Action on the front lines

[SigmaChiCard]

d
was that agreeing, or disagreeing with what I said? I couldn't really tell.

[damasa]

hhah..I don't know....I'm not sure what your first post meant. I don't know if it was in favor or against the raccoon.
I guess I was expressing my point....

d

[SigmaChiCard]

Wine&Blue was kind of saying that Lil_G needs a more permanent solution that just the temporary killing of a couple of the racoons. The whole time I was reading that, with the state of affairs everpresent in my mind, I immeadiately saw how, yeah, that's what America needs to do. And then she said when you kill one, another appears, which seems to be the general theory that if we just blow up some of Afghanistan, and kill Osama, then the next highest order official in the Taliban regime would step in and take Osama's place. I mean, I've always realized that would happen ever since the Afghan people began saying it, but the parallel between that and the racoons just clarified it on a new, unique level for me. See what I'm saying now?

[KSig RC]

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard
Wine&Blue was kind of saying that Lil_G needs a more permanent solution that just the temporary killing of a couple of the racoons. The whole time I was reading that, with the state of affairs everpresent in my mind, I immeadiately saw how, yeah, that's what America needs to do. And then she said when you kill one, another appears, which seems to be the general theory that if we just blow up some of Afghanistan, and kill Osama, then the next highest order official in the Taliban regime would step in and take Osama's place. I mean, I've always realized that would happen ever since the Afghan people began saying it, but the parallel between that and the racoons just clarified it on a new, unique level for me. See what I'm saying now?

Interesting point - i don't think the concept is extensible to this level, but i'll play along for the sake of discussion, b/c it is interesting after all.

The problem - there's not an infinite number of raccoons . . . there's a finite supply of them. So realistically it is definitely possible to exhaust the supply, and keep the garbage from being spread over the yard (so to speak).

The problem with the problem - do we really want to take out that many raccoons? Is there a better solution? Have we exhausted our options through other bad decisions, so as to make diplomacy with the furry little things impossible?

It's easy to say "Buy a trashcan" - Lil_G's point was that the trashcan solution doesn't work either. There's a way to solve every sort of containment dilemma for the raccoons - they're very resourceful, and smarter than we give them credit for.

So what's the solution?

Well, there's eradication of the raccoons, or at least lowering numbers until they become benign. But this is basically inhumane, depending on your particular set of subjective values.

There's also prevention - keeping the raccoons from stirring up the garbage. This has proven unsuccessful for eons, and no good 100% solution exists. Appeasement would be the only way - literally giving them the garbage they desire - and this is a weak solution from the standpoint of the more powerful force in the situation (ie the guys putting out the garbage), and is probably impossible due to previous commitments. However - it is humane, by nearly every values system.

I don't really see any "middle-of-the-road" example as being applicable or worthwhile - so realistically, those are the options . . .

As you can see, the raccoon problem is difficult . . . and if you want to extend it to the next level, as Cory seems apt to relate to, the problem exacerbates itself because the "humanity" element becomes more prevalent.

Sometimes, you eat the bar - and sometimes the bar eats you (as they say in The Big Lebowski)

[damasa]

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard
Wine&Blue was kind of saying that Lil_G needs a more permanent solution that just the temporary killing of a couple of the racoons. The whole time I was reading that, with the state of affairs everpresent in my mind, I immeadiately saw how, yeah, that's what America needs to do. And then she said when you kill one, another appears, which seems to be the general theory that if we just blow up some of Afghanistan, and kill Osama, then the next highest order official in the Taliban regime would step in and take Osama's place. I mean, I've always realized that would happen ever since the Afghan people began saying it, but the parallel between that and the racoons just clarified it on a new, unique level for me. See what I'm saying now?

Ok....I understand what your saying, but I just look at it a little differently. Granted, if Bin Laden is taken out, another could take his place, but that might not be easy. Bin Laden holds the place he does because of the money he has. Take away the money, take away the leader, take away the power, the morale of the followers dies. Yes, they could regain themselves with a new leader, but it might take some time.

I look at it like this, they keep showing Bin Laden on almost every news channel you watch, being quoted with saying things such as, "the Americans will experience things worse than the WTT bombings," and things similar. Now, this scares the shit out of me, and it kind of puts our country in gridlock. What do we do? Leave Bin Laden be and risk being attacked like that again? Which I would be willing to be he will try. Or, do we take him and his followers out and risk a new regime taking his place? It's a double edged sword...

d

[SigmaChiCard]

d
I've been enlightened by you. Stall with the use of immeadiate resolve (Lil_G, shoot the damn things with KA's methods) which gives you plenty of time to sift through more ideas of permanent resolve. Don't live in fear of Osama rat laden, dispose of him, and while the others are reorganizing a claim to power, make a permanent solution, what that is...hmmm, not sure. I won't say new, or better trashcans, but see if there is anything about the process you can change, not take whatever it is they like to actually get into out until garbage day?

[KABillyMac]

Corey, I guess I had you pegged for the tree hugging liberal hippie pretty boy type. Maybe your not all that feminine after all. Anybody who is with us on coon eradication might really not be all that bad.

[Lil_G]

Wine and Blue - i'm not touchy at all, but when someone suggests the most obvious answer of putting it in a can with great sarcaism obviously i'm gonna react harshly.

BillyMac - ....suggestions, duly noted....the talk of amunition has been brought up before....good buddy is willing to drive up the trip to gun 'em down with his paint ball gun....would that work as well, or is it too inhumane?

....one more point, because of certain restrictions to garbage laws in this city, we're not allowed to take out the trash until 6 p.m. the night before. Considering the garbage comes at 6.am. there's not a lot of time to put it out, but of course in that short time span they manage to chew it up nicely.

[moe.ron]

My sisters and brothers, we have faced a new enemy. An enemy that has looked at us and not fear us. If they want hell, by god we'll give them hell. We will look at them and show them what fear is. They said there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Well Raccoon, you have just met fear and you better recognized. We'll open a can of whoop ass on your ass and give you a beating Jerry Springer style.

[Lil_G]

Originally posted by Arya
My sisters and brothers, we have faced a new enemy. An enemy that has looked at us and not fear us. If they want hell, by god we'll give them hell. We will look at them and show them what fear is. They said there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Well Raccoon, you have just met fear and you better recognized. We'll open a can of whoop ass on your ass and give you a beating Jerry Springer style.

...ah great idea, arya's done it again - what we need is some kind of predator that eats raccons...i've seen some pretty big owls in my day, maybe i could get some of them to take out those bastards.

[KABillyMac]

The more I think about it, the more I think that a paintball gun would better suit your needs. I dont know much about paintball guns (except it hurts like hell if you get shot by one) other than they shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 feet per second, and the paint balls themselves are maliable, so no, they will not kill the coons. Marking them could be a good idea they. If you shoot the coon and he has paint all over him, it will let you know which coons keep coming back, or how many new coons are coming in. Course then again some little old lady might see a big coon with an neon green ass walking around outside one night and call the police thinking the terroists have now struck our coon population with some sort of radioactive waste making all coons neon green. Hey, it might be good for a laugh.

The important thing here is the corn and the light. The corn is sure bait (since your garbage now tastes like antifreeze to them) and the light to blind them. Gotta have that light........

And the beer. Dont forget the beer.

[SigmaChiCard]

Maybe your not all that feminine after all.

Hmm, thanks bro. I appreciate the compliment...

[Lil_G]

...now that i think about it....our backyard opens up right below the flat part of the roof...we can be camped there with lots of ammo and have the trap setup just below...it'd wouldn't be any easier than that, shooting ducks in a barrel

[lifesaver]

Again, dont forget the beer. You sure as hell dont want to be up there relying on conversation to pass the time. Flat roof - good idea, its as close as you urban kids are gonna come to a deer blind. Paintball gun works too. Like it, like it. consider it sort of a "tagging/population research study" They do it to animals all the time and I'd rather be painted than have a huge ass tag in my ear.

Item 2, NO to the trash can issue. That is simple appeasement. didnt work for Nevile Chamberlain in 1939 england, and its not gonna work here. Eradication is the only answer. If not, you give them the trash, and next thing they will do is demand access to sraps from the table, amass 'coons along your front door, annex your kitchen, and say they were doing it just so that the rest of the food could be with its like outside. Finally, after they declare a non-agression pact with your neighbors, they will attack them too and invade them pushing their forces all the way back to Coongrad. Listen to me well, appeasement NEVER WORKS. You must destroy them, or after its all over, your sorry butt will be relying on your kindly neighbors to support you in your rebuilding efforts, in some sort of a George Marshallesque "Little_G Plan."

That or go to the pound and adopt a hound to keep in the backyard. Plus, Hounds are cool.

If that doesn't work, I'll stop by, pick up Billy Mac, and we'll be on our way...

[Thrillhouse]

So did anything ever come out of this situation? Those squirrels can be pretty pesky. I trust you bought a case of molson XXX and got rid of those darn things as well as those racoons.