Aptenobytes

The Sunday Skill Session

Ok, welcome to the first Sunday Skill Session. Basically the concept here is that I post some links to sites that can help you learn a skill of some sort.

Today, we're going to look at distilling. The prime reason for learning distillation is of course, Alcohol.

To do any kind of distilling, you're going to need a still. There are a few designs for stills, but the basic idea is that you heat things up, and then as they precipitate out at different temperatures, you can select what you want to collect.

There are other reasons for distillation. You may want to distill water, or you may want to get some other chemical. In any case, the understanding of how to distill, and the ability to apply that knowledge to make a still is an important skill to have.

http://homedistiller.org/ has a really good guide that you can download to your own hard drive.

Google searches to try: home distillation, home distiller, alcohol stills, and moonshine -music

enjoy learning.

BC STV referendum

I guess I should get around to looking at the STV referendum, and figure out whether I'm for it, against it, or if I even care.

Last year, a panel of 160 citizens of BC got together to look at options to replace the First Past The Post system that we (and just about all of North America) have been using. They toured the province listening to people, and discussing the options. They came to a decision. They put forward what they call BC-STV.

It's a variation on Proportional Representation by the Single Transferable Vote. There are a few examples of how it works. I like the one done by demochoice.org. I learn best by doing, and based on playing with the demo, I provisionally will be voting yes on the referendum question.

My gut feeling at this point is that pretty much anything is an improvement over FPTP.

Saturday Music Dump

♫1♫Chop Sueyby System Of A Down from the album "Chop Suey (Promo CD Single)"
♫2♫Rock A Byeby 7 Year Bitch from the album "Viva Zapata"
♫3♫Bathwaterby No Doubt from the album "Boom Box (Limited Edition)"
♫4♫Metamorphosis Fiveby Philip Glass from the album "Solo Piano"
♫5♫Mahones Medleyby Mahones from the album "Draggin' The Days"
♫6♫Toast and Bananasby blink-182 from the album "Cheshire Cat"
♫7♫Familyby New Model Army from the album "Thunder & Consolation"
♫8♫Shut Em Downby Public Enemy from the album "Apocalypse 91 ... The Enemy Strikes Black"
♫9♫Starsignby Apoptygma Berzerk from the album "Welcome To Earth Promo"
♫10♫It's The End of the Worldby Great Big Sea from the album "Now! 3"
♫11♫They Lie, We Dieby Flux of Pink Indians from the album "Not So Brave"
♫12♫We Believeby Good Charlotte from the album "The Chronicles of Life and Death"
♫13♫So Vast As The Skyby Thievery Corporation from the album "Sounds from the Thievery Hi-fi"
♫14♫Live Parody Metallica vs Napsterby They Might Be Giants from the album "Live Bootleg"
♫15♫Ben Zanottoby Rancid from the album "Ben Zanotto - An EMusic Exclusive!"

Time to gear up for a hell of an election season

Hmm. Looks like we're getting a Grand Slam of elections this year. Provincial elections set for May 17th, Municipals in November, and odd are for a June federal election.

Being a political junkie, this should be fun|evil|exhiliarating|frustration way.

Friday Cat blogging

I come in to work...

We have cute staff...

Especially the ones that work the counter...

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Friday Ark at Modulator

Friday Cat Blogging

Merlin eats his dinner....

Then he eats from the plate in the sink....

And then looks for more to eat...

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Friday Ark