Looking for a new vice

Let'sgoflying! said:
It certainly was not a criticism, John.
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Ok, if you say so. It came across, to me at least, as a criticism of my decision to spend some of my disposable income and time on a useless extravagance. But if you say that's not what it was, I will accept that.
 
Aerobatics and soaring seem to be vices unto themselves that suck a lot of people in.
 
alfadog said:
Ok, if you say so. It came across, to me at least, as a criticism of my decision to spend some of my disposable income and time on a useless extravagance. But if you say that's not what it was, I will accept that.
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Useless extravagances are awesome. Pick ones that make you better, not ones that make you worse.
 
denverpilot said:
Aerobatics and soaring seem to be vices unto themselves that suck a lot of people in.
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I can recommend aerobatics. The little of it we do is absolutely exhilarating. If I was 20 years younger, I would pursue it seriously.
 
I tend to jump around from little project to little project, sometimes finishing them, sometimes not. What I've done or yet to do:

  • Learn to fly - done
  • Knifemaking - in process, jig made, some materials purchased
  • Buy and fix cheap jetski - done
  • Build a wall-mounted digital picture frame from a Raspberry Pi and an old computer monitor, have it pull photos from a network folder - in process
  • Build a NES emulator from a Raspberry Pi - not started
  • Build a wall-hanging from a 1/4 whiskey or wine barrel that can actually dispense wine from bottles you load behind it - research done, not started
  • Take up straight razor shaving - done
  • Sell t-shirts on a website I built - done (website closed)
  • Learn basic Python programming - done
I love picking up stuff like this. Maybe become a hobbyist? :)
 
I still say play the ponies. It's a great vice because it's not really a vice if you learn the math and don't get greedy. You'll actually make money (albeit not a lot of money) most of the time if you approach it that way.

But it looks very much like a vice because most people will view you as a degenerate gambler; so you get the appearance benefits of having a vice while secretly making a few bucks in the process most of the time.

For the full effect, however, you have to go to the track to gamble at least some of the time. OTB may be a more efficient way to make money at the track (and illegal bookies even more so); but perfecting the degenerate gambler persona requires at least an occasional day at the track.

That's okay, though, because a day at the track is almost always a good day. It's the cheapest professional spectator sport around -- as long as you keep doing the math and don't get greedy. With discipline, you'll come out ahead more days than not.

Rich
 
RJM62 said:
I still say play the ponies. It's a great vice because it's not really a vice if you learn the math and don't get greedy. You'll actually make money (albeit not a lot of money) most of the time if you approach it that way.

But it looks very much like a vice because most people will view you as a degenerate gambler; so you get the appearance benefits of having a vice while secretly making a few bucks in the process most of the time.

For the full effect, however, you have to go to the track to gamble at least some of the time. OTB may be a more efficient way to make money at the track (and illegal bookies even more so); but perfecting the degenerate gambler persona requires at least an occasional day at the track.

That's okay, though, because a day at the track is almost always a good day. It's the cheapest professional spectator sport around -- as long as you keep doing the math and don't get greedy. With discipline, you'll come out ahead more days than not.

Rich
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Disclaimer: I know nothing about horse racing.

It must not be a true gambling endeavor if you can consistently come out ahead?
 
asechrest said:
Disclaimer: I know nothing about horse racing.

It must not be a true gambling endeavor if you can consistently come out ahead?
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It's usually referred to as "wagering" rather than "gambling" for that reason, although the distinction is a semantic one. Other differences include that you're not betting against the house (you're betting against the other bettors); the house doesn't care whether you win or lose (they take their vig off the top); and it's not a pure game of chance (horses and jockeys / drivers have very detailed records of their performance in every possible set of circumstances).

You're also free to go down to the paddock and watch the horses in Post Parade, where maybe you can get an idea about what kind of mood a horse is in on a given day. But even if you don't know one end of a horse from the other, you can still make money if you know nothing other than that the favorite finishes in the money two-thirds of the time. So if you do nothing but play the favorite to show on every race, you'll usually come out ahead at the end of the day -- but only by a few bucks.

For those who are so inclined, I consider this book to be the best introductory text on playing the ponies that has ever been written. Whether your goal is to become a savvy handicapper or a degenerate bum, this book is a good first text.

Rich
 
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Some more great ideas, thanks.

Here are the frontrunners so far in the vice category:

Scotch whisky - mainly because I'm curious as to what the good stuff tastes like and if I'd like it. This is probably the only vice out of the lot here that I'm likely to take up anytime soon.

Gambling, craps or horses - interesting but if I were to pick up a gambling vice, it would be poker. I used to used to gamble a lot when I was younger on pool, mainly backing better players than myself but occasionally I would make a game; won a 1968 Firebird and an original Balabushka cue both shooting pool myself back in the day. The worst thing about that cue is I sold it to a fellow and he took it out in the parking lot and broke it when I beat him without it.
 
Harbor Freight has a nice one on sale....:yes:

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Why would you want a 200 dollar bottle of scotch to start? There are lots a really good scotches out there that run around 50-80 bucks a bottle. One in particular is Dalwhinnie 15 year or Dalwhinnie Distiller's Select.
 
Agreed, I wouldn't burn $200 on a bottle of scotch. $65 is about the most I spend.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Agreed, I wouldn't burn $200 on a bottle of scotch. $65 is about the most I spend.
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I don't know anything about Scotch or what would be reasonable to spend on a good bottle. Now that I researched it a bit I see that I can get samplers of very good scotches and try them very economically.

In the 1980s and 90s, I was a construction inspector for engineering work and would receive bottles of Scotch every Christmas until that became somewhat passe sometime in the 90s. I always had bottles of Chivas, Johnnie Walker Black, and some Japanese Scotch I think, but rarely drink any of it and gave the bottles away.
 
Cigars and small batch whiskies weren't enough - started Straight Razor shaving a while back
 
You are a pilot, live in Miami, and have money to burn. I think Sugar Daddy would be the next logical step.
 
JB1842 said:
You are a pilot, live in Miami, and have money to burn. I think Sugar Daddy would be the next logical step.
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I'm currently in Miami and I think I met those two guys last night. Ha.

I'm also wondering WTF this is...

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Dan Thomas said:
I don't know why anyone beyond their teens would take up a new vice.
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He answered that already: "But none of them are cool or interesting or are going to impress the ladies" :goofy:

Leaving aside for a moment the fact that women would prefer conversation to vices...

Irish whisky is more notable than scotch and growing in popularity. Please note that I said "notable" not better. I happen to prefer it, but that's subjective. If your goal is to get attention then ordering the same scotch as everyone else isn't noteworthy. There are fewer Irish whiskeys out there too, so you have the side benefit of looking more schooled more quickly simply because it's a smaller set of players to become familiar with.

Most women tend to think of Tequila as nasty stuff designed to be tolerated and pounded, but there are some *great* sipping tequila's out there and, again, a growing amount of popularity in the US. My favorite top-shelf is Jose Curevo Reserva de la Familia. The "family reserve" notion comes from Tequila history and the tradition of saving the best for the family. Now, of course, these are the premium blends that are marketed to the public.

Good Rye's are undergoing a revival, thanks to a resurgence of interest in pre-prohibition cocktails.
 
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Just to be clear....oh God I sound just like that....guy.

Scotch is from Scotland, not Canada or Japan just like bourbon is from Bourbon County KY. You want single malt, NOT blended and certainly not Johnny Walker since it is ALL blended and they don't have a distillery or their own. Johnny Walker buys barrel scraps from the other distillers and blends them together.
 
Heard a good one on the cruise.

"He's a Splenda Daddy."

"A what?"

"He wants to be a Sugar Daddy but he's too cheap to be that sweet."
 
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Timbeck2 said:
Johnny Walker buys barrel scraps from the other distillers and blends them together.
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Not true. Knock blended if you like, but they aren't buying leftovers. They are using first quality stuff and blending to make a scotch that can't be made with a single malt. It isn't worse than single malts, just different.
 
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