Just Saying -- the soapbox thread

[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.  )

[somnif]

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.

[somnif]

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]

...

[somnif]

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]

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.

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.

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.

[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...

[somnif]

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]

Dude 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

[Frag Magnet]

500% unsurprised about any of this.

[Muadzin]

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

[EBK]

[comment deleted]
Has anybody ever watched a blindfolded speedrun of a video game?
https://youtu.be/bqSPhZdjYDU

[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]

*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.