Humor Random Comments Thread

[Andy44]

What to do when you don't like reading e-books (I prefer paper), you like to read original English versions instead of translated ones and book covers for certain sci-fi series (both original and translated) don't appeal to you aestheticaly??

Buy/download e-book and make your "own edition".

Disclaimer: This is for personal use only.

How do you go about that? I've heard of services that will print on demand.

 

[jedidia]

How do you go about that? I've heard of services that will print on demand.

He owns a printing shop, if I'm not mistaken.

Also, I think any service prints on demand. I mean, they certainly won't print if you don't demand it... :lol:

 

[Loru]

Yeah - I co-own small printing shop. In addition to our solvent printers (stickers, posters banners, textiles) we have SRA3 laser printer by Konica Minolta.

It's printed on regular 80g paper with cover printed on 300g paper and then hot-laminated with vinyl selfadhesive film. After that it's just matter of applying glue and cutting it to the proper size with press cutter.

Also, I think any service prints on demand. I mean, they certainly won't print if you don't demand it... :lol:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[Andy44]

Also, why is this in the Basement? Is reading sci fi book political now?

 

[Loru]

Also, why is this in the Basement? Is reading sci fi book political now?

That's probably lack of coffee.

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Edit: Fixed

 

[jedidia]

Is reading sci fi book political now?

That depends on which wackerdoodle wrote the book, I guess... :lol:

 

[Andy44]

That depends on which wackerdoodle wrote the book, I guess... :lol:

The SF world certainly has its fill of wackerdoodles.

 

[Urwumpe]

John Ringo doesn't live too far from me. But I've not read that series yet.

I think I also have some books of him in my library, did enjoy them. :lol:

---------- Post added at 23:51 ---------- Previous post was at 23:50 ----------

The SF world certainly has its fill of wackerdoodles.

Yeah. One founded his own religion. :lol:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I'll admit, Ringo left us hanging with the last of the "Legacy of the Aldenata" series. Glad he's reportedly going back to it soon.

But the "Dark Tide" series mostly makes up for that. :lol:

 

[steph]

slightly geeky question that came to my mind as I was cooking the other day...Wouldn't a smaller gas oriffice at the sttove be more efficient at transfering heat than a larger one? The larger the flame area is, related to the pot area, the more initial heat you have, but also more of it escapes to the side, whereas a smaller flame will have a lower initial heat, but the hot air is in contact with the pot for longer. Also, I don't think the temperature of the pot gets much over 100 C after the water starts boiling , since it's basically cooling evaporatively all the time.
I think I needed some coffee before posting, my thoughts are all over the place )

 

[jedidia]

Wouldn't a smaller gas oriffice at the sttove be more efficient at transfering heat than a larger one?

It's difficult to answer. A smaller flame means the pot is heating up more slowly, which also means it will lose more heat to its surroundings while doing so. The math to answer that question precisely and find the most efficient pot/orifice ratio would be a bit hairy, and would also only work for that particular pot.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Also, why is this in the Basement? Is reading sci fi book political now?

Well, a lot of John's stuff (and his good buddy Tom Kratman) can be taken very politically. Particularly Kratman. He is no friend to the far left leaning liberal. He's got his own war going against the 'neo-liberal' and 'transnationalism' crowds.

 

[Andy44]

I'm not familiar with John Ringo. Unless you're talking about Johnny Ringo, now you're my huckleberry.

 

[Loru]

I'm not familiar with John Ringo.

He's a writer that specializes in military sci-fi/fantasy.

---------- Post added 01-29-18 at 01:34 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-28-18 at 07:02 PM ----------

So I've gone official with making/posting music. Here's link to my 1st piece (rearangement of piece posted recently but with added choirs).

http://loru.bandcamp.com/releases

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I'm not familiar with John Ringo.

Oooh, you're in for a treat, then. I'd recommend either "Under A Graveyard Sky" (if you like realistic zombie stories), "A Hymn Before Battle" (if you like military scifi), and/or... Hmm. He's got a couple of decent other stories, but they're kinda similar to the main two arcs he's done.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

For some pretty good military sci-fi (not syfy, hate that they did that...) give a look at "Terms of Enlistment" by Marko Kloos. It reminds me a lot of Heinlein, not so much because of the social commentary, but that it's a grunt point of view.

Also another one of my favorite authors, Marc Edelheit; Start with Stiger's Tigers (it's book 1) or Stiger - Tales of the Seventh (a prequel, followed by Fort Covenant). It popped up on my recommended list last year. I read the blurb for it and thought , eh, sounds pretty good. At first I thought it was just a story about a bunch of Romans tramping through central Europe. Then I found I was mistaken. Again it's basically war from a grunts point of view. Good stuff! After I posted my review of Tales of the Seventh, I got a package in the mail. It was a signed copy from Mr. Edelheit with some added swag (giant mouse pad, some bookmarks and stuff. And an invitation to be on his beta reader team. Reading is awesome! Swag from the authors is awesome too!

 

[Andy44]

For some pretty good military sci-fi (not syfy, hate that they did that...) give a look at "Terms of Enlistment" by Marko Kloos. It reminds me a lot of Heinlein, not so much because of the social commentary, but that it's a grunt point of view.

Also another one of my favorite authors, Marc Edelheit; Start with Stiger's Tigers (it's book 1) or Stiger - Tales of the Seventh (a prequel, followed by Fort Covenant). It popped up on my recommended list last year. I read the blurb for it and thought , eh, sounds pretty good. At first I thought it was just a story about a bunch of Romans tramping through central Europe. Then I found I was mistaken. Again it's basically war from a grunts point of view. Good stuff! After I posted my review of Tales of the Seventh, I got a package in the mail. It was a signed copy from Mr. Edelheit with some added swag (giant mouse pad, some bookmarks and stuff. And an invitation to be on his beta reader team. Reading is awesome! Swag from the authors is awesome too!

Where do you keep your list? Where did you leave a review? Amazon?

My favorite military SF has been Heinlein (of course), Jerry Pournelle (sometimes with Larry Niven), John Steakly (Armor), and Joe Haldeman (The Forever War). A few others, but those are the biggest for me so far. I think the first I ever read was The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P. Hogan, great space marines-vs-AI story from the early 80s.

Also, Diane Duane's Star Trek novels venture into military SF territory, and of course the entire run of BattleTech novels are by definition military SF, with the best being by Robert Stackpole and Robert Thurston's Jade Phoenix Trilogy and related spinoffs, which heavily influenced the classic computer game MechWarrior II.

I really miss the heyday of BattleTech in the 90s; the games, the books, even an animated TV show, it was like crack for military SF fans.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Amazon and Goodreads. Then Amazon bought Goodreads, so a review shows up on both (if you have an account on both)

 

[Notebook]

UK holidaymakers are to be offered the chance to choose their sunbed before they have even left home.
Thomas Cook's trial scheme will allow customers to pay £22 to book a specific lounger in advance of their holiday.
They will be able to pick their preferred location from a map, which will also allow customers to work out when each spot will get sun and shade.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42855169

Ready, set, GO! British holidaymakers in desperate 8am sunbed stampede as they race to beat the Germans to get the best spot by the pool at hotel in Gran Canaria

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ourists-race-reserve-loungers-hotel-pool.html

One well-placed source at the hotel, where an estimated seven out of 10 guests are currently British, said: 'The worst are definitely the Brits followed by the Irish and then some Canarians who are on holiday here and appear to have started to become infected by their behaviour.
'I know the British have traditionally regarded the Germans as the worst offenders but our experience is that they have breakfast first and look for a sunbed after.
'The pool opens at 8am and there's always a queue of people waiting at this time of the year. It's a bit hard to fathom really because there's enough sunbeds to go round.

Think I'll go to Blackpool this year.

N.

 

[Urwumpe]

..., and of course the entire run of BattleTech novels are by definition military SF, with the best being by Robert Stackpole and Robert Thurston's Jade Phoenix Trilogy and related spinoffs, which heavily influenced the classic computer game MechWarrior II.

As still active BattleTech player I must disagree to Michael Stackpole (Robert Stackpole did never write for BT) as best author. His novels are terribly predictable - though he had the honor to also write the novels about the more significant events in the storyline.

The most science-fiction heavy novels there is of course the early Grey Death Legion trilogy, by William H Keith. For the orbiter context, the Task Force Serpent novels might be more interesting, since they are among the few featuring spaceflight battles (Not too unrealistic in an unrealistic setting).