Hello all,

I have recently been distracted by my other hobbies lately, and I would really like to get back into the twisty puzzles again.

So, besides puzzles, does anybody here have any cool/unique talents that they would like to share? I figure that this thread will show a different side of a lot of members here.

Personally, I collect and repair 6m BB replica firearms (better known as "Airsoft"). I am very fluent in the mechanisms of the gearbox, and I really love to see all the parts and how they work. I am currently working on a Real Sword brand Dragunov. Here is my progress so far: LINK

Also, I play a lot of Epic Mafia. If you have ever played the game "Mafia" with friends, this is a lot like it, but there is much more strategy involved. It is really fun, and I consider it a puzzle game in itself.

LINK

So please, I would love to see some of the other things that people here do!

Check my site out. I have alot of hobbies.
http://theplanet.dk/sigurdwedel/

Vaudeville/Circus acts. I know juggling, unicycle, Diabolo, nail-in-the-nose, thread in the eye, concrete block chest smash, guy standing on you while you lie between 2 chairs, straitjacket escapes, chain escapes, and bed of nails. I also play accordion and used to do amateur magic (birthday parties) and can twist balloon animals. I collect Keychains too. Something that I used to do that might be interesting is the hobby of putting things in bottles that don't fit in the neck (like decks of cards and ships).

I juggle and I like to run. (not competitively though) I try to run about 2 miles every other day as long as I don't do some other exercise. I also like airsoft but I haven't had much time because of school. If you are curious my favorite class is math (because its sorta like solving puzzles) and I absolutely despise writing.

I do some yoyoing (and no, not just up and down...)


Yay for fail vid, I need to make a new one, this is old. (Im the first guy)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXiD4lpI ... ideo_title

I've written 3 novels. I'm in the process of a fourth.

I also compose Progressive Powermetal music.


I love that Mafia game but I've only ever played it with the Boy Scouts and I aged out last month so... no more Mafia for me. I never would consider it a hobby for myself though because I was never the Mafia man.

Several!

-FTC Robotics
-Writing (wish I did more)
-Language syntax creation
-Learning language (Greek, specifically) (again, wish I did this more)
-Programming in general (usually various math-y projects)
-Catching up with Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and Torchwood. Considering the Sarah Jane Adventures.
-Fractal rendering

And this may be the dorkiest thing I've ever said, but in my free time, I like to look up obscure math and physics concepts and theories.

I'm sure many of us do the same. I certainly do. Since you like fractals and math and physics I recommend "The Road to Reality" by Roger Penrose. I was glued to that book for about 10 days.

I'll have to look into that, thanks!

I can juggle 7 objects. Also I'm into strength and fitness. Studied and taught martial arts forever. I've been writing poetry for a long time now and will finally be submitting my work to be published. I'm skilled on horseback and have worked for large cattle ranches.

I was doing gymnastics for years. Than I moved and I can't really do it anymore. I still consider myself gymnast though. ocasionally I am in the gym on fridays and do stuff.
Also since I can't do it regularly anymore, I started working out in the gym. I am far enough into this by now as to say that I realised at some point that (natural) bodybuilding is not a hobby but an attitude towards life. I virtually haven't skipped a workout in 1.5 years (maybe a handful). My whole day conforms with my diet plan all the time, no matter what and it's exhausting but I wouldn't want to give it up again.
Also note my signaure

Edit. Off topic threats are often older than you think. I just scrolled down a bit but after my post I checked and it seems that I basically bumped this. Sorry.

Well, now that you've bumped this I might as well post . Anyways, I like to do CAD and roller coaster design using Solidworks (coming soon yay!) and No Limits Roller Coaster Simulation. The sport that I play is strange but never the less fun. i play Raquetball I was taught by my cousin who is pretty good and quickly got better than both him and his dad. Right now the only person I can't beat is my dad, he's like a machine when it comes to this game!

I like to make 3D paper objects. I've always enjoyed doing this, I remember when I was 9-10 getting a book on paper sculptures and making my own versions using just the pictures in the book. About the same time I discovered Platonic solids, and made them all from single sheet of card.

More recently, I downloaded plans from the Yamaha website and have made the YZJ-R1, DSC11 and MT-01. I printed the MT-01 onto A3 card instead of A4 and it ended up about 18 inches long. It's very impressive. I'll post pictures if anybody wants to see them.

It is a time consuming hobby, but very relaxing.

I have a few other hobbies apart from cubing:

- I bee keep with my dad and have done for around a year.

- I play Rugby for my school, I used to play for my local club but when I didn't grow (I was 5ft 3 and most others were close to 6ft) I gave it up. However now that I am 6ft I can compete fairly once more, and am loving playing once again.

- I used to be a fitness freak, and when in primary school (elementary) I came 3rd in the county (state) for 800 metres, but during an accident on a trampoline I ripped my ACL in my left knee. I never regained my fitness to what it was but compared to most I was still fairly fit. Sadly though when I stopped rugby I really stopped everything and my form slipped to the state that I was pretty fat. Now after being disappointed at what I was seeing decided to turn it around, I am playing rugby as stated above, and that has dramatically increased my metabolism and now run a 2 mile route across the valley at least 3 times a week.

- I also collect playing cards. I love card games so wherever I go on holidays or trips I always pick up a deck. They're cheap but they're practical and others also enjoy them.

Robert

Where oh where do I begin....


-Building and repairing custom gaming computers.

-Supercross (Light Class 125cc 2-stroke for now)

-SCUBA ; got into that a couple years ago thanks to my awesome step-dad.

-Magic: The Gathering ; Been playing for around 6-7 years now, and compete in tournaments regularly.

-Currently learning firearm maintenance, mainly semi-auto pistols for now; .22 - .45

-Collect Manga / Anime

-Knife Twirling - Been to a few competitions for balisongs, karambits, and standard lockback mech.

-Still learning guitar in any of my free time inbetween said hobbies.

-Archery - Been shooting for about 11 years now.

-Anything to do with Boy Scouts


...that seems to be about all that I can think of for now

To catch up on what others have said on this topic, find an older identical topic here.

Dave

I play the cello. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-BOHlcTuFE

-Eitan

- play piano
- sing in a choir
- collect books on numbers (I got 0, gamma, golden ratio, e, i, infinite, what's missing?)

Hobby? Who has time for a hobby?
Work. Does that count?

(at the risk of sounding local......) lately it's been attempting to catch up on my sleep....

seriously....another hobby? Isn't this one all consuming enough?

Ok...I guess I um, maybe could call exercise a hobby....but can you really?
I love my gym time. A real stress reliever. And when I stopped smoking I started running. Does that count?

Unlike Bob or Adam or Eric, I'm not good. But I am foolish, so by the end of this year I'll do 3 10K charity runs (not a big deal for most, but considering that I haven't really run any distance outside the treadmill in about 20 years.....) I've signed up for the old fogies group in the HK marathon (and sadly, I am only allowed to do 10K for that too-who knew they wanted me to do 10 before I could sign up for the 1/2 marathon, and then another 3 of those before I could sign up for a full marathon-a goal for next year I guess )

But no, seriously-I work....

I love to go skeet shooting at my ranch. I have three shotguns, a 12-gauge 1187 Remington automatic, a 20-gauge pump, and my pride and joy, a 12-gauge Browning Citori White Lighting over and under. It's very fun to go and blow things to smitherines to relieve some stress.

Chris

I forgot to add shooting too the list
I tend to shoot clays, I have a Beretta Silver pigeon 20 gauge, and my Dad has a very nice Browning 12 gauge (unsure on what model).
A few years back my dad bought a automated clay trap which is stationed on my grandads farm. Its stationed on one side of a valley so by moving to different 'stands' on the valley you can get a really good range of shots.

I also have an air rifle, Gamo CFX, which is great. I have a policy with my dad that what ever I shoot must be prepared and eaten, and I agree with that. Killing for the sake of killing is pointless and a waste of life.

Robert

My two main collection hobbies are video games and twisty puzzles.

For video games, I collect and play games for all Nintendo consoles, from the NES to Wii. My first console was the NES, in 2002! I always wanted a Nintendo when I was a child but finances were tight and my mom and dad never got me one. So when I found an old NES system, used-in-box, in my garage in 2002, it ignited my obsession with Nintendo games. Over the next 4 years, I burned through 20 years of video game history, finally buying a Wii in December of 2006. So far, I own every Nintendo console and handheld, from NES and Game boy to Wii and 3DS, with the exception of Virtual Boy. I also own a Saga Genesis (Mega Drive) and PS3. I also have a collection of Nintendo-branded figurines and plushies!

My obsession with twisty puzzles started in 2007, when one of my friends in my Bible study group showed up with a beat up Rubik's Cube. I Googled "Rubik's Cube" and discovered for the first time that cubes greater than order 3 existed. I ordered a Rubik's 5x5x5 by Winning Moves on Amazon, spent a couple of days learning how to solve it, and became hooked. I joined twistypuzzles.com and the rest was history.

My other interests / activities include my lovely fiance Paula, traditional and digital art mediums, bicycles, electronics, computers, Mandelbrot fractals, guitar, classic rock, 80s/90s pop music, church, and Boy Scouts (I'm an Eagle Scout), though I'm no longer active in Scouting.

I've got 11 hours left to graduate college, and my major is Electrical Engineering Technology.

My oudtside hobby at the moment is aeromodelism and since I live in the counrtyside (university very well places for that) I get to fly it often.

I said in the other topic I'd put up more videos on my planes channel, well I'm gonna fly it today with the micro camera, so maybe I'll post a POV shot of the flight here =)

Bicycling and castles.
In the last three years I have visited 130 out of 250 castles in a radius of 150km around Koblenz. Some are in well-conserved shape. Others are no more than heaps of rubble.
I visited them all with the help of train rides and my beloved bicycle. It has a tailormade frame and the ultimate hub: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohloff_Speedhub
I also cycled up the tallest mountains of Hunsrück, Westerwald, Eifel and Taunus
The maximum this year was a one-day tour of exact 200km length and 900m altitude (only upwards!). Please note: I use some kind of tour-bicycle, not one made for racing.

Congratulations! 11 hours? What an odd way of saying you are done. I hope that isn't like my 'Oh god I've got 2 classes left with that woman' students...

I spend most of my time planning an upcoming machinima series on the also upcoming game Modern Warfare 3.
Myself, along with my buddies, will be recording the show in high definition off of the game, and adding in the voices and what not later on via condenser microphones.

I also play guitar. Been playing for about 8 years now.

I do graphic design, with Photoshop.
I also do video effects design. Things such as 3D animation, camera movement within a computer generated scene.


Thats about it!

VIDEO of the Alpha 1500 POV added =)

You can even catch a glimpse of my school (blue tipped tower is the administration)

Is anyone surprised Andreas is the one to try to go to all of the castles?

I fly RC planes/helis. And not cheap toy grade planes/helis like Air Hogs, but hobby grade ones. Big difference.

I also like to design roller coasters. Again, not Roller coaster tycoon, but No Limits. Again a big difference

You can see some of my videos of planes I fly and coasters I have designed here http://www.youtube.com/benboy207

Ben

I visited about 4 or 5 of the castles when I was in Koblenz and many Cathedrals I have to so it is some of the most gorgeous architecture I have ever seen.

Chris Hemerich

I've talked about my hobbies a bit here before...

Was it in this thread?Nope.

Looks like I've always wandered horribly off topic as I did here and here.

First talking a bit about photography. Something I enjoy but far from an expert. I can now get effects like this with a single exposure.

Just use a long exposure in the dark with a flash. A GREAT way to photograph jack-o-lanterns that others may want to try this time of year.

The other link is about designing and rendering new TRON vehicles in POV-Ray. I've also animated a few and would love to some day make a TRON short but I have no idea when I'd find the time.

Carl

HAHA
I don't have to say that the one-eyed is the best! Superb idea and execution.

I have a ton of hobbies, but my favorite is playing the banjo...

Also building computers - and origami.

Anyone in to bugs?