On Sat, 2012-08-25 at 10:50 -0400, Gene Heskett wrote: > On Saturday 25 August 2012 10:34:35 Kent A. Reed did opine: > > > On 8/25/2012 4:29 AM, Gene Heskett wrote: > > > That of course was back in a different day and time, I actually bought > > > it off the display shelf of the main downtown Rapid City drug store. > > > I had to sign the dangerous chemicals waver book for both it and the > > > hydrochloric CP, but it was on the shelf! CVS & Rite Aid will > > > probably call the DHS if you even ask about either today. > > > > When I was a mere lad, my local drug store was chock-a-block with useful > > chemical elements and compounds. Besides doing the usual chemistry > > experiments, by the time I entered high school I had made quantities of > > various substances known to expand rapidly when ignited, all in the name > > of amateur rocketry. From gun powder to a version of Thiokol rubber, > > pretty much you name it and I made it. Almost every ingredient was > > purchased off their shelves. Some of their stock items made sense to me, > > others were inexplicable. I never did ask why a pharmacy would need to > > carry pound containers of granulated zinc. It's no wonder they're called > > "chemist shops" in many parts of the world. > > Sometimes its best not to ask... > > > I confess I went straight to the local scientific supply store to buy > > some of my reagent-grade chemicals, notably acids, and labware. No > > questions were ever asked. I guess the counter clerks figured if I knew > > how to specify what I wanted I must know what I was doing, even though I > > rode up on a bicycle! > > Chuckle, I rode a bike to go get parts to fix tv's and such when I was 13 > or so, 35 miles one way on what was then US Highway 6 from our place north > of Redfield IA to the Gifford-Brown distributer in downtown Des Moines. > One of those it needed done so I did it things. > > > There's a current cartoon series* about two kids > > named Phineas and Ferb doing incredible engineering feats, in which > > Phineas is often asked by an adult "say, aren't you a little young to be > > doing this?" to which Phineas replies "why, yes, yes I am." That would > > have been my response too. > > BTDT, and it was several dozen calendars back up the log, so I wore out the > t-shirt already. :-) > > > My enthusiasm for home rocketry dampened a bit when a friend blew off > > various portions of his hands and face in an ill-considered attempt to > > brew a fuel which was well known to be unstable. This stuff deserves > > respect. Reminds me of my pilot-dad's remark that there are old pilots > > and there are bold pilots but there are no old, bold pilots. Substitute > > chemist for pilot and I think it still holds true. > > That it does. > > > Not just DHS would come a-knocking these days, what with crack labs > > blowing up with some regularity. > > Those idiots will never learn they can't smoke a doobie around 55 gallon > drums of acetone. Pisses me off when I go buy a gallon for parts cleaning > etc and I get a knowing grin at the counter at Ace Hardware. > > > And the fertilizer stores are still open for business. > > Of coarse, the farmers still have to dig ditches. And I can't think of a > quicker way than a string of bags, all touching each other, with a little > added kerosene in the one on the end, with 1/4 stick of Alfreds finest > under it, along with a cap and about a minutes worth of fuse. Light the > fuse, walk about 100 feet away, cover ears & get an instant ditch.
Works well in swamp land using poly bags of ammonium nitrate-diesel. IIRC they don't have to touch....several feet of separation. Dave > > > Regards, > > Kent > > > > *Oh the things you learn when you take care of grandkids! > > > Yes. And Yes. > > Cheers, Gene > -- > "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: > soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." > -Ed Howdershelt (Author) > My web page: <http://coyoteden.dyndns-free.com:85/gene> is up! > In defeat, unbeatable; in victory, unbearable. > -- W. Churchill, on General Montgomery > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Live Security Virtual Conference > Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and > threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions > will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware > threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Live Security Virtual Conference Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
