Cartoon Network Ad Tied To Boston Bomb Scare

Turner Broadcasting admits it was a promotion for Adult Swim's Aqua Teen Hunger Force cartoon.

"WBZ) BOSTON The suspicious devices which forced bomb units to scramble across Boston today were actually magnetic lights that are part of a marketing campaign for a television cartoon.

The reports forced the temporary shutdowns of Interstate 93 out of the city, a key inbound roadway, a bridge between Boston and Cambridge, and a portion of the Charles River but were quickly determined not to be explosive.

"It's a hoax -- and it's not funny," Gov. Deval Patrick said.

All of the devices are magnetic lights which resemble a character on the show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", on Turner Broadcasting's Cartoon Network.

A total of ten devices were found in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.

The first device was found at an MBTA subway and bus station located under Interstate 93 on Wednesday morning. The device was detonated and determined to be harmless, but as a precaution the station and the interstate shut down temporarily."

More at CBS4.com and TheBostonChannel.com

Some photos of the ad in action on Flickr. The creator of the pics can be found at toddvanderlin.com

Someone's going to be having a chat with the Boston Bomb Squad soon.

Related: Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie trailer on youtube.com

And CNN has a picture of a cartoon character giving the finger.

Update: An arrest made in the Boston bomb hoax at myfoxboston.com
The artist is Peter Berdovsky of Arlington, Mass.

His myspace.com

His website at zebbler.com documents the installation of said ads. Go to past events to see the video. Or pics here

After seeing the video; It's a LiteBrite with a magnet.

Nothing to see here, folks, move along. It's called art. There's no need to call out the bomb squad and shut down the city of Boston for a few LED's. Paranoia has reached new levels.

Kitchen Beat Box

The-Electro-Funk-Daddy-Superstar-Break, yo.

Update: Beardyman is a beatboxer from Brighton, East Sussex. He is currently the UK beatboxing champion. See his profile on wiki.

More videos on youtube.

Update 2: beardyman.co.uk/

Forward Thinkers Push Reverse Product Placement

"NEW YORK -- Homer Simpson's drink of choice, Duff Beer, doesn't exist in the real world. Imagine if it did.

That's the idea behind reverse product placement. While traditional product placement refers to integrating a real brand into a fictional environment, an idea that's gaining traction is to create a fictional brand in a fictional environment and then release it into the real world.

Examples are few, but include the restaurant chain Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., which is based on Paramount's 1994 movie Forrest Gump; Nestlé's Willie Wonka candy brand; and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, a candy that until 2001 existed only in the world of Harry Potter. A more recent example is Potion, a drink that first appeared only in Square Enix's videogame Final Fantasy but was released by beverage maker Suntory in Japan last year."

More at brandweek.com

TV Truck Falls Through Ice

"A WDJT-TV (Channel 58) engineer told Muskego police that the loss of the live transmitting van that broke through an iced-over channel on Big Muskego Lake would be up to $250,000.

Crews chipped away ice Monday from the submerged news van, which broke into the channel while the station was preparing a segment on ice safety.

Chief Engineer Dan Dyer said Monday the station will not comment on the incident, but the station issued a statement on its Web site.

Dyer estimated the loss of the live transmitting van to be between $200,000 and $250,000, according to police."

The story at Jsonline.com


Update: Tuesday, and they're still working on getting the van out.
More pics and story here.








Update II: "Recovery crews spent the last two days chipping away at ice and trying to get the 9,000-pound truck unstuck from mud.

On Tuesday afternoon, they used a winch to finally drag the truck back on shore. The truck is said to be worth a quarter of a million dollars and is considered a total loss."

Rival tv station, TMJ4 , has a report and footage of the truck being pulled from the ice at todaysTMJ4.com.

Wikipedia: Unusual Articles

"This page is for Wikipedians to list articles that seem a bit unusual. These articles are valuable contributions to the encyclopedia, but are somewhat odd, whimsical, or something you wouldn't expect to find in Encyclopædia Britannica. We should take special care to meet the highest standards of an encyclopedia with these articles lest they make Wikipedia appear idiosyncratic. If you wish to add articles to this list, a broad consensus amongst contributors has identified two main guidelines. If the article in question meets one or both of these categories then it could possibly be deemed "unusual":

1.The article is something you would not expect to find in a standard encyclopedia.

2.The article contains some form of juxtaposition that most people would find unusual. eg Killer Cockroach, Henry VIII in Space, edible computers"

The list of unusual articles at Wikipedia.com

Related: see Wikipedia:Bad Jokes and Other Deleted Nonsense.

Because Vandals Like Tetris, Too

Flickr image here.

Via Reddit.com

Update: Kotaku.com is calling it a fake. Evidence here.

In The Shadow Of Star Wars

Jar-Jar encased in carbonite is a good start.

Pictures taken in the ILM offices in San Francisco

More photos at news.com

Excellent Parenting Skills

Found on reddit.com

Van Halen Reuniting With Roth

"Sources tell Billboard.com a contract could be signed as soon as today for Live Nation to produce a 40-date amphitheatre tour by Van Halen this summer, with original frontman David Lee Roth back in the fold for the first time in more than 20 years.

As previously reported, guitarist Eddie Van Halen's 15-year-old son Wolfgang has stepped in for original bassist Michael Anthony in the new incarnation of the group, which also features drummer Alex Van Halen."

More at billboard.com

David Lee Roth, back in the day:
Ultimate Rock Frontman

2007: not so much

Pee-Wee May Be Heading Back To His Playhouse

"Paul Reubens strides onstage in a red power tie, black shoes, no product in his hair and a gray suit that fits so well it could be tailored. Imagine if Pee-wee Herman left the Playhouse of his kids' TV show, temped for a few years and settled down to a job in data processing.

During a nearly two-hour-long interview for the SF Sketchfest's tribute to Reubens on Monday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, interviewer Ben Fong-Torres tried out a Pee-wee voice several times, but the honoree didn't bite. Reubens recited only one of his famous lines ("Why don't you make me"), and even then he used his real voice -- which is low-pitched and serious, sounding like a doctor who's about to give you bad news.

It would seem that the actor is trying to shed his famous image, or at least let the character grow up a little. "

More of the interview at sfgate.com

Cops In Tijuana Resorting to Slingshots

"TIJUANA – The drug cartels here are clearly Goliath, heavily armed with automatic weapons.

The municipal police, stripped of their guns this month as part of a corruption probe, are now playing the role of David. "

About 60 officers were issued slingshots yesterday for use on patrols in the tourist section of Avenida Revolucion and the business district of Zona Rio, according to a police department spokesman. Some of the officers bought bags of marbles for ammo.

“It's obviously very denigrating to them to be carrying these kinds of instruments, but they have to look for ways to provide security for the public,” spokesman Fernando Bojórquez said. "

The story at signonsandiego.com

Reverse Graffiti: Clean Green Street Art

"When is cleaning the sidewalks a crime? When you’re doing it to create art. Obviously.

A number of street artists around the world have taken to expressing themselves through an innovative practice known as Reverse Graffiti. Taking a cue from the “Wash Me” messages scrawled on the back of delivery trucks, they seek out soot covered surfaces and inscribe them with images, tags, and even advertising slogans using scrub brushes, scrapers and pressure hoses.

On a more overtly environmental bent, Brazilian Alexandre Orion, turned one of Sao Paolo’s transport tunnels into a stunning mural last summer. The mural, comprised of a series of skulls, very succinctly reminds drivers of the impact their emissions are having on the planet. "

The article and more photos at inhabitat.com

The Ultimate Workstation

New Model 500 height adjustable workstation: ideal for standing, seated or supine work positions.

More at officeorganix.com

Pet Shop Owner Brews Beer For Dogs

"AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - After a long day hunting, there's nothing like wrapping your paw around a cold bottle of beer. So Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, created a beer for her Weimaraners made from beef extract and malt.

Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the verandah and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," she said.

Berenden consigned a local brewery to make and bottle the nonalcoholic beer, branded as Kwispelbier. It was introduced to the market last week and advertised it as "a beer for your best friend."

The rest of the story on MSNBC.com

Articulated Skeletons

"Skulls Unlimited has produced custom skeletal mounts for major universities, museums and science centers across the country.

We offer a number of Cast Replica and Natural Bone Skeletons. Please check our Skeletons For Sale Page for current inventory, and contact us if we can help you with your next project."

More at skullsunlimited.com

Applied Geometry With Shopping Carts

Click to enlarge

From robertwechsler.com

Cool Gadgets: Big Maoi Tissue Dispenser

"My how the mighty have fallen, and in doing so had us rolling on the floor laughing our heads off. Tissue Box holders are traditionally ghastly, designed, it would appear, by people with the aesthetic sensibilities of a Halibut. We would normally condone the ritual incineration of the things, but this one is quite definitely a wonder of the world.

A generation ahead of our ever popular Tikki Tissue dispenser, the mighty Big Maoi is a monument to silliness. Standing a noble 34cm high, and hewn from the rocks of Easter Island by devoted indigenous tribes (well, moulded from hefty resin at any rate), this totemic tissue dispenser is of course ludicrous, but then why else would we have tracked it down for you? Turn your desk into a Rapanuiu landscape - it's high time tissue dispensers came in from the cold (boom, boom)."

Features

• The silly yet statuesque tissue holder that will get all nose blowers giggling.
• A Big Maoi head and shoulders hewn from hefty resin.
• Holds a regular sized rectangular tissue box that inserts into the back of the face.
• Tissues are pulled through and splay through the mammoth nostril.
• Suitable for ages 12 years+.
• Size: 34 x 15 x 14cm.

Get one at iwantoneofthose.com

Bummer: Sold Out, and only suitable for 12+, Sorry Kids.

South Park To Be Renamed

Ohio City May Rename 'South Park'

"MARYSVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- You don't find fans of Cartman and Kenny on the Parks and Recreation Commission in the central Ohio city of Marysville. The panel has decided it's time to rename a local park that has come to be known as "South Park."

City administrator Kathy House says having a park with the same name as the popular but often controversial cartoon show has become inappropriate.

One member of the parks commission says they wanted to get away from "South Park" -- far away.

So, the board is recommending that the city council approve a change to "Greenwood Park," after a nearby street and apartment complex.

Marysville is about 35 miles northwest of Columbus."

From AP.org

You Bastards, you renamed the park!

Dr. Seuss: Unorthodox Taxidermy

"Seuss embarked on an ingenious project in the early 1930s as he evolved from two-dimensional artworks to three-dimensional sculptures. What was most unusual for these mixed-media sculptures was the use of real animal parts including beaks, antlers and horns from deceased Forest Park Zoo animals where Seuss’s father was superintendent. Unorthodox Collection of Taxidermy was born in a cramped New York apartment and included a menagerie of inventive creatures with names like the “Two Horned Drouberhannis,” “Andulovian Grackler,” and “Semi-Normal Green-Lidded Fawn.”

Shortly after Seuss created this unique collection of artworks, Look Magazine dubbed Seuss “The World’s Most Eminent Authority on Unheard-Of Animals.” To this day, Seuss’s Unorthodox Collection of Taxidermy remains as some of the finest examples of his inventive and multi-dimensional creativity."

Drseussart.com

Dog Found

Click to enlarge

Found on reddit.com

Tattoos: The Ancient and Mysterious History

"Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. These permanent designs—sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal—have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment. Joann Fletcher, research fellow in the department of archaeology at the University of York in Britain, describes the history of tattoos and their cultural significance to people around the world, from the famous " Iceman," a 5,200-year-old frozen mummy, to today’s Maori."

What is the earliest evidence of tattoos?

In terms of tattoos on actual bodies, the earliest known examples were for a long time Egyptian and were present on several female mummies dated to c. 2000 B.C. But following the more recent discovery of the Iceman from the area of the Italian-Austrian border in 1991 and his tattoo patterns, this date has been pushed back a further thousand years when he was carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old."

More at smithsonianmag.com

My Roommate, The Diamond Thief

"He found me on Craigslist. I found him on America’s Most Wanted."

"Seeking roommate for one-bedroom in Washington Heights. It’s a bit small for two but I have to catch up on some bills. Two friendly cats, but we keep clean because I’m a little allergic myself. A little more than half of the $950 rent gets you the privacy of the bedroom.

It was August 2003. I’d only recently found work, nearly a year after losing my job organizing school tours at an art museum, and my fiancée had just moved out of our apartment. It was a small, sunny place on the fourth floor of an old building, high enough on a hill that you could even see a little of New Jersey from the right angle.

We’d moved up there when she landed a medical residency at Columbia University Medical Center, but we’d split six months before the wedding. Without a job, I’d run up a ton of debt, and I urgently needed extra income to make rent, so I figured I’d lease out my bedroom and crash in the living room. I tried to pretend it was darkly funny, but really it just felt pathetic. "

The rest of the story at Nymag.com

The First Rule About Pillow Fight League Is...

"TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto's College Street bar district has seen its share of late-night fights, but a recent scrap was a bit out of the ordinary, as a financial journalist in a '50s housewife get-up tried to wallop the daylights out of a 35-year-old part-time waitress -- using a pillow.

The crowd of nearly 500 did little to interfere, as they had paid to be there.

Welcome to the Pillow Fight League, which has been drawing growing crowds in Toronto since it formed early last year, and is now set to export its campy fun to New York City...."

The rest of the story at reuters.com

Spiders On Drugs

Cyanide And Happiness

Clicky Click

The Sixth Annual No Pants Subway Ride In NYC

No pants, no prob!

They came. They saw. They took off their pants.

More than 200 people participated in the sixth annual No Pants! Subway Ride on the 6 line yesterday.

"We're all going to take our pants off and have a lot of fun," said organizer Charlie Todd, 28, of the Improv Everywhere group. "It's not against the law to wear your underwear!"

Participants gathered at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station, boarded a 6 train, "de-pantsed" and exited at different stations. Then they reboarded other uptown trains to the shock and amusement of fellow subway riders.

"I'm standing here with no pants on," said Melissa Poles, 31, of Manhattan, who crocheted a blanket while confused onlookers tried to make sense of the stunt. "I'm awesome."

The story at Nydailynews.com

Improveverywhere.com's account of No Pants 2K6

Kids And Paint

Click for larger version

Found on Digg.com

"Oh, Hi, Mom, I upgraded the Living Room."

Motivational Posters

More at despair.com

Star Wars: What Really Happened After The Death Star Blew Up

Aluminum Falcon?

Also: Darth Vader is a jerk

Andre The Giant: The Greatest Drunk On Earth

" Some amazing man or woman, past or present, who stands colossus-like atop the Big Keg, the ground below littered with crushed empties and the blacked-out carcasses of lesser beings? A verging demigod, whose prowess with a bottle leaves you shaking your head in pop-eyed adoration? Lots of us do.

In addition to their wrist-raising abilities, we deify great drinkers because they indulge their lust for intoxication while simultaneously operating at the peak of their powers in whatever their chosen profession. In other words, great drunks are also great writers, actors, athletes, scientists, statesmen, philosophers, and so on.

I have a favorite drunkard. He was an athlete—a professional wrestler in fact—but he was also a gifted entertainer and a true artist. His parents named him Andre Rene Rousimoff, but we knew him as The Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant...."

More at moderndrunkardmagazine.com

Family Guy Pinball Game

"Most of the speech in Family Guy will be in English, with some narrative in local languages as in the past. The Family Guy television show is very edgy. As we have done with some past games, Family Guy will have speech adjustable between Adult, Moderate and Family levels. Alternative decals are also provided with each game, allowing operators to make such adjustments as changing the beer can from Ale to Root Beer. Games will be shipped in Adult mode."

From geoffreyhuntley.com

More at sternpinball.com

A Different Kind Of Fish Tank

"Martha Stewart wannabes looking to bring life to the smallest room in the home now have the chance — with a toilet that doubles as an aquarium.

The aptly named Fish 'n Flush is a see-through aquarium wrapping itself around a conventional toilet tank.

"We wanted to develop a product that had a dual purpose — to serve as a proper, fully functional toilet and also as a source of entertainment and conversation," said Devon Niccole, marketing director of California-based designer AquaOne Technologies, which has just started to selling the tank.

He said the company, which specializes in water conservation equipment for homes, had worked with a marine biologist to design a tank that ensured the fish were not harmed when the toilet was flushed."

More of the story at msnbc.com

Fat Cat Gets Stuck In Doggie Door

"A cat trying to slip through a stranger’s doggie door to nibble on a fellow feline’s food had apparently already had one snack too many and got stuck during the cat caper.

The stray cat, later nicknamed Goliath by staff members at the Oregon Humane Society, was brought to the shelter after the surprised homeowner wiggled him free.

The plate of food may not have been the best idea – the cat is already quite overweight, at 20.2 pounds. But it certainly helped calm him down."

The story at KTVB.com

Update: Fat cat reunited with owner, story on boston.com

Video of Fatboy in action on Youtube.com

Related: My cat weighs in at over 25 pounds.

5 Weeks

5 Years

Sand Sculptures

The gallery is at pbase.com

No cellphone? No BlackBerry? No e-mail? No way? (It's true.)

Meet the 'tech-no's,' people who reject plugging into the highly wired world

"SAN FRANCISCO — Joan Brady can't even count the number of computers that friends have foisted upon her over the years. Laptops. Desktops. Monitors. It's as if they can't help themselves, as if they just can't accept her for who she is: a woman who dares to live without a PC in the heart of Techtropolis.

"I just don't need it," says Brady, 52, a personal chef and party clown.

No, she doesn't e-mail. And, really, she does not need you to call her and read the latest e-mail joke to her. She knows what she's missing, and she's grateful for it every day.

Call Brady a "tech-no," a member of a dwindling — some might say occasionally oppressed — minority who are resisting the worldwide movement to be constantly connected. They're just saying no to the very technologies that increasingly are captivating most everybody else. "

The rest of the story at usatoday.com

Well then, no iPhone for you.

Sometimes, You Just Dont Want To Make A Funny Face

Click pic for larger version

Found at popuplace.com

Dracula's Castle Up For Sale

American Heir Wants To Sell It To Local Romanian Authorities For $78 Million

"The Habsburg family said Wednesday that it wanted to sell a Transylvanian castle famous for its connections to the 15th century medieval ruler who inspired "Dracula" for $78 million to the local authorities, an attorney said.

The local council says it is interested in buying Bran Castle, but a government minister criticized the price tag, calling it too expensive.

Dominic Habsburg, the owner, insisted the family had honorable intentions. "

The story at cbsnews.com

Scorpions On A Plane

"TORONTO, Jan 8 (Reuters Life!) - A stowaway scorpion that stung a man on board a plane headed to Toronto caused a delay at the airport as investigators combed the aircraft for further arachnids, an airline spokesman said on Monday.

The scorpion apparently crawled out of the man's carry-on knapsack on American Airlines flight 1552 from Miami to Toronto on Sunday morning, said John Hotard, a company spokesman in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We delayed the outbound flight and searched the cabin of the aircraft to see if we could find any more, which we did not," said Hotard.

He said there was no indication the scorpion was brought on the plane intentionally."

The rest of the story at today.reuters.com

An Interview With Harry Perry Of Venice Beach, California

"It was sometime in 1996 and I was having coffee back home in Australia, with a friend who had just returned from a trip to Los Angeles. As we flipped through what would now almost be considered retro – her photo album, I came across a shot of a tall, striking-looking man dressed in a white robe, wearing a white turban, broad smile and an electric guitar. “Who’s that?” I inquired. “Oh, this famous, street performer guy on the Venice Beach boardwalk,” she said. For years afterward, I would come across photos of him in the photo albums of friends as far away as London, Tokyo, Stockholm and Paris, until one day in 2001 when I finally got to take one of my own."

Harry Perry is perhaps the most enduring and high-profile street performer in the world. On a pair of in-line skates (quads in his earlier days), Harry has worked the Venice Beach boardwalk since 1974. He has earned a cherished reputation among the good folk of Southern California, and cuts an unforgettable image in his trademark attire of a white robe, white turban and big smile, playing his red and white electric guitar. "

The rest of the interview at losangeles.broowaha.com

Also a wiki entry and his Imdb profile.

HarryPerry.com

'Tigger' Accused Of Smacking Young Fan

"ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- A Walt Disney World employee dressed as the character Tigger was accused of hitting a child while posing for a photo, a spokeswoman for the theme park said Saturday.

Park officials temporarily suspended Michael J. Fedelem while they investigate the accusations, Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.

"Naturally, physical altercations between cast members and guests are not tolerated," Suarez said.

Jerry Monaco of New Hampshire videotaped his son, Jerry Jr., posing with the costumed character at Disney-MGM Studios on Friday and recorded the confrontation, according to a statement from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The father said Fedelem intentionally hit his son "on or about the head," said sheriff's spokesman Carlos M. Padilla. "The tape only shows a fraction of what happened. Now it's up to us to find out what led up to that."

More at cnn.com

The video at youtube.com

Wacky Warnings Rewarded

"A washing machine complete with a warning not to put anybody inside has been given an award for the "wackiest warning" by a US lobby group.

The Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch says the tendency of Americans to sue companies has gone too far, encouraging absurd warning labels on products.

But others say warning labels can play a role in protecting the public.

An engine manufacturer which warned "Never use a lit match or open flame to check fuel level" won second prize. ..."

More of the story at bbc.co.uk

Also: wackywarnings.com

22 Foot Snowman Abominable To Some

Gawkers clog street in Alaska as 'Snowzilla' returns for second year

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Snowzilla may be a smash hit with shutterbugs, but the towering snowman has detractors closer to home.

Some neighbors of the two-story-high snowman say they’re fed up with the hordes of gawkers clogging their street.

“When you get 20 people out there in their cars, now the whole street comes to a stop and nobody can get through,” said Anthony Bahler, who can see Snowzilla from his front window. “They just stand out there, in the middle of road, talking about a snowman.”

The story at msnbc.msn.com

Mythbusters Results

"So. You're minding your own business, filling up your gas tank, when your cell phone rings. Hmmm. Should you answer it? Because you've heard you shouldn't use cell phones near gas stations since they can produce small sparks that can ignite big fires.

But wait. Could that actually be true?

Sounds like a job for MythBusters!

It's a tough job separating truth from urban legend, but the MythBusters are here to serve. Each week special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman take on three myths and use modern-day science to show you what's real and what's fiction."

Mythbuster results at, surprisingly, Mythbusteresults.com

Mythbuster site at Discovery.com

Mythbusters on youtube.com