BPR Mailing List Digest: 10/28/99

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
October 28, 1999

Digest Home | 1999 | October, 1999

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Re: ...a day is as a thousand years...
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 10:55:58 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

Hey Moza...

> From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>

> Is there some point out there in the Universe where one day equals
> 1,000 years? I guess it's pretty close to heaven.

Interesting timing on this subject. I just finished a small book titled
"Starlight and Time" that had me thinking the same thing.

The author's purpose in writing the book was to present a theory that
deals with the problem that young-earth creationists have in
explaining the age of the universe in relation to that of the earth. If, as
they believe, the universe is less than 10,000 years old, how can one
explain that stars are millions of light years away? If the created
universe is "young," then even the light from the closest star would
have only traveled a fraction towards earth. When we look up, all we
would see would be blackness. Since this isn't the case, and since I
believe in a "young earth" creation, this relatively new theory
presented by this book is quite interesting and very plausible (from
my layman's point of view <g>).

According to General Relativity, we know that gravity affects time. A
clock at a higher altitude ticks faster than a clock at a lower altitude.
Although both clocks will show different times, both will be showing
the correct time according to their own frame of reference. The author
writes:

"What this new cosmology shows is that gravitational time distortion
in the early universe would have meant that while a few days were
passing on earth, billions of years would have been available for light
to travel to earth. It still means that God made the heavens and earth
(i.e., the whole universe) in six ordinary days, only a few thousands
years ago. But with the reality revealed by GR [General Relativity], we
now know that we have to ask--six days as measured by which clock?
In which frame of reference?"

The author goes into much more detail, such as a bounded vs non-
bounded universe, black holes, event horizons, etc. The book, as I
said earlier, is quite small and is actually a couple of chapters extracted
from a larger book. There are two scientific papers in the appendices
written by the author that were presented to the Third International
Conference on Creationism that received positive review.

So in response to your question, I suspect it *is* mathematically
possible to figure just where in space 1000 years would be equal to
one earth day.

Book info:

D. Russell Humphreys, Ph.D, Starlight and Time: Solving the Puzzle of
Distant Starlight in a Young Universe, Master Books, (c) 1994. ISBN:
0-89051-202-7

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Have a blessed day....
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 10:55:58 -0500

From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>

October 28, 1999
From: ReligionToday.com

A devout Christian who used to wish everyone a "blessed day" at
work has been ordered to stop or be fired. USF Logistics of
Indianapolis reprimanded Liz Anderson, an office worker, after a
client at Microsoft Corp. objected to her religious greeting in
an email, the Indianapolis Star and News said. Anderson, a member
of Phillips Temple CME Church, had been told repeatedly to stop
the practice. She has stopped now because she knows she could be
fired, the newspaper said.
..."I don't see what's wrong with it," Anderson said. "It's just
my way of saying, 'have a nice day.' " Microsoft has insisted
that documents be presented in "a professional manner," and that
additional religious, personal, or political statements are not
welcome, reports said.
...Anderson's situation is becoming more common in the American
workplace, the Star said. The number of religious discrimination
complaints filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission has risen 29% since 1998, to 1,786 annually. Common
complaints arise from Christians who were forced to work on
Christmas even though other employees had volunteered to fill in
for them, Muslim women prohibited from wearing religious head
coverings to work, and Jews forbidden to wear yarmulkes.
...Religious groups of various faiths have supported federal
legislation to ensure workplace protections for religious
freedoms at work. They back the Religious Workplace Freedom Act,
which has failed to pass for the last two years. Sen. John Kerry
(D-Mass.) is continuing to push for the legislation this year.

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - 'Bizarre' fireball lights up sky
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 11:02:59 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Thursday, October 28, 1999
The Halifax Herald Limited

'Bizarre' fireball lights up sky, emergency lines

By Barry Dorey / Staff Reporter

A spectacular fireball passed over the Maritimes on Wednesday,
rattling windows, lighting up the night sky and sparking a
deluge of phone calls to emergency crews.

There were unconfirmed reports that pieces of meteorite struck
the Oyster Pond area of the Eastern Shore, and northern New
Brunswick, where a fire was reported near St-Quentin.

Fire crews could not be reached, but nobody in the New
Brunswick town's all-night gas station had heard or seen
anything.

The light show, described as comet-like and accompanied by
sonic booms, had police and Rescue Co-ordination Centre
officials scrambling after calls starting flooding in at about
9:30 p.m.

Callers feared an airplane was on fire or a satellite might be
disintegrating over the area, but those concerns were quickly
discounted.

Air traffic controllers in Moncton reported that two planes in
the area saw "a fireball of some sort lasting about 12 seconds,"
said military spokesman Lt.-Cmdr. Glenn Chamberlain.

But no aircraft had reported trouble and the North American Air
Defence Command had not tracked any falling man-made debris such
as satellites, he said.

The first report was a 911 call from Liverpool shortly before
9:30 p.m. and calls were soon coming from Yarmouth to Cape
Breton and as far west as Quebec.

Maureen Elm of Stewiacke said the fireball appeared to pass
immediately overhead and her daughter heard a boom to the west a
few seconds later.

"It sounded like it hit and it rattled our windows here at
home," she said.

Dave Dawe, duty manager at Halifax International Airport, said
he saw the flash and thought it was a flare.

"It was bizarre, everything lit up."

Parrsboro resident Donald Lake saw a "bright yellow ball and a
long tail" streak across the sky.

"I've seen shooting stars before, but this thing was in our
atmosphere."

Astronomer David Lane, a professor at Saint Mary's University,
said witnesses probably felt the shock wave of explosions when
the meteor began fragmenting, rather than the rattle of impact.

But he said a similar show over Montreal two years ago littered
small fragments east of the city.

Wednesday's display was not part of a scheduled or expected
meteor shower, he said.

via: hblondel@tampabay.rr.com

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Is Space a waste?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 17:31:59 -0400

From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>

Is Space a waste?

Heshvan 18, 5760
October 28, 1999

"There has to be life somewhere else in the Universe. Otherwise, why is
it so big?" That seems to be one of the sticking points people use when they
try to convince others that there is life--intelligent life--on some
other planet; it is considered a colossal waste if we are the only ones
around. This view holds to the belief that everything revolves around
the life-forms and is to be manipulated for their benefit. This equation
is seriously flawed as one component of the formula is missing. The
Bible supplies the missing piece:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handywork.--Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare his righteousness, and all
the people see his glory.--Psalm 97:6

I've heard it said that people who believe we are alone in the Universe
are self-centered and yet it seems that it is they who are guilty of that
crime. The Universe is not here solely for our benefit but revolves around
Our Father and speaks of His righteousness and glory. If I didn't know
better, I'd think the Creator hadn't made it big enough.

Moza

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Leonids in the crystal ball
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 17:44:52 -0400

From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>

Leonids In The Crystal Ball
Marshall Space Flight Center
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast27oct99_1.htm

Most experts agree that 1999 is a likely year for a Leonids meteor storm.

October 27, 1999: Imagine tuning in to the local TV weather report and
hearing this from the weatherman:

"Good evening space weather lovers! Last night Earth was hit by a
high-pressure solar wind stream. It's expected to persist for 3 or 4 more
days producing a 50% chance of mid-latitude aurora. But the big news today
is the 1999 Leonid meteor shower. Experts are predicting a big storm on
November 18th with up to 100,000 shooting stars per hour. Of course, we
could be off by a couple of years. The storm might hit in 2001 instead. Or
maybe not at all! Hey, if predicting these things were easy we wouldn't need
experts!"

One day, space weather forecasts like this could be commonplace. As our
society comes to rely on satellites, cell phones, and other space-age
gadgets, forecasting solar storms and meteor showers can be just as
important as knowing the chances of rain tomorrow. Three weeks from now we
may be treated to a very visible reminder of space weather when the Leonid
meteor shower strikes on November 18, 1999.

What's the probability of significant meteoroid precipitation? That's what
stargazers and satellite operators everywhere would love to know.

Most experts would agree that predicting the Leonids can be tricky. To
understand why it's helpful to know the difference between a "meteor shower"
and a "meteor storm." Simply put, meteor showers are small and meteor storms
are big. Meteor showers produce a few to a few hundred shooting stars per
hour. Meteor storms produce a few thousand to a few hundred thousand meteors
per hour. A meteor storm, like a total solar eclipse, ranks as one of
Nature's rarest and most beautiful wonders.

A Leonid meteor shower happens every year around November 17 when Earth
passes close to the orbit of comet Tempel-Tuttle. Usually not much happens.
The Earth plows through a diffuse cloud of old comet dust that shares
Tempel-Tuttle's orbit, and the debris burns up harmlessly in Earth's
atmosphere. A typical Leonid meteor shower consists of a meager 10 to 20
shooting stars per hour.

Every 33 years something special happens. Comet Tempel-Tuttle swings through
the inner solar system and brings a dense cloud of debris with it. For 3 or
4 years after its passage the Leonids can be very active. In 1966 for
instance, over 100,000 meteors per hour were seen from parts of North
America. Curiously, there isn't a full-fledged storm every time
Tempel-Tuttle passes by. Sometimes there's simply a stronger-than-average
shower. Sometimes nothing happens at all!

Will there be a storm in 1999? (Probably, yes.)

Tempel-Tuttle visited the inner solar system most recently in late 1997 and
early 1998. The subsequent Leonids display, in Nov. 1998, was marvelous as
observers all over the world were treated to a dazzling display of fireballs
(shooting stars with magnitudes brighter than -3). Nevertheless, the 1998
Leonids were a shower, not a storm. The maximum rate of meteors last year
was about 250 per hour. Scientists have learned that if Earth crosses the
orbit of Tempel-Tuttle too soon after the comets passage, then there is no
storm, just a strong shower. Apparently that's what happened in 1998. In
recent history no Leonid storm has ever occurred less than 300 days after
Tempel-Tuttle passed by Earth's orbit. In 1998, Earth followed the comet to
the orbit-crossing point by only 257 days.

The period of maximum activity during the 1998 Leonid shower took place
about 12 hours before the earth crossed Tempel-Tuttle's orbital plane. The
early activity caught many observers by surprise, but it was business as
usual for the unpredictable Leonids. Rainer Arlt of the International Meteor
Organization noted that while the maximum activity came early, there was a
secondary maximum when the Earth passed the comet's orbit. This
pattern is similar to that observed in 1965, the year that preceded the
great Leonids storm of 1966. In his report, Bulletin 13 of the International
Leonid Watch: The 1998 Leonid Meteor Shower, Arlt wrote:

     [T]he radar, visual, and photographic records of the 1965 Leonids
     indicate an activity profile which resembles that of the 1998
     Leonids. Even the low population index seems comparable. Judging
     from these phenomenological facts, we may expect 1999 to show a
     similar shape of activity as in 1966. The actual maximum meteor
     numbers are hardly predictable.

If the 1999 Leonids are anything like the 1966 storm, stargazers are
definitely in for a treat. The 1966 event was, predictably, somewhat
unexpected. The comet had passed by Earth's orbit in 1965, so astronomers
were aware that something might happen. But, judging by the paucity of the
1899 and 1932 showers, it was widely thought that the orbit of the debris
stream had been deflected so much by gravitational encounters with other
planets (mainly Jupiter) that a close encounter with Earth's orbit was no
longer possible. The best predictions suggested a strong shower over Western
Europe with 100 or so meteors per hour.

Instead, there was an stunning display of shooting stars over western North
America. This recollection by James Young at JPL's Table Mountain
Observatory in California gives a sense of what the storm was like:

     "This very noteworthy [1966] meteor shower was nearly missed
     altogether... There were 2-5 meteors seen every second as we
     scrambled to set up the only two cameras we had, as no real
     preparations had been made for any observations or photography.
     The shower was expected to occur over the European continent.

     The shower peaked around 4 a.m., with some 50 meteors falling per
     second. We all felt like we needed to put on 'hard hats'! The sky
     was absolutely full of meteors...a sight never imagined ... and
     never seen since! To further understand the sheer intensity of
     this event, we blinked our eyes open for the same time we normally
     blink them closed, and saw the entire sky full of streaks ...
     everywhere!"

The 1966 return of the Leonids was one of the greatest displays in history,
with a maximum rate of 2400 meteors per minute or 144,000 per hour.

Joe Rao, a Leonids expert who lectures at New York's Hayden Planetarium,
also advocates 1999 as possibly the best year for a storm during this 33
year cycle. Writing for Sky &Telescope he says:

     Based on what happened last November, I will venture a prediction.
     If a meteor storm is to take place at all, 1999 would appear to be
     the most likely year for it to happen. But even if this year's
     Leonids are richer in number, observers should not expect the same
     high proportion of fireballs that were seen in 1998. Instead, a
     more even mix of bright and faint meteors is likely. [ref]

Rao bases his argument on historical precedent and the Earth-comet geometry.
During the seven most recent Leonid storms when Earth crossed
Tempel-Tuttle's orbit soon after the comet, the average distance between the
comet and Earth was 0.0068 astronomical unit. The average number of days
between the comet's passage and the Earth's arrival at the plane of the
comet's orbit was 602.8 days. With the 1999 values of 0.0080 AU and 622.5
days, Rao says we ought to be in a prime position to see significant, if not
storm-level, activity.

Rao is also a meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, which seems a suitable
occupation for predicting meteor showers.

In 1999, the Earth will pass nearly three times as far from the comet's
orbital path as it did in 1966 and more than six times farther than it did
during the great storm of 1833. If the peak of the Leonids arrives exactly
when the Earth passes through the comet's orbital plane, Donald Yeomans of
JPL gives 01:48 UT on November 18, 1999 as the most likely time for the 1999
maximum [ref]. That would make Europe and West Africa the best places to
watch the show. However, Leonid meteor showers frequently arrive much
earlier or later than predicted, so any place on the globe could be favored.

If the peak of the Leonids occurs over Europe or the Atlantic Ocean, then
observers in the USA could be in for an unusual treat. The Leonid radiant
would just be rising over North America at the time. In the eastern US sky
watchers would see a large number of earth-grazing meteors skimming
horizontally through the upper atmosphere. "Earth grazers" are typically
long and dramatic, streaking far across the sky.

To look or not to look, that is the question

     All sorts of conjectures were made by all sorts of people ... We
     may learn of this that, when men are in a high state of
     excitement, their testimony must be taken with many grains of
     allowance.
               From a first-hand account of the 1833 Leonid Meteor
     Shower. by Elder Samuel Rogers

Most experts agree that 1999 is the most likely year for a Leonids meteor
storm during the current 33 year cycle. However, if 1999 turns out to be a
disappointment, don't despair! There are other studies that suggest 2000,
2001 or even 2002 could be better years. The Leonids are simply hard to
forecast.

If 1999 is the year, when should you look? Most experts predict that the
Leonids peak will occur between 0100 and 0400 Universal Time on November
18th. However, it is important to remember that such predictions are always
uncertain. The 1998 Leonid fireball display occurred nearly 16 hours before
the predicted maximum! No matter where on Earth you live, the morning of
November 18 will probably be the best time to look for Leonids in 1999. This
is true even if morning where you live occurs much earlier or later than
0100-0400 UT.

Conventional wisdom says that meteor observing is always best between
midnight and dawn local time on the date of the shower (November 18 in this
case). For a shower or storm like the Leonids that might be relatively
brief, it is best to start watching no later than midnight. In fact, when
the author of this story went outside last year at midnight to view the 1998
Leonids, the shower was already well underway! With this in mind you may
decide it's a good idea to begin observing even earlier, say, 10 p.m. on
November 17.

In the coming weeks Science@NASA will post more stories about the Leonids
with observing tips for meteor watching with the naked eye, video cameras
and other types of recording devices. One thing seems sure, no matter where
you live: The Leonids are coming and, on Nov 18, 1999 the place to be is
outside, looking up!

via: SEDSNEWS@listserv.tamu.edu

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

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Rome cleans up act for millennium
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 18:29:53 -0400

From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>

01:12 PM ET 10/28/99

Rome Cleans Up Act for Millennium

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON=
Associated Press Writer=
           ROME (AP) _ No sex, please, it's a Holy Year.
           Just two months before Pope John Paul II opens yearlong
millennium celebrations at the Vatican, Rome has begun preparations
befitting a religious event expected to draw more than 20 million
pilgrims.
           Sex shops are out; religious programming is in; and a former
porn theater is being transformed into a millennium press center.
           The city of Rome struck the biggest blow at the profane by
issuing a new commercial licensing edict that bans sex shops from
the Eternal City's historic center and along ``jubilee routes'' _
an approximately 3{-mile swath running from Vatican City to the
seedy area around the central train station.
           ``It also has a retroactive usefulness in that, aside from
specifically reprimanding sex shops, it stops those which try and
bend the rules and are actually licensed for, say, a clothing
store,'' said Enrico Gasbarra, head of the city's commerce
department.
           The restriction will remain in place through April 2001.
           In a country where television shows are filled with scantily
clad dancers during the afternoon and women wearing even less in
prime time, TV executives debated at one point whether to cut back
on sex and violence during the millennium celebrations. But the
notion was drowned out by cries of censorship.
           ``Our editorial policy is strictly secular,'' Roberto Zaccaria,
president of state RAI-TV, told foreign journalists this week,
bristling at the idea that the network might not have complete
autonomy from the Vatican.
           But RAI does have a special contract for the Jubilee _ as the
Holy Year is called here _ and has pledged that its programming
will be in keeping with the ``values'' of the celebration. It plans
coverage of 82 events during 2000, including 200 hours of live
broadcasts.
           The Vatican already has a strict dress code for St. Peter's
Basilica, which is also enforced in the hundreds of churches around
the city: No shorts or bare shoulders and no skirts above the knee.
           So visitors to Rome often expressed surprise that just a stone's
throw from St. Peter's Square was the Castello, an X-rated movie
house. The building has now been taken over by the city's
millennium agency, which is turning it into a conference hall and
center for visiting journalists.

http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2561825945-b01

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Colosseum to recognize commutation
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 18:31:08 -0400

From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>

11:26 AM ET 10/28/99

Colosseum To Recognize Commutation

            ROME (AP) _ Opponents of the death penalty will soon send their
message in a spectacular way: the Colosseum will be illuminated by
golden lights each time a convict is spared execution.
           Starting Dec. 12, the Roman amphitheater where thousands of
gladiators and wild beasts died in combat is to be permanently lit
by white lights. When a death sentence is commuted or postponed
anywhere in the world, the lights will turn golden for 48 hours.
           ``We want to applaud those who accept a moratorium,'' Staffan De
Mistura, director of the Rome office of the United Nations, said
Thursday.
           ``There is to be no blaming, no criticism, no finger pointing,''
De Mistura said. ``But certainly rejoicing.''
           He said the ancient monument was chosen specifically for its
historical link with death. It is to serve as a ``living
testimony'' for a moratorium, he said.
           Nearly half a million people visit the Colosseum in a normal
year. Millions of extra tourists and pilgrims are expected for
Christianity's 2000 Holy Year.
           The death penalty initiative at the Colosseum is sponsored by
the United Nations, the Italian government and the Vatican.
           Pope John Paul II, the U.N. human rights commissioner and others
are expected to appear on a giant screen at the Dec. 12
inauguration ceremony to push for a death penalty moratorium.

http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2561824874-c6d

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