From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V9 #158 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, June 15 2000 Volume 09 : Number 158 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: They're heaves, but they're dry heaves! Rabid rantings from the department of sharkology ["Andrew D. Simchik] Re: Heaves, etc. [Michael Wolfe ] band bios [Joel Mullins ] Bicycles and cars [Sebastian Hagedorn ] Re: fegmaniax-digest V9 #157 [Sebastian Hagedorn ] Re: Heaves, etc. ["Andrew D. Simchik" ] Re: band bios [Eb ] Re: fegmaniax-digest V9 #157 [Glen Uber ] Bike lane of orchids [digja611@student.otago.ac.nz] Re: My [ Hebrew ] Dictionary [candl2@sensible-net.com] Re: band bios [dmw ] Feg Musicians Unite! [BLATZMAN@aol.com] Re: fegmaniax-digest V9 #157 [DDerosa5@aol.com] bike site [DDerosa5@aol.com] Re: meanwhile... ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: They're heaves, but they're dry heaves! Rabid rantings from the department of sharkology ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Fwd: the _real_ reason for the current MickeySoft legal problems [steve <] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 16:44:08 -0700 (PDT) From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: Re: They're heaves, but they're dry heaves! Rabid rantings from the department of sharkology - --- Mark_Gloster@3com.com wrote: > piracy: I still think it is comical that the people who make the most > from their copyrights are the ones crying loudest. Makes perfect sense, though -- the more money is at stake, the more it matters to you. > percentage. I think I believe in receiving a royalty for my hard work, > but I also am not offended by casual sharing of my intellectual > property. Terry can play "Severe Tire Damage" in a coffee house and > I'm happy about it. Jeme might play it on a coronet on a street > corner and make lots of money. You don't see me cryin' about it. I've always wondered: what are the legal obligations of an artist playing covers? > General problems: I think the chief problem in the world is that > people are breeding like rats on viagra and are too stupid to figure > out that WE ARE THE PROBLEM. Though I presently have no plans to reproduce and hope never to have any, my chief worry about that position is thinking of the sort of people who are compensating for my restraint. Then again, if only yahoos overpopulate, the overpopulation problem will be experienced mostly by yahoos. So maybe it all works out in the end...except that a number of non-yahoo friends of mine are reproducing. Drew n.p.: Pulp's _Masters of the Universe_. If only it were as good as its title. The four-CD box set seemed like a good idea at the time... ===== Andrew D. Simchik, schnopia@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 00:08:43 +0000 (GMT) From: Michael Wolfe Subject: Re: Heaves, etc. Glen Uberred: >Although I am a proponent of cycling and alternative >transportation, I believe that bicyclists do not have the same >rights as autos for one reason: they are using for free the >roads that the auto-whores (of which, admittedly, I am one) are >paying for. Maybe one solution would be to charge cyclists a >modest fee ($10 per year?) to use public streets. The revenues >would then be used to add bike lanes on streets, bike access on >bridges, and fix existing bike lanes and paths. That way, bikes >and cars could co-exist in peace and safety. I call bullshit on the opening statement of this paragraph. In Oregon, where people complain about gas taxes without cessation, those same taxes only cover 40% of road maintenance. That leaves 60% that comes from the general fund, to which I contribute as much as anyone else through my income and (indirectly) property taxes. That means that I am HEAVILY subsidizing roads, even though I've never purchased so much as a centiliter of gasoline in my life, and contribute almost nothing in terms of wear and tear. I would imagine that the percentages don't differ too radically in your area. Furthermore, that doesn't even take into account massive subsidies for oil exploration (in the form of Department of the Interior mineral rights giveaways), the huge cost in terms of environmental impact that *I* have to pay so *you* can drive your carbon monoxide spewing gas-guzzler (shit, how much more likely am I to develop cancer because of auto pollution, and now I have to pay extra for that privilege? How many years off my expected lifespan?), and the sheer HUMAN cost of invading places like Iraq so that we can have the cheapest gas prices in the developed world? How 'bout y'all fucking pay *ME* $10 a year to ride my bike? And throw in the bike lanes in the bargain. I mean, my emissions may be unpleasant, but they won't give you cancer. - -Michael Wolfe, Stewart's North American alter-ego ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 17:44:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Joel Mullins Subject: band bios Hey. I've got a question for all you musicians. My new band has just finished recording a demo, and we're trying to get some gigs in Austin. (We've been playing in San Marcos where a demo and press kit is not a must). However, Austin is a different story. So, we have to write short bio and do all that other shit that takes up valuable practice time. My question is, what the hell do people put in a bio? I've looked on the net for examples, but can't find any. I will appreciate any advice, help, or links that you guys can send. Thanks in advance. Joel __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 02:49:25 +0200 From: Sebastian Hagedorn Subject: Bicycles and cars Hope you don't mind if I chime in on this... Straight off the bat, what I'm going to say applies to German traffic conditions, which generally speaking are quite different from those in the US (and elsewhere)... - -- fegmaniax-digest is rumored to have mumbled on Mittwoch, 14. Juni 2000 13:24 Uhr -0400 regarding fegmaniax-digest V9 #156: >> uhoh... grrrrrrrr... IF YOU CAN'T SHARE THE ROADS, GET THE F@CK >> OFF THEM. SAME ROADS, SAME RIGHTS, SAME RULES. > > Well, okay, so here's the problem. I'm chugging along at 30 mph in a > residential area. That's your first problem right there. The Green Party (and some members of others) in Germany are pushing for a general speed limit of 30 km/h (which corresponds to about 20 mph) in residential areas. It's been done in some communities and the traffic-induced fatalities have decreased substantially. > You're sort of off to the side, not really in the lane > as such but not out of it, going a leisurely 15 or 20 if I'm lucky. If > you > were in a car I would be very irritated with your sloth. But hey, you're > a cyclist, so it's okay! I can actually pass you at this point. But > you're > pretending I'm not there. You _might_ be off to the side because you'd > like me to pass you and continue at my breakneck 30 mph pace. You > might just enjoy the risk of being clotheslined by a protruding side > mirror > on a car parked along the curb. I don't know! I don't understand you! > A car can't do the things you do. I don't get what conclusion you draw from this... is it the bike drivers' fault that you don't understand 'em? > Frankly I don't think it's a good idea to have the same roads, same > rights, > same rules. I think slower, less dangerous vehicles should have their own > roads or at least lanes. Safer all around and faster for everyone. But > I'm > probably wrong so I'll shut up about it. You're not necessarily wrong. In Europe bike lanes are pretty common. The Netherlands are bike country no. 1; it's just great to be able to get anywhere by bike safely. In Germany it depends very much on the community you live in. In Cologne there are many bike lanes, but often they have been added as an afterthought, and usually they are taken off the pedestrians' space. What that means is that instead of cars endangering bikes you have bikes endangering pedestrians! There are actually laws in Germany that govern how bike lanes have to be, i.e. how wide they should be etc., but the communities don't have the money to obey these laws. Still you can't put bike lanes everywhere. Where you don't have them, you have to find a way of peaceful coexistence. Unfortunately it's not only the car drivers that are the problem. Many bicyclists in Germany don't stop for traffic lights, they don't have lights on their bikes etc. That doesn't exactly make the job any easier for people like me, who try to campaign for more consideration (considerateness?) among car drivers... I don't have a car. I rely entirely on my feet, my bike and public transportation. With this mix you have no difficulties in getting around in a German city. I concede, however, that things are different for people in more rural areas. Cheers, Sebastian - -- Sebastian Hagedorn Ehrenfeldgürtel 156, 50823 Köln, Germany http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 03:06:35 +0200 From: Sebastian Hagedorn Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V9 #157 - -- Glen Uber is rumored to have mumbled on Mittwoch, 14. Juni 2000 19:23 Uhr -0400 regarding fegmaniax-digest V9 #157: > Although I am a proponent of cycling and alternative transportation, I > believe that bicyclists do not have the same rights as autos for one > reason: they are using for free the roads that the auto-whores (of which, > admittedly, I am one) are paying for. Maybe one solution would be to > charge cyclists a modest fee ($10 per year?) to use public streets. The > revenues would then be used to add bike lanes on streets, bike access on > bridges, and fix existing bike lanes and paths. That way, bikes and cars > could co-exist in peace and safety. OK, I'm no expert on the way the taxes work over there, but I think this argument is ridiculous! Car drivers in Germany often complain that they're the "Melkkühe der Nation" (i.e. those who have to pay for everything). What they (and probably you) don't take into consideration is that most roads are payed for with general tax money, not only the tax you have to pay for your car. There are also many secondary costs that are caused by cars, namely pollution, noise, costs for traffic police etc. The taxes that German car drivers pay don't cover half of these. These are costs that bikes don't cause. Conclusion: car drivers ought to pay more taxes, not bike drivers. Cheers, Sebastian - -- Sebastian Hagedorn Ehrenfeldgürtel 156, 50823 Köln, Germany http://www.spinfo.uni-koeln.de/~hgd/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:08:00 -0700 (PDT) From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: Re: Bicycles and cars - --- Sebastian Hagedorn wrote: > > Well, okay, so here's the problem. I'm chugging along at 30 mph in a > > residential area. > > That's your first problem right there. The Green Party (and some members > of > others) in Germany are pushing for a general speed limit of 30 km/h > (which > corresponds to about 20 mph) in residential areas. Around here it seems to be down to 25 or so, but I don't think 20 would help too much. I mention 30 because that's what it was in upstate New York, and because 20 is a real drag. > It's been done in > some > communities and the traffic-induced fatalities have decreased > substantially. These would be the traffic-induced fatalities caused by people going 21-30 mph? > > on a car parked along the curb. I don't know! I don't understand > you! > > A car can't do the things you do. > > I don't get what conclusion you draw from this... is it the bike > drivers' > fault that you don't understand 'em? No, I've already said that it's not. I was objecting to the premise that vehicle B should be subject to the same rights and rules just because it happens to share roads designed for vehicle A. It's not the cyclists' fault that they impede auto traffic, and it's not the auto drivers' fault that they are dangerous to cycle traffic. It's just a bad idea to mix the two. In, as we have established, my opinion. > I don't have a car. I rely entirely on my feet, my bike and public > transportation. With this mix you have no difficulties in getting around > in > a German city. I concede, however, that things are different for people > in > more rural areas. I know some people around here bike from San Francisco to San Mateo to work. That's 30 or 40 miles, so I assume that what they actually do is use public transit as far as they can get and then bike the rest of the way...but I could be wrong. This appeals to me on many levels, but on the most significant levels it frightens me: I'm not athletic and I don't know how to ride a bike. And bike seats hurt my ass. Otherwise I'd be with you, dude. I may find a way to be anyway. Until I get hit by some impatient asshole and end up perched atop the Washington Monument. Drew ===== Andrew D. Simchik, schnopia@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:11:30 -0700 (PDT) From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: Re: Heaves, etc. - --- Michael Wolfe wrote: [...] > though I've never purchased so much as a centiliter of gasoline > in my life, and contribute almost nothing in terms of wear and > tear. I would imagine that the percentages don't differ too > radically in your area. Where do you live? How far away is work? Do you always bike or is part of that public transit? Just curious. Drew ===== Andrew D. Simchik, schnopia@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:32:17 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: band bios Joel: >My question is, what the hell do people put in a bio? >I've looked on the net for examples, but can't find any. You can't find any? Check just about *any* record-label website! Since you're a band without a label or album, you should probably stress biographical background on the band members and the group's formation, who plays what instrument, touring/performing experience, what sort of "local following" you've built up, the character/style of your music, radio airplay (if any), sales of self-released tapes/singles/CDs...seems pretty obvious, no? What will make a promoter want to book your band? Or make a label exec think, "Hey, maybe these guys could move some units for us"? Oh, and don't forget to wear bowling shirts in your publicity photo. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:28:59 -0700 From: Glen Uber Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V9 #157 On 14.06.00 18:06, Sebastian Hagedorn wrote: > OK, I'm no expert on the way the taxes work over there, but I think this > argument is ridiculous! Car drivers in Germany often complain that they're > the "Melkkühe der Nation" (i.e. those who have to pay for everything). What > they (and probably you) don't take into consideration is that most roads > are payed for with general tax money, not only the tax you have to pay for > your car. There are also many secondary costs that are caused by cars, > namely pollution, noise, costs for traffic police etc. The taxes that > German car drivers pay don't cover half of these. I think most segments of the US populace believe that they, too, are "Melkkuehe der Nation." That's the problem! No one wants to pay for anything. They want changes that will benefit them only as long as their taxes don't go up. I'm sorry if my original statements came off as being uncaring or malicious. I should have thought them through some more. Yes, I'd like to see more people carpool or ride the bus or ride their bikes, but the fact remains that for some people, it's just not practical. Fortunately, I am able to do two of the three on a regular basis. And, despite the fact that I don't ride my bike very often, I would be happy to register it every year if I knew that the money would be used to improve biking conditions and safety. Unfortunately, the money is never used for the things it's supposed to be used for. (See: California Lottery). I really don't mean to come off as a dolt. Even though I am one. Sometimes. - -- Cheers! - -g- "I have two very rare photographs: one is a picture of Houdini locking his keys in his car; the other is a rare photograph of Norman Rockwell beating up a child. '' --Steven Wright +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Glen Uber uberg@sonic.net http://www.sonic.net/~uberg ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 15:03:22 +1200 From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz Subject: Bike lane of orchids Drew scribbled: >I don't see a slippery slope here. Vehicles that can comfortably >exceed 45 mph and kill deer on impact on the roads. Vehicles that >can't on a path or in a lane. you want the cycle lanes littered with Trabants??? >Do You Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! damn... I read that as pints... James James Dignan___________________________________ You talk to me Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University As if from a distance ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street And I reply. . . . . . . . . . Dunedin, New Zealand with impressions chosen from another time steam megaphone (03) 455-7807 (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 23:37:47 -0400 From: candl2@sensible-net.com Subject: Re: My [ Hebrew ] Dictionary At 5:57 PM -0500 on 6/14/00, David Librik wrote: > It is hard to make out, and the vertical lines in the letters are almost > unreadable, but I think the three words are (from right to left): > > Dalet - Shin - Mem (or Samech or possibly Bet) > Lamed - Fe - Mem (or Samech or possibly Bet) > Dalet - Tet - Yod - Ayin - Nun > Couldn't find Dalet-Shin-Mem. Hmm - perhaps the first letter is actually a stylized Resh (very similar to dalet)? If so, then we get resh - shin - mem v. to write, record; to draw, to sketch; n. impression or mark lamed - pe - mem could be derivative of "according to" daled - tet religion, religious yod - ayin - nun ostrich?!?!? "Impressions According to the Religious Ostrich/Ostrich Religion"?? LOL Well it's _definitely_ Robynesque, to say the least. Maybe the ostrich bit accounts for the buglike eyes and toothy overbite of the character on the poster? Mind you this is all a shot in the dark. Thanks for pointing out the Postpunk series BTW - I'll try to find copies at the local record shoppe. cheers, Chas ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 00:06:52 -0400 (EDT) From: dmw Subject: Re: band bios On Wed, 14 Jun 2000, Joel Mullins wrote: > So, we have to write short bio and do all that other i agreee with everything eb said and would like to add: dmw's biggest bio/press-flack turn-offs 1) failure to proofread for reasonably correct grammar and spelling 2) being cutesy with credits so you can't really tell who does what 3) hopeless cliched & absurdedly overblown attempts to describe the music* 4) did i mention failure to proofread? ...and make sure you put your full contact info on every single piece of paper/plastic, don't assume the cd or tape will stay neatly in the sleeve. * wrong: describe every instrument in the band. drop names you can't live up to. use words like intelligent, unique, energetic, creative, original...these are things that should announce themselves to the listener; reviewers may bestow them, but you should not claim them. consider a bio for one of those alternative/metal acts that i keep tripping over by example: wrong spastic elbows create a unique blend of dense exciting rock and roll with a y2k-ready edge, like a catchier beatles. justin hamer's intense vocals provide the centerpiece of the compositions, and yggdrasil lee's guitar crunches like motorhead, while sara lee parker's john bonhom kick drum power provides a perfect foil for johann johann's gritty, propulsive bass mayhem. (you would not believe how many press kits i get that read alarmingly like this. i swear, i'm only exaggerating a little bit.) i'd show some restraint. be a bit creative, but don't drag out the thesaurus. spastic elbows are a lean, mean four-piece with a thick guitar sound and hard, industrial rhthyms, featuring vocalist justin hamer (former frontman of dundalk's firth spew). - -- d. - - oh no, you've just read mail from doug = dmw@radix.net - get yr pathos - - www.pathetic-caverns.com -- books, flicks, tunes, etc. = reviews - - www.fecklessbeast.com -- angst, guilt, fear, betrayal! = guitar pop ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 00:44:32 EDT From: BLATZMAN@aol.com Subject: Feg Musicians Unite! I was wondering if there are any Feg guitarists out there with digital technology who might be interested in writing a tune via internet. Just for fun, of course. I am a singer(ha ha!), and you can "audition" me at the feg music website. My old band was There Goes Bill. Please listen to Beautiful When You Cry and Vicki Lawrence. I have access to a fully digital audio suite, so vocals will sound good,technically, that is. I am hopelessly lost in the current music scene, and would prefer something softer and quieter than say, Nasa Clapping. I am a Respect sort of guy. Any takers? I am going out of town on a business trip and won't be back till Sunday. Dave ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 03:09:35 EDT From: DDerosa5@aol.com Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V9 #157 in today's digest I read: > - -- d., the most militant anti-car activist on fegmaniax, i bet wow, I'd be quite surprised if that's true, not that I'm very active. I've just joined a group here in Chicago whose goal is to honor the vision of planner Daniel Burnham by depaving Lake Shore Drive. and we're serious... Drew, sorry if bikers get in your way--take different roads! or get used to them. and for god's sake, don't blow your goddam horn when you go by them--they already know you're coming. > Bikes vs. cars: I wish things worked in a more cooperative way. > I quit riding my bike because of cars. We competed for the same > space. I was hit a couple of times, nobody ever stopped. As a > former cyclist, I am really irritated at how rarely I see bicyclists > obey normal traffic controls like lights and stop signs. well, as a rabid cyclist, I can say that just because bikes are vehicles (and thus don't belong on sidewalks) doesn't mean that all those stop signs and shit for motor vehicles apply to us. I treat red lights as stop signs (except at Chciago's famous six way intersections) and stop signs as yield signs. I do agree that sharing the road works best when the cars know what we're doing, but I ride purely defensively, taking an entire lane when I don't trust the driver coming up behind me. Viv can back me up on this, my bike looks like a motorcycle, with paniers, mirrors, a horn, bell, lights, turn signals, etc. And I don't get hit, though I have been doored a few times--and once got hit by a bike messenger--those bastards are crazy. IN general, it is true that bikers get hurt most when they break traffic laws, and it takes a while to learn how to do things like left turns and avoiding right turn lanes and buses and etc. My wife was just in charge of "bike to work week" here in chicago, and the bike federation actually gives classes inthese things. But I still don't believe that those car laws should apply to us. Although I am a proponent of cycling and alternative transportation, I believe that bicyclists do not have the same rights as autos for one reason: they are using for free the roads that the auto-whores (of which, admittedly, I am one) are paying for. Maybe one solution would be to charge cyclists a modest fee ($10 per year?) to use public streets. The revenues would then be used to add bike lanes on streets, bike access on bridges, and fix existing bike lanes and paths. That way, bikes and cars could co-exist in peace and safety. This is a very strange paragraph. I forgot where I pulled it from--did the person who wrote it live in the USA? because the proportion of my taxes that go to cars infrastructure, to highways I can ride on, and etc. is out of control. Finally, in the last few years under ISTEA, some small amount of money is going to mass transit, dedicated bike lanes, and even sane policy like traffic calming, but in general cars rule this country. Auto whores indeed. Remember the roots of the word conspiracy, "to breathe together", and tell me all those carfuckers in there tons on metal pulling around air conditioners the clean their air and worsen their mileage aren't in a conspiracy against all non-motorized traffic. And motorcycles, despite their Rockandroll cache, are not honorary bikes. So, to sum up, I ain't paying shit extra to use the goddam streets. I don't make the potholes and I don't want major roads widened to make more lanes--give em over to bikes and suddenly there'll be plenty of lanes. Cars and bikes can never exist inpeace and safety unless something other than humans are doing the driving, especially if the drivers are teenage males, anyone with testosterone poisoning, anyone driving a cab or rental truck, or anyone who's never learned how except by playing Pole Position. Getting rid of cars won't be easy, but it's the beginning of a good world we're otherwise unlikely ever to reach. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 03:16:08 EDT From: DDerosa5@aol.com Subject: bike site for anyone interested in the depaving group, here's their website www.foreverfreeandclear.org also, I think the website www.chicagocriticalmass.org still has a picture of Amy and I on our wedding day. we're the ones riding the bikes with the cans on strings. which is the least safe riding I've ever done, by the way. it would be in the April ride report. death to cars (but not those in them)(except SUVs), dave ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 12:35:26 +0100 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: meanwhile... Eb wrote: > > Folks who preface opinions with "Don't get me wrong...." with the "but you clearly are" clause understood? It's the entrance to a narrow mind. Oh dear. I've just bought The Yes Album. I am 14 again. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 12:38:36 +0100 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: They're heaves, but they're dry heaves! Rabid rantings from the department of sharkology Glen Uber wrote: > > they are using for free the roads that the auto-whores (of which, > admittedly, I am one) are paying for. Here, at least, local taxes pay for local roads, not from vehicle licensing. So cyclists pay their way. > bike lanes and paths. That way, bikes and cars could co-exist > in peace and safety. Bike lanes are often more dangerous, 'cos you have to cross into traffic and there's not the same visibility. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 12:40:28 +0100 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: an ironic situation can you believe I'm interviewing people for the same job I'm shortlisted for, and am being interviewed myself later in the afternoon? I promise not to veto everyone else... Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 08:36:05 -0500 From: steve Subject: Fwd: the _real_ reason for the current MickeySoft legal problems seen on rec.arts.sf.written: __________________ - -- People of Earth -- Before we get to the really gloomy parts of my message, please allow me to explain the facts of life concerning your galactic neighborhood. There are many species, particularly in sparsely populated regions of the galaxy such as your own, that like to pick on little people. Actually, "pick on" may be too weak a phrase. Typically, after discovering a weaker but promising species such as your own, their policy involves the use of large hyper-kinetic weapons (very high-speed asteroids) to render the host planet uninhabitable by higher life-forms for a very long time -- geologically speaking. That's the bad news. The good news is that, no matter how powerful these bully-species may become, their resources are necessarily finite while space is infinite. If a potentially competitive species (such as yourselves) is discovered far enough from their sphere of immediate influence, a significant span of time may pass before they can afford to divert a planet-buster fleet to your vicinity. In that case, a typical policy is to secretly land a small force of infiltrators on the target planet. The infiltrator's mission will be to delay the technological development of the target species in any way possible so as to prevent it from become powerful enough to resist the main military forces until such time as they are able to arrive. To accomplish this mission, the infiltrators use their superior knowledge of all the myriad pathways that a young race such as your own may follow in developing higher technology. They will attempt to judge your current state of development accurately enough so that they can themselves introduce technology which is -- initially -- just slightly advanced beyond your own. Of course, the purpose of this deliberate introduction of new technology is anything but altruistic. The goal is to use that slightly-advanced technology, together with whatever social and legal structures your dominant societies offer, to actually slow further progress. To get in front of the parade and lead it into the weeds, as you might say. There are several ways in which you can detect this sort of activity. 1. The infiltrators will establish absolutely dominant positions as suppliers of technology in the targeted areas. 2. Prior suppliers of similar technologies will be marginalized or driven out of business, even (or especially) in cases where the prior technology was actually superior but had not yet "caught on". 3. The leaders of the newly-dominant suppliers of the targeted technologies may seem unusually awkward or socially inept. 4. If they encounter challenges from your "legal system", they will attempt to answer the challenge within that system, but will be surprisingly unskilled in their attempts. 5. Faced with the eventual success of these "legal" challenges, they will respond with all possible delaying tactics. If more than three out of five of these symptoms sound familiar, you would be well advised to accelerate your response in some way. Or start looking for a new planet, maybe. Also please note that you may occasionally get a little help in your struggle. My agency routinely places a few operatives in cultures such as yours, although even we do not know whether your world might have a few. These guys are pretty hard for us to keep track of. They tend to move around a lot, or get blown to atoms. These people, if you are lucky enough to have one, will typically lead a sort of technological resistance to the Bad Guys. They will show up out of nowhere, usually claiming to be from some extremely remote country. Someplace odd enough so that people in the more dominant regions aren't much surprised if they "talk funny." They will show up with some terrific technology and say things like "It's just something I whipped up in my spare time during those long cold nights in my country..." And then they'll try to organize the natives to help them propagate the technology as rapidly as possible. This is not done from some high-minded desire to have the natives participate in their own salvation. It's because my agency can't afford to send a fleet. If you can identify any of our agents in your culture, by all means cooperate with them in any way possible. But don't expect *too* much. Remember -- when the Bad Guys win in this game, they get a new star-system. When our boys come out on top they get a congratulatory email from the sector chief. Anyway -- good luck! If the reports I'm getting are correct, I would have to say that you're going to be needing it. Soon. ___________ ----------------- End Forwarded Message ----------------- __________ I¹d sit down and meditate but my ass is on fire. - Bill Nelson ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V9 #158 *******************************