in: jjcote; jjcote > 2008-03-06;
| # Posted 2008-03-07 22:56:07 | |
| Ratlaf: | All those "Ups" coming in handy!! |
| # Posted 2008-03-08 06:34:24 | |
| PBricker: | What's next: world dragging? The reference to Archimedes suggests that you used a lever. |
| # Posted 2008-03-08 08:35:31 | |
| jjcote: | It wasn't a lever, it was this other clever trick using a rope that I consider to be my favorite simple machine. I had once been told that it's called a "Spanish windlass", but I just looked that up, and it's something else altogether, so I don't know what my machine is called. It works on the principle that if you set up a straight rope under tension, and then push sideways on the midpoint of the rope, the tension increases enormously over a short distance. Tow-truck drivers use this trick to drag disabled cars onto a flatbed. |
| # Posted 2008-03-08 15:03:51 | |
| Charlie: | I was thinking a guy with the qualities of Arnold S and Archimedes is exactly the kind of guy I need to help me rebuild the stone wall I knocked down with the plow truck this winter. |
| # Posted 2008-03-08 21:05:00 | |
| PBricker: | For a more interesting stone wall, I would trade the Archimedes for a little Escher, or maybe Penrose. |
| # Posted 2008-03-09 00:33:32 | |
| Charlie: | Interesting is not the object here. There is one particularly large stone involved that does not respond well to the pushing of an aged actuary. |
| # Posted 2008-03-09 00:49:14 | |
| PBricker: | Pushing? Not a good strategy. I suspect J-J would be useful all right, but more for his knowledge of simple machines. Brains over brawn. |
| # Posted 2008-03-09 06:09:43 | |
| cmorse: | All that laurel wrangling gear at your disposal and you can't take care of one rock?? |
| # Posted 2008-03-09 22:45:29 | |
| Charlie: | Well, I can, but I have been laying off it while there was ice in the way. Will straighten it out when the weather is feeling right, or even more especially when someone with a little muscle power is hanging around and wanting to help. |
| # Posted 2008-03-10 02:02:15 | |
| Swampfox: | I hear Taxman has been bulking up massively over the winter. Why don't you have Hot Rhonda get him down for dinner some time and have him do a little pre-dinner rock moving? Warning: I think he likes to move at the least the equivalent of several African elephants during each session, so you might want to make sure your rock supply is up to the requirement. |
| # Posted 2008-03-10 03:25:24 | |
| jjcote: | Oh, I'm sure Rhonda could find plenty of rocks that she wanted to have shuffled around if need be. But only if Taxman is willing to charge exorbitant fees for the service. |
| # Posted 2008-03-10 03:49:06 | |
| PG: | Should be no problem. Just as long as no cardiovascular work is required. |
| # Posted 2008-03-10 04:12:11 | |
| walk: | If the Taxman brought his elephants along, the rocks would be moved in no time at all. |
| # Posted 2008-03-10 04:20:04 | |
| PG: | 
If I'm going to have to bring along all 43 elephants, then my fees will definitely be exorbitant, even by Ratlum Mountain standards. |
| # Posted 2008-03-10 06:04:13 | |
| Charlie: | Alas, the rocks got moved this afternoon. I wandered out to the shed and found a nice steel pry bar and jollied the big one into position, then lifted the others into place around it. Good as new, so to speak. We can find some other rocks for the elephants to move, and Rhonda will probably plant a patch of bamboo or something for them to eat while they're here. |
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