October 2001 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: PDA versions of Speak Freely (fwd)
by Eugene Leitl 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

-- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://www.lrz.de/~ui22204/">leitl</a> ______________________________________________________________ ICBMTO: N48 04'14.8'' E11 36'41.2'' http://www.lrz.de/~ui22204 57F9CFD3: ED90 0433 EB74 E4A9 537F CFF5 86E7 629B 57F9 CFD3 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2001 02:06:58 +0200 From: John Walker <kelvin(a)fourmilab.ch> To: Robert & Jennifer Hartley <rehartley(a)sympatico.ca>, speak-freely(a)fourmilab.ch Subject: Re: PDA versions of Speak Freely >> Has anyone else been working on a PDA version of SpeakFreely? To my knowledge, nobody is working on this. Several people have expressed interest in such a package, but nobody has yet lifted a coding stick to create one. If you have a GCC environment, Speak Freely should port to almost any platform with little difficulty; the main problem is coming to terms with audio support. The iPAQ should have adequate CPU power for any normal Speak Freely compression and encryption mode. If there is handheld-specific code which belongs in the Speak Freely distribution, I am perfectly willing to integrate it in the next release. Next week I hope to post a "bleeding edge early-adopter" version of Speak Freely for Unix 7.5. This version will (*gasp*) compile without any -Wall warnings from gcc 2.96, include Ivan Popov's fix for transmission of face images in encrypted sessions, correct the lingering problems with LPC-10 compression not working with this or that compiler and optimisation modes and include, for the first time, support for FS 1016 4800 baud CELP (Code Excited Linear Prediction) encoding. The latter CODEC will be initially supported only in *nix versions of Speak Freely, and integrated into the Windows version some time in the future. I've always considered Speak Freely to have a secondary mission of serving as a "reference implementation" of network audio algorithms, and CELP is the latest addition to this list (even though GSM is adequate for the vast majority of users). Bashing the CELP code into something you can just "make" has taken a lot longer than I anticipated, which is why this release is so late. I hope to have something for you to try sometime next week, but I won't announce it until it passes all my tests on Linux, Solaris, and SGI IRIX here. The Speak Freely for Unix 7.5 release will be 100% ANSI C; if you need to build it on legacy compilers, you'll need to run it through ANSI2KNR or an equivalent translator. Let's think about what a PDA version should be. Should it be a scrambler, a dial-up (or GSM, etc.) VoIP bridge, or application running under a network-enabled OS? * * * To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send E-mail containing the word "unsubscribe" in the message body (*not* as the Subject) to speak-freely-request(a)fourmilab.ch

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Re: The Martyrdom Videogame
by Optimizzin Al-gorithm 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

At 10:42 AM 10/5/01 -0700, Bill Stewart wrote: >Just another example of the trend that you >don't need to be religious to exercise religious bigotry. >Hating other people and insulting their values >doesn't require either understanding them >or having values of your own. >It's frustrating how rabidly intolerant a lot of >ostensibly socially liberal people are. > >>Optimizzin Al-gorithm <oa(a)acm.org> wrote : >> >> > Christians need to start cultivating a >> > martyrdom culture/generation. Maybe a >> > videogame where you win by blowing >> > yourself up and taking out a lot of >> > drugdealers^H^H^H^Hmoslems^H^H^H^Hwhatever >> > the fuck the bogeymen du jour are. Actually this comment isn't about religions ---its about what happens when a more aggressive culture meets one less so. The losers get to run casinos at best. Guns germs & steel. And suicide bombers. A culture that has them has advantages over a risk-averse one. My commentary also alluded to the demonization of the enemy, done by the 'faithful' of both flavors. I was sarcastic, ie expressing author's disdain for this demonization. This follows my black humor, which is cynicism about the actual reality of competing-civilizations (named by their dominant religion) and the way they (ab)use their (young male) subscribers. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify.

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WTC Collapse Alternative
by John Young 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

What is odd about the WTC debris is how few larger fragments of concrete it contains. Reports on the structure say reinforced concrete was used for floor slabs and customarily in demolition such material breaks apart in relatively large chunks, the broken concrete remaining attached by steel reinforcing bars or wire mesh. However, there is a structural design where plain concrete is placed on metal floor decking with little or no reinforcing. Also, lightweight concrete, whose course aggregate is cinder rather than stone, is often used to limit the weight of the structure, especially in high-rise building. This lightweight material does not usually have the strength of regular concrete and strength is provided by metal decking below it. The large amount of dust produced by the towers' collapse and the relative lack of larger concrete shards raise the possibility that the building disintegrated at least in part due to lesser strength of the type of concrete used in the floors. That remains to be examined. Observation of the towers' remains show that while main steel vertical structural members of the exterior wall and central core withstood the collapse, the horizontal floor-supporting trusses broke away from these vertical supports at the points of attachment (probably made by welding). One view of the North Tower (1 WTC) shows the exterior and core remnants and the ruptured points of floor structure attachment. Photos: http://cryptome.org/wtc/wtc035.jpg http://cryptome.org/wtc/wtc047.jpg What this suggests is the possibility that the structure of each floor collapsed due to load of collapsing floors above them, and that only afterwards did the vertical supports at the exterior and core collapse. Review of video of the collapse appears to confirm this sequence as well as the consequent supposition that the floor structure was the weakest part of the buildings -- which would not be uncommon for floor structure supports only a single floor while the vertical members support all floors above them. However, a slow motion examination of visual recording would be needed to confirm exactly what collapsed first. There has been speculation about the initial step in the collapse of the buildings, most commonly attributed to the intense heat of burning jet fuel softening structural steel, usually the steel of the core. However, it is possible that collapse of the core steel was not the initial phase, but instead it was the floor structure breaking away from vertical supports. The collapse in this scenario would be that of floors dropping one after the other onto floors below, the load of the upper floors overwhelming the relatively weak attachments of floors to vertical supports -- the attachments customarily being designed to support only a single floor load. For example, a single floor dropping onto the one below could have ruptured the next lower attachment, thus setting off a disastrous sequence. This could have occurred without fire initially weakening the vertical steel structure as has been speculated. The impact of the crash, and/or subsequent swaying of the buildings, could have ruptured floor structure attachments, and only one floor breaking away would have been enough to precipitate the collapse. Alternatively, the fuel fire, and flaming building contents, could have weakened floor structure and/or its attachment to vertical supports, in particular if the crash destroyed fire-protection materials of the floor structure. Thus, with heat weakening floor structure along with the attachments being ruptured by the crash, the collapse sequence commenced. One significance of these speculations is that weakening of the core steel by intense heat may not have been the initial cause of collapse. A New York Times report of October 6 describes an investigative engineer "finding what appears to be a few pieces of the south tower that were directly hit by the Boeing 767 jetliner, and the discovery poses a few new puzzles. While the impact sliced through half the column, the column did not buckle; each column is designed to support the weight even if half is missing. The column also exhbits no outward signs of smoke or heat damage." Another signficance is that more steel reinforcing in the concrete could have increased the strength of the floor structure and better withstood the initial step in the floor-by-floor collapse sequence. And, the immediate and long-term adverse affects of the huge dust clouds of the collapse might have been lessened. It is likely that some victims were suffocated by these clouds.

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Fwd: Major Networks Refuse Front Sight's ARM PILOTS Commercial (fwd)
by !Dr. Joe Baptista 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

The commercial which was rejected by major networks in the US is available at http://www.frontsight.com/gun_school_for_pilots_complete.htm ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2001 15:44:12 -0700 From: Ignatius Piazza <ignatius(a)frontsight.com> To: baptista(a)pccf.net Subject: Fwd: Major Networks Refuse Front Sight's ARM PILOTS Commercial >Please forward this e-mail to pilots, airlines, >congressional reps, and at least 10 other people that fly >commercial airlines. Spread this rapidly and world wide. We >can turn the tables on terrorists and take back control of >the skies! > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE >October 4, 2001 > >CONTACT: >Dr. Ignatius Piazza >1.800.987.7719 >Fax: 831.684.2137 >e-mail: info(a)frontsight.com >http://www.frontsight.com > >Major Networks Refuse Front Sight's ARM PILOTS Commercial > >Las Vegas, Nevada: Major media networks have refused to air >a 60 second commercial calling for President Bush, the FAA, >and the airlines to arm commercial pilots. The commercial, >to run on prime time slots was produced and sponsored by >Front Sight Founder's Society. > >Front Sight Firearm Training Institute's Founder and >Director, Dr. Ignatius Piazza was surprised that major >networks refused to air a commercial in which Front Sight >encourages Americans to contact President Bush, the FAA, and >the airlines to demand that our commercial pilots be armed. >In the commercial Front Sight also offers to immediately >train all commercial pilots and co-pilots FREE OF CHARGE >that are authorized to carry a gun to defend the cockpit >against terrorists. > >Piazza states, "It is unfortunate that the major networks >would not air our 60 second commercials aimed at spreading >the truth that the only solution to forever preventing >another World Trade Center attack is to give pilots the >ability and authority to defend the cockpit with a gun. >Front Sight's solution is simple, efficient, effective and >will not cost the taxpayers, air passengers, or airlines a >dime. Our commercial demonstrated how easy and safe it is to >stop cold a terrorist attempting to invade the doorway of >the cockpit or take a hostage. Front Sight has the absolute >solution. We are willing to provide our gift of up to 150 >million dollars in training free of charge and Front Sight >Founder's Society is spending hundreds of thousands of >dollars to spread the truth of our solution." > >To view the commercial that major media networks refused to >air visit Front Sight's web site at >http://www.frontsight.com/gun_school_for_pilots_complete.htm >and support Front Sight's efforts to arm and train our >commercial pilots by joining Front Sight Founder's Society. > >Front Sight Founder's Society is now producing a new 60 >second commercial to be ready by next week. Says Piazza, >"The next commercial, unfortunately must be more politically >correct to get it aired, but will have the same message to >arm our pilots and take back control of the skies. Watch >for it and support Front Sight's Founder's Society." > >Contact: > >Dr. Ignatius Piazza >1.800.987.7719 > >Front Sight >www.frontsight.com > >Front Sight Founders' Society >http://www.frontsight.com/founders_society.htm Joe Baptista http://www.dot-god.com/ The dot.GOD Registry, Limited The Executive Plaza, Suite 908 150 West 51st Street Tel: 1 (208) 330-4173 Manhattan Island NYC 10019 USA Fax: 1 (208) 293-9773

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Labs fail to identify anthrax in unannounced tests
by Incognito Innominatus 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

[Reformatted for legibility. Please take the few moments necessary to ensure materials posted are readable. KMSelf] (New Mexico) State Labs Flunk Tests on Spotting Anthrax By E. J. Mundell (From Haz--Mat-WMD Tuesday May 22) ORLANDO (Reuters Health) - In a recent test, every medical laboratory that received a patient specimen containing the deadly anthrax bacterium failed to spot the organism or refer it to another lab, scientists report. The finding is worrisome, because "if Bacillus anthracis is used covertly in a bioterrorism attack, it will probably be first isolated in a clinical laboratory," according to Dr. Linda Nims and colleagues at the New Mexico State Laboratory in Albuquerque. Nims presented the findings here Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Speaking with Reuters Health, Nims explained that as a former clinical microbiologist, she suspected that most of her colleagues would dismiss an unexpected culture finding such as B. anthracis as an innocuous contaminant. "You feel like, 'well, it was on the skin but it's not causing the patient's infection," she said. The common response would be to abandon any further investigation of the bacillus. "I wanted to see if the laboratories in my city still did the same thing," Nims said. So, unannounced, she and her colleagues submitted four specimens-not from real patients-to four large New Mexico laboratories. Each contained a weakened form of B. anthracis. The result, Nims said, was "exactly what I thought-people just thought it was a contaminant. Three out of four laboratories turned it out as a contaminant or just 'Bacillus species.' One referred it to us--9 days after they first looked at the specimen." These types of mistakes and delays could have enormous public health consequences in the event of a real anthrax outbreak, the researchers warn. Laboratories could "take a prolonged period of time to identify the organism or not identify it at all, which could result in increased illness and death in the population." To address the problem locally, the New Mexico State Laboratory has presented training sessions in spotting and reporting B. anthracis for personnel at the four labs that flunked the test. The measure seems to have worked. In a second round of tests, all four labs correctly referred the bacillus to the state lab when it came across their desks, with three of the four doing so within a day. Nims believes this type of initiative may be needed nationwide, given the ongoing threat of bioterrorism. "I think that all laboratories have to be aware of it and probably ask their state health lab for help in training on it," she said.

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Re: Anthrax...coincidence?
by Nomen Nescio 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

CNN.com Question of the Day: Should the U.S. consider using nuclear weapons in response to a chemical or biological attack? Yes 69% No 31%

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2nd anthrax case url
by Dr. Evil 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

Here is a slightly easier URL for the only article I can find on the 2nd anthrax case: http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=markets_bfgcgi_content99.ht&s=AO73Eb…

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Labs fail to identify anthrax in unannounced tests
by Incognito Innominatus 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

(New Mexico) State Labs Flunk Tests on Spotting Anthrax By E. J. Mundell (From Haz--Mat-WMD Tuesday May 22) ORLANDO (Reuters Health) - In a recent test, every medical laboratory that received a patient specimen containing the deadly anthrax bacterium failed to spot the organism or refer it to another lab, scientists report. The finding is worrisome, because "if Bacillus anthracis is used covertly in a bioterrorism attack, it will probably be first isolated in a clinical laboratory," according to Dr. Linda Nims and colleagues at the New Mexico State Laboratory in Albuquerque. Nims presented the findings here Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Speaking with Reuters Health, Nims explained that as a former clinical microbiologist, she suspected that most of her colleagues would dismiss an unexpected culture finding such as B. anthracis as an innocuous contaminant. "You feel like, 'well, it was on the skin but it's not causing the patient's infection," she said. The common response would be to abandon any further investigation of the bacillus. "I wanted to see if the laboratories in my city still did the same thing," Nims said. So, unannounced, she and her colleagues submitted four specimens-not from real patients-to four large New Mexico laboratories. Each contained a weakened form of B. anthracis. The result, Nims said, was "exactly what I thought-people just thought it was a contaminant. Three out of four laboratories turned it out as a contaminant or just 'Bacillus species.' One referred it to us--9 days after they first looked at the specimen." These types of mistakes and delays could have enormous public health consequences in the event of a real anthrax outbreak, the researchers warn. Laboratories could "take a prolonged period of time to identify the organism or not identify it at all, which could result in increased illness and death in the population." To address the problem locally, the New Mexico State Laboratory has presented training sessions in spotting and reporting B. anthracis for personnel at the four labs that flunked the test. The measure seems to have worked. In a second round of tests, all four labs correctly referred the bacillus to the state lab when it came across their desks, with three of the four doing so within a day. Nims believes this type of initiative may be needed nationwide, given the ongoing threat of bioterrorism. "I think that all laboratories have to be aware of it and probably ask their state health lab for help in training on it," she said.

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OT: Could you survive? advanced survival skills test
by auto301094＠hushmail.com 06 Oct '01

06 Oct '01

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- I know this is off-topic, but no matter what your academic training, there's no substitute for knowing how to take care of yourself in a crisis. Anyone who is seriously committed to the idea of individual personal responsibility probably acquired these skills a long time ago, but frankly I can't think of a better time to brush up than right now, so here's a start... ~F. **** ADVANCED SURVIVAL TEST So! You think you know enough survival skills? Well try this one! This test is intended as a challenge of survival knowledge to those whom express the "human denial factor" towards learning survival knowledge. Statements such as "Ill never get lost"--"I already know that stuff"--"I could do that if I had to" are mumblings due to over-confidence. This attitude could cost you your life. Therefore, I have composed this test in hopes of creating an awakening awareness that we are NOT naturally born with--survival skills knowledge-- it must be learned. This test is designed on a global aspect and in conjunction with the "survival pattern to maintain life." This is not intended to be an average test, nor a fair test, as it does require survival knowledge with experience plus survival sense. The answers are what I consider exact and correct according to the listed references and my experiences. I understand there may be acceptable variables to the answers. Sorry, no easy multiple choice questions as we want you to think this out. Print out this test, gather up your pen and paper, write out an answer and compare with ours. Good luck! FOOD 1. List 12 edible USA plants. 2. List 8 edible tropical plants. 3. What part of a "polar animal" should not be eaten and why not? 4. Which "snack" would you select in a cold weather environment -- a snickers candy bar or a can of sardines? 5. What is an Australian yabby? 6. List 6 traps/snares. 7. Name 2 USA tree/plants used for fish poison. FIRE 1. Explain the "fire triangle" required to produce fire. 2. List 6 modern fire methods. 3. List 3 primitive fire methods. 4. List 4 primitive-tropical-jungle fire methods. 5. List 8 modern fire aids. 6. List 2 primitive fire aids. 7. List 5 natural tinders. WATER 1. List 6 ways to purify water. 2. How much water will a "desert solar still" produce in 1 day? 3. List 3 tropical plants used to provide water. 4. List 4 possible indications of a water source. 5. Urine can be used as an emergency drinking water? True or false? SHELTER 1. List 4 possible winter shelters which can be considered in a snow environment. 2. What is the most effective shelter in a snow environment? 3. What is the suggested shelter to build in a tropical jungle environment? 4. What are the key factors in constructing a shade shelter in a desert environment? 5. How is a snow shelter vented? SIGNALS 1. In one word, explain what a signal is "in a natural environment". 2. What natural signal method could be used during daylight in the Arctic Circle? 3. Why is the screened viewing hole an important part of the signal mirror? FIRST-AID 1. What is the best method to stop the bleeding? 2. Name the plant used by Native Americans for mosquito repellent. 3. What plant is used as headache medicine? 4. Should a person in a survival situation apply the cut & suck method for a rattlesnake bite? 5. What is an early indication of dehydration? 6. List 5 tropical jungle plants used for medical purposes. ADDITIONAL 1. List 10 uses of bamboo in a tropical-jungle environment. 2. Why would a flashlight be considered a high priority item? 3. What is the best tinder for the bamboo fire saw? 4. List the required items/materials used in making a bow/drill fire set as to produce fire. 5. In a cold weather environment, the majority of heat is lost through what area of the body? 6. Name the simple-to-construct and use weapon preferred by Native Americans in a desert area. 7. List 3 excellent plants for making cordage. SURVIVAL TRASH 1. What could a large plastic soda bottle be used for in survival? 2. A piece of rubber inner tube could be used in what skill area? 3. What could an aluminum soda can be used for? 4. A deer rifle cartridge would serve what use? 5. A metal coat hanger in conjunction with one other item could be used for what skill? 6. What could a paper cup and small stones be used together for? 7. What could a bird breast bone be used for? *** ANSWERS This information, questions and answers are selected from two excellent survival reference books: 1. Camping and Wilderness Survival, by Paul Tawrell. 2. U.S. Air Force Survival Manual. FOOD 1. Cattails, dandelion, watercress, yucca, acorns, nettles, burdock, onion, cactus, mallow, milkweed, purslane. 2. Bamboo, taro, breadfruit, papaya, palm, guava, santol, rattan. 3. The liver of polar animals are extremely high in vitamin A -- a health hazard. 4. Sardines will provide longer lasting heat for the body. Candy is quick energy. 5. Crawfish/crawdads. 6. Trigger four, Piute trigger, drag snare, pole run, Ojibwa bird snare, treadle snare. 7. Mullein leaves and green walnut husks. FIRE 1. Oxygen, tinder/fuel, spark/friction. 2. Flint & steel, magnesium/flint stick, battery and steel wool, magnifying lens, chemicals, fire wire. 3. Bow/drill, hand drill, pump drill. 4. Bamboo fire saw, fire thong, fire plough, fire piston. 5. Wax paper, glue, Vaseline, rubber, nylon spoon, cotton balls, candle, popsicle sticks. 6. Pine sap and pitch pine stick shavings. 7. Dry grass, birch bark, inner cottonwood bark, pine needles, cattail fuzz. WATER 1. Boiling, filtering, household bleach, iodine, purification tablets, distilling. 2. Not enough to survive! The solar still is a waste of time, sweat and energy. 3. Taboy tree, rattan-water vine, banana tree. 4. Greenery areas, insects/bees, animal trails, flying birds. 5. False. Never! SHELTER 1. Snow cave, fighters trench, quinzee, igloo. 2. Snow cave. 3. Sleeping platform with overhead cover. 4. Digging below the ground surface and using two layers of material with an airspace. 5. Make a 3 inch diameter hole at 45 degree angle from inside wall to outside, plus a small opening near door snow block as to create air movement. SIGNALS 1. Contrast! (Orange trash bag on white snow) 2. Shadows -- digging a trench, making a wall with the snow blocks. 3. For sighting -- as it creates a fire like bright ball for aiming. FIRST-AID 1. Direct pressure bandage. 2. Wild onion/garlic rubbed on skin. 3. Willow bark (tea). 4. Yes. Although this method is not recommended in a regular situation -- a person in a survival situation would have no other choice. 5. Dark urine. 6. Bamboo, papaya, coconut palm, emamale, calebetbet. ADDITIONAL 1. Fire making, pressure cooker, cup, cook pot, canteen, knife, eating utensils, shelter building, traps/snares, edible shoots. 2. You would have night time signals, thereby extending your signaling capabilities. 3. Fuzz scraped from the backside of the saw. 4. Socket, spindle, fire board, bow stick, string, tinder nest, ember tray. 5. The head. Approx. 75% goes out through your chimney. 6. Rabbit stick for throwing. 7. Yucca, dogbane, milkweed. SURVIVAL TRASH 1. Container or construct into a funnel type trap for catching crayfish, minnows, etc. 2. In fire making as a fire-aid. 3. Container, a cooking utensil, making into a signal whistle. 4. Gun powder can be used in fire making. 5. (Youll have to attend our program for this answer). 6. Heating water. 7. Fish hook. NOTES "Fire aids" are items which assist in burning. Example -- petroleum jelly. "Tinders" are small fuel materials which will catch a spark in the step towards adding flame to create the actual final results of fire. Example -- cotton ball. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: Hush 2.0 wl8EARECAB8FAju+JMUYHGF1dG8zMDEwOTRAaHVzaG1haWwuY29tAAoJEKadvsVlUK4P ZHIAoL8XYkn1oAxN7xcmD+5QvBa8X72DAKCer/eAKt4g2Tt3vyjKQJWe7xXjcQ== =avyC -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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FREE SEARCH! It's Your Money Claim It Now!
by U.S. Search Reports 05 Oct '01

05 Oct '01

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