Boston finds a new way to illustrate its self-esteem problem
The mass hysteria that occurred in Boston yesterday was, well, hysterical. It was a microcosm of “current events” in our country. The media has become obsessed with blowing everything out of proportion. And Boston’s police and leaders did nothing yesterday to assuage that previous assertion of mine.
I have plenty of comments on yesterday’s situation, but nothing that I feel is truly cogent enough to merit writing. But, having now read multiple media stories on the situation, I am going to excise some quotes from a particularly poignant article and paste them below. Take what you will from them.
Here is the link should you desire to read the entire unadulterated text - *warning - may cause your brain to hurt - and not the good hurt, either*
“Officials found 38 blinking electronic signs promoting the Cartoon Network TV show “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” on bridges and other high-profile spots across the city Wednesday, prompting the closing of a highway and the deployment of bomb squads. The surreal series is about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball.”
Read that again. Now shake your head back and forth vigorously in disbelief. I especially enjoy the part where they define the protagonists of the story. I think that the Associated Press should have a section where they give a one sentence synopsis of different TV shows. Hogan Knows Best (a show I like I might add) - This reality show follows the travails of a talking mustache, an under-chested daughter, an over-chested mother, and a prototypical teen boy. I am no good at this. Far too verbose, I suspect.
“”It’s clear the intent was to get attention by causing fear and unrest that there was a bomb in that location,” Assistant Attorney General John Grossman said at their arraignment.”
It is? Really? You are the assistant attorney general, and you liken this to a bomb? I wish he were right here so I could call him a jackass to his face.
“The men did not speak or enter their own pleas, but they appeared amused and smiled as the prosecutor talked”
Probably amused and smiling the same way I do as I read about what happened.
“”The appearance of this device and its location are crucial,” Grossman said. “This device looks like a bomb.” Some in the gallery snickered.”
I bet those who snickered are at least partially in tune with pop culture, not like this windbag jackass.
“It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme,” Mayor Thomas Menino said Wednesday. “I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today’s incidents.”
Wait! Hear ye, hear ye, another jackass has spoken. You are the one making the jump, and it is a serious one - like trying to hop over Tyra Banks, from a Lite Brite type device, to a bomb, now to 9/11? It was your overreaction that caused all the expenses. And the media did not help. Imagine that, a liberal state and a liberal media working in concert together. It is a beautiful thing. I can’t wait to see what legislation Hillary Clinton comes up with based on this now. She will probably ask that Lite Brites have warnings on them. Or, she will try to get judicial precedent established to allow illegal aliens, like the Mooninites, into urban areas.
“”I find it kind of ridiculous that they’re making these statements on TV that we must not be safe from terrorism, because they were up there for three weeks and no one noticed. It’s pretty commonsensical to look at them and say this is a piece of art and installation,” he said.”
Good point. But - someone has to take the fall for making them look like asses, right? Heaven forbid someone admit that he or she is wrong. In fact, I heard that North Carolina D.A. Mike Nifong has volunteered to come up and help work on the case.
“About a dozen fans gathered outside Charlestown District Court on Thursday morning with signs saying “1-31-07 Never Forget” and “Free Peter.”"
Ok - that is just funny, and exactly what I would expect from fans of the show.
“Authorities vowed to hold Turner accountable for what Menino said was “corporate greed,” that led to at least $750,000 in police costs.”
How is that corporate greed? My bias aside, I want this jackass to explain to me how it was corporate greed. I think he just looked in a legal dictionary until he found a charge that suited him. Good thing former Home Depot CEO Nardelli didn’t set those “bombs,” because then there would have been a justifiable case for corporate greed.
“As soon as Turner realized the Boston problem around 5 p.m., it said, law enforcement officials were told of their locations in 10 cities where it said the devices had been placed for two to three weeks: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Ore., Austin, Texas, San Francisco and Philadelphia. ” “In Seattle and several suburbs, the removal of the signs was low-key. “We haven’t had any calls to 911 regarding this,” Seattle police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said Wednesday. ” “The New York Police Department removed 41 of the devices ? 38 in Manhattan and three in Brooklyn, according to spokesman Paul Browne. The NYPD had not received any complaints.”
Hmm - 9 other metropolitan cities, including the one where 9/11 occurred, and not one other complaint/call/issue. Interesting. I particularly enjoy the subtle dig from the Seattle spokesman above.
Boston - you aren’t that important, so get off your high horse. But beware - it might be a Trojan Horse!
Looking forward to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie,
-Michael