The time for confidences is over. Lawyers are considering a change in their ethics about ratting on clients (see NY Times today); priests are ratting about criminal confessions; reporters are ratting on interviewees, psychiatrists are ratting patients. DoJ and the courts are squeezing all the privileged listeners along with ISPs and remailers and sysadmins and CDRs and trusted circles and cryptographers -- so what makes anyone think mathematics of concealment is any more protection than a concealed weapon when crypto has long been known as a highly dangerous munition. What is interesting is the fast shuffling going on among once trusted confidants of all formulae, of all most trusted schemes of protection -- authorities of all models are suspect, personal as well as institutional. The wargames of the snake oilers, read it here, grind your grist, spot the narc, the provocateur, of the day, avoid mirrors or you'll shit your britches with recognition of self-deception. Spit. Dry spit, unable to drivel, when your closest admirers decide to rock you a Shirley Jackson to gain another year of not being backdoored.