Ahmed Mohamed is lying and why you shouldn’t think he’s a victim.

Thank the teachers

Let’s get this out of the way. The teachers in this matter acted responsible and were looking out for the safety of the other students. When a kid brings in a device that looks like a bomb to school, that threat should be taken seriously. The US has a history of shocking school violence and killings. The teachers acted responsibly and were alert and attentive, looking out for the safety of all kids in the school.

Ahmed Mohamed is lying

He calls himself an inventor and claimed not only did he invent the clock but that he also invented the circuitry in the clock and circuitry for other devices.

Here he is lying : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mW4w0Y1OXE this is evident within the first 30 seconds of the clip.

The device did look like a bomb

Let’s get this out of the way, the so called “clock” primarily appears to resemble a Hollywood bomb. He himself claims he changed some aspects of the “device” to make it look less suspicious.

The clock is a convenient cover story

Surely if the kid knew it could cause issues, to the point where he claims he made some minor changes, he should have made his teachers aware of the device. The kid is 14 years old, yes that’s 2 years away from driving age in the US. He isn’t 5 years old. He knew very well if he did get into trouble he could fall back on “It was a clock, and I’m Islamic”.

So much Islamophobia going around

It wouldn’t take much for a teenager or a group of them to know that they could always play the race / religion card against the situation. Perhaps that is the whole point of this exercise.

We need to toughen up

Just because the kid is Islamic and his name is Mohammed doesn’t give the kid the right to bring in a hoax bomb and then consider himself the victim when he gets arrested. Bomb threats are a serious matter and deserving of prison time.

Playing the Islamic card should be no excuse.

At no point has the kid offered any kind of apology or taken any responsibility for the matter

It’s simple the kid brought in a hoax bomb to school. A device that looked like a bomb, yet he doesn’t at any point say “I’m sorry if my device did look like a bomb and cause alarm”.

He’s not a role model but a disgrace

The message should be – “Kids be careful what you bring to school”. Instead the message he’s putting out is “Kids if you’re Islamic you can very well prank the system and then end up looking like the victim”.

Is Voat the new Reddit?

If you haven’t heard of http://www.reddit.com then you’ve most likely been living in a cave, but I’m assuming not only are you familiar with the front page of the internet, also, you use it daily and spend hours on the site getting your intake of luls and information.

Reddit isn’t the place it used to be, primarily 3 things have happened to Reddit the site and the company, huge changes which are changing the landscape of the internet.

1. The Reddit hive mind is super evolved and trolling is prevalent. It’s been heading this way for a while, let’s just call it a long case study in voting systems. It seems that it’s very difficult to disagree on Reddit without getting trolled. Having a unique opinion on anything is frowned upon and there is often a very good reason for this, point 2…..

2. Corporations are using Reddit as a viral marketing platform. So for example company A wants to sell product B, and they come up with a clever viral campaign on Reddit. This is never direct advertisement. You might have your say in the comments but notice you get downvoted into oblivion. Is this coincidence? Or does Reddit backend have a system for downvoting unwanted comments? Since there is no way to audit it, who knows. How did that post shoot to the front page in the first place? Again no way to audit this, but it seems highly suspicious that for the most part garbage viral marketing is rife on Reddit.

3. Ellen Pao happened, yes that’s right her: http://www.vanityfair.com/style/scandal/2013/03/buddy-fletcher-ellen-pao Incase you don’t want to click that link. Essentially Reddit now has Ellen Pao as their CEO, they say no good deed goes unpunished, but should we really reward Reddit with our loyalty if they’re in bed with this bitch?

The Exodus

More and more people are moving over to Voat and there are some good reasons for this.

1. Voat is less about trolling and more about decent discussions with people who seem to be far politer

2 .Voat doesn’t censor posts, you’re free to post what you want, and create any subreddit you want

3. Voat doesn’t shadowban

4. For the most part Voat’s look and feel is very much the same as Reddit, making the transition easier.

Warning

Voat will be slowish until admins deal with the huge influx of Reddit users. Hopefully by the time you read this the speed issues will be sorted out, if not just be patient, and enjoy the Reddit you always wished you had.

How to fix the Whirlpool 6 sense F6E4 Error.

I’m writing this blog post in the hope that You find yourself reading this in desperate need of help to fix this issue.

Now I’m not saying this solution solves the problem 100% of the time, but I’m fairly confident that 90% of you out there with this error code experienced the same problem I did.

If you have the most common cause for this error, then I have some good news for you, you can fix this yourself in a matter of minutes.

So take a sigh of relief, It’s likely you won’t have to call in an expensive repair man.

Firstly what’s actually happened? What is the problem?

The bottom of the dishwasher contains a spill off reservoir, this reservoir will fill up over time from just regular use. Inside this reservoir is a sensor, if it’s too fill it triggers the sensor, and generates a F6E4 error.

F6, typically means that there is no water source connected. E4 means the reservoir is full.

So the full message in human readable form is “I your dishwasher, cannot take in more water because the reservoir is already full”. Hence F6 because E4.

The fix

1. Clean out any water from the inside of your dishwasher. This includes the filter area and the salt area. Don’t worry about getting it baby bottom dry, just make sure it’s somewhat dry. Also use this opportunity to give the inside a nice clean.

2. This is the tricky part but ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Get your dishwasher out of it’s built in cabinet. Give yourself a prep talk and get it out of there. More than likely you can just disconnect the power, inflow and outflow, but if it was installed correctly there should be enough play on the inflow and outflow to just disconnect the electricity and slide it out. Just make sure you do disconnect the power first.

3. Now once it’s out another easy part – just tilt the machine to get the water out the reservoir. Water will go all over your floor, this means you’re doing it right. Make sure you get it as dry as possible. Get as much water out as possible.

4. Put it all back, reconnect the power and inflow / outflow if needed.

5. Run P2 – without any dishes as a test, it’s the shortest cycle.

6. Jump up and down because you saved yourself a repair man.

Is Android getting boring?

Now look, I’m all for innovation and genuinely useful features in a smartphone.

I recall using my first smartphone and let’s be honest it’s a peripheral lovers wet dream. Featuring Motion detection, GPS, mic, speakers, BT, Wifi, decent enough screen any smartphone has the potential to be the most useful device you’ll ever own. 

With every platform there is the pioneering phase, and there are exciting times. New hardware features get added such as better screens or battery life, and the OS starts taking shape to support all the existing hardware so we end up with services like Google Now or fully fledged GPS applications. 

All of this is very encouraging for the early adapter. They get to see their device evolve with time and they too get to replace their devices often. 

Once what was a simple phone has become a portable assistant, and during the early days things just keep getting better. 

But sooner or later around the time of Android 4.0, the pool of new ideas starts drying up, and what we’re left with is a now established mobile ecosystem. 

Unlike Blackberry which died a slow death taking their inspiration from business level PDA’s. Android changed direction just after the release of version 3 HoneyComb. Indeed Android was going to be fun. Applications got nicknamed “Apps” and the App store soon underwent an iteration coming out the other side as “The play store”.  

This was in many ways a kick in the teeth to the more serious business users and to this day the store focuses on an adolescent target audience. To prove this point, filter the top selling “apps” and notice how many games come up?

You’ll be hard pressed to find any mature content on the Play store. Having to sift through the plethora of countless versions of Jewels and fake glass crack screen apps, and then there are the fart button apps.

If you thought this was a fad, you’ve been proven wrong. Sure you will too find useful applications designed for us who are over the age of 15, yet for the most part your 13 year old daughter will be much more impressed with the “Play store”.

So where does that leave those of us who want to see Android progress as a serious business tool or communication device, where is the innovation? 

Android the OS has run out of fresh ideas and are now working on “invisible features” such as performance and security. This happens to every stable platform, when was the last time you saw any real innovation in desktop computing? 

The phones that are coming out are a little bit more sleek, and a tad bit more powerful, but for the most part all do mostly the same thing. 

At the time of writing every single game, and I mean EVERY single Android game is casual. So while some might think it’s a great idea to be buying a phone that will be outdated in a year that costs the same as a small 2nd hand used car, I have my doubts. 

Phones too are no longer a status symbol, most smartphones look the same, and mostly people don’t give a shit about what phone you have either. 

You won’t impress your date with your smartphone, having a flat stomach and working out at the gym will! Owning a nice car will! Not your phone! 

Voice recognition isn’t anywhere near Star trek level, and we’re a long way off too, too long to even raise an eyebrow. As for the Google now stuff, it could at best be categorised as a gimmick. 

I’ve tried really hard to remain enthusiastic about Android and in the past I have been, but I that innovation has been flat this entire year and I doubt it will pick up again. Truly Android is stagnant. 

Maybe I am missing something huge, and if I am please tell me in the comments. 

 

 

 

Oral B Braun Professional Care 1000 vs Philips Flexcare Platinum

I’m writing this post because I couldn’t find a decent comparison.

I had started off with the Oral B Braun Professional Care 1000 as my first electric toothbrush and after having used it for a few days, I can tell you now there is no way I’m going back to a manual toothbrush.

I would also like to say before I start the comparison that when you buy an electric toothbrush, head to a dental hygienist for a good solid cleaning first, otherwise you’re wasting your time.

Get a good starting position and maintain perfectly clean teeth with regular brushing after each meal if possible, or at least twice a day.

Oral B Braun Professional Care 1000

This is by no means a bad toothbrush. It is certainly much better than a manual. Without going into too much technical detail, it has a rotating head and the action is mechanical.

My main gripe with this toothbrush is that the action rotates which isn’t great for your gums. Sure you’ll end up with clean teeth but what about gums?

However the price isn’t bad, so if you really cannot afford a Philips then get this one.

• Price is right
• Better than a manual
• Does the job
• Not great for gums

Philips Flexcare Platinum

This was a bit more expensive, so I recommend buying one from your dental hygienist who might be able to offer you a better price.

What I noticed is that the brushing experience is much more satisfying. Since it doesn’t rotate it’s great for both teeth and gums. You can even clean your tongue with it.

As a cleaner it’s perhaps a little better than the Oral B, but the Oral B cleans teeth perfectly too. The main emphasis here is on the gums, you can clean right up to the top of the gum line with the Philips, something you cannot do with the Oral B.

The Philips is overall a Porsche, while the Oral B is a Volkswagen Golf, while a manual toothbrush would be a 2nd hand Mazda 323.

The Golf is great compared to the Mazda, but the Porsche is leaps and bounds better than the Golf.

Verdict

If you can afford it, just get the Philips.

Any questions will be answered in the comments.

 

Facebook in a nutshell

Facebook gets stagnant quick : It doesn’t matter if you have 20 or 400 friends, your feed is heading in one direction and it aint up.

It’s initially engaging: Sure it is, while the general populous get loaded up. There will be a ton of interesting photos and posts, stuff from their childhood and other treats.

That content dries up: Yup most normal folk exhaust their hidden gems quick, and so what follows? Remember FB is about content creation. “What’s on your mind posts” and “Daily wall posts” are all FB mechanisms to get you (the digital sharecropper) to create new content, along side this content ads get posted and that’s their business model.

So what the hell does the average person do once they’ve uploaded all their photos and shared their story of their annual holiday to Greece?

User classifications form: Check your feed right now and you’ll see that the people who post on a regular basis tend to follow a certain theme and continue to post in the style of that theme.

For example I have someone in my feed who posts aviation pictures, literally every single day. Another posts news about her kids.

Check it out, the content creators in your feed can be divided into 2 categories:

1. Original content creators
2. Reposters

Original content creators usually post along a certain theme and don’t deviate and usually have a defining hobby or interest.

Some examples:

• Look I’m a mommy. Look at our normal, complete family, blah blah blah
• I’m a skydiver or an adrenaline junky.
• I do something you will never be able to do and am proud of it (make furniture, fly, surf)
• I’m a musician (Self promoting)
• I’m a party girl / student / hipster and I do these social events at least once a week

Original content creators will never run out of new material because as part of their life cycle, they’re either obsessed with that one thing, or they’re very proud of it, and you totally need to have this shoved down your throat.

Reposters

These are people who have a busy life. Usually the work they do might be considered “standard” work such as an office job or something not worth bragging about.

Reposters want a piece of the FB pie, they too want inclusion, love and acceptance but they have no new content of their own that they would consider posting.

They then, without original content post all kinds of crap that they’ve manged to find on the internet, stuff they think a) Defines their identify b) Stuff you might find interesting – worth noting that A is the primary objective.

Some examples:

• Motivational images
• Famous speeches
• Funny stuff / Daily humor
• Shocking content
• News

That’s nearly it, and we could leave it at that, but there are still 2 other types to cover which fall into the original content creation category.

Poor old wretched me: Poor old wretched me shares pitty stories with you. These might not even be totally dramatic and their updates can be one liners in an attempt to find acceptance and worth. 

Poor old wretched me might make posts like:

• Cars they only break down when you need them
• It’s Tuesday and I’ve already had it up to here
• Would someone explain to my boss that overtime should be paid

The list goes on, usually they rope you in with blanket statements that could apply to many people and this generates likes which makes them feel valued.

Good guy Greg: He might not have original content, and he might live a mundane life but he doesn’t bitch about it, instead his posts are all about exposing some hidden enthusiasm towards life.

These people will post stuff like:

• Sorry to say Goodbye weekend, see you again this coming Friday.
• Monday we try really hard to love you too
• I’m typing this then shutting down my computer and off to have a Bacardi with the boys
• As the holiday season approaches I hope you all get a good break and see you all soon.

That’s it, Facebook in a nutshell.

 

 

Quick way to improve your chess game

Chess is the one game I play more than the rest. I’ll typically start my day with at least 2 games before work, and another 3 later during the day.

Playing Chess frequently without analysis and study might be fun, but your rating won’t improve very much.

If you don’t even have a rating then perhaps it is time you sign up for FICS (Free Internet Chess Server) . It won’t cost you anything and you’ll be playing real people.

I’m not a fan of playing against computers. I just don’t do it. Technology is however great at offering post game analysis.

I think often we get so caught up in studying rules and positional analysis that at least in my game, I’ve overlooked short term tactics.

This is until I picked up http://www.chesstempo.com – once again another free service, check out the tactics training section.

This will drop you in various positions from real games, unlike those unnatural chess puzzles you might find in newspapers. To solve these positions might seem simple, but the conditions are just to make the best move, this means you’re not always looking for mate or a quick win yet these scenarios are included.

You get dropped into these truly juicy positions that if you don’t rush to solve will eventually help you learn short term strategy. Eventually you’ll get quicker at solving these, so don’t rush.

 

This website is better than Reddit

If you’re looking for a website like Reddit only better, I think I have found something for you. 

Now before I just post the link let me explain a few things. 

Firstly I understand the appeal of Reddit, and a massive part of the addictive value is the comment system. On Reddit virtually any kind of content you can think of gets posted, having the ability to comment on what you’re looking at is massively empowering. 

There are 2 main elements to this. 

1. If you did not like the content you can vent off some steam. This gives you an outlet, and since Reddit is popular you get a sense of justice by posting your disagreements in a place you can be sure people will read what you’ve said. Likewise you can also post positive remarks or even gratitude. 

2. Having a karma systems means you can gauge if you’re inline or understood with your peers. For people on Reddit, having highly rated comments or posts makes them feel loved and special. Having negative comments, well you figure it out. 

Now I’m mentioning this because I know how you might think it is important that you get into discussions with others over a variety of topics, but I want you to really be objective about those discussions. Are they really that helpful or useful or has Reddit of late become nothing more than a troll pit? 

What I am finding lately is that no matter what you comment on, you always find some smart ass trying to be one better than you, or someone trying to point out flaws, often completely missing the point. 

For example, you might make a statement like “I like driving with sunglasses on” and some dumb shit Redditor will say something like “Driving at night is better because there are less cars on the road and you don’t need sunglasses”, this is exactly how Reddit is, full of pseudo intellectuals who actively go around trying to outsmart you. 

Mostly I find Redditors think they’re super smart, often (mostly) missing the entire point of what you’re actually saying, even though it wasn’t that hard to figure out and to be fair there’s a lot of nastiness going on there. 

All in all, you need to ask yourself, in the long term what are you really getting out of the site. Do you really want to put up with the jerks who are trying to outsmart you. Do you really need to live with it, or is there a better place on the net. 

For starters you need to learn to stop looking for validation from others. If you can do this, then you’re ready to leave Reddit. If you want to discuss every small little find with others, well there are very few places to discuss such things on the net. 

I’m saying, put behind the discussion mentality, since there isn’t much personal value in it. 

Next thing I would like to discuss is that Reddit is an aggregator, so it doesn’t produce original content, except for text posts which all fall in discussion land. Whatever you’ve found on Reddit comes from somewhere else, perhaps even more specific sites. 

Once you’ve stripped away the need for discussion, you’re much more free to roam and enjoy the net. Most net discussions aren’t worth a damn and you might think you’re being proactive by participating, but since there are so many people discussing things, it is likely more than enough will express your view point and there is no need to get your hands dirty too, unless ofc you’re after validation. Just remember every time you post your point of view you’re at risk of some jerk coming along who wants to wipe that smile off your face. Why even bother? Make real friends, and discuss stuff with them, not with strangers on the net. 

If you’re after videos, then liveleak has a lot of the content you’ll find on Reddit anyways, only you’ll get it sooner and with much less reposts. Or just become a Youtube explorer, I mean instead of being passive, be more active and explore Youtube for content you’re actually interested in. 

If you’re after tech reports, Reddit technology is all about being paranoid, there are much better tech sites out there focusing only on tech, and so once again pull that first hand and leave the discussion for the peanut gallery. 

but if you’re after an aggregator that learns while you explore, then you want Stumbleupon: http://www.stumbleupon.com

It’s like Reddit without the basement dwelling know it alls.

That’s my recommendation. . 

Why I’m quitting Anarchy Online – again.

I can assure you this will not be “just another rage quit”. There are many aspects of Anarchy Online that I love and in many ways I’ve learnt more since being back, and had a more diverse experience than the first time around.

You see my initial toon started in 2007 had originally been froob and joined a very helpful org early on. I had really enjoyed playing that soldier but if I must be honest then a lot of my gaming experience was hand held by more experienced org mates. Especially when it came to questing and getting gear, and not forgetting getting twinked.

I still enjoyed myself immensely with that initial soldier and did eventually level him up to become a very well twinked 220 with almost all the bells and whistles. Except alphas perhaps and a BOC.

When I initially left the game I had gotten to the point where I was just flat out bored. I had done all the instances, farmed all the times I wanted from the new Xan experience. I was logging on and had almost no aim or purpose. The org I was in was changing and my good friend in the game started getting grumpy.

I had over stayed my welcome and it was time to leave. So without much ado I stopped playing my account and for about 5 years I didn’t look back much. At times I would check out the forums to see if there was any progress with the new engine and yet nothing ever materialised.

In the meantime I continued to play a considerable amount of games, I upgraded my computer and got lost in all the good titles I could find. I had come to enjoy the single player experience. A solid rush of polished game experience and once all the good stuff was extracted it was time to swiftly move on.

I played through games like Skyrim once. Not focusing too much on side quests. Just playing the main bits and getting short term pleasure. And once I was done, there was a seemingly unlimited amount of games out there to keep me busy.

From time to time I got stuck on one title or another. I remember playing Fallout New Vegas extensively and Age of Empires online. I wasn’t limited to genre nor too invested in just one title.

The sometime around 5 months ago I got an invite to try out the new beta. As it turns out, I never did get a real invite, and the email was more of a fishing hook trying to catch a few old players. I rolled a froob and believe it or not, once again a soldier. Thinking I would go for a stroll around, checking for old org mates and just pure nostalgic value.

The game had changed here and there, and I guess I started seeing the game in a new light. I reinstated my main account, and got really into a new org. Within no time I was promoted to SC, and had a few good org mates.

At around this time I rolled a new MA, specifically for S10, since lately without a S10 twink you don’t stand a hope in hell of making any real credits. S10 is a gold mine, no other instance in the game even comes close to the earning potential.

My MA alone could farm the relays, but I needed to be self reliant. It wasn’t too long then before I rolled an Engi. The engi turned out to be a massive amount of fun to play, after having learnt how to cast bots 2-3 times my level. Honestly what a blast. Now I could build my own relays.

Still just being able to farm and build relays didn’t leave the picture complete. One still needed to kill the boss, and that would require a team. My org mate rolled a tank, and I with help managed to level up a Doc in 3 days to 150, twinked and ready. Able to CH and although the first pb was a wipe, the 2nd one and subsequent 10 were not – life was good.

I continued farming and got the MA very nicely setup with living dragon body 450m and slippers 350m. I picked up a crit scope from HI, and a 4/5 prisoners robe. IS for attacks and after upgrading the symbs the MA was more than capable.

More work on the Engi.

But somewhere over the past 2 weeks I’ve just lost interest. There is just no true incentive for me to play anymore. I can’t see any real decent progress on the horizon. The beta will take another year (at least) maybe two before it becomes a public reality, even then the new engine isn’t revolutionary, and besides some performance tweaks, the game will still be clunky.

Don’t get me wrong, I would still highly recommend the AO experience to anyone unfamiliar with the game, but I really think for now I’ve exhausted nearly every drop of fun out of the game.

It’s sad in a way, such a great game with such amazing potential which is becoming stagnant. I wonder if all MMO experiences end this way.

 

 

 

 

 

Business Travel Sucks

Ironically I actually enjoy travelling, however I enjoy travelling with a significant other and in a recreation capacity. I’ve too done a fair amount of solo travel, and that too had some high points. 

When it comes to business travel though, especially being over 30, I have to say, all in all it just sucks. 

• Adding major stress to the whole trip is the travel component. You might travel by plane, train, car, etc but no matter how you get to your destination, I don’t see this as adventure, much more just a chore. The modern travel system just isn’t that exciting, waiting around in departure lounges sucks all the romance out of the trip. Trains though I find tolerable if you get the right carriage and some privacy. Cars too might give you ultimate privacy, then again driving long distances becomes a never ending tale on the highway interrupted by all too familiar gas stations. It’s all modernised and franchised and frankly boring.
• Strange accommodation:  Strange as in unknown, unfamiliar. Call me old fashioned by after a long day at work I like returning to that place I call home. Frankly in my mid 30’s now, and anything else feels like a compromise. Oh sure it is nice to get away on a romantic holiday with your SO, a nice way to add some much needed spark to an old flame. Business trips though, and for the most part it’s lonely hotel rooms. 
• The more the merrier? Not entirely so. I’m currently on a business trip with 4 other co-workers, and none of them are happy about being on this trip. I guess they all feel the same way about the trip as I do, frankly we would all much rather be in our comfort zones rather than having to spend time browsing markets and cheesy forms of entertainment while we pass time to start work tomorrow. Everyone is grumpy and just about tolerating it, we’re just getting started on a 2 week trip. I guess here it depends on who you end up going on trips with, but for the most part, let’s just call these stock standard politically correct co-workers. No, not fun at all. 
• Different surroundings being in the foreign office, and having to work in unfamiliar settings. As a coder I can code anywhere, so what this trip will mean is far more meetings. Meetings can be useful if the content applies to you, however my experience with meetings is that very little of the content applies to any 1 individual in particular. All ground gets covered which means a lot of the time you end up just keeping a poker face waiting for the meeting to end. 
• Lack of organisation. Often you arrive only to find that the essentials have not been setup. No domain access, or no desk space, or a lack of an external monitor. Any / all of these are on the cards. 
• The additional politics. As a coder I guess I like to keep my head down. Not interested in playing a political game or over extending myself. These travel situations force you into situations where you’re bound to have a few of those meaningless polite conversations that really get you nowhere in the long term and no new “real” friends. 
• Lack of your comfort items. The place we’re staying at now is self catering, Took a dump only to notice no toilet spray. Got out the shower only to notice no rag to wipe the floor. Since the guys who booked the place didn’t get it right, one of my co-workers ended up being booked in a kids room – you know the ones with bunks?

All in all, I guess this won’t be the last trip I go on, but yeah not exactly a thrilling, adventure. Business travel sucks.