Following Yesterday's Boston Bomb Scare?

[Seedling]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/31/boston.bombscare/index.html

I've been in a state of *boggle* since yesterday. Thank goodness I don't live in the city.

My question is: how many betting rings are now placing bets on who exactly will be going to jail?

[Snarfevs]

Mere hours later you can buy a t-shirt celebrating the event! (http://raplica.com/store/shirts/Adlt_Swim/mooninite)

God I love the pacing of the 'net

This is also entertaining, or pathetic or both (http://www.fantent.com/2007/01/31/aqua-teen-hunger-force-media-alters-photos/)

Incidentally this gets me thinking about how many Suspicious Looking Devices (http://junkfunnel.com/sld/) it would take to bring the US to its knees.

the terrorists have won...

[Jason Snair]

Well I live in Brookline/Boston...and it was a mess yesterday. Thankfully I don't actually work in the city, but commuting was not pretty.

I actually have a animator friend who works at Cartoon Network who used to live here and last night I emailed him about. He and the rest of his office hadn't heard anything about it, but he's not in the Adult Swim area, so I guess that makes sense.

I think it's a little sad the Boston seems to be the laughing stock of the country this morning. I mean, sure, if I saw one of those chip board things, I never would have assumed "bomb"...I would have recognized the character. Unfortunately, anyone over 35 probably wouldn't have, and given their placement underneath bridges and other infrastructure around boston, I can see why someone would be a little suspisious. I mean...who in their right mind would put these things under bridges...in remore areas. I could almost see if they were placed in Alston, or JP, or anywhere near the dozen or so younger communities of Boston...but putting them out near the highways or T stops is just stupid.

I also don't think that Turner Broadcasting, Adult Swim, etc. expected this to happen. They probably just thought this would be a cool way to get some exposure to the few viewers that actually allready watch the shows. I don't think that they had the intention of having these things producing mass panic. Not like this. (even though it worked for them in the end.)

Someone is definitely going to fry for this, though. Or who knows, maybe secretly get a nice pat on the back.

[Seedling]

Turner is going to be paying Boston a half million dollars (if I am remembering the number correctly; I heard some more about this on the radio today). People are going to lose their jobs over this, and people are going to jail. I don't think anyone will be getting a pat on the back. I seriously doubt that anyone involved had intentions of starting a panic, but that won't absolve them of responsibility.

I'm curious about those devices. They were powered by a few batteries. Were they triggered to turn on ocasionally, or did they just stay lit until they burned out?

LOL! Thanks for the links, Snarf. ;-)

[BlackGuy]

while it was a stupid thing to do, I don't think these guys deserve jail time for it. I can totally believe that they didn't mean for it to be a hoax, because it seems like a fitting ad for Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Jail time just seems like an excessive punishment to me for scaring people.

[Seedling]

The folks involved will get a fair trial. They won't be burned at the stake by a pitchfork-wielding mob.

[Costau D]

I sure hope not. It will be rediculous if they get any jail time. A compensation sounds reasonable for the operation costs, but I still think the reaction is really overblown. I can understand why people reported it, but it still bothers me for some reason whether may be to paranoid or what?

[Jason Snair]

yeah. I would hope that no one goes to jail over this. Fire the execs in charge? Definitely! Fine them? Sure! Make them pay the costs of all involved? Yup.

I don't think jail time is really fair, since this wasn't meant as a hoax...just marketing. It was a really dumb idea, but it wasn't mallicious.

Although. On a second thought, i'm pretty sure there's trespassing laws that were broken when these things were placed under bridges and along the T. So maybe someone should go to jail on that offence.

[asoir]

Alert the internets!

Broke the ice :P

[jfwalls]

Hahahaha! I think it's genius. You know how many people have heard of Adult Swim now! $500,000 for a spot on every major news network and newspaper is a bargain! I believe this was also done in 10 different cities.

"I hope you can see this, because I’m doing it as hard as I can."

[Bruce123]

A little context: Boston was the place that the 911 terrorists took off from, so we carry a big chip on our collective conscience up here. On the other hand, we don't have the famed antiterrorist units that NYC has, so we have to pull out the big guns everytime cardboard-ticking-things are placed under bridges and by skyscrapers.

Obviously, the freelancer who placed the units wasn't counting on an overreaction, or they wouldn't have put the videos of them placing them around on his website, for a couple of weeks I guess.

[Prometheus|ANJ]

Reminds me of the Space Invader guy.

I think they should be sent to jail, after all, the Eurasians might attack at any time and everyone needs to be alert. Remember kids, Duck! And Cover!

[blakboks]

"Turner Broadcasting said the devices had been in place for two to three weeks in Boston; New York; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; San Francisco, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

This reminds me of the episode of Friends where Joey's refrigerator breaks down, so, he pushes Ross into it and blames him for breaking it and demands that he buy him a new one.

Wouldn't you think that after the first one they're have realized it wasn't a bomb and just go on their merry way? This was definitely a act first, ask questions later type of deal.

[REAU]

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston.bombscare/

if you didn't see this yet check it out

this is the type of shit that really scares me its like the football bomb scare all over again if this is the america we live in now and we are ruled by fear and not common sense then I hate to say it but the terrorist will actually win.


Fear is the enemy and LOLS ARE NOT ILLEGAL
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/reau2/1170346180819.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/reau2/1170342420962.jpg

-REAU-

[CagedZero]

the press conference for the accused this morning was hilarious. they started just talked about hair styles and the reporters were pissed

[Steph Laberis]

I love the world and I love Turner even more <3 <3 <3

Anyone found the ones in San Fran yet?

[JAG.]

yeah it was quite entertaining.. and good for them for not taking this the way its being spun. and screw those yuppie ass reporters wanting to blow it WAY out of proportion as usual. and long live ATHF - JAG

[AnalogDoll]

As many of us are interested in artistic process, here's how it all went down:

The use of Lightsnipes to invade boston with ATHF... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv9s_fz0K2I)

[+] AD - don't try this at home...or at least Boston...

[JAG.]

someone tell me WHAT is the crime here? they're accused of cauisng a panic by placing bomblike devices. that can plainly be squashed. and its already ben noted that they had no intention of starting a panic. and if it were the case.. then the entire system of media should be incarcerated because thats all it ever does.. having a sense of humor is now illegal also. so stop laughing.. - JAG

[woodbert]

Let's be honest here. We live in a very frightened society right now. I don't really feel that shocked about the fact that people saw these things and called the bomb squad. The response would probably be the same in England, Israel, or Iraq.
Common sense also works both ways. Do you really think it's a wise decision to make these things considering how frightened people in this country are. This only causes more fear, paranoia, and dumb-ass lawmaking
I hope these guys don't get scapegoated (They should get their heads knocked into a wall though) and if they do make a criminal case out of this the execs. at C-toon network need to be held accountable for their involvement.

[Prometheus|ANJ]

*makes notes for planning his terrorist deeds*

- "Do not place the devices clearly visible in public."
- "Avoid putting lots of flashing lights advertising their presence."

[jfwalls]

Now that they estimate the total waste of the city's money at $750,000, I think they should definitely waste more money by turning this into a prolonged court battle to convict the perpetrators.

Hopefully after wasting hundreds of thousands on court costs, they'll come to the realization that Boston needs a think-squad to escort the bomb-squad. This will make sure that there are never any more mixups when people put cartoon characters on buildings and bridges.

Oh, and the guilty artists should be sent to Guantanamo. Did you see that one guys hair!

[Steph Laberis]

Ah jeebus.

A little tangent - I grew up just outside of Boston and we had a bomb prank at my high school in 1998. It started as a joke phone call to a student at the school which was misunderstood - once the rumors of the call circulated, everyone was cracking jokes about the school blowing up and one student decided to make a mock bomb for sh*ts and giggles. Unlike the light bright Mooninites, the "device" at my school was unmistakably crafted to look like a real bomb, to nearly a comic extent. Of course the bomb squad was called in and the guy who did it was arrested, but one they figured out it was a prank he was let off with a charge of "disturbing the peace"... no jail time whatsoever and the city had to foot the bill.

Had this happened 3 years later, we know the story. Ai ya.

[jcaffoe]

it makes me feel less safe knowing that the bomb squad apparently can't tell the difference between a Lite-Brite and an explosive device.

"Oh this one's not a bomb after all...BUT THE REST PROBABLY ARE SHUT DOWN THE CITY."

Ridiculous. The only case they have is the uproar caused by their own ignorance. There was no malicious intent.

[Costau D]

Intentional hoax's are dumb because it takes up the bomb squads time. What if at the time the bomb squad was needed for a real situation, and they couldnt make it because they still had to handle the current problem. From what I have read and heard over the years, many cities don't have that big of a bomb squad team.

Easy Tiger!:: They probably had to follow procedure whether they thought it was rediculous or not. Because... "What if?".... I still think it is rediculous though to the extent they went through. And your completely right, I don't think they wnt to admit they overblown it and managed to use up so much money, so they put the blame on the guys who put them up. And it seems to me the press is being very overly dramatic about it on purpose to get ratings and stir up rediculous controversy.

[guggemmaneuver]

Honest and heartfelt apologies from the ATL, bostonians and other offended folks ...

imo the adult swim guerilla advertising stuff is a little too based in shock value. more redeeming value in subtlety with such matters. how many parents would have been put on the spot to explain what the bird symbol means to their young children? down here we get hit with a new barrage all the time... mouths slightly too big, etc. i tend to like the shows but the big budget attempts at average-joe-head-fuck i'm not cool with. have lots of friends that work with / are affiliated with turner so of course it's strictly their marketting dept. that deserves the hand slap.

:heart:,
guggenjoel

[Anid Maro]

Pfft, this is so ridiculous.

The whole point of terrorism is to terrorize people! And look! We're terrorizing ourselves! We're doing the job for the terrorists!

How retarded is that?

I understand most of the officials involved may have been too old to remember playing with a Lite-Brite as a kid, but perhaps they remember buying one or two for their children or grandchildren?

And this quote kills me every time:

"It had a very sinister appearance, it had a battery behind it, and wires."

A battery and wires you say! My goodness! Know what else has a battery and wires Mrs. Attorney General Martha Coakley? Goddamned near everything you fucking moron! You ever handle a cell phone before? Whenever your phone rings, are you afraid that it's a freaking bomb?

Maybe the people who failed to recognize the difference between a Lite-Brite and a BOMB should be jailed instead for making such a huge ruckus over nothing. After all NYC, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Austin, San Francisco, nor Philadelphia seemed to have any problems figuring out the difference.

Sorry, I'm certain I'll be flamed for this post, but I just have a low tolerance for mind-boggling stupidity. I had to vent about this somewhere to prevent myself from twitching like Louis Black all day.

[Mirana]

Someone needs to contact Turner about mass producing those things, 'cause I would totally buy one. Unfortunately, I can't afford the real thing (http://cgi.ebay.com/MOONINITES-AQUA-TEEN-HUNGER-FORCE-bomb-LED-neon-sign_W0QQitemZ200075280625QQihZ010QQcategoryZ10805 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) (Or the Memorial (http://cgi.ebay.com/aqua-teen-hunger-force-LED-memorial-bomb-scare-sign_W0QQitemZ290078897250QQihZ019QQcategoryZ20946 QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD4VQQcmdZViewItem) version).

[Xpose]

Oh god.... I woke up this morning and turned on the news and I heard about the terroristic troubles boston was going through and when they went to a the picture of a moonanite I thought it was just a billboard. I thought to myself "What the hell, are the terroists trying to blow up that for?" I totally didn't realize that was "the bomb". It's a sad world we live in my friends, where things can be so easily seen as threats to our lives.

[Silvertone]

Best press conference ever!

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=F042E649-A8E1-47D9-8256-5D9DB8C950C5,FCF1E357-3A18-4B37-B4FC-14570F206564,69C935A5-5FC8-4DC0-9DED-4710CFECFCA3&t=s3&f=06/64&p=top_topnews&fg=&GT1=9033


I think Boston is a little miffed at after dropping 14.6 billion dollars on "The Big Dig", now they gotta fork out another 1/2 mil to pay for all this. This also didn't happen in the 9 other cities the ads were put up in. But apparently some people took some of the mooninites and are already up on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/mooninites-neon-sign_W0QQitemZ190078792473QQihZ009QQcategoryZ363QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Chingwa]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Someone got spooked and called the cops... that's understandable in this country now with the government constantly wanting to keep the populace afraid, people don't know better and lose all sense of.. well.. "common sense". What's really ridiculous though is the police reaction. Insanely overbearing... much more of an exercise to keep the people under control and paranoid than to actually protect the public. ridiculous.


Had this happened 3 years later, we know the story. Ai ya.
Steph, that "Ai ya" is soo Cantonese sounding. But it's usually more like "aiiii yaaaaaa". :)

Oh, and just so it's clear, I don't think anyone deserves to be fired, I don't think anyone deserves to be fined, except maybe the goddamn police department for blowing it out of proportion. Damn idiots. Fine them for their stupidity.

[Orunitier]

When I first heard of the report, the news described the objects as packages. So I thought, "This might be serious." But when the actually showed the object...Oh my God, America is losing its mind. Like Anid said, how the hell can you confuse a Lite-Brite for a "suspicious package"???? Do people remember what a package is anyways? Where's the Uni-Bomber when you need him...

[guggemmaneuver]

I just have a low tolerance for mind-boggling stupidity. me too... which is why i usually ignore what you write.

Devil's advocate: I know it's a stretch... but... really? I mean... is it that ridiculous what has happened here? In the daytime WHEN the meleé happened, these devices WERE NOT illuminated because of an optical sensor ...And the wires / circuit board / LED combination... i dunno i don't think it's too much of a stretch to feel a little uncomfortable around the object, esp. with the unusual and very public areas where they were placed.

That the objects "look like a lite brite" (Not really, i.m.o., unless your lite-brite lost its white plastic box and ran on batteries) is a moot point. Hey, Poisonous gas can be made to smell like fresh baked cookies for better lethal effect. Who's afraid of fresh baked cookies?

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
:dead:

g

[Chingwa]

I know it's a stretch... but... really? I mean... is it that ridiculous what has happened here?
Yes it really is ridiculous. really ridiculous.

[That fat kid]

I used to work for a surveying company and we used a GPS unit to take measurements. To do this we had to have a base unit at predetermined locations in order to get communicate with the satellites, and the base unit communicated with the 'rover' with a radio signal. We used an amplifier in order to increase effective range.

We came back to the base unit after a full day of work to find a massive crowd of police, firetrucks and other onlookers staring at the over pass where the GPS base was set up. Apparently, someone had called in our equipment as a bomb placed on the pass.

In conclusion, people panic way too easily. We've traded our freedom for security, and now there's no going back because we're controlled by fear. And our own ignorance.

[Costau D]

me too... which is why i usually ignore what you write.

Devil's advocate: I know it's a stretch... but... really? I mean... is it that ridiculous what has happened here? In the daytime WHEN the meleé happened, these devices WERE NOT illuminated because of an optical sensor ...And the wires / circuit board / LED combination... i dunno i don't think it's too much of a stretch to feel a little uncomfortable around the object, esp. with the unusual and very public areas where they were placed.

That the objects "look like a lite brite" (Not really, i.m.o., unless your lite-brite lost its white plastic box and ran on batteries) is a moot point. Hey, Poisonous gas can be made to smell like fresh baked cookies for better lethal effect. Who's afraid of fresh baked cookies?

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
:dead:

g

Implying those who called in the bomb threat...
In the words of Jean Girard (Taladega nights to Ricky bobby): "Like a little baby chipmunk. You are afraid of anything that is different... "



http://youtube.com/watch?v=4G-D0F4Q9yk

[Steph Laberis]

Steph, that "Ai ya" is soo Cantonese sounding. But it's usually more like "aiiii yaaaaaa". :)


Haha, my bad Chingwa! ^_~

Still on the "out of proportion" side of the fence though. While I respect your opinion on the matter guggen, I just find this too funny and too typical to be truly upset over it. :)

[Chingwa]

Here's a good view on the mooninite situation (http://www.rense.com/general75/mooninites.htm)

[PaulGanguly]

We're all forgetting what's really important here - this was a viral for the ATHF movie (http://www.kingcolon.com/) scheduled for late March.

[Snarfevs]

Spotted this on Boing Boing (http://www.boingboing.net/2007/02/01/boston_led_terror_sc.html) who got it from somewhere else:

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/6080/37716743778150fdd88kb5.jpg

[Anid Maro]

Devil's advocate: I know it's a stretch... but... really? I mean... is it that ridiculous what has happened here? In the daytime WHEN the meleé happened, these devices WERE NOT illuminated because of an optical sensor ...And the wires / circuit board / LED combination... i dunno i don't think it's too much of a stretch to feel a little uncomfortable around the object, esp. with the unusual and very public areas where they were placed.

The way terrorism works is that they try to frighten us by making a large showy attack. Yes, the WTC bombing was terrible and tragic. But did it really damage the USA? How badly were we crippled, as a nation? Did our industries grind to a halt? Did the stock market crash? Cities destroyed? Armies vanquished?

In reality, it hardly dented us, at least physically. The reason they did a huge and dramatic strike upon the World Trade Center is because they can't do any worse. So they have to scare us into thinking they can strike at any time. But if they really were capable of hurting us, they would have.

Their only weapon is fear, and five years later we're tripping out over lite-brites because we're afraid they might be bombs.

So yes, to answer your question, this is absolutely ridiculous. When we should bravely spit in the face of the terrorists we cower in fear when a couple of guys partake in an advertising campaign for a cartoon.

That the objects "look like a lite brite" (Not really, i.m.o., unless your lite-brite lost its white plastic box and ran on batteries) is a moot point. Hey, Poisonous gas can be made to smell like fresh baked cookies for better lethal effect. Who's afraid of fresh baked cookies?

So... if you smelt fresh baked cookies would you going to call it in as a terrorist threat? After all, maybe it's a poison gas instead. Sure, it's incredibly unlikely, but we can't dismiss the infitesimally small probability that it could be a poison gas, right?

Or we could dismiss that probability, because not only is it silly, but if the terrorists can strike us anywhere at any time in unimaginable ways, then it doesn't matter much anyways. Because when we're worried about poison gas that smells like fresh baked cookies they'll kill us all by poisoning our water supply, or setting off a suitcase nuke, or bringing over some biologically engineered plague of death.

Furthermore, I don't care if the lite-brite was stripped of it's casing, I would hope that a supposedly trained bomb diffusion professional could figure it out. That the casing is stripped is no excuse. In addition to that, Boston was the only city that had this kind of problem. I think that's the first clue that the problem isn't with the lite-brites...

me too... which is why i usually ignore what you write.

Ignoring opinions opposite to your own is the first step towards ignorance.

[Steph Laberis]

Here's a good view on the mooninite situation (http://www.rense.com/general75/mooninites.htm)

"lightbrite-esque" is now my new favorite word. Looks like Hasbro got some props on this stunt too!

[JAG.]

man this just gets better and better.. i wonder what they'll blow up next?? :D - JAG

[information_high]

Best thing to happen in this shithole of a city. Or best thing ever to happen ever. Ever.

[rblitz7]

Its really sickening to hear people saying "OMG Boston police are stupid and they overreacted!" I mean my god did you forget what happened just 5 years ago!!! I would rather see Boston make a mistake then hundreds of people dieing. And just like Reau pointed out it had a sinister appearance and had wires and a battery. I applaud Boston police and their bomb squad.

[Dile_]

I must say that I find the whole thing hilarious... Its cool that the police made their job, but theres a little over-reaction around.. When we look at it now, afterwards.. I can that some people got panic and shit... But I would NEVER in my life think that a blinking piece could be a possible threat..

"oh watch out! it could be a bomb inside that milk-package, DONT OPEN!"
I have to agree with Reau... The terrorists are winning this... damn

[Steph Laberis]

If it's all the same, I'm gonna consolidate this thread with the other one on the subject.

[JERI]

I can't wait for the Daily Show's take on this.

Silvertone, I think your link is down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx2ytr2Oyv4

[Prometheus|ANJ]

This was just a clever "cry wolf" by the terrorists. Soon, this will come walking down the street and no one will even lift an eyebrow.

[Chingwa]

Prom: LOL!

[nicolas]

I dont know whether to laugh or to cry.....
I pity the Citizens of Boston......

[Costau D]

Heh, this whole thread kind of reminds me of Gremlins.

"Light Bright! Light Bright!"