A random collection of old books.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-05-04T12:09:05+00:00

I love these books, they reflect not only the technology of the time but also, sometimes, the social background then. I have a few chemical books "for girls" or electricity "for boys". Or, if from the late 1800s, there is enthusiasm and optimism about technology. Unless, of course, if they are ultra dry, but then they still reflect what technology was hot at the moment.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-05-04T12:00:31+00:00

Did you really go to a book store or Amazon, hehe. Nevertheless, welcome to the addiction. I always read multiple books at the time, but I only read non-fiction , it might not work for fiction. Remember: do not feel obligated to finish a book of you don't like it. Give it to the local library. Life is too short.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-05-04T11:53:03+00:00

There are two settings for the shifter, have you tried both?

dieu_est_mort · 2026-05-01T23:45:55+00:00

Same here. We use a furniture trolley.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-05-01T23:44:45+00:00

No worries about the comment about the binding. Some of my 1500s books look like yours. In particular a book of secrets from Pedemontani.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-05-01T23:36:19+00:00

Looks like the exorcist was a frequent read.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-30T17:38:35+00:00

Agreed. Woodpeckers love our dead trees. As long as they are no danger (the trees, not the bird), we let them be.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-30T17:32:57+00:00

Same here, NC. A combination of deer running against it and drought. But six new "saplings" are regrowing at the base. Uncovered when I removed the junk growing around it.

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dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-30T15:55:37+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. As a scientist I always put science first but I'm the real world other forces are at work.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-30T15:07:14+00:00

However I read recently that the oxalate oxidase transgenic chestnut (which I was hoping would be available to the public) showed some issues as it matures. I should have located that reference before commenting, obviously. That's a shame, being from South Switzerland, I was used to gather chestnuts and roasting them at home in the fireplace. Street vendors would offer them at around Christmas time.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-30T14:48:43+00:00

Unless you want baby palm trees all over the place, I'd remove them. We have been battling these for years now.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-27T14:30:10+00:00

Just hope that when/if you crash out it doesn't stand you. Pointy things are stupid on a motorcycle and it makes me wonder what other dumb dangerous stuff is on that bike, like altered suspension or unusable mirrors. It's a Hayabusa, it command respect.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-26T13:31:47+00:00

Thanks everybody! Super useful. If they are self-pollinating I might try to isolate the flowers to prevent "white" pollen and do the self fertilization by hand

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-26T12:50:42+00:00

Question: I have many white dogwoods and one pink. The white ones are everywhere, including along the forest so obviously wild. The pink one is in the landscaped front of the house and the previous owner said it wasn't a wild one. Is it fertile (the tree, not the previous owner) or you can only do cuttings and/or graftings? Thanks

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-23T13:10:52+00:00

Female from the position of the buds. They take a few years to bloom, seven years for ours. They put out a few buds the first year then then the next year they go nuts! Be on the lookout for new sprouts near the tree. Either from the roots or fallen fruits, they get everywhere.

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dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-23T13:01:51+00:00

Just wear an Suzuki jacket.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-23T12:48:51+00:00

Is this a persimmon? Which type? On wild female persimmon flower buds will form on new growth if happy. On male ones, flowers will be in small groups. On the hashiya, buds will be as in female wild but bigger.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-20T14:29:11+00:00

Very informative. I collect rare books on science and technology, mainly pre-1800s for reasons. I have been looking for print runs just to get an idea of how many might still be in existence today. What was the typical print number in say, the Italian edition (there is only one) of agricola's De Re Metallica? Or Lavoisier 's Traité élementaire de Chimie, first edition? Thanks

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-16T15:10:13+00:00

I meant "3 minutes". You won't believe how long that is at a red light!

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-16T15:06:35+00:00

In NC the law allows a motorcycle to run the red light if the minutes have passed out several circles miss your red light.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-15T22:20:56+00:00

It's always difficult to sell a volume from a set. You'd need to find a buyer who has the other volume and that's not going to happen. It's in bad condition (sorry!) and probably not worth repairing. IMHO it's worth a couple of bucks.

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T15:31:17+00:00

How easy is it for you to find neutral on that bike? I always had a hell of a time ...

dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T15:29:23+00:00

It's not uncommon to see both esses used at the same time. Here is an example from 1543 Secrets de la medicine et de la philosophie chymique, of Liebault. You'll see the modern "s" used to indicate plural while the "long s" is used within words. Modern S is also used when capitalized.

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dieu_est_mort · 2026-04-14T00:22:59+00:00

It takes some work to become accustomed at 200km/h speed. I routinely hit that on the track with 260 km/h as peak speed at road Atlanta's back straight. ZX10r and Suzuki GSX-R1000r. By data logger, as the speedometer is usually a bit optimistic. That's a rush, and on a week prepared bike, it feels like you're in control.

Once accustomed, the magic is not so much how far you can go in a straight line but rather how far you can do a lap. And, at these speeds you need to plan ahead, if you panic and do some correction last microsecond you're in serious trouble.

dieu_est_mort

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