Google Ads Still a Vector for Malware

In this case ransomware. ‘Snatch’ Ransom Group Exposes Visitor IP Addresses

And you should never install software that you find via an ad. Certainly not by clicking on the ad. Because how do you know if it is legit? If you want a piece of software, go and search for it, and install it from a recognized place.

And remember: "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."

The victim shaming site operated by the Snatch ransomware group is leaking data about its true online location and internal operations, as well as the Internet addresses of its visitors, KrebsOnSecurity has found. The leaked data suggest that Snatch is one of several ransomware groups using paid ads on Google.com to trick people into installing malware disguised as popular free software, such as Microsoft Teams, Adobe Reader, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Discord.

First spotted in 2018, the Snatch ransomware group has published data stolen from hundreds of organizations that refused to pay a ransom demand. Snatch publishes its stolen data at a website on the open Internet, and that content is mirrored on the Snatch team’s darknet site, which is only reachable using the global anonymity network Tor.

Be safe out there. Me? I use a couple of ad-blockers, so that this kind of thing mostly isn't an issue.

"Teen" or Gang Member?

We will probably never be told. That would be unfair. Teen charged after accidentally shooting friend at Deltona park

Though I should also point out that at 17, there is a fairly good chance he would be charged as an adult. Though maybe not in this Woke era.

Volusia Sheriff’s Office investigators determined the shooting happened when the victim and three other friends were sitting in the car at the nature park when the teen sitting in the rear passenger seat pulled a gun from his [pocket] and accidentally fired a shot through the front passenger seat and into the victim’s back.

Volusia County, Florida includes Daytona Beach and Port Orange. The southwestern portion of the county is about 20 miles north of Orlando, or about 30 miles from The Mouse™.

So not only does the shooter have access to an illegal firearm (17 is too young for a pistol, according to the law), he has no appreciation of gun safety. It is just a guess that he and his friends are up to no good, but I don't see that as a stretch.

So do we think that the punishment will fit the crime, or will some bit of Social Justice be invoked to reduce the actual justice. Put another way, do you believe that the Left will want to see the current set of gun laws enforced, or will the be ignored in this case, while they clamor for more gun laws?

And if he is released, how long will it be before he shoots, or kills, someone and it is intentional?

A Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey

DanikaXIX is fast becoming one of my favorite YouTube creators. Her video from Monday, 2 October is a review of Stanley Kubrick's Sci-Fi masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which she describes as her favorite movie.

As Danika warns in the opening to the video, there are a ton of spoilers in this review, but given that the movie came out in 1968, if you haven't seen it, you probably aren't worried about seeing it.

IF you have not seen it, you should. It is a classic movie, and while the future as seen from 1968 doesn't always hold up, it often does. Danika explains how that is, the few times it comes up.

This is the Comic Book Girl 19 video 2001: A Space Odyssey EXPLAINED in 2001 Seconds.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 4 October

EBL - Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's Very Bad Tuesday

RedState: Chaos ensues, McCarthy not runing again
Townhall: McCarthy won't run again as Speaker
Battle Swarm: McCarthy outsted as Speaker

The DaleyGator - Daily Top 5

American Greatness
Time For Every GOP Candidate Not Named Trump or DeSantis to Drop Out
After watching two horribly moderated GOP debates I have seen enough.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 30 September 2023: Stolen Hour Edition

Six hysterical children are suing Europe for not preventing the sky from falling. (BBC)
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.

Political Hat - News of the Week (October 1st, 2023)

Judge Benitez destroys the 2.2 rounds per DGU lie once and for all
Over two years ago, I read through some court filings in Duncan v. Bonta, the lawsuit against California’s ““large capacity” magazine ban.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 10/2/2023

2-Out-of-3 Gen Z-ers Still Get Financial Help From Their Parents
A recent poll surveying 1,000 U.S. residents reveals that a sizable number haven’t ventured as far from home as they once imagined they would.

A View from the Porch - Flotsam and Jetsam - And Just Like That Maryland Has 3 Senators

At TownHall Matt Vespa provides The 'Hitchhiker's Guide' to Matt Gaetz's Plot to Remove Kevin McCarthy. Western Journal claims McCarthy Says He Doesn't Want to Be Part of Republican Team After Passing Continuing Resolution.

Small Dead Animals - Saturday On Turtle Island

Britain: Another history lesson with Neil Oliver. Today In Islam: Mohammad is taking over the world.
Dementia Joe’s America: The evidence of corruption. Joe’s Democrat Party hates America. An American nightmare. Looting is reparations by other means.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

Maria Servold reports on the increasing wokeness of schools of journalism.
Tom Jefferson writes about “the covid backpedaling race.”

Vlad Tepes - Whats her face, Clyde on the new podcast controls in Canada and a few more video analysis on relevant issues: Links 1 for October 2, 2023

2. Clyde Do Something is discussing the Trudeau plan to regulate Canadian podcasts. There is some controversy about what this law actually is doing. But that is not a surpirse, all of Trudeau’s totalitarian moves are usually disguised as something ‘reasonable’

Don Surber - Highlights of the week

ITEM 7: Texas has a murder rate of 10.3 per 100,000 residents — the 15th highest in the country.
DC’s rate is 49.2 — higher than any state.

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

The Don't Hire Women Act?
NYT ‘Fearless’ Writer Advises Men To Ditch Masculinity. But That’s Why So Many Men Are Depressed.

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 10/3/23

"Efforts to promote diversity have been objectively racist against whites."
No Jobs for White Men

I leave you with Sunday Funnies For 10-01-23 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Saturday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Tuesday's gifs from Wirecutter.

Cops Don't Believe the Law Applies to Them

There are actually two incidents detailed in this article. I will only deal with the one in the headline. Grandmother 'sexually humiliated' by police in 'torture warehouse': lawsuit

A grandmother is suing the Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) after allegedly being "sexually humiliated" inside a "torture warehouse" after a traffic stop, she claims in a lawsuit as the department reels from the fallout of the now-shuttered facility.

The department is facing compounding scrutiny after the FBI opened a civil rights investigation into a facility nicknamed the "Brave Cave," stemming from lawsuits filed by Ternell Brown and Jeremy Lee in September and August, respectively.

In the case of Brown it started small.

Brown was pulled over for her vehicle's window tint on June 10, per body camera footage reviewed by Fox News Digital. Officers asked her and her husband to stand outside the car with their hands on the back hood. After spotting an open Twisted Tea, they searched the vehicle and found two different types of pills prescribed to Brown stored together in the same bottle.

Brown's attorneys allege that their client told officers "at least four times" that the pills were legally prescribed to her and claim that their combined storage is not illegal.

She was taken to the Drug Facility known as the "Brave Cave" and strip searched. No procedures were followed. No documentation was provided.

Thompson told Fox News Digital that a medical professional must execute these searches per department policy, a measure that was not taken in Brown's case. A supervisor should be called for clearance, and then a warrant must be filed with a judge or magistrate, he said. To perform a body cavity search, the lawyer said, "something needs to be found" to warrant it during a body cavity search, and nothing was found in the searches of Brown and Lee.

"There is supposed to be documentation for why a strip search is needed. I have not seen any documentation as far as the findings and the reasoning," Thompson said.

The department has put out some meaningless boilerplate statement in the face of the lawsuit. They have closed the facility and disbanded the drug unit. But the reasoning of the cops is clear. They are fighting the war are drugs and nothing, not police procedure or the constitution, will be allowed to stand in their way. And they can do anything they please.

Four officers are facing charges over these two incidents. I will be surprised if anything comes of that.

Hat tip to SHTF Plan and The Free Thought Project. It is an article that mentions similar activities in Chicago at the infamous Homan Square facility.

This is not merely about Baton Rouge or Chicago; this is about an insidious mindset that considers certain lives disposable, all in the name of intelligence gathering or maintaining an ostensible semblance of control.

For those of you unfamiliar with Chicago's Homan Square, here is a bit from 2015 where the link is still good. Chicago Police: Routine Violence and Civil Rights Abuses.

Welcome to the police state. Another hint that you no longer live in the country you thought you did, but a country that resembles a tyranny more every year.

Social Justice Chickens Come Home to NYC

This is ironic. NYC bodega worker Jose Alba sues DA Alvin Bragg, NYPD for racial discrimination

A former bodega clerk who was infamously charged with murder after fatally stabbing an attacker in his store last year in what he claimed was self-defense is suing lefty Manhattan District Attorney Alvin [Bragg] and the New York City Police Department for racial discrimination.

Because Bragg is clearly treating people differently based on their race. Prosecuting some races, and not prosecuting others. Because Social Justice is not Justice.

“We can’t keep pitting ourselves against each other based on race,” [an attorney for the former clerk] added.

It will be interesting to see how Alvin Bragg defends racial discrimination as the cure for racial discrimination.

Fly Me To The Moon

Mark Tremonti is a Rock & Roll guitarist and singer. He has a group Tremonti, and he also is part of the band Alter Bridge and also the band Creed.

For this solo outing, he teamed up with some of Frank Sinatra's orchestra, and recorded a number of songs made famous by that singer. This is one of my favorite Sinatra songs, and Mark Tremonti does a fantastic job.

This is "Fly Me To The Moon" by Mark Tremonti from the album Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra

Tuesday Links - 3 October

Not the Bee starts us off with Firearms and ammunition are forbidden in the Netherlands, so how did they just have a mass shooting?

The leftists will insist that the following story is impossible considering the Netherlands has outlawed all firearms, ammunition, and weapons of any kind including swords, knives, grenades, and pepper spray.

Nonetheless in defiance of all leftist logic, a mass shooter went on a rampage in Rotterdam, Netherlands, killing three people and setting fire to a hospital.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 30 September 2023: Stolen Hour Edition

French AI company Mistral has released an LLM with no strings attached and the commies are furious. (404 Media)

We've seen what American AI companies do with - or rather, to - their products. ChatGPT will argue endlessly that it's better to let millions of people die in a nuclear fireball than utter a racial slur that nobody will hear. (And also keeps forgetting how to derive the prime factors of small positive integers.) Midjourney will suffer an aneurysm if you use the word "petite" when describing the image you want to generate.

Chicks on the Right - Elon Musk Tells AOC She’s “Just Not That Smart”

Meanwhile, AOC is the only barmaid to have never brought anything to the table.

From Second City Cop - Plea Deal in Officer's Murder. The plea is for an accomplice.

We remember the days when everyone in the car got charged....and got convicted.

Crimesha's office didn't say anything about this piece of shit testifying for his sweetheart deal, but then, she's a piece of shit, too, and shit sticks together.

The Other McCain - Let’s Play, ‘Find the Hidden Racism’!

Appalling is a word we don’t use often enough, but it’s perhaps the best word for what is going on in America’s public schools in the name of “social justice.” You may not be able to read the text in that screen-cap, but apparently academics have invented a term, “evaded racism.”

Self-defense is Legal in Georgia

I thought it was, but you're never really sure. Statesboro Police and DA rule Connection shooting death self defense - Grice Connect

There have been very few details released from the investigation, such was it a robbery, or a domestic situation. In the end, this is what matters.

The facts of the investigation support a finding that Chapman’s death resulted from an act of self-defense by another party. No charges will therefore be brought against the individual who fired the fatal shots according to SPD.

Statesboro, Georgia is about 45 miles northeast of Savannah, or about 70 miles south of Augusta. Longer if you are counting highway miles.

Self-defense is a human-right, and it seems to be your legal right in Georgia. (Hat tip to Keep and Bear Arms.)

FTX "Independent" Auditor Sued by SEC

It seems they were not always so independent. Former FTX auditor Prager Metis sued by SEC for hundreds of alleged violations

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against auditor Prager Metis, who they allege violated auditor independence rules and aided and abetted their clients' violations of federal securities laws. According to the SEC, Prager Metis included indemnification provisions in more than 200 audits, reviews, and exams, which renders the firm no longer independent in its investigations of those clients.

The SEC has not released a list of clients, or tied this suit to the collapse of FTX.

The "Grift Counter" on Web3 Is Going Just Great stands at $68.24 billion dollars as I type this. That is the amount that people who were sure they understood crypto have lost, through scams, fraud, hacks, etc. I don't believe that counts the collapse in value of various NFTs, but I could be wrong.

Crypto was the new Get Rich Quick scheme. "Get Rich Quick" falls under the heading: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Democrats Versus the Open Border

Why they ever thought it was a good idea. Oh yeah, it was a way to dig at Trump and prove how woke they are. Were? Gov. Hochul concedes border 'is too open' and that 'a limit' needed on who can cross

New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul went on a rant Sunday against US border policies, demanding “a limit on who can come across” and more agents to capture illegal migrants.

If a Republican said that they would be called RACIST (all caps) for days.

So how bad do things need to be for the Democrats in Washington DC to lose the Democrats in New York State? Pretty bad, I'm guessing.

Ritual

Within Temptation is one of my favorite Heavy Metal bands. They have an album coming out near the end of October, and to support that album they have released a single.

This is "Ritual" by Within Temptation. It was released as a single on Friday, September 29th ahead of their October 20th album, Bleed Out.

Democrats in Chicago Waking Up to the Reality of Democratic Policies

It took a while. ‘Everyone is so freaked out’: Armed robbery crews sweep city as Chicago police task forces struggle with brazen crimes

While armed robberies are nothing new in Chicago, a disturbing new pattern has emerged in recent months where crews of robbers — many of them juveniles — toting high-powered weapons go on crime sprees, robbing or carjacking multiple victims in a matter of minutes, often using stolen cars and dressed head to toe in black.

They seem to be constantly one step ahead of authorities. Before police can even respond to one scene, more have popped up, leaving dozens upon dozens of victims in their wake.

The Powers that Be, namely Mayor Brandon Johnson and his new police Superintendent, are trying to spin the situation. It is working too well.

The sheer volume of robberies has left aldermen frustrated and many residents of frequently targeted neighborhoods frightened. At a community meeting Monday evening in Humboldt Park, local leaders, anti-violence workers and police officials attempted to address area residents’ safety concerns and more fully explain the challenges.

"Fully explain the challenges." That translates on you are too stupid to understand what is actually going on, and we need to explain things to you 'better' so that you will go away and leave us alone.

There is a lot more, including interviews with crime victims, statements from politicians, and some statistics on things like motor vehicle thefts.

It can all be summed up as follows:

“The problem is there have been too many elected officials failing to do their duty to keep the worst of people off the streets,” Waguespack said. “North Side, South Side, West Side. It’s bad all around. People are angry.”

But then these are the policies that the people of Chicago have been voting for over the past several years. And not just Chicago, but NYC, and Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and California, etc. It is hard to believe that they didn't know what would happen.

Government Efforts to Stop Disinformation Censored the Truth

From The World Tribune: Epidemiologist: ‘People died’ because feds conspired to censor true information on Covid

Harvard University Professor of Medicine Martin Kulldorff, one of the plaintiffs in Missouri v. Biden, said “it wasn’t just that the government censored false information but it censored true information” about Covid. “Of course, the First Amendment should be valid for both, but it’s also true that the government censored true information, and people died because of that.”

One fact the government continually censored is that people who make it through a Covid infection develop robust immunity against a repeat infection, Kulldorff told The Federalist in an interview published on Sept. 28. The immunity conferred on survivors of most diseases, “We’ve known about this since 400 BC with the Athenian plague. We’ve known about this for 2,000 years, yet they questioned that for Covid,” he added said. “It’s astonishing.”

There is more. Click thru.

What Did You Do at 12 Years of Age for Fun?

I don't think carjacking was high on the list, but that is just a guess. 12-year-old among 4 detained following Loop carjacking - CWB Chicago

Three boys, ages 12 to 16, face charges after a man was carjacked in the Loop on Thursday evening. Charges are pending against a fourth suspect, according to Chicago police.

Armed carjacking of course.

This story is a bit odd, because he wasn't driving at the time. They took his keys, and found his car nearby, so I guess it applies.

Cops located the vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway, and they were stopped shortly after that in the Loop.

There is no cash bail in Illinois anymore, so I don't expect them to do any time in the next few years. A speedy trial? Don't make me laugh.

Another Disney Remake. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

You would think that they are getting enough grief over Snow Not-White and the 7 Portland Baristas. Apparently not. Disney's move to 'modernize' 'Bambi' remake sparks anger

Disney’s plans to give “Bambi” a modern twist — possibly downplaying the tragic death of his mom — has sparked backlash against the company’s woke crusade to meddle with its classic films.

Because there are no orphans in the world who. They don't need to be represented. (I guess going through an actual tragedy doesn't give you any woke points.) Nothing tragic happens in 21st Century America.

There is plenty of snark, taken mostly from the Social Media Platform Formerly Known as Twitter, but you can read that for yourself. I will leave you with the one real criticism.

“Dragging out classics from the graves & putting on shiny new clothes to squeeze more money out of them is disrespectful to their legacy,” commented Mani Artist via X. “You’re meant to be a creative company, stop rehashing and go create!”

For a 10 minute video on the travesty that are these Disney remakes, see the Film Courage interview with Chris Gore. Actually it is a 10 minute excerpt from a much longer interview, but it is ten minutes on Disney live-action remakes. Film Courage: The Worst Movies Of Our Time - Chris Gore

Even in the People's Republic of California, Self-defense is a Thing

Not that the powers-that-be will recognize it. Massage business customer shoots would-be robber in Riverside - ABC7 Los Angeles

The incident happened shortly before 10 p.m. at E-Joy Foot And Body Massage, according to Riverside Police Department.

The customer opened fire after two men broke in and tried to rob the establishment, police said. Authorities initially identified the shooter as an employee.

At least one of the robbers was armed, and he dropped his firearm when he got shot.

Cops found him nearby, and took him to a local hospital. The other guy got away.

Even the cops are starting to recognize that sometimes, you can't just "give them what they want" and "hope for the best."

"Just like when you're inside your own home or a business, if harm's way comes to you, you do have a right to defend yourself if you or others are at risk of serious bodily harm or even death," Officer Ryan Railsback, spokesman for the Police Department, said.

Though he does walk that back a bit in favor of the "be a good witness" BS. (Be a meek victim.)

Self-defense is a human-right. (Hat tip to Red State.)

A Police Force Encouraging Citizens to Carry Arms?

But then these are terrorist threats. Police urge gun owners to carry at synagogue as terror alerts spike at High Holidays | Jews Can Shoot

Police note 15% rise in warnings compared to recent months, likely to rise further in lead-up to Yom Kippur next week; authorities encourage public to be extra vigilant

Click thru for the quote on carrying weapons.

And Israel is going to loosen restrictions. Also from Jews Can Shoot: Israel To Loosen Legal Gun Licensing

There were 2 shootings. At one, outside a Jerusalem synagogue, no one was armed until police arrived. Seven Israelis were murdered by a Palestinian.

At the other shooting, a soldier on leave was carrying a weapon, when a Palestinian opened fire.

He immediately fired at the boy, likely preventing a wider attack. There were no Jewish fatalities in the incident and the Palestinian assailant is still in an Israeli hospital.

In the aftermath of these two shootings, the police admit that they can't be everywhere, and are going to relax rules on who can carry weapons.

Not A Danger to Public Safety

I'm going to miss living in a civilized society. Cashless bail: Judge refuses to jail Chicago man accused of shooting dog, having 50-round ammo magazines - CWB Chicago

He shot a dog, then when the police showed up, he ran.

The arrest report said Bender ran behind a home and threw a backpack over a fence before the cops caught him. The backpack contained a loaded 9-millimeter handgun equipped with a laser sight, loose ammunition, and two 50-round drum magazines, according to the report.

No problem in Chicago. So why do we have gun laws in the Left won't enforce them?