December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re:The Value of Money
by trestrab＠GVSU.EDU 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Robert Hettinga writes: > GRABOW_GEOFFREY(a)tandem.com asked: > >>Didn't Nixon take the U.S. off of the gold standard? >> >I believe Nixon made two changes. First, he decoupled the dollar from >the price of gold, thus making the dollar more explicitly a >part of the floating exchange rate mechanism (or more so, >anyway). Second, he started making it legal for americans >to own gold again, something FDR outlawed during the >depression. The US$ was devalued from $35 to $38 /oz gold and the Treasury stopped redeeming dollars from anyone other than central banks in '69. This created a two tier market. The US devalued again in '70 (0r '71) to $45 /oz, and then threw in the towel and stopped backing the currency with anything other than "the full faith and credit of the US government" [:)]. US citizens were permitted to own gold bullion again as of Jan '75, under Ford. Jeff trestrab(a)gvsu.edu

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re: one time pad plus
by Brian D Williams 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Ben replies; >Ok, I'm new to this crypto bit so I probably will have more >mistakes here than correct answers. Anyways I'm going to give a >shot. >1)If you have the secure channel(sneakernet) that you have to >re-init each time you use th eone time pad, then this will be most >likely a novelty, since Lousie could have slipped Thelma the >plaintext when she slipped her the pad. >2)If you're using a pad like this, if I'm not mistaken isn't this >what Kahn calls a 'book cipher' where it would be simpler to crack >than a true one time pad that is truly random. >3)Thelma could have used stenographic technology to send the same >information, she could have used faxes that when decoded could >yield a message(kinda like the old punch cards) >Anyways, this is just the view of a complete rank amateur. Give >me feedback y'all. Thanks for your comments Ben. Yes this does suffer from all the same problems of a classic one time pad. (pad exchange etc) Obviously Thelma and Louise should have exchanged mutiple pads well in advance,(and are co-conspirators) and the "pseudorandom pad" E would be exchanged through an alternate path (intercompany mail,sneakernet,messenger,etc). The part I find fun is that assuming random file B is truly random, say from an RS232 "crypto-dongle" (if anyone builds them, count me in!) then ciphertext file C is unbreakable, It dosen't matter if E is random or not, C is still unbreakable, and using E to decrypt will only produce D. This was not intended as a cure all, just an interesting application of cryptography that has interesting effects in the world of corporate politics as well. One small step for cypherpunks..... Brian Williams Extropian Cypherpatriot "Cryptocosmology: Sufficently advanced comunication is indistinguishable from noise." --Steve Witham "Have you ever had your phones tapped by the government? YOU WILL and the company that'll bring it to you.... AT&T" --James Speth -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.3a iQCVAgUBLckIjNCcBnAsu2t1AQEubAP7B3t3cIiUkZXESOA53OMcXbpdLnu7qZXf Z+Q7tFC9kzYL9+weGXHVC2aEnjsjDUbxEYHgz4vw+T9fBdFr2g2RcQqM36+dKee+ BfuOtwKY4UCKtjw8W/BETaUpK2aNjeO2pXBdrzVpZHXu6xyM2n2QFmm4GiUDYPO9 xdzq0JcVH4U= =oPn1 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: Anonymous phone calls.
by dmandl＠lehman.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: Duncan Frissell <frissell(a)panix.com> > "Why did William Jefferson Blythe Clinton accept a Rhodes scholarship when > women (and non Commonwealth citizens) were excluded from same? Sounds like a > racist, sexist, bigoted, and (for all we know) homophobic act to me." Current theory here in Brooklyn: Freemasonic/Trilateral/Illuminati connections (you know about Cecil Rhodes, right?). Looks like Willy was groomed for his present assignment from an early age. This is as good a time as any to post the following, which is not much less relevant to cypherpunk issues than a lot of other recent threads. And it's hilarious. As mentioned above, though, our current theory is slightly different. Enjoy. --Dave. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Impeach Clinton --------------- by Rev. P. Lamborn-Wilson, M.O.C., U.L.C., etc., etc., The Deanery, Chatsworth, NJ Feb. 14, 1994 (no copyright--please reproduce freely) Clinton first came to the attention of the ILLUMINATI when he saved the asses of Grand Master Oliver North & Past Master G. Bush (the Freemasonic Messiah) by quashing the investigation into Mena Airport in Arkansas. We can use this cracker, they thought. Another Southern Democrat whose name starts with "C." The Konspiracy may have to lay low for four years & this yuppie redneck'll fill the Bill. Sure enough, Bush loses it--bigtime--openly proclaims the Novus Ordo Seclorum--bombs Babylon in a vain attempt to destroy Illuminati archives--etc., etc. The CFR/Bilderbergers declare:--Bush must "lose." The Pres. of Japan (an inner-circle member) dons his special Medici-ring & sits next to Bush at sushi-time:--the whole world gawks as Bush pukes in the lap of this unsmiling samurai--Who's losing face? Who's losing _lunch_? ///// Lloyd Bensen (32-degree) takes hick Clinton to Bilderberg Konklave in Baden-Baden 6 months before the "election." Ushered into the inner sanctum Clinton hears the Offer from a hooded figure mit a Cherman accent und Harvard manners. "Look, Bill, all zis can be yours: real estate, blow-chobs, Sviss bank account, revenche, your name in 'History.' All you haff to do is serve Us for four years. Betray 'Liberalism' for four years. Stab in the back all those minorities who will vote you in:--Blacks, queers, women, the poor. Always you vill say 'compromise'--but holding a dagger in your schleeve. Betray Haiti. Betray homosexuals (and alienate the military!), betray Christians & burn their children, betray peace-lovers--bomb Iraq _again_! (we'll think of some lame excuse); betray women--transform them into their own oppressors. As for the poor, I have a great plan, Bill:--you will fund poverty programs by _taxing food stamps_. Hilarious, eh? Environmentalists? Talk green, dump chemicals in the wetlands. We will spread rumors about your use of 'pot,' Bill, so all the drug-fiends will vote for you--then we'll _intensify_ the 'War on Drugs.' You see? Beautiful concept, _nein_? In four years they will _beg_ us to return to power. The 'Liberals' themselves will vote for Quayle & Noriega in '96! Ha ha ha! Und zen, ve shall enchoy anuzzer tvelf years of Undiluted Power! Perhaps a war in Mexico? Hmm, let me think. Here, Bill, here's a million dollars for your 'election' campaign fund--that's just for starters, Bill. Now, sit here on this throne while this naked starlet sucks your crank, Bill. Promise them anything! I know! I've got it! Promise them _health-care_. Outlaw all herbs, vitamins, everything like that--we can't allow the unwashed swine to prescribe for themselves, can we now? Tsk tsk dear me no. Promise them health-care--& then raise their taxes! Give them SHIT, Bill. Eh? How do you like it? That wife of yours (sorry, Bill)--she can pose as an angel of mercy ... while you--tinpot JFK--pure simulation--first 'virtual' president--bumble toward Armageddon like some sinister clown. Power--the great aphrodisiac, eh Governor? Or should I say ... _Mr. President_???"

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Re: The Value of Money
by f_griffith＠ccsvax.sfasu.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>>Unless of course you have a $ bill that is a specie note. I have a few ten >>dollar bills that state that they are redeemable for specie. > >You'll have much better luck taking them to a numismatist than to Fort >Knox. Specie notes are, to the best of my knowledge, no longer redeemable >in specie. > >-- >Lefty (lefty(a)apple.com) >C:.M:.C:., D:.O:.D:. Right! All redemption promises were repudiated. Gold in 1933, silver somewhat later.

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Re: Lobbying/Politics/etc.
by wcs＠anchor.ho.att.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> I suspect serious problems implenmenting a law that criminalizes crypto It wouldn't be that hard to get rid of lots of it, as long as they made exceptions to let the big corporate customers stay happy (e.g. banks). The key would be using the civil forfeiture abuse to let them confiscate computers that *appear* to be using illegal crypto; you can hire a lawyer to help you get your box back if they suspect it's got UnAmerican Software. Your goverment crypto license will let you use Clipper if you obey the rules; just think of it as your driver's license on the information superhighway.... The Feds could enforce the 55mph speed limits better if they used confiscation as well. Drowning in bad metaphors, .... Bill

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Forwarded mail...
by beckman＠smeagol.cs.hope.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> Return-Path: <beckman(a)sauron.cs.hope.edu> > From: beckman(a)sauron.cs.hope.edu (Peter Beckman) > Subject: Well... now how about this? > To: owner-cypherpunks(a)toad.com > Date: Mon, 2 May 1994 14:30:24 -0400 (EDT) > X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL17] > Mime-Version: 1.0 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Content-Length: 1176 > > > I've been reading up and down about all this clipper crap. Is it pheasable/possible to let the gov't do their little happy encryption scheme, > > BUT > > encrypt our conversation before the gov't encrypts it, so then it's double encrypted, so if the gov't decrypts our "conversation, information, etc.." all they get is crap anyway since that's just the way it is? THen the gov't will be happy, programmers will get great jobs from big companies to install neato different encryption schemes into their phone/pbx/fax/computers so the gov't can't watch them and then let the gov't watch the bad guys (at least the little ones who can't afford to pay our big fees) and lock them up just like they say they will... > > TO SUMMARIZE.... > > Let the gov't do the clipper. Pre-encrypt all data transmission before the clipper, so they can't read/see/hear/smell/touch it. What do you people think... > > Farmer Pete, once again, the Devil's Advocate > > PS--may as well get an arguement going.. By the way, does anyone have just a big ole text file on how to get free games on video games(with out 1,000,000 tokens, smashing electrical things, or using a string and a hook)... thanks. > >

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Re: Keyserver service outRAGE
by Black Unicorn 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Mr. Toal says: -> Uni, hush now, shut up, and listen. You've entirely missed the point here. This is a major tactical strike for pgp. We finally have an entirely legal pgp, thanks to some excellent net.politics from the guys at MIT. The restriction on what new keys they accept was part of the deal, but stop and think what it really means - is it going to affect *anybody*? And what's to stop you fetching 2.5 and loading/re-dumping your old key from that version? <- No, you've entirely missed the point here. If the MIT brass is so adept at politics why has no one realized that this change is not going to affect *anybody*. Clearly the keys are either indistinguishable from version to version other than the plaintext version number, or this policy will actually accomplish something. Why would those involved give up "so much" (At least they have been fighting so hard for it) for what amounts to NOTHING? If you're not suspicious.... In any case, I hope your right. I hope PGP2.5 is a dream come true. Problems remain. Mac users are out in the cold. In the final analysis the MIT server is trying to compell behavior for no apparent reasons. The fact that this was a requirement for some "DEAL" really makes me wonder who in the administration was at the negotiating table and I really hope they are on the other side of the table in the next negotiation I have to do. OR They are indeed as sly as you say, and it is YOU who does not understand the true depth of the politics. I hope the former, I wonder about the latter.

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Re: Anonymous phone calls...
by autarchist＠aol.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>One of the problems of using the pre-paid cards was brought to light >recently in the Olympic incident of Harding/Kerrigan. Harding's husband >bought one of the cards to make phone calls and they traced the calls back to >him via the card, since you have to present valid ID to purchase those. I have bought these cards without having to present any kind of ID. Most truck stops sell them (at least in the southeast). However, there could be other ways for them to figure out who you are, such as interrogating all the people whom you used the card to call.

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(fwd) Join our Betting Systems Re-development Project...
by tcmay＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I'm attaching a job offer here for a couple of reasons: - it mentions a new betting system programming job in Hong Kong (shades of the "Internet Casino"? Actually, no, not in this case...but it _could_ be...) - the focus on object-oriented methods to rewrite their transaction-processing system has echoes of the "protocol" problem we're talking about here - expect very similar projects, someday, for projects in the cypherspace --Tim Newsgroups: comp.object From: gu_jc5(a)uxmail.ust.hk (Steven Wong) Subject: Join our Betting Systems Re-development Project Reengineering team Message-ID: <1994May4.062924.2984(a)uxmail.ust.hk> Sender: usenet(a)uxmail.ust.hk (usenet account) Organization: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 06:29:24 GMT Technology Architect Join our Betting Systems Re-development Project Re- engineering team The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club is evolving into a sophisticated user of high volume transaction processing technology for one of the largest wagering systems in the world which handles over US$100 million each race meeting. To meet our user demands of tomorrow - for example design for real-time support of horse racing events around the globe - we now face the enormous challenge of re-developing the total technology base and infrastructure of these betting systems which will reach the end of their life by the end of the millennium. We are re-engineering with an objective to implement an up-to- date Open Distributed Systems and Object Orientation approach, in order to create flexible systems capable of supporting the demanding needs of the Hong Kong market place and to position us for absorbing change well into the next century. We are replacing systems at the client, network and senior levels. The re-development of our network includes the metropolitan area branch offices, two racetracks and a 1,600 workstation Telebet Auditorium. As Technology Architect working with the Application Architect and other members of the technical team you will undertake the task of developing benchmarks and supporting the Development and Technical Research and Planning teams to develop strategies for system development. With a penchant for problem solving, you must have strong practical experience in our planned technologies, and still be hands on with regard to coding and debugging. Experience with OO, C++ and Unix is essential. A knowledge of both written and spoken Cantonese would also be a distinct advantage. This Hong Kong based position will be on a fixed 2-3 year contract. To attract outstanding people, the packages will be mainly cash remuneration at a level reflecting experience and Hong Kong relocation/living costs. In the first instance, apply with full career details quoting relevant ref. number, by E-mail: mimi(a)attmail.com, or by writing to The Senior Personnel Manager, The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, 2 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Fax: (852) 576 1987 or (852) 577 2773.

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Re: Keyserver service outage
by Tom Allard 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- wcs(a)anchor.ho.att.com (bill.stewart(a)pleasantonca.ncr.com +1-510-484-6204) sez: [...] > There's an easy cure for this, though - if some non-North-American wants to > write an RSAREF-compatible software package in C and distribute it as freeware, > then it can be used in non-US versions of things that require RSAREF. [...] The cure is actually easier than that. Just make ONE change in pgp 2.3a so that it lies about what version it is. pgp 2.3b could simply identify itself as pgp 2.5 and no one would be able to tell the difference. rgds-- TA (tallard(a)frb.gov) I don't speak for the Federal Reserve Board, they don't speak for me. pgp fingerprint: 10 49 F5 24 F1 D9 A7 D6 DE 14 25 C8 C0 E2 57 9D -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.3a iQCVAgUBLckMBaAudFplx0TNAQERGAP/W2ZHXjsKsT/0JexSzgZnSKoACjTJDqfu PSXfzE9Jl0ESNChZZjRU7HN50Bw0YPANqrwrRpHkkzBGsh/NeqbomvPLovTXh0KI ioSLCJtT2Q7w8YqrYcFMZxFqwc0elHqjfGUnclGonUZ+9/DY0ey2JIlybcMasglL ywYyyTzG/fw= =t2b7 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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