Although many people think I'm nice...
I sometimes wonder.

As a teen I went to one of those dreadful schools, full of spoilt chavs (yes, many are - that's why they're gits) and a few middle class kids who did their best in the mess. I'd arrived in second year from another very good school. I stood out. I got a lot of grief. I plotted my revenge on key figures.

So in a poorly disciplined chemistry practical some of the kids around me were rolling up bits of paper, lighting them, and pretending to smoke. Teacher didn't appear to notice or care. I spotted my opportunity. I picked one of the more gullible around me and said "Hey, that's really cool... but you remember how that potassium permanganate sparks when it burns? Imagine how much cooler it'd be if you rolled it up in your 'ciggy'!"

I knew the resulting fuss would be enough to get the attention of the teacher. I thought it might end in tears. Well I suppose it did. And an eye bath, pain and minor fire. To his credit, he didn't grass me up.

Another time I asked someone to move a Leyden jar I'd just spent ten minutes charging up. Fook, that didn't look pleasant and the lad never spoke to me again - or in fact, even went near me. Maybe I shouldn't have gone MUHAHAHAHAAAAA as he rolled across the floor, his arm twitching uncontrollably.
(clopinettes, Fri 25 Jul 2008, 9:04, 5 replies)

For the leydan jar
Probably not, but it wouldn't have been as funny that way.

Also, whats a Leyden jar? :P some kind of electrical storage I take it?
(Guilt wants to get in your moist confines, Fri 25 Jul 2008, 9:07, closed)

A leyden jar
is basically a big, simple capacitor made of glass, with a metal outer and an electrode out the top. You can charge them from a van der graaf generator and, if the generator can supply enough charge (in this case it couldn't, and the ticks had died away) you'll eventually get a huge discharge that goes through the glass. That takes about five minutes. But I'd dug out the biggest jar I could find and couldn't get it to charge and I was buggered if I was going to go anywhere near the thing. I'd already zapped myself with a small one and this thing was sitting there practically fizzing with energy.

No, let some other sucker put it away.

Wiki Article
(clopinettes, Fri 25 Jul 2008, 9:15, closed)

Magnesium strips in cigs is also good
b3ta.com/questions/smoking/post132919
( thistle, Fri 25 Jul 2008, 10:26, closed)

I'd been hoping...
to work up to that one, but no chance, dammit.
(clopinettes, Fri 25 Jul 2008, 10:39, closed)

Clicky
Just for the evil laugh!
( El Lazarus is calm now, Ish,, Tue 29 Jul 2008, 20:16, closed)