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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MikeS who wrote (58456)	11/23/2002 5:11:20 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

As a lurker who has read all 58000+ on this thread I checked your profile. You have been on SI since '98. This is your First post! Wow. Not exactly a member of the "Chattering Class," are you? :^)

To: MikeS who wrote (58456)	11/25/2002 3:26:23 PM
From: Bilow	Respond to of 281500

Hi MikeS; Re the number of "bombing incidents". My own personal observation is that there are far more bombs constructed in the US than there are people murdered. I only know of a few people who've been murdered, but I've known at least a half dozen people who've set off dozens of bombs each. The vast majority of bombing incidents are not reported to the police, but I am also personally aware of two or three that were. (And you should have seen the PMs I got from people admitting what they or their cohorts did in their youth.) Among the more technically inclined / somewhat out of control geek type, bomb making is big time hobby. "Bomb" making is fairly similar to the (also dangerous) hobby of making fireworks. But it's not like that is the only dangerous (and illegal) hobby that young men partake in. Most of the time nothing happens with the amateur bomb makers. They only make the news if someone or something is hurt. A single California county (Calaveras) had the following 28 "explosives incidents" in 1999: During 1999, 28 explosive incidents were reported in Calaveras County. This time last year 24 incidents were reported. Of the incident in 1999, 5 involved "other" explosives; 3 involved recovery of high explosives (including 1 pound of detonation cord, 1 pound of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (Anfo) and 20 pounds of low explosives); 6 involved recovery of blasting caps (for a total of 62 electric/nonelectric blasting caps recovered); 2 were associated with suspicious packages both of which were found at the Government Center; 5 involved improvised explosive devices-pipe bombs (including 1 PVC and 4 metal pipe bombs each of which contained low explosives, high explosives, and fuses); 1 incident involved the recovery of military ordnance (including 1 live hand grenade and 2 military explosive simulators); 5 bomb threat incidents (2 at the Government Center, 1 at the Valley Springs Post Office, and 2 at Toyon Middle School); and 1 incident involving the discovery of a hoax device found at New Hogan Lake. co.calaveras.ca.us Here's how a typical hobbiest bomber gets started: I still remember the day I began playing with fire. ... sheldonpacotti.com Examples of hobbiest bomb makers who got in lots of trouble: Vanbiber, who is serving 61/2 years in federal prison on a guilty plea to possession of explosives, initially claimed he was building bombs as a hobby. But a cellmate told investigators that Vanbiber also wanted to target blacks by planting bombs at a Fourth of July celebration in Orlando and at Independence Day parties involving federal employees. sptimes.com In his defence, Osman P. claims that he has had a lifetime hobby of making fireworks and wanted to make some for New Year’s Eve. “This is a passion which he has had since his childhood,” said his lawyer, Andrea Combe. He tried the firecrackers out in a field, and “they left ten centimetre holes, not craters into which a whole city could disappear,” Combe said. wsws.org reporter-news.com ... Stutzman testified that he built the bombs in the basement as a hobby and was about 11 years old when he built his first bomb. "I got a kick out of the bang," he said. Stutzman had built several smaller bombs in Guardiola's basement, he said, and had set them off "out in the country" and in her yard. He said he set the bombs off to test them and never meant to hurt anyone or destroy any property. ... theindependent.com -- Carl P.S. Eric Harris' pipe bomb instructions: members.aol.com Kip Kinkel's house had 5 bombs in it: cnn.com Here's a somewhat dangerous hobby most people don't know exists, realistic Civil war ship combat simulation: combatships.com