Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with hobby

What to do with 25 mins of extra free time every day?

KateHasQuestions — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:18:19 -0800

I moved closer to work. What can I do with the 25 minutes of extra free time that I will have due to the shorter commute? I would like to make sure that the 25 minutes of extra free time do not just go to waste (such as wasting my time online).

Here are some things that I already do once in a while:

guitar, piano, reading, crocheting, working out.

I would like some *new* ideas of what I can do for 25 mins a day that are fun and/or useful and good for me.

Learning Fencing

comatose — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:38:38 -0800

Bitten by the olympic bug, I am interested in taking up fencing. Fencing questions inside. (Suggestions for other unique non-team sports are welcome) Previously.

I am 23, 6'-3" lean and in good physical condition. I need to participate in a physical activity as a distraction during my upcoming thesis year and would like to be able to carry over in a future 9 to 5 lifestyle. Fencing seems very appealing, but...

Does fencing fit in to a once, maybe twice a week hobby, or is it more of a time/lifestyle commitment?

It appears that I am past the prime of learning how to fence. Is it too late to learn, or should I take up a "lifetime" sport like golf or tennis?

What is the learning curve? Are there even tournaments for "older" people? I see a lot of "I used to fence in college" kind of thing.

Anything else related to how fencing would fit in to a lifestyle, not so much of what are the different types of fencing or what equipment I need to buy kind of information. Also, I live just down the street from the Cincinnati Fencing Club, which appears to be a credible organization.

Learning circus arts in Los Angeles?

Xere — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 19:54:06 -0800

I'd like to learn circus arts in Los Angeles. Contortion, aerial arts, juggling - preferably somewhere with a good mix so that I can find what I'd like to concentrate on. Google turns up a few promising places, but which ones have a nice amount of beginners in their 20s? And the aforementioned mix of everything? FWIW, in case this additional information helps: I'm not pursuing this for a circus career, because at 22 I'm probably too old to even hope for that. I was in a circus club from grade to high school, and as a result nicely bendy from that (though currently rusty) ... great fun, would like to get back into it.

Has anyone made their hobby their job and NOT been happy with the decision?

Ringo — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:08:20 -0800

Has anyone made their hobby their job and NOT been happy with the decision? I'm specifically thinking about television writing but other fields would apply... I have the opportunity to write for television. Creative writing is something I enjoy and do as a hobby, but the thought of the pressure that comes with producing creative things consistently under deadlines stresses me out. It's an extremely unstable field (perhaps the most unstable), and I would have to quit my stable and better-paying (but more boring) job to do it. The future of this career-path is totally uncertain. The only thing that seems certain is that it will be temporary. I don't see it as something I'd like to do long-term. It seems far too grueling.

I could just keep doing little projects on the side, books, screenplays etc. but I feel a huge pressure to take this opportunity. I feel like everyone will think I'm crazy if I don't since I clearly am good at creative writing. If the thought stresses me out this much should I bother? Or do you think I'll regret turning down the opportunity?

Formal Time Commitment to Hobby + Grad School = ?

Alterscape — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:51:43 -0800

I am about to begin my 2nd year as a Ph.D student in a hybrid comp-sci/multimedia/engineering program. I took up soaring this summer for the sake of my mental health (and to fulfill a long-time dream), and I'm loving it. Should I join an organization that will make flying more economical, but will require a firm time commitment? I currently rent a glider from a commercial operation, which affords me scheduling flexibility but is expensive. I am considering joining a club which is much less financially demanding, but requires volunteer service to maintain the airfield/aircraft and for operations. The time commitment is more or less identical (I should be flying once a week to keep my skills up), but the club requires monthly volunteer work (which, because of the distance, amounts to a full day of non-school time).

Part of me says "join the club, because you'll be obligated to fly frequently and spend time around pleasant, wise people who are not in academia. This will keep you sane. There's still six full days in the week to get everything else finished. Besides, you're a poor grad student; any money you can save is good money."

Part of me says "To be a good grad student, you should be ready to work around the clock on projects if need be, even weekends." However, last year has taught me that following this train of thought leads to a burnt out, grumpy me who does things like learning to fly in the interests of mental health.

I'm interested in opinions from both grad students and aviators. Is it realistic to think that as I progress through my Ph.D, if I work diligently during the week, I can take a full day of "me time" one weekend day a week (or even, let's be realistic, every other weekend)?

"Radioactive Dating" isn't in the Yellow Pages

cometwendy — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:54:43 -0800

Radioactive dating: Is it possible for a hobbyist to get something dated? To make the story short, an old man died..and his kids just wanted to get rid of everything and sell the house and be done with it. On the curb with old shoes and broken tools was a magic basket of rocks! Everything in this basket is remarkable- so much so that I've become somewhat obsessed. I've had a ball reading about and identifying some of the samples, but there's a particular rock that's special. I don't know why, it's not pretty or sparkly or anything, just a flat, weathered stone that lives in my pocket now. I've decided that this rock is my own personal bit of deep time, my Lovecraftian nugget from the yawning chasm of antiquity. Is there any way to actually find out how old my pocket rock is?

I think I have a winner but

chickaboo — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:04:41 -0800

Digitalcamerafilter: Tell me what you think of your Olympus 1020 After shopping for a bit (thanks to everyone who responded to my previous thread, as well)
and I think I have narrowed it down to the Olympus 1020
I like its small size, and its excellent zoom. Is there something I'm missing that would warn me off it?

camera buying shy

chickaboo — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:41:46 -0800

I need a new digital camera. Don't roll your eyes. I do need some help. I am looking for something that is fairly compact, costs less than $500, and has a decent zoom. I had a canon elph that recently died on me, but I was really frustrated with the zoom on it, it was really crappy.

I generally take snaps of family and friends - lots of children - but I also sew and would like to capture some of the detail in my work.

Any and all advice is welcome! thank you!

Wanted: Programming Project Idea

monkeyx-uk — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:28:49 -0800

I need a new hobby programming project (preferably something web based but not necessarily). I want it to be useful to someone (well preferably more than one person) but non-commercial in nature. Can you suggest one? I'm a fairly experienced software developer (over 10 years building commercial stuff) and buzzword compliant (for those that care my day job is mostly in Java and more recently with Ruby). Looking for something to get into from the ground up, that is fun and interesting and challenging. Ideally, it will push me to learn something new. I'm happy to work with others on it but I don't mind working solo either.

Help me find a grand project to keep me busy and impress admissions officers.

snoogles — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:43:28 -0800

I'm a university student in search of a grand project to occupy my next year and a bit. Any suggestions? A little bit on me: I'm a 20 year old biology major with a minor in philosophy, working in a lab this summer at a little start-up which is making membranes for a variety of purposes. Next year I'll be going to France on exchange to a university in Lyon.

I would really like to pursue some sort of "grand project", something that will not only occupy my free time (I spend way to much time watching lame TV shows), but that will also look good when I mention it on my medical school applications next year.

I speak English and French fluently, Spanish quite well, and am planning on learning Arabic next so I'm not too interested in language suggestions.

I love biology, philosophy, reading, travelling, cooking, and fitness. I'm very interested in humanitarianism although I've never really pursued that interest. I'm not very creative and don't really enjoy crafts/creative writing/photography/etc.

Any ideas of a project I could pursue while travelling around? I like the way my life is going so far, but I could really some sort of project that would be just a little bit more involved than your average hobby.

Help me choose a hobby?

katala — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:32:22 -0800

Help me choose a hobby? I'm a creative type looking for a hobby and would be very grateful for any suggestions you can give me :) Ideally I'm looking for a hobby which is:

Affordable
Let's say $10 a week or less for costs / materials.

Specific
For example - "sewing softies" rather than just "sewing", or "playing X instrument because it's great fun and you can take it anywhere" rather than "play an instrument".

Can be picked up and put down whenever

Able to be done at home
Although I'd also welcome suggestions for hobbies which have an away-from-home component, such as taking photos on a bushwalk and then editing the photos at home).

I'd also love to know what YOU do for a hobby and why you enjoy it!

Thank you in advance for any and all ideas - there's no such thing as too conservative or too whacky - if you have a hobby you like or a suggestion for one I might like I would love to hear it :)!

What should I do with my new photo collecting hobby?

jimdanger — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:30:42 -0800

How do I get a handle on my new photo collecting hobby? I've sort of developed a new hobby of collecting vintage photos of Navy sailors, ships, etc. What started off small is now beginning to grow rather large. I currently just keep them in shoe boxes and the packaging I received them. Are there any other photo collectors out there who can give me tips on how to organize, display, and store my photos in a way where they're not just wasting away in a closet somewhere?

Help me take my tropical freshwater fish to the next level.

letsgomendel — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:18:30 -0800

Help me take my tropical freshwater fish to the next level. I've kept fish on and off since I was young but haven't really taken it very far. I love getting new fish and seeing them swim around, but my interest fades after a while, the fish get a little neglected and the tank just meanders along with a daily feed and the occasional clean. I'm at this stage now.

I have a small corner tank full of pretty mollies, some harlequins and some neons. The tank is overrun with snails and the vegetation slowly rotting away or being eaten.

After seeing a beautiful, verdant tank at a friends, and another one on some aquarist's website, I feel it is either time to stop keeping fish altogether, or to take it a step up.

Can any of you budding enthusiasts out there show me the way, be it books, advice, areas to improve - anything that will pique my interest in this hobby. I'm based in London if any geographic-based recommendations turn up.

Where are the beginner-level electronic kits to be found?

lekvar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:12:21 -0800

I need recommendations for beginner-level electronic kits and projects; audio-related kits and projects preferred. I know which end of the soldering iron is the hot end, but not much beyond that. I've done a little exploratory surgery on electronics in the past, but mostly circuit-bending or basic repairs to wiring. Those colorful blobs of ceramic attached to the circuit board? I have only the roughest idea what those are and what they do, but I want to learn.

Even better, I'd like to learn by building audio stuff.

I've wandered about in Frys and RadioShack looking at the kits, but I figure there have to be great repositories of kits, schematics, books, projects, lore, philosophy, and other good stuff relating to electronics.

So where should I start looking?

Not That Kind of Transformer!

spacewrench — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:13:09 -0800

ElectronicsFilter: How do I drive a step-up transformer to get hundreds of volts out of an AA battery? They're only 1.5v. I have a tiny step-up transformer I salvaged from a disposable-camera flash circuit. I know it worked before I took it apart, but I was reluctant to poke around in there with my meter or 'scope probes because I didn't want to fry anything (or zap myself), so I don't know what the driving frequency/duty cycle is (was). I'm using a 555 oscillator to drive a transistor which pulls current pulses down through the primary, and I'm rectifying the secondary and (theoretically) putting charge into a capacitor, just like the original flash circuit. However, my pulses aren't right, so I'm not getting anything out of the secondary.

What's the easiest way to figure out how to drive the transformer so I can get the highest voltage out of it? I have a couple of meters and an oscilloscope, but no signal generator or advanced tools. I'm hoping to get 80-90v at a few mA to drive nixie tubes.

I'm boooooorrred!

Solomon — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 07:21:58 -0800

Random strangers of the internet, please recommend a hobby to me. I've realised I need a hobby, but I have little-to-no idea what sort of things I could do.

I enjoy creating something. I enjoy learning how to create something, the whys and wherefores. I enjoy photography, because I can "capture" the beauty in something, and keep it. I enjoy writing programmes, specifically in AutoIt. I enjoy fixing computers/other things. I enjoy learning how/why things work the way they do. I did a stint working with an environmental charity (doing things like cutting down trees, messing about in ponds and lighting fires) which was great fun.

Things I don't enjoy - spending money, leaving the house, talking to/dealing with "strangers" (I think I'd quite enjoy being a counsellor).

Things I've thought of so far - knitting, auto repair, gardening, learning a new language, becoming a photographer. I'm looking for something where I can learn a] what it is, the "essence" of it (?) b] how to create it and c] actually create it.

Any ideas?

Choo Choo Charlie Was An Engineer....

lampshade — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 17:35:44 -0800

I have come into a large collection of N-Scale trains, rolling stock and track and would like some pointers to good websites for small layout practices etc. moen-sigh. I have every thing i would need, and probably too much. My problem is that all the model railroading sites are just drivel, poorly maintained and just difficult to get through. For example, the good sites are all just about these huge, impressive monster layouts. I just want something that is for starters, but with a little more...like scenery that is a bit beyond the standard green grass/black road thing.

Can anyone point me to a good model railroading site that may have some info I can use for a small 4x5 foot layout.

ADD-friendly physical activity advice needed

Baud — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:22:20 -0800

Help me find an ADD-friendly physical activity. Looks like there's Here are the two halves of the problem :

Part One : I have ADD. Repetitive activities bore me to death. Going to a gym or a sport center or a tennis club or whatever every wednesday at 10 is a repetitive activity. I will get bored an un-motivated around week 3.

Part Two : A little exercice resulting in a few pounds less would start a pleasant virtuous circle in my life.

So the big question is : what kind of exercice, sport, preferably outdoor physical activity or whatever will allow me to use my muscles to burn some fat while not becoming bored to death by the repetition of it all ?

Useful details :

- I own a bike. I'm looking for something gentle at the start (closer to yoga than squash) but that's negotiable.

- mid-thirties, single I live in Brussels (Belgium).

Can your artistic pursuits survive the realization that you have modest talents and limited prospects?

TimTypeZed — Wed, 30 May 2007 11:15:37 -0800

You set out to be a writer, a musician, a painter, a filmmaker, an actor, something creative. Somehow you didn't become the success you once envisioned. Have you been able to maintain an interest and participation in artistic pursuits as a hobby or small sideline, or have you needed to let the spark fade away completely? In the your favourite band sucks threads, the critical posters can be brutal towards creators who they feel don't have anything original to say, or whose best days were long ago. How dare they record that music, write that book, make that film, why aren't they pumping gas somewhere? And that commentary is being directed towards artists who have already realized the kind of commercial and critical interest that only a tiny fraction of people with artistic aspirations will ever know. If Paul McCartney is attacked for continuing to do what made him a Knight, what right do you have to even bother? Perhaps art should only be for the elite, for the truly gifted, for those so committed that they couldn't think of doing anything else with their life, for those who can honestly dare to make something that might stand the test of time. There is probably an opposing line of thought that says the creative impulse is one of the most basic aspects of being human, that everyone should be encouraged to explore their voice.

There are many people here who are active artists. Maybe some are successes, paying their rent writing the books they always wanted to write, raising a family through their music. Some naturally incorporate creative play into their lives. Some others may be working day jobs in their field, writing ad copy while working on their novel at night. Others may have hit a ceiling in their original efforts, but successfully transferred their creative skills into new pursuits they discovered they were better suited for. Others, still young perhaps, are presently struggling towards their goals. But what if along the line you realized you probably don't have the drive, that you probably don't have anything that striking to say, and you don't have talents any greater than a bunch of kids on Deviant Art? Have you been able to forget about the saxophone locked in the attic? Have you been able to burn the unpublishable novel and move on as an insurance salesperson? Or can you be satisfied as a Sunday painter? Can you spend your evenings plugging away on that play that doesn't have an audience?

I'd feel better if I had an effective creative outlet. I'd be a more rounded person. I'd occupy my weekends better. Maybe I could happily go work on the line from now to retirement, making my small contribution to the output of one hundred widgets per hour, if I knew that back home I was working on something for myself, something that will never be world shattering or income producing but won't be total crap either, some loose bundle of sketches that maybe I can tape to a tree in the park one summer weekend. Maybe someone would appreciate them. But whenever I try to work on anything I'm undermined by the thoughts that I'm perpetuating adolescent fantasies well into a time of life where they become sad sad sad. I'm immediately frustrated by continuing to trip over fundamentals that I should have mastered long ago. Then there's the nagging embarrassment of poor life choices (art school) that left me without marketable skills. And that suspicion that I'm an uncommitted hack. I guess I want to hear from people who have been able to overcome their frustrations, who learned to work within their own acknowledged limitations and lessened dreams. Or from those who have managed to accept that their time has passed, who found another focus for themselves so that they wouldn't reach 60 still hoping to become the new Elvis.

Freshwater fishing for n00bs

Saucy Intruder — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:05:58 -0800

I want to go fishing. You know, the kind where you stand around in a river with a floppy hat. I want this to be my hobby. As you might have guessed, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.

What's the best way to get started? What should I be asking for, looking for, and purchasing? What should I expect to pay upfront for equipment? Is this something that's even a good idea - environmentally, ethically and otherwise? Has the toxic soup of 20th century industry killed whatever joy is left in the hobby?

I'm in Boston (but more than happy to day-trip north and west.)

PBX Software Development

smcniven — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:07:39 -0800

How would one start developing software to interface with a PBX? I work with a Nortel PBX, and was musing that it would be nice to get away from accessing it via telnet and have some sort of GUI interface instead. In reality, it would simply be an interesting project to see if what I could come up with.

I was a web application developer for the about 5 years until I took my current position, so I have coding experience. But almost all of my programming was done in ASP.NET and VB.NET, and a tiny bit of C#. I learnt a smattering of Java back in the day, but it's really a hazy memory at this point. In fact, I haven't even written a line of code since late 2005.

I simply have no idea how I would start programming against the PBX. I have ideas, but I'm not sure how to go about implementing them.

Anyone have any pointers they could pass on?

Learn Masonry in Your Spare Time

JeremiahBritt — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:32:36 -0800

I'm relatively crafty, but inexperienced and largely ignorant of building construction. What are the best tools to learn masonry, preferably stone masonry, first as a hobby but potentially as a career? I'm a college grad with a B.S. in writing (seriously), and have made various projects out of steel, wood, plastic, found items etc. I'm really interested in stone masonry, having seen some gorgeous walkways, fireplaces and walls around eden-esque gardens.

I'm a good spatial thinker, but wouldn't know where to begin; searches on Google are useless to me because I have no idea what books/videos/classes are actually helpful for a beginner and which resources will cause me to build a wall that will just fall over and crush my legs.

My step-father worked construction as a teen with his father, so I know I can call him up with small problems, but he is 12 hours away and not fond of computer correspondence.

I suppose I could just start building some mortar-less walls on the weekends and work up from there, but if anyone can suggest a good book, or even TV show ala "This Old House", I'd love to check it out.

I'm a slightly neurotic individual, and any rule-of-thumb formulas (i.e. if wall is x high and y wide bury base z deep) would be a boon to my piece of mind.

(I really didn't know which category best fit this, but I guess "home and garden" will be most likely to draw the experts.)

52 Fun Things to learn.

thegeezer3 — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:48:32 -0800

a list of 52 cool things you always wanted to learn but never got round to! Ive decided i want to spend the next 52 weeks learning fun / cool TRIVIAL things that ive always wanted to do but didnt get roudn to. Thing is my list so far comprises of bar flaring, false card shuffling, build a go kart for my nephew (i never had one), shuffling poker ships like the pros, spinning a pencil around your thumbs and urmm thats it. I know ive come across a hell of a lot more but i cant remember so i turn to you all to nominate something cool youve always wanted to do but just never got round to... bizare, insane, complicated it doesnt matter just needs to be fun and cool (oh and require about a weeks attention tops so that ruels out learning a language). You dont need to give an explanation of how to do it just the idea. I may even write up the how to for each one if i have time.

Help me feed by acquarium obsession!

gilsonal — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 07:43:57 -0800

Acquarium hobbyist looking for suggestions on her new-found obsession. I've had a freshwater tank for years and just now really got into having it heavily planted and aquascaped. Now I'm really wanting to expand and possibly develop a cichlid or saltwater tank. There's just a few problems, (and lots of questions) I'm a graduate student at the moment, and this poses a few financial problems. So I'd love any info on ways to keep the hobby affordable.

Speaking of cost, how much do your acquariums cost? Is it feasible to think of doing a small scale salt tank on a budget? Or is this something that will have to wait til I get my PhD? It doesn't have to be huge or happen all at once. I'd love to just slowly start out and add a bit at a time.

Any links to sites and articles that youve found helpful would be great as well. I'm familiar with a few but I find forums are often to disjointed for somebody who really wants to learn the basics rather than somebody who is looking to have a specific question answered. Especially with regards to saltwater tanks, what sites or sources would you suggest I check out before I take the plunge? I'd like to try the DIY approach but I'm kind of inexperieced and dont even know what half the stuff is yet.

Also: moving tanks. I currently have 29 gal and 12 gal freshwater tanks. They were easy enough to move this last time, but if I get a larger tank (I'm thinking 55 or 75gallon) would this make moving feasible? I've moved about once a year or two years for affordable housing in a college town and I know I'll be wanting to move within the year.

Also, any suggestions on ways to make the freshwater planted tank more enjoyable? I really do love my tank, but Now that its fairly well stocked, I find myself looking to do more. Is there anything people can suggest without me adding more tanks to the collection? My friends already think I'm mad :)

And finally, DIY lighting for tanks. How does one who is inexperienced with wiring and general handy-ness go about building their own hood or lighting setup? I think that my tank would definitely do better with a setup that would allow me to use more than one t5 light.

So yeah. I realize this is a ton of related questions. Any suggestions, help or reality checks will be well appreicated.

How to take up barista-ing as a hobby?

fermion — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 12:16:35 -0800

How can I combine my dream of being a barista with my full-time desk job? I love coffee with a burning and passionate love, and I've always liked the idea of creating and serving fancy coffee drinks to caffeine-starved folks. Moreover, the prospect of working with real, physical food and drink seems like a refreshing counterpoint to my current computer-centric existence.

However, I'm not inclined to quit my current job in order to pursue this untried (and less well-paying) path. Is there a way I can take up barista-ing as a hobby? If I ask the local Peet's to train me and take me on as an intern for a few hours a week, will they laugh in my face? Could there be volunteer opportunities for this sort of thing? For that matter, is the job actually as enjoyable as I, in my naivete, hope it is?

I'm not really interested in setting up a home espresso system--I haven't the space nor the money, and there's only so much coffee I can drink by myself. So I'm looking for a way to serve coffee to other people, using other people's equipment.