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New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

arstechnica.com

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Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#71

Post by mapt »

shill wrote: post #60
mapt wrote: post #39

Yes, it's a ballsy logo, but on the other hand... Wikipedia tells us that NROL-39's payload is actually a Topaz synthetic aperture radar (SAR) node, flying in constellation with two others already in operation, and two more to come. This is essentially not-at-all-threatening to civil liberties, being a ground-elevation mapping platform (and to a second order, some degree of surface roughness), of not particularly goo…

If there was Wikipedia in 1974 it would have told us that the Glomar Explorer was built to mine manganese nodules from the ocean floor.

And what is it you suppose this satellite is tasked with?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NRO_Launches

This is an intelligence mission, it's just one of the least sinister of all the intelligence missions that can be performed from space. We are performing those missions - just not on this launch.

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#72

Post by joezydeco »

rcavezza wrote: post #38
spodek wrote: post #3

Link-baity title, but warranted, I'd say. The story is that the government is launching a spy satellite with a logo on it featuring a "mascot" -- a giant Kraken-like octopus taking over the planet. Whoever created it could only have been thinking of their bureau's unchecked ability to do what it wanted and not the public's perception of it because the creature, especially its eye, looks menacing, ominous, foreboding,…

This reminds me of a relevant Mitchell ans Webb clip, "Are we the baddies?". As an American, I'm having trouble deciding if if we are at this point. Edited to add clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2XGQBcvxQ

I've been wondering the same thing. We used to use this image to portray our enemies...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ba42Z0lCMAAfkzM.jpg

http://iranpoliticsclub.net/politics/IRI-problem/images/Iran...

http://streetsofsalem.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/octopus-ge...

http://streetsofsalem.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/octopus-ma...

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#73

Post by bananacurve »

iaskwhy wrote: post #65
bananacurve wrote: post #62

HN has been seriously trolled. You would think smart people have a sense of humor. You would be wrong.

I'd say after some point it starts being black humour instead of just humour. Even more if the ones doing it are precisely the ones fucking with us. Some people might like it, some won't.

The thing is, even if you somehow manage to unilaterally hamsting US intelligence efforts, which is extremely unlikely because the entire West is complicit, you will still be spied on unless you protect yourself with extreme measures which are onerous. Have a laugh, go outside, life is short.

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#74

Post by drzaiusapelord »

spodek wrote: post #3

Link-baity title, but warranted, I'd say. The story is that the government is launching a spy satellite with a logo on it featuring a "mascot" -- a giant Kraken-like octopus taking over the planet. Whoever created it could only have been thinking of their bureau's unchecked ability to do what it wanted and not the public's perception of it because the creature, especially its eye, looks menacing, ominous, foreboding,…

> It implies the agency is insular, unaccountable, and has an aggressive, secret agenda

You're giving these people way too much credit. Military and intelligence patches are all about bravado and "USA #1" not some sophisticated and cryptic critique of their employer. I've had a long time interest in this stuff and let me tell you, its all tasteless and dumb, with the occasional touch of humor. The patch critical of the USG simply wouldn't be approved. There's no big anti-US message here. Its exactly as it seems.

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#75

Post by iaskwhy »

bananacurve wrote: post #73
iaskwhy wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say after some point it starts being black humour instead of just humour. Even more if the ones doing it are precisely the ones fucking with us. Some people might like it, some won't.

The thing is, even if you somehow manage to unilaterally hamsting US intelligence efforts, which is extremely unlikely because the entire West is complicit, you will still be spied on unless you protect yourself with extreme measures which are onerous. Have a laugh, go outside, life is short.

You realise you can use that same logic to avoid fighting for anything, right? I don't really care if life is short, I won't cross my arms.

I did have a laugh though but I would very much appreciate not needing to laugh at it at all. What I did say is that it doesn't matter if you think you are smart or not, laughing of certain things have no relation whatsoever with being smart or not.

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#77

Post by jlarocco »

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #74
spodek wrote: post #3

Link-baity title, but warranted, I'd say. The story is that the government is launching a spy satellite with a logo on it featuring a "mascot" -- a giant Kraken-like octopus taking over the planet. Whoever created it could only have been thinking of their bureau's unchecked ability to do what it wanted and not the public's perception of it because the creature, especially its eye, looks menacing, ominous, foreboding,…

> It implies the agency is insular, unaccountable, and has an aggressive, secret agenda You're giving these people way too much credit. Military and intelligence patches are all about bravado and "USA #1" not some sophisticated and cryptic critique of their employer. I've had a long time interest in this stuff and let me tell you, its all tasteless and dumb, with the occasional touch of humor. The patch critical of t…

It's certainly not a critique.

To me it shows that the people in the agency are oblivious to the rest of the world outside of the agency.

There have been a bunch of embarrassing revelations about domestic and foreign spying, but instead of being embarrassed or ashamed like they should be, they're as gung-ho and bold as ever.

It's no wonder there have been so many slip ups when they're so clueless about public perception. It doesn't take a secret spy agency to realize this logo would not go over well.

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#78

Post by ninjac0der »

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #69
rcavezza wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminds me of a relevant Mitchell ans Webb clip, "Are we the baddies?". As an American, I'm having trouble deciding if if we are at this point. Edited to add clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2XGQBcvxQ

Yes. We are the baddies. Have been for a while.

Wow, only one person I can agree with at the bottom. Must still be too comfortable at the top of the heap.

Re: New US spy satellite logo features world-devouring octopus

#80

Post by rbanffy »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #15
timbro wrote: post #4

"NOTHING IS BEYOND OUR REACH" says their tag line. Let that sink in for a minute. It's the mindset of crazies.

Or the mindset of a spy sattelite. I honestly don't get what the fuss is all about. They wouldn't launch a spy sattellite with the tagline 'We can only see a very small bit of earth after getting a court to agree on it in triplets', would they?

Or it could just name the satellite, maybe have a deliberately inaccurate picture of it and be done with it.

Their job is not to call attention for themselves and now that attention was called, their job is not to make it worse. We all agree they have a job to do (even if we cannot agree whether the job is necessary) and this kind of publicity makes it harder to do it.

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