Tendo City

Quote:BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Authorities arrested a man in connection with electronic light boards depicting a middle-finger-waving moon man that triggered repeated bomb scares around Boston on Wednesday and prompted the closure of bridges and a stretch of the Charles River.

Meanwhile, police and prosecutors vented their anger at Turner Broadcasting Inc., the parent company of CNN, who said the battery-operated light boards were aimed at promoting the late-night Adult Swim cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," condemning Turner for not taking proper steps to end the bomb scares earlier and for not issuing an adequate apology to the city.

Turner Broadcasting said in written statements the devices had been placed around Boston and nine other cities in recent weeks as part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the show.

"We apologize to the citizens of Boston that part of a marketing campaign was mistaken for a public danger," Phil Kent, CEO and chairman of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., said in one of two statements issued by the company.

"As soon as we realized that an element of the campaign was being mistaken for something potentially dangerous, appropriate law enforcement officials were notified and through federal law enforcement channels, we identified the specific locations of the advertisements in all 10 cities in which they are posted. We also directed the third-party marketing firm who posted the advertisements to take them down immediately."

Peter Berdovsky, 27, a freelance video artist from Arlington, Massachusetts, was facing charges of placing a hoax device in a way that results in panic, as well as one count of disorderly conduct, said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. The charge is a felony, she said.

According to his Web site, Berdovsky is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and a founding member of a video artists group called Glitch who goes by the nickname "Zebbler" and sings in a band called "Superfiction."

Authorities believe Berdovsky was "in the employ of other individuals" as part of the marketing campaign, Coakley said. "How exactly this was executed, we are still investigating." Berdovsky is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m. Thursday in Charlestown District Court.

Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network, another Turner enterprise, but the adult-themed network is a separate entity.

The devices displayed a "Mooninite" -- an outer-space delinquent who makes frequent appearances on the cartoon -- greeting passersby with an upraised middle finger. But the discovery of nine of the light boards around Boston and its suburbs sent bomb squads scrambling throughout the day, snarling traffic and mass transit in one of the largest U.S. cities.

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

The statement from Kent said Turner Broadcasting deeply regrets "the hardships experienced as a result of this incident." (Read the full statement)
Mayor calls situation 'outrageous'

But Coakley, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and others said the statement offering an apology was not enough, and did not rule out criminal charges or a civil suit to recover the estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars it cost the city to respond to the bomb scares.

Menino told reporters he received a call from a Turner spokesperson about 9 p.m. but had not yet returned it. "I think the city deserves a call, not from a press person, but from somebody in the corporate structure of Turner," he said.

"I just think this is outrageous, what they've done ... It's all about corporate greed."

He and Coakley said Turner did not give authorities the locations of the devices and said they learned the devices were Turner's when the company sent a fax to City Hall at 5 p.m.

Officials believe there are 38 throughout the Boston area, and 14 had been recovered as of 9 p.m., Coakley said. "We heard nothing official from the people who could have resolved this earlier."

Some of the devices were placed on private property, she said, which "raises a lot of questions about, at the very least, the responsibility of anybody who would do this."

Asked about whether Massachusetts authorities would have the jurisdiction to arrest people out of state, Coakley said she believed they would if the offenses took place in Massachusetts. Turner Broadcasting's headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis called it "unconscionable" that the marketing campaign was executed in a post 9/11 era. "It's a foolish prank on the part of Turner Broadcasting," he said. "In the environment nowadays ... we really have to look at the motivation of the company here and why this happened."

Earlier, Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll called Wednesday's incidents "a colossal waste of money."

The discovery of the light boards led state, local and federal authorities to close the Boston University and Longfellow Bridges and block boat traffic from the Charles River to Boston Harbor. In addition, the Pentagon said U.S. Northern Command was monitoring the situation from its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but said none of its units were dispatched to assist.

The first device reported was at the Sullivan Square commuter rail station, near the suburb of Somerville, Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon, four other devices were reported -- near the Longfellow and Boston University bridges over the Charles, at New England Medical Center and near the intersection of Stuart and Columbus avenues in the city itself, and four more turned up over the course of the day.

Rep. Ed Markey, a Boston-area congressman, said, "Whoever thought this up needs to find another job."

"Scaring an entire region, tying up the T and major roadways, and forcing first responders to spend 12 hours chasing down trinkets instead of terrorists is marketing run amok," Markey, a Democrat, said in a written statement. "It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt."

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.

A Turner source said the displays were a component of a third-party advertising campaign conducted by a New York advertising firm, Interference Inc., which had no comment on the incident.

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

[Image: thebridge3.jpg]

http://paranoidboston.ytmnd.com/

This is the most bizarre and hilarious news stories I've ever seen.

I thought it was pretty funny when I heard the blurb on the news. Apparently they've been doing it in a few cities across the country, but for some reason Boston started to get freaked out about it now. Can't beat this kind of publicity. :)

People got scared over a light bright. How sad is that?

We live in a nation of idiots and cowards.

That is up there among the list of the stupidest things I have ever read... Mooninites... bomb hoax? What the heck? Utterly insane...

Ah-hahaha! Foolish earth people! If you cannot handle our light-boards then you are surely no match for our quad-laser! Just hang on...

Man, I tell you , these people need to really lighten up. And watch ATHF. In fact, just watching ATHF should suffice. The best part is that this is all going to end up being great publicity. Everyone's going to tune in to see what caused all the fuss. Delicious.

The shier level of stupidity that the Boston officials must have to

Be so culture shy that no one in the whole city could recognize an Aqua Teen Hunger Force light bright.
Mistake it for a bomb and send the city into panic.

is uttlerly staggering..

No doubt all the Walmart's in that city do well, and all the Walmart employees their want to die even more so then myself or Ryan.

And just like an Walmart customer who's ignorance has now been exposed, the Boston city public wants a free 100,000 dollar gift card for complaining. Only now their off to ruin a respected marketing company and put a student of the arts in federal prison because the city officials their can't admit how large an area their stupidity spans.

Here's the thinking.

TERROR ALERT ORANGE (I don't even know what the current "color" is)

Some person is walking along, sees the thing, and is a typical "ya never know" idiot. "Gee, that looks odd. Kinda creepy, oh well... Heh, they could probably make a bomb out of that. Wait, what if they did? Nah... it doesn't look like.... but it wouldn't. It might be a bomb, I don't know it's NOT! It probably is! I have to call it in! I can't take that chance!"

What I love is the fact that the news networks and the mayor of boston are calling this whole thing a hoax. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought there had to be an intent to scare people to call it a hoax. More like an overreaction to me, but what do I know?

Oi-goddamn-vey. What you guys said. This is funny, but at the same time irritating, disappointing, and even a bit disturbing. *sigh*

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters = Best Movie Title Ever.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/boston....index.html

Quote: Two plead not guilty to Boston hoax charges
POSTED: 4:29 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007
Story Highlights
• NEW: Devices attracting bids on eBay
• NEW: Men charged with inciting bomb scare released on bail
• Boston transportation officials to ask Turner Broadcasting to reimburse city
• Packages were promotion for Adult Swim show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"

CHARLESTOWN, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Two men pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges they created panic by placing electronic light boards that caused a bomb scare Wednesday in Boston.

The boards depicted a cartoon character making an obscene gesture at passing motorists.

Assistant Attorney General John Grossman called the light boards "bomb-like" devices and said that if they had been explosive they could have damaged transportation infrastructure in the city. (Watch suspects avoid answering reporters' questions Video)

Asked by the judge to describe what the figure on the light box was doing, Grossman said, "Colloquially, he was flipping the bird, your honor."

Judge Paul K. Leary told Grossman that, according to law, the suspects must intend to create a panic to be charged with placing hoax devices. (Watch a Web video of men placing the light boards on structures around Boston Video)

It appears the suspects had no such intent, the judge said, but the question should be discussed in a later hearing.

Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens were released on $2,500 bail, said Mike Rich, their attorney. The next pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 7.

Both men were cooperative with authorities, and neither has a previous criminal record in Massachusetts, Grossman said.

At a news conference after the hearing, Stevens and Berdovsky stepped to the microphones and said they were taking questions only about 1970s hairstyles.

When a reporter accused them of not taking the situation seriously, Stevens responded, "We're taking it very seriously." Asked another question about the case, Stevens reiterated they were answering questions only about hair and accused the reporter of not taking him and Berdovsky seriously.

Reporters did not relent and as they continued, Berdovsky disregarded their queries, saying, "That's not a hair question. I'm sorry."

Their attorney said the two were putting on a "performance," and noted that he had told them not to discuss the case.

On Wednesday, Boston authorities shut down bridges and a stretch of the Charles River. The scares sparked criticism of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., the parent company of CNN, because the cartoon moon men were part of a guerrilla marketing campaign to promote the late-night Adult Swim cartoon "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." (Watch how the scare unfolded Video)

The moon men, or Mooninites, as they're known to the show's faithful, are delinquent outer-space men who make frequent appearances on the program. Photographs of the devices show several tiny lightbulbs protruding from a circuit board that houses wiring and at least four batteries.

Berdovsky, 27, a freelance video artist from Arlington, Massachusetts, and Stevens, 28, face charges of placing a hoax device in a way that results in panic, as well as one count of disorderly conduct, said Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. The hoax charge is a felony, she said.

According to his Web site, Berdovsky is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art who goes by the nickname "Zebbler." Berdovsky, a Belarusian, has a green card and is seeking asylum in the United States, Rich said.
Devices for sale on eBay

As of Thursday afternoon, at least four of the devices were being sold on the online auction site eBay -- two from Boston, one from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one from Atlanta, Georgia, the owners said.

The top bid so far was $625.

Rich said the company that hired the two to install the devices told them where to put them -- under bridges and overpasses -- so people in cars would see them.

A Web site, http://www.zebbler.com, features a video of people assembling the moon men light boards and driving around Boston installing them on buildings and other structures. Turner Broadcasting has said a third-party New York advertising firm, Interference Inc., conducted the campaign, and the Web video's introduction states, "The Interference Information Network takes on the ATHF," referring to "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

Interference Inc. had no comment on the incident.
Mayor calls stunt "outrageous"

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis called the stunt "unconscionable," while Boston Mayor Thomas Menino called it "outrageous" and the product of "corporate greed." Democratic Rep. Ed Markey, a Boston-area congressman, added, "It would be hard to dream up a more appalling publicity stunt."

Phil Kent, TBS's chairman and CEO, issued an apology to the city and said in a statement that police were notified as soon as Turner realized the marketing campaign was mistaken for something sinister.

"We also directed the third-party marketing firm who posted the advertisements to take them down immediately," Kent said in a statement. (Read the full statement)

But while Menino and Coakley called the apology inadequate, others disregarded Boston's response as much ado about nothing.

Twenty-two-year-old Todd Venderlin, a design student at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, saw one of the devices two weeks ago as he left a lounge in south Boston, according to The Boston Globe. He said he was stunned when he saw bomb squads removing them.

"It's so not threatening -- it's a Lite-Brite," he told the newspaper, referring to the children's toy that allows its users to create pictures by placing translucent pegs into an opaque board. "I don't understand how they could be terrified. I would if it was a bunch of circuits blinking, but it wasn't."
Devices in place for weeks

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

However, only in Boston did the light boards create such a furor. In Seattle and several suburbs, the signs were removed without fuss, according to The Associated Press.

"We haven't had any calls to 911 regarding this," Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb told AP on Wednesday.

Police in Philadelphia told AP that authorities had confiscated 56 of the devices. In New York, a street was shut down for 45 minutes after two of the devices were found on an overpass, the New York Post reported. In all, 41 of the devices were found in the city, according to the newspaper.

In Portland, police Sgt. Brian Schmautz said officers had no plans to remove any of the signs, so long as they weren't on municipal property. Nor had officers been dispatched in any kind of bomb scare related to the devices.

"At this point we wouldn't even begin an investigation, because there's no reason to believe a crime has occurred," Schmautz said.

In Boston, however, state, local and federal authorities on Wednesday shut down the Boston University and Longfellow bridges, and blocked maritime traffic from the Charles River into Boston Harbor. Bomb squads scrambled throughout the city and its suburbs, snarling traffic and mass transit in the city.

Coakley and Menino did not rule out the possibility of criminal charges, or a civil suit to recoup what they say is the hundreds of thousands of dollars the city spent to respond to the bomb scares.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the legal department is sending Turner a letter asking the company to reimburse the city for all costs incurred during the incident, but the authority had no plans to unilaterally file a lawsuit.

Coakley, who said she didn't learn of the devices until Turner sent a fax to City Hall about 5 p.m. Wednesday, said Turner did not provide the locations of the devices. Officials believe there were 38 light boards placed around Boston, some on private property, she said. As of Thursday morning, 15 had been recovered, Boston police spokesman Eddie Chrispin said.

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

Asked whether Massachusetts authorities have the jurisdiction to arrest people out of state, Coakley said she believed they would if the offenses took place in Massachusetts. Turner Broadcasting's headquarters is in Atlanta.

Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network, another Turner enterprise. The Cartoon Network broadcasts during the day and is aimed at a younger audience. At night, Adult Swim takes over the airwaves with its more mature programming.

Quote:if they had been explosive they could have damaged transportation infrastructure in the city.

If my car had been packed with explosives, I could have destroyed one of the buildings at the university I attend. I guess I should be arrested then!

Quote:If my car had been packed with explosives, I could have destroyed one of the buildings at the university I attend. I guess I should be arrested then!

Yeah, that's about as good a case as this one here, I'd say...

This story just keeps getting better and better:

Quote:"Two fake pipe bombs found not part of marketing stunt
By Michele McPhee and Laura Crimaldi
Thursday, February 1, 2007 - Updated: 01:42 AM EST

The two devices found in an office at Tufts-New England Medical Center and attached to the Longfellow Bridge yesterday morning were not the marketing devices that sparked a daylong panic in Boston, but simulated pipe bombs, police officials said last night.

“There were two conventional pipe bombs that were found at the same time that this started to unfold,” said Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis.
The pipe bomb-like devices were reported at both locations just after 1 p.m. and are unrelated to the advertising scheme for Cartoon Network’s “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” police officials said.
In the hospital incident, investigators believe a former hospital employee planted the phony bomb in an office at 185 Harrison Ave. He has been identified but has not been charged, the sources said.
Boston Police bomb squad cops detonated the pipe bomb, which was a very realistic-looking fake, the sources said.
The incident prompted a brief evacuation of some administrative offices at the hospital, said spokeswoman Catherine Bromberg.
“The area is being treated as a crime scene,” she said.
The simulated pipe bomb discovered on the Longfellow Bridge briefly suspended Red Line MBTA service between Kendall Square and Park Street at about 2 p.m., said spokesman Joe Pesaturo. Traffic on the bridge was limited to one lane in both directions during that same period, state police said.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegion...eid=180349

If my glasses where in fact the ultimate destructive Materia Meteor, I could have destroyed the Planet. Evidence may be important in determining if action should be taken in that regard.

They were NOT fake pipe bombs! They weren't attempting to pretend they were pipe bombs. Watch the show. They were making the cheapest looking advertisement they could, in keeping with the overall cheap look of the show.

Quote:If they had been explosive they could have damaged transportation infrastructure in the city.

This is the greatest quote in the history of news reporting.

Quote:They were making the cheapest looking advertisement they could, in keeping with the overall cheap look of the show.

The pipe bomb things they found were actually something else entirely that these two guys didn't set. So why don't they go after who set the fake pipe bombs?

Okay, ABC has some pretty good stuff on their site.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2842025

Look at the "suspicious" object when Charles Gibson holds it up. People actually thought that was a bomb?! Good Lord.

YTMND is having a field day with this.

http://linkfindsaguerilla.ytmnd.com/

http://scarylitebrite.ytmnd.com/

http://mooninitealarm.ytmnd.com/

I hope they can see this, because I am doing it harder than I have ever done it before.

Even funnier in video than text... and they keep it up while the reporters try to ask real questions... :) (going a bit far perhaps, but it does seem like a really weak case, so...)

So the mooninites tried to bomb boston but didn't realize lite brites don't explode.

Well, at least we haven't been invaded by plutonians yet. They'll probably try cloning the president... badly.

Hah how stupid can the BPD be. How can they confuse a lightbrite with Err for a bomb? They're so suspicious and jumpy, obviously because of 911, but I think that they can relax just a LITTLE bit more that that now. If Al Qaeda wanted to kill Americans... well, I just don't think they'd used Mooninite lightbulbs to do it...I tell you...

There's also local terrorism.

Why would local terrorists put up thin panels in plain sight and set three week timers?

To tease us?

The important thing is, they didn't need to shut down the frickin' city. I can see getting ONE examined, easily determining it's a bomb, and then contacting the one who made it, but once you determine that ONE isn't a bomb, do you really need to comb the entire city to make sure the REST aren't bombs?

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