When last I wrote, I was facing a dilemma: how to get a copy of my brith certificate so that I could get a copy of my birth certificate :-/ I managed to "clear the hurdle" of the missing brith certificate. Kinda. Sorta maybe... So, new certificate in hand, I went off to the DMV to get my picture taken (wearing my "Frisk Me, I'm A Terrorist" T-Shirt of course). At 8:50am I was eagerly awaiting the opening of the local DMV office, and by the opening bell at 9:00, there was actually a *line* behind me! I rushed to the counter, plopped down my proof of insurance, proof of address (a recent mailed in voter reg card), my old Illinois drivers license, social security card, and held my breath. They took them, and handed me back a form to check that everything was correct prior to snapping the pic. Oddly, it wasn't: the date of birth was wrong, and it took them about 15 minutes to fix it (apparently the computers are programmed to avoid the changing of a DOB, and they were dumbfounded at how to proceed). Finally, the moment arrived, and I was the proud owner of not just a new Missouri driver's license (with clearly shoing T-Shirt on the photo), but a Missouri state ID as well. Then it was my wife's turn. Unfortunately, she was turned away: even though she had everything I did, she forgot to bring a certified copy of our marriage license! Without it, they refused to use her married name for the license... I trudged over to the city for a copy of said marriage license, and lo, of course, there was aline out the door - women of every age and description suddenly finding it necessary to get a certified copy of their marriage license! What a shocker - the Collector of Revenue is having a field day with this. She will try again tomorrow, and I certain that this time it will all "work out", but still, I am left with disturbing questions. For instance, when we went to get *her* birth certificate, why did they not give a damn *who* was asking for it? Why is everyone on earth getting to charge an extra $12.00 here and $12.00 there to allow us the privelege of complying with this absurd law (which, BTW, even the fucking British refuse to pass)? This country is out of control, bouncing endlessly between administrative fiat and endless taxation, and all we can worry about is that some ephemeral "Terrorist" is going to blow up a bus? To be honest, I'm *far* more worried that George will blow up another country that I am about some guy stealing my ID and using it to defeat democracy in Quebec.... -- Yours, J.A. Terranson sysadmin@mfn.org 0xBD4A95BF "Never belong to any party, always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare, never be satisfied with merely printing news, always be drastically independent, never be afraid to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty." Joseph Pulitzer 1907 Speech