Page 1 of 1
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 9:56 pm
by 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
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:11 pm
by 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
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:51 pm
by Smith1776
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:36 am
by Libertarian666
So if anyone is thinking of getting involved with someone, they should ask for your opinion and then do the opposite?

Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:43 am
by pp4me
At least you didn't marry one and stay with her for 27 years until death did you part.
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 6:43 pm
by Smith1776
pp4me wrote: ↑Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:43 am
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?
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2020 6:44 pm
by Smith1776
Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 18, 2020 10:36 am
So if anyone is thinking of getting involved with someone, they should ask for your opinion and then do the opposite?
Yup!

Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:27 am
by Tortoise
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:45 am
by yankees60
Similar to many people thinking their investment decisions are contra-indicators!
Vinny
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:49 am
by 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.
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:04 am
by Kbg
Solution, ditch Arnold and Jackie. Go for Bruce Lee...Asian, buff, martial artist. You can do it!

Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:28 am
by Mountaineer
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:37 am
by 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!
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:39 am
by Hal
Yes, Think Smith forgot to include steroid sales in his list

Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:33 am
by Smith1776
Hal wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 8:37 am
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.
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:17 am
by Hal
Smith1776 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:33 am
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

Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:25 am
by pp4me
Smith1776 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:33 am
-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.
Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 12:42 pm
by Smith1776
You are a
wealth of information, my friend! Dang. Thank you.

Re: What are your special skills/interests?
Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2020 12:46 pm
by Smith1776
pp4me wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:25 am
Smith1776 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:33 am
-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!