Dear BG: What are your hobbies?

[Raen Ryong]

Gaming is my main hobby and I enjoy it for a myriad of different reasons. As far as genres go, I can enjoy anything but sports games; simulation games also have to be particularly good for me to put much into them.

Why do I enjoy it so much?

It takes great precision, both of your mind and body. It promotes quick but critical thinking and creativity. I enjoy challenge, energy, adrenaline, and excitement - games provide all of this. I am also partial to a good engrossing story and becoming immersed, and enjoy emotional tales and I find games satisfy this far better than books, movies or television (although I also enjoy reading a lot ... not so much movies or television, where I can't help but feel bored watching unless the content is exceptional. I am a "doing" person more than a spectator).

I like playing games at the highest difficulty level to the point where one must employ a mastery of mechanics as well as decision making and reflexes etc. I like the feeling of accomplishment and the sensation of surpassing my own limits. I indulge in competitive play in basically all multiplayer games for this reason, sometimes putting a lot of time into specific ones in order to become truly good at them (eg certain FPSs/RTSs). MMOs are fun because of the integrated social component (and I am a very social player) as well as the usual feeling of progression and dominance, although I find they are very time consuming and not as individually challenging as other games, so I tend to go "on and off" of them. Suffice to say MMOs with PvP rank much more highly than MMOs without significant PvP (I played FFXI for ages mainly because of the social aspect... I did a lot of ballista but it was never particularly popular).

I have some other hobbies such as reading, philosophy, recreational sports (never at a competitive level - unlike gaming, I don't feel such a drive to compete properly at sport) and such, but gaming is my main and an often maligned and undermined hobby I feel. I am proud to be a gamer and many of the best experiences of my life have been gaming, whether we're talking pure adrenaline or just becoming immersed in a great story (Deus Ex: Human Revolution which I have been playing recently comes to mind).

My experiences and preferences with gaming translate to real life, where I am quite competitive in most things I do and like to really engross myself in activities and become good at them. While most people enjoy relaxing in the evenings and such, I prefer excitement.

[RKenshin]

@info sponging, i have a big question that i've been working with for a while that i haven't been able to find a direct answer to. other than constant reinforcement & metaphorical relationships, are there any tricks to improving the rate of ABSORBTION of info? I have a ton of stuff that I learn, and it seems like i'm always remembering something that I forgot that would have saved my ass a lot of trouble. I've been working on reinforcing what I learn a lot more and converting my internal logic system from verbal to nonverbal (highly recommend this - try talking to your brain without words, only visual and mathematical representations of concepts. it's so much more efficient i'm almost upset that it took me this long to start doing it)

I think a key is just accepting that you will not remember everything you read/study/research, and that's just how it will be. I've found myself looking up the same exact thing 2-3+ times, and while mildly frustrating I've accepted that it's part of the deal for most people (with very rare exceptions).

The things I remember best/most often though, are typically associated with some event, activity, picture, or more memorable instance. Especially if it's something you commonly interact or deal with.

Like you said, having some sort of visual stimulation to associate with a fact does indeed help quite a lot.

The other day I ended up looking up the more engineering-based principles of how a car engine works, and made a point to look up youtube videos/pictures. Now every time I step in my car/am driving it comes across the back of my mind. That frequent stimulation of what I learned has helped me remember that far better than other things.

Otherwise, keeping notes of some kind (in phone, on pad, in a text document, whatever) that remind you of some key concepts or things you would like to learn more about definitely help as well. Nothing bugs me more than forgetting something important, so I have the habit of immediately putting ideas/questions down somewhere whenever they come across my mind.

also @numbers, i've been thinking on teaching myself math & physics. any idea where would be a good place to start that? i can always google, but a comprehensive site for this kind of thing would be appreciated

Nothing I have, sorry. Most of my knowledge here is just learned from school/classes or self-taught in excel, on a calculator, or whatever.

[Penthesilea]

i'm not really interested in skiing, snowboarding has always been more appealing. why'd you decide on skiing vs. snowboarding?

Snowboarding wasn't ever really an options for me outside since it wasn't too mainstream growing up. I learned how to ski when I was 5 or six so back in 88-89. I occasionally surf and thought that it might be similar to snowboarding, but not even close. One and done haha.

[Zalius]

lol @ the notes thing....i have 10 notebooks in this room and 5 3-ring binders full of paper. i also have a drawer full of flash cards and sticky notes. and a whiteboard. the funny thing is, i never took notes or was this diligent in studies until i dropped out.

it's all good on the math thing, when i'm ready to do it i'll figure it out. i never had much trouble with math once i "got it," but i basically never did homework.

[Jakson]

Spoiler: show

i am a masochist so it's ok.

at the simple thing though, there's nothing wrong with simplicity man. i'm big on working with contrast though, so i might be able to offer something useful to that extent.

one of the things that i noticed about buckethead's work is that he likes to contrast very simple ideas or lead them into very expressive parts. it has a "wtf where did that come from factor," but i think the guy also genuinely enjoys simple flowing melodies. a good example of that is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8akmP...ure=plpp_video (didn't embed on purpose, it's a live version of whitewash if you're unfamilar with it). aside from the 3 major tone changes he uses in the song, the melody is a slow moving mix of syncopation and hitting the beat in the first few repetitions, but it's mostly syncopated. after that though, it more or less explodes into a short bit of complexity, but it's the contrast that sets all that apart. because of the simplicity, when it's time for the higher intensity sections, it has a much more explosive feel to it from the contrast. that said though, the song is more simple than it is complex. if the rest of the song is set up around it, the difficult part of the solo only has to last for 5-15 seconds to hit a listener pretty hard, and writing in 64th notes for 15 seconds isn't THAT hard as long as you've got the patience to hammer out the phrasing until you're proud of it. after the solo in that song, he goes right back to the simple melody and i'm pretty sure that's intentional rather than spontaneous.

other than that i get my complexity fixes from animals as leaders & tool, but i'm in a pretty heavy learning period for prog that i should be adept in by the end of the next year or 2. working with 3, 5, and 7 meter progressions and complex progressions (ex, instead of playing 4/4, 4/4, 3/4 or 3/4, 3/4, 5/8, thinking in 7/4, 7/4, 7/8, 4/4, 4/4, 4/4, 4/4, 13/8 -). it's a mindfuck, but i want to go more complex than that too but my brain is feeble

I can't never stop workin' hard
each day I feel I have to improve
Hard work, determination
I've got to keep pushing myself

[Furionstormrage]

I want to fucking surf, have for a long time. I've put in literally 0 time though because I'm in the valley and we didn't get to go out much when I was younger. Any tips/advice on learning or picking it up quickly? I want to be able to go out for 3-4 hours once or twice a month just for fun, and surfing is one of the things that's influencing my decision of where I'm going to move to. Ideally somewhere not too crowded but with enough people to have some help out w/the learning curve.

I'm cartarded and I hate it. Any good references for understanding the general parts of every car and how the system itself works? I had a mechanics shop in high school but I've never been in a situation to need anything other than a mechanic and I do not like zis. I understand that every car has it's own quirks but I like to understand things before I start blindly adding/replacing parts.

Where are you planning to move?
Basically, if you want to learn to surf, find a beach with an easy beachbreak, get a longboard or funboard (You can rent them, or hit up craigslist for a cheap one, don't sink much money into your first board), and just go do it. It depends on your size/weight, but don't go get a shortboard and expect to rip on it first thing, learning on a longboard (or funboard if you're shorter/smaller) is so much easier, and helps you move into shortboards, never the other way around.
I strongly suggest being a strong swimmer, because that's like 90% of your time surfing, swimming to the break and waiting. If you go to www.surfline.com, they have some great "getting started" articles that really helped me.
My best advice, don't be self-conscious. You're there to have fun, don't worry about anyone else. You're going to be awkward, and you're going to fall and get hurt, that's just part of learning, but that first time you get it, it's worth it, it's honestly the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Oh yeah, speaking of that, get a rash guard, your nipples will thank you.

As for the mechanic thing, most community colleges offer a basic auto class, that's a great place to start. Picking up a book from the library on basics is very helpful, I honestly don't have great resources because I learned from my neighbors, and lots of trial and error. My best advice is to invest in quality tools, nothing high end like Snap On for a hobby, but Craftsman is a great bang for the buck. Cheap tools like they sell in Walmart or auto parts stores honestly make the jobs harder, good tools will carry you a long way.

[Eaglestrike]

Just gaming for now. Starting to make an effort to get skinny again and actually in shape. Once it warms up I think I'll get some good discs and check out the local disc golf spots (heard from a coworker about a couple that are free to play) and then I'll move up to playing Ultimate again and running. I've never been big on extra activities. HS was just running and movies with some video gaming in there. And that was probably the most active my life has ever been, lol.

[SamanosukeShiva]

i have decided after reading this post that i am going to grow my own odd foreign spices. ty

Start small, and depending where you live, it might be better just to get a pot and grow inside and put it near a window, since most of the herb and spices cant survive extreme cold. First time i tried planting indian peppers, it died @8 months just before it start producing peppers cause i planted it outdoor and the freeze got to them, sucked really bad. Not only that, you can go lazy mode since no need to go outside, just water them once before going to school/work.

[Jakson]

Should bookmark this thread to send to people who complain that there is nothing to do in their hometown. "This town sucks, nothing to do" sort of stuff.

[Jimothy]

Games - I feel like MMOs killed this one for me though, I used to play all kinds of games but ever since FFXI I don't get the same feeling anymore. I guess when it doesn't feel like I'm 'accomplishing' anything I just can't get into it. Except fighting games, could play those all day.

Magic - This hobby I kind of fall in and out of. Its really all about sleight of hand and misdirection, and just being good at talking people up and wowing them. I'm not very good at it since I'm kind of lacking in the talking department, but its fun to do simple tricks for little kids since they're so easy to amaze.

Beer - I love trying different types of beers, usually make it a point to try out a new one at least every week or 2. I've been wanting too try brewing my own beer but my current living situation is limited in kitchen gear, otherwise I'd list cooking/food as a hobby here too.

[Ddz]

I wanted to follow up on my previous post about some of the jewelry designs I've made - it's a fun way to blow cash and spend time doing something creative. Here are some pics of some pieces I've made with my mom. Spoiler'd for hugeness.

Bracelet:

Spoiler: show

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/3690/88999900.jpg

Bracelet:

Spoiler: show

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1627/20903649.jpg

Bracelet:

Spoiler: show

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5448/42251027.jpg

Earrings:

Spoiler: show

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/6993/90327606.jpg

Earrings:

Spoiler: show

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/8532/33966517.jpg

Earrings:

Spoiler: show

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7530/21716898.jpg

And a wrap-necklace (I wanted it to look like the beach, with shells and glass/water and whatnot:

Spoiler: show

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/9145/83557508.jpg

[BaneTheBrawler]

I wanted to follow up on my previous post about some of the jewelry designs I've made - it's a fun way to blow cash and spend time doing something creative. Here are some pics of some pieces I've made with my mom. Spoiler'd for hugeness.

Bracelet:

Spoiler: show

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1627/20903649.jpg

That one's my favorite. If I wore things on my wrists, that would make the list of acceptable things. I like the one below it, too, but not for me. For my mom. I think it fits her style.

[Linliel]

My main hobby is fibrecrafting - I spin yarn, then knit or weave from it. I love taking raw materials (sheep fleece pretty much right off the back of the sheep), being able do a small amount of stuff to it, and have something useful and wearable out of it. If the apocalypse comes I'll be set when it comes to warm clothing. I have particular love of knitting socks, just simple ones in amazing coloured sock yarns. My goal for the near future is to spin an entire jumper (sweater)'s worth of wool from a shetland sheep I actually met on its farm, then make a fair isle jumper from it.

I also love baking (cakes, sweets, muffins, cookies, slices, desserts and breads a specialty).

Other than that I play tabletop RPGs like D&D and Savage Worlds. I'd like to do some gardening at some point but I haven't had space for an actual garden for a while so a few herbs in pots is about as much as I have now.

[fengzi597]

Watch comedy and tell jokes to my friends.
Travel,reading,watching all kinds of moives.
etc.............

[Aidin]

Woodworking - I haven't spent nearly as much time in the shop as I want to, but this is a very relaxing activity for me. I can spend hours drawing up a table, wall insert cabinet, desk, or anything before I even lay hands on a piece of wood. Its not really a hobby anyone can jump into though, you need the right equipment, and just a natural ability to work with it. Patience and the ability to visualize everything in your head while you're working is critical. Attention to detail and being precise, it's amazing how much 1/64th of an inch can throw some pieces out of whack. I get a lot of satisfaction watching a project unfold and finally end up somewhere as a finished piece that will get used.

I just built a cabinet for my most recent hobby, Scotch drinking. I'm not sure I can really list the skills needed to enjoy a glass of scotch though. You're on your own for that one.

[Obev]

Music-making.


There's three facets to this, performance, composition and recording. On the performance side I've been playing stringed instruments for most of my life, starting with violin at the tender age of six. Today I mainly play the electric bass. It's a million hours of muscle memory and endless staring at dots. I currently perform in once main band and am seemingly in the process of getting recruited as a session player of sorts for peoples' academic (PhD, Masters) music projects. Apart from one guy who's doing some sort of PhD thesis on improvisation vs. composition, it's mainly reading the dots and keeping time. The improvisational stuff is a way of throwing theory into practice, pulling intervals out of thin air on the fly. Minor sixth? Why the fuck not? Swing the rhythm just to annoy the guitarist? Yeah, sure, that'll work. I also bring my bass to blues open-mic jam nights, just to keep my twelve-bar chops in line.

Then there's composition. Theory in practice again, though I try to compose in a more intuitive way, without thinking far too much about the technicalities of voice leading and tone rows. That can come later, but often I just go with what feels right, and trust my gut to come up with some internalised theoretical framework before it degenerates into chromatic dickery. Most of the stuff I've written has been contemporary music for a band. Rock music, pop music, ska, reggae, heavy metal, rockabilly, pretty much anything with a guitar and a drum kit. My laptop at home has gigabytes worth of Sibelius files. Some I've recorded, some stay in MIDI sheet music form.

Finally, the infuriating part: recording. This requires a lot of different skills from the first two aspects. Sure, you can compose a song. Because you wrote it, you can probably play it. But can you record it and make it sound good? EQing, compression, limiting, balancing, tweaking tones until they are perfect... it's almost a sisyphean task, and it requires almost an entirely different mindset from playing live and writing. Have to take breaks every few hours, or your ears get fatigued and you won't be able to tell the difference between minutely different dynamics. Have to invest in a bare minimum of equipment, so you can get the sounds from the air to the disk. And then you have to do a hell of a lot of trial and error mixing and remixing, recording and re-recording. It seems there aren't any solutions which will always work for every recording. A lot of this goes with my compositional "look it up in your gut" approach, but there's a great deal of just learning and then remembering the important stuff: frequency ranges, the amount of headroom, what effects to bus in. It's fun, I guess, but the best part is getting a result.

I'd been writing and playing for almost two decades before I started recording. While musical skills are helpful, I had to learn recording from the ground up, and knowing all my inversions of diatonic chords didn't really help me a bit.

[LittleSlurpee]

I am very into creative and imaginative hobbies-- as in the use of creativity and imagination when it comes to the hobby... so to elaborate...

Art

Painting: I like to use either water color or acrylic. They are rather different from one another, except for the fact that they both use water to manipulate and adjust how the paint is. I typically only use water color for coloring illustrations. I just like how the colors work and mesh when I use them. They flow together so smoothly the result is so satisfying. Not to mention I really enjoy the softer look that water color has on a canvass/paper.

Acrylic for me is for tougher canvasses, as I have often used it to paint images on things like dressers, signs, headboards, walls, and any type of furniture that has a decent amount of flat, open space. I've actually found myself spotting potential places/things where a painting could be done. Like a blank wall or something like a bare, simply faced armoire. I see a blank space somewhere and I just get the urge to fill it.

I started out painting when I was younger, but only did it when the mood struck me. It was a great outlet for me when I was a teenager. You can put a lot of emotion into a painting and it can be very therapeutic. Especially.. finger painting. There is something incredibly satisfying about leaving the paintbrush behind, and getting your hands all gooey with paint and then slapping it on the canvass. Perhaps this branches from my childhood, I don't know. I don't actually remember ever finger painting as a kid. Anyway...

Illustrating: Whether it's ink, pencil, or charcoal, I really enjoy drawing my own scenes/landscapes/characters. I mostly enjoy illustrating fantasy type stuff; fictional creatures, faces, animals, plants, worlds, etc. I can get pretty detailed when I really get into a picture. I actually find it unsatisfying to draw in what has become a popular and common style; simply lined "anime" style. I am trying to develop my own style, but honestly, it'll probably look more western/comic style than something more unique. I really like the gritty/dirty/dark/inky types of drawing. Jae Lee is a good example. Anyway, the point is that I really like taking the concepts for stuff I have in my head and putting them to paper.

Side note: I really don't like doing peoples portraits or still life. It bores the hell out of me. I am not very partial to abstract, either, but I have touched upon it on occasion.

Tabletop RPG/D&D/VtR: I like games, of course, and the ones I like the most are RPG's. Now at the moment I am referring to table top RPG's; where you roll dice and act out your character along with others in a small group headed by the story teller/Dungeon Master/Game Master. Although it sounds kinda childish like "playing pretend", there's adult humor and content in the game that make it more interesting-- like being part of a good fictional book. I find it a lot of fun to "get into character" and work through developing my character along with others in a group story line.

I've been both on the player end and the DM/GM end of playing table top games. If you're not being pulled through the story, it's fun to pull others through your own. Tabletop games tend to draw you into buying pretty dice, and sometimes models/maps/books. Usually people who want to DM will get into buying all those elements more than players.

Painting Miniatures: I've only recently got into this.. and it was probably inevitable since I like to paint, and I like to play tabletop games. I recently bought over 20 miniatures to personally paint, and they can be used for DnD or other fantastical types of tabletop games if I end up getting into others.. and yes, buying them can also be addictive.

Magic the Gathering: Strategy card game with a fantastical theme and beautiful character/monster/setting artwork. I haven't been playing lately, however. It's an expensive hobby if you try to keep up with an up to date deck. Even if you don't, the temptation to buy new cards to see what new stuff the creators have come up with can be hard to resist. So as of lately, I haven't been indulging in this game much.

"Gaming": Computer/Xbox video games. Reasons are well known for everyone in this forum. I will try any game that sounds interesting. I'll play fighter/shooter/RPG games. I don't like strategy games very much unless there's a fantastical element, or a bit of a Role Play element. You could consider FFXI both an RPG/Strategy game, and that's why I played it for 5 years... Until it became redundant. Currently playing; Soul Caliber 5, Skyrim.

Writing:

Short Stories: By now you could probably reason pretty well why I like to write. It's similar to illustrating except that it's in the form of words. I enjoy fictional writing the most for clear reasons, and have touched upon fantasy/horror/sci-fi and pretty much whatever strikes my creative chord.

(Messenger/Chat Room) Role Play: It's like a cross between table top gaming and creative writing. I really enjoy "acting" out my own types of characters, and coming up with stories to do with other people of similar mind. I can only otherwise describe it as two or more writers working together on the same story.

To sum up my artistic hobbies; every one of them has a link to what I want to do with my life/career. I am currently going to college to improve my artistic skills so I can be a concept artist for video/tabletop/card games/movies and anything else that requires me to illustrate in that manner. In between my hobbies and going to school, I do freelance art through commissions whether it be a design for someone's tattoo or a painting on someone's wall, etc.

Sports

Snowboarding: I've been skiing since I was like 6 and I converted to snowboarding around 16. It's an exciting hobby for winter since it's thrilling to race down a snow covered mountain. I do it for the rush and the beauty of the outdoors. It's easier to be athletic when it's cold outside, in my opinion. Less sweating.

Surfing: It's a rush, in a beautiful setting, once again in a area where sweat isn't going to irritate me. Sharks are F00king scary. I can't really indulge in this hobby much anymore since I moved to the central part of the US. So for now.. my long board is a pretty wall ornament. =(

Collecting!

Interesting hanging lamps: they're pretty, they make the room look pretty, they add wonderful ambiance.

Owl Objects: Jewelry/pictures/ornaments/dishes/etc. If it has an owl on it that looks cool to me, then.. I want it. Q_Q
I'm trying really hard not to get so many owl things that I end up being referred to as... "the owl lady." Eep.

Books: I like to read stuff like Stephen King and R.A. Salvatore.


Conclusion: I really like hobbies that help me "get away" from the real world in some form or other. I just wanna be a kid forever, k? Now leave me alone to play with my toys. @-@;

[Irohuro]

@Ddz: Those look really great, really well crafted.

As for me, my hobbies are gaming, programming, and linguistics.

Gaming- I enjoy the sense of adventure, and for older games, using my imagination to really help bring the ideas presented to life. I also enjoy finding the best strategies to get through the game.

Programming- Somewhat similar to my second point in gaming, I really enjoy the problem solving. you have this idea that you want to implement, and you have to find the way to get from that idea to a working program. The great thing about it is, theres not just one way to go about it. You can arrive at a solution through many different paths. It's also fun to compare languages and see how they're similar and how they're different, what methods they use to get the job done, and how they evolved.

Linguistics- again, this ties in with another. In this case it ties in with programming as they both involve using language to convey ideas into something more tangible. With linguistics you can observe the evolution of the methods of conveying ideas to one another, and you can also compare between languages and language families. It also gives you a view into how different cultures think and how they perceive the world.

In short, I guess all of my hobbies require problem solving and creativity.

[Chistoso]

Gaming, singing and Betta breeding. I know, odd combination. Really, I'll find anything to bide my extra time with. That includes sketching and reading. Singing can't entirely be classified as a hobbie as it's something I do daily and without thinking about it. As well, I don't go out recording or trying out for American Idol. It's more like a passion and a personality than anything else.
Betta breeding... now that's totally a hobby. It started out one day because my bf and I came across a website this woman in Sweden hosts. She goes on to show different diseases and how to treat them, along with her process to Betta breeding and her standings about Betta hobbyists. She's one of the first to create the line of Betta Splendens known as Armadillo. She also showcases her Bettas in competitions and sells them on the internet. 2 of mine came from her for my birthday. Indy and Starla. <3
My most recent batch (currently @ 7 mos) are the 2nd generation of Starla. First generation had 9 girls to survive. It was weird... only getting girls in that batch. This last one, though... almost perfect 50/50 ratio and with the highest survival rate. Over 40 gallon-sized bowls litter my apartment on tables and bookcases along with 5 tanks (just for the Bettas) and a 40gal that's strictly free Petco babies. Lol My batch before this one.... our attempt at Crowntail Giant Bettas. Dad is over 4 inches, mom was a pretty big average Petco Crowntail. Not bad ratio... more boys than girls that time. Most survived, but it was a small batch to begin with. Only thing, no steerers (ventral fins) on most.
It's a lot of trial and error when you're starting out but it's quite rewarding. Knowing what I've accomplished definitely puts a smile on my face. I'd be proud to showcase my Bettas in competitions. They're healthy, perfect and full of personality.

[Nemesio]

Gardening: I have a fairly beautiful yard, with various shrubs, annuals, perennials, and trees all around my house. Since I moved back in with my Dad, I have taken over the yard and made it fairly pleasant to look at. I also have 2 Hydroponic gardens set up in the basement that I experiment on with vegetables. Its really a lot of fun.

Brewing: I love brewing beer, but ironically I HATE the taste of beer. So I brew, and then distribute to friends. They still laugh at me.

BMX: Something that was always insanely fun to me, was never to good. But gosh did it get my adrenaline pumping.