Gas Shortage

[The Sultan]

What should we make of the FoxNews story that the hackers were paid $4-5 mlll in cryptocurrency to resume service? 

I would guess its accurate.  From what I understand, in many of these cases, it's often just easier to pay the hackers.

[YaBlueIt]

It is just as much as a once in a lifetime pandemic was the fault of Don.  No one is blaming Joe for the attack, the response of his administration has been lackluster.   

Throw it on top of the rising gas prices because of his energy policies, the mess in the Middle East, higher then expected inflation, southern border chaos only getting worse, dismal job numbers and its been a helluva first 3 months for the guy.  But on the bright side....no mean tweets!!!

Sooo close to hitting all the Fox News talking points. You forgot to add that the national debt now is a major concern for the first time in 4 years.

But I'll give it a B+ for effort.

[Pakuni]

One station near me required a minimum purchase of $40.  Not sure what the thought process was.  Maybe to keep people from coming back to fill up their lawnmower 2 gallon containers. Maybe requiring cars to be running on fumes before letting them fill up.

That's a very big plastic bag.

[StillAWarrior]

That's a very big plastic bag.

Standard kitchen garbage bag.

[Jockey]

I would guess its accurate.  From what I understand, in many of these cases, it's often just easier to pay the hackers.

Makes one wonder what the Disaster Recovery and backup protocols were for the company.

At the company that I worked at, I was part of the Recovery team and there were very strict and time sensitive procedures to follow to get the company up and running ASAP - especially assuming a catastrophic failure as was the case at the pipeline.

[Skatastrophy]

Makes one wonder what the Disaster Recovery and backup protocols were for the company.

At the company that I worked at, I was part of the Recovery team and there were very strict and time sensitive procedures to follow to get the company up and running ASAP - especially assuming a catastrophic failure as was the case at the pipeline.

Man I'm pretty technical and I don't know anything about backup/recovery for controller software and firmware. I'd imagine at least some of it would have to be on-site... but I doubt they ever release the details of what compromised exactly.

[Billy Hoyle]

That's a very big plastic bag.

Have there been any actual reports of people in the US filling up plastic bags? The widely circulated photo is actually from 2019, was taken in Mexico, and is not gasoline but rather Huachicol, a ridiculously potent Mexican alcoholic beverage (their moonshine, it seems).

[pacearrow02]

Sooo close to hitting all the Fox News talking points. You forgot to add that the national debt now is a major concern for the first time in 4 years.

But I'll give it a B+ for effort.

Thank you!  You can call them Fox talking points but are you also arguing they aren't true?

[Pakuni]

Have there been any actual reports of people in the US filling up plastic bags? The widely circulated photo is actually from 2019, was taken in Mexico, and is not gasoline but rather Huachicol, a ridiculously potent Mexican alcoholic beverage (their moonshine, it seems).

There are Krogers in Mexico?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHYElBwJIZ4&t=8s

[Jockey]

Man I'm pretty technical and I don't know anything about backup/recovery for controller software and firmware. I'd imagine at least some of it would have to be on-site... but I doubt they ever release the details of what compromised exactly.

If it reached the firmware level - you are correct. Colonial Pipeline only said the ransomware attack affected some of its IT systems.

[Uncle Rico]

Thank you!  You can call them Fox talking points but are you also arguing they aren't true?

The mess in the Middle East began about a millennium ago or so.  Most Americans are too dense to understand the history of the Middle East, so I'm not surprised you don't.

[Pakuni]

Thank you!  You can call them Fox talking points but are you also arguing they aren't true?

Rising gas prices are overwhelmingly the result of the economy's reopening and OPEC cutting production, not domestic energy policy.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Sooo close to hitting all the Fox News talking points. You forgot to add that the national debt now is a major concern for the first time in 4 years.

But I'll give it a B+ for effort.

Funny how lefties know more about "Fox talking points" than most on the right.   

[StillAWarrior]

There are Krogers in Mexico?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHYElBwJIZ4&t=8s

Perhaps I'm just hoping to place more faith in my fellow citizens than they deserve, but I do note that the video picks up after the bag is already full of...something. I've seen another picture (admittedly of speculative authenticity) showing sealed bags filled with liquid in a car trunk. Again, very difficult to really know what is in those bags. But at least those were bags that seemed watertight and sealed. I just have a very, very difficult time believing that anyone would try to put gas in a plastic grocery bag. I'm skeptical, but who knows...

[wadesworld]

Funny how lefties know more about "Fox talking points" than most on the right.   

It's pretty easy to pick them out.  You don't have to watch Fox News to know.  Just takes a basic level of intelligence and common sense.  So I guess you're right, most on the right lack those two things.

[Jockey]

Funny how lefties know more about "Fox talking points" than most on the right.   

Did you get their talking point today? The shortage of Chik-Fil-A sauce is Biden's fault.

We pay attention so we can laugh.

[tower912]

Funny how lefties know more about "Fox talking points" than most on the right.   

By now, our bullsh!t meters are pretty well tuned    Lord knows they get enough practice.

[Pakuni]

Perhaps I'm just hoping to place more faith in my fellow citizens than they deserve, but I do note that the video picks up after the bag is already full of...something. I've seen another picture (admittedly of speculative authenticity) showing sealed bags filled with liquid in a car trunk. Again, very difficult to really know what is in those bags. But at least those were bags that seemed watertight and sealed. I just have a very, very difficult time believing that anyone would try to put gas in a plastic grocery bag. I'm skeptical, but who knows...

I suppose it's possible she arrived at the gas pumps with bags full of some other liquid, took them out of her vehicle and then put them back into her vehicle ... but God knows what or why that would be.
Occam's razor said she filled those bags with gas.

[Billy Hoyle]

There are Krogers in Mexico?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHYElBwJIZ4&t=8s

This is the image that has been circulated. I had not seen that video but it turns out that is also from 2019:  https://www.newsweek.com/video-woman-trying-put-gas-plastic-bag-millions-views-2019-1590925

[StillAWarrior]

I suppose it's possible she arrived at the gas pumps with bags full of some other liquid, took them out of her vehicle and then put them back into her vehicle ... but God knows what or why that would be.
Occam's razor said she filled those bags with gas.

Actually, I've come to the point where I think that Occam's razor often suggests that videos online are faked. I'm not saying that one is, but I've become very skeptical of videos online in general and even more skeptical of ones that either pick up or cut out just after or before key points. People post fake videos of stupid stuff all the time.

That said, I kind of think this one was real.

[jutaw22mu]

It's pretty easy to pick them out.  You don't have to watch Fox News to know.  Just takes a basic level of intelligence and common sense.  So I guess you're right, most on the right lack those two things.

The narrative that *most* conservatives lack common sense and intelligence (with respect to liberals) is overplayed and patently false.  The reality is that *most* Americans, regardless of political affiliation, lack both of those qualities.

As a generalization, not aimed at you, people who are emotionally overinvested in politics should do something more useful with their time, such as volunteer in their communities, if they really want to spark some change.  Griping about Donald Trump and Joe Biden (or the people who voted for them) adds nothing of any value.

[tower912]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/hummer-containing-4-containers-of-gasoline-catches-fire-after-leaving-florida-gas-station/ar-BB1gHEQ5

Florida man gotta Florida man.   

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

There are Krogers in Mexico?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHYElBwJIZ4&t=8s

I thought they only had Sanborns?

[NCMUFan]

Good article on Darkside.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/05/12/the-colonial-pipeline-hackers-are-one-of-the-savviest-criminal-startups-in-a-370-million-ransomware-game/?sh=310071437595

[Billy Hoyle]

Actually, I've come to the point where I think that Occam's razor often suggests that videos online are faked. I'm not saying that one is, but I've become very skeptical of videos online in general and even more skeptical of ones that either pick up or cut out just after or before key points. People post fake videos of stupid stuff all the time.

That said, I kind of think this one was real.

It's two years old and as a hurricane was bearing down on Houston, but yeah, it was real.