pedantic quibblry, old farts and some car stuff

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

 Bruce Giller, Tom Washburn, Jack Rugh, Greg Hermann AND Ralph Moorhouse all 
ruminate on being Hoist (not hoisted) on their own petards.

Terse David of Troy saith: "Hoisted BY or WITH my own petard not 
ON(impossible)"

Will S. had scribbled:
"For 'tis the sport to have the engineer
Hoist with his own petar: and it shall go hard
But I will delve one yard below their mines
And blow them at the moon."

with no "d" on petar.

The roots of the term (saith my sources) all lie in Middle French, Latin and 
Greek terms for the expulsion of intestinal gas, and its English extension in 
Will's day evidently covered land mines. Internal combustion? Whatever.

Anyhow, there may be a case for the two-post lift, permanently anchored in a 
solid concrete floor, whether five-sack (with Tom W.) or six-sack (with Greg 
H.) but the four-post lift (Ralph's choice) offers many advantages, including 
mobility; the type originated in military three-post lifts used for vehicle 
service in the field with a moving army, and this mobility gives it great 
flexibility in use on existing floors, especially for the peripatetic owner 
who might live in more than one house during a lifetime, and/or who rents. It 
even works in the back yard for people who don't have a garage. The 
manufacturer of mine (Stinger) offers different lengths and widths, and 
casters for moving even when loaded, plus static mezanines which can be used 
in series with the lift for storage, and other nice variables. Any lift is 
nicer than no lift, but give the options a hard look.

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

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