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Aqua Teen Hunger Force Brings Boston to a Halt

Posted by samzenpus on from the we-do-whatever-we-want-to-whomever-we-want-at-all-times dept.

An anonymous reader writes "An ad campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force featuring the Mooninites Ignignot and Err caused major security concerns in Boston, MA when magnetic light displays were mistaken for possible bombs. The displays included one of Ignignot flipping the bird (as hard as he could), but Gov. Deval Patrick was not amused."

10 of 804 comments (clear)

  1. On the moon... by rbanzai · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...nerds get their pants pulled down and they are spanked with moonrocks.

  2. Photo's of the devices in question by 2bitcomputers · · Score: 5, Informative

    Someone found one of the devices under a bridge last week and posted a few pictures to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanderlin/tags/aquate enhungerforce/

    --
    -- Please insert another quarter
  3. Dumbest thing I've read in years.... by Rahga · · Score: 5, Informative

    One of the articles I read said:
    'Officials said it contained an electronic circuit board with some components that were "consistent with an improvised explosive device,"'

    Okay, now, come on. These are really large circuit boards with a whole lot of LEDs soldered on to them. Nothing more, unless there are some other really messed up packages out there that haven't been reported on. Those officials sound like they have features consistent with smart police officers, in that they breathe and eat, but the similarities probably end there.

  4. Wow, and he's... by j79 · · Score: 3, Informative

    trying to sell it on eBay for $5,000 bucks! Unfortunately, I live in Boston (where I'm assuming all mooninites have been rounded up) but if you live in another city, go and steal yourself one! Then sell on eBay for big bucks....

    http://cgi.ebay.com/Adult-Swim-LED-Ad_W0QQitemZ320 078002362QQihZ011QQcategoryZ28009QQssPageNameZWDVW QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

  5. Re:The whole thing is so STUPID by SamSim · · Score: 3, Informative

    If someone wants to blow up a bridge, they will blow it up.

    This is what gets me. It's well-established that despite all pretense, security (even airflight security) in the USA is poor at best. Given this, if terrorists really wanted to attack America, don't you think they would have, you know, attacked America? At all? In the last five years?

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    qntm.org
  6. YOUTUBE VIDEO by AtariDatacenter · · Score: 4, Informative

    Bandwidth exceeded. Placed back onto YouTube:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doD_VpT_yAY

  7. Re:Reasonable suspicion by Svartalf · · Score: 3, Informative

    Sigh... A bomb...

    I looked at the pics.

    How many pounds of C4 (Which would be the most potent explosive you could lay hands on...) do you think you could put in there?

    1?
    2?

    You MIGHT be able to hurt someone with it like you would with an anti-personnel mine, but damage the bridge or anything else
    that would rate this sort of reaction? Nope.

    In order to do something serious with the stuff- say take out armored vehicles, you'd need MUCH more than what could have
    ever been deployed in something that size:

    US M21 AT Mine: 11 lbs of explosive.
    US M15 AT Mine: 21 lbs of explosive.
    Type 72 non-metallic AT mine: 11 lbs of explosive.

    AP mines have varying weights of explosive but usually it's something like 1.5-3 lbs.

    To be sure, it might have been a risk if it WERE a bomb, but it didn't merit the reactions that we've seen. It's not like
    a car-bomb where you might find hundreds of pounds of explosive in it...

    --
    I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
  8. Re:Who's the @**hole now! by Jaysyn · · Score: 3, Informative

    There has actually been arrests made.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_re_us/su spicious_devices

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    There is a war going on for your mind.
  9. Get the facts by Otto · · Score: 3, Informative

    There was only 1 on a bridge/overpass, and we're not talking about an above water bridge here.

    Link to pics of all the locations of these things: http://www.zebbler.com/friends/ATHF/mission1/missi on1.html

    The thing is *obviously* not a bomb. It's a sign. It has big glowing flashing LEDs. Come on. Use your brain, people.

    --
    - Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set him on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
    1. Re:Get the facts by bobcote · · Score: 3, Informative

      Let's all have our fun and snicker at the people who don't recognize late night cartoon characters.

      Since few members of the Boston and Massachusetts State Police have the time to sit around watching late night cartoon characters or reading about how cool guerilla marketing is, we can understand why they did not recognize the character these devices.

      Better safe than sorry is more than an old saying your grandmother used while admonishing you to take an umbrella.

      Rule 1 of IEDs - Make them look like something else.
      Rule 2 - Place them where they can do the most damage.

      These devices met the criteria.

      On a less dire note, there is a reason cities have permitting requirements before signs, illuminated or not, are put up. One of the reasons is to avoid creating an unsafe environment.

      As a taxpayer in Massachusetts, I want Time Warner to pony up the cost of the public safety overtime. I's also like them to reimburse the lost wages of all of the hourly employees stuck on busses and subway trains, but that will never happen.