December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Just Say "No" to Congress
by Blanc 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Vladimir Z. Nuri, blowing smoke out his ears, wrote: >the question is not "how do we hold the government accountable for >our cash" but, "*when* will we"? [and] >anyone who disbelieves in the authority of the US government >yet sends them their tax money is a hypocrite. .......................................................................... The first sentence implies that Nurilogical proposes that government should be held accountable by its citizens, including himself ("*when* will we"). On the other hand, he obviously believes in the authority of the US government, as he has always supported it in arguments on the list, especially in counter arguments against TCM. So, it appears that VZN is not *ready* to hold the government accountable, preferring not to protest when his own money is withheld for him, but hypocritically wondering when everyone will make this will happen. However, he's correct: similar to the argument I made about there being no difference between those who kill the good along with the bad & the ugly (that's from the title of a Clint Eastwood movie, for those who aren't familiar with that line), all those who argue for morality and libertarian ideals, but still "give in" when it comes to tax time, are all losers. <g> But this shameless capitulation is intellectualized away with the explanation that everyone is outnumbered by the men holding the legalized guns, who are in turn supported by all those true believers in The American Socialist Way of Life; that way being: the reception of benefits without any need to be consciously aware of, to identify, their actual source or the actual method of their obtainment. .. Blanc .. Blanc

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The Recent Trend in "Collective Contracts"
by Tim May 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I'm not a lawyer, but I am interested in the various ramifications--and the constitutionality--of recent "sweeping contracts" between vendors, lawmakers, consumers, etc. Two recent example: 1. The "tobacco agreement." Supposedly a deal involving the transfer of $360 billion from some number of tobacco companies in exchange for dropping of liability suits, immunity from future claims, voluntary restrictions (!) on advertising, etc. (And the "etc." is especially complicated in this huge case.) 2. The "voluntary ratings" agreement being announced today by Al Gore and some of the television networks. (Earlier "voluntary agreements" were implemented, but, according to supporters of censorship, "failed." Hence the new push for newer voluntary restrictions.) The issue, it seems to me, is that ordinary concepts of illegality and civil liability are being swept aside in favor of these huge "deals" to reduce liability in exchange for various actions. Well, who is bound by these deals? If "Tim's Tobacco Company" starts up next year, after this deal is "signed," is his company bound by this deal? If Tim the Smoker develops lung cancer, is he blocked from suing? (Caveat: My personal and libertarian view is that lawsuits against cigarette companies are wrong and should not be supported in a free society. And lawsuits by various states to "recover health care costs" are especially bogus. By this logic, McDonald's could be sued by California because California paid out more health care benefits to meat-eaters than it did to vegetarians. Utterly bogus.) Anyway, the free speech aspects of these deals are also worrisome. The "voluntary restrictions" on advertising, for example. Would the aforementioned "Tim's Tobacco Company," not a party to this Grand Deal, be somehow bound by a deal wherein it could not sponsor sporting events? Or advertise? Or even speak out against the deal? Imagine the implications for cryptography, using the logic of these kinds of deals: "The voluntary agreement reached between the cryptography industry and Washington calls for companies to voluntarily limit key sizes to 64 bits unless a key recovery scheme is used. And Washington agrees to drop RICO charges against PGP Inc. and RSA Data Security Inc. in return. Book publishers, who became part of the negotiations last summer, have agreed to limit the information published in books in exchange for relaxations on the export requirements for computer media. " Far fetched? Perhaps. But note the similarities to these other "collective contracts." And in many ways the Telephony Act, aka CALEA (Communications Act for Law Enforcement Access), was just such a deal. When the various telecom companies essentially said "we can live with this bill," they were tacitly committing themselves to just such a collective contract. (What happens when a new telecom company starts up and finds that it has been "bound" to provide wiretap points into its switches?) It seems to me that these contracts are going to collapse completely when the Supreme Court points out that they bind nonparticipants to terms which limit their constitutionally protected rights. (Quibblers can claim that "corporations have no constitutional rights," but the publishing companies which publish newspapers would take exception to this. And so on. There are many cases where corporations are enjoying the fruits of the Constitution. As it should be.) These huge mega-deals are a crummy way to interpret the U.S. Constitution. I fear the "Grand Compromise" deal that the telecom and crypto companies are being drawn into. --Tim May There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws. Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Electronic Commerce Book
by Ravi Kalakota 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Announcing a new book on Electronic Commerce -------------------------------------------- Electronic Commerce: A Manager's Guide by Ravi Kalakota and Andrew Whinston -------------------------------------------- ISBN: 0-201-88067-9, softcover, 440 pages, 1997 PUBLISHER: Addison-Wesley (1-800-822-6339) -------------------------------------------- This book is a manifesto for a new set of managers who seek to reap the elusive rewards of the online marketspace. This book offers a multitude of real-world scenarios and lessons for building value and creating the competitive edge. The book answers strategic questions such as: - What business models are competitors using in the various industry segments of e-commerce? - What are the key management questions that need to be addressed in order to create an effective buisness online? - How should companies be organized using Intranets to manage the external commerce? If you lead a small startup or work in a Fortune 1000 firm, whether your company has an established online presence, or is just starting out, The Manager's Guidemay be the most important book you read this year. Table of Contents: ------------------ 1. Introduction to Electronic Commerce Defining Electronic Commerce Brief History of Electronic Commerce Forces Fueling Electronic Commerce Electronic Forces Marketing and Customer Interaction Forces Technology and Digital Convergence Implications of Various Forces Electronic Commerce Industry Framework The Information Superhighway Multimedia Content and Network Publishing Messaging and Information Distribution Common Business Services Infrastructure Other Key Support Layers Putting the Framework into Action: Microsoft Corporation Types of Electronic Commerce Inter-organizational Electronic Commerce Intra-organizational Electronic Commerce Consumer-to-Business Electronic Commerce Intermediaries and Electronic Commerce Key Questions for Management Competitive Pressure External Threat Incorporating Changes Designing New Organizational Structures Managerial Options and Priorities Summary 2. The Internet and the Access Provider Industry Internet Service Providers Key Market Drivers for the Internet Who Is Making Money on the Internet Clarifying Internet Terminology Companies Providing Internet Access Internet Topology Differentiating Market Segments: Commercial versus Consumer Internet versus Online Services Open versus Closed Architecture Controlled Content versus Uncontrolled Content Metered Pricing versus Flat Pricing Innovation versus Control Predicting the Future of the IAP Market Convergence Leading to Competition Service and Capacity Management Customer Service, Loyalty, and Retention Marketing Customer Education Changing Technology behind Internet Access Changing Technology behind the Access Provider Summary 3. World Wide Web--Applications Brief History of the Web What Exactly Is the Web? Why Is the Web Such a Hit? The Web and Ease of Use The Web and Ease of Publishing The Web as a New Distribution Channel The Web and Network-Centric Computing The Web and New Intra-Business Applications The Web and Electronic Commerce The Web and Intra-Business Commerce Other Intranet Applications Intranet Advantages and Disadvantages Management of Intranets Understanding the Intranet Architecture Summary 4. World Wide Web--Concepts and Technology Key Concepts behind the Web Overview of the Web's Technical Architecture Interactive Web Applications Interactive Applications Interactivity and Information Integration Web Extensions for Interactive Applications Web and Database Integration Web Database Products HTML Forms and CGI Programs Web Software Developmental Tools Need for Better Programming Languages New Programming Language: Java Technically Speaking: What Exactly Is Java? Role of Java in Electronic Commerce How Does Java Work? Business Reasons for Using Java Multimedia Web Extensions Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) RealAudio Internet and Web-based Telephony Directories and Search Engines Lycos Summary 5. Firewalls and Transaction Security Firewalls and Network Security Types of Firewalls Firewall Security Policies Emerging Firewall Management Issues Transaction Security Types of Online Transactions Requirements for Transaction Security Encryption and Transaction Security Secret-Key Encryption Public-Key Encryption Implementation and Management Issues World Wide Web and Security Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer Security and Online Web-based Banking Summary 6. Electronic Payment Systems Overview of the Electronic Payment Technology The Online Shopping Experience Limitations of Traditional Payment Instruments Electronic or Digital Cash Properties of Electronic Cash Digital Cash in Action Electronic Checks Benefits of Electronic Checks Electronic Checks in Action NetCheck: A Prototype Electronic Check System Electronic Check Project Online Credit Card-Based Systems Types of Credit Card Payments Secure Electronic Transactions (SET) Other Emerging Financial Instruments Debit Cards at the Point of Sale (POS) Debit Cards and Electronic Benefits Transfer Smart Cards Consumer, Legal, and Business Issues Summary 7. Electronic Commerce and Banking Changing Dynamics in the Banking Industry Changing Consumer Needs Cost Reduction Demographic Trends Regulatory Reform Technology-based Financial Services Products Home Banking History Why Will It Be Different This Time? Home Banking Implementation Approaches Home Banking Using Bank's Proprietary Software Banking via the PC Using Dial-Up Software Banking via Online Services Banking via the Web: Security First Network Bank Open versus Closed Models Management Issues in Online Banking Differentiating Products and Services Managing Financial Supply Chains Pricing Issues in Online Banking Marketing Issues: Attracting Customers Marketing Issues: Keeping Customers Back-Office Support for Online Banking Integrating Telephone Call Centers with the Web Summary 8. Electronic Commerce and Retailing Changing Retail Industry Dynamics Overbuilding and Excess Capacity Demographic Changes Consumer Behavior Technology Improvements in Electronic Retailing Online Retailing Success Stories Online Retailing: Peapod's Experience CUC International Wine on the Web: Virtual Vineyards Web-based Travel Agencies Mercantile Models from the Consumer's Perspective Distinct Phases of a Consumer Mercantile Model Prepurchase Preparation Purchase Consummation Postpurchase Interaction Management Challenges in Online Retailing Come Up with a Retailing Strategy Manage Channel Conflict Learn to Price Online Products/Services Deliver a Satisfying Shopping Experience Design the Layout of an Online Store Manage Brands Create the Right Incentives Summary 9. Electronic Commerce and Online Publishing Why Online Publishing? Online Publishing Strategies Online Publishing Approaches Full-Text and Bibliographic Databases Personalized and Customized News Business Information and News Delivery Edutainment = Education + Entertainment Online Publishing Success Stories PointCasting Time Warner's Pathfinder Disney Online Integrating TV and Data Streams: Intercasting Advertising and Online Publishing An Online Publishing Missing Piece: Measurement Digital Copyrights and Electronic Publishing Online Copyright Protection Methods Summary 10. Intranets and Supply-Chain Management Supply-Chain Management Fundamentals Pull versus Push Supply-Chain Models Elements of Supply-Chain Management Integrating Functions in a Supply Chain Managing Retail Supply Chains The Order Management Cycle (OMC) Supply-Chain Application Software Software for Supply-Chain Management Recent Trends in Application Software What Is the Business Market? Understanding the Application Software Architecture Future of Supply-Chain Software Intranets and Network-Centric Computing Intranets and Application Software Impact of the Web on Application Software Elaborating on the Intranet Architecture What Remains to Be Done? Summary 11. Intranets and Customer Asset Management Why Customer Asset Management? Challenges in Implementing Customer Asset Management Customer Asset Management and Supply Chains Online Sales Force Automation What Is Sales Force Automation? Elements of Online Sales Automation Intranets and Sales Automation What Are the Management Issues? Online Customer Service and Support The Web and Customer Service The Role of Technology in Customer Service What Are the Business Requirements? The Enabling Intranet Technology Technology and Marketing Strategy Marketing Decision Support Systems Marketing Decision Support Applications Summary 12. Intranets and Manufacturing Defining the Terminology Integrated Logistics Agile Manufacturing Emerging Business Requirements Customer-Driven Manufacturing Rapid Internal Response to Demand Changes Efficiently Managing Supply Chain Complexity Manufacturing Information Systems Discrete versus Process Manufacturing Market Types of Manufacturing Information Systems Intranet-Based Manufacturing Customer-Driven Manufacturing Real-Time Decision Support Intelligent Process Management Logistics Management Problems with Traditional Logistics Management Case Study: Microsoft Corp Integrated Logistics Objective of Modern Logistics Function Forecasting Purchasing Distribution Management Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Benefits of EDI EDI in Action Why Has EDI Adoption Lagged? Summary 13. Intranets and Corporate Finance Intranets and Finance What Exactly Are Financial Systems? What Do Financial Systems Do? Financial Intranets Understanding the Different Software Modules Transaction Accounting and Electronic Commerce Financial Analysis and Management Accounting Inventory Accounting Payment Management Treasury and Cash Management Human Resources Management Systems HRMS Functions Size/Structure of Financials Software Market Product Strategy Financial Data Warehouses How Are Firms Using the Web for OLAP? Desirable Software Requirements Summary

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Domain names and "The Network $olution", from The Netly News
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

*********** http://pathfinder.com/netly/opinion/0,1042,1155,00.html The Netly News Network (http://netlynews.com) July 10, 1997 The Network $olution by Declan McCullagh (declan(a)well.com) It could have been the perfect way to liberate the Net from the much-reviled monopoly of Network Solutions Inc., the company that handles almost all U.S. domain name registrations. Backed by well-regarded groups such as the Internet Society, the seven-page proposal promised to reduce prices, increase choices -- and best of all, really put the screws to everyone's least favorite domain name registrar. But a month before the curtain is set to lift on a host of new domains to supplement .com and .org, the ambitious plan suddenly seems as doomed as the recently extirpated Communications Decency Act. Not only did just one government, Albania, sign the "Memorandum of Understanding" (MoU), but the U.S. actively opposed it. So did Network Solutions, after they realized with gut-wrenching dismay the consequences of losing their lucrative monopoly on .com. Yesterday another group of MoU critics met in Washington to form the Open Internet Congress, which hopes to wrest control of Net governance from "hobbyists" and "volunteers" and haul it into the mainstream. "I don't want a bunch of volunteers playing around and trying to run the show. I don't want petty battles over who's in charge and who's keeping the lights on," says Andrew Sernovitz, the president of the Association for Interactive Media, which organized the summit. Sernovitz envisions a ruthlessly commercialized cyberspace that's safe for companies like IBM, Intel, NBC and Time Warner (Netly's corporate big brother) that cough up $9,000 a year to be governing members of AIM. The talk yesterday was of revolution. Sernovitz spoke about holding an Internet "Constitutional Convention" this fall. He passed out supportive columns quoting from "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. I even heard folks call the MoU the move that will spark the online equivalent of the Boston Tea Party. (Led, presumably, by firms like Time Warner? Since that media giant also owns CNN, you can be sure the revolution will indeed be televised.) [...]

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by FutureGate Web Services 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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No Subject
by Mix 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Timothy Mayhem's father, an idiot, stumbled across Timothy Mayhem's mother, an imbecile, when she had no clothes on. Nine months later she had a little moron. ---- '@ *> Timothy Mayhem |\ 7 / `-- _

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Re: More PGP volunteers needed
by Mark Grant 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Lucky Green wrote: > It would speed things up if more non-US citizens living outside the US > willing to proofread source were to contact Stale Schumacher at > <stale(a)hypnotech.com> to volunteer some time. You can wait for the source > to show up on your favorite ftp site, or you can make it happen. Your > choice. Well, when I mailed Stale about it a week or two ago he said he already had over seventy volunteers. The problem may just be latency; my hundred pages took about twelve hours of mind-numbing work to correct (mostly spent getting the right number and combination of spaces and tabs in strings), so while I was able to do it in two days I could certainly understand some people taking a week or more to finish theirs. Plus, of course, the inevitable delays from sending the pages out by snail-mail. Mark

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Re: Cast of Characters for Crypto Politics (Judiciary Hearing)
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Tim May wrote: > At 8:06 PM -0700 7/9/97, Declan McCullagh wrote: > >Here's a cast of characters from today's hearing... > > Except maybe for Ashcroft--and it may be too soon to tell about him--the > rest have just shown their expected colors. I say we just hang them all and > be done with it. Legislators should be made to vote with their dicks hanging out. Any legislator with fresh lipstick on his dick gets his vote thrown out. It may not be a perfect system, but I wouldn't bet against it being better than what we have now. > Many of us warned long ago that Leahy was no friend of liberty, despite his > soothing comments at the SAFE forum last summer. His support of other > statist policies makes him just another fool on the Hill. The "classified briefing" by LEA smells like a classic example of "Of course, if you vote against this bill then we will be forced to expose you as a champion of pedophiles and drug czars." > A law to ban domestic use of strong crypto is coming. All it will take is > some horrific incident--another bombing in a building, another Dahmer case, > etc., where crypto is involved in any way. This will be the catalyst for > the outlawing of unapproved crypto. So you're sitting there at the police computer, checking out Dahmer's floppies, which contain only letters to his mother, and you realize that if they are encrypted, then they are proof that he has something sinister to hide. Hmmm... Or you realize that the Judge will imprison Tim May for contempt of court until he provides his secret key, and you realize that if it is encrypted with a key Tim doesn't have, that the Judge will have to decide whether to believe the outrageous accusations of Tim May, Jim Bell's best friend (according to a reliable informant), against a champion of law enforcement. > ... > >SEN. JOHN KYL (R): Criticized Kerrey for being too > >moderate. "My own view is that the legislation does > >not go far enough," Sen. Kyl said of the McCain-Kerrey > ... > > The competition to outdo the others is beginning, signalling the usual > stampede toward the passage of a bill. There are times that I wish Tim was a little less perceptive. It would give me a little room for self-deception when I need to take a break from reality and try to tell myself that there is some slim ray of hope for freedom and liberty to prevail. Why is it that the "stampede" always seems to manage to head in the direction needed to trample the constitution underfoot (like tornados sniffing out trailer parks)? SEN. JOHN ASHCROFT (R): Emerged as a staunch crypto-defender. I originally thought that perhaps he was taking this stance as a matter of principle, but then I heard that he had purple lipstick on his dick. Does anyone know what color Blanc wears? (Just curious. I certainly wouldn't want to start any unfounded rumors. However, for the record, I would like to assure Blanc that if the bill happened to be defeated by a substantial margin, I wouldn't think any less of her.) I think I need to go spank myself. TruthMonger

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TRUTHMONGER UNMASKED!!!
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Jim Choate, realizing that he finally had solid evidence as to the true identity of the coward hiding behind the TruthMonger persona, forwarded to the list: > OPEN MICROPHONE CATCHES CHRETIEN'S CRITICISM OF CLINTON > From Senior White House Correspondent Wolf Blitzer > > Apparently unaware the microphone in front of him was on, Chretien > bragged that his country does not let the United States dictate its > policy, and suggested American politicians make decisions solely for > reasons of expediency. > > "In your country, in my country, all the politicians would be in > prison because they sell their votes," Chretien said. Spoken like a TruthMonger! I always had my suspicions that the main person using the TruthMonger multi-user persona on the CypherPunks list was acting out of some kind of obsessive, guilt-driven psychosis as a form of repentance for great evils being commited under his true identity. Chretien, as Prime Minister of Canada, has to live with the knowledge that in order for his country to survive he needs to kowtow to a gang of criminals in a neighboring country who have the firepower to smoke the Canadians' butts in a heartbeat. The TruthMonger posts are more sporadic when Chretien is involved in international conferences, and it is now obvious that the pressure of living a lie builds up and spills out at these times when he cannot relieve himself of his guilt using his TruthMonger posts. I suspect that Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene is Rabid Wombat and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is masquerading on the list as Dr. Dimitri Vulis, KOTM. The CypherPunks list is the one place where they can let their hair down and tell Big Brother Bill and the whole goddamn world what they really think. > He also said Clinton was in favor of inviting Poland, Hungary and > the Czech Republic to join NATO because it would woo voters. > > Speaking in French, the Canadian prime minister said: "It's not > reasons of state. It's all done for short-term political reasons, to > win elections. Take the quarrel over whether to admit the Baltic > states. That has noting to do with world security. It's because in > Chicago, Mayor (Richard M.) Daley controls lots of votes for the > nomination." Or, as Chretian would have put it, as TruthMonger, "Big Brother Bill is a lying, Nazi, sack of shit whose main concern in regard to world security is his ability to use it to suck Daley's big vote-cock." > The three leaders laughed as they waited for the Clinton and his > advisers to arrive for the meeting. True CypherPunks, they are laughing their asses off that "we the sheeple" let these charlatans and criminals rob and oppress us under the guise of democracy. > He (Chretien), he's used to not doing > what they want," Juncker said. > > "I make it my policy," Chretien said. "But it's popular. The Cuba > affair. I was the first to stand up" against it U.S. policy > tightening the economic embargo on Cuba. Unfortunately, he didn't have the political balls to testify for the defense in the Timothy McVeigh trial, so he had to express his support for McVeigh as TruthMonger. > The three leaders chuckled among themselves. What the fuck is wrong with the American people? Here are three world-leaders who openly acknowledge that the U.S. is in the hands of gangsters who would be imprisoned for crimes against the citizens and the country if justice truly prevailed in America. And a single conversation, accidentally(?) revealed such as this one, is no doubt just the smallest of samples of the stinking rot that lies at the heart of a gang of criminals who are actively working to subvert the constitution of the country in the interests of furthering their ever- tightening, fascist grip on the reins of power. The same government which trained Timothy McVeigh to kill (and then fucked over his Desert Storm compatriots when their service to their country cost them their health) used their trained, "it's all there in the press release" news dogs to turn their own penny-ante hired gun into a "monster" symbolizing patriotic paramilitarists whose concern lies with defending America at home rather than murdering foreigners for "votes." Slipping in the polls because you murdered and fucked over too many of your own citizens? Whack out a pile of worthless foreigners with high-tech weapons that allow us to slaughter them wholesale without losing any American lives. Watch your poll stats rise as Americans stand and cheer the murder of defeated, retreating troops by aircraft missles which weren't designed to take prisoners. Act surprised when 800 government law enforcement agents with the latest in technology claim to be unable to prevent men, women and children that were victims of a botched government assault from dying a horrible, burning death. Act outraged when the chickens come home to roost in Oklahoma City. > "In your country, in my country, all the politicians would be in > prison because they sell their votes," Chretien said. The reason they are not in prison here is because they are armed and dangerous and have managed to disarm and disenfranchise their citizens, making any resistance to government fascism a criminal offense. We get to vote for the criminal of our choice from among the group of criminals that the other criminals pre-select for us and whose campaigns they support with our stolen booty. If a "ringer" slips through, such as Kennedy, he is murdered and the criminals make a great show of patriotic mourning. If a no-name schill is foisted on the public as vice-president,like Agnew, and will take power because the "gang leader" is getting busted, remove him on the basis of what are "parking tickets" compared to the crimes of most of your cronies. World-leaders recognize that the American citizen is just a stupid 'mark' who is getting fucked in a sophisticated con by men who have no qualms about stealing senior citizen's life savings (Social Security) stealing votes and elections (bribery, sabotage and power mongering), and stealing the rights and freedoms of the citizens by lying about the need to stop illegal drugs (which remain freely available no matter how many of our rights and freedoms are stripped). I don't have a death-wish of any sort, but if I happen to get killed by someone striking back at the enemies of freedom who are usurping the constitution to tighten their criminal control over the citizens, then I can think of far worse reasons to die. We lose 169 people every time a bean-counter decides it's cheaper to pay off the families of the dead instead of spending an extra nickle on every seat-belt installation in an automobile. We lose 169 people every time some Senator decides we need a new weapons system instead of new hospitals or medical services. We lose 169 people every time the President decides to stomp on the citizen's rights instead of giving them enough freedom to feel like they can face life without numbing their senses to the stench around them with ever-increasing amounts of narcotics. Gambling is a government-regulated criminal enterprise, now, and Timothy McVeigh's ante was just to establish that the citizens are in the game. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some heavy betting taking place from all the players who choose to "sit in." American sheeple may regard McVeigh as a "monster," but world-leaders make a strong case for viewing him as a "crime-fighter." A. Cretin

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Acclivity - A global web of change management
by Marc Fourny 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

acclivity Apologies for cross-posting Excuse me if this message does not concern you. web site: http://www.acclivity-consultants.com email:acclivity@interweb.be Dear , I am pleased to announce the formation of Acclivity, an international network of independent management consulting practices in fourteen countries in Europe, North America and Africa, specialising in all aspects of corporate transformation. For corporate executives managing change in the transformation of their business is an increasingly complex task. How can they manage risk ? How are they to control change and still keep the initiative ? How much creativity should be involved in new projects ? Will their staff fully participate and cooperate in the changes envisaged ? Acclivity has been set up to assist clients, many of whom are international companies and are transforming across national boundaries, to answer these and other questions: and at the same help them master all aspects of the transformation process so leading them towards a more competitive position and profitable future. Acclivity differentiates itself from its competitors in that all the consultants in the network are senior experienced people whose role is to provide advice and guide the clientUs staff through the various stages of the transformation process. There are no junior consultants and analysts as we believe all the detailed work should be carried out by clientUs staff. All the consultants are used to working in different countries and carrying out cross border assignments. Together, the Acclivity consultants provide the full range of methodologies used in change management and transformation. From their different backgrounds, they bring the full value of their professional and cultural skills as well as their competencies and creativity to help the client: 7 determine new value proposition for his target markets 7 reengineer his business 7 develop cross-functional organisations 7 transform his strategic and operational processes 7 open his operations to external partners - clients, suppliers and contractors 7 renew his innovation processes, awaken hidden talents, and enhance his creativity and knowhow 7 reshape the culture and values within his business 7 strengthen his human capital 7 restructure his support functions: human resources management, finance and accounting, and information systems and technology. The distinctive added-value offered by our network lies not only in the mastery of these particular methodologies. An effective transformation also requires that the consultant provides assistance in all areas where the organisation has to be mobilised. In order to secure long-lasting sustainable results each Acclivity assignment is composed of three modules: 7 we lead the executive team through the transformation journey. The use of organisational prototypes, for instance, minimises the business risks. We help management modify its modus operandi so as to provide the opportunity of involving the whole organisation in the change process 7 our own research, observation, and analysis of best practice cases are used as guidelines for the companies change efforts, from strategy definition to detailed implementation of the new organisation 7 finally, we train the change team to innovate, install and implement new structures and systems. In addition we develop a new project management capability which is particularly key to success when radical change is involved. I would welcome the opportunity therefore of discussing with you your own tranformation programme to see how we might be able to add value to your own resources. Yours sincerely, Marc Fourny President web site: http://www.acclivity-consultants.com email:acclivity@interweb.be

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