What are your special skills/interests?

[Smith1776]

What a wonderful thread idea! I'm headed off to do some grocery shopping so i'll have to be brief and elaborate later.

- Programming
- Math
- Finance
- Singing
- Stand up comedy
- Acting
- Bodybuilding
- Martial arts

[yankees60]

Politics

Reading

Collecting books to read

Softball (playing)

Basketball (playing)

Baseball (watching)

Basketball (watching)

Personal Finance

Permanent Portfolio

Using Excel if it has two columns and two rows or anything else it can be used for

Cats

Rodents (currently rats and gerbils)

C-Span

Computers (must own 10-15) and all related components

Electronics (e.g., tablets, phones, headphones)

The internet

Nutrition

Self-Improvement

Barbell exercising

Fitness

Food gardening

Listening to live / recorded music

Collecting all forms of music - records, CDs, electronic

Organizing anything and everything in any way I can - if I own it it has to be in alphabetical or numerical order or clothes organized by color or any other possible organizational scheme. Just NOT random!

Bargain hunter

Music sound systems and components

Online communications / discussions

Sitting outside in the sun while reading and listening to music

Collecting tons of ephemera - baseball cards, other sports cards, magazines, newspapers

Watching movies

Collecting DVD movies

Photography

Collecting musical instruments

I guess I should add that I have both a BBA and an MSBA in accounting and have been doing accounting work since 1974. And, have been a (non-practicing) CFP (Certified Financial Planner) since 1988. The accounting work has kept me both too busy and too well paid to ever pursue the CFP work.

Vinny

[Smith1776]

OH, also.... chasing women that are bad for me emotionally and every other way.

[Libertarian666]

OH, also.... chasing women that are bad for me emotionally and every other way.

So if anyone is thinking of getting involved with someone, they should ask for your opinion and then do the opposite?

[pp4me]

OH, also.... chasing women that are bad for me emotionally and every other way.

At least you didn't marry one and stay with her for 27 years until death did you part.

[Smith1776]

OH, also.... chasing women that are bad for me emotionally and every other way.

At least you didn't marry one and stay with her for 27 years until death did you part.

Oddly specific. Is this personal experience?

[Smith1776]

So if anyone is thinking of getting involved with someone, they should ask for your opinion and then do the opposite?

Yup!

[Tortoise]

[yankees60]

Similar to many people thinking their investment decisions are contra-indicators!

Vinny

[Smith1776]

To elaborate on my previous post:

• Programming
  - Mostly web development with Ruby on Rails, JS, and of course HTML/CSS. Currently also in the final stages of finishing off my math + comp sci degree where i'm getting exposure to C, assembly, etc.
• Math
  - I love math and its purity. Learning in school as above.
• Finance
  - My first degree was in business administration and I worked in finance for a few years before I decided to embark on my career change. I would only return to finance if I could work in that industry without the perverse incentive structures. (Say, a private practice in advising.) I still enjoy discussing and reading about finance.
• Singing
  - Quickly becoming my favourite form of performing. It's very cathartic and enjoyable. I mostly sing classical stuff like West Side Story and Les Mis.
• Stand up comedy
  - Basically free therapy. People pay 10 bucks for a ticket to hear about my dating life.
• Acting
  - The Hero With a Thousand Faces. An actor lives a thousand lives vicariously and has a broad spectrum of experience relative to non-actors. That's why I love it.
• Bodybuilding
  - I want to be an asian Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Martial arts
  - I want to be an asian Jackie Chan.... wait.

[Kbg]

Solution, ditch Arnold and Jackie. Go for Bruce Lee...Asian, buff, martial artist. You can do it!

[Mountaineer]

Solution, ditch Arnold and Jackie. Go for Bruce Lee...Asian, buff, martial artist. You can do it!

I think Smith's new avatar is more Bruce Jenner than Bruce Lee!

[Hal]

Good topic

-Flying
-Hiking
-Collie Dogs
-Single Action Shooting
-Economics/Monetary Systems
-Stoicism
-Did I mention Collie Dogs?
-Agricultural Science/Soil Chemistry
-Languages (Japanese to start with)
-Roman/Military & Religious History

Ironically, nothing I studied for in Uni had any interest to me,
was just the Army was paying for it
Still it was better than shearing sheep!

[Hal]

Solution, ditch Arnold and Jackie. Go for Bruce Lee...Asian, buff, martial artist. You can do it!

I think Smith's new avatar is more Bruce Jenner than Bruce Lee!

Yes, Think Smith forgot to include steroid sales in his list

[Smith1776]

Good topic

-Flying
-Hiking
-Collie Dogs
-Single Action Shooting
-Economics/Monetary Systems
-Stoicism
-Did I mention Collie Dogs?
-Agricultural Science/Soil Chemistry
-Languages (Japanese to start with)
-Roman/Military & Religious History

Ironically, nothing I studied for in Uni had any interest to me,
was just the Army was paying for it
Still it was better than shearing sheep!

Your last three are absolutely fascinating, and are some things I'd like to learn more about.

I am currently studying the nuances of wine. Trying to branch out from my usual topics.

[Hal]

Your last three are absolutely fascinating, and are some things I'd like to learn more about.

I am currently studying the nuances of wine. Trying to branch out from my usual topics.

Heres a starter.

-Ag Science
Dept of Agriculture Books & Technical College night classes. (I actually had a chat to the lecturers to make sure then had industry experience before enrolling.) Plus Discovering Soils Series of Books. Heres link to the intro book https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/pub?p ... 326517296f. Also a decent Permaculture Course run by a farmer is a good idea.

-Language
External course through Uni (can get exemptions in other courses for subjects studied) eg:https://my.une.edu.au/courses/units/JAPN101
Find someone to practise with as well: in-person/online. (a lady perhaps )

-History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevrlcWE27Y (+ get book, preferably illustrated)
https://www.biblestudytools.com/history ... -josephus/
and for fun, join something like this re-enactment society
https://www.flickr.com/photos/13844100@N07/sets/

Great social event - this one is near where I live
https://timeline.org.au/?page_id=3040

Should keep you busy

[pp4me]

-Stoicism

I couldn't think of any except for my programming skills which have surely vanished by now and good riddance.

But if stoicism can be considered a skill I might qualify. Also cynicism which I'm very good at. Didn't come from studying Greek philosophers however. Like programming, I'm mostly self-taught.

[Smith1776]

Heres a starter.

-Ag Science
Dept of Agriculture Books & Technical College night classes. (I actually had a chat to the lecturers to make sure then had industry experience before enrolling.) Plus Discovering Soils Series of Books. Heres link to the intro book https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/pub?p ... 326517296f. Also a decent Permaculture Course run by a farmer is a good idea.

-Language
External course through Uni (can get exemptions in other courses for subjects studied) eg:https://my.une.edu.au/courses/units/JAPN101
Find someone to practise with as well: in-person/online. (a lady perhaps )

-History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevrlcWE27Y (+ get book, preferably illustrated)
https://www.biblestudytools.com/history ... -josephus/
and for fun, join something like this re-enactment society
https://www.flickr.com/photos/13844100@N07/sets/

Great social event - this one is near where I live
https://timeline.org.au/?page_id=3040

Should keep you busy

You are a wealth of information, my friend! Dang. Thank you.

[Smith1776]

-Stoicism

I couldn't think of any except for my programming skills which have surely vanished by now and good riddance.

But if stoicism can be considered a skill I might qualify. Also cynicism which I'm very good at. Didn't come from studying Greek philosophers however. Like programming, I'm mostly self-taught.

The stoicism thing was Hal's contribution. I admire practiced stoics, and I'm definitely not one of them. I suppose that's obvious given how frequently I get distraught on this forum lol!