The Execution of Jack 'O Bin Laden


Click on any of the thumbnails for the full photo. They are either 1152 x 864 [about 180KB] or 2400 x 1800 images [about 780KB] each.

What do you get when you mix a pumpkin carved in the likeness of Osama bin-Laden and a 7mm Magnum rifle?

Pulp.

It all started when I decided to carve my Halloween Jack 'o lantern.  I had been carving realistic Jack 'o lanterns for a few years, so the question was 'Who would be a good subject this year?'  Even though the events of September 11 occurred over a year ago, I decided that Osama bin-Laden was the scariest subject to put on a pumpkin.

It took about 2 hours to carve the likeness.  Last year, my pumpkin quickly rotted with a black mold that grew in long "hairs", so this year I decided to not open the pumpkin, but just remove the skin to carve the likeness. My Jack 'o bin laden lasted over 2 weeks.

When I brought him into work, people started pretending to shoot him, blow him up, stab him, etc.  Eventually, Ken, a co-worker, suggested that he really should be shot, and volunteered to do it.  Since I didn't have any plans for Jack, I agreed - if he would videotape the event.

The project was passed on to Ken, and soon, plans were drawn.  Jack would be shot with a 7mm Magnum rifle.  Since this was a high-powered rifle, the slug would just go right through the pumpkin, leaving it virtually undisturbed (but dead).  This was un-acceptable.

He decided that it should be filled with gelatin.  The seeds and gelatin would be the "brains", and the rind would be the "skull".  Now, a high-powered round would cause Jack's "head" to explode.

Ken needed to know how much gelatin to buy, so he measured Jack's head. To fill it would require 30 cups of water and 24-1/4 oz. packets of unflavored gelatin.  He also added a bottle of red food coloring, with a teaspoon of blue, and 2 cups of flour "for added realism". The 20 lb pumpkin weighed 31.5 lbs after filling.

2 small plugs were cut, one to fill it, and one to allow the air to escape.  After filling, both plugs were pushed back into place hard enough so they couldn't be pulled out.  The "brains" were allowed to gel overnight.

The shot was made with a 7mm Magnum rifle at 50 feet.  The bullet was a 160-grain soft point.  The velocity was about 3250 feet per second, and the energy was about 3600 foot-pounds!

Here is the video of the event.

Copyright © 2003 Guardian Geek
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Last updated October 10th, 2003