What's a hobby or interest of yours that you really love explaining to others? : chat

[–] BarryZuckerkorn@beehaw.org 22 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Like many others, I jumped on the sourdough bandwagon in 2020, but fell off sometime during the year after that.

But a friend of mine stuck with it, and expanded into sourdough pizza doughs for NY style or Neapolitan style pizzas in his backyard pizza oven. He had a bunch of us over today, and I don't think I understood everything he was saying (he was doing 60% hydration for 00 flour, but stuff I didn't quite catch about when to knead/rest), but I can say that the pizzas he was making were delicious, and he made it seem so effortless to stretch the dough out to around 14 inch (35cm) diameter. And it was kinda infectious to see his enthusiasm for something he'd been churning away at for the last few years, explaining a bunch of things to a bunch of friends gathered around, and just having a great time on a Sunday afternoon.

So a bunch of us are probably gonna try our hands at the same thing, and form a bit of an amateur pizza group, texting our successes and failures to each other.

[–] Devi@beehaw.org 4 points 7 months ago

I got into pizza dough over covid. I currently have three different 00 flours. It's really fun to try different things though, how long you do each thing, how much of what goes in, pizza stones, baking trays, etc. I'm not at my perfect pizza yet but definitely like what I'm making.

[–] ulkesh@beehaw.org 18 points 7 months ago

Btw, I use Arch.

[–] remington@beehaw.org 14 points 7 months ago (3 children)

It's not necessarily something that I 'love explaining to others'. However, academic biblical scholarship has been an interest and endeavor of mine for about thirty years. Luckily and thankfully, I've found my self in the center of this unique niche of interested parties with /r/AcademicBiblical and /r/AskBibleScholars.

Think about this for a moment. The biblical texts have had the most influence on western society, and arguably all other societies, for hundreds of years.

Wouldn't you want to know what these texts are saying?

They aren't saying what you think they are saying.

If you've had no experience with these texts, then you have many years of reading ahead of you.

It is incredibly daunting to know how little most people do not know about this subject. And, at the same time, shape our world based on misinterpretations and/or misunderstandings of this vast library of literature.

[–] BarryZuckerkorn@beehaw.org 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Wouldn't you want to know what these texts are saying?

They aren't saying what you think they are saying.

Can you give an example? This sounds intriguing.

[–] remington@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago

Over the years we've collected our FAQ and our Hall of Fame. Many examples in those.

[–] millie@beehaw.org 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

It's kind of wild how much more Dante and Milton seem to have influenced the sort of now fairly standard apocryphal interpretations of the general shape of Abrahamic cosmology than the actual canon. Or like, maybe even Islam, honestly, or like Zoroastrianism. The hellfire and brimstone stuff really seems to come from somewhere else.

Also I'd like to give Christians who gripe about plural they a lesson on the etymology of Elohim.

[–] remington@beehaw.org 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The hellfire and brimstone stuff really seems to come from somewhere else.

Out of someone's ass is my guess.

[–] millie@beehaw.org 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah maybe, but whose ass? Zoroaster's? Hinduism's? Ideas that match hell and an evil opponent for a good god are all over the place.

I'm inclined to lean in the direction of some sort of proto-Hindu-Zoroastrian cosmology in the long run. Ahura Mazda looks a lot like the kind of fighty version of YHVH that modern Christians seem to like, with a nice clear villain and a power struggle in place of a confusing omnipotent being with a combative frenemy pushing its boundaries.

But like, maybe by way of some mostly suppressed gnostic tradition that leaks out through late medieval writings? It's not hard to see the lower emanations in the 2nd and 3rd century gnostic stuff turning into the more kind of blunt angels and devils motif we associate with Christianity. Especially in the context of traditions like Mancheanism popping up around the same time and drawing parallels.

But like really who in America who votes based on the one particular line in Leviticus that they latch onto knows any of that? I'm guessing basically nobody.

[–] remington@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

but whose ass?

Someone (or some group) who wanted control over people. All religious literature is rife with politics.

I've read everything else that you've stated, and I'm aware of these theories, but in the end I lean toward the simpler explanation above.

Just look at the world today. Same type of shit. Most billionaires make their fortunes off the backs of the populace. And they use all of the well-known tactics to do so. Coming up with stories (propaganda) to influence minds across the board.

However, when you take the effort to drill down into the subject matter at hand you'll find a 'small still voice' which points at the ineffable.

The ineffable is what I embrace.

[–] millie@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I agree! There's some potentially useful stuff in some aspects of various religions, but for me the value is in looking at the moon rather than the finger that points at it. The rest are just tools to bring me where I'm trying to get, which is just basically to chill out and be at peace with where I am.

But I definitely do find that the parts that helped point that out were more in tune with zen than the more ritualistic and mythological approach. Also psychedelics, in a sort of roundabout way.

I do have a big soft spot for some of the Greek pantheon, though.

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

A Catholic friend of mine studied classics at uni, so learned Greek and Latin, and they've been jazzed at how much nuance or alternative interpretations they've found when reading the Bible in Koine Greek.

Are you a Christian? I'm guessing probably yeah, but like you say, the biblical texts have had a huge influence on Western society, so understanding them is useful context for anyone. What got you started on this kind of biblical study - most people I know who do this kind of study are in training for an eventual position within their church

[–] remington@beehaw.org 7 points 7 months ago

Are you a Christian?

My parents tried to raise me to become one, but that failed. No, I am not a Christian.

What got you started on this kind of biblical study(?)

Many years of spiritual abuse and indoctrination.

[–] russjr08@bitforged.space 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Programming! It's currently a hobby of mine (and has been for over 10 years) that I hope to make into a career of mine. I do some minor scripting and whatnot at work (and thankfully, I get paid at a much higher rate for the time that I'm doing that), but its not the "main" thing I do.

I live in a world of many unanswered questions, full of illogical conclusions and actions. But with programming, it is all about logic - the computer does exactly what you tell it to do, and I find a ton of beauty in that logic and how that logic makes sense to me. It doesn't always make sense at the first pass, but at the end of the day, its always something that I (or someone above me) told the computer to do incorrectly. There's always an answer!

Whereas the rest of my life, I hardly ever have the power to get my own answers, and others surely often don't have an answer for me either.

[–] owsei@programming.dev 4 points 7 months ago

I love to talk about programming! especially about optimizations, and you can come up with so many analogies and stuff.

glad it's my career, good luck for you!

[–] millie@beehaw.org 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

It's honestly less about the particular thing than noticing that they're receptive and actually do want to hear what I have to say. The last thing I want is to just like bore someone with something I find fascinating. I'm sure I end up doing this anyway sometimes, but I try to be aware enough to notice before going full on ramble mode.

People seem suuuper receptive to like counter-cultural and anti-authoritarian ideas and generally to anything that transcends preconception. They like honesty and realness that can exist comfortably without kissing ass or being a jerk. Just like expressing the idea that art and joy can have premacy over toil and misery seems to be sort of a revelation for some people. That you can just like, breathe, and not focus on making sure every little thing is just so.

Also like, music. But none of that is really explaining things to people, it's just talking through stuff organically and in the process kind of giving them the freedom to realize what they usually already know. Music is a good example of this because most humans understand music quite intimately, they just don't have the language of music theory to break down what's going on and discuss it. But even with a little bit of that, you can see them light up with what they already know.

I tend to play information-focused characters on RP servers, and a lot of what I do comes down to spying, questioning, interrogation, and organizing others to collect information. When you ask someone if they saw anything useful, the answer you usually get will be no. If you ask if they can tell you anything about a person, they'll usually say they didn't get a very good look.

But if you ask if they had a hat on, they'll know. If you ask what color their shirt was or if they were wearing a jacket, they'll know. Same with piercings, tattoos, odd sayings or personal quirks, whether they were smoking, etc. The reality is that people know all kinds of things that they assume aren't relevant. But if you ask the right questions, you can uncover loads of information.

The same is true of music, of art, of sooo many things. The barrier for entry isn't that people don't have the tools, it's that they don't recognize the tools they have. If I can point to a tool that's already in someone's hand, that feels pretty awesome.

Okay, so maybe this tangent is illustrative in more ways than one.

[–] sleepybisexual@beehaw.org 5 points 7 months ago

Game Emulation,

[–] Slatlun@lemmy.ml 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Native plant/ecosystem restoration and gardening especially where it intersects edible plants. Also especially around the 45th parallel in N. America.

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[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Anarchism
Self-hosting software and servers
Guns and shooting

[–] rutrum@lm.paradisus.day 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Ooh, can you explain how guns/shooting becomes a hobby? I can imagine how you might buy one for self defense or hunting, does that maks it a hobby or does it go deeper?

[–] t3rmit3@beehaw.org 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

There are many different ways.

There are the guns themselves, which you can approach from a mechanical hobbyist standpoint, like either making them or modifying them. Or you can approach it from a design standpoint, like people who do cerakoting or rattle-canning (spray painting), or of course with different styled components.

There is ammunition, which you can load yourself in order to e.g. get different flight profiles for the same caliber rounds, by changing the weight (grain) of the projectile or by changing the powder load. You can also do this very manually (handloading), or you can use progressive presses to set up essentially a miniature (semi)automated production line, and that is a whole endeavor all on its own. Most of the top long-range competition shooters handload their rounds to best match their rifles.

Then there is the shooting itself, which also has many different totally separate areas of specialization:

Hunting, bench-rest shooting, PRS (precision rifle series/shooting, i.e. long-range), action shooting(in those Instagram videos of Keanu Reeves training for his John Wick role, he was doing action shooting courses), cowboy action (like shooting a target course with revolvers or lever-action, sometimes even while you ride a horse), 3-gun (rifle, pistol, shotgun), trap/skeet shotgun shooting (the thing in shows where they shout "pull!", and launch a clay pigeon)... There's probably even more I'm forgetting, but each of them are very different, and basically their own whole hobbies and communities.

[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 4 points 7 months ago

Basically any interest of mine, doesn't matter what it is, I'll easily end up rambling on and on about it if the conversation goes there. I tend to end up rambling to people I know about geckos a lot, with varying degrees of interest on their part.

[–] infinite_goop@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago (5 children)

I love making hash! Will very easily go down the rabbit hole and have to pump the brakes so that I don’t overwhelm somebody 😂

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[–] Templa@beehaw.org 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I don't really like to explain stuff to other people because I often repeat myself too much and I don't like to evangelize/lecture people. However, when I have to explain why I do things certain way it is usually about the following:

FOSS + self hosting
Retro console moding
Mechanical Keyboards
Board games
Using the steam deck as a computer/emulation station
Vegetarianism / Plant based recipes

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[–] strawberry@kbin.run 4 points 7 months ago (9 children)

cars. give me the slightest chance and I will dump everything I know on you. I just love explaining how specific systems work

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[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Programming
Retro handhelds
Leftist politics
Cognitive science
Philosophy

[–] blindsight@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Retro handhelds

What's your opinion on the best platform for playing GBA games?

OG GBA has no backlight; backlight mod it? The GBA SP is tiny. The DS Lite has the GBA slot and better screens. The DSi XL can't do all the games, but has a great screen/controls. The 3DS & variants? Steam Deck? A recent handheld emulation system?

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

tl;dr: Miyoo Mini Plus

Performance-wise, pretty much anything is gonna have you covered when it comes to GBA, so it really depends what else you want out of the experience.

You mentioned the slot, so if physical carts are important to you, then...

If you want an authentic feel with modern features, then an OG GBA mod is probably the "platonic ideal" if you have the stomach for it. WULFF has a good video about his experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhW6TkzmxuM
Analogue Pocket is also an option, but honestly I think they're ugly and overpriced.

Worth noting for the platform-specific perks:

A hacked 3DS is a great option. It's super easy to do, and it's really the only hardware that comfortably plays 3DS titles to this day.
Hacked OLED PS Vita is also a great option. Beautiful screen, great controls, and again it's the best hardware for its own first-party titles.

More modern stuff:

If you also want Moonlight streaming and/or Android apps, Retroids are great. I have a 3+, but I wish I'd waited for the 2S (the numbering in this hobby is ridiculous) because I would've preferred the 4:3 screen ratio and retro aesthetic.
Anbernic is hit or miss -- but when they hit, they hit. The RG35XX H is reportedly a very good horizontal option, and I've had my eye on a 405 M as well because of the thumbstick positioning.

But here's the thing: At the end of the day, the best handheld is the one you have on you.

If you're not going to bring it with you when you go out, then what's the point?

Portability is the key feature of this kind of device, and we all tend to have at least 2 if not 3 pockets already spoken-for. And you might think "Ah, I always have my backpack on me." But do you bring your backpack to the bathroom with you at work? Do you wear it around the house? So pocketability is the #1 factor, IMO.

And with that in mind, here are my pocket-friendly picks:

Anbernic RG280V is the epitome of the "just enough" device. Just enough screen, finger space, and performance to play just enough systems to keep you happy.
Anbernic RG Nano is an extreme take on pocketability, being small enough to put a keychain. I include it here just because that may be a relevant category for some people.

But my number one pick, specifically because it nails the form factor while being supremely pocketable...

The Miyoo Mini Plus!

It's just a stellar device. It's just big enough to be comfy, but small enough that I don't hesitate to put it in my pocket even for trivial outings.

Onion OS is a great custom firmware (oh yeah, for a lot of these you should look into custom firmware options), but the stock firmware isn't bad either. It's easy to use, everything "just works", and it's plenty powerful for everything that I care about playing on the go. The screen is beautiful, the gray version looks cool as hell (be aware that there is light bleed around the power LED with the translucent cases), and the stock buttons are delightful.

And it's a good price, to boot.

I bought one for my sister-in-law because she was drooling over mine. She's not a super nerd, has zero interest in tinkering, but hasn't gone a day without playing it since Christmas.

--

Some good channels for in-depth reviews:

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[–] averyminya@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago

I can get pretty deep into cannabis and the wide range of herbal vaporizers. I'm also in the long term process of making a board game for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and much of that show is at a forefront of my mind at any given time.

Otherwise, or rather, overall, I just am pretty decent at giving overviews. Making a PC build easy, some aspect of technology with repeatable steps, picking up on small details that can be utilized in some way (meta gaming etc). I was part of a lot of communities that allowed for an expiation and it was usually met with positive end results, which more than anything is what's important about whatever it is I'm sharing.

Ironically the only thing of mine that I don't like going into extreme detail on is audio related stuff. I'm a production technician for live events so I can run lighting, audio, video, the works, and I know my way around it well. But talking about signal chains or DMX sets is just kind of sterile. I like more brief tidbits, such as properly wrapping a cable to make your life easier, and things like letting it sit in the sun for 30-60mins before wrapping it.

Similarly, music production because it's just so far beyond the basic level. Unlike a computer where for some reason a GPU and CPU feel simple to describe (I suppose because they are an object), describing what a Saw Wave or what an LFO does to it is less tangible and tends to be met with a less engaging response. I think in this case it's in part the people it's been with, because I really enjoy learning this sort of thing from YouTube and many of those creators feel like a shoot-the-shit format where you're just hanging out and chatting about this cool noise.

[–] Vodulas@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago

EVs and 3D printing right now. There is always a cycle, but those are the two I enjoy talking about the most.

[+] acastcandream@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Talk to me about video codecs my guy

[–] acastcandream@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

spoiler

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[–] ag_roberston_author@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago

The lore of the primary setting for my novels. It can get really info dumpy really quickly though...

[–] tangentism@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Lately I've found myself info dumping on people about some tangentially related subjects that I've been reading about over the last decade:

Loss of the 'third place'
Privatisation of public space.
Decimation of the high street & how removing, not increasing parking spaces will be instrumental in reviving it
How out of town retail shopping parks contributed to the obesity epidemic.
Why the UK has seemingly unique weather compared to it's neighbours

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[–] drwho@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago

Locksport.

[–] shortwavesurfer@monero.town 2 points 7 months ago

Government currency inflation, gold, crypto, privacy and data sovereignty/self-hosting.

[–] LallyLuckFarm@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago

Plants, particularly perennial ones
Plant propagation
Compost
Biochar
Garden design
Dog training

[–] theJWPHTER88@kbin.social 2 points 7 months ago

Modular synthesis, archiving, lost media, and most of all, rhythm game lore.

[–] Name-Not-Applicable@kbin.social 2 points 7 months ago

#SlideRules

[–] autumn@beehaw.org 2 points 7 months ago (3 children)

dog training, all day every day.

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[–] gentooer@programming.dev 2 points 7 months ago

Mead- and winemaking. Also Linux and home servers.

[–] shuzuko@midwest.social 2 points 7 months ago

Aerial arts! I started taking lyra classes about two years ago and aerials have become my main AuDHD special interest. I spend probably a quarter of my day doing, watching or thinking about it and am perfectly happy to talk it up to anyone and everyone in an attempt to get them doing it too. Spinning and/or being upside down has become my happy place :)

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