To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (4/30/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 10:15:11 +0000

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

Relations between Iran and Syria historic and remarkable

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arabic News

Fri Apr 30 , 1999 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi has
described relations between Syria and Iran as historical and
remarkable. In a televised statement on Thursday in Tehran, the
Iranian foreign minister said, "Syria is a very important country and
it stands in the forefront in confrontation with Israel." He added,
"It is natural that we frequently discuss issues of concern to the two
countries, especially conditions in the region and the cause of
Palestine, a matter which is very important to be discussed with our
friends in Syria because such matters for Syria and Iran are strategic
and important." Kharazi added that during President Khatami's expected
visit to Syria all such matters will be discussed. He added that
President's Khatami's visit to Syria will mark the beginning of his
Arab tour which will also cover Saudi Arabia and Qatar. On
Arab-Iranian relations, Kharazi said that Iranian policy is based on
the principle of developing Iran's relations with its neighbors.
Kharazi added: "On this ground Saudi-Iranian relations have witnessed
big strides forward in boosting bilateral relations." The Iranian FM
expressed satisfaction over the progress of relations between Iran and
the Arab Gulf states, especially with Saudi Arabia.

Russian minister astounds IMF with criticism

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: TampaBay Online (AP)

Fri Apr 30 , 1999 -- A day after the IMF reached agreement with Russia
on an economic reform program, Russia's economic minister accused the
international community of failing to respond quickly to his country's
financial crisis - astounding IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus.
Andrei G. Shapovaliants made no mention of Wednesday's agreement in
principle on an economic plan and $4.5 billion in new IMF loans to
Moscow, complaining instead that Russia had suffered badly because of
the lending institution's inaction. ``Russia appears to have been a
target of discrimination since it was the only country as far as we
know among the crisis-hit countries that didn't receive timely
international support,'' he said Thursday at a joint meeting of the
U.N. Economic and Social Council and top officials of the IMF and
World Bank. Camdessus said afterward that he listened to the criticism
``with a sense of - I don't know - unreality.'' He said he was
surprised that the minister didn't mention Wednesday's package to help
Russia fight the consequences of the crisis. The IMF came under
extensive criticism last summer when it announced a major rescue
effort for Russia only to see the program derailed within weeks after
Russian authorities gave up an ineffective effort to defend the value
of the ruble. The Russian default in August 1998 triggered the darkest
days in the 20-month-old global economic crisis that began in Thailand
in July 1997. Camdessus said his staff had been telling him to be
prudent in saying the crisis was over. But he told the meeting that
the countries worst affected ``are now in the recovery process or
close to it.''

Plans for tactical nuclear weapons, ordered by Yeltsin

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: (The Washingtion Times)

Fri Apr 30 , 1999 -- Russia Thursday ordered its military to draw up
plans for the development and use of tactical nuclear weapons in what
may be a response to NATO's heightened profile, and at the same time
begin a new diplomatic initiative to end the war in Yugoslavia. The
nuclear order was given at a highly secretive meeting in Moscow
between President Boris Yeltsin, and the advisory Security Council,
according to a Russian news agency quoting Security Council Secretary
Vladimir Putin. Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller than strategic
weapons and are intended for battlefield use only. At the same time,
Russian Balkan envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin set out for a round of
meetings in Western European capitals carrying what he said were new
proposals to end the war in Yugoslavia. Analysts said the proposals
called for NATO to first halt its airstrikes, something the alliance
has refused to do. Mr. Yeltsin also met in Moscow with U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to discuss the plan and other ideas to
end the fighting. Reuters news agency said Mr. Yeltsin signed three
documents including one on tactical arms during his Security Council
meeting, which was held in such secrey that even the chief of the
Strategic Rocket Forces left the room. Russia's RIA news agency,
monitored by Reuters, quoted Mr. Putin as saying the presidential
decrees "covered the developement of the nuclear weapons complex and a
concept for developing and using non-strategic nuclear weapons." Mr.
Putin specifically ruled out any link between the council meeting and
the alliance's bombing of Yugoslavia, Reuters said. But it said that
defense experts noted that Russia was eager to respond to NATO's
Yugoslav campaign and to last weekend's summit in Washington. At the
summit, the members adopted a document on strategy that reaffirmed
NATO's intention to maintain a "credible nuclear posture with
flexibility and suvivability" and for the first time extended the
alliance's mandate to areas outside the geographic territory, of its
members. "Don't take Mr. Yeltsin's decree seriously," a Russian arms
expert told Reuters. "Its a game, so the West gets upset." Defense
experts told Reuters that Russia's army has about 10,000 to 12,000
tactical nuclear weapons already, but they are largely in storage. The
Russian rationale has been to keep them for perceived threats from the
south and east rather than from the west.

Wild Wolves in Galilee

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Fri Apr 30 , 1999 -- Their have been rumors that the chasing out of
wild wolves from the Golan Heights area has brought the wolves into
the area of Safed and the Upper Galilee. Cattle owners in the Akbara
village near Safed said there are wolves circulating in the area
waiting for easy prey. The Safed Municipal Veterinarian verified the
truth of the rumors.

China's central province bombarded with deadly hailstones

Weekend News Today
By Staff Writer
Source: Yahoo!

Fri Apr 30 , 1999 -- A two-day storm which bombarded China's central
province of Hubei with hailstones has claimed 22 lives, Reuters
reported. Torrential rain ravaged Hubei's 31 cities and counties
between April 23 and 25, destroying houses and farmland, a provincial
government official told Reuters by telephone. A local agriculture
official said some areas had 10 inches of rain in 24 hours and the
winter wheat crop had been hit.

via: bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Lockheed Martin's next generation military communications satellite
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 10:15:11 +0000

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

Lockheed Martin's next generation military communications satellite
successfully launched by the Air Force

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR STATION, Fla., April 30, 1999 -- The first Milstar
II satellite -- built by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space was
successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla.
aboard a Titan IV launch vehicle. It is the third of six Milstar
communications satellites Lockheed Martin will provide to the Air
Force.

Milstar II, the Defense Department's most technologically advanced
telecommunications satellite, is the first to carry the Medium Data
Rate (MDR) payload which can process data at speeds of 1.5 megabits
per second. The two Milstar I satellites currently on-orbit are
equipped with a UHF and Low Data Rate payload, which transmits
information at rates between 75 and 2,400 bits per second.

The new MDR payload represents a transition to the new Block II
configuration, which will offer a variety of enhanced communications
features for the U.S. military. These include added security through
the use of specially designed antennas and faster data-rate
transmissions for all users.

The Milstar spacecraft constellation provides secure, global
communication links for the joint forces of the U.S. military and can
transmit voice, data, and imagery, in addition to offering video
teleconferencing capabilities.

"A few years ago our customer asked that we redesign Milstar to
provide new capabilities more suitable to this era of regional
conflicts. Our team not only proposed a great solution with the MDR
payload, but it implemented that solution rapidly and under tight
budget restrictions," said Missiles & Space president Mike Henshaw.
"We are proud to be on the Milstar team which is providing U.S. forces
with the capability to communicate without betraying their locations
and to do so securely, within close proximity of enemy jammers."

Milstar's "switchboard-in-space " concept is a revolutionary departure
from all current communications systems and is designed to provide
adaptable, secure, and survivable communications between fixed-site,
mobile, and hand-portable terminals. The system does this by
utilizing five technologies not found in any previous military
satellite communication system: 1) on-board signal processing, 2)
on-board signal routing, 3) on-board resource control, 4) crossbanding
 (receiving a signal through one antenna at one frequency and
processing and relaying it through a different antenna at a different
frequency) and 5) satellite crosslinks (antennas that allow
satellites to directly beam signals to each other without using ground
station relays).

Milstar is used for communications among ships, submarines and
land-based Naval stations via Navy Extremely High Frequency Satellite
Communications Program terminals. The system provides communications
networks to Army units via the Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable
Tactical Terminals mounted on vehicles, and to individual troops and
small units from the Single Channel Anti-Jam Man-Portable terminals.
For the Air Force, the Milstar system provides links for Air Force
airborne command posts.

The Milstar team is led by the MILSATCOM Joint Program Office at the
U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force
Base, CA. Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space is the Milstar prime
contractor, Hughes Space and Communications Company provides the
Medium Data Rate payload, and TRW Space & Electronics Group provides
the Low Data Rate payload.

Missiles & Space, an operating company of Lockheed Martin Corporation,
is a leading supplier of satellites to military, civil government and
commercial communications customers around the world. These
spacecraft have enhanced military and civilian communications;
provided critical weather information for civil and military planners;
and enabled space-based surveillance for a variety of applications.
More than 750 Lockheed Martin spacecraft have been launched since
1958.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a
highly diversified global enterprise principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture and integration of
advanced-technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's
core businesses span space and telecommunications, electronics,
information and services, aeronautics, energy and systems integration.
 Employing approximately 170,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had
1998 sales surpassing $26 billion.

via: SEDSNEWS@listserv.tamu.edu

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - May 2, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 20:59:50 +0000

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

8:00 PM Eastern

 CNN - NEWSSTAND: TIME - The Vatican credits Padre
   Pio's miracle.(CC)

 DISC - ANCIENT INVENTIONS - "War and Conflict" - History of
   military hardware; the Assyrian tank; the Roman missile
   launcher; Byzantine use of flamethrowers; Chinese
   gunpowder.(CC)(TVG)

 HIST - TALES OF THE GUN - "Big Guns" - Superior firepower;
   the Big Bertha of World War I; the super gun of
   Iraq.(CC)(TVG)

9:00

 CNN - CELEBRATE THE CENTURY - "1900-1914" - The years
   1900-1914; the United States grows in world power; the
   Titanic sinks; World War I begins.(CC)

 DISC - ANCIENT INVENTIONS - "City Life" - Lighting systems
   of the past; money; sliding doors; fast
   food.(CC)(TVG)

 HIST - SWORN TO SECRECY - "The Gulf War: Secrets in the
   Sand" - Allied operations in the Gulf War; SAS Commandos;
   Special Forces; long-range desert patrols.(CC)(TVPG)

10:00

 DISC - ANCIENT INVENTIONS - "Sex and Love" - Greek temples
   hold sex pageants; Chinese invent a clock; German nun creates
   a birth-control pill.(CC)(TVPG)

 HIST - HISTORY UNDERCOVER - "Luftwaffe 1946" - German
   World War II aircraft designs; supersonic planes; manned
   V-2s; intercontinental bombers; high-altitude
   fighters.(CC)(TVG)

==========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Pastor claims right to spank with belt
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 10:01:35 +0000

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

Pastor claims right to spank with belt

Copyright 1999 by United Press International

BOSTON, April 29 (UPI) -- The Massachusetts Supreme Court says it will
decide whether a Massachusetts minister has the right to spank his son
with a leather belt.

The Rev. Donald Cobble Jr. claims the corporal punishment is
sanctioned by the Bible, and the government has no right to interfere
by alleging the use of the belt amounts to child abuse.

Cobble, associate pastor of the Christian Teaching and Worship Center
in the Boston suburb of Woburn, was charged with abuse two years ago
after his preteen son, Judah, pleaded with a teacher not to send a
note home to his father because it would result in punishment with a
belt.

The teacher, instead, notified the state Department of Social
Services, and an investigating social worker concluded the use of the
belt amounted to abuse.

The DSS offered to drop the charge if Cobble agreed to discontinue
using the belt, but the minister refused.

Cobble says the Bible gives him the right to spank his son with the
belt, but a state Superior Court ruled otherwise.

Cobble's attorney, Chester Darling, says the DSS is interferring with
the pastor's constitutional right to practice his religion.

Darling said in today's Boston Globe, ``Who the hell are they to tell
parents how to discipline their children?''

He said, ``The essence of this case is that a lack of discipline is a
form of child abuse.''

Darling added, ``Take a look at Colorado and see what happens if there
are no rules and they aren't enforced by the parent.''

A Superior Court judge earlier concluded that considering the nature
of the spanking and the vulnerability of the child, ``there is a real
risk that this practice will lead to serious injury.''

--- BPR

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

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Germany's ecologists put hex on witch festival
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 10:03:30 +0000

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

Germany's ecologists put hex on witch festival

Copyright 1999 by Agence France-Presse

THALE, Germany, May 1 (AFP) - Thousands of people gathered late Friday
to celebrate Germany's annual mountaintop festival of sorcery, despite
appeals from ecologists to get on their broomsticks and buzz off.

More than 20,000 dressed up as witches and warlocks assembled at
Thale, one of the traditional centres of the Walpurgisnacht festival
on the Brocken mountain, to dance and sweep away the winter with their
brooms.

Many more, wearing their everyday clothes, came to watch the rites
under the full moon, which terminated with the appearance of a large
red-cloaked "devil."

The Brocken, whose name was popularised throughout the country thanks
to its background role in Goethe's work, "Faust," stands in the Harz
national park in central-eastern Germany.

Environmentalists have expressed fears for the effect on wildlife of
such a massed gathering, which gets bigger every year after being
banned by the authorities when the area was part of East Germany.

Walpurgisnacht is rooted in pre-Christian times. In Germanic
mythology, the night before May 1 celebrated the marriage of the god
Wotan and Freya, the queen of love and fertility.

After Christianisation, the celebration gradually became a pretext for
casting out evil spirits and celebrating the return of spring. The
Church made it the festival of Saint Walburga, an 8th-century English
missionary who sought to convert the "barbarous" Germanic peoples to
Christianity.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - UPI Feature Story items (4/22-30/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 10:24:52 +0000

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

CHEMOTHERAPY BEGINS FOR AMISH GIRL

Chemotherapy is under way for a 3-year-old Amish girl whose parents
unsuccessfully pleaded with a judge to block the treatment, claiming
it's against their religious beliefs.

A judge in Flint, Michigan ruled in favor of Hurley Medical Center,
which sought the treament, and against Mary Stutzman's parents after
doctors said chemotherapy is her best chance of beating leukemia.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

When a 17-year-old girl in Logan, Utah, ran away because her father
whipped her, it wasn't just her father who got in trouble. So did his
brother.

The father whipped the girl because she had disobeyed his brother...
who had taken the girl as his 15th wife. The father has pleaded no
contest to third-degree child abuse. The brother goes on trial in June
for incest.

I WAS JUST ANGRY, MOM

Years ago, when a lot of skyjackings were going on, there was a
cartoon of a man walking on a tarmac and saying ``Hi, Jack,'' to a
friend. The next panel showed him being carried away by two guards.

That may be somewhat the climate that led to the arrests of three
teenagers over the past two days at three different schools in east-
central Ohio. At one of them -- in New Philadelphia -- a 13-year-old
boy was arrested after saying he was going to school yesterday to kill
all the people he doesn't like.

He would have been better off threatening a hijacking.

WHAT'S THE RUSSIAN WORD FOR ``COMEDIAN?''

There have been a lot of stories about Boris Yeltsin's health in
recent years, plus more than a few rumors he was near death. But
Yeltsin's doctor says the beleaguered president of Russia is fit...and
has faked illness a number of times to befuddle his political
opponents.

Says the doctor: ``Yeltsin will still catch cold at our funerals.''

REMEMBER THE EXPLODING CIGAR?

One of the goals of plant geneticists is to develop plants that can
de-contaminate soil, creating harmless byproducts. Until recently it
was still a dream. But scientists in Britain say they've come up with
modified tobacco plant that feeds on explosive soil contaminants left
over from munitions-making.

With that kind of tobacco, tar and nicotine could be the least of your
worries.

ACCORDING TO OUR DEFINITION, YOU CAN'T LIVE HERE

Here's a unique approach for dealing with teenage gangs, or
``gangbangers.'' Cicero, Illinois -- the Chicago suburb that Al Capone
made famous -- has passed an ordinance that would evict gangbangers.
Anybody who fits the criteria outlined in the ordinance could be
booted.

SOUNDS LIKE A CHEMISTRY MAJOR

Since the tragedy in Littleton, Colorado, last week some people think
school officials have been overreacting to schoolyard threats. But
nobody could say that about Everett High in Lansing, Michigan.

Guards at the school nabbed a 15-year-old boy after he was spotted
setting off an explosive device in a field near the school. In his
backpack they found all the ingredients for six so-called ``McGuyver
bombs''...named after the TV hero who found clever ways to get out of
tough situations.

Needless to say, the boy faces what police call ``numerous charges.''

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Y2K Report items (5/2/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 10:49:05 +0000

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

WHITEHOUSE: GOVERNMENT-WIDE Y2K TESTING DAY UNNECESSARY
(Source: Orlando de Bruce, FCW, 4/21/1999)

The White House does not support a bill that would require federal
agencies to set aside one day to conduct government-wide testing of
key computer systems to assess their Year 2000-compliance. The bill,
introduced by Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.), would designate July 1
as a "National Y2K Test Day," in which federal agencies would be
required to conduct end-to-end testing of their mission-critical
computer systems. Such a step is unnecessary, said John Koskinen,
Chairman of the PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON YEAR 2000 CONVERSION, because
the Clinton administration already requires agencies to test their
systems fully. Asking agencies to carry out the tests in one day only
creates undue burdens and "is a waste of time," Koskinen added. (JG)

Link: http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1999/0419/web-y2kbill-4-21-99.html

Y2K PROBLEMS WITH WINDOWS 95 & 98
(Source: Cliff Saran, COMPUTER WEEKLY NEWS, 4/29/1999)

A reported date-handling flaw in Windows 98 has raised a question mark
over the benefits of MICROSOFT applications being linked closely to
operating system software. On its Year 2000 Website, Microsoft
admitted that the functions used in the operating system for
interpreting two-digit years did not work as documented. In Windows
98, Microsoft added a function, available through the Windows Control
Panel, that allowed administrators to force the operating system to
interpret a two-digit date XX as 19XX or 20XX depending on whether XX
was larger or smaller than a threshold set by the administrator. But
last week, Microsoft said the threshold level was fixed at 30 and
could not be altered by changing the Windows Control Panel
configuration.

In related news, EDS's U.S. Chief Information Officer Gary Rudin has
resigned following disclosure of a memo justifying why his firm should
embark on a massive Windows 98 roll-out. The memo stated that EDS had
moved to Windows 98 because Microsoft had allegedly indicated it could
not guarantee Windows 95 would be millennium-compliant. Microsoft has
denied the claim. (JG)

Link:
http://www.computerweekly.co.uk/cwarchive/news/19990429/cwcontainer.as
p? name=C4.html

Link:
http://www.computerweekly.co.uk/cwarchive/columns/19990429/cwcontainer
.a sp?name=C1.html

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SECOND QUARTERLY SUMMARY
By James Gregory

The PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON YEAR 2000 CONVERSION issued its second
quarterly assessment in April. The upbeat 49-page report informs us
that Y2K awareness is now quite widespread, coordinators have been
designated, plans are being developed or are underway, fewer problems
have been found than anticipated, progress is being made, and systems
will be tested and implemented by July 1, or October 1, or after
January 1, depending on which industrial or governmental sector is
being discussed. In summary, the Y2K challenge has been largely
solved already, or will be soon.

The report admits, however, that there are a number of exceptions to
this cheery picture:

- Despite the best efforts of many in government and industry, it is
clear there is still much work to be done and questions unanswered:
How many systems will experience difficulties? How severe will those
difficulties be? What disruptions will they create? There is
particular concern about the Y2K readiness of healthcare providers.

- Organizations that are not paying appropriate attention to the
problem or adopting a "wait and see" strategy are putting themselves
-- and those who depend on them -- at great risk. This position is
most prevalent among small businesses and local governments.

- Concerns exist with the 1,300 small and medium-sized telephone
companies where there is limited information about the status of their
Y2K efforts.

- There is concern about those power companies that are not
participating in industry assessments and for whom data is not
available.

- The pharmaceutical sector is concerned about the readiness of
international suppliers; particularly troublesome is the area of
generic pharmaceuticals, where 90 percent of supplies originate
overseas.

- There are significant concerns about the readiness of some airports,
international aviation partners, and international ports and shipping.

- It appears that a number of countries will experience Y2K failure in
key infrastructures. In particular, Middle Eastern countries that
produce much of the world's oil have been slow to act on the problem.

Y2K analyst Victor Porlier dryly observes that we are expected to
remain sanguine in the face of these dichotomies. "What we have here
is another triumph of slogan over substance....American political
discourse -- and let's be very clear, Y2K is now a political issue --
rewards simplicity over complexity, victory over governing, the
positive over the negative, and image over reality."

Porlier goes on to say:

"This quarterly report is essentially a summary of unverified
self-appraisals of progress in mission-critical systems issued by
corporate CEOs and government agency directors....Their statements are
the results of surveys only partially responded to....Is it a
reasonable speculation that those furthest along are most likely to
respond to such surveys?"

"Nothing is said about the on-going debate concerning embedded
systems,...only the assertion that the embedded system problem is
turning out to be less than anticipated."

"We are given the reported percentage of systems remediated, tested,
and implemented. No indication that there has been any slippage in
reaching milestones, as there admittedly has been."

"And so it goes -- the upbeat projections trump the reality and
continue to set the tone of public discourse and reporting. The only
dissenting voices seem to be...those programmers actually struggling
with Y2K remediation efforts. As the owner of a large wood stove
store in Albany was reported to have said last week, 'We have a lot of
computer programmers coming in to look and purchase wood-burning
stoves.' Ask yourself, 'What do they know that the rest of us
don't?'"

Y2KNEWSWIRE Editor, Mike Adams, took it upon himself to translate the
Report into plain English. He analyzed the text and searched out not
only what was being stated, but also what was not being stated.
Y2KNewswire took great pains to point out that Adam's translation was
not "our version" of the report, since, in their opinion, there were
many things contained in the quarterly report that they thought were
inaccurate or understated. In order to have their say, they created a
separate (and quite remarkable) document consisting of three columns:
the original report, the translation, and Y2KNewsire's comments. Here
is a sampling of excerpts from the report and Y2KNewswire's
corresponding edited comments:

"Overall, the report actually seems to outline a new position for the
Council, and while it still speaks mildly of potential Y2K problems,
it simultaneously acknowledges the reality of several major problems
as well as international dependencies. But in some areas, the report
falls flat. The statement, for example, that grocery stores stock
weeks of food simply runs counter to the first-hand knowledge of the
way grocery stores operate. And the outright declaration that today's
farming is all done manually certainly seems bizarre. Perhaps the
authors of the report have not recently visited the high-tech,
high-output and high-automation farms now keeping the city populations
fed."

The Report Says: GENERAL MOTORS and several other automakers report
that most of the computers in their cars and trucks do not have
date-related functionality and, therefore, pose no Year 2000-related
problems. Those few systems that have date-related functionality have
been found to be Year 2000 ready.

Y2KNewswire Comments: This misses the big issue: the compliance of the
auto industry. With tens of thousands of suppliers, what happens if
GM can't get all the parts and services necessary to assemble cars?
This critical point was not mentioned anywhere in the report.

The Report Says: Industry surveys reveal that it is highly unlikely
that there will be national disruptions in electric power service on
January 1, 2000. More than two-thirds of critical systems within the
industry are now Y2K ready before the industry-wide target date of
June 30, 1999, and with continued progress and properly coordinated
contingency planning, the Nation's electric power supply and delivery
systems will be able to operate reliably into the Year 2000.

Y2KNewswire Comments: This is an unjustified claim. In fact,
two-thirds are self-reporting they are ready. Virtually none of these
claims have been independently verified.

The Report Says: Financial institutions -- from banks to securities
firms -- have been making excellent progress in preparing systems for
the Year 2000 and it is not expected that industry systems will
experience widespread or prolonged Y2K related problems.

Y2KNewswire Comments: If banks are so far ahead, and they're still not
finished, how will the other industries manage to finish on time?

The Report Says: The Council will convene industry meetings this
spring for food supply, pharmaceuticals, hospital supply, and mass
transit. There is a need for additional information in all of these
areas, with the exception of mass transit, about the supply chain's
ability to respond to potential increases in demand at the end of
1999.

Y2KNewswire Comments: The Council is basically implying that people
might engage in last-minute food buying. We've never heard them
acknowledge that possibility before.

The Report Says: The Council will launch an initiative this summer to
increase Y2K information sharing at the local level....The goal of the
initiative is to have local government officials and service providers
hold "community conversations" with constituents and customers to
explain the range of their organization's Y2K activities and the
outlook for continuity of local services during the Y2K transition.

Y2KNewswire Comments: For the Council's report to now advocate some
form of "local preparedness planning" almost seems contradictory.
Where is the call for preparedness planning at the individual level?

(Sources: Victor Porlier, WESTERGAARD YEAR 2000, 4/28/1999;
Y2KNEWSWIRE, 4/29/1999)

Report in plain English (translated by Y2KNewswire):
http://www.y2knewswire.com/19990429.htm

Y2KNewswire Translation with comments:
http://www.y2knewswire.com/translation.htm

Victor Porlier:
http://www.y2ktimebomb.com/DSA/VP/vp9917.htm

The original Year 2000 Council document:
http://www.y2k.gov/new/FINAL3.htm

RUSSIA: IT'S CHEAPER TO EVACUATE PEOPLE
(Source: Margaret Coker, CBS MARKETWATCH, 4/23/1999)

Despite Russia's assurances that its infrastructure -- from the
MINISTRY OF ATOMIC ENERGY to the pipeline network transporting 30
percent of Europe's natural gas needs -- will be Y2K compliant, forces
as varied as the CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY to multinationals like
SMITHKLINE BEECHAM are concerned that the troubled nation isn't ready
to face the millennium bug at all. Information technology consultant
GARTNERGROUP predicts that up to 80 percent of Russia's phone,
electricity, and transportation systems could fail at the start of the
year, threatening humanitarian, environmental and economic disaster
not only for Russia, but Europe and the U.S.

Adding to the concern is the fact that those controlling primary parts
of the economy "from the government itself down to national power grid
operator UNIFIED ENERGY SYSTEMS (UES) and the natural gas monopoly
GAZPROM" offer a complete lack of information about how they are
handling the Y2K issue. The Russian government says it is doing
everything it can to stave off catastrophe, but has never publicly
defined the scope of the problem for any one agency or
government-controlled company.

Sanjay Razdan, general manager of HONEYWELL EUROPE, says his company
has sold to the Soviet government microchips now known to be Y2K
vulnerable. He has no way of tracking what enterprise, company or
missile system the chips ended up in, and he's not sure a master list
exists on the Russian side either. "The situation could be critical,"
he said.

Russia's financial situation is another weak link in the claim of
preparedness. A $3 billion price tag has been placed on the job to
fix Russia's Y2K vulnerabilities. Considering that the entire 1999
federal budget equals some $21 billion, and that the government owes
tens of billions of dollars to unpaid government workers as well as to
international creditors, appropriating money from the federal budget
is hardly realistic.

Says UES Deputy Head Engineer Vladimir Ornov, "Even if someone says a
breakdown in his computer will cause an atomic energy station to
explode, we still won't be given money from the government to fix our
systems. It's cheaper to...evacuate people." (JG)

Link:
http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/19990423/news/current/moscow%5Fstor
y. htx

via: The NHNE Y2K Report:
http://www.nhne.com/y2kreport/

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arabia On Line items (5/2/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 13:17:37 +0000

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

Arafat Faces Legal Limbo
The Palestinian territories face a legal vacuum when the autonomy
periodexpires on May 4 without a permanent accord to replace it.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/5_99/statehood2.shtml

Iran Pet Lovers Slam Ban on Dog Walkers
An Iranian animal rights group protested at barring dogs from public
places as "un-Islamic".
http://www.arabia.com/content/living/5_99/iran2.shtml

Saddam Statue Blossoms in Baghdad
A bronze statue of Saddam Hussein, standing in themiddle of a flower,
was unveiled in Baghdad.
http://www.arabia.com/content/living/5_99/iraq2.shtml

Papal Beatification Event Unites Pilgrims
A large crowd attended Pope John Paul`s beatification of a 20th
century Italian mystic monk who has borne the wounds of Christ.
http://www.arabia.com/content/culture/5_99/vatican2.shtml

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - May 3/4, 1999: Lag B'Omer
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 13:29:26 +0000

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

May 3/4, 1999 Lag B'Omer (acronym for the number 33 in Hebrew) - 33rd
day of the counting of the Omer

From the second night of Passover/Pesach, every night for seven weeks,
the Jews count the days that have passed until Pentecost/Feast of
Weeks. This process is called "the counting of the Omer." This period
is usually one of semi-mourning with many things being prohibited
during these 7 weeks--with one exception--on the 33rd day, Lag B'Omer.
On this day a great plague is said to have ceased and therefore the
ban on weddings, getting haircuts, etc. is lifted.

The feast is commemorated with (among other things) huge bonfires and
children play with toy bows.
==============

May 4, 1999 is/was the day the Palestinians declare statehood.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - What's New at BPR
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 2 May 1999 19:47:00 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

Bible Prophecy Research
Additions and updates made since Apr 19 1999
Number 22
May 02, 1999
--------------

Greetings everyone...

Before I list the new files at BPR, I want to mention
something about any book recommendations we may pass
along. Sometimes we have links that will lead you
to our "bookstore" which is affiliated with Amazon.com.
As an affiliate, we get a small referral fee for any
books that you may purchase from Amazon through our
store. Recently, I have started to list book
recommendations in our newsletters because, very
simply, I get excited about good books. I'm sure
you know what that's like...you've just finished a
great novel and you can't wait to share it with your
friends. Well, that's what it's like for us. We've
come across some good books that we just want to tell
others about. I mention this, because I don't want
to give the impression that we are soliciting for
your "business." I would much rather you go directly
to Amazon (or your local bookstore even) than for
you to be "put off" by what may seem as advertising
from us.

Secondly, I should mention that we are very picky
about the books we list in our "store." We only
list books that we have personally read, and of
those, we only list the ones that we like and/or
find useful for bible study. If you have a favorite
book or bible resource that you think we may be
interested in, tell us about it. We are always
looking for new reading material.

Ok... 'nuff said on that. <g> Let's take a look at
some new files:

> Added: Bible History, Old Testament: Vol VI
by Alfred Edersheim
http://philologos.org/__eb-bhot

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

> Added: Y2K/Yahoo
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms-024-a.htm

A Zola Levitt monthly letter is highlighted,
with some additional information from Moza
on the word "yahoo."

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

> Added: Coat of Arms of Prince Charles of Wales
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms-022-a.htm

Much speculation has arisen concerning
the identity of the anti-Christ. Prince Charles
is one of the latest candidates. His coat of arms
is a fascinating study in heraldic symbolism.

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

> Added: The United Nations Meditation Room
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms-023-a.htm

The New World Religion is celebrated in a "chapel"
specially designed by Dag Hammarskjold. Politicians,
world leaders, kings, popes, and movers and shakers of
all kinds converge here with the common thread of the
New Age religion connecting them all.

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

> Updated: A Woman Clothed With the Sun
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/w-007-01.htm

> Updated: Gog
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/g-001-01.htm

==============================

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea
by Tim Cohen
Paperback - 444 pages
Illustrated edition (March 1998)
Prophecy House
ISBN: 0966279301
Dimensions (in inches): 1.19 x 8.32 x 5.54

http://philologos.org/bookstore/Listings/cohen.tim.1.htm

Back Cover: "The AntiChrist and a Cup of Tea will answer your
questions about the AntiChrist. How literally should you take
God's written Word? Is it literal even to the point of its
apocalyptic symbolism?"

Examine these topics:
- How the AntiChrist will use the United Nations to control the
world
- Who has requested to be the King of Europe
- Whose name scripturally calculates to 666 in English and
Hebrew
- Who claims descent from Jesus, Mohammed, and David, yet
appears to be from Dan and Satan
- Whose heraldic achievement literally bears the satanic imagery -
- the "calling card" -- of the AntiChrist

Reviews:

Dr. Noah Hutchings, Author, Y2K=666? -- "A fascinating book
that connects the history of the royal family of England to end-
time prophecy. The section dealing with the interpretation of the
complicated and intricate designs in Prince Charles' Coat of Arms
is especially intriguing.... History buffs and students of prophecy
will enjoy this book."

Endorsements:

Chuck Missler, Founder, Koinonia House, author "Alien
Encounters" -- "A lot of prophecy books cross my desk, but this
one -- this one -- this one you have to get... [The] premise is
provocative and ...[the] book is historically fascinating, and it's
far more illuminating than many of the things I get sent... Even
though I have to admit I don't necessarily agree to the premise
[of knowing the identity of the AntiChrist before the rapture] or
the conclusions [that he is now identified], it is the kind of book
you really need for your library because it fills in all this
background that you will run into.... It's one of the best-done
historically documented works here... [Moreover, it] exhaustively
documents a possible identity of the coming world leader, and we
find the book... an absolute jewel..., especially for someone who's
a student of history. I am profoundly impressed... and it is, I
think, an extremely interesting book..."

David Hocking, Author and President, Hope for Today: "Rarely
has a book been so thoroughly researched! The uniqueness of
Tim Cohen's work is the way he brings so many facts together
that point to a possible candidate for the man the Bible describes
as "AntiChrist." You may disagree with his conclusion, but you
cannot argue with the thoroughness and details of his
presentation. The historical 'connections' are worth the price of
the book alone. May this work prepare us all to be aware of how
world events are coming together and fulfilling God's plan, and
may it lead those who read it to a personal knowledge and
commitment to the true Messiah as our only hope and salvation."

Amazon customer reviews:

"Outstanding research on the subject of the Antichrist. This
exhaustive book compiles a wealth of information providing
powerful evidence for the identity of the antichrist. It's
inescapable conclusion will be undeniable. The evidence Cohen
compiles is overwhelming. VERY interesting stuff."

"This book is a great resource for those interested in end-time
speculations. The section on heraldry, especially it's dissection
and explanation of the symbols used on certain coats-of-arms
was fascinating. He makes an interesting case for a possible
candidate for the antichrist, even though I thought he stretched
some verses to make them fit his supposition."

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

That's it! Everyone have a good week....

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - May 3, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 08:33:02 +0000

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

8:00 PM Eastern

 A&E - BIOGRAPHY - "J. Edgar Hoover: Personal and
   Confidential" - Interviews and photos describe the personal
   and professional life of J. Edgar
   Hoover.(CC)(TVG)

 CNN - NEWSSTAND: TIME - The Vatican credits Padre
   Pio's miracle.(CC)

 DISC - THE STATUE OF LIBERTY - The monument remains an
   enduring symbol of America's freedom.(CC)(TVG)

 HIST - SPIES AMONG US - New evidence uncovers the extent of
   Soviet espionage in the United States.(CC)(TVPG)

 TLC - WONDERS OF WEATHER - "Nature's Extremes" -
   Record-breaking weather.(CC)(TVG)

8:30

 TLC - WONDERS OF WEATHER - "Killer Weather" -
   Meteorological extremes; hurricanes; tornadoes; hail; flood;
   drought.(CC)(TVG)

9:00

 HIST - SCIENCE AT WAR - "Rocket Men" - The creation of the
   ballistic missile; the Soviets launch
   Sputnik.(CC)(TVG)

 TLC - ON THE BRINK: DOOMSDAY - News footage,
   once-classified files and interviews explore accidents that
   nearly destroyed the world.(CC)(TVPG)

10:00

 PBS - THE WORLD OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - "Volga: The
   Soul of Russia" - Dramatic changes affect the Russian people
   near the Volga River.(CC)(TVG)

--- BPR

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

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Entire Bible to be read on US Capitol steps
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 09:05:57 +0000

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

The entire Bible will be read on the west steps of the U.S.
Capitol in Washington, D.C. The reading begins at 8 a.m. May 3
with Genesis 1:1. It will be read by various people continuously
to the end of Revelation, which is expected to take about 80
hours.
...Readings will be in more than 70 languages, including the 22nd
chapter of Revelation in 20 languages. People of various ages and
races will participate. The public is invited to listen.
...This is the 10th consecutive year the Bible Reading Marathon (see
link #5 below) has been held. The first took place on the Mount of
Olives in Israel onJan. 1, 1990. That led to hundreds of Marathons
held annually in more than 50 countries (see link #6 below). About
1,000 are held annually in the United States. The Washington, D.C.,
Marathon is a part of the National Day of Prayer.
...The Marathons areorganized by the International Bible Reading
Association (see link #7 below). The public reading of God's Word
"has made a big change in a lot of people's lives," coordinator
Barbara Bivens told Religion Today. "People come by and say they
could not believe the Bible is being read in public, especially at
the nation's Capitol."

5: http://www.biblepathway.org/H2FounderLetter.html
6: http://www.biblepathway.org/H2Contents.html
7: http://www.biblepathway.org/

http://www.religiontoday.com
Religion Today, News Summary for Monday, May 3, 1999

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (5/3/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 12:42:13 +0000

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

PALESTINIAN-IRANIAN TIES
Following reports of Yasser Arafat's intention to establish diplomatic
relations with Iran, and to raise the status of foreign missions in
the autonomy, Prime Minister Netanyahu said last night, "Arafat's
intention to establish close relations with Iran demonstrates the
danger to be posed if a Palestinian state is created. It will bring
Iran - Israel's great enemy - to our doorstep." The Prime Minister
added, "If it is true that the Palestinian Authority is acting to
raise the level of its relations with other countries, this would
constitute a flagrant violation of the Oslo Accord, and Israel would
be obliged to take aggressive action."

DAYAN REMARKS STIR LIKUD SUPPORTERS TO ACTION
Actress Tikki Dayan's remarks against the supporters of Netanyahu on
Saturday night continue to make waves. Even the usually low-key
Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon reacted sharply to Dayan's insults
against the Likud voters, saying, "This has always been the way of
the Labor party - condescension!" Netanyahu made similar statements
while visiting the HaTikvah market in Tel Aviv today. Greeted
excitedly and enthusiastically by hundreds of supporters who sang,
"Bibi, King of Israel," Netanyahu said that Ehud Barak's One Israel is
simply a continuation of the "condescending Mapai party." The Prime
Minister, clearly enjoying the welcome the crowd gave him, said, "If
we are 'rabble' [as Dayan said], then everyone who is not a leftist is
rabble!" Signs read, "We are proud to be rabble!"

LAG BA'OMER TONIGHT AND TOMORROW
The minor holiday of Lag Ba'Omer - the 33rd day of the Omer period
between Pesach and Shavuot - begins tonight. It marks the anniversary
of the death more than 1800 years ago of the Mishnaic sage, Rabbi
Shimon Bar Yochai, whose teachings comprise the text of the primary
Kabbalah sourcebook, the Zohar. Lag Ba'Omer has also halakhic
significance as a cessation in the semi-mourning observances during
the Omer period. By this morning, some 80,000 people had already
arrived, and many thousands more are expected, at the gravesite of
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Galilee town of Meron. They will
participate in the traditional ceremonies there, in keeping with a
500-year-old custom. Politicians from all parties are expected to
arrive tonight and tomorrow.

Bonfires will be lit by Jewish children all over Israel tonight, and
are said to represent the "light of Torah" disseminated by Rabbi
Shimon, as well as by his teacher Rabbi Akiva. The Fire Department
warns the public to carefully guard their Lag Ba'Omer fires. The
Jewish National Fund, the IDF, and the police are on special alert to
prevent fires from spreading, and two fire-fighting planes will be
ready throughout Wednesday afternoon for this purpose.

Labor leader MK Ehud Barak will light a large "fire sign" tonight near
the Beit Shemesh interchange, calling for a change of leadership in
Israel. Similar signs will be lit on seven other mountaintops around
the country.

TIDBITS
Syria and Jordan have renewed their talks on the construction of a
dam on the Yarmuk River. The dam is planned to hold over 200 million
cubic meters of water a year, and will cost some $400 million to
build...

Israeli Antiquities Authority inspectors confiscated 200
ancient coins from an American tourist who was about to smuggle them
out of Ben Gurion International Airport this morning. Some of the
coins were from the Roman and Hellenistic periods, and are in
excellent condition. Criminal charges have been filed against the
tourist, who could face up to two years in prison...

Arutz Sheva News Service
     <http://www.a7.org>
Monday, May 3, 1999 / Iyar 17, 5759 - Day 32 of the Omer

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arabia On Line (5/3/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 15:10:33 +0000

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

Bahraini FM Makes Landmark Visit to Iran
Ties between the two countries were strained after anti-government
unrest flared in Bahrain in December 1994.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/5_99/bahrain3.shtm

Iranian President to Begin Arab Tour
The upcoming tour marks improving relations between Iran and its Arab
neighbors. http://www.arabia.com/content/news/5_99/iran3.shtml

PNA Seeks Better Ties with Syria, Iran
The gestures toward Syria and Iran is part of Arafat's campaign to
obtain support for statehood.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/5_99/syria3.shtml

Iran, Saudi Arabia Discuss Ties
Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan calls for stronger defence ties
between his country and Iran.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/5_99/saudi3.shtml

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Russia Today items (5/3/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 15:13:13 +0000

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

FEW IN EX-SOVIET UNION SHOW UP FOR MAY DAY
MOSCOW -- Thousands of bedraggled Russian trade unionists and
Communists trailed across a rainy Moscow on Saturday to mark Labor
Day, blaming "aggressive" NATO for the bad weather which muted their
rallying cry.
http://www.russiatoday.com/rtoday/news/1999050306.html?text

GENERALS SAY NATO GUILTY OF ECO-DISASTER
MOSCOW -- Russian Defense Ministry officials accused NATO on Friday of
unleashing an ecological catastrophe by bombing industrial targets in
Yugoslavia and warned of an increased risk of a nuclear accident.
http://www.russiatoday.com/rtoday/news/1999050307.html?text

WORLD BANK'S STIGLITZ SAYS EXPERTS ERRED ON RUSSIA
WASHINGTON -- Washington's experts misjudged problems in central and
eastern Europe, assuming wrongly that their theories would work in
their complicated experiment, the World Bank's chief economist said on
Friday.
http://invest.russiatoday.com/rtinsight/busnews/1999050301.html?text