Neogreeneyez Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-31-boston_x.htm BOSTON — A Cartoon Network publicity stunt gone awry sent police and bomb squads scrambling across Boston Wednesday to investigate at least 10 suspicious devices that turned out to be blinking advertising gimmicks.Worried that the unidentified items could have been part of a terrorist plot, authorities shut down a major highway, halted subway service and closed off part of the Charles River. VIDEO: PR stunt sends panic over Boston The devices turned out to be harmless circuit boards with magnetic lights — part of an outdoor advertising campaign for a late-night cable TV cartoon called Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The show features a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball. "It's a hoax — and it's not funny," Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said. A man hired to place the packages — Peter Berdovsky, 27, of Arlington — was arrested on one felony charge of placing a hoax device and one charge of disorderly conduct, state Attorney General Martha Coakley said. Coakley said authorities are investigating to determine whether any company should be charged. Turner Broadcasting put out a statement apologizing for the confusion. The statement said the "packages" have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin; Philadelphia; and San Francisco. The statement said Turner Broadcasting was "in contact with local and federal law enforcement on the exact locations of the billboards" in question. "We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger," according to the statement. A movie based on the cartoon will be released March 23. Characters from the film were pictured on the devices placed around Boston. Boston police said they received four calls, all around 1 p.m., reporting devices seen at the Boston University Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge, both of which span the Charles River. Others were spotted on a Boston street corner and at the Tufts-New England Medical Center. The device near the Boston University Bridge was found attached to a structure beneath the span, police said. Another was found Wednesday evening just north of Fenway Park, police spokesman Eddy Chrispin said. Most Boston-area residents weren't fazed. Wanda Higgins, 47, a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, watched TV news coverage of the threat while preparing to leave work at 4 p.m. "I saw the bomb squad guys carrying a paper bag with their bare hands," Higgins said. "I knew it couldn't be too serious." In Washington, D.C., Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke said officials closely monitored the day's investigation. "Whether it was intentional or not, the reality is these types of incidents put an enormous burden on law enforcement and counterterrorism resources, and there's absolutely no room for that in a post-9/11 world," Knocke said. Boston people were going crazy lol... This was so stupid... they arrested the guy who put the lite-bright lookin things up.... This is what they looked like... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 On the bright side...that guy is going to make a sh*t load of money from Ted Turner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Fan Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 As I posted in the other ATHF topic... Heres a photo of me with one.. A few weeks ago.... Before people got all "OMG ITS A BOMB!"http://www.yatpay.net/pics/06-12-06/36900.jpg <3 Boston * http://www.yatpay.net/pics/06-12-06/36900.jpg * Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrider06 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 That’s pretty bad to get arrested for something like that.. it does sort of resemble a lite bright, I miss my lite bright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CK Media Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 They got the idea from here it reminds me of sony and their faux graffiti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 good for press, stupid on all other levels. how did it not enter their brains that this could possibly backfire? look at that thing. Ide like to know who actually put these things up or made them knowing theyd be installed in a city. Back in my highschool days someone left a VCR in a bathroom, the whole school district was shut down for a day or two with bomb scares. very dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayjay719 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 I want a lite brite now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neogreeneyez Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Back in my highschool days someone left a VCR in a bathroom, the whole school district was shut down for a day or two with bomb scares. very dumb. NOT THE EXPLODING VCR!!!!!! Must have been playing old tapes of New kids on the block videos.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 if i remember correctly, they even plugged the VCR in! lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapseofreason Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 People are stupid. After 9/11 now, they think EVERYTHING is a bomb or a *terrorist plot* first... "OMG, LIGHTS SHAPED LIKE A SHAKE!! IT'S A SECRET AL QAEDA MESSAGE!!!" ...I wonder where these things are in LA, I haven't seen one yet (if they haven't since been taken down)... ... and I definitely want one. Weird light things rock. EDIT: Post #600! Yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 ^ People are stupid. After 9/11 now, they think EVERYTHING is a bomb or a *terrorist plot* first... "OMG, LIGHTS SHAPED LIKE A SHAKE!! IT'S A SECRET AL QAEDA MESSAGE!!!" please, please explain to us how you think this reaction is stupid? i prefer our gov. and police to think everything is bomb first than have anything happen. its the post 9/11 world and i sure dont want to relive another day like that again... not everyone is in the know on tv shows or things like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neogreeneyez Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 ^People are stupid. After 9/11 now, they think EVERYTHING is a bomb or a *terrorist plot* first... "OMG, LIGHTS SHAPED LIKE A SHAKE!! IT'S A SECRET AL QAEDA MESSAGE!!!" please, please explain to us how you think this reaction is stupid? i prefer our gov. and police to think everything is bomb first than have anything happen. its the post 9/11 world and i sure dont want to relive another day like that again... not everyone is in the know on tv shows or things like that. WELL, I can actually see this two ways.... 1. This is really really dumb... people put a bunch of stickers and ads everywhere ex. light poles, stop lights, walls... ATHF was clever enough to make ads that lit up and made a lot of people look and interested... All it took was one crazy paranoid person to call the police and be ignorant enough about the show to cry wolf/bomb... Now the Gov. wants to press charges on Turner?! Wow a little too serious on the second hand.... 2. WTF was ATHF thinking lol why did they not alert the cities that they were doing advertising to stop this mahem? At the same time almost the WHOLE boston city police force was on every scene causing alot of man hours. Bomb squads were there also which is somehow going to come out of the crazy taxes we pay in MA. They should have just made billboards and been smart about it. After 9/11 people should just have some common sense..... well I guess I don't have a way to feel about this.... eh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Mooninites next target when they invade Earth... BOSTON! Seriously, this is the most amazing bit of news ever, and it makes me want to see ATHF:Movie Film For Theatres even more... Nice job Williams Street! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imhotep Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 ^People are stupid. After 9/11 now, they think EVERYTHING is a bomb or a *terrorist plot* first... "OMG, LIGHTS SHAPED LIKE A SHAKE!! IT'S A SECRET AL QAEDA MESSAGE!!!" please, please explain to us how you think this reaction is stupid? i prefer our gov. and police to think everything is bomb first than have anything happen. its the post 9/11 world and i sure dont want to relive another day like that again... not everyone is in the know on tv shows or things like that. I would have to agree with you on this one, especially since the lightboards were pictures of a Mooninite giving the middle finger. Thats a little agreessive and its normal for police to percieve that as a bomb, especially because of the exposed wires and batteries behind the lightboard. However I think maybe there may be a little bit of an overreaction after the fact.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Wasn't Boston faulted for the crappiest security and mostly caused 9/11?!?? Looks like they're now trying to overcompensate. This is so ridiculous and stupid. I don't care if EVERYONE doesn't know about the characters, how did it get so far out of control, I refuse to believe there weren't a few voices of reason just being shut out. Stupid Boston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackskellington101 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 What gets me about this is that these LED light boards have been in nine other cities (New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia) for two to three weeks and no one has said anything. The only difference I can see is that the artists they got to hang the signs in Boston were dumb enough to hang them off of bridges and hospitals. For more stuff, here is their reaction of bust a gut laughter in court during their arraignment: and their completely farcical press conference after their release from jail. This is not going to end well for anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Heard their press conference on the radio, comic gold, sadly that will backfire against them in court. "Lets talk about hairstyles... keep it at hair related questions..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Yeah...as much as I'm on their side and think that Boston WAY overreacted and was pretty pathetically stupid. Now is the time for them to just sit back, be quiet, and let the lawyers do their thing. Not make jokes and be stupid. Grrrr... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan King Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Stupid Boston, although the band is still Kickass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackskellington101 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 I agree whole heartedly. I'm sure they see this as a major opportunity to "make a statement", but they don't know what they are in the middle of. When the Governor of Massachusetts starts making threats to "take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred", and when they fall under the "affiliates" label, play time is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Alright kiddies, resized a few new avatar/signature combo for use on the forums here if you support America and hate how Big Brotherish our country has become since 9/11... Credit goes where it is due... to the Goons at the forums of SomethingAwful.com . AVATARS: Fatty 150x150 Petit for other forums 100x100 BANNERS 400x100, maybe a little fat, but SUPPORT AMERICA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrakenKing Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Speaking of which... we actually are talking about this right now in US Government! Haha! I guess I should be paying attention in class instead of being on TPR.... Nah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Alright kiddies, made a new avatar/signature combo for use on the forums here if you support America and hate how Big Brotherish our country has become since You didn't make those, you copied the image from Something Awful and resized it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Alright kiddies, made a new avatar/signature combo for use on the forums here if you support America and hate how Big Brotherish our country has become since You didn't make those, you copied the image from Something Awful and resized it. I at least made a banner, and didn't put a "THIS IMAGE IS HOSTED BY EBAUMSWORLD.LOL!" Credit is due somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AznShortBoi8021 Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 That article is missing the most important detail. The light boards were placed on BRIDGE GIRDERS. It's one thing to find one on a bridge, it's another thing to find one on something that holds the bridge up. Not to mention they were placed in places people wouldn't normally see them. Not many people would look at a bridge girder expecting an advertisement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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