Questioning the answer "42"

"Life, the Universe, and Everything. There is an answer. But, I'll have to think about it." -Douglas Adams My name is Brandon. I blog about music, anthropology, justice, world events, humanism, tech, video games and web design.

[brandonmcpeak]

FB offers me 10 big ones in class action lawsuit for selling my likes

I got a very interesting email today from Facebook letting me know that they "may have" used me in one of their "Sponsored Stories"(i.e. telling my friends I liked something that I did not), for which they deny any wrongdoing and any liability whatsoever.

Naturally.

Nonetheless, they are proposing a "settlement ('Settlement')" <-- (how they wrote it) of a class action law suit brought against them for this advertising service. For their alleged guilt in maybe, definitely breaching my privacy, they will even pay me a settlement of up to $10 if I submit a timely and valid request.

No thanks, but FU too FB. Sketchy b**tards. 

[thinksquad-deactivated20190405]

[art-shannonigans]

Save. Our. Souls. by `AquaSixio

[brandonmcpeak]

Users of bit torrent site Demonoid will be disappointed to learn that the end seems to have come for the private tracker. Last week Ukrainian authorities showed up to shut the site down, only shortly after the site was taken down by what the site's owners thought was a massive DDoS attack.

Demonoid's admins also suspected that a separate hack on the site had been successfully carried out shortly after the attack, which was later confirmed by Colocall, their web host in Ukraine. The raid, confirmed by a Ukrainian government official, gives new context to the original Denial-of-Service site takedown and concurrent hacking exploit.

The Ukrainian government seems by all accounts to have carried out the attack and the hack in run up to the site shut down at host Colocall. But while it is scary to realize that governments carry out hacking attacks and sabotage, it isn't new news—the suspected joint U.S./Israeli malware attacks Flame and Stuxnet viruses have infected hundreds of thousands of computers all over the Middle East in the last few years. 

Questions are left unanswered though in regard to the Denial-of-Service attack. What was the method of the attack? The admins thought it to be a DDoS attack during and after their site was first taken down. Their web host confirmed the attack according to TorrentFreak. 

So was it actually a distributed attack? If so, it would seem to imply that Ukraine—and by implication other governments as well—employs a government botnet, perhaps composed of the tens or hundreds of thousands of individual computers owned and operated by the government.

This would certainly seem to be the most economical way to covertly operate a massively destructively means to take down almost any web site on a continuous basis. Governments have virtual armies of active computers at their disposal at any given time. 

Rather than being malware, the software running the botnet would be installed on some or all state-owned computers and be made to prioritize local use and not disrupt the host computer. But as soon as an active user stepped away, the computer would stand ready with its resources and computer connection, to be called into action as needed. 

While this is certainly a logistical possibility for governments who have a motive, we may never know. You can be assured that various state and other forces across globe do wield such computer armies.

But, though the U.S. may be pleased to have a new partner in copyright protection, Demonoid will likely soon be active again. Though their base was expelled from the Ukraine, their owners apparently live in Mexico.

[brandonmcpeak]

Track from the new Fang Island album, "Major". Official release date is two days out but Spotify has the entire thing. Very nice.

Thanks to Fang Island's self-titled first album, they're my most listened-to artist on last.fm by more than two times. It remains the catchiest, most triumphant music I have probably ever heard.

With the introduction of lyrics, they've traded off some of their lofty harmonic riffing in favor of a more vocal dynamic. I love the lyrics, though I don't think this album is going to match the magic for me.

Nonetheless, notwithstanding the contrast, this is a fantastic album and I can't wait to see where these guys go.

They have been at the very top of my must-see list for a long time. I tried to see them at SXSW in 2010 to no avail—their show having apparently vanished amidst the madness that is Southby. Some friends and I fought our way through the gauntlet of bodies, lines and noise to the venue, only to find that they weren't on the lineup and no one seemed to know anything about a Fang Island show.

Thanks to their tour for "Major", they're coming back to town next month! Just got tickets to see them with Adebisi Shank, another excellent instrumental math-rock band, on August 17 at Mohawk for $12!

Then they're coming back for Fun Fun Fun Fest in the Fall. Can't wait.

[waxandmilk]

When he was 28 years old, Bruce Lee wrote this letter stating his personal goals:

My Definite Chief Aim

I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.

Bruce Lee Jan. 1969

(via Letters of Note)

[brandonmcpeak]

Interesting story on how unemployment and the war on drugs helped turn hardcore rap music about drugs and criminality into the dominant cultural force representing black America.

Also, as a white fan of several hardcore/gangster rappers it made me think twice about my role in helping create this paradigm. Interesting to think that white hoodlums helped cement the image of the African American as hoodlum.

When its audience was black, hip-hop embraced black nationalism, Afrocentrism and social consciousness; it was rebellious and almost always antidrug. After the audience whitened, many MCs embraced criminality and sold the image of the criminalblackman. Black nationalism was out, embodying drug dealers was in.

I wonder what future historical accounts will have to say about rap's significance and the causes of our record incarceration levels. In America, probably very little.

Anyway, absolutely the most insightful and well-written piece I have read on the history of black incarceration and the war on drugs in America.

Now I'm going to listen to C.R.E.A.M.

[brandonmcpeak]

In-depth series of articles on a group of Sierra Leonean children who were adopted to American families during the country's civil war. The families allege that the children were "stolen" and have spent a decade seeking answers as to their childrens' whereabouts.

This against the backdrop of increasing awareness that such third-world adoption industries exist worldwide. Such black markets exist because in some places there are few revenue streams as large as humanitarian aid. The "adoption fees" paid by first-world adopters are large sums compared with local income.

For their part, the organization on the ground that facilitated the adoptions during the civil war say that these families are the ones that are trying to capitalize on what they see as a wealth-building opportunity.

Incredibly eye-opening piece on the dark side of aid, and how some people exploit for profit the good intentions of others.

[brandonmcpeak]

Martians vs. Goblins by Game feat. Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator

Brilliant, hilarious collaboration. Psychotic lyrics from Game, Tyler the Creator's nonsensical poetry, Lil' Wayne still being the definitive fucked-up-on drugs rapper.

Game: "Snatch up Rihanna and throw her in front of a f-ckin’ train Sniff a f-cking unemployment line of cocaine Tie Lil B up to a full tank of propane Swag, now watch him cook.. and just stand there and look"

Lil' Wayne: "Bitch I’m a muthaf-ckin Martian"

Tyler, the Creator: "I'm a goddamn goblin"

Lil Wayne: "Yah, I know"

[brandonmcpeak]

It's as if (most) Americans are the only ones who don't know that their government systematically exploits people and abuses human rights. We grew up with schoolroom propaganda about our own beneficence, heard stories of human rights abuses in foreign countries. The truth turns out to be that our government is not very different from others that abuse and exploit. And we are hardly any different than the propagandized masses anywhere else on this planet.

[brandonmcpeak]

Actors Against Acting Athletes: A powerful public service message from Gary Oldman, actor.

"Stay the f*** out of movies!"

Indeed, Mr. Oldman. 

[brandonmcpeak]

Can't possibly explain how excited I am about this. Morrowind is possibly my favorite game bar none; I was just thinking the other day of how awesome it would be if Bethesda recreated Morrowind using the Skyrim engine. And suddenly today I find out they don't have to. There's already a team of modders putting it together. They've already done an update like this with Morroblivion. Words cannot express how excited I am for this.