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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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To: headsonpikes

Dang, and I thought my models took a long time to build.


21 posted on 08/16/2005 2:05:58 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

"We've come for your flavors!"

22 posted on 08/16/2005 2:06:16 PM PDT by WestVirginiaRebel (Carnac: A siren, a baby and a liberal. Answer: Name three things that whine.)
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To: headsonpikes

Kon-Sticki.


23 posted on 08/16/2005 2:07:58 PM PDT by Disambiguator (Making accusations of racism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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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?

Not that long, surprisingly. Rosie O'Donnell was eating the ice cream for him.

24 posted on 08/16/2005 2:08:32 PM PDT by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: headsonpikes
Lo there do I see my Father,
Lo there do I see my Mother,
Lo there do I see my Sisters and my Brothers,
I see the line of my people back to the beginning,
They do call to me, to take my place,
In the Halls of Valhalla,
Where the Brave may live Forever.
25 posted on 08/16/2005 2:08:50 PM PDT by SoDak
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To: headsonpikes
Hope he didn't use the "Elmer's" glue.
lol
26 posted on 08/16/2005 2:11:11 PM PDT by rightgrafix
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To: WestVirginiaRebel

We come from the land of the ice cream stick
Where the deck is sticky and the glue is thick


27 posted on 08/16/2005 2:11:15 PM PDT by Rastus (How come you're so wrong, my sweet DemonRAT?)
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To: headsonpikes

Yep children can do anything.

All they have to do is eat 15 million ice cream bars and save the sticks.

At $1.80 for 6. That's $0.30 a bar and a cost of $5 million in Ice Cream.


28 posted on 08/16/2005 2:16:38 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: headsonpikes

Kontiki was for chumps! Now this!.... this is the real deal! LOL!.....


29 posted on 08/16/2005 2:19:11 PM PDT by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the"and Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Take Back The GOP!)
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To: DannyTN

Yep children can do anything.

All they have to do is eat 15 million ice cream bars and save the sticks.

At $1.80 for 6. That's $0.30 a bar and a cost of $5 million in Ice Cream.




You're being very cynical.

An NEA grant should cover it, easily!


30 posted on 08/16/2005 2:24:13 PM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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To: Jeff Head

NOAH!!!


31 posted on 08/16/2005 2:36:48 PM PDT by bootless (Never Forget - And Never Again)
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To: headsonpikes
SKOL!!!!!!!!!!
32 posted on 08/16/2005 3:30:02 PM PDT by vikzilla
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To: headsonpikes
a family that donated sticks.. lots of 'em, ;-)


33 posted on 08/16/2005 5:18:09 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... "To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men." -- THOMAS JEFFERSON)
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To: NormsRevenge

34 posted on 08/16/2005 6:11:38 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... "To remain silent when they should protest makes cowards of men." -- THOMAS JEFFERSON)
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To: headsonpikes

I have to stop being cynical like that. You are right, that grant money has to fund something. Better to fund a Viking ice cream stick ship than what the NEA would think up to do with ice cream sticks on their own.


35 posted on 08/16/2005 6:25:40 PM PDT by DannyTN
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Note: this topic is from 08/16/2005. Thanks headsonpikes.

36 posted on 11/09/2015 9:30:53 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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