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The Story Behind National Reconnaissance Office's Octopus Logo (muckrock.com)

v3rgEz writes: When the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) announced the upcoming launch of their NROL-39 mission back in December 2013, they didn't get quite the response they hoped. That might have had something to do with the mission logo being a gigantic octopus devouring the Earth. Researcher Runa Sandvik wanted to know who approved this and why, so she filed a Freedom of Information Act with the NRO for the development materials that went into the logo. A few months later, the NRO delivered.

133 comments

  1. Hail Hydra by frovingslosh · · Score: 4, Insightful

    opps, did we let the logo go public?

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:Hail Hydra by sunderland56 · · Score: 1

      I was thinking more along the concept of tentacle rape.... a large organization screwing everyone within reach. Maybe it was a Freudian slip.

    2. Re:Hail Hydra by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Turns out it was a bit like those silly hacker in-jokes that end up in open source names and logos.

    3. Re:Hail Hydra by khasim · · Score: 4, Informative

      Hydras are supposed to have lots of heads on one body. Not one head on one body with lots of arms.

      Stupid secret Hydra organization. That's why you keep getting beaten.

    4. Re:Hail Hydra by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      United Fascist Front

      The thug underclasses which pollute our culture must be eradicated and reeducated. No more will the hard working subsidize the thug's murderous lifestyle. No more will moral society lend a hand to the thug.

      The thugs of this country and the world will be steamrolled out of existence and out of their ashes a new Fascist state will emerge. Efficiency at the detriment of the thug, we will rise as the one world power.

      Once in power, the one fascist party will set up reeducation camps around the country for the would-be thug. They will be rounded up and put to use.

      Those with the best hope will be properly reeducated as productive members of society. Those too indoctrinated into thug culture will be put to work and eventually liquified.

      Our estimates state that we will be able to run our empire's power infrastructure for 30 years by anticipated undesirable thugs.

      From Boston, New York, Los Angeles, to elsewhere the thug will be rounded up with no where to hide.

      Join the cause join the fascists.

      Society's advancement will stand on top of the bones of the weak.

      Wolf Bearclaw Hitler II

    5. Re:Hail Hydra by Shadow99_1 · · Score: 1

      The article mentions SPECTRE the James Bond villain organization, though I to couldn't help thinking of the hydra logo first...

      --
      we are all invisible unless we choose otherwise
    6. Re: Hail Hydra by valdezjuan · · Score: 1

      I didn't make the tentacle porn until your post, I love it!

    7. Re:Hail Hydra by davester666 · · Score: 1

      That would be the NSA..and DHS...and CIA...and ATF.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    8. Re: Hail Hydra by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Exactly, it was a joke on the engineering team about a malfunctioning octopus harness.

      Everybody came up with some BS reason for the octopus as the "official" explanation (majestic intellIgent animal, etc), but it's all basically an inside joke.

    9. Re:Hail Hydra by Electricity+Likes+Me · · Score: 1

      They're not making that mistake.

      That whole page is amazing.

    10. Re:Hail Hydra by Talderas · · Score: 1

      Hydra keeps getting beat because they'll let guys like Bob join. With that sort of quality control on your personnel, what other outcome would you expect?

      --
      "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
    11. Re: Hail Hydra by onepoint · · Score: 1

      I did not know that Tentacle Porn even existed...
      so i did a google search ... holy cow ( well tentacle ) google search link
      https://www.google.com/search?...

      --
      if you see me, smile and say hello.
    12. Re: Hail Hydra by ememisya · · Score: 1

      I think it came from the psychology of having a sense that all of the surveillence capabilities would probably be frowned upon if it ever went public. The next choice was likely C'thulu, but they went with the squid swallowing Earth instead. I remember seeing this on the Daily Show and going, "So the government can now measure individual methane contribution to global warming." Data is beautiful.

    13. Re: Hail Hydra by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never heard of rule 34?

    14. Re:Hail Hydra by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Already taken by the Hydra 70mm rockets and the respective US Army acquisition program in charge of them.

    15. Re: Hail Hydra by cfalcon · · Score: 1

      I envy the combination of your low user ID and your until-now ignorance of tentacle hentai. This sort of shit was a go-to shock link in college (not because it was the most shocking, which it isn't, but because it combines "someone worked hard on this" with "why on earth" pretty solidly- other topics would actually have a victim or something sad).

      In any event, welcome to one of the sillier dark punctuation points for humor on the net. And remember- anything you find in that search category has been fapped to by at least several dozen dudes somewhere, at some time! I'm so sorry!

    16. Re: Hail Hydra by onepoint · · Score: 1

      Don't be Envious ( I had a user id in the 147K range that I lost in 2000 ). Get into the habit of citing sources, makes slashdot more educational for all of us. and yes, I am rather sure that all types of people have flapped to all sorts of things
      great example : car sex
      https://www.google.com/webhp?s...

      WTF???

      --
      if you see me, smile and say hello.
    17. Re: Hail Hydra by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      I miss my lower ID number, but I can't remember the login password or even which email I set it up with originally.

    18. Re:Hail Hydra by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      Damn, some of those patches are crazy, "better the devil you know"? Really?

    19. Re:Hail Hydra by antdude · · Score: 1

      At least I am not Bob. Hail Hydra! :D

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    20. Re: Hail Hydra by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I did not know that Tentacle Porn even existed... so i did a google search ...

      Enjoy your new nightmares.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  2. Looks like... by xbytor · · Score: 1

    Hydra!

    1. Re:Looks like... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me tell you one thing. I actually read some of the documentation (I still can't believe it myself) got about half way and thought. Wow public servants get way too much time to do a whole lot of nothing.

      Let me tell you one other thing. I don't really tend to worry about Govt departments that say they have these awesome capabilities, when all the meantime they spend such wasteful effort to waffle on about a freakin logo.

      Not judging really :) I'm just putting it out there ... LOL

  3. I like it by jfdavis668 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's something you can really wrap your arms around.

    1. Re:I like it by smittyoneeach · · Score: 4, Funny

      There's a sucker in every cup.

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    2. Re:I like it by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Yes, the taxpayers.

    3. Re:I like it by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      I thought my coffee tasted odd.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    4. Re:I like it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right, because there's no need to collect intel.

    5. Re:I like it by kilfarsnar · · Score: 1

      Or to present false choices.

      --
      "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
    6. Re:I like it by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Maybe too many black ops budgets that are unaccountable to the general public?

    7. Re:I like it by smittyoneeach · · Score: 1

      That was no sucker.

      --
      Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  4. Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Rinikusu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd love to have that on a sticker on my laptop or a patch on my punk rock hoodie.

    --
    If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
    1. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Baloroth · · Score: 5, Informative

      Honestly, a lot of their patches are badass. The octopus isn't even the most... interesting, that'd probably be this thing.

      --
      "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
    2. Re: Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by TheReaperD · · Score: 2

      OK, I have a little more respect for them now. They have either a dark sense of humor, big brass balls or both.

      --
      "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
    3. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'd love to have that on a sticker on my laptop or a patch on my punk rock hoodie.

      I'm with you on this. Patches are a chance for crews to add some fun and enjoy and inside joke. Our boat had its official patch and an unofficial one. The unofficial one was a lot better at capturing the spirit of our crew. The brass, however, nixed it as our official one because it wasn't serious enough. We were serious about our mission but a little humor goes a long way to build espirt de corps...

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    4. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Ralph+Wiggam · · Score: 3, Funny

      My thoughts as I looked through the list-

      Awesome
      Awesome
      Statue of Liberty in Space
      Awesome
      Cute fuzzy brown bear
      Awesome

    5. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      it seems the brass on this was serious about the octo and that "they have fingers everywhere" and all that.

      frankly, a guy like that shouldn't be running a program like this.

      (also he seems to oversell the capabilities of the system as well, which makes for bad pr)

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    6. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go to www.poser-store.com for all your poser needs.

    7. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by SumDog · · Score: 1

      I by awesome you mean super creepy and fucked up, then yea:

      http://vigilantcitizen.com/vigilantreport/top-10-most-sinister-psyops-mission-patches/

    8. Re: Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by ultranova · · Score: 3, Interesting

      They have either a dark sense of humor, big brass balls or both.

      Or they are patriots desperately trying to get some kind of reaction. How else do you explain using an angry dragon with red eyes gripping the world - and especially North America - in its talons as a logo? Even in a nation where Evangelical Christianity - and thus the Book of Revelation - wasn't a big deal that is a villain logo.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    9. Re: Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Ihlosi · · Score: 1

      that is a villain logo. Oderint dum metuant.

    10. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... probably be this thing.

      "melior diabolus quem scies": Better the devil we know.

      So is the US flag in the background indicating a threat or a promise?

    11. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a base brat on Canadian Air Force bases and I was surprised by the occasional 'evil' element in the squadron patches that were painted on the walls. They weren't really anything worse than biker logos, devils and grim reapers and all that. Still surprising to because I wasn't allowed to draw that stuff.

      I'm kind of annoyed at the article. "Tone-deafness" blah blah. Who does this bother? What kind of priorities are those?

    12. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn. Most of those patches look like they're right out of D&D, King Arthur, LOTR, et. al...Dear Sirrahs: Your patches interest me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

    13. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      Sadly I now want a collection of their patches. I do wonder if this is one though.

      --
      Time to offend someone
    14. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by GTRacer · · Score: 1

      I went to that store's site... They told me you were their number-one seller. (Apologies to Seinfeld)

      --
      Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
    15. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Honestly, a lot of their patches are badass. The octopus isn't even the most... interesting, that'd probably be this thing.

      Putting a logo that reflects that this is not a benign activity is appropriate. I would be more critical if there was a fuzzy bunny on the logo or a teddy bear embracing the world with the love of our benign spying that completely obfuscates the nature of this activity.

    16. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by operagost · · Score: 1

      Right next to Tipper Gore's "PARENTAL ADVISORY | EXPLICIT Lyrics"

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    17. Re: Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no that red \ white and blue flag is the most villainous patch of them all.

    18. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That cute fuzzy brown bear is the most sinister of all. seriously what were they trying to hide with that one?!

    19. Re:Personally, I think it's pretty badass. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sort of like this one?

      they have already done that...

  5. Those guys rock. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Though I would have given it a tin foil hat!

  6. "A little sinister!!" by Nutria · · Score: 1

    Good. It always helps to put some good, healthy fear into the enemy.

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    1. Re:"A little sinister!!" by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Good. It always helps to put some good, healthy fear into the enemy.

      With us US citizens being the enemy, I guess...

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    2. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      With us US citizens being the enemy, I guess...

      You guess wrong. (That's the NSA. The NRO is just satellites.)

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    3. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      You guess wrong. (That's the NSA. The NRO is just satellites.)

      It's adorable how people think that only one agency is involved with mass internet & telecom surveillance.

      The NRO has a budget comparable to the NSA and they have already been caught hiding billions of dollars of their budget for undeclared purposes.

      Oh yeah, and the NRO sends people to DEFCON.

    4. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With us US citizens being the enemy, I guess...

      You guess wrong. (That's the NSA. The NRO is just satellites.)

      Just satellites that are used by the NSA.

    5. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh yeah, and the NRO sends people to DEFCON.

      Who doesn't? It is the largest infosec conference, not a very informative one, but the networking opportunity is worth every cent.

    6. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      It's adorable how people think that ...

      satellites are somehow useful in tapping fiber optic cables.

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    7. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      Oh yeah, and the NRO sends people to DEFCON.

      Who doesn't? It is the largest infosec conference, not a very informative one, but the networking opportunity is worth every cent.

      Nutria said the NRO was "just satellites" and wasn't involved in internet surveillance. Nobody who was doing "just satellites" would have that much use for infosec skills, even taking into account the need for secure authentication and encryption. (That may be a huge problem on the internet, but everything gets simpler and much more robust when both sides can be stateful with preshared secrets. You can use OTPs to inject noise into any cryptographic process.)

    8. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you guess ignorant. wake up sleeping douche

    9. Re:"A little sinister!!" by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Yes the budget of the NRO was very large. One of the few historic hints was in a 1998 Naval Research Laboratory 75th Anniversary Event
      https://fas.org/spp/military/p...
      ""When the American government eventually reveals the [full range of] reconnaissance systems developed by this nation, the public will learn of space achievements every bit as impressive as the Apollo Moon landings. One program proceeded in utmost secrecy, the other on national television. One steadied the resolve of the American public; the other steadied the resolve of American Presidents.""
      Thats a lot of funding to hide and spend on a few hand crafted bespoke satellites that the public sees as a launch or other cargo. The NRO ensured its healthy budget by spending big with a few big US brands that would then lobby for more huge contracts ... generations of jobs per political district. The NRO always got its funding in the billions.
      The result of all the spending was the US became more happy with only using the results of signals intelligence. The other fun new funding split is ODNI centres vs what was mil intel vs dept of energy.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    10. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      It's adorable how people think that ...

      satellites are somehow useful in tapping fiber optic cables.

      Yes. They have nothing but satellites at NRO facilities. Satellites and satellite dishes. No computers or telecommunications equipment whatsoever. The eggheads deep in their secret underground bases haven't even heard of fibre optics yet. Our intelligence community is rigidly segmented with absolutely no overlapping activities or duties whatsoever, conducted in complete transparency and cooperation, definitely with no dark projects whatsoever being funded by $1.5+ billion that the CIA noticed the NRO was very quietly sitting on.

      You could just as well argue that no one who works for the NRO or NSA carries a gun, because only the FBI is allowed to do that. You're wrong both in principle and in practice.

    11. Re:"A little sinister!!" by flopsquad · · Score: 1

      Oh yeah, and the NRO sends people to DEFCON.

      "Your bullshit octopus is really sending me to DEFCON, Jerry! My anger is at DEFCON 2 right now and if you don't have a serious patch design on my desk by the end of the day, I'm gonna go to DEFCON 1 and nuke your chances of not working the weekend."

      --
      Nothing posted to /. has ever been legal advice, including this.
    12. Re:"A little sinister!!" by BigFootApe · · Score: 1

      Pretty sure they do command and control for those satellites. They also might have design documents and operations manuals kicking around.

    13. Re:"A little sinister!!" by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      Nobody who was doing "just satellites" would have that much use for infosec skills, even taking into account the need for secure authentication and encryption.

      How do you think they move the photos they take? Control the satellites? Lots of things need infosec.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    14. Re:"A little sinister!!" by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      NRO takes pictures using satellites. .

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    15. Re:"A little sinister!!" by ultranova · · Score: 1

      It always helps to put some good, healthy fear into the enemy.

      Any enemy intimidated by a drawing of a cartoon octopus is unlikely to be dangerous to begin with. Meanwhile, letting an organization - especially one that's by nature difficult to oversee - get used to mocking the idea that they might be the villains makes it easier to ignore any such accusations even when they're warranted, thus making it easier for them to go bad. So there's little if any benefit and a significant risk, thus this octopus does more to harm America than its enemies.

      Unless, of course, you dream of discarding this freedom stuff and turning the US into a police state. Lots of people seem to. Dunno why, seeing how even from the perspective of pure amoral power politics police states tend to be weaker than liberal democracies. I guess a lot of people want collectivism but have been conditioned to reject socialism and thus end up supporting some variant of fascism - an authoritarian fatherland as opposed to a bleeding heart nanny state.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    16. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      If that's all they do (as some people are claiming), why the budget shenanigans and why send people to DEF CON?

      There's no reason to suspect the NRO would not engage in any sort of internet surveillance. The FBI does, the NSA does, the CIA does... why would you assume that the NRO does not?

    17. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      Like I just explained, I'm pretty sure those are not hard problems. They were solved decades ago, in fact, and have become much easier to implement with the advent of cheap and solid state high density storage. Pretty much you just need to update the symmetric algorithm every time a better one comes along (for stuff that might be too big to encrypt via OTP, like high resolution video feeds) and nothing else needs changing. OTPs are unbreakable, blazingly fast and simple to implement and they've been around for like a hundred years.

      Just because the internet security model is based on anonymous and stateless connections using least common denominator hardware doesn't mean the entire IT world operates on that principle. If the NRO spends as much on IT security as they appear to based on my own humble observations, either there's a ton of pork going on or they are doing a lot more than taking pictures with satellites. Given that pretty much every other three-letter agency has engaged in some level of internet surveillance, I think that a default assumption that the NRO's hands are clean is... naive.

    18. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      Like I said to BigFootApe, you don't need state of the art technology to authenticate or transmit sane amounts of data; you need 100 year old technology using a multi-terrabyte OTP, plus maybe a symmetric algorithm if your video feed is going to be too big for the pad size given the projected operational lifespan. It's child's play. Definitely no asymmetric encryption required, and probably no hashing either.

      But I do want to say... why on Earth do so several of you seem to believe they have a super-limited scope that they never exceed? Why pretend that they are the only three letter agency that isn't at all curious about internet surveillance? Why make it a point to ignore their breathtakingly massive budget shenanigans and security policies that are pretty paranoid even by NSA or CIA standards?

      No one who has worked an NRO spook job, or has talked to someone who has, would talk the way you people are talking. I'm not saying you're shills but you're acting a bit, um... naive.

    19. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      I suppose there's technically supposed to be a space there. My mistake. I can see how the ambiguity would be very troubling.

    20. Re:"A little sinister!!" by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      I'm always impressed with thinking like that. If they're so smart, how come they've made so many intel mistakes over the years? At this point, it should be more like
      'no sparrow shall fall' ... excuse me, there is someone at the door.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    21. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      Being involved in classified (and possibly off the books) Internet surveillance is not the same thing as being infallible geniuses with black van driving assassins. Recognizing that what the intelligence community has openly admitted is just the tip of the iceberg in no way means that they are utterly without incompetence... merely that not many people wish to take risks like Snowden to expose any more of the iceberg.

      The NSA was not created for internet surveillance. The internet did not exist when the NSA was formed. There is no reason to think the NSA is the only three letter agency that became involved in internet surveillance and no reason to think the NRO wouldn't be interested given what we do know about them. (It's also worth musing about how both the NSA's and the NRO's existence were once classified and only revealed to the public through apparent mistakes.)

    22. Re:"A little sinister!!" by flopsquad · · Score: 1

      Yeah I figured it out halfway in, but I couldn't help myself.

      Given the audience, I think the conference is probably the first thing that came to mind for everyone else who read your post.

      --
      Nothing posted to /. has ever been legal advice, including this.
    23. Re:"A little sinister!!" by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      You don't really have a good understanding of much of this, especially if you think much of any of this is "child's play".

      The Hubble space telescope has sent well over 45 terabytes of data back to earth. It is probably the case that NRO satellites are Hubble++

      NRO isn't the only intelligence agency that has nothing to do with internet surveillance. What would they do if they did? Take pictures of the phone lines? Pictures of the cable routes?

      NRO has limited scope because it has a particular mission - take pictures from space. That doesn't mix well with being a pizza delivery service and doing things that other agencies are doing. As to their budget, maybe you've heard that putting heavy objects composed of precision electronics and optics into space for long duration space missions is expensive?

      Why are they concerned about security? Because it is really hard to fix it when somebody breaks their satellite. They also need to protect the knowledge of what they are taking pictures of, and how good they are. Isn't that obvious?

      No one who has worked an NRO spook job, or has talked to someone who has, would talk the way you people are talking.

      Really? And you are claiming that you have? If so they must have been pulling your leg because of what's in your post ... unless you are holding out on us?

      'm not saying you're shills but you're acting a bit, um... naive.

      Maybe I'm just ... um ... better informed.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    24. Re:"A little sinister!!" by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      You've asked essentially the same questions in the other thread where I've answered them.

      I will add this: I don't think you are reallly thinking about this, or know enough to ask good questions.

      You really can't think of why NSA, CIA, and FBI would be naturals to engage in internet surveillance at varying levels, but the NRO which puts very expensive satellites into orbit around the earth to take pictures is "somehow" different than the others? Expensive? Orbit in space? Do you think that is connected with budgets?

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    25. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      Let's try to stick to the essentials this time. It would take too long to dissect all of your misunderstandings.

      1.The NRO does signals intelligence (SIGINT). You have repeatedly implied that they do nothing but take pictures. Go look up SIGINT if you don't understand what all that entails. It will be important later on in this reply, but I wanted to highlight it right away as a massive misunderstanding on your part, particularly in the light of your "take pictures of telephone lines" joke. The NRO does a hell of a lot more than take pictures. Spend thirty seconds on Google if you don't believe me.

      2. I'm not merely observing that the NRO has a big budget. I said that the CIA discovered that the NRO had hidden over $1.5 billion dollars, presumably for black projects of some sort. I'm not making this up. It was in mainstream newspapers. Go look it up. They did a very bad job of hiding the money that time. Subsequently it would be very easy to hide it better by simply by inflating costs and hiring fictitious contractors (they hire a LOT of contractors, by the way.) To my knowledge, there have been no audits to determine if they were doing such things. We take them at their word.

      3. You have not seen any official document limiting the NRO's purview to spy satellites only. You are making all of this up, whole cloth. You are simply asserting "the NRO is limited!" and expecting people to accept you're an expert with inside knowledge into this highly secretive organization (despite the fact that you apparently didn't know that the NRO did SIGINT in addition to their photographing duties.) 4. Let me repeat and expand: The NRO does SIGINT and is not limited to satellites when it comes to SIGINT. Why should they be? There are special concerns when it comes to communicating with satellites, but they spent decades vacuuming up some of the best RF talent in the nation, inventing all kinds of awesome hardware, much of which is still classified years later. A large portion of their work was applicable to terrestrial RF as well. There are references all over the place to the terrestrial work done by the NRO, including ground bases and airplane-based SIGINT.

      Now, what is an interesting source of RF signals these days? What's a common source? What's a source of RF that jihadists might use to coordinate an attack?

      I really hope you are pausing and staring off in the distance right now, deep in thought. I hope you're not belligerently naive enough to continue to argue for a limitation you plucked out of thin air, in a field where restrictions are routinely flouted anyway. I hope you won't try to argue that the NRO's massive RF surveillance apparatus would never and will never be trained on cell phones and 802.11[blah] networks. Because why? Because they have a picture of a satellite in their logo? Because the newspapers don't report on the NRO's internet monitoring activities? Because they weren't stupid enough to hire someone like Edward Snowden?

      I am genuinely curious how and why you could be taking this attitude in the face of all common sense and evidence.

    26. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price?"

    27. Re:"A little sinister!!" by Shane_Optima · · Score: 1

      See my reply to your other post. The NRO is publicly known for doing RF signal analysis using terrestrial equipment. If you cannot see how this would obviously dovetail with being able to conduct internet surveillance or remote exploits... I would say you are the one who is "not really thinking about this."

      The NSA and NRO both predate the internet. The NSA expanded its role to include internet surveillance. The NRO obviously did the same, but it doesn't appear to be as widely known or admitted to the general public. There are a variety of reasons for this, not all of which I am willing to get into here. But if you still aren't convinced read my other reply, and educate yourself a little more about the NRO's budget shenanigans. If satellites are as expensive as you say, why did the NRO have such massive unreported surpluses? Why are NASA's scientific satellites apparently cheaper by at least an order of magnitude? And why is their budget structure so vaguely described?

  7. A little sinister !! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    there they go picking on us left handed people again...

  8. What no Cthulhu reference? by dsmatthews9379 · · Score: 1

    Only one thing could have made it better than it already is, http://vignette3.wikia.nocooki...

    1. Re: What no Cthulhu reference? by TheReaperD · · Score: 1

      Cathulhu for the win!

      --
      "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
    2. Re: What no Cthulhu reference? by TarPitt · · Score: 1

      ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

      --
      If your children ever found out how lame you are, they'd murder you in your sleep
  9. Pretty funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gotta love when the government makes satire.

  10. Yet Another Waste of Taxpayer Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A logo? How much money did they piss away developing that?
    Bureaucrats need to have term limits just as elected positions need to.

    1. Re:Yet Another Waste of Taxpayer Money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i am guessing making it didn't take all that long. One of their workers may have even drawn it in their free time and gave it to them.

      now going through the process and landing on all the desks of the higher ups to to get it approved for release to the public, i bet that took some time.

  11. There Is Precedent... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.monterey.org/portals/28/images/PBL/Logo_Pacific_Biological_Laboratories.png

    Of course, Ricketts was only interested in the Oceans...

  12. Not to worry by transami · · Score: 1

    I'm sure we'll get to this soon: http://theswca.com/duncan-images/Buttons,Badges/BADG-369.JPG

    --
    :T:R:A:N:S:
  13. Internal subversive by plopez · · Score: 1

    SO, perhaps there is a person, or small clique, who feels that things are out of control. They may have obligations which prevent them from quiting or believe in their mission but not the execution of it. So they create these images, or acronyms, codenames (Carnivore?) etc., to sound the alarm bell but to stay innocuous.

    That's just a thought.

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
    1. Re:Internal subversive by Barny · · Score: 1

      They aren't doing a very good job. Most people just don't care about it.

      --
      ...
      /me sighs
    2. Re:Internal subversive by plopez · · Score: 1

      You did.

      --
      putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  14. false advertising.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No where, do I see 8, I see 3 apendeges and a hint of a 4th, and 5th,

    so what you are looking at is Not an Octopus, maybe a pentavalvapus or something, my is sketchy, my cray yawn skills, are pretty decent however.

    oh other funny thing, looks like a lot of approval process went into fabrication of this patch,merit badge, logo whatever, note to self continue to vote against any/all cop/.mil spending, kids already have far too many pennies in their cookie jar.

  15. Panda Bears by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What do you want to be Panda Bears? It is a spy satellite, they are used when fighting wars.

  16. Mystery octopus harness? by JWSmythe · · Score: 2

    This?

    specifically, when a side solar panel is not installed, the C3038 Octopus harness must be connected.

    It's not like this news is new anyways. It took me about a whole minute to find these.

    It's not like I should expect much better.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    1. Re:Mystery octopus harness? by dinfinity · · Score: 1

      Also, an actual summary instead of a teaser would have been nice.

  17. For the Love of God, follow the link by hyades1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The two paragraph statement written by some drone to justify the selection of the octopus as a logo is priceless. It reads like something a Grade 6 kid would put down when they get their first hundred-word research assignment.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
    1. Re:For the Love of God, follow the link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The two paragraph statement written by some drone to justify the selection of the octopus as a logo is priceless. It reads like something a Grade 6 kid would put down when they get their first hundred-word research assignment.

      Why a drone? It sort of reads like someone just decided to half-ass it because they needed something fluffy to justify the hilarious octopus injoke, but they also thought no one was really going to care about the justification or that it was going to go public.

    2. Re:For the Love of God, follow the link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      TFA says something similar. I don't know why that's so bad though. Why should anyone come have to come up with a PhD thesis describing the logo? The requirement to have a detailed, well-written essay justifying an ephemeral symbol, (it's just one mission patch among many) sounds like bureaucratic bs.

    3. Re:For the Love of God, follow the link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What? You wanted someone to use your tax dollars to write a Ph.D style dissertation on the reason for the logo? It's clearly intended to be an internal document, not for public consumption.

    4. Re:For the Love of God, follow the link by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      I especially like the quip about the exclamation marks.

      It reminds me of a Flight of the Conchords episode.

      Greg: Murray?
      Murray: Yeah.
      Greg: Uh, I wanted you to okay the new subway poster.
      Murray: Oh wow, Greg. What about another exclamation mark?
      Greg: I don't think that's necessary.
      Murray: Not necessary, no.
      Greg: That's good.

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  18. Holy crap! by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 0

    Holy crap! You're right!

    Take for example this one, which shows the American flag over a *burning planet* with the logo "melior diabolus quem scies" ("better the devil you know") around the edge.

    Or this one, which is effectively the emblem of the Klingon Empire.

    Or the demonic inverted pentagram.

    Or a demonic mask showing planes coming back from having DROPPED AN ATOMIC BOMB ON THE PLANET!!! (Caption: "we own the night")

    Ye gads!

    1. Re:Holy crap! by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 3, Insightful

      showing planes coming back from having DROPPED AN ATOMIC BOMB ON THE PLANET!!! (Caption: "we own the night")

      Pretty sure that's a sunrise, but it's still badass. This is a reconnaissance organization, remember.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    2. Re:Holy crap! by radarskiy · · Score: 4, Informative

      "over a *burning planet* "
      That is a phoenix arising from it's own ashes (possibly disturbing, but in a different way).

      "effectively the emblem of the Klingon Empire."
      That is an eagle's foot, with 4 talons pointed in. The Klingon Empire's emblem has three knife blades facing out. The only thing in common is that there are some points.

      "planes coming back from having DROPPED AN ATOMIC BOMB ON THE PLANET!!! "

      That is the sun just visible over the horizon as the planes are crossing the night face of the earth, which they claim to own the in the motto which you cite.

    3. Re:Holy crap! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      effectively the emblem of the Klingon Empire."
      That is an eagle's foot, with 4 talons pointed in. The Klingon Empire's emblem has three knife blades facing out. The only thing in common is that there are some points

      In the OP's defense, iirc Klingon judges wielded a gavel that was a sphere, held by a raptor's claw. But yeah, imaginative interpretation. : )

  19. Muckrock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Muckrock = Pansy ass SJW faggots

  20. Latin scolars at the NRO? by Required+Snark · · Score: 1
    Many of the patches have Latin mottos. How come there are so many people who are familiar with Latin at the government agency that is responsible for all those secret spy satellites?

    Maybe it's a conspiracy! Perhaps the NRO is a cover for the Illuminati. Or is it something far far worse?

    --
    Why is Snark Required?
    1. Re:Latin scolars at the NRO? by Ihlosi · · Score: 1
      Or is it something far far worse?

      It's the Roman Empire 2.0. Now with Internet.

    2. Re:Latin scolars at the NRO? by Deadstick · · Score: 1

      More likely, it's that in any large organization there's somebody who knows a priest or a lawyer.

    3. Re:Latin scolars at the NRO? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Havan't you seen the badges for the other missions featuring the eye of providence?

    4. Re:Latin scolars at the NRO? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      EVERYTHING is a cover for the Illuminati. It's just a question of WHICH Illuminated organization -- Bavarians, Gnomes of Zurich, UFOs, Assassins, etc.

      If you clarify, I won't charge you this turn's 2 money from the IRS (which controls the Boy Scouts, but I might rearrange that).

    5. Re:Latin scolars at the NRO? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How come there are so many people who are familiar with Latin at the government agency that is responsible for all those secret spy satellites?

      Because they are well educated, unlike the rest of you. </thread>

    6. Re:Latin scolars at the NRO? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if you were so smart you would realize there was no beginning thread element.

      and google translate has a latin option, it doesn't take a genius to make up something that sounds latiny

  21. Move over NASA by Snufu · · Score: 1

    There is a new King of U.S. govt logos.

  22. Octopus, huh? by Ihlosi · · Score: 1

    It has no spine, is full of suckers, and is best when it's deep-fried.

  23. NRO is a cabal controlled org by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Octopus = Yaldabaoth octopus plasma accretion vortex, which is disintegrating now.

  24. Haters gonna hate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I think they're just mad they don't have as cool a logo.

    Coming up with new logos and slogans and other stuff is important for group morale at any job.

    Yes, they're launching a spy satellite to spy on other people in the world. An Octopus grappling with the planet is apt. Plus it looks slick.

  25. When you do things like that, just imagine: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1) What would I think if Russia had something like that?

    2) What would I think if China had something like that?

    3) What will Russia think of that?

    4) What will China think of that?

    5) How will the other countries see that?

  26. Remember, these people think they're heroes... by Grog6 · · Score: 1

    ...While destroying the whole meaning behind the constitution.

    Their vision of the future is a boot on a face; forever.

    They want it to be their Boot, but that's not how it usually ends up.

    --
    Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
  27. inside joke - yes! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it does add a little fun in the workplace, but when it gets such a public visibility + scrutiny of the internet, context will help instead of hiding behind that 9th grade passage about octopus.

  28. Reminds me of That Mitchell and Webb Look sketch by seanm666 · · Score: 1
    • Second Nazi: Have you noticed that our caps actually have little pictures of skulls on them?
    • Hans: I don't... er-
    • Second Nazi: Hans... are we the baddies?

    http://thatmitchellandwebb.wik...

  29. how good does the writing need to be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're filling out a form; likely one of dozens of forms you fill out on a regular basis. They're not expecting deathless prose. They just want something in the blank that seems moderately ok to explain it.

    Think of it as a note you leave for a coworker on a yellow stickie..

  30. It is so cool. I want one. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I love my mom's spectre patch from Air force Special Ops. These have always been attempts at dark humor. If you look at military patches, there are quite a lot of Disney characters dropping bombs.

  31. TL;DR by jdharm · · Score: 1

    It was intended to represent exactly what you think it does.

  32. Like a teddy bear is better? by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    Seriously, it might be a bit sinister, but it really says what nro does. They do get everywhere and sees what is happening.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    1. Re:Like a teddy bear is better? by bughunter · · Score: 1

      They have a Teddy Bear, too:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      I can see the fnords!
  33. So basically by Gonoff · · Score: 1

    The NRO has come out as criminal like the rest of the US alphabet soup.

    What is even remotely surprising about them being criminals like the CIA, NSA, and every other TLA you can think of?

    Impressive that this rather cool badge actually admits it though...

    --
    I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
  34. waste by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 1

    Never mind how you feel about the mission itself, just think of all the man-hours wasted doing the paperwork for a logo on the side of a rocket that is going to burn up in the atmosphere.

    And the cost of the design and execution of the artwork, the paint or decal or whatever it is.

    Then add more time for someone to redact a bunch of stuff to comply with the FIA request.

    --
    This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
  35. Ah ha by blanddragon · · Score: 0

    Like posting this story isn't click bait? Slashdot the tin foil hat club? Oh my so ominous.... FWIW I like it and want one, so there.

  36. Two things wrong by whitroth · · Score: 1

    One, as it notes in the article, it's also the logo of SPECTRE.

    The other... there's an attitude among folks of a certain, ahh, bent. They want to be the BADDEST DUDES.

    The earliest example that I read about was during 'Nam. Lord of the Rings had, by the late sixties, been translated into 27? 57? languages... including Vietnamese. So, one division, I think it was, of the "South Vietnamese" army took as its logo... the Lidless Eye of Sauron.

    Right, and against them, little guys in black pj's, with furry feet, no doubt....

                          mark

  37. Makes sense by newslash.formatblows · · Score: 1

    From the article: "The NROL-39 Octopus symbolizes the resourcefulness, adaptability, and perseverance of this mission". Just like the old saying: "Resourceful as an octopus".

  38. I Have A Weakness, See ... by Toad-san · · Score: 1

    for scandalous and funny nose art (on bombers especially). And outrageous military patches.

    This one is great, and I think the whole issue is funnier than hell. I'm glad the background information has been released.

  39. Re:Latin scholars at the NRO? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dude, it's google translate. Or, in the case of L-49, a Latin hobbyist forum. And sometimes it's just made up to sound Latin-y.