=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "In Paranoia We Trust" -- Dr. They =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S Paranoid Media Scrutinization P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S P-M-S =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Paranoia Media Scrutinization Volume 1, Number 1 March 1992 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Various tutorials claim to offer diverse methods of insight into the mundane media we all encounter throughout our daily lives. Charles Olson's classic "The ABCs of Reading" instructs readers on skills of perception that can be used to get more out of reading. Dorfman & Mattelart's classic "How To Read Donald Duck" offers readers an insane method of stripping away the colonialist propagandizing mask covering all of Donald Duck comix. Paranoid Media Scrutinization (P-M-S) fills a large gap among these tutorials and offers helpful hints to you (dear reader) on how you might learn to become more paranoid in your reading, viewing and listening habits. Our method is actually very simple can be learned by anyone in the safety of their own home. No drug therapies are required, and no mail order devices are needed. If you are discrete, no salesman will call. As eyes are the window to the soul, the media is a window to the rectum of any culture's status quo. This oft quoted truism holds for any society, whether it has a state owned press, or thousands of privately owned newspapers and broadcast stations, like our own country does. Take American newspapers for example (PLEASE!). They are privately owned, and free to print whatever they wish as long as it is neither slanderous or libelous. True enough, as long as you add the pragmatic qualifier that any paper that bites the advertising hand that feeds it had better have a stack of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy papers close at hand. Newspapers (as well as radio, TV) are business first, and news organizations second. Any "news" that interferes with business will always take a back seat to news that constipates the interests of the status quo. Unlike other world religions, P-M-S has only one guiding principle. It was put forth by a long ago forgotten prophet: "Newspapers are full of nothing but news and advertising. News is something that someone wants to suppress, everything else is advertising". Do you doubt the wisdom of these words? If you do, good. Skepticism is the first step towards divine paranoia. Just pick up the nearest newspaper and look at which stories were deemed important enough to make the front page, and which got 1 1/2 inches on page 16. This first issues of P-M-S takes most of its examples from the small, local paper The Olympian because it is readily available to most of our readers, and because Dr. They wants to demonstrate that you don't need to own the New York Times to sit in the fantastic throne of Mindcontrol (in fact, the devices of Mind-Opinion-Control work all the more efficiently if they appear to only be the localized bumblings of known incompetents, rather than a larger, mysterious confederacy of dunces). You can expect future issues of P-M-S to focus more on National (rather than local) mind control issues. I've got today's (2-19-92) local rag, The Olympian sitting here in front of me: the front page has a two inch banner across the top that says "OSCAR NOMINEES", there are front page stories about a "good samaritan", New Hampshire primary results, state budget battles, and a canned feature about "water". Inside on page A3 there is a one inch story about 5,000 Algerians that were arrested by their repressive government (that the U.S. Department of State backs), a small article skirting the point that there may not really be a "peace dividend" after all (A7), on the editorial page is a letter presenting the readers with more information about our local Mayor's continual lies, and his current ploy of filing for bankruptcy (more on this coverup below), on page C1 there is a short story (reproduced and discussed below) about the trial looking into the fatal beating of a local taxpayer (who was evading a traffic ticket!) by the Olympia Police. To begin, please read the following sample article from (again) The Olympian newspaper: TINY ANTENNAS HELP SCIENTISTS THINK SMALL (AP) Washington-- Antennas the size of a grain of sand have been produced by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. According to scientists, the antennas can effectively capture the extremely short wave-lengths of infrared radiation, measuring from 3 to 30 micrometers. This could lead to novel devices that "see" images of heat radiating from all warm objects such as people, animals and buildings. Such detectors could be used in astronomy, medicine and national defense, researchers note. (2/17/92 pgD2) This is a small article (little more than a grain of sand in the scope of things...), that almost no one would normally bother to read, it is less than two inches in length and acts as a buffer on the page between the TV schedule, movie ads, and Dear 'ol Abby. What could possibly be in such a simple "fluff" story to stir up the embers of a reader's paranoia? Those of you who took our paranoia placement test via modem already know that the words "national defense" are a dead giveaway don't you? Lets try another simple example that we all have read (and thought nothing) about. This one comes from the congressional confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence "Uncle" Thomas. Much was made about Justice Thomas and Annita Hill's telephone records. At one point Thomas produced his own personal phone log which indicated when and where Ms. Hill had spoken to him on the phone after she left his employ. All of this was clear enough, and has no real controversy. The other angle on all this hoopla was mentioned in the national press, but no one really bothered to look at the larger implications of it. This concerns the information that the FBI had produced telephone company records of telephone calls made between Hill and Thomas after she had quit working under Judge Thomas. Simple enough? No? Hmmmmm, just what does this reference to the FBI producing telephone records from over a decade ago mean? It means that the telephone company, the National Security Agency, or SOMEONE saves the Electronic Swithcing System (ESS) records for at least a decade for no particular reason, just on the hunch that these records might become useful to someone, somewhere, sometime! Again, the importance of this to us is that it points out another instance of the media being asleep at the wheel while large issues slip right by us in the mad pursuit of a single unrealted case. God forbid that there be any discussion about how ESS records can not legally be kept in European countries because of the abuses the Nazi's made of these records during the Hitler administration... * * * Lets take a look at the coverage of easy-to-understand local politics and see how a typical small town newspaper deals with the day to day issues of small town life. You know, things like everyday police brutality and political corruption... Least anyone think that the problems faced (or is hit in the face?) by Rodney King are limited to L. A. or other urban regions read the below few stories from recent issues of the Olympian: EX-CANDIDATE FOR SHERIFF ARRESTED By Filiz Satir, The Olympian 2/10/92 Pg. C1 A former Thurston County sheriff's candidate, Anne Warner Sunrise, was arrested early Sunday, following a chase that ended with a sheriff's deputy smashing the driver's window of Sunrise's car in order to remove her from the vehicle. Sunrise, 47, was stopped by three patrol cars, and cuffed in the parking lot of Capital Mall. While being transported to the Thurston County Jail, she chewed a large hole in the vinyl of the patrol car's back seat, a sheriff's report said Sunrise was booked for investigation of felony eluding and malicious mischief. Prior to the chase, a sheriff's deputy responded to an alarm at the Village Mart 3210 Cooper Point Road N.W. While the deputy waited outside the store for a back-up patrol car, he noticed a woman walking to a car parked in the lot. She disregarded the deputy who signaled to her, and drove off, the report said. The woman eventually made her way to Capital Mall where three patrol cars boxed in her car. A deputy drew a firearm and told the woman to get out of her car. She refused. The deputy then took a night stick and smashed the driver's window in order to reach inside and unlock the car door. Sunrise was removed from the car, cuffed and placed face down inside the patrol car. She remained in jail Sunday on $3,000 bond. Think that one was a fluke? Try these next few on for size...... SPENCER TRIAL GETS UNDER WAY Brad Shannon, The Olympian (2-19-92 C1) Tacoma-- Jurors in the Danny R. Spencer wrongful death suit heard tow sharply divergent stories Tuesday of how Spencer was beaten and subdued by Olympia police three years ago on the city's east side. Dan Huannula, hire by Spencer's family to seek financial and punitive damages against the city in U.S. District Court, painted the picture of callous officers. He said they not only beat the fleeing Spencer 15-20 times with batons, but ignored Spencer's medical needs as he bled and later choke on vomit in the back of a patrol car. He contended evidence would show that police use of deadly force--in hitting Spencer once in the head with a baton--was unreasonable. Spencer was being arrested for failing to pay a traffic ticket when he fled, precipitating the physical fight at East Ninth Avenue and Fir Street the evening of June 17, 1989. The Spencer family's lawsuit followed a 1989 inquest that cleared police of criminal wrongdoing. The city's lawyer, Don Law, countered Hannula's version by painting Spencer, then 28 [then 28 is now 30 years old in Heaven?], as an angry 220-pounder who escalated a minor incident into a pitched battle with police. He said it eventually required eight men to subdue Spencer, including a neighbor who rushed to the scene in his bathrobe. Law said Spencer was intoxicated--with a blood- alcohol level of 0.12 percent. Spencer also had smoked four to six marijuana cigarettes and ingested the hallucinogen LSD earlier in the day, Law contended. Law maintained the baton blows generally were consistent with the need to control an escalating situation. He said the one blow that hit Spencer's head was accidental Although Hannula decline to say how much general damages and punitive damages he will seek in the case, the family previously filed a 5$ million claim with the city. It sure is reassuring that the Olympia City Attorney is named LAW (is his business partner named Order?). There are lots of problems with the police/city/Olympian's version of events. There is no mention of the reports from bystanders who said the police were out-of-control, and swearing at Spencer as he was dragged from the phone booth and beaten to death. There is no mention that the versions of events by all the cops at the scene of the beating did not match up until a few weeks after the incident. LSD is not a drug that is easily tested for. I defy anyone to come up with a test proving an individual ingested LSD within a few hours of the test. Do you think that cops brutally clubbing people is rare in Olympia? Think again! The next day's Olympian (2-20-92 pg. C-1) carries a story about one Clemit R. Deskins suing the Oly P.D. for alleged brutality over an incident where Olympia's finest delivered "a head wound from a nightstick blow and Ted Deskins received several leg bruises from the nightstick". The current article is (of course) not about police brutality, but is only concerned with the charges pressed against Mr. Deskin for striking an officer of the law (as the officers smashed him with their clubs). A sidebar accompanying the article reports that: "More than half of the dozen law-enforcement officers who attended Wednesday's sentence hearing had had assaultive encounters with Clemit Deskins in the past, according to Assistant Olympia City Prosecutor Reiko Cushman. However, defense attorney Saxon Rogers asked rhetorically how that could be since Deskins had never been convicted of felony assault of a law-enforcement officer." If this is the sort of news that makes it into the paper despite its attempts to exert information and thought control, one is left to wonder about all the instances of police brutality that occur and are never reported on. The tone of the writing in the newspaper makes it clear that these stories are only deemed newsworthy because actual lawsuits have been filed against the local boys-in-blue. Let us consider one final instance of the local newspaper in question (The Olympian) and its over-UP-age of the scandal concerning Mayor David Skramstad's filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy two days after taking office, and three months after running up over $20,000 on credit cards (during the time-frame of his campaign for Mayor). What? You never even read about this in the paper? Relax, you are not alone..... But what do you expect from a newspaper that backed Mayor Skramstad as a candidate? The only way that anyone has been able learn anything about what happened has been to read the few letters to the editor that The Olympian has bothered to print (including those from the Pro-Developer community who see nothing wrong with Skramstad's actions). Which raises the question asked by (letter writer) Laura Seurynck (2-19-92): "Should we trust a person who is economically strapped and suspected of being deceitful to be able to carry- out the duties of the mayors office without being swayed by special interests within our community?" Hmmmmmm, good question! A letter (by Steve Zodrow) printed a few days earlier (2-15- 92) questions why the only article mentioning that a legal complaint has been filed against mayor reads more like a want ad than a news story: "Why was [this] article headlined "Finding Job bears on bankruptcy" instead of "Concerned citizen files complaint with PDC?" Why is the article devoted to explaining Dave's hardships while the real issue is his integrity? Why when I read this article do I feel like The Olympian wants me to have empathy, support and forgivness for this person before I know all of the facts? Perhaps this is a carry-over of the support for The Olympian's mayoral candidate from the recent election? This type of control by the media sickens me. Gosh those are harsh words Steve! (He had better be careful...P-M-S has learned that the first $500 donated to Mayor Skramstad's campaign came from the Olympia Police Guild, not to mention the fact that Mayor Skramstad's campaign manager was Sheriff Gary Edwards...) We sure hope Mr. Zodrow has good medical coverage (or a cam-corder), or that our country installs a nationalized health system in the next few weeks, he may need it he gets stopped for a bad tail light here in Olympia! That ends our first issue. Again, we apologize for spending too much time on stupid local politics, expect more paranoia on issues of national import in out next issue. Best wishes from Dr. They and P-M-S, and remember: They are not necessarily out to get you...they may be after someone else, but that's no excuse to just sit back and watch it happen, you may be next! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Do you have a favorite news item that you would like to see covered in future P-M-S issues? You can reach Dr. They at the Acid Bath BBS (206) 456-2725, where the allwise Sysop Techno Punk lets us rest our name. We (that is, THEY) appreciate any re- typed or scanned news story complete with a citation telling where the story is from. If you are too lazy to do that, then send us the reference and our research staff will hunt it down. If you send a news contribution and want a copy of the issue it appears in, then include you name/nym and a BBS where we can leave you a copy. If we pissed you off then call and flame us. -------Dr. They =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X Another file downloaded from: NIRVANAnet(tm) & the Temple of the Screaming Electron Jeff Hunter 510-935-5845 Rat Head Ratsnatcher 510-524-3649 Burn This Flag Zardoz 408-363-9766 realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 415-567-7043 Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 415-583-4102 Specializing in conversations, obscure information, high explosives, arcane knowledge, political extremism, diversive sexuality, insane speculation, and wild rumours. ALL-TEXT BBS SYSTEMS. Full access for first-time callers. We don't want to know who you are, where you live, or what your phone number is. We are not Big Brother. "Raw Data for Raw Nerves" X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X