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On 20-6-2016 10:34, Stephen wrote:
> On 6/20/2016 7:43 AM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
>> On 19-6-2016 17:06, Stephen wrote:
>
>>>>>
>>>>> All it needs is "Astonishing Stories" written large across the top. :)
>>
>> In fact, my initial plan was for an Astonishing Stories pastiche cover,
>> but it was not interesting enough in the end.
>>
>
> I have been reading a lot of stories from the pulp era, recently. And if
> you did not plagiarise the idea ;) it would have fitted in perfectly.
> Except for the quality. :)
It has been a while since I read any of those, and essentially Doc Smith
at that, so the initial idea was entirely 'graphic' and the final one
just happened in my head as a more 'interesting' and darker substitute.
> Simak's "A Heritage of Stars" would have been a good one except your
> combination of head and holder is the only one that would not work. ;-)
That is right. Now that you mention it: "City" by same, only no
appropriate metal monster there. Jenkins would hardly fit the bill and
the dogs are lovable (not so the ants).
>
>>>
>>> Desolation is best left to the young. They have a knack for it.
>>
>> Don't get me started. Gloomy romanticism and all :-)
>>
>
> The Sorrows of Young Werther? :-)
>
> I must dig out a copy of Winterreise. In case I need cheering up. :-)
With the music please! Dieter Fischer-Diskau!
>
>
>
>>>
>>> Clothes cover up a multitude of sins.
>>
>> Which, incidentally, can be the sources of interesting images again.
>>
>>
>
> With a gentle fan blowing.
>
For instance, for instance.
--
Thomas
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On 6/20/2016 12:35 PM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
> On 20-6-2016 10:34, Stephen wrote:
>> I have been reading a lot of stories from the pulp era, recently. And if
>> you did not plagiarise the idea ;) it would have fitted in perfectly.
>> Except for the quality. :)
>
> It has been a while since I read any of those, and essentially Doc Smith
> at that, so the initial idea was entirely 'graphic' and the final one
> just happened in my head as a more 'interesting' and darker substitute.
>
It goes against all the laws. So you had better have a good explanation. :-)
>> Simak's "A Heritage of Stars" would have been a good one except your
>> combination of head and holder is the only one that would not work. ;-)
>
> That is right. Now that you mention it: "City" by same, only no
> appropriate metal monster there. Jenkins would hardly fit the bill and
> the dogs are lovable (not so the ants).
>
Yes all Simak's robots were benevolent.
And well, you've got to give the ants their day in the sun. :)
You also have to respect a race, whose god is. "...a human boot kicking
over an anthill."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_%28novel%29#The_Coda
>>
>> The Sorrows of Young Werther? :-)
>>
>> I must dig out a copy of Winterreise. In case I need cheering up. :-)
>
> With the music please! Dieter Fischer-Diskau!
>
I'll cover your "Dieter Fischer-Diskau" and raise you the Dutch musician
"Pierre Kartner". :-P
--
Regards
Stephen
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On 21-6-2016 9:44, Stephen wrote:
> On 6/20/2016 12:35 PM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
>> On 20-6-2016 10:34, Stephen wrote:
>
>>> I have been reading a lot of stories from the pulp era, recently. And if
>>> you did not plagiarise the idea ;) it would have fitted in perfectly.
>>> Except for the quality. :)
>>
>> It has been a while since I read any of those, and essentially Doc Smith
>> at that, so the initial idea was entirely 'graphic' and the final one
>> just happened in my head as a more 'interesting' and darker substitute.
>>
>
> It goes against all the laws. So you had better have a good explanation.
> :-)
Laws are to be going against for an old anarchist like me. :-)
>
>>> Simak's "A Heritage of Stars" would have been a good one except your
>>> combination of head and holder is the only one that would not work. ;-)
>>
>> That is right. Now that you mention it: "City" by same, only no
>> appropriate metal monster there. Jenkins would hardly fit the bill and
>> the dogs are lovable (not so the ants).
>>
>
> Yes all Simak's robots were benevolent.
> And well, you've got to give the ants their day in the sun. :)
> You also have to respect a race, whose god is. "...a human boot kicking
> over an anthill."
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_%28novel%29#The_Coda
Yes, that is a marvellous ending of the cycle indeed.
Talking of ants, I am in the middle of a grim human-against-ants
campaign. Not sure who is going to win at this stage. My forces have had
to retreat a couple of yards for lack of ammunition, and major
regrouping - on both sides - is under way.
>
>
>>>
>>> The Sorrows of Young Werther? :-)
>>>
>>> I must dig out a copy of Winterreise. In case I need cheering up. :-)
>>
>> With the music please! Dieter Fischer-Diskau!
>>
>
>
> I'll cover your "Dieter Fischer-Diskau" and raise you the Dutch musician
> "Pierre Kartner". :-P
Oooh! Gi'me a break! Don't you have anything (ANYTHING!) better than
THAT?!? %->
--
Thomas
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On 21-6-2016 13:32, Thomas de Groot wrote:
> On 21-6-2016 9:44, Stephen wrote:
>> I'll cover your "Dieter Fischer-Diskau" and raise you the Dutch musician
>> "Pierre Kartner". :-P
>
> Oooh! Gi'me a break! Don't you have anything (ANYTHING!) better than
> THAT?!? %->
>
>
OK. You asked for it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FfKLekwi5c
--
Thomas
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On 6/21/2016 12:41 PM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
> On 21-6-2016 13:32, Thomas de Groot wrote:
>> On 21-6-2016 9:44, Stephen wrote:
>
>>> I'll cover your "Dieter Fischer-Diskau" and raise you the Dutch musician
>>> "Pierre Kartner". :-P
>>
>> Oooh! Gi'me a break! Don't you have anything (ANYTHING!) better than
>> THAT?!? %->
>>
>>
>
> OK. You asked for it:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FfKLekwi5c
>
A hit, a very palpable hit. ;)
--
Regards
Stephen
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Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
> On 21-6-2016 9:44, Stephen wrote:
> > On 6/20/2016 12:35 PM, Thomas de Groot wrote:
> >> On 20-6-2016 10:34, Stephen wrote:
> >
> >>> I have been reading a lot of stories from the pulp era, recently. And if
> >>> you did not plagiarise the idea ;) it would have fitted in perfectly.
> >>> Except for the quality. :)
> >>
> >> It has been a while since I read any of those, and essentially Doc Smith
> >> at that, so the initial idea was entirely 'graphic' and the final one
> >> just happened in my head as a more 'interesting' and darker substitute.
> >>
> >
> > It goes against all the laws. So you had better have a good explanation.
> > :-)
>
> Laws are to be going against for an old anarchist like me. :-)
>
> >
> >>> Simak's "A Heritage of Stars" would have been a good one except your
> >>> combination of head and holder is the only one that would not work. ;-)
> >>
> >> That is right. Now that you mention it: "City" by same, only no
> >> appropriate metal monster there. Jenkins would hardly fit the bill and
> >> the dogs are lovable (not so the ants).
> >>
> >
> > Yes all Simak's robots were benevolent.
> > And well, you've got to give the ants their day in the sun. :)
> > You also have to respect a race, whose god is. "...a human boot kicking
> > over an anthill."
> >
> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_%28novel%29#The_Coda
>
> Yes, that is a marvellous ending of the cycle indeed.
>
> Talking of ants, I am in the middle of a grim human-against-ants
> campaign. Not sure who is going to win at this stage. My forces have had
> to retreat a couple of yards for lack of ammunition, and major
> regrouping - on both sides - is under way.
>
Assuming you're being literal, I've found a pretty good solution to ant
infestations, if you like oranges.
Grind up the orange peels and scatter them on the ground around the anthill: It
kills off the fungus that the ants feed on.
Regards,
A.D.B.
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On 21-6-2016 17:29, Anthony D. Baye wrote:
> Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
>> Talking of ants, I am in the middle of a grim human-against-ants
>> campaign. Not sure who is going to win at this stage. My forces have had
>> to retreat a couple of yards for lack of ammunition, and major
>> regrouping - on both sides - is under way.
>>
> Assuming you're being literal, I've found a pretty good solution to ant
> infestations, if you like oranges.
>
> Grind up the orange peels and scatter them on the ground around the anthill: It
> kills off the fungus that the ants feed on.
>
As usual, I was grossly exaggerating but the ants need constant
vigilance in some parts of the garden. Oranges: good idea! Thank you, I
shall add them to the ordnance ;-)
--
Thomas
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> On 21-6-2016 17:29, Anthony D. Baye wrote:
>> Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
>>> Talking of ants, I am in the middle of a grim human-against-ants
>>> campaign. Not sure who is going to win at this stage. My forces have had
>>> to retreat a couple of yards for lack of ammunition, and major
>>> regrouping - on both sides - is under way.
>>>
>> Assuming you're being literal, I've found a pretty good solution to ant
>> infestations, if you like oranges.
>>
>> Grind up the orange peels and scatter them on the ground around the
>> anthill: It
>> kills off the fungus that the ants feed on.
>>
>
> As usual, I was grossly exaggerating but the ants need constant
> vigilance in some parts of the garden. Oranges: good idea! Thank you, I
> shall add them to the ordnance ;-)
>
Give then corn starch. They love it but can't digest it at all and it
end up clogging their digestive thact.
For ants, eating corn starch is like us eating plaster of cement powder
in large quantity, but tastier.
Alain
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On 23-6-2016 6:20, Alain wrote:
>> On 21-6-2016 17:29, Anthony D. Baye wrote:
>>> Thomas de Groot <tho### [at] degrootorg> wrote:
>>>> Talking of ants, I am in the middle of a grim human-against-ants
>>>> campaign. Not sure who is going to win at this stage. My forces have
>>>> had
>>>> to retreat a couple of yards for lack of ammunition, and major
>>>> regrouping - on both sides - is under way.
>>>>
>>> Assuming you're being literal, I've found a pretty good solution to ant
>>> infestations, if you like oranges.
>>>
>>> Grind up the orange peels and scatter them on the ground around the
>>> anthill: It
>>> kills off the fungus that the ants feed on.
>>>
>>
>> As usual, I was grossly exaggerating but the ants need constant
>> vigilance in some parts of the garden. Oranges: good idea! Thank you, I
>> shall add them to the ordnance ;-)
>>
>
> Give then corn starch. They love it but can't digest it at all and it
> end up clogging their digestive thact.
> For ants, eating corn starch is like us eating plaster of cement powder
> in large quantity, but tastier.
Great! This is becoming nicely grisly. Maybe I should turn this into an
image with metal ants eating/drinking something corrosive. Thanks for
the info!
--
Thomas
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Interesting idea about oranges as a fungicide.
I wonder if the now-nearly-ubiquitous citrus cleaners have the same effect or
are missing some key naturally occurring component.
The corn starch idea is interesting as well - I'd never heard of that.
I think the key though, as mentioned in the Sci Fi story, is to target the
queen. Else all you're doing is racking up a body count of drones without
addressing the root of the problem.
Boric acid has been effective if employed properly. Mix it well with sugar or
flour, or both, and then moisten it. The boric acid will then become chelated
by any vicinal diols (adjacent hydroxyls) in the chemical structure, and be
ingested along with the bait feed. Supposedly this gets brought back to the
nest and fed to the queen, etc.
Ants make their trails to follow with formic acid. Perhaps laying a false trail
using natural formic acid - from ants or nettles or something - would lead them
elsewhere (maybe to your bait). You might also spray something alkaline, and
that might ruin the trails. (baking soda, TSP, etc.)
My grandparents used "whitewash" {assuming it some kind of lime} painted onto
the base of their trees - presumably to keep the bugs off of them.
YMMV
Best of luck battling the Empire of the Ants
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