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Man Launches Ice Cream Stick Viking Ship
Newsday.com ^ | August 16, 2005 | Toby Sterling

Posted on 08/16/2005 1:46:16 PM PDT by headsonpikes

A former Hollywood stunt man now living in the Netherlands launched his greatest project to date Tuesday: a 45-foot replica Viking ship made of millions of wooden ice cream sticks and more than a ton of glue.

Rob McDonald named the ship the "Mjollnir" after the hammer of the mythic Norse god of thunder, Thor. After the 13 ton boat was lifted into the water by crane, "Captain Rob," as he is known, stood calmly on the stern as a team of volunteers rowed the apparently sturdy vessel ...

"I have a dream to show children they can do anything," McDonald said before the launch. "If they can dream it, they can do it."

He said he was confident the ship would float, but organizers had prepared an alternate press statement just in case something went wrong. The biggest fear was that the ship's keel might be too light and it would capsize. But the launch went smoothly...

McDonald, an American who lives with his Dutch wife and their son in the city of Emmeloord, had help from a host of advisers, sponsors and neighborhood children.

He estimated that in all, he used up to 2.2 tons of glue and 15 million birch wood ice cream sticks donated by an ice cream manufacturer and found by neighborhood children.

"I'm proud," said 8-year-old Kim Jaasma, one of the volunteers on hand for the launch. "I hope it works."

She said she didn't think McDonald was crazy at all.

"He's funny sometimes. He's very nice," she said.

McDonald and his son Rob Jr., 11, fixed a final ceremonial "15 millionth" ice cream stick, made of gold, shortly before the launch.

Rob Jr., sporting a Viking helmet and a wooden sword, appeared ready to go on a voyage of looting and ...

(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: aarrrrr; ancientnavigation; emmeloord; glue; godsgravesglyphs; hollywood; icecream; icecreamman; kimjaasma; mjollnir; netherlands; robmcdonald; thor; tobysterling; viking; vikings
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That's a lot of 'ice cream sticks'.

Holy mackeral!

1 posted on 08/16/2005 1:46:20 PM PDT by headsonpikes
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To: headsonpikes
You can say that again. You can say that again.
2 posted on 08/16/2005 1:47:34 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Islam Factoid:After forcing young girls to watch his men execute their fathers, Muhammad raped them.)
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To: headsonpikes
Does it have kitties?


3 posted on 08/16/2005 1:47:40 PM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: headsonpikes; Sidebar Moderator

Yikes! Could you fix the title?


4 posted on 08/16/2005 1:47:47 PM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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To: headsonpikes

This is hugh This is hugh


5 posted on 08/16/2005 1:48:37 PM PDT by NRA1995 ("People do stupid things...." and I hear the Vonage music playing.....woo-hoo, woo-hoo-hoo....)
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To: headsonpikes

6 posted on 08/16/2005 1:48:51 PM PDT by BenLurkin (O beautiful for patriot dream - that sees beyond the years)
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To: headsonpikes
15 million birch wood ice cream sticks donated by an ice cream manufacturer Michael Moore.
7 posted on 08/16/2005 1:48:56 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim (Now that taglines are cool, I refuse to have one.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Thank you. Thank you.


8 posted on 08/16/2005 1:49:16 PM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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To: NRA1995
This is hugh This is hugh

I think I'll take a shower.

9 posted on 08/16/2005 1:50:25 PM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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To: headsonpikes

Mercy shown.


10 posted on 08/16/2005 1:51:40 PM PDT by Sidebar Moderator
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To: headsonpikes

Being just a stunt man, I wonder how he could afjord all those ice cream bars...


11 posted on 08/16/2005 1:52:40 PM PDT by mikrofon (O-pining)
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To: headsonpikes

The article didn't say, but do you have any idea how long it took to build this ship?


12 posted on 08/16/2005 1:53:20 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson ("Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.")
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To: headsonpikes

The Good Ship Lollipopsicle.


13 posted on 08/16/2005 1:53:26 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: headsonpikes

On the good ship, Lollipop
It's a sweet trip to a candy shop
Where bon-bons play
On the sunny beach of Peppermint Bay.


14 posted on 08/16/2005 1:53:41 PM PDT by WideGlide (That light at the end of the tunnel might be a muzzle flash.)
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To: Tijeras_Slim
15 million birch wood ice cream sticks donated by an ice cream manufacturer Michael Moore.

I can't read that name and not see him in my mind's eye encrusted with mustard, waving two hot dogs at Mt. Rushmore, blubbering and spluttering all sorts of way-out-there leftist claptrap. LOL!

15 posted on 08/16/2005 1:55:13 PM PDT by Riley (STOP CASTING POROSITY!!)
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To: headsonpikes

"He estimated that in all, he used up to 2.2 tons of glue"

Glue sniffer. That explains it.


16 posted on 08/16/2005 1:55:38 PM PDT by Sax
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To: Sidebar Moderator

Thank you. Thank you.

;^)


17 posted on 08/16/2005 1:57:47 PM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

BUILDING


ALMOST DONE

18 posted on 08/16/2005 1:59:29 PM PDT by Jeff Head (www.dragonsfuryseries.com)
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To: headsonpikes

In related news, a fudgicle slick ten miles long was spotted off the shores of.......


19 posted on 08/16/2005 2:01:07 PM PDT by llevrok (Semper Smartus Assus)
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To: Stonewall Jackson
The article didn't say, but do you have any idea how long it took to build this ship?

http://www.seaheartship.com/eng/

At his website, it says he started in December, 2003.

20 posted on 08/16/2005 2:02:10 PM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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