Re: Bomb information ban

>Caught from the radio this morning:
>
>    Toronto (Canada) city council is debating a by-law to ban information
>on bomb construction.  This after one of the council members was mailed
>a faulty (or fake) pipe-bomb.  Rough quote: ~This is different than the
>gun control issue because there is no valid use for bombs.~
                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bull.  They're great for blowing something up.....

>
>I wonder how much of the libraries' engineering books section they'll
>have to burn because of this.
>
>

All.  What part of Engineering doesn't have some impact or use in
bombmaking/usage?

Dave Merriman
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On Mon, 3 Oct 1994, David K. Merriman wrote:

> >Caught from the radio this morning:
> >
> >    Toronto (Canada) city council is debating a by-law to ban information
> >on bomb construction.  This after one of the council members was mailed
> >a faulty (or fake) pipe-bomb.  Rough quote: ~This is different than the
> >gun control issue because there is no valid use for bombs.~
> 
> Bull.  They're great for blowing something up.....
> 
> >I wonder how much of the libraries' engineering books section they'll
> >have to burn because of this.
> 
> All.  What part of Engineering doesn't have some impact or use in
> bombmaking/usage?

Genetic Engineering, of course, my silico-centric friend :-)

Query:  Why is it that, when the usual stream of crypto-conversation
begins to dry up, the topic of bombs comes up?  Maybe crypto-anarchists
should seek to replace the traditional symbol of anarchy (you know, the
bowling ball with the fuse) with something more moderne.  Any suggestions
on what the well-dressed (black trenchcoat and fedora, for tradition's
sake) crypto-anarchist is seen clutching in his hand as he skulks off into
shadows of Blacknet???  You know, something that would make a good .gif.

C. J. Leonard                  (    /      "DNA is groovy"
                                \ /                - Watson & Crick
<cjl@welchlink.welch,jhu.edu>   / \     <--  major groove
                               (    \
Finger for public key            \   )
Strong-arm for secret key          /    <--  minor groove
Thumb-screws for pass-phrase     /   )

should seek to replace the traditional symbol of anarchy (you know, the
   bowling ball with the fuse) with something more moderne. 

What, like a zero with a one sticking out?

You do know, of course, that explosives increase the entropy of their
targets toward maximum.

Eric

cjl wrote:

> Query:  Why is it that, when the usual stream of crypto-conversation
> begins to dry up, the topic of bombs comes up?  Maybe crypto-anarchists
> should seek to replace the traditional symbol of anarchy (you know, the
> bowling ball with the fuse) with something more moderne.  Any suggestions
> on what the well-dressed (black trenchcoat and fedora, for tradition's
> sake) crypto-anarchist is seen clutching in his hand as he skulks off into
> shadows of Blacknet???  You know, something that would make a good .gif.

But "bombes" have long had a strong connection to cryptography. Lots
of bombes at Bletchley Park.

As to what well-dressed crypto anarchists are carrying...perhaps a
copy of Schneier. Or a PGP diskette.

But since neither of those will make for a very comprehensible
graphic, perhaps the trench-coated crypto anarchist should be seated
in front of a terminal?

--Tim May

-- 
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Timothy C. May writes:

 > [symbol picture ideas]
 > 
 > But since neither of those will make for a very comprehensible
 > graphic, perhaps the trench-coated crypto anarchist should be seated
 > in front of a terminal?


Choose whatever picture you like... the *real* symbol is encrypted and
stego'd into it :)

--
Dan.

<cjl@welchlink.welch,jhu.edu> writes:

> 
> Query:  Why is it that, when the usual stream of crypto-conversation
> begins to dry up, the topic of bombs comes up?  Maybe crypto-anarchists
> should seek to replace the traditional symbol of anarchy (you know, the
> bowling ball with the fuse) with something more moderne.  Any suggestions
> on what the well-dressed (black trenchcoat and fedora, for tradition's
> sake) crypto-anarchist is seen clutching in his hand as he skulks off into
> shadows of Blacknet???  You know, something that would make a good .gif.
> 

My favorite anarchist symbol is the monkey wrench.  I don't know exactly 
how much this applies this this group, but I can definately envision 
crypto-monkey wrenchers (if not simply net monkey wrenchers).

-john

---------------------------------------------+----------------------------
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In article <Pine.3.89.9410032327.A10386-0100000@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu>,
cjl <cjl@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu> wrote:
>> All.  What part of Engineering doesn't have some impact or use in
>> bombmaking/usage?
>
>Genetic Engineering, of course, my silico-centric friend :-)

Actually, (a bird psych friend tells me) there was a variety of smart-
bomb developed in WWII that used a pigeon as its brain.  The pigeon would
be trained to peck at a building on a map, and then in the falling bomb
it would guide the bomb by pecking at a clear panel.

I don't think they were actually used, though.
-- 
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