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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!
 
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.)
 
To: headsonpikes
    Does it have kitties? 

 
3
posted on 
08/16/2005 1:47:40 PM PDT
by 
darkwing104
(Let's get dangerous)
 
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.")
 
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....)
 
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)
 
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.)
 
To: E. Pluribus Unum
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.")
 
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.")
 
To: headsonpikes
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)
 
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.")
 
To: headsonpikes
    The Good Ship Lollipopsicle.
 
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.)
 
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!!)
 
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
 
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.")
 
To: E. Pluribus Unum
    
 BUILDING 

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