J Larsen

Dizzy is a good name for a frenetic cat. It was in the running when I was naming mine. I settled on Parker (I thought Parker sounded cooler for an animal than Charlie).

You know, there aren't many things that other human beings eat that I don't like, but I think PB smells awful. Can't get past the odor. It's up there with microwave popcorn for me.

From yesterday's The Australian: And ... Well, those two quotes certainly do contradict the quote I posted above. In any event, my opinion of the man is unchanged.

Spiders as well! http://www.usyd.edu.au/anaes/venom/spiders.html#FUNNELWEB Oh, I don't know, I think Africa has some pretty frightening animals, as well. And by the way, why was your face in the dorm toilet? So does Venezuela. Case in point: That's a dinner plate, btw. I think even Irwin may have hesitated before picking that up.

I could have sworn I read that the ray emerged from under the sand just as Irwin swam over that spot. My understanding was he and the ray caught each other by surprise, not that he was swimming up to it. Edit: Yep, here's the quote from his manager via CNN.com: "He and the underwater cameraman went out to do some pieces on the reef and coral and stuff good for the kids' show and, unfortunately, he came out over the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand and the barb went up and hit him in the chest." Irwin did what he needed to do to draw attention to the modern plight of wildlife. The simple fact is that Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, or whatever mile-per-hour sparsely (and sleepily) narrated nature show they have on PBS right now isn't going to cut it in the age of Jackass, Reality TV, Doom 16, etc. etc. In my book, he was a great man overall.

Man, that's pretty twisted. What? You guys never read The Grapes of Wrath? I did, but somehow I didn't remember it being quite that old...

I didn't hit him with it at all, I just poured it on the window sill while he was away. Now he's my neighbor's problem.

Hey, you know, I'm not a violent person or anything, and I love animals, but it's time to either call animal control or else kill this motherfucker. I don't think he needs to kill it ---- plus he's in Manhattan so he can't exactly borrow one of our 16-gauge jobbers --- but rather pick up one of those super-soaker water guns and drill the sucker a few times over with some good 'ol H20. My guess is he'll bolt. Nah, use ammonia or something like that. Gotta send a message, and maybe do some harm to get him to the point where nature takes him out. This squirrel is definitely, like the man says, wrong. Action must be taken. Ammonia did the trick! Thanks for the idea. As soon as I read that, a little light bulb went off - it smells just like cat piss. I've even put the air conditioner back.

This takes the cake for ebay insanity, AFAIC: http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-18th-Century...1QQcmdZViewItem

Just as he was about to get in, I spilled a *little* scalding coffee on him through the crack he had made between the plastic guard and the window frame - just enough to make him change his mind. Then I quickly yanked the air conditioner out of the window and slammed it shut. There was something wrong about that squirrel. Rabies? I actually was worried about that. The reason I mentioned it in my first post is that he seemed weirdly aggressive and determined for a squirrel - he kept showing his teeth and he was clawing at the plastic guard really hard. I thought it was a rat until I saw the tail. Just catching up on this thread, I'm surprised that he didn't just go ahead and chew through the plastic in the first place. If they can effortlessly tunnel through our heavy duty gutter guards, I'd think an AC accordian screen would be like a piece of spaghetti for one of 'em. He probably would have if I hadn't managed to get the AC out of the window in a hurry.

OK, now he's just taunting me. When I woke up this morning, I found him sleeping on the window sill.

The little POS came back last night... he kept charging into the window glass. I'm telling you, this squirrel isn't right. I'm going to drench the window sill in tobasco sauce; maybe then he'll get the hint.

Just as he was about to get in, I spilled a *little* scalding coffee on him through the crack he had made between the plastic guard and the window frame - just enough to make him change his mind. Then I quickly yanked the air conditioner out of the window and slammed it shut. There was something wrong about that squirrel. Rabies? I actually was worried about that. The reason I mentioned it in my first post is that he seemed weirdly aggressive and determined for a squirrel - he kept showing his teeth and he was clawing at the plastic guard really hard. I thought it was a rat until I saw the tail.

When I moved into my current apartment, three years ago, I didn't take the cable with me. I've been without TV that whole time. With the money I save on the cable bill, I can buy or rent any of the shows I want to see when they come out on DVD anyway (that just means the HBO series plus South Park). I'd say that and cutting back my time on the net have improved my life a lot (the later observation may not be be popular around here - no offense intended).

Just as he was about to get in, I spilled a *little* scalding coffee on him through the crack he had made between the plastic guard and the window frame - just enough to make him change his mind. Then I quickly yanked the air conditioner out of the window and slammed it shut. There was something wrong about that squirrel.

I was just wondering what he would do...well, would've done...if you'd walked toward the window with your cat at the end of your outstretched hands. I tried that. I ended up with a new set of claw marks on my arm. I think the squirrel was a little too big of a foe for my cat to go after before it got on his territroy, but if the squirrel had gotten in, there would have been a fight.

Unfortunately, BW, this thing came to a head before your suggestion and I had to take drastic measures. The squirrel is gone - he's still alive, but I doubt I'll be getting a medal from PETA.

Not sure... but if he does he doesn't seem to care. Oddly, my cat doesn't seem too phased either, and we're talking about a cat that slams into the fire escape window every time a bird lands out there.

Second floor, but the window faces an inaccessible air shaft (damn if I know what he's doing out there...)

OK, so I have one of those window air conditioners with the flimsy expanding plastic accordion guards that fills up the window space, as shown in the link below: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...6lr%3D%26sa%3DN There is now a big squirrel on the ledge of my air conditioner window hell bent on getting into my apartment, and he's getting pretty close. I live in an open apartment with a cat, so if he gets in I'm going to have a very ugly episode of Wild Kingdom playing itself out in my living room. Any ideas on getting rid of the squirrel? I obviously can't take the air conditioner out to close the window. I've tried making a lot of noise (roaring, stomping my feet), but that just gets him to stop pushing on the accordian guard for a little while... it doesn't make him go away. I'd prefer to avoid hurting the squirrel, but if I have to I will (the risk of rabies, bites, and injuries to my cat are all larger concerns to me than the wellfare of the squirrel, but I'm not completely heartless). Thanks for any ideas.

Thanks guys... I've been mostly a lurker for the past year or so, but I still get a lot out of these forums.

I walked by tonight after I got out of work (around 10PM). There was what looked like a four to five hour wait just to get into the store. Even worse than the Union Square Trader Joe's. The entrance is even more impressive in person than in the pictures.

Four years ago they were lucky to get 5000 fans at a home game.

He's talking about variational calculus, although he's not doing a very good job of it.

Hey, don't take it the wrong way. Some of my best friends are pricks.