Whatcha reading redux.

Everything cultural, pop or otherwise. Books, movies, music, comics, poetry, random cultural geekery.
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Rustyv
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by Rustyv »

Just finished Ignition! by John Drury Clark. Early history of liquid rocket propellants. The chemistry is way over my head, but his descriptions of how they found various chemical combinations, and some of the weird stuff that turned out to be dead end roads is a hoot.

Seriously... methyl mercaptan based rocket fuels. ClF3 (an oxidizer that is better than liquid oxygen), but can set sand and asbestos on fire.

Very neat history if you’re into that kind of thing. There’s a free pdf floating around, I bought the paperback so I would have something else to add to the bookshelf.
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MiddleAgedKen
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by MiddleAgedKen »

Rustyv wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:05 pmClF3 (an oxidizer that is better than liquid oxygen), but can set sand and asbestos on fire.
Sand won't save you this time.

The author mentions Ignition! (that's where I first heard of the book). He had a whole blog category of "things I won't work with" that is the funniest stuff I've ever read about chemistry.
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Greg
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by Greg »

Got an ebook bargain on DK Brown's 'Nelson to Vanguard'. I've read it twice already.

Re-read the two Norman Friedman titles I have, his 'U.S. Cruisers' and 'U.S. Destroyers'.
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MiddleAgedKen
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by MiddleAgedKen »

Friedman is hard to top for naval historical reference information. I'm reading his Fighting the Great War at Sea.
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HTRN
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by HTRN »

MiddleAgedKen wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 11:39 pm
Rustyv wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:05 pmClF3 (an oxidizer that is better than liquid oxygen), but can set sand and asbestos on fire.
Sand won't save you this time.

The author mentions Ignition! (that's where I first heard of the book). He had a whole blog category of "things I won't work with" that is the funniest stuff I've ever read about chemistry.
Flourine chemistry in general seems like bad juju in general. Both hyper reactive and energetic. And as bad as CIF3 is theres scarier flourine compounds -see "FOOF", affectionately earning the nickname "Satan's Kimchi" after one particularly florid entry from "things I wont work with". It will cause water ice to explode...at -200f!
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Weetabix
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by Weetabix »

Target Rich Environment. My daughter bought it for me for Christmas, but it's taken a while to get at it.
Note to self: start reading sig lines. They're actually quite amusing. :D
Precision
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by Precision »

I am re-reading the Ringo zombie Apocalypse series. On the second one now. Reading it out loud to the GF. She is liking it and I figured it was appropriate for the current situation... /snark
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randy
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by randy »

To add to audio ambiance are you also playing the suggested soundtrack in the background? :mrgreen:
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
toad
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by toad »

"insults" every once in a while I'll come across an insult in a book I'm reading the resonates with me. It is not a new one , but I find I really like "Needle dicked bug fucker ." I suppose the would be one way to take care of the Corona Virus ?
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MiddleAgedKen
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Re: Whatcha reading redux.

Post by MiddleAgedKen »

Currently reading Pinker's The Blank Slate (v. good so far) and re-reading Weber's On Basilisk Station. Just finished re-reading Kratman's A State of Disobedience (rather like Ringo's The Last Centurion, which I also recently re-read, it seemed...a good time to do so).
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