October 2001 - cypherpunks-legacy

WTC Crime Scene
by John Young 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

Today I managed to walk around the stupefying WTC disaster site for half an hour, doing what a serious professional would be doing: taking dozens of careful photographs of the ruins. Then an NYC cop asked to see my authorization to be photographing a crime scene. I said nobody told me not to. He said come with me, and told a captain who asked how the fuck did you get in here. I said I just walked in, nobody stopped me. Captain checked my ID and my tale about safety-surveying the neighborhood as a volunteer, and said escort this guy off the scene. Then I was handed over to the State Police who had me repeat my reason for being there, took my fancy digital camera, looked at the photos and bygod erased all of them. Then I was handed over to the National Guard who is in charge of perimeter security, and I again had to explain that I just walked in, that there were no barriers and no guards the way I came. While that was happening two dozen victim families were escorted to the site to stare at the devastation, carrying flowers, weeping, holding each other, some stumbling, looking as if walking into hell -- which it truely is. Shit. I got my name put in a database and a warning to not come back or face arrest. I said thank you and did not even for a second think to say fuck off for which you may shit on me. Now the help I need is how to recover the erased images from the Compact Flash memory chip. Norton's unerase detects no remnants of the JPG images. I would really appreciate pointers on how to reclaim the images: they show godawful stuff I've not seen published anywhere else. No human remains as far as I can tell just dumbfounding acres of what used to be and the giant machines and tiny workers trying to untangle it. If anybody can tell me how to get the images restored I'll be immensely grateful -- technique or a program to buy. And I'll put the images on the Web as soon as reborn. They are high res images, 1MB or so each, and should be gruesomely spectacular, if only they can be unerased. Crime scene indeed. What I admired was the grandstand set up by the Port Authority for distinguished visitors to survey the spectacle and be televised saying how awful it is and how much money is need to rebuild New York and what must be done to prevent this ever happening again. That grandstand looked like the crime scene to me.

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CNN.com - FTC chair to drop call for new Internet privacy laws - October 3, 2001
by Jim Choate 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/industry/10/03/ftc.industry.ap/index.html -- -- ____________________________________________________________________ The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. Edmund Burke (1784) The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage(a)ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------

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The problem with governments to date...
by Jim Choate 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

They all seek to obtain 'absolute authority'; the problem is there isn't any such thing... -- ____________________________________________________________________ The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. Edmund Burke (1784) The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage(a)ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------

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[RANT] US/Brits call off first round of attacks
by attila! 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

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Re: CDR Anonymizer (fwd)
by Karsten M. Self 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

on Wed, Oct 03, 2001 at 04:18:56PM -0500, CDR Anonymizer (cpunks_anon(a)ssz.com) wrote: > I received the following ... > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 09:54:32 -0700 > Subject: CDR Anonymizer > > Hi Jim. > > Could you hack your CDR Anonymizer script to pass the To: and Cc: lines? > Every time someone uses it, I get a bounce from a couple lne CDR subscribers > whos MTAs are configured to reject mail with no To: or Cc: line. > > Leaving the To: line in won't change the anonymity any, we all > know that it's going to the cypherpunks list. > > Thanks. > > -- Cut Here -- > > In responce I have modified the ~/cpunks_anon/.procmailrc. Let's see if > this doesn't fix the bounces. I'd like to try to keep the header to a > minimum (ie no Cc: if we can help it). I also put To: to the anonymizer. I > already put a Reply To: that points at the cpunks list. I'm getting mail w/o a "To" line of: To: cpunks_anon(a)einstein.ssz.com I'm looking for an effective procmail filtering rule. As I'm subscribed to LNE, I'm currently filtering on: :0: * ^Sender: owner-cypherpunks(a)lne.com cypherpunks Peace. -- Karsten M. Self <kmself(a)ix.netcom.com> http://kmself.home.netcom.com/ What part of "Gestalt" don't you understand? Home of the brave http://gestalt-system.sourceforge.net/ Land of the free Free Dmitry! Boycott Adobe! Repeal the DMCA! http://www.freesklyarov.org Geek for Hire http://kmself.home.netcom.com/resume.html [demime 0.97c removed an attachment of type application/pgp-signature]

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cats good for allergy -followup references
by David Honig 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

In a thread "Re: When the FBI Guys Come Knocking..." I claimed (from memory) that cats can decrease allergies. I was unable to find the _Science_ ref but I found a few refs to the original research reported in The Lancet 357:752-56 (2001). Reproduced below. I don't make this stuff up. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/focuson/asthma01/research.htm#cats Contrary to popular belief, high levels of cat allergen in the home can sometimes decrease the risk of a child developing asthma, says grantee Thomas A. Platts-Mills, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Virginia. Apparently, the presence of a cat can alter the immune system in a manner similar to allergy shots, he reports. For other allergens that trigger asthma, such as the dust mite and cockroach, the higher the exposure level, the more likely it is that a child will produce "allergic" antibodies, called immunoglobulin-E or Ig-E antibodies, against them. This high exposure increases the child's risk of becoming allergic and developing asthma. But with cats, high exposure actually can confer protection -- at least in some children, Dr. Platts-Mills says. He and colleagues measured the levels of allergic antibodies to cat allergen in 226 children, aged 12 to 14 years, and tested the children for asthma. They also measured the amount of cat allergen in the children's homes and discovered that low-to-moderate amounts of cat allergen seemed to trigger allergy, but high amounts -- greater than 20 micrograms per gram of house dust -- reduced both IgE antibodies and the likelihood of asthma. "This result alters the advice we give patients," says Dr. Platts-Mills. "I would not recommend that all parents get rid of their cat because they are concerned their child might develop asthma. High exposure to cat allergen appears to be protective for some children and a risk factor for others. If the child is wheezing and has a positive skin test to cat allergen, then you should get rid of your cat." The high levels of cat allergen prompted the children's immune systems to make mostly a particular subtype of immunoglobulin G (IgG), called IgG4 antibody, rather than IgE, Dr. Platts-Mills explains. Allergy shots are believed to produce a similar effect. "This research sheds more light on the relationship between allergen exposure and asthma," he says. "When we further understand this process, it might lead to new treatments for asthma." Reference: T Platts-Mills et al. Sensitisation, asthma, and a modified Th2 response in children exposed to cat allergen: a populations-based cross-sectional study. The Lancet 357:752-56 (2001). Sensitisation, asthma, and a modified Th2 response in children exposed to cat allergen: a population-based cross-sectional study. Platts-Mills T, Vaughan J, Squillace S, Woodfolk J, Sporik R. University of Virginia Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center, University of Virginia Department of Medicine, Charlottesville, USA. tap2z(a)virginia.edu BACKGROUND: Although asthma is strongly associated with immediate hypersensitivity to indoor allergens, several studies have suggested that a cat in the house can decrease the risk of asthma. We investigated the immune response to cat and mite allergens, and asthma among children with a wide range of allergen exposure. METHODS: We did a population-based cross-sectional study of children (aged 12-14 years), some of whom had symptoms of asthma and bronchial hyper-reactivity. Antibodies to mite (Der f 1) and cat (Fel d 1) allergens measured by isotype (IgG and IgG4) specific radioimmunoprecipitation assays were compared with sensitisation and allergen concentrations in house dust. FINDINGS: 226 children were recruited, 47 of whom had symptoms of asthma and bronchial hyper-reactivity. Increasing exposure to mite was associated with increased prevalence of sensitisation and IgG antibody to Der f 1. By contrast, the highest exposure to cat was associated with decreased sensitisation, but a higher prevalence of IgG antibody to Fel d 1. Thus, among children with high exposure, the odds of sensitisation to mite rather than cat was 4.0 (99% CI 1.49-10.00). Furthermore, 31 of 76 children with 23 microg Fel d 1 at home, who were not sensitised to cat allergen had >125 units of IgG antibody to Fel d 1. Antibodies to Fel d 1 of the IgG4 isotype were strongly correlated with IgG antibody in both allergic and non-allergic children (r=0.84 and r=0.66, respectively). Sensitisation to mite or cat allergens was the strongest independent risk factor for asthma (p<0.001). INTERPRETATION: Exposure to cat allergen can produce an IgG and IgG4 antibody response without sensitisation or risk of asthma. This modified T-helper-2 cell response should be regarded as a form of tolerance and may be the correct objective of immunotherapy. The results may also explain the observation that animals in the house can decrease the risk of asthma. PMID: 11253969 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Emergency Diseases
by John Young 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

The Department of Agriculture today issued an emergency announcement about the spread of "chronic wasting disease" (CWD) among cattle and deer in the American West: http://cryptome.org/doa092701.txt The disease can be fatal to humans. Is there any tie of CWD to cowpox? A biowar attacker might commandeer US beloved dogs and cats as trusted Stingers. Or merely infect a couple of hundred to terrify millions of owners who are dependent upon the therapy. A problem with with cadaver dogs like those in use at WTC are the diseases they spread, vermin they host. Especially those picked up during overseas disaster service that slip quietly into the US below the spectrum of quarantine radar. There is no clear picture of what the thousands of non-US victims of WTC may have been carrying. Pets can be used to carry encrypted or stegoed communications in wearable or implanted devices. Animals have been used to transmit secret messages for almost as long as humans. Pigeons and other birds are used heavily in less developed countries for that purpose, but hawks are used to take them out. Use of overseas human adoptees as carriers is a complicated challenge.

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Man arrested in burning of U.S. flag
by Khoder bin Hakkin 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

[Reformatted for legibility. Please take the few moments required to present materials in a readable format. KMSelf] Looks like the fundamentalists won... http://www.indystar.com/data/wire/out/1002ap_l91ia7g109.html Man arrested in burning of U.S. flag Associated Press Last updated 04:40 PM, EST, Tuesday, October 02, 2001 inscmsfonsrctdrccw NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) -- An Indiana man accused of burning an American flag behind his home has been arrested, despite rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court that have said flag-burning is an exercise of free speech. David H. Stout, 49, of Noblesville was charged Monday with flag desecration and resisting law enforcement. He was being held Tuesday at the Hamilton County Jail on a $9,000 bond. Stout was arrested Sunday after police found him lying beside a burning flag in an alley behind his home. Indiana is among 48 states that still have a law against flag desecration on the books, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has twice said flag-burning is a constitutionally protected form of expression. Stout told a neighbor who tried to stop the burning that he could burn his flag if he wanted. The neighbor called police. Stout is accused of throwing a lighted firecracker at a police officer and struggling with police when they took him into custody. Hamilton County Deputy Prosecutor Wendy Petersen filed the charges against Stout. "Our particular statute has not been challenged," Petersen told The Indianapolis Star. "We still have flag desecration on the books, although we may certainly come up against that (constitutional) argument if we continue to prosecute Mr. Stout." Both charges against Stout are misdemeanors, each carrying maximum penalties of one year in prison and a $5,000 fine upon conviction. Petersen agreed that the surge of flag-waving since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks may have created a new sensitivity to flag desecration. "I can't comment on what the officers were thinking at the time, but probably a report of flag burning would be taken more seriously because of the environment," she said.

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Discover new mailing lists from Market-Street!
by Market-Street 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

HTML message attached (or) go to the following link: www.market-street.com/newsletters/market-street_enews4.html

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FBI's database of anonymous letters
by Khoder bin Hakkin 03 Oct '01

03 Oct '01

[Reformatted for legibility. Please take the few moments required to present documents in a readable manner. KMSelf] http://www.fbi.gov/page2/page2.htm Anonymous Letters The Anonymous Letter File (ALF) is an image-oriented database housed in the Questioned Documents Unit of the FBI Laboratory. The repository houses letters from anonymous sources, categorizing entries based on target (recipient of letter), method of preparation, and content. Established in the 1930s, the original ALF was a unique and useful resource for law enforcement. Originally, index card-sized sections of a note's text was from a photograph of the original anonymous letter and entered to the database with the written portion of its envelope. The entry was filed based on its geographic origin (determined by the post mark), nature (hate or demand note) and the method of communication (hand-written, typed, etc.). During a search, when a Laboratory Technician detected similarities between two or more entries, the available content of those notes would be further examined (remember, only an index card-sized portion was initially used). If an association still appeared likely, an Examiner would then conduct a more thorough comparison including an examination of handwriting characteristics. In the early 1980s, the database was upgraded to include video-camera-captured images of letters. The images were stored on disk and the text of the entire letter was retyped for comparison. The new system also enabled special attention to be given to vocabulary, spelling habits, and the topic that a letter addressed. Even with this more advanced system, a Questioned Documents Examiner still studied the hand writing or printing methods of the associated letters looking for a stronger connection. The Laboratory's current ALF system, updated in the 1990s, is even more advanced. Instead of capturing an image of a letter by video camera, images are scanned onto a computer hard drive with back-ups made on compact discs. Comparison is then conducted based on target, method of preparation, and content. The associations that result from ALF searches can prove invaluable in FBI and other law enforcement investigations. Frequent topics of anonymous letters include bomb threats, environmental concerns, abortion politics, and gun control.

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