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                             o     b     l     i     v     i     o     n
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                             n     o     i     v     i     l     b     o


                                                           I s s u e   6

                                               S u m m e r   -   1 9 9 7


 "just doin' it for the cause!"


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      Contents
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------
 -  -- ---- -

      Oblivion Speaks  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                                 Wheeler
      U.S. News  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                               Jestapher
      World News  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                               Jestapher
      YouthSpeak  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                                Avi Hein
      Are You Any Better?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                              Trippy Kid
      Legislative Update  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                            Matt Walcoff
      Protesting the Curfew  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                                     das
      Letters  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                         you, the reader
      Blocking Software  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                        Eric P. Anderson
      Reviews  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                               Jestapher
      Keep Your Graduation  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
                                                               Jestapher

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      Oblivion Speaks

                                                                 Wheeler
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      Well all, it's been a while since our last update. Let me explain. No,
 we weren't too busy picketing the atrocities that are happening under our
 noses in South America. No, my mother didn't take the car away and refuse to
 drive us to Kinkos. No... We were just kinda lazy. In a conversation between
 a guy named Tommer and Jestapher, Tommer asked, "When is the next issue
 coming out?"

      "Spring," Jestapher replied.

      Tommer looked confused. "It is Spring."

      "Really?" Jestapher asked.

      We are coming ever so closer to having the oblivion.net box up. One of
 these days, while on the Oblivion site, you may be accessing it on its own
 dedicated server. How will this affect you? Well, it won't really. But we
 think it's kinda cool. Who knows? It might have a new header graphic. If
 you're a writer, you'll get your own shell account though!

      So, although we're a little late, we're a little bigger. This issue is
 a whopping 24 pages long. We are also welcoming a new staff member aboard.
 Everyone, please welcome Pueblo Orosco, our new intern. He'll be helping out
 behind the scenes. So enjoy.

      Here's a funny story. One day last week, Nemomancer, Jestapher and I
 decided to head out to the local blueberry farm to pick berries and make
 some cash for printing. Well, here we are in the middle of a blueberry field
 at 10AM, picking blueberries and having the time of our life. We were
 telling jokes, doing impressions, making fun of all the other blueberry
 pickers, and occasionally having small blueberry fights.

      After an hour and a half, Jestapher is the first to fill the giant pail
 we each have. He takes it to the old man for weighing. "Twelve and a quarter
 pounds."

      Wait, we're making twenty cents a pound. Jestapher's hour and a half of
 picking berries netted us $2.45. We suddenly knew what migrant farm workers
 felt like. We decided to finish our buckets and leave. Before we were
 finished, some angry kid walked up to me, from somewhere in the vast
 nothingness of the berry field and said "Gimme my bucket back."

      I assured him that I didn't know what he was talking about and that I
 hadn't seen his bucket. He insisted that someone had stolen his bucket of
 blueberries, but after a while, he left and we made fun of him. "Hey, wanna
 go steal that kid's bucket?"

      We took our buckets to the old man for weighing. About twelve pounds
 each, wow. He wrote it down in his notebook. We stood around. "Ask him about
 our money," Jestapher whispered to Nemomancer.

      Nemomancer asked, and the old man said "Friday is payday." Just our
 luck, we have to come back to this evil place to collect our $10. The funny
 thing is, we never went back to that blueberry field, and we never collected
 our money.


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      U.S. News
                                                               Jestapher
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

 July 6, 1997
 Little River, AL

      Five white teenagers have been charged with setting a fire that
 destroyed a black church. The FBI said some of the suspects attended a Ku
 Klux Klan rally a couple of days before the fire. If convicted, the suspects
 could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of
 $250,000.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 27, 1997
 Oklahoma City, OK

      An Oklahoma judge has ruled that the 1979 Oscar-winning German film
 "The Tin Drum" is obscene under state laws. Police have seized the film from
 the local library and six video stores. They went to the homes of three
 people who had rented the film and asked them to hand over the tapes. The
 movie is an adaptation of a Gunter Grass novel about a young boy growing up
 in Nazi Germany. It includes a scene where the boy, aged about eight,
 performs oral sex on a teenage girl.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 26, 1997
 Quincy, MA

      "Jim," a 32-year-old deputy sheriff for Norfolk County, spent seven
 months posing as a 19-year-old Quincy High School senior and got enough
 evidence to arrest 17 teens on drug charges.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 26, 1997
 New York, NY

      A recent study shows that most adult Americans have negative views of
 teenagers, as if we couldn't have told you. Only 37 percent of adults
 believe today's children, once they become adults, will make the United
 States a better place. Two-thirds used such adjectives as "rude,"
 "irresponsible" and "wild," to describe teenagers. More than 6 in 10 believe
 young people failed to learn moral values such as honesty, responsibility
 and respect. To this, teens said, "Hey, screw you, pal."

 -  -- ---- -

 June 24, 1997
 Freehold, NJ

      Melissa Drexler, the girl who gave birth in the bathroom during her
 prom, was charged with murder after an autopsy indicated the baby she
 delivered was asphyxiated.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 21, 1997
 Tampa, FL

      A judge has sentenced three teens to 15 years each in prison on
 manslaughter convictions for the theft of a stop sign that led to an
 accident in which three people were killed.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 21, 1997
 New York, NY

      In the wake of the massive tobacco settlement, politicians and health
 officials are trying to protect children from smoking. If smoking among 12-
 to 17-year-olds isn't slashed by 60 percent over the next 10 years, the
 industry will have to pay as much as $1.6 billion a year in penalties.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 19, 1997
 Orland Park, IL

      A 16-year-old cheerleader who died within 24 hours of drinking a bottle
 of 107-proof schnapps on a dare had a blood-alcohol level nearly four times
 the state's legal limit. The girl was with friends at a party the previous
 night.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 18, 1997
 Flint, MI

      Michael Carter, 14, was shot to death after he and two friends jumped
 off a freight train in a crime-ridden area of Flint. The youths had hopped
 on the slow moving train in Carter's hometown and intended to ride it only
 about 10 miles to a semi-rural area, but went too far. Carter, 15-year-old
 Dustin Kaiser and a 14-year-old girl were looking for a pay phone after
 getting off the train when they met several young men who offered to help
 them. Police said the three teens were taken to an unlit park, where several
 of the suspects raped the girl, then beat, robbed and shot each of the three
 in the head.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 4, 1997
 Sacramento, CA

      Ruling that the Boy Scouts of America is not a business, a state
 appeals court has decided the organization does not have to admit a
 13-year-old girl. Attorney Gloria Allred, representing seventh-grader
 Katrina Yeaw, said she will seek review of the case by the state Supreme
 Court, where cases challenging the organization's bans on atheists and gays
 are pending.

 -  -- ---- -

 April 27, 1997
 Port Washington, WI

      A Wisconsin teenager who admits getting his 15-year-old girlfriend
 pregnant has been convicted of sexual assault and now must register as a sex
 offender. He could go to prison for 40 years. Kevin Gillson is 18, and his
 girlfriend said the sex was consensual. She said he had agreed to marry her
 and provide for the baby. But then police found out, and he was arrested and
 convicted.

 -  -- ---- -

 April 25, 1997
 Harrisburg, PA

      A report on the amount of violence and the presence of weapons in
 Pennsylvania's public schools shows many students attend class in an
 environment of fear. During the 95-96 school year, Pennsylvania's 3,292
 schools reported 31,597 violent incidents, including 20,030 assaults on
 students and 1,119 assaults on school employees, 274 firearms were found,
 1,829 students were arrested and 27,957 students were suspended.

 -  -- ---- -

 March 21, 1997
 Portland, OR

      Adam McMakin, a 13-year-old boy who says he just wanted minty fresh
 breath has been suspended for violating his school's alcohol policy after
 being caught drinking Scope. School officials say the mouthwash violated
 their zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and they're just trying to make sure
 things don't get out of hand.

 -  -- ---- -

 March 20, 1997
 Bremerton, WA

      Fifteen middle-school students were suspended for passing around and
 tasting Alka Seltzer tablets on campus. Luckily, the three-week suspension
 can be reduced to three days if students attend drug-awareness classes and
 counseling.

 -  -- ---- -

 February 6, 1997
 Tulsa, OK

      Police arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with three recent
 attacks on a family planning clinic. He is also suspected in two other
 clinic attacks last year. The Reproductive Services and Adoptions Affiliates
 clinic was firebombed on New Year's Day and again January 19. On February 2,
 the clinic, which performs abortions and other gynecological services, was
 broken into and several gunshots were fired into medical equipment.


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      World News
                                                               Jestapher
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

 July 28, 1997
 Havana, Cuba

      Over 700 people from the United States will attend the 14th World
 Festival of Youth and Students in Havana, despite the fact that they have
 been denied travel licenses by the U.S. Treasury Department.

 -  -- ---- -

 July 8, 1997
 Cape Town, South Africa

      Four black South Africans guilty of murdering a white U.S. student four
 years ago apologized to the girl's parents during a public application for
 amnesty from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, set up to investigate
 human rights violations during apartheid. After attending a meeting of the
 Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), the four chased Amy Biehl down after her car
 was stopped by a crowd of youths, tripped her, stabbed her and pelted her
 body with rocks. Ironically, Biehl was in South Africa trying to help end
 Apartheid.

 -  -- ---- -

 July 7, 1997
 Belfast, Northern Ireland

      A gang of Catholic youths forced a 17-year-old Protestant to parade
 around playing hymns on his accordion while they stoned him. After an army
 helicopter spotted the incident, the gang decided enough beating had been
 inflicted on the blasphemous Protestant and stole his car, later to be
 torched. This was only one of innumerable incidents that took place after a
 Protestant march was routed down a Catholic street. Reports say over 80
 people were injured, over 200 cars hijacked, tons of perfectly good alcohol
 was molotov cocktailed, and they still don't think God is content.

 -  -- ---- -

 July 7, 1997
 Thika, Kenya

      David Mutugi, 17, was shot in the chest and killed when police and
 prison guards violently dispersed people gathering for a demonstration by
 groups demanding constitutional reforms from the government. Four people
 were killed and at least five others were injured, most by beating, when
 police broke up a crowd in Moi gardens, which also has a large secondhand
 clothes market. Mutugi was at the market running a kiosk owned by his
 family.

 -  -- ---- -

 July 6, 1997
 Sydney, Australia

      A 17-year-old Australian appeared in court on a charge of trying to
 extort A$505,000 (US$379,000) from Qantas Airways Ltd. with a threat to
 detonate a bomb on an aircraft flying from Sydney to Hong Kong on July 4.
 Police found bomb-making information from the Internet at the kid's home
 when he was arrested. They did not say whether a bomb was actually on the
 aircraft, which carried 95 passengers plus crew, and a Qantas spokeswoman
 could not comment.

 -  -- ---- -

 July 5, 1997
 Hebron, Israel

      Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers exchanged stones and rubber
 bullets as Israel and the Palestinian Authority traded accusations over the
 West Bank unrest. "We are Muslim youth and we defend our homeland for our
 Koran and religion," said Nidal Mohammad Badawi Azhur, 18, lying in a Hebron
 hospital with a rubber bullet in his chest. Fighting between Palestinians,
 Israelis, and everyone else in the Middle East has been going on for
 thousands of years with no end in sight.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 29, 1997
 Tokyo, Japan

      A 14-year-old boy is the main suspect in the brutal decapitation of a
 schoolboy that shocked Japan. Experts put part of the blame on the strict
 Japanese education system. In a letter to a local newspaper, the killer
 wrote, "I am not forgetting revenge for the compulsory education that has
 produced me as an invisible existence and on the society that has produced
 this compulsory education."
      Japanese students must carry school rule books which regulate their
 lives down to the smallest detail, including length of skirts. This is
 probably why their students write rambling unintelligible letters to
 newspapers and decapitate their classmates.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 29, 1997
 Berlin, Germany

      Around 60 youths threw stones at police, vandalized cars and smashed
 windows in the German city of Halle. Police said 15 officers were injured in
 the clashes, which began at a right-wing rally on Saturday evening and
 continued at a nearby rock concert afterwards. Twelve men aged between 17
 and 27 were detained temporarily.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 27, 1997
 Enschede, Netherlands

      A teenager using a cell phone in class to run an escort service was
 expelled for using a phone in class. The phone would ring in class and the
 17-year-old, whose name was not released, would answer "Escort Service 501."

 -  -- ---- -

 June 27, 1997
 Durban, South Africa

      Four youths aged eight to fifteen were killed in their home in South
 Africa's volatile KwaZulu- Natal province. Violence monitors said on Friday
 they suspected it was another political attack in the bloody Zulu turf war
 between supporters of Nelson Mandela's African National Congress and members
 of the Inkatha Freedom Party. Gunmen wielding AK-47 assault rifles attacked
 the sleeping family Thursday night.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 24, 1997
 Quebec City, Canada

      Police arrested 150 people in Quebec's two main cities when youths
 rioted on the day of Quebec's patron saint, St. John the Baptist, a date
 Quebeckers celebrate as their "national"' holiday. One policeman and three
 teenagers were injured.
      The youths threw rocks and bottles at 500 police, who used tear gas to
 disperse the crowd. It took them about five hours to clear the streets. It
 was the sixth consecutive year that youths have rioted in Quebec City during
 the annual celebrations.

 -  -- ---- -

 June 20, 1997
 Bucaramanga, Colombia

      A pair of teenage brothers staged a bogus kidnapping in a bid to win a
 $30,000 ransom from their mother. Police, following the suspicious actions
 of the 15-year-old brother, followed him to a house across town to find the
 kidnapped 16-year-old playing dominos with a friend.


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      YouthSpeak
                                                                Avi Hein
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      No respect. No voice. No protection. Curfew laws. Drinking age. Driving
 age. Internet Censorship. Blocking software. Oppression by the educational
 system. Dress codes. Mandatory community service. Forced volunteerism.
 Oppression. All forced on youth. Young people are an oppressed minority.
 Well...
                                take a stand!
                               Join YouthSpeak!

      No, this isn't an ad for some quasi-pseudo libertarian anarchist site.
 We're somewhat mainstream (we're joining the system in order to change the
 system).

      Young people are totally oppressed and persecuted by a government that
 doesn't care. Youth have no legal standing, no legal rights, and no
 representation in government.

      This country was founded on the idea that taxation without
 representation is immoral. The Revolutionary War was fought on the ideas of
 equality, justice and freedom. Unfortunately it took many years for groups
 such as African-Americans, women, and other minorities to gain their rights.
 But they did. After a long and hard fought battle, they have gained their
 rights. Now it's time for a new revolution:

                             The Youth Revolution

      No, that doesn't mean we're gonna go and burn down schoolhouses and use
 widespread violence and mayhem. What it means is that we are going to take
 to the streets and

                              demand our rights.

      What rights? To be treated equally and have equal representation. No
 special treatment. Just equal treatment. I know it sounds really boring and
 mainstream but that's what works. 'Cause who's the one with the rights? The
 adults! Who are the only people who can give them to us? The adults! So, we
 are going to have to persuade them that we are mature and responsible enough
 to handle them. Don't ask me how this will be accomplished. But I do know
 where we need to start.

                               Join YouthSpeak
               http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/3145/


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      Are You Any Better?
                                                              Trippy Kid
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      Alone. A lone. A loner. Why do you just sit there all the time?

      You're so pale, go outside and play in the sun. I don't know how you
 could just come home and do that for hours, you should be more sociable.
 Join some clubs after school, get out of the house, make some new friends.
 It's Friday night, why aren't you out? Where are your friends? Why are you
 alone?

      Crybaby. All you do is cry. You're such a wuss. You're too sensitive,
 you let things get to you too easily. Just ignore it. Don't let them get to
 you. Don't worry about other peoples' problems, leave that to them.

      Ignoramus. Geez, learn about it before you start talking about
 something you know nothing about. You don't know what that means? You're so
 dumb. Typical of a high school kid.

      Worrywart. Don't be a worrier, nothing good will come of it. Don't be
 afraid to try new things. You won't get raped or killed around here. You
 worry too much. It doesn't matter, stop thinking about it. You're paranoid.
 You're such a baby. Don't worry about it. Relax. Calm down.

      Loser. Who wrote this? You didn't do that, did you? What are you
 wearing? Go away, this is private. You're not invited. Fishing for
 compliments? You're not ugly and you know it. Stop saying that. Uh, shut up,
 you're like ten times skinnier than me, stop fishing for compliments. Have
 some backbone. You have low self-esteem. Love yourself. Guys don't go for
 wimpy, helpless girls, they like girls with confidence, who like who they
 are. Who cares what you think about your appearance, it's what the guys
 think that matters.

      Don't mope. Don't cry. Deny yourself your feelings.

      Look happy, be nice. Try to be appealing to those around you.

      Who cares what you think? Who really cares how you feel?

      It's them that matter. Don't be yourself. Be what they want you to be.


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      Legislative Update
                                                            Matt Walcoff
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

                     AS FAR FEDERAL Update July 22, 1997

      There are a million things you can do to fight anti-youth laws. The
 simplest is to call your legislator and let him or her know your stand.
 Remind them that the party for which someone votes first is usually the
 party they associate with for life (or a long time, anyway).

      A list of senators can be reached online at www.senate.gov/~_____
 (senator's last name). For example, Sen. Ted Kennedy is at
 www.senate.gov/~kennedy. You can find your House members at
 www.house.gov/writerep/.

                Federal legislation dealing with curfew laws:

 Bill: S. 10
 Title: Violent and Repeat Juvenile Offender Act of 1997
 Submitted by: Sen. Hatch. Backed mainly by Republicans
 In brief: Encourages trying juveniles as adults and reducing gang activity.
 Objectionable portions: Amendments to the following portions of the Juvenile
      Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974:
      -Title I, Sec. 101 (11). States that communities should not be
       discouraged from incarcerating status offenders, especially curfew
       violators.
      -Sec. 204 (h)(IV)(H). Would allow federal grant money to be used for
       curfew enforcement.
 Chance of passage: Likely if H.R. 3 fails, but would probably also face a
      presidential veto, as the president opposes some of the imprisonment
      provisions.
 Committee: Judiciary -- Youth Violence
 Action: Subcommittee hearings held and returned to Judiciary committee.
 Hearings there scheduled for July 23 and 24.

 -  -- ---- -

 Bill: S. 718
 Title: Juvenile Crime Control and Community Protection Act of 1997
 Submitted by: Sen. Dominici
 In Brief: Allows for more juveniles to be tried as adults and creates grants
      for juvenile crime prevention.
 Objectionable portion: Title II, Part C, Sec. 242 (c)(4). Would create
      incentives for communities to enact curfew laws. Under the bill,
      communities would be eligible for a federal grant if they fill five of
      six requirements, one of which would be to have a curfew law.
 Chance of passage: Probably not likely, since S. 10 is supported by more of
      the Senate leadership.
 Committee: Judiciary
 Status: Still in committee, no action taken.

 -  -- ---- -

 Bill: S. 15
 Title: Youth Violence, Crime, and Drug Abuse Control Act of 1997
 Submitted by: Sen. Daschle. Backed mainly by Democrats.
 In Brief: Large bill dealing with many subjects, including crime, drugs, and
      domestic violence.
 Objectionable portion: Title II, Subtitle B, Sec. 215 (c)(1)(A). Would
      create incentives for enforcement of status offense laws. Status
      offenses are offenses that would not be considered criminal if
      committed by someone above a certain age. Under this section,
      communities would be eligible for federal grants to ensure "certain
      punishment" of status offenders.
 Change of passage: Possible if the Republican crime bills fail.
 Committee: Judiciary -- Youth Violence
 Status: Still in subcommittee.

 -  -- ---- -

 Bill: S. 362, H.R. 810
 Title: Anti-Gang and Youth Violence Act of 1997
 Submitted by: Sen. Leahy, Rep. Schumer
 In brief: Targets juvenile crime, illegal gun trafficking and gang violence.
 Objectionable portion: Title III, Sec. 3002. Would allow federal grant money
      to be used for curfew enforcement.
 Chance of passage: Not likely.
 Committees: Sen: Judiciary, House: Education -- Early Childhood, Youth and
      Families, AND Judiciary -- Crime
 Action: Still in committees, no action taken. 

 -  -- ---- -

 Bill: S. 3
 Title: Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1997.
 Submitted by: Sen. Hatch. Supported mainly by Republicans.
 In brief: Combination of several crime bills.
 Objectionable portions: Title IX, Subtitle C, `Title I, Sec. 101 (11) and
      Sec. 204 Sec. 204 (h)(IV)(H). Identical to portions of S. 10.
 Chance of passage: Same as S. 10.
 Action: Still in committee, no action taken.

 -  -- ---- -

     Federal legislation dealing with the drinking age and driving ages:

 Bill: H.R. 1268, S. 468
 Title: National Economic Crossroads Transportation Efficiency Act of 1997
 Submitted by: Rep. Shuster, Sen. Chafee
 In brief: Large bill reauthorizing transportation spending.
 Objectionable portions: 
      -Title II, Sec. 2002 (f) (`k)(`1)(`B). Would create federal grants for
       drinking age enforcement.
      -Title II, Sec. 2002 (f) (`k)(`1)(`E). Would create federal grants for
       "graduated license programs," with required nighttime driving curfews.
 Chance of passage: Unlikely, since there is a Republican version of this
      bill.
 Committees: House: Transportation and Infrastructure -- Surface
      Transportation AND Ways and Means. Senate: Environment and Public Works
      AND Finance
 Action: Still in committees, no action taken.


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      Protesting the Curfew
                                                                     das
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      10:00 PM. That's the curfew for anyone 18 or younger here in San Diego.
 Recently, the previous curfew law was struck down by a federal judge, ruling
 it to be unconstitutional. The mayor, Susan Golding, set up an emergency law
 to retain the curfew, in a politically popular move to "protect the kids".
 What whores these politicians are.

      Because the majority of San Diego sees people under 18 as inferior,
 laws were put into effect to mandate governmental persecution of this
 fearsome, unpopular, and obviously pseudo-human group of larvae. These laws
 are met by cheers of victory from both the left and the right. The left-wing
 nuts applaud the further degradation of our rights as American citizens, and
 the triumph over the free will of youth. The right-wing fanatics glorify the
 strengthening of ageist apartheid, and illusions of streets devoid of
 dangerous kids. The citizens enjoy their mass hallucinations, and call for
 even more bans on free will. Daytime loitering laws are now being proposed.
 Handgun bans. Dusk to dawn curfews. These oppressive laws will continue to
 encroach, unless they are protested.

      This brings us back to San Diego.

      Dave Doctor, Damien Sutherland, and many other members of the youth
 community have come together in opposition to the mayors new curfew law.

      It began with my receipt of a message from Dave Doctor, spammed to a
 local Rave mailing list. He voiced that immediate action was needed if we
 want to preserve our rights. He proposed we have rallies every night from
 10PM to midnight. The timing was ingenious. This is because what we were
 doing was not illegal. It was protected by our First Amendment rights. Any
 kid that was out past 10PM could simply tell a cop that they were going to,
 or coming from a political rally. A good way to protest a law is to legally
 cripple it. We found a way to do that. We have also found that people
 carrying a few flyers in their pocket can just declare to a harassing cop
 that they are distributing political material. This is protected by the
 First Amendment as well.

      The rallies began at a great location. We were at a busy intersection,
 and a very popular hangout spot. We were just a block away from the beach.
 Across the street was a huge roller coaster, and the boardwalk.

      The few days before the first rally were great. I stood around on
 street corners handing out flyers, and getting petitions signed. I would
 also give petition sheets to all of my friends, and they would get others to
 sign them.

      A local news station called me, and asked if they could come over to my
 house and interview me. They asked things like "why are you doing this?" and
 "what do you expect to accomplish?" and "are you really going to be out
 there every night?". I was also constructing signs for protesters to hold
 up. They got a few shots of that.

      The first night was very exciting. When I arrived, a news crew was
 already at the site. I met Dave Doctor in person for the first time. I was
 the main sign manufacturer, and I had quite a handful. We placed all the
 signs in the ground, gaining attention. At about 9:50, the first people
 showed up. A group of about 10 high school girls showed up. At ten o'clock,
 tons of people started pouring in. There were three local TV crews set up.
 They went live numerous times, and every time they did, the people would
 scream and shout, fighting for airtime. There were many magazine and
 newspaper writers there, with photographer counterparts. I was interviewed
 several times.

      At the peak of the rally, there were probably about 100 people there.
 From across the street, it looked huge.

      Now, we have been going for about two weeks. On the second to last
 consecutive night, No Time, a local ska band played. Although we were fully
 aware that it was illegal, we decided to have them amplify their music. We
 attracted about 175 people, just with the sight of a band setting up. The
 band got underway about 10 minutes after 10. Everybody was skankin around,
 and having a great time. A news crew showed up, and began setting up. The
 crowd grew, and everyone was real happy. Then, the cops showed up. They were
 pretty pissed, because they had harassed us the previous nights for making
 too much noise (what a stupid thing to say... we were across the street from
 a roller coaster and a busy intersection). They immediately shut the band
 down, and wrote them a citation. Fortunately, no one was arrested. However,
 I noticed that the number of police cars at the scene kept increasing at a
 peculiarly fast rate. When I counted, there were 12 cop cars! They brought
 some drug dogs, because someone was destroying the world and corrupting
 youth by smoking pot. Luckily, they didn't catch anyone. Then, the police
 started lining up, and they looked like they were going to unload on the
 crowd, or something. That was a little too scary for me. I decided that it
 would be better to avoid the weapon wielding cops, and observe from across
 the street. The cops just stood there for a long time, and nothing happened.
 I decided to take off, because I still felt that it was extremely dangerous
 to have so many armed, angry, tired cops in such a concentrated area being
 heckled by teenagers.

      So, we have now decided that by having a rally every Saturday night,
 instead of every night, we can increase attendance, and plan better events.
 We have also decided to hold a concert every two weeks at Mariners Point
 (It's where the X-games were held, and it's only a block away from where we
 were originally protesting. We have done all the math, and figured out that
 it would cost about $300 every concert. That's no big deal. We have a lot of
 enthusiastic volunteers, and if everyone involved just donates a few bucks,
 we can easily put on several shows.

      Getting bands to play would be the easy part. San Diego is well-known
 for its killer local bands. And what new band would pass up a concert geared
 for teenagers against the curfew? It's free exposure!

      I recommend this course of action to anyone in any city that is
 afflicted by curfew laws. It's fun, easy, cheap, and may even achieve the
 goal of curfew-eradication!


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      Letters
                                                         you, the reader
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------
      Hi, I'm an English teacher in Portland, Or. Saw your site: love it.
 Very well done and professional. I'm using it as an example in my class
 where my students will create their own pages for the first time. I'd love
 to talk to you about how your work is accepted up there...how you put it
 together (i.e. did you do it yourself or were the town 'elders' involved,
 etc.) Who's doing the art and with what tools? POV-Ray?

                                                                   Kevin


      Oblivion started as a paper 'zine in December 1995. We tried to give
 copies out during lunch at our school one day, which the administration
 didn't take to kindly to. A friend put the first issue online and it
 received great feedback. After our first issue and our expansion into the
 ethereal realm of the web, we became less regional and more global. The
 first issue was the product of a relatively small group of high school kids,
 and with every issue, we have picked up a few more people.

      We don't have any requirements as far as age, race, sex, etc., and we
 don't ask, so it's not possible to know exactly who is submitting articles,
 graphics, or whatever. Jestapher has done most of the graphics for the web
 version, and the only program used has been Adobe Photoshop. For the paper
 version, Wennis, a teenage comic book artist type guy from California has
 done most the covers, and he uses the old fashion paper-and-pencil
 technique.

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

      Very nice zine! But I'm afraid it might become the next target of my
 high school's firewall. I'm not sure of all that they censor, but I know it
 includes various search engines such as Webcrawler (Reason: Sex), Deja News
 (Reason: Sex Lifestyle), and Excite (Reason: Sex), leaving only Yahoo and
 AltaVista. The firewall also blocks any URL containing ".." (don't try to
 break in), and all TCP connections other than the ones supported by Netscape
 (Web browser ONLY). Sometimes, they shut down the proxy server and make all
 network connections impossible, period.

                                                             Antisaedist


      Depending on the extent of your school's blocking, you may be able to
 get around it. Try this. Find a site that's blocked (Webcrawler you say),
 then type in this URL:

      http://nanjing.spc.uchicago.edu:8001/http://www.webcrawler.com/

      This is a proxy server set up by Jim Xie in response to the Chinese
 government's blocking of "sensitive" sites like CNN or any human rights
 sites.

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

      I was going through a superweird phase in 7th grade and one day I
 decided to wear green lipstick. (I swear I'm the one who created the
 lipstick fashion trend.) Being the supercool and wonderfully popular person
 I am, many people (including some guys) hopped on the funky lipstick
 bandwagon.

      Blue and black showed up all over our school. Funky lipstick reigned
 full at my school until some wacky supervisor laid down the law, FUNKY
 LIPSTICK= DETENTION. Here I remind you that I happen to be a supercool and
 wonderfully popular person. I had killer parties to trash and no time for
 detention in the name of fashion.

      I decided to be nice about this and wrote a little essay about domestic
 prejudices. Some other airheads tried to get a petition around that included
 sagging and chewing gum at our school. Many people signed it, but get
 real!!! There is no case to support sagging and gum chewing. Had the
 airheads thought about their pitiful petition attempt, maybe some good would
 have come of it. But as it was, sorry Charlie, no comparison from the school
 board.

      I went in a different direction with my essay. I asked teachers why we
 couldn't wear black lipstick. The general answer was, "It's a distraction.
 The purpose of school is to learn. You cannot learn with distractions all
 around you." Well, hehehe, I says... why do girls get to wear pink and red,
 then? "Those are natural shades." RED--NATURAL? Dream on! "It's traditional
 for women to wear red and they've been doing it for hundreds of years."
 People have also had slaves for hundreds of years and that doesn't it make
 it acceptable in our schools. And for all my efforts what does this
 supercool person get? A detention, the one thing I was trying to avoid in
 the first place.

      I was a little discouraged with my essay's progress, but in the name of
 equality, I decided to go on. I made a list of all the things that
 distracted me and I realized: LIPSTICK IS THE LEAST OF MY PROBLEMS!!! I have
 a blind student in my second hour. Her brail writer makes loud, annoying
 noises. I can't see the chalkboard because of the extremely tall kid that
 sits in front of me. I can't do my algebra while I talk to Lisa. Does this
 mean that my rights are violated? Not in the least.

      If I want to wear funky lipstick, I should be able to. It's not a
 distraction to me or my peers. It's too distracting for teachers. (If they
 can deal with nose rings, blue hair, and weird clothes, they can deal with
 lipstick.) It seems the only people who are distracted by lipstick are
 administrators who don't deal with the kids at all. In all reality, I would
 say the absence of funky lipstick has caused more of a distraction than
 allowing funky lipstick. I knew I had a winning case, but the time of funky
 lipstick had come and gone in my school. I gradually began to forget the
 whole thing.

                                                             Stefanie D.


      Uh, thanks!@#

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

      Hi my name is kristi and I've been looking for the Teenage Liberation
 Handbook and haven't been able to find it and was just wondering if you knew
 of any book chains who carried the book.

                                                                  kristi


      Have you looked at your local library? That's where we found it.
 Libraries usually carry just about everything imaginable.

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

      I am writing to you because I think many of your readers would be
 interested in a new safe natural lotion that really does clear up acne,
 boils and cold sores, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. It's called
 Complexion Perfection. We invite you and your readers to visit our Internet
 website for full details.

                                                       Signature Omitted


      None of our readers have expressed interest in clearing up their acne.
 They seem to be comfortable with their appearance. Sorry.

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

      hi i sent like a dollar and a little note to you guys asking for a copy
 of oblivion. how long should i wait til it comes? and when are you guys
 gonna update the page? um, i guess that's it.

                                                          ~barbiekiller~


      We've been so lazy, we skipped the Spring issue (we also had a lack of
 quality submissions, but hey). We will be putting out a Summer issue
 relatively soon. Stay tuned, and sorry for the delay.

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

        I just saw your magazine on-line and have been wondering if it is
 only an on-line thing or you have a magazine on the newstand. I have never
 seen it if is on the newstand and am interested in subscribing if so. Thank
 you.

                                                                Unsigned


      There is a paper version, but you probably won't find it on any
 newstands. As with most 'zines, we are self-published, do-it-yourself people
 with limited funds. Getting the distribution and circulation needed to be
 somewhere like Barnes and Noble or the neighborhood newstand is quite a
 feat.

      We don't do subscriptions yet because we are still small-scale and kind
 of unpredictable. However, if you'd like the next issue mailed to you, send
 3 stamps or $1 to:

      Oblivion
      120 State Ave. NE #76
      Olympia, WA 98501-8212

      Oh, you can subscribe to the Oblivion mailing list and receive the
 ascii version in your email box whenever it comes out, just send mail to
 jestapher@oblivion.net.

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -

      Thank you for finally expressing some of the thoughts and ideas of
 today's oppressed youth... I, too, am oppressed. I have started a local
 chapter of the SNC (society of non conformists) and we are accepting new
 members all the time. Do not let the AOL email address fool you... this is
 just a hacked account (sorta) but it is not, REPEAT NOT, mine. I wouldn't be
 caught dead on AOL, except that it's the only internet access I have for
 now. I am thinking of starting my own school newspaper, any tips or
 pointers? It will be called, well, I don't know yet, but it will kick ass. I
 have a copy of my rules of the society of non conformists, I will email you
 a copy later. In case you are wondering, I made up the SNC, it is my own
 creation, and (in the infamous words of GOD) it is good. uh, l8r, if the
 cops don't catch me first!

                                                                Unsigned


      Starting your own zine isn't that hard. I think we elaborated on this
 in an earlier letter, so backtrack. To take a direct quote from Nemomancer,
 "Cops... heh..."

                                                                  Editor

 -  -- ---- -
                                                                        
      I will try to make the following as short as possible for Oblivion
 magazine. I picked up your issue at a bookstore in downtown Olympia. The
 following, I believe, is the only solution to the injustice of mankind:

      There are many injustices in this country and the world cause by the
 capitalist class. We are very slowly on a course to a dictatorship. Little
 by little, piece by piece is broken off the monument of freedom.

      Luckily there is a beacon of light in the darkness which is the
 Socialist Labor Party of America, that follows the teaching of Karl Marx.
 The former Soviet Union was not Socialist. Anyone advocating socialism and
 Karl Marx would most likely be arrested as a troublemaker in the former
 Soviet Union.

      Find out what socialism is from Socialists. Socialist Labor Party, P.O.
 Box 70617 Sunnyvale California 94086-0517, founded 1891 and The People,
 organ of S.L.G. email thepeople@igc.apc.org.

                                                        Milton A. Poulos


      You're pretty dedicated .

                                                                  Editor


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 - --- ------- ----  -- --- - --- ----- ---- - ----  ----- -- ---- ---  - ---

      Blocking Software
                                                        Eric P. Anderson
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      Those of us under the age of 18 are the last truly unrepresented and
 powerless group in American society. Those under 18 cannot vote and they
 cannot hold any political office. Politicians listen only to votes. If a
 group of people have no votes, they are not represented in American
 government.

      If an unconstitutional curfew is passed against teenagers, the
 legislators don't have to worry about the reprisal of young voters. People
 under 18 pay taxes, are American citizens, and they can be drafted to fight
 in a war, but they cannot vote or do anything which the government decides
 they cannot do.

      The free speech groups took the easy way out during the battle over the
 Communications Decency Act. They proposed to censor the most disenfranchised
 group of people in this country in order to protect their own freedoms.

      This easy way out was the support of blocking software. Like the
 V-Chip, blocking software is simply another way for parents to pass the buck
 onto the government.

      Unfortunately, this is all too easy for parents to do in our society.
 Parents now insist that values are taught to children in public schools as
 well as mathematics and reading. Now these same people want the government
 to enter the home and raise children there.

      Parents who want this are not only deceiving themselves, but they are
 losing their right to raise their own children. Instead of using blocking
 software, parents should be discussing the Internet with their children.

      They should be discussing and debating these issues with their children
 instead of taking the easy and dangerous way out. Blocking software not only
 blocks things nearly everyone agrees should not be blocked, but it is also
 unconstitutional in public schools and libraries.

      One excellent danger of blocking software can be seen in America
 Online's Parental Controls. These controls block Amazon.com, an Internet
 bookstore, because Barnes and Noble is a content partner of America Online.
 This is a primary example of blocking software at its worst.

      In addition, any site which presents an ideology differing with those
 held by mainstream society or even just the company that produces the
 software is blocked. This is all done under the thin guise of "protecting"
 children.

      It is apparent to me that the only thing that those under the age of 18
 need to be protected from is the protectors. Parents should be debating and
 discussing controversial issues with their children rather than simply
 isolating them from differing viewpoints.

      Otherwise, how will these children react to these issues when they
 become adults? If the use of blocking software becomes widespread, they will
 be unable to react and make decisions responsibly because they were never
 allowed to think and make decisions for themselves by their parents or the
 government.

      As Thomas Jefferson once said, "To protect the rights of good men, we
 must protect the rights of all men."

      Young people in this country must stand up make their government
 listen. They must do this before it is too late to turn back.

      Young people have the right to see differing ideologies and decide
 which ideology should be theirs without the interference of the government
 or irresponsible parents.

 
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      Reviews
                                                               Jestapher
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

 A Kind and Just Parent
 by William Ayers

      William Ayers introduces us to those involved with the juvenile justice
 system, the juveniles in particular. Rather than reading a headline about
 gang violence or young "superpredators," we see behind the headlines and
 learn about the actual children who, despite the tough-guy facades, are
 quite scared and vulnerable.

      The setting is Audy Home, a juvenile detention center in Chicago,
 overcrowded and racially disproportionate. Ayers observes the classes of Mr.
 B and Tobs, two amazingly dedicated teachers who truly try to make a
 difference. We meet about a dozen kids, and see that they are no different
 from any other children their age, notwithstanding the harsher situations,
 dimmer future outlooks and lack of freedom. They're smart and philosophical,
 reflective and sad, serious and funny.

      Nearly every day, the boys filter in Mr. B's classroom. They love and
 respect Mr. B, and he returns that love and respect. They read Afro-American
 authors, and discuss news stories, politics, their situations, their dreams,
 and occasionally the reasons they're in Audy. Alex, an old student of Tobs,
 comes into class to talk about life after Audy, which for most of these kids
 means adult prison, Joliet. A comparison of bullet wounds turns into a
 debate about death, fear and apathy. A number of chapters focus on
 individual inmates.

      Ito hates it when visitors walk through and gawk at them like monkeys
 in a zoo. His assertion that the visitors think they're all the same,
 gang-bangers and killers, is frightfully contested by Jeff. "Ito, you are a
 killer and a gang-banger." We learn that he's a poet, longing for his love,
 whom he credits with "drawing out into the light my beauty."

      Jesus wants to learn to read and write, believing that's his ticket to
 life. His room is filling up with unanswered letters, he gets a friend to
 read them to him. Ayers transcribes a letter for Jesus to copy later. He's
 in for a crime he says he didn't commit, a driveby in front of a school. He
 has in-depth discussions with Ayers on gangs, guns, protecting their
 neighborhood, loss of freedom, and about his daughter, who he's never seen,
 and doesn't want to while locked up.

      Andrew keeps a journal. He's one of five student playwrights working on
 a story about Audy Home called "Temporary Lockdown." He explains how Mr. B
 and Tobs are both like "popses" to him.

      Freddie has a long rap list, from drug dealing to possession of a
 firearm to assault. He's sure he'll beat his current case as he beat his
 cases for shooting a girl with a BB gun and hitting a rival gang member in
 the head with a hammer. He's taking Bible studies and wants to get any
 legitimate job he can find after getting out. Then, the world will notice
 him, the next Dennis Rodman.

      A few chapters focus on the history of juvenile courts, the history of
 punishment, and things of the like. While not as interesting or
 pity-invoking as the pictures of each individual kid, they are good
 background and probably necessary for the purpose of the book. It has
 reform-evoking undertones, but the vast majority of people already believe
 the juvenile justice system needs major reformation.

      Despite a few slow points mentioned in the above paragraph, overall,
 the book is awesome. No more "killer kids" headlines molding our opinions on
 juveniles and juvenile crime, we get a true-color image of the children of
 the juvenile justice system that defies the uninformed opinions we've
 already concocted.

 -  -- ---- -

 Teen Legal Rights:
 A Guide for the '90s
 by Kathleen A. Hempelman

      This is like a big question and answer book for whatever you need to
 know about teens and the law. How many times have you asked yourself "If
 teens who are too young marry in their home state are married in a state
 where they are old enough to marry without parental consent, is the marriage
 legal?" or "If a young person lends the family car to a friend or lets
 someone else do the driving, can the minor's parents be held responsible for
 injuries or property damage caused by the other driver?"

      The book is broken into eighteen chapters on certain topics, then
 broken into more specific topics, then broken into specific questions. The
 main chapters are: Behind the Wheel, At School, At Home, On the Job, On Your
 Own, Your Personal Appearance, If Your Parents Divorce, Your Sexual Life,
 Marrying and Having Children, Your Right to Be Healthy and Safe from Abuse,
 Alcohol and Drugs, Teens and Crime, Age, Race, and Sex Discrimination, Gay
 and Lesbian Teens, Property Rights and Crimes Against Property, Entering
 Into Contracts, Taking Matters to Court, and How to Find the Law. It's a
 great reference if you have a specific question, and it's great if you
 simply want to become more proficient on all aspects of teen rights and laws
 affecting youth.

 -  -- ---- -

 Puberty Strike

      I'd be able to give a much better review of this zine, if it wasn't
 "lost" in Nemomancer's house. He'd better find it soon, I payed $1 for this
 at a local zine festival.

      It covers the important aspects of being a teen, such as sneaking into
 theaters, eating those lick-a-stick candies, throwing cans of creamed corn
 under cars, old school rap and attire, the Goonies and other fine films,
 etc., etc.  It also contains interviews and stories from a bunch of
 teen-band members which are pretty phat. This zine would definately be worth
 my dollar if Nemomancer would give it back.  Send $1 and two stamps to Seth,
 2007E. 3rd St., Tucson, AZ 85719.


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 - --- ------- ----  -- --- - --- ----- ---- - ----  ----- -- ---- ---  - ---

      Keep Your Graduation
                                                               Jestapher
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      Yesterday was the final day of my high school career. It was nice, the
 sun shone much of the day. Mr. Letourneau gave us an Economics test and Mr.
 Bassett gave us ice cream.

      Last night, I ended up at Andy's party, what must have been forty or
 fifty seniors happy never to be attending another high school class. All
 night they drank, talked, sang, danced, smoked, reminisced, and drank. Sasha
 puked in Andy's backyard and I lost a game of ping pong twenty-one to three.
 Around 3AM, most everyone headed on home, or to someone else's home to pass
 out. I stayed at Andy's overnight, not wanting to catch a ride with a
 half-sober peer. In the morning, Andy graciously provided me with a glass of
 freshly mixed orange juice for breakfast and we chatted for a bit. At 10:45,
 I embarked on a forty-five minute walk to my house.

      Nobody was home when I arrived. I walked in my room and found a piece
 of college ruled notebook paper slipped under my door, a note from my dad,
 who probably didn't know I never came home the previous night.

 -  -- ---- -

 BEN,
      GRADUATION IS AN IMPORTANT FAMILY EVENT, ALSO YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR
 CLASS OF '97 GRADUATION--I UNDERSTAND YOU WERE SELECTED AS SPEAKER AT YOUR
 SENIOR DINNER?

 THIS EVENT IS IMPORTANT TO:
      A) YOUR SIBLINGS
      B) YOUR PARENTS
      C) YOUR GRANDPARENTS
      D) YOUR AUNTS AND UNCLES
      E) YOUR COUSINS
      F) YOUR CLASSMATES
      G) YOUR TEACHERS
      H) SID THE CAT

      PLEASE CHOOSE TO NOT DIMINISH THIS EVENT FOR OTHERS AND DO WHAT IT
 TAKES TO WALK WITH YOUR CLASS,

                                                       DAD.

 -  -- ---- -

      It was a heartfelt request and I understood where he was coming from.
 Nevertheless, it strengthened my feeling that attending graduation
 ceremonies would be not for myself, but for the benefit of others. After
 all, I don't want to go, isn't that justification enough for not going to my
 graduation?

      I grabbed a towel and slipped in the shower. I stood in the downpour of
 warmth for a while, then sat down, thinking about everything and anything,
 graduation, the party, the future. I started to cry. Often times I've seen
 people cry for no apparent reason, or for reasons they couldn't or weren't
 willing to express, I've seen my mother do it many times. I hate it when
 people cry for no reason. If I cry, I have a reason, or I don't move until I
 find it. It didn't take long to figure out why I was crying. "Everything is
 fucked up," I whispered. That was it, that was my reason, extremely
 ambiguous yet perfectly precise, all encompassing.

      I wasn't crying because I was going to miss my friends or family or any
 of the conventional reasons for crying after finishing school. I started to
 break my thoughts down into smaller, more specific tracks. I couldn't
 explain the reason I wanted to abstain from graduation, at least, not in a
 way that satisfied my mind. I'd told myself many things. It's for the
 benefit of others more than it is for me. It's just another silly modern
 ritual that nobody reexamines or questions. I don't need a celebration for
 finishing the rough and daunting public school system. But sitting in the
 shower, I found a reason that seemed to explain it all.

      Graduation is supposed to be one of the biggest rites of passage in our
 modern society, a transition from youth to adult. Herein lied the reason. I
 never wanted to become an adult. Adults fuck everything up. I wanted many
 rights and responsibilities granted to adults, but I never wanted to be an
 adult. Youth provided a safehouse, protection from the atrocities of
 adulthood. Not a protection from pain, but from causing pain. It seems as
 though all pain, anger and suffering can be traced to adults. Adults screw
 people over. Nobody is born saying "I'm gonna fuck everything up for
 everyone else who has to live in this shithole of a world."

      Youth is a bastion of pain, but at least it's pain of innocence. To
 realize that people try to hurt you for no reason but the love of hurting is
 a great feeling. Often times, children will believe that they deserve such
 suffering and it's tragic, but when you can recognize the fact that you
 don't deserve any of the shit you're given, suffering is joy. Pain is truth
 and anger is reality.

      Everybody wants to take that from me. They want to take what little
 pain I haven't numbed myself to and the happiness I derive from it. They
 want me to go willfully, dawn a stupid fucking cap, take a sheet of paper
 with my name on it, signed by people I've either never met or never liked,
 and give up my youth. Regardless if I attend ceremonies, I'll lose that
 youth, but do I have to give it up willfully, parading around like a fucking
 moron, happy about my transition into the fucked up world I've hated all my
 life?

      Last night, I saw more alcohol than I've ever seen in a single house.
 Almost everyone got tanked and acted relatively stupid. Andy told me that he
 was sitting alone earlier in the day, wondering why we all get together and
 do this. "I think it's to get away from pain and reality," he told me. I
 didn't drink. I tell people that I don't like the taste of alcohol and I
 don't want to act like every other drunk person acts. This is true, but it
 might be something else also. I don't want to escape pain and reality. If
 you escape it, you could forget about it forever, and never do anything to
 stop it or even worse, create more. The anguish will always be around, but
 you'll never understand that it's ruining you. When you stare pain down, and
 take it's full brunt, all the time comprehending it, you know just what it
 is. To know your misery is the first step in stopping it.

      For now, I hold on to my youth, my pain, cherishing it for all the
 truth it holds. It seems inevitable that I'll slowly slip away from that
 truth and become just like every other adult in this cesspool, but at least
 I can fight it. So fuck your trickery and intimidation. Fuck your rites of
 passage. I'm standing tall. I won't go up and shake your hand, and I'm not
 wearing your stupid fucking cap.


 ------- --- -  - ------ - -  ------ ---- ---  - ------ --- ------- - - --  -
 - --- ------- ----  -- --- - --- ----- ---- - ----  ----- -- ---- ---  - ---

      Oblivion Information
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------
 -  -- ---- -
                                                              copyrights
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

     Please distribute Oblivion everywhere you can. Do not steal little bits
 and pieces without consent from the author of the bit, byte or nybble, for
 they retain full copyrights to their work. If you just ask, they will
 probably give permission.


 -  -- ---- -
                                                            contributors
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

 editors

      Jestapher - head editor, writing, design, graphics, art
      Nemomancer - editor, writing, graphics
      Wheeler - editor, writing

 -  -- ---- -

 writers

      Amar, Antitrend, Arhat, Avi Hein, Belial, das, Eightball, Eric P.
      Anderson, Jaimee, Jane Doe, Maureen Rada, Matt Walcoff, Mr. Orange,
      Nina, Paulo, Trippy Kid, Tyche, Warren Apel

 -  -- ---- -

 art

      Jess Wyer, Wennis

 -  -- ---- -

 graphics

      Brian Kappus, Dagda, Gould, Juanune

 -  -- ---- -

 support

      <angst>, Akai, iMAGER, The Retro Ranger


 -  -- ---- -
                                                               locations
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

      mail: Oblivion
            120 State Ave. NE #76
            Olympia, WA 98501-8212
            (Send two stamps for current issue.)

      web: http://www.oblivion.net/


      email: oblivion@oblivion.net

      ftp: ftp.etext.org /pub/zines/oblivion/
           ftp.olywa.net /pub/oblivion/

      irc: #zines on efnet

      mailing list: jestapher@oblivion.net


 -  -- ---- -
                                                           review quotes
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

 "High school kids getting crap from the 'man' for asking questions and
  honing their writing skills." - Catch of the Day

 "...highly charged and varied reading." - Factsheet 5

 "They're getting better, teach'. Lighten up." - Internet Underground

 "It's nice to know that there are some kids who don't mind expulsion for the
  sake of principle." - Kevin Donoghue (from some Boston magazine)

 "Out of the angry haze of high-school turmoil and teen angst, the creators
  of Oblivion have managed to create a gripping zine that does justice to the
  opinions, attitudes, and realities of kids growing up in a high-tech,
  low-responsibility culture." - Netguide

 "Good zines, especially ones like this, are a bright spot in the gloom and
  very much deserve our support." - Punk Planet

 "It's a pretty good read." - Punks G Hybrid

 "By far one of the best 'zines out there." - We Hate Hootie and the Blowfish

 "Ax the bullshit filler, and this could be a pretty good zine." - Zine World


 -  -- ---- -
                                                             inspiration
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------

 music - Bikini Kill, Diamond Fist Werney, NOFX, Sicko, Sublime

 reading - Iris, Puberty Strike, Zine World

 design - 2600, Communication Arts, Punk Planet

 food - just add water pancakes, ramen, toast & hot chocolate

        
 -  -- ---- -
                                                                  thanks
                                                      -  - ---- -- - -------
 Amber - loaning borrowed tunage    www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palms/1804
 Olympia Networking Services - ISP extraordinaire              www.olywa.net 
 Phorce - telecom legend, conf master                     www.rad.edu/phorce


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 - --- ------- ----  -- --- - --- ----- ---- - ----  ----- -- ---- ---  - eof