Hike, Mountain Bike, Paintball (expensive), Gym, really anything that gives you some sort of skill or advantage or exercise etc.
Estes model rocketry.
HaiBai, you're what, 16? or around that age? right? Masturbate, it's the perfect hobby for your age.
honestly, discipline yourself and condition yourself to enjoy reading. i hate to use those two words - 'discipline' & 'condition' - because it's actually and SHOULD be a joy to read. it's a habit that young people aren't imparted with nowadays, and that's a damn shame. my younger brother and his generation have grown up in an era of entertainment completely devoid of books. hobbies? he'll list off everything except reading. im not suggesting that you become a bookworm... but if you can somehow implant the idea in your brain - the loose subconscious association - that reading = fun, or an activity for 'pleasure', then you're set. you'll be more knowledgable, you'll have more creativity and initiative, and most practically of all: you'll find college a doddle. being able to encourage yourself to read; or, having the ability to turn off the fucking xbox, mute the ipod, shut-down the PC and switch the TV to standby, and THEN pick-up a book...
you'll be thanking yourself in 20 years when your mind isn't quite so sharp and mouldable.
you'll be thanking yourself in 20 years when your mind isn't quite so sharp and mouldable.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Any recommendations? I used to read all the time, but it's rare that I come across anything that really interests me anymore.Uzique wrote:
honestly, discipline yourself and condition yourself to enjoy reading. i hate to use those two words - 'discipline' & 'condition' - because it's actually and SHOULD be a joy to read. it's a habit that young people aren't imparted with nowadays, and that's a damn shame. my younger brother and his generation have grown up in an era of entertainment completely devoid of books. hobbies? he'll list off everything except reading. im not suggesting that you become a bookworm... but if you can somehow implant the idea in your brain - the loose subconscious association - that reading = fun, or an activity for 'pleasure', then you're set. you'll be more knowledgable, you'll have more creativity and initiative, and most practically of all: you'll find college a doddle. being able to encourage yourself to read; or, having the ability to turn off the fucking xbox, mute the ipod, shut-down the PC and switch the TV to standby, and THEN pick-up a book...
you'll be thanking yourself in 20 years when your mind isn't quite so sharp and mouldable.
send me a pm or just post your interests here, if i cant recommend a few names that ring bells then im sure somebody else can. im sure lots of other people read here, too. maybe even resurrect the D&ST book-recommendations thread. that was an amazing concept before it became a battleground for the D&ST regulars to post books as thinly-veiled allegories for their political bloody ideology.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
The last thing I read that I liked was Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I think I'd like to read something 'intellectual', but I dunno where to start.
fiction or non-fiction? you can read a thought-provoking and 'intellectual' novel, or gun for the more straightforward to-the-point non-fiction.
what period are you interested in? what subjects/topics? any themes you find particularly interesting?
for instance, my particular interest is modernism and post-modernism and all that it entails. typically short-stories or novellas with densely-woven, paradigmatic prose. lots of stuff to get your teeth in. and problems/issues that are very much still relevant- on a society-wide level, and also when it comes to the crisis of the individual and his/her psychology. i also like the new forms of experimentalism and genre-wide rule breaking that you see in the (post)-modernist piece of art, i.e. questioning the very framework of fiction by providing unreliable/fallible narrators, defying the old novelistic structure of start->middle->end, purposefully not providing a conclusion or a clear meaning. others may prefer 17th-19th century novels for, example, their literary realism and the focus on social issues and religious thematics.
what period are you interested in? what subjects/topics? any themes you find particularly interesting?
for instance, my particular interest is modernism and post-modernism and all that it entails. typically short-stories or novellas with densely-woven, paradigmatic prose. lots of stuff to get your teeth in. and problems/issues that are very much still relevant- on a society-wide level, and also when it comes to the crisis of the individual and his/her psychology. i also like the new forms of experimentalism and genre-wide rule breaking that you see in the (post)-modernist piece of art, i.e. questioning the very framework of fiction by providing unreliable/fallible narrators, defying the old novelistic structure of start->middle->end, purposefully not providing a conclusion or a clear meaning. others may prefer 17th-19th century novels for, example, their literary realism and the focus on social issues and religious thematics.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Yeah. I live near Chicago, I have a mediocre 'mountain' 10 minutes away from me. But when I want something serious, I go to Wisconsin.nukchebi0 wrote:
Is snowboarding really a feasible "hobby" for someone living in Illinois?
Anyway, I think I'm going to buy a bike and start flatlanding.
EDIT: Uzique, I do read. I don't read as much literature as I used to when I was young, but I still read Newsweek and ESPN.
Last edited by HaiBai (2010-05-01 19:54:18)
I like somewhat cynical, thought-provoking reflections on culture/society. Not sure if you're familiar with it, but think Blur's material at the height of britpop.Uzique wrote:
fiction or non-fiction? you can read a thought-provoking and 'intellectual' novel, or gun for the more straightforward to-the-point non-fiction.
what period are you interested in? what subjects/topics? any themes you find particularly interesting?
for instance, my particular interest is modernism and post-modernism and all that it entails. typically short-stories or novellas with densely-woven, paradigmatic prose. lots of stuff to get your teeth in. and problems/issues that are very much still relevant- on a society-wide level, and also when it comes to the crisis of the individual and his/her psychology. i also like the new forms of experimentalism and genre-wide rule breaking that you see in the (post)-modernist piece of art, i.e. questioning the very framework of fiction by providing unreliable/fallible narrators, defying the old novelistic structure of start->middle->end, purposefully not providing a conclusion or a clear meaning. others may prefer 17th-19th century novels for, example, their literary realism and the focus on social issues and religious thematics.
As for fiction vs. non-fiction, I guess I would prefer an interesting novel to a dry work of non-fiction, but that really comes down to the book.
ghettoperson wrote:
I think I've had a Partagas before, although I've no idea which specific one. My favourite so far has to be the Cohiba Siglo VI, so incredibly tasty. Stupidly expensive though, so reserved for birthdays, weddings and New Years.alexb wrote:
Ever had a Partagas Black Label? They're .ghettoperson wrote:
I <3 a good cigar.
How much are they each?
I think the Partagas Black Labels run about $10 each? Damn, now I want a cigar.
I don't think you're going to be able to pick up reading if it takes the discipline and conditioning Uzique speaks of. If you used to read and you don't anymore, there is a reason you stopped. If that reason hasn't changed, then I don't know why you would pick up reading again.
As for what to read, looking for something you find extremely compelling on wikipedia I think would be your best bet. It's the easiest way to find hundreds of authors quickly, and authors related to authors and such once you find one that sounds about right.
Despite what he may think I'm not just saying this to piss Uzique off, this is just from my personal relationship with reading over the years. I used to read a lot more than I do, for person reasons I don't read as much as I used to. Whether or not it will help you be "intellectual" or help you with your studies is entirely personal...it depends on how you define intellect and what your studies will be. It certainly can't help, but if you're looking to broaden your horizons it is not the only route to do so.
As for personal choice, the books that have overall made me the happiest I have found through the internet. If you have a modicum of individuality the chances of finding your type of book from recommendations from people you don't really know, well it's unlikely.
---
Seriously though, asking for a hobby at all is kind of ridiculous. Do something you like.
As for what to read, looking for something you find extremely compelling on wikipedia I think would be your best bet. It's the easiest way to find hundreds of authors quickly, and authors related to authors and such once you find one that sounds about right.
Despite what he may think I'm not just saying this to piss Uzique off, this is just from my personal relationship with reading over the years. I used to read a lot more than I do, for person reasons I don't read as much as I used to. Whether or not it will help you be "intellectual" or help you with your studies is entirely personal...it depends on how you define intellect and what your studies will be. It certainly can't help, but if you're looking to broaden your horizons it is not the only route to do so.
As for personal choice, the books that have overall made me the happiest I have found through the internet. If you have a modicum of individuality the chances of finding your type of book from recommendations from people you don't really know, well it's unlikely.
---
Seriously though, asking for a hobby at all is kind of ridiculous. Do something you like.
My problem isn't a lack of discipline, the books I read this year kept me up well past my bedtime, I just don't have the exposure to or knowledge of good books someone majoring in English literature would.
shooting range? I heard thats pretty cool, paintball... or any sort of outdoor activity
Drug dealing is always a good choice.blademaster wrote:
or any sort of outdoor activity
I didn't say or imply I had a lack of discipline and that led to a decline in my reading. I am saying reading isn't everything. Just because it is considered more intellectual than most pursuits doesn't make it so. If you approach it in the right way it probably does, but then the most productive thing you can do is approach life in general with the attitude that you can learn from everything you do.Laika wrote:
My problem isn't a lack of discipline, the books I read this year kept me up well past my bedtime, I just don't have the exposure to or knowledge of good books someone majoring in English literature would.
Just because someone reads a lot doesn't mean they know what you like to read. Yes they can make a laundry list of suggestions, but in the time they spend compiling that list it you could have made a more directed search of the biggest database known to mankind.
Reading is very personal is what I am trying to say.
flaming are you going to give him some recommendations or ask for any sort of specificity or are you just intending to generally put your arrogant-intellectual wedge into this thread, as you do with almost every thread? no sort of human endeavour is quite enough for you, is it? reading is the most intellectual activity anybody with a willingness to learn can take up. period. fact. if it wasn't... books wouldnt have been the primary fucking medium for passing on folklore, history, philosophy and intellectualism for the last 500 years. stop with the vague, blanket-bullshit statements and actually help the guy. we got the self-fellating message in your first post. enough.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Paintball.
Nor was I aiming to imply that the reason you don't read as frequently as you once did is that you lack discipline. I guess I misinterpreted your first few sentences as directed at me.Flaming_Maniac wrote:
I didn't say or imply I had a lack of discipline and that led to a decline in my reading. I am saying reading isn't everything. Just because it is considered more intellectual than most pursuits doesn't make it so. If you approach it in the right way it probably does, but then the most productive thing you can do is approach life in general with the attitude that you can learn from everything you do.Laika wrote:
My problem isn't a lack of discipline, the books I read this year kept me up well past my bedtime, I just don't have the exposure to or knowledge of good books someone majoring in English literature would.
Just because someone reads a lot doesn't mean they know what you like to read. Yes they can make a laundry list of suggestions, but in the time they spend compiling that list it you could have made a more directed search of the biggest database known to mankind.
Reading is very personal is what I am trying to say.
Also, the fact that the internet is the biggest database known to man is one of the reasons I'd rather go to an English lit. major. I don't really want to spend the time wading through the (impersonal) vastness of the internet in search of a book that has no better a guarantee of being good than one suggested to me by Uzique.
Talking in absolutes like that makes you look ridiculous. It's not even the primary medium, it is a solid secondary - primary is without a doubt personal interaction, one person talking to another. It's the same reason why a lit major would be a better person that most to talk to about book recommendations. Specialized human beings provide a direct, deep, concise source of information. You can't talk to Plato, so you do the next best thing.Uzique wrote:
reading is the most intellectual activity anybody with a willingness to learn can take up. period. fact.
As for helping the guy:
If he wants to read he should find the books himself. On the whole the books that I have rooted out for myself I have enjoyed more than books that were recommended to me, even from those close to me.Flaming_Maniac wrote:
As for what to read, looking for something you find extremely compelling on wikipedia I think would be your best bet. It's the easiest way to find hundreds of authors quickly, and authors related to authors and such once you find one that sounds about right.
...
As for personal choice, the books that have overall made me the happiest I have found through the internet. If you have a modicum of individuality the chances of finding your type of book from recommendations from people you don't really know, well it's unlikely.
Also the reason why Laika's logic about the breadth of the internet makes no sense. You aren't just wading through it, you know what you like and what you don't. Use your preferences to cut through the crap and find something you will enjoy.
Exactly.Flaming_Maniac wrote:
Specialized human beings provide a direct, deep, concise source of information.
Uzique wrote:
what period are you interested in? what subjects/topics? any themes you find particularly interesting?
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
I think about 30 euros each? Thinking about it though, they're Cuban so you either won't be able to get them in the States, or you'll pay a huge premium to have had someone smuggle them into the country.alexb wrote:
ghettoperson wrote:
I think I've had a Partagas before, although I've no idea which specific one. My favourite so far has to be the Cohiba Siglo VI, so incredibly tasty. Stupidly expensive though, so reserved for birthdays, weddings and New Years.alexb wrote:
Ever had a Partagas Black Label? They're .
How much are they each?
I think the Partagas Black Labels run about $10 each? Damn, now I want a cigar.
Well as far as period goes, I think modern stuff would be more up my alley. I can't really get more specific than that though, sorry.Laika wrote:
I like somewhat cynical, thought-provoking reflections on culture/society. Not sure if you're familiar with it, but think Blur's material at the height of britpop.
As for fiction vs. non-fiction, I guess I would prefer an interesting novel to a dry work of non-fiction, but that really comes down to the book.
a book i read recently that really deconstructed 1950's america (specifically red scare type stuff) was E.L. Doctorow's 'The Book of Daniel'
fantastically written, a massive range of themes that all paint a pessimistic picture of post-modern living, and a fascinating insight into human psychology. it may seem a bit 'niche', and not quite the catcher-in-the-rye type 'fuck everything!' that you're looking for, but for some reason it's a book that really stuck in my mind. alternatively there's a selection of short stories that cynically and satirically comment on modern life called 'pastoralia' by george saunders. that's great, and pretty light reading, too. world war 2 presents the setting for a lot of texts that not only criticize war itself on a surface level, but also go further to make comment on humanity and the direction we took in the 20th century: slaughterhouse-five by vonnegut, catch-22 by heller, gravity's rainbow by pynchon (if you want an especially challenging read!) etc. prior to the war, during the rise of modernism, in the seeds of the culture/society that we have today, you have seminal texts like a catcher in the rye and the great gatsby that all critically reflect upon the values and motivations that drive the western world today.
i can give far more esoteric reviews but that's just skimming the top of my head for books i have read recently that may have some mainstream appeal. if you're into fiction and want cynicism about our life, dystopian novels are a good genre to look into. brave new world, fahrenheit 451, 1984 etc. are all titles that use the fictional setting of the future to make damning comments about today- or rather, their contextual 'day'. also, texts that are more philosophical than novelistic/fictional have a lot of good stuff that you may enjoy: 20th century philosophical trends all tend to match the cynical (and possibly pessimistic) worldview that you seem to be interested in. existentialism, absurdism, surrealism, post-structuralism - even marxism - a lot of 20th century philosophical novels/dramas are great reading. sartre, camus, breton etc. mainly french, but if you can find a good translation, you'll be there for hours.
edit: i think i'll throw in one more title that im currently reading: heart of darkness, by one of my favourite authors, joseph conrad. a great insight into the european mentality at the height of imperialism, but also makes you think about the very core things of human being: what it is to be 'cultured', what is 'civilization', and what exactly is the 'human condition'
fantastically written, a massive range of themes that all paint a pessimistic picture of post-modern living, and a fascinating insight into human psychology. it may seem a bit 'niche', and not quite the catcher-in-the-rye type 'fuck everything!' that you're looking for, but for some reason it's a book that really stuck in my mind. alternatively there's a selection of short stories that cynically and satirically comment on modern life called 'pastoralia' by george saunders. that's great, and pretty light reading, too. world war 2 presents the setting for a lot of texts that not only criticize war itself on a surface level, but also go further to make comment on humanity and the direction we took in the 20th century: slaughterhouse-five by vonnegut, catch-22 by heller, gravity's rainbow by pynchon (if you want an especially challenging read!) etc. prior to the war, during the rise of modernism, in the seeds of the culture/society that we have today, you have seminal texts like a catcher in the rye and the great gatsby that all critically reflect upon the values and motivations that drive the western world today.
i can give far more esoteric reviews but that's just skimming the top of my head for books i have read recently that may have some mainstream appeal. if you're into fiction and want cynicism about our life, dystopian novels are a good genre to look into. brave new world, fahrenheit 451, 1984 etc. are all titles that use the fictional setting of the future to make damning comments about today- or rather, their contextual 'day'. also, texts that are more philosophical than novelistic/fictional have a lot of good stuff that you may enjoy: 20th century philosophical trends all tend to match the cynical (and possibly pessimistic) worldview that you seem to be interested in. existentialism, absurdism, surrealism, post-structuralism - even marxism - a lot of 20th century philosophical novels/dramas are great reading. sartre, camus, breton etc. mainly french, but if you can find a good translation, you'll be there for hours.
edit: i think i'll throw in one more title that im currently reading: heart of darkness, by one of my favourite authors, joseph conrad. a great insight into the european mentality at the height of imperialism, but also makes you think about the very core things of human being: what it is to be 'cultured', what is 'civilization', and what exactly is the 'human condition'
Last edited by Uzique (2010-05-02 09:08:51)
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/