h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Welcome to Talking Point. This is a semi-regular feature with topics introduced In 'Ask h2g2' from time to time.



• Do you have a hobby? Please tell us about it.

• How did you develop an interest in it?

• How much time to you spend on it? Do you wish you had more time to devote to it?

• Why is it a worthwhile pursuit? Would you recommend it to others?



Do you have a suggestion for a future Talking Point? Leave us a message at F21544321?thread=8288490.

h2g2 Community Editors
Witty Moniker

I sometimes quilt.
When I was off work with my first baby, we lived in Maryland, US, and on a trip to Pennsylvania, Amish regions, I saw so many beautiful quilts. Also, there were lots of quilting fabric stores and magazines. So I made a baby quilt for her. I had no sewing machine there, so it's all hand made.

I made a second quilt for my son, also baby size, but that one is machine pieced, and hand quilted.

I have an ongoing project (UFO, UnFinished Object) since 1995, when I bought the fabrics. It's a hand pieced queen size bed cover, and I am now in the quilting stage. Since a year or so... That one demands to rest a lot

I've also done a few collages, but nothing much in the last 15 years. I suppose I should scan them, and store the image, because some of them fade a bit in sunlight...

Oh, does musicals count? When they allow me on stage, I sometimes have small extra parts...

at Milla

I wish I could learn to do that, and crochet too.
I´m only able to do the usual sewing chores like fix a button
or the end of a trouser...(what´s the name for that?)


I draw. It´s relaxing and I´ve got a feeling of satisfaction, fulfillment, I can´t explain.. a je ne se quoi.

Gardening, although I´m confined to the sill of my windows!!


Since I read Recumbentman´s entryon Ukeleles I want to get one and start to do something!!

Political songs ??

That would be sewing a hem on those trousers.

I quite like several types of needlework including knitting, crocheting and cross stitch. But I haven't had the time to devote to that for the last few years. Fortunately, I only have one UFO at this time.

I also like to read fiction for pleasure. And there is this website I spend a lot of time at.

hem

thanks WM!

?

Does gaming count? I spend quite a bit of time, money and devotion to that. All sorts of games, although most of them are quite solitary as I play on a console and not online. Some of the games are mulitplayer, mind.

Flying.

I developed an interest in it because every dream I ever had, I fly. As in, I just lean forward and fly away. When I'm dreaming, it seems the most natural thing in the world and makes perfect sense. I lost count of the number of times I was actively disappointed when I woke up to realise that, actually, I was now back in the real world, and I couldn't fly.

Except now... I can. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftCRMw33kjM

I developed an interest in this specific form of flying when my stepsister's husband started talking about it, and offered to teach me. I politely declined and went to a professional instructor instead.

Time spent - it has varied, but it has increased. It's reached a point of obsession where I think about little else, because one can fly in only a relatively narrow range of weather conditions so I'm constantly checking the weather reports. In some ways it's actually quite good when it's raining and blowing a gale for four or five days straight because I can relax and stop thinking I'm possibly missing out. Other than that, I go every night after work that it's possible and some nights when it's not, and spend every weekend chasing the perfect hillside.

I don't know if it's worthwhile - lugging the gear up hills repeatedly has made me fitter than I've been for a while, and it certainly makes me focussed. It's also pretty sociable, with groups of people getting together and getting out onto the hills for a fly together, sharing lifts and, in the event you get away cross country, retrieve driving for each other.

Ultimately, I don't really care if it's worthwhile - I'm doing something I *literally* dreamed about. If you dreamed about it too, then yes, I'd definitely recommend it. On the other hand, British weather is fickle and changeable, and don't let anyone tell you it's "safe" - but then what is? If you see someone flying like this, they really, really wanted to - they put up with seemingly endless walking up hills lugging gear, driving miles to hills and not being able to fly, theory and air law and meteorology lessons and exams.

But in the end - I can *fly*.

I've had so many hobbies that I have trouble deciding on one.

In the 1980s, my hobby was investing.

In the 1990s, my hobby was composing -- oratorios, songs, piano sonatas, even a wedding march [scored for organ and trumpet] for my brother's wedding.

From 2000 to 2010, I collected fine china.

Since 2010, I've been collecting CDs [I have almost 1,000 now]. I started with classical recordings, grouped equally into three periods: Renaissance to 1750, Classical 1750-1830, Modern 1830s through about 1970. At present, I'm collecting original cast and revival recordings for musical plays [1920-2012] and movie musicals. This project is not yet finished [I'm only up to the mid-1980s].

For the purpose of this thread, I'm going to focus on the china. I turned 52 in 2000, and realized [if I hadn't already realized] that my chances of getting a set of wedding china were minimal, given that marriage was getting more and more unlikely. I live in a mobile home, which is pretty spartan and drab. What could brighten up such a small place better than nice china?

During the decade, I collected more and more nice patterns, though not much of any one pattern. Variety seemed essential. I could have a different pattern for each day of the month, and a pattern for each of the twelve days of Christmas. Collecting has always been
one of my greatest strengths. I buy as I get the money for it. I have major patterns from Mikasa, Spode, Royal Albert, Royal Doulton, Hutschenreuther, Wedgwood, Waterford, Johnson Brothers, Sasaki, Noritake, Villeroy & Boch, Lenox, and Fitz and Floyd.

My two favorite patterns are Lenox "British Colonial" and Royal Doulton "Centennial Rose," with honorable mention for John Brothers "Friendly Village."

Depends what a hobby is I guess...

Iguess then, reading seems to occupy most of my time... making bread, does that count as a hobby? playing guitar, composing and recording, probably about it really... My collecting of vinyl Iugess Ionce considered a hobby, but my poor collection of probalby less than 1000 doesn't count, not now I've known someone who had a collection of over 10,000 vinyl, wax cilender, etc., at their house
Oh, and Icollect HiFi speakers, apparently, and repair them too, though I've not exactly got an extensive collection yet, I've some covering the 1960's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 00's.... but they do sadly take up an awful lot of space, so maybe its not something I'd ever end up with a giant collection of... damn expensive too
(currently listening to radio four on a circa 1963 set of celestions, though Ido keep meaning to put a differnt set up, as Ineed to build new fronts for these, as they'[re broken and missing...)
Does cooking count?
How about sex?

3D computer art..but at the cheap end of the market.Bryce,Daz Studio.

Hobbies, I am plagued by them - having fun with them though. I'm on the Skeptics in the Pub committee, and I've taken up Munro Bagging and running. My boss tells me that science is basically a hobby, which worries me as it's a job, which I do take home with me.

Hobbies?

Are we talking Falco subbuteo, from which the table football game got it's name?

It's also my bogus bird. I wish I could spot one but I've dipped on it every time.

And it's a beautiful bird, with an unerring talent for catching dragonflies on the wing. Really impressive. It is also incredibly fast, reaching speeds of 100mph.

It's plumage is crisp and smart, with the male sporting a slate grey back, red-under-rump and sharply streaked breast, moustacheod with a slate-grey nap. Not overly large at 11-14", around the size of a kestrel. And my other bogey bird is similar, being the Merlin.

Interesting talking point!

MMF

(testing to see if I can make this thread appear again)

Soo...

After no collusion at all with the community editors : May's create challenge is to write an Guide Entry on your hobby A87756475 .

I am looking forward to seeing what people come up with

Z, you might have to change your name to Pinocchio.

Who are you again?

Why, I'm the Blue , of course!

I'll pass as I'm still learning,the software costs real money(you have to pay for ease of use),the free software is incredibly complicated and top on top of it all you need a reasonably good rendering computer.

It's even more expensive than painting and drawing.

If I ever win the lottery big time I'm buying a pottery kiln. Another hobby/interest I've had to drop due to lack of access to a kiln.

I've made a 'Roll of honour' at A87756475, where you can see everything that's been happening so far in the create challenge. There's a few entries in PR already so I hope that they'll get plenty of comments.

is their an edited/approved entry on 'Baguettes'? I can't seem to see one...