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Flint 02-01-2007 03:37 PM
I love how these "suspects" "claim" they were "hired" to place these "ads" for a "TV show" . . . ummm...
Turner Broadcasting did release-wait, did they? yes, yes they did release a statement about this. So that part should be all cleared up.

Flint 02-01-2007 03:52 PM
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigV (Post 312147)
A non statement for a non event.
I don't think it was a total non-statement. I mean, on the subject of haircuts, IE appearance, let's not forget what real terrorists look like:

Elspode 02-01-2007 04:14 PM
I don't know about anyone else, but yesterday is the first time I ever seriously even *considered* watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force, so apparently the ad campaign is working nicely.

Making a mockery of something that is already such a huge clusterf*ck? Is that even possible?

Flint 02-01-2007 04:19 PM
Dude, ATHF is greatness. I have three seasons on DVD.

BigV 02-01-2007 04:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flint (Post 312153)
I don't think it was a total non-statement. I mean, on the subject of haircuts, IE appearance, let's not forget what real terrorists look like:
Resist the urge to conflate these two, gawd. I hesitate to justify the most recent one with the word "event", but I'll hold my nose and do so.

Flint:

Resist the urge to conflate these two events. Such a response is a national fad right now, but your mother was right about everybody else jumping off a cliff. They're different. Not the same. Not connected. Your picture is prima facie evidence of this.

Different haircuts. Different events. Get it straight.

Flint 02-01-2007 04:32 PM
BigV, how stupid do you think I am? Read the sarcasm between the lines.

This column makes it out like a battle of us versus them, and the definition of them is widening every day.

Kitsune observed "...there is something about this that makes me think that this is a big statement being put out by the city of Boston that condemns any action that is outside the accepted norm" and I agree. And furthermore, the dreadlocked, non-citizen suspect makes a great scapegoat because he is different from us.

Which brings us to the subject of what do "terrorists" (or "suspects" as this story is framed by the media, not me) look like?

Or, to over-explain this to the Nth degree: do "terrorists" "look" a certain way? NO!

Would you have suspected McVeigh, based on appearance? NO! Get it?

It's not a total non-statement to hold a press conference about appearance, IE haircuts in this case.

skysidhe 02-01-2007 04:32 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yigQGKaf2A

You tubes video if you havn't seen it already. I didn't see a link to it yet.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Elspode (Post 312157)

Making a mockery of something that is already such a huge clusterf*ck? Is that even possible?

Is clusterf*uck as a word even possible? :P and what is it? I know. I am a simpleton. :dunce:

BigV 02-01-2007 04:45 PM
Flint, I don't think you're stupid. If I did, you'd know it, even if you were stupid.

The overreaction to this "event" is stupid. I'm riffing on your point that "real" terrorists have "real" haircuts, observing that, OBVIOUSLY, since this new guy doesn't have such a haircut, he can't possibly be a real terrorist.

Dude. :chill:


edit--Actually, don't chill. this isn't something that we, any of us should chill about. We should be talking about why this was a big fucking deal for some people yesterday, and why it's a big fucking deal for a completely different set of people today. Seriously. don't chill. :rar: :cuss: :angry: Knock yourself out. Be pissed at me, fine. My comments were not directed at you, I think you get it. My comments were directed at the same embarassed frightened terror-ees that panicked in the first place.

The discussion needs to be why are we so spooked? It was a nice day yesterday. This was not a plane crashing into a building. No kittens were harmed in the making of the displays. Why have some people surrendered their backbones, their ability to take a punch, their ability to take a joke, and gave away their balls in the bargain.

Goddamit! The world will ALWAYS have threats in it, some real, most not. Don't chill, don't panic, but roll with the punches a little, willya? I'm gonna pop a vessel just watching you (all) whip yourself into a perfect froth of chicken little apoplexy.

Fuck. gimme that. :chill: :chill: I'll take two.

Flint 02-01-2007 05:05 PM
"If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention"

rkzenrage 02-01-2007 05:16 PM
Can we all say it together so they can learn "we were wrong".
See, was that so hard?
All they had to say. That they did not is silly and means those that did not should have to repay the taxpayers out of their personal salaries for every thing that happened after the moment they knew.
Simple.
I guess I need a sticker for my wheelchair, "not a bomb idiot, go find a light-bright".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0PgnOZFKiY

This one is funny... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G-D0F4Q9yk

BigV 02-01-2007 06:44 PM
Quote:
The devices didn't prompt calls of concern in any of the nine other cities where Turner said the devices were placed. Police in the other cities fanned out to find and remove them after Boston's scare.

Some enterprising people got to the devices before police: At least seven were for sale Thursday afternoon on the Internet auction site eBay, ranging in price from $500 to $2,100.

Most of Boston's colleagues in law enforcement in the other cities chose their words carefully.

"I wouldn't want to give my opinion but in today's world it's better safe than sorry. Someone (in Boston) clearly thought there was a threat," Atlanta police Officer Joe Cobb said.

In the Seattle area, authorities thought the devices were "obviously not suspicious."

"In this day and age, whenever anything remotely suspicious shows up, people get concerned — and that's good," King County sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart said. "However, people don't need to be concerned about this. These are cartoon characters giving the finger."
WHAT?!? Why wasn't I alerted? I have been denied my constitooshinal right to freak out expressin. Who do I sue?!

From here.

rkzenrage 02-01-2007 07:02 PM
Seattle to Boston...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...bombs/PWND.jpg

Elspode 02-01-2007 07:06 PM
Good grief. The fact that these things are nothing more than illuminated signs is *glaringly* obvious. Furthermore, were those *strategic* metal awnings or something? I mean, wouldn't these things have been more effective (if they had been bombs) planted somewhere else?

rkzenrage 02-01-2007 07:26 PM
Plus, they had been up for weeks. What a great bomb strategy, no?

Kitsune 02-01-2007 09:31 PM
Hey, what happened to this guy? Why aren't the police looking for him? Where's a description of him? Where's the manhunt? Was it really a pipebomb? How come we're not hearing about this?

Quote:
Six minutes later at 1:02 p.m. Boston Police received a call from New England Medical Center Security that they had uncovered a pipe bomb in their building in a desk drawer. Shortly thereafter Hospital Security reported that a suspect had been seen leaving the area of the pipe bomb in an agitated state stating, "God is warning you that today is going to be a sad Day." The suspect was reported to have fled the hospital. Boston Police continue to investigate this incident. No further details at this time.

At 1:08 p.m. the Boston Police Bomb Squad arrived and confirmed the existence of an item which appeared to be a pipe bomb inside the hospital.

Cloud 02-01-2007 11:05 PM
Hey there--this is my first post and I'm posting mainly because I want to see my name in lights! or something.

This whole story made me laugh. Yes, there are serious implications here, which I'm disinclined to debate, but . . .

the best part?

"we'll only take questions about hair!"

frickin' hilarious!

BrianR 02-01-2007 11:45 PM
New drinking game!

You have to do a shot of whiskey every time TW refers to the President as a "mental midget", blames all problems on "top management", invokes any Nazi reference or makes a post that has nothing to do with the topic at hand. Misspellings count.

Urbane Guerrilla 02-02-2007 12:04 AM
If tw's misspellings count, we'll all be too sozzled to see the screen.

rkzenrage 02-02-2007 12:17 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitsune (Post 312245)
Hey, what happened to this guy? Why aren't the police looking for him? Where's a description of him? Where's the manhunt? Was it really a pipebomb? How come we're not hearing about this?
It was probably the thermos from someone's lunch-box.:rolleyes:

BigV 02-02-2007 01:47 PM
From here:

Quote:
Originally Posted by MTV
Given the massive effort, we wondered if — in light of the hundreds of false alarms called in every week around the country in the years since 9/11 — have we become too paranoid?

"I think it was the right reaction," said Ed Clark, former director of the Homeland Security Threats Office and Special Forces veteran. "We've accomplished the first phase of educating the American public in what they're required to do. We can't make the assumption that everything will be all right anymore." If nothing else, Clark said the response to the botched promo campaign was another opportunity for officials to get real-life, in-the-field experience.

Clark, who teaches a course on how to recognize suspicious devices, said he was encouraged that citizens called in the moon men. But even he admitted that it was not likely that a "transnational Islamic group would put a cartoon character flipping the bird" on an explosive device if they were serious about inflicting harm.

Russ Knocke, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, also praised authorities for their quick response and attempts to keep the public appraised of the situation. He said the stunt was just one of dozens of similar everyday incidents that are investigated and turn out to be false alarms. "Prior to the incidents in Boston, there were three or four [false alarms] around the Washington, D.C., area before noon," he said. "We need the public to be vigilant if they see something abnormal."

Then again, the devices sat around in Boston, the city's surrounding areas and nine other major cities for weeks without anyone calling in to report them. So does the Beantown bust really mean we're more or less vigilant? Have we even learned a lesson about what kinds of things are suspicious and what's probably a prank?
Not wanting to be out-securitized and over-responsified, the FEDERAL Gov't officials are saying how "right" the response has been. But what exactly went right? The cops picked up the phone when someone called? Ok, I'll buy that. They treated the unknown devices with an (over)abundance of caution? Ok, fine. But the rest of the Boston side of the story is off the rails, as far as I can see. Late reaction--weeks elapsed from the time they were placed to the time they were removed. Over reaction on the part of the prosecutors and the Governor. Puh-lease.

I've heard that the law they're being charged with, one felony charge of placing a hoax device and one charge of disorderly conduct, state Attorney General Martha . He had been hired to place the devices, she said. Here's an excerpt of the law. Love the phrase "infernal machine"!
Quote:
Chapter 266: Section 102A1/2. Possession, transportation, use or placement of hoax devices; penalty; law enforcement or public safety officer exemption

Section 102A1/2. (a) Whoever possesses, transports, uses or places or causes another to knowingly or unknowingly possess, transport, use or place any hoax device or hoax substance with the intent to cause anxiety, unrest, fear or personal discomfort to any person or group of persons shall be punished by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “hoax device” shall mean any device that would cause a person reasonably to believe that such device is an infernal machine. For the purposes of this section, the term “infernal machine” shall mean any device for endangering life or doing unusual damage to property, or both, by fire or explosion, whether or not contrived to ignite or explode automatically. For the purposes of this section, the words “hoax substance” shall mean any substance that would cause a person reasonably to believe that such substance is a harmful chemical or biological agent, a poison, a harmful radioactive substance or any other substance for causing serious bodily injury, endangering life or doing unusual damage to property, or both.
And as to the snotty-sounding "statement to the press" by the two men arrested for this action, we don't (or shouldn't jail people for their attitude. Heh. They even made a movie of their work.

glatt 02-02-2007 01:53 PM
The judge didn't seem too impressed with the DA according to this article.

Quote:
Judge Paul K. Leary seemed skeptical of the state's case, telling Grossman that the law requires that people must intend to create a panic to be charged with placing hoax devices. This case, the judge said, seemed to involve two men who relatives say were paid to place unorthodox advertisements throughout the city.

skysidhe 02-02-2007 02:01 PM
Maybe if they had a cryptic messages people would not look so ridiculous for panicing. The fact that people over reacted in one area but not in others proves the beauty of a light bright giving the finger. How perfect was that!

rkzenrage 02-02-2007 02:19 PM
I say we pack-em' with C4 and make Tater-Bombs with a Jesus timer!
Eeeeevvvvilllllll!!!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...onkeysmall.jpg

Kitsune 02-02-2007 04:42 PM
2 Attachment(s)
A camera I rigged up sometime ago to take pictures automatically while suspended from balloons versus the infamous "1 Call Missed" IED.

Uh-oh... :worried:

skysidhe 02-02-2007 08:53 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by rkzenrage (Post 312426)

:D

hehehe

xoxoxoBruce 02-02-2007 10:51 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigV (Post 312101)
I don't condemn the public safety officials for responding to the physical threat. I **do** condemn those officials who made statements about prosecuting people for what happened here. That is not right. This is no act of terrorism, I don’t care how freaked out somebody got.
You're right, I was responding to the criticism of their response to reported suspicious objects. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until this morning that I heard the ridiculous face saving attempts by the powers that be.

A while back I posted about a guy at work that has been a volunteer power boat inspector for the power squadron for years. Suddenly he's part of Homeland Security with a diploma looking certificate to hang on the wall. I think it's part of the Federal plan to keep terrorism/paranoia in everyones face.

The Feds have also thrown a ton of money at the cities and states to develop contingency plans and rehearse repeatedly. I think Wolf has taken part in these rehearsals. The purpose is when the call comes, everybody knows what to do and does it fast. That's what happened in Boston, just like they rehearsed it. As far as shutting down major highways, one guy with a flat tire can do that, during rush hour.

As far as Muslim terrorists not putting LEDs on bombs. After 9-11, all the bombs set off around the world were by recruited natives rather than Middle Eastern wackos. Anybody that thinks there aren't passport carrying US citizens that would join this cause are naive. Crazy Americans are likely to do anything.... even put LEDs on bombs. :rollanim:

As much as their attempts to save face, I'm disturbed they felt they had to. They did what they were supposed to do, what they had trained to do and to be embarrassed they did that, is as ridiculous as their face saving nonsense. Of course being political, they're all trying to top each other by coming up with a bigger condemnation and end up making themselves look stupid.

tw 02-03-2007 05:57 AM
When do we also discuss 1970s hairstyles?

Kitsune 02-03-2007 09:54 AM
Sad. Turner is going to knuckle-under and cough up the cash.

rkzenrage 02-03-2007 10:27 AM
That is sad. Should come out of the idiots pay.

deadbeater 02-03-2007 09:40 PM
Turner the company has no choice but to cough up the cost of the exercise of Boston federales handling the Moonite threat. As for the guerrilla advertisers, I think probation and fine is appropriate.

New Yorkers probably think Ignignokt was giving the One Finger Brooklyn Salute, as opposed to of the arm-and-bent-elbow one.

rkzenrage 02-03-2007 09:42 PM
They deserve nothing, gorilla ads are normal in Boston... no one else gets probation. I call BS.
Turner did nothing wrong. I call BS.

Ibby 02-03-2007 10:08 PM
I guess you do have a point that they were just doing their job...

...So I guess its just the job I hate. If we start panicking at every single thing with computer parts and lights... The terrorists've won. If we don't let them affect us, they can not possibly win.

BigV 02-03-2007 10:17 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitsune (Post 312644)
Sad. Turner is going to knuckle-under and cough up the cash.
I don't think it's sad... I think this is a win win win for Turner. They got several times the return on investment for their advertising dollar, *even including* the cost of the response. PLUS they get to look like a good corporate citizen.

Come on, what in the world would they say otherwise, NO! You're all dumb poopy heads! Even if, no, especially if they are poopy heads, they can't say that. I think they're happy to pay, and thanks very much, don't forget to tune it to ATHF!!

Now, the double standard is having the individual pay. That's just punitive. I think there's a deeper well of sympathy for an individual (or two) for the public to draw on when the individual is in opposition to Gummint.

It's not consistent, but nothing about the whole situation is very rational for more than a couple of steps in a row. Then it's off the rails.

Kitsune 02-04-2007 11:30 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigV (Post 312788)
I don't think it's sad... I think this is a win win win for Turner. They got several times the return on investment for their advertising dollar, *even including* the cost of the response. PLUS they get to look like a good corporate citizen.
This is a very good point. Anyone know how much the average advertising campaign is for a typical movie? It sounds like Turner probably got away with a steal (front page news, "breaking news" airtime) for $750,000-$1mil!

Elspode 02-05-2007 09:49 AM
So, what happens when the guilty are punished, and the doors are flung open for every Joe Briefcase who lost a critical deal or couldn't be present for the birth of a child, etc, etc, starts suing Turner for causing a disruption?

You just *know* some smart guy lawyer out there is going to find somebody who was seriously harmed by this stunt, right?

Pie 02-05-2007 12:03 PM
Fark's take on it:
Quote:
Turner Broadcasting agrees to pay $2 million for Aqua Teen Strike Force advertising; claims that it was cheaper and more productive than a 30-second Super Bowl commercial

Crimson Ghost 02-05-2007 12:38 PM
These ads were places in 10 cities.
Only Boston freaked out.

Here is a conversation between two beat cops in Manhattan:
"Hey, Joe, what the fuck is that?"
"Well, Bill, it looks like a 'Lite-Brite™."
"Well, I'll be, it is a Lite-Brite™."
"Coffee? I'll buy."

Mayor Menino is more worried about a fucking kids toy than making sure that drivers aren't crushed by 10 ton steel plates falling off bridges.

"All your Lite-Brite™ are belong to us"
4/01/1998

Elspode 02-05-2007 01:52 PM
Terrorist Lite-Brites are just the thing to distract people from the real danger...namely, Big Dig components falling on you. Or real terrorists.

Flint 02-05-2007 01:54 PM
another example of "big dig" thinking, 85%, midgets, etc.

rkzenrage 02-05-2007 01:57 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crimson Ghost (Post 313009)
These ads were places in 10 cities.
Only Boston freaked out.

Here is a conversation between two beat cops in Manhattan:
"Hey, Joe, what the fuck is that?"
"Well, Bill, it looks like a 'Lite-Brite™."
"Well, I'll be, it is a Lite-Brite™."
"Coffee? I'll buy."

Mayor Menino is more worried about a fucking kids toy than making sure that drivers aren't crushed by 10 ton steel plates falling off bridges.

"All your Lite-Brite™ are belong to us"
4/01/1998
Did you miss this earlier post?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rkzenrage (Post 312207)

Kitsune 02-09-2007 11:08 AM
1 Attachment(s)
Go go GRL!

Kitsune 02-09-2007 06:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigV (Post 312788)
They got several times the return on investment for their advertising dollar, *even including* the cost of the response. PLUS they get to look like a good corporate citizen.
I guess it wasn't all good. :neutral:

BigV 02-09-2007 08:21 PM
Shit.

Quote:
On Friday, Samples fell on his sword, saying he would leave the company. He has worked at Turner for 13 years.

"As general manager of Cartoon Network, I feel compelled to step down, effective immediately, in recognition of the gravity of the situation that occurred under my watch," he said in a statement sent to staffers. "It's my hope that my decision allows us to put this chapter behind us."

Samples, a Jonesboro native, was tapped to run Cartoon Network in 2001. Among others things, he helped build Cartoon's Adult Swim programs into a major success.
Once again, the corporation survives at the expense of the individual.

Kitsune 02-28-2007 02:31 PM
So, do you think Boston will file suit against its own department of transportation? :)

Really, is the default to "we don't know what it is" to call the freaking bomb squad?

Flint 02-28-2007 02:38 PM
Just as the chorus of indignant voices had stopped chastising us for calling Boston a bunch of idiots.

Happy Monkey 09-16-2015 01:51 PM
Texas handles a similar incident better than Boston!

Eventually, at least. First they hauled off a 14 year old in handcuffs and interrogated him away from his family after he tried to show off his electronics project to his teachers, and then congratulated themselves on how they handled it.

But they aren't charging him!

ETA: Cloud's first post is in this thread!

glatt 09-16-2015 02:58 PM
And he apparently got an invitation from Obama to the White House.

xoxoxoBruce 09-16-2015 10:11 PM
And accepted it. :thumb:

Gravdigr 09-17-2015 05:39 PM
His plan is working perfectly...

glatt 09-17-2015 05:42 PM
Ha!

classicman 09-17-2015 07:59 PM
1 Attachment(s)
...

xoxoxoBruce 09-17-2015 10:50 PM
More cake for me.

footfootfoot 09-18-2015 11:35 AM
1 Attachment(s)
.

Undertoad 09-18-2015 11:00 PM
This article has convinced me. It was a hoax bomb. That kid definitely did not build a clock.

The reason the cops were not scared was because it was an obvious hoax.

Clodfobble 09-19-2015 09:16 AM
Fascinating. In the comments of UT's link is another link showing the kid's dad has a long history of being an anti-Islamophobia activist. I, too, am convinced. I'm sure he never thought it would get this big, but the kid was fucking with his teachers, for sure.

glatt 09-19-2015 09:45 AM
The article says he took the guts out of an old clock and put them in a pencil case.

When I understood him to say that he "made" a clock, I assumed that he cannibalized some other existing electronics and put it together into a clock. Kids can get their hands on discarded junk easily, but they don't have much money to buy new individual electronic components that would add up to maybe $50 or so for the same contraption.

So he took a clock apart and stuck it into a pencil case. He probably felt that he made a clock. Instructibles.com is full of similar case mods where people claim that they made something when all they really did was repackaged something.

Happy Monkey 09-19-2015 10:08 AM
When I heard it had a circuit board, that is exactly what I suspected he had done. A clock sounds simple, but I would have been pretty surprised if he had actually built one from scratch.

I'm not sure how the word "hoax" comes in if he never said it was a bomb, and nobody thought it was.

Undertoad 09-19-2015 10:10 AM
Here's his dad

He ran for President of Sudan twice, and was a primary battler of Florida Koran-burning pastor Terry Jones a few years ago.

Pops set this up. We all fell for it. The President fell for it. Now what?

glatt 09-19-2015 10:24 AM
Maybe pops set it up, but the cops and principal swallowed it hook line and sinker.

I've got my biases in this for sure. I'm a maker. On my bedroom floor right now is an alarm clock radio I took from the curb and took apart to see if there would be an easy way to add an aux input. My son is a year younger than this kid and he's a bigger maker than I ever was. This strikes pretty close to home for me. Glatt Jr. actually had a homework assignment in Spanish two days ago where he had to write about what makes him special, and he made up some BS instead of talking about the stuff he makes in my basement because he didn't want anyone at school to know that he makes stuff. It would lead to questions and then how does he explain that he makes typical boy stuff like alcohol burning stoves and weapons to fight the zombies?

This is turning into a Left vs Right issue, and I think that's fascinating.

Happy Monkey 09-19-2015 10:26 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Undertoad (Post 939557)
Here's his dad

He ran for President of Sudan twice, and was a primary battler of Florida Koran-burning pastor Terry Jones a few years ago.
I knew that. Who fell for what? What was the hoax?


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