Googly, Googly… revisited… Facebooky… Facebooky…

How is anyone surprised by the “Big Reveal”, in every entendre imaginable, from Facebook that ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION WAS USED IN A WAY THAT YOU DON’T LIKE… AND THEY TOOK YOUR FRIENDS INFO TOO… BECAUSE YOU LET THEM.

How is the news?

We’ve been talking about this for over 5 YEARS!  It’s now 032118…

And, I’m always fashionably late to the party!

Where have you been?

(Update 091113: Yesterday, Google lost a similar decision to the one below.  It was on Appeal before the Ninth Circuit.  The Folks at EPIC are happy… but doesn’t the this story make more sense and a seem little less conspiratorial now that we know the NSA has been collecting all of our data and doing so with the aid of our allies?  Originally Posted 072712)

“In April, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission fined Google, saying the company “deliberately impeded and delayed” its investigation into Street View.

It’s unclear what, if any, penalties would be imposed on Google by Britain’s ICO or regulators in any of the 10 other jurisdictions in which the company had wrongly retained Street View data.

“We need to take a look at the data… There’s all sorts of questions we need to ask,” an ICO spokesman said, speaking on condition of anonymity because office rules prohibit him from being named in print.”

The above quote and where I decided to begin and end it may seem a little confusing, but there is a point…

Today we find out that Google has not destroyed/deleted all of the street view info it was caught collecting in Britain. Keep in mind, when I say “street view info” that includes wi-fi networks and names, e-mail addresses and various and sundry other items of information having nothing to do with a street, or the view from it.

Here’s the fun part however… Britain’s regulators, the IOC, are very “upset”. There has been aplenty “tough” language directed at Google for this blatant breach. Yes… they are terribly, terribly upset don’t you know.

While Google has apologized, it is clearly not enough for the IOC.  In all fairness it’s not enough for me either but here’s the punch line; the IOC is demanding to see the information for “forensic analysis”.  Seriously… You Brit’s are Brilliant!  “Yes, yes, I will need to see all the pornography you have so I can determine if it is actually pornography.  I will also need plenty of time to review it… alone…”

So why did I take the above quote from where I did?

Without question Google was harvesting the same information here in the U.S. that it was in Britain.  No doubt about it.  And the U.S. is watching closely what is going on across the pond… very closely.  But why?

If the IOC is successful in gaining access to the Google information for “forensic analysis” because Google has been very, very bad… then U.S. regulators will not be far behind the Google spanking bandwagon.  What red-blooded, privacy cherishing, citizen wouldn’t want Google to be punished for collecting a bunch of info it shouldn’t have?

Well… this one.  If punishing Google requires the government seeing all of the intel, I would prefer Google to get away with it and we can deal with them in the market place.   Think about this for a second, who would you rather have possessing your secrets, a private company answerable to the legal system or a government answerable to no-one?

The monster under my bed has always scared me the most by whispering “don’t worry…  I’m from the government and I’m here to help…”.  Now he’s muttering “googly… googly..” and my parents still don’t believe me.

Your freedom is directly correlated to your ability to live your life anonymously.  If you care.

Apparently, like the rest of the planet, I may just elect to drink myself to sleep.  Unlike the rest of the planet I will only do it late at night… straight from the bottle… in front of a full length mirror… crying…

NSA disguised itself as Google to spy, say reports  (link added 091213)

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What Spies Do…

(She got away with it.  She is above the law.  She… was… expected to run the country.)

(Update: The Question is finally being asked…)

(Update 082015:  This post was from March…  Why does it take six months (Now 20 months) to address the Large Points?)

There is a large point being missed with regard to the latest revelation of a U.S. Secretary of State creating, and using exclusively, an outside conduit of communication to their reports, and associates, within the Department of State.

Transparency.

When committing Espionage a Spy must find a way to communicate information without appearing to do so. This is not difficult to understand.

Hollywood might have you believe Spies find interesting little pieces of information and covertly send that information to the interested party of choice. But that’s the movies.  And, small amounts of information have lesser value than Huge Amounts of Information.  Seems self-evident.

If you want to be “The Most Transparent Administration, and State Department, in History!”, one way to achieve that is to give full access to…

(Well, when We The People hear that phrase repeated ad nauseam, we think the Administration is speaking to Us. It’s entirely possible the Administration was speaking to someone completely different. If that is the case, it would clear up the confusion We The People have when it comes to the supposed ‘Transparency’ of this current Administration.  It also begs the question ‘Who Else may have created their own “home-made” ISP upon which to communicate?’)

… other countries.

What better way to do the above than to create an entirely separate network that can easily be tapped into?

In other words, Creating a Method of Communication outside of Federally Protected Channels may extend well beyond the desire to avoid the Damned Prying Eyes of the ‘Stupid’ American Public’s FIOA requests.

It would certainly make it convenient for a Foreign Power to access and monitor all communications within that channel… without the Damned Prying Eyes of those tasked with protecting the Secrets and Security of the United States.

While those who created such a network would obviously deny such intent…

That question must be explored.

When it Looks like Espionage, Walks like Espionage and Talks like Espionage… it might just be Espionage.

Maybe the NSA can take a break from Spying on Us and re-task some folks to find out Who else was attached to Eric Hoteham’s ISP.   Any thoughts Mr. Pagliano or are you sticking with taking the fifth?

(Originally Posted 030415)

The NSA and Kevin Bacon…

Since we’ve returned to caring about being Surveilled…

Let’s climb into our time machine and travel all the way back to 2013, when we told you so.

An unprecedented, at least to me, move by No Such Agency has brought the Director to an open briefing on Capital Hill.

So I’m listening.

But, there are two things which I would like to hear…

Mr. Alexander is very careful to remind everyone paying attention, which appears to be very few, that the NSA does not listen to the content of these calls collected under this program.

I’d like to focus on the “…under this program.” part of his repeated statement and reassurance.

There are many programs within all government operations, many of which overlap. This is practiced for various reasons. Some of them funding, some of them compartmentalization. Some, simply because of turf and time on scene.

So, I would like to hear someone ask; “Mr. Director, is anyone at NSA listening to the content of the calls collected, or reading the e-mail and text messaging?”

Another aspect I find interesting is the “connection to a known, or suspected terrorist” requirement Mr. Alexander has reassured us exists prior to looking at your information.

On this I bring up Kevin Bacon. Yes, the actor.

There exists a mathematical formula which connects us all.  It has been around for 80 years but has recently been popularized through something called the Kevin Bacon Game.

Six degrees of separation, a theory developed by Frigyes Karinthy in the year 1929, proposes that an individual is only six connections away from any person in the world.

Read the last five words in the above sentence again.  “…any person in the world.”

That would include Terrorist A-holes.  Yep… if you’re just catching up, YOU are separated by the most horrible person on earth by only 6 degrees.

The exploration of the degrees of separation between individuals communication, or connections, is called “spidering“.

So, my next question would be; “Mr. Director, how many degrees of separation from the suspect do you find acceptable to explore?  In other words, do you stop at say Two?  Four?  Six?”

Because stopping at “Six” means they have given themselves the authority to Spy on “…any person in the world.”  (Even “Five” should make most of us physically ill… “Three” only marginally better.)

There is also the issue of freely denying that anyone can listen to your phone calls.  I have seen this in practice first hand… when a suspect is apprehended, say a burglar, the police cannot legally go through his cell phone.  Yet… they do.  What “legally” means is whatever information found there is not admissible in court.  It does not mean that some amazing physics come into play preventing the very action of going through the person’s cell phone.  Remember folks, words mean things.  The world becomes much clearer when you listen carefully.

Finally, I am intrigued by what is considered “civilian” over-sight.  In this case, the “civilian” oversight is being performed by ex-military appointees.  One might ask, is this a difference without a distinction?  I understand the argument could be applied to the President on down, but those are elected positions.  I would like to hear someone explore how Civilian oversight has any impact after the person performing that service has retired from a Government entity.  In other words, once you’ve completed serving the Government Mission for many years you can take Retirement and then serve the Citizens interest by overseeing the very programs you may have been associated with the day before.

While I deeply respect those in the military as a rule, it does not change the fact that many of the most horrid Statists known to man have come directly from there.  Seems like the checks and balances are not served in a way that is as reassuring as possible… at least to me.

It will be interesting to view the transcripts of this hearing once complete.

My overall feeling here is They are intentionally missing the point… as They know Domestic Spying IS the point, not catching Foreign Terrorist A-holes.

The Red Herring is the reiteration that all the information being used is Public and available to Private Companies, so No Problem.  It is a blatant attempt to blur the definition of Public as it is meant.  In this case, Public means out in the open… not Government Property.  The fact the information is available to PRIVATE companies is irrelevant.  If this information is truly “out there for all to see” then the Government should not need to demand it from any Private entity.  But it is not… and the Government sees fit to use their power to compel certain Private entities to supply it to them.

All of our information is not available, nor should it be available, to GOVERNMENT without direct legal cause, free of Constitutional restriction.  That is a very, very important distinction here in the “Freest Country on Earth”.  (Damn that Constitution is SO restrictive…  it tells them what they CAN’T do to us, but not what they CAN do to us…)

It’s amazing how quickly one sobers up when listening to our Spooks…  Unless you’re an elected representative in the room with them, then it appears you fall asleep. (You’ll have to watch the hearing to see what I’m typing about here.  I want you to watch, so I won’t ruin it by showing you.)

(Also! For the record, I love our Spooks.  But much of what they do should stay, or be returned to being, illegal… just in case.  I know this Borrows their argument about why they want to store all of OUR info… we might need their actions to have been illegal down the road.  That’s a real check.  And, they answer to us not the other way around.)

(061813)

When will our Brilliant Press Learn?

When will The Press figure out that this Buffoon, Clown, Mentally ill, P.T. Barnumesque, Giant Bright Orange Oompa Loompa, Narcissistic, Ego Maniacal, Lying Fool, stupid hair styling, taco salad eating, too long tie wearing, Twittering Idiot… (Billionaire-Wharton School of Business Graduate with a hot wife.)

…Keeps being right?

The Obama Administration’s Justice Department, or at least one of the Obama’s Administration’s Executive Agencies, spied on the Trump Campaign.

I’m now to the point where my first reaction is to believe it.  (This is very strange for me… very, very strange.  And very, very, uncomfortable.)

However, This puts me way ahead of The Press.

They immediately poo-poo anything he says regardless of how often he is correct and remain comfortable wrapped warmly in their group-think hatred of Trump.  And their complete lack of introspection prevent them from seeing it is they who look buffoonish.

Apparently the Kool-Aid passed around our Press Corps (Not ‘Corpse’ Mr. Obama) for the last 8-years had the effect of erasing their Collective memories. For the rest of us it is no surprise given The Obama Administration tapped the phones and seized the records of Journalists.

Journalists!

Obama spied on THEM.

Why would a revelation that The Obama Administration tapping, hacking, spying, on a Political Opponent surprise ANYONE?  Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

Where on earth does this taken-aback-pearl-clutching from The Press come from… if not from complete ignorance?

Or more likely, blatant Socialist Leanings?

It’s worth noting I’m not even touching the IRS as a political weapon, the up-arming of Drug Cartel’s with taxpayer money, the lying about the death of our Ambassador, etc. etc. etc.  There should be no need…

It’s Say Anything Week!

Good Morning Folks,
We are now officially into the last week before a Presidential Election. This period of time is what I like to refer to as “Say Anything Week”. It’s during this last week that the craziest, most ridiculous and foolish, accusations will be flung at whoever is opposing the Socialist Candidate because there’s just not enough time for anyone to refute them. And, considering the Press is Liberal, no one to laugh at them.

I always look forward to this week because you get to hear things similar to “George Bush is flying around on an SR-71 to get hostages released”, “My friend says Mitt Romney doesn’t pay his taxes” and old favorites like “When Did you stop beating your wife?”.

It’s a fun week.

Please garb a cold one and enjoy it with me!

What if it’s not the Russians? (Previously: Picking a Fight with the CIA…)

(Originally posted 121214.  What if it’s not the Russians offering up Thousands of Socialist E-mails? Just sayin’…)

One must ask why.

While the release of the ‘CIA Sucks Report’ was a foregone conclusion given Diane Feinstein’s drive to leave a parting gift to her Leftist base…

I remain convinced the timing of the report was designed to remove Jonathon Gruber from the headlines and allow the mainstream liberals something else to put on the evening news.  (I continue to believe Gruber, and his honesty about how Liberals see American’s, is profoundly damaging.)

That aside, the report begs the question “Why?”.

Why would you rehash what we already know?

Why would you emphasize enhanced terrorist interrogation techniques and our efforts to keep them alive while in captivity such as Rectal Feeding?  (I would remind you all that there are certain restaurants in Feinstein’s own San Francisco specializing in that very thing.)

Why would you give additional specific information allowing the remaining Terrorist A-holes to cross reference and pinpoint those involved?

I believe this fight started with Benghazi. It continued with the summary ‘execution’ of the Afghanistan Chief of Station’s career by officially outing his name.

And, the apparent conflict is being taken to a brand new level with the release of this report.

Is the CIA not being cooperative enough with the Socialists in our Government?

Might they have issues with how they are being tossed under the bus by an Administration that practises Drone Diplomacy?  Our deteriorating relationship with Israel?  Allowing North Korea and Iran to acquire Nuclear Weapons and the means to ‘deliver’ them?  Our inability to keep secrets?  Our ceding the Middle East to the Terrorists after shedding American Blood to keep it out of their hands?

Are our covert Agencies not being quiet enough when it comes to the murder of our Diplomat and security personnel in Benghazi?  Could it be they are not on board with the Administration, and the rest of the Leftists, who didn’t want to appear ‘aggressive’ to the rest of the world by providing adequate security?

Is this just another attempt to paint Bush as a Domestic Terrorist since we are ‘all citizens of the world’ according to our own home-grown Socialists?

I believe it’s all the above.

Feinstein thinks, because of her retirement, she is now beyond the reach of the American people, and this is a flying f-you to the very agency and agencies she over saw.  The very same Agencies whose techniques she previously, and repeatedly, approved of.

The Covert folks do not seem interested in being quiet about how this Administration is conducting itself. They are not interested in being hung out to die… so to speak.

They do not seem interested in continuing to do what they must while being used as political pawns in a game that is decidedly anti-capitalist.

There a was a time that many of us could fool ourselves into thinking that those who professed to be Socialists were doing so in order simply to get elected.

Now many of us, and I must conclude those in the intelligence services as well, are finding out those they thought to be donning a cloak of Progressive Populism are in fact… serious.  And the very folks that put their lives on the line for the rest of us everyday are suffering in the worst ways because of it.  Add to this that many of those we thought were Constitutional Loyalists are nothing of the sort.

We are watching the Republic crumble, and lives are being lost as a result.

Are we witnessing an awakening by those that keep the secrets?

Possibly… but I’m wrong more often than I’m right.

However, there is no doubt that a dark war has started in D.C.

Bits of it are finding sunlight.

It seems the Left wants it that way.  What do they stand to gain?

Is it an attempt at a purge?

Are the Progressives trying to consolidate power as they have been trying to do in the Military?

It’s Fine to Spy on the Little People…

… just not the People in Power.

The Politicians are ANGRY!

How DARE the NSA Spy on THEM!

But… wait… what?

Are You Little People confused?

Of course you are… or at least, you should be.

Your confusion stems from our wandering so very far away from our Founders intent.

The reason for this confusion is we were founded in such a way where the Individual is always supreme over the Government.  And the Government is not only LIMITED in it’s power, it’s powers are intentionally Separated.  Limit and Conflict were BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM to PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL.  It’s quite simple really.

Which brings us to the fact that The Newly Found Political Fury over Sweeping Mass Collection of data by Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies should be directed at the Intrusion upon, and Violation of, Individual Rights of ALL Citizens… Not Politicians specifically.

Frankly, I have less of an issue with Politicians spying on each other than I do Force (Government) spying on the Citizenry.

Let me make this as Clear as possible…

The U.S. Government can and should be Spying on other Countries.  It’s their Job.

Other Countries will be attempting to Spy on us, the U.S.  – It’s not a matter of being ‘OK’ with it, it’s their job… as it is ours to deny them that ability.

What is Not ‘OK’?

The U.S. Government Spying on Individual Citizens without a specifically crafted warrant to do so.  (The only argument worth having here; “Are Politicians considered Individual Citizens?”  It could also be useful to remind the NSA that their Love interests also fit into the ‘Citizen’ category… and some of the things they are doing is considered stalking at a minimum.)

Of course they are…

But the current framing of the ‘Offended’ is that they are ‘special’.  And while I might agree that they are special, I would offer that they are most often the kind of special that requires a helmet when walking outside.

In the end, the reason you should be more concerned about the U.S. Government Spying on you and not China, Korea, Israel or Google, is because none of the latter have yet found a way to show up at your door and throw you in jail.  (Although Google is probably working on it.)

The Politicians should be reminded of their place in society… which was always intended to be servants to those who are not in power.

This will be interesting to watch as most genuine Conservatives do not like being Spied upon, and most Democrats have spent huge amounts of time and money convincing their Useful Voters that they too believe in a Right to Privacy.

Can anyone spell Dissonance?

 

 

Hung Out to Die

The Administration is taking another shot at Peddling the Excuse that there was no help close enough to Benghazi to save our Ambassador and his Security Detail.

The latest attempt to convince the public of a widely disproven excuse regarding our inaction during the Benghazi Murders is now in play.  And the motivation is transparent.

Apparently the Administration would like you to believe that our utilizing non-military, and some foreign, vessels to transport Marines around the globe is a direct result of the debacle in Benghazi.

Why?

Because Presidential Hopeful Secretary Clinton desperately needs you to believe a story where The United States had no ability to defend our Diplomats who were under an 8-hour siege, which is why She didn’t send any help.  (You can fly commercial from New York to London in under 8-hours.)

After hearing this…

It shouldn’t be long before they dust off and trot out the stupid ‘insulting’ internet Video story as the reason the attack happened.

The History Revision is revolting.

If this is a direct result of anything, it is the anticipation of the impossible questions awaiting Hillary once the real campaigning starts.

Pathetic doesn’t begin to describe this bunch.

Good news: We might have found copies of Hillary’s emails! Bad news: Foreign governments have them?

It’s what Spies Do….

Crazy Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories!

All this talk about Obama Care being a plan to move the United States into Socialized Medicine is ridiculous.
In fact, it is just another… how do I put it… Crazy Conspiracy Theory.

This accusation comes from the factory of idiocy we know as the Conservative Right… the Tin Foil Hat wearing Black Helicopter Crowd.

Disagree?  Let me prove it with a quick review of Foolish Thought and Conspiracy Obsession from these Paranoid Jack-Asses that has simmered in their Mentally Ill minds for the just the last couple of decades.

1. The Government is listening to your phone calls, reading your email and tracking your location using cell phone towers.

Absurd!

2. The IRS targets its political enemies.

Absurd!

3. The Government has sold guns to Mexican Drug Cartels.

Absurd!

4. The Government makes up stuff when they’re caught letting Diplomats die in the line of duty.

Absurd!

5. Voter fraud and intimidation exists.

Absurd!

6. The Government is trying to create a Domestic, Federally Controlled, Police Force.

Absurd!

7. The Government wants to Control what you eat.

Absurd!

8. The Government wants to Control your Speech, if they disagree with it.

Absurd!

9.  The Government can turn your computer’s camera, and microphone, on and watch/listen to you without you knowing it.

Absurd!

10.  The Government is in bed with Google and Microsoft so they can track what you search and read.

Absurd!

11.  The Government secretly has Computer Companies build in “back doors” so they can gain access to everybody’s stuff without permission.

Absurd!

12.  The Government doesn’t need warrants to spy on, arrest and ultimately jail American Citizens.

Absurd!

13.  The Government kills American Citizens using Drones.

Absurd!

14.  The Government Wastes your taxpayer dollars.

Absurd!

15.  The Government takes a picture of every piece of regular mail you send.

Absurd!

16.  The Government tracks your credit card purchases.

Absurd!

17.  The Government wants to put Black Boxes in your car which record your driving habits, distances and location.

Absurd!

18.  The Government rewards private businesses for doing what they want them to do.

Absurd!

19.  The Government controls the banking Industry and has crafted easy access to your bank accounts.

Absurd!

20.  The Government forced Banks to Lend money to people they knew could never pay it back causing an U.S. Economic Collapse.

Absurd!

21.  The President of The United States believes in Socialist Redistribution and feels The Government should use its power to “Spread the Wealth Around”.

Absurd!

It’s all Hogwash!

Every single Educated, Reasonable and Rational Person sees how absolutely stupid all the above Conspiracies are.  Only the most ignorant among us would believe anything like these things could happen.  Certainly nothing like these above things could occur in a free country limited by a well crafted and strictly adhered to Constitution.  The Unwashed Masses do more harm to the Progressive Future of this country than they can possibly understand.

Their attempt to lump Obama Care into this mix of insanity is just another example of how dangerous these people are.  Associating it with Single Payer Health Care… an idea Cuba, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea do very well by the way… is just over the top!  It’s Outrageous!  It’s Inconceivable.

These Right-Wing, Republican, TEA bagging Conservative Ass-Hats should all be put in jail on an island somewhere!  May be someone could think of a final solution to remove these horrible people from civilized society.  A deep dark, extremely hot, hole could be a start!  Whatever it takes!

These people are Insane!

I vote we start right away… the sooner the better.

(122013)