CanofWorms
11d ago
I finished Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, and man this was a good book. It reminded me a bit of Into Thin Air in how, as doomsday approached, the author got right down to minute-by-minute conversations and events. The Space Shuttle program was fraught with danger throughout the lifespan of the program. There were multiple components in the Space Shuttle that engineers estimated would fail maybe once every thirty flights. And some of these components, if they failed, would lead to immediate death for the crew. Flying in a Space Shuttle was nothing like flying in a plane - there was significant risk that the Space Shuttle launch would fail.
It is also wild how precisely the engineers of Morton-Thiokol nailed the risk of the solid rocket booster o-rings failing in cold weather. They literally predicted it the night before the launch and attempted to cancel the launch. Thiokol had multiple last minute meetings with NASA literally the night before launch arguing against launching the Space Shuttle because of the risk of the o-rings failing. And their predictions came 100% true the next morning. Just a wild story.
If you have any interest in engineering disasters or NASA in general this book is a must-read.
Now I'm onto Interpreter of Maladies. Want to knock out a quick fiction book before diving into The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power.
CanofWorms
11d ago
Got it, that makes a lot more sense.
CanofWorms
12d ago
Are server costs really ~$3750 a month?
CanofWorms
15d ago
King Rat is awesome. I tried reading Shogun and gave up about halfway through. Too long and fluffy.
CanofWorms
18d ago
I finished To Kill a Mockingbird. When I put it down, I thought to myself, this is my favorite book.
I also watched the movie a few days ago, and while the first half is a bit slow, for a movie from 1962, it holds up terrifically well. For those who haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
Onto Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space. A work trip brought me to the outskirts of Houston a few weeks ago and I drove by the Houston Space Center. That, coupled with my general interest in engineering, problem solving, and a good biographical yarn, led me to this book. A bit slow to start, but some interesting tidbits and trivia so far.
Edit: I also spent some time browsing Wikipedia on Harper Lee and Go Set a Watchman. Others can more eloquently describe the controversy about Go Set a Watchman, but basically, it's Harper Lee's second book release ever, and it was released when she was 85 years old. What I found interesting about the books release is that people close to Lee have speculated that her lawyer and closest confidant (after the death of Lee's sister) pushed Lee to release Go Set a Watchman. Lee was said to have had lost some of her mental faculties at that point, was half deaf and blind, and one person described her as willing to sign anything that was put in front of her. Seems pretty obvious that Go Set a Watchman was released as a cash grab and the ethics of those who allowed it to get published are fairly indefensible.
CanofWorms
25d ago
Treehouse is a great call
CanofWorms
25d ago
As another commenter said, I think painting or wallpaper is going to be your best bet because this is the easiest DIY project and the most easily fixable if your kids make a mess. Other DIY projects are, while satisfying, not exactly fun.
Landscaping is a potentially good option, but I would have found gardening/landscaping as boring as watching paint dry when I was a kid.
Other ideas:
- Wall mounting a TV
- Pillow fort with wall hooks installed
- Putting glow in the dark stars up on the kids ceiling
- Installing new LED lights in the kids room (adhesive strip lighting is really cool even for adults lol)
- Adding dimmers or other custom lighting. Be careful if you're going to do any electrical/outlet work.
- Installing shelves
- Setting up a woodworking/art studio if you now have a dedicated space or garage
Reading this list, I think the custom lighting would be a really fun one for the kids.
Also, you should ask ChatGPT!
CanofWorms
25d ago
WoW Classic is still the most addicting game I have ever played. Sometimes I will randomly think of Stranglehold Vale and get an insane itch to create a new character.
CanofWorms
28d ago
I gave up on listening to Blood Meridian around 3/4 of the way through it. I may try reading it at some point but I really just could not absorb this one.
CanofWorms
28d ago
The Tommyknockers is an absolutely absurd book but there are some wild and memorable images in that book including the scene where the refrigerator turns into a levitating one-ton sledgehammer that zips around smashing into people. There's another scene where a person has created a self-sorting mail device and reading it gave me the same feeling as railing a line of cocaine. Even in the worst of King's earlier books there is always something magical to take away. After around 2003, he lost a bit of that sparkle. I blame it on his car accident and decision to get sober.
CanofWorms
28d ago
Well said. I'm naturally lazy and would love to travel more.
CanofWorms
28d ago
Hey buddy. What you want to do is find a shirt that fits you perfectly, take the measurements of that shirt, then go on to eBay and find shirts with identical measurements. I've found this to be the most successful way to purchase button-downs, jackets, and sweaters. It doesn't always work, but I've found really well-fitting button-down work shirts and it has helped me narrow in on the brands that fit me best.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
I finished *The Poisonwood Bible and while I thought the first 2/3's and the lead up to
I'm on to To Kill a Mockingbird. I haven't read this book since I was probably 14 and want to revisit it. I'm surprised at how much of the story I don't remember.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
Nice.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
Have you looked into real estate? Rental properties can offer a better return than the stock market and are a good way to diversify.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I really enjoyed Demon Copperhead and I'm quiet enjoying Poisonwood as well.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
I grew out my hair during COVID when I turned 30. So I wasn't middle-aged, but I wasn't a young college kid either.
There really is no way to keep from going insane. You kind of just have to commit to feeling ugly and unkempt for around 12 months, after which, hopefully, you'll be able to sort of pull your hair back into a ponytail.
It worked out OK for me since I was able to grow my hair out while working from home during COVID, but I recall going on a business trip when my hair was around 5 to 6 inches long and people definitely commented on my "salad bowl" look. Not my favorite work trip.
Additionally, you're right about maintaining long hair being a complete pain in the ass. I still have long hair, but I will likely cut it once I get married. I met my partner after growing my hair out and she has pressured me to keep it long until we tie the knot (wedding photos, I suppose). Considering I haven't even proposed to her yet, I'm likely stuck with my long hair for at least another year.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
Awesome. For as stupid as a person is to walk into a police HQ intoxicated or high on drugs, I find it deeply unfair for the police to throw the "felony book" at him. Particularly when he was there to, presumably, assist the police in an investigation.
CanofWorms
1mo ago
So did the defendant end up getting all charges dropped?
CanofWorms
1mo ago
Still working through Grant. Finished listening to the audiobook Nickel Boys and gave up on Trust. Relistening to Stephen King's The Wind Through The Keyhole which is essentially The Dark Tower 4.5. I also just picked up a bunch of Pulitzer Prize books from eBay (Oscar Wao, Interpreter of Maladies, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Poisonwood Bible (not a Pulitzer winner)).
CanofWorms
2mo ago
Great post. Can you finish the story through the present day? It feels like the story ended right when it was taking off ( I understand you’re not writing a biography of Epsteins life, but it would be a compelling read if you did).
CanofWorms
2mo ago
Listening to Nickel Boys on audiobook and am reading The Fixer.
CanofWorms
3mo ago
They don't call me Barry Poppins for nothing!
CanofWorms
4mo ago
This movie reminded me of the line Billy Crystal made at the 2003 Oscars about LOTR Return of the King. "It was nominated for eleven Oscars...for its eleven endings!"
Also, the two Minneapolis lawmakers and their spouses who were targeted back in June.
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