Comments for What? A Whatziss? No! [updated]

What? A Whatziss? No! [updated]

2010-02-01T13:06:32Z

That's it. That's all ya get. Run with it.

Update: The Whatzis continues.

Comment from Grimmy on 2010-02-03

2010-02-03T13:13:37Z

Field expedient bastinado kit?

Comment from Blake Kirk on 2010-02-02

2010-02-02T18:11:50Z

Components for a field-expedient launcher for a B-12 rocket?

I mean, all you need at this point is a large piece of bamboo that's been halved. Oh, and a B-12 rocket....

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-02-02

2010-02-02T14:04:47Z

You guys are on a roll. *I'm* having fun, anyway!

The Whatzis continues - click here.

Comment from Justthisguy on 2010-02-02

2010-02-02T06:51:25Z

The rope was used to lash those sticks into a pair of shear legs, back when. When the need for that was over, The Donovan salvaged the rope for sentimental reasons. Lately, he noticed that the sticks were still around, mouldering away, and thought to use them to make this picture, so as to mess with our minds.

Comment from Justthisguy on 2010-02-02

2010-02-02T06:42:50Z

Alright, let's think logically here. The Donovan says that the rope is old, but it's obviously well-preserved. The sticks look, well, rotten. The sticks are laid out parallel next to each other. We do not know how long the sticks are.

Comment from Argent on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T05:56:29Z

Those twigs look like they couldn't hold a budgerigar. Pity, somethign along Murray's line would be interesting.

I'm gunna go for super expedient. Could be all sorts of stuff. Do you smoke the grass to make it work?

Comment from Eagle1 on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T03:46:21Z

Navy rope, Army sticks= clothes line

Comment from AFSister on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T02:53:22Z

Ah ha! Brome. I knew I didn't recognize it as "normal" grass.

Comment from Beth Donovan on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T02:41:09Z

Dbie - the grass in that part of the farm is Brome. A great grass hay that we use to feed the horses, goats and bunnies.

Comment from Justthisguy on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T01:56:07Z

The jump-rope and sticks which yer neighbor girl kids used to use, when you lived in the city.

Comment from JamesLee on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T01:44:25Z

Well, I'm going to take a stab at it.

I say it's what remains of a long-ago seige engine, like a HUGE crossbow. Obviously the rope is the bowstring, and the sticks are very old hickory. One would be the bow itself, the other, idunno, maybe a cocking, or release tool. Or perhaps the flaming torch the bow would try to throw over the castle walls.

John, have you had an encroachment of Vikings lately?

(actually, the bark on those, although rotted and falling off, does somewhat look like hickory to me, but then again, I've been stuck in the stinkin' city for the last 20 years)

Comment from jsallison on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T01:27:51Z

The components of a very poorly designed nunchaku for a really big dude(ette). Or a very lame response for wife-unit's call for more firewood.

Comment from NevadaDailySteve on 2010-02-01

2010-02-02T00:04:30Z

Y'all are way off. I've got this nailed, it's a thong hammock. You pound the two sticks in the ground with the rope stretched between them and lay down and balance on the rope.

Tim,

You say: OK. We got the rope, we got the tree, anybody seen that damn journalist?

Wavy wavy, here I am.

Comment from J.M. Heinrichs on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T23:57:59Z

It's a study in preparation for an exhibit at the MOMA.

Cheers

Comment from RoyK on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T22:53:55Z

Ah yes! The makings of a hasty bipod for a field expedient red leg anti-armor shot.

Could also be adapted for ice fishing though. YMMV.

Comment from Lt on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T22:39:24Z

I guess MacGyver got shot by the natives before he was able to impress us by making a GPS out of that stuff?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T22:26:19Z

I never *said* I was using it now, for that purpose, either.

Pllpppttttt!

Comment from Mike L on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T22:19:38Z

Not to point out the obviious, but....... Swiss seat works for me. Your, er, "SHADOW" wasn't quite what it is now, in your cadet days. I know - room to talk, etc. Just sayin'.

Comment from Martin Morehouse on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T21:47:29Z

Entirely too improvised. You need McElderry's mule litter, as used in the Modoc Wars, for your collection, if you need to recover casualties from the lower forty. books.google.com/books

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T20:13:12Z

They sure didn't when I was a cadet. S'not too bad now though. Especially since all I have to do in order to get paid is draw a breath.

Comment from Fishmugger on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T20:00:51Z

What context? It's a contest. It's an old busted up flag pole which is only good for kindling. The rope is used to drag them to the camp fire site to do smores. Swiss seat bah. You actually risked your life on that rope? They didn't pay you enough.

Comment from prestonious on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T19:56:21Z

Having been caught in "one" previous whatis, and the fact that the whatis by design can not show the money shot-- I would have to venture to say the elements are components of a low tech snare for Canis latrans perhaps?

Comment from Eric on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T19:51:03Z

Recovery rope? The poles are a 'red hearring'

Comment from BigGriz on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T19:10:02Z

Add a shovel (and a hole)and you have a dead man for tying down your your a$$ in a hurricane!

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T17:49:22Z

Nosmo - the funny part of your answer (while wrong in this context) is that you are, in fact correct - that rope *was* used as a swiss seat back in my ROTC rapelling days.

Comment from Nosmo on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T17:45:18Z

A swiss seat dumped onto the ground

Comment from Viper Chief on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T17:39:00Z

Its a left handed smoke shifter! Wait, no, its a yard of flight line and some chem-light batteries. Or it could be a field streacher. missing the wool blanket though...

Comment from Grumpy on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T17:15:46Z

This is Hobart Hempworth's Trachea Tweaker, some assembly required.

Comment from Sean Maloney on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T17:06:21Z

The remains of a native American MEDEVAC travois used to get the wounded away from the U S Cav hordes in 1872?

Comment from Tim on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T16:59:08Z

This is rapidly becoming the best Whatziss evah!

Comment from Kevin on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T16:49:15Z

Senator Robert Byrds old "Klan Kadet" field gear?

Comment from Colin on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T16:35:14Z

The makings of a Spanish windlass.

Comment from AFSister on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T16:17:15Z

Hard to say, John.
The blade is a little wider than fescue, and I doubt you have Kentucky Bluegrass out yonder.. but I suppose it's possible. The tree branches seem to have been stricken with moss and a blue-green algae. Too hard to tell which variety of either though. Perhaps a close up will help.

And then there's that green rope pretending to be a snake in the grass.

Hmmmm..

Comment from Slinky on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T16:12:04Z

A primitive First-down Marker from the 1098 superbowl

I say that only because i have football on the brain and my initial guesses of field-expediant Splint/stretcher/bipod/gallows/catapult (some assembly required) have already been taken.

Comment from Slinky on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T16:06:53Z

Field expediant Stretcher/Splint/Bipod/Catapult/First-Down marker (some assembly required)

Comment from John (Not The Armorer) on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T15:49:36Z

DANG! Critters got loose again!

Comment from Russ on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T15:42:21Z

trebuchet needing assembly?

Comment from Fred on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T15:33:54Z

Don't run with it! You'll fall and hurt yourself. You'll put an eye out or do something else your mother warned you about.

Comment from Tim on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T14:43:27Z

OK. We got the rope, we got the tree, anybody seen that damn journalist?

Comment from Fishmugger on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T14:30:14Z

A penicillin culture farm display from a Walter Read retrospective. The rope is official, cause the end is taped; for what reason it's there????

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T14:14:16Z

I see your grasp of the obvious is as painful as ever, Frank...

Comment from fdcol63 on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T13:46:39Z

Grass, sticks, and rope. LOL

Comment from Alan Briley, RN on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T13:41:02Z

The raw materials for a field expedient rifle, pistol, "hand goone," matchlock, rest!

Comment from Eric Wilner on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T13:40:24Z

Organically-grown, natural-camo nunchuck?

Comment from Old Fat Sailor on 2010-02-01

2010-02-01T13:40:11Z

Travois, Mk I Mod 0, Field Expedient, unassembeled, one each.