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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 18th, 2023

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  • Yes, for me the whole free navy plot line could have been way more concise; seemed like it dragged on for much too long. There is a similar show down, or whatever the right word is, in wheel of time.

    Regarding the ending, I think I’ve been so upset with endings of other stories so many times that my standard is “satisfied” or “not satisfied”; I would say I’m satisfied with the expanse. I liked the ending, but it didn’t spark joy in me.



  • I finished shortly after I posted. I’m satisfied with how they ended it; it was a strong finish. I’m reading the faded sun trilogy now; it’s pretty good so far.

    Good luck on the wheel of time! I finished that a little less than a year ago. There are some GREAT books, but there are a couple that are stinkers. The fourth book, shadow rising, is so so so good. It’s slows down I think in books six and seven, or maybe seven and eight, then the last few pickup again. Have fun, it will be a journey!


  • I like neighborhoods and cities with mid or low rise housing. I spent a lot of time in Turin, Italy (I’m American) and most that city (and other European cities) have mid rise apartments. They’re in the 6 to 8 story range a lot of times, but still no high rises. It makes for a great walkable city. The street I lived on in Turin was this huge wide boulevard that probably could have accommodated six to eight lanes of traffic with a turn lane in the middle. Instead there was a two-lane road in the middle with turn lanes, followed by streetcar rails further out, then a line of gorgeous trees, then parking for local businesses, then a side street to access the local parking and finally a nice wide sidewalk in front of the shops and apartments.

    It’s a great looking city for anyone who happens to be in Northwest Italy!


  • Thanks for the vids. I’m not sure “water is good for concrete, or doesn’t care” is accurate. In a controlled environment that may be true, however with corrosion from polluted rain (the lime in concrete is dissolved with acid rain), expansion and contraction (especially with freeze thaw cycles), and biological processes that may be encouraged to grow in damp conditions, water is pretty bad for concrete; these are examples of what I’ve encountered that caused degrading concrete structures.

    That said, I was thinking about it more and things like dams and drilled t shaft concrete piles are obviously exposed to constant water. I’m wondering if what I experienced has to do more with exposure to aerobic and temperature fluctuating environments as opposed to drilled shafts and dams which would be more isolated from those conditions I described above.

    Even if water itself isn’t the primary mode of failure, I guess my point still remains regarding the vegetation of "green"buildings; roots and what not definitely will start to degrade concrete.

    Thanks for the comment, it gave me some points to think about.













  • I’m not sure she’s correct about milk melting faster than cream or that the “deflates” if you whip too much air into it.

    One of the three main differences between the ice cream and gelato is air content. ice cream has more air and doesn’t loose it over night; it would be bubbly too with all the air escaping. Gelato melts quicker because it is served 10 to 15 degrees F warmer than ice cream (this main differences).

    Low air content and warmer temp is why gelato is smoother.

    Source: My Italian wife and I have had long discussions and Internet searches on the finer points of this topic. I’m not an expert, I could be wrong.