Reply To: Hobby Weekender 05/10/2018 – Now woth more typos…

[rayzryrParticipant 22410xp 1]

G’day all!

It’s the weekend again! Time to relax and enjoy.

1) Halloween is approaching. What are your thoughts on the event, either the commercial aspect or its historical origins?

I used to think similarly to @limburger

“Halloween is a purely commercial powered American tradtion that unfortunately is starting to grow over here as well.”

until my ex-wife’s mother heard me repeat that it was an American tradition and she pulled me up. As a native of Northern Ireland she educated my daughter and I that it is an Irish tradition that travelled to the U.S.

There was about six where my daughter and I would roam the local streets, stopping at houses that were decorated or had a light on. It is becoming more popular here in Australia.

These days everything is already so commercialised, so what’s one more event?

2) What is one hobby product or accessory that you thought was gimmicky or a waste of time up until the point where you actually owned one and discovered how useful it was?

I try to keep an open mind generally. I was sceptical of the Mold Line Remover, I’ve got a hobby knife and files, right? But I’ve seen enough “I was surprised at how effective it is” reviews on independent hobby websites to think that there might be something to them.

3) As humantity moves out to colonise space in generations to come do you think the idea of national identity or traditions will still be relevant or will they all fall by the wayside?

I think the idea of traditions will be just as important or even more important. Just as we have taken traditions from one continent to another as humans explored the unknown around the globe, we will take them into the stars. They give a sense of belonging, and remind us of our roots, which is necessary (I feel) for our psychological well-being. So while brave explorers will be out there flying directly into the face of the unknown they’ll most likely still enact some of the old traditions. It’ll remind them that they aren’t alone, they’ve got a little piece of home with them.

National identity though… I feel that it’d take an extraordinary event to get humans to truly set aside national identity. Planetary crisis? Solid evidence of alien intelligence? Domination by a single culture to form a planetwide government?

There won’t too much hobby from me this week: I’m taking a week of work to spend with my daughter during the school holidays. I would like to try and get a game of Goblin Quest with her, see if RPG’s are something she might enjoy.

I may get a chance to hit my Orcs with the Army Painter spray I picked up last week. Near constant rain for the last three days meant that conditions were not suitable to do it earlier.