What a quagmire.
We got involved in what should have been a simple “humanitarian” relief effort. Providing food for the less fortunate. A real feel good project.
We set up several drop off points to ensure direct aid to those most in need.
The locals were happy…at first.
Then the warlords moved in and seized most of the supplies.
We’re now on the brink of war.
Kinder, gentler members prefer tactics that prevent the warlords from gaining access to the supplies. But the budget is already stretched to meet these charitable efforts and any additional resources will reduce the amount of actual relief given.
Additional troops have been brought in to assist in defending key distribution points.
Some ideas are just simply not viable.
Unfortunately, certain members are strongly urging for a more permanent solution.
Only one thing is certain: we’re in this for the long haul. There is no “quick-fix” solution, no “get-in-get-out” answer. We can only hope that, over time, we can win the hearts and minds of the locals who will either help defend against the warlords or help convert them to a more equitable distribution of the goods.
Your prayers, in this time of crisis, are appreciated.
Reit This Way 
It’s a matter of Peacekeeping Operations(PKO) verses Peace Enforcement Operations. In either case, there are some parties that cannot be expected to alter their behavior. They get schwacked. I’ll use biodegradable pellets to minimize collateral damage to avian non-combatants.see < HREF="https://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB348.pdf" REL="nofollow">here<> and < HREF="http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/pellet.pl?pellet_id=554" REL="nofollow">here<>
This was awesome.Very clever…🙂
Big Brother likes the Daisy solution, as you probably guessed.I had to get a “squirrel proof” feeder, which basically means “squirrels can eat out of it and spill half the food, but they can’t chew through the thing and ruin it.” I settled for that after I lost 3 feeders to those rats with bushy tails.Rumor has it that putting vaseline on the pole/line holding the feeder will make the squirrel slip off. I haven’t tried that.
This post was funny. Sad thing is we have no big trees in my yard, so we can’t really hang bird feeders. I will have to search for some ideas for that. My dad would have been aiding the enemy….he had a pet squirrel before I was born, said it was his best pet ever!! LOL
Michelle,I absolutely love my bird feeder poles that I got at the Wild Bird Center. There are several of these stores around. They are not cheap but they have been 100% squirrel proof. Basically it is a large pole with a tube baffler on it. You then put shepherd hooks on top and hang your feeders from them. I have one pole with three hooks and one pole with two hooks. The key is to put them far enough away from overhanging branches that squirrels can attack from above. They absolutely cannot climb the pole.
This should be circulated…I love it.( My sister in law is enjoying the book you recommended by the way.)
That’s too funny! Just nuke ’em! 🙂
Very funny. Don’t those squirrels drive you nuts? (no pun intended) I’ve never liked them.
Laura, glad your SIL is finding the book useful!Denise, Bill has been to a Wild Bird Center twice. The boys especially love the feeders that throw the squirrels off, and Bill thinks they would be great on top of our second story deck. It’s just a matter of budgeting. But a pole for the front yard is moving up to the top of the priority list.
Aww. I’ve always been fond of squirrels, but that might have something to do with my never having been especially partial to birds… 😉
Let us know if, ten years or so hence, you find one of the warlords sporting a bushy white beard and practicing alternative medicine… 😉
LOL…thanks for the laugh! In Kentucky our dog kept the squirls at bay. One day he got a hold of one and shook it to death. The neighbor boy was very distraught, ran over to let us know, and was insenced we didn’t punish the dog for such an atrocity…No we went out and cheered him on, “atta boy!”
My dad has been suffering for years from Post Traumatic Squirrel Disorder so I’ve been involved in the battle for some time. He keeps about 20 feeders at any given time in his yard and is prone to screaming at the windows and swearing his vengeance in the middle of a conversation in the kitchen. I’ve been meaning to order this thing for him for years since I saw a video at the mall:http://www.yankeeflipper.com/droll/index.cfmLaugh in the face of the enemy!
Don’t even get me started on the local squirrels. They’ve ravished my garden and I’m MAD!
Hilarious! I’ll share this with my guys who tend to favor Roman candles and firecrackers!
Oh, my guys like Super-soakers too!