What kind of other nerd are you?

[Taxdude]

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a modeler.  He is an armour guy but really cool,  and totally understands the work that goes into building a building a car (and never calls them targets).  We talked about how we each have our interests, me for cars and trucks, I like building them, looking at them, researching them and driving them when I can.  He is the same way about armour, well except for the driving part.  We talked for quite a bit about cars and tanks and the process that we undertake to complete our projects.  This led us to how non-modelers see us.  We shared stories of how when a non-modeler (need to come up with a term for non-modelers, Muggles?  Might have already been used) sees what we do or our stash of unbuilt models they don't understand.  My favorite being when they look at my "Have you built all of these?"  Don't be ridiculous, I will never build all of these.

From here we talked about other things in life that we enjoy that might not be on everyone's radar.  Things that others might consider nerdy.  To which I say that everyone is a nerd about something or multiple somethings in life otherwise they are lying to themselves. 

So what else do you do that other's might consider nerdy.  I'll start with a couple.

I am a cyclist, yep the guy on the road bike wearing the spandex, skinny tires tiny seat.  I ride anywhere between 150 and 250 miles a week.  It is nothing to go out and knock out 70-80 miles on a Saturday or Sunday.   Besides the health reasons behind this I am a huge supporter of the Make-A-Wish foundation and for the last 10 years, I have been part of a huge fundraising event that is culminated with a 3-day 300-mile ride.  Anyone want to go out and ride some miles?

I am also a huge fan of the old sailing man-of-war sailing ships from the late 1700's to the early 1800's.  On my bucket list is getting over to England to see the HMS Victory and to Boston to see the USS Constitution.  

So now unburden your soul and tell the world what nerdly pursuits you have.

Fred

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

6 minutes ago, Taxdude said:

...So now unburden your soul and tell the world what nerdly pursuits you have.

Probably my nerdiest pursuit is tinkering with low-budget AI. Since the mid-2000s, I've been working on something based on Robert Medeksa's "Hal" chatbot, as time and resources permit. I'm close to installing the current personality in her own dedicated host computer, already purchased.

[cobraman]

I am proud to be a nerd ! Call me what you will. I build plastic models, wooden boats, I collect little toy cars ( Cobra's ) I do some paint by number paintings and I collect knives, and I have a firearm collection. If all that makes me a nerd, so be it !

[1972coronet]

I collect old maps , mostly Thomas Guides . The oldest one that I have is a Los Angeles & Orange Counties 1958 .

[cowboy rich]

Besides the models and toys I collect old straight razors, knives and firearms but the the one that seems to get some funny looks once in awhile is yo-yos generally have one near by and start playing with it when I'm stressed or frustrated.

[LDO]

I like learning to cook. No formal training, just cooking shows and internet.  I have made quite a few things from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" TV show. All turned out well,bout I cutvdown on the amount of syrup that goes over his Baklava recipe. I made some good Kung Pao chicken from an internet recipe. You have got to look up the recipe for Korean BBQ wings from America's Test Kitchen. Best wings I have ever had.

[Taxdude]

13 minutes ago, LDO said:

I like learning to cook. No formal training, just cooking shows and internet.  I have made quite a few things from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" TV show. All turned out well,bout I cutvdown on the amount of syrup that goes over his Baklava recipe. I made some good Kung Pao chicken from an internet recipe. You have got to look up the recipe for Korean BBQ wings from America's Test Kitchen. Best wings I have ever had.

I love cooking, I look at it this way.  Cooking is like scratch building.  Sometimes it is great and sometimes you just want to put it back in the box.  However, baking is straight out-of-the-box building.  

[Taxdude]

30 minutes ago, cowboy rich said:

Besides the models and toys I collect old straight razors, knives and firearms but the the one that seems to get some funny looks once in awhile is yo-yos generally have one near by and start playing with it when I'm stressed or frustrated.

All sorts of collections are cool.  I know a guy that has a collection of flashlights that is incredible and far-ranging.  

[heyjohnxx]

I'll mention 2. First is my collection of diecast forklifts, every one I could find (except one Toyota that the owner didn't want to sell) in 1/25 scale. The other is Amateur Radio. I am an Extra class callsign W8JRD.

[glusnifr]

i have a large collection of model kits ,mostly cars ,,but some military,some superhero kits,,i do plan on building everything but most likely wont lol,,i collect superman figures ,and books ,,i am a superman nerd for sure ,also new england  sports collectibles and figures ,,and my biggest collection are dvds ,in the thousands ,my sons ( i have 3 ) and i love movies ,,so we have been going to and collecting for years ,,there is nothing better than building a model while watching a good movie or sporting event..one of the newest online collectibles started on youtube with shop cards ,people have been making there own for thier channels and trading them ...here's one of mine...

[Daddyfink]

I've collected comic books, Hot Wheels, Models, Hello Kitty and worked on cars, Airplanes and a couple of boats. I like Anime and traditional American Animation.

Yes, I am a total Nerd

 

My friends...

and Me...

 

[restoman]

The main reason I don't get much time at the model bench is because of all the other nerd stuff... I thought once I retired, I'd have more time for hobbies. That hasn't worked out...

A big amateur photography buff, woodworking, tinkering with our Super Beetle, still have my hand in auto body repair and paint work, but on a much smaller scale than in my working days, and I spend an inordinate amount of time, it seems, with our three dogs. 

Oh, yeah... I've been tinkering with blacksmithing the last year or so. Built my own forge, picked up a nice NC farrier's anvil and just got an old Champion #400 blower to replace the hair dryer I've been using. The Champion needs work, so we'll see if it was a good deal or not... The feel and smell of a forge and hot steel is something else! 

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, LDO said:

I like learning to cook. No formal training, just cooking shows and internet.  I have made quite a few things from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" TV show. All turned out well,bout I cutvdown on the amount of syrup that goes over his Baklava recipe. I made some good Kung Pao chicken from an internet recipe. You have got to look up the recipe for Korean BBQ wings from America's Test Kitchen. Best wings I have ever had.

I'm with you Lee.

My mother was a fantastic cook & I picked up most of what I know about cooking from her & have enjoyed it for years!

Although she was mainly a "home cooking" "comfort food" type of cook, everything that I learned from her is applicable to much fancier food than she ever attempted.

I do occasionally pick up recipes from television or the internet, but I rarely follow them to the T.

I like to massage them & make them my own.

But I have picked up some amazing recipes from the internet over the years that I could never improve upon.

A few that come to mind are the best Mongolian Beef that I've ever had, a crazy good "New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp" recipe, and "The Worlds Best Tomato Sauce" that requires slow roasting the ingredients in the oven at a very low temperature for hours.

Time consuming, but fantastic!!

 

Steve

[Tom Geiger]

Back to Fred's original post....

I find that people with hobbies are the most likely to appreciate yours!  For instance, my model railroader friend and I will share hobby moments.  He shared his glee at acquiring a rare and expensive locomotive and I'll share my moments of minor triumph on my projects.  We understand.

I once brought one of my weathered trucks to work with me.  A co-worker who did water color paintings got very excited about my "multi-media sculpture" as he called it.  He called out the different materials, paints, chalks etc that I used and saw the artistic value in my creation.

On the other hand I know people who see my models as nothing more than kids puzzles I assemble while drooling!  My wife's brother was over for dinner once. He stared into my closet of unbuilt models and asked if we could build one before dinner.  I had to open one up and put it along side a built example so he could see the difference.  He was surprised. When he saw my finished models in my case, he thought they came already painted and weathered, and all I did was screw a few parts together.

My wife's friend takes the cake.  She is a neurotic woman obsessed with cleaning every inch of her house. I can assure you that she probably doesn't even have a store receipt over a week old! She questioned me about why I had all this clutter.  She further went on to say these were possessions that weren't necessary and she wouldn't be able to sleep at night.  I'm glad I'm not married to her!  

[Pete J.]

Over my lifetime I have had a lot of interests.  Some have come and gone and some have stayed.  Here are some that have stayed. 

Aircraft- My dad was a pilot in WWII and I became one in the USAF in 1972.  When I retired 5 years ago(not from the Air Force), I went back to work on my ratings and got my ground instructors ratings(health won't let me fly but I can teach).  I love going to air shows, airports etc.  My favorite place in the whole world is a Starbucks coffee at the end of the runway at Carlsbad airport.  The aircraft pass directly overhead at under 200'.  I do build aircraft models, just not as many as cars. 

Wood-  I love working with wood.  I have a rather extensive collection of woodworking tools accumulated over the last 40 years.  I just love the sound of a well honed hand plane gliding through hardwood, and the smell of freshly cut wood. 

Computers- Not a classic Nerd, I took my first class in programing in 1967(Yes they had computers back then).  I taught myself Basic in the 80's on a TI-4A.  I just love dinking around with Excel to see what I can do. 

Finance- Did my graduate work in the 80's and had an instructor who was a senior VP at the original Merrill Lynch in San Francisco.  He made finance and investment so interesting I just stayed with it.  Never really worked in the field, but I still follow the markets and watch the economics.  Yea, I suppose I am a nerd in this field.

Nerd, Geek whatever!  I love things that stretch my brain.  Model building is at the top of the heap in that respect.  Always trying to solve a new problem.  Great for the brain. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

21 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

  She further went on to say these were possessions that weren't necessary and she wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Uh-huh.

Should have asked her how insomniatic she is over her shoes, jewelry & make up.

Bet she doesn't lose a lot of sleep over her useless possessions.

 

Steve

[dragstk]

TaxDude, if we were closer, Id be out riding with you. Cycling is my #1 passion. I do 100-120 miles a week.

6 weeks ago, I just got a new Cannondale Synapse, so I can do some gravel riding. Cause there is a ton of state land near me.

Jeff

[vamach1]

I think this qualifies as nerdy.  I am on the left.

[Rob Hall]

Collecting hobbies---diecast of all sorts, model kits, promo models. 

Other geeky interests include the study of computer languages and applications (hence my career), home theatre, home automation.

[Snake45]

8 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

My wife's friend takes the cake.  She is a neurotic woman obsessed with cleaning every inch of her house. I can assure you that she probably doesn't even have a store receipt over a week old! She questioned me about why I had all this clutter.  She further went on to say these were possessions that weren't necessary and she wouldn't be able to sleep at night.  I'm glad I'm not married to her!  

She's OCD or worse. 

People who tell me I don't "need" this or that, or ask why I "need" something or other annoy me. Fortunately, today I have a ready comeback, as I'm about the only person I know who doesn't own a cellphone. So I just fire back, "Why do you need a cell phone? Do you have to be on 24-hour standby so the President can ask you whether or not to launch the missiles? And I can tell you, you DON'T need one. I've gotten along without one for over 60 years now and I'm doing fine. Why don't you get rid of that thing and stop being a slave to it?"

Most people don't want to play "Why Do You Need...?" with me anymore after that. 

[426 pack]

I biuld and race lawnmower. 

[440 Dakota]

for me its air cooled VW stuff have 3 projects going at this time, 69 Baja Bug, Berrrien rail and a Bradley GT2, then there's the Guitars, Archery, Firearms and 1/4 scale and larger R/C planes balsa and film construction type only

[landman]

I was the typical nerd, glasses, bookworm, hated team sports. However, now that I am old, I spend a lot of time doing physical activity. I am responsible for the maintenance of the local snowshoe trails with a couple of other old boys and I spend as much time as I can on the trails during the winter. In the summer, I cycle, nothing like Taxdude and Dragstk however, 5 to 10 miles a day and my bike is a $250 Raleigh. I collected licence plates for a while, and car books. I reconstructed a '34 Chevrolet from a hulk and a few donor cars. That used up about 8 years. I do woodworking as well. So no time to go to work.  And, of course , modelling.

[cobraman]

That desk looks very nice !

[HomerS]

When I had to wear a tie for going into the office, I bought Jerry Garcia ties.  I haven't had to wear them in several years but just can't pull the trigger to let them go.  My dad passed away a year ago and he is buried wearing a tie with Volkswagon Beetles on it.  (He had several through the years)

I'm a die hard hockey fan.  I was in Vegas when the Golden Knights clinched their spot in the Stanley Cup.  I sent a pic of the moment to the wife and our two sons, but the wife texted back 'are all those people standing outside the stadium watching an away game?'  I reminded her 'if i took/sent this pic, I AM ONE of those people!!'  Yeah, she went silent after that.  We used to have a team in the now defunct IHL (team lives on in the ECHL).  I have pucks from all the AHL, IHL and NHL teams.....and various other minor league teams (most of them have folded).

Modeling time has been less and less as I have four rescue dogs.  I volunteer at the local pet food pantry for monthly distribution as well as a 'go to' when they get large (several thousands of pounds) donations of pet food to transport, mark it and put it away.  I hit local thrift stores and garage/rummage sales for pet crates, bath towels and other things rural shelter on shoestring budgets can use.  If I'm going to an out of town model car show, I take a couple boxes of donations to a nearby animal shelter/rescue.  (it's also how I ended up with dog #4 as he was a face I couldn't walk away from)