General Discussion

@Sicarius Oh wow, I never connected the dots on the Suzuki method! Thanks so much for taking the time on such detailed responses, I really enjoyed reading about it.

@Ventoux Hey, I appreciate all the info! As an American I don't have the same familiarity with the Tour de France, so learning about all these little quirks was really cool. RIP the guy who struggled descending mountains though. At least he got recognition haha

[font=Comic Sans MS]@EclipsedSun Thanks for appreciation [emoji=imperial laughing size=1] Apparently, there was KOM classification before those events, but it was different from the current one as it was since 1905 but this predecessor was more like newspaper saying "Hey, we like how you climb, we're giving you the best climber award". In 1933 this guy (who was a Spanish rider named Vincente Trueba BTW) happened and they turned it into current points system. In that year there were some time bonuses for winning the climb but it was very quickly changed, though in a few recent years it somewhat came back because there are some special climbs which include some bonus seconds. [s]Pardon for one another info, I had to. I'll try to stop here >_>[/s]

I'd say i'm an expert on tanks and certain military history; but also the harry potter and fnaf franchises.

Obviously they all started out as interests but they're some of the only topics I've expanded on. Fnaf is a... complicated and pretty mix match topic when it comes to the lore and constructing a solid timeline since there are still missing pieces, but I follow theory and lore like... a squirrel and nuts kdsfgb

I know a decent bit about animation! Specifically the techniques used and how they developed, and a little bit of history.

For example, rotoscoping is a technique where you trace over a video, and it was crucial to learning how to animate humans correctly. Snow White, Disney's first movie, made heavy use of rotoscoping for animating the human characters.

Snow White also featured the multi-plane camera, which was used to make backgrounds more dynamic. It made it possible to have multiple elements of a background move at different speeds, creating a much more lifelike illusion of perspective and depth.

While Disney had several big competitors in their startup years, they triumphed because they quickly adopted and mastered techniques that make animation look great and realistic, while still keeping the more exaggerated motions and expressions that are characteristic of comics/cartoons. As such, Disney became the big name in the industry that still dominates today, while the other companies more or less faded into obscurity.

For example, contrary to popular belief, the Fleischer Brothers (who are today only known for Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor) released the first cartoon with sound several years before Disney, but Disney's sound cartoon was a much bigger hit because they synchronized the sound with the animation.

Yeah so in conclusion animation is great I love it so much.

I also know a lot about Gamecubes and the game Shadow the Hedgehog but this post is long enough as it is.

@EclipsedSun
Due to my Asperger's, I tend to become an expert on any of my big special interests. My big three are I Love Lucy (if you Google "Ultimate I Love Lucy Wiki", I created the vast majority of that site), Cedar Point/roller coasters, and science. Within science, my focus has always been on anatomy/physiology. My bachelor's degree is in neuroscience, and my specialty within that is neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly bipolar disorder. My current job is medical research and reading medical records, and I've become an expert in the specialty area of my job. I actually was just asked to give a presentation this week for work to help new staff who join my department learn the basics.

I don't really think many people on here have ever gotten to see much of my expertise, just because my main three special interests aren't really shared by most of the population who use FR. But if anybody's interested in any of my topics, let me know!

Oh hyperfixations, how I love thee.

So my main ones are body modifications (tattoos and piercings), reptiles, and human sexuality and queer theory!

I have over 24 piercings (which sounds like a lot, but I have plans for plenty more), 20 tattoos (and over 50 hours in a tattoo chair) and 6 reptiles! So I’ve spent a lot of time and energy in those two hobbies, but I actually got my degree in human anatomy and sex/gender studies, so technically I’ve spent the most money on that hyperfixation (college is expensive!) but now I work as an admin full time for a healthcare org that specializes in reproductive care and do a lot of work with queer and trans folks, so I’m pretty ding dang happy with the direction my life has taken in regards to indulging in my fixations, haha.

I love this thread though, I love hearing about passions in niches I’ve never explored!

I can wax rhapsodic about fishkeeping. I have a four foot long tank in my room (which actually doesn’t hold that much water it’s only 50 gallons) I own over fifty fish and I’ve got a pet eel I have fish facts for days once I get started I will absolutely not shut up

My three areas of expertise are very far removed from each other, but haha, it is what it is! :D

Herbalism: I've been a practicing herbalist for fifteen years now; it started out as a very deep interest in plants back when I was sixteen (I ended up taking honors in horticulture for a few years in a row) that developed first into henna art and planting fruit/veggies, then grew into herbalism. I have a ton of knowledge about what plants can heal and/or hurt both people and animals.

Jewelry: I am an amateur jeweler; I mainly work in silver and semi-precious to precious stones. I have not cut my own gems yet and my favorite stones so far to work with would be the Welo Black Opal from Ethiopia (they are stunning and my personal favorite stone), beryl (especially red beryl) and jade. I have made numerous pieces for my friends and family, I am in my finals (I have to create a complete jewelry collection over the next few months) and I've made myself a Welo black opal and .925 silver set consisting of four rings and a necklace.

Ancient Roman History and Mythology: I have always been fascinated by history and mythology-- and about ten years back, I started collecting ancient Roman relics (I have fifty coins -silver, one gold, several brass, bronze and copper- a spearhead, six rings, a thimble, needle, bracelet, cloak pin and some interesting miscellaneous bits of brass and bronze from the Roman - Byzantine era) and started digging deeper into investigating what I have. And after uncovering the past behind several pieces I own, I kind of leapt into learning everything I could about Rome; it is fascinating!

not exactly an expert, but i have a good amount of knowledge on crows (and corvids in general)!! they’re my absolute favorite type of bird and i love them so much