Other Hobbies

I used to be BIG into paintball, mostly Pump and have been since the early 80's. but I havent played in about three years now, or done much else. I do still have an extensive collection of Paintball guns including nelsons, pgp's, line si's and other vintage pumps, and several VM-68's as well..but this is my pride and joy..yes, it is real gold and silver, and was designed by a good friend of mine, its also a limited edition, and engraved sig by William Shattner.,.at it shoots nicely as well.

I also recently started Kayaking, and love to read, but keeping employed has taken most of my attention the past few years, but i try and make time to have fun on occasion..

oh yeah! I forgot I bought a Kayak...I Kayak too!

jrw1621 wrote:

aussiesmg wrote: I used to sail and miss it but the ocean is 800 miles away for now.

To the other sailors, I am also on www.sailinganarchy.com under the same user name. -John

Rule 1 of fight club. Never talk about fight club.

(i am the username "43577" on Sailinganarchy, that is the boats sail number. We reace PHRF with a rating of 131.)

Video games (used to do a lot of PC gaming but I've been out of it for cost reasons...a gaming PC can cost more than a car), back before my job ate my life I used to do mountain biking, fly stunt kites, skateboarding, a lot of RC vehicle stuff, but now it's mainly video games and paintball.

EricM wrote:

Joe Gearin wrote: Nude chainsaw juggling, pimpin, strutting, ok biking, fishing, guitar, tennis, golf, pretty much anything outside, or involving internal combustion. Go Fighting Illini! (class of 93)

English Rehtoric? I am a data security analyst for the univeisty....

Yep, although my scattered grammar would lead you to believe otherwise, I was a Rhetoric/ English major.

Oh, and I love gerbils and hamsters nearly as much as Richard Gere.

I just took up sheepherding trials. It all started with this Border Collie I rescued and an employer who had a bunch of Border Collies and sheep. Since I live in the city, I have to rent the sheep and the farm in order to train the dog.

Snowdoggie wrote: I just took up sheepherding trials. It all started with this Border Collie I rescued and an employer who had a bunch of Border Collies and sheep. Since I live in the city, I have to rent the sheep and the farm in order to train the dog.

love border collies! they're great dogs. as soon as i have a house and yard big enough, i'll have a dog bigger than 10lbs

I am into kayaking and most recently rowing. I also like to go backpacking several times a year that is what the wife, dogs,, and I like to do together. I would say cooking but that is what I do for a living. Me and my father and alw are into vintage bolt action rifles preferably of the russian variety since the ammo is cheap. I would like to try hunting sometime since wild game is great for cooking.

GameboyRMH wrote: Video games (used to do a lot of PC gaming but I've been out of it for cost reasons...a gaming PC can cost more than a car), back before my job ate my life I used to do mountain biking, fly stunt kites, skateboarding, a lot of RC vehicle stuff, but now it's mainly video games and paintball.

I really don't get it when people say they can't afford a good gaming computer. Sure, a top end gaming rig can cost more than a car, in much the same way that a racecar can cost more than a house.

You just need to be grassroots. I find it easier to scrounge good computer components than good car components. The past 5 computers I've owned I built from other people's cast-off parts. And I've spent less on all of them than the cost of a decent set of shocks.

racinginc215 wrote: I've got 3 border collies in turn they each have 4 sheep. and one has a stray cat that she takes care of. I do love flyball.

My border has at least 4 Siberian Huskies to take care of, give or take one or two depending on my dog rescue inventory. He does like to herd the huskies. They are good practice. Faster and smarter than sheep.

And with 5 huskies and a border collie, Disney can film Snowdogs II at my house.

Strizzo wrote:

Snowdoggie wrote: I just took up sheepherding trials. It all started with this Border Collie I rescued and an employer who had a bunch of Border Collies and sheep. Since I live in the city, I have to rent the sheep and the farm in order to train the dog.

love border collies! they're great dogs. as soon as i have a house and yard big enough, i'll have a dog bigger than 10lbs

I know a rescue group with a bunch of borders, and a few breeders if you want herding bloodlines. As for sheep...

Salanis wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Video games (used to do a lot of PC gaming but I've been out of it for cost reasons...a gaming PC can cost more than a car), back before my job ate my life I used to do mountain biking, fly stunt kites, skateboarding, a lot of RC vehicle stuff, but now it's mainly video games and paintball.

I really don't get it when people say they can't afford a good gaming computer. Sure, a top end gaming rig can cost more than a car, in much the same way that a racecar can cost more than a house. You just need to be grassroots. I find it easier to scrounge good computer components than good car components. The past 5 computers I've owned I built from other people's cast-off parts. And I've spent less on all of them than the cost of a decent set of shocks.

I actually use an old Alienware Pentium 4 that sat too long as a floor model at Best Buy for digital video. It cost me about $800 when they were done with it. I am scrounging parts for a faster one though. It doesn't like the latest version of Adobe Premiere.

Snowdoggie wrote:

Salanis wrote:

GameboyRMH wrote: Video games (used to do a lot of PC gaming but I've been out of it for cost reasons...a gaming PC can cost more than a car), back before my job ate my life I used to do mountain biking, fly stunt kites, skateboarding, a lot of RC vehicle stuff, but now it's mainly video games and paintball.

I really don't get it when people say they can't afford a good gaming computer. Sure, a top end gaming rig can cost more than a car, in much the same way that a racecar can cost more than a house. You just need to be grassroots. I find it easier to scrounge good computer components than good car components. The past 5 computers I've owned I built from other people's cast-off parts. And I've spent less on all of them than the cost of a decent set of shocks.

I actually use an old Alienware Pentium 4 that sat too long as a floor model at Best Buy for digital video. It cost me about $800 when they were done with it. I am scrounging parts for a faster one though. It doesn't like the latest version of Adobe Premiere.

You can build a fast computer for cheap with parts from Newegg. I think their site cures cancer, too.

Drawing, writing, riding my horse. Reading far more than I should. I've also got two large freshwater aquariums.

93celicaGT2 wrote: You can build a fast computer for cheap with parts from Newegg. I think their site cures cancer, too.

Yeah, but I can build one faster for cheaper through Craigslist. I love Newegg for new parts. But there are so many people out there that keep up with the cutting edge of computer hardware, and then need to unload their used parts that are still perfectly good.

I figure, I could dump $2k building a computer that will do me well for 4 years. Or, I can go on Craigslist and dump $200 on a computer that will last me 3.5 years.

^This is true, too.

My problem is that i've had enough issues RMA'ing new stuff back and forth that i'm mistrustful of parts that i buy off CL without seeing them run first. I won't buy a whole computer off CL, but i would buy parts.

My problem is that if i buy a part, the chances that i'll use it within even a month is pretty slim.

I dunno, i sold my gaming rig a few months back to be honest. I'll get back into it when i have more time, but right now, my old school AMD Socket A rig is more than fast enough for what i need to do.

I flew when I was in high school and college. I really enjoy flying. Cessna 150s and 172s and Piper Cherokees were where it was at. I almost have my license, but I've had to cut back on flying. I'd do it professionally if I could see all the colors.

I like scuba diving, but asthma has since put a stop to that.

I have a gas powered monster truck (1/18th scale, I think). The Traxxas Nitro Stampede. She's got so many upgrades it's silly. It'll pull wheelies at 30 mph until it either flips over or runs out of RPMs (usually the former).

I also enjoy teasing bears.

This could get ugly

Aside from the obvious autocross and car tinkering, we have, in no particular order or level of current activity:

Plastic models (1/43 to 1/12 cars, 1/35 armor); Radio control helicopters, airplanes, trucks and cars, both gas and electric; Mountain bikes; Motorcycles (own a Triumph Sprint right now); Reading science fiction; Collecting Lancia Stratos stuff. Line fishing for catfish. Shooting pistols. Really good coffees.

I seem to also acquire more than my fair share of obsolete laptop computers, watch way too many apocalyptic-ly themed movies, and spend too much time staring at my large aquarium along with my cats.

Another sailor here, mixed between cruising this

And racing on this

Salanis wrote: Yeah, but I can build one faster for cheaper through Craigslist. I love Newegg for new parts. But there are so many people out there that keep up with the cutting edge of computer hardware, and then need to unload their used parts that are still perfectly good.

That's the problem, I'm one of those cutting edge people

GameboyRMH wrote:

Salanis wrote: Yeah, but I can build one faster for cheaper through Craigslist. I love Newegg for new parts. But there are so many people out there that keep up with the cutting edge of computer hardware, and then need to unload their used parts that are still perfectly good.

That's the problem, I'm one of those cutting edge people

I've met one guy who pulled it off reasonably well. His modus operandi was interesting. He had an Intel box and an AMD box. And he always bought the absolute latest equipment as soon as it came out.

The part he pulled out went on E-Bay immediately. They were still cutting edge, and hardly used, so he was still able to get top dollar for them.

Still not cheap, but it worked pretty well. He also made a lot of money, and it was pretty much his only hobby.

Hmmm, working on the car and thinking of ways that I could work on the bike, if ever it broke down (the recent accident has left me with lots to do on that front, at least on the cosmetic side though).

I'd love to do more fishing, but that will wait for me to move (not much around here). Also, I'd love to sail, but again, no decent sized lakes in the area (at least not in my opinion, but growing up on Lake Huron changes one's perception of a "decent sized lake")

I read lots, enough that I sometimes get half way through a book, and realize that I read it years ago.

I like to hike, and that's one thing that we have lots of in central VA. Unfortunately, the same incident that has given me a chance to work on the motorcycle has made it exceedingly difficult to do this.

Cooking. I love to cook. Tableside cookery is great, flambe, that sort of thing.

monark192 wrote: Another sailor here, mixed between cruising this And racing on this

Very Nice! :)

I would love a chance to try sailing

neon4891 wrote: I would love a chance to try sailing

I loved being on the sailing team in college. Competitions were a blast. The coach commented that it's practically the ultimate college sport: most of the time you're just hanging around lounging with other athletic young people in bathing suits, then you get out and race, and then go back to hanging out.

Competition gets really friendly too. At least it was for my boat. But we were the "heavy" (two guys who each weighed over 150#) boat and didn't stress as much. We were slower and not as bothered by strong winds. Most of the time we were lower-mid-pack.

At one race, we spent a while chatting with a competing boat as we were running downwind. There was no tactical advantage to be gained at that point, and not in a really competitive position. So we chatted and worked out who was going to jibe when to not get in each other's way.

One of my funniest moments was during practice, doing a pretty aggressive roll-tack, and then turning around to discover that the skipper had thrown himself over the side and no one was steering the boat.