DiscussMormonism.com

Sethbag wrote:(channeling Why Me)
Well for one, it's often been claimed that tossing kittens into a wood chipper is bad, but upon considering the evidence upon which this claim was made, I find there are holes in it. Nobody has yet proven conclusively that tossing kittens into a wood chipper is bad.

Runtu wrote:

Sethbag wrote:(channeling Why Me)
Well for one, it's often been claimed that tossing kittens into a wood chipper is bad, but upon considering the evidence upon which this claim was made, I find there are holes in it. Nobody has yet proven conclusively that tossing kittens into a wood chipper is bad.

Channeling a certain FARMS contributor from New Zealand:

Better men than you will ever be have tossed kittens into a wood chipper, and they haven't resorted to lies and mean-spirited bigotry, which is all you have going for you, you lowlife pond scum.

A tree chipper or wood chipper is a machine used for reducing wood (generally tree limbs or trunks) into smaller parts, such as wood chips or sawdust. They are often portable, being mounted on wheels on frames suitable for towing behind a truck or van. Power is generally provided by an internal combustion engine from 3 to 1,000 horsepower.

Tree chippers are typically made of a hopper with a collar, the chipper mechanism itself, and an optional collection bin for the chips. A tree limb is inserted into the hopper (the collar serving as a partial safety mechanism to keep human body parts away from the chipping blades) and started into the chipping mechanism. The chips exit through a chute and can be directed into a truck-mounted container or onto the ground. Typical output is chips on the order of one to two inches across in size. The resulting wood chips have various uses such as being spread as a ground cover or being fed into a digester during papermaking.

Woodchippers rely on energy stored in a heavy flywheel to do their work. The chipping blades are mounted on the face of the flywheel, and the flywheel is accelerated by an electric motor or internal combustion engine. As large branches are consumed by the machine, the inertia of the flywheel causes it to gradually slow down; when the branch is consumed, the engine causes it to speed up again. This is what produces the rising and falling siren-like howl of these machines.

Large woodchippers frequently are equipped with grooved rollers in the throat of their feed funnels. Once a branch has been gripped by the rollers, the operator lets go of it and the rollers transport the branch to the chipping blades at a steady rate.

Chipper Styles

Drum Chippers

A modern drum chipper "Bandit Industries Model 1290H"
An Asplundh "Whisper Chipper."The first commercially marketed chippers were of a design that was drum-based. They are still produced and sold today. The chipping mechanism in a drum style chipper is large steel drum powered by the motor, usually by a belt. It is mounted parallel to the hopper and spins towards the output chute. The drum also serves as the feed mechanism, drawing the material through as it chips it. This caused it to be colloquially known as a "chuck-and-duck" chipper, because material would start moving through the chipper very quickly as soon as it made contact with the drum.

These chippers have many downsides. The drum-style chipper is not as safe as newer designs. If an operator becomes snagged on material being fed into the machine, injury or death is almost certain. These chippers are also very loud. The chips produced can be very large, and if thin material is inserted, it may be cut into slivers rather than chips. Finally, since the drum cannot be disengaged from the engine, if too large or too long material is fed through the machine, it will stall, usually with the material stuck firmly in the drum.

Newer models have overcome many of these disadvantages with reversible hydraulic feed wheels automatically controlled with the digitalAuto-Feed Plus® and muffling systems. The reversible feed system allows the newer style drum chippers to handle larger diameter materials.

Modern Drum-style chippers usually have a material capacity of 6 to 19 inches.


Disk Chippers
A newer chipper design employs a steel disk with knives mounted upon it as the chipping mechanism. In this design, (usually) reversible hydraulically powered wheels draw the material from the hopper towards the disk, which is mounted on a perpendicular angle to the incoming material. As the disk spins, the knives cut the material into chips. They are thrown out the chute by flanges on the drum. This design is not as energy-efficient as the drum-style design, but produces chips of more uniform shape and size. Most chippers currently used by commercial tree care companies are of this type.

Disk-style chippers usually have a material diameter capacity of 6 to 24 inches.

Other Styles
Much larger machines for wood processing exist. "Whole tree chippers" and "Recyclers," which can typically handle material diameters of two to six feet, may employ drums, disks, or a combination of both. The largest machines used in wood processing, often called "Tub Grinders," may handle a material diameter of eight feet or greater, and used carbide tipped flail hammers to pulverize wood rather than cut it. These machines usually have 200 to 1,000 horsepower. Some are so heavy that they must be moved by a semi-trailer truck.Smaller models can be pulled with a medium duty truck.


Chipper Knives
Although chippers vary greatly in size, style, and capacity, the knives they use are all very similar. They are rectangular in shape and are usually four to six inches across by six to twelve inches long. They vary in thickness from about one-half to two inches. Chipper knives are made from high grade steel, and usually contain a minimum of 8% chromium for hardness.


Chipper Controls
Chippers were controlled by various means since their inception. However the harsh application and environment caused an incredible lack of reliablilty and performance. In 1999, Kurt Snider developed a proportional start/stop auto feed control that was tested by Morbark. Although this was the first digital feed control for this type of machinery, the net result was sawdust. The following summer, Kurt produced the first digital, programmable, reversing control with a LED display, Auto-Feed Plus®. This control eliminated the self feeding of material into the feed wheels when the engine bogged down. In addition, this technology, by enabeling the machine to stop and reverse the feed wheels after the engine RPM's drop to a pre-determined set point, saves on knife wear, clutch wear, adds to the overall longeivity of the machine. This technology has so reveloutionized the industry, virtually every north american manufacuturer of tree chippers and most world wide, now use some variation of reversing auto feed.


Chippers in popular culture
A famous (or infamous, depending on one's perspective) use of a tree chipper is the scene in the Joel and Ethan Coen movie Fargo in which a tree chipper is used to dispose of a body. ( "Wood chipper. Unauthorized use" - The four-word film review)
In the 1996 film Rumble in the Bronx, there is a (largely offscreen) scene where a wood chipper is used by Mafia members to execute a double-crossing gang member.
In an episode of The Bernie Mac Show, Bernie hired Jordan to destroy Baby Girl's doll, which she has become obsessed with. After considering many alternatives (like baking it on the outdoor grill), Jordan throws the doll in a woodchipper.
In the video game, Punisher, the beginning of the zoo level allows the player an opportunity to feed a mobster (feet first) into a wood chipper.
In Final Destination 3, on the Choose Their Fate mode, there is a newspaper article that is about the deaths of Kimberly Corman and Officer Thomas Burke, who were both pulled into a malfunctioning woodchipper.

The term kitten (Old English diminutive of cat) most commonly refers to a young domesticated cat.

The young of species in the genus Panthera and of some other big cats are called cubs rather than kittens. Either term may be used for the young of smaller wild felids such as ocelots, caracals, and lynx, but "kitten" is usually more common for these species. Groups of domestic kittens


Birth and development

A litter of kittens, aged one dayA litter of kittens usually consists of three to six kittens. Born after approximately 63 days of gestation[citation needed], kittens emerge in an amnion which is bitten off and eaten by the mother cat. For the first several weeks, kittens are unable to urinate or defecate without being stimulated by their mother. They are also unable to regulate their body temperature for the first three weeks, so kittens born in temperatures less than 27 °C (80 °F) are at risk for death from exposure if they are not kept warm by their mother. The mother's milk is very important for the kittens' nutrition, so if possible, the kitten should not be taken from their mother for at least 5 to 6 weeks after birth. The kitten is otherwise more likely to get infected with a disease.


A kitten that has opened its eyes for the first time.Kittens open their eyes about seven to ten days following birth. At first, the retina is poorly developed and vision is poor. Kittens are not able to see as well as adult cats for about three months after birth.

Kittens develop very quickly from about two weeks of age until their seventh week. Their coordination and strength improve, they play-fight with their litter-mates, and begin to explore the world outside the nest. They learn to wash themselves and others as well as play hunting and stalking games. The kittens' mother or other adult cats present may demonstrate hunting techniques for them to emulate.

As they reach one month of age, the kittens are gradually weaned and begin to eat solid food. Kittens live primarily on solid food after weaning, but usually continue to suckle from time to time until separated from their mothers. Some mother cats will scatter their kittens as early as three months of age, while others continue to look after them until they approach sexual maturity.


A litter of Manx kittensThe gender of kittens is usually easy to determine within the age of approximately six to eight weeks, although it is possible to do so sooner. The male's urethral opening is round, whereas the female's is a slit. Another marked difference is the distance between anus and urethral opening, which is greater in males than in females.

Kittens are highly social animals and spend most of their waking hours interacting with available animals. Kittens are more vulnerable to harm because they like to find dark places to hide; the results can be fatal if the kitten is not watched carefully. Although domestic kittens are commonly sent to new homes at six to eight weeks of age, some experts believe that being with its mother and litter mates from six to twelve weeks is important for a kitten's behavioral development. [citation needed] Usually, breeders will not sell a kitten that is younger than twelve weeks, and in many jurisdictions, it is illegal to give away kittens younger than a certain age (usually between eight and twelve weeks).[citation needed]

Caring for domestic kittens
Kittens require a diet higher in protein and fat than adult cats do.[1] From weaning until about one year of age they should be fed a diet specifically formulated for kittens. Kittens can be touched or held when a lot of fur is visible and kitten(s) are walking. Most veterinarians recommend that kittens be vaccinated against common illnesses beginning at 2-3 months of age (FVRCP 8 weeks; FVRCP 12 weeks; FVRCP, rabies and sterilization at 16 weeks) and spayed or neutered at 4-8 months of age.[citation needed] Some veterinarians will spay or neuter kittens as young as 6-8 weeks and weighing at least 2 pounds (approx. 1 kg); the practice is particularly common in animal shelters so that kittens can get into the adoption area sooner.[citation needed] Kittens should also be wormed against roundworms at about 4 weeks.


A ginger kitten.Orphaned kittens too young to eat solid food may be fed a cat milk replacement formula every two to four hours. Kittens should not be fed cow's milk because it does not provide all of the necessary nutrients and they are unable to digest lactose, and it may cause diarrhea.[1] Orphaned kittens not urinating or defecating must be stimulated to do so after each meal by rubbing with a warm, damp washcloth at the base of their spine where the tail begins.[2] This is vital to the kitten's survival. It is best to leave a kitten with its mother if at all possible. Kittens fed bottled milk, especially single kittens, tend to have behavioral issues (no bite inhibition) when they get older.[citation needed] If a kitten develops diarrhea, the best treatment is to seek advice from a veterinarian. The kitten may need to be de-wormed with a de-wormer at 6-8 weeks old and then again 2 weeks later.