Posted on 01/29/2014 2:51:30 PM PST by thackney
We may worry about hackers taking down the electrical grid, says Eugene K. Chow at The Week, just like we worry about, for example, bikers hitting frail old ladies crossing the street. But both threats are overblown. Like biker-on-old-lady violence, cyberattacks are so rare that theyre notable we fear them and talk about them precisely because they dont happen very often. But the true threat lies elsewhere, with more common villains. On the street, of course, its cars. In the nations electricity infrastructure, its squirrels.
Chow explains:
Even squirrels are proving to be, well, a squirrelly problem. No one really knows how much damage the rodents do, but its certainly more than hackers manage. A cursory analysis in The New York Times found that over a four month span last year, squirrels caused at least 50 power outages across the country and those were just the ones that made the news. And while no one knows how many people are affected by squirrel-related outages each year, in just two days last June, four squirrel-related incidents left more than 18,000 homes in four different states in the dark. How do squirrels manage such mayhem? They simply chew through wires or scamper over fragile electrical equipment.
Of course, its possible that the hackers have hacked the squirrels and are controlling their sharp little teeth from Romania. In this day and age, you can never be sure.
compared to what ? !
I’m already there. I quit thinning them this summer and left them plenty of mast from the nut trees. I think of them as little deer. Bag a couple and throw ‘em on the barbie.
Here where I live...seems the Red's are more town squirrels. But that said, I have a hunting spot in the country where it's mostly red's.
I think the grey's are everywhere. Saw two today going to the USPS...road killed.
I like to hunt squirrel...but hate to clean them.
Red's bigger and more meat...I'd rather clean them.
Stop it!
I am try to eat my bag limit here.
Try using one of those el cheapo air pumps.
Blow there hide up like a balloon.
Quick Clean and EASY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJr5wkfmbvM
But I'd like to see someone do that with a squirrel.
It's funny, I have two daughters:
The older daughter would say after hitting a squirrel: "Dad, was that worth ten points? "
The younger one would be like your daughter...acting like she ran over a child...
More like a suicide squad!
In Japan, raccoons (imported originally from America) have become a major pest, destroying medieval Buddhist monasteries and whatnot. Too many of them for hunting to take care of the problem, and no natural enemies. Apparently it started when a children's cartoon featured a raccoon and people imported them as pets because they were cute.
I know there have been some dummies elected to office since the beginning of this country. But when you look at Biden you know we’re in big trouble.
tougher to chew? or more hearty?
I remember the Great Blackout of the 60’s, caused by one squirrel.
Hence, the movie, “Where were you when the lights went out?”
one thing to consider is making the plastic around cables taste bad. many plastics that coat wires, when warm from current, outgass and that gives off a sweet smell. some critters believe wires are actually a tasty root or plant.
/seinfeld
I love the squirrel grenade story. First time I read it, I literally fell out of my chair from lauging so hard.
you might want to post some of it for sale, I have seen people paying $70 for a brick.
my grandfather taught me to cut the feet & tail off - slice them down the middle to gut them - grab them by the head and cut around the neck and pull the hide right off...like 3 minutes tops...
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