| Pages:
1
2
3
4
5 |
Praxichys
International Hazard
Posts: 1063
Registered: 31-7-2013
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Coprecipitated
|
|
Not to mention that it might not even be powder fine enough to make flash compositions. I usually stick to the 30μm Al powder for various
applications because it's good enough for what I need it for and it's too coarse for the ATF to care.
|
|
|
JJay
International Hazard
Posts: 3440
Registered: 15-10-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
I just shredded aluminum foil in a coffee grinder... I'm guessing it is largely 50-100 μm. That's bad for the coffee grinder, but it would be trivial
to use a blender and screen the powder afterward (or use a rock tumbler or ball mill).
|
|
|
Magpie
lab constructor
Posts: 5939
Registered: 1-11-2003
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Chemistry: the subtle science.
|
|
I think this is a crying shame. I know he broke the law but there was no malicious intent: he was just a bloke trying to make a living selling
innocuous chemicals. I admire his pluck. He's a great physical chemist and educator. I wish him the best.
The single most important condition for a successful synthesis is good mixing - Nicodem
|
|
|
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/back-garden-chemist-jaile...
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supplying-explosi...
[Edited on 7/11/2017 by Rosco Bodine]
|
|
|
Loptr
International Hazard
Posts: 1347
Registered: 20-5-2014
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
|
|
I hope controlled explosions weren't carried out as stated in that first link! Maybe so that they could if need be... geez! People are out of their
minds!
[Edited on 11-7-2017 by Loptr]
"Question everything generally thought to be obvious." - Dieter Rams
|
|
|
Loptr
International Hazard
Posts: 1347
Registered: 20-5-2014
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Grateful
|
|
Chief Inspector Iain Dixon from the East Riding Community Policing said:
Gert Meyers has failed to see the severity of what he has done wrong throughout his interactions with authorities and ignored warnings that he was
possessing illegal substances. He was keeping these very volatile and explosive substances in his shed which could have seriously harmed or killed
himself or neighbours. When we discovered the substances it became clear that we’d need to evacuate the area around his home to ensure the safety of
the public. I hope now the circumstances are emerging the public support our action understand and why it was so vital.
I am sure the public affected by his selfish actions will be pleased to see that he has been sentenced to time in prison. It should
serve as a warning to other people in possession of dangerous and unregulated substances that they will be identified and brought to
justice.
So dangerous and unregulated substances are justification alone to be brought to justice? Justice for what?
[Edited on 11-7-2017 by Loptr]
"Question everything generally thought to be obvious." - Dieter Rams
|
|
|
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
Myself and franklyn and others on this board correctly identified a mental problem was obvious involving some of the postings made here, and now this
has been confirmed.
https://celebrityrave.com/article/chemist-55-who-cooked-up-d...
|
|
|
JJay
International Hazard
Posts: 3440
Registered: 15-10-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
Efforts to connect blogfast25's legal troubles with Breaking Bad are off base. There were no drugs nor any drug precursors found in his shed.
|
|
|
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
I agree that the reporting was atrociously prejudicial and is typical tabloid crap masquerading as journalism.
Fake News that is completely invented is yet another distortion that is typical Yellow Journalism.
Scroll halfway down the page of this Royal Society article and you'll see a more sober author's words.
https://www.chemistryworld.com/feature/hobby-chemists/101748...
The constable and judge are unequivocally lacking in knowledge fit for making accurate risk analysis and risk management decisions. They should be
treated for hysteria and ignorance.
|
|
|
ELRIC
Hazard to Others
Posts: 244
Registered: 23-2-2015
Location: Kentucky
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I wonder if Blogfast has any commissary money?
The article linked by Rosco said he was having problems acquiring employement
due to a DUI. Can anyone contact Blogfast?
|
|
|
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
Here is more info. Anybody could possibly ring up the missus to offer help,
maybe set up a "Go fund me"
use the scroll wheel on this linked page
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20170401/282162176...
|
|
|
gdflp
Super Moderator
Posts: 1320
Registered: 14-2-2014
Location: NY, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Staring at code
|
|
I think that's an excellent idea Rosco, at the very least it's worth putting out feelers.
On a slightly different note, it's possible that he won't necessarily spend all 8 months in prison, he appears to be eligible for parole on October
30<sup>th</sup> : http://www.thelawpages.com/court-cases/Gert-Meyers-20392-1.l...
|
|
|
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
An irony to me is that there are things in common in some general ways (not involving politics) with myself. I have muttered "there but for the grace
of God go I"
and I can certainly appreciate and have a shared disdain of "regulators" who more precisely are nanny state "revenuers" ("license" tax
collectors)...more commonly known as extortionists, thieves, and bloodsucker bureaucrat parasites  Virtually any conceivable "controlled" or even "prohibited" thing that person would want to own is possible to be
made "legal" if the correct palm is greased with the required sum to obtain the "proper license" and everybody understands how that "payola" or "pay
to play" or paying protection works. In the U.S. for example if you want a machine gun it is no problem if you pay the 500 dollar "tax". Suddenly a
prohibited weapon becomes "authorized". See how that works.
|
|
|
j_sum1
Administrator
Posts: 6218
Registered: 4-10-2014
Location: Unmoved
Member Is Offline
Mood: Organised
|
|
By all accounts that I have read, a proper license from the Home Office seems in actuality to be a difficult thing to obtain with most applications
rejected. I am willing to be wrong on that one. But if i am not, it would seem that the system is set up for failure.
The criminal behaviour order that I previously cited is another such example. There is no way that anyone could actually obey the letter of that law.
It does seem to be an orchestrated effort to demonise anyone with an active interest in chemistry under the guise of protecting the public from
terrorist activity. And a lot more regard for perceived threats than actual hazards. It has been previously discussed how futile that approach will
be. Current terrorist trends are to use vehicles and knives rather than perchlorates. Restricting one means will only open up others. It is not the
chemicals that are the problem. (I was ruminating this morning on how much of a bang I could create with flour, a fan and a Bic lighter.)
OTOH, I do concede that there appear to be some storage and labelling issues in bloggers' lab. I am going to take warning from that as I set up my
new workspace.
I like the idea of a gofundme for bloggers -- or any other way we can show our support. It would be prudent to make contact with him or his family
first to find out what the actual needs are.
|
|
|
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
Yes that kind of "special license" made of unobtanium would simply be a false pretense that is used as a ruse, a lie to cover what is a de facto
prohibition, rather than a revenue generating scheme.
Oh you can't do that without a special license.
Okay. How much for a license?
More than anyone can afford.
Where to get a none such license being the problem.
Another dishonest scam used to persecute and oppress people.
|
|
|
Fulmen
International Hazard
Posts: 1693
Registered: 24-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: Bored
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1  | | It does seem to be an orchestrated effort to demonise anyone with an active interest in chemistry under the guise of protecting the public from
terrorist activity. |
It's all about what an average individual needs. Nobody needs to do chemistry in the garage, and most people doesn't even want to.
So there really isn't any reason for allowing possession of potentially harmful chemicals.
If you think we chemists have it rough you should try being interested in firearmss... Two of my friends got busted for some illegal guns a few years
ago, you would not believe the amount of shit that hit the fan that day.
We're not banging rocks together here. We know how to put a man back together.
|
|
|
j_sum1
Administrator
Posts: 6218
Registered: 4-10-2014
Location: Unmoved
Member Is Offline
Mood: Organised
|
|
Point taken Fulmen. And I confess to having a far greater interest in chemistry than firearms. I am of the opinion that firearm ownership presents a
far higher community risk than home chemistry. Additionally I see uses for chemistry that I don't generally find an equivalent for in the realm of
firearms. Blogfast developed same innovative aluminothermite techniques that I think are nothing to be sneezed at.
But leaving aside my reservations about firearms, in neither case do I see a case for bureaucratic knee-jerk reactions at the cost of individual
freedoms. Where there is an identified community risk there should obviously be some form of restriction or regulation. But I think it is far from
an established fact that blogfast presented a risk to his community -- certainly not one that required a £36000 two day bomb squad operation
involving evacuation of 40 neighbours. It should not have been difficult for blogfast to demonstrate a legitimate justification for what he was
doing. Perhaps some of the blame lies with the administrative obstacles that make it difficult to obtain a license from the Home Office?
It is all about perception rather than actual risk. The law in this case appears to be addressing perceived harm and not actual harm. I wonder what
would have happened if there had been a convincing expert witness in this case. I would be prepared to bet money that the judge has no clue on
chemistry and cleans his house and eats his food "with no chemicals".
|
|
|
JJay
International Hazard
Posts: 3440
Registered: 15-10-2015
Member Is Offline
|
|
My impression is that they would not have granted him a license that would have allowed him to keep his chemicals at that particular location and that
the evacuation occurred mainly so that the disposal of the seized chemicals could occur without endangering his neighbors (i.e. so the bomb squad
could set off explosives in his yard). That does seem rather unnecessary, and they didn't bother taking his solvent cans and so forth, which arguably
presented more of a hazard than the chemicals that they seized.
I'm not sure who would qualify as a convincing expert witness... a chemistry instructor perhaps? What would he/she testify about? That the chemicals
did not present a serious hazard? How much does that matter when you're in violation of the law? I think that blogfast did have some of his neighbors
speak on his behalf as character witnesses....
Realistically, how large of a blast radius do you think you could expect if a fire occurred in blogfast's lab? How far would shrapnel be thrown?
|
|
|
gdflp
|
Thread Split
12-7-2017 at 05:26 |
Rosco Bodine
Banned
Posts: 6370
Registered: 29-9-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: analytical
|
|
I'll leave this board to all the "experts" and count whatever expressing of my thoughts done here as having been a complete waste of time.
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Rosco Bodine | | I'll leave this board to all the "experts" and count whatever expressing of my thoughts done here as having been a complete waste of time.
|
Sent you a pm. :-)
Back to the topic of the thread... I have never met Blogfast25 and have no idea where he is.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
Magpie
lab constructor
Posts: 5939
Registered: 1-11-2003
Location: USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Chemistry: the subtle science.
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by DrP |
Back to the topic of the thread... I have never met Blogfast25 and have no idea where he is. |
If you want to know him read some of his posts. He lives in the UK, SW England, IIRC.
The single most important condition for a successful synthesis is good mixing - Nicodem
|
|
|
phlogiston
International Hazard
Posts: 1375
Registered: 26-4-2008
Location: Neon Thorium Erbium Lanthanum Neodymium Sulphur
Member Is Offline
Mood: pyrophoric
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Fulmen |
It's all about what an average individual needs. Nobody needs to do chemistry in the garage, and most people doesn't even want to.
So there really isn't any reason for allowing possession of potentially harmful chemicals. |
This.
People need trucks, knifes and planes. They can't be banned.
Making it impossible to do chemical experiments at home only affects a tiny, tiny percentage of the population, in a very minor way (we would lose a
hobby, which is extremely frustrating but nothing more serious than that).
Politicians can claim they are taking measures that make terrorists' life more difficult. Amateur chemists are collateral damage that nobody really
cares about.
[Edited on 12-7-2017 by phlogiston]
-----
"If a rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down, that's not my concern said Wernher von Braun" - Tom Lehrer |
|
|
Praxichys
International Hazard
Posts: 1063
Registered: 31-7-2013
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Coprecipitated
|
|
Yep, and to be honest I don't think a gofundme is a good idea.
It will just show that the amateur chemistry community is willing to support the illegal possession of restricted substances by people with mental
health problems and a history of criminal substance abuse.
If the public has been made to believe his actions aided terrorism, receiving financial support from us only makes it look like we must support
terrorism as well. If anyone figures out this funding is even remotely related to SM, this board and its English members will be under investigation
in an awful hurry.
I can see the headline now: "Terrorist-Supplying Breaking Bad guy Sponsored by Online Chemist Ring distributing Explosive How-Tos" and "Sleep Safer
Tonight: English Members of Supply Ring Raided, More Dangerous Chemicals Confiscated, Three Jailed"
Further, England has an internet censorship law specifically about "regulations against incitement to terrorism". I'd hate to see SM blacklisted by
English ISPs.
|
|
|
j_sum1
Administrator
Posts: 6218
Registered: 4-10-2014
Location: Unmoved
Member Is Offline
Mood: Organised
|
|
You raise good points there Praxichys. I hadn't considered the risks from that angle.
|
|
|
DrP
National Hazard
Posts: 625
Registered: 28-9-2005
Member Is Offline
Mood: exothermic
|
|
In which case I would put money on him NOT having been shot in anyway at all.
\"It\'s a man\'s obligation to stick his boneration in a women\'s separation; this sort of penetration will increase the population of the younger
generation\" - Eric Cartman
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2
3
4
5 |
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
