Share Your Passions!

[Jebbis]

Growing cacti in my experience, is almost counterintuitive to "regular" plants. I pot mine in a mixture of 40% vegetable potting soil, 40% playground sand, and 20% gravel. This makes the soil really porous, and lets water escape the soil quickly. To help with moisture evacuation, I only use naked terracota planters.

Cactus do not like soil that holds water, makes their roots rot, which quickly works its way into the stems, and kills them from the inside out. So, traditional potting soil and glazed pots are a huge no-no. Cactus are quick enough at absorbing water that they'll get plenty even from water quickly passing through the porous soil + planter.

In the winter months, I bring them inside, place them where they'll get some light exposure, and water them once a month. In the summer, I drag them all outside onto an uncovered patio once the temp here stays above 40deg F. I usually find a weekend where it's overcast, because believe it or not, cactus can get sunburned when coming right out from being indoors. Their location is typically in spots that will get direct sunlight throughout most of the day from spring until fall. From there, I leave them alone and let mother nature do its work. Each year, I see substantial growth.

Then, usually in October / November before the first frost, I cart them all back inside.

A few other things I don't do: I do not feed them or "enrich" the soil. What comes in the potting soil mix is enough for them to stay alive. Because of how a cactus grows, their roots will fill a terracotta pot and eventually crack it open. That means it's time for a bigger pot; that's the time to renew the soil and will offer them fresh nutrients. Then, rinse and repeat.

This is so cool.

I had gotten into growing desert plants for a moment--I had an elephant bush that I adored--but I kept it in regular potting soil... root rot city. I kinda gave up on desert plants after that, although I do have a jade plant that is doing well.

I love the technique to just let them outgrow/crack the terracotta pot. That is freakin awesome. Although I would probably get sad about breaking so many pots!

Thanks for sharing your techniques, I might just go buy some cacti next time I'm in the garden section.

 

[Jebbis]

Are you sure we're not the same person!!?? Are you like the American me??

I could not agree more with this. And I fricken love Circle, Floyd, Primus etc. Music wise we would 100% get on.

I cannot tell you how jealous I am that you live in the US. Like seriously - if you've read some of my other posts, you'll see I bang on about it all the time. Your country and landscape is so damn diverse, that you don't need to travel. Plus, appreciating what you have in your own back yard, is an awesome thing. So many people overlook what's right in front of them.

I hope you both have a wicked time! I'm going away to a place called Exmoor next month. It's what we call an area of outstanding beauty in the UK. It has loads of wild horses, dramatic coastline, forests, and a tonne of little old towns and villages. I never been before, so I'm super excited!

I have this book at home, but haven't read it before. I'm going to dig it out and read it now. So thanks!

Dude! You must! It was simply the best thing I've ever done. I decided I wanted to be off grid because there was no way I was going to pay £1200 a month on rent and bills; and no way was I going to buy a crappy house in England for £237,000 plus (that's the going rate in my area). So a van seemed and was a great idea. Absolutely no regrets. Plus, now I'm racking up enough savings that I can buy a house outright somewhere else - hopefully Italy. I would jump at the chance to live in the States, but unfortunately with my career, there's not a great deal out there for me. such a shame.
What do you do work wise?

That's hilarious! My bloody grandma is older than that!

I am so jealous. I bought a ticket to see them recently, but chickened out because of tinnitus, so I resold it. I'm still absolutely gutted that I did. :'(

Woah dude, we have INCREDIBLY similar tastes. This is wild!

I honestly probably don't appreciate living in the US as much as I could... it's easy to take it for granted since I've never known any different. As I've gotten older though, I have started to deeply appreciate the geography and natural systems, especially in my region. You would absolutely love it. If you ever come to the US, make sure you visit the upper left few states! Even Northern California is absolutely breath taking.

I have never seen a wild horse! That area of outstanding beauty sounds... well, outstanding!

Have you ever been to Iceland? I've heard it's spectacular. Not that you could bring your van there, but... how cool would that be! So do you live in the van currently? And what is your career?

My last year has been absolutely wild... I haven't had a job since last March before the pandemic. I was going to get a job in October but then tinnitus hit... now I'm at a good place again so I'm looking for jobs, but I'm also dog sitting for a family friend until they move out of town in the summer

I'm sorry you sold your Faith No More tickets hopefully one day there will be a way to attend concerts with very little risk. I honestly couldn't imagine living without live music. My boyfriend and I kinda live for it. We saw Tool last March and had a whole spiritual experience. It was amazing.

 

[Jebbis]

I make great cinnamon rolls, although we go easier on the icing over here than they do in the US People also love my apple cinnamon cake. I love all kinds of Christmas cookies because they're fun to bake with others and Christmas is my favorite time of the year!

The Imperial Harem by Leslie P. Peirce, which describes the inner workings of the Ottoman imperial harem and the hierarchy of female power. Very interesting, especially since it encompasses the sultanate of women.

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives is a biography on one of my favorite historical figures, the second wife of Henry VIII who was later executed on false charges. Their marriage led to England's break with Rome.

The Viking World by Stefan Brink and Neil Price is great because it's a collection of essays. It's pricey but unlike other works on the topics it's very up to date so it's worth it! The Saga of the Icelanders is also pretty cool to read. Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes by Carolyne Larrington is great if you're interested in paganism.

Yeah, true! Before I caught COVID-19 I exercised four times a week, which gave me a little variety. Afterwards my doctor advised me not to do anything too strenuous for a while and now that I'm good to go again I find it hard to get back into the flow. Plus I'm pretty knackered after work these days.

Well now I want Christmas cookies! Shoot!

I'll have to check out those pieces. I refuse to do online school so I have to self educate lol. And I hope you're able to get back into some activities! Hopefully where you live the weather is getting better?

 

[Jebbis]

@Jebbis, thank you for starting this thread. I have liked reading the interests that some members have. Although tinnitus can be problematic, it's pleasing to see that it hasn't stopped people doing what they want to do. Another interest I have, is in portable manual typewriters and have a small collection of three. I belong to a group where some members have over twenty. They are beautifully displayed and all of them are used.

These machines of a bygone age are making quite the comeback. Some say the allure of logging into Facebook, email or checking Twitter, can easily take up valuable time, when one should be getting on with writing. A typewriter can only do one task, write. There is no cut, copy and paste. The need to be constantly going over what you have written to edit is not available. Some believe this can interfere with the creative flow of writing.

I'm glad you have enjoyed visiting this thread. I have been so excited to see the amazing things the people in this community are up to! These passions are what make us who we are and I think it's so important to keep these good things in the foreground of our minds. I tried to phrase this thread broadly because I know not everybody has a hobby, or an art, but everybody has something that gets them up in the morning and makes them smile.

For me, COVID-19 has made my world pretty small. It just happened to be that way for me at this time. Dealing with tinnitus has made my world even smaller. Being able to relate in a community like this has been immensely helpful in my recovery, and it has made me realize that this ship we have all been thrust aboard isn't sinking, its actually moving forward at full speed. We are still out here, growing our plants, nurturing our fish, building whirligigs, traveling, sharing good books and learning about history, doing impressive computer programming, and I'm sure I'm missing a couple, but we are an amazing bunch! There is even a teenager on here whose passion is to help others with tinnitus, just like themselves. To me, that's beautiful. That person has found their own way to meaning.

Everybody here is remarkable.

 

[Jebbis]

I read a few Stephen King books when I was younger, and you're inspiring me to return to his catalogue. Did you watch the TV series of Under The Dome? Did you love it, hate it or something in between? I've not read the book, the series started well but by the second season I found it both enjoyable and annoying in equal measure. Stephen King was a great admirer of the series The 100 on The CW channel, though they kind of ruined it in the final season, Game-of-Thrones style.

My favourite genre of book (and TV/movie) is science fiction. Favourite classic authors include Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. I'm in the middle of a modern series by Jasper T. Scott called the Dark Space Universe which is pretty gripping. Best ever sci-fi TV show for me was a Canadian time-travel show called Continuum which got a 4-season run.

Music-wise my go-to genre is progressive rock. Bands like Rush, Yes, Genesis, Pure Reason Revolution, Neal Morse, Riverside, Van Der Graaf Generator and also from other genres Sigur Ros, Vangelis, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Biffy Clyro, King's X, Delirious, Needtobreathe, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa. I like many genres from folk to blues to classical to metal, which can often all be found within one prog rock epic.

I have played piano/keyboards in several bands on a semi-professional basis over the years, including sessions for BBC Radio plus playing on some of the biggest stages in Scotland to thousands of people.

I've taken up cycling again. Just been out on a great network of paths I've discovered near our house during lockdown, with my daughter. In my 20s I cycled the length of the Caledonian Canal in Scotland, taking in Inverness, Loch Ness, Fort William and Glen Coe. An unforgettable trip. I'm not planning anything more than a day trip for a while yet, till I get my cycling legs back.

I also enjoyed skiing in my younger days, but I never ventured outside of Scotland and I may be too "past it" (I'm 56) to take it up again. But we'll see how much improvement to my fitness I get from my cycling, and then who knows.

Ok so my boyfriend just purchased Under The Dome from the thrift store. Haven't read it yet, although it looks very appealing to me. Reminds me of the Simpsons movie. That goes to show what generation I'm in. I'll have to visit the show after I read the book. So far, I have found his books to be far superior to the film adaptations, although the remake of It is a really great experience. I however did not like the film adaptation of Pet Sematary. It wasn't accurate enough to the book.

You like science fiction--have you heard of or read the Red Mars series? I read the first book years ago and just rebought the trilogy. If you've read it, thoughts? If you haven't, the first one is worth a gander, at least.

Hey, how has COVID-19/tinnitus affected you making music?

 

[Jebbis]

I am not a passionate person, but I will engage in vigorous measurebation to find out whether my possessions comply with their advertised specs. Be it audio...

View attachment 45104

...or imaging...

View attachment 45103

...I find it entertaining and rewarding to find out how gear performs.

I'm not sure if you meant for this to be funny, but it sure made me laugh. What do you do when the specs do not line up?

 

[Jebbis]

Well, here's my first hat.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

My passion was playing drums... until my nerves got really sensitive and the vibrations would cause pain and numbness in my forearms for a day after playing.

Another passion is food and eating in general. I loved trying new foods anywhere... Acid reflux tore my esophagus up and made it narrow and scarred lol.

I loved weightlifting but chronic fatigue crept up and causes extreme exhaustion immediately after lifting.

It's a good thing sex is not a passion of mine

 

[Rainer]

I'm not sure if you meant for this to be funny, but it sure made me laugh.

Why, you asked about passions. The only thing I'm sure of is that I'm not passionate about money. Other than that, I have really no convincing concept of what a "passion" is, so I can't be sure that I'm able answer your question correctly.

However, I suspect that a "passion" must entail habits and preferences that are not normal, statistically speaking. I would conjecture that my inclination to measure things may be a bit unusual, so I may rightfully declare that tendency to be a passion.

What do you do when the specs do not line up?

If a newly bought product underperforms to a significant degree, it means that I did not get what I paid for. I will usually try to have the product exchanged for a specimen that works as advertised.

If it's not a newly bought product, I will ask myself whether the deviation is worth rectifying on my own dime.

 

[alanisnotadj]

Wow, this one caught me off guard!

I have never heard of these things. Please do educate, what are Italian sword and sandals movies? What is shoegaze?

Ahahah!

From Wikipedia:

Sword-and-sandal, also known as peplum (pepla plural), is a subgenre of largely Italian-made historical, mythological, or Biblical epics mostly set in the Greco-Roman or medieval period.​

Some of my favorite titles include Riccardo Freda's Maciste all'Inferno and Sergio Corbucci's Duel of the Titans.

Shoegaze is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. My favorite bands are My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride... ironically these bands have largely contributed to my tinnitus!

 

[alanisnotadj]

Favourite genre - metal/rock and pretty much all sub genres of both.
I also really enjoy Classical, dub, eighties and nineties pop, country, blues, breakbeat, folk, jungle... tbh, I love music so damn much, that I find it hard not to enjoy most genres.

At the moment, I'm loving a bit of Faith No More, but I think a lot of that is wanting to sleep with the lead singer haha!

While I am not a metal head, I remember being quite impressed by Angel Dust when it was released in 1992. A Small Victory is a brilliant single

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

That's so freakin' cool, man. I want one! I crochet hats... Let's trade?

OK good idea, but here's the problem behind it. I'm afraid that by the time I bubble wrap and delicately box it up and ship it to you from Ireland, I can only imagine what shape it would be in by the time it arrived. You would open the box and say,"oh look @Steph1710 has sent me a jigsaw puzzle."

You can buy one there in the US, but they are mass produced, not made by hand.

 

[MusicTeacher]

This is a fun thread, and I love that it's so positive. Music has been most of my day for a long time. I love to compose, improvise, create and explore sounds/timbres (not so much lately)... but I'm hoping it's a temporary hiatus.

I'll listen to most genres; it changes based on my mood I guess. Lately I've been listening to The Milk Carton Kids, Marcus king, Brandi Carlile, and lots more. I also have a saltwater aquarium (80 gallon/4'x2'). It was better taken care of before kids. lol. Mountain biking, tennis, going to the beach, watching sci-fi... is ice cream a hobby? If not, it should be. Be well everyone!

 

[Leila]

I water it gently, sometimes with some fertilizer. Nowadays, with sun, it gets watered about every other day actually. I also douse 2-3 times a week

Hi there, I don't want to count my chickens quite yet, but it looks as if you may have saved my little coffee plant's life. It is looking a lot better already and I hope it will be as nice and healthy-looking as yours soon - so thanks again for your tips

 

[Jebbis]

This is a fun thread, and I love that it's so positive. Music has been most of my day for a long time. I love to compose, improvise, create and explore sounds/timbres (not so much lately)... but I'm hoping it's a temporary hiatus.

I'll listen to most genres; it changes based on my mood I guess. Lately I've been listening to The Milk Carton Kids, Marcus king, Brandi Carlile, and lots more. I also have a saltwater aquarium (80 gallon/4'x2'). It was better taken care of before kids. lol. Mountain biking, tennis, going to the beach, watching sci-fi... is ice cream a hobby? If not, it should be. Be well everyone!

Fantastic. Music has been an incredible tool in my recovery. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Jebbis]

Thought I would join the coffee plant club. Here's mine! It has a bit of leaf burn unfortunately. Once I put it in a larger pot, it stopped drying out so fast.

 

[Rainer]

Almost forgot I'm a lunatic. Once in a while.

 

[Jebbis]

Almost forgot I'm a lunatic. Once in a while.

View attachment 45192

Did you capture that image? Absolutely amazing.

 

[Rainer]

Did you capture that image? Absolutely amazing.

Why, thank you. To be honest, there's no talent required. Just halfway decent equipment.

 

[Damocles]

Currently I have no passions/hobbies, but I do enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles.

I'd do Jigsaw Puzzles if it were possible to buy them without knowing what they looked like first.

I've always felt the boxes should come with a spoiler alert or something... maybe just a plain container, like the cigarette cartons in the UK now... and a health warning: "may cause frustration and subsequent aggression".

 

[Tweedleman]

Recently got into the RC hobby while in lockdown. Not sure if I'd call it a passion yet but it's keeping me busy until I can afford the big toys!

I only have brushed motors so far but they can still keep up with traffic. I'm really getting more into chasing the scale realism aspect of the hobby. Looking at getting a crawler. Not so much into the planes/drones but would love to get a boat for the summer!

I love pickups so of course my buggies all have truck bodies!

My custom Chevy.

My Traxxas Bigfoot.

That is my current stable, I've destroyed all the others, lol.

 

[Jebbis]

Recently got into the RC hobby while in lockdown. Not sure if I'd call it a passion yet but it's keeping me busy until I can afford the big toys!

I only have brushed motors so far but they can still keep up with traffic. I'm really getting more into chasing the scale realism aspect of the hobby. Looking at getting a crawler. Not so much into the planes/drones but would love to get a boat for the summer!

I love pickups so of course my buggies all have truck bodies!

My custom Chevy.View attachment 45236
My Traxxas Bigfoot.
View attachment 45237
That is my current stable, I've destroyed all the others, lol.

Hell yeah dude!

Those are freakin cool! I didn't even know you could build custom RC. Very cool.

 

[Elmer B Fuddled]

My latest whirligig acrobat clowns.

2 weeks to complete.

 

[Ken219]

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering.

Good for you! I'm curious, did you attend a college or took an online course?

 

[Stacken77]

Good for you! I'm curious, did you attend a college or took an online course?

Thanks, Ken! It was 3 years at a college here in Sweden.

 

[Leila]

Bought a big box of second hand art supplies and made a bunch of miniature pictures and postcards

Some of the proportion aren't quite right yet but I'm working on that.

 

[Rudedog205]

One of my hobbies is Brazilian jiu-jitsu although that is currently on hold until I can get my hyperacusis issue resolved.

I really enjoy chemistry and participating in chemistry related research.

I also really love weight lifting.

 

[AbeS]

I've programmed as a hobby for almost a decade and just now finishing up my Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering. I've been working on a real time strategy game in my spare time. Nothing fancy, but I kinda like it myself, and that's unusual for being a project of my own. Aiming to be published independently in July;

Very cool!

Not my favourite genre but I would be interested to try it out.

Video games are my greatest distraction from tinnitus.

 

[Vassili]

My passion was singing in a Metal band.

 

[Stacken77]

Very cool!

Not my favourite genre but I would be interested to try it out.

Video games are my greatest distraction from tinnitus.

Thank you @AbeS.

I decided to refactor the entire code base, so releasing it in July may be a bit too optimistic. I also seem to be able to work at my current job, so there's not a whole lot of time for development each day.

I'll let you guys know when/if it's released.

Stacken