Application development specifically, and computer science in general.
Economics and politics. (Of the crypto-anarcho-capitalist-libertarian flavor).
Literature and philosophy, particularly of the poetic variety.
The synthesis of all of the above, especially from a theological viewpoint. (It is all one!)
When I'm not:
Weird movies.
Star Trek. Any iteration.
Food- both consumption and preparation.
Rum.
I used to be heavily involved in live theatre, with a degree and everything. But I haven't done that in a long time. One of these days I'm going to do a series on ritual and theatre, drawing on the philosophical work of Peter Brook. One of these days...
19th/20th Century French Poetry (Charles Boudelaire is a particular favourite)
Movies, esp.: Musicals, Mel Brooks, bad Sci-fi.
Musica Americana: Scott Joplin; Stephen Foster; especially love marches, particularly those of Karl L. King, Musicals (stage or film), I much prefer the old classics - the only 'new' musicals I've liked are Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Spamalot.
Old (17th 18th century) cemeteries/headstones
Fine Food and Drink (consumption only, I wouldn't feed anything I've cooked to anything living...)
Architecture, before 1950.
Astronomy and its related fields I find extremely interesting, though I could never do the maths required to send people to Mars. BTW, the black-hole in the centre of the Perseus Galaxy Cluster 'plays' a B-flat 57 octaves below Middle C, so actually part of the universe is in that key.
Cinema Ecclesiology and Theology literature Recreational literature French Bulldogs Enology (on sabbatical) Fine Dining (on sabbatical) Prevention of Grandsons' spoilage by grandmother. Riding my Harley Driving my Dodge Magnum SRT on long trips chanting watching the Oakland Raiders try not losing Listening to my wife and daughters sing Being with my wife and three daughters in the same room! Making folks laugh and chuckle Giving guitars to good and worthy friends and students chanting Speaking German whenever I can. Speaking fractured Spanish to parishioners who then smile at my incompetence Collecting original and serious paintings and ceramics Figuring out who's the best anti-hero of all time: Hannibal Lector, Walter White, Anton Chigur, Annibale Bugnini.... Seeing Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Bill Russell on some NBA panel together chanting
Not counting Catholicism, and my other musical endeavors...
Politics (because politics is interested in me) Agriculture: huge garden (total bust this year), orchard, critters (mostly the wife's job... goats, chickens, rabbits) Preparing and storing fruits of the above. I used to brew some.
As I get older, the yeasty loaf of my interests collapses. It was quite a sudden transition from "What do I want to be when I grow up?" to "What can I get done before I die?"
My 2 yr old daughter Bassoon (principal of regional orch) Baking Sewing Hiking Star Trek (did you other Trekkies see the new Audi commercial?) X-Files Great Big Sea Anything French (especially literature)
Horse racing Dyeing Ukrainian Easter Eggs (pysanky) Swing dancing Piano (personal amusement and teaching lessons) Politics (my husband and I are elected committee persons for our county's GOP) Agriculture (my husband's father owns a 600-acre farm here in WY and we're setting our sights on taking over someday) Reading Board games
-Golfing -Sherlockiana -Kapnismology (look it up) -Churchilliana and British culture pre- and post-WWII -Interpretive History (See Wendi's post, above) -Any movie or TV series that deals with British culture; examples: Merchant-Ivory films, Gosford Park, Remains of the Day, the Jeremy Brett "Holmes" series, the David Suchet "Poirot" series, the Derek Jacobi "Cadfael" series . . . you get the picture. -cooking, enjoying vintage adult beverages
My husband and kids Homeschooling my kids Feeding my kids (baking/cooking) Getting my kids to play as a string quartet Taxi driver to my kids' extracurricular games where I am their biggest cheerleader.
In addition to the Faith and music: Languages: I took Italian (my eighth) last year International radio, formerly via shortwave, now by internet Computing: Linux server administration, basic graphic design
Most dear to me- Time with my husband and four sons, especially when we're all together
Non musical recreation, and in no particular order- Horseback riding Poetry Baking Working out Russian novels (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy) Hiking British mystery series (Foyle 's War may be my fave) Bourbon, gin, cognac, red wine, stout beer Crochet Watching sunsets Dinner parties New cocktails Watching fireflies Swimming in the ocean (Pacific)
Reading Computer games Board / Tabletop strategy games Painting miniatures (my wife got me a pewter creche that I swear I'm going to start) Playing with my daughters Composing I've always wanted to improve my cooking, but I'm not that motivated Assembling things. I love it.
Reading: history, church history, biography, architecture, British comic fiction, politics Listening: anything choral, 70s pop, experimental/avant garde, organ music Watching: costume dramas, crime dramas, classic films, some sitcoms Researching: genealogy (extensively, obsessively), history of places/buildings Thinking: new, effective ways to help things work (just about anything)
Reading Walking Writing (published a couple of minor articles) Hammered Dulcimer History - especially Great Britain Cross-stitching Knitting Crocheting Anything that will help me evade (avoid) housework.
-Playing with my two sons...hopefully more sometime soon! -Cooking/smoking meat/maybe homebrew eventually -Cigars and spirits (esp. bourbon) -Formula 1 racing -WVU/Steelers football -playing indoor soccer (maybe outdoor now, too, since I'm in a favorable climate!) -generally most things car related (I have an almost-vintage '85 Cadillac Fleetwood) -gardening/outdoors (true to WV roots) -urban renewal -reading -I have spent the last six months painting the inside of our new house and doing handy jobs...we move in this weekend...we hope! -Hopefully after the kids are grown up, more time with my wife!
Wrestling with my son food Jackie Chan movies reading hunting/fishing...been doing a lot of this lately, great way to relax after busy weekends board games collecting sample size bottles of spirits books
Darling...kapnimology. SIGH. That's terrible for your singing voice you know. Have a glass of wine instead.
Gavin...the mental image of you dancing recto tono is giving me the overwhleming urge to go find a fork for my mental eyeball. ;)
Dearest...I highly doubt they are smiling at your incompetence. More likely they are smiling with appreciation that you are even TRYING to speak to them in Spanish. Ask Darling about how the busias react when he says anything in Polish.
and I need to add one more thing now that I've been reminded of it...evading/avoiding/ignoring housework is something I invest considerable energy into. When I can't avoid it anymore, I ask the children for help.
History - anyone's anywhere on Earth, but especially British and French (some days I am an Anglophile, other days I am a Francophile [but not as much as in my youth]).
Archaeology - of all cultures, but especially classical and stone age.
Art - all art, but especially neo-classical and (some days) pre-Raphaelite, and Renaissance and late mediaeval.
Architecture - especially the cleaner baroque idioms and classical and classical revival... and gothic.
Music - my greatest gift and greatest love - I like or tolerate precious little that wouldn't be called 'classical'... and not all that is. Some (some!) jazz I almost consider classical. I play piano, harpsichord, and choirs, and (preferably) tracker organs - I think that people like Fisk, Pasi, et al. should be awarded the Congressional medal of honour. Too, they and some others should be declared National Treasures, after the manner of the Japanese, who declare certain craftsmen and artisans to be living National Treasures.
Craftsmanship (and, I guess, craftswomanship?) - I am in awe of the (now defunct) craft of the stonemason, the artisan of fine furniture, the work of the silversmith, etc., plus Greek revival furniture and some Beidermeier.
Order - order is my form of rebellion.
Stamp collecting - I haven't been active at it for many years, but may experience a revival at some point.
Wedgwood jasperware - I would be a serious collector if I had serious money... as it is, I have a very moderate collection of XIXth century pieces and a couple of late XVIIIth century ones. Do not buy new Wedgwood jasperware... it isn't worthy of the name.
Swimming - once upon a time, long, long ago...
Food - and cooking (my tours de force are creme bavarois and nine-layered Viennese cakes), and wine, and dark beer and stout. (Guilty pleasure: Hamburgers and very very krisp French fries... and, another guilty pleasure: a steaming bowl of really good chilli).
Books - especially old ones (I mean really old), and beautifully bound ones
I have a strange curiosity about musical colleagues who ride motor cycles (civilised people aren't supposed to do this).
The range of interests shared by collegues here is truly fascinating.
Things I would do if I didn't live in Houston - drive and hike through mountains, rivers, babbling brooks, wallow in snow, be in awe of northern vegetation and forests, be ever so content with sane climate cycles that are the way things are supposed to be.
Any pre-XXth century Militaria - once very strong... but this seems to fade as one's faith grows... the incongruity is difficult to sustain (what was it our Lord said about serving two masters!?). I once had a black powder muzzle-loading cap-lock musket that was fun to shoot... it got stolen.
Friendships - nothing has meaning without them. They are what we live for.
I should've mentioned that I used to like to go fishing (mainly trout), but my mornings lately have been very busy, and I don't really have the time anymore.
I'd like to take up hunting/shooting at some point, but again, it's the morning thing. And it'd be wierd (around here, anyway) to see the organist dressed in camo on Sunday mornings.
Salieri, if you ever want to get back to trout, and you can get to the Virginia area, I have a nice little trout stream on my property; and i don't fish, don't have the patience.
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