# What currently fascinates you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933 "2009-08-10T15:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/1 "2009-08-10T15:14:35Z")
We all go through times when certain hot topics or random minutae become something deeply engrossing and fascinating. I have a couple of current ones and was curious what types of things were the current topics of interest in the heads of SDMBers. Can be deep or mundane, useful or useless. Mine are: 1. Health care reform - I can’t read enough about this whether it is issues, impacts, on-going debate, etc. 2. PureSim Baseball 2007 - Starting with 1984 (one in a long line of what if years for us Cubs fans) and running on-going franchise simulations to see what an alternate history of baseball might look like. 3. Youth sports leagues - I’m sending more time setting up and running a program like this at church so I am trying to learn the best ways to build teams, set schedules, etc. 4. The Muppet Show - Getting back into this in a major way as it currently fascinates my two kids. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/2 "2009-08-10T15:39:24Z")
1. Synthesizers 2. The Manic Street Preachers 3. Early 90’s Britpop ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/3 "2009-08-10T15:43:43Z")
[ul][li][Reverse Polish Notation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=526607). In a few days I’ll have my calculator.[/li][li]By extension, I guess, I’m fascinated with re-aquiring the math I’ve forgotten over the years.[/li][li]Space flight. Always.[/li][\*]Geology[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/4 "2009-08-10T15:49:44Z")
[Heavy cavalry of the Thirty Years’ War.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_cavalry#Thirty_Years_War) ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/5 "2009-08-10T17:16:13Z")
[ul] [li]Figure skating – International ladies competitions primarily[/li][li]The 10-disc Japanese Ennio Morricone anthology – The Ennio Morricone Chronicles[/li][li]Samantha Droke[/li][li]Karanlik Sular – a Turkish movie[/li][li]Alexander the Great: The Invisible Enemy – by John O’Brien[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Other\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Other\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Other_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/6 "2009-08-10T17:56:48Z")
[ul] [li]Many Worlds Theory - I’m a writer, so…[/li][li]Word Definitions - Words like “choices” applied to the Many Worlds Theory.[/li][li]Sign Language - My first class on it starts August 17th.[/li][li]Quantum Mechanics - though I do not have the prerequisite mathematical skills to understand much of it, the concepts that can be explained in words make sense to me.[/li][li]Human Brain - This one in particular is a near-constant fascination.[/li][li]Somatotyping - I don’t mean the silly notion that there is some relation to physical characteristics and personality characteristics, but the different types of body posited.[/li][li]Zombies - OH yeah![/li][/ul] Fun. ~S.P.I.~ ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/7 "2009-08-10T18:14:45Z")
Ukrainian. Why the fuck not? ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/8 "2009-08-10T18:33:52Z")
Vikings. Particularly Canute the Great. I came across him while reading about Harold I. Canute was a viking king of Britain before Edward the Confessor (second husband to Edwards mother) and Harold ruled after Edward, but lost the kingdom to William the Conqueror. Okay, I’m fascinated by early British history, around the years 700-1066. I read a book about Harold, then “The Shield Ring” by Rosemary Sutcliff and realized I needed to go back a couple hundred years. I just ordered a few DVDs from the History Channel & Nova, plus I have a nice stack of books to go through. Hey, whatever floats your longboat… ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/9 "2009-08-10T18:42:04Z")
I’m halfway through Forsyth’s **The Dogs of War** , and I’m starting to be fascinated by wars in Africa during the 60’s and 70’s as well as mercenaries like Mad Mike Hoare, Denard, Peters, and the rest. Christ, what a miserable history lesson. The Spanish language. The French/Indochina war, especially Dien Bien Thu. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/10 "2009-08-10T19:02:07Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > I’m halfway through Forsyth’s **The Dogs of War** , and I’m starting to be fascinated by wars in Africa during the 60’s and 70’s as well as mercenaries like Mad Mike Hoare, Denard, Peters, and the rest. Christ, what a miserable history lesson. I know. It’s horrible the way the world let the Marxists take over. You should also read about the Grey’s Scouts of Rhodesia. Incredible bravery and heroism - and the Selous Scouts also. They were some of the best special-forces units in the history of modern warfare. Many Americans who had served in Vietnam joined with them, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/11 "2009-08-10T19:05:55Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I know. It’s horrible the way the world let the Marxists take over. > > You should also read about the Grey’s Scouts of Rhodesia. Incredible bravery and heroism - and the Selous Scouts also. They were some of the best special-forces units in the history of modern warfare. Many Americans who had served in Vietnam joined with them, by the way. Thanks for the tips. I’ll be sure to check them out. The funny thing is that I’m not even that much into military history, but for some regions of the world, there’s simply no way to learn the history without familiarizing yourself with the countless bloody conflicts. Oh, and along those lines, I’m also interested in the French Foreign Legion. There’s a lot of history there, and not just along military matters either. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/12 "2009-08-10T19:24:39Z")
Also read about [Costas Georgiou](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costas_Georgiou) during the Angolan War of Independence. I can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that he was only two years older than me when he was executed. I’m surprised a film hasn’t been made about him. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/13 "2009-08-10T19:25:14Z")
I’m currently fascinated by the ideas of environmental and economic stewardship, and the parallels between the two. ---
**Author:** ![Other\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Other\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Other_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/14 "2009-08-10T19:34:12Z")
Bah, you guys make me sound insane with my current fascinations. Let me repeat: I. Am. A. Writer. Trust me. It explains _everything._\* Yes I’m feeling defensive today. Why do you ask? ~S.P.I.~ \*About me that is. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/15 "2009-08-10T19:35:10Z")
A few things: Teleology (having a series of arguments with a friend about it) Prescriptive and holisitic technology Twenties fashion Drying as a fruit preservation method (20lbs of sour cherries in my freezer, waiting to be dried) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/16 "2009-08-10T19:44:27Z")
Nothing currently. But I’ve had my crazes. I must say, though, that they become more and more infrequent with the years. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/17 "2009-08-10T19:58:42Z")
Pokemon (TCG) ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/18 "2009-08-10T20:31:16Z")
- Open relationships and blurred lines of infidelity - Agnosticism - Baseball ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/19 "2009-08-10T20:37:08Z")
My navel. You should see it, it’s really quite something. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/20 "2009-08-10T21:25:11Z")
1. The Cyrillic alphabet (and writing it in cursive) 2. Russian history 3. The musical history of the folk ballad/blues song, “St. James Infirmary” 4. Music from the 1920s and '30s (the [Prelinger Archives](http://www.archive.org/details/audio) are a treasure trove) 5. Frances Dee and her filmography 6. Gnosticism [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933.md?page=2)