Geoff McKay

1	Geoff mckay HOBBIES
	A hobby is a regular activity that is done for pleasure, typically, during one's leisure time. Hobbies can include: collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, and playing sports, along with many more examples. By continually participating in a particular hobby, one can acquire substantial skill and knowledge in that area.
	Generally speaking, a person who engages in an activity solely for fun is called an amateur (or hobbyist), as opposed to a professional who engages in an activity for reward. An amateur may be as skilled as a professional, the principle difference being that a professional receives compensation while an amateur does not.
2	Geoff mckay Development into other ventures
	There have been instances where hobbies have led to significant developments beyond the personal fulfillment for those involved. Amateur astronomers have made significant contributions to the profession, and hobbyists have made discoveries such as finding an unknown celestial body or celestial event. In the area of computer programming, the invention of the Linux operating system began as a student's hobby. A substantial amount of early scientific research came from the hobby activities of the wealthy.[citation needed]
	Hobbies have also risen to prominence after a period of relatively low interest. For example, a British conservationist was seen wearing field glasses at a London train station in the 1930s and was consequently asked if he was going to the horse races.[citation needed] Whilst the general public was not aware of nature observation which was formally conducted as field research, during the 1930s, practitioners of the hobby went on to become the pioneers of the conservation movement that flourished in the UK from 1965 onwards. Eventually, it became a global political movementwithin a generation's time span.[citation needed]
3	Geoff mckay Creative hobbies
	Some hobbies result in an end product. Examples of this would be woodworking, photography, moviemaking, jewelry making, software projects such asPhotoshopping and home music or video production, making bracelets, artistic projects such as drawing, painting, etc., creating models out of cardstock or paper - called papercraft. Hobbies also include higher-end projects like building or restoring a car, or building a computer from scratch.
	For computer savvy do-it-yourself hobbyists, CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining is also popular. A CNC machine can be assembled and programmed to make different parts from wood or metal.[5]
4	Geoff mckay Scale modeling/dioramas
	Making a replica of a real object in a smaller scale goes back to prehistoric times with small clay "dolls" and other children's toys having been found near known populated areas. The Greeks, Romans, and Persians took the form to a greater depth during their years of world domination, using scale replicas of enemy fortifications, coastal defense lines, and other geographic fixtures to plan battles.
	At the turn of the Industrial Age and on through the 1920s, families could often afford things such as electric trains, wind-up toys (typically boats or cars) and the increasingly valuable tin toy soldiers.
	Model engineering refers to building functioning machinery in metal, such as internal combustion motors and live steam models or locomotives. This is a demanding hobby, requiring a multitude of large and expensive tools, such as lathes and mills. This hobby originated in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, later spreading and flourishing in the mid-20th century. Due to the expense and space required, it is becoming rare.
	Scale modeling as we know it today became popular shortly after World War II. Before 1946, children as well as adults were content in carving and shaping wooden replicas from block wood kits, often depicting enemy aircraft to help with identification in case of an invasion.
	With the advent of modern plastics, the amount of skill required to get the basic shape accurately shown for any given subject was lessened, making it easier for people of all ages to begin assembling replicas in varying scales. Superheroes, aeroplanes, boats, cars, tanks, artillery, and even figures of soldiers became quite popular subjects to build, paint and display. Although almost any subject can be found in almost any scale, there are common scales for such miniatures which remain constant today. The most popular[citation needed] scales for each subject are (in order[citation needed] of popularity):
5	Geoff mckay Gardening