Originally Posted by Motu
...makes me shudder to think that way...then again I said that about nail guns, cell phones and ever owning a computer...
one placenta
...makes me shudder to think that way...then again I said that about nail guns, cell phones and ever owning a computer...
Forum whore
Says he with a 2006 bike - my newest bike is 1987. I'm not into modern stuff at all...but sometimes take giant leaps forward.
In and out of jobs, running free
Waging war with society
Just chugging along...
Haven't quite finished it yet...
Treated myself to "The Big New Yorker Book of Cats" by Anthony Lane [Random House, 2013]. The essays and short stories I've already read have been heart-warming as well as humorous. It also contains many delightful cartoons and illustrations. A book that I'll be going back to again and again.
Aio ki te Aorangi
Kryon: The End Times. A toe in the water of the quantum metaphysical through the channeling of the entity Kryon of Magnetic Service. That's about as good of a description as I can make at this point in, heh, time. Some topics above and beyond my current comprehension, but a logical step on a path that I would set for myself. Fact or fiction, entirely your choice. 10/10. Wakey wakey
I didn't think!!! I experimented!!!
Forum whore
I'm chewing through "Seeing Further", the story of science & the Royal Society.
The introduction by Bill Bryson is fascinating, covers the history of the society from it's foundation. The bulk of the book is made up of contributions by other writers discussing all sorts of science related stuff. I'm bogged down in Neal Stephensons chapter discussing how Isaac Newton & Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz interpreted their religion in light of their scientific discoveries. Very interesting but chewier than a dried pigs ear.
Manopausal.
Forum whore
"The Long Earth" by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Proper Sci-Fi. Just started "The Long War", book 2 in the series. It's "hard" sci-fi, not a Discworld comedy. It's also very good.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Wearing Hi-Viz Black.
Fire on the Horizon, by John Konrad & Tom Shroder.
The Gulf of Mexico and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
This is a fascinating story of what goes on with oil platforms, the process of drilling and extracting oil - even how oil is created (NO, it's NOT dinosaurs!). I literally tore through this book as the writing style is really there to grab the reader!
Areas that I had no idea about. I presumed a long steel pipe drilled down until hitting oil and then started pumping... Wrong!
The fact that the hole in the bottom of the sea floor is small, conceals the fact that there is concrete poured through the rock to hold everything together. Literally the size of the Empire State Building, but TWICE as high!
Then you get the rig itself. It has the ability to hold itself in position via Dynamic Positioning (computers, GPS and thrusters) inside a 20ft circle... DURING A STORM! In normal weather it is accurate enough to keep itself in position that would prevent the pipe leaving an area the size of a king size bed. Phenomenal!
The Macondo well that blew out. The story covers everything up to the blow out and rig sinking. The repair operation and closing the well is left out, quite rightly too.
The short cuts pushed and driven by BP's people, along with a aged rig which was about to go into dry dock for upgrade work for the first time in its life, overdue maintenance issues and other circumstances led to the crisis.
An amazing read which opens up an entire culture that the public do not see. Even greenies would be advised to read it.
10:10
TOP QUOTE: “The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”
In the riders seat
I've finished both of those and would have to agree
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough power."
Hardcore Biker
Thanks for the review.
That does sound interesting. Will keep my eye out for it.
---------------------------
Disclaimer: Any lapses in spelling, tact, or fact are transmission errors.
---------------------------
Wearing Hi-Viz Black.
Ruin from the air: The atomic mission to Hiroshima. Gordon Thomas & Max Witts.
Originally published in 1977 and containing many interviews with survivors from the allied and Japanese sides of the story.
Most of us would probably claim to know the basic story of the mission, the events leading up to it and the outcome.
What this book does is explain far greater into the reaches of the involvement, in particular, of Col. Paul Tibbets. Not just the pilot of that aircraft on that day, but the person who built the squadrons from scratch & sacrificed much along the way.
Behind the scenes was a massive takeover-bid by other commands who saw the project as something a regular squadron could do, but placing a single bomb within a 300ft circle time-after-time, from 30,000ft, was no easy task.
Targeting issues (which city to bomb?) along with confidence in the weapon were problems. The Little Boy was not tested prior to use, but the Fat Man was tested in the American desert due to the complexity of the plutonium detonation.
Overall a very interesting read. Behind-the-scenes negotiations and attempts at an agreed peace deal between Japan and the Americans, months before the bombs were dropped, add to this tale. Allan Dulles was involved here and he was negotiating with the Germans while based in Switzerland (another book recently, also dealt with his involvement in this process) and could have had interesting outcomes for peace talks.
8:10.
TOP QUOTE: “The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”
Wearing Hi-Viz Black.
Grey Wolf.
The potential escape from the ruins of Berlin, of Adolf Hitler.
"In a riveting scenario that has never been fully investigated until now, international journalist Gerrard Williams and military historian Simon Dunstan make a powerful case for the F�hrer's escape to a remote enclave in Argentina-along with other key Nazis�where he is believed to have lived comfortably until 1962. Following years of meticulous research, the authors reconstruct the dramatic plot-including astonishing evidence and compelling testimony, some only recently declassified. Impossible to put down, Grey Wolf unravels an extraordinary story that flies in the face of history."
Firstly, the only FACT: The bodily remains of Hitler and Eva Braun found in Berlin, were NOT theirs.
Now we get into the possibilities and what could have happened and what other facts have been discovered...
The book is a superb read. If, however, you want a story of intrigue and escape, you may be disappointed.
I would break this book down into three main components:
Pre war - early war:
The escape: and
Post war + Argentina.
The first section contains a lot of information regarding banking practices of the international bank of reparations, jewish banking, valuables and artworks, Swiss banking practices, etc, etc.
Sounds boring. It isn't!
Payments between countries plays a vital part of this story.
The escape plays join-the-dots of factual events. Step by step there is a trail, even though a "tidy up" has occurred immediately after the war to remove parts of the evidence, it still exists.
We have been told of the fabulous ways that British Intelligence cracked the Enigma cypher, but the un-broken series of machines played a part in the escape plan along with a secret submarine resupply base off of the coast of Spain.
Finally, Argentina. After Germany, the largest Nazi Party membership in the world.
Lots of details and information that establish links and ends of ratlines.
The ability of large communities of entirely German speaking people to exist and prosper are here. Also, to be taken advantage of by a certain famous Argentinian couple...
Overall, a bloody good read. The truth...? Well, I guess the FBI has certain information that it will not want to release for a few hundred years.
9:10.
TOP QUOTE: “The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”
Kruger-Dunning Parts n Service
Vipor Pilot by Dan Hampton, great write up on F16 wild weasel ops in Iraq. Tells it like it is style http://www.amazon.com/Viper-Pilot-Me...ds=viper+pilot
The Operators by Michael Hastings. This book costa general his career and maybe one of the reasons mike accidently drove his Merc into a tree at high speed... http://www.amazon.com/The-Operators-...=the+operators
15 Minutes a collection of various true life events of military stuff ups that nearly caused WW3 many times. Very interesting although some might not like the style of jumping back and forth across different stories all the time. http://www.amazon.com/15-Minutes-Gen...rds=15+minutes
"channellling the Pleideans"
Have you read Stephenson's fiction? He is one of my favourite authors. He has trouble finishing a book but its worth the ride.
I thought elections were decided by angry posts on social media. - F5 Dave
"channellling the Pleideans"
I've just finished "Farewell My Lovely" by Raymond Chandler. EVERY crime writer owes a debt to Chandler. Some of them (I am looking at you John Grisham and Lee Child) should take notes. Pretty much the original hardboiled detective novel and the template for all that follow (poorly).
If you haven't read any of his stuff (Waaaaah, its too old, its set in the 1940's) give yourself a slap and get on it.
Bonus: Penguin Classic paperback: $11 brand spankers. The green ones are the crime and adventure ones.
I thought elections were decided by angry posts on social media. - F5 Dave
His Excellency
I still like Robert G Barrett, for an easy weekend read.
Fights. Rooting. guns.
No wonder Aussie penthouse signed up decades ago.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks