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From: gaynor@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Silver)
Newsgroups: talk.bizarre
Subject: Re: Build a Better MouseTrap
Message-ID: <5638@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sun, 31-Aug-86 19:09:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.5638
Posted: Sun Aug 31 19:09:55 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 1-Sep-86 01:35:28 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 57
Cc: gaynor


[]

This discussion puts me in mind of my own pestilence problems in an
former residence.
 
Lo, we (my family and I) had lived in this old house for 12 years with
nary a scuttle, and behold, one fateful day, the mouse was espied
running from behind the organ to behind the TV.  There is something
about mice and rats that seems to pull a veil over people's sanity.
Some react with an unborne terror; our family seemed to become
enraged.  My mother and I hunted the little furry bastard down, and,
striking almost simultaneously with a textbook (me) and a broomstick
(mom), we slew it.  We slew it and we laughed!

As I tend to stay up late, in the silence I could track the dirty
devils somewhat easier.  On one particularly good night, armed with a
broom (a very good weapon for mice: for an area attack, an quick
open-faced swat stuns, whereas a good hard one will kill; for the
directional attack, the broom handle makes an excellent club; for
strategy, the wide bristly end can also be used to shore up holes in
the battlefield) and a (gulp) carving knife (this fell weapon was
on-hand (we had had steak for dinner) when the madness struck), I
bested FOUR (ie 4, IV, point hand up and pull thumb down across palm)
of those grim little warriors before the late late movie had come and
gone.  Yes, one died under my trusty blade, as he ran between my legs
when I cornered him.

When the rose-tinted fringe of bloodlust left our vision, we realised
that this was a fruitless battle - after all, they can crawl and live
behind walls and other inaccessible locations.  So we called in
reinforcements.  The rest of the war can be summed up in a single
logical implication:

  before and exterminators and vermin => after and exterminators

.

The preceeding is a true story, and was sponsored by DIVS (Death to
Invading Vermin Society).

Silver
-----
Silver (argyros (greek), argentum (latin))

  Silver is the whitest and most reflective of the metals, also having
  the highest thermal and electrical conductivity.  It is second only
  to gold in malleability and ductility.

  name: Andy Gaynor
  e-address: ...!topaz!gaynor
  address: 19 Evergreen Drive, Denville, 7 Raven Drive, Morristown
  phone: 627-8953, 267-8660

  atomic symbol: Ag       atomic number: 47  atomic weight: 107.88
  isotopes: 107 (0.5135), 109 (0.4865)       melting point: 950.5 C
  boiling point: 1950 C   density: 10.49     hardness: 2.5 - 3.0