OJ's Daughter Suffers for Her Art

Okay, not really.

An MIT student with a fake bomb strapped to her chest was arrested at gunpoint Friday at Logan International Airport and later claimed it was artwork, officials said.

Star Simpson, 19, had a computer circuit board and wiring in plain view over a black hooded sweat shirt she was wearing, said State Police Maj. Scott Pare, the commanding officer at the airport. [SNIP]

Simpson was charged with disturbing the peace and possessing a hoax device.

She pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing a hoax device at her arraignment in East Boston District Court Friday afternoon. She was released on $750 bail and ordered to stay away from Logan Airport. [SNIP]

Simpson was "extremely lucky she followed the instructions or deadly force would have been used," Pare said. "She's lucky to be in a cell as opposed to the morgue."

The fake belt was alleged to be a "piece of art." Somehow, the phrase "riddled with holes" comes to mind. Simpson is electrical engineering and computer science major at MIT(!) Does that course of study include causality studies? Ballistics Science? If so, I'm guessing that Star slept in on those days.

Comments

[JorgXMcKie]

Just one more example of why we should return to public corporal punishment. She (and that guy who got tasered) need to have their buttocks exposed and public (videotaped, too) and get 5 or so strokes of the cane. Doctors of course should be on hand to ensure that no permanent damage is done.

The combination of a certain amount of pain and public humiliation might make idiots think twice (or at least avoid a second offense).

[Tully]

She'd probably like it. Sell tickets and call it "performance art."

I wish to nominate Ms. Simpson for Utter Bleeping Moron of the Week. While Mr. Meyer in Florida had a really strong lead up to this point, his life was never in any real danger from his narcissistic preening. Ms. Simpson is lucky that the law enforcement officers on scene were not overly twitchy when she pulled her little prank.

[Anne]

How many pictures have I seen of Star today? Why do we make these people celebrities? They should be quietly arrested and released (maybe) after they've had time to grow up. Which may be never.

[Samantha]

Oy! I didn't realise she was OJ's daughter. That just makes it all the more puzzling.

[baldilocks]

Samantha,

I was joking. :-)

[Casey Tompkins]

It's amazing that someone with Ms. Simpson's talents (it's not easy getting into MIT's tech/engineering schools) can be stone-dumb enough to not realize the reaction she would get by wearing that gizmo on her chest.

Definitely a member of the Ivory Tower league...

[Joseph Dunphy]

Uh, huh. As heartwarming as this mutual validation fest is, I'm going to break into it with a few facts. Here's a picture of the supposed "bomb", found on this page on the Boston Globe website.

What you are seeing is not a bomb, and does not look like a bomb. It is a circuit board on which all of the components are out for all to see, there is no space in which much of anything could be hidden in the interior, and do note the absence of anything that could possibly be a receiver. Some have claimed elsewhere that it looked like something that "maybe" could have been a roadside bomb; all we have is a bunch of blinky lights attached to a battery that looks like it could have come off the bottom of my alarm clock.

Even if we accepted the paranoia that would be required to explain the leap of demented faith that turns blinky lights into a bomb, without asking ourselves how those who believe that don't manage to go into coronaries from the panic attacks the Christmas season must bring on, we're left with the unanswered question "how would this alleged roadside bomb receive the message to go off"?

But of course, the facts don't matter when one has mass hysteria to fall back on, right?

[baldilocks]

But of course, the facts don't matter when one has mass hysteria to fall back on, right?

The only person having a cow here is you, my dear.

[Joseph Dunphy]

"The only person having a cow here is you, my dear."

Really?

"Just one more example of why we should return to public corporal punishment. She (and that guy who got tasered) need to have their buttocks exposed and public (videotaped, too) and get 5 or so strokes of the cane. Doctors of course should be on hand to ensure that no permanent damage is done."

"She'd probably like it. Sell tickets and call it 'performance art.'

I wish to nominate Ms. Simpson for Utter Bleeping Moron of the Week."

"How many pictures have I seen of Star today? Why do we make these people celebrities? They should be quietly arrested ..."

You might want to sign up for one of those free literacy courses.

[baldilocks]

And as a guest here, you might want to change your attitude, sir.

[Joseph Dunphy]

Respect is earned, not given, honey, and until you start showing a little respect for the truth, you aren't earning much.

[baldilocks]

My Dear,

You're in a space that I pay for. Behave as specified or begone. A virtual swift kick will be offered, if necessary.

Telling what you know is fine. However, lose the attitude. Or don't. Your choice.