Info-ParaNet Newsletters Volume I Number 586 Tuesday, August 25th 1992 (C) Copyright 1992 Paranet Information Service. All Rights Reserved. Today's Topics: NSA - Crypto 2/4 NSA - Crypto 3/4 NSA - Crypto 4/4 NAICCR Report on Recent UGMs NAICCR List Jim Speiser Air&space article ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Don.Allen@p1.f81.n363.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Don Allen) Subject: NSA - Crypto 2/4 Date: 23 Aug 92 04:55:01 GMT Further, NIST was required under Section 2 of the Computer Security Act to develop standards and guidelines to "assure the cost-effective security and privacy of sensitive information in federal systems." However, the algorithm selected by NIST as the DSS was purposely designed to minimize privacy protection: its use is limited to message authentication. Other algorithms that were considered by NIST included both the ability to authenticate messages and the capability to incorporate privacy-enhancing features. Was NSA's interest in communication surveillance one of the factors that lead to the NIST decision to select an algorithm that was useful for authentication, but not for communications privacy? Most significantly, NIST also disclosed that 1,138 pages on the DSS that were created by the NSA were in their files and were being sent back to the NSA for processing. Note that only 142 pages of material were identified as originating with NIST. In addition, it appears that the patent for the DSS is filed in the name of an NSA contractor. The events surrounding the development of the Digital Signature Standard warrant further Congressional investigation. When Congress passed the Computer Security Act, it sought to return authority for technical standard-setting to the civilian sector. It explicitly rejected the proposition that NSA should have authority for developing technical guidelines: Since work on technical standards represents virtually all of the research effort being done today, NSA would take over virtually the entire computer standards job from the [National Institute of Standards and Technology]. By putting the NSA in charge of developing technical security guidelines (software, hardware, communications), [NIST] would be left with the responsibility for only administrative and physical security measures -- which have generally been done years ago. [NIST], in effect, would on the surface be given the responsibility for the computer standards program with little to say about the most important part of the program -- the technical guidelines developed by NSA. Government Operation Committee Report at 25-26, reprinted in 1988 U.S. Code Cong. and Admin. News at 3177-78. See also Science Committee Report at 27, reprinted in 1988 U.S.C.A.N. 3142. Despite the clear mandate of the Computer Security Act, NSA does, indeed, appear to have assumed the lead role in the development of the DSS. In a letter to MacWeek magazine last fall, NSA's Chief of Information Policy acknowledged that the Agency "evaluated and provided candidate algorithms including the one ultimately selected by NIST." Letter from Michael S. Conn to Mitch Ratcliffe, Oct. 31, 1991. By its own admission, NSA not only urged the adoption of the DSS -- it actually "provided" the standard to NIST. The development of the DSS is the first real test of the effectiveness of the Computer Security Act. If, as appears to be the case, NSA was able to develop the standard without regard to recommendations of NIST, then the intent of the Act has clearly been undermined. Congress' intent that the standard-setting process be open to public scrutiny has also been frustrated. Given the role of NSA in developing the DSS, and NIST's refusal to open the process to meaningful public scrutiny, the public's ability to monitor the effectiveness of the Computer Security Act has been called into question. On a related point, we should note that the National Security Agency also exercised its influence in the development of an important standard for the digital cellular standards committee. NSA's influence was clear in two areas. First, the NSA ensured that the privacy features of the proposed standard would be kept secret. This effectively prevents public review of the standard and is contrary to principles of scientific research. The NSA was also responsible for promoting the development of a standard that is less robust than other standards that might have been selected. This is particularly problematic as our country becomes increasingly dependent on cellular telephone services for routine business and personal communication. Considering the recent experience with the DSS and the digital cellular standard, we can anticipate that future NSA involvement in the technical standards field will produce two results: (1) diminished privacy protection for users of new communications technologies, and (2) restrictions on public access to information about the selection of technical standards. The first result will have severe consequences for the security of our advanced communications infrastructure. The second result will restrict our ability to recognize this problem. However, these problems were anticipated when Congress first considered the possible impact of President Reagan's National Security Decision Directive on computer security authority, and chose to develop legislation to promote privacy and security and to reverse efforts to limit public accountability. ** Cont in NSA - Crypto part 3 ** Don -- Don Allen - via ParaNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Don.Allen@p1.f81.n363.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Don.Allen@p1.f81.n363.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Don Allen) Subject: NSA - Crypto 3/4 Date: 23 Aug 92 04:57:02 GMT National Security Directive 42 Congressional enactment of the Computer Security Act was a response to President Reagan's issuance of National Security Decision Directive ("NSDD") 145 in September 1984. It was intended to reverse an executive policy that enlarged classification authority and permitted the intelligence community broad say over the development of technical security standards for unclassified government and non-government computer systems and networks. As noted in the committee report, the original NSDD 145 gave the intelligence community new authority to set technical standards in the private sector: [u]nder this directive, the Department of Defense (DOD) was given broad new powers to issue policies and standards for the safeguarding of not only classified information, but also other information in the civilian agencies and private sector which DOD believed should be protected. The National Security Agency (NSA), whose primary mission is one of monitoring foreign communications, was given the responsibility of managing this program on a day-to-day basis. H. Rep. No. 153 (Part 2), 100th Cong., 1st Sess. 6 (1987). The legislation was specifically intended to override the Presidential directive and to "greatly restrict these types of activities by the military intelligence agencies ... while at the same time providing a statutory mandate for a strong security program headed up by [NIST], a civilian agency." Id. at 7. President Bush issued National Security Directive ("NSD") 42 on July 5, 1990. On July 10, 1990, Assistant Secretary of Defense Duane P. Andrews testified before the House Subcommittee on Transportation, Aviation, and Materials on the contents of the revised NSD. The Assistant Secretary stated that the "the new policy is fully compliant with the Computer Security Act of 1987 (and the Warner Amendment) and clearly delineates the responsibilities within the Federal Government for national security systems." On August 27, 1990, CPSR wrote to the Directorate for Freedom of Information of the Department of Defense and requested a copy of the revised NSD, which had been described by an administration official at the July hearing but had not actually been disclosed to the public. CPSR subsequently sent a request to the National Security Council seeking the same document. When both agencies failed to reply in a timely fashion, CPSR filed suit seeking disclosure of the Directive. CPSR v. NSC, et al., Civil Action No. 91-0013-TPJ (D.D.C.). The Directive, which purports to rescind NSDD 145, was recently disclosed as a result of this litigation CPSR initiated against the National Security Council. The text of the Directive raises several questions concerning the Administration's compliance with the Computer Security Act: 1. The new NSD 42 grants NSA broad authority over "national security systems." This phrase is not defined in the Computer Security Act and raises questions given the expansive interpretation of "national security" historically employed by the military and intelligence agencies and the broad scope that such a term might have when applied to computer systems within the federal government. If national security now includes international economic activity, as several witnesses at your hearings suggested, does NSD 42 now grant NSA computer security authority in the economic realm? Such a result would clearly contravene congressional intent and eviscerate the distinction between civilian and "national security" computer systems. More critically, the term "national security systems" is used throughout the document to provide the Director of the National Security Agency with broad new authority to set technical standards. Section 7 of NSD 42 states that the Director of the NSA, as "National Manager for National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security," shall * * * c. Conduct, *approve*, or endorse research and development of techniques and equipment to secure national security systems. d. Review and *approve* all standards, techniques, systems, and equipment, related to the security of national security systems. * * * h. Operate a central technical center to evaluate and *certify* the security of national security telecommunications and information systems. ** Cont in NSA - Crypto part 4 ** Don -- Don Allen - via ParaNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Don.Allen@p1.f81.n363.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Don.Allen@p1.f81.n363.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Don Allen) Subject: NSA - Crypto 4/4 Date: 23 Aug 92 04:59:03 GMT (Emphasis added) Given the recent concern about the role of the National Security Agency in the development of the Digital Signature Standard, it is our belief that any standard-setting authority created by NSD 42 should require the most careful public review. 2. NSD 42 appears to grant the NSA new authority for information security. This is a new area for the agency; NSA's role has historically been limited to communications security. Section 4 of the directive provides as follows: The National Security Council/Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) for National Security Telecommuni- cations, chaired by the Department of Defense, under the authority of National Security Directives 1 and 10, assumed the responsibility for the National Security Telecommunications NSDD 97 Steering Group. By authority of this directive, the PCC for National Security Telecommunications is renamed the PCC for National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems, and shall expand its authority to include the responsibilities to protect the government's national security telecommunications and information systems. (Emphasis added). Thus, by its own terms, NSD 42 "expands" DOD's authority to include "information systems." What is the significance of this new authority? Will it result in military control of systems previously deemed to be civilian? 3. NSD 42 appears to consolidate NSTISSC (The National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Committee) authority for both computer security policy and computer security budget determinations. According to section 7 of the revised directive, the National Manager for NSTISSC shall: j. Review and assess annually the national security telecommunications systems security programs and budgets of Executive department and agencies of the U.S. Government, and recommend alternatives, where appropriate, for the Executive Agent. NTISSC has never been given budget review authority for federal agencies. This is a power, in the executive branch, that properly resides in the Office of Management and Budget. There is an additional concern that Congress's ability to monitor the activities of federal agencies may be significantly curtailed if this NTISSC, an entity created by presidential directive, is permitted to review agency budgets in the name of national security. 4. NSD 42 appears to weaken the oversight mechanism established by the Computer Security Act. Under the Act, a Computer Systems Security and Privacy Advisory Board was established to identify emerging issues, to inform the Secretary of Commerce, and to report findings to the Congressional Oversight Committees. Sec. 3, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 278g-4(b). However, according to NSD 42, NSTISSC is established "to consider technical matters and develop operating policies, procedures, guidelines, instructions, and standards as necessary to implement provisions of this Directive." What is the impact of NSTISSC authority under NSD 42 on the review authority of the Computer Systems Security and Privacy Advisory Board created by the Computer Security Act? Conclusion Five years after passage of the Computer Security Act, questions remain about the extent of military involvement in civilian and private sector computer security. The acknowledged role of the National Security Agency in the development of the proposed Digital Signature Standard appears to violate the congressional intent that NIST, and not NSA, be responsible for developing security standards for civilian agencies. The DSS experience suggests that one of the costs of permitting technical standard setting by the Department of Defense is a reduction in communications privacy for the public. The recently released NSD 42 appears to expands DOD's security authority in direct contravention of the intent of the Computer Security Act, again raising questions as to the role of the military in the nation's communications network. There are also questions that should be pursued regarding the National Security Agency's compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. Given the NSA's increasing presence in the civilian computing world, it is simply unacceptable that it should continue to hide its activities behind a veil of secrecy. As an agency of the federal government, the NSA remains accountable to the public for its activities. We commend you for opening a public discussion of these important issues and look forward to additional hearings that might address the questions we have raised. Sincerely, Marc Rotenberg, Director CPSR Washington Office ** End of article ** Don -- Don Allen - via ParaNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Don.Allen@p1.f81.n363.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ccu.UManitoba.CA!rutkows Subject: NAICCR Report on Recent UGMs Date: 24 Aug 92 21:50:52 GMT From: Chris Rutkowski NAICCR (North American Institute for Crop Circle Research) Report on Investigations of Crop Circles in the Area of Strathclair, Manitoba 18 August 1992 Following media reports about several new crop circles in western Manitoba, NAICCR representatives travelled to the area for onsite investigations. Five crop formations were discovered, one of which was easily explained as lodging. Of the other four, three were in the shape of the symbol for Mars: a circle with an attached arrow. Two were alongside a major highway, while the others were next to less-travelled farm roads. The two near the major highway were apparently made on the night of 14-15 August 1992. Rumours of the circles spread through the community, and many people went to see the formations. By Monday, 17 August 1992, an estimated 200 people had visited the sites. News media mentioned the sites in newscasts on 17-18 August, but the formations did not attract the wide publicity that other, less impressive and explainable formations had garnered a month earlier. NAICCR investigators were able to visit the sites on 18 August 1992, after a four-hour excursion from Winnipeg. Wheat and soil samples were taken from all sites. Mapping was done, though, because of excessive trampling of the formations, measurement errors of about six inches were possible. Compasses were employed, but no magnetic anomalies were detected. Both VHF and AM/FM radios were tested, but no interference was detected. Tape recordings taken at the sites were unaffected. No unusual sounds were heard, and no unusual 'feelings' were sensed. Insects were present in normal quantities at the sites. According to residents, animals were not afraid to enter the areas. At one formation, two youths guarded the entrance and brandished a sign reading: 'A Loonie a Look'; they charged a dollar to anyone wanting to enter the site. [Note: 'loonie' is a slang term for a Canadian dollar coin.] At Strathclair No.4, two NAICCR investigators decided to try an experiment in circle creation. They walked between the rows of wheat into an unaffected area and began walking around in a circle. After five minutes, they had produced a circle of comparable size to Strathclair No.4. The new circle was swirled and flattened, and examination of wheat stalks showed no breakage whatsoever. The stalks were only gently bent at a height of about one to two inches above the ground, and did not appear to have been subjected to any force. The appearance of the new circle was relatively 'messy', but after a few minutes of 'touch- ups', it began to look more like the 'real' circle. Suggestions were offered as to ways in which more even flattening could be produced. Since Strathclair No.4 was created on the night of 14- 15 August 1992, only a few days after full Moon, it was proposed that a hoaxer could easily have created the formation without any flashlights and ducked down below the level of the five-foot-high wheat when an occasional car passed by. The hoax theory is complicated by a CE1 UFO sighting over the field where the Ipswich formation was discovered. One close witness and two other witnesses observed an unusual object moving over the field and then fly away on the night that that formation was likely created. On the night of 14 August, a television program about crop circles had been aired. Residents of the area had recalled seeing the episode. However, at least two of the formations had been discovered before the program was aired. It is not thought that the television program had necessarily precipitated the later formations. Wheat samples will be given to several researchers for testing. As some cerealogists have claimed that seeds from plants inside circles grow faster/better than those from a control sample, double-blind tests of this theory will be performed. Further investigations are continuing. Descriptions of the formations follow, along with a number of UFO reports from the same time period. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920801.1 Found: 1 August 1992 A circle of flattened wheat was discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. It was 28 feet in diameter. The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise direction. The circle was approximately 40 feet from a municipal road. Known as Strathclair No.1. Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by visitors during the interim. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920808.1 Found: 8 August 1992 A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. The main circle was 28 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity. The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise direction. The formation was approximately 40 feet from a municipal road, directly opposite a circle which had been discovered a week earlier. In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle, following the lines of the arrow. The arrow pointed away from the circle on a bearing of 260 degrees. The arrow was 18.5 feet in length, with left and right arms of 6 and 6.5 feet in length, respectively. The width of the arrow was approximately 36 inches. The arrow pointed almost directly away from the road. Known as Strathclair No.2. Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by visitors during the interim. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ipswich, Manitoba UGM 920815.1 Found: 15 August 1992 A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was discovered in a field just east of Ipswich. The main area was 26 feet in diameter along its major axis and 24.5 feet along its minor axis. The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise direction. In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle, following the lines of the arrow. The arrow pointed away from the main area on a bearing of 65 degrees. The arrow was 17.5 feet in length, with left and right arms 7.5 and 11 feet in length, respectively. The width of the arrow corridor was 28 inches. The arrow pointed toward a farm road, its tip being only 36 feet from the road. Known as Ipswich. Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by visitors during the interim. A UFO had been seen at the site on 14 August 1992. See: ND Case 920814.1 in UFOROM files. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920815.1 Found: 15 August 1992 A flattened area was found in a wheat field near other crop circle UGMs. It was roughly 20 feet in diameter. Wheat was laid down in random clumps, and some sections had rebounded upright. The area was visible from a nearby road. Examination suggested the area was caused by lodging. Known as Strathclair No.3 Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation was on 18 August 1992. The site had been trampled by visitors during the interim. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Strathclair, Manitoba UGM 920815.1 Found: 15 August 1992 A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. The main circle was 24 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity. The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise direction. The formation was approximately 100 feet from a provincial highway. In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle, following the lines of the arrow. The arrow pointed away from the circle on a bearing of 120 degrees. The arrow was 16 feet in length, with left and right arms of 8.5 and 10 feet in length, respectively. The width of the arrow was approximately 66 inches. The arrow pointed away from the road. Known as Strathclair No.4 Reported to the media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation was on 18 August 1992. The site had been badly trampled by visitors during the interim. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Brandon, Manitoba UGM 920817.1 Reported: 17 August 1992 A television station received an anonymous call that a crop circle had been found on the property of the Brandon airport. Investigations pending. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Miniota, Manitoba UGM 920799.1 July, 1992 It was reported that a crop circle was discovered in a field of oats. The circle is perfectly round and 32 feet in diameter. The oats are flattened and swirled in a clockwise direction. The center of the circle is devoid of vegetation. The circle was found 'in mid-summer'. It was reported to NAICCR on 21 August 1992. ------------------------------------------------------------------ UFO Reports: Ipswich, Manitoba ND Case 920814.1 14 August 1992 2115 local time A woman was driving east from Shoal Lake to Strathclair when she saw a pair of bright yellow lights over a field to her left. The lights appeared to be about 50 to 100 feet above the ground. She stopped her car to get a better look, and watched as the lights moved in tandem, one above the other, progressing over the field heading west. As it was not quite dark, she was sure that she could see a dark object behind the lights, with another very small flashing light at its 'tail'. The witness' daughter and son-in-law were following in their own car, and they also saw the object before it moved out of view behind some trees. The object was visible for about two minutes as it progressed slowly over the field. No noise was heard. Reported to the media on 15 August 1992. The next day, a crop circle UGM was discovered in the wheat field over which the UFO had travelled. See NAICCR case 920815.1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoal Lake, Manitoba NL Case 920814.1 14 August 1992 2300 local A witness reported seeing a brilliant green flash of light which illuminated the countryside. Source: Greg Nesbitt -------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoal Lake, Manitoba NL Case 920815.1 15 August 1992 2200 local A witness reported seeing a brilliant green flash of light which illuminated the countryside. It was visible for 'a few seconds'. Source: RCMP, Shoal Lake Detachment -------------------------------------------------------------------- Winnipeg, Manitoba NL Case 920826.1 26 August 1992 0535 local A witness reported a bright green object, 'like an airplane going to crash'. The object was rapidly moving from the west to the east, but looked like it was 'going up'. The object had a 'long tail'. It appeared to be over the Winnipeg airport. It was visible for only a few seconds. Source: Anonymous phone call from the witness to UFOROM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A full report on the incidents, with detailed drawings of the crop formations, will be available in hard copy from NAICCR at a later date. The full report will be published in a major UFO journal and cerealogy journal. The Strathclair flap of UGMs and UFOs will be noted in the annual NAICCR and UFOROM reports when published in 1993. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For further information, contact: NAICCR (North American Institute for Crop Circle Research) Box 1918 Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3C 3R2 On INTERNET, e-mail can be addressed to: rutkows@ccu.umanitoba.ca ======================================================================= -- Chris Rutkowski - rutkows@ccu.umanitoba.ca Royal Astronomical Society of Canada University of Manitoba - Winnipeg, Canada -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ccu.UManitoba.CA!rutkows Subject: NAICCR List Date: 24 Aug 92 21:51:08 GMT From: Chris Rutkowski 1992 North American Crop Circles and/or UGMs Reported to NAICCR as of 24 August 1992 920426 Jonesboro, Georgia - a 'formation' of crop circles, 'exactly' like those found in 1991 in the same location, was discovered. Source: Rosemary Ellen Guiley; Vance Tiede 9204?? , New Hampshire - UGMs were found following a small local flap of UFO reports. Source: Rosemary Ellen Guiley; Vance Tiede 920506 near Edmonton, Alberta - a 'space cookie' UGM was discovered in a meadow. It is a perfect circle, 6 metres in diameter. Its depth varies from 5 cm to 31 cm. Grass is growing straight up both inside and outside the circle. No tracks were found leading to the area. The UGM is not a sinkhole. Source: Gordon Kijek 920525 Limerick, Pennsylvania - at least 12 'matted down' areas were found in a wheatfield north of Philadelphia. Three were circles about five feet in diameter, arranged in a triangle. One feature was 'T-shaped'. Soil samples taken by a UFO investigator 'showed no irregularities'. Geiger counter readings were also normal. Although a hoax was suspected by the UFO investigator, the owner of the field believes that the UGMs were caused by lodging, wind and fertilizer damage, and that 'It happens every year'. Source: Steve Bernheisel on FIDONET; UFO Newsclipping Service #275 920627 Raeford, North Carolina - a circle of flattened grass was found in a hay field following a CE2 UFO sighting. A loud noise, 'like a freight train', was heard, and two witnesses ran to look out their front door. A object 'the size of a swimming pool', 'like orange windows lla around it', was in a field about 300 feet away from their house. When they went to call other witnesses, the object disappeared. Source: Patrick Kirol on FIDONET 9206?? , Massachusetts - a small area of flattened cattails was found in a marsh close to a major highway and reported as a crop circle. Source: Tom Randolph on DEC COM via INTERNET 920701 St. Adolphe, Manitoba - nine 'horseshoe-shaped' patches of flattened grass were found on either side of a brook in a Winnipeg suburb. Because of rece storms and heavy rainfall, lodging was thought to be the cause Source: Guy Westcott; NAICCR 920705 Hobbema, Alberta - two ovals of flattened barley were found in a field after unusual lights were observed descending to the ground. The largest UGM has a major axis of 47 feet. The crop is pushed away uniformly from the centers of the patches, but the centers are 'clumped', like breaking waves. Barley inside the circles is 'white', and devoid of colour. It was later suggested that the areas were due to spilled seeds and fertilizer, combined with lodging. Source: Gord Kijek 920715 St. Adolphe, Manitoba - a field beside a highway was discovered to have numerous patches of flattened crop, in irregular patterns. The formations were discovered by the same person who found case 920701. Investigation by NAICCR and interviews with the owner of the field established that the crop had been laid down by strong winds and heavy rain. The person who discovered the formations was convinced that aliens created the flattened patches. Source: NAICCR 920721 Friedensruh, Manitoba - a farmer found a triangular area of flattened/swirled grass which was surrounded by an electric fence. The dimensions were 31x27x17 feet. Local residents could not explain the phenomenon. However, NAICCR investigators found evidence that animals had trampled the site. Source: NAICCR 920799 Pilot Peak, California - according to the Phoenix Project, a number of 'landing zones' were discovered near the site of an alleged underground alien base. Visits to the site by independent invesyigators have found only patches of grass trampled by deer and other animals. Two 'landing zones' were claimed. Source: John Pickens on INTERNET via Paranet 920799 Miniota, Manitoba - it was reported that a crop circle was discovered in a field of oats. The circle is perfectly round and 32 feet in diameter. The oats are flattened and swirled in a clockwise fashion. The center of the circle is devoid of vegetation. Source: NAICCR 920801 Strathclair, Manitoba - a circle of flattened wheat was discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. It was 28 feet in diameter. The wheat was flattened and swirled in a counterclockwise fashion. Source: NAICCR 920808 Strathclair, Manitoba - a flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars (a circle with an attached arrow pointing away from it) was discovered in a field southwest of Strathclair. The main circle was 28 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity. The wheat was flattened counterclockwise. In the arrow, the wheat was flattened away from the circle. The arrow pointed on a bearing of 260 degrees. Source: NAICCR 920815 Ipswich, Manitoba - a flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was discovered just east of Ipswich. The main circle was elliptical, with axes 26 and 24.5 feet. The wheat was flattened counterclockwise. The arrow pointed on a bearing of 65 degrees. A large, dark object with yellow lights was seen hovering over the site the night before the formation was discovered. Source: NAICCR 920815 Strathclair, Manitoba - a flattened area of wheat was found near other crop circle UGMs. It was roughly 20 feet in diameter. Wheat was laid down in random clumps. Examination suggested the area was caused by lodging. Source: NAICCR 920815 Strathclair, Manitoba - a flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars was discovered west of Strathclair. The main circel was 24 feet in diameter. The wheat was flattened in a counterclockwise fashion. The arrow pointed on a bearing of 120 degrees. Source: NAICCR 920817 Brandon, Manitoba - a television station received an anonymous call that a crop circle had been found on the property of the Brandon airport. Source: CKX-TV -- Chris Rutkowski - rutkows@ccu.umanitoba.ca Royal Astronomical Society of Canada University of Manitoba - Winnipeg, Canada -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jim.Speiser@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG (Jim Speiser) Subject: Jim Speiser Date: 25 Aug 92 05:43:00 GMT NC>From: kuryakin@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Rick Pavek) NC>Er, Jim... NC>I didn't write down your GEnie address... could you send it again? Sure, I think its just J.SPEISER. Jim * OLX 2.1 TD * Extraordinary Research Requires Extraordinary Funding -- Jim Speiser - via ParaNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Jim.Speiser@f100.n1010.z9.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: John.Powell@f601.n109.z1.FIDONET.ORG (John Powell) Subject: Air&space article Date: 25 Aug 92 08:07:02 GMT -=> Quoting Jim Speiser to John Powell <=- JP>Of course, this is patently absurd. There is no such thing as "close to JP>going off" - it was either armed or it wasn't. If it was armed then it JP>would have reduced the habitable acreage of our country by almost one JP>state and if it wasn't armed then it would have done no more damage than JP>that of an ordinary airplane crash in the desert. Except for, at least, JP>one small detail - the crash site would still be clearly and easily JP>detectable with a geiger counter, and it isn't. JS> EXCELLENT point. Scratch one more prosaic theory. Thanks Jim. This particular prosaic theory doesn't fly for other reasons as well. We've all seen "ordinary plane crashes" and no matter how hosed up the wreckage is it is still clearly identifiable as an airplane. (A wing here, landing gear there, dead human over yonder, the distinct lack of alien creatures thereabouts , etc.) If I remember, R&S have 3 cargo flights leaving with debris to Wright Field and no other significant cargo transportation in the area at the time. It seems to me that there's no way 3 cargo loads could possibly haul all the debris from a B-29 _plus_ tons and tons of contaminated soil... But even if they could why would it go to Wright Field??? John Stepkowski also passed along to me this interesting item: From the book "Ruin From The Air - The Atomic Mission To Hiroshima" (Sphere Books, 1978) which tells the story of one "accident" during bombing practice with a dummy A-bomb on March 10, 1945. "Within hours, Manhattan Project agents had sealed off the area, and were searching for the unit. It had buried itself ten feet underground. It was recovered and bulldozers filled in the hole. No one in Calipatria knew how close the town had been to being hit by a dummy atomic bomb." If I remember, R&S have the base at Roswell sleeping comfy in their beds and then dunking donuts (etc.) _not just until_ Mac decides to come into town and say, "Guess what I found?" but _UNTIL_ Marcel goes out with Mac, spends the whole day playing in the dirt, and then comes back with cool stuff that he found - something like 36 to 48 hours _after_ the crash. Quite a bit different than the "within hours" response time in the _real_ example above. The real bottom line here is that we have a poorly researched, badly written, derogatory and insulting article (in an otherwise very good publication) attempting to tie up it's self-made loose ends with the most tired of all tricks - the Anonymous Source - (wooooo...) whom; it turns out, is either a liar or _extremely_ uninformed. If I hadn't read the article myself I'd have sworn that Howard Blum wrote it... JS> Extraordinary Research Requires Extraordinary Funding Outstanding Tag. Thanks, take care. John. - ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.10 -- John Powell - via ParaNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: John.Powell@f601.n109.z1.FIDONET.ORG ******************************************************************************* Submissions infopara@scicom.alphacdc.com Administrative requests infopara-request@scicom.alphacdc.com FTP archive grind.isca.uiowa.edu:/info/paranet/infopara Permission to distribute Michael.Corbin@paranet.org Private mail to Paranet/Fidonet users firstname.lastname@paranet.org UUCP gateway {ncar,isis,csn}!scicom *********************End**of**the**InfoPara**Newsletter************************