BS: The Mother of all BS threads

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Jan 14 - 11:01 AM

And don't smoke anything with seeds in it, either. I've heard that they can explode and really provide a surprise, but I wouldn't know about any of that, although I've heard that running the herb through a blender first will minimize the seed problem, assuming you don't want to pick them out by hand or roll up a surprise for someone.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 29 Jan 14 - 06:43 AM

I am glad my nasal polyp wasn't discovered and removed by this route.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 29 Jan 14 - 05:26 AM

Don't eat anything with seeds in it for a few days, A.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Amos
Date: 29 Jan 14 - 12:36 AM

I guess it was worth it; the Doc said he removed a number of small polyps. I got to sleep all afternoon, under the heavy hand of Demerol. But at least now I can eat with a clear conscience.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 10:30 PM

Remember, tomorrow is Hubert K. Poot's birthday.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 09:08 PM

Oh darn it all I'm missing the state of the union address shucks I so wanted to see it and now I'm missing it oh well better luck next year.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 06:48 PM

Pace The Torture.

I feel a song comin on.

As I age am I a Sage?
What mattters if I am not?
Against whom could I rail?
I just pray the doc who
Does my colonoscopy
Don't find the Holy Grail.

Surgeons make the big bucks
When they find th

Oh, who am I kidding? After my day, I am useless. I am absolutely fried. I think I'll check out some therads and FB and slink off to bed early and HOPE I can sleep.... fat chance!

Maybe this as an offering for my failings?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_43f9RzAqMM

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 04:11 PM

Aw, geez. We're all getting old, I guess. Mine is also due this winter, and they've now called twice to try to pin me down to a date. The letter is on my fridge, I told them I'd schedule this after the mammogram and the bone scan. I'll pace the torture.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 09:32 AM

I was supposed to have one a year ago but they called and said I could wait another five years. This was not disappointing.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 05:59 AM

A... can't wait to see the video. Seems to me I am due. Had one at 50 (51?) and two polyps were removed and declared friendly. Two years later, my chute was deemed to be top notch and I was allowed into the five year club. I shall be 57 soon.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Jan 14 - 01:09 AM

I know what you're going to have! I've had mine! Do not fret, the doctors stop when they see teeth. Usually, anyway

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Amos
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 11:25 PM

ah, Gnuzer, I shorely will. I have had a very tiring day ofg it, having been on clear liquids all day, and then required to drink poison in order to make the medicos laugh tomorrow.It really do not seem right. So I am anchored to the house within trotting distance of the necessary appliances, as it were, and feel like I am wrassling a very annoyed boa constrictor inside. I am sure, however, that it will all come out all right in the end. All which remains to be seen of course, by those with the means to see. Sigh.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 06:17 PM

I was looking at four pics in an email of the Mandela Monument sculpture. I sent it to some readers herein. I wrote to Leadfingers who e'd me back : I am awestruck at the concept. Especially by the "journey" that I "see" in the approach. Furthest pic away... I cannot see him clearly and I might not visualize the hourglass of time (pic 3) that only came to my mind when I took time to view the pics together in thumbnail size. As I approach, I see him clearly (pic 4) and closer (pic 1), I see the nation of solidarity he built*. Finally, I see the individuals he freed through unity.

* And other thoughts.

I surely hope you forward this to your cousin, A. It's a very shortened version of my thoughts and feelings about this amazing sculpture and, hey, I am just a good old boy from the back woods. I would truly love to hear his comments on, and his interpretation of, the monument. He fascinated me with his works during his, and your, all too short, visit with me.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 03:57 PM

27F, no wind to speak of, and brilliant sunshine. Another gorgeous day in the mountains....ho-hum.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 01:03 PM

I just walked a co-worker out to her car. She has a doctor's appointment this afternoon but is in a lot of pain right now. She said I didn't need to bother, but I told her I didn't want to learn that she fell and froze to the concrete before someone came to her aid. It's windchill that is the worst here today, but it's also damned cold. And this is Texas. Where it was so warm yesterday I was in a t-shirt and jeans digging up a flower bed in my front yard.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 01:02 PM

Firkin cold!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 08:03 AM

She's wall-ta-wall ice, -12C, -20WC, and fluffing here. AND...

FLASH FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT

Warnings

Moncton and Southeast New Brunswick
4:29 AM AST Monday 27 January 2014
Flash freeze warning for
Moncton and Southeast New Brunswick issued

Temperatures will rise above the freezing mark this afternoon and then fall abruptly this evening.

A low pressure system over the Great Lakes will intensify as it tracks northeastward along the St Lawrence Valley. A warm front associated with this disturbance will reach central regions of New Brunswick this afternoon. As a result the snow will quickly change to rain over southern regions of the province but further north heavy snow is expected and snowfall amounts of 15 centimetres are expected.

After the low moves past the Gaspé Peninsula a sharp cold front will sweep across the province causing temperatures to plummet to values well below freezing. This rapid drop in temperatures will cause wet surfaces brought on by today's mild spell to rapidly freeze. Very icy conditions are likely in many areas of the province starting this evening.

So what? People will adjust driving speed accordingly, won't they? I know *I* will reduce my driving speed to zero.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Amos
Date: 27 Jan 14 - 12:27 AM

Unfortunately, Raparree is mistaken yet again. It's some kind of bug in his operating system, a right-versus-wrong algorithm gone amok,according tot he very best systems analysts.

I was in Flagstaff, Arizona, last night where the temperature plummeted to BELOW FREEZING at night. I was half-crazed wondering WTF I was doing there, but it turned out I was headed for a nice warm auditorium where Ira Glass was giving abrilliant talk and a grand time was had by all.

The natives there in Flagstaff, though, they sure got a collection of funny hats.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 11:11 PM

You want to act like THAT??? A hard-working inagear like you? Mom would be slightly put out and might even frown disapprovingly, you know. Amos went to Woodstock I, you know, and Mom burned his clothes as soon as he got home because of the mud and odor was making everyone, um, a little woozy. It wasn't a tobacco smell, either. That's probably why Amos lives in SoCal.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 05:08 PM

Hmmm... Could I get a... MOM?

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 01:48 PM

I think the entire world should ban nuclear power plants and use of fossil fuels.

From May to November.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 10:17 AM

According to WeatherStats.ca, Canada's snowiest city is Gander, N.L., with an average annual snowfall of 443.13 cm.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 10:16 AM

I haven't used their long distance calling but I've done hangouts and they work fine.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 07:26 AM

I hate Google's free long distance calling. Got a call last night from a buddy a ways away. He was on speaker phone so his bride could join in. Every time I spoke I could then hear myself talking then hear myself talking. It was annoying. It was annoying.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Jan 14 - 12:29 AM

The whole world is on YouTube, but it's nice to find friendly faces along the way.

I just came back from my friend Susie's house. She has four dogs - a little one that her daughter rescued and gave her (a King Charles Cavalier spaniel - a very elegant little dog) and the three from my coworker Mako who died last fall. It's a lot of dog energy and love in that house! Susie spent the night with her daughter's family so I'm doing the dog feeding and letting them out periodically. Nothing makes you feel more welcome and cheerful than the clatter of 16 feet greeting you at the door.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 25 Jan 14 - 07:19 PM

Dan.

I did not know Dan was back on YT!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 14 - 07:08 PM

MOM! You're on the bottom rung! One step more and you're off the page!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 Jan 14 - 07:06 PM

Rescue the Perishing

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 10:23 PM

I have a deal for you. You could obtain a Gen4 franchise distributorship and sells franchises for this up-and-coming company. It's all science-y and engineering-y and so you'd fit right in. All you have to do is sell a franchise to two others, who sell to others, etc. and the profits from each sale is passed up the chain to you! You pay the company and rake off any profits!! Gen4 does the heavy lifting and you make the bucks, bucko!

AND everyone needs this product. The market is limited only by the number of buyers! You could even put some of the money you'll make into a new business, the sole business of which is to lent start-up
money to potential franchisees (at an "reasonable" interest rate, of course).

It's win-win! You make tons of money and people get a product they need!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 01:41 PM

I forgot to say : SRS... I forgot what you wanted to say too.

But I forgot.

A... I just sold a brand new tap and die set I bought on sale at 50% regular price for 60% regular price. My return was 10% over 2 months so my equivalent annual ROR is over 60%. I am keeping my eyes peeled on big ticket item sales. I figure, if I can get a ROR of 10% in 6 months on something with a 3 to 5 year warranty, it would be better than squandering my retirement coin by reinvesting it at the Bank of Nova Scrotum. Those bastards got me by the nuts at 2.3% nominal on a 5 year GIC. If I don't do something, Anheuser-Busch sales are gonna vat and shares are gonna ale. I could bring the worlds' economies down if I don't act quickly.

To start with, say, 20 different items in the $500 range. Over $500, it's pretty hard to get anything for less than 60% and, of course, that drops off rapidly... by the time ya get to a $1000 price tag, yer just wastin yer time.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 12:23 PM

Pete... 1 mirkin = 40,914,826,900 cubic milimetres

Oh, I could have written "1 mirkin = 40.9148269 l" but that's no fun for a injuneer. I coulda writ "1 mirkin = 41 l" but I'da lost me Iron Ring if a brother/sister in my callin saw it and reported me to the discipline committee Of Her Royal Majesty's Canuck Injuneers Camp 9. They don't firk around!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 12:08 PM

Someone has to say it.

Best screw I ever had.

Not even a wink when it was first uttered by gnu. :)

I visited this thread to say something, but I've forgotten what it was.

Geez. We're all getting old.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 09:58 AM

Who said anything about 40,914,826,900 cubic milimetres?

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 09:53 AM

331.70 acre-feet. A mere mud puddle. Or, if you prefer, 1,200,950.20 US firkins, or 40,914.83 steres, or 42,891.09 tuns, or...oh, heck you can do the conversions from there.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 24 Jan 14 - 08:30 AM

40,914,826,900 cubic milimetres is small? Ya gotta be firkin kiddin me.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Amos
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 10:47 PM

Yeah--and when you owed Joan a firkin and owed some butter to Aseesgud, you wrote a little PostIt note to stick on the fridge: "Firkin--Joan Butter--Aseesgud", right?

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 09:15 PM

Yes, yes I am.

I remember when I was in Tibet advising the Dali Lama. Naturally I was helping around the monastery, and one of my chores was to milk the yaks. If you've ever seen a yak, you'll understand that it was difficult not to get hair in the mild while milking. We'd set that milk in the milkhouse and let cream rise, after picking out all of the hair we could, of course. The cream was taken and made into yak butter, a truly excellent food. Yak butter, if you don't know, is used in Tibet in tea so you needed a supply on hand, at least for visitors. It wouldn't do to serve tea without yak butter to put in it, and sometimes it would have to be shipped great distances, mostly vertical ones. It was transported in small tubs, called "firkins" in the West and "small yak butter tubs" in Tibet. And this was REAL butter, none of this "cut with canola oil" (rapeseed oil to you Yurpeens) stuff, either. After you emptied a small yak butter tub you sent it back -- there was no deposit because people trusted each other then. If you had, say, Mamie's firkin you sent the firkin back to Mamie. I once had a really good firkin from Edna, but Edna had gotten the firkin from Joan, who had gotten the firkin from Lori, who had been given the firkin as a gift by her friend Sam. So I gave Lori a good firkin because, as I said, that was the sort of thing people did. There was an old saying, "One good firkin deserves another" and everyone tried to live by that rule.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 02:56 PM

It's nice to see you are still as sharp as a yak.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 02:28 PM

It appears to me that we'll hit page 1,000 about the time we hit 50K.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 10:40 AM

Slotted screws have been around for hundreds of years because, I suspect, they are easier to make. Besides, if some poor guy is busy making the helix on a screw by hand he's gonna be so pissed off by the time he comes to the head he's not gonna do anything fancy.

Now, I got me a file some years back that is flatly triangular in cross-section. More than once I've struggled with a slothead and could only get it out maybe a eighth of an inch (3.18mm) and still couldn't use visegrrips or any other leverage. So I took the knife edge of my trusty file (never, ever a trifle rusty!) and filed a new slot in the old one. A shot of WD-40 or something similar and out it'd come! Then I'd throw it away and use something else, like a Pittman or a Broeger, something you can get out without painting the surrounding area bright blue.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 23 Jan 14 - 06:28 AM

And, A, ya can stick em on a driver and then use ONE hand ta drive em. Best screw I ever had. But ya gotta check the quality before ya buy em. I have seen some that simply don't have the mass in the screw head required to take the torque some jobs require. If the package says Made in Canada or USA, fine. If not, check em careful like. If they read Mexico, yer in the wrong store.

Deck screws... there was a TV program about renos and additions n such I used to faithfully watch. Can't recall the name but this guy and his "present lass"* would provide an entertaining and informative project(s) each show. One was the building of a deck. Buddy gives a nod n a wink ta the camera and starts rubbing each screw in his hair prior to diving it. She notices and asks him about it. He says the oil the hair helps the screws go in easier and she starts doing it... BIG smile into the camera. I split a gut!

As fer scews in a deck, I use em near a doorway or stairs or any high traffic area. Otherwise, I use em every third joist and nail the rest with at least two (three is ideal for standard decking) oppositely toed hot DIP galvanized nails. Them smooth galvanized nails (most all ya can find these days) ain't got near the hold or life.

* I recall at least three different lasses over the years.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Amos
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 11:56 PM

I have rassled every kind of grotty, rusted, worn down, spun out, grimed up and stuck by pure Time screw known to man. There are times when the only thing that works is a high-speed drill with a really hard bit to grind out the head, and a tap-it to work out the body. I don't know Robertsons by name, but having looked them up they look familiar as the design my deck screws came in (with their own square-head driver) and I have to agree with Gnu--they never gave a lick of trouble going in or coming out.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 11:36 PM

I seldom share any of my stuff but I was under the influence yesterday and blurted out a draft to some buddies. As it is kind of a generic story and not something that I would consider personal or telling anyone about stuff I think they might not know of, I think it's okay to share herein. Plus, Rap said sommat about hex heads that I consider extremely offensive (I am sure he will apologize and send me peace offerings. I prefer cash.) Sooo...

Garage Door Opener

There I sat in the weehicle in the driveaway, pressing the remote and thinking I needed a new battery. I went in the house and pressed the remote by the door. Hmmmm. Breaker or opener? I went into the garage and press the wall mounted control. The motor hummed but the door didn't move and the chain stayed still. Drat! I'll have to take the cowling off and look at the gears but not today because it's Championship Sunday and my team is one of the final four.

It's 2:30PM, Monday as I type. At noon, I put on workpants over sweat pants, a sweatshirt over t-shirt, toque, scarf, parka, lined rubber boots, and gloves. I got a ladder and investigated what tools would be required to remove the cowling. I needed a flashlight. I went back into the house and got a MagLite. One of the ones that takes three D size batteries. I shone the flash on the screws. Slotted hex. I must point out that I was in Mum's garage and my tools are in my garage. I used the remote in my truck to open my garage as my truck will not fit in my garage because the automakers insist on my truck having HUGE wheels… the greedy bastards.

I returned to the opener armed with a standard screwdriver rather than go into my basement to get a ratchet socket wrench. My gloves were slowing down the process of removing the screws so I took em off. Half way through removing the second screw, I noted the uselessness of slotted screws and muttered a few harsh words to myself. Got the screws out of the sides but the cowling remained in place. Aha! A screw on each end but these were in a plastic cover and were at the end of two inch long plastic "tubes". Got one out but it was a chore! I stopped a couple of times and said audibly, "How bloody long is this screw?" Of course, my fingers were now so cold that it wouldn't have mattered if I had kept my gloves on.

One more screw. Gosh and golly gee this was taking a long time to simply remove six screws but I am 56 years old and I've come to accept minor annoyances. Screw number six. I had a strange feeling when I heard an odd squeaking sound upon turning the screw. I was at "What the hell?" level. I screwed around with that screw until my forearms were starting to tire which isn't terribly long because I am a pencil pusher or, at least, I was until I got this here computer.

Right. This ain't workin so I'll get my socket wrench set from the basement. Well, actually, just one socket matched to the hex size. I opened the case but I wasn't paying attention due to my increasing foul mood. It was upside down. The wrenches and sockets and such are held in place in the top side by a divider. Those on the bottom side were thus free to spill onto the floor (or in the snow if one is working outdoors). Armed with yer Canadian Tire Lifetime Warranty Mastercraft ratchet wrench, extension and socket, I marched back into Mum's garage and said to the opener "I'll fix your little red wagon you SOB."

Squeak… ratchet… squeak… ratchet… squeak… ratchet. I forewent the ratchet and spun it vigorously…. squeeeeeeeeak! Okay. Now I am pissed off. I pulled out the extension to try to measure any progress and that's exactly what I did. I pulled out the extension. The socket was jammed on the screw, or so I thought. Now, this is a brand spanking new set that I got myself for a Kissmeass present about three years ago. Crappy Tire goes all out with the fifty percent sale on tools every December so I treated myself to a complete set. I was happy about giving myself the set as it meant no more fumbling through three partial sets like I used to do. I also vowed to never-ever lend it out and to always put everything back in the snazzy case. Like I said, it's new so I have had to use pliers to disengage a socket from a driver. I shoved it back in and wiggled it around as surely this would do the trick. That's is when I realized the socket was jammed in the plastic tube.

Okay. A skinny screw driver might be able to get by the socket. Yeah, I know but I had to try something eh? Got one outta my garage and tried it. Squeak. Fuck me.

I needed to know so I grabbed my flashlight and shined it down the tube. Darkness. MagLites don't like cold weather. Which begs the question, why are they allowed to be sold in Canada? Why hasn't Parliament banned the sale of them or at least made the manufacturer put warning labels on them like "This flashlight is fantastic but it ain't worth shit outside for at least three months a year and that's only if you live next to the border."

I got another flashlight and confirmed my fear. No progress. So, six screws and five are out. Time to apply my finely honed engineering skills, knowledge and experience to get my socket back. I retrieved my heavy duty leather work gloves from the house and very carefully RIPPED THE FUCKING COWLING OFF THE OPENER in one very violent and swift motion. I mean, I mangled the SOB! Good thing it's winter and Mum's windows are closed because the air was rather blue.

And there it was. A small nylon spreading screw backer. I found the squeak. Back to my garage for a pair of straight snips. I cut the fucker bad. The screw flopped around. I swiftly retrieved a hammer from my gara… where in fuck is my hammer? Seriously… WTF is my hammer? Nevermind, there's one under the sink in the kitchen. I braced the end of the opener with my left hand and smacked that sucker HARD over and over until a worm gear at the bottom of the opener fell dangling. Oooooh, that's not good, Gary. I know, channel locks! I went to my truck. Nope. Huh? I always keep my channel locks in the door pocket of my truck. Some people carry a piece of pipe or a baseball bat (or even a gun if they live in the States) for self-defence. I likes me channel locks. You can get undivided attention from the largest of ill-willed people with channel locks.

I found the channel locks BEHIND the dining room door after searching the garage, near the back door in the kitchen and the dining room table. Yeah, I am a bachelor so the dining room table is where I keep a lot of items handy that I might need in another month or so. Ya never know, eh?

I giver some with the channel locks, buddy. I pushed that screw outta sight. That'll do er! Nope. I stared at the socket… so close but yet sooo far away. I decided it was time for another application of "The Cowling Methodology". I inserted the extension and reefed on it madly until I broke the plastic tube and got my socket back.

I inspected the main gear. Yup. It was toast. Looked like the butt of a tree when a beaver is half way through chompin it down. But… I knew that before I decided to make sure that's what the problem was. Fact is, I never intended to replace it myself anyway because my arthritis gets really upset with me any time I try to do anything, especially in the winter.

Let's recap. I knew the garage door opener was not working and it was most likely a worn out main gear. Not including 13% HST, main gear replacement costs $135, installed during cold as a whore's heart weather by a young man who has his own tools and probably doesn't have arthritis. Replacement of a new opener with a four year warranty costs $330, installed. Replacement of the socket costs, I'd conservatively estimate, $2, tax in. One and a half hours of good exercise in the fresh cold air while my swearing and blood pressure rise asymptotically? You do the %$^&!* math!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 10:54 PM

I had to dig through the luggage and under the United tag to find the brand on my duffle bag (sorry for the confusion, Pete! Usually it's English phrases that are so puzzling, Americans are incredibly clear about everything they talk about.) It's Champion, a regular sports brand. Great nylon wheels on it. Back before they charged per bag my daughter and I took that to New York City with two smaller packs and our clothes and stuff inside. When we got to NYC we put our clothes and stuff in the smaller packs for the return trip and used the duffle to haul home all of our shopping booty. Those were the days!

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 10:46 PM

Hex? Have I got a story for you! Hahaha! Inside joke. Hmmm... I guess I gotta back that up. Email soon.

Ahem! Hex heads ain't worth shit on a flush deal. Far as I am concerned, slot/standard should be punishable by death, Philips should carry prison time with no parole, the combos should carry jail time on weekends and the ROBERTSON should be declared mandatory for EVERY screw. Not only would this increase the productivity of everyone who screws, it would save the environment from having so many screw drivers thrown as far as I can throw them. Of course, that won't happen because it's a good screw. It's the best screw. We Canucks know how to screw. Seriously, if you screw with a Canuck screw, you won't screw around with any other screws. Now... where is that story about the hex head? I just wrote it so I should be able to find it... after I grab another

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 09:41 PM

Stop using Phillips screws and replace them with hex heads. Then you can take them out with vise-grip if you manage to round 'em off. A neat trick for getting out Phillips screws where the + has become an o: if you don't have an easy-out, just use a wrecking bar and heavy hammer.

Oh, by the way, you'd be surprised what you can do to a hard drive with only one little ole fencing tool.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 01:45 PM

I have been as far north as Nain, Labrador back when men were men and women were women and dogs would eat you if you fell down. Good story.

"keep on the lee side whenever possible"

Depends on the wind, the snow and the shelter. I never used to make a fire for warmth. I used to build something that I never heard of anyone else building. Briefly, imagine an "igloo" made with hardwood saplings shoved into the snow and tied at the top with fir branches, cross braced with more saplings. Then, a foot of fir branches on the "floor". Then fir branches woven into the saplings. Then, long needle pine branches thatched in. Then lots of snow (bearpaw snowshoes... nooo... hahaha... we laugh at them as they make poor shovels).

In the late 60s and early 70s, I had a half dozen within about 4 miles from where I am sitting now. I used to strip em in the early fall and rebuild them in October before we got any heavy snows.
Good for sleeping in to about -15F wearing woolen clothing. And, the fir floor was oh so soft and springy.Unfortuantely, you will be on the Churchill and I don't think there is access to the materials I used as a boy.

Brinks High Security exterior locksets, curly lever handle style, were on sale at Crappy Tire today. I was a tad upset when my existing lockset jammed and I couldn't get out my back door so imagine the utter delight I felt when I saw the sign at Crappy Tire saying "20% off"! And, the package said it could be installed on left and right hand doors. It can. But that means the curly lever (dumb fuckin idea BUT it looks nice) is upside downie on my door. Found that out when I got it home. Oh well, it was on sale.

Another thing I noticed when I got it out of the package was that the screws joining the levers were not on the vertical but, rather, on the horizontal, so one of the screws was directly behind the lever. Hmmmm… could be a problem. Underestimate of what was about to occur. Fought with the SOB for an hour but I won! Only problem is, the little knob to un/lock the lockset from inside won't budge. After the blizzard, Chinese Tire gets this piece of shit back.

Solace : I get another short story for my Happy Weekender Special chapter.

PS… Amos… did you hide all my good (as if there was such a thing!) Philips screwdrivers when you were here or was it your cousin?

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 12:12 PM

Nice duffle, Rap. Furthest north I've ever been was Hammerfest, up in Norway. In May, if I recall rightly. Snow on the ground but it was sunny the two days I was there. Still daylight at 11pm. Don't remember what the temp was but it was bloody cold.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 10:26 AM

Since I won't be crawling around in the snow with a firearm I'll be wearing nice bright colours (since I'll be in Canada) so they can find me if I get lost. At temps of -20F and lower I'd prefer to be found, in a revivable condition if at all possible.

But I do know all of the old tricks for surviving the cold: keep on the lee side whenever possible, stay dry, don't touch metal with your bare hands, no exposed skin, watch for the white patches that mean frostbite, and above all stay indoors, before a nice fire, in a comfortable lounger, while sipping a hot buttered rum or a hot ruttered bum or both.

Subject: RE: BS: The Mother of all BS threads
From: gnu
Date: 22 Jan 14 - 06:29 AM

The northern species turns white in winter so... in plain sight.