I found this in the Albuquerque Journal and I had to share it with you. - John

Q: How would you suggest I control raccoons around my property? They get in the garbage and otherwise make a nuisance of themselves. -R. T ., Albuquerque

A: I have no idea how to control them, other than by keeping regular food sources, such as pet food, away from them. I have three young male raccoons come by my place every night to indulge in cat food and apples, but they aren't a nuisance and have never bothered the garbage. Personally I enjoy them.

However, I will mention one control method that ought never be attempted, as demonstrated by one less than scholarly resident of rural Carbon County, Pa. According to a story widely circulated on the Internet, a "Mr. Smith" (name has been changed to protect the stupid) and a group of men were drinking beer and discharging firearms from the rear deck of Smith's home. The men were firing at a raccoon that was wandering by, but the beer apparently impaired their aim, and despite the estimated 35 rounds fired, the animal escaped into a 3-foot diameter drainage pipe some 100 feet from Smith's deck.
Determined to terminate the animal, Smith, 27, retrieved a can of gasoline and poured some down the drain, intending to smoke the raccoon out. After several unsuccessful attempts to ignite the fuel, Smith emptied the entire 5-gallon can down the pipe and tried to ignite it again, to no avail. Not one to admit defeat by wildlife, the determined Mr. Smith proceeded to slide feet-first 15 feet into the sloping pipe to toss the match. The subsequent rapidly expanding fireball propelled Mr. Smith back the way he had come, though at a much higher rate of speed.

He exited the angled pipe "like a Polaris missile leaves a submarine," according to one witness. Smith was launched directly over his own home, right over the heads of his astonished friends, onto his front lawn. In all, he traveled more than 200 feet by air. "There was a Doppler Effect to his scream as he flew over us, followed by a loud thud," the witness recalled.

Amazingly, Smith suffered only minor injuries.

There was no word about the raccoon.

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Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. (AMEX:OMR) is a public company founded by deep-ocean shipwreck pioneers John Morris and Greg Stemm. The company specializes in shipwreck search, recovery and marketing on a worldwide basis, combining cutting-edge technology with extensive research and sound archaeological practices.

"After careful deliberation and due diligence, we are pleased to have chosen Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS) and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as the exclusive conservation and grading services for this historic event," said John Morris, Odyssey co-founder and CEO. "The fact that these companies are the official services of the American Numismatic Association, coupled with their complete, hands-off, independent standing within the numismatic community, made this choice an easy one. We look forward to presenting these historic coins to the numismatic world in NGC and NCS packaging."

Odyssey's decision was based both on the status of NCS and NGC as the ANA's official conservation and grading services and the two companies' unique ability to handle the Republic coins from raw material to finished product. Only NCS and NGC have the skilled professionals already on staff to determine proper conservation techniques for revealing the beauty of these coins and stabilizing their surfaces for long-term preservation, as well as establish their correct condition grade for ultimate placement with collectors. NCS and NGC combined are a complete numismatic service organization: NCS is the only professional conservation service specializing in coins and other numismatic items, while NGC is the largest independent coin grading service in the world, having certified more than ten million collectable coins.

More detailed information about the discovery and salvage of SS Republic, as well as a number of photographs, may be found at Odyssey Marine Exploration's website, www.shipwreck.net. As the project develops, NCS will highlight some of the coins with before and after photographs on its own website, www.NCSCoin.com.

In the days of sail, a boatswain was court-martialled for murdering a sailor. It seemed he had knocked the man on the head and thrown his body over the side. He said the man had deserted, and swum ashore. His defending officer made a lot of the fact that no body had been found.

"In fact," he said, "The sailor has just been arrested by the press gang, and they will now bring him in."   He pointed to the cabin door, and the judges followed his direction.

After thirty seconds, nothing happened. He lowered his arm and said, "Gentlemen, I confess that he has not been found - but you all waited to see if he would appear. You must therefore have some doubt that he is dead, and so you must not convict."

The court martial continued, and eventually the court was cleared for the five judges withdrew to discuss their verdict. There seemed no doubt, but the most junior judge (who must give his opinion first) said firmly, "Guilty."

"Nonsense," said the Admiral, "We all looked at the door. How can you have no doubt?"

"We all looked at the door, sir, but the boatswain didn't"