Detroit Seen

1979 Telephone Codes

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Fifth Estate # 297, April 18, 1979

Although we got a lot of positive response to our last issue (as well as our fair share of abuse), no one noted a major error in our Hungary poster which attributes the date of the events to being “13 years ago” (making it 1966) rather than 23 years ago. Every one of us must have looked at the layout twenty times and never noticed the obvious blunder. Oh, well, we can tell people it’s a reprint of a ten-year-old poster…

Next issue the cover price of the FE will be raised to 50 cents and yearly subscription rate will be $4. With our official appearance coming now only every two months, this translates into a doubling of the price, but the old price meant that re-subscription was necessary only every two years, drastically cutting down our income from that area. Looking on the bright side, you can consider this as our part in fueling inflation and helping to bring the economy to the brink of collapse. Current subscriptions will get the full number of issues paid for, and anyone subscribing as of this issue can do so at the old rate. Also, we sent out a bunch of renewal letters to subscribers in December and are about to remove those from whom we have received no response. So, if that includes you and you still want to get the FE, let us hear from you right away please…

Wayne State University’s toy police force has announced it will deliver a series of hammer-blows for heterosexuality through a new program of surveillance in the men’s bathroom on the campus. This john-spying was initiated after a handicapped student was approached by one of these “perverts” and complained to the cops. Capt. Dennis Reefer (honestly!) of the WSU Security Department told the student newspaper that his squad would also be on the lookout for men masturbating. Our advice: If you see an eye at one of the peep-holes in the stalls, place your penis into it and start pissing…

Alexander Graham Bell, stalwart militant and phone phreak from the New York Yippies!, called with the much anticipated 1979 long distance telephone codes. The publication of these secret codes is an annual event in this newspaper as our continued retribution against the profit-swollen Bell monopoly for prosecuting this newspaper on trumped-up charges several years ago for publishing information on mechanical phone devices. Here’s the codes, but remember, last year the Yippies! were mistaken on a few of the letters: Using the 7th digit; 1-A, 2-R, 3-L, 4-D, 5-M, 6-Q, 7-V, 8-Z, 9-H, and 0-W. The RAO codes remain the same. The Yippies!’ newspaper, Overthrow (replacing Yipster Times), contains the codes, plus a list of RAO numbers as well as instructions on how to make calls. It’s available from POB 392, Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10012…

Also, for you crazed phone phreaks, TAP, 152 W. 42nd St., Room 418, New York, NY 10036, a magazine devoted to phone information, is sponsoring a “Technological Hobbyist Conference (THC) on April 22 in New York City; information available from the above address…

Good riddance to “Annie,” the insipid musical which has amused local audiences for 176 performances at the Fisher Theater. This show doesn’t even retain the social criticism of the comic strip. In the current adaptation Daddy Warbucks has no underworld connections, but is rather the friend of Bernard Baruch, J.E. Hoover and FDR. An insight into the type of audiences pleased by this cliche-filled presentation can be seen in their response to Warbuck’s eager confession to Annie: “I can tell you, Annie, I was ruthless to those I had to climb over to get to the top. Because I always said one thing, you don’t have to be nice to those you meet on the way up if you’re not planning to come down again!” Roar of approval and a round of applause. Who are those people? All honorable citizens, no doubt. Interestingly, Wednesday matinee spectators hardly respond to that line. Those audiences are almost entirely school kids. Maybe they still have some ethical principles.

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