It's getting nutier out there

[Anvilbrother 0]

You sir are on a roll!

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[gunver79 0]

turtlespeed

I wonder if this was a set up, and the consequences known, and the point made.

Although I am probably coming from a different direction politically: This was also my first thought. I mean, this kid was wearing a NASA-T-Shirt for crying out loud! Can you make it any more cliche-ish?
And then President Obama and people from Harvard and Oxford coming out the next day, offering invitations and support and whatnot.

Also, the science teacher, obviously having no idea what kind of a student he has in class, considers his gizmo a possible bomb yet does not initiate evacuation nor call the bomb squad? Can anyone possibly be that stupid AND be a science teacher?

I really hope this story is legit and if so, all power to the kid. But it is really a bit hard to believe, is it not?

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi gunver,

Quote

But it is really a bit hard to believe, is it not?

Nope, completely believable to me.

Also, IMO if it had been a setup, it would have come out by now.

Nope, a total Chinese firedrill by all involved less the 14 yr old.



Jerry Baumchen

[gunver79 0]

JerryBaumchen

Nope, completely believable to me.

Wow...I think that alone says a lot. (Not about you, but rather about the circumstances; I think you get my meaning.)

JerryBaumchen

Also, IMO if it had been a setup, it would have come out by now.

True, it probably would have.

[billvon 2,400]

>But it is really a bit hard to believe, is it not?

No. I brought things that looked a lot more "bomb-ish" to school when I was his age. But I'm white, so I never had a problem.

[normiss 622]

We also were not yet chickenshit about terrorism.

Some of our neighborhood RC vs. Plastic model battles involving rocket motors and gasoline would have have had have had me in jail before 6th grade.

[Rick 67]

normiss

We also were not yet chickenshit about terrorism.

Some of our neighborhood RC vs. Plastic model battles involving rocket motors and gasoline would have have had have had me in jail before 6th grade.

the old M-80 flushed down the toilet trick would not go over so well these days

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[Amazon 7]

gunver79

***I wonder if this was a set up, and the consequences known, and the point made.

Although I am probably coming from a different direction politically: This was also my first thought. I mean, this kid was wearing a NASA-T-Shirt for crying out loud! Can you make it any more cliche-ish?
And then President Obama and people from Harvard and Oxford coming out the next day, offering invitations and support and whatnot.

Also, the science teacher, obviously having no idea what kind of a student he has in class, considers his gizmo a possible bomb yet does not initiate evacuation nor call the bomb squad? Can anyone possibly be that stupid AND be a science teacher?

I really hope this story is legit and if so, all power to the kid. But it is really a bit hard to believe, is it not?

I believe the science teacher knew what it was and thought it was cool

On the other hand the ENGLISH teacher I think got all FAUX News skeered and see it report it... I mean he was brown.. and named Mohammed...

[ryoder 1,384]

The cops knew it wasn't a bomb all along: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/irving-police-chief-admits-cops-knew-ahmed-mohamed-didnt-have-a-bomb-when-they-arrested-him/

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Anvilbrother 0]

A few tech websites have blown up the photo of the clock he "Made" and have proven that all the kid did was take an older clock(they had a pic of what looks like the exact model he used) out of its housing and lay it in that box, and mount the display. If you actually look at the clock there is no way he made that. It isnt modern etched PCB that you can do yourself in the homemade kits. It is hand drawn PCB and even has the emblem of the company on the board. The switches for snooze and battery backup are even attached to the board.

Quote

For starters, one glance at the printed circuit board in the photo, and I knew we were looking at mid-to-late 1970s vintage electronics. Surely you’ve seen a modern circuit board, with metallic traces leading all over to the various components like an electronic spider’s web. You’ll notice right away the highly accurate spacing, straightness of the lines, consistency of the patterns. That’s because we design things on computers nowadays, and computers assist in routing these lines. Take a look at the board in Ahmed’s clock. It almost looks hand-drawn, right? That’s because it probably was. Computer aided design was in its infancy in the 70s. This is how simple, low cost items (like an alarm clock) were designed. Today, even a budding beginner is going to get some computer aided assistance – in fact they’ll probably start there, learning by simulating designs before building them. You can even simulate or lay out a board with free apps on your phone or tablet. A modern hobbyist usually wouldn’t be bothered with the outdated design techniques. There’s also silk screening on the board. An “M” logo, “C-94” (probably, a part number – C might even stand for “clock”), and what looks like an American flag. More about that in a minute. Point for now being, a hobbyist wouldn’t silk screen logos and part numbers on their home made creation. It’s pretty safe to say already we’re looking at ’70s tech, mass produced in a factory.

http://blogs.artvoice.com/techvoice/2015/09/17/reverse-engineering-ahmed-mohameds-clock-and-ourselves/

https://www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/3le46o/ahmed_mohameds_clock_analyzed_its_just_a_torn/

Quote

I think everyone who knows electronics already knew this at first glance. As 14 year olds, we were always finding old electronics, taking them apart, seeing what we could do with them. Perhaps in the process of taking apart the original clock, the case was broken, so he decided to build it into something else. Perhaps he was interested in tinkering with the clock in the future, why not build it into a case that could open? For that matter, how many of his teachers and classmates had seen the inside of a working electric clock (not many, based on their reaction). Building an existing clock into an openable case means you can point to the various components and explain what they do.

There are plenty of innocent reasons to do what he did. And the same media that will blow risk out of proportion through ignorance, can also assign lofty words like "genius" and "inventor" out of ignorance. They just don't know any better. This kid is curious and built a thing that had value to him somehow. Maybe just to prove that he was starting to understand how things work, and to show off that knowledge. Or maybe for very little reason at all...how much time did I waste wiring random components together hoping it would do something cool?

I don't understand why this issue is so polarizing. Apparently, you have to either believe the kid is a genius and literally invented time itself, or you have to believe he started ISIS. The truth is that he's just a kid screwing around with electronic parts, he's proud of finally making a couple solder joints that don't break apart instantly.

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[Anvilbrother 0]

Quote

While the community’s anti-Muslim mayor

WTF was this about in the article?

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[billvon 2,400]

> If you actually look at the clock there is no way he made that.

It's obvious that he took the guts of an old clock and put it in a new case - which is about what I would expect a somewhat bright 14 year old kid to be able to do.

[Anvilbrother 0]

So I guess he was just being a kid trying to impress others when he said he "made a clock" but really just repackaged one.

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[billvon 2,400]

>So I guess he was just being a kid trying to impress others when he said
>he "made a clock" but really just repackaged one.

Yep. For a typical 14 year old, repackaging a clock is making one.

[Anvilbrother 0]

I could totally see that happening. Especially to gain some recognition from an adult teacher, or friends.

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[GeorgiaDon 340]

Anvilbrother

So I guess he was just being a kid trying to impress others when he said he "made a clock" but really just repackaged one.

Perhaps you expected him to mine some ore so he could smelt the copper and make the electronics from scratch? What a loser, "making" a clock from recycled electronics.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[Anvilbrother 0]

He diddnt make a clock from recycled electronics he took a working clock out of its case and slapped it back inside that little briefcase and said he made the clock.

If he had taken a 555 IC, or made one with an arduino that would be more accurate.

He slapped a cover on something that was already working and called it his. I'm not hating on the kid as you suggested by calling him a looser it's just something that was pointed out.

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[Bolas 5]

Anvilbrother

Quote

While the community’s anti-Muslim mayor

WTF was this about in the article?

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/the-mayor-of-ahmed-mohameds-town-is-a-well-known-conservative-folk-hero-for-fighting-fake-muslim-threats/

Unless she was made aware of the incident and told the police to arrest him, completely unrelated. All apparently were following their standard procedures.

And again DNA/religion scews the focus. The focus should be on overbearing and ridiculous school "zero tolerance" policies. This is not part of a war on Islam.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[rehmwa 2]

Bolas

The focus should be on overbearing and ridiculous school "zero tolerance" policies. This is not part of a war on Islam.

^^^^

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

Hi Robert.

Quote

The cops knew it wasn't a bomb all along

From the link: "The officers made the decision they did with the information they had with what they thought was right at the time."

The problem is they did not have the brights to properly process the information that they had.

"Hey, just handcuff 'em, that'll stop us being scared."



This is really too bad; as there are a lot of good, competent LEO's out there. These goofballs make them all look bad & incompetent.

Jerry Baumchen

[jakee 1,255]

Quote

The problem is they did not have the brights to properly process the information that they had.

"Hey, just handcuff 'em, that'll stop us being scared."

Well yeah, they needed to figure out if making something that wasn't a bomb and wasn't meant to look like a bomb but was mistaken for something that was meant to look vaguely like a fake bomb was a criminal offence.

And while figuring that out, they obviously needed to keep him handcuffed in case he made something else that was completely harmless.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[rehmwa 2]

jakee

And while figuring that out, they obviously needed to keep him handcuffed in case he made something else that was completely harmless.

that's true - he could have pulled out a poptart and eaten it into a gun shape. Or whipped out a pencil and paper and draw a picture of a soldier holding a rifle.

even scarier - he could have, GASP, lifted his hand and pointed one finger and exclaimed "BANG BANG"

it's rough - thug life

enough to get you expelled = enough to get cuffed



we are doomed

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 2,400]

> The focus should be on overbearing and ridiculous school "zero tolerance"
>policies. This is not part of a war on Islam.

I don't believe that the school has a zero tolerance policy on clocks. Nor do I believe that if a blonde girl named Ashley Jones brought the exact same clock to school and acted exactly the same way, she would have been arrested.

(However I do agree that zero tolerance policies are generally idiotic.)

[Bolas 5]

billvon

> The focus should be on overbearing and ridiculous school "zero tolerance"
>policies. This is not part of a war on Islam.

I don't believe that the school has a zero tolerance policy on clocks. Nor do I believe that if a blonde girl named Ashley Jones brought the exact same clock to school and acted exactly the same way, she would have been arrested.

(However I do agree that zero tolerance policies are generally idiotic.)

So would any evidence to the contrary such as their documented procedures, escalation requirements, and for possible threats or do you still believe Michael Brown was innocent too?

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[quade 3]

billvon

> The focus should be on overbearing and ridiculous school "zero tolerance"
>policies. This is not part of a war on Islam.

I don't believe that the school has a zero tolerance policy on clocks. Nor do I believe that if a blonde girl named Ashley Jones brought the exact same clock to school and acted exactly the same way, she would have been arrested.

(However I do agree that zero tolerance policies are generally idiotic.)

Yeah, but you knew this would have to needle its way into some sort of discussion about toy guns and whatnot. I mean, come on. 'Murica.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver