on August 06, 2012, 07:17:41 PM
I made a fake football league and use random numbers to decide winners and losers. Phase 2 of this is I've projected the USFL and done the same. Currently up to 1989.
Same here, but I do it as part of my Super Bowl alternate histories.
Cool! I'm playing 1989 right now. Arizona Wranglers & Birmingham Stallions have been pretty dominant. My 1989 Philadelphia Stars are 2-11.
Quote from: kphoger on August 06, 2012, 08:53:15 PM
Is anyone else on here a wine fan? By which I mean you know more about what you like than "red or white", can pick a wine based on what food it will be served with, have held a serious conversation with a liquor store employee, etc.
Yep, I love wine. Malbec is probably my favorite. I'm not a big fan of white wines. I'm more into beer lately though and don't pay as much attention to wine as I used to.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 06, 2012, 09:24:20 PM
not with wine but yes with beer, and I am also learning to appreciate the subtleties of various styles of liquor as well - mainly whiskey and tequila. (also, am getting into making surprisingly delicious mixed drinks based on just the items I have at hand!)
Now we're talking. Makers Mark 46 is my go to mid-price bourbon lately, as is Evan Williams Single Barrel.
My favorite liquor is still a good dark rum though. The good ones taste almost like cognac.
Quote from: realjd on August 08, 2012, 03:40:55 PM
Now we're talking. Makers Mark 46 is my go to mid-price bourbon lately, as is Evan Williams Single Barrel.
never tried 46, though I did have some of the standard Makers yesterday. have you ever tried Pendleton? it's a Canadian whiskey (whisky? I can never remember!) and is currently my favorite.
I've also never tried Evan Williams single barrel, but their generic black-label whiskey is the one we use at home as a mixer and to serve at parties. I find it a lot smoother than the slightly more expensive Jim Beam.
QuoteMy favorite liquor is still a good dark rum though. The good ones taste almost like cognac.
I'm not as much of a rum fan in general, but I did try, and enjoy Havana Club while down in Mexico the other day :sombrero: I had the añejo especial, which is a "medium" as opposed to being truly dark, and I found it quite good.
my friend and I finished only half the bottle between us, so just before the US border crossing, one Pemex attendant got a very good tip!
Interesting thread thus far.
Not quite so sure how odd my other hobbies are, but here goes. Many of them seem to dovetail with each other.
I enjoy driving, even with traffic. (Yes, I do have a manual transmission vehicle.) I also enjoy music and have quite the CD collection (about 400 and counting). I was even a DJ at the student-run radio station (WMTU) in college. In that vein, I also enjoy ballroom dance (gotta do something with the music, eh?). Been learning for a bit over 4 years now. Great for exercise and posture. I also enjoy model railroading, but it turns more into model "towning" with how I tend to do it. I also enjoy travel, by car, boat, train, and plane - window seats are best to test oneself on where he is flying over. I also have been enjoying sudoku and ken-ken. Ken-ken is much like sudoku, but the cells must also add, subtract, multiply, or divide to the number in the cell.
I collect decks of playing cards. Most of them tend to remain unused, though whatever is my current deck of choice (always a 100% plastic deck) gets used at biweekly poker games I host for my friends. (Currently I'm switching off between Cartamundi Ace cards and bridge size Copag 1547's.) I even built a felt table, which also gets used for board games on weeks that we do not play poker, to enhance the experience. I also have six decks of blackjack cards and all the equipment (shoe, discard container, chip racks, etc.) though of course we do not play for real money because the dealer's edge makes the game unfair.
My girlfriend has recently started collecting dice of all colors, sizes, and numbers of sides. Her most recent acquisition is a massive d20 (20-sided icosahedral die) that is about four inches tall that we found at a games store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I quipped to her that with the cards and dice all we needed to do was get some slot machines and we would have the entire unholy trinity of casino games represented.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 09, 2012, 04:34:01 AM
I collect decks of playing cards. Most of them tend to remain unused, though whatever is my current deck of choice (always a 100% plastic deck) gets used at biweekly poker games I host for my friends. (Currently I'm switching off between Cartamundi Ace cards and bridge size Copag 1547's.) I even built a felt table, which also gets used for board games on weeks that we do not play poker, to enhance the experience. I also have six decks of blackjack cards and all the equipment (shoe, discard container, chip racks, etc.) though of course we do not play for real money because the dealer's edge makes the game unfair.
My girlfriend has recently started collecting dice of all colors, sizes, and numbers of sides. Her most recent acquisition is a massive d20 (20-sided icosahedral die) that is about four inches tall that we found at a games store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I quipped to her that with the cards and dice all we needed to do was get some slot machines and we would have the entire unholy trinity of casino games represented.
Icosahedral dice are common stock in Scattergories sets.
Back when I played Magic: The Gathering (itself an unusual hobby) around 2000, I had several D20s. I remember either I or an ex-girlfriend had an oversized one, about the size of a softball.
We have d4s, one d5 (actually just a d20 numbered 1-5 repeatedly), tons of d6s (of course), a few d8s and d12s, d10s (both numbered 1 thru 10 and 1-100 by tens), a few d12s, and d20s. We also have some oddballs like clear d6s and d10s with smaller ones inside, some d8s with fractions (1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8, 1), a d12 with zodiac symbols instead of numbers. We do have a Scattergories set so we have one of those too.
The funny thing is we never play any games involving anything other than d6s!
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2012, 01:58:34 PM
Back when I played Magic: The Gathering (itself an unusual hobby) around 2000, I had several D20s. I remember either I or an ex-girlfriend had an oversized one, about the size of a softball.
Noticing a trend in oversize 20-sided dice among females. Maybe i shouldn't ask.
Quote from: Special K on August 09, 2012, 03:29:04 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2012, 01:58:34 PM
Back when I played Magic: The Gathering (itself an unusual hobby) around 2000, I had several D20s. I remember either I or an ex-girlfriend had an oversized one, about the size of a softball.
Noticing a trend in oversize 20-sided dice among females. Maybe i shouldn't ask.
A very strangely proportioned woman: size 20 D
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 09, 2012, 04:34:01 AM
My girlfriend has recently started collecting dice of all colors, sizes, and numbers of sides. Her most recent acquisition is a massive d20 (20-sided icosahedral die) that is about four inches tall that we found at a games store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I quipped to her that with the cards and dice all we needed to do was get some slot machines and we would have the entire unholy trinity of casino games represented.
I had a roommate in college who was a big fan of Magic the Gathering and had a large collection of various dice. I never really got into that game, myself.
As for my unusual hobbies, I used to play a lot of board games with my friends back in college. We'd play Settlers of Catan, Risk, Stratego, and Carcassonne mostly. Scrabble on the other hand was strictly forbidden, as it tended to start riots.
In more recent times, I've gotten into a bit of 3D rendering using POV-Ray. I'm far from the best in the world at it, but it is fun at least. Here's a landscape scene (using terrain generated from GIS data of the area around Dan's Rock in western Maryland):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg837.imageshack.us%2Fimg837%2F6121%2Fdansrock.jpg&hash=ab1315b1c96e26c578f9329c7ce75469461cfb1c) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/837/dansrock.jpg/)
I also wrote some sign generation macros for POV-Ray, though I'm sure the people here can point out plenty of non-conformities with standards in the signs it generates. The two street name blades with logos are variants that are used in Norman, OK.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg29.imageshack.us%2Fimg29%2F5052%2Froadsigns.png&hash=dd0afc14bfc18762019d5c6bfd99397043a4f433) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/29/roadsigns.png/)
Quote from: algorerhythms on August 10, 2012, 12:28:35 AM
I had a roommate in college who was a big fan of Magic the Gathering and had a large collection of various dice.
I haven't played MTG since like 1997, but I seem to remember it not requiring any dice past something that could indicate 1-20 for the amount of life a player had. a d20 was a popular choice.
Some time ago I came up with a rough concept for a d120 which, unlike d100s I've seen, has all sides exactly the same size and shape. Though I don't play any games that use dice at all...
Not that unusual, but science fiction. I recently discovered Stanislaw Lem.
I also like having a good wank. And having a good poo, preferably simultaneously with the wank.
I used to be into lighthouses... starting to get back into it, especially since there's a nice synergy with roadgeeking (and could be my only opportunity to clinch roads in parts of Ontario).
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2012, 01:58:34 PM
Back when I played Magic: The Gathering (itself an unusual hobby) around 2000, I had several D20s. I remember either I or an ex-girlfriend had an oversized one, about the size of a softball.
I played Dungeons & Dragons in my early college days. I finally gave it up when it became Hobbit forming. I wound up giving it all (books, dice, miniatures) away to one of the local kids who was still gaming.
Most of my interests are pretty normal: cars, guitars, computers, photography. I have a few odd hobbies like fire towers. I had some really weird interests when I was a kid but most of those have waned.
Quote from: bugo on August 12, 2012, 02:00:00 PM
I have a few odd hobbies like fire towers.
Have you seen the one in the car dealership parking lot in Norman?
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 12, 2012, 07:29:04 PM
Quote from: bugo on August 12, 2012, 02:00:00 PM
I have a few odd hobbies like fire towers.
Have you seen the one in the car dealership parking lot in Norman?
No. Is it visible from I-35?
Quote from: NE2 on August 12, 2012, 11:58:50 AM
I also like having a good wank. And having a good poo, preferably simultaneously with the wank.
WAY too much information
Quote from: vtk on August 10, 2012, 08:49:54 PM
Some time ago I came up with a rough concept for a d120 which, unlike d100s I've seen, has all sides exactly the same size and shape. Though I don't play any games that use dice at all...
how is that possible? I thought only the Platonic solids, which go up to 20, have that feature.
Only the platonic solids have all faces and angles the same. A geodesic dome (or at least one type) has equilateral triangles for all faces, but the angles between faces are not identical. You can also have solids where the faces are not regular polygons, but are all identical (for example, take a cube and replace each face with a very shallow pyramid).
Quote from: NE2 on August 13, 2012, 11:23:10 AM
Only the platonic solids have all faces and angles the same. A geodesic dome (or at least one type) has equilateral triangles for all faces, but the angles between faces are not identical. You can also have solids where the faces are not regular polygons, but are all identical (for example, take a cube and replace each face with a very shallow pyramid).
gotcha. I'd actually envisioned the "small pyramids" concept, but had visualized a non-convex figure, which would be less than useful as a d120!
Really, it's easier to roll a d20 and d6 and use 6a-6+b, rather than hoping your d120 isn't a perpetual motion machine.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 13, 2012, 10:03:02 AM
Quote from: vtk on August 10, 2012, 08:49:54 PM
Some time ago I came up with a rough concept for a d120 which, unlike d100s I've seen, has all sides exactly the same size and shape. Though I don't play any games that use dice at all...
how is that possible? I thought only the Platonic solids, which go up to 20, have that feature.
NE2 pretty much nailed it. Take an icosohedron, and replace each triangular face with a shallow six-sided pyramid –
or, take a dodecahedron and replace each pentagonal face with a shallow ten-sided pyramid; the same results are achievable either way.
Quote from: vtk on August 13, 2012, 06:07:56 PM
NE2 pretty much nailed it. Take an icosohedron, and replace each triangular face with a shallow six-sided pyramid – or, take a dodecahedron and replace each pentagonal face with a shallow ten-sided pyramid; the same results are achievable either way.
how does one replace an N-sided polygon with a 2N-faced pyramid?
having an unimaginative day today! need more caffeine...
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 13, 2012, 06:15:57 PM
Quote from: vtk on August 13, 2012, 06:07:56 PM
NE2 pretty much nailed it. Take an icosohedron, and replace each triangular face with a shallow six-sided pyramid – or, take a dodecahedron and replace each pentagonal face with a shallow ten-sided pyramid; the same results are achievable either way.
how does one replace an N-sided polygon with a 2N-faced pyramid?
having an unimaginative day today! need more caffeine...
You have to break the original edges at their midpoints, and pull those midpoints out slightly from the center of the polyhedron. Actually, you could get really fancy by rotating the pyramids slightly, but then you lose the congruency of all faces (unless you make N-faced pyramids instead of 2N-faced pyramids) – I think we need to start a new thread about math...
Quote from: vtk on August 13, 2012, 06:22:12 PM
You have to break the original edges at their midpoints, and pull those midpoints out slightly from the center of the polyhedron. Actually, you could get really fancy by rotating the pyramids slightly, but then you lose the congruency of all faces (unless you make N-faced pyramids instead of 2N-faced pyramids) – I think we need to start a new thread about math...
yep, need more caffeine! thanks for the explanation :sombrero:
Quote from: vtk on August 04, 2012, 06:42:40 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2012, 10:28:16 PM
I collect music, mostly CDs
I have a rather large music collection, mostly ripped from CDs borrowed from the public library. What I think is a little less common about my music collection is the way I compile playlists, usually for a specific sound, emotion, or context. Most folks I know with large music collections just tell their media player to play an artist, or play an album, or shuffle everything...
Yeah, I have...uhh...a lot of mp3's. I get a kick when someone asks me what kind of music I like, because the answer is usually "what, today?"
I also like to collect license plates. I'm working on a birth-year set and I'm only missing NC as far as having one from every state I lived in, because I actually gave it back to the state like a dummy. Other than that, I dabble in ham radio and SKYWARN spotting during the odd bouts of severe weather, although I am responsible for one tornado warning :sombrero:
Quote from: nexus73 on August 06, 2012, 01:22:43 AM
Other shortwave radios: A Sony ICF-2010, which is acclaimed as the best ever portable SW radio ever made, and a Realistic DX-440, which isn't a half-bad unit either.
This is my baby:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbishopdan.com%2Fimages%2Fhallicrafters.jpg&hash=cc9bb963aeab710db4ce38c30aa05ea76faca997)
Edit: the one I use for everyday listening is an Eton E5, which is a Grundig, right? It's not half bad, but I'm saving my pennies for a proper ham rig the big boys use. I'm not sure if my wife knows of my antenna plans, either.
Can we spin off the dice discussion into a thread that just throws math into the aether? I like math.
Quote from: Steve on August 13, 2012, 09:50:47 PM
Can we spin off the dice discussion into a thread that just throws math into the aether? I like math.
:bigass:
Quote from: 6a on August 13, 2012, 08:01:23 PM
This is my baby:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbishopdan.com%2Fimages%2Fhallicrafters.jpg&hash=cc9bb963aeab710db4ce38c30aa05ea76faca997)
I have my dad's old radio: I'm not sure how old it is (1940's/50's?)
A couple tubes are dead, and I don't know how to check them or replace them anymore :(
Quote from: US71 on August 13, 2012, 10:08:35 PM
I have my dad's old radio: I'm not sure how old it is (1940's/50's?)
A couple tubes are dead, and I don't know how to check them or replace them anymore :(
Look for a local ham meet if you can, I'm sure there are folks there that will be more than happy to help you out. There are a couple in Arkansas coming up,
Queen Wilhelmina Hamfest (http://menahamfest.org/)
All-Arkansas Hamfest (http://www.carenclub.com/)
If it's a really old piece, there will be guys salivating over the chance to fix it.
Quote from: 6a on August 13, 2012, 10:07:03 PM
Quote from: Steve on August 13, 2012, 09:50:47 PM
Can we spin off the dice discussion into a thread that just throws math into the aether? I like math.
:bigass:
That video is to math what the alphabet is to grammar.
Quote from: 6a on August 13, 2012, 10:07:03 PM
:bigass:
So I-69 as the parent and I-369 as the very significant child? Where should I-369 go - Bloomington?
Quote from: Steve on August 13, 2012, 10:31:22 PM
That video is to math what the alphabet is to grammar.
Somehow I got linked from that video to some people that inflate their bellies with air pumps to do....something. It's actually hilarious, if a bit off every topic ever imagined here.
It's been mentioned once or twice but I actually still play Magic: the Gathering. I played from 1997 to 2004, then picked it up again last year after I had nowhere to play for a while (and for much of that time, no job to sustain the hobby). I'm actually a local rules guru for the game; this is important when the rulebook has nearly 200 pages and there are over 10,000 cards.
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on August 13, 2012, 11:56:14 PM
It's been mentioned once or twice but I actually still play Magic: the Gathering. I played from 1997 to 2004, then picked it up again last year after I had nowhere to play for a while (and for much of that time, no job to sustain the hobby). I'm actually a local rules guru for the game; this is important when the rulebook has nearly 200 pages and there are over 10,000 cards.
2002 - 2006 active here. Just participated in my first tourney ever last Friday in New Baltimore MI.
Quote from: US71 on August 13, 2012, 10:08:35 PM
Quote from: 6a on August 13, 2012, 08:01:23 PM
This is my baby:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbishopdan.com%2Fimages%2Fhallicrafters.jpg&hash=cc9bb963aeab710db4ce38c30aa05ea76faca997)
I have my dad's old radio: I'm not sure how old it is (1940's/50's?)
A couple tubes are dead, and I don't know how to check them or replace them anymore :(
That set likely just needs 'recapping'. Usually, unless there is clear visual evidence to the contrary, the tubes will be good (they do not go bad just sitting unused).
Mike
Quote from: 6a on August 13, 2012, 11:25:22 PM
Quote from: Steve on August 13, 2012, 10:31:22 PM
That video is to math what the alphabet is to grammar.
Somehow I got linked from that video to some people that inflate their bellies with air pumps to do....something. It's actually hilarious, if a bit off every topic ever imagined here.
It's certainly an unusual hobby other than roadgeekery
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on August 13, 2012, 11:56:14 PM
It's been mentioned once or twice but I actually still play Magic: the Gathering. I played from 1997 to 2004, then picked it up again last year after I had nowhere to play for a while (and for much of that time, no job to sustain the hobby). I'm actually a local rules guru for the game; this is important when the rulebook has nearly 200 pages and there are over 10,000 cards.
I remember it starting to get complicated around 1997 when I left the game. this was well before Unglued and Foiled and all kinds of bizarre things which apparently are around now, that I have little understanding of.
since I had gotten into the game in 1994 (Unlimited or so), I had the opportunity to sell off my Moxen and Loti for 20-200x what I paid for them, which was really my first foray into a much more exciting game called capitalism :sombrero:
For the record, the number of people on here playing Magic, D&D, etc. definitely puts this group under the category of Super Geek.
Quote from: kphoger on August 14, 2012, 11:41:37 AM
For the record, the number of people on here playing Magic, D&D, etc. definitely puts this group under the category of Super Geek.
Add ren fairs and Star Trek conventions and you have the ultimate nerd trifecta.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on August 14, 2012, 11:28:18 AM
I remember it starting to get complicated around 1997 when I left the game. this was well before Unglued and Foiled and all kinds of bizarre things which apparently are around now, that I have little understanding of.
I played from 1998 to 2001, when things
really started getting complicated, but a few years before the card redesign that came with 7th Edition. I played in the era where gold cards were on hiatus (they ended in the Stronghold expansion and came back in the Invasion block just before I quit), and the holofoil cards had just begun. I stopped playing because I didn't find it fun anymore.
Quote
since I had gotten into the game in 1994 (Unlimited or so), I had the opportunity to sell off my Moxen and Loti for 20-200x what I paid for them, which was really my first foray into a much more exciting game called capitalism :sombrero:
Somewhere I still have an old black deck that has several old/rare cards in it. I have no use for it, but nothing in it is worth more than $10 individually, so I've never really considered "parting it out", as it were. Anyone want it?
Quote from: bugo on August 14, 2012, 11:55:03 AM
Quote from: kphoger on August 14, 2012, 11:41:37 AM
For the record, the number of people on here playing Magic, D&D, etc. definitely puts this group under the category of Super Geek.
Add ren fairs and Star Trek conventions and you have the ultimate nerd trifecta.
Oddly, I didn't play those types of games until I dated an art-school gal into those. I just nodded my head a lot at gaming sessions, and laughed and drank...they turned into a lot of
"oh yeah, what were we doing?" sessions.
Quote from: 6a on August 13, 2012, 08:01:23 PM
Quote from: nexus73 on August 06, 2012, 01:22:43 AM
Other shortwave radios: A Sony ICF-2010, which is acclaimed as the best ever portable SW radio ever made, and a Realistic DX-440, which isn't a half-bad unit either.
This is my baby:
I just gave away a Hallicrafters S-53A. Better to see it go to someone to get restored then the trash. Now if I could only get rid of the vintage TVs....
Quote from: Takumi on August 14, 2012, 12:34:37 PM
Somewhere I still have an old black deck that has several old/rare cards in it. I have no use for it, but nothing in it is worth more than $10 individually, so I've never really considered "parting it out", as it were. Anyone want it?
What's in it?
I have some other interests besides collecting old signs, and road trips.....
> Japanese anime....i like the story-telling far better than most American animation....and i also write some anime-based fiction.
> Model Railroading.....N-scale is my main interest, but i have dabbled in Z as well....
> Old Maps.....not as much in recent years, but i have a few nice old ones going back to 1927-28
> Playing cards.....no real reason or rhyme to it, just decks of interest to me personally
> I was also an audiophile....have an open-reel tape deck on my set-ups, plus old records (I will probably be the last to convert to MP3 downloads......if i want to buy music, i want to hold the damn media in my hand!)
*looks at the list* Hmmmm.......no wonder i never married.....this list would scare away most young ladies!
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 01, 2012, 10:34:26 PM
I have some other interests besides collecting old signs, and road trips.....
> Japanese anime....i like the story-telling far better than most American animation....and i also write some anime-based fiction.
I'm absolutely OBSESSED with Sailor Moon!
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 01, 2012, 10:34:26 PM
> Playing cards.....no real reason or rhyme to it, just decks of interest to me personally
Mostly novelty decks, I'm guessing? I have a lot of tourism/promotional decks of cards in my collection but most of them don't get played with since as I rule I will not use a deck of cards in a serious game unless it has a reversible back. (The reason for this is because flipping certain cards upside down is a foolproof way collaborating cheaters can share information since it's nearly undetectable.)
Let's see:
Restoring tube audio:
Collecting WWI/WWII era weapons
Maps are kind of related to roadgeekery
Bicycle riding / Rollerblading
Roller Coasters
Quote from: deanej on September 02, 2012, 12:38:35 PM
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 01, 2012, 10:34:26 PM
I have some other interests besides collecting old signs, and road trips.....
> Japanese anime....i like the story-telling far better than most American animation....and i also write some anime-based fiction.
I'm absolutely OBSESSED with Sailor Moon!
Ahhh, much of the fiction i write is Sailor Moon-based fan fiction
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 02, 2012, 02:28:36 PM
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 01, 2012, 10:34:26 PM
> Playing cards.....no real reason or rhyme to it, just decks of interest to me personally
Mostly novelty decks, I'm guessing? I have a lot of tourism/promotional decks of cards in my collection but most of them don't get played with since as I rule I will not use a deck of cards in a serious game unless it has a reversible back. (The reason for this is because flipping certain cards upside down is a foolproof way collaborating cheaters can share information since it's nearly undetectable.)
Some novelty decks (WSOP/WPT), a few old KEM and Congress decks, some Playtime miniature cards from the 60s and 70s, and a couple of Bicycle decks where each suit has its own color (4-color deck)...and a couple of decks of some very garish 1960s cards from TWA airlines....among others....they dont get played with either (I have some 'normal' decks for that....
Anime is one of those things that I probably could get a lot more into if I had a willing partner in crime at it. But without that, there's only so much just sitting there watching stuff by myself that I can take. It's not stimulating enough unless there's a social component to the activity.
Quote from: Duke87 on September 02, 2012, 10:44:07 PM
Anime is one of those things that I probably could get a lot more into if I had a willing partner in crime at it. But without that, there's only so much just sitting there watching stuff by myself that I can take. It's not stimulating enough unless there's a social component to the activity.
i quite agree...my most recent SO didnt like it, and wouldnt even give it a fair shot.....i have had a couple of friends over to my current place, and they seemed to like it, which makes it better to watch...even my favorite series are hard to watch by myself for any length of time.......
Quote from: vtk on September 02, 2012, 06:50:54 PM
Quote from: Mdcastle on September 02, 2012, 03:14:55 PM
Roller Coasters
Riding or designing?
Riding mainly, although I did play around with an old DOS based design program many years ago; I haven't kept up with what's current. I've been to these Six Flags Parks: Great America, Great Adventure, and St. Louis; these Cedar Fair parks: Valleyfair, Carowinds, Worlds of Fun, soon going to Kings Dominion. Also Mount Olympus in WI Dells, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Disney Magic Kingdom.
A few of my favorite in no order: Kingda Ka (SFGAdv), Nitro (SFGAdv), Space Mountain (MK), Nighthawk (Carowinds), Prowler(WOF), Superman (SFGAm and SFGAdv), THe Boss (SFSL), High Roller- just for nostalgia (VF), the Batman Rides (SF)
Buying a model train set this month. Used to have them when I was a teenager.
Quote from: texaskdog on September 03, 2012, 08:43:28 PM
Buying a model train set this month. Used to have them when I was a teenager.
I had an HO train when I was about 15. Still have it, but it's been boxed up for ages. Someday, I'd like to get it out again, plus my dad's O Scale set.
I've got several boxes of O27 stuff in the basement. Haven't had it out in years.
When I lived at home I usually had some form of an HO scale layout running (also N scale when I was younger), but the past couple years that stuff's all remained boxed up. I'd like to take it out more but it's just such a space, time, and money-consuming hobby.
I'm too into model trains and tracks, and I really loved seeing them in restaurants when I was younger.
But I think, as a roadgeek, that maybe I should build myself a model road network in my house. It sure would use up my relatively-large Hot Wheels collection.
How about that idea?
How about both? I've always spent a good chunk of time looking at the roads on model train networks.
Besides being a roadgeek and enjoying hobbies related to roadgeekery (i.e. signs, county collecting, general travel) I also enjoy:
Doing a simulation sports league for all four major North American sports and college football.
DXing Radio and TV.
Watching old news clips on Youtube.
Posting videos of my sim sports league and other subjects on YT.
Weather, especially tornadoes.
Playing video games.
Politics.
As far as collections go, I own around 175 sports jerseys including a few game-worn jerseys.
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/314773_858007569246_855906471_n.jpg)
Going along with that, I also have a collection of 40+ hats. New Era and Mitchell & Ness are my brands of choice.
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s720x720/209006_858006720946_322106533_n.jpg)
Traveling to sporting events (I've seen my undergraduate school's basketball team play in 27 different arenas); maps and other geography-related interests; and sports logo/uniform design.
Is that an autographed traffic cone?
Quote from: vtk on September 10, 2012, 03:09:43 AM
Is that an autographed traffic cone?
Haha, technically yes, but just by me and my friends. I followed my college's basketball team down for a game against University of Miami a few years ago. We won and it was a pretty big early-season upset, and I, uh, "appropriated" one of the traffic cones from the arena's parking lot. I put the score of the game and some quotes from the trip on the "Victory Cone" and we all signed it.
Temporary traffic control and college sports...together at last!
Ponies! :D
I expected a lot of the folks here to be railfans, model railroad enthusiasts, history geeks and sign/license plate/signal collectors. And ham radio enthusiasts because it seems so popular among railfans as well. But now, trekkies, bronies (which I didn't really expect to see outside of deviantART, facebook and furry sites), anime fans, math and geometry enthusiasts, collectors of all sorts (coins, cards, dice, hats, jerseys), fanfic authors and all sorts of role players (D&D, Magic, even live action)... Wow! We're a lot geekier than I initially thought we all were.
Well, I'm a computer programmer, which means that, just like other developers, I also do some of that in my spare time.
I'm a railfan as well. I take pictures of trains and railroads, and I clinch passenger routes, including light rail and subways. I have a disused CSX mainline and siding as my back door neighbour (currently used for forming trains that don't fit in our short intermodal yard). I'm also a plane spotter at times, especially around YUL and YOW. Didn't check YYZ out yet. I'm into those two hobbies enough to be buying an FM scanner.
Once I make enough room in the house, I'll start collecting signs. I already have some license plates, I just haven't unboxed them since moving in. Once I move out of here, I hope to start a signal collection and maybe a HO scale train set.
Speaking of which, I have a project with a friend of mine of building a G scale train set. I want to start designing the layout this winter, so I'm reading a lot online about that.
In sports, I do around 20 days of downhill skiing every winter (used to be 45 when I worked as an instructor), and do volunteer work for a major French Canadian skiing website (which is entirely volunteer-run, in fact).
Quote from: Darkchylde on September 11, 2012, 03:54:38 AM
Ponies! :D
At what level of geekdom do I exist, that I immediately thought of the
White Ugliness track on Frank Zappa's album
Lumpy Gravy?
Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on September 11, 2012, 09:18:13 AM
... Wow! We're a lot geekier than I initially thought we all were.
Nah, seems to be par for the course. Not terribly surprised, there's may of the same people with similar interests at many of the car/racing sites I belong to, but each of us has their side-interests.
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 07, 2012, 10:20:42 PM
I'm too into model trains and tracks, and I really loved seeing them in restaurants when I was younger.
But I think, as a roadgeek, that maybe I should build myself a model road network in my house. It sure would use up my relatively-large Hot Wheels collection.
How about that idea?
they should have little road/highway sets for us :) I left Minnesota in 2006 and mom claims nothing of mine is left there so they probably all got throw out, N & HO. Asked for one for Christmas!
The thread did ask for our other unusual hobbies.
Things like golf and fishing and video games and poker and fantasy football aren't really unusual, but I'm sure we all still have "ordinary" hobbies like that.
Going to the supermarket to buy a couple of Hot Wheels every one out of five visits is quite unusal in itself, provided I'm a young adult (which I am).
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 11, 2012, 11:21:45 PM
Going to the supermarket to buy a couple of Hot Wheels every one out of five visits is quite unusal in itself, provided I'm a young adult (which I am).
it was one out of every one visit until I was about 18.
Quote from: Steve on September 11, 2012, 11:34:06 PM
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 11, 2012, 11:21:45 PM
Going to the supermarket to buy a couple of Hot Wheels every one out of five visits is quite unusal in itself, provided I'm a young adult (which I am).
it was one out of every one visit until I was about 18.
I never got into them, but I do note that they recently went over $1 each....
:verymad:
:-P
Mike
Quote from: ce929wax on September 09, 2012, 08:18:00 PM
Watching old news clips on Youtube.
Weather, especially tornadoes.
These, too. Just the other day I found myself watching TWC Hurricane Katrina coverage on YouTube, from when it first strengthened into a Category 5 to when it was almost downgraded to a tropical storm in central Mississippi.
Quote from: formulanone on August 04, 2012, 05:20:03 AM
Quote from: Steve on August 04, 2012, 01:57:59 AM
* coin collecting
Same here, although I'm less involved with it in the past decade or so, except for the state quarters. In a few years, I'll hand down some stuff to my kids (it will be very hard for them to spend foreign currency, although I used to give/trade samples to my friends as a kid.)
Me three. Still go through rolls and have found some die varieties....but finding silver trumps it all.
-Keeping track of older-date coins I come across, via a spreadsheet.
-Photographing different fonts and different shaping of outlines on FL route markers
-Collecting Garbage (the band) memorabilia
-Collecting new/used stamps and metered mail squares, and cancels from Florida and anything artsy on a First Day Cover.
Quote from: mgk920 on September 12, 2012, 02:25:34 PM
Quote from: Steve on September 11, 2012, 11:34:06 PM
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 11, 2012, 11:21:45 PM
Going to the supermarket to buy a couple of Hot Wheels every one out of five visits is quite unusal in itself, provided I'm a young adult (which I am).
it was one out of every one visit until I was about 18.
I never got into them, but I do note that they recently went over $1 each....
:verymad:
:-P
Mike
How recently, in which place? Twelve years ago they were already $1.19 to $1.29 in NYC area. Yes, I still remember this.
I collect the old insulators from telephone poles and I know of at least one other insulator collector (Truvelo) on these forums.
I also build scale models and am interested in meteorology (my dream vacation is to go on one of those tornado chasing tours) and astronomy.
And for decades, I've researched the history and evolution of rock music and its performers. I especially like heavy metal.
Quote from: hm insulators on September 12, 2012, 05:43:15 PM
And for decades, I've researched the history and evolution of rock music and its performers. I especially like heavy metal.
thus the "hm" in your username?
count me in as a metalhead - I've been to hundreds of concerts. I think Overkill is the band I've seen the most; at least 30 times.
What kind of metal? I like old school metal like Maiden and Priest, and a lot of thrash metal. I don't like a lot of death metal or black metal. I don't consider nu-metal as a true subgenre of metal: it's a fusion of bad alternative music and hip hop.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 12, 2012, 05:59:39 PM
Quote from: hm insulators on September 12, 2012, 05:43:15 PM
And for decades, I've researched the history and evolution of rock music and its performers. I especially like heavy metal.
thus the "hm" in your username?
count me in as a metalhead - I've been to hundreds of concerts. I think Overkill is the band I've seen the most; at least 30 times.
That's what the "hm" in my username stands for. And like Bugo, I prefer the older stuff, like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Rush, AC/DC, UFO and many more from that era.
all excellent choices!
while debatable on whether or not they are metal, I'm also a big fan of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 12, 2012, 06:26:04 PM
all excellent choices!
while debatable on whether or not they are metal, I'm also a big fan of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.
I always thought of Led Zeppelin as a heavy metal band, albeit one that did far more than just heavy metal. Some of my favorite Zeppelin songs such as "That's the Way" are the more obscure mellower ones. And Deep Purple was definitely a heavy metal band, although Deep Purple themselves have always hated that label.
I've always thought the exact hair-splitting discussion on where heavy metal begins is pretty useless... if you like the music, great!
another band who has never embraced the "heavy metal" label is Motorhead, but they sure as hell rock!
indeed, Zeppelin has some great mellower songs. Down by the Seaside comes to mind.
AC/DC are NOT metal. They're a blues band.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on September 11, 2012, 06:38:07 PM
The thread did ask for our other unusual hobbies.
Things like golf and fishing and video games and poker and fantasy football aren't really unusual, but I'm sure we all still have "ordinary" hobbies like that.
To be an anime fan at 53 is rather unusual....i even attended Ohayocon the last couple of years (not in cosplay...there are NO anime characters i could play at MY age other than maybe Tenchi's faher...or grandfather!...and i would be a MOST unconvincing Gourry!
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 12, 2012, 07:12:49 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on September 11, 2012, 06:38:07 PM
The thread did ask for our other unusual hobbies.
Things like golf and fishing and video games and poker and fantasy football aren't really unusual, but I'm sure we all still have "ordinary" hobbies like that.
To be an anime fan at 53 is rather unusual....i even attended Ohayocon the last couple of years (not in cosplay...there are NO anime characters i could play at MY age other than maybe Tenchi's faher...or grandfather!...and i would be a MOST unconvincing Gourry!
Couldn't you just dress up as a generic perverted old sensei?
I've been to one anime con myself: Matsuricon. What's probably a bit weirder is I've been to three conventions centered around the Disney cartoon Gargoyles.
Quote from: bugo on September 12, 2012, 06:49:35 PM
AC/DC are NOT metal. They're a blues band.
In my opinion, more hard rock. Still, AC/DC and the other bands hm insulators listed are excellent choices. It's by far better than today's music.
Never heard of UFO though.
But my #1 favorite will, and always will be, the original British Pink Floyd. To me, it is its own genre. I don't listen to other Pink Floyd bands though, they are wannabes.
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 12, 2012, 11:29:09 PM
Never heard of UFO though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a1F8T5kzxM&feature=related
especially check out the title track!
Quote from: Steve on September 12, 2012, 05:07:55 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 12, 2012, 02:25:34 PM
Quote from: Steve on September 11, 2012, 11:34:06 PM
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 11, 2012, 11:21:45 PM
Going to the supermarket to buy a couple of Hot Wheels every one out of five visits is quite unusal in itself, provided I'm a young adult (which I am).
it was one out of every one visit until I was about 18.
I never got into them, but I do note that they recently went over $1 each....
:verymad:
:-P
Mike
How recently, in which place? Twelve years ago they were already $1.19 to $1.29 in NYC area. Yes, I still remember this.
A couple of retailers here in the Appleton, WI area.
Mike
Quote from: vtk on September 12, 2012, 10:29:50 PM
Quote from: ctsignguy on September 12, 2012, 07:12:49 PM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on September 11, 2012, 06:38:07 PM
The thread did ask for our other unusual hobbies.
Things like golf and fishing and video games and poker and fantasy football aren't really unusual, but I'm sure we all still have "ordinary" hobbies like that.
To be an anime fan at 53 is rather unusual....i even attended Ohayocon the last couple of years (not in cosplay...there are NO anime characters i could play at MY age other than maybe Tenchi's faher...or grandfather!...and i would be a MOST unconvincing Gourry!
Couldn't you just dress up as a generic perverted old sensei?
I've been to one anime con myself: Matsuricon. What's probably a bit weirder is I've been to three conventions centered around the Disney cartoon Gargoyles.
Perverted old sensei? maybe the pervert teacher from Azumanga Daioh? Possibly.....
I had also attended a few previous Ohayocons, including the first one in Cleveland way back in the day, plus four Anime North cons in Toronto, plus the CN Anime/SciFi Con when the Pope.....erm, William Shatner.... made an appearance.....
Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 12, 2012, 05:59:39 PM
Quote from: hm insulators on September 12, 2012, 05:43:15 PM
And for decades, I've researched the history and evolution of rock music and its performers. I especially like heavy metal.
thus the "hm" in your username?
count me in as a metalhead - I've been to hundreds of concerts. I think Overkill is the band I've seen the most; at least 30 times.
That is overkill.
Quote from: bugo on September 12, 2012, 06:49:35 PM
AC/DC are NOT metal. They're a blues band.
With a harder edge. I'd describe Led Zep as the same.
Quote from: vtk on August 03, 2012, 09:45:07 PM
* Nudism
TMI, brah, TMI. I like to walk around my apartment with nothing but underwear on when I'm alone, but I wouldn't consider it a hobby.
Quote from: US71 on August 03, 2012, 09:56:00 PM
Well, collecting comics or matchbook covers is not that unusual. I do, however, like to watch friends beat each other with sticks ;)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.staticflickr.com%2F2213%2F2399366318_a2018d6b52_z_d.jpg&hash=3569b4248aa517c297668fa6b3a5ec7d3ff2fba7)
Now THAT is weird.
Quote from: NYYPhil777 on September 11, 2012, 11:21:45 PM
Going to the supermarket to buy a couple of Hot Wheels every one out of five visits is quite unusal in itself, provided I'm a young adult (which I am).
I collected 1/64 cars for a while. I have a lot of Hot Wheels but I prefer the more expensive, more detailed brands like Johnny Lightning.
Quote from: bugo on November 28, 2013, 10:06:57 PM
It's SPUI. Of course he's trolling. That's what SPUIs do.
I really, really, really, REALLY want to make that my signature, but I'm sure I'd be forced to change it.
I collect coins, dice, and rubber bands.
I am also a fan of public transit. Even if we have a car, I still need to take public transit to get myself to school.
Only a few months ago (when class started in September) did I start taking the TTC regularly, but now I've made a transit log of every route I've ever done, which includes what route, the bus/streetcar/train car's fleet number, the time on, time off, number of stops, and any unusual occurences along the way (I record passenger assistance alarms, announcements of trains being taken out of service at the most arbitrary times, by how much time I miss the train when transferring, etc.).
And I have a copy of the TTC Subway Rider Efficiency Guide (http://ttcrider.ca), which is basically a map of every station exit from the platform level. Very useful during rush hour mornings when I have to race against hundreds of other people getting off at Bloor.
I now also have a complete map of Finch station, the one I regularly use to enter the subway system from my place. Every escalator, elevator, staircase, street exit, bus bay, etc. so if I have to go to <insert place here>, I know which bus at which platform to take, and which form of vertical transportation I need to take to get there.
Also, who the hell is SPUI?
SPUI's the one with his hand up me arse.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-B5z9_NhWuKI%2FUUIbYr3p-FI%2FAAAAAAAALXA%2FdBYpq5T3Rl8%2Fs400%2Fjdaniel4smom_king_puck_sock_puppet.jpg&hash=d5dc829a12fea302203341c58792e54fee0aec70)
Christmas lights, as in the programming to music. If you've seen the email forwards and the youtube clips of lights flashing to music, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Simply hook up a small transmitter to the volume output of my PC, and the music (or any other sound from the computer) gets broadcasted to cars outside the house watching the lights. I should post a few videos here of some of the handywork. My goal is to have the lights up by Thanksgiving, but I've been under the weather for the past week, and with the weather being cold & wet here lately, I'll be lucky to have the lights functioning by the end of this weekend.
Quote from: bugo on November 28, 2013, 09:50:21 PM
Quote from: US71 on August 03, 2012, 09:56:00 PM
Well, collecting comics or matchbook covers is not that unusual. I do, however, like to watch friends beat each other with sticks ;)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.staticflickr.com%2F2213%2F2399366318_a2018d6b52_z_d.jpg&hash=3569b4248aa517c297668fa6b3a5ec7d3ff2fba7)
Now THAT is weird.
I like the guy in the background. He looks super bored.
At one time I tracked bills. Euro bills, as it is the easiest currency to track here :sombrero:. I may restart soon.
Now I'm tracking tropical cyclones (Hurricanes, typhoons). I was very impressed with hurricane Sandy last year, and with the powerful typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) earlier this month.
Quote from: Scott5114 on November 29, 2013, 02:57:09 PM
Quote from: bugo on November 28, 2013, 09:50:21 PM
Quote from: US71 on August 03, 2012, 09:56:00 PM
Well, collecting comics or matchbook covers is not that unusual. I do, however, like to watch friends beat each other with sticks ;)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.staticflickr.com%2F2213%2F2399366318_a2018d6b52_z_d.jpg&hash=3569b4248aa517c297668fa6b3a5ec7d3ff2fba7)
Now THAT is weird.
I like the guy in the background. He looks super bored.
And I make the armour for people who hit each other with sticks, and blades.
www.jamesriverarmoury.com
I also raise ducks for an income.
Also I like to realign sports league and replay their seasons, using random numbers. I started with my own regional league, then projected out the USFL (up to 2001 so far), and working on the NFL geographic replay (up to 1988). Of course then I discovered fantasy football this year which being a statistics junkie has been a lot of fun. Little knowledge and my first year in, and we're 8-4 and headed for the playoffs!
Part of my long absence on here (say, the last year of it or do) has been due to my participation in another forum–a forum dedicated to my latest interest, traditional wet shaving. I now shave with a safety razor using double-edge blades, make my own lather using a brush, and own an assortment of creams and soaps from around the world.
I am an Adult Fan of Lego (AFOL). Building Lego layouts and browsing all of the online MOCs (My Own Creations) that others have done probably takes up more of my time than roadgeeking. I do spend more time on the AARoads forum than my limited number of posts would suggest, though.
My interest in Lego of course started off as a kid. I would build town layouts complete with traffic lights and freeway interchanges (this was also one of my first roadgeek activities). As an adult my interests have moved more to Lego Classic Space models (spaceships, bases, etc...)
Unusual hobbies? I buy old (pre-1990) sets of Christmas lights any chance I get.
CB radios aren't really a thing anymore, so I suppose that could be considered unusual these days. I have 7 CBs and am always looking to acquire more.
I suppose being 30 and still being into model trains could be seen as unusual.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 06, 2015, 01:49:34 PM
I suppose being 30 and still being into model trains could be seen as unusual.
No way! I would have a layout up and running...and I had one for a few years until my child was about 2 or 3...but now I don't have the space or the money.
There are people of all ages with model train layouts. Not strange at all.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on February 06, 2015, 01:49:34 PM
Unusual hobbies? I buy old (pre-1990) sets of Christmas lights any chance I get.
I probably saved a few of my parents' very old sets, but I'd be afraid of burning my house down if I used them. Are old lights safe?
Just don't string too many sets together and you'll be fine. They didn't have fuses in the plugs before the mid '80s, for the most part. As a result, most of the fires started by these lights were started by the wiring overheating and subsequently catching fire, rather than just the heat of the bulbs.
I have a few.
I'm a pretty avid railfan and "crossing-fan". I'm probably more interested in crossing signals than the trains themselves. I actually help make webpages for a site for railroad crossings around the US (and somewhat around the world, but it doesn't go much farther than a couple of crossings in Canada, the UK, and Australia).
I like looking at and collecting traffic lights as well, but I'm not sure if this counts.
I also like looking at HVAC units and collecting fans.
Another thing that I like to do is LEGOs and model railroading.
I'm also somewhat of an urban explorer, but I prefer looking at abandoned infrastructure (abandoned railroads, roads, traffic lights, sign posts, etc.) than abandoned buildings. Partially because going into abandoned buildings would be detrimental to my health as I have a dust allergy.
I also like browsing Google Street View in my free time.
EDIT: Another thing that I forgot to mention is that I'm also interested in outdoor/indoor warning sirens.
Quote from: kphoger on February 04, 2015, 05:53:22 PMPart of my long absence on here (say, the last year of it or so) has been due to my participation in another forum–a forum dedicated to my latest interest, traditional wet shaving. I now shave with a safety razor using double-edge blades, make my own lather using a brush, and own an assortment of creams and soaps from around the world.
Welcome back!
I have been posting here a little less often recently since I have accepted maintenance responsibilities for a family vehicle fleet that includes a 2005 Toyota Camry and a 2009 Honda Fit as well as my 1994 Saturn SL2. As a result, after a considerable hiatus I have gone back to an old hobby of borrowing factory service manuals so I can skim them and try to understand how various components are supposed to work.
The local public library has a good FSM collection. When I started driving in the early nineties and became interested in cars in general, it was possible to borrow manuals for a cash deposit of $20 per volume. Manuals were also considerably smaller (about the same size as a telephone directory for a medium-sized city for one model and any badge-engineered twins it might have) because electronic control was considerably less sophisticated.
In the intervening 20 years or so, however, the library has adopted a reference-only policy for the motor manuals, and the ones for newer cars are now much larger. The repair manual for the Camry has grown in size from 1775 pages for the 1990 model year to 3889 for 2005; at least a thousand pages' worth of the latter can be attributed to additional diagnostic steps arising from OBD-II (introduced in 1996) and its requirement that trouble codes be set at the beginning rather than the end of component failure. (The 2005 Camry does, however, have a Rube Goldberg air intake system.)
As a result of this bloat and restricted availability, I have had to learn how to navigate online access to service information (AllData and its competitors, as well as the auto manufacturers' Web-based subscription services), and look for other resources that are richer in the higher-level design knowledge I am interested in. Much of my knowledge of how the automatic transmission works in my Saturn actually comes from the four patents that were granted for key parts of the operating logic, and my understanding of how Toyotas have evolved over the past 20 years comes from the "New Car Features" books that are published alongside the repair manuals to explain design innovations.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 12, 2015, 10:22:29 AM
I have a few.
I'm a pretty avid railfan and "crossing-fan". I'm probably more interested in crossing signals than the trains themselves. I actually help make webpages for a site for railroad crossings around the US (and somewhat around the world, but it doesn't go much farther than a couple of crossings in Canada, the UK, and Australia).
I like looking at and collecting traffic lights as well, but I'm not sure if this counts.
I also like looking at HVAC units and collecting fans.
Another thing that I like to do is LEGOs and model railroading.
I'm also somewhat of an urban explorer, but I prefer looking at abandoned infrastructure (abandoned railroads, roads, traffic lights, sign posts, etc.) than abandoned buildings. Partially because going into abandoned buildings would be detrimental to my health as I have a dust allergy.
I also like browsing Google Street View in my free time.
EDIT: Another thing that I forgot to mention is that I'm also interested in outdoor/indoor warning sirens.
After reading that, I wonder if you're my long lost twin? :) Except for the HVAC/fan and abandoned buildings, the rest of the stuff fits me to a tee.
I don't know if being really into Mustangs is considered unusual or not but that's my main hobby/obsession:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi703.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww34%2Fslorydn1%2FMustang%2520Pics%2FIMG_20140222_115113_zps77bb2f4f.jpg&hash=2f1140eff32d73f5b1bea23768bd18d0330c7fa8)
Gray one is mine, the blue one is my wife's. I spend a good part of my time moderating a Mustang related forum, not sure if I am allowed to mention the name of it here so I won't.
I am also heavily into motorsports (from a fans point of view, anyway). My yearly calender of time off from work is heavily centered on race dates. The Daytona 500, the Memorial Day weekend triple (Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500, Coke 600) and the Southern 500 Weekend (now back on Labor Day weekend where it belongs) are sacred holidays in my house, LOL.
Quote from: texaskdog on November 30, 2013, 11:34:24 AMI started with my own regional league, then projected out the USFL (up to 2001 so far)
Do you have to account for still paying Steve Young all that time?
Hmm, unusual. Linguistics might count, as would certain forms of obscure folk/world music, I guess.
Quote from: DaBigE on February 15, 2015, 03:35:32 PM
Quote from: freebrickproductions on February 12, 2015, 10:22:29 AM
I have a few.
I'm a pretty avid railfan and "crossing-fan". I'm probably more interested in crossing signals than the trains themselves. I actually help make webpages for a site for railroad crossings around the US (and somewhat around the world, but it doesn't go much farther than a couple of crossings in Canada, the UK, and Australia).
I like looking at and collecting traffic lights as well, but I'm not sure if this counts.
I also like looking at HVAC units and collecting fans.
Another thing that I like to do is LEGOs and model railroading.
I'm also somewhat of an urban explorer, but I prefer looking at abandoned infrastructure (abandoned railroads, roads, traffic lights, sign posts, etc.) than abandoned buildings. Partially because going into abandoned buildings would be detrimental to my health as I have a dust allergy.
I also like browsing Google Street View in my free time.
EDIT: Another thing that I forgot to mention is that I'm also interested in outdoor/indoor warning sirens.
After reading that, I wonder if you're my long lost twin? :) Except for the HVAC/fan and abandoned buildings, the rest of the stuff fits me to a tee.
If one of your ancestors is from the Looney family, you might be! :rofl:
Reading this list, it makes me feel like having a garden is unusual in this milieu.
Geocaching is a big one. Weather and basketball and football are up at the top as well.
I've just gotten into progressive rock and classic rock, and I feel it will be a big part of my life. I'm 17 by the way.
Maps have always been in interest to me so that's why I like roads and would love to go all over the world.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 16, 2015, 02:22:57 PMReading this list, it makes me feel like having a garden is unusual in this milieu.
So are cooking and having an interest in single-origin 100% arabica coffees.
Quote from: dcbjms on February 15, 2015, 06:07:28 PM
Hmm, unusual. Linguistics might count, as would certain forms of obscure folk/world music, I guess.
Both of those for me, too.
Quote from: geocachingpirate on February 16, 2015, 03:38:58 PM
I've just gotten into progressive rock
Thick as a Brick. End thread.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on February 16, 2015, 06:31:43 PM
Quote from: NE2 on February 16, 2015, 06:26:42 PM
Quote from: geocachingpirate on February 16, 2015, 03:38:58 PM
I've just gotten into progressive rock
Thick as a Brick. End thread.
Close To The Edge is better.
I'm listening to Close To The Edge currently, so I guess you lost NE2. I really was thinking about listening to Thick as a Brick though...
Quote from: NE2 on February 16, 2015, 06:26:42 PM
Quote from: geocachingpirate on February 16, 2015, 03:38:58 PM
I've just gotten into progressive rock
Thick as a Brick. End thread.
The progressive in "Thick as a Brick" is that it blows your mind at 15 and sounds progressively sillier from then on.
As I realized in the Strange Habits thread, finding excellent hot dog places is a pastime of mine, though admittedly one I pursued mostly before the inevitable metabolic slowdown of age started kicking in.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 17, 2015, 09:15:05 AM
As I realized in the Strange Habits thread, finding excellent hot dog places is a pastime of mine, though admittedly one I pursued mostly before the inevitable metabolic slowdown of age started kicking in.
There's one in the center of Salem, MA. It is near Ben & Jerry's and the Griffen Theater. (I forget the name of the hot dog place.)
Boston Hot Dog. It's OK.
In your neck of the woods, try Lawton's if it's still there. One of the few rippers in this region.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 16, 2015, 02:22:57 PM
Reading this list, it makes me feel like having a garden is unusual in this milieu.
My wife-to-be and I grew a garden last year (my 1st in almost 30 years). We're gonna try another one this year once winter finally gets the hell outta here.
Quote from: cjk374 on February 23, 2015, 09:20:40 PM
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 16, 2015, 02:22:57 PM
Reading this list, it makes me feel like having a garden is unusual in this milieu.
My wife-to-be and I grew a garden last year (my 1st in almost 30 years). We're gonna try another one this year once winter finally gets the hell outta here.
Trying to make nature do your bidding is a lot like trying to manage human travel–complicated, frustrating, and futile, but irresistibly compelling.
Freebrick, I qualify for most of your list as well...
"I'm a pretty avid railfan and 'crossing-fan'. I'm probably more interested in crossing signals than the trains themselves..."
Me too. I'm a little more into the infrastructure and trains than I used to be, but I'm still bigger into the signs & signals
"I like looking at and collecting traffic lights as well"
Again, Same here. I have a collection of 30 signals currently and have had plenty more pass through my hands over the years. Signs too.
"I also like looking at...and collecting fans."
I've had some weird obsession with fans from a very young age. I strongly dislike the fact that 4-bladed ceiling fans (expecially in the 52" variety) are so hard to find anymore. And some of the modern fans are so ugly
"Another thing that I like to do is LEGOs and model railroading."
Back in my younger days, yes. I can see my sons following in my footsteps, so that may be something I get back into for their sake.
"I'm also somewhat of an urban explorer..."
I, too, like the old, unused, decrepit, and abandoned. Roads, signage, buildings, you name it. I won't go into abandoned buildings because I want to stay on the right side of the law, but all of that stuff fascinates me. I like to stop and think about what those things and places looked like in their glory days. I'll even document some current stuff if it happens to catch my eye, because you just never know. Lately I've been getting into abandoned/repurposed retail stores.
About the only thing I have to add to that is that I have a strong interest in school buses. I've taken thousands of photos of buses and am fortunate to have worked in school transportation for the last 14 years and was able to make it into a career.
I don't think growing a garden is an unusual hobby. My dad raised a huge garden for many years, up until about three years before he went to a nursing home and five years before he died. He grew several varieties of sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes, and all kinds of other things. In the past he had grown potatoes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, onions and a bunch of other vegetables. We never had to buy produce from the store because we had plenty either canned or in the freezer. I helped every year with the garden until I moved away, but I didn't inherit my dad's green thumb, nor his interest in raising a garden.
I toy with the idea of setting up a herb and vegetable garden. Some spices that it is useful to have access to, such as mint for tabbouleh, are quite expensive to buy at the supermarket. Home-grown tomatoes in season also have a definite taste advantage over vine tomatoes purchased at the grocery store, which are typically imported from Mexico, and are crucial for fresh tomato dishes like Greek salad. However, our garden is unfenced and the rabbits in the neighborhood really like mint and tomatoes. Moreover, the other members of the family are more into ornamentals than growing food.
Quote from: NE2 on February 16, 2015, 06:26:42 PM
End thread.
This never works.
Quote from: J N Winkler on February 24, 2015, 02:10:59 PM
I toy with the idea of setting up a herb and vegetable garden.
My wife and I can't keep anything alive (except our children, fortunately). Goldfish, herbs: you name it, we kill it.
Quote from: NE2 on February 16, 2015, 06:26:42 PM
Quote from: geocachingpirate on February 16, 2015, 03:38:58 PM
I've just gotten into progressive rock
Thick as a Brick. End thread.
How does one define "progressive rock?"
A lot of people consider Rush to be progressive, but I'm not sure at what point their music turned the corner. It's true their music evolved, and there was a rather harsh turn between "Moving Pictures" and "Signals," or should that be "Permanent Waves" and "Moving Pictures?", but the evolution was less marked between each of their albums prior to "Permanent Waves."
OK, I don't know where to put this on the AAR, but I wanna share commercials from around the world.
(They happen to be in another language, bear with me, some of you may be familiar with these languages).
From Japan (2000s-10s), a few of them were very popular at one time on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FcYTprT5QI
From France (1980s), one had a tourist ad for Nord Pas-de-Calais, my Dad's home region: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmLkfgdVBCw
and from Chile (1980s) in South America, starts with a Miss Chile pageant contest draw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt1VY7HQt1s
Sorry for the double post...here are more commercials from around the world, these two are from former communist nations.
From the former East Germany of the Soviet bloc in the late 1960s (they watched West German/West Berlin TV over the airwaves).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfnODbvpwDY
And out of the Soviet Union in the 80s (actually from Russia)...has retro new wave beats. Cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzlzx8D4hYw
Quote from: hbelkins on February 25, 2015, 03:45:21 PM
Quote from: NE2 on February 16, 2015, 06:26:42 PM
Quote from: geocachingpirate on February 16, 2015, 03:38:58 PM
I've just gotten into progressive rock
Thick as a Brick. End thread.
How does one define "progressive rock?"
A lot of people consider Rush to be progressive, but I'm not sure at what point their music turned the corner. It's true their music evolved, and there was a rather harsh turn between "Moving Pictures" and "Signals," or should that be "Permanent Waves" and "Moving Pictures?", but the evolution was less marked between each of their albums prior to "Permanent Waves."
"Power Windows" for me was the "What the hell happened to Rush?" album. Though in hindsight, it wasn't just Rush. Album-oriented rock as a radio format was dying, and it took prog down with it.
Quote from: kurumi on March 03, 2015, 11:01:10 PM
"Power Windows" for me was the "What the hell happened to Rush?" album. Though in hindsight, it wasn't just Rush. Album-oriented rock as a radio format was dying, and it took prog down with it.
Yeah, I can get that sentiment. "Signals" wasn't as much of a departure from "Moving Pictures" as "Power Windows" was from "Signals."
And the last post of my worldwide commercial show.
From 1980s South Africa (these are in English), so I got the continent of Africa covered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUHeE1aID80
And finally in North America, a French-language Canadian ad for Pepsi (2009).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTQIK4Ksb4M
Pepsi and diet pepsi are said to outsell Coca-Cola or coke in Quebec...here's a diet pepsi ad (1985).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul-Sh1y2cS8
One more: Sailor Moon commercials from 1990s Japan (Sailor Stars, out of other editions).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONUVMin4QoE
Quote from: slorydn1 on February 15, 2015, 04:27:56 PM
I don't know if being really into Mustangs is considered unusual or not but that's my main hobby/obsession:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi703.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fww34%2Fslorydn1%2FMustang%2520Pics%2FIMG_20140222_115113_zps77bb2f4f.jpg&hash=2f1140eff32d73f5b1bea23768bd18d0330c7fa8)
Gray one is mine, the blue one is my wife's. I spend a good part of my time moderating a Mustang related forum, not sure if I am allowed to mention the name of it here so I won't.
I am also heavily into motorsports (from a fans point of view, anyway). My yearly calender of time off from work is heavily centered on race dates. The Daytona 500, the Memorial Day weekend triple (Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500, Coke 600) and the Southern 500 Weekend (now back on Labor Day weekend where it belongs) are sacred holidays in my house, LOL.
Although I am GM loyalist with a Corvette and a Firebird, you have my fullest respect and admiration. Very nice!
Transitfanning, especially riding rail transit lines in cities far from Washington, D.C. (I seldom ride the Metro for an assortment of boring reasons).
My favorite transit systems in the world are probably London (for large-scale transit in a "world" city) and Stockholm (for having a great transit system in a metropolitan area that is only about a little above 2 million in population).
In the U.S., my favorite is probably San Diego, with a fun trolley system that has gotten pretty large.
Quote from: Mike D boy on March 04, 2015, 08:45:55 PMAnd finally in North America, a French-language Canadian ad for Pepsi (2009).
This Pepsi ad basically covers the history of Quebec between the introduction of Pepsi in the province and the ad's airing (2009). Since the ad is in French and its contents need some local context to be understood, here's a translation and some annotations:
1934: Eddy Melançon takes the first Pepsi bottle out of the Montreal plant.
In '40: Women obtain the right to vote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_suffrage#Canada), and men, that of doing the dishes.
'52: The Great Mass of Saturday Night (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockey_Night_in_Canada#Television) begins.
The next day: The Tremblays have a family dinner in Chicoutimi; it smells of tourtière all the way to Matane. [Tourtière is a Quebec local dish (a sort of meat pie) originating from Chicoutimi and traditionally consumed during the winter holidays; Matane is 160 miles east of Chicoutimi as the crow flies, but a 237-mile drive with a ferry across the St. Lawrence, or 381 miles with no ferry.]
'57: The Great Antonio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Antonio) proves us that everything is in the hair.
Over a decade: Education, electricity, Metro, Expo, and... (Charles de Gaulle: "Long live free Quebec!") [Education: The introduction of the CÉGEP, a free state-run college-level institution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CEGEP); Electricity: The construction of several large power dams in Northern Québec by state-run Hydro-Québec (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydro-Qu%C3%A9bec#The_1960s_and_1970s); Metro: Opening of the Montreal Metro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Metro) just ahead of: Expo: "Man and His World", the 1967 Universal Exposition/World Fair in Montreal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_67); De Gaulle: "Vive le Québec libre" is a wildly popular excerpt from the French President's speech at Expo 67 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vive_le_Qu%C3%A9bec_libre).]
In '69: The Expos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Expos)' first game. ("Good night, she's goooooone!") ["Bonsoir, elle est partie!" is commentator Rodger Brulotte (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodger_Brulotte)'s catchphrase.]
In '70: Everyone was gone! [Possibly a reference to hippies being high, or I'm missing something]
March 4, '71: The Storm of the Century (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Canadian_Blizzard_of_March_1971). The snowbirds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowbird_%28person%29) handle it well. [Opinion: I consider the 1998 storm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Ice_Storm_of_1998) to be more important and the actual storm of the century, but I might be biased because I lived right in the middle of the Dark Triangle and had no power for weeks.]
The age of majority becomes 18 (http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/ilp-pji/hist/), the youth [uncertain French].
'77: Bill 101 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_of_the_French_Language), we French! [A reference to the fact that Quebecers use the English word "French" to refer to French kisses.]
'78: Little René (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Simard)'s haircut is all the rage.
'79: Youppi! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youppi!) [The Expos' mascot, who later became the Canadiens' mascot after the baseball team's move to Washington to become the Nationals]
In '84, it's the Meunier-mania. [Comedian Claude Meunier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Meunier) appeared in many Quebec market Pepsi ads]
At the same time, the Poutine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine) War is fought. [Refers to the disputed claims of origin of the popular local dish between central Quebec cities Drummondville, Victoriaville and Warwick] (Excerpt from Quebec film The Dog Who Stopped The War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dog_Who_Stopped_the_War): "War, war... that's not a reason to hurt each other! (http://www.film.com/movies/craziest-things-built-by-kids-in-movies)")
'86: We earn $4.35 an hour. [Minimum wage is introduced (http://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/en/wages-pay-and-work/wages/history-of-the-minimum-wage/index.html)]
Meanwhile, the Queen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_tours_of_Canada_by_the_Canadian_Royal_Family#Elizabeth_II), the Pope (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pastoral_visits_of_Pope_John_Paul_II_outside_Italy#1980s) and even the Bonhomme (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Winter_Carnival) salute Quebec!
In 2000, Pierced Rock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perc%C3%A9_Rock) remains... pierced.
2005: We Surf on the St. Lawrence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67_%28standing_wave%29). [Habitat 67 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67) housing complex in the background]
2009: Mathieu buys a Pepsi and takes a big sip; man, you're already part of History and you'll change it for the better.
Here, it's Pepsi. ["Ici, c'est Pepsi" is their Quebec market slogan, referring to their local popularity over competitor Coca-Cola]
Now time to discuss an avid fascination with postal zip codes and telephone area codes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Numbering_Plan_area_codes#700.E2.80.93799
Example of the super-long article enlisted them one by one, but take a shortcut to the 700's and here you find my 760 represents the California Desert and parts of the Inland Empire, Cal. and San Diego area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_area_codes
California has a total of 30-32(?) telephone area codes, the most of any state.
Formerly it was 213 since the area code system started after WWII (1945) when long distance calling service was pefected, then it was part of 714 (Orange County, San Diego and Riverside) in the 1960s and 70s and 619 (for San Diego) in the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. In around 1990, the Riverside area got 909 and around 2000, it got 951 while 909 still is for the San Bernardino area.
760 is the largest area code in the contiguous US, while 907 of Alaska is the true largest and 780 for Canada covers the sparsely populated Arctic region (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).
I've started to take a mild interest in Mexican area codes. The most interesting thing to me so far is that many area codes straddle state lines, presumably in locations where a small locale is more culturally tied to a town in a neighboring state than any within the state. I haven't yet mapped them out in enough detail to say for sure that's the reasoning. Yet. (I actually spent quite some time on the computer downstairs today, preparing rudimentary maps for future refinements in this study.)
Best. commercial. ever. (musical! artistic! and from the Philippines in the 1990s).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzv1R_6tIdY
Mine is checking out the Abandoned Oklahoma site. Seen abandoned stuff on the road and wanna visit it. (I usually tell my parents who are driving and say "That sign is faded! It doesn't apply anymore!")
Quote from: Mike D boy on April 01, 2015, 08:43:40 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzv1R_6tIdY
I'm from the Philippines and how have I not seen this before? :)
i can add one more collection on my list....old calculators from the 1970s into the early 80s.....the ones with the LED displays....
The early calculators came out in my junior and high-school days, and kids could spend hours playing with the displays of TI, HP, Commodore and other brands....
Still have my first calculator too...an old Criag that cost me $175 in 1972 and did the basic four functions...and used a LOT of AA batteries!.
Speaking of unusual hobbies...I'm one of those strange creatures called TV Guide-ologists (collectors, in other words :)). Most of my collection is Canada/US, but I've got some from Mexico, the UK, Australia, and some European countries...I collect both TVGs and supplements, I also post listings from them on my blog at tvlistingsarchive.blogspot.ca (http://tvlistingsarchive.blogspot.ca) (Canadian URL, it may be blogspot.com south of the border).
I found an X-Men book that has a bunch of issues from the early 80s (albeit printed in black & white). Kitty of course was 14 and Peter was 19 and yeah a crush would be okay but they are always kissing. Professor X apparently has no problem with this. The last one I read her parents were transferring her out. I wonder why lol but dang where were the morals back then?
Thanks Wikipedia I wasn't the only one: Kitty expressed a romantic love interest in Colossus early into her time with the X-Men. This did not sit well with Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief at the time, Jim Shooter, who disapproved of the suggestion that a nineteen-year-old boy was sleeping with a fourteen-year-old girl.[54] Kitty had in fact directly propositioned Colossus in Uncanny X-Men #165, when they were both infected with Brood embryos and seemingly doomed to die: Kitty, aware of the taboo of their romantic relationship, made the plea that if she were older it would not be a problem, but Colossus refused–offering only a passionate kiss–saying "However, little one, you are not older". This did not stop the relationship from continuing, as the two were spotted once again passionately kissing in an apparent formalization of their romantic involvement.[55]
....I guess pedophilia wasn't touched upon in comics back then.
Quote from: texaskdog on July 18, 2016, 08:33:17 AM
I found an X-Men book that has a bunch of issues from the early 80s (albeit printed in black & white). Kitty of course was 14 and Peter was 19 and yeah a crush would be okay but they are always kissing. Professor X apparently has no problem with this. The last one I read her parents were transferring her out. I wonder why lol but dang where were the morals back then?
Thanks Wikipedia I wasn't the only one: Kitty expressed a romantic love interest in Colossus early into her time with the X-Men. This did not sit well with Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief at the time, Jim Shooter, who disapproved of the suggestion that a nineteen-year-old boy was sleeping with a fourteen-year-old girl.[54] Kitty had in fact directly propositioned Colossus in Uncanny X-Men #165, when they were both infected with Brood embryos and seemingly doomed to die: Kitty, aware of the taboo of their romantic relationship, made the plea that if she were older it would not be a problem, but Colossus refused–offering only a passionate kiss–saying "However, little one, you are not older". This did not stop the relationship from continuing, as the two were spotted once again passionately kissing in an apparent formalization of their romantic involvement.[55]
....I guess pedophilia wasn't touched upon in comics back then.
It has gone beyond "kissing" since then :o
Quote from: texaskdog on July 18, 2016, 08:33:17 AM
I found an X-Men book that has a bunch of issues from the early 80s (albeit printed in black & white). Kitty of course was 14 and Peter was 19 and yeah a crush would be okay but they are always kissing. Professor X apparently has no problem with this.
....I guess pedophilia wasn't touched upon in comics back then.
Attraction to a 14 year old girl isn't pedophilia. At that age she's most of the way through puberty, biologically mostly an adult. Culturally, emotionally, maturity-wise, it's another matter, as our modern ideas of adulthood & maturity make that distinction take longer to attain. So we call this attraction ephebophilia.
My brother was 19 when he developed a romantic relationship with his roommate's 15-year-old sister. Unwise? Probably. Her family nearly pressed charges. But now they're married and have seven kids...
And the very reason I never really got into comic books emerges....or anime...weird ass $#!+. Thankfully it gets toned down on the movie screen or at least the stuff that is actually not creepy gets kept unless it serves a purpose.
I was going to say exploration of ghost towns and mines...but damn that seems mundane now.
1980s Afrikaans-language South African TV commercials (they're of mainly good quality)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiNmIsaRRtA
One piece swimsuits - the competition style suits, e.g. Speedo, Arena, TYR, Funkita, etc.
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/07f10a3e259c23d0efa8418d9c9c2361/tumblr_ol8f077x3K1w3l819o1_1280.jpg)
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/5e5dc8400820ec942b251e396fbe8264/tumblr_ol8dy1q32a1w3l819o1_1280.jpg)
At night on a Los Angeles area AM radio, except KFWB 980 switched to Spanish, clashing with 990 and 1000 also in Spanish. I think 770 AM was WABC New York city, which is rare for east coast radio to reach this far away. And a variety of news, talk, music of many genres and languages (660 AM is in Navajo from their reservation in AZ).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErDCRc1bdms&t=1s
Lots of "invalid" frequencies for me in that radio, as here the AM band goes in 9 kHz increments rather than 10. For example, the closest "valid" frequency to that of KIRN-AM (670) is 666 :evilgrin:.
Was an anime fan for a long time...just can't get into it any more.
My hobby besides roadgeeking? Lighthouses. Enjoy going to new ones, even visited a few (or actually passed a few) in British Columbia three years ago. Inner Passage between mainland BC and Vancouver Island (Victoria) has quite a few.
Languages and grammar; currently Japanese (JLPT N4); while family members collect Pokemon I collect Kanji in my flashcard app.
Music: composing, theory, prog, jazz, karaoke
Large construction machinery, cranes, etc ("cranespotting")
Cycling, hiking
Photography
Creatures: both fictional monsters and "real monsters" (tardigrade, opabinia, siphonophore, cordyceps, etc.)
These are all mainly non-collecting hobbies. But in the past I did collect maps, coins and Lovecraft anthologies. These days a good color scan of a map is just as good as the real thing for me.
This might be evident from some of my road threads I've done but I really enjoy history in general. I particularly enjoy the time period from when the Western Expansion brought on by the California Gold Rush started up really to the mid-20th century. I like to have a good idea about the back of places I go and how they came to be in the first place. I love the designs of buildings and infrastructure from those eras as well. One thing that I always loved about my hometown in Detroit was the Art Deco designs so many buildings have. Modern architecture design is so boring and bland looking by comparison...at least I think so.
In the past few moths, I've taken up a hobby of downvoting cosmetic dentistry ads on YouTube.
I go on biotech forums to look at the biohacking movement, collect harmonicas and modify stick pc's.
http://diy-bio.com/
https://diybio.org/
I liked experimenting with 3-d printers when I was with this group in Benicia
http://beniciamakerspace.org/
http://www.htpcbeginner.com/best-android-media-sticks-2016/
The stick PC reference.
http://www.stickcomputing.com/
Unusual hobbies, Hmm...
I like to take pictures of outlets in odd places and post them on a community on Reddit. I have the link to it, too.
I'm a railfan.
I like to find unused sign posts, and then melt them down into little ingots.
I take numerous pictures of bridge supports.
I take those little placards off telephone poles. Example: (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Pole_Tag_Crisfield_MD_USA.jpg)
I collect unused breaker panels.
And that is it.
Isn't removing the placards illegal?
Quote from: Rothman on April 12, 2017, 08:10:07 AM
Isn't removing the placards illegal?
It's theft (albeit very petty theft) so yes, it is. Judging by the "have you ever stolen a road sign?" thread, however, it seems that a good number of us aren't exactly first-class citizens.
Quote from: Rothman on April 12, 2017, 08:10:07 AM
Isn't removing the placards illegal?
Man.... Delmarva Power is gonna send the pole tag goon squad after him.
Unusual... Well..
I collect roadmaps, but that's roadgeekery related...
Oh, yeah...
I like trains (CRASH VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM)
Quote from: OracleUsr on April 12, 2017, 11:18:06 PM
Oh, yeah...
I like trains (CRASH VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM)
Die, potato.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Is drinking an unusual hobby?
Quote from: sparker on April 26, 2017, 02:36:06 AM
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.)
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).
Quote from: vdeane on April 26, 2017, 01:55:55 PM
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 ;)
Quote from: 1 on April 26, 2017, 06:32:30 AM
Quote from: sparker on April 26, 2017, 02:36:06 AM
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.
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
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.
Quote from: vdeane on April 26, 2017, 01:55:55 PM
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've written a fanfiction story and enjoy reading fanfiction if that counts.
Quote from: Nanis on April 26, 2017, 04:51:10 PM
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.
Quote from: I-39 on April 26, 2017, 09:30:49 PM
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.
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) :)
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on April 26, 2017, 11:17:21 PM
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:
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on April 26, 2017, 05:31:14 AM
Is drinking an unusual hobby?
Reminds me of this :-D
(https://i.imgur.com/EJRY1TD_d.jpg?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=high)
Hahaha, masterful quote of TPB. Maybe it's time for a series re-watch. :hmmm:
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on April 26, 2017, 10:23:16 PM
Quote from: Nanis on April 26, 2017, 04:51:10 PM
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.
Quote from: thenetwork on April 27, 2017, 02:35:37 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on April 26, 2017, 10:23:16 PM
Quote from: Nanis on April 26, 2017, 04:51:10 PM
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.
Quote from: kphoger on April 27, 2017, 10:26:33 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on April 27, 2017, 02:35:37 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on April 26, 2017, 10:23:16 PM
Quote from: Nanis on April 26, 2017, 04:51:10 PM
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 ec
static ;-)) I regularly pick up stations out of Albany and Boston on a day to day basis.
Quote from: Special K on August 06, 2012, 08:21:56 AM
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.
- LEGO building - I have an entire room in my house dedicated to the plastic bricks
- Guitar - I play well, and it passes time
- Eating copious amounts of bagels - :bigass:
- Attempting to reason with a stubborn basset hound who wants food
Are the last two related by any chance? :-D
No, he didn't say he eats a copious amount of beagles...
QuoteAre the last two related by any chance? :-D
Well, often during dinner or lunch, my dog will try to pop up on the table to eat food on the plates. But, most of the time, there is a tactic that my dog uses to get dog treats. In my house, there are two bells hanging on the doors. My dog has been trained to ring those bells when she needs to go outside to go to the bathroom. My dog thought that if she rung the bell, someone would come over and give here some kind of treat. And when that person doesn't give treats to her, she barks until food is given to her. I love my dog, but it drives me nuts. :banghead:
Public Transit.
Quote from: roadgeek01 on May 03, 2017, 03:39:34 PM
QuoteAre the last two related by any chance? :-D
Well, often during dinner or lunch, my dog will try to pop up on the table to eat food on the plates. But, most of the time, there is a tactic that my dog uses to get dog treats. In my house, there are two bells hanging on the doors. My dog has been trained to ring those bells when she needs to go outside to go to the bathroom. My dog thought that if she rung the bell, someone would come over and give here some kind of treat. And when that person doesn't give treats to her, she barks until food is given to her. I love my dog, but it drives me nuts. :banghead:
A sure sign of a spoiled rotten hound. :nod:
QuoteA sure sign of a spoiled rotten hound. :nod:
Also, I forgot to mention that afterwards, she waltzes to the closest couch and proceeds to sleep the rest of the day
I used to collect brochures. These are mostly from the late '70s.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4161/34503854156_9eb412cae9_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/UyZgKb)Tourist attraction brochures (https://flic.kr/p/UyZgKb), on Flickr
Quote from: roadgeek01 on May 06, 2017, 10:58:59 AM
QuoteA sure sign of a spoiled rotten hound. :nod:
That's what dogs are for! :D
I have serveral Hobbies listed on this site.
Roadgeeking
Reading (Science Fiction, Fantasy, History, Politics)
A large Comic Book Collection from the 70's and 80's
Model Railroading (armchair, but have a lot of HO stuff in some boxes)
And a hobby I didn't see mentioned, wargaming:
I have a decent collction of Avalon Hill, GDW, and other wargames:
This is not me, but a picture of two guys playing Avalon Hill's The Russian Campaign at a convention.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.c3iopscenter.com%2Fcurrentops%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F02%2FPhotoDiary-RussianCm-Canada1.jpg&hash=629430f581668ddb236ac8bc09eddee09e81742c)
I also play historical miniatures:
Again, not mine, but representative:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.wp.com%2Fwww.cigarboxbattle.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F01%2FScreen-Shot-2014-01-09-at-7.15.15-PM.png&hash=ab6326428a3c1d0a1b7800a2123c52d8b82e0dcf)
Is anyone into bubbling?
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on April 26, 2017, 10:23:16 PM
Quote from: Nanis on April 26, 2017, 04:51:10 PM
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.
Oh yes, analog TV. I remember this on3 time when my parents wanted to watch KYW back sometime in 2007 and it was WPSU instead.
Quote from: cjk374 on May 06, 2017, 10:51:58 AM
Quote from: roadgeek01 on May 03, 2017, 03:39:34 PM
QuoteAre the last two related by any chance? :-D
Well, often during dinner or lunch, my dog will try to pop up on the table to eat food on the plates. But, most of the time, there is a tactic that my dog uses to get dog treats. In my house, there are two bells hanging on the doors. My dog has been trained to ring those bells when she needs to go outside to go to the bathroom. My dog thought that if she rung the bell, someone would come over and give here some kind of treat. And when that person doesn't give treats to her, she barks until food is given to her. I love my dog, but it drives me nuts. :banghead:
A sure sign of a spoiled rotten hound. :nod:
Here is a pic of my spoiled hound:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4198/34393153310_98e76ca23d.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/UpcUeU)SAM_1677 (https://flic.kr/p/UpcUeU) by Jess Kilgore (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130771900@N08/), on Flickr
Quote from: kphoger on May 19, 2017, 01:36:51 PM
Is anyone into bubbling?
Didn't one of our members from Northern Kentucky start a thread on that topic?
I guess vaporwave is an interest in mine, retro-1980s J-pop neo-disco tracks are popular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_tGuYNlCQ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXoWML1GsKo
Quote from: Desert Man on July 29, 2017, 12:52:07 PM
I guess vaporwave is an interest in mine, retro-1980s J-pop neo-disco tracks are popular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_tGuYNlCQ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXoWML1GsKo
Vaporwave is a pretty nice genre of music, along with Synthwave. I'm not sure if this is vaporwave or synthwave, but it's one of my favorite songs regardless:
Since we're talking about fond music albums, I'm into thrash metal. Here's a couple.
I am a fan of avatar the last airbender and its sequal series, legend of korra.
Quote from: lepidopteran on May 08, 2017, 10:43:40 PM
I used to collect brochures. These are mostly from the late '70s.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4161/34503854156_9eb412cae9_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/UyZgKb)Tourist attraction brochures (https://flic.kr/p/UyZgKb), on Flickr
Oooh. I love the Old Chicago one. I work right next to where the long gone amusement park / shopping mall used to be. My mom and grandmom used to work at the toy store there.
I think I've already posted in this thread, but that was probably several years ago, so a redux wouldn't hurt.
I'm very, very much into socks, tights, and sneakers. Mostly women's, although my shoe size is just at the far end of what I can easily find attractive styles in. There are plenty of "men's" tights out there as well, however, I've always preferred to get plus-size women's tights.
Although it's been ages since I've done it, I like guns (real ones) and airsoft. I own a fairly wide variety of U.S. camouflage patterns (including several sets I was issued when I was in the military, and were worn in Afghanistan) and surplus tactical gear.
I've been a lifelong car guy, but I enjoy "normal" vehicles (seriously, my "dream" car up until I got one was a Ford Fusion SE with the manual), and backyard engineering projects and engine swaps, over the typical bedroom poster cars. I've followed the 24 Hours of LeMons cheap-car racing series almost since its inception in 2006, and finally got the chance to race at GingerMan Raceway in Michigan back in April.
I enjoy watching archived weather and breaking-news coverage on YouTube. It may seem kind of morbid, considering that I've frequently watched archived 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina coverage from a variety of sources, but it's something that's always fascinated me in an odd way.
I'm a writer of contemporary eccentric fiction and military-oriented science fiction. I'm currently working on several novels and TV pitches.