Interests meme

[jducoeur]

Thanks to alienor for this one...

Interest...ing
Post your answers as comments, and then repost the meme in your own journal.

1) Pick something on my interests list that you also like and describe why.

2) Pick something on my interests list that you don't like and describe why.

3) Pick something that is on my interests list that surprises you. Why does this surprise you?

4) Pick something that is on my interests list that you know next to nothing about (if you want me to give you details, let me know that, too).

5) Pick something that you think should be on my interests list. Why do you think it should be there?

My interests (that have occurred to me, anyway): comic books, computer languages, cooking, fantasy, folk music, freemasonry, gadgets, gaming, hammered dulcimer, historical games, kicky music, larp, pre-modern history, religion, renaissance dance, renaissance drama, ritual, sca, science fiction, sf fandom, society for creative anachronism, wiggle dance

Comments

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

1. Gadgets. Gadgets are cool. Especially if they're electronic and/or shiny.

2. I know what you mean by Renaissance drama, but I have enough friends in the rennfair circuit that that's not what I think of when I see that phrase...

3. Hammered dulcimer, mainly because it's the only thing on your interests list I've never heard you talk about.

4. Wiggle dance. I have no idea what that is, though I can think of many rather interesting images.

5. "Cons" or "SF cons" or similar, since you seem to go to many of them. Perhaps that's already covered by fandom.

[hfcougar.livejournal.com]

Wow, every time I look at your comments they're a different color. It's really orange. And green. And orange.

[jducoeur]

3. Hammered dulcimer, mainly because it's the only thing on your interests list I've never heard you talk about.

Okay, it's clearly time to dust off the dulcimers and start bringing them to events again. I'm not brilliant (and I'm *way* out of practice), but I used to be fairly well-known for playing dance tunes during the relaxing parts of the events. (And sometimes managing to actually keep the beat well enough to dance to.) It's been way too long...

[jducoeur]

Oh, and yes -- when I say "SF Fandom", I mostly mean cons. I tend to think of the two as synonymous, although that isn't really accurate...

In your best interest

[cristovau.livejournal.com]

1) Pick something on my interests list that you also like and describe why.
Renaissance dance: My first hook into the SCA was dance practice and it remains an interest of mine as ne of the real magic making things in society. Nothing takes me back in time as a delightful dance.

2) Pick something on my interests list that you don't like and describe why.
freemasonry: Mostly because I had to chose something, and the catholic overtones rub me slightly the wrong way. Freemasonry really isn't that bad in my book, all in all.

3) Pick something that is on my interests list that surprises you. Why does this surprise you?
Hammered Dulcimer: I would have guess recorder if I guessed any instrument. It's a good surprise. Quite a fun instrument.

4) Pick something that is on my interests list that you know next to nothing about (if you want me to give you details, let me know that, too).
wiggle dance: I dunno what it is. It may be better that you don't mention it.

5) Pick something that you think should be on my interests list. Why do you think it should be there?
I Sebastiani: You are one of our most distinctive and dedicated fans. I assume that you are interested in the troupe, and I'd love to see a group of people listing it as an interest.

Re: In your best interest

[jducoeur]

and the catholic overtones rub me slightly the wrong way.

One of the really amusing things about Masonry is that everyone thinks that it's about some *other* religion. I can't count the number of times that Catholics have told me that it's "too Jewish", or Jews that it's "too Christian". (As it happens, both of the Lodges that I am a member of are mostly but not entirely Jewish.)

Truth to tell, it really isn't specifically beholden to any of the above. Most of the ritual is Old Testament based -- the only overtly Christian part of it is the Knights Templar, which are a fairly small chunk of Masonry. (Basically one-third of one of the three adjunct Orders.) Officially, Masonry is strictly ecumenical; in reality, it makes a lot of implicit Judeo-Christian assumptions.

Of the lot, one can argue that it's least involved with Catholicism -- for a very long time, Catholics were expressly forbidden to be Freemasons. That particular ban was lifted some decades ago, but many people believe it to still be true.

In terms of style, I don't find it all that particularly Catholic. It does suffer from a typically Judeo-Christian tendency to lecture a bit too much in the ritual, and the focus on initatory ritual could I suppose be compared with the baptism thing, but I don't really find it any *more* like Catholicism than like the others in that family. (Granted, I've never been active in any of them, so I may be missing subtleties. But I've attended services for all except Islam at one time or another, so I have at least a passing familiarity.)

I will grant that it is pretty different from most types of neo-Paganism in its theological assumptions. OTOH, many of the neo-Pagan schools can trace their ritual lineage at least partially back to Masonry -- the further back you go, the more they smell like Masonry, and many of the key figures a hundred years ago were Masons. It's endlessly amusing to trace all the inter-relationships...

[mikekn]

1) Historical Games - They are one of my favorite activities in the SCA. Not only are they interesting to learn, but they are actually fun to play! Besides in what other way could I spend 40 hours working at Pennsic, all while sitting in the shade playing games.

2) Religion - I'm not really a fan or follower of any religion. I respect them for the good they do on a personal or community level, but beyond that I've little interest in them (except from a historical perspective).

3) Wiggle Dance - because it's the only thing on your list that I don't recognize.

4) Wiggle Dance - see above or maybe Kicky Music, although I might be able to guess about that one.

5) Carolingia - You live there, and it's a very unique group within the East (and the SCA).

My answers

[madamruppy.livejournal.com]

1) Pick something on my interests list that you also like and describe why.
Only one? Hmm, okay then I pick SF Fandom – I’ve always liked to read/watch SF. It was a world of discovery for me when I went to my first SF convention and found people who actually accepted me for me. No one judged me by my size or other superficial things. I loved the acceptance without prejudice.

2) Pick something on my interests list that you don't like and describe why.
Computer languages – way to complex for my little brain. I can barely run the thing.

3) Pick something that is on my interests list that surprises you. Why does this surprise you?
Wiggle dance – not sure what it is – not sure I want to know what it is.

4) Pick something that is on my interests list that you know next to nothing about (if you want me to give you details, let me know that, too).
Freemasonry – know rumor, innuendo and what you read in books that may or may not be accurate.

5) Pick something that you think should be on my interests list. Why do you think it should be there?
Got me with this one. Sorry

[alienor.livejournal.com]

1) ritual. I'm one of those freaks who likes to go to church for the ritual, but I don't believe in it (well, I don't agree with the Christian view of God and haven't encountered anyone else with ENOUGH ritual for me to be satisfied.

2) comic books. Mostly it's an issue of association, not the comic books themselves. Though I did get really dissapointed with the X-series ... eh, about 1996 or so when they went REALLY downhill and swore off the whole genre altogether.

3) pre-modern history. Mostly it's the phrase that surprises me, not that you're into it :)

4) The only two things I could think of are kicky music (which may be a reference to galliards?) and wiggle dance, which you already explained.

5) EVERYTHING. Really, you don't have a lot here. Go through your friends interests and add stuff. :-)

[jducoeur]

I don't agree with the Christian view of God and haven't encountered anyone else with ENOUGH ritual for me to be satisfied.

That's really the main reason why I've stuck with Masonry as long as I have -- it has an interesting ritual structure with a fairly light set of dogmae. I wish the ritual was better done, but it does scratch a bit of that itch for me.

Though I did get really dissapointed with the X-series ... eh, about 1996 or so when they went REALLY downhill and swore off the whole genre altogether.

Fair criticism -- for a fair number of years I was buying very little Marvel. But I'm something of an omnivore with respect to the medium, and go flitting in and out of companies as they wax and wane. (I sometimes say that Marvel's latest fad is hiring writers who can actually write, so I'm actually buying some of their stuff again.)

pre-modern history. Mostly it's the phrase that surprises me

In general, I tend to describe my interests in broad strokes, and that seems to be the common thread here. I find myself really very interested in most history (especially political history) through around the end of SCA period, but haven't motivated much after that. So "pre-modern" seemed the most apt phrase...

kicky music (which may be a reference to galliards?)

Not precisely. My musical tastes are *enormously* eclectic, ranging from sackbutt and shawm to the most current techno. The common thread seems to be that I just always love a good beat...

[ladyariadne.livejournal.com]

1. SCA... It may sound like cheating, cause I said the same thing to Chris... but I woudlnt have met you if it werent for that.

2. Computer languages... The eyes glazeover and she falls asleep.... This is what I have compugeek freinds for.. Give me point and click!

3. Freemasonry... Well you did explain it elsewhere just now, but my first thought was.. "I swear he was Jewish when I was dating him." I was one who thought it was a Christian organization as well.

4. Historical games... I would do well to learn more about those being in the SCA. I did learn TABLE at one point, but I have nearly forgotton how to play it.

5. This I just cant answer.

Dont bother with mine because I so need to update my interest list. Its pathetic.