Ausgedachtes Syndrome

At any given time I usually have approximately 3 obsessions. This is because I suffer from Ausgedachtes Syndrome which renders me incapable of having a normal hobby. Instead, after a period in which an interest lurks menacingly in my subconscious, it emerges fully-fledged as an all-consuming passion.

These obsessions jostle for position and, as one or two become stronger, others are knocked back into my unconscious and await their next chance to shine.

To a certain extent, this blog is the product of my syndrome - charting the rise and fall of my interests and obsessions and as I recently took a fairly hefty break from blogging, I thought it might be a good idea to let you know how things are going with my hierarchy.

Obviously, the best way to do this is in the style of a celebrity magazine telling you what is 'Hot' and 'Not' this week.

Eoin Reveals What's Hot and What's Not: Jul-Dec 2010

Hot: Wing Chun (Kung Fu), training on my kick bag which is called Blowzabella and getting my wife to try and punch me repeatedly in the face.

Not: Kickboxing. I tried 2 different training centres (including a properly scary MMA fight club) and was frustrated by the total absence of teaching. If I want to spend 2 hours randomly punching and kneeing pads with no technique whatsoever, I can do that in the privacy of my own home with a nice cup of hot chocolate on standby.

HOT! HOT! HOT! Cricket. My vague interest in this has ballooned into a full Wisden-buying obsession. I find Andy Zaltzman's cricket blog hilarious. I record cricketing jingles for Test Match Sofa (Test Match Special for the wannabe vitriolic Youtube generation) and I am considering modelling my facial hair stylings on WG Grace.

I am enjoying our cricketing resistance in the Ashes and can't wait to see England's hopes dashed as ruthlessly as their footballing ones were in the Summer.

Not: Swimming. I got to the obsessional point of swimming 2 miles every day but I can't hold my obsessions like I used to and in the end I couldn't be bothered any more.

Hot: Spartacus Blood and Sand. I have never before encountered a TV series that starts so incredibly badly and ends so very well. Initially I kept watching out of horrified fascination that something so bad was allowed to exist - but I watched the last 8 episodes back-to-back because of the awesomeness.

(Warning - may contain constant violence, swearing and nudey sex.)

Not: Internet Poker - always sitting just below the level of conscious obsession, this one regularly breaks through for a couple of days but isn't featuring large at the moment. The main problem is that, contrary to popular belief, winning poker is incredibly boring to play. Monte-Carlo-playboy-stylee poker loses you money hand over fist.

Hot: 'Fireworks' - the first Hamfatter album released on Pink Hedgehog Records. I was just at a 2nd Birthday party and this came on on the ipod. Not only did I really enjoy listening to it after a gap of some years but also, if 2-year-olds are listening to it, then clearly Hamfatter are big with the kids.

There are more things I could mention but I need to go and paint the kitchen so I'll leave them for another time.