To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - NBC spotlights Jesus & Mary
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 1999 21:40:54 -0500
From: moza@butterfly.mv.com
NBC SPOTLIGHTS JESUS & MARY: Pernilla August, who played Shmi
Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, plays another
virgin mother in the NBC two-hour movie Mary & Jesus, airing Nov. 14.
Hunky Christian Bale, who plays the title character in the upcoming
movie
adaptation of American Psycho, plays Jesus. Eunice Kennedy Shriver and
son
R. Sargent Shriver III are the executive producers.
via: TVGuide Insider <tvguideinsider@TVGUIDE.COM>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Aug 5, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:39:46 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
6:00 PM Eastern
HIST - HIGH POINTS IN HISTORY - History of USAF.
7:00
HIST - 20TH CENTURY - Nazis in America
9:00
DISC - SCIENCE MYSTERIES - "Electric Hands" - Scientists
study faith healers.(CC)(TVG)
10:00
ABC - NIGHTLINE IN PRIMETIME: BRAVE NEW WORLD - Artificial
organ implants; digital artists create a dance on a computer;
drum-playing robot; robotic sculptures; rocket-bearing
penguins.(CC)
CBS - 48 HOURS - "Putting Paranormal to the Test" -
People want proof of paranormal abilities; bereavement
counselors; psychics; regressive-therapy
practitioners.(CC)
10:00
HIST - GARBAGE - Evolving technology allows humans to
dispose of unwanted material.(CC)(TVG)
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today (8/4/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:55:16 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
It's not Wye, it's Oslo
Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- One "no" from Yasser Arafat was enough for Ehud
Barak to dispense with the diplomatic niceties and reveal what he
really thinks about the Oslo process. The prime minister believes Oslo
was a bad agreement, drafted in negligence, which will only perpetuate
the conflict under terms more beneficial to the Palestinians. He
disliked the deal with Arafat from the very beginning. As IDF chief of
staff, Barak warned of the "difficult and complicated defense
situation" that the Oslo agreement would create on the ground. As a
minister in the government of Yitzhak Rabin, he refrained from voting
on the second Oslo accord because of his opposition to the phased
withdrawal plan. Barak believed Israel would be giving up territorial
bargaining cards in return for vague Palestinian promises to behave in
the future. This week, as prime minister, he said virtually the same
thing. The Oslo agreement provides for an Israeli withdrawal from most
of the West Bank, in stages, even before a permanent-status agreement
is reached, and with no direct recompense from the Palestinians.
Shimon Peres believed that giving up territory would change the
relationship between Israel and the Palestinians in such a way that
negotiations on the thorny issues - permanent borders, the
settlements, Jerusalem, refugees - would be much easier. Benjamin
Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, united in their opposition to the Peres
view, tried to use delays in the withdrawals as a bargaining chip.
Netanyahu insisted that the Palestinians wage war on terrorism and
cancel the covenant that called for Israel's destruction. Barak is
trying to squeeze a diplomatic concession out of the Palestinians and
to force them to sign a permanent-status agreement that will be
favorable to Israel. Barak's demands are much more far-reaching, it
turns out, than Netanyahu's petty insistences - like the former prime
minister's complaints of discrimination against homosexuals in the
Palestinian Authority. Within six months, Barak wants Arafat to commit
to leaving intact settlement blocs in the West Bank, to concede that
Jerusalem will not be the capital of Palestine and to give up the
fight for a right of return for Palestinian refugees. In other words,
Barak wants Arafat to give up the Palestinian national ethos. In
return, Arafat is to receive Israeli recognition of an independent
Palestinian state, a slightly more generous withdrawal package than
the Likud was offering, a long bridge between Hebron and Gaza and
generous economic support. Barak has gone from one world leader to the
next trying to sell a tempting offer. Give me backing, Barak has been
saying, and I'll take the Israeli-Palestinian conflict off your
agenda. Barak's interlocutors were delighted to see Netanyahu leave
the stage and greeted his successor ecstatically. But that is a long
way from withdrawing the international support that is Arafat's
strongest card. Barak's proposal for altering the Wye agreement
violates a cardinal principle of international relations - that
agreements, once signed, must be honored. Israeli opponents of the
peace process always claimed that Jerusalem could not sign agreements
with Arab leaders, dictators who did not necessarily represent their
constituents, because their successors were liable to toss the
agreements out the window. Reality proved that argument a canard.
Israel signed peace accords with Anwar Sadat and King Hussein; today,
the successors to both dead leaders have kept the peace intact.
Whereas in Israel, every elected government tries to fix up the
agreements signed by its predecessor. In the next few weeks, Barak is
going to have to find his way down from the tree he has climbed. Even
if he does, the deep divide recently revealed between him and Arafat
will remain.
IDF says most 'grabbed' hilltops will stay
Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- The IDF notified leaders of the Yesha Council of
settlements in the territories this week that nearly all of the 31
satellite encampments set up near existing settlements since the
signing of the Wye River Memorandum last October will be allowed to
remain intact. Most of the encampments have already been approved by
the defense establishment, whether in advance of their creation or
after the land was grabbed and the facts put on the ground. The IDF
announced its intentions, which it said reflected the opinion of Prime
Minister Ehud Barak, in a meeting between Yesha leaders and senior
army staff. The IDF said that encampments established between 1996 and
last October - 12 according to Peace Now - would also be left intact.
The army officer said four of the hilltops could pose a problem: the
Shuneh encampment near Eli, Mitzpe Hagit near Ma'aleh Adumim, Horsha
near Ma'aleh Michmas and Givat Hahil near Itamar. The army made no
commitment to allow those four to remain intact. Ha'aretz reported
more than a month ago that Barak promised Yisrael b'Aliyah Chair Natan
Sharansky during coalition talks that most of the satellite
encampments would not be evacuated. At the time, the Prime Minister's
Office refused to comment on the report. Meanwhile, Barak is expected
to accede to the request of his Meretz ministers to convene the
ministerial committee on settlement to discuss the encampments.
Sources close to the prime minister said he would reject the Meretz
demand for the encampments to be bulldozed. However, the sources said,
Barak would not allow the encampments to expand without his prior
approval. During the coalition talks, the National Religious Party and
Yisrael b'Aliyah reportedly asked Barak to address the issue of the
encampments in writing. Barak demurred.
Iraq general vows retaliation for western planes patrolling no-fly
zones
Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- Iraqi air defences will soon be upgraded to prevent
Western aircraft patrolling no-fly zones in northern and southern
Iraq, a senior army commander was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
``Very soon our skies will be free from hostile (aircraft)''
Lieutenant-General Shaheen Yassin, commander of Iraqi anti-aircraft
defences, told the ruling Baath party newspaper al-Thawra. He was
quoted as saying that Iraq ``would turn its airspace into a hill of
fire to face the aggressors until they are completely defeated.'' He
did not elaborate. Meanwhile, an Iraqi weekly newspaper owned by
President Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday, appealed to U.N.
Secretary- General Kofi Annan to intervene to suspend U.S. and British
warplanes from patrolling the northern no-fly zone in order to allow
Iraqi civilian planes to fly in the area to watch a solar eclipse over
the city of Mosul on August 11. Nabdh al-Shabab (pulse of youth) said
in this week's issue that the University of Mosul would organise a
conference to study the total eclipse.
Russia hopes new NATO chief places main emphasis on diplomacy
Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- A senior official in Russia's Defence Ministry said
on Wednesday he hoped NATO's new chief, George Robertson, would put
more emphasis on diplomacy than on military force, Interfax news
agency reported. In the first Russian reaction to the appointment of
British Defence Secretary Robertson as NATO's new secretary-general,
the official said the alliance had in the past paid lip service to
diplomacy while too readily resorting to force.
``We shall be pleased if under Mr Robertson NATO relies more on
military diplomacy and not on military force in matters of cooperation
and especially in dealing with conflict situations,'' the unnamed
official told Interfax. Russia was fiercely critical of NATO's 11-week
military campaign against Yugoslavia and suspended its cooperation
with the alliance. Since the end of the Kosovo conflict, Moscow has
gradually moved to revive its ties with NATO. ``We have to iron out
some of the misconceptions that some of the Russians have about NATO's
motives over Kosovo. It is very important to make it clear that we are
not there as some kind of marching station towards the Russian
borders,'' said Robertson, a plain-speaking Scot. But he also
reiterated NATO's hope of absorbing more members in central and
eastern Europe following this year's inclusion of Hungary, Poland and
the Czech Republic. Moscow remains implacably opposed to NATO's
eastern expansion, which it sees as a direct threat to its own
geopolitical interests.
South Korean and Japanese military exercises denounced by North Korea
Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: AP
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- Longtime rivals Japan and South Korea ran a third
day of joint naval exercises on Wednesday despite North Korean
denunciations that the maneuvers are aimed at starting a war. The
six-day Japanese-South Korean drill - the first joint military
exercise between the two countries - is seen as a countermeasure to
growing military threats from North Korea. The exercises come amid
concerns that North Korea is preparing to test a long-range ballistic
missile. The reclusive regime test-fired a missile a year ago that
flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific. The South Korean Defense
Ministry emphasized that the exercise, involving 1,200 South Korean
and Japanese sailors, was for peaceful purposes. It blocked media
coverage, however, saying it did not want to provoke North Korea.
Nonetheless, North Korea denounced the exercise, calling it
``reckless.'' ``The exercise is ... aggressive and criminal in its
nature,'' the North's official Korean Central News Agency said
Tuesday. It added that the maneuver was targeted at the North ``under
the simulated conditions of a real war.'' ``We will never tolerate
(those) who are persisting in such military actions. If they finally
provoke a war ... they will have to pay dearly for it and suffer a
miserable defeat,'' the news agency said. The exercise, a mock search
and rescue of a wrecked civilian vessel in international waters, is
being held in the East China Sea between Japan's southwestern island
of Kyushu and South Korea's Cheju Island, off the southwestern coast,
the South Korean Defense Ministry said. The drill involves a
destroyer, an escort vessel and a helicopter from South Korea and
three destroyers, one patrol plane and three helicopters from Japan.
Arab rights should be equal to Israeli rights
Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- "Arab and Palestinian rights should not be placed on
a level less than Israeli rights," Egyptian presidential political
advisor Osama El-Baz said yesterday. Baz, who spoke at a meeting at
the Writers' Union, also addressed cultural issues, saying that Egypt
is not in danger of an Israeli cultural invasion, adding that a large
number of programs shown on Israeli television are Egyptian. On the
question of the coexistence of science and religion, Baz said, "There
are attempts in the west at present to reconcile between science and
religion," saying that there are no contradictions between science and
religion. He called for boosting Egyptian culture through educational
reform. This includes the construction of more schools and an emphasis
on scientific research. "The larger the cultural area in Egypt, the
larger sound democratic practice," Baz said. He urged that the
economic level of the individual be raised so that he may make
preferences among the parties and be able to test the credibility of
their programmes.
Ebola virus outbreak fear hit Europe; Germany on virus alert
Weekend News Today
By Staff Writer
Source: The Times
Wed Aug 4,1999 -- Germany was on Ebola fever alert after a man
returned from a trip to Africa bleeding through his eyes and ears. The
hospital said the clinic would need two more days of laboratory tests
to determine whether the illness - identified only as a "viral
haemorrhagic fever" - was Ebola or the less dangerous but highly
infectious Lassa fever. Until then the hospital was taking the
precautions normally associated with an Ebola outbreak. The patient
was taken to hospital by helicopter to avoid ground contact. Doctors
and nurses are wearing airtight safety uniforms reminiscent of the
film Outbreak, which depicted the dangers of a virus such as Ebola.
via: bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (8/5/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:59:37 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
*** Panel urges nuke danger reversal
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The nuclear powers, especially the United
States, must take the lead to reverse the growing nuclear dangers that
threaten international stability in the 21st century, a panel of
nuclear experts said in a report Wednesday. "The risks of cataclysmic
war between major powers have subsided, but those of regional
aggression with weapons of mass destruction have increased," the
report said. Commissioned by the Japanese government, the report by 23
experts from 16 countries painted a grim picture of a world in crisis
- relations among major powers deteriorating, nuclear disarmament
treaties under siege, and a growing probability of terrorism using
nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560578091-723
*** Eichmann jail memoirs release requested
JERUSALEM (AP) - In a 1,300-page notebook, Adolf Eichmann gave his
account of the Nazi plot to exterminate Europe's Jews, trying to
portray himself as Hitler's loyal disciple rather than a mastermind of
the Holocaust. Eichmann's sons and Israeli Holocaust researchers are
demanding that Israel release the jail house memoir, which has been
locked up in Israel's State Archives since Eichmann's 1962 execution.
Israel's Justice Ministry said Wednesday it was considering the
requests and a decision was expected soon. Eichmann oversaw the
deportation and murder of millions of Jews during World War II and
promoted the use of gas chambers in death camps. After the war, he
escaped to South America. He was kidnapped by Israeli agents in Buenos
Aires in 1960 and brought to Israel, where he was tried and executed
for crimes against humanity. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560572721-74a
*** Strip class offered at Mt. Holyoke
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (AP) - Russian literature lecturer. Mother of two.
Striptease dancer. For Susan Scotto, it's all in a day's work. Scotto,
an instructor at the all-women Mount Holyoke College, stripped in
clubs while getting her doctorate at the University of California at
Berkeley. Now she's sharing her experiences with students in a
noncredit how-to class in striptease. Scotto says exotic dancing is an
art form that pleases the dancer and the viewer. A class she offered
on the topic last year was so popular that she plans to offer it again
in September. Students in the class view clips from movies featuring
strippers, learn basic bump-and-grind moves and get to take home
props, including feather boas, scarves, fans and high heels. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560579038-e92
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - France Disowns Own Diplomat On Ukraine Y2K Risk
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 09:03:28 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
France Disowns Own Diplomat On Ukraine Y2K Risk
PARIS, Aug 5, 1999 -- (Reuters) France on Wednesday dismissed a
warning by one of its own diplomats in Kiev about the hazards
posed by the millennium bug in Ukraine, where the world's worst
nuclear disaster occurred at Chernobyl in 1986.
The French Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman, Francois
Rivasseau, said the warning "does not correspond to the current
state of thinking at the ministry".
An unnamed French diplomat based in Kiev was reported as saying
that French nationals should leave Ukraine before the New Year
holidays because of worries tied to potential millennium
computer problems.
Rivasseau denied that the diplomat had mentioned a risk of a
nuclear accident and said the comments had been made in jest and
were misinterpreted.
Rivasseau said the embassy in Kiev had issued a statement on
Wednesday saying there were "no grounds at the moment to issue
any security advice whatsoever" to French nationals staying in
or travelling to a foreign country around the time of the New
Year.
Ukraine's nuclear authorities have said the millennium bug will
not affect its nuclear plants because of their unsophisticated
computer equipment.
But independent Ukrainian nuclear power expert Serhiy Parashin
has said the plants could be paralyzed. ((c) 1999 Reuters)
http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=83441&text
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - NJ Lifts Boy Scout Ban on Gays
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 09:08:44 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
New Jersey Lifts Boy Scout Ban On Gays
TRENTON, NJ (MCNS) -- The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled
Wednesday that the Boy Scouts' decision to expel homosexual Boy
Scout leader, James Dale, is illegal under the state's anti-
discrimination law. The decision upholds a state appellate court
decision rendered early last year. Because the Boy Scouts of
America has a broad-based membership and forms partnerships with
public entities and public service organizations, the court said
the Boy Scouts constitute a "place of public accommodation" and
therefore has no right to deny any person "accommodations,
advantages, facilities and privileges" because of sexual
orientation. Dale, now 29, earned 30 merit badges and various
other awards and was an Eagle Scout during his 12 years in the
organization. He was expelled in 1990. A lower court judge ruled
in the Scouts' favor in 1995, calling homosexuality "a serious
moral wrong" and agreeing with the Boy Scouts that the group is
a private organization and has a constitutional right to decide
who can belong. Dale said his birthday was Monday, and "this is
the best birthday present I could have asked for. The Supreme
Court of New Jersey is wonderful. This is exactly what scouting
has taught me -- to believe in the system and that justice will
prevail." "This decision essentially dissolves the Boy Scouts in
New Jersey," Family Research Council's Chief Spokesperson Janet
Parshall said Wednesday. "There is nothing that prohibits a girl
from becoming a Boy Scout, a woman from being a Boy Scout leader
- even a member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association
from participating in this group. The state Supreme Court has
defined the Boy Scouts as nothing more than a hotel, hospital or
restaurant. All must be accommodated, regardless of beliefs."
George Davidson, an attorney for the Boy Scouts, told The
Associated Press that this is the first time the group had lost
such a case in a state's highest court. He had argued the group
has a right to pick its own leaders without interference from
"an all-powerful state." "To us, the silver lining is it gives
Boy Scouts the first opportunity to go the U.S. Supreme Court
and get a definitive ruling to put an end to these lawsuits,''
he said. The Boy Scouts have decided to appeal the case to the
United States Supreme Court. Last November, the Court refused to
hear the appeal of a California man ousted as a Boy Scout leader
because he is gay. It was the first such case to reach the court
this decade.
(c 1999, Maranatha Christian News Service)
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3302.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Eclipse urls
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 09:22:50 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Weather phenomena:
http://www.meto.govt.uk/eclipse/wxarticle/index.html
The sights and animal behavior during eclipse:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05aug99_1.htm
The sounds of the eclipse:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast04aug99_1.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Iraq Turns Clock Back for Solar Eclipse
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 09:28:26 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Iraq Turns Clock Back for Solar Eclipse
BAGHDAD (AFP) -- Iraq is turning to ancient methods to allow
its people to glimpse the century`s last solar eclipse because,
under the current international sanctions, they can not afford
the necessary protective glasses.
The advice from Iraqi ophthalmologists, for those who refuse to
miss out on the rare event, is to view the phenomenon through
glass which has been blackened by soot from a burning candle, a
method which turns the clock back.
Another technique recommended in Iraqi newspapers to protect
the retina from the sun`s potentially blinding infra-red
radiation is to watch the August 11 eclipse reflected in water.
Sales of tubs and buckets have reportedly surged.
"My children are undisciplined and, short of locking them up
inside, it would be hard for me to stop them looking at the
eclipse. So we may as well all take a look together, but in the
water," said handyman Ahmad Falah.
The university of Mosul in northern Iraq, meanwhile, has
promised to produce and distribute as many makeshift glasses as
it can out of sheets used for welding masks.
"Best view"
Iraq boasts it will have the planet`s "best view" of the
eclipse from the Mosul region, but ophthalmologists have been
urging the 22-million population not to look directly at the sun.
The total eclipse will last two minutes from 3:47 p.m. (1147
GMT) in Mosul, turning day into night, according to Iraq`s
media. The whole event as the moon passes between the sun and
earth is expected to last two-and-a-half hours.
Protective glasses are not on sale in Iraq, which has been
under an international embargo ever since its August 1990
invasion of Kuwait. Even if they were, few people would be able
to afford them at a price of one dollar a piece.
Iraq, where the average monthly salary of a government employee
is only five dollars, is organizing a special conference on the
eclipse from August 9 to 11 at Mosul University.
An observation camp is being set up by the university for
scientists and enthusiasts, while special religious services are
to be held in the town on the day.
Mosul last witnessed a total eclipse 85 years ago, in 1914, the
official news agency INA said.
In Jordan
In neighboring Jordan, eye specialists in public hospitals will
be on duty on August 11, which the cabinet has decided will be a
public holiday. People have been advised to watch the event on TV.
In Yugoslavia
In a similar case to Iraq, war-ravaged Yugoslavia is also
telling people to stay indoors.
Cheap disposable glasses with dark lenses have been put on sale
or distributed for free among countries from Britain to the
Balkans.
http://www.arabia.com/content/living/8_99/eclipse_5.shtml
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Beeps Replace Jews in Jordan
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 12:23:34 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
BEEPS REPLACE JEWS IN JORDAN
The five year-old Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan is not yet
manifest over Jordanian airwaves. All references to Jews and Judaism
on a recent Jordanian rerun of the American television show "E.R."
were beeped out. A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry told
Arutz-7 that officials would look into the matter, though "it is
possible that the show was not censored by Jordan itself, but was sent
to the country already pre-censored." Arutz-7 faxed a query on the
matter to Jordan's Ambassador in Israel, citing a clause in the 1994
Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan entitled "Mutual Understanding
and Good Neighborly Relations." The clause stipulates that "The
Parties will seek to foster mutual understanding and tolerance based
on shared historic values, and accordingly undertake to abstain from
hostile or discriminatory propaganda against each other..."
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Thursday, Aug. 5, 1999 / Av 23, 5759
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - New Y2K Branch Adds Extra Layer of Protection
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 19:18:45 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
By Paul Stone
American Forces Information Service
WASHINGTON -- The space in the Arlington, Va., office
complex is mostly empty right now -- wired -- but still
awaiting people, phones, computers and other equipment. By
early September, the emptiness will be transformed into a
hub of activity as DoD's Year 2000 Decision Support
Activity comes on line.
The DSA is designed to serve as a focal point for
monitoring defense infrastructures, such as
telecommunications, power and transportation systems. It
will also address any problems that may occur during the
Y2K date transition, according to Jeff Gaynor, director of
Year 2000 Operations in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications
and Intelligence, where the DSA is located.
Once fully staffed with a core group of about 25 personnel,
the activity will focus on three key areas.
First, the DSA will monitor DoD's cyber systems and
physical infrastructures, Gaynor said. It will track
reports of potential infrastructure problems and inform
Defense Secretary William's Cohen's Executive Support
Center, which is responsible for coordinating any further
action needed. Gaynor said monitoring DoD's systems will
help assessment efforts and ensure problems are addressed
before they can adversely affect DoD operations.
Second, by monitoring global and national news sources, the
DSA will track throughout the world where problems may be
occurring. Gaynor said the information-gathering effort
will help differentiate problems that routinely occur in
some systems from those that may be caused by the Year 2000
date transition. He noted that such information will help
DoD identify events that may or may not need the
department's assistance.
"We [DoD], like any organization that uses and is dependent
on modern information and infrastructure technologies,
experience system problems," Gaynor said. "Our focus is on
those problems that may have an impact on the department's
operations. If we learn an area is experiencing power
outages, that's good information. But if those outages can
be managed by local or state authorities, that's better
information." He noted refined information will help DoD
more efficiently apply its resources.
Third, in order to ensure requests for DoD's assistance are
accurately received and processed, the DSA will operate a
small "Call Center." The center will receive requests for
foreign or domestic assistance made by the Department of
State or Federal Emergency Management Agency. The DSA will
document the requests and forward them to the Executive
Support Center. The center's personnel will coordinate the
request with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the
Joint Staff and the Army's director of military support.
The center will then forward the results of its
coordination to the department's leadership for approval.
Gaynor said that "there are some who view DoD's Y2K
preparations as somehow ominous. But given the American
military's history and DoD's national security
responsibilities, it's simply our culture to be ready."
In contrast to some of the hype surrounding Y2K, Gaynor
said that "the biggest problems we're likely to face are
those created by the effects of overreaction to Y2K."
Related Site of Interest:
http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/y2k/home.htm
Confronting Y2K
via: Press Service <afisnews_sender@DTIC.MIL>
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Distant Pioneer Needs New Home
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 19:28:47 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Distant Pioneer Needs New Home by Simon Mansfield
Wayout - August 4, 1999 - The first interstellar explorer
Pioneer 10, is alive and well as it's plutonium battery
continues to feed a trickle of energy from its decaying core. On
July 10 Pioneer 10 was commanded to make a precession maneuver
that will keep it's antenna aligned towards Earth until at least
September, when it will start to drift aimlessly unless funding
is found.
With the Lunar Prospector operations team winding down, the
opportunity to continue some basic station keeping of Pioneer 10
will soon lapse. Since 1997, the Lunar Prospector mission team
has used Pioneer 10 as a training operation, enabling ongoing
precession maneuvers to keep the spacecraft aligned for NASA's
Deep Space Network.
However, if control is lost, Pioneer 10 will drift into
eternity carrying only its etched gold card that may one day
point someone to Sol. The spacecraft as of August 1, was 73.16
AUs relative to the Sun or some 11 billion kilometers from Earth
while moving at 12.24 km/sec or 27,380 mph. The current round
trip light time is now over 20 hours 25 minutes.
While Pioneer 10's antenna continues to point towards Earth and
the telemetry quality remains okay it will be possible to
operate Pioneer 10 into September. Tracking is on the 70 meter
antennas only. The signal level is between -177 to -179 dbm,
with SNR from 0.8 to 1.5 dB.
The other issue is of course the RTG pack, which currently has
a bus voltage of around 27.5 volts (nominal value = 28 volts).
But this power is still sufficient for limited science with
Pioneer 10 returning data a few hours each week from the low-
power Geiger-Tube-Telescope and the Charged Particle Instrument.
Continuing GTT data from Pioneer 10 during the first part of
1999 has been of of special importance in determining whether or
not Pioneer 10 is still interior to the heliopause.
Neutron monitors on Earth at Climax and Goose Bay recorded a
marked and rapid decrease in cosmic ray intensity of about 4 %
during April and early May of 1998. If Pioneer 10 is still
inside the heliopause, we can expect a decrease in cosmic-ray
intensity at Pioneer 10 to occur during 1999.
The approximate 9 month delay from Earth to Pioneer 10
corresponds to the distance of ~72 AU covered by the solar wind
assuming a speed of 450 km/s. If Pioneer 10 has passed outside
the heliopause into interstellar space, then the decrease in
cosmic intensity will not be observed at Pioneer 10.
Pioneer 10 will continue into interstellar space, heading
generally for the red star Aldebaran, which forms the eye of
Taurus (The Bull). Aldebaran is about 68 light years away and it
will take Pioneer over 2 million years to reach it.
http://spacedaily.com/spacecast/news/pioneer10-99a.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Aug 6, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 08:31:57 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
6:00 PM Eastern
HIST - HIGH POINTS IN HISTORY - History of USAF.
7:00
HIST - 20TH CENTURY - Washington Scandals
8:00
DISC - ERECTING A GIANT - North American oil rig Hibernia
pushes the limits of technology.(CC)(TVG)
HIST - THE PLOT TO OVERTHROW FDR - Financiers and
industrialists plot to create a fascist
state.(CC)(TVG)
9:00
DISC - DISCOVERY NEWS - (CC)
HIST - ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN **** (Drama, 1976) --
The Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein tie the
Watergate break-in to the White House.
TLC - GREATEST PARTY: MARDI GRAS - Carnival
organizers and public safety officials get ready in New
Orleans.(CC)(TVG)
10:00
TLC - THE BODY CLOCK - Human perception of time
differs from the daily 24-hour cycle.(CC)(TVG)
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Christian Science Monitor News items (8/5/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 08:45:38 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
British minister will become 10th NATO chief since 1952
At this writing, no firm date had been set for British Defense
Secretary George Robertson to succeed Spain's Javier Solana as NATO
secretary-general. Robertson was a fairly late candidate for the post.
Once Solana was chosen to be European Union high representative for
foreign and security affairs, speculation centered on German Defense
Minister Rudolf Scarping. But Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
insisted he remain in domestic politics. The men who've served as NATO
secretary-general:
Lord Ismay (Britain) 1952-57
Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium) 1957-61
Dirk Stikker (Netherlands) 1961-64
Manlio Brosio (Italy) 1964-71
Joseph Luns (Netherlands) 1971-84
Lord Carrington (Britain) 1984-88
Manfred Wörner (Germany) 1988-94
Willy Claes (Belgium) 1994-95
Javier Solana (Spain) 1995-99
- Reuters
The senate overwhelmingly confirmed the appointment of Richard
Holbrooke as the next US ambassador to the UN. The approval of
Holbrooke, the main architect of the 1995 peace accord that ended the
war in Bosnia, was held up for 14 months by ethics questions that were
eventually cleared up and also by some procedural squabbles that had
nothing to do with Holbrooke.
British Airways began giving some passengers an "e-book" of
up-to-the-minute news. The device, made by California-based Nuvomedia,
resembles a PalmPilot, but is slightly larger at 6 inches by 7 inches,
for easy reading. The news - from such sources as the Wall Street
Journal, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, and Reuters - is loaded
just prior to a plane's departure. The trial is limited to Chicago,
but the device could show up soon at the 22 other US airports used by
the carrier, if found to be popular.
Fueled by higher tax collections, Russia ran a budget surplus of $51
million in July, a rare bit of good economic news that took many
observers by surprise. In another positive development, the Central
Bank said Russia's hard-currency reserves rose from $11 billion to
$11.9 billion last week. Reserves have been declining over the past
two years, and the government has missed several debt payments.
via: "Free-Mail Subscription"
<freemail-support@csmonitor.com>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - China News Digest items (8/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 08:59:05 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Chinese Soldiers Volunteer for Warfare Against Taiwan Separation
[CND, 08/05/99] Nearly 10,000 Chinese military officers and soldiers
have written to the Central Military Commission, volunteering their
services in the "liberation warfare" against Taiwan, the South China
Morning Post reported Wednesday.
However, the top leadership has yet to decide on whether to take
military or quasi-military action, such as war games, against the LEE
Teng-hui administration, according to a military source.
Such a decision will probably be reached at a series of leadership
meetings at Beidaihe, Hebei Province, which are expected to run into
the middle of the month, the newspaper said. (Kewen ZHANG, WU Yiyi)
Beijing Wages All-Out Battle Against Cults and Crimes
[CND, 08/05/99] President JIANG Zemin has ordered an all-out campaign
against cults, criminals, and underground political organizations to
ensure "absolute stability" before the National Day on October 1st,
the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
The campaign is led by at least three Politburo members, including
Vice-Premier LI Lanqing, Vice President HU Jintao and State Councilor
LUO Gan.
According to a security source, the campaign against the Falungong
sect would last for a month and consist of three stages. The first two
stages focus on how the Falungong sect has threatened national
stability and brought disasters to people. The last stage is said to
consist of mass arrests of sect's organizers to ensure it ceases to be
a threat to the government.
Police would also crack down on an estimated 7,000 underground
criminal gangs. Meanwhile, Beijing is expected to continue the
crackdown on illegal political organization, such as the China
Democracy Party. It is said that the state security has discovered new
underground political units. Jiang is taking no chances that the
October 1st ceremony be sabotaged by anti-government elements.
Combating organized crime is this year's theme. (Shiji SHEN, WU Yiyi)
France Tests Modified Mirage Jet in Taiwan
[CND, 08/05/99] A modified Mirage 2000-5 jet has recently been flown
from France to Taiwan's Hsinchu air force base for testing, AFP
reported on Tuesday.
Taiwan's Mirage pilots have been troubled by mist in the cockpits
since the first Mirage 2000-5s were put into service in 1997. The mist
is thought to be caused by Taiwan's humid weather. The testing is part
of the French aircraft maker's efforts to solve the problem.
By a 1992 deal worth US$3.8 billion, France would eventually sell
Taiwan 60 Mirages. (Jianmin LI, YIN De An)
via: CND-Global Editors <cnd-editor@cnd.org>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Aussie Police See Risk of Cult Mass Suicide
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 09:00:58 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Australian Police See Risk Of Cult Mass Suicide
By Diana Taylor
BRISBANE (Reuters) - Police are monitoring a religious sect in the
Australian state of Queensland amid rumors it is preparing a
Jonestown-style mass suicide, a spokesman said Friday.
Sect leader Debra Geileskey has written in a published diary that she
had a vision revealing she would be dragged from a wooden two-story
building, tied to a pile of sticks and set on fire by a priest on
September 9. Friday, she denied that she had any plans to initiate
violent deaths, saying her vision had been misinterpreted.
Queensland police spokesman Brian Swift told Reuters: ``We are aware
of the rumors and have put contingency plans in place in case there
are any problems on that day.''
In 1978, Jim Jones, a U.S. pastor, led hundreds of his followers to
their deaths at Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking a cyanide-laced fruit
drink.
Queensland Catholic priest Father John Ryan said police had sought
permission to set up a command post in the church hall next door to
the building used by the group in Helidon, near Brisbane.
September 9 -- 9.9.99. -- has attracted both practical and religious
cult attention worldwide, in part because of the implications for
computers and the so-called Millennium bug. Four nines were used as a
cut-off code in some older computer programs.
Geileskey's sect, the Magnificat Meal Movement, broke away from the
Catholic Church three years ago after she said she had received
visions and prophecies from angels and the Virgin Mary.
Its name refers to the Magnificat, a prayer attributed to the Virgin
Mary, and to the symbolic meal of the Eucharist.
In her latest newsletter, published on her Web site, Geileskey
compares herself to the French saint Joan of Arc, who was burned at
the stake as a heretic in the 15th century and later canonized.
``She (Geileskey) has made public statements to the community that she
would die on that day and that others would be martyred with her,''
said Michelle Stewart, director of the company Our Lady's Mount Pty
Ltd, which owns the sect's headquarters building.
Geileskey said she would be celebrating the September 8 festival of
the birthday of the mother of Christ that week.
``The Catholic Church and others want to create as much fraud and lies
about me as they can to discredit us and stop our work,'' Geileskey
told Reuters. ``These rumors are absolutely not true.''
Catholic Bishop William Morris has urged churchgoers in an open letter
to avoid the sect, which Geileskey said had branches in 73 countries
and a following of five million people.
Father Ryan said the sect in Helidon comprised about 50 families and
was decreasing in numbers.
:http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/wl/story.html?s=v/nm/19990806/wl/aust
ralia_se ct_1.html
via: End_Times_News@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (8/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 09:04:05 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
*** Update: Kurd rebels agree to leave Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Kurdish rebels accepted a cease-fire call by
their imprisoned leader, saying Thursday they would withdraw from the
battlefields of southeast Turkey. Abdullah Ocalan, sentenced to death
in June, urged his followers Tuesday to unilaterally pull out of
southeast Turkey by Sept. 1 to open the way for dialogue with the
government. "Our party openly declares its full compliance with
comrade president Ocalan's call and it will carry out its activities
on this basis," the guerrillas said Thursday. It would be the rebels'
first retreat from their mountain hideouts in the 15-year battle
between their Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and Turkey's military.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560589543-77a
*** Germans quarantined in Ebola scare
BERLIN (AP) - Security guards with dogs patrolled outside a Berlin
hospital Thursday as doctors inside - outfitted in astronaut-like
protective clothing - waited to find out if a man quarantined there
has the deadly Ebola virus. Doctors fear the 40-year-old German
cameraman could have contracted the highly contagious virus or a
related disease while on a research trip to West Africa. He was
disoriented and suffering from kidney and liver damage, a hospital
spokesman said. Meanwhile, the biologist who accompanied the sick man
to the Ivory Coast was quarantined in the east German city of Jena.
The Bild newspaper reported that the sick man's wife had also been
restricted to her home near Frankfurt/Oder and would not be permitted
to leave the property. Neither she nor the biologist have symptoms of
the illness, the report said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560589485-c04
*** Stalin's grandson elected in Georgia
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - The late Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's
grandson was named Thursday to lead an alliance of communists and
other leftist groups in campaigning for October's parliamentary
elections. Yevgeny Dzhugashvili, 63, was elected the head of the
Popular Patriotic Union, a coalition of seven parties and movements.
Dzhugashvili, a retired Soviet army colonel, already leads a Stalin
Bloc that unites extremist political groups from Georgia, Russia and
several other former Soviet republics. The new alliance isn't expected
to have a strong showing in Oct. 31 elections. Its main goal is to
overcome a legal barrier of 7% of the total vote needed to qualify for
places in parliament. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560589569-5db
*** Palestinians seek U.S. help on Wye
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Palestinians have asked the United States to
referee a dispute with Israel over implementation of a
land-for-security deal signed last year, the chief Palestinian
negotiator said Thursday. Saeb Erekat said Palestinian officials had
telephoned U.S. mediator Dennis Ross and "asked for their help." The
Palestinians have rejected proposals by Prime Minister Ehud Barak to
delay a handover of West Bank territory mandated by the Wye River
accord, which was signed at the White House last October by
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and then-Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. Erekat said he spoke with U.S. officials Wednesday and
asked them to "ensure the precise and accurate implementation of the
agreement." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560591541-84f
*** Life expectancy at 76.5 years
ATLANTA (AP) - Americans' life expectancy was 76.5 years in 1997, up
from 76.1 the year before as death rates from HIV, heart disease,
cancer, stroke and homicide declined. White women had the highest life
expectancy at 79.9 years, followed by black women (74.7), white men
(74.3), and black men (67.2), according to statistics released
Thursday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The gap between whites and blacks was down from 6.6 years in 1996 to 6
in 1997. Between men and women, the gap narrowed from 6 years to 5.8
during the same period. The CDC said 2,314,245 people died in the
United States in 1997. That was 445 fewer than a year earlier. ### ***
Alsao: Heart disease, stroke deaths down, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560592303-099
*** Plant evolution theories challenged
ST. LOUIS (AP) - The plant and animal kingdoms actually represent five
distinct groups, according to scientists who announced discoveries
that fundamentally alter long-standing theories about the evolution of
plants. Researchers presented data showing that green plants, red
plants and brown plants (mostly algae and seaweeds), evolved from
three different one-celled plants, and so deserve to be considered
individual kingdoms. The researchers are among 200 scientists from 12
countries involved in the "Deep Green" project, a five-year effort to
reconstruct the evolutionary tree of life for green plants. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560581471-23d
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Misc News items (8/5/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 09:11:14 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
EU UPSET OVER NSA SURVEILLANCE REVELATIONS
August 5, 1999
The L.A. Times reported: "Europe is discretely gearing up for
one of the most interesting legal battles in its history. At
stake is the future of the world's most secretive intelligence
organization, America's National Security Agency. The NSA is
in the business of eavesdropping on the world's
communications networks for the benefit of the United States.
In doing so, it has built a vast spying operation that reaches
into the telephone systems of nearly every country. Its operations are
so secret that this activity, outside the U.S., occurs without any
democratic oversight and without any legal basis. Over the past year,
members of the European Parliament have learned, to their
astonishment, that the NSA, in collusion with the British government,
has created the means to intercept almost every fax, e-mail and
telephone call within the European Union. The revelation has irritated
governments throughout Europe, culminating in a current Italian
judicial inquiry into the legality of the NSA's activity. Sketchy
details of the NSA's spying in Europe had been common currency here
for decades but had never been formally acknowledged. Attempts by
British MPs had for decades been ignored..."
CHINA'S MILITARY RECRUITS FORCE OF COMPUTER HACKERS
August 5, 1999
Newsbytes.com reported: "The Chinese military is looking for
a few good men - to be trained in the art of government sponsored
hacking over the Internet. According to a report by asia.internet.com,
Daily newspaper, a 'mouthpiece' of China's Peoples Liberation Army,
recently called for the development of a hacking (more commonly called
"cracking") capability made up of civilian experts and specially
trained military personnel that could engage in online and Internet
warfare. Problems have been steadily escalating recently between the
Chinese government and elements critical of the regime. NATO's bombing
of the China government's Belgrade Embassy in the recent conflict in
the Kosovo region, was followed by a number of incidents where
crackers obtained unauthorized access to several US government sites.
The Liberation Army Daily then claimed US hackers countered with
unauthorized access to a number of civilian sites in China. This, in
turn, apparently led to the military's call for hacker training for
select personnel..."
FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC REPORTS ANTHRAX OUTBREAK
August 5, 1999
USA Today reported yesterday: "Twenty people have been infected
with anthrax in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan, and
more than 250 others have been exposed to the disease, a news
agency reported Tuesday. Earlier, Kyrgyz authorities had said
that 700 workers were involved in butchering
cattle that were sick with anthrax, but Health Ministry officials now
say 270 people had contact with the infected meat. The government has
imposed a state of emergency in southern regions of Kyrgyzstan, and
regional authorities have been told to tighten control over the
slaughter of animals and sale of meat, the news agency said. The
bacteria that causes anthrax is common among domesticated livestock
and can be transferred widely feared as an agent in biological
warfare, and can cause skin lesions, ulcers and respiratory
difficulty."
NEW NATO HEAD AIMS TO INCREASE NATO POWER
August 5, 1999
The London Telegraph reported today: "George Robertson, the[British]
Defense Secretary, was last night confirmed as the next Secretary
General of NATO. He immediately promised to enhance the military
capabilities of European nations within the 19-member Alliance. But he
denied that this would mean the creation of some sort of European army
and said an Alliance with a strong transatlantic contribution from the
United States remained the cornerstone of Europe's defence=E0.Mr
Robertson said that Europe in total spends about 66 per cent of what
America spends on defence but has only about 15 per cent of the
capability. It was one of his main aims to change this."
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS STILL NOT READY FOR Y2K PROBLEMS
August 5, 1999
Wired News reported: "The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
said Wednesday that 30 nuclear power plants still needed to
upgrade their computers to be immune from the so-called millennium
bug, but described remaining problems as not serious...=C6At this time,
we believe that all licensees will be able to operate their plants
safely during the transition from 1999 to 2000, and we do not
anticipate the need from the NRC to direct any plant-specific action,=C6
Dicus said. She said the agency expected that only six plants would
have Y2K work remaining by November 1...Lawmakers on the committee
warned that allowing such a late deadline might not leave enough time
to correct any unexpected problems at the six plants... But Dicus said
two of the facilities, the D.C. Cook plants in Berrien County,
Michigan, were in an extended plant shutdown and had only minor work
remaining which should be completed by December 15.The other four
plants would require outages to complete their computer work, she
said. Those plants are the Brunswick Unit 1 near Wilmington, North
Carolina; Comanche Peak Unit 1 in Sommervell County, Texas; Salem Unit
1 in Salem County, New Jersey; and Farley Unit 2 near Dothan, Alabama.
The Alabama plant has a deadline of December 16."
via: "Pre-trib only" <Rapture@listbot.com>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Solar Eclipse, Global Measurements, and a Mystery
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:14:27 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
A Solar Eclipse, Global Measurements, and a Mystery: On August 11,
scientists around the world will attempt to solve a 45 year mystery:
Does a solar eclipse somehow affect the Foucault pendulum?
Full Story at:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast06aug99_1.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Tiahart Amendment on Hate Education Programs Passes
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:17:38 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Tiahrt Amendment On Hate
Education Programs Passes
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) -- An amendment to a major
appropriations bill that prohibits the Justice Department
from "undermining" religious beliefs in its
anti-discrimination school curricula - curricula that many
Christian groups claim denigrate their objections to
homosexuality and equate Christian belief with racism - was
approved by Congress late Thursday.
The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), was
introduced as part of the debate over the appropriations
bill for the departments of Commerce, Justice, and State. It
was approved on a voice vote.
Tiahrt pointed to Justice Department-sponsored hate
prevention programs that suggest a link between Christian
evangelism and hate groups such as the Aryan Nation and the
Klu Klux Klan.
"In their curriculum the Department of Justice ties
prejudice directly to religious organizations, violating the
long-held belief that our government protect religious
liberty for our citizens," said Tiahrt in introducing the
amendment.
"What you are doing here, in the guise of defending
religious liberty, is actually undermining it," said Rep.
Barney Frank (R-MA) on the House floor, pointing to
differences among religions on "questions of fact" such as
evolution or polygamy that he claimed could not be
"undermined" in accordance with the amendment
"Our students are of sterner stuff," continued Frank. "and
not only should not be, but cannot be, protected in a free
society from anything that would undermine their religious
beliefs."
"This legislation is not about the Scopes trial and
evolution," said Tiahrt in response. "It's not about
monogamy or polygamy. . . . It's about youth violence
programs, and how we don't think it's proper for the Justice
Department to take a position on religious liberty one way
or the other."
The Tiahrt amendment is almost identical to an amendment to
the Juvenile Justice Crime bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark
Souder (R-IN), which failed 210-216 in June.
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3306.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Joint Chiefs of Staff Ceremony
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:22:24 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
August 6, 1999
GENERAL SHELTON HONORS FORMER CHAIRMEN OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry H. Shelton,
U.S. Army, will host a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 9, 1999,
commemorating the 50th anniversary of the formal establishment
of the position of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The
event will be held at Summerall Field, Fort Myer, Va, at 10:30
a.m. EDT. The ceremony will include: a 21-gun salute,
inspection of the troops, honors to the nation, a musical
salute and narration honoring the former chairmen of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. Shelton, Secretary of Defense William S.
Cohen, and President William J. Clinton will make remarks.
The ceremony will conclude with a march in review and a final
musical salute. From its creation and the designation of Army
Gen. Omar N. Bradley as the first chairman on Aug. 16, 1949,
through the appointment of Shelton, on Oct. 1, 1997, 14
officers have served as chairman. A listing of the men who
have held the position is provided. For further information on
the chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, contact Carolyn
Piper, Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs, at (703)
697-4272. Press desiring to cover the ceremony should contact
Military District of Washington Public Affairs at (202)
685-4645.
-END-
CHAIRMEN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF
General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, U.S. Army,
16 August 1949 - 15 August 1953
Adm. Arthur W. Radford, U.S. Navy,
15 August 1953 - 15 August 1957
Gen. Nathan F. Twining, U.S. Air Force,
15 August 1957 - 30 September 1960
Gen. Lyman L. Lemnitzer, U.S. Army,
1 October 1960 - 30 September 1962
Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor, U.S. Army,
1 October 1962 - 1 July 1964
Gen. Earle G. Wheeler, U.S. Army,
3 July 1964 - 2 July 1970
Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, U.S. Navy,
2 July 1970 - 1 July 1974
Gen. George S. Brown, U.S. Air Force,
1 July 1974 - 20 June 1978
Gen. David C. Jones, U.S. Air Force,
21 June 1978 - 18 June 1982
Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., U. S. Army,
18 June 1982 - 30 September 1985
Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., U.S. Navy,
1 October 1985 - 30 September 1989
Gen. Colin L. Powell, U.S. Army,
1 October 1989 - 30 September 1993
Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, U.S. Army,
25 October 1993 - 30 September 1997
Gen. Henry H. Shelton, U.S. Army,
1 October 1997 - Present
via: DODNEWS-L-request@DTIC.MIL
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Solar Eclipse live webcast
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:33:00 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
The following url was provided by a list member:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/
Includes:
Live Webcast
The Sun-Eating Dragon
Sun-Earth Connection
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - God, the Devil/Angels
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:35:01 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
LIZ TAYLOR RETURNS TO TV: Elizabeth Taylor returns to television this
season as a guest-star on the new NBC animated series God, the Devil
and Bob. According to Variety, the Oscar winner will play God's
girlfriend, Sarah. An airdate hasn't been announced.
FORMER ASSISTANT LANDS ANGEL GIG: Elisabeth Rohm, a young woman who
started her entertainment career as an assistant at agency Don
Buchwald & Associates, has landed a pivotal role on Angel, the WB's
Buffy spin-off. According to Variety, Rohm will play a detective who
helps Angel with his mission to save lost souls. Rohm's previous
credits include a gig on the ABC soap One Life to Live.
via: TVGuide Insider <tvguideinsider@TVGUIDE.COM>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (8/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 16:11:06 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
*** German prostitutes may get benefits
POTSDAM, Germany (AP) - Prostitutes would be able to claim state
pension and health benefits under a draft bill to be introduced next
year in parliament, a German official said. Prostitution is classified
in Germany as a legal but immoral trade. The proposal would remove the
"immoral" classification, Family Minister Christine Bergmann told the
Maerkische Allgemeine newspaper in an interview published Friday.
"With that, prostitutes should receive the possibility of social
coverage," she said. She said she will introduce the bill early next
year. Under German law, prostitutes are required to pay taxes but
can't claim the social welfare state's generous benefits. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560600934-c74
*** Knesset speaker to jam cell phones
JERUSALEM (AP) - Upset by the constant ringing of cellular telephones
in the Parliament chamber, Speaker Avraham Burg said Friday he would
install an electronic jamming device to render the little nuisances
unusable. "So often you're sitting in a public place, and a phone
starts ringing, distracting attention," Burg complained, echoing a
common gripe about those who don't turn off their phones in concert
halls, theaters and restaurants. Three of every 10 Israelis has a
mobile phone - one of the highest rates in the world. Burg told Israel
army radio that legislators could still use their cellular phones in
most parts of the building, but not the chamber. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560601371-1c9
*** Drug-resistant bacteria on rise
ATLANTA (AP) - The bacteria that cause pneumonia, meningitis and
other serious illnesses are becoming increasingly resistant to
penicillin, federal health officials said. The number of cases of
streptococcus pneumoniae bacterium that proved resistant to
antibiotics increased from 14% in 1993-94 to 25% in 1997, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Although the study
did not address the reason for the increase, Dr. Daniel Feikin of the
CDC said one of the leading factors is overuse. The data came from a
CDC study of hospitals in seven states. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560598626-aab
*** Germany upholds Sunday shopping ban
BERLIN (AP) - A court ruled Friday against a department store manager
who is crusading against Germany's ban on Sunday shopping. Berlin's
highest administrative court upheld a $27,000 fine against the manager
of Kaufhof department store, Lovro Mandac, for opening the store on
Sunday. Mandac tried to skirt the law by labeling all merchandise -
from appliances to groceries - with a "Berlin Souvenir" sticker.
Berlin allows exceptions for shops selling souvenirs. But the court
said "simply attaching a sticker to any kind of item does not create
the relationship to a place" needed to make it a tourist item. The
court also upheld an order forbidding Kaufhof from attempting the same
maneuver this weekend. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560601187-e55
*** Hidden Hong Kong beach camera nixed
HONG KONG (AP) - The Hong Kong government ordered a hidden camera
installed at a public beach removed Friday after a company used it to
transmit live footage of sunbathers on the Internet. City Telecom
began putting footage filmed at the popular Deep Water Bay on its Web
site Wednesday, said company spokeswoman Wence Wong. Sunbathers did
not know they were being filmed. "The idea is to allow Net users to
see something they don't normally see," Wong said. Wong would not
disclose how many people have visited the Web site. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560595815-048
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Solar maximum could make eclipse unusually beautiful
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 16:15:56 -0500
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Excerpt: This year's total eclipse on August 11, 1999 could be even
better than usual, thanks to the solar maximum. Every 11 years the sun
undergoes a period of heightened activity. There are frequent solar
flares, lots of sunspots, and the corona expands to many times its
average size. The August 11 solar eclipse will take place just 9 months
before the predicted maximum in mid-2000. Even now the Sun is very
active, raising expectations for an unusually beautiful eclipse.
The entire article is at:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05aug99_1.htm
via: hblonde1@tampabay.rr.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - First Lady's Jewish Bombshell
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 08:31:27 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
First Lady's Jewish Bombshell
By Joe Traver
Reuters 8-6-99
News of Hillary Clinton's Jewish relatives- her step-
grandfather and her mother's half-sister -sent shock waves
through political circles in New York, where the first lady is
mulling a run for outgoing Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's seat,
and where a large number of voters are Jewish.
Clinton's grandmother Della Murray Howell married Max
Rosenberg, a Russian-born Jew, in 1933, The Forward weekly
newspaper reported Thursday. He was her second husband.
The couple had a daughter, Adeline, who was Clinton's half-
aunt. She died last year.
It came as a surprise to many, since Clinton - a Methodist who
was born in Chicago and spent several years in the South -has
never publicly mentioned having Jewish kin.
Some suggested that word is coming out now to pander to crucial
Jewish swing voters, who have voted for her potential Republican
rival, Mayor Giuliani, in the past. Clinton was in the Buffalo
area on the latest leg of her upstate "listening tour" Thursday,
as she continues to ponder her Senate run.
Clinton's spokesman, Howard Wolfson, said the first lady did
not know Rosenberg, who died in Los Angeles in 1984, "in a
religious context."
"But she does have very fond memories of him and is very proud
of her family," Wolfson said, adding that she spent a lot of
time with him when she was a child.
"I don't think it's anything that ought to be politicized,"
Wolfson added. He denied that anyone in the Clinton camp leaked
the story, saying her Jewish support is already strong and
she'll do well "because of her outstanding record."
Forward reporter Seth Gitell, who wrote the story, also
insisted the story came from a tipster, not from Clinton's team.
Giuliani refused to comment on whether the report was meant to
draw Jewish support, saying he had "no idea."
But City Hall insiders were outraged.
"This is pandering to the nth degree," said one insider.
"What's next? Hillary in front of Zabar's with a bagel and a
shmeer?"
Adeline Rosenberg's stepson, David Friedman, told the Post
Clinton was always close with his stepmother " who attended the
president's 1993 inauguration.
Asked about why the report came out now, Friedman replied: "I
would have no way of answering that.
"As far as I'm concerned, she's family by marriage, and she has
my support," said Friedman, vice president of the Anaheim,
Calif.-based software company Verisurf.
White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said he wasn't sure if the
president knew about his wife's relatives, and said he would
check with Clinton "if he thinks its appropriate to answer it."
Mrs. Clinton has been involved with Jewish causes for years.
Some political analysts, as well as Clinton watchers, suggested
it was kept quiet because Jewish candidates tend not to fare as
well nationally.
Political columnist Dick Morris, a former Clinton adviser, said
in the 24 years he's known the first couple, the Jewish-kin
issue never came up.
"The idea of trotting it out now is so transparent, I don't
think it could possibly work," said Morris.
http://www.jeffrense.com/politics4/bombshell.htm
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Clinton Federal Judges Private Meetings 'Reek w/Impropriety'
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 08:41:40 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Clinton Federal Judges Private Meetings 'Reek With Impropriety'
By Jerry Seper
The Washington Times
http://www.washtimes.com 8-5-99
The eight federal judges appointed by President Clinton to the
U.S. District Court in Washington meet privately every month in
closed-door sessions that other jurists believe are improper and
call into question the court's impartiality.
"I cannot imagine any legitimate reason for them to meet
together once a month, even socially," said one veteran
courthouse official familiar with the sessions.
"It's not only in bad taste, it certainly has the appearance of
impropriety. It's hard to imagine any rationale for these
meetings."
Another court official said they "reek with impropriety."
Concern among courthouse officials about the meetings, which
are described in e-mail addressed monthly to each of the eight
judges, comes at a time that Chief U.S. District Judge Norma
Holloway Johnson is being publicly criticized for selectively
assigning criminal cases against friends and associates of Mr.
Clinton's to judges the president has appointed.
None of the eight Clinton-appointed judges, all of whom were
named to the bench between 1994 to 1998, would comment on the
meetings or their content.
"I have no comment to make on these matters," said U.S.
District Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr., the only one of the eight
who personally answered a telephone call. A spokeswoman for
Judge Richard W. Roberts returned a call but said only that the
judge "declined comment."
Four judges appointed by other presidents, both Republican and
Democrat, said the meetings have been taking place for some
time, although specific topics are not known. They question the
propriety of the sessions and lament what they described as the
"loss of collegiality" when the judges fail to come together as
a group -- which the others do often.
"The Clinton appointees have confirmed that they meet together,
and we know they do, but where they go and what they discuss I
just don't know," said one judge. "But a very important part of
what we do here is our collegiality. We all come with political
viewpoints but we try to leave politics behind. Unfortunately,
the Clinton appointees have gone off on their own."
The nature of the isolation, another judge said, was punctuated
by an e-mail message sent to all of the judges inviting them to
a birthday party for U.S. District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina, a
1994 Clinton appointee. The message asked the judges to guess
Judge Urbina's age for a prize but excluded members of the
"Magnificent Seven" -- a name the first seven Clinton appointees
had used to describe their group before Judge Roberts' 1998
appointment.
There are 23 judges at the federal courthouse, including the
eight named by Mr. Clinton. Five were appointed by President
Carter and five by President Reagan. Four were named by
President Johnson and one was picked by President Nixon. None of
the other judges hold separate meetings, courthouse sources said.
Questions of impropriety at the courthouse have drawn the
attention of the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose chairman,
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, is considering whether to
begin an investigation or call for hearings to resolve the issue.
During a confirmation hearing yesterday for two Justice
Department officials, Mr. Hatch described as "deeply troubling"
reports that Judge Johnson had bypassed the court's random case
assignment procedures "by taking the unusual step of
handpicking" judges appointed by Mr. Clinton to hear cases
involving Webster L. Hubbell and Charles Yah Lin Trie.
"Even if deviations from the district court's random case
assignment procedures are technically permitted by local rule, I
share the concern that has been expressed by other judges on the
court that these assignments will damage the public's confidence
that these cases were impartially adjudicated," he said.
Committee member Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, echoed
Mr. Hatch's concerns, adding that as a former prosecutor he was
"stunned" by the Johnson assignments.
He said it "might be necessary" for the committee to
investigate the matter to restore the public's confidence.
On Tuesday, Judge Johnson defended her decision not to follow
the court's traditional random-assignment process when she
assigned the Hubbell and Trie cases to U.S. District Judges Paul
L. Friedman and James Robertson --both Clinton appointees.
She said the cases were assigned to "highly capable federal
judges" and that "politics was not and is never a factor in our
case assignments."
She said the chief judge has the right to assign "protracted
and complex cases" when it is deemed necessary, noting that "my
predecessors and I have used this assignment system to enable
our court to expeditiously handle high-profile criminal cases
with their unique demands on judicial resources."
"It is the responsibility of the chief judge to move the docket
as expeditiously as possible. That is all that was intended by
these assignments," the judge said.
Some judges questioned whether the Hubbell and Trie cases, both
of which ended in plea agreements, could be considered
protracted or complex. They said several high-profile and
lengthy trials have been assigned through the random-selection
process.
Judge Friedman, who has declined comment on the matter, threw
out several charges against Trie brought by the Justice
Department's campaign finance task force. Trie later pleaded
guilty when the rulings were overturned by the federal appeals
court.
Judge Robertson was overturned in June when the appeals court
reinstated a felony charge against Hubbell for making false
statements to conceal his work on a fraudulent Arkansas land
project. The court said the judge erred when he dismissed the
first count of a 15-count indictment brought by Kenneth W. Starr.
http://www.jeffrense.com/politics4/judges.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (8/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 10:07:39 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
THANKS FOR NOTHING
A Palestinian man from Gaza who lost his factory in a fire was forced
by Palestinian Authority security agents to publicly thank the
Palestinian fire-fighting forces for their help - even though there
was none. Haggai Huberman reports in HaTzofeh that about a month ago,
the Palestinian Liaison Office learned of the fire, and called for
help from Israeli fire-fighters in nearby Ashkelon. The Palestinian
police at the Erez Checkpoint, however, refused to allow passage to
the Jewish firemen, saying that they would take care of the fire
themselves. But they didn't - and the $5 million factory burned to
the ground. The hapless owner was later interviewed in a Palestinian
paper, and graphically and furiously described his feelings about the
Palestinian security forces, under whom serve the PA fire-fighters.
Shortly afterwards, he was arrested, and told that he must publish in
the paper a letter of thanks to the PA security forces for the help
they provided him during the difficult times he had recently
undergone. Faced with no choice, the man did so - but was then told
that there had been a mistake. "We meant a front-page announcement,"
he was told, "not something buried in the middle where no one will see
it." Practically crying, the man pleaded that he had no money for the
$5,000 ad - to no avail. He published the front-page "thanks," and
was released from jail.
PA AND TERRORISM: PUBLIC CONDEMNATION, PRIVATE PRAISE
The Israel Resource News Agency reports on an informal briefing given
by a senior IDF official yesterday for the foreign media. The
official said that while PA leaders were condemning terror attacks in
their communications with the foreign media, they were praising those
same attacks in the official Palestinian Authority radio, TV and
newspapers. He accused the Palestinian Authority of transforming the
areas under its control into areas of safe refuge for terrorists,
while doing little or nothing to ward off terror attacks or confiscate
illegal weapons. Correspondent David Bedein said that the senior IDF
official questioned whether Yasser Arafat's tone and policies are
those of peace, in light of Arafat's birthday celebration this week in
which he called for "jihad" (holy war) against Israel and praised the
"children of the stones" who fought the Israeli army.
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Friday, Aug. 6, 1999 / Av 24, 5759
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Spamming God
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 10:14:18 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Spamming God by Joanna Glasner
3:00 a.m.
21.Jun.99.PDT
Bless me Father, for I have spammed.
It has been 13 million cycles per second since my last Hail
Mary.
In that time, my prayer was routed via T1 to a local Ethernet
and transported to SprintNet via multiple hops, circuitously
passing through MAE East to arrive at a Sparc station running
Apache.
Forgive my packet loss and low frame rate. I am but a small e-
commerce start-up and have yet to determine if a sustainable
market exists to support 24-hour-a-day computerized prayer.
Just when it seemed like the anything-for-a-buck business of e-
commerce couldn't get more absurd, a new Web site is offering a
way for people to outsource their religious devotion.
PrayerWheel, based in Yonkers, New York, is charging US$19.97 a
year to have its computers provide personalized prayers in any
of seven major religions.
The computers don't actually pray out loud, but they do route
text messages containing prayers across the Internet in a loop
around the world.
The company's founder, Richard Cavitch, sees the service as a
way for busy people to alleviate guilt about forgetting to say
prayers. From a business standpoint, it's also a pretty low-
competition area of electronic commerce.
"I didn't want to do a porn site, because I figured there's
already enough of that," said Cavitch, an accountant, former
marketing associate, and self-professed Catholic. "I figured
maybe we should try to do something more wholesome."
So far, the wholesome approach hasn't been very profitable.
Since launching PrayerWheel in April, Cavitch has only signed
up about 20 customers. He's been more successful at generating
interest in the site, which logs several thousand visitors a
month from all over the world.
Cavitch says people are signing on to read the Christian,
Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic prayers posted on the Web
site, rather than to subscribe to the automated service. Once
they get used to the concept, however, he thinks people won't
see much difference between signing up for PrayerWheel and
enlisting another person to say prayers in one's stead.
"Whether you buy a prayer from a priest of a church or you buy
a prayer from a private organization on a computer, it's
basically the intention that counts," he said.
Odd as the argument may seem, it's not a new subject for
religious scholars.
"There's always been this kind of balance between the
mechanization of prayer and its authentic human expression,"
said Erik Davis, author of Technosis, a book that analyzes the
relationship between mysticism and technology.
The concept of a prayer wheel, Davis said, comes from Tibetan
Buddhists, who crafted hollow, cylindrical objects and filled
them with written prayers. Tibetan prayer wheels were placed in
streams or outside in the wind, where the forces of nature
caused them to turn and, in a mechanized fashion, to utter the
prayer.
Routing a prayer across the Internet isn't entirely different
from the Tibetan practice, Davis said, though it is definitely a
stretch.
"These guys are pushing the mechanization of prayer to the
extreme," he said. "It smacks too much of cheesy commercial
religious culture."
Still, if televangelists can rake in millions, Davis conceded
that an operation like PrayerWheel probably stands a decent
chance of succeeding.
Cavitch, for his part, said he hopes to donate most of the
profits to charity.
The site already offers a variety of subscriptions targeted to
a wide customer base --anything from $19.97 a year for three
Catholic prayers to $29.95 for 12 Islamic prayers a day in
devotion to Allah.
Who knows? Maybe there could even be a stock offering in the
picture.
Whatever the future holds, Cavitch already has his legal bases
covered. The PrayerWheel site contains a succinct disclaimer
aimed at warding off potential lawsuits. The provision also lets
PrayerWheel evade the thorny issue of whether the Supreme Being
actually reads email:
"We make no warranties or guarantees or implied guarantees that
the prayers said will be heard or granted by God."
http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/explode-
infobeat/culture/story/20 313.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Misc. Technology Articles
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 10:20:42 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
GM WATCHES YOU DRIVE
(Source: WIRED, 6/3/1999)
An in-car surveillance system presently running inside many GENERAL
MOTORS vehicles is a significant erosion of personal privacy, say
critics and consumer advocates. GM said its Sensing and Diagnostic
Module (SDM) -- currently installed in hundreds of thousands of cars
-- is only used for aggregate crash research, and poses no threat to
consumer privacy. The unit records and processes the last five seconds
of vehicular data before a collision. The box determines the force of
a collision, the speed at which the car was traveling, whether the
brakes were applied, and how the airbag fared. The unit also tracks
engine speed, the angle of the steering wheel, whether or not the
seatbelt was worn, and the position of the accelerator pedal. Civil
liberties experts are concerned that the data will inevitably end up
in the hands of police and that it could end up being subpoenaed in a
lawsuit. Crash-analysis experts also questioned the box's reliability.
http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/explode-infobeat/technology/story
/2 0010.html
------------
UNCLE SAM HAS ALL OUR NUMBERS
(Source: WASHINGTON POST, Robert O'Harrow Jr., 7/27/1999, Thanks to
Sheri Nakken)
As part of a new and aggressive effort to track down parents who owe
child support, the federal government has created a vast computerized
data-monitoring system that includes all individuals with new jobs and
the names, addresses, Social Security numbers and wages of nearly
every working adult in the United States. Government agencies have
long gathered personal information for specific reasons, such as
collecting taxes. But never before have federal officials had the
legal authority and technological ability to locate so many Americans
found to be delinquent parents -- or such potential to keep tabs on
Americans accused of nothing.
The system was established under a little-known part of the law
overhauling welfare three years ago. It calls for all employers to
quickly file reports on every person they hire and, quarterly, the
wages of every worker. States regularly must report all people seeking
unemployment benefits and all child-support cases.
Starting in August, the system will reach further. Large banks and
other financial institutions will be obligated to search for data
about delinquent parents by name on behalf of the government,
providing authorities with details about bank accounts, money-market
mutual funds and other holdings of those parents. State officials,
meanwhile, have sharply expanded the use of Social Security numbers.
Congress ordered the officials to obtain the nine-digit numbers when
issuing licenses -- such as drivers', doctors' and outdoorsmen's -- in
order to revoke the licenses of delinquents.
Enforcement officials say the coupling of computer technology with
details about individuals' employment and financial holdings will give
them an unparalleled ability to identify and locate parents who owe
child support and, when necessary, withhold money from their paychecks
or freeze their financial assets. But privacy experts and civil
libertarians say the scope of the effort raises new questions about
the proper line between aggressive public policy and intrusive
government snooping. In pursuing an objective that is almost
universally applauded, the government has also created something that
many Americans have staunchly opposed: a vast pool of fresh personal
information that could be used in a variety of ways to monitor their
lives.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/daily/june99/privacy27.h
tm
------------
MAGIC CYBER CAMERA
While we're on the subject of government surveillance and dubious
technological breakthroughs, a new camera has been developed that can
actually use your computer monitor to take a picture of you and your
surroundings. Developed by Misrocoft2000, this technology dot dithers
your screen to act as a camera receptacle. The beta website captures
your image just as if you had the computer connected to a video cam.
Privacy rights activists are concerned that the camera may have been
installed on websites without our knowledge or permission. If so than
those websites are capturing images of you unawares as you view your
monitor.
One prototype can be found here:
http://sites.netscape.net/zumaltsp/camera1.html
via: nhne@nhne.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - A Nanotechnology Primer
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 10:43:17 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
A NANOTECHNOLOGY PRIMER
By Phyl Holz
The following is a compilation of my notes from a lecture/discussion
by a professor at DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.
The discussion began with a brief history of relevant sciences in
order to contrast them with those of today. He started with what he
called the "Shake & Bake Chemistry" that occurred between 1650 and
1890, which he described as a process of hit-and-miss guesswork type
science. This was followed by the Nuclear Engineering age that started
when Curie began working with isotopes and for him ended in 1980.
Following this phase was Microlevel Fabrication, mainly
photolithography, and Nano-Phase Material Filtration, which is mostly
used for water purification.
This brought us up to the Molecular Nanotechnology of today which is
the basis for all future "nanotechnologies" which are being projected
for the future. Nanotechnology generally refers to science/technology
that contains two elements:
1) Giving atoms individual attention. This is made possible by using a
high level vacuum, so that molecules can be isolated, and
magnification that can achieve a scale that makes an animal cell
(which is 1/10 the diameter of a human hair) one kilometer long and
each atom the size of a marble. This allows every single atom and bond
to be manipulated individually.
2) Geometric Self-replication. This means that, in order for these to
be economical, every product is capable of reproducing itself, thus
the growth in production will be geometric (2 to the nth power). For
example, if they could reproduce themselves every day you would have 2
on the second day, 4 on the third day, 8 on the fourth day and
1,073,741,824 by the 30th day.
The first application of this science/technology is developing an
Assembler because this will be used to manufacture the future
inventions. This device, which will typically be the size of a shoe
box, will be able to break down, at the atomic/molecular level, any
materials used as inputs and rearrange these inputs in any form that
is desired. For example, in the input side it could take in
atmospheric gas (in other words air), all forms of electromagnetic
radiation (in other words light and heat), and soil or any waste
material that is freely available. Then, using the process described
above, produce anything that it was programmed to create. This could
include things such as ozone and, since they are able to produce
things that are larger than themselves by "unfolding" them once they
are ejected, a clone of itself. The startling thing about this is that
the professor predicts that the first public prototype will be
operational before 2001.
Another basis for this new industry is Quantum Computation. The
process used today in modeling and "reverse-engineering" is a slow
process were by data is entered into an equation, an answer is found,
and this answer is then reentered into the equation, and the process
continues until the results are satisfactory. By contrast, these new
computers will be able to identify all possible outcomes initially and
converge on the most likely ones. This is opening up whole new
possibilities for artificial Intelligence where the computational
ability comparable to the human brain will be able to fit into the
size of a sugar cube.
The most popular application of these two inventions is Utility Fog.
These are molecular-sized robots (roughly the size of a fog droplet)
that usually have 12 arms and are able to store the amount of software
equivalent to a PC. What makes this so spectacular is that these
robots will be able to collaborate in order to form any consumer
product, from a chair to a car, using the same robots that together
weigh only 5 kilograms. As for their application, he essentially said
that our imagination is the limit to what these can be used for. The
medical industry is looking at having a fleet of these designated to
an individual that would help neutralize free-radicals, help eliminate
toxins, fix proteins, etc., and at the end of the day give you readout
of what they had done during the day. On the other hand, the National
Security Agency (NSA) has already developed plans for not only
surveillance "fogglets," but fogglets that monitor those fogglets.
Space architecture is another application for nanotechnology. Since
there is the ability to create pure carbon structures, NASA is working
on Carbon Nanotubes that would essentially be very long elevators that
reach into space, where the packages sent downward would generate the
energy necessary to project packages upward.
Projected even farther into the future is Fermitechnology. This
represents the idea that eventually we will be able to control every
reaction that takes place when two isotopes (heavy, radioactive atoms)
are forced together. This possesses interesting possibilities for
nuclear waste disposal since it is conceivable that with this
technology (e.g. controlling alpha emissions) we can convert plutonium
to gold. It also opens new doors for space travel if we can make
"strange matter." This substance, which is formed by combining 3 types
of quarks (subatomic 'particles') together, is extremely stable
because the bonds it creates are 10 to the 30th power (10 with 30
zeros) times stronger than hydrogen bonds. Thus a ring can be made
that is strong enough to create the mouth of a worm hole, which means
we can possibly fold space-time.
When asked about the concerns that people involved in this have, two
main topics stuck out to me. The first was industries' anticipation of
"rogue" scientists reverse engineering the products and distributing
them, possibly for free. Second was the fear of having uncontrollable
self-replicating sentient robots. For the most up-to-date information
on how these issues are being addressed he recommended checking out
the following sites:
FORESIGHT INSTITUTE:
http://www.foresight.org/homepage.html
Foresight Institute's goal is to guide emerging technologies to
improve the human condition. This site has membership info., a search
engine and lists and links about news and events.
Nanotechnology for the Twenty-First Century:
http://www.foresight.org/hotnews/NTRdraft.html
This site describes the national initiative, known as NTR
(Nanotechnology for the Twenty-First Century: Leading to a New
Industrial Revolution), that was introduced to congress by the IWGN
(Interagency Working Group on Nanoscience, Engineering, and
Technology). There is also concise info about a definition, the
driving forces of, the potential impact of, investment opportunities
in, and the "high-level recognition of the potential" of nanoscience.
Nanotechnology Database:
http://itri.loyola.edu/nanobase/
Produced by the INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, World
Technology Division, at LOYOLA COLLEGE in Maryland, and sponsored by
the NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, this site is designed to present
up-to-date sources of information on nanotechnology in the following
areas: major research centers, funding agencies, major reports and
books.
You are receiving this message because I am assuming that I am not the
only one that finds the idea of self-replicating surveillance
fogglets, that are not subject to anything faintly resembling
democratic regulation, at the least disconcerting. I give this
information to you not just to tantalize your curious mind, but
hopefully to motivate you to doing something that will shape the
future of technics. This can start with as little as bringing it up in
conversations but really requires organizing direct action campaigns
that illustrate your larger desires for a directly democratic
political sphere. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
Phyl Holz, July 22, 1999
eMail: phylholz@hotmail.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - August 11, 1999
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 10:43:17 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
AUGUST 11, 1999
By David Sunfellow
By now, all of you probably know that the last total solar eclipse of
this millennium will be visiting planet Earth on August 11th. A 50
mile wide path of totality will extend from the western Atlantic
ocean, through Europe and Turkey, all the way across India into the
Indian Ocean. Will there be global earthquakes? Will the Earth's poles
or magnetic center shift? Will people be beamed up by UFO's or
raptured away by angels?
I doubt it.
-----edit-----
Stuart O'Brien, a reporter fo rthe BBCNEWS, recently penned a story
(July 29, 1999) that not only commented on today's odd mixture of
doomsday predictions, but also included a chronological list of some
of humanity's most well-known (and embarrassing) prophetic failures.
Wrote O'Brien:
"The eclipse has become another date of doom for the prophets of
Armageddon and the world's obstinate refusal to end according to their
predictions is doing little to dent their ardour. Lumping together the
ancient -- quotations from the Bible, or Nostradamus -- with the new,
such as astronomical star charts and the 'Millennium Bug', the
disaster-mongers appear desperate for something to trigger the
Apocalypse. The coincidental cosmic event on 11 August seems to fit
the bill nicely."
And what about past predictions? Here is O'Brien's list of some of
humanity's most celebrated failures:
"999 - Pope Sylvester announces the second coming of Christ.
Christians give their possessions to the Church, travel to holy places
and burn people who might be witches.
"1534 - Anabaptists in Minster, Germany declare the second coming is
at hand and barricade themselves in. They fall from Puritanism to
sexual permissiveness and are eventually starved out. Their leaders
are killed.
"1736 - Followers of a man called Whiston rush to Hampstead to watch
the destruction of London as a curtain raiser before the world ends.
"1843 - American farmer William Miller predicts the end of the world
will fall on 21 March. So-called 'Millerites' gather on hilltops to
greet Christ and the angels. Needless to say, it does not happen. He
checks his figures and announces that it is still on, this time for 22
October 1844. This becomes known as "the Great Disappointment" when
the apocalypse fails to materialize.
"1914 - One of the years chosen for Armageddon by the Jehovah's
Witnesses. When that passed they tried 1918, 1925, 1975. Then they
gave up the end-of-the-world prediction business.
"1919 - Albert Porta, a weatherman in the US, predicts that the Sun
will explode and take the Earth with it.
"1955 - Prophet Marian Keetch warns of massive floods -- a revelation
allowed to her by her contact with aliens. When it does not happen she
claims they were averted by the power of prayer.
"1967 - The Six Day War in the Middle East is expected by some
fundamentalist Christians to trigger the "Rapture", when the just are
supposed the be raised to Heaven before the world ends.
"1969 - According to Charles Manson, the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse, otherwise known as the Beatles, were supposed to bring
about Armageddon with their song "Helter Skelter".
"1987 - Dr Jose Arguelles predicts the end is nigh on August 16, due
to the alignment of the planets. This was supposed to cause a galactic
beam to hit the Earth, with the usual consequences.
"1988 - NASA scientist Edgar Whisenaut predicts the Rapture will take
place in 1988 and makes a lot of money selling books about it.
Meanwhile, Charles Taylor, a "prophecy teacher" in the US who also
predicted the end for that year, arranged tours of the Holy Land,
including "return if necessary.
"1992 - Korea. Pastor Lee Jang Rim predicts the Rapture for October.
When it fails to take place, some of his followers kill themselves.
"1993 - Marie Devi Khristo of the White Brotherhood in the Ukraine
predicts the world will end at midday on the 14 November....then tries
again nine days later.
"1995 - The Branch Davidian cult leader David Koresh predicted the end
of the world would happen in 1995. In the event, he and many other
followers died following the siege at Waco, Texas in 1993.
"1997 - Self-professed Son of God and TV sports presenter David Icke
decides the world will end in 1997, following the usual earthquakes
and floods. This was also the year that many members of the Heaven's
Gate cult committed suicide. They believed that the Hale-Bopp comet
heralded the apocalypse and they thought that this was the only way
they could join an alien spacecraft which they thought was travelling
in the comet's wake. Magician Aleister Crowley also decided that "a
devastating world war" would finish us off that year.
"1999 - Nostradamus predicted the end for July. Maybe he meant
September..."
OK, so the world isn't likely to end, or be radically altered, on
August 11th any more than it ended, or was radically altered by all
the other doomsday dates that have been trumpeted over the ages. But
can we expect anything special to happen during "the last total solar
eclipse of this millennium?"
Well, after admitting that a great deal is still unknown about the
effect eclipses have on ourselves and our planet, NASA provides the
following helpful information about what we do know:
"Biologists and zoologists sometimes use eclipses to study the
circadian rhythms of living creatures. Between 1954 and 1975, two
Polish zoologists, R. Wojtusiak and Z. Majlert, conducted a unique set
of experiments in which they observed the behavior of mammals, birds,
and insects during seven eclipses with varying degrees of coverage,
including totality. They discovered that the daily habits of mammals
were little affected by the eclipse, but that birds and especially
insects were influenced. Under the Moon's shadow, many species of
birds manifested anxiety and roosting behavior, and nearly all birds
stopped singing (which contributes to the oft-noted quietude of
totality). Insects are affected even more. During eclipses studied by
the Polish team, bees returned to their hives en mass, nocturnal moths
appeared, and butterflies settled in the grass as though it were
night. The most sensitive species, bees, have been observed to return
to their hives during partial eclipses covering only 19% of the Sun!"
"There are many other research applications of solar eclipses,
including global gravity measurements, investigations of ionization
and radio propagation in Earth's atmosphere and studies of asteroid
dust and cometary debris in the innermost solar system. The full range
of research opportunities presented by a solar eclipse is too broad to
review here. Suffice it to say that solar eclipses promise great value
to scientific research for many, many years to come."
And oh yea, the maximum duration of the August 11 eclipse will be 2
minutes 22 seconds for observers in south-central Romania -- a mere
baby compared to the total eclipse that will be visiting us in 2009.
According to NASA, one of the longest eclipses on record will take
place in 2009 when the "moment" of totality will endure for over 6
minutes as seen from a spot in the Pacific Ocean. Those of you who are
looking for the next doomsday date can mark your calendars, and book
your flights, now...
"Armageddon....again," by Stuart O'Brien, BBCNEWS, 7/29/1999:
http://news2.thls.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid%5F401000/401904
.s tm
"There Goes the Sun," NASA, 8/5/1999:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast05aug99_1.htm
NHNE: Smorgasbord 11: 8/6/1999
nhne@nhne.com
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