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-   -   Bill Barr and his October Surprise (http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=346780)

The Greater Fool 14th October 2020 03:39 PM

To bad the oligarch can't spell.

Skeptic Ginger 14th October 2020 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagabalus (Post 13257776)

What, no pee tape?

NY Post comes out with the email claim, Giuliani is behind it. It looks very much like a tabloid story. FaceBook declares it is a bogus story and they are refusing to let it be disseminated on their platform until it is fact checked.

After all the email attacks on Clinton, I don't see this crap going anywhere except within the cult who are already claiming the Deep State is trying to quash the story.

But obviously Trump is going to spew this story all over Twitter and his rallies.

dudalb 14th October 2020 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 13257781)
Giuliani is a disgrace. How far he has fallen and he has done it to himself.

As one person put it. from America's Mayor to Trump's Chump.

Skeptic Ginger 14th October 2020 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagabalus (Post 13257776)

Continuing from my post above:
Quote:

... an Apple MacBook Pro alleged to have belonged to the younger Biden was disassembled and an external hard drive was turned over to the FBI in December – after the computer repair shop owner in Biden's home state of Delaware notified federal investigators about their existence.

The Post reported that the broken laptop was dropped off in April 2019, but nobody returned to collect it or pay the bill. It was unclear who dropped off the laptop....

Costello said the laptop was inoperable, but it remained unclear if the FBI retrieved the contents – and if it still existed. However, he underscored that he had in his possession a copy of the hard drive with tens of thousands of potentially damaging correspondence pertaining to Hunter Biden's Ukraine dealings, which also implicate his high-profile father.
Certainly suspect source, a laptop supposedly not retrieved from a repair shop? Who does that?

The claim is the hard drive was turned over to the FBI almost a year ago. Now suddenly in Oct Rudy dumps the story out. :rolleyes:

Stacyhs 14th October 2020 04:31 PM

Sounds more like an October Pile of **** than Surprise.

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger (Post 13257806)
Continuing from my post above: Certainly suspect source, a laptop supposedly not retrieved from a repair shop? Who does that?

The claim is the hard drive was turned over to the FBI almost a year ago. Now suddenly in Oct Rudy dumps the story out. :rolleyes:

Utter BS. If there was actual incriminating evidence in the hands of a private citizen, they'd release it. The whole story falls apart when you realize that rich people (Hunter Biden qualifies) don't drop off their malfunctioning computer equipment at random repair shops. They hire someone to come to them and fix the equipment on site.

a_unique_person 14th October 2020 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elagabalus (Post 13257776)

Tens of thousands of Hunter Bidens emails. That guy writes a lot of emails.

The Great Zaganza 14th October 2020 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike! (Post 13257618)
You didn't have to go there.

I am curious though, were they barbeque, ranch, or sweet 'n' sour sauces?

Trump only does ketchup.

Skeptic Ginger 14th October 2020 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babbylonian (Post 13257842)
Utter BS. If there was actual incriminating evidence in the hands of a private citizen, they'd release it. The whole story falls apart when you realize that rich people (Hunter Biden qualifies) don't drop off their malfunctioning computer equipment at random repair shops. They hire someone to come to them and fix the equipment on site.

Or they buy a new one, and I'm not even close to being rich. My son (31) tells me I'm stuck with built-in obsolescence. In his opinion, just get a new one, they have totally upgraded stuff on them. Same with a phone and a camera (not on the phone). Need a battery, get a new camera. Printer quits working, buy a new one.

Stacyhs 14th October 2020 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger (Post 13257876)
Or they buy a new one, and I'm not even close to being rich. My son (31) tells me I'm stuck with built-in obsolescence. In his opinion, just get a new one, they have totally upgraded stuff on them. Same with a phone and a camera (not on the phone). Need a battery, get a new camera. Printer quits working, buy a new one.

When your father is the VP of the US and there are emails between the two of you concerning sensitive government business, not to mention explicit sexual photos, you don't just go off and leave it with some computer store. The whole thing sounds like a contrived pile of horse manure.

Skeptic Ginger 14th October 2020 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 13257880)
When your father is the VP of the US and there are emails between the two of you concerning sensitive government business, not to mention explicit sexual photos, you don't just go off and leave it with some computer store. The whole thing sounds like a contrived pile of horse manure.

Rudy was hanging out in the Ukraine. I'm picturing some guy on the street in a trench coat with a heavy accent saying, "Psst, you want dirt? I got this laptop for sale with a whole lot of dirt. It's broken, but if you get it fixed you won't be disappointed."

:sdl:

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger (Post 13257876)
Or they buy a new one, and I'm not even close to being rich. My son (31) tells me I'm stuck with built-in obsolescence. In his opinion, just get a new one, they have totally upgraded stuff on them. Same with a phone and a camera (not on the phone). Need a battery, get a new camera. Printer quits working, buy a new one.

You'd probably at least want to recover data from the hard drive (or have it professionally erased) if possible, but that's a while-you-wait sort of operation. Even if you were taking it in, they'd probably say to come back in a couple hours.

The Great Zaganza 14th October 2020 05:57 PM

Obamagate is the new Pizzagate: everyone who thinks there is something there comes back looking like an idiot.

Stacyhs 14th October 2020 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger (Post 13257890)
Rudy was hanging out in the Ukraine. I'm picturing some guy on the street in a trench coat with a heavy accent saying, "Psst, you want dirt? I got this laptop for sale with a whole lot of dirt. It's broken, but if you get it fixed you won't be disappointed."

:sdl:

As Trump goes, so goes Rudy. He know this and he's desperate. He's scraping the bottom of the hard disk, so to speak.

Norman Alexander 14th October 2020 06:01 PM

I'm hoping Barr's October Surprise is that he quits and releases a tell-all book about Trump.

Ah, dreams...!

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander (Post 13257906)
I'm hoping Barr's October Surprise is that he quits and releases a tell-all book about Trump.

Ah, dreams...!

I'd prefer a terse firing via Twitter. Barr deserves to be utterly humiliated.

Bogative 14th October 2020 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a_unique_person (Post 13257855)
Tens of thousands of Hunter Bidens emails. That guy writes a lot of emails.


Mainly about yoga and Chelsea's wedding, probably.

Norman Alexander 14th October 2020 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babbylonian (Post 13257914)
I'd prefer a terse firing via Twitter. Barr deserves to be utterly humiliated.

Being found coked to the eyeballs wearing a gimp mask, in the steam room of a "leather" massage parlour.

ETA: Live on Fox News.

Skeptic Ginger 14th October 2020 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babbylonian (Post 13257891)
You'd probably at least want to recover data from the hard drive (or have it professionally erased) if possible, but that's a while-you-wait sort of operation. Even if you were taking it in, they'd probably say to come back in a couple hours.

My unused and dead computers are just piling up in my garage. :p

Bogative 14th October 2020 08:10 PM

Rudy Giuliani today on Steve Bannon's radio show –

Quote:

the stuff we are in possession of contains a thousand, maybe more, photographs that are highly highly… anywhere from inappropriate to illegal


They have got everything the American people are going to look at in the next five days…
Sounds like Giuliani is going to do a slow burn on releasing what was found on Biden's hard drive a la Project Veritas over the next several days.

I think I'm going to take a vacation just so I have time to watch the loony left's meltdown this week! It's gonna be so much fun!

dirtywick 14th October 2020 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger (Post 13257806)
Continuing from my post above: Certainly suspect source, a laptop supposedly not retrieved from a repair shop? Who does that?

The claim is the hard drive was turned over to the FBI almost a year ago. Now suddenly in Oct Rudy dumps the story out. :rolleyes:

I'd go beyond calling it a suspect source and call it ******* stupid.

Norman Alexander 14th October 2020 08:41 PM

Rudy "Lucky" Giuliano was given some laptop that, miracle of miracles, was left unclaimed at some nameless "PC repair shop" and has a trove of Biden dirt still left on it? Where was this repair shop? Kiev? Oh dear. There's this:
Quote:

There's no authorised service providers on Mac in Ukraine (according to apple.com)
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7467158

Rudy has obviously been duped by some Ukrainian con-man. Stands to reason. He got duped by an American con-man before that. He went to Kiev, and having dug deep enough, hit the sewer line.

Bob001 14th October 2020 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogative (Post 13257978)
....
Sounds like Giuliani is going to do a slow burn on releasing what was found on Biden's hard drive a la Project Veritas over the next several days.

I think I'm going to take a vacation just so I have time to watch the loony left's meltdown this week! It's gonna be so much fun!

What makes you think any of it, even if there is any "it," is true? It's not like Rudy is a picture of integrity and probity, or even sobriety.

The Great Zaganza 14th October 2020 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogative (Post 13257978)
Rudy Giuliani today on Steve Bannon's radio show –



Sounds like Giuliani is going to do a slow burn on releasing what was found on Biden's hard drive a la Project Veritas over the next several days.

I think I'm going to take a vacation just so I have time to watch the loony left's meltdown this week! It's gonna be so much fun!

According to them, they had the hard drive for over a year.
Why did they only start talking about it now?
Why not, say, during the Impeachment Hearings?

Those two are full of ****.

Bogative 14th October 2020 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 13257880)
When your father is the VP of the US and there are emails between the two of you concerning sensitive government business, not to mention explicit sexual photos, you don't just go off and leave it with some computer store.


Maybe Hunter was still high on the crack he was seen smoking in a video found on the hard drive?

Bob001 14th October 2020 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander (Post 13257999)
Rudy "Lucky" Giuliano was given some laptop that, miracle of miracles, was left unclaimed at some nameless "PC repair shop" and has a trove of Biden dirt still left on it? Where was this repair shop? Kiev? Oh dear. There's this:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7467158

Rudy has obviously been duped by some Ukrainian con-man. Stands to reason. He got duped by an American con-man before that. He went to Kiev, and having dug deep enough, hit the sewer line.


The laptop was allegedly dropped at a shop in Delaware owned by somebody who just coincidentally is an ardent Trumper.
Quote:

The report said that in April 2019, an unidentified person dropped off a water-damaged MacBook Pro with the emails and other compromising material about Hunter Biden at an unidentified repair shop in Delaware, the Biden family's home state. The report said the repair shop's owner provided that information, but it did not give details on his identity.

A reverse image search of one of the photos in the story indicated that the shop's owner is a man named John Paul Mac Isaac, whose social media activity indicates he is an avid Trump supporter. His shop, called The Mac Shop, is located at 21a Trolley Square in Wilmington. The Post also did not strip the metadata from photos included in the article, and a software engineer named Russel Neiss noted that the GPS information embedded in some of the images showed that the repair shop was in the same area.
https://www.businessinsider.com/new-...mation-2020-10

The owner also had trouble keeping his story straight:
Quote:

Mac Isaac appeared nervous throughout. Several times, he said he was scared for his life and for the lives of those he loved. He appeared not to have a grasp on the timeline of the laptop arriving at his shop and its disappearance from it. He also said the impeachment of President Trump was a “sham.” Social media postings indicate that Mac Isaac is an avid Trump supporter and voted for him in the 2016 election.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/man-wh...rre-interview/

Bogative 14th October 2020 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob001 (Post 13258031)
The laptop was allegedly dropped at a shop in Delaware owned by somebody who just coincidentally is an ardent Trumper.

https://www.businessinsider.com/new-...mation-2020-10


"John Paul Mac Isaac" sounds kind of Russian to me. ******* Putin!!!

a_unique_person 14th October 2020 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza (Post 13258022)
According to them, they had the hard drive for over a year.

Why did they only start talking about it now?

Why not, say, during the Impeachment Hearings?



Those two are full of ****.

Giuliani had been feeling left out with Barr taking all the attention. With Trump now openly speaking about getting rid of Barr, Giuliani sees his chance for a comeback.

timhau 14th October 2020 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dudalb (Post 13257767)
SO the great Obama conspiracy theory turns out to be crap. What a suprise.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't believe it.

dirtywick 14th October 2020 09:51 PM

At this point Rudy Giuliani has so little credibility left that nobody will care that nobody even responds to this nonsense

It's like, too stupid for a soap opera plot line.

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtywick (Post 13258037)
At this point Rudy Giuliani has so little credibility left that nobody will care that nobody even responds to this nonsense

It's like, too stupid for a soap opera plot line.

Except that it's becoming a big deal because social media outlets are slapping the story down, along with users attempting to promote it, users like the White House Press Secretary.

While I'm glad that Twitter and Facebook seem to be getting serious about fake news, I'm concerned about a potential "cover-up" backlash.

TellyKNeasuss 14th October 2020 10:34 PM

I was a little puzzled by a few things in the NY Post article about Hunter Biden's laptop.
https://nypost.com/2020/10/14/email-...iz-man-to-dad/


To start with, the repair shop owner claims only that he believes that Hunter Biden was the person who dropped off the laptop. I don't know; every time I've taken anything (electronics, car) to a repair shop, they take my name and contact information. Without that, how do they get the authorization to perform any actual repairs? Furthermore, a repair shop can only take possession of "abandoned" property if they first send a notice via certified mail to the owner of the property. How could they do that since they don't seem to have 100 percent certainty of who owned the laptop?

Maybe it's just me, but I found it a little strange that there is only a screen shot of an email. Why not a copy of the actual email with the metadata to prove its authenticity?

There is no indication of when a meeting with Joe Biden supposedly took place. The email states something about "yesterday evening", which would refer to an evening on which Joe Biden gave speeches at 2 events.

dirtywick 14th October 2020 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babbylonian (Post 13258053)
Except that it's becoming a big deal because social media outlets are slapping the story down, along with users attempting to promote it, users like the White House Press Secretary.

While I'm glad that Twitter and Facebook seem to be getting serious about fake news, I'm concerned about a potential "cover-up" backlash.

There will be backlash, but it will be amongst die hard Trumpers. But they already thought it was all true the minute they found out Biden had a son named Hunter. Everyone else who isn't neck deep into right wing nonsense isn't going to believe any of that.

The Great Zaganza 14th October 2020 11:02 PM

I hope this kind of halting of highly suspicious news by Social Media outlets will become the norm.

Babbylonian 14th October 2020 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza (Post 13258070)
I hope this kind of halting of highly suspicious news by Social Media outlets will become the norm.

No doubt. It shows the desperation at Fox News that they're pushing this BS so hard outside their opinion scum.

The Don 15th October 2020 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TellyKNeasuss (Post 13258056)
To start with, the repair shop owner claims only that he believes that Hunter Biden was the person who dropped off the laptop. I don't know; every time I've taken anything (electronics, car) to a repair shop, they take my name and contact information. Without that, how do they get the authorization to perform any actual repairs? Furthermore, a repair shop can only take possession of "abandoned" property if they first send a notice via certified mail to the owner of the property. How could they do that since they don't seem to have 100 percent certainty of who owned the laptop?

Without your contact details, ow can they tell you the repair is complete ? Are you supposed to keep popping in on the off chance that the repairs are complete ? If the repair shop owner cannot identify you due to a medical condition, how do you make sure you get your laptop back ?

I guess this guy operates a business where people just drop off laptops for repair, come back some time later and take some laptop (could be theirs, could be someone else's) away with them. :confused:

Stacyhs 15th October 2020 12:21 AM

From VOX:
Quote:


Now, the Post is touting one purported email from Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi as a scandalous “smoking gun.” In the purported email, Pozharskyi thanks Hunter for “inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent some time together,” and proposes meeting that day. But there’s no confirmation the meeting with then-Vice President Biden happened or, if it did, that the two men discussed Shokin. (A Biden campaign spokesperson said in a statement that the campaign reviewed the former vice president’s official schedules and that “no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.”
A campaign official told the New York Times that a brief encounter was “technically possible” but was very unlikely.)

Hunter has had drug use issues in the past, and he took lucrative jobs for foreign companies or clients that he appeared not to be qualified for. But there’s been a history of misleading information and outright misinformation pushed about him — often involving Giuliani and Bannon, both of whom were involved in this as well. So supposed bombshell revelations from questionable sources in the days before the election should be viewed with a great deal of skepticism.

Stacyhs 15th October 2020 12:24 AM

From VOX:

Quote:

Now, the Post is touting one purported email from Burisma adviser Vadym Pozharskyi as a scandalous “smoking gun.” In the purported email, Pozharskyi thanks Hunter for “inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent some time together,” and proposes meeting that day. But there’s no confirmation the meeting with then-Vice President Biden happened or, if it did, that the two men discussed Shokin. (A Biden campaign spokesperson said in a statement that the campaign reviewed the former vice president’s official schedules and that “no meeting, as alleged by the New York Post, ever took place.” A campaign official told the New York Times that a brief encounter was “technically possible” but was very unlikely.)

Hunter has had drug use issues in the past, and he took lucrative jobs for foreign companies or clients that he appeared not to be qualified for. But there’s been a history of misleading information and outright misinformation pushed about him — often involving Giuliani and Bannon, both of whom were involved in this as well. So supposed bombshell revelations from questionable sources in the days before the election should be viewed with a great deal of skepticism.

gypsyjackson 15th October 2020 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza (Post 13257404)
My sauces inside the Trump Campaign have told me that the October Surprise will be a calendar featuring full-nudes of Trump and his cronies.

Another White House super-spreader event?

The Great Zaganza 15th October 2020 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsyjackson (Post 13258116)
Another White House super-spreader event?

LOOOTS of manspreading, yes.

shuttlt 15th October 2020 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacyhs (Post 13257880)
When your father is the VP of the US and there are emails between the two of you concerning sensitive government business, not to mention explicit sexual photos, you don't just go off and leave it with some computer store. The whole thing sounds like a contrived pile of horse manure.

People have dropped off laptops containing child porn at computer stores before now (e.g. Gary Glitter). It happens.

The Don 15th October 2020 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttlt (Post 13258174)
People have dropped off laptops containing child porn at computer stores before now (e.g. Gary Glitter). It happens.

True, but they also tend to leave their contact details so that they can come back and collect it and/or payment details so that the computer store can get paid for their services.

jrhowell 15th October 2020 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Don (Post 13258103)
I guess this guy operates a business where people just drop off laptops for repair, come back some time later and take some laptop (could be theirs, could be someone else's) away with them. :confused:

Perhaps he has a side business preparing stolen computers for resale.

shuttlt 15th October 2020 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Don (Post 13258191)
True, but they also tend to leave their contact details so that they can come back and collect it and/or payment details so that the computer store can get paid for their services.

Are we sure no contact information was left? Where are we getting that from?

gypsyjackson 15th October 2020 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttlt (Post 13258295)
Are we sure no contact information was left? Where are we getting that from?

I think we’re getting that from the whole situation being a fabrication.

The Great Zaganza 15th October 2020 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttlt (Post 13258295)
Are we sure no contact information was left? Where are we getting that from?

Have you checked how many articles the author of the Hunter Biden piece in the Post has written before?

shuttlt 15th October 2020 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsyjackson (Post 13258343)
I think we’re getting that from the whole situation being a fabrication.

So because it's a fabrication, you are making up additional facts that you don't actually know to be true, to support it being a fabrication? This is going to be a confusing thread.

shuttlt 15th October 2020 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza (Post 13258346)
Have you checked how many articles the author of the Hunter Biden piece in the Post has written before?

How does that relate to where people are getting the information about no contact details being left?

JoeMorgue 15th October 2020 06:38 AM

*Very slowly* Because if this was an actual news story with journalistic integrity and there was an actual legit papertrail linking this phantom computer that doesn't exist to Hunter Biden... okay brace yourself because this part gets complicated and is going to blow your mind... the article would have said so.

Real news stories don't trickle release information like they are writing a 1930s movie serial and need a cliffhanger each episode.

The Don 15th October 2020 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuttlt (Post 13258295)
Are we sure no contact information was left? Where are we getting that from?

The lack of clarity about who left the laptop :confused:

From the report, the owner of the store surmised that Hunter Biden left the laptop (even though a medical condition prevented them seeing who did) because there were reportedly stickers relating to the Beau Biden Foundation on it.

If the person had left contact information, this level of "sleuthing" would have been unnecessary.


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