1) Empty a 2 L bottle
2) Crush some ice, place it in the 2 L bottle
3) Close the bottle
4) Throw it into a warm pond
5) Wait for the boom
When he was in high school, my brother did this. The bottle blew up while he was still holding it, blowing holes in....well...everything. He needed a bunch of stitches in his face, and his clothes looked like he'd been shot with a shotgun. He still has the scars, 25 years later.
It didn't help matters that he was on the roof of the school at the time, in the middle of the school day. Fortunately, the school administration was more concerned about his well being than about what he was doing with dry ice on the roof of the school.
1) Empty a 2 L bottle
2) Crush some ice, place it in the 2 L bottle
3) Close the bottle
4) Throw it into a warm pond
5) Wait for the boom
When he was in high school, my brother did this. The bottle blew up while he was still holding it, blowing holes in....well...everything. He needed a bunch of stitches in his face, and his clothes looked like he'd been shot with a shotgun. He still has the scars, 25 years later.
It didn't help matters that he was on the roof of the school at the time, in the middle of the school day. Fortunately, the school administration was more concerned about his well being than about what he was doing with dry ice on the roof of the school.
Ahh.
It's important to use plastic bottles, fyi.
Glass doesn't tolerate pressure as well, and had that nasty shrapnel thing going on too.
On a related note, never toss a waterproof firecracker into a glass full of liquid.
When he was in high school, my brother did this. The bottle blew up while he was still holding it, blowing holes in....well...everything. He needed a bunch of stitches in his face, and his clothes looked like he'd been shot with a shotgun. He still has the scars, 25 years later.
It didn't help matters that he was on the roof of the school at the time, in the middle of the school day. Fortunately, the school administration was more concerned about his well being than about what he was doing with dry ice on the roof of the school.
Originally posted by Cory:
Ahh.
It's important to use plastic bottles, fyi.
Glass doesn't tolerate pressure as well, and had that nasty shrapnel thing going on too.
On a related note, never toss a waterproof firecracker into a glass full of liquid.
I know *so* many people who have been hurt by explosions of one form or another. Why do people mess with things that blow up?
When he was in high school, my brother did this. The bottle blew up while he was still holding it, blowing holes in....well...everything. He needed a bunch of stitches in his face, and his clothes looked like he'd been shot with a shotgun. He still has the scars, 25 years later.
It didn't help matters that he was on the roof of the school at the time, in the middle of the school day. Fortunately, the school administration was more concerned about his well being than about what he was doing with dry ice on the roof of the school.
Originally posted by Cory:
Ahh.
It's important to use plastic bottles, fyi.
Glass doesn't tolerate pressure as well, and had that nasty shrapnel thing going on too.
On a related note, never toss a waterproof firecracker into a glass full of liquid.
I know *so* many people who have been hurt by explosions of one form or another. Why do people mess with things that blow up?
Racing is dangerous too.
As is just about everything that's any damned fun. ;)
Want to know how to make a small fortune in racing? Start with a big one!
As some of you may know, I used to race sailboats in a serious way, for many years. I remember hearing for the first time (and cracking up) the following "advice" supposedly given by an experienced yachtsman to an acquaintance who was considering getting into yacht racing:
"Well, I suggest you go turn your shower on full-blast with the cold tap only, then stand under the shower fully clothed for half an hour while tearing up hundred dollar bills and watching them swirl down the drain. If you can honestly say this was fun, then yacht racing might be for you."
Want to know how to make a small fortune in racing? Start with a big one!
As some of you may know, I used to race sailboats in a serious way, for many years. I remember hearing for the first time (and cracking up) the following "advice" supposedly given by an experienced yachtsman to an acquaintance who was considering getting into yacht racing:
"Well, I suggest you go turn your shower on full-blast with the cold tap only, then stand under the shower fully clothed for half an hour while tearing up hundred dollar bills and watching them swirl down the drain. If you can honestly say this was fun, then yacht racing might be for you."
That advice applies equally to any boat that is larger than my kayak. Holes in the water that you throw money into, all of 'em. ;) Although, admittedly, I can only imagine how much worse racing sailboats might be - just be thankful you quit before carbon fiber hulls were available. ;)
When he was in high school, my brother did this. The bottle blew up while he was still holding it, blowing holes in....well...everything. He needed a bunch of stitches in his face, and his clothes looked like he'd been shot with a shotgun. He still has the scars, 25 years later.
It didn't help matters that he was on the roof of the school at the time, in the middle of the school day. Fortunately, the school administration was more concerned about his well being than about what he was doing with dry ice on the roof of the school.
Originally posted by Cory:
Ahh.
It's important to use plastic bottles, fyi.
Glass doesn't tolerate pressure as well, and had that nasty shrapnel thing going on too.
On a related note, never toss a waterproof firecracker into a glass full of liquid.
I know *so* many people who have been hurt by explosions of one form or another. Why do people mess with things that blow up?
Because blowing stuff up is fun.
I threw a 2 pound block of sodium off of a bridge into a river once...that was exciting.
Want to know how to make a small fortune in racing? Start with a big one!
As some of you may know, I used to race sailboats in a serious way, for many years. I remember hearing for the first time (and cracking up) the following "advice" supposedly given by an experienced yachtsman to an acquaintance who was considering getting into yacht racing:
"Well, I suggest you go turn your shower on full-blast with the cold tap only, then stand under the shower fully clothed for half an hour while tearing up hundred dollar bills and watching them swirl down the drain. If you can honestly say this was fun, then yacht racing might be for you."
That advice applies equally to any boat that is larger than my kayak. Holes in the water that you throw money into, all of 'em. ;) Although, admittedly, I can only imagine how much worse racing sailboats might be - just be thankful you quit before carbon fiber hulls were available. ;)
Want to know how to make a small fortune in racing? Start with a big one!
As some of you may know, I used to race sailboats in a serious way, for many years. I remember hearing for the first time (and cracking up) the following "advice" supposedly given by an experienced yachtsman to an acquaintance who was considering getting into yacht racing:
"Well, I suggest you go turn your shower on full-blast with the cold tap only, then stand under the shower fully clothed for half an hour while tearing up hundred dollar bills and watching them swirl down the drain. If you can honestly say this was fun, then yacht racing might be for you."
LOL that's a hilarious analogy, Bear! So what did you race? My eldest brother used to race, though not yachts, small stuff like albacores and Lasers. I learned to sail too, and was good at it, but had much more fun hiking out on a Laser II than doing tedious stuff like following a course...and rules :-)
LOL that's a hilarious analogy, Bear! So what did you race? My eldest brother used to race, though not yachts, small stuff like albacores and Lasers. I learned to sail too, and was good at it, but had much more fun hiking out on a Laser II than doing tedious stuff like following a course...and rules :-)
Well, I never owned the big stuff of course. I did a lot of ocean racing from the time I was a kid, eventually winding up as sailing master or watch captain in yachts of the 45-50 foot range, but I raced smaller boats all that time as well. My small-boat career went through 14-foot dinghies (Lido 14) an up through Snipes, Lightnings and such. I ended up in the Olympic single-hander, the Finn, for a while, and I had a Laser for a few years as well. I raced Solings extensively, and ended up owning an E22:
My original work was as a sailmaker for North Sails, in the pre-computer-design days. I did spinnaker research & development.
That advice applies equally to any boat that is larger than my kayak. Holes in the water that you throw money into, all of 'em. ;) Although, admittedly, I can only imagine how much worse racing sailboats might be - just be thankful you quit before carbon fiber hulls were available. ;)
I did a lot of ocean racing from the time I was a kid, eventually winding up as sailing master or watch captain in yachts of the 45-50 foot range
I don't know that I have ever met a person with a more diverse, colorful life who has met and worked with more interesting/famous people than Ol' Bear here......
