Interests of Mine, 2020-02a

# Interests of Mine, by Marc Carson

I started this document sometime in 2016 in order to track my interests
as a way of fighting depression. After fighting my way out of the
grip of chronic depression, I began to deepen and broaden my interests
as a way of enjoying every day a little bit more.

So far, it's worked. And as of early 2020, I'm very happy to have a
list of specific values and interests which has grown in length to number
over 500. Each one of these items has the potential to make a hard day better.

I use a shell script to shuffle these and display a few in an app window,
so I can take a little break from work and develop my interests a bit.

--Marc

On the web:

https://www.marccarsoncoaching.com/

https://www.friendlyskies.net/

## Contents

- To-Do
- Key to Codes
- General Activities of Interest
- Specific Interests

## To-Do

- Choose a few areas to explore in even more depth
- DONE 2020-01-08 Add some basic codes

## Key to Codes

Codes are shown in brackets, for assistance in browsing the list.
If applying more than one, apply in alphabetical order.

- P: Promising Area of Interest
  - In terms of energy it seems to be providing me -- energy is key
- NP: New and Promising Area of Interest
  - Can possibly be explored and taken deeper quickly.
- LT Lifetime Area of Interest, Since my Youth

Tip: When you see a code, see if it applies upward in scope, in order to
expand your leverage & effective scope of work.

## General Activities of Interest

Updated from Pastebin on 2018-06-08. Update Pastebin first.
No. Update here first...

- Reading
- Thinking
- Doodling / writing
- Planning
- Strategizing
- Browsing
  - Instagram
  - Books
  - Magazines
  - Blogs
  - Twitter
  - Youtube
- Exploring new subjects in an intentionally shallow manner (breadth--
  move on fast)

## Specific Interests

- Finance
  - [P] Business Finance
    - [NP] Learning about reading balance sheets
    - Studying, analyzing
  - Investing
    - [P] Technical investing
    - Equities
    - Cryptocurrency
    - Watching investments grow: Dopamine
    - Open Source Investing Research
      - Who's buying what
      - Who's got what kind of record, etc.
      - Online communities, blogs, etc.
  - Personal Finance
    - Financial planning & FIRE
    - Researching, reading about
    - Setting goals
- Japan
  - Japanese language
    - Translating Japanese poetry
    - Watching Japanese movies
    - Listening to Japanese music
  - Watching Japanese TV shows
  - Reading Japan history
- Korea
  - Korean music
  - Korean singing shows feat. interesting artists like Joseph Butso
- [LT][P] Humor and funny things
  - Youtube videos
  - Compilations
    - [P] Weather person and news bloopers
    - Try not to laugh
  - [P] Stand-up Comedy
  - [P] Late-night TV
  - [P] Writing funny lyrics to songs
- Films and TV
  - Columbo
  - [NP] The Wild Wild West
  - The Avengers (UK)
  - [P] Rockford Files, Magnum P.I.
  - [LT][P] Star Trek (TOS, TNG, Enterprise, ST Continues, Picard)
  - Stargate Universe
  - [LT] MacGyver
  - Frasier
  - [LT] Spy / Espionage
    - Mission: Impossible
    - Conspiracy Thriller
      - Worricker Trilogy
  - Old BBC shows
    - Dr. Who
    - Random BBC mysteries
    - A Most Ungentlemanly Act
    - The one where the Jurassic Park guy is a master spy
  - Martial Arts films
- [LT] Tanks and army and war
  - Historical
  - Modern
    - World military forces
    - Tanks
      - Active protection systems, anti-projectile
      - Projectiles
    - ATVs
      - Design
- [P] Podcasts
  - Star Talk - Neil DeGrasse Tyson
  - Citation Needed
  - [P] Frank Skinner Show - Absolute Radio
  - Spycast
  - Personality type
  - Unsolved mysteries
- [LT] Listening to Music
  - [LT] Electronic Music
  - Dance music
    - [LT] Melodic Dance Music
  - [LT] Chiptunes
  - [NP] Early 2000s Rock
    - [P] Puddle of Mudd / Wes Scantlin
    - [P] Incubus
    - [P] 3 Doors Down - Away from the Sun
    - [P] Staind - It's Been Awhile
  - Live Music
    - Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
    - Sting
  - [P] Cover Music / Cover Bands
    - [P] The Protomen - (The Cover Up) In the Air Tonight
- [P] Creating Music
  - [NP] LMMS
    - Trying out soundfonts and other generators
  - Renoise
    - Isolating preferred instrument sets and using those.
    - Getting a good vamp going.
  - [NP] MilkyTracker
  - [LT] Reason
  - Sunvox
- [P] Finding new joy and contentment in life
  - [P] Addressing problems with humor
  - [P] Finding and exploring new lives outside of the norm
- [P] Productivity & Productivity Methods
  - [P] Creating my own productivity methods
  - [P] Learning others' productivity methods
  - [P] Measuring and analyzing my productivity
- [LT][P] Planning in General
  - [P] Mapping out new ideas & plans
  - [P] Diving into plans and making them executable
- Organization and cleaning
  - Find a small thing that bugs you, or a shelf that's cluttered.
    - Then just think about it. What could fix the problem?
  - New methods of organization
    - [NP] Knowledge capture & organization
- [NP] Writing
  - Responding to writing cues
  - Journaling
    - Interviewing the subconscious via archetype
    - Using my journaling template.
    - Journaling my way through my work
  - Writing haiku
- [LT][P] Philosophy
  - Traditional sage-style advice
    - Tao Te Ching
  - [NP] Developing own ideas / theories
- [LT][P] Psychology
  - [P] Personality type
  - [P] Archetype
  - [P] Jung
  - [P] Dream Analysis
  - [P] Various psychological models
    - Information metabolism
    - [P] Socionics
    - Etc.
  - Reddit mbti or intj
- Astrology
  - Overview and various systems / philosophies.
- Tarot
- [NP] Transhumanism
  - Philosophical & Technological
  - Institute of Noetic Sciences
  - Writing about transhumanism
- Martial arts
  - Chinese (Tai Liu, Northern Shaolin)
  - Judo
  - Kenpo
    - Perfect Weapon, a good old action film
  - Shorin Ryu Karate
  - Ninjitsu; esoteric arts and overlap with development of modern philosophy
- Art interpretation
  - Subconscious meaning / hidden meaning
  - Viewpoint on society
  - [P] Intuiting the views & perceptions of the author of a given work
- History
  - Japan
    - [P] Postwar era Japan
    - Gov't and intelligence agencies of Japan
    - [P] Japan in the Space Age; JAXA and its history
  - China
    - Global strategy
    - Chinese language
    - Postwar-era China
  - USA
    - Early 1800s
    - [P] Late 1800s history
    - [P] Pulp era: Culture, history, special explorations / excursions
    - [P] 1950s USA
  - England
    - Codebreakers during WWII
    - 1800s England
      - [P] Aubrey / Maturin series of books (I think I'm on #13 or so?)
      - [P] Charles Darwin
      - [P] Richard Owen and the "organising energy" in development of living matter
    - Pirate Age
      - Blackbeard, like the "Crossbones" TV series; watched season 1
  - Civil history
    - Washington state
    - USA West coast history
    - [P] History of citizen scientists
  - Military history
    - [P] WWII
      - Pacific theater
        - Atomic bombing
      - Europe
      - Abwehr
      - Nazi Gold
    - Vietnam
      - [NP] Radio operators in Vietnam
      - SEAL teams in Vietnam
      - Green Berets in Vietnam
      - CIA in Vietnam
        - Air America
        - Other operations
    - [P] Falklands Conflict
      - SAS in Falklands Conflict
      - SBS in Falklands Conflict
    - Modern Conflicts
      - Operation Barras
    - Aircraft
      - F-4 Phantom
      - F-117
- [LT] Cold war
  - [LT] Special units
    - [P] Special forces
    - [P] CIA / OSS in the Cold War
      - Bay of Pigs
    - KGB
  - [P] History of the Space Race
    - Sergei Koriolov
    - [P] Race to the moon
    - [P] ICBMs and strategic conflict
  - [P] DEW Line History
    - Personal histories of the DEW line.
  - [NP] Cold War Fiction movies & books.
- [LT][P] Computer Programming
  - [NP] Rebol / R2 / Red
  - [P] Python
  - [LT][P] Basic, QB64, FreeBasic, Gambas Programming
  - [P] Nodebox, Processing, etc.
  - [P] Open Pascal, FPC, Lazarus application development
  - [LT][P] System scripts
  - [P] Productivity scripts (adding efficiency to productivity processes)
  - Utilities--backup, etc.
  - Creating graphics software
  - [P] Creating simulation software
- [LT] Software
  - [LT][P] Linux
    - Trying new distributions
    - Xubuntu
      - Panel apps
    - [P] System scripts for Linux
      - Bash
      - [P] Scripting in various languages: Python, Ruby, Gambas, etc.
  - Emacs & Vim-type specialized editor studies
  - Text entry and organizing software
    - Zim, CherryTree, Notecase Pro, etc.
  - Trying out new software
    - Trying new text editors, file managers
    - Trying new graphics software
  - [NP] Customizing software
    - [P] Creating new color schemes (Geany)
    - [P] Creating new keyboard shortcuts (Geany)
    - [P] Creating new skins (QMMP, etc.)
    - [P] Creating new icons (own apps mostly)
- Computer Hardware
  - [P] Planning, sizing up, estimating, and testing new computer hardware
  - [P] Reviewing computer hardware via blog or video
- Retro stuff
  - Retro Books
    - [NP] Old computer / computing texts & trying out the software inside
  - [LT] Retro Computers
    - [P] C64
    - Unix systems
    - Computer hardware
      - Researching
  - Shorthand
    - [P] Inventing & extending my own shorthand
    - Learning others' shorthands
- Watercolors
  - [P] Making abstract compositions with watercolors; drawing out form
  - Youtube watercolor tutorials
  - [P] Watercolor pencils
  - [LT][P] Painting military subjects
  - [LT] Painting blue skies
  - [LT] Painting ad-libbed faces
- [LT][NP] Collage-thinking
  - [NP] Putting images together based on my subconscious visions
- [LT] Drawing
  - [P] Doodling on paper or on the computer
  - Drawing slowly with pens
    - Fineliners
      - Drawing maps
    - Ballpoints
      - [P] Faces - drawing ad lib / imagined faces
  - [LT] Drawing military things
  - [LT][P] Drawing sci-fi things
  - [LT] Drawing faces and heads
  - [LT] Drawing vehicles
    - Aircraft
      - Unique - Short Skyvan, etc.
  - [LT][P] Concept art
    - Drawing with watercolor or a brush marker in grays first, then
      filling in from there.
  - [P] Drawing letterforms; lettering
    - [P] Transferring hand-drawn letterforms to digital art
- Health, Exercise and fitness
  - Dieting
    - [P] Weight loss strategies and innovations
    - Writing about weight loss and dieting
  - [P] Calisthenics
  - Bodyweight conditioning
  - [P] Martial arts for fitness
    - Learning about others' (from Judo to Kenpo to MMA to Tai Liu)
    - [P] Developing my own
  - Flexibility / development of flexibility
  - [P] Strength-building physical exercises
  - [NP] Developing my mental health
- [NP] Designing better sleep and rest
  - [P] Researching supplements for sleep and rest
  - [P] Trying new tools & methods for sleep and rest (mp3 players, theories, etc.)
- [LT][P] Space
  - [P] Conceptualized ideas of future space travel / colonization
- Games and board games
  - Minecraft and minetest
  - [LT][P] Flight sims
    - Gunship 2000 was amazing. A definite favorite.
    - [P] Flightgear
      - Flying the classic, the Cessna Skymaster
      - [NP] Learning to fly new planes
        - JU-52
        - Learning to fly Spacecraft via simulator
        - Learning to fly Helicopters via simulator
      - Flying in interesting locations
        - Japan to Korea, etc.
        - [P] Flying from home to a coastal airport
    - US Navy Fighters was a lot of fun.
      - Sometimes I just need to fly...
  - [P] Making my own board games
    - [LT][P] Tabletop RPGs
      - Dungeon Difficulties D20 (RPG)
      - [P] Character creation for solo RPGs
    - [LT][P] War games
      - Sniper: Black Sea Crisis
      - Various tactical games
      - Flight simulators
      - Writing rules as I play.
      - Games in Excel, or a word processor, or LO Draw.
  - [LT] Wargaming
    - [LT][P] Ogre
      - Future-science-war-based.
    - [P] Heavy Gear
    - [NP] Gunblade
    - Robotech
    - War games as read in various books, hex or square gridded.
  - [NP] GMing simple RPGs and CYOA games with my kids
    - Using white board markers and matsf
    - Using decks of cards and mixing up RPG rules.
  - [P] Network game "net" from Simon Tatham
    - There was a very nice version of this.
    - I started a framework on this.
  - [LT] Puzzle games
    - Sokoban, as long as it's not super hard. Like that DOS one...
    - [P] Chip's challenge
    - Enigma is fun, wish I had better level sets.
  - [P] FPS games
    - Solo missions in FPS games
    - Sniper role in FPS games
    - Delta Force 2 was a favorite, way back when...
  - [P] Sandbox games
    - The aforementioned Minetest
    - Rigs of Rods
  - [NP] Let's Plays on Youtube
    - Like Solus Project with Just Jeremy
    - TheRadBrad
  - Video Game Soundtracks
    - [P] OPL3 & other MIDI sountracks
    - [P] SID & MOD music soundtracks
    - Newer OSTs from various video games
- [LT] Simulation
  - [P] Making my own simulations
    - [P] Designing simulations on paper (dice tables, etc.)
    - Computers
      - [P] Designing simulators in spreadsheets
      - [P] Designing simulators in computer programs / scripts
    - Any given scenario
  - Dice roller simulations
  - [P] Generators for dice / game outcomes.
  - [P] Playing with dice; inventing own dice games
  - Generative art
    - Generating scenarios
    - [P] Generating planets
    - Etc.
  - Sending out space probes; simulating the results
- [P] Web Publishing, Web Design and Development
  - [P] Conceptualizing new websites that would be fun to build
  - Testing and learning new web tools
  - [P] Planning changes and updates to existing web tools / sites
- [LT][P] Books and Reading
  - [P] Browsing book stacks online or off: Gutenberg, Archive.org, AZ, etc.
  - [P] Comic books, graphic novels
    - [P] Tintin and other _ligne claire_ style books
    - [P] Disney comics (Uncle Scrooge, Donald Duck adventures)
    - [P] _Watchmen_ style graphic novels
    - [P] Manga (Kawaguchi Kaiji, others)
    - [P] Batman
    - Asterix
- [LT][P] Graphic Design
  - Testing out new fonts
  - [P] Using font play to inspire new ideas; deriving new concepts from fonts
  - Trying out new and interesting color schemes
- [LT][P] Illustration
  - [P] Creating icons
- World Building
  - [NP] Writing about different worlds / cities / etc.
  - From infrastructure to people
  - Writing as if I'm someone writing in their journal, etc.
  - [P] Map making
    - [P] Mapping fictional towns of any desired time / reality
  - Graphics making
    - Vehicle design for a given world
    - Building / arch. design for a given world
    - Costume graphics design / conceptual art
    - Worldbuilding in MS Paint even...
- [LT] Optimization
  - What space around me needs to be improved?
  - What system in my life needs improvement?
  - How can I improve it?
  - How can I make it more efficient?
  - How can I measure the changes?
  - [NP] What system can I develop, in order to manage this thing?
- [LT] Visiting the library
  - [NP] Planning Sessions at the Library
  - Random section choice within library
    - Use random number generator to pick a section to browse
  - Checking out movies and music
  - [P] Digging into the online database of a library or deep website
    - Latest-published films, books, etc.
- [LT][P] Visiting Museums
  - [P] Natural history museums, online or off
  - [P] Military history museums, online or off
  - [P] Science museums in general, online or off
- [LT] Spirituality studies
  - topical guides and bible dictionaries are great starting points
    - TG: Time was very interesting
  - Study of ancient religions
  - Mormonism studies
    - Personality psychology in Mormonism
  - Buddhism studies
  - Other groups, cults & religions
    - [P] Shoko Asahara & the Aum Shinrikyo disaster
  - Rosicrucianism studies
  - [P] Studying other new-to-me religious customs and groups
- [LT] Architecture
  - Presentations on e.g. architectural design and practice on Youtube
  - Conceptual architecture
  - Design thinking as applied to architecture
  - [P] Metaphorical transfer to systems-thinking from architecture-as-building
- [P] Subconscious studies
  - [P] Visualization within the mind
  - [P] Designing and cultivating "imaginary friends," subjective archetypes, etc.
  - Telling and analyzing stories
  - [P] Subjective scrying / intuiting
- [LT][NP] Radio
  - Ham Radio / KM6NHH
  - AMSAT
  - CW & QRP
  - SSTV / ATV (Slow Scan TV & Amateur Television)
  - Theory / Propagation
  - [P] Portable operation
  - [P] Shortwave radio
  - DXing: FM / AM / Shortwave
  - FM radio as a mood-setter / adjuster / random info source
  - Broadcast Radio
    - [P] FM stations: Listening to, following, understanding operations
    - [P] Old time radio shows
      - [P] Johnny Dollar
      - [NP] Let George Do It
      - [NP] Suspense
      - Other pulp
- [LT] Toys / toy collecting
  - Toy cars
    - Matchbox,
    - Hot Wheels
    - 1:64s
    - [NP] Diecast Car Racing
      - [NP] 3DBotMaker Diecast Racing League on Youtube
    - 1:38s, etc.
  - [P] Toy aircraft
  - Toy tanks
    - 1/72 tanks
  - Fidget toys
  - Toy photography
  - Toy soldiers
    - [P] 1/72 toy soldiers
  - Legos
    - Minifigs
    - [N] Technic
- Building Models
  - Paper Models
    - RPG character figures in paper
    - Airplanes
    - [P] Tanks
  - Plastic models
    - Airplanes
- [LT] Research
  - [P] Finding & learning new research tools (online search, etc.)
  - [P] Logging and tracking research
- [NP] Clothing & Accessories
  - Comfortable clothing
    - [P] Super comfortable, brand new socks
    - [P] Picking out T-shirts
    - [P] Comfortable shoes
  - [P] Helpful, useful, or interesting accessories
    - [P] New Headphones: Shopping for, using
    - [P] SAKs: Shopping for, using, designing
    - [P] Handkerchiefs
    - [P] Wallets
    - [P] Watches, New & Old
    - [P] Pocket video game toys
    - [P] Compact stationery: Notebooks, pens, pencils
- Food
  - [P] Trying out new foods / snacks from the store
  - [P] Trying specialty / seasonal meals at restaurants
  - Designing a new dish / meal
  - [P] Asking myself what my body wants to eat for the next meal
  - [NP] Inventing new (to me) combinations of foods / spices / ingredients
  - [P] Figs
  - [NP] Indian & Tibetan Food
    - Naan & Roti breads
    - Curry
  - [P] Japanese Food
    - Curry & many others...
  - Korean Food
    - Kimchi
    - Korean BBQ



## Log

- 2020-02-07 Updated.
- 2020-01-13 Updated.
- 2020-01-10 Updated.
- 2019-05-09 Updated with Radio & toys...
- 2016? Started sometime in here...