GigQuion

Comment Threads

• Scott Sanford commented on The dog ate my homework
  I've long said that what I wanted was the Junior Woodchuck Manual. You may know it's a fictionalized stand-in for the Boy Scout Handbook, which is limited by reality. Having said that, many people have recommended a copy for anyone's survival library; there's much to be said for a well illustrated book that will guide an inexperienced reader through the basics of first aid, shelter construction, not getting lost, and avoiding poisonous plants. It also keeps getting revised and I haven't looked at a recent edition. The one I have is falling apart due to time and wear....
• Scott Sanford commented on The dog ate my homework
  Can you store rice in vacuum instead? A small vacuum pump will cost less than pressurised gases supplied in any kind of safe containment. I asked around; this may be less practical, even though a pump and electricity is cheaper than argon and easier to create at home. Responses include: According to Heinlein, it puffs. I'm sure you could vacuum seal rice. That's what I said, vacuum seal; [...] sez that's not a complete vacuum, but I said that's as close as any of us is likely to get! If you are storing it as food, consider parboiling it first....
• Moz commented on The dog ate my homework
  If you are storing it as food, consider parboiling it first. That might work. Have you thought about the logistics of parboiling even one 25kg sack of rice? At the very least you'd want to package it into sub-kilo lumps before packing, and then you want packaging that's long-lasting, physically robust but also non-toxic and affordable. It's likely more reliable, easier and cheaper to buy commercially available if that's what you want (in Oz we can easily get both parboiled and almost-entirely-precooked rice here in single serving sizes). A second question is whether you mean parboiling stripped rice, or the...
• Phill commented on The dog ate my homework
  I'm about halfway through Trustee now-excellent recommendation, thankyou! Rather appropriately, I read it at work whilst keeping a couple of big CNC lathes running. The technical detail is enjoyable, as well as spotting references to great figures of model engineering (LBSCs Petrolea gets a mention-now he's a bloke worth looking up!)....
• keithmasterson@yahoo.com commented on The dog ate my homework
  Readers of the Three Body trilogy may enjoy the following short story by the same author, which I translated as a hobby project. Turns out I'm slower than I thought I was, so this is just the first ten pages introducing a character who serves as a picture frame/device for exposition of a bizarre alien culture. Remainder to follow in 2 wks approx. [[ This has been removed pending confirmation that the poster is conforming to copyright - mod ]]...