Make a clock, go to jail

[petehand]

Although nothing should surprise me by now about the insanity of the American school system, this one touches a nerve. A kid - a young teenager - made a clock of his own design, took it to school, and found himself in police custody accused of making a fake terrorist bomb - a "movie bomb". Maybe it wouldn't have happened if he'd used nixies instead of 7 segment displays, as then the morons at his school might have asked him what it was instead of instantly recognizing it as a deadly bomb like the ones they've seen in Hollywood movies. Way to go, teachers, for discouraging him from ever doing anything creative like that again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mW4w0Y1OXE

[Nick]

...also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34266389

Nick

[Andy Williams]

I saw that on the local news last night. (I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.) It sounds like the school district is trying to hide behind a general statement about protecting students and the Irving police department is blaming the victim. Here’s a more detailed local news story. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article35430726.html

If Ahmed had brought a nixie clock to school, would he have been accused of making a time machine?

I would like to add that when I went to high school in Texas in the early 1970s, I brought an LED clock to electronics class. I wasn’t arrested, suspended or had the clock confiscated.

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/4505f7d6-3735-452c-813c-15bcd03871fd%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Mich...@aol.com]

Without going into a long email...

 

We don't know what the device looks like!  We don't even know if it was counting down or working at all.

 

A claim is that he couldn't call his parents, because he was being searched the entire time.  We do have to realize that his parents were called long before he even got to the police station, so that would have been on their way.  Very rough to say he wasn't allowed to call them, cause they were probably on their way or even there before he arrived.  We also don't know what questions were asked or the answers he provided.

It's very possible that they asked... could it be used as a timer for a bomb and he could have honestly answered that it could be (just like any timer or even wrist watch).  We simply don't know.

 

The major issue here for me is, I hate seeing the race card pulled every damn time something happens or is done by anyone but white.  If anything happens, it's a 'hate' crime to the media - race or sexual orientation, etc just so that it gains media attention.

 

Also, as for Nixie clock and school.  My son (14 now) built a kit last year for a kind of show and tell.  Although not considered a bomb, they wouldn't let him, because it was "High Voltage" and considered dangerous.  My son is white, so I couldn't pull the race card.  Also, not gay, so couldn't call it out as a hate crime / prejudice thing either.

 

Also, I would MUCH rather a clock (movie bomb) real or not be taken away.  Too many kids dying in schools by people NOT doing anything about it.  How many kids go to school to get shot up while someone had prior knowledge that could have prevented the entire issue.  Take a $10 clock vs losing possible many kids to a bomb.  (Note, he was warned not to show it to anyone else, but still did. - another warning ignored.)

 

Michail

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/297535B8-F0F8-4090-9F66-53A4C4857E30%40pobox.com.

[Jeff Walton]

Way too much speculation here... 

People sometimes fear what they don't understand. 

Jeff 

[Instrument Resources of America]

On 9/16/2015 8:00 AM, Andy Williams wrote:

I saw that on the local news last night. (I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.) It sounds like the school district is trying to hide behind a general statement about protecting students and the Irving police department is blaming the victim. Here’s a more detailed local news story. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article35430726.html

If Ahmed had brought a nixie clock to school, would he have been accused of making a time machine?

Only if he was driving a DeLorean!!!! (Just think of the movie "Back To The Future")   Ira.

I would like to add that when I went to high school in Texas in the early 1970s, I brought an LED clock to electronics class. I wasn’t arrested, suspended or had the clock confiscated.

On Sep 16, 2015, at 6:41 AM, Nick <ni...@desmith.net> wrote:

...also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34266389

Nick

On Wednesday, 16 September 2015 10:17:55 UTC+1, petehand wrote:

Although nothing should surprise me by now about the insanity of the American school system, this one touches a nerve. A kid - a young teenager - made a clock of his own design, took it to school, and found himself in police custody accused of making a fake terrorist bomb - a "movie bomb". Maybe it wouldn't have happened if he'd used nixies instead of 7 segment displays, as then the morons at his school might have asked him what it was instead of instantly recognizing it as a deadly bomb like the ones they've seen in Hollywood movies. Way to go, teachers, for discouraging him from ever doing anything creative like that again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mW4w0Y1OXE

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/4505f7d6-3735-452c-813c-15bcd03871fd%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/297535B8-F0F8-4090-9F66-53A4C4857E30%40pobox.com.

[David Forbes]

Andy,

Curious, I had the same reaction you got when I brought a home made
clock to school as a teen. "Gee, that's interesting!" I had put it in a
nice wood-grain box, so as not to arouse suspicion.

I did eventually get in trouble by bringing a key to school that would
open all the PE combo locks, but that was after a year and a half of
having the key, and the assistant principal said their locksmith told
them that it couldn't be done.

You don't get into education by being clever.


On 9/16/15 8:00 AM, Andy Williams wrote:
> I saw that on the local news last night. (I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.) It sounds like the school district is trying to hide behind a general statement about protecting students and the Irving police department is blaming the victim. Here’s a more detailed local news story. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article35430726.html <http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article35430726.html>

>
> If Ahmed had brought a nixie clock to school, would he have been accused of making a time machine?
>
> I would like to add that when I went to high school in Texas in the early 1970s, I brought an LED clock to electronics class. I wasn’t arrested, suspended or had the clock confiscated.
>
>> On Sep 16, 2015, at 6:41 AM, Nick <ni...@desmith.net> wrote:
>>

>> ...also http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34266389 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34266389>
>>
>> Nick

--
David Forbes, Tucson AZ

[David Forbes]

Michail,

How many children have brought a homemade explosive device to school
that looked like a clock, in the history of the world? I've never heard
of that happening, ever. On the other hand, I personally have brought
several homemade electronic devices to school that were not bombs.

The problem is not the kids, it's that school officials think that what
they see in Hollywood movies is real.

On 9/16/15 9:30 AM, Michail1 via neonixie-l wrote:
> Without going into a long email...
>

> Also, I would MUCH rather a clock (movie bomb) real or not be taken away.
> Too many kids dying in schools by people NOT doing anything about it. How
> many kids go to school to get shot up while someone had prior knowledge
> that could have prevented the entire issue. Take a $10 clock vs losing
> possible many kids to a bomb. (Note, he was warned not to show it to anyone
> else, but still did. - another warning ignored.)

[Mich...@aol.com]

The same was probably said about guns vs toy guns, until it actually started happening.

 

Michail

[Nicholas Stock]

If it looked anything like this, then maybe they might have been concerned..

http://www.denkimono.com/products/timer/

However, I'll refrain from making any judgements on what appears to be alarmist and heavy-handed tactics used at the school until all the facts are in...I've personally taken nixie tube clocks through security at a couple of Airports now (gifts for friends and family) and apart from a couple of raised eyebrows and 'man, they look cool' comments from TSA agents (after they've looked at them and understood what they are), there's been no issue....yet.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/238601.1b13f867.432b055b%40aol.com.

[Dan Harboe Burer]

What a crazy story..poor kid..and silly teacher/school... There’s a bigger chance that a cell phone will explode, rather than his clock..

..maybe I should take this thing, with me in the train, to work tomorrow, and see what happens?

 

Dan

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/6be5370d-8b54-4e03-b5a4-a2b6252441aa%40googlegroups.com.

[Tidak Ada]

What about a doll made out of Semtex?  

 

eric

---

From: neoni...@googlegroups.com [mailto:neoni...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dan Harboe Burer
Sent: woensdag 16 september 2015 20:52
To: neoni...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [neonixie-l] Make a clock, go to jail

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/B8718E52ACF44D1F9DA4554F747AFAD2%40DanDims.

[Quixotic Nixotic]

On 16 Sep 2015, at 21:55, Tidak Ada wrote:

What about a doll made out of Semtex?  

When asked at a UK airport if I had packed anything I shouldn't, a few years back, I mentioned marzipan. The officer said any more cracks like that and I would not be flying anywhere. He was really vicious about it.

John S

[Instrument Resources of America]

A LOT of the security folks at all airports have ""ZERO"" sense of humor. I have not a clue how they make it through the day, or what their after work lives must be like.     Ira.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/8DD9B904-A62C-4D06-A208-3AC3C7029EF7%40jsdesign.co.uk.

[Wayne de Geere]

Mark Zuckerberg posted this today to Facebook:

"You’ve probably seen the story about Ahmed, the 14 year old student in Texas who built a clock and was arrested when he took it to school.

 

Having the skill and ambition to build something cool should lead to applause, not arrest. The future belongs to people like Ahmed.

 

Ahmed, if you ever want to come by Facebook, I'd love to meet you. Keep building."

I also asked my friends at BoingBoing to cover it as well:

http://boingboing.net/2015/09/16/making-while-brown-texas-scho.html?utm_source=moreatbb&utm_medium=nextpost&utm_campaign=nextpostthumbnails

And the school district doubled down, asking parents to report anything that scares them, assuming that to be smart young men of brown shade who are makers: 

http://www.irvingisd.net/cms/lib010/TX01917973/Centricity/Domain/9/ParentLetter_SuspiciousLookingItematMacArthur.pdf?utm_content=bufferfca92&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

bb spoofs Apple in the garage history "Man of Syrian descent found in garage building what looks like a bomb" (the Apple I):

http://boingboing.net/2015/09/16/arab-looking-man-of-syrian-des.html

And President Obama invites boy who was arrested for making clock to the Whitehouse: 

http://boingboing.net/2015/09/16/president-obama-invites-the-bo.html

I'd say when the kid is compared to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and the President of the U.S. Invites the kid, that the idiots who did this have effectively been spanked.

I'd think more about the kid's opportunity for a lawsuit for the false arrest and impingement to his character, the future lifetime of lost income, etc. by having his character assailed by Idocracy morons at the school and in the local law enforcement, etc etc.

Sent from my iPhone

[Alex]

I cant really see why everyone is talking about his 'invention' or how clever he is... now I don't want to knock a fellow (young and upcoming) electronic enthusiast but that is really just a disassembled bedside clock, stuffed in a small suitcase style pencil case for no obvious reason. I actually had the same clock that I took apart for the overtly large seven segment display in it. Luckily though, I am of white British origin so was not arrested for doing so. 

Thinking back to my time in school, I used to lug a lot of odd stuff in from time to time and nobody batted an eyelid... I even took in a helium neon laser (with PSU) in at one point, I must of been this guys age. What can you say though, it is America...

[5-ht]

Let's just hope that he used the International Color Code for Bomb Wiring so that any erstwhile hero can easily disarm it at the last second.

Mark

[Mich...@aol.com]

David,

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre

the complex and highly planned attack involved a fire bomb to divert firefighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and bombs rigged in cars.

 

You would have to agree that very few people really know what a clock looks like without it's case.

 

Always take the blue pill and cut the red wire.

 

I am good with unsubbing to this thread.

 

Anyone finish building their new MOD6 clock?

[Nick]

Ok. We're veering into politics here - not the remit of the group.

I've deleted one post (a very rare thing for me to do). I really don't want to lock the thread, so lets keep it on subject...

Nick (moderator)

[Nicholas Stock]

Almost finished the first MOD_6....no problems yet! ;)

Nick

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/210bb9.29890a7a.432c89c7%40aol.com.

[Charles MacDonald]

On 15-09-17 05:50 AM, Alex wrote:
> I cant really see why everyone is talking about his 'invention' or how
> clever he is... now I don't want to knock a fellow (young and upcoming)
> electronic enthusiast but that is really just a disassembled bedside
> clock, stuffed in a small suitcase style pencil case for no obvious
> reason. I actually had the same clock that I took apart for the overtly
> large seven segment display in it. Luckily though, I am of white British
> origin so was not arrested for doing so.

Even repacking a clock is a demonstration of SOME understanding for a
12-13 year old kid. And a bit of a disappointment that school
principal would not understand a repacked commercial product is even
LESS threatening than a home brew model.

--
Charles MacDonald Stittsville Ontario
cm...@zeusprune.ca Just Beyond the Fringe
No Microsoft Products were used in sending this e-mail.

[Mitch]

I'm about half-way there. No problems at all. Installing the cathode resistors is just a little tedious, but I'm almost finished. I have the new repeater working with the second version clock now.

I don't think it's recommended, but I used headers under the power supply to make it removable on the first MOD-6. 

I'm confident that the clock will never be used as a bomb timer.

[A. Nonamus]

Jeff, that is exactly the problem I have with the incident... none of the adult educators and administrators who saw the device was savvy enough to realize that this was merely a commercial clock partly disassembled and placed in a high-tech-looking briefcase. It's fairly obvious from the photo that there is no significant quantity of any commonly-available explosive present.

However, Ahmed and his parents should have realized two things: 1. Even ignoring the race/ethnicity issue, the combination of endemic ignorance and Hollywood influence make installing any kind of clock into a briefcase, or putting one into a somewhat home-made-looking semi-disassembled state with electronic components, a very poor choice for show-and-tell in the current world climate of terrorism. 2. All else aside, the condition of the device should rightly be regarded as dangerous (line cord connection with no entry hole or bushing, chunky tape-wrapped splice, loose components dangling by their wires and easily moving about including the heavy, sharp-edged and and conductive power transformer, etc.)

Also, what's the extraneous knotted black wire running through the latch on the outside of the case for? It could easily be misconstrued as a tamper-trigger or dead man switch.

[Dan Hollis]

If they really thought it was a bomb, why didn't they evacuate the school?

The fact they did not, speaks volumes.

-Dan

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.

> To post to this group, send an email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/e26aafad-e59e-4da4-bd32-dc5933a6fbeb%40googlegroups.com.

[Instrument Resources of America]

Also why wasn't the bomb squad called immediately?? Ira.

[Instrument Resources of America]

On 9/18/2015 10:51 PM, A. Nonamus wrote:

Jeff, that is exactly the problem I have with the incident... none of the adult educators and administrators who saw the device was savvy enough to realize that this was merely a commercial clock partly disassembled and placed in a high-tech-looking briefcase. It's fairly obvious from the photo that there is no significant quantity of any commonly-available explosive present.

Nor any batteries, that I could see.  Ira.

However, Ahmed and his parents should have realized two things: 1. Even ignoring the race/ethnicity issue, the combination of endemic ignorance and Hollywood influence make installing any kind of clock into a briefcase, or putting one into a somewhat home-made-looking semi-disassembled state with electronic components, a very poor choice for show-and-tell in the current world climate of terrorism. 2. All else aside, the condition of the device should rightly be regarded as dangerous (line cord connection with no entry hole or bushing, chunky tape-wrapped splice, loose components dangling by their wires and easily moving about including the heavy, sharp-edged and and conductive power transformer, etc.)

Also, what's the extraneous knotted black wire running through the latch on the outside of the case for? It could easily be misconstrued as a tamper-trigger or dead man switch.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 9:36:49 AM UTC-7, Jeff Walton wrote:

Way too much speculation here... 

People sometimes fear what they don't understand. 

Jeff 

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "neonixie-l" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to neonixie-l+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to neoni...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/neonixie-l/e26aafad-e59e-4da4-bd32-dc5933a6fbeb%40googlegroups.com.