We've apparently reached an agreement with the Russkies on Syria. Look for the official White House denial by noon.

Posted by: andy at 03:11 AM | Comments (305)
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This has been bubbling around geek-space for a few days now, expect it to go mainstream in the next week or two now that geeks have figured out all the particulars and know exactly how the malware works.

On August 4, all the sites hosted by Freedom Hosting — some with no connection to child porn — began serving an error message with hidden code embedded in the page. Security researchers dissected the code and found it exploited a security hole in Firefox to identify users of the Tor Browser Bundle, reporting back to a mysterious server in Northern Virginia. The FBI was the obvious suspect, but declined to comment on the incident. The FBI also didn’t respond to inquiries from WIRED today.

...the malware only targeted Firefox 17 ESR, the version of Firefox that forms the basis of the Tor Browser Bundle – the easiest, most user-friendly package for using the Tor anonymity network. That made it clear early on that the attack was focused specifically on de-anonymizing Tor users....

Prior to the Freedom Hosting attack, the code had been used sparingly, which kept it from leaking out and being analyzed.

The child porn angle makes it a lot harder to criticize, particularly since there seems to be genuine malefactors involved rather than a generic fishing expedition. However, the notion of shotgunning active malware out onto the general public's computers and hoping to snag a known culprit in that wide net is something that needs discussing. I'm not sure where I am on this one yet.

To the FBI's credit, the hack code is quite limited in scope and reasonably well crafted from my cursory examination. Basically its circumventing annonymization by sending your hostname and unique LAN card ID's (MAC address) to the FBI. With the MAC address, subsequent standard router packet sniffs could trace your internet traffic anywhere it goes.

Even though child porn was involved, in this instance, this practice leaves me with a queasy feeling. Is there ever an end to this shit?, lines that won't be crossed? Its looking like the answer is no.

Some of the tech and Michael's sidebar commentary were wildly inaccurate, impossible and/or flat out crazy wrong in real life, but some was spot on too. Initially I found that annoying, but it became part of the schtick and I accepted it, like some of the ridiculous science defying tech in Leverage or Nikita. It was only annoying until you'd bought into the fakey "reality" of that universe and decided you wanted to like the show then it was OK.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 09:57 PM | Comments (65)
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Hey, you know Time puts out four covers for four different areas of the word?

I didn't know that.

But they do. They have a US cover, a Europe/Middle East/Africa cover, an Asia cover, and a South Pacific cover.

Yeah I don't get how they divided the world up myself.

But anyway.

So they have four covers.

Based on the covers, one person is dominating the world's interest... but not in the whole world.

Europe/Middle East/Africa

Asia

South Pacific

United States of Obama

Someone's a little protective, eh?

Bonus Snark:

They found a picture of Putin wearing a shirt.

-- Boss Moss

more...

Posted by: Ace at 04:33 PM | Comments (240)
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Yeah, you sort of know what this picture is going to look like, right?

Okay, so this column is fake, again, right? Just like the sub-meh non-MILF who claimed to be just so damn pretty she inspired jealousy, or the model who claims she looks "too young," at age 50, to get modeling work, this is a woman who is not really terribly appealing proclaiming, supposedly, that it's only her brain and her witty repartee that keeps her from landing a husband.

Fake. Silly.

But whatever.

Three months ago I went to Italy with my then boyfriend, Philip. As we were checking into the hotel, I struck up a conversation with the receptionist in Italian (just one of the five languages I speak). But while I was enjoying myself, chatting away, it became clear that Philip most certainly was not.

He shuffled from foot to foot, muttered something under his breath and rolled his eyes like a stroppy teenager.

Then in the lift he turned on me. 'I was wondering when you were going to let me join your conversation,' he snapped. I tried to laugh it off but I knew this was the beginning of yet another argument.

'You always have to be the star of the show,' he continued in our bedroom, as he began to systematically work his way through the mini-bar. Apparently I was argumentative, a know-all and an intellectual snob.

What had I done? It should be depressingly obvious. I had dared to dent his fragile male ego.

By speaking in a language Philip didn't know, I had managed to make him - a successful writer, ten years my senior - feel small. How selfish of me to embarrass him in public with my linguistic prowess!

Okay, whatever Daily Mail. Whatever.

I've seen more plausible letters from readers in Penthouse.

Dear Daily Mail,

I am a student at a Large Northeastern University. I always though these letters were fake, until one day, my boyfriend left me because I was too smart, and also too beautiful, and also too young-looking.

Signed,

Helen Thomas

PS: He also said I was too fair-minded as regards the ckufing Jews.

via Dump and Doom, @benk84 and @AOSHQDOOM, aka Monty.

Posted by: Ace at 01:52 PM | Comments (328)
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Here's a quickie translation.

...

As the FaceBook page in support of the jeweler has passed 500,000 "Likes," Stephan Turk [the jeweler] has been indicted Friday for voluntary homicide. He had also been placed under house arrest, under electronic surveillance, as had been requested by the prosecutor of Nice [where the shooting occurred]. "He has therefore avoided preventative [pre-trial] detention, which is satisfactory," has quickly reacted his lawyer, Ms. De Vita.

Wedensday, he had killed by gunshot one of the two malefactors who had just robbed his jewelry shot. At 67 years of age, this Nice jeweler without criminal record had pleaded legitimate self-defense. However, the prosecutor of Nice, Eric Bedos, had asserted that the man's actions constituted voluntary homicide.

"The life of the jeweler was not directly threatened," he added, for justifying the fact that the right of legitimate self-defense was not present. Stephan Turk was "feeling insecure" and had "drawn his gun by instinct," he'd further said.

Emphasis added. What he means is that he wasn't being threatened when he took the lethal shots. It was indeed directly threatened prior to that.

...

Wednesday, around nine in the morning, the jewelry shop "La Turquoise" in Nice was robbed, for the second time in less than a year. Two perpetrators arrived on a scooter threatening Stephen Turk with a gun and demanding that he open his [cashbox or safe; not sure; I assume they don't mean Treasure Chest]. Once the booty was taken [hm, maybe they did mean Treasure Chest], they took to their escape. But the jeweler had pursued them on foot, and fired "three or four gunshots" in the middle of the street. Anthony, the rear passenger [on the scooter], was wounded by a gunshot in the back, and died at the scene. He was known to the police for thefts, violence, and driving infractions. [What? Why are you mentioning that one?]

The FaceBook support page now has over 600,000 "Likes" and the former mayor of the town is now speaking up in his favor:

"To me, the first victim in this case is the jeweler," a man who "acted in desperation..."

Now this is not a Trayvon Martin situation, exactly, but it does hit some of the same questions.

So I wonder what the Geniuses of Europe will come up with here.

More: In English now.

With the shopkeeper still in police custody, he may be unaware of the fierce national debate his actions have provoked in France, about the use of violence for self-defense and to protect property.

Reacting to the shooting in his city on Wednesday, Nice's centre-right UMP Mayor Christian Estrosi took to Twitter to condemn the behaviour of armed criminals.

“This morning there are two victims: the jeweller and the hooligan. The fear needs to shift over to the other side, now. Taubira’s law must not pass,” he said, referring to planned legislation by Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, which would limit custodial sentences and expand the use of alternatives to prison such as probation.

Actually he said "thug," not "hooligan," I think. Google Translates returns thug, hoodlum, and hooligan for voyou, in that order.

...

One commenter reflected the disgust of many users with violent crime and robberies in France.

“It’s always the same ones who pay – businesspeople,” they said.

“And when they defend themselves, it’s they who are punished. And the thieves, if they’re caught, they’re freed again. Bravo – that’s justice for you, always on behalf of the same people, and never for anyone honest. Well done to this man, he was right.”

Many others view the incident as indicative of a breakdown in law and order in France.

“This is the sad result of impunity, of a lack of justice, and the inability of the government to provide for the safety of French citizens,” said one commenter.

Another expressed, in no uncertain terms, a widespread lack of sympathy for the deceased: "He played the game, and he lost."

But I thought Europe was Enlightened You Guys and stuff.

I don't know the races of the so-called "Vigilante Jeweler" or the thugs so we can't say yet if this is Officially a Racist Crime.

Posted by: Ace at 12:54 PM | Comments (320)
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Maybe he does. I hear the icebox state people are weird, like Russians. Video below.

Embarrassing.

Embarrassing.

So embarrassing. As Amish Dude said, the media was just waiting to find out what it was they would praise him for. Turns out it was for making a "beautiful mess" out of things.

Embarassing, and also boring, as it's the LAT, sleepwalking towards insolvency.

Andy Levy's response to the embarrassing Steven Colbert.

Below, an awesome video of a "barrel-fish," a fish whose head is... transparent. Yup. You can see the organs inside his head.

more...

Posted by: Ace at 03:19 PM | Comments (121)
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On today's episode, Drew M., John E., Rick Tempest and I are joined by John Sexton of Breitbart.com. We discuss Comrade Sexton's post on the probable arms trafficking through Benghazi, the Obama administration's even more disastrous week than last on Syria, including his ridiculous speech to the nation and the GOP leadership's disconnect with the rank-and-file on nation building.

There's more coherent thought on foreign policy in this one podcast than the Obama administration has put forth in ~5 years.

MP3 Download

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Follow on Twitter:
AoSHQ Podcast (@AoSHQPodcast)
Rick Tempest (@RickTempest)
Drew M. (@DrewMTips)
Gabriel Malor (@GabrielMalor)
John E. (@BuzzFeedJohnE)
Andy (@TheH2 and @AndyM1911)

Posted by: andy at 11:52 AM | Comments (107)
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Little confession: I misread "Decisiveness" as "Divisiveness" and found this to be a funny joke.

But now that I see he actually said "Decisiveness," it's hilarious.

Obama, the president that people love because he makes such efforts to avoid being decisive.

If you're like me, it's going to take a few minutes for this to land. Then it's going to be very funny indeed.

“When it comes to our approach to this problem in Syria, the president has been very clear about the need to respond and why it’s important that [Bashar] Assad be held accountable,” Carney replied.

“I would simply say that, when it comes to being commander-in-chief, I think the American people, at least in my assessment, appreciate a commander-in-chief who takes in new information and doesn’t, you know, celebrate decisiveness for the sake of decisiveness,” Carney added.

Posted by: Ace at 10:51 AM | Comments (482)
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Now, this being Gene Simmons, of course he's got a business interest at play here: He and bandmate Starchild (right?) now co-own an arena football team called the LA KISS (good lord, they brand everything). And that team just offered Tim Tebow a three year contract. (Tebow hasn't responded but Simmons says Tebow's seriously considering the offer... which I don't know about. I suppose he'll seriously consider it after all NFL (and CFL and European Football) options are exhausted.)

That said, he's on the money.

“He’s got a religious passion, as well he should, we’re in America,” the KISS frontman told Radio.com earlier this week. ”He’s proud to be a Christian, what’s wrong with that? And yet, with sports media and pop culture media, they make fun of his religion. Really? In America? If he was wearing a burqa, they wouldn’t dare say anything [editor's note: only Muslim women wear burqas]. But if you’re a Christian, you get to be picked on? What the hell? The guy’s got family values. I never saw the media picking on Michael Vick for torturing dogs. Or this other football player, who’s alleged to have killed, committed murder. That’s ‘cool.’ But a guy who’s religious and has got family values isn’t ‘cool?’ He’s cool to me.”

He goes on to opine that broadcasters who attack Tebow should lose their license for slandering someone's religion, which is wrong and boy howdy could I see such a rule being abused, but hey, it's Gene Simmons. He's not going to make sense for long.

But he did have a great paragraph in him.

Below, KISS explained (Content Warning for Profanity and Obscene Language and KISS' "Love Gun").

more...

Posted by: Ace at 10:16 AM | Comments (183)
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In 2011, Brown's charity gave out a single grant of $10,000.

It raised $1.17 million that year. It claimed over $500,000 in expenses; over $100,000 was for a Launch Party.

I think this is where a lot of the New Class' "charity" money winds up going: Networking and self-dealing in the form of lavish parties.

Gawker beats up on her some more.

Here's where I think we need more populism: The wealthiest one percent -- yeah, I said it -- has set up quite a few schemes for their own benefit and no one else's.

I also happen to think such people are overwhelmingly leftist (or at least culturally of the New Class, and thus at least sympathetic to the left) and so I can't say I would really mind a little drubbing.

I'm not talking about increasing their taxes -- that's their money.

But crap like this. Or crap like CEO's donating corporate money (which is shareholder money) to a swanky left-leaning charity ball and then showing up at that ball themselves -- it wasn't their money. It was shareholder money. Why do they get the glory of the gratitude and the even more important glory of the Shrimp Buffet?

I mean did you see those shrimp? They were the size of SUVs.

And don't get me started on Washington DC, the city that produces absolutely nothing at all and yet is fat and rich on the hard work of the hinterlands. There isn't a dime spent in Washington that isn't earned somewhere else.

via @RealRosenRosen

Posted by: Ace at 09:32 AM | Comments (189)
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