64 replies to this topic

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

I have read news pieces indicating that the school wasn't evacuated, the bomb squad didn't blow up the alleged "bomb," and the device was placed in the police car with the young man. If this is true, the actions of school staff and law enforcement indicate that they knew it was a clock and not a bomb.

[bordercolliefan]

I have read news pieces indicating that the school wasn't evacuated, the bomb squad didn't blow up the alleged "bomb," and the device was placed in the police car with the young man. If this is true, the actions of school staff and law enforcement indicate that they knew it was a clock and not a bomb.

At some point, the authorities' focus switched from "is it a bomb?" to, "The kid brought something to school that looks like a fake bomb... and hey that's a crime, too!"

It is unclear when this switch occurred. As always, there are a lot of facts that aren't being reported. What did the kid say about the device? Did he explain why he brought it to school? Did the engineering teacher to whom he had shown it earlier vouch for him (and was he even consulted?)? Is it standard procedure to handcuff everyone who goes to the police station for questioning?

While what occurred does seem excessive, it is useful to play out what would have happened if the school/police had taken it more lightly, and it did turn out to be a timer for a remote bomb. Would we excuse the school based on the explanation, "He was a science nerd and seemed like a good kid, so we figured we could trust him that he didn't mean to cause any harm."

Schools do have weird zero tolerance policies. Someone posted on Facebook the story of a (white) student who was expelled for bringing a leaf to school that looked like marijuana, but wasn't. Apparently he thought it would be cool to show it to his friends and pretend he had some contraband. Turns out that is somehow against school rules (even though no real drugs were involved).

[kfergo]

The thing looked like a classic bomb in a briefcase. Yeah they "over-reacted" but had nobody considers what if the thing was real and they didn't bat an eye at what he brought to school?

 

This was pretty much a lose lose situation from the start and the kid is partially to blame. 

 

And was this worthy of an invite to the White House? Curious who is selected for these things these days...

And he will probably end up on Dancing with the Stars. 

[BIG PAKO]

I thought the invite to from the white house was a great move.  the kid is an American and did nothing wrong (even if he was naïve about how it all appeared) and clearly has some great skills.  inviting him to the white house elevates him as a role model for lots of kids.  its cool to be a geek.  it also includes (rather than excludes) muslim kids who might have pointed to the original arrest and used that as fodder to stand against the united states (i.e. home grown terrorists).  I like building bridges.

I agree with this. 

[BIG PAKO]

The kid, Ahmed Mohammed, brought something that resembled a bomb to school. Was it a "dry run" for a future terrorist attack?? And, yeah, I can see why Hussein Obama would invite the Muslim kid to the White House...after all, there aren't any other pressing issues to deal with in this country and around the world. Yep, everything is just peachy. No problems with the economy...unemployment...our $20 trillion debt...the illegal invasion and crime related to it...the Middle East is a mess and Europe is under siege...the war on cops in this country perpetrated by thugs and the "black lives matter" crowd with an assist from Obama and the Muslim Brotherhood and Black Panther Party ...nah, no problems...nothing to see here !!

 

I wish more of you were *up to speed* on current/world events. But at least most of you know when the next fast-food joint will open. Ugh.

 

Wow...     no need to sugar coat it. **shrugs.

[Carl G]

Has anyone seen what he built?

 

[BIG PAKO]

Has anyone seen what he built?

 

 

 

Yes, ...it doesn't look like a bomb, if that's what you're suggesting.

[2 Aces]

Yes, ...it doesn't look like a bomb, if that's what you're suggesting.

Wake up. It looks more like a suitcase bomb-type device than it does a clock. Get real.

[mrdavex]

The right suitcase is not a bomb.  It is actually the inside of a Honeywell Security Sales Demonstration Kit.  This is what the other side of those wires looks like: http://www.security....emos/23310.html

 

 

The bombs we see on TV and movies are not very accurate depictions of real life explosive devices, which don't have sophisticated circuitry an are more crudely built and highly unstable.  Real-life bomb defusal is also much different than what Hollywood portrays: http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1394-5-things-i-learned-defusing-bombs-movies-wont-show-you.html 

Has anyone seen what he built?

 

[BIG PAKO]

Wake up. It looks more like a suitcase bomb-type device than it does a clock. Get real.

 

I am real. You Sir, need to wake up from your "3 Layers of Paranoia" Dream, ...aka "Delusional Lasagna"

[Carl G]

The right suitcase is not a bomb.  It is actually the inside of a Honeywell Security Sales Demonstration Kit.  This is what the other side of those wires looks like: http://www.security....emos/23310.html

 

 

The bombs we see on TV and movies are not very accurate depictions of real life explosive devices, which don't have sophisticated circuitry an are more crudely built and highly unstable.  Real-life bomb defusal is also much different than what Hollywood portrays: http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1394-5-things-i-learned-defusing-bombs-movies-wont-show-you.html 

 

Dammit Facebook!  You've let me down again!  Dislike!

 

If you image search Google with suitcase bomb you'll see a number of items that look quite close to the kid's clock.  

 

As a side note - I too built a lot of electronic devices as a teen and never once did I put them in a briefcase. 

[nomad]

Either way you look at it this looks like something that is not a simple clock. Exposed wires and circuit boards scare people and rightly so. I am still wondering why everyone keeps saying this kid was a super nerd engineer when all he did was take something apart and poorly hook it back up in a brief case. I don't see any real genius here at all. 

[BIG PAKO]

Either way you look at it this looks like something that is not a simple clock. Exposed wires and circuit boards scare people and rightly so. I am still wondering why everyone keeps saying this kid was a super nerd engineer when all he did was take something apart and poorly hook it back up in a brief case. I don't see any real genius here at all. 

Go build a working clock with parts and pieces, then come back and tell us.

 

Ready, Set, GO!

[mrdavex]

Just did the Google search.  The main difference between those and the kids clock is that a majority of space is clearly occupied by the explosive charges, i.e. pipe bombs.  I also suspect that these devices are hoax or mock-ups since law enforcement rarely releases images of real bombs to the public so they don't get any instructions on how to build one.  They still look like things you see in the movies (and I've watched every single Macgyver episode so I can vouch for that)

 

I've also read somewhere that the clock was not in a briefcase but actually a pencil case.  I can't confirm it, but looking at the image closely, the power plug and the transformer appear rather large in relation to the case, so I would bet that as a smaller case.  Plus good luck trying to fit a full-sized briefcase into a Jansport backpack.

 

Edit: You can buy this brief-case looking pencil box at Amazon to store your pencils, coins, phones, or clock: http://www.amazon.com/Vaultz-Locking-Pencil-Inches-VZ01479/dp/B001BXZ28K 

 

 

Dammit Facebook!  You've let me down again!  Dislike!

 

If you image search Google with suitcase bomb you'll see a number of items that look quite close to the kid's clock.  

 

As a side note - I too built a lot of electronic devices as a teen and never once did I put them in a briefcase. 

 

[nomad]

Go build a working clock with parts and pieces, then come back and tell us.

 

Ready, Set, GO!

 

Yeah I'll get back to you in about 20 minutes. I have to grab a beer first! Super engineer this kid is not.