DrMomentum
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Another "explosive" Cache Discovery
DrMomentum replied to DrMomentum's topic in General geocaching topics
I agree with Renegade Knight. A number of factors will not have any effect on whether your cache is blown up. Container type, permission and markings won't necessarily do it. If you don't want to cause a stir, make your cache tough for muggles to find. If it's only natural that a muggle is going to find your cache because of where you've placed it, then maybe you picked a bad place. Also: rehide carefully! Do not try to make a cache easier for the next people. You may inadvertently be causing trouble if you don't rehide well enough. -
Another "explosive" Cache Discovery
DrMomentum replied to DrMomentum's topic in General geocaching topics
I'm thinking of your last spray painting experience and trying ot square that with the word "easy." However, I agree. There are a number of things you really have to think about for a hide. It doesn't hurt to take a look at your location and your cache and just think: "how suspicious does this look?" and "what will happen as soon as some official finds this?" I have not had explicit permission for any of my hides, so that excludes me from marking my caches with a note such as PlasteredDragon suggests. All I can do is leave identifying info. Which, really, ought to be enough for my hides. Nobody would really want to blow up any place where I've hidden my caches. My caches are more likely to be mistaken for "drug stashes" -- whatever that is. It seems that whatever the predominant fear of the community is, that's how people will interpret an unknown container. While it certainly is possible that a bomber might leave a bomb in the places geocachers hide caches (and law enforcement has to treat these finds professionally), look at what the Unabomber did. He didn't hide his bombs in strange places. An exploding notebook placed on a desk in a computer lab. An exploding 2x4 with nails through it placed in a parking space as if it is there ot puncture tires. An exploding shopping bag placed where the customers of a computer store would walk by. He camoflaged them as other items and placed them where regular folks would definitely touch them (exactly the opposite of what a geocacher does). -JP -
Another "explosive" Cache Discovery
DrMomentum replied to DrMomentum's topic in General geocaching topics
You know, I was thinking of putting "THIS IS A TERRORIST BOMB" stickers all over my next hide, but this story has really made me rethink that. See, news is useful sometimes. -JP -
See: Game’s prize cache sparks bomb scare in De Pere park Police blow open ammo can with ‘explosives’ on it Why would a cache be labeled "explosives" -- or was it just leftover markings on an ammo can that they're talking about? I'm "troubled" by this comment: Of course, it was marked... it was apparently marked "explosives!" My caches are both hidden so that they could not arouse suspicion and marked with basic identifying information in case they are not rehidden as found. I think law enforcement has enough to deal with. I disagree, though, with the opinion the folks quoted in the article express about caches on public land. -JP
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I used 1/8" cable to secure the tag to my first TB (as of yet unreleased). As an added measure, I used Gorilla Glue inside the ferrule before I crimped it. It's holding really tight. A drop or two of Gorilla Glue could work on the clasp of one of those chains as well. Epoxy is nice in that it cures faster, but I can drip Gorilla Glue inside places I can't seem to get epoxy, like inside a small ferrule. -JP
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Rubbing alcohol dissolves latex paint. Baby oil dissolves rubber. That's not pertinent to repelling insects, or how safe those substances are to use. When there could be serious medical consequences, I'm a lot more comfortable with the tests published in a peer reviewed medical journal. As far as Avon's products go, 9 minutes of effectiveness doesn't cut it for me. Not hardly. As always, YMMV. But if I sold Avon and I was telling folks to use it around here, I'd feel pretty bad knowing the results of that study when there have been 3 confirmed cases of triple-E in the last month or so. When it's just itchiness, it doesn't seem like a big deal. When it's disease, I start feeling like Avon is irresponsible for pushing the product. On the bright side, I hear the cases of West Nile have dropped this year. I have no idea if that is a result of better preparedness (if so, I guess all mosquito-borne illness would be down). -JP
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Ever Logged, Then Returned To The Same Cache?
DrMomentum replied to FreeFloat's topic in How do I...?
If I owned a cache, I'd view a concientious repeat-visitor as a boon. Especially if he were putting things into the cache for others to find, or doing other things that enhance the cache. As a cache owner, I would like to see a note about it, though, in the logs. It seems only polite to me to let the owner know as much about the traffic to his cache as possible. It seems especially helpful information if the cache hasn't been logged by anyone in an extended period of time. But even if not, I think cache owners appreciate logging. -JP -
For me, geocaching is the journey. I appreciate if a cache owner sends me a hint after I log a DNF. That's part of the journey, too. If I had to call for a hint (haven't done that yet) again, part of the journey. If people are honestly describing their personal journey in the logs, then it seems all good to me! That's why DNFs are important. They're not embarassing, they're an important part of the story. Lies and ommisions make for a boring, hollow story. So I couldn't care less about hints. Attempting good logs is more important. -JP
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For children, you can use a lower concentration of DEET. From what I understand, that works, but works for less time. Our parents sprayed the heck out of us with OFF and I've never heard of lingering effects. Doesn't mean for certain that it is safe, but we've had local deaths from EEE lately so I'll take my chances with DEET. And since EEE kills kids more readily than it kills adults (dead jsut a few days after the bite and there is no cure) I'll happily coat my kids with reasonable concentrations of DEET to prevent infection. I guess it's up to every person and parent to assess the risks as they see fit. For me, I couldn't live with myself if my daughter dropped dead from EEE a few days after I took her geocaching. Locally, I've never heard of DEET having a human impact. That's how I arrived at my conclusion. YMMV. I reduce the kids' exposure to DEET by making them wear long sleeves and pants. We put rubber bands around the cuffs of the pants for ticks and I spray their clothes. That's less skin to spray (which also makes it harder to miss a spot). The better your preparation, the clearer a mind you take on your adventure and the more enjoyment. And we look forward to the first frost. Cheers, -JP
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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
DrMomentum replied to AuntieWeasel's topic in General geocaching topics
I'm new, so I'm naive. It puzzles me that Letterboxers (and letterboxes) and Geocachers (and their caches) don't get along swimmingly. Like I said: naive. -JP -
My FIL has one of those Cannon Digital Rebels, which is way beyond my price range. However, my BIL has one of these: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?ty...86920993&cmp=++ It's got a 10X optical, and he gets good results with it. You can get it cheaper than $400 if you look around, but it's still pricey for my budget. However, for the features, it's a good buy. If someone were to throw some money my way, I'd buy it. Currently I use a much cheaper 3.2 megapixel camera, and 3.2 seems like plenty of pixels. Much better than my printer can print. For screen use it exceeds what I need. But I'd really like to have more control over aperature, shutter speed, and zoom if I can get it sometime int he near future. The Canon above seems a decent compromise. -JP
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I'd love to come across a cache and at the same time discover a new artist. I used to listen to a cool radio station online before they shut it down for what I believe were Digital Millenium Copyright Act reasons. I was buying CDs like nuts--more than when I had been a teenager. Since the crackdown I haven't bought one CD. That web station is no longer on the air. I don't hear much new music that interests me and I'm disgusted enough by the money grubbing and "example making" of the music industry that I am unmotivated to give them my money just so they can pass a few cents along to the artist. Anywho, if I found a CD in a cache I would definitely play it on my MP3 CD player. If I found a new artist, I would be ecstatic. I would benefit and the new artist would benefit when I bought their CD and when I told my friends about it. We pay for our music, but sometimes we need to find it first. It seems like a win/win to me. I love music. If I'm finding music inside a rotten log, I get to combine two passions. -JP
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Inappropriate Items Left In Cache
DrMomentum replied to Bobfireman's topic in General geocaching topics
I was geocaching the other day and not 30 feet from the cache was some poison ivy! On the other side of the cache about 50 feet away we encountered a hornet and some blood-sucking mosquitos. Skeeters in this area have been known to carry EEE which has killed at least 2 people in the last month within 30 miles of my home. Finally, surrounding the cache were a bunch of pointed sticks. We ran screaming from the woods in fear for our lives, never to return. Life can be dangerous! Obviously we're going to have disagreements regarding what is appropriate. I cache with young children and I don't have a problem with matches. But knowing that some people have a problem with them, I won't put them in a cache anymore. I put them in once, was chided in a log, and I got the message. It's not going to ruin my day not to put matches in a cache and I want to be a friendly community cacher, so I will adjust. It seems to me that reasonable people can disagree on the matches issue. But I was puzzled at one comment in a log I saw recently. A friend of mine left a tiny bottle of "bubbles" in a cache. You know, soapy water and a bubble wand in a tiny tight-closing mini bottle. After she left the bubbles in a cache, a subsequent cacher removed them and called them "inappropriate." That puzzled me. I probably should email this person, but I don't want to seem dim, or come off as argumentative. As a beginner, I really do want to know. Can anyone tell me why this is inappropriate contents of a cache? My only guess is that it contains moisture (even though it is well-contained). Certainly, it doesn't seem dangerous. On the moisture/leakage issue, another nearby cache contains a spray bottle of 100% DEET and I haven't heard any complaints about that cache item. In fact, the person who left the log on the bubbles has visited the cache with the DEET in it. DEET is just as moist and a lot less "non-toxic" than some water with glycerine and detergent in it. So I'm back at square 1. The bubbles were also a fraction of an ounce in size, and the DEET was much larger and appeared at least as prone to leakage. As a result, I have refrained from putting bubbles into caches because obviously some folks out there object. My daughters were disappointed, because they came up with the idea independently of this other friend. It would be nice if I could tell them why bubbles are so evil. Peace, -JP