To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Tzemach News Service items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 09:22:13 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

IRAN HOSTS ISLAMIC UNION: Delegations from the parliaments of 40
Islamic countries -- including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Bosnia and
Turkey -- met this past week in Tehran to set up the first inter-
parliamentary union among Islamic states. In his opening speech to the
conference, Iran's reformist President, Mohammad Khatami, urged
Islamic countries to exert a greater influence on world affairs
instead of playing a marginal and passive role. He said the Islamic
inter- parliamentary union should discuss issues such as
discrimination against Muslims and the occupation of "Islamic lands"
by others. The Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, took a
different line. He called for greater co-operation between Islamic
nations to fight what he termed "the Western cultural onslaught".
Radio and TV signals, he said, were worse than warships and warplanes.
He emphasized that they were being used to disseminate a rogue culture
aimed at reasserting the dominance of the enemies of Islam. The idea
of establishing a union of parliaments among Islamic states is seen as
another attempt by Iran to play a more prominent role in the Islamic
world. (BBC)

FIRST KOSOVO ... NOW LEBANON? Yoram Ettinger, of the Ariel Center For
Policy Research, writes that the world must now back the cause of
Lebanese independence from Syrian occupation just as it did regarding
Kosovo. A recent ACPR symposium held on the matter featured Christian-
Arab speakers calling for the same. Ettinger backs up his case with
the following points:

* Syria has brutally occupied Lebanon since December 1975, never
recognizing Lebanon's sovereignty, never establishing a Syrian embassy
there, and referring to Lebanon in its maps and schools as a Syrian
province.

* Syrian-orchestrated ethnic cleansing in Lebanon shifted to a more
brutal mode in October 1990, destroying the remaining strongholds of
Christian Lebanese resistance.

* Syria has not been in compliance with its own commitment to withdraw
from Lebanon, made at the 1989 Taif inter-Arab Summit. The call for
the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese military forces was reaffirmed by
UN Resolution 520.

* Syria has established, harbored and supported in Lebanon the world's
largest terrorist base.

* Syria uses Lebanon for counterfeiting operations and heroine
production and trafficking, thus bankrolling much of the Syrian-
sponsored terror network. Some 20% of the heroine reaching US inner-
cities originates in Syrian-controlled Lebanon.

In a related story, representatives of Lebanon's Maronite Christian
community have welcomed the introduction in Congress of a bill calling
on the administration to pressure Syria to withdraw its forces from
Lebanon. The Lebanon Independence Restoration Act, proposed by Michael
Forbes (R-NY), is the "first serious congressional initiative to
expose Syria's occupation of Lebanon", World Lebanese Organization
President Whalid Phares said. The Maronite community has been placed
on the defensive. Christian Lebanese leaders told the CONSERVATIVE
NEWS SERVICE that an Israeli pullout would leave their community at
the mercy of Syria and the Islamist, Iranian-backed Hizb'Allah
terrorist organization. Despite UN Resolution 520, the UN, the Arab
League, and other international bodies continue to insist only on
Israel's withdrawal. (ARUTZ-7, CNS)

BAKER INVOLVED IN "PEACE TALKS"? US former secretary of state
James Baker met Saturday evening with Syrian President Hafez Al-
Assad. Earlier in the day, Baker said in statements to the press in
Damascus following his meeting with Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-
Sharaa that there is a "window of opportunity" to achieve peace in the
Middle East region. Baker, accompanied by former US ambassador in
Damascus, Edward Djerjian, who is also the chairman of the James Baker
institute visited the Syrian archaeological city of Palmyra. Baker
insists he was visiting Syria as a "private citizen'' and has no role
in brokering peace between the two countries. But the timing of the
visit after the Israeli elections, and as Prime Minister-elect Barak
is beginning to speak of renewed negotiations with Syria, is somewhat
suspect. (AP, ARABICNEWS)

1,000 HOMES APPROVED IN ARIEL: The construction of 1,000 new
housing units in Ariel within the next two years has been approved,
according to Akiva Azulai, director-general of the Ariel Economic
Corporation. The 1,000 new units will increase the number of
households in Ariel from 4,000 to 5,000, a 25 percent jump, according
to Azulai. The Africa Israel Corporation is about to sign a deal with
the Ariel Economic Corporation to build 350 cottages in town.
(HA'ARETZ)

3,500 TO IMMIGRATE FROM ETHIOPIA: Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon
met on Tuesday with Ethiopian Ambassador to Israel Zewde Otoro, to
discuss facilitating the immigration to Israel of the 3,500 Qwara Jews
in Ethiopia, MA'ARIV reported. Sharon told the Ethiopian ambassador
that Israel intends to coordinate its actions with the Ethiopian
authorities, and plans to complete the rescue mission in a matter of
weeks. The Jews are living in Gundar, a northern Ethiopian province
hit hard by famine and war. Ethiopian ruling party representatives
announced Thursday they will not permit "any mass operation" to get
the Jews out of Ethiopia. Instead, they will permit them to leave a
few at a time.

Meanwhile, a Jewish Agency official said Thursday it expects Jewish
immigration from Russia and the former Soviet republics to increase
substantially. Requests coming out of Russia for initial information
regarding immigration have doubled from 2,000 to 4,000 in one month.
In January of this year, 5,000 potential immigrants were attending
agency-run ulpanim while in February and March, about 9,000 people per
month attended. Demand for Hebrew classes traditionally decreases
during the summer months, when Russians are going on vacations or
raising crops for the winter, but this year "the majority of the
people are not planning now for next winter, they are planning to
leave," the Agency official said. (ISRAEL LINE, ARUTZ-7)

EGYPTIAN NEWSPAPER APOLOGIZES FOR ISRAEL AIDS STORY: AL
AHARAM apologized for a story which is ran on 22 January claiming that
Israel had infected 305 Palestinian children with AIDS. The paper
explained that it got the story from the EGYPTIAN NEWS AGENCY claiming
that the story had appeared in the Israeli daily, YEDIOT ACHARONOT.
The paper reported that it contacted Egypt's ambassador to Israel who
denied that such an item appeared in an Israeli paper. "Out of concern
to maintain the paper's integrity and good name, AL AHARAM confirms
that this serious article is deceptive and assures its readers that it
will take the necessary measures in order to prevent such mistakes."
(IMRA)

THIS WEEK IN JEWISH HISTORY: 14 June 1906: In Bialistok, there
were anti-Jewish riots. It was later revealed that the St. Petersburg
police department paid for the leaflets inciting the people to riot.

15 June 1560 bce (1 Tammuz 2199): This is the traditional date of
Joseph's birth -- the 11th and favorite son of Jacob.

15 June 1920: The Haganah, the pre-Israel self defense force, was
formed during a meeting of the Ahdut Avodah party. It was designed to
take the place of the Ha'Shomer movement, and was dedicated to
"havlagah" or pure self-defense.

19 June 1269: Louis IX of France, needing no urging from the Church,
ordered all Jews found in public without a badge (yellow or red) to be
fined ten livres of silver. The badge in France was usually a circle
of red or yellow material and was known as a "rouelle". The original
badge was actually Muslim in origin (Caliph Omar II, 717-20) who
decreed that both Jews and Christians wear a distinguishing mark. The
"badge" took on different shapes, colors, and even dress (i.e. a hat
or color of a dress) depending on the country.

19 June 1933: Cardinal Pacelli issued a concordant known as the Hitler
Concordant. Hitler described it as "unrestricted acceptance of
National Socialism by the Vatican". Cardinal Pacelli later became Pope
Pious XII. (WZO)

Web site: http://www.tzemach.org/fyi

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Misc. UPI items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 10:05:55 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

HEY, WE'RE DOING THE SAME FOR YOU

For some people, it may seem the ultimate in chutzpah...for others,
simply part of the rules of diplomacy. The U.S. is asking China for
compensation because of the damage done to the American embassy in
Beijing by Chinese protestors. The protestors were angry about the
accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.

No word how much the U.S. is asking for.

UPI Feature Stories (June 17, 1999)
--------------------

NEWS OF OTHER LIFE FORMS

The Supreme Court of Hungary has ruled that ``The X-Files'' is harmful
for children's health...and has ordered a state-run TV station not to
run the show outside the hours of 11 p-m to 5 a-m. Those are the only
hours when the station is permitted to show ``violent acts or sexually
explicit scenes.'' The station management says if it can't air the
show in a more favorable time slot, it'll lose money and have to
cancel the show.

The World As We Know It (June 16, 1999)
--------------------

An anonymous couple who's offered 50-thousand dollars for human eggs
donated by a highly intelligent, educated, tall and attractive woman
is said to be nearing the end of their search.

The New York Daily News reports more than 300 women responded to an ad
for donors placed in university newspapers. 90 were considered
qualified...including 20 from Yale, 30 from Harvard, 40 from Princeton
and 15 from Stanford. A lawyer for the couple says they're sifting
through photos and resumes...and are very close to making a choice.

The World As We Know It (June 14, 1999)
--------------------

WHAT ARE THE WORLD'S FOUR GREATEST RIVERS?

The Nile and the Amazon are both about four-thousand miles long. The
Yangtze and the Missouri-Mississippi are close. The Amazon -- though
145 miles shorter than the Nile -- is easily the world's greatest
river. It carries a fifth of all the flowing water on Earth. It sends
fresh water 100 miles into the Atlantic.

WHAT ARE THE TWO DEEPEST PLACES ON EARTH?

The Atlantic Ocean's Puerto Rico Trench is more than 28-thousand feet
deep...nearly as deep as Mount Everest is tall. But the Mariana Trench
off the coast of Japan is even deeper...nearly 36-thousand feet down.
Honorable mention -- the Indian Ocean has a nearly 24-thousand-foot
depth called the Weber Basin.

WHICH PLANET HAS THE MOST MOONS?

Saturn, the second-biggest planet, has 18 known moons...while Jupiter
has only 16. The count could change, though. Babyboomers were taught
that Uranus had five moons...but spaceprobes have found 15. Neptune --
once thought to have two -- has eight. And a moon has been found
orbiting Pluto.

Actual Facts: Four items a day of enduring insignificance (June 14,
1999)
--------------------

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 -- an estimated eight-point-three
on the Richter scale -- killed three-thousand people. No U-S quake has
done more harm than that. But three eight-plus shakers on Missouri's
New Madrid (MAD'-rid) Fault in 1811 and 1812 rang church bells in
Boston and made the Mississippi flow uphill for three days.

Actual Facts: Four items a day of enduring insignificance (June 10,
1999)
--------------------

The latest joke circulating around Belgrade concerns the next
president of Yugoslavia.

As told to UPI by a Yugoslav Cabinet minister, the joke goes like this
-- a poll was taken about who the next president of Yugoslavia will
be. 99 percent of those surveyed said Bill Clinton, for these four
reasons -- one, he drove the Albanians out of Kosovo...two, he united
all the Serbs...three, he destroyed all the factories that were losing
money...and four, he modernized the Yugoslav army, since they've lost
everything and will have to replace it.

The World As We Know It (June 9, 1999)

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - June 20, 1999 TV Program
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 10:25:49 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

8:00 & 10:00 PM Eastern

 TNT - Pirates of Silicon Valley ('99) Steve Jobs, Bill Gates
    revolutionize the 20th century.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Koenig's family in the Bible
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 10:29:44 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

Note from Bill Koenig:

Below are the remarkable results of my family search using the "Unlocking
the Bible Code" software. To see these results in a matrix is truly
remarkable.

To put this into perspective, this text, the original masoretic Hebrew
text was written more than 2500 years ago. So in other words, the Lord
knew my family history and what would happen before any members of my
family were born.

However, we must remember, this information is easier to quantify when we
have specific names of our families or words from previous events. The
Colorado school shooting, the Kennedy Assassination, the Rabin
Assassination, the Oklahoma City bombing, etc., we have the "search
words" that are relevant to these particular incidents. They are
definitive and not subjective, so these searches are much more reliable
and accurate. You know what your are looking for - its hindsight!

For example, former Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin's name was crossed by the
word "assassin that will assassinate." It was believed, according to the
interpretation of the Bible Codes, that he would be assassinated. But one
would not know the assassin's name until after the fact, so outside of
being warned, nothing could be done to stop the event from happening.

After the fact, in hindsight, we could put in the name Amir (the
assassin's last name), and the site of the assassination and the date of
the assassination. These words would show up in the same matrix.

Moreover, the codes have not been known for revealing the "specifics" of
the future (September 11, 1999 could be different. We will share that
possibility with you today or tomorrow), but they have revealed the hand
of the Almighty God in the writing of the code. He knew from eternity past
what was going to happen in our day. And wrote that into the code, so we
could see it, after the fact, 2500 years ago when the masoretes wrote
our Hebrew text.

In closing, the thought of the code's existence continues to bother some
people, but the results can not be refuted despite the various attempts
to discredit them. Sure there have been abuses, but the results remain
compelling and awe inspiring.

********

For those who have expressed interest in obtaining the "Unlocking the
Bible Code" Software or the Bible Code Plus 99 software (for more advanced
searches), you can order it now through the web site by clicking on this
link. http://watch.org/catalog.

You can also order it by faxing your credit card information to
972.233.3652 or by mailing a check to Post Office Box 671127, Dallas, TX
75367. (Credit Card charges will be processed the day of shipping.)

The price for the "Unlocking the Bible Code" software is $57 and the Bible
Code Plus 99 software is $79. Plus there is a $5 shipping and handling
charge. Delivery time will run seven to ten days.

******

Main search word: Koenig The following search words created a matrix found
from Exodus 27:21 to 35:19.

(When words touch, crossover, overlap or intersect in a matrix they can
usually be considered good matches. This is especially true when you
already have the names of family or previous events.)

* William's (my first name) line ran horizontal.

* Tina's (my wife Christine's first name) line ran diagonal.

* William and Tina's (Christine) lines touched and intersected.

* Our birthdays intersected. The date, 3-24-1954, ran horizontally and 4-
7-1966 ran diagonally and intersected.

* The phrase "Word of God" overlapped my birthday and was to the left of
the intersection point of Tina's (Christine) birthday and my birthday.

* The Dallas (horizontal) and Christian (horizontal) lines both
intersected Koenig (diagonal).

* The Watchman (diagonal) line intersected William (horizontal).

* Tina's (Christine) diagonal line intersected her sister Bobbie
(horizontal).

* Theodore's (my brother) horizontal line ran parallel to mine and then
crossed my line.

* Joan's (my mother) horizontal line overlapped my birthday and the "Word
of God."

* Virg's (my father) horizontal line ran next to my mother.

* My parent's lines crossed each others.

* Edna's (my grandmother on my fathers side) horizontal line ran across
the top of the matrix

* The Messiah (horizontal) and Bible (horizontal) lines ran parallel and
horizontal with my grandmother's line and then crossed her line. (Relevant
Note: My grandmother during her life read the Bible every day. Loved the
Lord. And talked about Him frequently. In her final words, before
"leaving" to be with the Lord, she stated "I am so happy, I am so very,
very happy" and then passed away.)

* Theodore's (my grandfather on my dad's side) horizontal line ran
parallel to his wife Edna's line. Their lines also crossed.

* Adria's (my grandmother on my mother's side) horizontal line ran
parallel to my grandmother Edna's line.

* When I searched for William (my grandfather on my mother's side), it
kept going back to my name next to Tina (Christine) instead of finding
another word area. So there wasn't a good match with his name.

* Christine's parents names showed up next to each other and their lines
crossed in our same family matrix.

* Shirley's (Tina Christine's mother) horizontal line ran near her husband
Jessie and then crossed his line.

* Jessie's (Tina's Christine's father) diagonal line crossed through
Shirley's line.

* Christine's dad (Jessie) and my dad (Virg) lines crossed.

via: "Koenig's International News" <bill@watch.org>

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - China News Digest items (6/21/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 08:37:50 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

China Develops Regional Military Diplomacy

[CND, 06/20/99] Beijing said its military exchanges with Russia
brought an "extensive consensus", as General ZHANG Wannina, the
Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission, finished his 10-day
visit to Russia to develop "military diplomacy," AFP reported on
Saturday.

"China has used its influence to urge those involved countries to
avoid crisis situations through dialogue," according to the Xinhua
News Agency. General Zhang's trip is "a major step toward the
establishment of their strategic co-operative partnership." According
to Russian officials, Beijing has shown interest in purchasing
advanced Russian military weaponry, including aviation and radar
equipment, submarines and cruise missiles.

The general's visit to Russia is a highlight in China's effort to
strengthen military exchanges with neighboring countries. Senior
military officials have recently visited Pakistan, Malaysia and
Australia. Cambodian, Thai, Lao and North Korean army officials have
also visited China. (Liedong ZHENG, WU Yiyi)

China Important in World Stability: Japan

[CND, 06/20/99] China is important in international conflict
resolution, said Japan's Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to his Group of
Eight (G8) counterparts at the summit in Cologne, Germany on Friday,
AFP reported.

"It is important to secure China's constructive role for the sake of
stability and prosperity in the world," Obuchi said. He also asked for
G8's cooperation to ease China's concerns, offering to call on Beijing
to be actively involved in global dialogues when he visits China in
July.

Obuchi agreed with Bill Clinton on the need for improved relations
between the U.S. and China following the accidental bombing of Chinese
embassy in Yugoslavia. "Sound and stable U.S.-China relations are
extremely important for the Asia-Pacific region," Obuchi said. He also
agreed with Clinton to expedite China's membership in the World Trade
Organization.

G8 members include Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Russia and the United States. (XU Ming Yang, YIN De An)

Government-Approved Eleventh Panchen Lama Returns to Tibet

[CND, 06/20/99] The government-approved 11th Panchen Lama, Gyaincain
Norbu, returned to Lhasa on Thursday, AFP reported on Friday.

The nine-year-old Norbu was approved by the Chinese central government
four years ago as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, who died
in 1989. Norbu has been under government care and studying Buddhism
since then. "The 11th Panchen Lama can recite sutras for three
successive days and is now esteemed and beloved religious leader of
Tibetan people," said the Xinhua news agency.

The exiled Dalai Lama's supporters, however, saw the return as
Beijing's attempt to gain support from the Tibetan people to recognize
Norbu over Gedhun Choeki Nyima, who was selected by the Dalai Lama as
the reincarnation four years ago.

Nyima was reportedly then the top of the reincarnation candidates
located by the Beijing-sponsored search team, but was dropped after
the Dalai Lama first nominated him the reincarnation. He then
disappeared and was reported to be under house arrest. (Yan WANG, YIN
De An)

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (6/21/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 08:51:10 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

*** NATO officially ends air campaign

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - NATO declared an end Sunday to the air
campaign against Yugoslavia after receiving word all Serb forces had
left Kosovo. The announcement came earlier than expected since NATO
ambassadors were scheduled to assess the Serb withdrawal from Kosovo
early Monday. The pullout was part of a deal brokered 10 days ago by
NATO and Yugoslav officials. The alliance agreed to end its 11-week
bombing campaign if the Serb forces left Kosovo by Sunday at midnight.
NATO suspended the bombing while the troops withdrew. NATO Secretary
General Javier Solana said Sunday there was enough evidence that Serb
forces have left the province in southern Serbia, the main Yugoslav
republic. [Editor's note: Linked story incomplete] See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560005948-d3b ***
Also: Clinton hoped for quick bombing end, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560008233-af2 ***
And: U.S. troops praised for Kosovo effort, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560006350-b98

*** Saddam listed among richest leaders

NEW YORK (AP) - Saddam Hussein is worth more than Queen Elizabeth,
according to Forbes' list of billionaires. The Iraqi leader, with an
estimated wealth of $6 billion, is No. 6 on the magazine's list of
"The Nonworking Rich: Kings, Queens and Dictators," a companion to its
annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people. The British queen is
No. 10. The magazine, which released the list Sunday, attributed
Hussein's wealth to oil and to an alleged smuggling operation
controlled by his son Odai. Hussein has appeared on Forbes' richest
heads of state list since the magazine began compiling it two years
ago. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560006077-014 ***
Also: List of wealthiest heads of state, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560007686-0ef ***
Also: Forbes list of world's billionaires, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560007703-c84 ***
And: Billionaires club booms, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560007684

*** Yeltsin mulls revising missile pact

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) - Eager to mend bomb-strained ties with
President Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed Sunday for
the first time to consider revising a landmark treaty banning American
and Russian missile-defense systems. "The two countries are back in
business," National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said after an
hour-long meeting between the two presidents. Their decision to
discuss the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty was very significant,
Berger said. Frail but feisty, Yeltsin came to the closing day of a
summit of world leaders even as NATO was declaring an end to the
Kosovo conflict and 78 days of NATO bombing that had outraged Moscow.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560007629-893

*** Iranian denies supporting terrorism

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Contrary to accusations that Iran supports
terrorism, the Islamic country is a victim of attacks by terrorists
harbored in European and other Western nations, Iran's foreign
minister said Sunday. Kamal Kharrazi accused unspecified Western
nations of "harboring Iranian terrorists and giving them facilities" -
a reference to the dissident Mujahedeen Khalq Organization, which has
offices in the U.S. and Europe. The group has been behind
assassinations of military officials in Tehran and attempts to kill
other Iranian leaders. Washington accuses Iran of sponsoring
international terrorism and trying to acquire nuclear weapons, charges
the Iranian government rejects. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560008220-6b3 ***
Also: Dissident writers arrested in Iran, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2559995288-a27

*** Jordan embraces Iran minister

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Iran's foreign minister received a warm welcome
Saturday in Jordan, the first visit to the kingdom by a high-ranking
Iranian official in three decades. Kamal Kharrazi, who flew in from
Lebanon, immediately went into talks with his Jordanian counterpart,
Abdul-Ilah Khatib. A meeting with King Abdullah II was scheduled for
Sunday. Government officials said the talks will focus on ways to
consolidate political relations and boost economic cooperation through
increased trade and joint ventures. Jordan appears keen to capture
more of the lucrative Iranian market for vegetables and industrial
goods as a way to help shore up its economy, battered by recession and
saddled with the equivalent of $7 billion in foreign debts. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2559997756-f49

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - CNV news items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 10:35:31 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE CHURCHES!

Amalgam tooth fillings have miraculously turned into gold, claims John
Arnott, pastor of Toronto Airport church. Reports of this unusual
manifestation exceed 300, Arnott said, and more reports are coming in
from across the country and around the world. Arnott has encouraged
congregants to obtain dental verification but admitted the church has
yet to document any cases.

Toronto Airport church is famous for "holy laughter" and other
unusual signs. In addition to gold fillings and caps, people have
been reporting gold dust falling from the ceiling during services and
oil miraculously appearing on people's hands (Charisma, 6/99;
Christianity Today, 5/24/99).

UN HELPS KOSOVO REFUGEES KILL

The United Nations Population Fund announced last April an effort to
make sure Kosovar refugees have access to abortion equipment. It sent
36,000 "Emergency Reproductive Health Kits" to the region, including
morning-after pills and suction equipment for abortions. The Albanian
Family Planning Association is opening up "reproductive health
clinics" and offering transportation to help women obtain abortions.
Critics point out that abortion equipment is taking up valuable room
needed for food and medicine (Wo

LITTLETON FUNERAL SERVICES PROTESTED BY THOSE ENTOMBED IN HELL.

The memorial service held for those killed in the Columbine High
School massacre was too Christian, religious leaders are complaining.
One rabbi from Littleton, Colorado, told the Washington Times that it
reflected an "ignorant, narrow-minded faith." A Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) minister complained that it "was not inclusive to all faith
communities." Liberals complained that the services focused too much
on the slain victims' faith and that those attending were encouraged
to follow Christ (World, 5/15/9

via: Andrew Neckar <andy@cnview.com>

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arabia On Line items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 17:37:02 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

Iran Denies Seeking Secret Talks With Israel
Iranian official denies reports that Iran's president was trying to
open a secret dialogue with Israel, reports say.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/6_99/tehran21.shtml

Bahrain Launch Islamic Bank
Bahrain`s First Islamic Bank had launched a program based on Islamic
law with French Bank Societe Generale.
http://www.arabia.com/content/business/6_99/bank_21.shtml

G8 Leaders Agree Y2K Awareness Drive
World leaders agreed on Saturday to go on a drive to raise public
awareness of the millennium bug.
http://www.arabia.com/content/tech/6_99/g820.shtml

Law Banning Smoking in Pakistan
A law prohibiting smoking in public places will be enforced from next
month. http://www.arabia.com/content/living/6_99/smoking_21.shtml

Islam-Christianity Ties to Shape New Century
A top Cardinal says that both religions will set the shape of the next
century more than nations will.
http://www.arabia.com/content/culture/6_99/religion_21.shtml

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (6/21/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 17:45:59 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

*** Solstice observers, police clash

SALISBURY PLAIN, England (AP) - Summer solstice celebrations planned
at the prehistoric Stonehenge monument were called off Monday after
uninvited crowds defied police orders and pushed through a fence to
invade the circle of stones. About 150 people had permission for an
early morning druid celebration, but other celebrants intruded,
climbing atop the 5,000-year-old stones. One woman stripped and danced
naked as the sun rose over the horizon on the longest day of the year.
Police in riot gear broke up the celebration, arresting 23 people and
evicting nearly 400. The clash, which resulted in no damage to the
stones or injuries to those involved, prompted the site's owner,
English Heritage, to cancel three other planned solstice celebrations.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560019570-aea

*** Russia military begins exercises

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia began military exercises Monday to practice
repelling a mock attack from the West, the Defense Ministry said. Army
units from Russia's western regions and ships from its Baltic fleet
will participate in the West '99 maneuvers. All troops will be on high
alert during the six-day exercises, the ITAR-Tass news agency
reported. The Defense Ministry has said the maneuvers are not linked
to NATO's air campaign in Yugoslavia, which officially ended Sunday.
Moscow views NATO as a threat and the 78-day air operation prompted
calls in Russia to increase defense spending and develop new weapons
and military technologies. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560018002-768

*** Coast Guard ship named for 'Roots' author

WASHINGTON (AP) - The late author Alex Haley, who won the Pulitzer
Prize for his novel "Roots," will soon have a distinction earned by no
other journalist: His name will adorn a Coast Guard vessel. The Alex
Haley, formerly a 283-foot Navy ship named the USS Edenton, has
received a $20 million overhaul at the Coast Guard's shipyard in
Baltimore. On July 10, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, who
oversees the Coast Guard, will commission the vessel along with Adm.
James Loy, commandant of the Coast Guard. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560018392-523

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Instant Holographic Imags Make 3-D Movies a Possibility
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 17:50:03 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/SCIENCE/SCIENCE/topstory.html
-
Monday, June 21, 1999
SCIENCE WATCH

Instant Holographic Images Make 3-D Movies a Possibility

By LEE DYE

Instantaneous holograms that could pave the way to three-dimensional
motion pictures have moved a step closer to reality, scientists say.

Researchers at Riso National Laboratory in Denmark say they can create
a hologram in only five billionths of a second (instead of several
minutes) through a technique that requires no chemical processing and
thus is immediately ready for viewing.

Instead of photographic film used in other holographic processes, the
researchers use a thin polymer film that responds instantaneously to a
pulsed laser beam. For reasons that are not yet understood, the laser
removes some of the mass on the film and leaves a "grating" that can
be used to project a three-dimensional image of the target.

And because the laser pulses 20 times a second, "we can make 3-D
movies with it at a video rate," said P.S. Ramanujam, lead scientist
on the project and an internationally recognized pioneer in the field.

In a telephone interview, Ramanujam said he believes the technology
will lead to realistic movies for such scientific purposes as the
study of cell growth and changes in biological organisms. But he said
it will be awhile--maybe 15 to 20 years--before the holographic
version of "Gone With the Wind" comes to your neighborhood theater.
                                              * * *

Holograms have been around for several decades, but they have been
slow to reach their potential because the tools and the techniques
needed to further the science have been hard to come by. But that is
changing, partly because of the availability of relatively low-cost
and compact lasers.

Glenn Sincerbox of IBM, one of the leaders of a major effort to
develop holographic technology for data storage systems, has noted
that the emerging field has had to borrow technology from other areas,
most notably entertainment and consumer electronics. Thus it had to
wait for those fields to develop further in order to have the tools to
reach its potential of revolutionizing everything from graphic images
to hard disks.

In the area of visual images--those astonishing three-dimensional
images most of us have seen in museums--it normally takes more than a
minute to produce a single image on photographic film. "And then you
have to take the film out and develop it, and then wait for it to dry
before you can project the image," Ramanujam said. "These polymers we
are working on don't need any of this. The image is instantaneous, and
you can take one after the other."

Ramanujam expressed some surprise over his own success in a report on
the research in the May 24 issue of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.

"It is remarkable that such a strong surface relief [the grating that
contains the image] is formed already after a five nanosecond
exposure," he wrote. "The cause for the surface relief is still not
understood."

He said, however, that the short exposure time using polymer
films--which can be erased by heating and instantly reused--is
"paving the way for a cheap, mass replication" of holograms.

The holograms can be viewed by shining another laser through them and
projecting the image onto a sheet of glass. "It's like looking through
a window into 3-D space," he said.

And because his system works so quickly, it could eventually lend
itself to real-time three-dimensional monitoring of such things as
surgical procedures, he said.

Holography dates to 1948, when British scientist Dennis Gabor figured
out the principles, for which he won the Nobel Prize. But scientists
had to wait until the 1960s and the availability of lasers to begin
serious research.

Holograms are created when a laser beam reflects from an object onto a
photographic film in much the same way as optical photography. Then a
second laser beam, called the reference beam, reads the image off the
film and projects it onto a glass screen.

The stunning visual effects were immediately obvious, but some
scientists recognized that what they had here was a system
capable of storing huge amounts of data in a very small area.

That led to an ongoing study, funded partly by a $32-million grant
from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, involving 12
institutions with IBM and Stanford University providing the principal
investigators. The five-year project began in November 1995.
                                              * * *

The Holographic Data Storage System, as the program is called, is
aimed at developing systems that will contain more than 12 times the
information of today's largest magnetic hard-disk drives and work at
speeds 10 times faster than is possible today.

Holographic systems will store data as pages, each containing more
than a million data bits. And because the lasers will be able to read
information from the entire disk, not just on the surface, it should
be possible to store thousands of pages on a disk about the size of a
small coin.

Data storage, not the creation of pretty pictures, is the goal of the
project, but such a system could also store movies. A disk of 1 cubic
centimeter could store 12 gigabytes, so "a movie on a sugar cube is
certainly within the realm of possibility," according to IBM's
Sincerbox.

What the viewer would see would be a digitized version of a regular
movie, not a three-dimensional holographic movie. There are other
problems that must be overcome before holographic systems can replace
traditional movie cameras, not the least of which is safety.

"The big thing about holography as opposed to regular photography is
you need a laser to bounce off the object," said Greg Steckman, a
Caltech graduate student who is involved in holographic research. An
actor looking directly into the "camera" could suffer eye damage from
the laser, Steckman said.

Ramanujam thinks that's a problem that will be overcome in the next
decade or so. Less powerful lasers, for example, and better optics for
projection of the image, could reduce that.

And if all else fails, he said, the actors could wear protective
glasses. How does that sound, Scarlett?

Lee Dye can be reached at leedye@compuserve.com.

Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved

via: isml@onelist.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (6/21/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 13:10:37 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

Pope will give peace invitation to world on New Year's Day

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: (AP)

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Pope John Paul II will issue an invitation to all
to help build peace in his New Year's Day message for the start of the
new millennium. The Roman Catholic church celebrates Jan. 1 as World
Peace Day. The pope ``wants to manifest his deep conviction to all
(that) peace is possible if humanity searches for and again finds God,
who is the God of peace." John Paul has declared 2000 a Holy Year, and
hopes that the year would ``become a moment of intense prayer and
renewed commitment to overcome war as an instrument to resolve
differences.''

Palestinians delay statehood meeting

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: JTA

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- The Palestinian Central Council delayed a meeting
to discuss statehood until after the new Israeli government is formed,
the council's chairman said Monday. Salim Za'anoun said the council,
which was to convene at the end of the month, decided on a
postponement because its deliberations will be affected by the policy
positions adopted by the government of Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak

G8 calls on Israel to resume peace talks on the Syrian-Lebanese

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Leaders of the seven richest industrial nations and
Russia have called for resuming the frozen peace talks on the Syrian
track with the objective of reaching a just and comprehensive peace in
the region. In a statement issued at the end of the Group of Eight
summit in Cologne, Germany, the leaders called for immediate
resumption of the peace talks in the region. They urged sides
concerned to closely abide by the provisions of the April 1996
arrangements and to actually take part in the world of the April
Understanding committee in south Lebanon. The leaders of the US,
Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, and Russia, said in a
statement at the conclusion of their summit that honoring the rights
of all sides concerned is but decisive element in finding a peaceful
solution that avails the Palestinians to live as free people on their
own territories. The statement expressed its conviction that the sides
concerned in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations have to set a goal
of ending final status negotiations within one year and it urged the
Palestinians and the Israelis to abstain from carrying out acts of
violence and any activity that will be harmful to final situation
negotiations. The G-7 called on Israel in the final statement to
implement the provisions of the Wye plantation agreement signed with
the Palestinian Authority. The final statement of the G-7 leaders
called on international debtors to help Jordan economically through
alleviating their debts to Jordan. It added the leaders of the G-7 are
determinant to back stability in Jordan through backing "economic
reforms" in this country during this critical stage it passes.
Jordan's foreign debts are estimated at US $8.6 billion.

Palestinian government refuses to jump to final status negotiations

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it is
early now to talk about a summit comprising Israeli Prime
Minister-elect Ehud Barak, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and US
President Bill Clinton. Meanwhile, Imad El-Falouji, a member of the
Palestinian government, said the Palestinian government "refuses
Israel's attempts to overcome the obligations of the transitional
stage and jump to negotiations of the final status." El-Falouji said
there are transitional agreements that Israel must respect and
implement, especially the Wye River agreement. Meanwhile, the
Palestinian - US joint committee is holding a meeting in Ramallah this
week to discuss enhancing

Syrian-Israeli negotiations to resume by the end of this summer

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Arab diplomatic sources told the London-based
al-Hayat daily that US Undersecretary of State for Middle East Affairs
Martin Indyk will be the US official to supervise Syrian - Israeli
negotiations when they are resumed by the end of this month. In its
Sunday issue, the paper added that the Syrian - Israeli negotiations
are expected to be extended to the Lebanese track on the ground that
Beirut and Damascus are of identical views on the cohesion between the
Syrian and Lebanese tracks. The paper said, according to the Arab
diplomatic sources, that choosing Indyk for that purpose came for two
reasons: The first is that the US Middle East peace coordinator,
Dennis Ross, prefers to concentrate on the Palestinian track, and the
second is that Indyk was able to initiate a successful dialogue with
Damascus during the stalemate period the Syrian track witnessed under
the government of outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinians suffer dire water shortage

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Ha'aretz

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Many Palestinian settlements are already
experiencing severe water shortages, and strict rationing has already
been implemented. The Palestinians have been suffering a chronic water
shortage for many years, but usually the crunch only comes in July.
This year, because of last winter's severe drought, it hit much
earlier, and by the end of April high areas were suffering from a lack
of water due to low pressure. The village of Katna, not far from
Jerusalem, is a good example of just how dire the situation has
become. Homes built on a hill have been suffering erratic water
supplies since April, and now their taps are totally dry. Katna is by
no means unique. A total of forty thousand people living in Katna and
six neighboring villages between Ramallah and Jerusalem are living on
the extreme edge of a most precarious water supply. The high areas
have almost no running water, while the other neighborhoods get
running water between 3-4 days a week only. The wells have almost run
dry, making the hauling of water an arduous job. A few kilometers
away, just the other side of the Green Line, the residents of the Har
Adar suburb of Jerusalem and kibbutz Ma'aleh Hahamisha, frolic in
their swimming pools. The neighboring Jewish settlements of Givat
Ze'ev, Givon and the nearby Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramot also feel
no effects from last winter's drought, and turning on the tap is
merely a routine daily activity. The situation in Katna is reflected
throughout the West Bank . Some 300,000 Palestinians are suffering a
severe water shortage, and this does not include the 280,000 who have
never been linked up to the national system, and are totally dependent
on springs and wells. The thirsty residents of Katna are well aware of
the conditions that exist just a few miles down the road, while they
have to pay black market prices for extra water supplies brought in on
vans and trucks. The Palestinians are also well aware of the fact that
they receive only 20 percent of the annual output of the Palestinian
mountain aquifer, the rest is pumped by Mekorot (the national water
monopoly) to Jewish settlements on both sides of the Green Line.
Mekorot refuses all requests to increase water supplies to the
Palestinians, and this thorny issue will only be discussed during the
final stage negotiations with the PA.

Hamas planned to poison Israeli water

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Dateline Israel

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Hamas plotted to cause a national epidemic by
poisoning the drinking water in Israel with chemicals according to a
report in the Yediot Ahronot daily. During Israel Defense Forces
interrogations, arrested military head Mohammed Abu Tir revealed that
Addle Awadalla, the chief commander of the military branch of Hamas,
was responsible for masterminding the plot. Abu Tir also told
interrogators about a large shipment of weapon systems from Iran which
were transported to Israel through the Dead Sea. Meanwhile, IDF
officers have raised their concern over the recent wave of arms
smuggling into the PLO Authority (PA) autonomous city of Nablus in
recent talks with senior PA officials. The PA officials responded they
are encountering difficulties in their attempts to stop the flow of
weapons, which include German MP-5 submachine guns, and that PA Chief
of Preventative Security, Jibril Rajoub, is working to curb the
activity. "If even one percent of the weapons smuggled into Nablus,
and specifically the submachine guns, ends up in the hands of Hamas,
we will be in deep trouble," a military source said.

Russia holds war game exercises

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: (Nando Times)

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Russia opened military exercises Monday to practice
repelling a mock attack from the West, the Defense Ministry said. Army
units from Russia's western regions and ships from its Baltic fleet
will participate in the West '99 maneuvers. All troops will be on high
alert during the six-day exercises, the ITAR-Tass news agency
reported. The Defense Ministry has said the maneuvers are not linked
to NATO's air campaign in Yugoslavia, which officially ended Sunday.
Moscow views NATO as a threat and the 78-day air operation prompted
calls in Russia to increase defense spending and develop new weapons
and military technologies. Belarus, Russia's western neighbor, will
join the exercises. Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev will command the
maneuvers, ITAR-Tass said.

Mexico City hit by another strong earthquake

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: (AP)

Mon Jun 21,1999 -- Mexico's second strong earthquake in a week
destroyed five homes and damaged hundreds of others in southwestern
Mexico Monday. There were no immediate reports of injury. The
5.8-magnitude temblor also swayed buildings in the capital and sent
workers swarming into the streets. There was no report of any
widescale damage in Mexico City. The homes were destroyed in the
municipality of Coahuyutla in Guerrero state, near the quake
epicenter, said deputy mayor Lorenzo Deloya Linares. He said 800
others were damaged. Mexico's National Seismological Service placed
the temblor's strength at 5.8 _ considerably weaker than the
6.7-magnitude quake that struck central Mexico on June 15.

via: bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Religion Today items (6/22/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 13:24:29 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

June 22, 1999

Messianic Jews are spreading their beliefs in newspaper
advertisements. Meno Kalisher, a leader in Jerusalem=C6s Messianic
community for more than eight years, recently purchased
double-page ads in 14 Hebrew-language newspapers. They feature
excerpts from Messianic prophecies in the second, seventh, and
ninth chapters of Daniel, as well as a historical timeline and
graphic of the statue in King Nebuchadnezzar=C6s dream. Kalisher
hopes that a rational presentation featuring biblical facts will
make Jews rethink what they=C6ve traditionally been taught about
the prophet=C6s predictions of the Messiah.
..."Jesus, too, would have used every available media that
respects the name of God," Kalisher told the magazine Israel
Today. The ads included a phone number that readers could call to
discuss what they read and a website also offered further information.
Kalisher said the Jerusalem phone center logged more than 100 calls
and the website recorded 5,550 visitors.
...Response was slightly lower, but more positive, than expected.
None of the callers expressed anger over the ads and Orthodox
newspapers did not criticize the effort as they do most Messianic
missionary campaigns. The advertisements are a "more neutral and
effective" way to evangelize than literature distribution, Kalisher
said, since Jews often are embarrassed to accept aNew Testament on
the street. He estimates that the $23,000 campaign reached
approximately 1million readers.

For the first time in centuries, a Russian Orthodox priest has
converted to Islam. Vyacheslav Polosin told Musulmane, a Muslim
magazine, "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his
prophet!" A process of "scientific awareness and spiritual
self-realization" has been swaying him toward conversion for
several years, he told Ecumenical News International. "I consider
myself an adherent of the great tradition of the True faith of the
prophets of monotheism, beginning with Abraham." Although belief in
one God is at the heart of Christianity, the faith was contaminated
with paganism during the Middle Ages, Polosin said. In addition,
belief in the incarnation of Jesus compromises monotheism, he told
ENI.
..."I no longer consider myself either a clergyman or a member of
any Orthodox church," Polosin told ENI. The Moscow patriarchate has
made no official comment on the defection, but Metropolitan Kirill
hinted that the former priest has been religiously unstable, ENI
reported. The conversion is unprecedented, said Georges Tsetsis, the
Ecumenical patriarchate's representative at the World Council of
Churches. "Both clergy and laity preferred martyrdom to denying
Christ."
...Polosin had been best known as a drafter of Russia=C6s
controversial law on religion. The 1997 legislation by the Duma,
Russia=C6s parliament, had strong Orthodox support for its restrictions
on the work of many Western faiths in Russia. Polosin was a parish
priest until 1991 when he was elected to the Supreme Soviet, where he
chaired the Committee for Freedom of Conscience, Faiths, and Charity.

http://www.religiontoday.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - The 1999 Hurricane Season
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 08:31:56 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 08:15:08 -0400
From: New Millennium <hblonde1@tampabay.rr.com>
To: Newmill <hblonde1@tampabay.rr.com>
Subject: The 1999 Hurricane Season

The 1999 Hurricane Season

Well... one thing is for certain: No one can say the government didn't
warn the population of an impending bad tropical cyclone season. In
the years that I have been studying Climatology and Meteorology -
going on 25 years now - I have never seen such overt concern
expressed by government officials.

The Clues

There are a number of factors that are tracked and then anaylyzed for
possible contribution or detraction from the statistical "normals" for
the storm season. All of these factors, ranging from average surface
pressures in the Atlantic Basin to ocean temperatures, indicate the
likelihood of a very active season. The correlation between La Nina
events and the season are not well understood, but there is generally
a good pattern of cooler than normal Pacific temps matching with an
active Atlantic season. This year there are extensive areas of cooler-
than-normal water in the Pacific including along the entire western
coast of the USA.

The region where many of the larger disturbances begin their life cycle
is in the tropical Atlantic along the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence
Zone) between S.America and Africa. This zone has become very
active for this early in the season (in fact it looks more like August on
satellite imagery) with the hurricane center recently commenting on
the unusual size and strength of the tropical waves already moving
along the boundary. It is especially these large rotating disturbances -
originating in this region - that can grow and become the larger and
much stronger Atlantic storms.

Its the track that really matters

One of the items that concerns me the most is the recent long term
weather pattern across North America. If the general tendency for the
jet stream to dip (trough) in the West and rise (ridge) in the East
continues into the Summer, we can expect a much higher potential for
landfalling storms. This ridging in the East will cause the "Bermuda
High" to strengthen and elongate westward toward the USA's east
coast. It is this configuration that steers tropical systems on a west to
northwest course, and prevents them from sharply recurving into the
open Atlantic. In a normal year, this type of pattern could cause high
damage rates due to several storms making landfall along the coast.
Add into this equation the likelihood of a higher number and stronger
intensity of the storms that do form this season, and you can see the
cause for all of the concern.

Was Arlene Foreshadowing?

Yes in many ways it may have been. In over 113 years of record
keeping, there has never been a recorded tropical storm form in that
region of the Atlantic this early in the season. Generally, the Atlantic
Ocean is not yet warm enough that far north and east to allow for the
formation or sustaining of a tropical system. You would also usually
expect the system to have been caught up in the still brisk flow of
fronts and troughs along the east coast, and turned sharply northeast
and moved rapidly out to sea. Because of upper level ridging in the
region - also responsible for the recent heat wave in the northeast -
the storm meandered and edged westward closer to Bermuda. It still
recurved northeastward, but it's hesitancy in doing so illustrates my
point about the steering currents and the possible long term effects of
this pattern.

Increased Energy from the Sun = Super Storms?

During this Summer, we can expect the solar activity to continue it's
increase toward next Spring's forecast solar maximum. The relationship
between the energetic events I report to you on the SMQ updates,
and weather systems remains unclear, but IMO a relationship certainly
exists. With the increased atmospheric electrical energy that will be
frequently pulsing into our environment this Summer, there is a
chance - if other atmospheric patterns are favorable - that we may see
some of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic basin...
systems in the extreme range of Gilbert, Camille, Andrew, and Mitch.

Be Prepared

If you live in or near a hurricane prone region, be prepared. Familiarize
yourself with local storm shelters, evacuation procedures, maps of
storm surge safety zones. Plan now what you would do in the event of
everything from a strong tropical storm to a category five hurricane.
This season may start in earnest early, so don't wait until August to
do it. Even people who live hundreds of miles inland can be severely
effected by a strong hurricane striking the coast. Flash flooding, wind
damage, and tornadoes occur well away from the eye of the storm.
When Hurricane Hugo hit the SC coast, no one in Charlotte NC was
prepared for the hurricane force winds and flooding rains that hit the
city. A powerful storm making a head on landfall can carry a lot of it's
energy far inland with it.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Giant Sundial Unveiled in Paris
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 08:31:56 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

Giant Sundial Unveiled in Paris

June 22, 1999; 5:59 a.m. EDT

PARIS (AP)-- Paris' Place de la Concorde has been transformed into a
giant sundial in a project postponed twice by world wars.

The French astronomer Camille Flammarion originally planned to mark
the pavement of the central Paris square in 1913 to allow passers-by to
tell time according to shadows from the 108-foot-high Obelisk.

Flammarion's Concorde sundial was postponed after World War I
broke out. The idea resurfaced in 1939, but was put off once again.

Paris Mayor Jean Tiberi revived the sundial plan as part of the city's
plans for millennium celebrations. It was unveiled Monday and will
remain in place until 2001.

Pedestrians can tell time by lining up markings on the pavement with
shadows cast by the Obelisk, a gift from Egypt that rises in the center
of the Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine of the French
Revolution once stood.

A chart near the monument helps passers-by translate the shadows
into legal time.

Other millennium projects for the Place de la Concorde include the
renovation of water fountains dating from 1840. Giant pools, basins
and marine sculpture flanking the Obelisk will be cleaned up and set
into motion in a $2.8 million project.

via: Newmill <hblonde1@tampabay.rr.com>

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - China Says U.S. Wants To Become 'Lord Of Earth'
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 08:31:56 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

Tuesday June 22 7:33 AM ET

China Says U.S. Wants To Become 'Lord Of Earth'

BEIJING (Reuters) - China compared the United States to Nazi
Germany Tuesday and said NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia reflected
Washington's ambition to become "Lord of the Earth."

"If you ask which country wants to become 'the Lord of the Earth' as
the then Nazi Germany had tried to, there is only one answer," said a
commentary in the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of China's
ruling Communist Party.

"It is the hegemonism-pursuing United States."

In likening the United States to Nazi Germany, the newspaper cited its
massive defense budget, the bombing of Yugoslavia without U.N.
sanction and the killing of civilians during the air campaign in
Yugoslavia.

NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia "has let more and more people see
more clearly the ferocious appearance of the U.S. hegemonism and its
ambition to dominate the world," it said.

China's embassy was bombed by NATO planes during the U.S.-led
alliance's air campaign against Yugoslav forces. The United States
called the deadly bombing a mistake and apologized to China, but an
enraged Beijing has rejected this explanation.

Beijing consistently opposed NATO's air campaign, fearing it could
set a precedent for "interference" in Chinese problems such as Taiwan
and Tibet. China's state-run media portrayed Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic as a hero fighting NATO aggression.

The People's Daily said NATO's intervention was aimed at expanding
its influence eastward and paving the way for the United States to
"control the entire Europe."

China's foreign ministry said Tuesday it was unconvinced by reports
of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, where many ethnic Albanians are said
to have been massacred at the hands of Serbs.

"We must conduct an earnest and serious investigation before making
any judgements," ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told reporters
in Beijing.

Evidence of mass killings of ethnic Albanians has begun to surface
since Yugoslav forces agreed this month to quit the southern
province.

via: Newmill <hblonde1@tampabay.rr.com>

--- BPR

BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - United Religions Project
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 16:06:49 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

Anglican Bishop spearheads United Religions
                                         Project

          JERUSALEM, Israel (ENI) -- Leaders of an initiative to set
          up a united body of the world's religions, paralleling the
          United Nations, claim that their campaign is gaining
          momentum.

          The Christian clergyman spearheading the "United Religions
          Initiative", California-based Episcopal (Anglican) Bishop
          William Swing, said that religions lagged at least
          half-a-century behind nation states in establishing
          international forums to resolve conflicts between different
          faiths.

          "As nations have got together for the past 50 years to
          pursue global good, during the same 50 years the religions
          have not spoken to each other and have not sat down to
          figure out what their common vocation is," he told ENI
          during a visit to Jerusalem during which he, along with the
          Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, attended an
          inter-faith conference.

          "Religions talk to each other at conferences, walk away,
          meet every two years, or five years or never. I am convinced
          that religions have to meet on a daily, permanent basis.

          "The problems, among religions, and in religions, are
          everyday problems, and they are not going to be solved, or
          addressed or helped, until we finally have some kind of
          'United Religions', that will parallel the United Nations,
          so that we can carry out negotiations."

          His goal is to set up the world body of religions by June
          next year, and he remains hopeful of meeting the deadline -
          with God's help.

          The initiative also has the support of the Dalai Lama, whose
          visit to Jerusalem this month was sponsored by Bishop
          Swing's Inter-Religious Friendship Group and the
          Inter-Religious Co-ordinating Council in Israel.

          "The Dalai Lama and I have been talking about this for
          several years and he is very supportive," said the bishop,
          who added that he had also discussed his proposal with
          Vatican officials. But the bishop doubted that the Roman
          Catholic Church would join, pointing out that it had not
          become a member of the World Council of Churches. But he
          added that he believed the Vatican would cooperate with,
          though not join, a body of world religions.

          "We see Northern Ireland, we see Sri Lanka, we see the
          Sudan, we see the Middle East, we see religions pitted
          against each other. And we are going to see more of that,
          not less. What happens when we have five extremist religious
          groups in charge of five countries with hands on atomic
          weapons?"The only answer, he said, was to set up an
          organisation of world regions bounded by clear structures
          and principles, agreed by all the participants.

          To this end, he and others of like mind have been working on
          a charter that might be adopted by such a body. He stressed
          that the model should be quite different from the
          bureaucratic framework of the United Nations.

          Nor would a world body of religions have a single
          headquarters such as the United Nations, but rather would
          seek to establish spheres of influence through offices
          around the world.

          The structural basis for such a body had already been formed
          thanks to the growing trend to have inter-faith groups, he
          said.

          Later this year Bishop Swing will attend an inter-faith
          forum in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by former US President
          Jimmy Carter, who has expressed interest in the project.

          The proposal will also be aired at another inter-faith
          conference in India in the coming months.

          (ENI - Ecumenical News International)

          (Post date: June 22, 1999)

http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3185.htm

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Nordic leadesr support UNSC seat for Japan, Germany
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 16:10:03 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

Nordic leaders support UNSC seat for Japan, Germany

.c Kyodo News Service

REYKJAVIK, June 22 (Kyodo) - Five Nordic leaders gathered in Reykjavik
for a summit expressed support Tuesday for the entry of Japan and
Germany as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) after
a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

The prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden
voiced their approval in a news conference after holding talks Tuesday
morning with Obuchi, who arrived in the Icelandic capital Monday night
on the last stop of his post-Cologne summit tour.

Obuchi first met with Icelandic Prime Minister David Oddsson at Hofdi
House where they discussed bilateral ties, including plans to exchange
ambassadors. Obuchi then met with all the five ministers together
before holding the joint news conference.

The four other prime ministers are Poul Nyrup Rasmussen of Denmark,
Paavo Lipponen of Finland, Kjell Magne Bondevik of Norway and Goran
Persson of Sweden.

The five leaders, who concluded their annual summer meeting Monday,
agreed on the need to expand the number of permanent and nonpermanent
UNSC seats. They also pushed for a close exchange of views on
reinforcing the functions of the United Nations.

With Obuchi, the Nordic prime ministers reached agreements on
increased cooperation with Japan, such as continuing the training of
Japanese personnel at Nordic centers for peacekeeping forces.

The six leaders expressed readiness to take concerted action in
extending aid to Russia and former Soviet republics to help dismantle
nuclear weapons and to cooperate in improving the transparency of
small arms transfers worldwide.

Obuchi took the opportunity to explain to his Nordic counterparts
efforts his government is making to lead the Japanese economy to
recovery, such as reform of the financial system and economic stimulus
measures, Japanese officials said.

On Kosovo, the six leaders said their countries will cooperate
wherever possible in helping the southern Serb province get back on
its feet and in giving aid to ethnic Albanian refugees and other
victims of the just-concluded war.

Nordic countries raised their stature in international diplomacy after
Finnish President Marti Ahtisaari played a key role early this month
in convincing Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to accept a peace
plan that eventually ended the conflict.

After the news conference, Obuchi and the ministers attended a lunch
hosted by Icelandic President Olafur Ragner Grimsson at his official
Bessastadir residence.

Obuchi, who met British Prime Minister Tony Blair during a two-day
visit to London, is scheduled to tour the national park at Thingvellir
together with his wife, Chizuko, before attending a dinner hosted by
Oddsson for all the ministers later in the evening.

He is scheduled to return to Tokyo on Thursday.

via: End_Times_News@onelist.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (6/22/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 18:25:50 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

*** Senate expected to OK UN dues bill

WASHINGTON (AP) - Nearly $1 billion in delinquent U.S. payments to the
United Nations would be authorized under a bill nearing Senate
approval. But there's a string attached: a cut in future U.S.
contributions to the world organization. The bill, expected to win
Senate approval Tuesday, calls for a reduction in the U.S. share of
the regular U.N. budget from the present 25% to 20%; and a drop in the
share of peacekeeping operations from 31% to 25%. In exchange, the
United Nations would get the long-delayed payments. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560028531-9c0

*** Mir fund-raiser off to slow start

MOSCOW (AP) - A fund-raising effort to save Russia's Mir space
station from being abandoned early next year began slowly Tuesday,
with the first donations yielding the humble equivalent of $80.
Cosmonaut Vitaly Sevastyanov, president of the Mir Preservation Fund,
said the equivalent of $50 million is needed to keep Mir in orbit for
one more year. Official estimates put the figure between $200 million
and $250 million. The cash-strapped government said it would only pay
for Mir to operate through the summer, and space officials decided
earlier this month that Mir's last crew would depart in August. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560031247-662

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - 2 Leonids stories
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 18:59:58 +0000

From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>

NASA Space Science News for June 22, 1999

TWO STORIES:

Leonids on the Horizon: What's in store for the 1999 Leonid meteor
shower? Experts make their predictions. FULL STORY at:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast22jun99_1.htm

The Great Leonid Meteor Storm of 1833: This Feature Story presents a
charming, first-hand account of the great meteor shower that marked
the discovery of the Leonids and the birth of a new branch of
astronomy. FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast22jun99_2.htm