Phirst Amendment Vol. 1 Issue #9 01 January, 1993 A KAoS production Article I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or the press; or the right of the people, peaceably, to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Editing, Story Continuity, & Public Relations...........David Lightman | | Good Cop................................................David Lightman | | Bad Cop.....................................................Anesthesia | | Research, Footwork, and Editorials.........................Sir Galahad | | Editorial Assistance, Research, & Footwork.......................Storm | | Editing, Interviews, Public Polling, Canvassing.............Pink Freud | | | | Table of Contents...................................01 | | * AC/DC........................................................02 | | *Chemical of the Month ..................................03 | |* Poet's Corner.................................05 | |* Virus World ............................................06 | | If you like Social Security, Your going to Love National Health Care | | ...............................................07 | | Social Insecurity ..................................08 | | Show us your Worker Card ...........................09 | | Security in Socialism .........................10 | |* Food for Thought.........................................11 | |* SoapBox ................................................12 | | [Why we do it!, Christmas Hackers, When the Hammer Falls, | |* BBS Connection.........................................13 | |* Gnus Around Town.......................................14 | |* Feedbag ............................................15 | |* Addendum (Omissions, Apologies, etc.) ........................16 | | | |* - denotes regularly published columns | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ We [the staff of Phirst Amendment] and our contributors do not take responsibility for the use of the information contained in this publication. It is provided for your information. Any means by which you use the information contained herein, is strictly up to you. Any damages incurred by the use of this information is solely the responsibility of the person taking the action. Also, any system containing this publication is not responsible for the use of information contained within, as they are merely exercising their First Amendment rights. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | AC/DC | | Anesthesia's Comments/Daiv's Comments | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\AC/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Well, a new year will soon be upon us as I am writing this. So, I guess it's time for a `New Years Resolution.' I resolve to become more hardcore this year and provide you with more in-depth info than in 1992. 1993 will probably be a great year of change for Phirst Amendment. We will continue to bring you things you need to know as well as the things you want to know. We are here for you, the reader, as your voice and `soapbox.' We will continue to accept your views on all subjects. If there's something you want, then tell us. Just don't tune us out because we don't cover something you like. We realize that everyone has different views, and we respect them. In fact, that is just what we are trying to inspire - Independent Thought. We are setting up a distribution network. It is not very massive at this time. We have sites in St. Louis, Connecticut, Denver, Kentucky, Birmingham, AL, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico! EFF is carrying it, as are several other FTP servers, such as the University of Michigan, University of Washington, etc. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. Pass the word around; we can only get better with your support. -Anesthesia- -------------------------------------DC------------------------------------ Once again, a terrific response from people. Not so many suggestions this time. Are we getting it right for a change? A lot of "Hey, keep up the good work!"s. That makes me feel good about doing this. I realize that not everyone, everywhere has a place in their life for a publication like this. If they did, we wouldn't need one. This is the kind of publication that gives form to ideas for school reports and speeches. It's the kind that molds revolutions... If you, as a student, (getting a lot of students as readers!) feel the desire to utilize the information presented in ANY copy of Phirst Amendment in a report or presentation, PLEASE do so. That would be most excellent. We need to let others know that we ARE thinking. And maybe, just maybe, one or two of those `old farts' will come around. They may remember what they stood up against in the 60s that they may be supporting now... you could wake them up! Other things you can do to make a change: Write editorials to your local paper about things that are going on right now. They have published several of mine over the years. It might just stimulate others with similar views. Collect Mass-Petitions. Write to your Congressman, Senator, Representative, Mayor and every other elected official that you can find that has some political pull. Let THEM know that we aren't going to be led around like sheep with blinders on, not knowing what's going on around us, only knowing that we are in line... Waiting for slaughter? That's what the last page, or centerfold (for you land subscribers), is for. It is a copy of the First Amendment, in case the official you are petitioning has forgotten what it was, with space for you to address your grievance with the current situation - whatever it is! You HAVE that right, it's guaranteed by law... Read the opening again... That's what it says and means! This issue pretty much made itself. Lots of info out there on this topic. Nobody seems very comfortable with the SSA now or in its future. So we have a sampling of a few authors' views on this matter. A little redundancy, but I take that to mean that the threat is VERY real and well known. Let your elected representatives KNOW how you feel about them and this issue. Send them a copy of Phirst Amendment. Let them know that hundreds of thousands of registered voters receive this publication, all across the country and around the globe. Maybe then, they'll start to do what's best for everyone... I'd like to introduce Pink Freud (601)- a recent addition to our staff, flown in from Mississippi. He has helped a LOT by doing background research on people, flying around doing interviews, and editing articles, insuring their political correctness. He was the leader of Insanity, Incorporated- a A land-based Underground faction which produced 235 DIFFERENT informational pamphlets. Expect to hear some GREAT things from him. As we incorporate smaller groups into one large group, we get closer and closer to operating the Underground as a unified organization. This is our ultimate goal. I have no desire to be THE leader of the Underground- it probably wouldn't work well that way. We DO need a unified group to institute the changes that are necessary for survival. I've put a new column in, actually two: Virus World, and Through the LoopHole. Virus World is in due to the HUGE response from the BBS Connection's interview with Chuck Price. Loophole is due to my desire to put some more `Inside' information in the hands of those that can most (ab)use it - our constituency... After all this is a church publication. "The future of the Republic and the Press are one in the same, they will rise and fall together." -Joseph Pulitzer [Now let's all be devout and learn more about defeating our enemies, shall we?] /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Chemical of the Month /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ by Anesthesia Acetic Acid (C2 H4 O2) AKA: Methane carboxylic acid, vinegar acid, ethanoic acid Description: Clear, colorless liquid; pungent odor. Uses: Manufacture of cellulose acetate, plastics, dyes, insecticides, pharmaceuticals; textile printing Hazards: Moderately toxic; can damage skin. Do NOT expose to heat or flame. Will explode on contact with: Sulfuric Acid Nitric Acid [Okay, okay... You've all been asking what kind of experiments you can do with the knowledge presented in the Chemical of the Month column. ..] Match Head Bomb This is a well known, but still extremely useful explosive device. In its simplest form, it makes a nice detonator for other explosives. Try it and I'm sure you'll find thousands of uses for this fun project. 1> Using scotch tape, make a tube out of a paper grocery bag about 2" long by 1" diameter. Cut a 1" circle of paper and tape it to one end. 2> Pick or scrape the combustible chemicals off the tip of about a thousand stick matches. [Blue Tips (brand) are best.] Add a small amount of water to the mixture and crush them in a glass ashtray. [Or invest the $5 in a mortar and pestle from Walgreen's.] 3> Pack the tube to about 3/4" from the top. 4> Take about 1/4" wooden dowel and insert it into the center of the tube. Then pack the explosive charge around this all the way to the top. When it starts to harden, carefully remove the dowel so that you have a hole 1/4" wide by 1-1/4" long in the center. This allows the center to dry as well as give you room to install a detonator. 5> After a few days, peel off the scotch tape and gently remove as much of the paper bag as you can. Don't worry if some of it sticks to the charge. Set it in a warm, dry area and let it dry completely. This is a relatively safe device to make and use. I suggest you can see the effect. If you desire a larger explosive, you may add gunpowder or any other heat or spark activated explosive. Just be sure to research any substitutions, carefully research your ingredients don't react violently with one another. [The first time I read this, I got goosebumps. I haven't heard the song, but I have a new-found respect for Guns and Roses due to the quality of the lyric that follows. It is so appropriate and excellent, that I feel I cannot really do it the justice it deserves.] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Poet's Corner | | featuring Guns and Roses | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Don't Damn Me Don't damn me - when I speak a piece of my mind 'Cause silence isn't golden, when I'm holding it inside; 'Cause I've been where I've been, and I've seen what I've seen. I put my pen to the paper, 'cause it's all part of me: Be it a song or a casual conversation to hold My tongue speaks of quiet reservations Your words once heard: they can place you in a faction. My words may disturb, but at least there's a reaction. Sometimes I wanna kill - Sometimes I wanna die Sometimes I wanna destroy - Sometimes I wanna cry Sometimes I could get even - Sometimes I could give up Sometimes I could give - Sometimes I never give a fuck It only happens for a while, I hope you understand: I never wanted this to happen, didn't want to be man. So I hid inside my world, I took what I could find. I cried when I was lonely, I fell down when I was blind. Don't damn me - when I speak a piece of my mind 'Cause silence isn't golden, when I'm holding it inside; 'Cause I've been where I've been, and I've seen what I've seen. I put my pen to the paper, 'cause it's all part of me: How can I ever satisfy you? And how can I ever make you see that deep inside we're all somebody, And it don't matter who you wanna be. But now I gotta smile, I hope you comprehend 'Cause this child has been condemned So I stepped inside your world; I kicked you in the mind And I'm the only witness to the nature of my crime. But look at what I've done, to the innocent and young Whoa- listen to who's talking - 'cause we're not the only ones. The trash collected by the eyes and dumped into the brain sad, it tears into our conscious thoughts - You tell me who's to blame! I know you don't wanna hear me crying; and I don't wanna hear me deny that your satisfaction lies in your illusions but your illusions are delusions - and not mine. We take for granted we know the whole story, we judge a book by its cover, and read what we want - between selected lines. Don't hail me - and don't idolize the ink; or I've failed in my intentions. Can you find the missing link? Your only validation is living your own life Vicarious existence is a fucking waste of time So I send this song to the offended: I've said what I meant and I've never pretended as so many others do - intending just to please If I damned YOUR point of view, could YOU turn the other cheek!? Don't damn me - when I speak a piece of my mind 'Cause silence isn't golden, when I'm holding it inside; 'Cause I've been where I've been, and I've seen what I've seen. I put my pen to the paper, 'cause it's all part of me: Don't damn me, I said don't damn me. I said don't hail me. Don't damn me. _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ , _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ , _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ / \ / \ Through the LoopHole - - - < - - >- - by David Lightman \ / \ / X / \ / \ / \ / \ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ , _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ , _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ _ [What the hell is this?? A column by David Lightman? Yes. I will now give my obligatory preface as to the purpose of this column and why I deem it necessary.] One of my fortes, as you may have determined from 1a.1, is money: its manipulation, multiplication, and mastication. The ability to do heretofore unheard of things with money, is the ability to read between the lines: to make the rules do things FOR you, instead of TO you. I have been asked to give more information on money (making, saving, utilizing) by those who are aware of the amount of study I've put into it. I can help those people as well as others by exposing Loopholes! Loopholes are creative interpretations, or grey-areas, of rules that can make them benefit the average Joe. I have used MANY of the loopholes around me to do quite well for myself. Those who have seen my apartment can testify to that. I'm not attempting to be the braggard, I merely want you to see that I USE these things (except the illegal ones... ;> ) and they WORK. It's not a textbook examination of a rule and how it COULD be manipulated. It's hard, cold facts backed by a case-history (my life) of optimum performance. In all of these loopholes, a common denominator appears: self-control. If you cannot control yourself, it doesn't matter how good the plan is... You can mess up a trip to the mall if you cannot control the most important thing TO control - YOURSELF! It doesn't matter if it's savings, investments, social engineering, dieting, doing homework, whatever... you must control your senses, and follow the directions to the letter. If you let yourself get emotional about something that is happening, and you know what the next step is... but cannot wait for the proper time... the results can be disastrous. I will probably make many allusions to this need for control with each loophole I identify. There will, of course, be petty loopholes, that a three- year-old can handle quite easily. These are not as subject to the need for self-discipline. Enough Zen and the Art of Bamboozling, let's get on with this. Free Mail !!!! !!!! Ever notice that the mail rates change very often and at, almost, exponential rates? Well, you can worsen the situation for these poor, underpaid civil service workers, by knowing how the postal system works. There are two main things to remember about how insufficient postage is handled: If there is NO postage, the letter will be 'returned' to the sender's address in the upper left-hand side of the envelope. If there is SOME (greater than zero cents) postage, but not enough to totally cover the cost of the mailing, it will be delivered in a state known as 'Postage Due.' The addressee must pay the remaining amount of postage to receive the letter/package. The addressee has the option to refuse the posted item, sending it back to the return addressee (as in above.) The mail service cannot determine where mail has been sent from by any means other than the return address. [They can open it to determine the address of the sender, if there is no return address] I'm sure you can see what I am getting at by now... If you're trying to impress someone, mailing a letter to them this way is NOT the way to do it... but, if you need to send a disk to a buddy, or send a book; something big, bulky, etc... This is an excellent means by which to 'transfer' this object back to the return address on the parcel. Say you are on the road, you need to send some disks home, right? You address the letter to your friend, so that he can get these disks. But DAMN, you left off the postage. These disks will mosey on back to your home address, and isn't it convenient that you needed to send those disks there anyway? And you gave your ACTUAL home address! What's further from fraud than using your own address as the return address? [putting postage on it - Storm] [but ASIDE from that choice??- Daiv] Then again, if you are angry with someone, but promised to send them something... put a one cent stamp on it. It'll go all the way to their door. They can even touch the package... but before they can have it, they have to pay the remaining postage. Or if you want to ruin the public image of some company, get some envelopes of theirs. Send letters of nonsense or empty envelopes to big companies with postage due. Put One Cent stamps on there, and they'll make it ALL the way to the company - and piss them off. Free VERY Unlisted Phone First of all, this is NOT teaching you how to get a free phone line. That's a totally different concept. You are not yet ready, grasshoppa... When you can grab the pebble from my hand... (nevermind) Let's say, for some reason, you want your phone to be unlisted in your local telephone book. Your local carrier company will want to charge you to NOT put your number in the book. This is ridiculous, as I am sure you are aware. There are two ways to scam this one: The easiest one, is to NOT have your number listed during the ONE month that the phone books are sent to the printers. For instance, In St. Louis, all numbers in existence by Mid-October are in the phone book which comes out in February. Call the operator in your city to determine what month is the cut-off around you. For that month ONLY, pay to have your number unlisted. After you have had your number unlisted for ONE month, try the following script. Hint: Be in Wallace Cleaver emulation mode with this call, unless you get a younger operator, with whom, a Doogie Howser is more appropriate. You want them to think you are quite respectable and a little socially alienated. This should prevent them from asking you too many questions or accusing you of something. [Note: In some places, you have to call a 'business office' - the same script will work.] Operator: Operator Assistance, may I help you? You: Yes, thanks, I'd like to have my number listed in the phone book. O: Well, the current one is already being printed, but you'll be in the upcoming year's phone book. U: Gosh Darndit, That bothers me. O: There's really nothing we can do about it, Sir. The information is already at the printers and the books are almost done now [Which they really aren't] so it's impossible to get your name into it. U: Oh, Okay, I understand. Well, my number will still be available for Directory Assistance, right. [GIVE IN!! Don't push this one.] O: Sure. U: Oh, All right - go ahead and put me in the next one, then. [You then provide phone number, address, and your name.] O: We'll get that fixed right away. U: Thanks - Have a good day. O: Thanks for using Bell South [Like you have a choice!] That will keep your number out of the Phone book, Haines Criss-Cross directory, and out of a lot of telemarketers hands. Your number (except for that ONE month) will still be accessible by 1-411, directory assistance. The ballsier way is a little more difficult without discipline. You have the right to have your phone listed under whatever name you want, regardless of who is living there. Try this: U: I'd like to change the name under which my phone is listed. O: Okay, what's your phone number? [Exchange billing information] O: What name would you like that listed under? U: [For example: ] Harry Phueksteich [This is where it can sometimes get interesting...] Situation #1 (The nosy bitch!) O: We can't put this number under someone else's name. That just isn't right. [Most operators aren't aware of this right] U: I just got a new roommate, and I want to put it in his name. O: Why HIS name? You're paying the bill right? U: I make calls, but I never get any... He has more friends than I do. I don't really need it listed in my name. O: We can add an additional listing for you so it's in both names... U: How much does that cost? [Everything costs with the phone company!] O: Only three dollars a month... U: Thirty-six dollars a year, so my non-existant friends can find my number more easily? It's not worth it... Just put it in his name. Situation #2 (The nice lady) O: He must get a lot of flak with that name... U: Why do you say that? [Play dumb!] O: Oh, never mind Situation #3 (Big Brother) O: We like to get information on the people who are serviced by a phone number. Do you know where he works, or his SSN, etc... Y: No, I'd have to get him to send you a letter or get back to you. O: Okay, have Mr. Pheuksteich do that as soon as he can. I've never understood that last one, If the bill is coming to you, then you are responsible. What does it matter WHO the hell lives with you? They don't need this information. They just WANT it. Tough. Don't get cocky with them about it, they can just deny your request and hang up. Another good thing to do is, when they answer, say "Hello XXXXXX" where XXXXXX is Operator number Whatever or Ms. Whoever. This way, they KNOW you know who they are. If they are rude, just report them to their supervisor. In about a week, go to a pay phone. Call Directory Assistance (1-411) [It's free at pay phones] and ask for Harry Pheucksteich's (or whatever name you gave) phone number on so-and-so street. That will serve two purposes: Amusement and Confirmation. I've used this successfully (since this is particularly legal) with the names: Dan Fielding, Oliver Wendell Jones, David Lightman, Bob Zambezie, and Larry "Bud" Melman. They let you get away with pretty much anything. And you can change it whenever you want. Try to only change it to compensate for emergencies: such as a security compromise, or you've changed the number. You always know when someone's calling from the phone book when they ask for Mr. Harry Pheucksteich. If you move and do this with another phone, do not use the same name twice. If you are hiding from someone, they may come across someone who knows a pseudonym you've used. They then search for this name, and Blammo!- your phone number and address are at their disposal. I hope you've enjoyed these insights and hints to make things a little easier on yourself. I've saved you a few dollars: about $60/year with the phone and the rest depends on how much mail you send. I'll bring you more fun next month. - Daiv [As promised, due to last month's killer response from the Chivalry! sysop's interview, we now present...] }+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{ } Virus World { } by Anesthesia { }+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+}+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{+{ I make it a point to try to stay on top of the virus world since I find it fascinating-as well as to protect myself and my board. I do not hold a grudge against people who write these programs, because I feel they are the key to exploring new areas of computing. The thing most people have confused, is what makes a virus - a `virus.' It is not its ability to do damage, instead, it is the ability to reproduce and make complete copies of itself that makes it a virus. In an interesting (but flaw ridden) article in the Winter '92 issue of `Online Access', the International Computer Security Association (ICSA) stated that "Computer viruses are programs written by high-tech vandals..." I disagree. But, what else can you expect from a government organization that thinks Stoned, Jerusalem, and Dark Avenger are the most recent viruses out? The reason I disagree has been proven in several labs and research facilities. Viruses are an open door to artificial intelligence research. I dislike `stupid' viruses that simply copy and destroy, but the `mutating' species makes an interesting study. In one research instance, a simple virus was written that copied and mutated. After studying the final products, it was shown that these programs had not only mutated, but had borrowed parts of each other's code structure to survive. Fascinating! Now I have learned, via Phrack (issue #39 or #40) that CERT (Computer Emergency Reaction Team) has attempted to shut down a rather long list of BBSs that support virus research. Is it the fear of damaging systems or are they simply afraid of the spreading of knowledge? I tend to think it is the knowledge theory. Closed-minded people tend to subscribe to the 'things man is not supposed to know' view on life. Anyone interested in learning more about virus programming should track down an old program called `Corewars.' The premise behind this game is that you and your opponent both build programs that compete for CPU control. In order to do this, it must build itself while trying to destroy the other. The program itself is harmless to your system and is a very useful learning tool. Due to this fact, it is becoming difficult to find, but well worth the effort. I have a copy on my board (of course), and if you cannot find it, let me know. I'll get it to you somehow. I, also, recently found out that there is a group of businesses and such that are offering a large reward for the arrest and prosecution of any virus author. For this reason, it would be a wise idea to keep a low profile for a while on this subject. In closing, I would like to say that I feel this section could be a useful forum for all sides. Guest writers - both Pro and Con are invited, but keep flames to a minimum. Remember that you get your point through best with a level head. This will also be an open area and occasionally have a Question and Answer/Letters theme to help people on both sides of the issue cope. In fact, I would LOVE to hear from members of CERT, ICSA, or that group that is offering the reward. If any of you are interested in sharing your feelings, I would like to hear them. So, please pass around this issue and maybe it will happen. [There are so many different points about the Social Security issue in this issue, I really must let them speak for themselves. First we show the aspect of the new and improved Social Security... National Health Care.] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | If you like Social Security, | | You're going to Love National Health Care | | by Edwin Krampitz, Jr. | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ You don't have to be running for office to see the United States is in the midst of a serious crisis in health care. More than $650 billion was spent on health care in the U.S. last year, nearly triple the 1980 amount. Health care expenses accounted for 12% of the 1990 Gross National Product, up from 9% in 1980. Over the last decade, the cost of medical care has grown at several times the rate of inflation, the devastating consequences for health insurers, employers, and individuals. Today, some 35 million Americans have no health insurance. The solution being touted by presidential candidates and media pundits is national health insurance, formerly known as socialized medicine. The government will provide for the health care needs of all Americans. Joe Citizen can pop into any clinic or hospital anywhere in the U.S. and Uncle Sam will pick up the tab. The costs will be distributed fairly and evenly through taxes on businesses, individuals, or both. This is such bullshit that it would be laughable if so many people who should know better weren't taking it seriously. All we have to do is look at the Soviet Union's old system of socialized health care: characterized by shoddy work, riddled with corruption, it provided excellent work for the nomenklatura, the privileged few, with little or no care for the masses. The British track record with socialized medicine is not much better. One reform under consideration in England is to ensure that non-emergency conditions are treated within TWO YEARS! That means that it, currently, takes MORE THAN two years to get non-emergencies treated. Older people and those with terminal illnesses are routinely triaged out of the system [due to their poor chances of long-term survival.] In Britain, barring unusual circumstances, no one over 55 years of age can get kidney dialysis through the public system. For an example of how well socialized medicine will work in the United Stat! es, simply as any retired person Along with a dramatic decline in the quality of health care, we can expect a sharp increase in costs. There are those who say that only the government can get costs under control, but when have you seen a government control its spending of YOUR money? As taxpayers, we spend hundreds of dollars for a Defense Department hammer or a NASA ballpoint pen. How much do you think a Health Department Band-Aid is going to cost us? As for the quality of the service, as one observer recently put it, care givers under socialized medicine usually have all the compassion of tax collectors. No one who has studied socialized medicine would give it a second thought here. Yet we move closer and closer to a national health insurance the closer we get to national elections. Why? Government reports come out on a weekly basis showing how awful our current health care system is. According to a 1991 report, American doctors are paid, on average, double what their Canadian counterparts make, and many U.S. doctors also profit on the side from diagnostic tests performed in facilities in which they own a stake. In June of 1991, the General Accounting Office (GAO) went so far as to give a ringing endorsement of the Canadian Health Care system. Despite the fact that Canadians are migrating south of the border for medical procedures that are unavailable on a timely basis in their home country, many bureaucrats and politicians are pointing to our northern neighbors as a model of universal health care access. It's true, the U.S. health care system has problems. There seems to be no limit to the amount of money doctors and hospitals will spend to treat a patient, no matter how slim the chances for success. And as long as the cost is passed on to someone else through insurance, no one seems to object to the outrageous sums spent on treatments that are marginal, at best. So, yes, health insurance is becoming too expensive for businesses to provide, and more Americans are going without it. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and so health care is moving away from group insurance to a pay-as-you-go system. But, at least in America, you can get treatment if you can scrape up the bucks. Compare this to Canada, where everyone is entitled to equal health care - equally bad health care, and those who want to pay for something a cut above are unable to get it. Despite the fact that the Canadian health care system fails in ways that Americans wouldn't tolerate (if they knew what was coming), the government keeps pushing. Report after report criticizes U.S. health care, and it's not just the Medicaid and Medicare bureaucrats trying to give all Americans what has been available to only a select few. One of the most obvious features of the Canadian system of socialized medicine is a "health access" card, issued to every citizen, which must be presented at doctors' offices and hospitals to demonstrate coverage. There are many in the U.S. government who've been trying to give us a universal identity card for years. For such people, national health care insurance is one more opportunity to introduce a national identity card. Consider the track record of the national identifiers: In the early 1970s, the head of the U.S. Passport office stated that Americans should be issued and required to carry a national identification card, according to Scott French in `The Big Brother Game', on the ground that the government "owes each citizen a true national identity." Luckily, because of the post-Watergate mood, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare issued this response: "The bureaucratic apparatus needed to assign and administer a standard universal identifier (SUI) would represent another imposition of government on an already heavily burdened citizenry." In 1982, the Senate approved a bill to combat the illegal immigration "problem" that would have mandated a national identification system - consisting of a card the every U.S. citizen would have to carry. Columnist William Safire railed against the bill on libertarian grounds, and the legislation got no further at the time. During the 1980s, despite the Reagan administration's official anti-big government stance, new regulations increased the use of the Social Security number as a universal identifier, despite the statements of the Social Security Administration, originally, that the number was only meant for SSA use, and despite the passage of the Privacy Act in 1974 forbidding most other uses of the SSN. (When President Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned for a second term in 1936 using Social Security as a campaign issue, some observers had the foresight to ask where it would lead. The Hearst newspapers asked: "Do You Want a Tag and a Number in the Name of False Security?") By the late 1980s, as Robert Anton Wilson pointed out in the pages of the 1989 Loompanics Main Catalog, California required that all passengers, not just the driver, in a vehicle stopped by police carry identification. I guess, once again, to combat the illegal alien `problem.' Today's trends in California often become tomorrow's mandates nationwide. In July, 1989, after a two-year study, a federal task force, mandated by Congress, to study the problem of "criminals and the deranged" getting firearms came up with one option that should now be familiar to readers: a national identification card that every adult citizen would have to carry. The twist is, that this would be a "smart card," a card with an electronic chip the size of a fingernail embedded in it, instead of the more familiar magnetic strip on the back. The card's chip would contain encoded identifying information: fingerprints, genetic data, a retinal scan, etc., as well as one's criminal conviction record and, presumably, medical record. When a gun is bought, the dealer would use a decoder to read the purchaser's smart card and then electronically tie in the gun's serial number to the purchaser (presumably in some central government data bank.) The U.S. Army is considering adopting a smart card being developed by Syscon Corporation to replace soldiers' traditional dog tags. During the 1991, Persian Gulf War, a Syscon representative indicated that "The Saudi Arabian government could certainly use the system today to keep tabs on who is inside their country. They'd be able to distinguish terrorist from refugee." Smart cards have been in use in Europe for a few years already, and are also being used by a number of private companies. One of the main advantages the U.S. government sees in Canadian-style national health insurance is the issuance of a national "health access" card. Under the guise of protecting the taxpayer from fraud, the government will require that everyone sign up for a health card. And, with smart card technology, the government will want some sort of genetic sampling or DNA typing embedded in the card. After all, in addition to being an identifier, the card will help medical professionals provide treatment by revealing important biological information. Perhaps you are beginning to see where this new health card is leading? Did you know that every time you use a cash machine, the machine updates the magnetic stripe on your ATM card, so the bank can keep track of how often you use the card and what you use it for? Well, you can imagine what a health access smart-card will be like. It will update your medical history every time you use it. Any illness you have: broken bones, syphilis, AIDS, mental abnormalities, [deviant status,] etc, will be noted on the card. Your entire medical history will be available to anyone who has your card and the technology to read it. And that technology has to be cheap and widely available in order for the system to work. You'll see card readers in every drug store, every doctor's office and clinic, every hospital, and every government office that deals with the bureaucracy of health care. [They'll probably be available for mail-order in the back of subversive publications.] So now they have a smart card with your medical history on it... what's next? Well, you never know when you're going to be in an accident, so everyone should HAVE to carry their health cards with them at all times. And since everyone has to carry one at all times, isn't it convenient to check for health cards when you're looking for illegal aliens? And wouldn't it be a good idea for convicted drunk drivers to have that information embedded in their health cards? In fact, shouldn't anyone convicted of ANY crime have that noted on their health card? Why should people be burdened with having to carry a Social Security card, and a driver's license, and all those other cards, when all that stuff can be included on their health card? Eventually, your health card is going to be required for any major transaction: check writing, check cashing, cash machine use, car rental, hotel reservations, airline reservations, prior to accepting employment, to register for school, to sign up for garbage removal, etc. When that day comes, even your library rentals will be shown on your smart card. And everyone will go along. Because, with the government spending billions of dollars on health care, the health card will be an essential weapon in the battle against fraud. And it will be a convenient way to keep track of criminals. And it will make it easy for the IRS to catch tax cheats. So, if you have nothing else to hide, you have nothing to fear from a smart health access card, right? Everyone will go along. And maybe ten years from now or so, you're going to be in line at the hospital waiting for some bureaucrat to decide whether or not, given your genetic make-up, you should be allowed to go on living. And maybe you'll be thinking back to that election when Joe Politician said, "We need a national health care system like Canada's." And maybe you'll be wishing people had thought it through a little more. [Now let's hit on the highlights of how social security doesn't even do what is was intended to do... If you're counting on those checks in the future, this one should interest you...] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Social Insecurity | | by David Lightman | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you were born after 1936, don't count on Social Security to make your retirement years comfortable. The Social Security system will be in serious trouble within ten years, and the crunch will be devastating when the baby- boomers start arriving at retirement age around 2010. Social Security has expanded its coverage and benefits so much that this year it will pay out $302 billion! That's $830 million a day to retired workers and their spouses, widows, and dependent children and the disabled. As it stands, there simply will not be enough money to pay promised benefits. Social `insecurity' will be one of the most important issues of the next decade. By knowing what's ahead, you can plan your future now to compensate for what you won't be getting from Social Security. So many myths surround the Social Security system that it's difficult for most people to face the hard facts. Myth: Social Security is a pension. Workers pay in taxes, contributions, and the government returns the money in monthly Social Security checks. Reality: In almost every case, retirees get back all of their taxes in three or four years. A worker retiring now, who paid say $34K in Social Security taxes, will get back $160K during retirement years... or nearly $250K if there's a non-working spouse. And that's before cost-of-living adjustments. Myth: Social Security payroll taxes are kept in trust funds from which benefits are paid. Reality: Social Security has always been a pay-as-you-go system. Current taxpayers support current retirees. In 1950 there were fifteen workers for every retiree. Today there are just three. By 2010, there will be even fewer. Myth: Today's surplus will provide for the retirement of the baby boomers. Reality: Although the system's current surplus is now over $300 billion, and is projected to be $1 trillion in the year 2000, that won't help future retirees. Payroll taxes not needed to pay current benefits are `invested' in Special Issue Government bonds. The cash is spent on current government operations and the Treasury creates an IOU to the Social Security system. When the Social Security system needs to tap into its reserves in 2010, the Treasury will have to ask the Congress to raise the money, by raising or creating new taxes, so Social Security can redeem the IOUs. Myth: Most people work all their lives to be able to spend a few years in retirement. Reality: On average, individuals spend only half their lives in the labor force. In the past, most of an individual's life was spent at work. Schooling ended early. And when people retired from their jobs, they were generally very near the end of their lives. Myth: Current beneficiaries paid the taxes that helped create and maintain the program. It's only fair that the young continue to maintain the program as their elders built it. Reality: Social Security has always been a wealth transfer from young to old. The burden on the young was relatively light in the past because there were so many of them and so few old people. Times have changed. Last year, more than 70% of families paid more in Social Security taxes that in income taxes. And those same younger workers face the prospect of low benefits later. Clearly changes have to be made in the Social Security system. Most talked about... - Raise the eligibility age for benefits to 70. It's slated now to rise to 67 by the year 2010. Cut or eliminate benefits for early retirement at 62 (which a majority of the people now take.) - Slow the growth of benefits by cutting cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). `Diet COLAs' might have individuals receiving, say, more than $1,000 in monthly benefits getting only half of the increase. - Privatize. One way: give people "refunds" of a part of their Social Security taxes. But require them to use the money for retirement savings. They would have control over how it is invested. - Invest the current Social Security surplus in projects that could pay the money back, such as rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. - Invest Social Security funds in private securities. Other countries do so successfully. - Require a means test. Higher income people may be unable to collect anymore than they paid in payroll taxes. Wealthy people may be unable to collect at all. Probably everyone will pay taxes on their benefits. Just as important, government has to help people help themselves to a secure retirement. Some proposals... - Create savings incentives by restoring the fully tax deductible Individual Retirement Account for all Americans. - Encourage the growth of private pensions. Of all the money retired people receive today, only fifteen percent comes from private pensions. Congress should simplify pension laws and regulations so the pot of money, and the number of people, grows. - Make private pensions portable so a worker can carry vested assets when changing jobs. - Increase allowable contributions by employees to private pensions. In most cases they are much to low. With all of these changes, if you want to have a secure retirement, you must recognize that Social Security is only one small part of your retirement plan. On the average, Social Security today replaces forty percent of working income subject to Social Security tax. (Sixty percent, if you include benefits for a non-working spouse.) In the future, the prudent planner will be looking to other sources for at least seventy-five percent of retirement income. So, you have to accumulate substantial assets to ensure an ample flow of income later. Save as much as you can through pension plans and other instruments such as IRAs and 401(k)s and Keoghs, which provide significant tax advantages. Simple Saving Strategy Begin with a disciplined plan. Make out your first check each month to yourself, for your retirement plan. Save at least ten percent of your gross salary. Set dollar goals for your retirement income factoring in the erosion caused by inflation. The results can be scary. Make quality your investment guide. Retirement savings should never be at risk. There are always safe, rewarding opportunities in government bonds and the shares of quality corporations. Remember, however, that the `safety' of these investments relies upon the stability of our government. Diversify (but not too much.) No, one, particular holding should be more than ten percent, at cost, of your total funds or fifteen percent at market value. In down periods, make shifts so that fifty percent or more is in debt instruments. Examples: quality straight and zero-coupon bonds... mortgage- backed funds. At all times, be comfortable with your investments. If you have any qualms about a potential holding, don't buy it. Your goal is sure, ample assets at retirement. Review your portfolio periodically, at least annually and more often in erratic markets. Always strive to keep it in balance. Too often, when you pick a winner, you keep adding shares. Before you know it, thirty percent of your portfolio may be concentrated in one stock, and that's too much. Be patient. It takes time to make money safely. And, if you start early, you will have plenty of time. [Now we take a look at the `Big Brother' effect that the Social Security Administration has had on us... What direction is this whole thing going? Let's take a look...] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Show us your worker card | | by John Q. Newman | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Some day soon, you'll be pulled over for a traffic violation, don't be surprised to hear the officer say, "I need to see your license, registration, and worker card." Excuse me. Worker Card? What's a worker card? A worker card, or something like it, will be a national identity card, issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and required for all Americans who seek work. Eventually, it will be required for all identification purposes. While there is still a great deal of resistance in the United States to a national identity card, there is growing pressure from Washington D.C. to adopt such a system. Whether it will fully come to pass remains to be seen. However, the bureaucrats aren't waiting for a referendum to start the national identity ball rolling. There are many people in the federal government and in law enforcement who would like to see the United States adopt a national identity document. To be effective, this document would be required for all citizens and it would be mandatory to carry it on one's person at all times. The refrain "May I see your papers?" is not yet a reality in the United States, but it may be soon. Certain steps are being taken right now to allow the creation of such a national identity system. If this sounds chilling, it should. In the United States, only those who were convicted of serious crimes must register with the police, and we can still get a passport even if we owe the IRS a little money. But changes are coming, slowly and surely, one step at a time. The first big step occurred in 1986, when the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed by Congress. Although it was sold as a way to control illegal immigration and the employment of illegal aliens, it contains record keeping provisions that will allow for the creation of a similar type of national identity database that exists in most European countries. The Immigration Act of 1986 The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 has three provisions: an illegal immigrant naturalization program 1000 new border patrol agents, and new record-keeping requirements for employers. The record-keeping requirements have set the stage for a new national identity program. Under the provisions of the act, all employers must have proof of any worker's identity and eligibility to work in the United States. A prospective employer must, under penalty of law, fill out a form that requests at least two types of identification from the new employee. [The I-9 Form] One piece of ID can be a drivers license or state identity card, or something similar. The second piece must be either a birth certificate or Social Security card. The employer is required to maintain these forms on all workers and make them available to immigration inspectors upon request. The employer is not under any obligation to verify the accuracy of the documents presented, only to maintain a record of them. Currently, a demonstration project is going on in Texas that allows employers to verify Social Security numbers over the telephone. The project is being implemented in a few Texas cities that have large numbers of illegal immigrants who work in seasonal jobs, such as construction. Many of these illegal immigrants have purchased phoney Social Security cards and use them to get work. Under this pilot project, a special Social Security office was set up to handle requests for verification from employers. This special Social Security office is generally able to provide an answer within a day on whether a SSN is valid. This is a major shift in US identification for two reasons. First, a huge SSA database is being accessed directly by outside groups for identity verification purposes. Second, it brings us a step closer to turning the information that employers must now collect into an active database run by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). How would this database function? When a new employee is hired, the employer completes two copies of the INS form. The original goes into the employer's files and the copy is mailed to a regional INS office where the data is entered into INS computers. The INS would then offer an on-line computer match of SSN against the SSA's database. For the first time, almost all Americans would have a file with a law enforcement agency. After all, the INS is an enforcement agency within The US Justice Department. The database that would be created out of this process will be enormous because almost all people eventually enter the labor force. While this database is not a full-fledged national identity system, one key requirement has been met: a single, nationwide, detailed, and up-to-date database that includes most people in the country. The Role of the States The United States is unique among nations because of our highly decentralized identification bureaucracy. Almost all identification comes from state governments and not the federal government. A check of the average American's wallet will usually reveal no federal identity documents. The only federally issued identity document most Americans will have is the Social Security card and most people do not carry it on their person. A passport is another piece of federally issued identification, but only 25% of all Americans will ever have a passport. From this, it is clear that for any future US national identity system to work, it will require cooperation from the states. This will be accomplished in two ways: data sharing with the federal government, and the standardization of the format of state-issued identity documents. Let's look at data sharing first. The focal point of the national identity system to come will be the database the INS builds as employers provide information on employees. As this data is received by the INS, "John Doe's" file will be updated with his new employer and home address. This allows the database to develop a sequential history of everyone in it. People tend to keep updated records of themselves with their employers to insure that paychecks and benefits are received without delay. The INS database will be updated each time a person changes jobs, so it will be very current indeed. Data sharing allows the federal government to expand the database even further. With access to state drivers license records, motor vehicle records and the SSA's files, the INS would be capable of creating an ominous data base. Presto! Gone are all the barriers between state and federal data bases. The states will go along with it because the Feds will tell them that it will allow them to catch fugitives from justice more easily. For the first time a federal law enforcement agency will be in routine custody of massive personal data files on nearly every American. The second critical element the federal government will push is standardization of state identity documents. The Feds will encourage the states to use coding and numbering patterned after the SSN as their drivers license number. The federal government wants all states to do this. Although the physical appearance of the license may differ from state to state, the coding will be identical. This brings us closer to a national drivers license and a national identity card. As you can see, the SSA will play a key role in allowing the federal government to pull all of these sources together. Let's see how. Social Security's Vital Role The closest equivalent in the United States to a person-number is the SSN. This is because your SSN is the only truly unique identifier you have. In a country the size of the United States, there may be other people with the same first, middle, and last names as your. Certainly, there are many other people with your same date of birth. But your SSN is a unique identifier. That's why the federal government urged the states to use this number on state-issued identity documents until the Privacy Act of 1974 prohibited this requirement. This act says that states can ask for your number, but they cannot refuse you a service if you fail to provide it. The federal government has gradually tried to punch holes in the Privacy Act's protection of SSNs. When draft registration became mandatory in 1980, the Selective Service board was given access to birth data in the SSA's files. Using information from these files, the Selective Service generates lists of 18-year old males who have failed to register for the draft. SSNs allow numerous databases to be pulled together quickly and to be indexed by a unique numerical sequence. But to make a SSN into a genuine person-number requires a few more steps. First, everyone must be required to have a number. The IRS has taken a step that provides a big boost in that direction. The IRS now requires that all children over five years of age must have a SSN in order to be claimed as deductions on income tax returns. This policy has resulted in millions of young Americans getting SSNs. The next requirement is to be able to "retire" SSNs once someone has died. All countries that use a person-number system, permanently retire a number when its holder dies. In the United States, the SSA is making progress toward just a system. When a person who has been collecting Social Security benefits dies, the SSA places his or her number into a special database. The SSA has been trying to get states to report the death of anyone receiving state benefits so the information can be recorded in the federal database. The SSA would like it to become routine practice to be notified by states of any deaths. Over time, the SSA will build up a repository of retired numbers. Coupled with most Americans receiving numbers early in life, a close approximation of a person- numbering system is being created around the SSN. Another essential step is to be able to distinguish between numbers issued to US citizens and those issued to non-citizens. This is now being done. Non-Americans who do not have the right to work in the United States are given Social Security cards that have the legend NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT printed across them. [Then what's the point of the card?!? -Daiv] Also, the SSA forwards information on all foreign nationals to the INS. Another feature of a true person-numbering system is the ability to track the foreign travel of citizens. The United States has already set such a tracking system in motion. As of January, 1989, it became mandatory to provide one's SSN to get a passport. The number is included in the machine readable coding on modern passports. Whenever a person returns from a trip overseas, the first agency they deal with is the Immigration and Naturalization Service. When your passport is presented to the immigration officer upon arrival, a record of your return is added to the INS database. The link between this and your other files is the SSN. How It Will Be Sold To The Public The necessary steps to create a national identification system are in their nascent stage. The INS will probably run the system. A final step will be the issuance of a "United States Authorized Worker Card," or some similarly named document. The issuing agency would, of course, be the INS. Being a law enforcement agency, the INS would likely have access to the FBI's central records system. Without a question, these records would then be integrated into the INS database. The FBI has two primary databases. One is the National Crime Information Center, or "NCIC." this is the computer system that your name is run through any time you are pulled over for a traffic violation. The NCIC contains the names of fugitives and information on stolen property, as well as the names of certain missing persons. The FBI also maintains a criminal records index containing information on anyone convicted of a federal offense. The INS will have access to these files, and will no doubt check each new piece of information against the FBI's files. Now you can see how this system will be sold to the public. The federal government will proclaim the illegal immigration is out of control and foreigners are taking jobs that rightfully belong to Americans. We will also be told that these immigrants are a major source of crime, and that the only way to stop the flow of illegal immigrants is to issue an identity card that only U.S. citizens or lawfully-admitted aliens are allowed to carry. We will be told that this is not a "national identity card," but simply a card that shows that the holder is entitled to work in the United States. The reality, as we have seen here, is completely different. National Identity And Privacy As should be obvious to knowledgeable privacy seekers, a national identity system does not mean the end of our privacy. The classic methods of identity changing would still allow you to penetrate the new national identity system on your own terms. Using a mail drop, your home address can remain unknown to the data hounds. Using a fake birth certificate and supporting documents, you can still create a completely fictitious legal identity for day to day use, thus leaving your natural legal identity untouched - a blank slate to be used when needed. The coming national identity system will not alter any of the traditional methods of identity creation. You still build up a paper person's background as you do now. The only difference is, once you have obtained all your state- issued identity documents - your birth certificate, drivers license, voter registration card, etc. - you make a final stop at the Immigration and Naturalization Service to pick up your "Worker Card." All identity systems rely on paper and numbers; learn to manipulate the paper and numbers, and you can manipulate your official identity and the corresponding benefits and penalties. [John Q. Newman is the author of The Heavy Duty New Identity, Understanding U.S. Identity Documents and Be Your Own Dick: Private Investigating Made Easy. All three books are available from Loompanics Unlimited.] [Now to sum up how the American public became schmoozed to buy this shit in the first place!] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Security in Socialism | | by George T. Knoblauch | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ "Folks... have we got a good deal for the American people. With all the soup kitchens, with all the hungry people waiting in line for food, with all the elderly people with no place to sleep or call home, we've decided to implement a program to eliminate the chances for anything like that ever happening again." "It won't cost the average person much at all. We will put a small charge on the salary of all working people. Each employer will contribute a larger amount. All these monies will be put into an insurance fund. Employers will be able to afford the higher assessment. After all, look at all the profits they make. We will pay these funds to everyone at age 65 so no one will ever have to worry about their golden years again." "In fact, to be fair to the women, we will begin to pay them at age 62 since women have less earning power and outlive their husbands. The citizens will now have fewer problems as they get older and receive benefits from this system." This system will be called Social Security. It's time for the government to take care of it's hard working people." The length and depth of the depression in the early 1930s was a significant selling point for the social security program. Many researchers and historians claim the depression was orchestrated. Behind the scenes power brokers wanted the slump to give the government reason to implement socialistic programs. There is much reading available in this area of history also. This adventure in socialism began in earnest in August 1935 when Congress passed the Social Security Act. The act established the Social Security Board. It consisted of 3 members who were chosen by the President and approved by the Senate. They were to be so independent that they were to report directly to the president. This continued until 1939 when the board became part of the Federal Security Agency. They created this agency to include health and education activities. Health and education activities? It looks as though our government recognized the importance of educating the people in socialist principles way back in 1939. What a farce. What a sham put over on the American people. Show me where there is any security in socialism? I'm not twisting words around. That's exactly what Social Security means... security in socialism. Let me tell you there is NO SECURITY IN SOCIALISM! Our federal government has been violating the law since the beginning of this program. There is no permission in our Constitution for any socialist programs. We gave no authority for free cheese, specific welfare such as food stamps, medicare, medicaid or Social Security. How did our nation ever manage 146 years without such an idiotic program? Didn't we have any people who lived to be 65? How did they ever survive without big brother looking out for them? How did our country manage to endure with all those old people dying right in our streets? Did we just allow them to starve to death with no handouts from government? Regardless, you say, they only have our own good in mind. Don't you believe it! There is only one thing they have in mind... the destruction of our Constitution. Control of the American people is also high on their list. Looking at social security practically, it is simply another form of taxation. The operation of the taxing provisions of the social security system are now part of the Internal Revenue Code. Encyclopedia Americana tells us "The term 'social security' is usually employed to indicate specific government programs designed primarily to prevent want by assuring to families the basic means of subsistence." How white of them. What business is it of government? Where can you find any authorization in our Constitution for programs to prevent want? They are encroaching into lives of citizens without a legal right. Unconstitutional... it's a seizure of powers we did not grant when we established the authority for government. If they assume any power we did not allow, it's illegal. That's pretty strong, so now let's go ahead and prove it. The supremacy clause of our Constitution makes that crystal clear. We have established that our document is the supreme law of our land. Any laws made which don't conform to the authority we granted in the basic document are NO GOOD! And if that weren't plain enough for the people working for government, the Tenth Amendment clears that up. ARTICLE X "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people." I'm certain any reader can understand that. Why do you suppose the federal government can't understand it? Is it possible they prefer to think the Tenth Amendment doesn't exist? Either that is true or this is an obvious case of collusion between the branches of our government. Recently a program concerning our Constitution aired on PBS. The moderator said he had gone to every lawyer and judge he could find the day before the program. He asked if any of them knew what the Tenth amendment said and NOT ONE could answer his question! Not one even knew the general subject matter of the amendment. Does our Constitution still exist? So much for our intelligent judges and lawyers. Give me a break. When the first twelve proposed amendments were submitted to the states in 1789 to become our Bill of Rights, the Congress included this introductory statement (or preamble): "The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconceptions or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution:" (Documents Illustrative of the Formation of the Union of the American States. House Document No. 398, 69th Congress, 1st Session 1965) The First Congress is assuring the people that these new amendments will be a tighter rope to confine the government. And the legal eagles today do not know what the tenth amendment says or means? When we get into a discussion of the Bill of Rights, you will quickly see how the federales believe the preceding preamble. Going back to our venture into socialism, let's take a look at the numbers for a moment. What happens to the money which a man has paid into the system for 40 or more years? And what if he should die before he becomes eligible to collect benefits? Does it go to his wife or survivors? You know better than that. It's gone... it has become a gratuitous donation to Big Brother. An amount equal to taxes collected from individuals are assessed from their employers. All this money goes to the general fund and spent for anything, legal or illegal. And assuming there is now a widow, what would she receive from his donations? Certainly not the amount paid into the system, nor even the interest on those funds. How many of our elderly citizens do not have enough money to pay for their rent, utilities or food? We won't even mention an occasional night out to the movies or a vacation to enjoy their remaining years. How many of our older citizens have to depend on a church function for a meal? How many wait at the Salvation Army or some other private charity for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? This is a crime. What did they say was the intent of the Social Security program? "To prevent want by assuring to families the basic means of subsistence." Horse manure! People for generations have been led to believe that this program would take care of them in later years. What's the story we hear often now? The program will be broke in 'X' numbers of years. Mercy, it's running out of money so we have to increase the withholding levels. The government, the way it is running today, is the solution to nothing... it's the problem. Alexander Hamilton argued fervently in Paper No. 84 that we did not need a Bill of Rights since the Constitution was in itself a bill of rights. He asks the question, "For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do?" (The Federalist Papers.) He insisted that the national government could do nothing which was not specifically allowed in the document. However the Congress proposed a Bill of Rights. It was adopted to further tie down the new government to prohibit any abuse of its powers. How does this government get itself involved in the business of welfare or social security? The amendment process was not invoked to ask for our consent agreeing to a change. I didn't agree to any change allowing for socialism, did you? Can our constitution be changed by an act of Congress or by an order by the executive branch? Maybe an order by a federal judge can do it. Not true! It can only be changed under Article V if you and I agree to the change at the voting booth. So--did you agree to the change? Remember what the Tenth Amendment said? Let's pretend for a moment there was no social security program enacted. The people had not been lulled into a false sense of protection by a devious government. Suppose then the people had put the same amount of money into a savings account for the same period. They could retire very comfortably on the interest alone. Let's carry our fairy tale a little further. As in the previous illustration, let's say a man paid into a trust fund for 30 or 40 years. Then he died before reaching 65. What would the family live on in a case like this? Why all the money which had not been donated to big government. His widow and entire family could live extremely well on the interest received from the trust fund. And there would be money for education. That would be if our government in their 'wisdom' had not tried to exercise control over people in violation of our basic law. I don't, for a moment, suggest that we cut off social security payments tomorrow. There is no question what the outcome of such a drastic measure would be. The vastness of the dilemma and the people who exist only because of those meager payments shows a real problem. The program should be phased out over the next 15 to 20 years. People who are now paying into the system should be given the option for their money to be withheld as it is presently. If they so choose, the money can go into a private trust to gain interest and increase in value. The difference now being that these monies will remain the property of the one allowing the deductions. Naturally, it would pass on to his or her heirs as with any other property. Congress could not use this money for any expenditure they feel the urge to implement. For example, they couldn't use these funds to raise their own salaries at whim. For others who don't want money taken out of their salaries, they should drop out of the system altogether. Government has no right to intrude into the private affairs of Americans. "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security." (Declaration of Independence.) The lone woman on the Supreme Court (Sandra Day O'Conner) remarked to a TV reporter one day that she used to think Social Security was unconstitutional. Now she doesn't think so... wonder who gave her the indoctrination? How do we correct the situation? Since Congress created the boondoggle, Congress will have to be the ones to change it. Call the local offices of your Senators and Representatives and ask questions about this adventure in socialism. Be certain to point out the lack of jurisdiction for these type of programs. Tell them you want something done about this violation of our Constitution. Further, remind them you will be watching to see what is being done. Phone calls every couple of weeks wouldn't be too often. It has to be impressed on their minds that these socialistic programs have to cease. I'm certain you will hear a story like, "These things are so interwoven in the fabric of our society, they would be impossible to change." Remind our illustrious 'leaders' that if any practice was unconstitutional when it began, it is still unconstitutional. No amount of usage will make the practice legal or give it an illusion of respectability. There was never any intent on the part of the Founders to allow the phrase "general welfare" to signify a right to establish any specific welfare programs. To find the origin of this statement, we must look to our first compact of government, The Articles of Confederation. Article III states: "The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defence, the security of their Liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever." (Documents Illustrative of the Formation of the Union) From this it's obvious what the term general welfare means. There is no need to insult the readers intelligence to imply that the general welfare clause magically became authorization for specific welfare. Another area in our Constitution which they may argue is permission for social security, is the "necessary and proper" clause (Art I, Sec 8). That's weak and won't hold water. This only gives power to make laws which are necessary and proper to carry out the duties and powers listed in the basic document. It's not for anything they decide is a great idea. Hamilton, in Paper #78, said: "There is no position which depends on clearer principles than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void." Anything they do which is beyond what we have allowed or agreed to is void. To aspire to the greatness this country was destined to achieve, we must demand our government obey the law. It must return to the confines to which we agreed when the Constitution was established. If you ever see the original of our Constitution (or an exact copy), the first three words use decorative letters. WE THE PEOPLE. Their authority for government comes from us and only we can agree to a change. If the members of Congress are not receptive to our demands, we have a duty to vote them out of office. We must send Americans to Washington who will obey the oath to support the supremacy of our Constitution which we ordered in Article VI, Sec 3. For this evil to continue, all we need do is nothing! There is a limit to their power and that limit is you and me. Recently, in a controversy concerning the poor and food, Reagan put his foot in his mouth. (Or, maybe it was Nancy's foot!) He said the poor were unable to find food or stamps due to a lack of knowledge. A late-night comedian commented that if that is true, his staff must be starving to death! 'Nuff said. [Since there's not a lot of things that pertain to food and the SSA, Storm decided to go in a little different direction.] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Food for thought | | by Dr. 8Ball | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Storm originally wanted to write on this topic. However, as a FINE article came in from Dr. 8Ball, I had to accept it. My apologies to Storm] Vivisection: To dissect, maim, mutilate or experiment upon a living body. Sounds pretty, don't it? What would YOU do if they tested a new dog shampoo by feeding it to children? We wouldn't allow it! Would we? Yet millions of animals are still blinded, shocked, decapitated, and force-fed poisons. These tests can and have been (by some companies) replaced with alternatives: Tests using advanced technology not torture. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) has stopped some of the most barbaric experiments. But SOME continue to test their products at the expense of the lives of animals. General Motors- The Heartbreak of America No law requires cars to be tested for safety using animals. However, GM continues to smash the skulls and break the necks of ferrets and pigs with pneumatic impactors, like those used on baboons at the notorious University of Pennsylvania Head Injury Laboratory which was exposed by animal rights activists in 1984. When asked why GM doesn't just use crash dummies, GM spokesman, Jack Dinan replied, "The anthropomorphic dummies provide readings on electrical instruments...but they don't scream out in pain- they don't bleed..." GM Vice President, Robert A. Frosh told PeTA: "Be assured, we believe that biomedical research should only be conducted when human lives may be saved or human suffering relieved." If the alleviation of suffering and death is important to GM, why hasn't the company installed air bags as standard equipment in its cars and trucks? "There's no substitute for animal research." That's like saying, "You can only get there by driving," when you can get there by walking, flying, bicycling, riding in a train, or roller skating. "Animals are here for human beings to use; if we have to sacrifice 1,000 or 100,000 animals in the hope of benefitting ONE child, it's worth it." If experimenting on ONE mentally retarded person might benefit 1,000 children, would we do it? Of course not! L'oreal: The Nazi Connection In his story, `The Letter Writer,' Nazi concentration camp survivor, Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote: "In relation to [other creatures], all people are Nazis; for the animals, it is an eternal Treblinka." Interestingly, in the spring of '91, the Paris-based newspaper `The European' reported that the chairman of L'oreal's U.S. company, Cosmair was a leader of pro-Nazi groups during WWII and that L'oreal would soon be investigated for allegedly current racist business dealings. Companies, such as L'oreal, Colgate-Palmolive, Gillette, Proctor and Gamble, etc. have been performing lethal dose tests (now sometimes called `limit tests' by public relations conscious laboratories) since the 1920's. In the test's most common form, the compound, liquid bleach, for example, is force fed by mouth or through a tube inserted down the throat. Typical symptoms of animals poisoned in these tests include convulsions, vomiting, diarrhea, paralysis, and bleeding from the eyes, nose, and mouth. The survivors are killed for examination. Six to nine albino rabbits are placed in stocks to prevent them from clawing their eyes to dislodge the substances, but have their heads and necks protruding. The lower lid of each animal's eye is pulled away from the eyeball to form a cup. Into that cup, a technician drops several milligrams of a substance to be tested. With a particularly caustic substance, the rabbits scream in pain. These are but a few of the atrocities committed in our genocidal concentration camps known as "research labs." Our most common commercial household items are deemed safe by how few hamsters, kittens, or dogs go blind or develop cancer. Is our basic human vanity worth all this? Especially when technology has proven these tests unnecessary. These experiments on live animals are NOT required by law and warning labels on products that could prove dangerous if inhaled, swallowed, or dropped into an eye could suffice insofar as providing safety measures. You may also wish to contact the manufacturers of your favorite products and express your concern of their practices. Suggest to them, that if they wish to retain their customers, alternatives to vivisection would be an important agenda to them. "The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Gandhi Thank you, Dr. 8ball and PeTA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals can be reached at PO Box 42516, Washington DC, 20015. [For some insight as to how we operate and what gets us motivated to do this, read...] Why we do What we do the Way we do: by Anesthesia Well, after the first couple of issues were released, I've been getting some letters from people I used to know. Mostly, they want to know why I've backed down a bit from my previously `violent' and technical form of writing. There are several reasons why. I think it may help you understand if I share them with you. A long while ago, I wrote a few text files on how to terrorize your school, how to blow things up, and other such things. It recently dawned on me that I was just doing what everyone else was doing. I never really liked being just one of the many lemmings [Baa-aa-aa -Daiv] in a group, so I took a break and almost quit doing all the things that I used to do. Then I met a few people who changed my destiny. One of these people was David Lightman. He has many unique views on how the world runs, and that made me remember why I started doing this in the first place. So, here I am, writing again. Some people have said I am an `old, soft relic that should be put away.' Well, I don't subscribe to that point of view. Just like double standards and corruption in the government, I'll be around for a long, long time! Mainly the reason I keep myself `in check' here is because I realized that I was sharing a lot of potentially dangerous ideas and thoughts. I, also, see lots of others doing the same thing. I wasn't given any background, safety, or direction with these views. Phirst Amendment gives me that avenue. Eventually, I do plan on becoming more technical in my writing, but I will feel a lot better about it, knowing that I've set down some direction and other rudiments in these first issues. In other words, I enjoy writing for the beginner, and helping them work their way up through the ranks. Plus, it excites me to have people think and show them how to see things a different way. I hope you enjoy this magazine. I also hope you stay tuned for the harder stuff, -Anesthesia- [In fond memory of Christmas...] ____________________________________________________________________________ Once upon A Christmas Hacker ____________________________________________________________________________ Another Christmas has passed us by! That means even more folks got modems and more boards will go up. Unfortunately, about the time you'll read this, we'll be hit with another 'Night of the Poser Hackers.' Actually, it is usually more than a night... more like a month. This is the time of the year that all new kids want to enter our digital Underground world. Some of them will stay and some will get frustrated, but it's still inevitable. Just make sure to tell these new ones to watch what they say. One day, this may cause the end of us all. I have always had this terrible nightmare that some poser will blow the lid off the ancient culture of ours. I have been involved for over thirteen years now and would hate to see it die. I've seen MIT go from hacker heaven to just another place. I've seen the rise and fall of the LoD (Legion of Doom.) And I've seen the inception of government agencies to deal with hacking. I'm still here and so are you! Let's keep it that way! My theory on life has always been modeled after the ninja. With stealth and silence, you can remain 'alive' and still achieve what you want. It was already demonstrated to us through `boxing' that a little knowledge in the wrong hands can ruin a good thing. Boxing was ruined because a lot of college kids found out about it, and abused it. As always, I stress again - keep the newbies informed that silence can be golden. If you don't, we may be spending a lot more time relating to another type of metal... metal bars. [Should a rodent narc on you, consider this...] ____________________________________________________________________________ When the Hammer Falls ____________________________________________________________________________ Any older `Elite' (such an overused word) that is worth his salt is very familiar with the procedure of being arrested, either through first-hand or vicarious experience. What happens when it is your turn? Best thing you can do is be prepared! Paranoia has always been my best friend. I encrypt all my files and never keep large amounts of hard copy lying around. A thousand sheets of printer paper is hard to get rid of! Always be paranoid and prepared. When the particular agency [Hmm...] comes to your door, they may or may not knock. It depends on your threat level as well as what you may have done. Speaking with people about the subject, as well as my own experience, shows that similar events occur - leading up to an arrest or `questioning.' They notice unusual vehicles parked outside their home or see certain people everywhere they go. These are bad signs! [Understatement...] Also, one important fact: not only can they tap phones, but they also have equipment that is so sensitive, they can tell which individual letters are typed on an electronic typewriter. Invasion of Privacy? Yes, but do you think law- enforcers always follow the law? Then comes the typical visit. A knock on the door and people asking to come in. Be very polite with these people. You don't want to give them an excuse to draw weapons. Simply ask to see proof of identification and the search warrant. The identification will tell you with whom you are dealing. The warrant will tell you why they are here and what they are allowed to take. Read the warrant very carefully. If they ask you any questions, simply state that you `cannot' answer any questions without a lawyer present. If you stick with this, you won't complicate your case. It is usually best to stay out of their way while they are conducting their `search'. Simply ask if you can sit down somewhere. Attempting to obstruct their search can be dangerous. They will confiscate a lot of items during their search. Make a polite request that all items being removed from your residence and/or office be catalogued. Some things tend to get `lost' during these searches. You will be questioned and they will probably ask you to incriminate other people you may or may not know. Do not believe any `deals' they offer you. Words are just words. They don't mean anything at all. My philosophy has always been: I have not been forced to do this, why should I cause trouble for others. You have chosen to do whatever you may be in trouble for, so this is your game. Eventually, you will be assigned a lawyer. The most important thing to remember through this, is that most lawyers don't know much about this area. You would have better luck if you were as mass-murderer. So, what is the best course of action? Inform your lawyer that he should contact the EFF (Electronic Frontiers Foundation) for case assistance. This information won't keep you free. But, if you ARE arrested, this is, by far, the best course of action. What else can you do? Spend some time, now, studying your basic rights and what they are good for. Remember, as David Lightman always says, `There are two kinds of hackers - the famous and the free.' -Anesthesia- ____________________________________________________________________________ BBS Connection ____________________________________________________________________________ Board Name: Blitzkrieg Phone Number: (502) 499-8933 System Type: IBM Software Type: WWIV Sysop(s): Predat0R Speeds: 1200/2400 NUP: Columbian Coke For the most part, this board is mainly concerned with text files and virus research. You can find most any text file on this board. Some may shock you! [It's Ultra's home board.] Predat0R is a really well informed individual, and he's always willing to help anyone out. He is also the current publisher of TAP magazine. It's well worth the call, even at 2400 baud. Tell the validation sysop that Phirst Amendment send you. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Gnus around town | | compiled by David Lightman | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [In the last issue, we neglected to include the address for Loompanics in our testimonial of their company. I will repeat the "Gnu" and THIS TIME, the address is listed.] In the quest to bring you better and better articles, we get several good book catalogs. Loompanics Unlimited is probably the largest and most diversified. I have placed several order through them and have always been pleased with their fast service and discretion. If you have an interest, it's probably covered somewhere in their catalog. So, write today for the catalog and tell them Phirst Amendment (the newsletter) sent you! You will definitely enjoy the whole catalog. Loompanics Unlimited P.O Box 1197 Port Townsend, WA 98368 U.S.A by Anesthesia Covington, KY [My apologies to all who waited an entire month to get this address!] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Greensboro, South Carolina - A survey of female students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro found that those who experienced rape situations as college freshmen were much more likely to have been victims of childhood sexual abuse. These women had a 239 percent greater chance of being targets of rape or attempted rape than other women. Psychology professor Jaqueline White speculated that perhaps rapists sense vulnerability in women. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Buffalo - A federal judge awarded $155,000 to a 38-year-old woman with AIDS who claimed she was a victim of absurd precautions while confined to a county jail on bad-check charges. Jail officials isolated her in a five-cell forensic unit usually reserved for the mentally disturbed, forced her to wear rubber gloves when using the jail typewriter, denied her regular attendance at church services and plastered her belongings with red stickers to indicate she had AIDS. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In the interest of maintaining a right to privacy, freedoms of press, assembly and speech, and other constitutional freedoms, a coalition called the Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) is working to resurrect the little- known legal doctrine of jury veto power. Under this doctrine, trial jurors can acquit a defendant, regardless of the submitted evidence, on the basis of a jury disagreement with the law itself. America's founders considered this power to be the final check on government. To this day, jurors legally retain the traditional power to vote according to conscience without fear of reprisal. Without it, there would be the frightening possibility that the Bill of Rights could come to be prohibited by law. Unfortunately, judges routinely- and wrongly- tell jurors that they must follow the law as they explain it, so most people are not aware of their tremendous power. The FIJA has been working to restore that knowledge for the past three years. For more information, call 1-800-Tel-Jury - Don Doig, FIJA International Coordinator - Larry Dodge, FIJA Field Representative Helmville, MT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Los Angeles- Psychotherapy appears to have a remarkably high percentage of practitioners who suffered psychological, physical, or sexual abuse. A study in the journal 'Professional Psychology: Research and Practice' found 70 percent of the women and 30 percent of the men who work as clinical or counseling psychologists reported childhood sexual abuse, physical assault, or harassment. "The most common slip that therapists make is to substitute the word 'parent' for 'patient,'"said Dr. Jesse Geller of Yale University. "It suggests that in some symbolic sense, many therapists go into the field to cure their parents, to undo how they were raised." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INTERNET! Whether you want to debate the fine points of genetic engineering with a fellow at Stamford, or contemplate the cultural value of "Beverly Hills 90210," there's probably a place for it on Internet. This vast computer network, which links government, academic, business, and research computers around the world, used to be a private operation, available to us only through college computers. Now, public systems as 'PSILink Basic' are providing access to this rich resource. Using PSILink Basic software and a local access number, you can access PSI from 167 cities throughout North America. The software lets you send unlimited electronic mail to and from other networks and various on-line services, including America On-Line, AppleLink, Bitnet, Bix, GEnie, and MCI Mail. PSILink Basic also gives you reading and posting rights to Usenet, the largest distributed BBS in the world. Usenet's 3,000-plus conferences discuss subjects ranging from Windows software to mud wrestling. Also, PSI's file transfer program, FTP, lets you download software and reference materials from hundreds of computers around the world. Although PSILink Basic simplifies Internet, it's not software for the faint of heart. Sending E-Mail is simple, but the three step file downloading feature is more cumbersome and inconvenient. The good news about PSILink Basic is its price. For a monthly flat fee of $29 (1200-2400 bps) or $39 (9600 bps), you get unlimited e-mail including the ability to send binary files, and you can download 50 MB of file and 50 MB of Usenet postings. The best deal is in the 34 U.S. cities where there are no connect charges. Other cities pay from $2.50 to $6.00 an hour, depending on the time of day. There is also a one-time charge and registration fee of $19, and $1 per Megabyte charge for downloads above the monthly limit. PSI can be reached in Reston, VA at 1(800)827-7482 or (703)620-6651 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Feedbag! ! ! Where sheep eat your letters ! ! (for security reasons...) ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Subject: Re: Phirst Amendment To: dlightma@nyx.cs.du.edu (David Lightman) I have been on a big EFF kick recently and am organizing a little group locally. Maybe someday we will get the world into a much nicer, digital, state of affairs. Just thank god for people like you who have the drive and the ability to spread the information. Please keep up the good work! Have you talked with EFF about maybe putting it on their ftp site, ftp.eff.org? That is a great way to distribute it. I am sure that they would be interested. I don't know if you read 'Scream N *me*me' but in #3 they talked about this concept of the text file pirate. Someone who scans in documents and uses OCR, or just types them in raw. I think that we can definitely use more people like that to spread the information. Information is my big thing. Spread all the information as far and wide as possible. So many people are scared of information, like some information can contain some inherent evil that will destroy them. [Good point! I am glad to see that readers are sending this out to others! Anyone who feels like spreading a bit of information that may or may not be what you think is `common knowledge' should do so. Too many people miss things that are `right under their noses', either due to over-socialization, or lack of care. The other media make no hype of these things we cover. They are too controlled by the government and the Establishment to expose the truth. It's now up to nonregulated parties, like us, to show what's going on!] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From Howard Rheingold To: dlightma@nyx.cs.du.edu Subject: Thanks! keep up the good work [Thanks! Coming from an author of your stature, that is quite a compliment.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From Matt Midboe Subject: Re: Phirst Amendment #4 To: dlightma@nyx.cs.du.edu (David Lightman) Date: Tue, 1 Dec 92 14:06:26 MST I just got #4. What an issue! I have been having a lot of trouble getting on my system recently and haven't been able to read any of my mail till just now. Where do you get all that info? Just keep your eyes and ears open or maybe some secret govt. contact. :) [Well, we do have a few contacts that are involved with the government in many ways. In fact, to mention which ones and how they were involved could jeopardize our entire setup. That's enough of that... you know too much.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From Todd Tibbetts [Author of Unplastic News] Return-Path: To: dlightma@nyx.cs.du.edu (David Lightman) Keep Phirst Amendment coming! Great Job ! tt [Well, since you asked so nicely, we'll keep 'em coming.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From SLENT@VAX1.UMKC.EDU Date: 30 Nov 1992 23:06:34 -0600 (CST) Subject: Phirst Amendment I've been following your new e-zine and enjoying your publication. I thought I'd let you know that I've made it available for d/l and file request on my Fidonet BBS, Abiogenesis (1:280/310). Keep up the good work! Scott [Thanks Scott! All readers who are interested in reaching Scott's Board can reach Abiogenesis at (816)734-4732] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: The Reaper To: dlightma@nyx.cs.du.edu (David Lightman) I felt that your issue [#4] was pretty good. I haven't gotten all of the way through it yet, but it's pretty good. One part I don't like though, that part about homosexuality. I am in the armed forces and I don't want some queer bunking with me. I mean, they can do what they want, but not to me! I am a bit homophobic, I admit it... but still I just don't like it. I really liked the Dead Kennedys lyrics and the Chemical of the month. I am glad that someone finally put something out on the safety aspect of the whole thing. I am taking my time with it, because I'm not really sure when the next one is coming out, know what I mean? One more thing, Is all that stuff really true? I mean, it's really interesting and it grabs your attention, but can all of that stuff be true? [I think you're misunderstanding both the purpose of this magazine and the article on the passage of Amendment 2 in Colorado. We are not a homosexual support group. We're not a hate group, either. Laws were previously passed in several cities (eg, Denver, Boulder, and Aspen) in Colorado. These laws increased the breadth of the Age, Sex, Race, Religion, and other freedoms we all have to include sexual preference. With the passage of Amendment 2, all laws dealing with homosexuality were repealed and prevented institution of such laws in all remaining cities. That meant that housing, employment, loans, anything can be denied or revoked on the basis of, specifically, homosexuality. It is still illegal, in those cities, to deny heterosexuals anything based on THEIR sexual preference. The point is, when they strip ONE person of their rights, that allows precedent to strip another, and then another. When it's okay to hate so-and- so's, when will the next so-and-so be US? If we can sit back and watch as others are denied their god-given rights, there is something wrong. The right to do whatever one desires to fulfill one's life, not harming others, is guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. If you don't want to get jammed by some faggot - mention you're straight. If that doesn't work, as I know, sometimes it doesn't- Avoid that person. Just imagine how it would be if you were a girl being hunted down by some guy. He wants you, but you don't want him. What's left?? You don't have to go fag-bashing for a month and a half to recuperate your masculinity. If your masculinity is THAT precarious, maybe you should see a professional. Being trapped behind a computer, multimeter, and oscilloscope for 14+ hours a day, really changes one's perspective on 'masculinity' and the need to have Freudian extensions of one's penis all around.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Addendum: We're currently accepting donations of ANY size towards our 'Strecker Memorandum' fund. This video is mentioned in issue #4. So far, all costs incurred have come straight out of our collective wallet (mostly my collective wallet). This is a field test to determine the response of this plea. The video is to be bought and reviewed in an upcoming issue. As we don't have a specific mailing address set up just yet, get in touch with me, and we'll work something out. We've just received information from the IRS on how to turn one's organization into a tax-exempt organization with tax-deductible donations. The organization must be incorporated, it would seem. That, in itself, is going to run in the $200-$300 range, what with lawyer's fees and all. More on this as the news happens. Thanks to Storm for the wonderful bunny slippers this Christmas! If you've ever seen `Real Genius', they are JUST like those... I love them. Other than that, nothing to report this issue, we've been trying harder to make sure these things come out right the first time! - Daiv Greets (Belated) Well, I promised that I would say `Hi' to a bunch of folks in issue #4. So, here goes! `Hey' to: The White Knight, Scooter, Harvester of Sorrow, Taxi, British Knight (Where you been?), Dr. 8ball (Hey, write us some more!), Night Ranger, Silent Knight, Tandyman, Count Zer0, Doctor Dissector, Professor Falken, Predat0r, Satan, Digitone Cypher, Roadblock, Digital Destruction, and all the others. `Hey' to the following groups: Ultra, LoL/Phuck, old LoD/H, MOD, Society Elite, Cyber Warriors, Red Dawn, CCC, Chief Executive Officers, Phortune 500, Damage, Inc., Northern Phreakers Alliance, The Syndicate, Neon Knights, and all the rest. Also, `Hello' to all of our friends, both new and old. Keep in Touch! -Anesthesia- NOTE! on distribution of this publication: Issues 1 & 4 have been circulating quite a bit around a few areas and on Internet. [eg. England, Germany, Australia] Hopefully, you will find this on EFF's FTP server. If you find our articles of interest then please pass this publication around in your local area, as well as anywhere on any Net you can. Writing us a letter via Internet will almost assure future issues are sent directly to you. We realize that there are many places on Internet we cannot reach or simply don't know about (please send all mail-serv's and ftp sites to us) and that's where you can help. This is a not-for-profit publication. We are getting copies out by E- mail, postal mail, and file transfer. We cannot spare the time to call everywhere though. So we are trying to work out places that this publication can ALWAYS be found. If you're interested in carrying it, let us know, we'll be more than happy to work something out. We have had several hundred `published' copies distributed through the land-based underground. It is still not available for subscription yet, but we will soon have the 'zine available for subscribers. You may find a couple copies wandering around alternative clubs nationwide as well as passed around from sk8r to sk8r, Sharp to Sharp, patriot to patriot, etc... Soon, we will have a (postal) mailbox sent up to receive letters from our land-based readers and also subscription info. Things can only get more interesting! - KAoS [Use the form on the following page (centerfold for land-subscribers) when you address your comments to your local elected official.] Article I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or the press; or the right of the people, peaceably, to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment THE CONSTITUTION, BEING THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND (Art VI, Sec 2), I DEMAND REDRESS OF THE FOLLOWING GRIEVANCE: __________________________________ Name __________________________________ Address __________________________________