the dragon

At a backyard BBQ a few weeks ago, Marty, who's one of the guys on my softball team, gave a demonstration of his torch-juggling skills. He also mentioned that he'd been taking firebreathing lessons at a local bar, and brought out a bottle of Barcardi 151 to show off his stuff.

Out of sheer machismo, I had a go at firebreathing. It turns out that I'm a natural, as the photos and videos (thanks Rajesh!) will attest. I worked up a cloud of flame every time I stepped up to the torch. The only part that hurts is the 151 itself. Ever leave mouthwash in your mouth for too long? Multiply that sensation by 100, and you have some idea what it felt like to have 151 in my mouth for the brief second before I sprayed it all back out at the torch!

Caution: You're a complete fool if you even think about duplicating the stunts depicted here. Don't try this at home, at work, or anywhere else you find yourself with a bottle of 151, a match, and too much time on your hands. Kids: this means you!

First try at firebreathing. Look at that plume! (28 KB)

Second time. That's Marty holding the torch with a look of utter disbelief on his face. (24 KB)

Third time. Look ma - all by myself! Just me, a torch, and a mouthfull of 151. (32 KB)

Rajesh also got three videos of my firebreathing efforts. Check them out! They're all in .avi format - I will convert them to MPEGs "soon", and get a few thumbnails.

Number One

Everyone's sitting around, chilling out, and generally not paying attention until the whooshing! sound! (3.5 MB)

Number Two

Getting better at it. You can hear Joe encouraging Angela to give it another go while I suck down the 151. A bigger, longer-lasting plume! (2.4 MB)

Number Three

Three torches, one dragon. The grand finale! That's Rajesh in the audio giving me my cue. Obligatory MPAA: PG-13 for mild profanity and firebreathing scenes that shouldn't be emulated by anyone with a modicum of common sense. (Sorry, the video is rotated sideways...) (2.7 MB)

26 November 2001: More flamage from another party, thought not as extreme as my first try at firebreathing.

An album cover shot! (32 KB)

Carrying the torch. (25 KB)