anomie
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: Jan 23, 2010
Age: 35
Posts: 184
Location: %eax
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 Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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Test Driven Development and Source Control. I am obsessed with them because they enable me to program creatively without having to worry about breaking what is already there. Like climbing up a rock face putting in gear as you go so that you never fall further than you got to in the last stretch.
Also just now, although i am enjoying christmas vacation I'm looking forward to going back to work because my employer told me off for being perfectionist recently so I developed a nice simple algorithmic system for writing ugly code that works. It's called Just In Time Design. I'm looking forward to trying it out. At first I was upset at not being allowed to try and write perfect code. But I just re-applied myself to trying to create the perfect method for writing imperfect code. i dont know if my attempt at this is worth sharing with anyone here, cos it only really makes sense on the salesforce platform , and no self-respecting aspie works on the salesforce platform. (I lack self-respect).
My main obsession, though, is myself. I am constantly trying to program myself and it doesnt work but it doesnt stop me trying. i am in therapy and she says i should allow myself to be chaotic and should observe my feelings even if i dont understand them. I sort of have an idea what she means, but the algorithmic habit is a hard one to kick.
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Everyone knows that a real Boolean has three states: True, False, and FileNotFound. -- thedailywtf.com |
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UnderTheSea
Butterfly
Joined: Jan 02, 2012
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| In summary, my interests span a few discrete areas. Each area serves a different purpose. First and foremost, I have a passion and fascination with politics of identity. Historically, since early childhood, I have always felt different; in particular, I've felt, and continue to feel, disconnected from the social world. I simply do not and cannot readily connect with other people. And so, through this sense of disconnection, I've spent a concerted amount of time trying to cognitively understand some of the relations between self (i.e., identity) and society (i.e., culture). Secondly, I have a long standing fascination with fantasy role playing games and entomology. At face value, I have no logical explanation for these interests. With some initial reflection, given that I am hopelessly awkward in unstructured social situations, I could surmise that fantasy role playing games offer a way to escape the confines of a confusing social world into a world with a number of clearly defined roles and rules. With regard to entomology, I suspect it has to do with the abundance of opportunities to observe patterns (i.e., ants sometimes travel the same pathways over and over). As a child, I spent many hours each day watching insects, conducting rudimentary experiments then recording my observations. Afterward, I would attempt to discern patterns of their behaviour. Hence, I can also watch the same Tv show or movie many many times over; alternatively, if I hold a pen, I play with it in a very repetitive pattern. I find relaxation in repetition. As an adult, I have found ways to make this slightly more socially acceptable (i.e., I observe insects while I walk my dog in a park then theorize reasons for these patterns). |
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Acinonyx
Emu Egg
Joined: Dec 13, 2011
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 4:35 am Post subject: |
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| The psychology and biology of felines and avians. |
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funnyflashfiction
Hummingbird
Joined: Dec 26, 2011
Age: 63
Posts: 19
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:56 am Post subject: Special Interests |
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I have several:
Theatre: started at about the age of 7. I produce, act, direct, write and design for the theatre.
Writing: In the last two years, I've written 9300 jokes, 500 plays, 150 short stories and a couple of dozen cartoons and joke panels for my blog (www.funnyflashfiction.com/blog).
Painting: I paint large canvas abstract expressionist paintings.
Digital Art:
Poker (Texas Hold 'em)
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millsja |
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Unspecified
Sea Gull
Joined: Jan 05, 2012
Age: 45
Posts: 207
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| Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:46 am Post subject: |
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@ James: "I think too much, therefore I am"
I like that! I might steal that for a signature, tbh... 
I have serial obsessions.
It's like serial monogamy, where you're faithful to one woman at a time. 
In no particular order:
Cameras and photography. I have several cameras, including four or five 35mm ones (mostly Nikons), a few medium formats (including a Hasselblad and a Fuji GX680) and a Sinar 4x5" system. My only digital is the iPhone. I develop everything myself, and I even mix up my own chemicals. Obsessive enough?
Music. Listening to music on my kickass stereo (which in its latest incarnation contains a pair of Anthony Gallo ref. 3.1 powered by a Cayin Class A amp), playing (badly) several instruments including guitars, making shite music on a home "studio" in the basement (a Mac/Focusrite/M-Audio affair), making music databases, you name it. Life long obsession that never goes away.
Motorcycles. I have a couple of old (1970s) Suzukis, but have had BMWs as well. I love riding. I'm never as focused over so much time as when I'm riding. It calms me down to a razor charp chilled state where every detail is processed and used: the noise from the bike, the vibrations of the bike, the contours of the road, finding the perfect line, leaning just so, thinking for all the other idiots on the road, weather and road conditions, all of it. And the socially acceptable solitude. Recommended.
Popular science stuff.
Richard Dawkins.
Classic literature
Movies
Logic and programming (been a while, but I could get back into it)
Travelling (I travel A LOT in my job - have been to over 70 different countries for work).
I find it remarkably liberating to travel; nobody expects you to really fit in when you're on the other side of the planet.
For starters.
Last edited by Unspecified on Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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funnyflashfiction
Hummingbird
Joined: Dec 26, 2011
Age: 63
Posts: 19
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:08 am Post subject: I think too much, therefore I am |
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Thanks for the comment on my cartoon.
I appreciate the feedback
yours,
... Jim
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InLikeFlynn
Emu Egg
Joined: Jan 01, 2012
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:52 am Post subject: |
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| traveling and food. My reason for living is to travel the world. |
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Nelia
Emu Egg
Joined: Jan 16, 2012
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a butterfly systematist. I've been organizing things into groups since I was eight and now I do it as a career. I find that it's a feature and not a bug (haha) that I can see more detail than other people in this case and I think it makes me very good at my job. At home, on the other hand, it can be really crazy-making sometimes.
I'm also fascinated with the fiber arts - spinning, knitting, sewing, quilting, and so on. |
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RazorEddie
Phoenix
Joined: Jan 19, 2012
Age: 42
Posts: 608
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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In no particular order:
Computers/programming
Electronics
Machinery/engineering
Combine the three and you get computer controlled machines (CNC). I find it endlessly fascinating to watch a machine carving out parts with a precision and coordination that no human could ever match. It gives me a real kick to take an old broken CNC machine, replace the electronics and get it running better than it did when it was new. The down side to this hobby is that most of these machines are rather large and weigh several tonnes so space becomes an issue  It should come as no surprise that my avatar is a decorative cube machined out of a solid block of aluminum.
Other offshoots of these interests include radio controlled models and building off-road vehicles. Oddly enough they usually end up with lots of CNC machined parts 
Luckily for me, electronics designers who understand software as well are quite rare, as are experts in CNC repairs so I have no shortage of paying work. |
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comawhite
Hummingbird
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Joined: Jan 27, 2012
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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comawhite
Hummingbird
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Joined: Jan 27, 2012
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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...
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Sweetleaf
Metalhead
Joined: Jan 07, 2011
Age: 23
Posts: 14828
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Well lately I have been slacking on my topics of interest but when I am obsessively researching/studying a topic I never really know why exactly the things that interest me interest me.
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It's like alice in wonderland except, my names not alice and this is the real world not a dream. |
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Bun
Bunnymen
Joined: Jan 09, 2012
Posts: 3250
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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Field of study - theology, obsession - it varies, from entertainment to personality disorders, to steampunk, and more.
Oh, you asked WHAT I like about my obsessions. Well, I tend to think that whatever obsession I pick up is crucial to my survival at any stage of my life. With Ian McCulloch, I'd think everything that man does is OK, because he's so effortlessly cool. I like how he reminded me a bit of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed in his singing, the first time I saw him. I like how both he and Will Sergeant are introverts, and awkward around each other. I like how he makes it cool to be weird or different. |
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millymollymandy
Blue Jay
Joined: Jan 14, 2012
Posts: 77
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| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 8:49 am Post subject: |
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I love the English language, and the origins and uses of words. I did a large part of my OU degree in English language studies and just enjoyed that so much. I also love the French language, but need to refresh as my knowledge has become quite rusty.
My favourite escapism thing is to read - and I love any author who uses language really well. Claire Morrall is one of my current favourite authors - she is so perceptive and describes things so well. I also love police procedurals and crime fiction.
In terms of things to absorb or relax me, I go for knitting - I count along with every stitch I knit and find it so calming. I only use certain wools or yarns tho, as I don't like the feel of acrylic yarns. I like to knit patterns rather than just plain knit purl as I find that a bit dull.
I have been helping my dad with sorting his stamp collection, and think that may become my latest obsession - it's great fun and I love the categorising etc aspects. |
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calyptus
Emu Egg
Joined: Jan 28, 2012
Age: 24
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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I'm obsessed by computer science, and I like atronomy and history too. But computer science is all my life 
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I'm lost in my own mind... |
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