Did you know ?

[Halcyon]

If yuo get a little capsule you get with Kinder eggs, fill it with baking powder and hot water, put the top on and shake it and throw it, it will explode in the air.

Sweet, very cool site mate. Thanks.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

If yuo get a little capsule you get with Kinder eggs, fill it with baking powder and hot water, put the top on and shake it and throw it, it will explode in the air.

Why, at almost 30, am I only hearing about this now???

*legs it out to buy a Kinder egg....

[iadom]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

If yuo get a little capsule you get with Kinder eggs, fill it with baking powder and hot water, put the top on and shake it and throw it, it will explode in the air.

Anyone old enough to remember the little plastic submarines you got in cereal packets. They had a small compartment underneath that you filled with baking powder, when placed in a bowl or the bath the sub would then rise and sink several times.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

If yuo get a little capsule you get with Kinder eggs, fill it with baking powder and hot water, put the top on and shake it and throw it, it will explode in the air.

I was once told (and took it with a large pinch of salt) that a former activity for bored sailors was to make a calcium carbide sandwich, throw it into the ocean and enjoy the subsequent sight of the exploding seagulls.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Why, at almost 30, am I only hearing about this now???

*legs it out to buy a Kinder egg....

Another childhood pastime was to tightly wrap the head of a match in aluminium foil, place the match so that the wrapped head stuck over the edge of the table and hold a lighted match to the aluminium. With a little patience you produced your very own miniature rocket.

No doubt nowadays you would be expelled from school, sued by the parents of any child within 50 ft of it and prosecuted by the HSE for not having done a risk analysis.

Originally Posted by iadom

Interestingly, the Victory is to be repaired using oaks planted 200 years ago on the recommendation of Nelson himself.[...]Talk about forward planning.

Napoleon apparently also engaged in some similar forward thinking. When he took power in France he ordered that trees be planted alongside all the major roads to shade his troops when marching in the hot summer months.

When he was told that it would take 20 years for the trees to become tall enough for this to be any use he supposedly said words to the effect of "well you'd better get started right away, then!"

One of the American light cruisers anchored at Pearl Harbour during the Japanese attack of December 1941 was the Phoenix. The Phoenix survived the attack virtually unscathed, however, more than 40 years later she was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine Conqueror in the South Atlantic. The Phoenix, at the time of her demise, was of course known then as the General Belgrano.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Graham

Napoleon apparently also engaged in some similar forward thinking. When he took power in France he ordered that trees be planted alongside all the major roads to shade his troops when marching in the hot summer months.

When he was told that it would take 20 years for the trees to become tall enough for this to be any use he supposedly said words to the effect of "well you'd better get started right away, then!"

Poplars, weren't they. And the French authorities now seem to trying to get rid of them. Too many French drivers crashing their cars into them, apparently.

Originally Posted by Nikko

No they were Janus & Februs - do your own research

Well I thought I did - but it seems I mis-read something They re-named the two months to July and August, not added them [as I originally interpreted what I had read]. oh well .....

Did you know, that the term 'To Cross The Rubicon' comes from Cesars' invasion of Rome. It means to make a decission that cant be changed.

Edit:- Forgot to say, the Rubicon is a river that divided Alpine Gaul from the province of Rome.

[iadom]

Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

Did you know, that the term 'To Cross The Rubicon' comes from Cesars' invasion of Rome. It means to make a decission that cant be changed.

Edit:- Forgot to say, the Rubicon is a river that divided Alpine Gaul from the province of Rome.

Well it has got to be better than crossing the Styx

Originally Posted by iadom

Well it has got to be better than crossing the Styx

True mate, but we all gotta make that crossing eventually.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

True mate, but we all gotta make that crossing eventually.

And you'd better have your coin ready to pay Charon.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

Did you know, that the term 'To Cross The Rubicon' comes from Cesars' invasion of Rome. It means to make a decission that cant be changed.

Edit:- Forgot to say, the Rubicon is a river that divided Alpine Gaul from the province of Rome.

And there's a variant of Bezique called Rubicon Bezique.