Posts from — October 2015

Netgear router exploit has been detected. The patch will be out next Wednesday for the firmware. The exploit allows external access to the router to change the DNS settings among other things.

The first thing I did when I bought my new wireless router was to upgrade the firmware. I have yet to buy anything that has the current version of the firmware installed. I have serious doubts as to the number of users who are even aware that devices like routers and printers have firmware and/or device drivers that may need upgrades.

US to abandon training new Syria rebel groups:

The US is to end its efforts to train new Syrian rebel forces and says it will shift to providing equipment and weapons to existing forces.

Its $500m (£326m) programme was heavily criticised after it emerged that US-trained rebels had handed vehicles and ammunition over to extremists.

It emerged last month that only four or five of the fighters were in Syria.

When it became obvious that the program wasn’t working the Pentagon actually changed to a different program instead of doubling down and wasting even more time and money.

Rather amazing actually…

Not Too Bright

What’s a Godot?

[Editor: I think Hadley got conned by CC into waiting for nothing.]

Friday Ark

Russian Caspian missiles ‘fell in Iran’:

Four Russian cruise missiles fired at Syria from the Caspian Sea landed in Iran, unnamed US officials say.

It was unclear whether the missiles caused any damage, they said.

On Wednesday, Russia said it had fired 26 missiles at 11 targets in north and north-west Syria – about 1,500km (930 miles) away. On Thursday, it reiterated that all the rockets hit their targets.

If you are launching in the Caspian and targeting Syria without going through Turkish airspace, you go over Iran and Iraq. For the Russians and their lack of spending on weapons for decades, a failure rate a little above 15% isn’t too bad. It is reasonable to assume that there are all kinds and types of US surveillance of the entire area, so US officials should know, but why would they talk about it?

The rightwing ‘lint’ [too far out to be fringe] can’t even agree on a House Speaker: Republican Kevin McCarthy has dropped out of the race to be speaker of the US House of Representatives.

The GOP have 247 seats in the House. It requires 218 votes to elect a Speaker. Currently at least 30 of the ‘lint’ faction won’t support anyone who can win 188 votes from from the remaining 217 relatively sane Republicans.

Essentially they don’t want Boehner, and can’t elect one of their own, so we have a three party split in an organization designed for two parties.

Pass the popcorn. It’s a Wes Craven adaptation of a Chaplin screenplay, starring the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges with George Hamilton as the retiring Speaker of the House.

Position: 42.0N 37.0W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East [080°] near 35 mph [56 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 65 mph [100 kph].
Wind Gusts: 80 mph [130 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 310 miles [500 km].
Minimum central pressure: 977 mb.

Currently about 595 miles [ 960 km] West-Northwest of the Azores.

At 10PM CDT the NHC determined the storm had transitioned to a post-tropical cyclone. This is the final advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The Australian Government hails ‘giant foundation stone’ for Australia

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was clinched in the US city of Atlanta overnight after days of marathon talks and could influence everything from the price of cheese to the cost of cancer treatments.

The controversial deal involves Australia, Canada, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

It is expected to face great difficulties getting through a hostile US Congress and is also looking shaky in Canada, which is facing an imminent national election.

The Australian Government also has to convince parliament to back the agreement, Labor is seeking a briefing about the closely held detail of the deal.

The CBC doesn’t see much in the pact for people: Trans-Pacific Partnership unlikely to lower grocery or car costs much.

The BBC isn’t particularly interested.

Bernie Sanders is right. These deals haven’t ever been good for workers or the middle class. This deal should be called the “Full Employment for Vietnam Pact”, because that’s where the lowest wage rates exist.

The BBC reports on our ‘culture’: US boy, 11, held for shooting dead eight-year-old neighbour

An 11-year-old boy in the US state of Tennessee has been held on suspicion of shooting dead an eight-year-old girl in a row over a puppy.

The boy has been charged with first-degree murder as a juvenile.

According to police, he shot neighbour McKayla Dyer on Saturday evening after she refused to let him see her puppy.

Since he killed her, he probably has an Eddie Eagle certificate from the NRA. Apparently the boy’s father kept his shotgun loaded in case of the zombie apocalypse.

As the victim is a cute little blond, I surprised the US media isn’t covering it 24/7.

Position: 40.0N 53.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East-Northeast [065°] near 29 mph [46 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 80 mph [130 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 275 miles [445 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 974 mb.

Currently about 465 miles [ 745 km] South of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

Beginning to weaken while picking up speed to the Northeast.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

While I’ve been watching Joaquin, the Carolinas have been experiencing a 1000-year rain/flood event. The rain has tapered off but the flooding is far from over. So far there have been almost a dozen known deaths related to the storms. There are small dams and levees breaching. Roads and bridges have been washed away, while others are flooded. The power is out, and there is “water, water, everywhere nor any drop to drink” as the floods have contaminated drinking water systems.

Joaquin will probably be retired from the list of names after the mugging of the Bahamas. It was the most powerful storm since Igor in 2010, with winds of 155 mph and pressure of 934 mb.

It is almost certain that people died in the Bahamas, and the crew of the El Faro, 28 Americans and 5 Poles, have probably perished.

Position: 36.8N 62.7W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [035°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles [335 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 970 mb ↑.

Currently about 335 miles [ 535 km] North-Northeast of Bermuda.

Bermuda cancelled all warnings at 1PM CDT.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

As a result of all of the rain in Central America Guatemala has had a major landslide:

The Guatemalan authorities say the number of people killed when a hillside collapsed on houses in the village of El Cambray, 15km (nine miles) outside the capital, has risen to 73.

They said another 350 people were still believed to be missing under tonnes of rock and earth that slipped onto homes on Thursday night.

Then in Europe we had France floods: 16 dead on Riviera after storms

Violent storms and flooding have hit south-eastern France, killing at least 16 people with three more missing, officials say.

Three elderly people drowned when their retirement home near the city of Antibes was inundated with floodwater.

Others died trapped in their cars in tunnels and underground car parks as the waters rose.

French President Francois Hollande announced a state of “natural disaster” in the affected region.

And the flooding along the East Coast continues with tidal flooding from Joaquin and inland flooding from a stalled low pressure center. This October was acknowledged as the rainiest in South Carolina records with three weeks left.

Position: 33.1N 65.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northeast [025°] near 13 mph [20 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 185 miles [295 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 961 mb.

Currently about 70 miles [ 110 km] Northwest of Bermuda.

It looks like the storm is finally weakening.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Bermuda.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Anthony Zurcher, a BBC reporter covering the US has an interesting take on our political process: Fees, petitions and ‘extortion’ make getting on US ballots a challenge

Qualifying for those ballots is a state-by-state slog, with different rules and regulations for each. It takes time and money – and lots of it. Only the most organised, professional campaigns can manage the task.

For instance there’s a $1,000 (£6,600)[sic*] price tag attached to getting on the ballot in New Hampshire – the early-voting state that has made, and broken, many a candidacy.

That’s nothing, however, compared with South Carolina, the third state in the nominee selection process and a battleground for Republican candidates looking to build momentum as the Southern states hold their votes.

To have a shot at winning there, Republicans by Wednesday had to cut a cheque for $40,000 (£26,500) to the state’s Republican Party – half of which is passed along to the state government for administrative costs. The other $20,000 goes straight to the party’s coffers.

“It’s extortion,” says Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News. And it may not even be legal.

So the South Carolina GOP and state government split a half million plus. Not a bad scam and it keeps the ‘lower orders’ from aspiring to higher office.

* – It should read £660, as Steve Bates noted.