While the tone of this article about the latest German craze, the Kartoffelkanone, is more along the lines of "you'll put your eye out kid", I think it sounds cool as all get-out. Anything that can fire a potato at more than 60 mph has got to be a lot of fun! Found via slashdot.

Years ago I read a site that talked about putting together spud guns that had muzzle velocities in excess of 200 mph, but they weren't portable and the potato tended to come apart after just a few feet. These German inventions are way cooler.

Update: Always read the comments, wherein I found reference to a book that gives you easy-to-follow instructions for spud guns and all sorts of other way-beyond-cool pyrotechnical devices. My brother has a back yard that could probably encompass Rhode Island. This has potential...