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The Office of National Intelligence launched a new spy satellite, NROL-39, late Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence actually live tweeted the launch, showcasing the mission’s creeptastic new logo.
First, they live-tweeted the launch of spy satellites. Think about that for a moment.
We all know that these sats will be used to gather communications from all around the world and not just from our mortal enemies, the terrorists, either. After Snowden and the NSA, listening in on foreign leaders’ phone calls, and the vacuuming up of any information sent digitally that isn’t encrypted, the use of “dragnet surveillance” through these satellites is a touchy subject with a lot of people these days. When you think of just how much power the NSA and other intel agencies have, this silly “look at us, we’re cool kids” social media roll out of NROL-39 is either more evidence of a tone-deaf bureaucracy or the height of great arrogance or pathetically, both.
Now let’s talk about the creepy octopus. I doubt it’s an attempt to embrace a new image but who knows with this group. Yes, the regime loves optics, but this thing is a big FAIL. Check this out.
“NROL-39 is represented by the octopus, a versatile, adaptable, and highly intelligent creature. Emblematically, enemies of the United States can be reached no matter where they choose to hide,” says Karen Furgerson, a spokesperson for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). “‘Nothing is beyond our reach’ defines this mission and the value it brings to our nation and the warfighters it supports, who serve valiantly all over the globe, protecting our nation.”
Ok. On it’s face, that *sounds* good. But then you have to add the logo…
A stupid-looking cheesy cartoon-character logo – juxtaposition’d against a quasi sinister tag line that causes average Americans to wonder about intent – from an agency with a $10.3 billion budget.
Now I’m all about tracking down our enemies any and everywhere they hide – and let’s kill them while we’re at it – but nobody expects a “spy agency” to boast about how good it is at spying, do they? This particular group has been incompetent, in every sense of the word. Not only do they spy and steal our information and monitor our every move, but now they thump their chests about it. Our government is utterly out of control.
But then, we knew this.
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Great Weekend Blog Reading Links!
Teach at Pirate’s Cove is blogging about “Fish Wrap: A Pay Raise For Fast Food But Cut Military Pay”. 😀
The Other McCain has many good blog posts up including this one by Stacy on “Disapprove of Gay Sex With Teenagers? ‘In That Case Just Shut Your Mouth’”.
Phineas at Sister Toldjah has up this post on “Iran can go on enriching, but music teachers must be stopped”.
Professor Jacobson at Legal Insurrection has up a post today on “Nelson Mandela”. Go read it.
V the K at Gay Patriot has up this blog post called “Again With the Wedding Cakes”.
Glenn Reynolds or Instapundit has many great posts at his blog hub from all over the blogosphere so go check them out! And you can read a great column Glenn did for USA Today called “Abolish the TSA”, here.
Emily at NakedDC has a blog post up called “California would like you to give the gift of government health care”.
Dana at The First Street Journal has up a post called “Rule 5 Blogging: Life in the Combat Zone”. It has pictures. 🙂
As always, Michelle Obama’s Mirror has up this post “Christmas Without Tinsel: Unemployment Really is a Zero Sum Game”.
Jammie at Jammie Wearing Fools has up this post “Of Course: Obama Commemorates Pearl Harbor With a Photo of Himself”. No shock there.
Jonn at This Ain’t Hell has this post up called “Hagel promises an arms race to Gulf allies”.
Evil Blogger Lady has up this post on “Obama Administration says it is okay for wind farms to kill eagles… “. At least for 30 years or so.
LongTabSigO at Blackfive has up a post called “Two thousand mice dropped on Guam by parachute — to kill snakes”. Um…
Jeff at The Quinton Report has up this post “South Carolina Sheriff refuses to lower flag to half-staff for Mandela’s death”.
Donald Douglas at American Power has up this blog post on “Communist Fidel Castro with Nelson Mandela in South Africa”.
and finally, Ace at AoSHQ has up this post on “Seven out of Ten Doctors Are Boycotting Obamacare in California, and Aren’t Participating in the System”. As always, read the comments!
Have a terrific weekend!
ALman says: Freaky Cartoonish. Isn’t an octopus slimy? If so, then that would be fitting, fitting in deed?
Kate says: Ah… great observation! 😉
ALman says: It seems the oath “Preserve and Protect” has now become “Spy and Intrude”!
GWB says: I love the story about the mouse paratroopers. Innovative solutions to hard problems. I hate BTS – all the power outages kill electronics (a good UPS will barely last you your entire 2-year tour there, instead of the 5+ it should last). And then there’s the freak-out factor – all the rumors and such making young mothers fear leaving their babies in the crib, or afraid to sit on the toilet*. And, for years, the damage done to vehicles being shipped off the island because the snake dogs (Jack Russels trained to smell out BTS) would go all VanDamme when they found a snake. (They changed the rules on how to train the dogs because of all the damages the military was paying out.)
Also loving the sheriff who refuses to put his flag at half-staff. The half-staff thing really chafes me, as it has turned into an “awww, we feel really bad that someone nice died” gesture, instead of the acknowledgement that a US citizen, serving actively in government, has passed. In other words, the only person to who the American flag is ever lowered in honor is an American citizen.
* Some of the rumors included BTS (Brown Tree Snakes) getting into cribs and killing (or even eating) babies. Mind you, these snakes are really not that large. Another rumor was of snakes coming up through the sewer into the toilet. They aren’t water snakes, either. But, naturally, military families on their way to Guam get an anodized “don’t worry, all that stuff you hear is untrue” from the military, and a “ZOMG! They eat your babies and crawl up your behind on the toilet and they have magic powers to ….” from some hysterical folks on the island, and assume the military response must be the untrue one.
GWB says: “to whom” damnit
A preview function sure would be nice *sigh*
GWB says: As to the logo…. I think in 2000, it would have been a great logo. Maybe even in 2006. It’s a great metaphor – menacing the enemy with a “you can’t run and you can’t hide” meme. That’s the sort of thing I *want* my military intelligence folks doing. I *want* them thumping their chests about it.
But, fast forward to 2013 and post-Snowden (and post-Patriot Act to many). Now, with many Americans certain their own government is spying on them, it becomes creepy and sinister. Now everyone wonders just who they’re talking to when they say “you can’t hide.” Add this to each new revelation (like this weekend’s news that government types were in MMORPGs to try and sniff out bad guys planning their moves in those places), and it goes well over the line to sinister.
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