Sporting goods stores excluded, my shopping limit is like 15 minutes -- after that, every meter is pegged in the red and I just need to escape...

It was my now adult son's 6th birthday. My wife and I had been about an hour in a few stores -- she's saying she wants to find him the perfect gift; I'm saying what I'd been saying since we'd crossed the 15 minute mark, "Just what could be wrong with getting him this football?!?!?!"

With smoke rolling out my ears and my head ready to explode, the heavens opened and the angels sang as my wife pointed to a box on the top shelf and said, "What about this?" An Estes Model Rocket Starter Kit including 3 foot rocket with helicoptering recovery system.

All was well again. We built the rocket and the whole family took it for a field test. The kit came with 3 engines, each a different power (A, B & C). Wanting to play it a little cautious we started with the least powerful: A. The rocket struggled off the launch pad and up into the air just about as far as I might have been able to throw it. "Heh heh heh, kids! How about that?! Heh heh heh..." No one was impressed. Especially not me.

Not knowing at the time that the engines exponentially increase power from one level to the next, we set up the second launch with the C engine hoping to get at least a little kick out of this before we decided to crumple it up and throw it into the garbage. When we hit the ignition switch, there was a hissing ROAR from the launch pad, a flash of color and a stream of smoke that stretched to the stratosphere. The entire family stood, eyes heavenward and mouth a gape. 15 or 20 seconds later, the kids were scrambling to try to catch the rocket as it slowly descended back to earth.

Now that aint the same as launching anvils...

But it is the same kind of fun! And our first day out launching rockets set us on a course of rocket building and launching that lasted quite a few years and dozens of rockets built!

The best part about it -- no one ever asked, "What would you want to do that for?"

HOLY CRAP ! Got to love it !
As to Mr. Diehl comments. At least we know who the "D#^% YANKEE " is now !(LOL)

Why? Because you can.

It's done mostly in the South because supposedly Union soldiers tried to blow up Southern black smith's anvils so they couldn't make or repair arms. This stupidity is done to honor that older stupidity.

Big boys...BIG TOYS!

looks like fun, i'll have to add that to my list of things to do in my life

good call with the "don't try this at home" disclaimer. now everyone is gonna try it.

Forgot to ask Mr. Diehl - Do you watch NASCAR ?
Remember THAT was started by "redneck/hillbillys/Southerners" running "shine".
It's now a BILLION DOLLAR a year "sport" LOVED by ALL THOSE Northern fellows !

That looks fun, im about to go try it in my back yard

"mostly in the south."

No surprise there.

Another dumb idea but still looks like it would be fun as all get out.

Sorry for the double post, first on my record.

I knew a few yankees back in the Army 40 0r so years ago amused themselves lighting f@rts, what but the kibosh on that
they were not wearin skivvies at the time! And they think Suthrun boys are dumb?

Yoyo-
Watch your comments, you are coming perilously close to that battle of wits for which you are so pitifully underarmed.

rabbitpolice88 & Big O- Ya'll should recognize pure envy of folks who have had the good fortune to live South of all those inbred yankees and appreciate the finer things in life, such as NASCAR, and the 'shine that inspired it. Let 'um whine and post inane remarks.

Well, here’s old yoyo yuk yuk, back out from under his rock again. I guess in pursuit of that Boar Stag moose in the Land of the Trolls. Anyway, sonny, didn’t have the chance to show any of your demented typings to any psychiatrists, but I did let some of my hunting and poker playing pals take a look-see, and got a few insights into the troll mind set. They were seeing stuff about you that I had missed.
One guy is a cop. Been on the street for a long time, and reads people like a book. One old boy is a very successful mechanical contractor, and knows the business side of the world. One is a damned good horse doctor. The others are all pretty fair shots, and one or two are deadly horseshoe and washer pitchers and hard to beat at checkers. All have been around the block a time or three. This is what they had to say.

First insight: “This guy stinks like a wet dog. If he is selling anything, I ain’t buyin. His bullsh## is too obvious, and I think his cornbread ain't all the way baked.”
Mechanical contractor: “This guy is supposed to be a stockbroker? He probably works in janitorial service, or is somebody’s third assistant gopher. Either way, he is about a half-bubble off plumb.”
College level educator and checker player: “No one in business is that ignorant of a keyboard and the basic structure of the English language. He is trying to repeat overheard conversations and can’t keep it straight in his mind while he types. Possibly high school level education, probably GED through an institution.”
Cop: “He is getting interrupted a lot when he is doing this. Can’t hold a train of thought, probably doing his
replies and such on the sneak. Has a lot of fantasy thought about being the boss, women, and accomplishments that are pure make-believe. He may be married to a very strong willed woman that keeps him totally p----whuped. Phony as a three dollar bill.”
Horse Doc: “Yeah, and I bet she makes him wear little pink tutus while he does the house work. He may be a stay-at-home that gets his rocks off being an internet troll because of being dominated by his wife, or could even be his mother. Seriously, I think this guy really has issues separating his reality from his dream world.”

Horseshoe pitcher: “He don’t like you worth a spit of tobacco juice. Prolly cause you hit too close to home on some of your bulls##t when you come back on him. Sounds like he watched too many Three Stooges when he was a kid, got that yuk yuk thing going like the fat one used to do.”

Checker Player: “That boy has his tinfoil hat on crooked and his tennis shoes laced too tight!”

Well, old yyyy, there it is, for what it’s worth. I think I understand more about you now, and will just let you live your fantasy life, as long as you don’t get to far into that Hoppe’s #9 and airplane glue you drink. BTW, how do you like doing the house work in a little pink tutu? What the hell is a tutu?
Best wishes,
crm

I always wanted to do that!

I remember back in welding class i High School, the students would fill the table leg full of acetylene and oxygen and touch it off and boy did it let off with a bang, WOW! One of the tables almost flipped over!! Our welding Teacher name was Mr Hazard!

+1 for Elmer F. from on michigander to another. BTW, Gay in the vid was right, it's a guy thing, women just won't understand...

Good post, Virginians would say. But, the historical fact, as my feeble old brain will recall, is that this was a New England celebration of the fourth of July. Naturally, since even pocketknives are a big incorrect item up North, the memory of 'blowing the anvil' is a distant one.

My guess is, however, that when black powder guys at the Ned Roberts Gun Club see this video, they will give it a go! Shooters everywhere love this stuff.

Yohan, don't try catching one........

Blue

I saw this on either Jackass or the Wildboys. That looks like fun.

WHY?

looks fun . . . but I would park my truck farther away than they did in that top video

Nuthin' like a tamp-ted charge !

Count me in. I love making things go boom and making things fly. I'm a natural.

Sounds like little yoyo STILL has his panties in a wad. Still can't spell, either.

"Forgot to ask Mr. Diehl - Do you watch NASCAR ?
Remember THAT was started y "redneck/hillbillys/Southerners" running "shine".
It's now a BILLION DOLLAR a year "sport" LOVED by ALL THOSE Northern fellows !"

NASCAR was invented by Yankees to give southerners something to do beside blow up anvils and sit around playing banjo. ;) I'm not knocking the south. Just the troll. South has all kinds of good sh*t. There's Chesapeake bay, gulf shrimp, almost everything in Nawleans (except chicory coffee what I dislike). Maker's Mark. Pork rinds. South of the Border. Really good citrus. Grits. Youall add bacon to everything, and who doesn't love bacon? And there's babes looking for northerners to get warm with (which was great in my youthful college days).

I love it. I'm an apprentice blacksmith and this is awesome! But they're selling it all wrong. They need a gorgeous babe in a bikini to light the fuse...

Some body need put the anvil back in the shop, and gun powder in the muzzle loader and go hunting.... Next thing you know, we'll have to have a permit to own an anvil... The Gov. must have an interest in ANVIL SHOOTING

ok so one thing really catches me from this first video, "world champion anvil shooter"
really?
world champion
id like to see the north korean anvil shooting team up against this guy

yoyo-
Learn to use spell check and form a coherent sentence before posting your crap, and I will bother to read it. Until then, continue to do your housework in your little pink tutu.

"from Mike Diehl
It's done mostly in the south because US soldiers "blew up" an anvil during Sherman's march, and southerners are so stupid that after 134 years they still haven't figured out that it was a gag."

WHAT AN IMBECILLIC COMMENT!

Hey watch this!!

omg, thats so cool, now i want to go and blow an anvil in the air. that would be so cool to see.

Sounds like some one's little pink tutu chafed their #9 bird-shot sized cojones, don't
it?

Hey yohan my Brother from another Mother! what in the world is going on!

Clay,.
just walked into office quick look,.then I gota get at it for first few hours gotta pay attention today

If you refer to the fun with the little P from Texas
Ywaw yaw this guy has managed to get into my cross hairs. yust a littel bit.
Knew a guy like him in 1970
Phony loud mouthed dime store cowboy little mutt, snake in the grass,just like ole 4 1/2 "s nearly got me and two other guys killed
EXACT SAME PROFILE
,. if his n@ts or any other part of him were as big as his mouth he'd be in the circus ,.

What Ive always done ( since I figured out that I could ) is trust that little feeling inside
and the midget dime store cowboy from texas feels wrong .
Like my shrink friend said ( very unusual for him) hope someone clipped this little mutt
so he cant make any more.cause the best part of him
didnt get to where it was going . That one probably too short too. That made me laugh my a$$ off coming from shrink who charges 200 +an hr.

Anyway the guys a popcorn fart we all know that now
so unless he gives me the chance ill get bored soon like before.

We u and i used to go at it ,.but that was different that was just testing sparing,..slap and tickle in boxing speak,. and I do like to stir the pot as you know yuk yuk but that was different
This guys as phony as three dollar bill and he stinks,.. all the way to Chi town .

By the way hows the grand son doing ?

Yup Nothin ,.. not before not now not ever ,..
You ever get to Chi you send me a little note
Ill have my boys take you fishin

Whoooowweee!! little man its easy to push your little buttons .Almost starting to feel guilty,. actually almost starting to feel sorry for you too.
Hmmmmm ??
Consider this I used to do a little boxing,.. (amature boxing)
One of the first things I learned other than to slip a punch was to get the other guy Po'd ,do that & logic (fight strategy )many times goes right out the window,
and mistakes follow
It then follows your cranky-ness opportunity is never far behind,..for the one who keeps his head,.
Works in the ring and it works in business.and it sure as H works on you.

So consider this ,.genius.
Your macho moniker is what? crm30-06 ( well WUF WUF)
That speaks volumes in and of it self
Not to mention you are now reponding like a trained
monkey to
"A midget" from texas ,."little man "
"4 1/2 " pp "etc etc .
Which also says a lot and none of it good
IE: you aint thinkin straight ,.and other than accuzation and conjecture attempted retribution and with a tad of recrimination tossed in you got nothin.

Except a cop you claim is claravoint ,.
tust me that guy sould keep his day job,.. yuk yuk

AND NOW AS I MENTIONED with the onset of anger,.
logic falters, Yours I beleive .
Thusly ,.. there fore and accordinly you now have your short behind in a corner.
And it took what,. one or two go rounds to get you to "mouth" your way into that corner?
In the vernacular of one of my Columbian friends
"ju too easy mang ". YUK YUK

Soooo here it comes big shot
get ready to wet your little blue genes

If you would like to make a friendly little wager as to weather or not I am a Registered Representative holding serries 7 ( commonly refered to as stock broker)
Said wager to be conducted in a state that allows such things in front of the pople who would witness and bank same said bet I am as they say " down with that".
Don't think it approprpiate to state numbers
but lets say enough to make it intersting ( to me )suitably escrowed ahead of time,.. or if your short of THAT kind of cash (likley )
Say the title / deed to your double-wide or any other real or chattel property or what ever rope brige you are currently living under
your truck ,.. your .338 pp compensation rifle.
the 401 K,.. Simples SEP"S etc ( retirement accountd by the way )
. your pointy spike healed cowboy boots and just to make it really interesting dinner on me ( well you really ) with your current woman,.
Easiest safest bet I ever heard of and maybe have a little fun too.??
Further conditions being the looser (which would of course ultimatly be you ) makes a public appology to people herein who have had to listen to your verbal white noise ,..

Or,..(as before) not sure why but beginning to move beyond irritation with you to almost pitty now
If ( a big if i reralize) your smart enough to take it,.. maybe I cut you some slack,. and you can just slide back to the camp fire amd count yourself lucky.

Realize if you can,.. through the angry dizzy red haze that you must be in,. your screwed.
If you take the bet its a lead pipe cinch I take your money Your wrong and off base ,.which is just where I thought you would go ,
Don't take the bet you eat some crow overtly or in Private either way ,. I win

That song the Gambler "know when to fold em" ,.. should be playing like 4 marching bands in your tinny head now
Still,.. is what it is,. dont believe your stupid
Still a rocket scientist you aint and no match for my ilk. So it will go the way ut goes

Thusly a little freindly advice ,..before you summersault in to the pool at night,.. check for water and gators evry now and then a biggun sneaks in.

If you let your anger and or what ever complex you have keep you going the way you are ( so says the shrink that occassonally peruses these posts with me ) his take is you may be facing health issues if you dont already

So as much as you and I will never be dinking buddies (I can guarantee that ) as I do definitly not like you ,.
Also wouldn't want to contribute to an oncoming stroke.(yours ) by gutting you finacially.

So maybe what ever your name is ? ( for sure it aint 30-06) better to fold the tent for now ?
Take another stab at me later ( Im sure it will be fun )
But buddy you can't win this one
Thats you chance