I’m getting off topic a bit, but agreed PMN, see my post #35 at http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=99291&page=2

Also, with an election tomorrow, another thought occurred to me.

Some years back, one man in Dunblane managed to change firearms legislation, affecting thousands of responsible gun owners. He didn’t vote for this change, he made it happen all by himself.

Similarly, half a dozen nutters with a bag of fertiliser have managed to turn the justice system upside down. They didn’t vote either. They made it happen all by themselves.

So we’ve reduced ourselves to allowing a few fruitcakes to change our laws instead. Why vote when, individually, you can achieve major change by popping into the garden centre?

I think I already agreed with your last sentence. As for the rest, ‘What, me worry?’:)

I didn’t try to suggest the persons involved in these amateur attacks are harmless and I am aware of the damage even small amounts of explosive can do. In the current case I’m suggesting that had the bomber shown a degree of training and professionalism, then there might be grounds to say there is a valid terrorist threat. The same applies to the shoe bomber. Even so, it is impossible to legislate or do anything to stop determined and reasonably intelligent people from causing mayhem. If it takes an extra two hours to fly because of security checks, bombers will move on to softer targets. You might be able to fly more safely, but my using the bus, standing in a pub, or visiting a market will become less safe instead. ‘The bomber will always get through’, (although used in a different context) is a truism.

Without trying to cause offence, yes, I am taking it lightly. I have far more chance of dying from a million other causes than by a terrorist attack. I don’t think the world is a more dangerous place than it has been, in my lifetime.

PMN, I’m condemning the fact that our liberties are being eroded on the flimsiest of grounds – a bunch of amateurs no sane government could take seriously are causing a hugely disproportionate reaction to the actual harm they can cause.

Every time one of these clowns tries to make a bomb, it seems to be an excuse for more draconian legislation. Even at the height of the Irish troubles, when many more people were killed and maimed than by the current bunch, there didn’t seem to be such a need for badly thought out, hurried legislation that adversely affects everyones rights and allows the state to pry even further into our lives.

Once in place, laws tend to stay in place. Governments don’t want to be accused of ‘being soft on terrorism’.

Apparently we’re all supposed to buy in to ‘The Global Terrorist Threat’ and give up our civil liberties because a few nutters go to an ironmongers and their local gardening centre.

If this is the best the ‘Global Terrorist Threat’ can do – set thier shoes on fire or make a car smoulder, I think the security services and the government might be slightly overstating thier case.

If I was a self respecting terrorist, I wouldn’t want to associate myself with these clowns. When we had the IRA bombings, at least we had terrorists could take seriously.

A bloke with a bunch of fireworks, gas bottles, petrol and some fertiliser. Pathetic. Even as a kid I could make bombs that actually worked. Any farm around here probably has those ingredients in the shed.

All the security checks in the world can’t prevent a nutter with common or garden substances from trying to make a bomb. All that ‘Security’ does is displace the activity. it doesn’t make us any safer.

I used to think aircraft must be really heavy. If you take a Jaguar for instance, with an empty weight of 15,400 pounds, 1/72 of that is still around 213 pounds – imagine a small kid trying to lift his little model!
It took me years to realise that the actual scale weight would be 1/72 of that again, which makes a more sensible 3 pounds. Still too much for those spindly legs though (the Jags, not mine!)…

Don’t want to be pedantic, but as I was falling asleep last night, one of those half asleep thoughts struck me – it occurred to me that you still need to divide by 72 again – .065 of an ounce. Maybe I should count sheep like everyone else.

On the other hand, if I can do that half sleep, what might I achieve if I ever wake up!