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Georgia State Univ. Art Project Causes 2nd Evacuation & Bomb Squad Call

McGruber writes The same Georgia State University art project responsible for Monday's shutdown of Atlanta's Downtown Connector (Interstates 75 & 85), caused authorities in the south Fulton County, Georgia town of Hapeville to evacuate businesses and call in a bomb squad Tuesday.

According to Georgia State University spokesman Don Hale, the devices are pinhole camera being used in a solargraphy project to track the rising and setting of the sun over a three-month period. "Students were instructed to take their cameras home and to place them in locations that would provide interesting scenes with bright sunlight," Hale said. "The locations were selected by the students."

It was up to each of the 18 students in the class to find a spot for their own project, the university said. The university was made aware of the art project Tuesday morning and, through its police department, immediately informed the Atlanta Police Department, Hale said.

13 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. I think its pretty clear who the winner is. by nimbius · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Congratulations Georgia. In the face of the 21st century where we support the troops, these colours dont run, and freedom is championed above all else you've just shit all over the idea that we in any sense emerged triumphantly from 9/11. You've marched lock-step, just as any terrorist would hope his actions would inspire you to, to the beat of their drum and not reason so ive got an idea.

    If every time someone sees a box, or a can, or a light bright sitting on the street we're gong to evacuate a city and lock down schools, then lets cut the "freedom and liberty" crap. If every time we get on a plane we have to be stripsearched by xray booths and patted down for even a pittance of liquid, lets stop saying we never negotiate with terrorists and start commending ourselves for doing just what they want. If I cant make a call, or send an email, or surf the internet or even drive car without the NSA and ubiquitous plate readers tracking my every move, then lets be frank about it and recycle the statue of liberty into something more useful like tear gas grenades or battery chargers for tazers.

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    1. Re:I think its pretty clear who the winner is. by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Informative

      This one didn't look exactly like the other one, it had 2 pipes strapped to it with wires sticking out of it.

      but hey, let's stick to the fear answer. it's working great so far.

      Bzzz.. Wrong. The camera did not have 2 pipes strapped to it, with wires sticking out. The camera was strapped to two metal conduits that were conveniently poking out of the bridge itself and were the remains of where something like a light pole had been removed. You can see all of this in the image in TFA.

      But really? Pipes with wires coming out of them as being indicative of a bomb is as bad a hollywood device as Adam West running around with a black object with "Bomb" painted on the side.

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  2. well... by chronoglass · · Score: 4, Insightful

    my first thought was, after they knew about the first one.. having a second cause problems is a bit stupid.. then of course they leave out that this second student strapped two metal pipes to the side with wires sticking out of em "for stability".. and I realize just how stupid people really can be..

    yeah I made this art project that looks exactly like a uhaul truck and "parked" it in front of a federal building in oklahoma.. seriously, why'd you arrest me?!

  3. smells like a bomb to me by turkeydance · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "...the device, in addition to having a 12-ounce can wrapped in duct tape, also included two ¾-inch steel pipes with four electrical wires protruding from the top."

    1. Re:smells like a bomb to me by OzPeter · · Score: 4, Informative

      "...the device, in addition to having a 12-ounce can wrapped in duct tape, also included two ¾-inch steel pipes with four electrical wires protruding from the top."

      From looking at the picture in TFA, it looks like the pinhole camera was duct-taped to the remains of a light pole on the bridge. You can make out an old baseplate, and the 3/4 inch steel pipes are just the conduit cemented into the bridge itself in order to protect the wires - that were cut off and left when the light was removed.

      You can see this sort of shit anywhere there is decaying infrastructure, as it takes more money to properly clean up after something is removed.

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  4. Re:Unauthorized Suspicous-Looking Art in Public Pl by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's the disproportionate response that the problem.

    Asking people to label their things with "This is not a bomb" is the equivalent of the evil bit. Completely pointless.

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  5. Home of the Brave (tm) by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Georgians saw their shadow, six more decades of Jim Crow.

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    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  6. Re:I think it's pretty obvious by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    After the rally in France, CNN had an idiot congresscritter on (R after the name, of course). He made a backhanded remark about how "people with signs" won't stop groups like ISIS. He wanted more bombers to go bomb the hell out of them. And the subtext here is, of course, is that he wanted more fear. He's also entirely wrong.

    I think the reaction in France is 100% correct and it's exactly the opposite, of course, of what we do here. The whole point of ISIS wanting the attacks in France was so the public would be upset and fear. Instead they organized a rally that was a huge middle finger in the faces of the attackers. They held a rally that was a huge target and said we aren't going to change our way of life for your assholes.

    Of course in the US we just allow it to be used by the fearmongers that want to control us and the corporate entities that want to make money on the war goods.

  7. Edited version of terrorism handbook now on sale by OzPeter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The revised edition now has a section on how to cause mass panic and bring an entire city to a standstill. It reads something like this:

    Go to Walmart
    Buy a 12 pack of Coke and a role of duct tape
    Drink the coke
    Duct tape the empty cans to a series of public infrastructures (EG all the bridges surrounding a specific area)
    Call 911 and report seeing more than one suspicious objects.

    Bonus marks
        1) scrawl some arabic looking words to the outside of each installation
        2) Fill the cans with talcum powder

    This should be good for paralyzing a city for at least a complete day

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  8. Re:GA State definitely has the creme students! by jeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    She's your girlfriend AND your sister? What part of GA are you from?

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  9. Re:Unauthorized Suspicous-Looking Art in Public Pl by smooth+wombat · · Score: 5, Informative

    and placed with some kind of sign.

    They were. The linked story doesn't say it but this one does. Specifically:

    Photos of other cameras show them attached to trees, fences and windows around the city. Some include notes that identify the soda can as a "Georgia State Art Project." Some instruct passersby to "Please do not take down!"

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  10. Re:Unauthorized Suspicous-Looking Art in Public Pl by fustakrakich · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...not prudent in a terrorism-obsessed world.

    I believe you should remain focused on the obsession and leave the kids alone. Deal with that before you get an ulcer or something. The panicky reaction only gives incentive to do more of the same. Like it or not, it's good entertainment.

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    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  11. Re:So... by kogut · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I imagine if the school did contact them first, they would either have been told 'why are you telling us this?' or 'don't place the cameras, it is politcally safer for us to simpy nix it'.

    Just n=1, but I did this exact same thing in grad school (except it was engineering, not art). We contacted the City to ask permission. The City thanked us for asking, and actually allocated City resources to help us install the cameras. That was ~15 years ago, and the University-owned cameras are still in operation as an educational resource in studying traffic patterns.