Exploding Beaches

Another danger you need to worry about if you go to the beach: random, unexplained beach explosions.

Kathleen Danise, 60, was sitting in a chair on Salty Brine Beach in New Jersey, minding her own business, when suddenly the sand beneath her erupted, throwing her, as if shot out of a cannon, 10 feet into the air. She landed on the rocks of a jetty. Luckily she didn't die, but she did suffer a concussion and fracture two ribs.

Investigators are, so far, at a loss to explain what caused the explosion. They can't find any man-made device that would have done it. Was it a freak build-up of methane gas in the sand? Who knows! But plenty of conspiracy theories are already circulating online.

Danise, meanwhile, has vowed she isn't returning to the beach until the cause of the blast is determined.

More info: nbc4i.com, wfsb.com.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Jul 14, 2015 - Comments (11)
Category: Explosives

Exploding Chickens

Spontaneously exploding chickens startle German farmer.

The Ogden Standard - Nov 17, 1950

Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 01, 2015 - Comments (6)
Category: Animals, Farming, Explosives, 1950s

Smoking Is Deadly

If you are going to haul gun powder around on the front seat of your car then perhaps DON'T light a cigarette. Or better yet, don't haul gun powder around at all. Darwin Award averted for now.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 14, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Accidents, Goofs and Screw-ups, Explosives

Poopy Trap

In Vienna, Austria someone set a bucket full of feces to explode when a line was tripped at a spot where police regularly park to watch for speeders. The police officer who tripped it was covered in poo from six and a half feet away. He wasn't injured except perhaps his dignity.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 17, 2014 - Comments (9)
Category: Cops, Explosives, Pranks and Revenge, Stupid Criminals, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust

Giulio Ulivi and the F-rays

Good essay with fotos here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 06, 2014 - Comments (4)
Category: Destruction, Explosives, Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, Science, 1910s, Weapons

Blast Stools

Stools made by blowing up sheet metal.

Read more here.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 27, 2014 - Comments (6)
Category: Explosives, Furniture, Avant Garde

Explosion Gazelle

I don't know why stuff blowing up is so fascinating, but this Russian (?) video shows how curious people stick around to watch. Someone said there are 39 explosions, but I didn't count. There are some strange video game sounding alarms, too!!



The translator for Google says this video is titled "Explosion gazelle with a canister on the Ring Road".

Spoiler alert! At about 7:05 we get a clue about what is blowing up. Maybe propane tanks?

UPDATE from tadchem!!

Great pre-explosion footage from inside one of the cars on the same road. This guy pulls over for the speeding truck, but I can't figure out what the truck hits.

At least this guy is smart enough to start backing up!!



Rich tells us in the comments that the "Gazelle" in the title refers to the type of truck. Gotta love WUvies!!

This video and others from Russia make me wonder if all cars are equipped with cameras? Might not be a bad idea -- where can I get one?

Posted By: gdanea - Thu Aug 08, 2013 - Comments (15)
Category: Explosives

Johnson Smith Catalog Item #30

[From the 1950 catalog. Click to enlarge.]

I can see this prank being really popular in the Middle East nowadays. "Gotcha, Ahmed [Isaac]! You really thought the Israelis [al Qaeda] had rigged your car!"

Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 07, 2013 - Comments (4)
Category: Death, Destruction, Explosives, Fireworks and Pyrotechnics, Johnson Smith Catalog, 1950s, Pranks, Middle East

2500 Frames per Second = Awesome

Filmed at 25 frames per second, a piggy bank being chopped to bits by a lawnmower is wayyyy to quick. When you see 60,000 matches lit at 2,500 frames per second -- that's amazing!!



From a Danish show called Dumt and Farligt's (translation -- "Stupid and Dangerous"), here's the link:

http://boingboing.net/2013/03/19/more-deadly-and-dumb-danish-tv.html

Don't miss the matches at 3:30, followed by dynamite versus trees, followed by a watermelon versus 187 elastic bands.

At 25,000 frames per second!!

Sorry, I forgot the exploding camper at 3:00.

Posted By: gdanea - Sat Mar 23, 2013 - Comments (1)
Category: Explosives

The Art of Explosionism

Andrew Lausman of Lakeland, Florida has created a new genre of art. He calls it "explosionism." As far as I can tell, it involves dipping firecrackers in paint and shooting them at a canvas. A few of his works, which I found on his facebook page, are below. He focuses on space themes — galaxies and nebulae — perhaps because it would be hard to do a still life with flowers using firecrackers.

Lausman's art hasn't allowed him to quit his day job yet. (He's a dental assistant.) But he does have his first exhibition opening this Friday. [theledger.com]

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 03, 2013 - Comments (3)
Category: Art, Explosives