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Just Saying -- the soapbox thread

Started by alanp, December 01, 2013, 03:30:01 AM

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EBK

I wouldn't be surprised if the devices were all fakes and planted by Russian agents merely to stir up a little more political instability ahead of the midterm election.  In other words, maybe these weren't intended to harm or even necessarily scare the targeted recipients.  (I love a conspiracy theory.  ;) )
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

somnif

#316
Quote from: EBK on October 25, 2018, 09:45:30 AM
I wouldn't be surprised if the devices were all fakes and planted by Russian agents merely to stir up a little more political instability ahead of the midterm election.  In other words, maybe these weren't intended to harm or even necessarily scare the targeted recipients.  (I love a conspiracy theory.  ;) )

Apparently the analysis did show live explosives in them (at least the one sent to CNN), so "fake" is a relative term. Not a lot of info though, just "unidentified white powder" and "live explosives". The one sent to Soros was reported as containing a low explosive and shrapnel. Not the most sophisticated of designs, but it would do the job I suppose...

And just read some more detail on the one sent to CNN. Its... oh god its got a meme on it. A parody of an ISIS flag with "Get ER Done" on it. Ugh. https://twitter.com/elzosmid/status/1055234351368232960/photo/1

Some more info: The CNN bomb did contain low explosives.... BUT no blasting cap/detonator. Just wires running from a digital timer into the explosive, like they expected that to be enough. We have a very dumb bomb maker on our hands (not that the meme left any doubt to that).

EBK

I'm sticking with Russian agents, with the dumb bomber appearance being entirely intentional.
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

somnif

Quote from: EBK on October 25, 2018, 10:18:52 AM
I'm sticking with Russian agents, with the dumb bomber appearance being entirely intentional.

In the lack of other information, I currently have my money on a 14 year old 4chan user who totally knows how Politics works, so you should really take him totally seriously.

lars

#319
...

somnif

Quote from: lars on October 25, 2018, 02:26:38 PM
Again, looking at the picture, notice the packing tape used to attach the labels? We've all attached labels to packages using packing tape...it invariably leaves perfect prints of our fingers in the tape! If this was the work of some lone bomber, they would easily have them in custody by now.

Fingerprinting doesn't really work that way I'm afraid. They may have some prints (assuming the sender didn't wear gloves) but that only helps if the sender was printed and is in a database somewhere. Also, not all prints can be OCR'd and digitized like you see on TV, quite often its down to someone trained in the field comparing them by eye and saying "yes these are similar" or "no they are not". Its not an overnight process.

Frag Magnet

#321
Quote from: alanp on October 25, 2018, 04:11:49 AM
Frag, IIRC, you used to defuse these?

How accurate is that picture? Because it looks like something straight out of the Mission Impossible movies.
Yep, I was US Army EOD for just under five years.

And, yeah, my first impression was "this looks like something a Hollywood prop department would come up with." That doesn't mean much, though; if you're a moron and you're going to make an IED, where are you going to get your design tips from? Likely, movies and TV. Memes (in the original 'Dawkins' sense of the word) guide these things over rational design far more than you think they would.

Quote from: somnif on October 25, 2018, 10:03:49 AM
Apparently the analysis did show live explosives in them (at least the one sent to CNN), so "fake" is a relative term. Not a lot of info though, just "unidentified white powder" and "live explosives". The one sent to Soros was reported as containing a low explosive and shrapnel. Not the most sophisticated of designs, but it would do the job I suppose...

And just read some more detail on the one sent to CNN. Its... oh god its got a meme on it. A parody of an ISIS flag with "Get ER Done" on it. Ugh. https://twitter.com/elzosmid/status/1055234351368232960/photo/1

Some more info: The CNN bomb did contain low explosives.... BUT no blasting cap/detonator. Just wires running from a digital timer into the explosive, like they expected that to be enough. We have a very dumb bomb maker on our hands (not that the meme left any doubt to that).
While I haven't checked the news since I left for work this morning, I've heard a lot of conflicting information on if/what was filling these items as of last night (no explosives, gun powder, "pyrotechnic powder" (which is what's used in fireworks), "low-ordnance explosives" (not even a thing), etc). I'm not taking anything as gospel until I hear it from an FBI SABT. To date, the news coverage I've seen has been utter garbage.

Quote from: somnif on October 25, 2018, 08:06:28 PM
Quote from: lars on October 25, 2018, 02:26:38 PM
Again, looking at the picture, notice the packing tape used to attach the labels? We've all attached labels to packages using packing tape...it invariably leaves perfect prints of our fingers in the tape! If this was the work of some lone bomber, they would easily have them in custody by now.

Fingerprinting doesn't really work that way I'm afraid. They may have some prints (assuming the sender didn't wear gloves) but that only helps if the sender was printed and is in a database somewhere. Also, not all prints can be OCR'd and digitized like you see on TV, quite often its down to someone trained in the field comparing them by eye and saying "yes these are similar" or "no they are not". Its not an overnight process.
1. This. Same with DNA evidence.
2. I'd bet a case of beer the FBI has recovered either fingerprints or DNA from this and the other items. Likely both. Whoever did this is fucked when the FBI figures out who they are (and the FBI will figure out who they are).

As to the idea of the government doing this... lol, no.



EDIT: Just checked the ol' news feed and all the articles I see on this have clickbait and speculation in their headlines... didn't even waste my time on it.
Careful what you wish for, friend
I've been to Hell and now I'm back again

alanp

One of the tracks I really, really liked from Moods 2 was "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence", and I looked it up last week. I already liked Yellow Magic Orchestra, so I was pleasantly surprised.

I was disappointed, though, when I found that Sakamoto-dono didn't collaborate with the other major name on the movie. Oh, what could have been...
"A man is not dead while his name is still spoken."
- Terry Pratchett
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somnif

#323
An arrest has been made in the MAGAbomber case. 56 year old male from Aventura (near Miami), Florida. Was caught on camera mailing the packages from a self-serve kiosk in his post office.

Dude drives a... "distinctive" van.


EBK

#324
QuoteDude drives a... "distinctive" van.
Seriously.

Mail Bombing Suspect Appears To Be Incoherently Passionate About Youth Soccer:

https://deadspin.com/mail-bombing-suspect-appears-to-be-incoherently-passion-1830026997
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

Frag Magnet

500% unsurprised about any of this.
Careful what you wish for, friend
I've been to Hell and now I'm back again

Muadzin

With friends like this guy, who needs enemies, Trump probably thinks.

EBK

#327
[comment deleted]
Has anybody ever watched a blindfolded speedrun of a video game?
https://youtu.be/bqSPhZdjYDU
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

Govmnt_Lacky

*Big SIGH*

I come on here to get away from the political rantings on other forums (as well as stompbox stuff of course)

I REALLY hope this isn't the beginning of yet another political uprising  :-\

EBK

Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on October 27, 2018, 06:28:55 PM
*Big SIGH*

I come on here to get away from the political rantings on other forums (as well as stompbox stuff of course)

I REALLY hope this isn't the beginning of yet another political uprising  :-\
I'm happy to remove anything political that I post in emotional haste.  See  above.   ;D
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber