Friday, May 9, 2008

Pegasus News banner stolen by terrorists exclamation point

By Teresa Gubbins

A vinyl promotional banner belonging to Dallas-centric news Web site Pegasus News has been stolen by terrorists.

Pegasus News received notice of the theft via a grainy ransom video made by the terrorists detailing their list of absurd demands that included the removal of a staffer's top and a shrine built to frequent commenter Scott Doyle. Demands which will not be met, vowed site founder Mike Orren.

"Today, we are a Web site awakened to danger and called to defend our banner," Orren said. "Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies or send a small-though-potent dose of justice to our enemies in a souvenir pint glass from Lee Harvey's, justice will be done."

The banner, a flowing white vinyl canvas measuring four feet high by 10 feet wide with the words "Pegasus News" boldly emblazoned on its center can clearly be seen in the terrorists' video, held hostage along with what appears to be a terrifyingly large cache of Jagermeister bottles.

The banner is an essential component of the site's marketing operations, said sales staffer Amy Robinson, who was the first to notice its absence after its May 3 disappearance from the Mayfest event in Fort Worth.

"The marketing staff from Mayfest agreed to nab all of our three banners for me after the event was over," Robinson said. "Last Sunday, the marketing chair called and said, 'Your banner's not at the main stage, we've looked everywhere.' She said, 'We've got your small banners, but we can't find the big one. We've gone through the trash, we've asked the grounds crew.'"

Eventually, the Mayfest marketing team tracked down an employee who claimed to have observed unidentified "Pegasus staffers" making off with the banner on Saturday afternoon.

"So I sent out an email to the entire staff," Robinson said.

Here is that email:

Robinson was trying to procure the banners for another event this weekend, the Urban Street Bazaar where Pegasus News will set up a stand.

"We use the banner to give us presence in the community at local events," Robinson said, shaken.

The banner has been utilized at a number of crucial Pegasus events, including the Carter Albrecht memorial and the Deep Ellum Arts Festival.

"The banner is the most important, non-digital sign we have to infiltrate the hearts and minds of people in DFW," said music editor Erin Rice.

The kidnapping of the banner, while devastating, will not take the site down, said database editor Chris Curotolo.

"I've never even touched it, so I don't care that it's being held hostage," he said.

Mike Bullock, a researcher for Pegasus News, thought he spotted the banner being moved in the office by Pegasus developer Brett Hoerner.

"I thought I noticed Brett walking out with it one day last week," Bullock says. "I don't know if he took it or if he was just moving it out of the way in the mailroom. It was definitely the banner. I don't know if he was working in there or what."

Conveniently, Hoerner is on vacation in New York City this week -- the very same New York City where the terrorists blew up the World Trade Center Towers in September 2001.

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• Terrorism

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