Posts by david kinniburgh

  • Hard News: Dirty Politics,

    FWIW:
    Shortly before his transition from AK City Councillor to MP for Botany, Jami-Lee Ross said (to me) that he talks to Cameron Slater regularly and has lunch with him once a week. The rot runs pretty deep

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: Media Take: Afghanistan,…,

    More from WaPo, that bastion of objective news reporting, on the scope of NSA's data collection:

    Many other files, described as useless by the analysts but nonetheless retained, have a startlingly intimate, even voyeuristic quality. They tell stories of love and heartbreak, illicit sexual liaisons, mental-health crises, political and religious conversions, financial anxieties and disappointed hopes. The daily lives of more than 10,000 account holders who were not targeted are catalogued and recorded nevertheless.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-nsa-intercepted-data-those-not-targeted-far-outnumber-the-foreigners-who-are/2014/07/05/8139adf8-045a-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: Media Take: Afghanistan,…,

    Stephen R, in reply to Ian Dalziel, about an hour ago
    But Mr key has said this kinda thing (Drone strikes, etc) is just ‘prosecuting’ suspected terrorists, and he’s comfortable with that – so what could possibly be wrong with that?

    Surely it’s actually conviction and capital punishment, rather than mere prosecution? Capital punishment without a trial; based on information provided by the NZ government (or the GCSB, which might be somewhat more independent).

    More details at:

    The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Drone strikes in Pakistan:
    CIA tactics in Pakistan include targeting rescuers and funerals: at this link

    http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/02/04/obama-terror-drones-cia-tactics-in-pakistan-include-targeting-rescuers-and-funerals/

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: Snowden and New Zealand, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Russell Brown: These Trojan horse systems were described by an NSA manager as being “some of the most productive operations in TAO because they pre-position access points into hard target networks around the world.” Has photographs.

    These would seem to be CISCO kit. All CISCO's modern routers use digitally signed firmware. This is specifically designed to meet government and industry requirements around firmware tampering. So, if the NSA is installing altered firmware, they have Cisco's private key (obtained by agreement or covertly) used to sign the firmware.

    CISCO is a company with over $10 billion quarterly revenue, and whose core business is Routers and switches. They need more customers in Asia to improve their falling revenue and expand their market.
    Most of these customers will now be asking questions about the security of their data, and are unlikely to accept CISCO going "Shock Horror" but doing nothing. This would confirm the view that CISCO was acting on behalf of the NSA, not their customers, with a flow on effect on sales.

    So CISCO is now in a position to sue the NSA for substantial loss of business. And for *a lot* of money. It would be very interesting to see NSA finally having to face some consequences of their actions. (Remember Sony Rootkit? )

    I await the details of the CISCO lawsuit . But I'm not holding my breath :-)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Language of Climate, in reply to Gareth,

    have a bit of a go at that.

    Kudos Gareth:-)
    I could expect that sort of tosh from WhaleOil/Slater, whose grip on reality in tenuous at the very least. But the Herald is meant to be the paper of record in NZ. Here, with the planet heading to conflagration, they are passing out buckets of petrol to the bystanders, so they can help put out the fire.
    So.. no more subs to the Herald.

    And while I'm on about my awakening from a media induced torpor,
    I'd suggest a look at
    http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.co.nz/
    for a perspective on the current Ukraine crisis from the POV of a RussoPhile living in the UK. He does things like actually print and comment on Putins speeches, which suddenly gives a point of contrast with the enormous stream of 'Pro Western' perspectives coming primarily from the US. To me its a classic demonstration of the framing theory of George (Don't think of an Elephant ) Lakoff which the 'backroom boys' use to 'create reality' by excluding alternative perspectives..

    Hmmm...must be time for my morning nap.. ;-)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Language of Climate,

    The Herald, demonstrating its editorial irresponsibility -publishes climate bunkum without right of reply / redress
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11234398
    ( Charles Moore was editor of The Daily Telegraph (1995-2003) and is the authorised biographer of Margaret Thatcher )

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: Friday Music: Both sides of…,

    YAMIS : I need to get back into reading those book thingys.

    Ah yes.. those thingys...the luxury of retiring to your own space without pressure to buy, beg or borrow; to open the pages and visit another world...
    This URL links Steinbeck, Guthrie to Springstein / Costello / Morello / the Mumfords

    The book itself is also on order with the excellent Auckland Library system....one of the better (socialist) things that came from council amalgamation...as is his laconic "We Meant Well : how I helped lose the battle for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people" ;-)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: Friday Music: Both sides of…, in reply to seabeew,

    seabeew, 5 days ago
    Best song? The Ghost of Tom Joad

    That song has inspired many many other folk ---see
    Ghosts of Tom Joad, A Story of the #99Percent
    at
    http://wemeantwell.com/blog/whats-next/

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Mayor's marginal enemies, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Took my family along to the Tattoo, just in case no one made LenBs family welcome.. Fortunately John Walker stepped up to the mark and made sure that everyone was warmly welcomed. Maybe this story is showing Brown as not lacking in courage and diplomacy, in contrast to his vociferous critics, who seem to lack both

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Mayor's marginal enemies, in reply to Russell Brown,

    And more nonsense from the Herald....
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11207454
    Fran O'sullivan, seeking to link Brown with Kim Dotcom, writes:

    Brown is also endowed with fighting spirit. He has a thick hide when it comes to public opprobrium. He was booed at the Auckland Nines and was asked not to attend a community military tattoo this weekend.

    No fact checking, just continuing to present the disgruntled Sharon Stewarts views as the truth.
    And perhaps she should pause in her ongoing hatchet job on KDC to read her colleagues excellent book "The Secret Life of Kim Dotcom" (By David Fisher, Senior Herald reporter, and available in the Auckland Library system )
    She finishes up

    Hounding politicians with trumped-up allegations is not a savoury sight.

    Time to look in the mirror Fran

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

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