Conservative blogger covering local politics, urban planning, and, frequently, western swing. Anglospherophile. Israelophile. ืฆึดืึผึืึนื ืึฐึผืึดืฉึฐืืคึธึผึฃื ืชึดึผืคึธึผืึถึื
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Joined October 2008
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Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Security called me at 6:12 AM today.
"Patch every PHP server immediately."
I asked what happened.
"Two critical vulnerabilities. Remote code execution. No authentication required."
Cool.
How many PHP servers do we have?
According to inventory: 12
According to reality:
Nobody knows.
We found one running WordPress.
Three running old internal tools.
One under someone's desk.
Two inside vendor appliances.
A forgotten employee directory from 2016.
And a server named:
PHP-OLD-DO-NOT-TOUCH
Naturally, that one runs payroll exports.
Then we found a PHP 5.6 box.
I asked who owned it.
The documentation said:
BRIAN.
Brian left in 2019.
We called Brian.
He said:
"Oh wow, that's still running?"
Excellent.
By 8 AM, leadership joined the incident call.
CEO:
"Can hackers actually get in?"
Security:
"Potentially yes."
CEO:
"Without a password?"
Security:
"Yes."
CEO:
"Then why do WE need passwords?"
Not the lesson.
Finance asked if we could wait until the weekend to patch because downtime affects revenue.
Security explained that the alternative was letting strangers execute code on our servers.
Finance asked for a cost comparison.
At 9:17, someone suggested temporarily taking the vulnerable websites offline.
Marketing refused.
"Our campaign is live."
So for the next hour, the company officially decided maintaining a landing page for 20% off webinar registration was more important than preventing remote server takeover.
We finally patched everything we could find.
Then our scanner discovered another PHP server.
Hostname:
TEMP-PHP-2014
Uptime:
4,512 days.
Nobody knows what it does.
Nobody owns it.
Nobody can shut it down.
But every time we block network access, the warehouse stops printing shipping labels.
Security has classified it as critical infrastructure.
It is running PHP 5.4.
The vulnerability has existed longer than half our employees.
The emergency patch took four hours.
Finding out what PHP actually runs took eleven.
The internet isn't held together with code.
It's held together with servers everyone is afraid to turn off.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
So basically, today PHP got two critical bugs that let anyone run code on your server without even logging in, which is bad, and then the details leaked before the patch was even out, which is worse, and it works on WordPress and MediaWiki and Magento and Joomla and Laravel, and Censys says like 1.5 million servers are running a version with no fix, so the NSA was like "take your system offline," and the FBI was like "take your system offline," and CISA and the UK and CERT-EU were all like "take your system offline," and then the Prime Minister of Japan, the actual Prime Minister, posted at 5:55 in the morning telling 48.8 million people to take their system offline, so everyone took their system offline, like the Dutch cybersecurity agency took its own website offline, and the Dutch parliament went offline, and the Port of Rotterdam went offline, and Finland and France and Denmark started pulling government sites, and Wikipedia went down, and Archive.org went down, and Asana and GOG and Something Awful went down, and the University of Vienna's webmail went down for some reason, and that's just PHP. Because GitLab also dropped a CVSS 10.0, which is the highest score they give out, for a bug that's been there since 2014, so that's every self-hosted GitLab for twelve years, and then LiteLLM 1.107.0 got hijacked and shipped a credential stealer and a remote access trojan in every single wheel and the Docker images, including latest, and you didn't even have to import it, just installing it was enough, and it's the second time this year, and then Railway paused every deployment on the entire platform because someone got into the environment variables, so now everyone has to rotate every secret they've ever stored there, and TiDB Cloud said someone was walking around inside with stolen credentials for basically a month and an extortion group says they took 10.6 terabytes, and Zeabur got breached for the second time in two months and is just shutting down, like the whole company, and Node.js patched remote code execution and a TLS bypass, and CISA says Plex is being actively exploited, and someone took over 300 Tor exit relays to steal SSH passwords, and SafePay ransomware has hit over 600 critical infrastructure orgs, and India's biggest bank filed a data loss incident, and Japan has been in an official state of emergency in cyberspace since October 9, which honestly explains the 5:55 AM post. Oh, and eMudhra, a certificate authority that's issued over 60 million certificates, whose entire job is proving websites are who they say they are, was supposed to be using private keys that are random numbers over a hundred digits long, and one of them was 4. Just 4. And the others were like 66 and 237. Anyway, it's Wednesday.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Please not this, Texans
Bush clan members back Democrat James Talarico in Texas Senate race bbc.in/3WiSar1
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
I was wondering why the news has been stressing me out lately and I think it's because I don't have little kids any more.
Little kids don't care about any of the things that are stressing you out, they just want to read the Cookie Monster book one more time. They just want to climb on your back or throw a ball. They force you to disengage from whatever hard things are on your mind to play princess or make brownies or go for a walk where nothing in the world matters except spending time together.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Radio 4 Extra - the very last bit of the institution I happily (mainly) worked 19 years for that I bother with. I think sadly thatโs me done as a listener and viewer let alone an alumni
BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Radio 4 Extra channels to close bbc.in/4sjrORU
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
$35.5 million spent over roughly eight years on DEI by Tulsa Public Schools...
continued 2/2:
A 2026 forensic audit of the bond department detailed ~$3.73 million in fraud, misappropriation, and improper payments involving former Executive Director Chris Hudgins. He allegedly directed a vendor to bill for roofing, HVAC, and interior work that was never performed, then funneled most of the money (~$2.6 million) to his personal company. Overbilling and an unauthorized rebate scheme added hundreds of thousands more. The auditor said the board largely rubber-stamped recommendations. Charges have been filed.
Enrollment pressure has mostlt been flat the last 5 years. But the audits document long-term weak controls, conflicts of interest, diverted funds, underreported equity spending, and inadequate oversight. Those issues reduced resources available for classrooms or reserves. Bond money is mostly capital, not operating funds, yet the oversight failures were broad.
While enrollment has been relatively flat after the earlier drop, the district STILL spent roughly $35.5 million on equity-focused programs and consultants. Combined with documented fraud, bidding failures, and weak board oversight, that spending occurred alongside the financial pressures now forcing school closures.
Sources:
SA&I bond department forensic audit press release (Aug 2026): sai.ok.gov/p/Tulsa%20Public%โฆ
Tulsa World on bond audit: tulsaworld.com/news/local/edโฆ
NewsOn6 / other coverage of closures and shortfall.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
You ask a kid to factor something... nothing crazy, just like x^2 + 11x + 28... and before they even get to the algebra, they're stuck on the multiplication!
What's 7 x 4? Let me recompute it.
You do 4 + 4 + 4 + ... oh, wait, I should just add 7.
7 + 7 + 7 + 7. Geez! You already got one job, which is to do the algebra and now you're spinning out on computing basic facts?
And even if you're using some kind of strategy like 7 x 5, then minus 7, or take 7 and double it again and double it once more... your whole brain is thinking about this.
It's pulling away your attention from the algebra that you really need to be focused on if you're gonna see the forest for the trees and really understand and get intuition about what you're doing.
You need to be able to look up like a basketball player who's dribbling the ball and is able to look around them, see what's happening.
You can't get good at basketball if you're constantly having to like look at the ground when you're dribbling the ball. Doesn't work that way.
Anybody who plays sports knows the importance of getting automatic on your basic skills so that you can build on top of them and they don't continually hijack your mental bandwidth.
And it's the same way with math.
Further reading: justinmath.com/cognitive-sciโฆ
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Choose wisely when going into the voting booth especially locally; those are the lawmakers who make the most impact on your life, community & livelihood.
Do your homework; an ideological vote because you're mad at a "party " in either direction has real consequences.
This is what you get when there is zero check on local government. The consequences of this are an accelerated exodus; 2,100 last year ahead of this with the vast majority migrating directly to its immediate suburban border counties.
Data shows 71% of out-migrants staying within the state & moved to Westmoreland, Washington, Butler, or Beaver counties in large part to escape higher taxes. Businesses, of which 99% are small businesses in Allegheny county, if they can, will follow suit.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Happy bday to my wife of 72 yrs BARBARA GRASSLEY
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque and Muslims praying in a building that does not belong to their historical or civilizational heritage, is the clearest proof that Islam is a barbaric religion that does not create, but only conquers and destroys.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
When I was Muslim, I used to ask Christians:
โIf Jesus was really God, why did He eat, sleep, and bleed like us?โ
I literally would ask it with pride. I was super pumped about it because like it was some unbeatable argument. I loved how that felt.
But bro, later I realized something:
That question is not exposing Christianity - like at all.
It was exposing my total misunderstanding of what kind of God Jesus claimed to be for His people.
After I became a Christian, I pondered this a lot. I repent for this too!
The question is not: Why would God become weak?
The question is: What kind of God would willingly step into human suffering at all?
This was convicting for me because Islam taught me about a God who was distant and untouchable. But Christianity introduced me to a God who stepped into hunger, exhaustion, grief, pain, betrayal, blood, and suffering with us.
After I understood it, Jesus' humanity stopped looking like weakness to me.
It became proof of love.
If Jesus ate, it means He came close enough to experience hunger beside us.
If He slept, it means He embraced the exhaustion we carry.
If He bled, it means He did not stand above suffering watching us from a distance.
He entered it Himself.
Philippians 2 says Christ emptied Himself and took on flesh. Why? Not because He stopped being God, but because He wanted humanity to finally see what God is actually like.
And it turns out God is willing to suffer for the people He loves. That one realization changed so much for me.
Every other religion demanded sacrifice from humanity. Jesus became the sacrifice Himself.
PRAISE JESUS! I AM FREE! Follow me if you want to become better equipped to defend your faith, understand Islam, and lead Muslims toward Jesus.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Radio Times Editor Shem Law says BBC Radio 4 Extra is living proof that great broadcasting does not acquire a sell-by date โ and we'll be losing more than just a radio station when it's turned off.
Read in full: radiotimes.com/audio/radio/bโฆ
ALT A vintage black-and-white photo of Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring and John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson from Dad's Army. The text along the bottom reads: "COMMENT Why the recent BBC decision to close Radio 4 Extra is a terrible mistake"
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Seems clear to me now that the theory is going to be that she was NOT related to the person she claimed was her father, so she could NOT get derivative citizenship via his naturalization whether he ever was naturalized or not.
She has been an undocumented alien in the US her entire life because her real father remained in Great Britain when she came to the U.S. with a different family who lied about her being their daughter.
This is why they wanted DNA of her sister, and already had DNA of her husband/brother.
There is reporting that this all kicked off recently over a group text message on her sister's phone -- LIKELY obtained in connection with the fraud investigations in Minneapolis that involve her sister.
THAT's why they wanted her phone so badly -- to find the same message on her phone. She's probably in the group chat that was found on her sister's phone.
The message must reveal some information about them not being part of the same family.
If she acknowledged knowing that was the case, then she has lied numerous times as an adult about what she knew about her lineage and whether she was naturalized.
Lying about citizenship is a federal crime.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
๐ฅ Tulsa Public Schools is closing 17 schools after audits found millions in fraud, weak oversight, and $35.5 million in equity spending!
The district is consolidating schools to close a roughly $12 million budget gap. Enrollment has dropped more than 5,700 students since 2017โ18 and now sits around 31,700โ32,500 (capacity exceeds 45,000; peak was over 80,000 in 1968). The last five years have been mostly flat. State funding is largely per-pupil, so the drop cuts revenue. Officials cite lower birth rates, school choice, and excess capacity.
The February 2025 special audit found systemic weak controls and board oversight. Auditors reviewed ~$37.7 million and flagged more than 1,400 discrepancies. About $25 million went out without proper competitive bidding. Payments were structured just under thresholds to avoid review. Former Chief Talent and Learning Officer Devin Fletcher defrauded the district and foundation of ~$824,000 via fake invoices; he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and is serving prison time.
The same audit found ~$35.5 million spent over eight years on equity-focused services, software, and materials under Destination Excellence (equity was the leading core value). For 2022โ23, DEI-related spending was underreported by at least $1.7 million. Vague invoices limited the exact total. Auditors noted state law does not ban equity/DEI concepts in K-12 and reached no conclusion on HB 1775 compliance. In case you are wondering, new employees watch at least one DEI video in orientation. 1/2
Sources:
Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector special audit (Feb 2025): sai.ok.gov
Oklahoma Voice on enrollment & closures: oklahomavoice.com/2026/09/29โฆ
Oklahoman on audit findings: oklahoman.com/story/news/eduโฆ
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
We are all saddened by the announcement that @R4Extra is scheduled for closure. Not only has the channel been the ideal outlet for the many programmes we have recovered, the staff have always been very encouraging, helpful, and, most importantly, have promoted what we do. (1/3)
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
At Tulsa Pride last Saturday: Mayor Monroe Nichols, Councilor Laura Bellis (who posted pics with her two young children and husband who has a ballet slippers tattoo), Councilor Jackie Dutton, and Tulsa Public Schools board member John Croisant.
Same event: a man in a black dog mask and skimpy black kink gear, a furry, bearded men in dresses, people in weird sexual attire doing sexual dances, a child with a tail,and a penis costume โ all in full view of kids.
This is the โfamily-friendlyโ Pride Tulsaโs elected officials and school board celebrated.
Itโs all captured in the video with pics from various public postings.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
@BBCRadio4Extra is my go to. Always find some vintage nugget from The Clitheroe Kid to a lost Hancock to Paul Temple. Yes, I could search thru the clunky archive, but half the joy is the surprise of the find.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
In my opinion, we're going to lose something incredibly valuable to the cultural fabric & history of this country. If Radio 4 Extra with its carefully curated archive isn't the epitome of public service broadcasting, well, I don't know what is. Only the BBC can do it. A sad day.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
I donโt understand why these idiots running the BBC donโt understand the serendipity of Radio 4 and Extra. It costs peanuts to broadcast these archives in comparison to the waste that often goes on light entertainment drivel, and endless โlifestyleโ or antique shows on tv.
Michael Bates ๐บ๐ธ๐ฌ๐ง๐ฆ๐บ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ retweeted
Every skill tree has lower branches that you have to climb and stand on in order to reach the higher branches.
Don't waste your time standing on the ground jumping at the highest branches and doubting your ability to reach them.
Just climb. One branch after another.