BPR Mailing List Digest: 12/09/99

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
December 9, 1999

Digest Home | 1999 | December, 1999

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Babylon's burning
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 08:44:13 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Babylon's burning

A new breed of virus, which propogates through Internet chat sites,
is in the wild. W95.Babylonia, which has been described as a
virus, a trojan and a worm, was discovered earlier this week and
the speed at which it is spreading is said to be "alarming" by anti-
virus specialists.

The virus is unique because it downloads pieces of itself off the
Internet, which allows the virus' author to remotely, and on demand,
give instructions to the virus and at any time in the future.

W95.Babylonia targets Internet Relay Chat users of the Internet's
largest and most well-known online chat communities, MIRC,
according to Symantec, Network Associates and Computer
Associates International.

The virus tries to modify an infected system to display when the
computer is booted the message "W95/Babylonia by Vecna (c)
1999, Greetz to RoadKil and VirusBuster ... Eu boto fogo na
Babilonia!" Once the PC is infected with the virus, W95.Babylonia
is then transmitted to other users of the chat room thus infecting all
files in PCs operating with Windows software.

The virus commands the system to send an email to the address
"babylonia_counter@hotmail.com" to track the number of
computers infected. Every 60 seconds the virus also consults a
server managed by computer hackers in Japan to find new
updates.

"This virus represents a new level of virus capability," said
Computer Associates (CA) security solutions business manager
Simon Perry.

"It is particularly dangerous due to the virus writer's ability to
change the virus's payload remotely and after infection. CA is
recommending that both business and home users update their
antivirus software immediately." Perry added: "CA's anti-virus
teams are on high alert as we approach the new millennium,
identifying new viruses and providing protection for our clients
proactively." As well as being able to send a command to destroy
the infected computer's hard drive, the owner's credit card number
and other personal information could be pirated, or an attack
launched to time with New Year's, CA added.

http://itparabia.com/channel_article/1,1928,0-3-977,00.html

_________________________
To subscribe to BPR send a message to bpr-list@philologos.org
with the word "subscribe" in the subject. To unsubscribe send a
message to the same address with the word "unsubscribe" in the
subject.

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Warning! Strange behavior
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 09:02:14 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Warning! Strange behaviour

Nobody sees the thief looking for a car to break into, or the woman
steeling herself to jump in front of a train--- but somehow the alarm
is sounded. Duncan Graham-Rowe enters a world where machines
predict our every move

GEORGE IS BLISSFULLY UNAWARE that a crime is about to be
committed right under his nose. Partially obscured by a bag of
doughnuts and a half-read newspaper is one of the dozens of
security monitors he is employed to watch constantly for thieves
and vandals.

On the screen in question, a solitary figure furtively makes his way
through a car park towards his target. The miscreant knows that if
the coast is clear it will take him maybe 10 seconds to get into the
car, 15 to bypass the engine immobiliser and 10 to start the
engine. Easy.

But before he has even chosen which car to steal, an alarm sounds
in the control room, waking George from his daydream. A light
blinking above the screen alerts him to the figure circling in the car
park and he picks up his radio. If his colleagues get there quickly
enough, they will not only catch a villain but also prevent a crime.

The unnatural prophetic powers of the security team would not
exist but for some smart technology. The alarm that so rudely
disturbed George is part of a sophisticated visual security system
that predicts when a crime is about to be committed. The
remarkable research prototype was developed by Steve Maybank
at the University of Reading and David Hogg at the University of
Leeds. Although in its infancy, this technology could one day be
used to spot shoplifters, predict that a mugging is about to take
place on a subway or that a terrorist is active at an airport.

Full Story:
The New Scientist,
http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19991211/warningstr.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Russia 'may use vapour bombs to destroy city'
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 09:02:14 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

RUSSIA 'MAY USE VAPOUR BOMBS TO DESTROY CITY'

20:56 Wednesday 8 December 1999

Russia has backed away from the threat to kill Grozny's 40,000
civilians but it is feared the Kremlin may use powerful weapons
to destroy the city. Some Russian analysts say the military may
be planning to use fuel vapour bombs, which can suffocate people
in underground shelters...

Full story:
http://www.lineone.net/newswire/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi/new_wire/pa_world
/story/1999/12/c--1999-12-8-1n23.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Why Y2K?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 10:51:57 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

I sent some stuff out yesterday from "Bible Review" and today
someone emailed me asking how to get more info. When I went to
the website, I found the whole "Why Y2K?" article online. Check it
out and while you're there check out all three BAR magazines--
they are well worth the price.

Why 2K?
James Tabor
What's so important about the year 2000 anyway? The Bible
doesn't say directly that anything dramatic will happen 2,000 years
after Jesus' birth. But piecing together biblical traditions about
thousand-year periods reveals why this change in millennia is far
more significant than those that preceded it.

http://www.bib-arch.org/br2.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Microsoft signals death of PCs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 12:30:49 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Microsoft signals death of PCs

John Cassy and Jane Martinson
Thursday December 9, 1999
The Guardian

The death knell for the personal computer sounded last night
when Microsoft, the world's biggest software company, announced
a major investment in the next generation of mobile phones.

The agreement with Ericsson, the world's largest manufacturer
of mobile electronic devices, to make Microsoft's e-mail system
compatible with mobiles and personal organisers is a tacit
admission from the US giant that the PC will soon be overtaken
as the preferred way of accessing the internet.

Industry experts say that by 2003 more than 600m people will be
accessing the internet from mobile devices compared to 550m
using desktop computers.

Phones, walkmans, personal organisers and even digital cameras
will provide access to the internet with users able to surf,
read books, trade shares, speak to friends, e-mail and shop from
the same device.

"We have entered the post- PC era," said Keith Woolcock, senior
technology analyst at Nomura. "The PC is is being obviated. The
technology world is now all about mobility. There is no need to
be desk-bound."

Microsoft, which controls 95% of the PC software market, has
only latterly acknowledged the threat mobile devices pose to its
startling growth.

Bill Gates's company was also slow to pick up on the internet
but massive investment has allowed Microsoft to bludgeon its way
back to the forefront of the net revolution.

In the same way as it made Windows the world's standard
software operating system, Microsoft has been trying to produce
a standard system for mobile devices.

However, the Symbian alliance struck by a host of Europe's
leading mobile phone, electronics and software manufacturers
has proved more difficult to muscle past.

Mr Gates has already identified British computer company Psion,
a tiny player in global terms and best-known for its handheld
organisers, as one of the biggest threats to his empire. Psion
and mobile phone companies Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and
Panasonic are, through Symbian, attempting to create a global
operating standard for handheld devices.

Analysts say that although it is a David versus Goliath battle,
the mainly European companies for once look like outflanking
their Silicon Valley rivals.

"For the last 25 years everything computer and software related
has come out of California," said Mr Woolcock. "Now all eyes
are on Europe. We are ahead in the mobile phone market and
that will prove vital."

The Microsoft venture will intensify competition among mobile
phone operators to offer the fastest access to the net. "This
is going to have a long-term impact on the whole wireless
industry," said Ilkka Rauvola, analyst at Paribas.

"Ericsson has handsets, Microsoft has operating systems and has
been looking for a way to enter the wireless industry."
Microsoft has already teamed up with British Telecom to
develop Internet and multimedia services for consumers and
businesses to use on the move.

"Mobile internet access and services are crucial for realising
Microsoft's vision of empowering knowledge workers and
consumers through software anytime, anywhere and on any
device," said Microsoft president Steve Ballmer.

The new technology that will drive the growth is called WAP,
standing for Wireless Application Protocol, which is a piece
of software that filters text information from web pages and
displays the words on your phone.

Mobile phone operator Orange expects 60% of new hand-sets to be
"Wap-enabled" by next year.

Last month Nokia launched the UK's first WAP phone offering
access to e-mails, news headlines, sports information and
entertainment.

Fuller details of the Microsoft/Ericsson link-up will be
unveiled at a press conference in Stockholm this morning.

=A9 Copyright Guardian Media Group plc. 1999

http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/Distribution/Redirect_Artifact/0,4678,0-112609,00.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News (12/8/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 12:51:15 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Thursday, December 9, 1999 / Rosh Chodesh Tevet 5760 - Sixth
Day of Chanukah

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. BARAK READY TO "DISCUSS" GOLAN
  2. BEN-AHARON: BARAK CAVED IN
  3. INITIAL REACTIONS FROM THE GOLAN
  4. A MATTER OF VALUES
  5. REFERENDUM QUESTIONS
  6. YAHALOM: WE'LL FIGHT FROM WITHIN
  7. ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN TALKS
  8. LEBANON
  9. CHAI VEKAYAM WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S BEING
CARTED AWAY

1. BARAK READY TO "DISCUSS" GOLAN

Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his spokesmen continue to deny
that a full withdrawal from the Golan is inevitable, despite last
night's surprise announcement of a Washington summit next week
between Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk A-Shara. A
senior source in the Prime Minister's Office said today, "Clinton's
announcement that the talks would continue from the point at
which they left off three years ago does not mean that Israel has
agreed to a full withdrawal from the Golan."

Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, however, said today that there are
"not many secrets here," and that no one will be surprised at the
final results. Opposition leader Ariel Sharon, whose Likud Knesset
faction convened this afternoon to discuss ways to block a Golan
retreat, says that the Barak government has totally surrendered to
Syrian demands and American interests. Sharon said that he
would call on other opposition parties - including Shinui - to form a
united front in the fight against a withdrawal.

MK Yuval Shteinitz (Likud) told Arutz-7's Ron Meir today that he
has been informed that that which finally convinced Assad to
accept the Golan from Israel was an American promise to revamp
the entire Syrian army, which at present is very outdated. The
entire interview with Shteinitz can be heard on Arutz-7's website at
http://www.a7.org/engclips/091299/ettinger-golan.ram

The Labor Party Central Committee greeted Ehud Barak with
cheers and applause late this afternoon. Although the party
meeting was called to discuss issues on which Barak and his
party are in disagreement - such as the budget for the year 2000
and the system of direct election of the Prime Minister - Barak did
not relate to these topics. He talked instead, as expected, only
about the newly-announced resumption of talks with Syria, and
concluded, "I am confident that Israel is headed for a shining period
of growth in technology, science, and standard of living."

2. BEN-AHARON: BARAK CAVED IN

"There is no chance in the world that Assad would have agreed to
this unless he had received a guarantee that Israel will withdraw
from the entire Golan Heights." So said today Yossi Ben-Aharon,
the former Director of Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir's Office and
the head of the talks with Syria at that time. Speaking with Arutz-7
today, Ben-Aharon said, "When Clinton says that the talks will
resume at the point where they let off three years ago, this means
that Barak has finally accepted Assad's demand, namely full
withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines in exchange for security
guarantees to be negotiated. I say this not as a politician or an
opposition member, but as someone who knows the precise
situation from first-hand experience... The three-year time period
refers to the time in which Netanyahu apparently hesitated to revive
Rabin's promise for a total withdrawal - but Barak has now agreed
to this. Those who are denying [that there will be a total
withdrawal] are simply not telling the truth..." Ben-Aharon
emphasized that the inevitable retreat will be even further than the
international border - that which left a few extra kilometers in
Jewish hands - but all the way up to the borders that were in effect
from 1949 til June 4, 1967, "a few meters away from the Sea of
Galilee."

An interview with Yoram Ettinger, former Israeli liaison to Congress,
on the same topic can be heard on Arutz-7's website at
http://www.a7.org/engclips/091299/steinitz-golan.ram

Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said last night that in
his indirect contacts with Syria, President Assad had agreed to
Israeli control of Mt. Hermon - known in Israel as the "eyes of the
country." Netanyahu, speaking in Paris to Likud supporters, said
that he never agreed to a full withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders,
and that the present government must not agree to this either.

3. INITIAL REACTIONS FROM THE GOLAN

The Golan Residents Committee will convene this evening to
discuss the impending retreat from the entire Golan. Chairman Eli
Malka said today, "Our [organizational] activities are important, but
we must remember that the Golan does not belong only to us, but
rather to the entire country. We merited to live here, to develop this
area, to plant trees here, to raise children here - for three
generations already - but it's up to the people of Israel and what
they do in the coming months to determine whether we will
succeed in keeping the Golan."

Malka continued, "We must not allow ourselves to despair. This is
the chance to stop the Prime Minister and save the government
from itself, lest we find ourselves in a few months with an
agreement that signifies the destruction of a glorious settlement
enterprise, the expulsion of [almost 18,000] people from their
homes, the loss of water sources, the loss of security, and - worst
of all - the loss of the true Zionistic values by virtue of which we
returned to this Land and settled it. Everyone must roll up his
sleeves and see what he can do in this struggle - come out to
demonstrations, stand at the intersections, speak to friends and
convince them of the folly of leaving the Golan. If we work together,
then I have no doubt that we will be able to succeed."

4. A MATTER OF VALUES

"What type of security arrangements in the Golan are being talked
about, and can they serve as a substitute for Israel's actual
presence in the Golan?" So asked Arutz-7's Arutz-7's Ariel
Kahane today of Brig.-Gen. (res). Uzi Keren, who commanded an
IDF armored division and a veteran of Golan battles in 1967 and
1973. Keren's response: "Early-warning stations, for instance,
have a certain advantage - but this is simply one aspect of a much
larger picture. Take the element of deterrence, for example [which
we are giving up]. The position of our forces today in the Golan
Heights is 60 kilometers from Damascus. This means that any
battle must necessarily take place close to their population
centers. This is a fine deterrent for Syria not to start a war, as the
last decades of peace have proven..."

Regarding de-militarizing the Golan, Keren said, "Israel will of
course demand that Syrian forces not be allowed in the Golan.
Again, this is better than nothing - but [not by much]. Syria will
certainly deploy very large forces around its capital, Damascus.
Syria's standing army can be mobilized in a matter of 2-4 hours,
and only has to travel about 50 kilometers until it can overlook
Israel from the Golan - well before Israel has managed to mobilize
its reserves. In the Sinai, this is not the case - the Egyptian army
has to cross the Suez Canal and then travel 250 kilometers in
order to get to Israel, by which time the IDF could already have
mobilized to meet the threat. In the Golan, a 'de-militarized area' is
nothing more than empty words, and does not provide real
protection..."

"Our situation at present in the Golan is optimal," Keren said.
"Even missiles shot from Syria towards Tel Aviv can be neutralized
much more effectively when we are on the Golan, and not when we
are below it... Syria [as opposed to Egypt in 1982 ] is totally
hostile, and has two other very hostile countries right behind her,
ready to pounce. Now of all times, when Israel is so strong, and
Syria has never been weaker, and has an outdated army - why
should we give everything away?=85 "

"But I would like to make a different point," Keren concluded. "We
must remember that the Golan is not only a security issue. It also
represents values, our sovereignty, settlement. How many times in
one generation can a country tell its citizens, 'We made a mistake,
it's time to pack your bags and leave?' It happened once in the
Sinai, but we must not let this precedent become a norm... It's a
matter of values. Until now, settlement and Zionism, for the past
100 years, stood for persistence, for 'no giving in.'... So I say: we
should talk with them, and see if there is a willingness for mutual
concessions - and if there isn't such a willingness, then we can
wait another 10 years, or 15 years, until there is a ruler there who
is willing to talk in a different language than only demanding the
entire Golan."

5. REFERENDUM QUESTIONS

A withdrawal from the Golan cannot be effected without a popular
referendum approving the move. This is so by virtue of the Golan
Law, passed ten months ago during the term of the previous
government, which states that no part of the Golan or Jerusalem
may be transferred to a foreign power without a popular referendum
and the approval of an absolute majority of 61 Knesset Members.
In addition, Prime Minister Barak made the holding of a referendum
into a basic campaign promise. A debate has begun to heat up,
however - and is likely to intensify in the coming weeks - over
exactly how the referendum will be held. Arutz-7's Haggai Seri
reports that there are currently three different proposals - from the
Justice Ministry, the Prime Minister's Office, and from the Knesset
Speaker. The questions that must be resolved include:

* Will the referendum law cover only the Golan issue, other related
matters, or all such questions that are considered basic and of
critical importance?

* How will the referendum be funded?

* Will each party be allowed air-time, as in general elections, to
express its views? The Likud and those opposed to a withdrawal
are very much in favor of such an arrangement, in order to
neutralize the effect of the many government spokesmen who are
given extra air-time by nature of their positions.

* What will be the majority that will be required for the resolution to
be passed?

* Who will formulate the question to be voted on, and how will it be
formulated?

6. YAHALOM: WE'LL FIGHT FROM WITHIN

Deputy Education Minister Sha'ul Yahalom (National Religious
Party) was asked today if he believes that Barak has not already
promised Syria a full withdrawal from the Golan. Yahalom's
response: "Maybe [he] didn't promise, but I have no doubt that the
Syrians would never have agreed to enter into these talks unless
they understood clearly that this was Israel's basic position. Syria
has been very consistent in its demand for the entire Golan, and
therefore whoever enters into talks with Syria knows full well what
this means."

When asked if his party would leave the government, Yahalom
answered, "Our job in this government is to be its brakes. We
didn't enter this government because we thought it had great
tidings for Israel, nor did we support Barak in the election. We are
here only as a way to stop certain moves... We will fight on three
fronts against a withdrawal from the Golan. Our first front will be in
the government itself... then we must fight to ensure that a
referendum is held, and it should be held with the right conditions,
such as demanding a sufficiently large majority for leaving the
Golan - and the next front will be winning the referendum itself...
We have no problem with fighting from within the government
against the Prime Minister on this issue. If Barak tells us that this
is not acceptable to him [and that we must choose either to side
with him or to leave the government], we will immediately leave the
government. Until that time, however, we will try to work from
within, where we can do much more than from outside."

7. ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN TALKS

The final-status Israeli-Palestinian talks continued today in
Ramallah. The PA side said beforehand that it would agree to
discuss only the cessation of Jewish construction in Yesha.
Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (NRP) met with Ehud Barak
last night regarding the halt to construction in Judea and Samaria.
Levy said that Barak told him that whatever building is going on
now will continue. The Housing Minister stressed that if the
government begins to freeze the Yesha settlements, "the NRP will
have a problem remaining in this coalition."

Arutz-7's Yehoshua Meiri reports that Ehud Barak told security
sources today that he is not "happy with the way things are going
with Syria," but that "we have to see the entire picture and see how
this will help us in our talks with the Palestinians." Meiri explained
that Barak was apparently referring to pressure that will be placed
on the Palestinians to forego their tough demands in light of the
"progress" that is being made on the Syrian track.

8. LEBANON

Israel Air Force attacked terrorist targets in southern Lebanon three
times this morning. The planes returned safely. Lebanon greeted
the announcement of the planned resumption of Israel-Syria talks
with satisfaction.

9. CHAI VEKAYAM WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S BEING CARTED
AWAY

The more talk is heard from officials about the Waqf construction
works on the Temple Mount, the more the works seem to proceed
apace. Trucks and bulldozers full of dirt and other remains
continue to make their way from the Mount to the Jerusalem city
dump. The Chai Vekayam movement petitioned the Supreme
Court on the matter today. Yehuda Etzion, leader of Chai
Vekayam, said today that there must be supervision over the
refuse that is being discarded - "Who knows what untold cultural
and historical treasures could be there=85"

Hebrew News Editor: Ariel Kahane and Haggai Seri
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel

  ((((ARUTZ-7 ENGLISH RADIO BROADCASTS))))
                98.7 FM / 711 AM
                 or Live on the Net
For weekly programming schedule, see
http://www.a7.org/English/radio/Fradio.htm
        Tonight:
9:00 PM -(2:00 PM EST) - News in English + In Focus with Ron
Meir
9:15 PM - The Jay Shapiro Hour: Current Events, Analysis, and
Items of
Interest in the Jewish World
10:00 PM - Weekly Commentary by Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA
10:05 PM - Torah Tidbits Audio Version with Phil Chernofsky,
Assoc.-Director, Israel Center
11:00 PM - 12:00 - Ron Meir's "Now Until Midnight"

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Negotiations with Syria
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 19:41:19 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Official newspapers in Syria welcomed the announcement of
resumed peace negotiations with Israel, but warned that the return
of the entire Golan Heights would be the price of a final deal. The
negotiations are scheduled to open in Washington next week after
a 3-1/2-year hiatus. In Jerusalem, Foreign Minister David Levy said
Israel "will not go into an arrangement" that means giving back all
of the strategic plateau seized in the 1967 Middle East war.

Christian Science Monitor
Free e-mail edition
"e-Monitor Freemail edition recipients"@www.csmonitor.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

Philologos | Bible Prophecy Research | Online Books | Reference Guide

Please be advised that this domain (Philologos.org) does not endorse 100 per cent any link contained herein. This forum is for the dissemination of pertinent information on an end-times biblical theme which includes many disturbing, unethical, immoral, etc. topics and should be viewed with a mature, discerning eye.