# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/21 "2009-08-10T21:43:35Z")
Boobs. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/22 "2009-08-10T22:17:33Z")
dorodango, Japanese mud balls. kettles, rock kettles, so odd, where do they come from? very, very small houses. Think gypsy caravan small. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/23 "2009-08-10T22:42:46Z")
Life. What is it? How is it measured? Take a tree, how do we know when it is dead? I know a guy who had a fence-post take root and grow. It certainly seemed to be dead. But somewhere life found a way. ---
**Author:** ![JimmyFlair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce7236/32.png) [@JimmyFlair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyFlair)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/24 "2009-08-10T23:03:17Z")
[ul] [li]I want to learn how to play the bass.[/li][li]I’ve never had one second of musical training, and now as an adult I’m trying to wrap my head around concepts like pitch and tone.[/li][li]I’ve gone from knitting from a pattern to making my own (with mixed results, but the learning curve is fascinating).[/li][li]I’m trail running more these days, and want to really get technically good at it.[/li][li]the French Revolution - a few things caused my interest to reignite lately, and I’m trying to read all that I can about it.[/li][/ul] I love this thread! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/25 "2009-08-10T23:16:43Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Boobs. Thank you! I was feeling kind of shallow for thinking the same thing… ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/26 "2009-08-11T04:06:12Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Boobs. I’m beginning to think we need an omnibus thread for great username/post combinations… My current fascinations: [ul]Biographies detailing personal relationships between famous people. (Just finished reading one about Grant & Sherman, am reading one about Buffalo Bill & Annie Oakley, recently read a Kit Carson biography that placed him in close proximity to a lot of other famous people, etc.[/ul][ul]Based on the last fascination, I guess I’m currently caught up in a lot of western American history. I attended school in the southern US, so we didn’t cover much western history in school. A lot of what I’m reading about is new information to me…[/ul][ul]Musical harmony. Because my kids both study music, I’m learning a lot while trying to research answers to their questions.[/ul][ul]Environmentally-friendly cleaning products/methods. [/ul][ul]Dog training and the “why?” of how dogs understand me and act. [/ul] ---
**Author:** ![StaudtCJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@StaudtCJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaudtCJ)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/27 "2009-08-11T04:11:35Z")
The mechanics of breastfeeding and birth The health care reform debate The social structure of high school, and how it relates to the military and other conformist organizations The legal issues of inheritance and genetics, and how the two relate, if at all backrubs and footrubs, when I’m on the receiving end ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/28 "2009-08-11T04:25:36Z")
\*\*Tattoos, their history, how they’re done in different cultures, etc; \*\*Abandoned places like steel mills, houses, hotels, and the like; \*\*The DUNE universe. ---
**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 11, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/29 "2009-08-11T04:38:15Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > \*\*Tattoos, their history, how they’re done in different cultures, etc; [_Modern Primitives_](http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Primitives-Search-Andrea-Juno/dp/0965046931) > [@](#): > > ‘Though it focuses primarily on those in the world of body modification today, it also refers back to the origins and meanings in past and present cultures.’ > > ‘It should be required reading for any anthropology class.’ > > ‘[N]umerous diagrams and photos make this an excellent resource for anyone interested in the history or practice of body art.’ ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/30 "2009-08-11T16:02:10Z")
Right now I’ve been really reading up on Charcuterie, blacksmithing and vintage teardrop trailers. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/31 "2009-08-11T18:40:10Z")
Learning Mandarin Chinese (very slowly…). Winemaking. Catching up on electronica/techno I missed during the 90s when I wasn’t in to it at the time. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/32 "2009-08-11T21:32:07Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Boobs. - If by “currently fascinates” we mean “constantly distracts and becomes my central focus for as long as they are in line of sight” then, yeah - I’m with you. Man genes - what can you do? In terms of other stuff: - Philosophy and Brain Function - reading a lot of books on these topics right now as part of refining my own worldview and thinking about the basic human condition - Building a Business - I am an executive at a small publicly-held company that is going through growing pains - evolving from entrepreneurial company to stable concern - and need to build out the infrastructure required for scaled growth. Frankly, the philosophy and brain function stuff is very helpful here - if people tend to behave X way, what kind of business structure should I put in place that exploits strengths and minimizes risk? - Guitar - building an electric (when I get the body back from being finished - grr) - Guitar - learning to play slide - Guitar - learning hybrid picking - holding pick AND using middle and ring for finger picking at the same time. Weird, but for me kinda more natural than just flatpick or straight fingerpicking. But between that and slide, weird learning new stuff after playing for 30+ years… - Politics and world affairs - as we emerge from 8 years of Bush and 30 years of the Conservative shift and this Great Meltdown - lots to pay attention to Lots of other stuff, but this is a start… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/33 "2009-08-11T22:10:22Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > - If by “currently fascinates” we mean “constantly distracts and becomes my central focus for as long as they are in line of sight” then, yeah - I’m with you. Man genes - what can you do? My actual thinking was that “currently fascinates” == “is the primary thing that occupies my mind and has been since I was 8.” So, yeah, po-tay-to, po-tah-to. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/34 "2009-08-11T22:23:29Z")
Immigration The human response to severe trauma and its corresponding best treatment Psychosis Existentialist literature, esp. Nietzsche Surrealist art Religion and spirituality Social psychology Neuropsychology, insofar as I understand it Human sexuality In no particular order. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/35 "2009-08-12T01:36:31Z")
[ul] [li][Mark Ryden](http://www.markryden.com/index.html)[/li][li]cookbooks[/li][li]volunteering[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/36 "2009-08-12T01:54:32Z")
I’m between fads at the moment. Most recently, I have been fascinated by Latin and mediaeval history. I wonder what’ll be next? I might go back to gardening. Haven’t been obsessed by that in quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/37 "2009-08-12T02:28:05Z")
Over the years I’ve been fascinated by: perfumes; life in medieval times; World War I; British literature/movies/television. Some of these interests have waned a bit, but one of my odder fascinations is with saints. Their names, their gory stories, their symbols, their patronages. One of my favorite books is the irreverent and amusing “The Birthday Book of Saints” by Sean Kelly and Rosemary Rogers. What some of them have said or done to deserve sainthood is beyond me! ---
**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 12, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/38 "2009-08-12T02:33:07Z")
> [@Other\_Dreams](#): > > Bah, you guys make me sound insane with my current fascinations. Let me repeat: I. Am. A. Writer. > > Trust me. It explains _everything._\* Everything including why my drop down list of recent Google searches is 9/10 things relating to the treatment of suicidal patients in English mental hospitals. (Which unfortunately I am still clueless about. Google fail.) ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/39 "2009-08-12T02:46:08Z")
Images of the Apollo landing sites by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. ---
**Author:** ![kitemaker\_chuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a88e4f/32.png) [@kitemaker\_chuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitemaker_chuck)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933/40 "2009-08-12T02:52:36Z")
Anything and everything kites (i.e. the “tethered aircraft” types of kites–not kiting checks, etc.) Aircraft of all kinds (besides kites) Geneaology (finding living relatives I didn’t even know I had) Smooth Jazz The Arabic Language (spoken and written—especially spoken) and other languages I’d like to learn Prehistoric Life Life elsewhere in the multiverse [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-currently-fascinates-you/505933.md?page=3)