What's up with americatimes.org?
After some google searches I found it to be copy of the actual magazine website http://businessinsider.com
Then I noticed the frontpage top header still contained a small advertisement for the used Wordpress theme. On top of that there seem to be a whole bunch of artwork load errors/glitches floating around. These seem to have to do with the mirroring process.
My first thought was that this site might be some school project. But I couldn't find any real clues supporting this. Really only things that pointed away from that idea. Another theory, much more fun of course, would be that this is some kind of automatically generating anti USA/West propaganda site! And if you really want to get all tin foil hatty about this. How about this being a new type of a numbers station? Where the 'random' words are inserted in this mirror of another, actually existing, news site and these alterations form some kind of code. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Numbers_station )
Any Thoughts?
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[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 53.1 ms ] threadThe footer on the front page contains a wp-login link in Vietnamese (according to google translate).
A whois gives some weird info ( http://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=americatimes.org ) (at least the combination is strange): Registrant Name:Daniel Costello (too common a name, more on him below) Registrant Organization:Tammy S Meyer (actually owner of the accompanying address; see below) Registrant Street: 18853 Leisure Avenue (some pretty remote farm type place: https://www.google.nl/maps/place/18853+Leisure+Ave,+Honey+Cr... ) Registrant City:Honey Creek Registrant State/Province:IA Name Server:NS1.VISIONDNS.NET (also Vietnamese) Email: americatimes@yahoo.com (errrr, yeah..)
A google of the street address turned up some kind of land/parcel registration from the 'Pottawattamie County Assessor', actually registered to the same name, 'Tammy S Meyer': http://pottco.org/x/card?map=on&parcel=764319400002
A search for "americatimes@yahoo.com" turns up only 3 hits, 2 of which the same WHOIS result, but one also containing the name 'Daniel Costello'. This time associated with 'acumium.com', a 'Website Development, Ecommerce, Online Marketing' company. On his company website profile ( http://www.acumium.com/about/meet-our-team/dan-costello.cmsx ) it states the following: "Before Acumium, Dan served in the U.S. Army as a Signals Intelligence Team Leader for almost four years, which explains his focus on Acumium’s security and policies. He left the service as one of the _most highly decorated_ members of the 2nd Armored Calvary." Now I get this tingly suspicious feeling in my special place. Why would he use a Vietnamese Wordpress?! Or be the Registrant Contact for a domain hosted in Vietnam ?? (123.30.176.66, http://tracert.com/run?host=123.30.176.66&gw=24 ) Or be associated with this website??
This is where things started to get really odd. If you google one of the lines/titles of the articles, you find that the site is an _exact_ mirror (errors and all) of http://usastar.org/. Which whois looks like this: Registrant Contact Name: caroline odonnell Organization: caroline odonnell Mailing Address: 14915 camarosa drive, pacific palisades CA 90067 US (some crazy ass mansion: https://www.google.nl/maps/@34.03464,-118.521481,3a,76.9y,34... )
After another google search, this mansion was apparently bought by actor Chris O'Donnel (the guy from NCIS LA!): http://www.bergproperties.com/blog/actor-chris-odonnell-pays... His wife is named Caroline: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000563/bio?ref_=n...
Obviously this kind of naïve adjective-permutation seems unlikely to fool Google today (although you said it came up in a search result for you?), but maybe at some point in the past it was effective. Does anyone know if the recent date listed in the ICANN record is a reliable indicator of initial regisration? Or would that just be when it was last re-upped?
Might be interesting to wget these two mirrors and diff their content?
Also, I dont see a reason for the wp-login to be in Vietnamese? And why would both mirrors' domain WHOIS link to existing people, one being 'famous'?
And it feels like there are just too many oddities (see my other comment) for it to just be some way to obfuscate/manipulate Google results?
Also, its still running. The article I found it through was very recent. Judging from the difference in timestamps on articles between the copies and the real site it seems something deliberate is being done.
ps; The site actually came up when I looked up the assistant chief of police of Detroit and added something like the word 'retard' haha. After watching a video statement by this guy I thought he couldnt possibly be qualified to be the 2nd in command on a police force in a city like that. Of course I was wrong.
It RANDOMLY mentions Chris O'Donnell (one of the 2 domains i posted about is registered to his wife! See my long comment). Im starting to get really freaked out.
14 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
13 For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,[d] say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.
18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20 Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21 In the Law it is written:
“With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.”[e]
22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” Good Order in Worship
26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.
29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed a...
I was surprised that a site like this could make it into Google News results.