Re: America goes to the polls

**bb1** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:13 pm

I'm not even convinced it WAS North Korea, Lily - I came across some of the animated satire South Korea puts on TV about Fattie, and it was ten times worse.

As Sony were apparently keeping all their important passwords in a file called PASSWORDS, I think it's entirely possibly it was an inside job, and someone got lucky when they found out that Sony's mega-password was 12345, or ABCDEF, or something.

The rest is hype and hysteria....

**lily** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:16 pm

I don't think it was them either. Wink

**Lamplighter** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:22 pm

bb1 wrote:I thought they had about six computers in the entire country, and you were only allowed to use one if your family was held hostage by Fattie's thugs for good behaviour......

Sorry, but they are far more computer savvy than many people realise. They send their 'cyberwarriors' to China for training. My son-in-law says the big problem is that the West and other democracies is that they underestimate NK because their leader is a bombastic fool. They may not themselves have been the Sony hackers but my s-i-l is sure they know who did it. And now there have been attacks on S Korea nuclear facilities. LL

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/22/south-korea-nuclear-power-cyber-attack-hack

**bb1** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:29 pm

Ah, that's interesting, LL. However - one of the things that makes me doubt the Official Version of this hoo-ha is the involvement of Hollywierd. Sony is now talking about releasing the stupid movie...all of which means that a movie that would have been a complete flop due to being unfunny, with a talent-free cast, is now going to make $$$$$$$.

Think of The Producers....

This is worrying:

“It’s our judgment that the control system is designed in such a way – there is no risk whatsoever,” Chung Yang-ho, deputy energy minister, said.

No-one should ever, EVER say that, it's always a sign of looming disaster.

**lily** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:33 pm

Thought it might be a brilliant marketing ploy....and Amy Pascal is even more nicely rewarded etc. Pcorneater

**Lamplighter** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:37 pm

This is worrying:

“It’s our judgment that the control system is designed in such a way – there is no risk whatsoever,” Chung Yang-ho, deputy energy minister, said.

No-one should ever, EVER say that, it's always a sign of looming disaster.

The S Koreans are as internet savvy as the Japanese, who actually taught them much of what they know. NK may have the Chinese to help them but China is nowhere as clever as Japan, while the SK has also had the USA Silicon Valley boffins to help them and guide them. And the SK usually only makes statements it is able to back up, they are a very practical and cautious people. LL

**Lamplighter** Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:50 pm

This is quite an interesting insight into NK and its junior elite. As you can see, they may not have access to facebook etc but they are well educated re other matters like PCs. LL
http://vimeo.com/97522303

**bb1** Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:27 pm

A strange, strange country, LL. Never mind idiot actors, I keep expecting one of the generals to do the world a favour and bump off the lunatic.

**lily** Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:35 pm

You never know.....

**bb1** Tue Dec 23, 2014 11:39 am

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/23/nyc-protesters-say-wont-stop-demonstrations-despite-de-blasio-wishes/

The funeral for one of the officers, Rafael Ramos, is scheduled for Saturday. Arrangements for the funeral of his partner, Wenjian Liu, are pending the arrival of relatives from China.

If this had happened in China, Sharpton and co would be in a labour camp right this minute, along with the right-on morons saying things like:

"We will not let recent tragic moments derail this movement," one protester shouted. "This is the revolution and we will not be repressed."

Tw@t. Wouldn't you just love to see those spoiled brats receive some genuine, People's Republic-type 'justice' for inciting the deaths of The People's Police Officers?

**lily** Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:27 pm

Now that would be karmic.

**bb1** Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:34 pm

I am always fascinated by the way they think real socialism or communism means they get to sit around doing naff all while some other sod pays for it all. They don't seem to grasp that the bit about From each according to their abilities means that if they can breath, they're liable to get handed a broom and told to clean the streets, or send off to do 12 hour days on the Happy People's Collective Farm.

Or that they will get conscripted and given Number One People's Army Haircut whether they like it or not.

Or that inciting riots and causing the death of police officers gets you sent to a gulag. If you're lucky.

It would do them the world of good, actually, to discover that not only are they Useless Idiots, they are currently Useless Eaters as well.

**lily** Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:55 pm

...that is most likely where we are headed.......

ETA: The end justifies the means?

**bb1** Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:17 pm

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-23/marketing-campaign-now-complete-sony-may-show-interview-december-25-after-all

And so, what is perhaps the greatest marketing campaign in movie history, comes to a close with the following update from Bloomberg:

SONY MAY LET THEATERS SHOW INTERVIEW ON DEC. 25: DALLAS NEWS
Sony executives talking about possibility of releasing “The Interview” on Dec. 25 during a conference call scheduled for 10am in Dallas, Dallas News reports, citing people familiar.
The terrorists un-win!

To everyone who thought North Korea really had nothing better to do with its single 16 Mhz, 80286 "hacking mainframe" than unleash a cyber war against the US, you were punk'd. Now please line up to get your tickets for The Interview - it will sell out in minutes.

Some of us did think the plot of this hoo-ha was strangely familiar.....

America goes to the polls - Page 12 Large_eFSfTosTwNKfrllxkwfo0gqNWZP

America goes to the polls - Page 12 Large_eFSfTosTwNKfrllxkwfo0gqNWZP

**lily** Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:30 pm

I thought it simply was a brilliant marketing plan.

**bb1** Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:48 pm

IMO, Sony did get hacked, and all those embarrassing emails, etc released - but it was by a disgruntled ex-employee who knew how lax their security was.

The rest was showbiz. And no, I won't be rushing to watch the dire movie, I wouldn't even watch it for free.

**lily** Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:55 pm

Their emails were hacked but the movie wasn't.

Am more than well aware of egos in that business so was not in the least surprised by what the contents were. The fact I personally know at least one person, more interesting. biggrin

**bb1** Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:58 pm

I suspect the emails were funnier than the movie script will be. In fact, this whole thing could be a movie script - Wag the Dog 2, mayhap?

**lily** Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:20 pm

There is no question that the e-mails will be. For anyone working in the business, it's business as usual.

**bb1** Wed Dec 24, 2014 11:42 am

The worst possible thing happened overnight:

http://news.sky.com/story/1397150/black-teen-shot-dead-by-police-in-st-louis

Black Teen Shot Dead By Police In St Louis
Police say the 18-year-old was armed when he was killed just two miles from where Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson.

A black teenager has been shot dead by a police officer in the same city where the killing of Michael Brown sparked global protests.

The 18-year-old was killed at a Mobil petrol station in the suburb of Berkeley in St Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday night.

Sergeant Brian Schellman, from St Louis County Police, said a police officer was conducting a routine business check at around 11.15pm when he saw two men and approached them.

He said one of the men pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the officer.

Sgt Schellman said: "Fearing for his life, the Berkeley Officer fired several shots, striking the subject, fatally wounding him."

He added that the second suspect fled.

Detectives said they recovered the dead man's weapon at the scene.

A crowd of around 60 people gathered at the scene, where a police cordon was set up around the forecourt.

Video, which is being live-streamed online, showed a wall of police officers, some wearing riot helmets, guarding the scene with bystanders shouting at them in a tense standoff.

Footage showed fireworks or smoke bombs being let off.

A number of people were arrested and there were also reports of people trying to break into local businesses.

More at link.

**bb1** Wed Dec 24, 2014 12:58 pm

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-the-fbi-get-it-wrong-on-north-korea/

Was FBI wrong on North Korea?
118 Comments Shares Tweets Stumble Email More +
LOS ANGELES -- Cybersecurity experts are questioning the FBI's claim that North Korea is responsible for the hack that crippled Sony Pictures. Kurt Stammberger, a senior vice president with cybersecurity firm Norse, told CBS News his company has data that doubts some of the FBI's findings.

"Sony was not just hacked, this is a company that was essentially nuked from the inside," said Stammberger.
tracy-sony-hack-transferframe233.jpg
Kurt Stammberger, a senior vice president with cybersecurity firm Norse CBS NEWS
While Norse is not involved in the Sony case, it has done its own investigation.

"We are very confident that this was not an attack master-minded by North Korea and that insiders were key to the implementation of one of the most devastating attacks in history," said Stammberger.

He says Norse data is pointing towards a woman who calls herself "Lena" and claims to be connected with the so-called "Guardians of Peace" hacking group. Norse believes it's identified this woman as someone who worked at Sony in Los Angeles for ten years until leaving the company this past May.

Former Anonymous hacker doubts North Korea behind Sony attack
"This woman was in precisely the right position and had the deep technical background she would need to locate the specific servers that were compromised," Stammberger told me.

Other experts in cybersecurity and private intelligence are also questioning the FBI's claim that North Korea is solely to blame for the Sony hack.

"There are certainly North Korean fingerprints on this but when we run all those leads to ground they turn out to be decoys or red herrings," said Stammberger.

For instance while the malware used to attack Sony has been used by North Korea before, it is also used by hackers around the world every day.

It's worth noting that the original demand of the hackers was for money from Sony in exchange for not releasing embarrassing information. There was no mention of the movie "The Interview," which will see a limited theatrical release on Christmas Day. The FBI is still continuing its investigation into the Sony hack.

**bb1** Sat Dec 27, 2014 6:42 pm

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-27/hundreds-nypd-officers-turn-their-back-de-blasio-again

Hundreds Of NYPD Officers Turn Their Back On de Blasio Again

Lesson from history-

IT'S NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO UPSET THE PRAETORIAN GUARDS.

**bb1** Sat Dec 27, 2014 7:21 pm

http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/12/26/obama-breaks-head-gear-rule-girl-scouts-agrees-don-tiara

Obama Breaks Head Gear Rule for Girl Scouts, Agrees to Don Tiara
Pic of the Day - December 26, 2014

America goes to the polls - Page 12 ObamaTiarra

America goes to the polls - Page 12 ObamaTiarra

I actually don't know what to say.

**lily** Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:34 pm

Getting ready for when he rules the world?

**bb1** Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:38 pm

It could have been worse. He could have been wearing his tiara when he was sitting on the Iron Throne.

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