Gunpowder, Treason & Plotz.

For the past week the US has been working itself up into a frenzy amid the delivery of 13 suspicious packages. These are widely and wrongly reported to contain pipe bombs.

This has driven Democrats including stalwart New York City Mayor William Wilhelm into a state of totally legitimate, absolute terror.

As they attempt to drive their so-called; "Blue Wave" ahead of the November 6th (6/11/18) mid-terms.

Here in the UK the much more important date is November 5th (5/11/18).

This marks the 413th anniversary of an attempt by Catholic plotters including Guy Fawkes to assassinate Protestant King James I. By blowing up the House of Parliament as King James was giving a speech there.

More accurately it marks the failure of the plot. Followed by the brutal executions of the plotters.

This involved them being hung by the neck until they were almost dead. Tied to horses and dragged through the streets and then having each of their four limbs tied to horses so they were stretched out until the were almost dead. Having been hung, drawn and quartered they were finally burnt alive on bonfires.

Every year Britons celebrate this by burning effigies of the plotters on bonfires. While setting off gunpowder fuelled fireworks in mockery of their failure.

It is the one day of the year the entire country becomes almost as sectarian as Northern Ireland.

For people like me it is a time when you place a bucket of sand beneath the letterbox on your front door. In order to catch any pipe bombs that might come through.

So you'll excuse me if I don't take the opportunity to hold a tutorial on how to build a better pipe bomb.

However when you refer to a; "Pipe Bomb" it is generally taken to mean gunpowder packed inside a metal pipe. It is almost exactly the same as any firework you would buy in a store. Except the gunpowder is wrapped in a metal cylinder rather than a cardboard one.

When we talk about terror attacks or war we often refer to; "High Explosives." Gunpowder is what is known as a; "Low Explosive." Technically gunpowder doesn't actually explode. It merely burns.

However that is not to say that it is not without risks. In the precision engineered confines of a gun burning gunpowder can propel a metal object at around 400 metres/second. If that metal object hits you at those speeds its probably going to kill you. Or at least give you a very bad day.

Gunpowder is a compound made up of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium Nitrate. In America you can walk into a store and buy a can of it off the shelf. Much like how you would buy a can of coffee or a can of motor oil.

Curiously though the packages we've seen this week did not use gunpowder. They only contained Sulfur - just one of the ingredients of gunpowder.

Commonly used in matches Sulfur does burn when exposed to heat or friction. However paper and wood also burn when exposed to heat of friction. Graphite Rock burns at around 400C. Even Steel will burn at around 800C.

In gunpowder it is the Potassium Nitrate which gives the Sulfur its sub-explosive kick.

So the packages we've seen this week are not what any reasonable person would consider a bomb. Or any other type of explosive device.

Yesterday (26/10/18) a man was arrested in the US state of Florida for sending the packages. He has been identified as Cesar Sayoc.

He is an avid supporter of President Trump who has quickly been dubbed the; "Make America Great Again (MAGA) Bomber."

Apart from influencing the mid-term elections by fuelling the Democrats' Blue Wave there seems to be a more international political significance to this.

Sayoc is a heavily muscled body builder who clearly spends a lot of time in the gym. He also has a long criminal record for using Anabolic Steroids.

I myself spend some time in the gym. Although I find it to be the most boring thing in the World recently the World seems to have gotten a little bit too interested in my gym routine. After all over the World Cup 18 months of hardwork suddenly paid off.

For the past three weeks or so in the gym I've been focusing on building muscle in my upper arms and shoulders. Although on absolutely nothing like the scale of Sayoc.

I find this really tedious. It leaves me extremely tired. As what energy I have goes straight into building muscles I don't seem to need but the people who make clothes insist that I must have.

This has been a significant factor in why I think I came in a week late to the Jamal Khashoggi saga.

Although looking at the Kerch School Shooting there are probably some in America who think I came in a week too early. And wouldn't mind knifing me in the back as punishment.

If these packages have been directed by elements of the US intelligence community it would normally involve them putting the individual into a vulnerable psychological state. Then subtly suggesting something they could do with all their anger.

In short you wind them up and watch them go.

Since his arrest much has been made of Sayoc's van. Which he was living in after being kicked out of his parents home. That is exactly the sort of trigger used to put someone in a vulnerable psychological state.

So I would be very interested in the political affiliations of Sayoc's parents.

Along with that of their wider social group. Particularly any local government committees or boards they may be involved in.

11:45 on 27/10/18 (UK date).