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[AnotherFairportfan]

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[TazManiac]

Well, as much as I agree with most of the sentiments re: 'those Damn Drivers, I could use some of those warm and fuzzy thoughts beamed my Nephew's way in Oakland CA.

He was in a pretty serious mashup Saturday morning & following surgery is in that nebulous 'touch and go' or 'we'll wait and see' period as I type.

(Since there where others involved in this, I'd say they could use some to...)

[AnotherFairportfan]

Well, as much as I agree with most of the sentiments re: 'those Damn Drivers, I could use some of those warm and fuzzy thoughts beamed my Nephew's way in Oakland CA.

He was in a pretty serious mashup Saturday morning & following surgery is in that nebulous 'touch and go' or 'we'll wait and see' period as I type.

(Since there where others involved in this, I'd say they could use some to...)

Consider it done.

[Typeminer]

Ramping the warm and fuzzy up to maximum here, Taz. Keep us posted.

[Atomic]

Projectile warm fuzziness and concentrated best wishes for all involved!

[Dave]

Much warm fuzziness from here, as well, and all hopes for a swift and complete recovery for all concerned!

It can seem terribly bad, and still work out OK. A friend of mine was in a very bad accident a couple of years ago... vehicle totaled, Jaws of Life, "died" twice on the emergency-room table, and more surgeries than I can count to put his bones back together. He's back to driving a light tractor to level out the soil on some property he bought in the Sacramento area, and is working on the foundation for the house he's building there... at the age of 70!

[TazManiac]

Thx folks.

[Just Old Al]

Well, as much as I agree with most of the sentiments re: 'those Damn Drivers, I could use some of those warm and fuzzy thoughts beamed my Nephew's way in Oakland CA.

He was in a pretty serious mashup Saturday morning & following surgery is in that nebulous 'touch and go' or 'we'll wait and see' period as I type.

(Since there where others involved in this, I'd say they could use some to...)

Late to the party as always but warming up a barrage of Warm Fuzzy Missiles from the East Coast...

[Alkarii]

My sister's oldest kid, who is nine, has told me on multiple occasions that she doesn't like guns, and will never own one herself. Now, I don't know what my sister's stance is on guns, but Thursday night, my niece threw me a curve ball.

She asked me if I could teach her how to shoot.

So, it looks like I may be getting a .22 or an air rifle in the near future, because I am NOT going to have a nine year old try shooting a bolt action rifle that's chambered in .308 Winchester.

[Catawampus]

My sister's oldest kid, who is nine, has told me on multiple occasions that she doesn't like guns, and will never own one herself. Now, I don't know what my sister's stance is on guns, but Thursday night, my niece threw me a curve ball.

She asked me if I could teach her how to shoot.

So, it looks like I may be getting a .22 or an air rifle in the near future, because I am NOT going to have a nine year old try shooting a bolt action rifle that's chambered in .308 Winchester.

Maybe start off with a Nerf gun until you're sure that she's got the safety aspects down as habit?

[Alkarii]

I was thinking of not handing it to her loaded (or in the case of air rifles, pumped), because a Nerf toy is exactly that: A toy. I don't want her to have the mindset of it being a toy. Plus, it won't be kept at their house, anyway.

[Atomic]

Suggest a good ol' Daisy BB air rifle. Quiet, no harsh recoil, easy to aim and use. Make a target back stop from a box and a pile of newspapers, and you get the fun of shaking the papers to collect and re-use the BBs. Cheap way to learn marksmanship, weapon safety, and general sportsmanship. BB targets are cheap, and you can make your own with marker and paper. Treat and teach it professionally, and in a while you could consider moving up to a CO2 or pump air rifle, or perhaps a .22. Pump and pellets much cheaper than .22 and lots easier to clean as well. Haven't checked CO2 prices in a while, so YMMV -- .22 LR most likely expensive by comparison.

Been there, done that. Good for you!

[Alkarii]

I hadn't heard of using a backstop like that, but it certainly sounds like it's worth a shot, no pun intended.

[Atomic]

It was my basement shooting gallery growing up. Simple and effective. Just choose a large enough box for reasonable aim from about 10 feet to start and go from there. 4 or 5 Sunday papers would do nicely! Or, old phone books, Amazon mailers, layers of flattened cereal boxes, etc. Two inches of paper layers is good enough for a basic Daisy. Hang an old carpet/throw rug as side backstop. Pump pellets or CO2 would need more.

[Typeminer]

One time my Daisy rifle jammed, and when I tried to unscrew the shot tube from the barrel, it fired into my palm. Stung like hell, but didn't break the skin.

So, while I'd still tell the kid, "Careful, or you'll shoot your eye out," I'd say they're pretty safe.

Firearm safety was taken seriously among my people, and we did not shoot at each other with BB guns. I didn't tell my father about this until I was an adult. And I don't think I ever did tell Mom.

[TazManiac]

Atomic pretty much nailed it; esp the follow up I was going to add w/ the Thick Blanket/Bedspread/Carpet behind your Target.

Helps to have a progression from Cheap (but accurate mind you) low powered Starter Set and after learning and proving safety and appropriate maturity, a ramping up to more powerful platforms. This goes for a lot of things including Sharp Pointy/Slice-y items, Stuff w/ Wheels, and any manner of Kitchen Crafts.

There can be a fine line between the Holding Back 'for your Own Good' (while the good 'grooves' are ingrained) vs the Keeping Motivation & Interest High through Challenge & Discovery.

Seek out a silent partner/Yoda/backstopping Mentor of your own to bounce stuff off of.

[Atomic]

Helps to have a progression from Cheap (but accurate mind you) low powered Starter Set and after learning and proving safety and appropriate maturity, a ramping up to more powerful platforms. This goes for a lot of things including Sharp Pointy/Slice-y items, Stuff w/ Wheels, and any manner of Kitchen Crafts.

Ya, same with sewing (on a very old treadle powered Singer - circa 1910) -- start with potholders, then maybe kitchen mittens, pillow cases (with ruffles), and so on. Eventually you're hemming things and adding pockets to stuff. Then, the A-frame dress or Pencil skirt for your girlfriend (You Sew! EEEEEkkkk! Can you make me a peasant blouse??? Pretty please?????)

Good times. Ah, the fittings....

[Hansontoons]

Excitement tonight at the Casa de Inundación!

(Note- this all takes place upstairs as the downstairs is nothing but studs and external walls- courtesy of Harvey.)

The kid was in the bathroom and heard a noise. Traced it to a point low on a wall. We both listened- faint scratching sounds were coming from behind the sheetrock. Ok, great. Now what?

Step one, find something for a critter to run in to after a hole is cut in the wall. Step two, cut the hole. Step three, hope like heck that the critter sticks with Step one so there is no need for an on-the-fly Step four.

Out to the garage we go. I gave the old cat carrier to the local animal shelter a while back, so something else was going to have to work. Cardboard box? Nah, crazed squirrel would go right through it. Small dog food container no longer utilized? It'll do. Grab sheetrock saw and head back inside.

The first cut was made inside the bathroom where the sound seemed to be emanating. Cut, cut, cut, pull loose square of sheetrock away and jam container against hole. Hm. Nothing exploded from the hole. Take another listen. Now the sound is from the next wall space over. Must have mis-heard it the first time.

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Move out to the hallway, listen some more... it goes quiet... now Jasper starts taking a drink of water downstairs. Lap, lap, lap, lap, (can't hear anything in the wall, the lapping sound travelled well upstairs) lap, lap, and several more laps. She stops. We listen. Now I'm Robert Mitchum at the Sonarman's station in "The Enemy Below" listening for Curt Jürgens in his U-boat... there it is! Cut, cut, cut, pull loose square of sheetrock away, and see a bat curled up at the bottom of the wall as I jam the container against hole. Pulling the container away from the wall, I see the bat clumsily moving around on a pile of attic insulation that must have fallen in when it did. I used the sheetrock saw to more or less gently encourage the bewildered critter into the container.

Said bat was taken outside and released unharmed. The poor thing flew away probably thinking "NOW what??? It's c-c-c-cold out here and was warm in there!" Had a good 8" wingspan. Question is- are there more in the attic??? Hope not.

Now playing from the computer music library- Talking Heads- Remain in Light album- Crosseyed and Painless

[GlytchMeister]

Bats have a rather impressive ability to find their way into hard to reach places that also happen to be rather flammable. There was a weapon being developed durin WWII I believe that took advantage of this. A bat firebomb.

Take a few hundred bats and refrigerate them to make them hibernate. Strap little timed napalm or phosphorus charges to them. Pack em into a cozy lil multi-chambered container open to the air, fitted with a parachute. Pack that into a bomb shell that would split open at moderate altitude.

As the bats slowly drifted down on their parachute, they’d warm up, come out of hibernation, and fly down into the target city, roosting in eaves and walls and attics and whatnot come morning. Then, once they’re all probably asleep, the timers set off the fire charges and start fires all over the city. A few such bombs could actually set so much stuff on Fire it could make a firestorm, complete with whirls and a pyrocumulonimbus.

It didn’t get past testing, though, because it was so effective. They tried to test it on something like a “Nuketown”, but the bats also found homes in the actual military base and set fires there, too.

[Atomic]

Re: Bat Bombs ... Genghis Kahn, it is said, decided not to attack a city, but his forebearance had a price: 5000 cats and 5000 sparrows. Grateful, the city provided the same that very day. His army attached burning strings to said critters and released them, and they all went back to their homes in the city. It was ashes by the next morning.