Re: Word Of the Subgenius...
At 08:25 AM 12/8/2004, Steve Furlong wrote: I know what you mean, but (a) I didn't write what I meant, and (b) I don't think a true anarchy would be the proper environment for your anarcho-capitalism. My complaints about Tim's anarchistic writings were about his desire to watch DC detonate, or to watch a rampage against useless eaters of one type or another, or the like. If you think those are anarchist ideas, you've missed the main ideas about anarchy and anarcho-capitalism and such. Anarchism isn't about getting rid of the _current_ people in charge, it's about getting rid of _having_ people be in charge. On a cypherpunks-history track, Tim or Eric once proposed that the way to deal with slander in an uncensorable anonymous communication environment was to make sure that there was _always_ a wide current of anonymous slander against you going on, so you can dismiss any _real_ slander by saying it's just more of the same crap that some anonymous people always say about you, and that there may even be a market for it. (And Tim didn't even pay me to say that he's Detweiler's father...) Bill Stewart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Bugs in the belfry
At 07:49 AM 12/8/2004, R.A. Hettinga wrote: So was Nietzsche suffering, as many have argued, from incipient paresis when he wrote Twilight of the Idols, et al? If so, then (the argument goes) these late books, brilliant as they may appear to be, can't be taken as seriously as his earlier, saner writing. Or did the philosopher go mad from some other cause all of a sudden, in the space of a single day, as others prefer to believe? If you're a literary-crit type, interested in the evolution of Nietzsche's thought, that's an interesting kind of question, and you can go looking for evidence in the changes in ideas and expression between his earlier and later books. However, if you're trying to examine the question of whether his books should be taken seriously as philosophy, as opposed to whether they're Significant Art, then that doesn't really matter; the question is whether the ideas as written are any good or are crackpot lunacy, which is independent of whether the author was a crackpot. I suppose if you're trying to evaluate whether they're a good philosophy for actual living, you can look at the effects of Nietzsche's ideas on his life, but that's a much broader study, and the direct lesson here is that unsafe sex isn't a good idea.. Disclaimer - most of what I've read of Nietzsche was when we had to translate some of it in high school German class. It's very frustrating to be reading something that appears to say that the destruction of the human race would be a good thing and have to figure out if that's because you got a verb tense wrong or because it's Nietzsche. Bill Stewart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: primes as far as the eye can see, discrete continua
So the obvious question is, does this speed up the cracking capabilities of computers? On the surface, I'd say no, but then again I'm no computational science expert. (I say no because any of the primes used in X-bitlength encryption are already known, and these strings of primes aren't going to be used any more frequently than any random batch of primes.) -TD From: Major Variola (ret) [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: primes as far as the eye can see, discrete continua Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2004 21:37:52 -0800 copied under fair use only because Roy put in the research... NUMBER THEORY: Proof Promises Progress in Prime Progressions Barry Cipra The theorem that Ben Green and Terence Tao set out to prove would have been impressive enough. Instead, the two mathematicians wound up with a stunning breakthrough in the theory of prime numbers. At least that's the preliminary assessment of experts who are looking at their complicated 50-page proof. Green, who is currently at the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Tao of the University of California (UC), Los Angeles, began working 2 years ago on the problem of arithmetic progressions of primes: sequences of primes (numbers divisible only by themselves and 1) that differ by a constant amount. One such sequence is 13, 43, 73, and 103, which differ by 30. In 1939, Dutch mathematician Johannes van der Corput proved that there are an infinite number of arithmetic progressions of primes with three terms, such as 3, 5, 7 or 31, 37, 43. Green and Tao hoped to prove the same result for four-term progressions. The theorem they got, though, proved the result for prime progressions of all lengths. It's a very, very spectacular achievement, says Green's former adviser, Timothy Gowers of the University of Cambridge, who received the 1998 Fields Medal, the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for work on related problems. Ronald Graham, a combinatorialist at UC San Diego, agrees. It's just amazing, he says. It's such a big jump from what came before. Green and Tao started with a 1975 theorem by Endre Szemeridi of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Szemeridi proved that arithmetic progressions of all lengths crop up in any positive fraction of the integers--basically, any subset of integers whose ratio to the whole set doesn't dwindle away to zero as the numbers get larger and larger. The primes don't qualify, because they thin out too rapidly with increasing size. So Green and Tao set out to show that Szemeridi's theorem still holds when the integers are replaced with a smaller set of numbers with special properties, and then to prove that the primes constitute a positive fraction of that set. Prime suspect. Arithmetic progressions such as this 10-prime sequence are infinitely abundant, if a new proof holds up. To build their set, they applied a branch of mathematics known as ergodic theory (loosely speaking, a theory of mixing or averaging) to mathematical objects called pseudorandom numbers. Pseudorandom numbers are not truly random, because they are generated by rules, but they behave as random numbers do for certain mathematical purposes. Using these tools, Green and Tao constructed a pseudorandom set of primes and almost primes, numbers with relatively few prime factors compared to their size. The last step, establishing the primes as a positive fraction of their pseudorandom set, proved elusive. Then Andrew Granville, a number theorist at the University of Montreal, pointed Green to some results by Dan Goldston of San Jose State University in California and Cem Yildirim of Bo_gazigi University in Istanbul, Turkey. Goldston and Yildirim had developed techniques for studying the size of gaps between primes, work that culminated last year in a dramatic breakthrough in the subject--or so they thought. Closer inspection, by Granville among others, undercut their main result (Science, 4 April 2003, p. 32; 16 May 2003, p. 1066), although Goldston and Yildirim have since salvaged a less far-ranging finding. But some of the mathematical machinery that these two had set up proved to be tailor-made for Green and Tao's research. They had actually proven exactly what we needed, Tao says. The paper, which has been submitted to the Annals of Mathematics, is many months from acceptance. The problem with a quick assessment of it is that it straddles two areas, Granville says. All of the number theorists who've looked at it feel that the number-theory half is pretty simple and the ergodic theory is daunting, and the ergodic theorists who've looked at it have thought that the ergodic theory is pretty simple and the number theory is daunting. Even if a mistake does show up, Granville says, they've certainly succeeded in bringing in new ideas of real import into the subject. And if the proof
Re: Word Of the Subgenius...
If you think those are anarchist ideas, you've missed the main ideas about anarchy and anarcho-capitalism and such. Anarchism isn't about getting rid of the _current_ people in charge, it's about getting rid of _having_ people be in charge. Well, May seemed to try to make the case that all of those useles eaters were in large part responsible for the very existence of the state, and that collapse of the state meant the inevitable downfall of huge numbers of minorities (why he focused on them as opposed to white trailer trash I don't know). But he was definitely advocating that racist viewpoints fall naturally out of a crypto-anarchic approach. -TD
Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages
Lions and Tigers and Steganography, Nell... For those of you without a program, here is the new, official, Horsemen of the Infocalypse Scorecard: At 3:14 PM -0400 10/3/04, R. A. Hettinga wrote: Horseman Color Character Nickname 1 TerrorismRedShadow Blinky 2 NarcoticsPink Speedy Pinky 3 Money Laundering Aqua Bashful Inky 4 Paedophilia Yellow Pokey Clyde Cheers, RAH --- http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/12/08/pf-773871.html December 8, 2004 RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages By JIM BRONSKILL OTTAWA (CP) - The RCMP has warned its investigators to be on the lookout for cleverly disguised messages embedded by al-Qaida in digital files police seize from terror suspects. An internal report obtained by The Canadian Press gives credence to the long-rumoured possibility Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and other extremist groups are using a technique known as steganography to hide the existence of sensitive communications. Steganography, from the Greek word stegos, meaning covered, and graphie, or writing, involves concealing a secret message or image within an apparently innocuous one. For instance, a seemingly innocent digital photo of a dog could be doctored to contain a picture of an explosive device or hidden wording. Investigators in the course of their work on terrorist organizations and their members, including al-Qaida and affiliated groups, need to consider the possible use of steganography and seek to identify when steganography is known or suspected of being used, the report says. It recommends investigators consult the RCMP's technological crime program for assistance, including comprehensive forensic examinations of seized digital media. A heavily edited copy of the January 2004 report, Computer-assisted and Digital Steganography: Use by Al-Qaida and Affiliated Terrorist Organizations, was recently obtained from the Mounties under the Access to Information Act. Among the material stripped from the document is information on how best to detect, extract and view surreptitious messages. Steganography dates to before 400 B.C. The ancient Greeks hid messages in wax tablets, while invisible inks have long been used to convey secrets. Simple computer-assisted steganography helps apply such traditional methods in an electronic environment, the report notes. The messages may also be scrambled using cryptography to prevent them falling into the wrong hands. The RCMP seems especially concerned, however, about digital steganography - the use of special computer programs to embed messages. There now exist nearly 200 software packages which perform digital steganography, the report says. A limited number of publicly available software tools are designed to detect the use of steganography, but the success rate of these tools is questionable, the RCMP adds. Some only detect the use of specific software, while others are useful for scouring only certain types of files in which the secret message may be hidden. There have been numerous media reports in recent years that terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, were using steganographic techniques. The phenomenon is deeply troubling, said David Harris, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer now with Ottawa-based Insignis Strategic Research. He suggested any delay in detecting disguised messages could be disastrous. We're talking very often about time-sensitive issues: where is the bomb? Who's operating in connection with whom? he said. On that kind of basis, this is really, really disturbing as a development. Harris also questioned whether western security agencies have sufficient personnel and resources to uncover the messages. -- - R. A. Hettinga mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation http://www.ibuc.com/ 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA ... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience. -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
Horseman number 4: 'Paedophiles Pose Greatest Threat Facing Internet'
Okay, so it's a trifecta, today... :-) Cheers, RAH --- http://news.scotsman.com/print.cfm?id=3859699referringtemplate=http%3A%2F%2Fnews%2Escotsman%2Ecom%2Flatest%2Ecfmreferringquerystring=id%3D3859699 print Wed 8 Dec 2004 4:51pm (UK) 'Paedophiles Pose Greatest Threat Facing Internet' By David Barrett, PA Home Affairs Correspondent Online paedophiles are the greatest threat facing the internet, government research said today. A variety of internet child porn issues dominated a top 10 of criminal threats posed by new technology, a Home Office report revealed. The survey of 53 internet and technology experts saw seven different child porn concerns ranked in the 10 most serious netcrime threats, with grooming and possible stalking of children ranked as the top fear. In second place was the growing use of the internet for espionage by corporate spies. Out of a total of 101 crime issues in the league table compiled by the survey, 12 related to child porn. The top 10 rankings were:- 1. Increased online grooming and possible stalking using the internet. 2. Espionage by corporate spies. 3. Increased access to paedophile content sold by organised criminals through various online platforms. 4. Use of online storage for paedophile images to bypass seizure of home computers. 5. Use of secure peer to peer technology for all types of paedophile activity. 6. Use of encryption for secure access to paedophile networks. 7. Theft of personal digital assistants or mobile phones containing personal information to commit fraud on the internet. 8. Growing access to real-time child abuse on the web. 9. Use of peer to peer technology for pirate activity. 10. Grooming of children for abuse using advanced mobile phone technology. The study, entitled The Future of Netcrime Now, said police were already working to combat internet child porn and the issue's high media profile may have contributed to its prominent place in the poll. The Government, law enforcement and industry needs to 'gear up' their capability to continuously look forward, attempting to identify new forms of criminal technology misuse as soon as they emerge, or even before they are seized upon by the criminal community, it concluded. -- - R. A. Hettinga mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation http://www.ibuc.com/ 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA ... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience. -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
Horseman #3, Inky: Money Laundering in America
http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/k/kouri/2004/kouri120704.htm MND COMMENTARY - Jim Kouri - MensNewsDaily.comĀ Money Laundering in America December 7, 2004 by Jim Kouri Federal law enforcement officials estimate that between $100 billion and $300 billion is laundered in this country each year. While illegal drug trafficking accounts for much of the funds being laundered, other criminal activities, including terrorism and tax evasion, also account for an extensive amount. In the past two decades, federal law enforcement efforts to combat money laundering have focused on requiring financial institutions to report currency transactions that exceed $10,000. Beginning in 1988, these reports have been supplemented by reports of suspicious transactions. Many of the transactions reported as suspicious involve individuals who appear to be attempting to avoid the $10,000 reporting requirement. However, any activity that deviates from the norm for a particular account can be considered suspicious. The Right to Financial Privacy Act, enacted in 1978, raised questions as to whether financial institutions were authorized to report suspicious transactions. To address these concerns, legislation has been enacted to provide protection against civil liability for institutions reporting suspicious transactions. Banks and other financial institutions report tens of thousands of suspicious transactions each year. The reports have led to the initiation of major investigations into various types of criminal activity. However, because there is no overall control or coordination of the reports, there is no way of ensuring that the information is being used to its full potential. Financial institutions report suspicious transactions on a variety of different forms that provide different types of information and that are filed with different law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The form that is filed most frequently is filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and kept on a centralized database. However, the form does not contain any information describing the suspicious activity that would allow law enforcement agencies to evaluate the usefulness of the information on the basis of the form alone. Moreover, some institutions have been filing these forms erroneously. IRS and other federal and state law enforcement agencies use the database on a reactive basis; that is, to provide additional information on an investigation that has already been initiated. Other forms used to report suspicious transactions do describe the activity so that the information can be evaluated. However, these forms are filed with six different federal financial regulatory agencies. Because the forms are not maintained on a centralized database, they are not used on a reactive basis. Financial institutions filing this form are required to send a copy of it to the nearest district office of IRS' Criminal Investigation Division. However, IRS has not developed any guidance or directives as to how the information is to be managed as an intelligence resource. Use of the reports to initiate investigations varies among the 35 district offices. The Government Accounting Office identified 15 states that receive copies of suspicious transaction reports filed on one or both of these two-forms. Nine of these states told GAO that they use the information to initiate criminal investigations. The Department of the Treasury, the financial regulatory agencies, and IRS have recently agreed to substantial changes regarding how suspicious transactions are to be reported and how the information is to be used. These proposals, which were made with input from the financial community, have the potential for significantly improving the contribution that suspicious transaction reports make to law enforcement at both the federal and state levels. The IRS does not have agencywide policies or procedures for managing suspicious transaction reports. Consequently, the extent to which special agents in the 35 CID district offices solicit, process, and evaluate the reports is up to the discretion of the district CID chief and varies significantly among districts. The percentage of investigations initiated on the basis of suspicious transaction reports also varies significantly among districts. From October 1990 to June 1994 CID initiated 21,507 investigations nationwide. About 4 percent of the cases were initiated as a result of a suspicious transaction report. Among the district offices, however, the percentage varied from 0 to over 18 percent. GAO believes that the varying rates are an indication that use of the reports may not be emphasized to the same extent among the districts. Sources: US Department of Justice, US Department of the Treasury and National Security Institute Jim Kouri DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE IN THE FORUM! Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York
RE: Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages
Oh, general cluelessness doesn't suprise me. What suprises me is that the writer of the original article seemed to believe that Stego was a new development. Those cops you taught...do you think they were stupid enough to assume that, because this was their first time hearing about Stego, that Al Qaeda was only starting to use it right then? (I assume the answer is 'no'...they'll be smart enough at least to recognize that this was something around for a while that they were unaware of). NSA folks, on the other hand, I would assume have a soft version of a Variola Stego suitcase...able to quickly detect the presence of pretty much any kind of stego and then perform some tests to determine what kind was used. I bet they've been aware of Al Qaeda stego for a long time...that's probably the kind of thing they are very very good at. In the end it probably comes down to Arabic, however, and that language has many built-in ways of deflecting the uninitiated. I'd bet even NSA has a hard time understanding an Arabic language message, even after they de-stego and translate it. -TD From: J.A. Terranson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Tyler Durden [EMAIL PROTECTED] CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 12:19:55 -0600 (CST) On Thu, 9 Dec 2004, Tyler Durden wrote: What a fuckin' joke. You mean they're only now realizing that Al-Qaeda could use stego? Do they think they're stupid? Nah...certainly the NSA are fully prepared to handle this. I doubt it's much of a development at all to those in the know. -TD As recently as two years ago, I had a classroom full of cops (mostly fedz from various well-known alphabets) who knew *nothing* about stego. And I mean *NOTHING*. They got a pretty shallow intro: here's a picture, and here's the secret message inside it, followed by an hour of theory and how-to's using the simplest of tools - every single one of them was just blown away. Actually, that's not true - the Postal Inspectors were bored, but everyone _else_ was floored. While the various alphabets have had a few years to get up to speed, the idea that they are still 99% ignorant does not surprise me in the least. //Alif -- Yours, J.A. Terranson [EMAIL PROTECTED] 0xBD4A95BF Civilization is in a tailspin - everything is backwards, everything is upside down- doctors destroy health, psychiatrists destroy minds, lawyers destroy justice, the major media destroy information, governments destroy freedom and religions destroy spirituality - yet it is claimed to be healthy, just, informed, free and spiritual. We live in a social system whose community, wealth, love and life is derived from alienation, poverty, self-hate and medical murder - yet we tell ourselves that it is biologically and ecologically sustainable. The Bush plan to screen whole US population for mental illness clearly indicates that mental illness starts at the top. Rev Dr Michael Ellner
