A List of My Interests

I don’t know if this will interest anyone, but I’m trying to understand how many things interest me.  So I’ve made a list, partly for fun, partly to help me understand, and, perhaps, focus in on some subjects a little better as time passes.

The list is quite long, but not exhaustive, and will probably grow over time as other things spring to mind.  Indeed, I’ve just thought of a few things I’ve missed!

My knowledge of the subjects listed ranges from a little to quite a lot, and tends to reflect the topics which are the flavour of a particular moment.

The Eclectic List

It’s in alphabetical order, not in any order of priority.  Regular readers of Italy Chronicles will recognise some of the subjects, others might come as a surprise, or not.

• Advertising – methods and systems, and efficiency

• Animals and wildlife

• Art – contemporary art and artists – I like discovering interesting Italian artists

• Boats – all sorts, but especially hi-tech, high-speed ones – more on this lower down the list

• Business – strategy, development

• Cars, Eco friendly engines, electric power, bio fuels, European, Asian, and American (I like muscle cars)

• Coffee machines – Italian espresso makers, especially the coffee bar versions

• Cooking

• Culture – what it is, how it differs and evolves

• Current affairs – news, views, and happenings in Italy and elsewhere

• Design – combining function and form – why I like guitars, cars, motorbikes, tools, knives & guns

• Economics

• English teaching – how to help people learn English, develop & consolidate their skills

• Environment – maintaining and enhancing it

• Firearms – always found them fascinating.  Don’t really know why.

• Films and entertainment – Science fiction is my favourite genre

• Food and drink – discovering new flavours, and nutrition

• Guitars – had a couple, cannot play them – love the sound, and the form, though.  Want an electro-acoustic Ovation model – one day.

• High speed surface water travel. The amazing, but now extinct, Ekroplan – video:

• High speed below surface marine travel, using, for example, supercavitation technology, like the DARPA Underwater Express.

• History – modern history, but not only

• Intelligence – how we develop it, why some people are more intelligent than others, different types of intelligence, artificial intelligence

• Internet, and related technology, css, php, web design

• Italy – anything and everything!

• Journalism, including press freedom, citizen journalism

• Language – how we learn them, develop our skills, how to accelerate learning, grammar

• Law, and legal systems (civil v common law), legal terminology

• Legends – and their origins

• Marketing – web and traditional methods. Tourism and travel promotion via the internet

• Martial arts – Tai chi

• Media and communications – differences between cultures, new techniques, especially use of www

• Mobile phones – technology, functions, operating systems

• Motorbikes – big, fast ones (I’ve had a few moderately fast, but not big ones)

• Motor and motorbike racing – especially motorbike racing

• Mountain biking, cycling, and bikes

• Music – many genres, including classical, rock, blues, acid jazz and some pop

• Non-lethal weapons – I like the idea of being able to disable someone without killing him/her

• Paranormal events – ghosts

• Photography, cameras, lenses, off-camera flash (I’m a novice at this) and photo editing

• Politics – political systems – particularly new ones!

• Psychology – what it is, and how it effects out lives, and use of the www

• Real estate & architecture

• Renewable energy – particularly solar energy, biomass & wave/ocean power generation systems

• Science – just about everything, much of which is mixed in with this list

• Shooting – bows and arrows, crossbows, pistols, rifles, pea shooters, rail guns

• Space, space travel, and UFOs

• Technology – web technology, computers, operating systems, applications

• Television – how it is used, how it can be used

• Tools – love ’em (weird, I know!) – drills, spanners, saws, screwdrivers, soldering gear

• Travel – being in other places, not getting there!

• Video games and gaming platforms – Wii, Playstation

• Walking – in the country or mountains up hills, but not down them!

• Wine – particularly Italian wines and prosecco!

• Writing – techniques, writing for the web, trying to improve my own writing skills, and how to teach others to write

That’s it for now.