To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Universe may be expanding faster
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 09:05:52 +0000

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

Yale Astronomer Finds Universe may be Expanding Faster Than Originally
Believed

New Haven, Conn. -- A Yale astronomer working with a team of
scientists has found that the universe might be expanding somewhat
faster than most current calculations.

Professor Stephen Zepf said in a study published in Nature magazine
Thursday (Sept. 23) that the team came upon this discovery by using a
new determination of the intrinsic brightness of a certain class of
stars, Cepheids, that are important for determining distances to other
galaxies.

"These Cepheids are a little fainter than we thought, so this changes
the distances to a whole host of other galaxies," Zepf said. "The
reason this is significant is that since Cepheids are used to
calibrate the expansion of the universe, if they are fainter, then the
universe is expanding slightly faster. If the universe is expanding
slightly faster, then it might be a little younger than we thought."

"Nearly all galaxies are moving away from us," he added. "The question
is whether this will keep going on forever or whether eventually the
universe will have enough density to collapse back on itself."

One of the primary challenges in astronomy is to determine how far
away things are. One of the common ways to do this is to take a
'standard candle' -- an object nearby for which the intrinsic
brightness can be measured. Similar objects are then found in distant
galaxies.

"You can tell how far away the galaxies are by how faint the standard
candle is," Zepf said. "It is like taking a lamp with a 60-watt light
bulb and figuring out how far away the lamp is by how faint the light
bulb appears to be."

"What we have done is to observe Cepheid stars, which are the primary
standard candles through which galaxy distances are determined and for
which the distance is believed to be known very accurately by other
means," he said.

"We found that the Cepheid stars may be about 15 percent fainter than
previously thought," Zepf said. "This is analogous to finding out that
the light bulb you thought was 60 watts is really only 50 watts,
therefore the lamp is actually closer than you originally estimated."

via: SEDSNEWS@listserv.tamu.edu

--- BPR

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

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (9/22/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 09:11:42 +0000

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

Cohen approves new European NATO plan

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: AP

Wed Sep 22,1999 -- Defense Secretary William Cohen approved plans for
a security procedure Wednesday that would allow European NATO allies
to mount military actions without U.S. participation. Cohen also
warned Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic against any military
moves directed at Montenegro, the smaller of the two republics that,
along with Serbia, make up the Yugoslav federation. Speaking to
reporters on the final day of a two-day meeting of NATO defense
ministers in Toronto, Cohen urged the allies to make sure the plan
fits under the overall NATO umbrella. ``It's important to make sure it
is not seen as a separate institution,'' he said. NATO's European
members long have wanted the capacity to take action on their own in
cases where the United States might not be interested. To accommodate
this, NATO is developing what it calls The European Security and
Defense Identity, or ESDI. This would enable a group of European NATO
nations to take action under European commanders while using NATO
assets, such as intelligence, transport and communications.

Poll show high rate of antisemitism in Russians

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: JTA

Wed Sep 22,1999 -- More than 4 out of 10 Russians hold strong
anti-Semitic views, according to a survey released by the
Anti-Defamation League. The latest poll found that 44 percent of the
respondents embrace a range of stereotypes about Jews, including a
belief that Jews exercise too much power in Russia and in world
business, and that Jews "are ready to use unscrupulous means to
achieve their aims." The ADL called the findings "extremely troubling
and potentially dangerous."

Terrorism against Israel up 250%

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Arutz 7

Wed Sep 22,1999 -- General Security Services head Ami Ayalon told the
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee yesterday that there
were twenty terrorist attempts against Israelis over the past month.
This represents an increase of 250% over the months before. Ayalon
said that Hamas' ability to carry out large attacks is growing. Other
points made by Ayalon: Hamas abroad controls the military arm of Hamas
in Judea and Samaria, and its leaders feel that the attacks must
continue... The terrorists in Judea and Samaria receive orders -
including orders to kidnap Israeli soldiers - from their leaders still
imprisoned in Israeli prisons... Members of the Islamic Movement in
Israel do not recognize the existence of Israel.

Israel rejects mandate of newly appointed UN special envoy

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Wed Sep 22,1999 -- (IsraelWire-9/22) Israel on Tuesday issued a
statement rejecting the expanded mandate given to the newly appointed
United Nations special envoy to the Oslo process, Ambassador Terje
Roed-Larsen. The Norwegian diplomat was among the architects of the
Oslo Agreement and a veteran to the area. A statement issued by
Israel's UN mission said Israel had "repeatedly clarified to the UN
and its representatives that it cannot accept an expansion of the
title, mandate and powers of the outgoing UN special coordinator ...
beyond the economic functional areas to which he was charged." "Any
attempts to alter these terms of reference, including the involvement
of the United Nations in the negotiating process, are unacceptable to
the government of Israel," the statement added.

Jewish graves desecrated in Argentina

Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire

Wed Sep 22,1999 -- 63 Jewish graves in a Buenos Aires cemetery were
desecrated on the eve of the Yom Kippur, marking the third
anti-Semitic attack in the cemetery in two years. Local Jewish
community leaders stated that the government's failure to take
appropriate actions following attacks in Argentina against the Jewish
community have sent a signal to those persons that they may continue
with their hate crime with impunity.

via: bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Music Celebrities to Meet Pope
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 09:15:40 +0000

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

                 Music Celebrities to Meet Pope

                 ROME (AFP) -- Celebrities from the world of music
                 will seek support from Pope John Paul II for their
                 efforts to have massive Third World debts cancelled,
                 in a meeting outside Rome Thursday.

                 The delegation that is to meet the pope at his summer
                 residence at Castelgandolfo, will be led by Ann
                 Pettifor, co-founder of the Jubilee 2000 movement.

                 Jubilee 2000 Coalition, which groups more than 70
                 British NGOs, advocates a debt-free start to the
                 millennium through a one-off cancellation of the
                 unpayable debts of the world`s poorest countries by
                 the year 2000.

                 A press release said Wednesday John Paul II was
                 "among the first to link the year of the Jubilee to
                 the cancellation of debts of the poorest countries as
                 a fitting gesture to mark the millennium."

                 Bono, the lead singer of rock group U2, US/Latin
                 American civil rights campaigner and musician Willie
                 Colon, the artist and founder of Live Aid Bob Geldof,
                 music producer Quincy Jones, Jeffrey Sachs of the
                 Center for International Development at Harvard
                 University, and former UN under secretary general
                 Adebayo Adedeji will be among the delegates.

http://www.arabia.com/content/culture/9_99/music_23.shtml

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Iceberg
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 09:26:20 +0000

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

IT WON'T BE A SNEAK ATTACK

In Argentina, the Navy is keeping close watch on a potential threat
homing in on the southern coast. But although the thing is huge,
rising 180 feet out of the sea, and has been assigned a code name -
B10A - no military intercepts are planned. That's because the menace
is an iceberg that broke off from Antarctica and is still 300 miles
away.

via: "Free-Mail Subscription" <freemail-support@csmonitor.com>

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Tagged students forced to wear SS numbers
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 18:18:13 +0000

From: skyberspace@webtv.net

Tagged students defy Big Brother Reject being forced to wear Social
Security numbers
Thursday, September 23, 1999

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_bresnahan/19990923_xex_tagged_stude.shtml

By David M. Bresnahan
c 1999 WorldNetDaily.com

RUSTON, Louisiana -- Hundreds of students in this little town don't
want to wear their Social Security numbers around their necks for all
to see. Their school administrators have ignored their complaints even
though their numbers are growing.

When the school year began a few weeks ago, the students at Ruston
High School, like many students across the nation, were required to
wear an ID badge as part of added security precautions. The badges in
Ruston include each student's Social Security number, a violation of
federal law according to two students.

The badges are worn on a lanyard with the Pepsi logo on it. The badge
has a photo of the student, the school name, the student's name, and a
barcode which represents the Social Security number. Although
administrators claim the number is protected from unauthorized use
through encryption in the barcode, the students know that is not true.

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