Confessions of a Perfume Nerd(osmo.ai) We don’t decide what interests take lasting hold of us. We are just drawn to certain subjects, usually because they connect to both our affinities and anxieties. At least that’s what happened to me. One summer in middle school, in a moment of insecurity, I became a perfume nerd. This seemed like a strange fixation for an 11-year-old, but would change the course of my life.
Blacksmithing and Lisp(blogspot.com) One of my hobbies is blacksmithing (not ferrier work). Mild steel is an amazingly versatile material. It's very strong and hard at room temperature and it gets soft and easily workable when you heat it up. You use a hammer to move the metal once it is hot. You don't have to hit it very hard, just firmly. Hot metal is a very forgiving medium. If you make a mistake, simply heat the work up and try again.
15 points by throwaway24124 53 days ago | 12 comments
Even Your Hobbies Aren't Safe from Trump's Tariff Chaos(slate.com) Perhaps you’re tired of the nonstop flow of bad news since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, and you’re unplugging a little with some hobbies. That might mean reading more novels or comics, collecting vinyl records or Blu-Rays, getting into knitting or art, or finally cracking that Wingspan board game that’s been gathering dust on your shelf.
12 points by 6LLvveMx2koXfwn 151 days ago | 0 comments
Ask HN: Is there an HN-like forum for woodworking?(ycombinator.com) I figured I’d ask the main source of woodworkers, former software engineers and tech worker burnouts. I’m looking for a place where I can expand my knowledge and horizons much like here, but for woodcraft and adjacent things.
Reading Lord of the Rings aloud: Yes, I sang all the songs(arstechnica.com) Like Frodo himself, I wasn't sure we were going to make it all the way to the end of our quest. But this week, my family crossed an important life threshold: every member has now heard J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (LotR) read aloud—and sung aloud—in its entirety.
14 points by BerislavLopac 198 days ago | 1 comments
Ask HN: What are your favorite DIY kits?(ycombinator.com) There are DIY kits out there that I think are pretty cool, like making your own espresso<p>https://www.diypresso.com/product/diypresso-one/<p>I've seen others like making your own beer, or making your own speakers. Or like your own mini arcade cabinet on your desk. Do you have a favorite that you've bought and built?
My Experience Getting Licensed in Ham Radio (2020)(beckystern.com) I just got my ham radio license! I started studying for my ham radio test at the suggestion of my friend David, who was also studying for his first license at the time. He made a strong pitch to my technological curiosity and urban survivalist interests by suggesting we could potentially communicate with each other without the assistance of the power grid or cell tower networks.