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Business: Cleaner
Icicle Sniper   (+6, -2)  [vote for, against]
aka S.I.S.

Situations Vacant: "Icicle Sniper and Catcher Team"

Large icicles falling from tall buildings are a serious hazard. They are totally unpredictable and deaths have resulted. This presents the opportunity for the creation of the Icicle Sniper and Catcher Team.

Once alerted, the sniper will shoot off the dangerous icicles using wooden or plastic bullets (to ensure no collateral damage from ricochets). The waiting Catchers minimise any damage from the falling ice by positioning (where possible) an intercepting vessel (probably a large metal funnel shaped structure mounted on the back of specially adapted vehicle.
-- xenzag, Dec 26 2010

Death By Icicle http://gogreentrave...-killed-by-icicles/
[xenzag, Dec 26 2010]

Streets closed because of dangerous icicles http://www.citytv.c...ces-fall-from-above
[xenzag, Dec 26 2010]

Chicago Icicle hazard http://articles.chi...s-buildings-warming
[xenzag, Dec 26 2010]

UK's coldest winter on record (so far) http://www.independ...ntists-2168418.html
caused by man made global warming [xenzag, Dec 26 2010]

Death by winter http://news.smh.com...20101224-1977d.html
[xenzag, Dec 28 2010]

The shape of rain... and why. http://www.suite101...drops-round-a189153
[MikeD, Dec 28 2010]

knifethrowing.info: weight and center of gravity http://www.knifethr...enterofgravity.html
Throwing knives [rcarty, Dec 28 2010]

Why shoot with wooden bullets when you could shoot with ice bullets?
-- mitxela, Dec 26 2010


//They are totally unpredictable//

Well, not quite. You can narrow it down to winter (in most places), and you can further predict that it will only be a problem when there are icicles overhead. This already puts you far, far ahead of the predictability of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and buses.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 26 2010


read the info in the links.... ok Max let's see you stand under them if you think they are not a big problem.... and I'll go with the buses of which you compare them.
-- xenzag, Dec 26 2010


My thinking precactly. And, in any case, this idea will be rendered redundant thanks to global warming. Already, England has seen two of the warmest consecutive winters in the last century.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 26 2010


The unpredictability is only in the time domain. It is possible to say where they will impact with a fair degree of accuracy, just not when.

Still, [+] for shooting at buildings for no particularly good reason.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 26 2010


//this idea will be rendered redundant thanks to global warming// - I think not. Read the last link.

This article refers to (inter alia) the UK's crumbling infrastructure which has significantly failed to cope with the snow and sub-zero temperatures, but we do have the best snipers in the world, and we should be able to cope well with the coming icicle invasion.

The trains don't run; the planes don't fly; the cars can't drive so folk have to walk... we need those icicles brought down!! Send in the S.I.S.
-- xenzag, Dec 26 2010


That's what we find so entertaining about you humans ... you have no idea how your biosphere operates, do you ?

Please, don't stop. You're already the basis of a major entertainment franchise ....
-- 8th of 7, Dec 26 2010


Groucho: Say, it's kinda chilly in here. You turn on the steam?

Chico (as building manager): Sure, I'a turna onna da heating. Dat'sa why you feela da cold!

Groucho: Waidaminute. I feel cold because you turned on the heating?

Chico: Listen. I turna onna da heating. So, da pipes is'a getting hot. Da boiler is'a getting hot. Da radiator'sa getting hot.

Groucho: Go on. I'm waiting to see how you get out of this one.

Chico: Hey! You never heard of da conversation of energy?

Groucho: Let me guess. That's what we're having now, huh?

Chico: Nah, boss. Dis'a conversation of energy, it means when'a da radiator heats'a up, something gotta cool'a down. Dat'sa you boss.

Groucho: Well, one of us is crazy, that's for sure.

Harpo: *honk honk*

('Horse soup" 1952)
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 26 2010


I take it you've read: "A Horse by Any Other Name". By Duk Zupe
-- xenzag, Dec 26 2010


We read it, but we couldn't find the Sanity Clause.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 26 2010


Dat'sa coz you ain'ta gotta da codebook.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 26 2010


Most of the houses along my street have had icicles for some days now - the exeptions being the unheated ones. You can see which of the inhabited houses are the best insulated.
There's an icicle on the house 2 doors down from me which is *huge*.

I don't really have a point to make, I just wanted to mention how big this icicle is.
-- Loris, Dec 28 2010


Icles falling from a great enough distance will turn in midair to land like a waterdroplet: like 6 not like V.
-- rcarty, Dec 28 2010


// like a waterdroplet: like 6//

A common misconception. Your false assumption shall not be punished... This time.

<link>
-- MikeD, Dec 28 2010


I wasn't referring to water droplet formation but how an object's center of gravity will re-orientate it in air. [links]
-- rcarty, Dec 28 2010


I like it +
-- nomadic_wonderer, Dec 28 2010



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