To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - What's New at BPR?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 03:01:41 -0500
Bible Prophecy Research
Additions and updates made since July 6, 2000
Issue #48
August 4, 2000
http://philologos.org/bpr
=================
Hi everyone,
It's been almost a month since our last newsletter
so this issue has several new and updated files for
you to look at, as well as three book recommendations
we hope you'll enjoy.
As always, if you have any corrections or suggestions
to our website or this newsletter, please let us know.
Thanks,
===================
> Added: "Let him kiss me..."
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/k003.htm
A little about death, ghosts, and kisses.
-----
> Added: "If your eye be good..."
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/e008.htm
A discussion on the Hebrew idioms underlying
Matthew 6:22-23.
-----
> Added: Yom Kippur
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Jewish_Feasts/index.htm
This is an external link that, in turn, has links to
several good pieces of information on Yom Kippur.
-----
> Added: An Incomplete History of Ice Falls
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Sky_Signs/ss026.htm
An historical listing of large chunks of ice falling from
the sky.
-----
> Added: The Jerusalem Covenant
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms069.htm
A BPR list member shares with us the contents of a
covenant, which appeared in a magazine in 1992, announcing
the "indivisible character" of Israel's capital.
-----
> Added: Camp David and the Temple Mount
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms070.htm
Excellent overview and insight in regards to the Camp
David talks on the issue of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Submitted by Sharon, BPR list member.
-----
Updated: Mark
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/m002a.htm
Updated: Fast of Tammuz 17/Tisha B'Av
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Jewish_Feasts/js001.htm
Updated: Tree of Life
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/t006.htm
Updated: Wormwood
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/w005.htm
Updated: Chronology of the Book of Revelation?
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Misc_Studies/ms036.htm
===================
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The Perestroika Deception : Memoranda to the Central
Intelligence Agency
by Anatoliy Golitsyn, Christopher Story(Editor)
http://philologos.org/guide/books/golitsyn.anatoliy.1.htm
Paperback - 247 pages
Second edition (1998)
Edward Harle Limited
ISBN: 189979803X
From the backcover: "Anatoliy Golitsyn's first book, 'New
Lies for Old', caused a long running sensation when it was
discovered that, unlike most Western analysts, the Author
had accurately predicted, some years ahead of the events,
the 'Break with the Past' which took place in Eastern
Europe and the Soviet Union in 1989-91. In his book 'Wedge:
The Secret War between the FBI and CIA' [Alfred A. Knopf,
New York, 1994], Mark Riebling, who carried out a
methodical analysis of Golitsyn's predictions in 'New Lies
for Old', credited the Author with 'an accuracy record of
nearly 94%'. This singular achievement puts all other
analysts, including some official services, to shame; and
it is precisely because of his record of pin-point accuracy
that Western Governments, policymakers and even some
intelligence services, whose record bears little comparison
with Golitysn's, have competed with one another over the
years to find reasons why Golitsyn's perceptive
explanations of Soviet strategy should be ignored. But
events as they unfold are relentlessly proving this
remarkable analyst of Soviet strategy to be right. 'The
Perestroika Deception' explains the devious secret intent
behind the Leninist strategy which the 'former' Communists
are pursuing under cover of fake 'reform' and 'progress
towards democracy'. The immediate strategic objective is
'convergence' with the West -- on their terms, not ours.
The ultimate objective is Lenin's: replacement of nations
states with collective regional governments as building
blocks of the 'New World Social Order' -- World [Communist]
Government."
About the Author: Anatoliy Golitsyn was born in the
Ukraine in 1926, served as a member of the KGB in various
intelligence, counterintelligence, and counterespionage
roles, until he defected to the United States in 1961 of
which he is now a citizen. Since that time he has
diligently studied Communist and international affairs,
reading both the Western and Communist press which has lead
him to submit Memoranda to the CIA outlining his analysis
of Communist affairs.
For further details and excerpts from the book please see
http://philologos.org/guide/books/golitysn.anatoliy.1.htm
===============
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Catholic
Tradition and the Word of God
by James G. McCarthy
Paperback - 397 pages
January 1995
Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1565071077
From the back cover: Today's Catholic Church--Has it
changed? A Response to the New Bestselling "Catechism of
the Catholic Church"
When the recently released "Catechism of the Catholic
Church" broke onto the NY Times bestseller list, its
astonishing success confirmed the overwhelming interest of
Catholics and Protestants in understanding modern
Catholicism. Has the recent openness among denominations
affected Catholic teachings? In the new spirit of
cooperation, is there any reason why Catholics and
Protestants should remain divided?
This powerful and insightful examination of the Catholic
Church provides:
- a side-by-side comparison of Scripture with the first new
worldwide Catholic catechism in 400 years
- a summary of how modern Catholicism views grace, works,
and heaven
- 24 ways the Catholic plan of salvation still stands in
contrast to biblical truth
- a balanced overview of how the authority structure of the
Roman Catholic Church compares with that of the New
Testament church
- an explanation of how participation in the Mass and other
sacraments is inconsistent with faith in Christ as Saviour.
For further info, a table of contents, and an editorial
by the author outlining why he wrote the book, please see
http://philologos.org/guide/books/mccarthy.james.1.htm
==========
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
The Coming Last Days Temple
by Randall Price
Paperback - 732 pages
November 30, 1999
Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1565079019
From the back cover:
Is There a New Temple in Jerusalem's Future?
Jerusalem's last Temple was destroyed by Rome in AD
70, and the Muslim Dome of the Rock currently sits on
the Temple Mount. With the Israeli-Arab conflict raging
and the Temple Mount at the center of controversy, what
will the future bring?
The Bible is surprisingly rich with answers--with
prophecies about the future Temple found in both the Old
and New Testaments. Some claim these prophecies are
merely symbolic, but are they? Does the Bible give
evidence that we can expect a literal Temple and even a
restored sacrificial system? What about the magnificent
Temple prophesied by Ezekiel?
Right now in Israel, plans are well underway to construct a
new Temple. From drawing up the blueprints to detailing
the furnishings to preparing for the new priesthood, much
is being done for what could be the most significant
building effort of our time. In "The Coming Last Days
Temple," Dr. Randall Price surveys the latest
developments and offers a fascinating perspective on how
they fit with Bible prophecies about the Temple.
For further info, a table of contents, and the foreward
by John Walvoord please see
http://philologos.org/guide/books/price.randall.2.htm
===========
JEWISH CALENDAR
Available online at
http://philologos.org/bpr/files/Calendar/A.htm
Av 5760/Aug 2000
The zodiacal sign of this month is Leo. Judah is the
associated tribe. It consists of 30 days with the 1st of
Av never falling on Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday.
Theme: honor
New Moon - 1 Av - August 2, 2000
Tisha B'Av - 9 Av - August 10, 2000 (Fast to commemorate
destruction of 1st and 2nd Temple) "Jewish tradition states
that 'the Messiah will appear on Tisha B'Av, and the day of
mourning will become a national day of rejoicing with the
rebuilt Temple" (Ready to Rebuild, Thomas Ice and Randall
Price; p 213).
Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower Peak
=======
Bible Prophecy Research: http://philologos.org/bpr
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Republicans plot new course for relationship with world body
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:32:20 -0400
THURSDAY AUGUST 3 2000
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION
Platform holds U.N. at arm's length Republicans plot new course for
relationship with world body
By Mary Jo Anderson
=A9 2000 WorldNetDaily.com
PHILADELPHIA -- Stating boldly that the
United Nations can exercise "no veto over
principled American leadership" and that
"American troops must never serve under
United Nations command," the GOP platform
unveiled in Philadelphia this week describes a
very different view of the relationship between
the United States and the United Nations than
that of the Clinton-Gore administration.
While acknowledging that the United Nations
can organize humanitarian aid efforts and serve
as a "forum for nations to peacefully resolve
their differences," the Republican platform
stipulates that the U.N. was "not designed to
summon or lead armies."
Other specific issues addressed by the platform
include the jurisdiction of the International
Criminal Court, U.S. dues payments to the U.N.,
environmental treaties and U.S. funding of
international programs providing abortion as
part of health care.
Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., an outspoken critic of
the International Criminal Court, and Sen.
Ashcroft, R-Mo., have raised concerns about the
incompatibility of the ICC's jurisdiction and the
constitutional rights of Americans, particularly
military personnel. The statute for the creation
of the International Criminal Court was
established July 17,1998, in Rome to form a
permanent world tribunal to try individuals for
international crimes.
The ICC becomes operative once 60 nations
have ratified the treaty. And more than a
hundred nations have already signed the treaty
in anticipation of having their national
governments begin the ratification process that
incorporates ICC provisions into domestic law.
Though international pressure for the U.S. to
agree to the Court is intensifying - several allies
have recently ratified the treaty, including
Canada, which did so in July -- the U.S. has
neither signed nor ratified the treaty.
Helms, who views the treaty as a danger to U.S.
sovereignty and promised the treaty would be
"dead on arrival" unless the United States held
veto power, introduced the American Service
Member Protection Act to the Senate last week,
a measure designed to preempt international
efforts to try U.S. soldiers. In June, Helms
introduced legislation that prohibits U.S.
cooperation with the Court and forbids ICC
investigations in any territory under the
jurisdiction of the United States.
According to John L.Washburn, co-chairman of
the Washington Working Group on the
International Criminal Court, the Republican
platform provision on the ICC is "based on a
misconception."
A coalition of 15 non-governmental
organizations, the Washington Working Group
is an educational and advocacy body whose
efforts are aimed at U.S. congressmen.
Washburn, a graduate of Harvard Law School,
has served in the United States Foreign Service
and in the office of the Secretary General of the
United Nations under Javier Perez de Cuellar.
He points out that the assumption "implicit in
the GOP platform is that the ICC would have
jurisdiction over the U.S. government or
military personnel as a group." Another
misconception, he said, is that nations that are
not a party to the treaty would fall under the
venue of the ICC. Instead, he said, the ICC
incorporates the Nuremberg Principle that
prosecutes individuals.
"At issue is not the nationality," he said, "but the
person's individual responsibility for the very
worst of international crimes."
Others, however, disagree, claiming non-party
nations would not be beyond the reach of the
ICC.
Kenneth Gallant, professor of Law at the
University of Arkansas School of Law, explains,
"If a non-signatory nation refuses to cooperate, a
case can be brought to the Court by the U.N.
Security Council under Chapter VII of the U.N.
Charter. By virtue of their membership in the
U.N. -- and nearly every nation is a member --
states and their citizens are subject to a case
brought to the ICC by the Security Council."
The U.S. veto power on the Security Council is
also considered an insufficient safeguard in
light of current discussions about ending the
veto power altogether.
Although most Americans believe International
Criminal Court prosecutions will be reserved
for war crimes, an official U.N. information
brochure says otherwise: "A decision has yet to
be made as to whether the definition of crimes
against humanity contained in the Statute will
also include such acts when committed in
peacetime. In this regard, the Yugoslavia
Tribunal stated, 'It is by now a settled rule of
customary international law that crimes against
humanity do not require a connection to
international armed conflict.' "
Those concerned with American sovereignty
issues point to a concern for how terms are
defined. The crimes under the International
Criminal Court's domain include genocide and
"crimes against humanity," "aggression," "sexual
slavery" and "enforced pregnancy." The ICC
treaty, which will have the power to enforce
U.N.-mandated social policies worldwide, was
greeted by United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan as "a giant step forward in the
march towards universal human rights and the
rule of law."
But Richard G. Wilkins, professor of law at
Brigham Young University, warns that
"malleable definitions" and disagreements
about what constitutes "human rights" are areas
of significant dispute.
The GOP platform acknowledges some of those
areas in its pledge to "protect the rights of
families in international programs and [we] will
not fund organizations involved in abortions."
Pamela Shifman serves as co-executive director
of the New York-based Equality Now, an
advocacy group that "supports the United
Nations international human rights efforts for
women, such as the Beijing [conference] and
Beijing+5 process."
Shifman's organization, an NGO at the United
Nations, is "strongly supportive of the
establishment of an International Criminal
Court" and sees the U.N. as a "mechanism
important to the advocacy of the human rights
agenda." While Equality Now was "very glad to
see the GOP specifically mention sex trafficking
[as a crime], we were very disappointed that
they [GOP platform] will not fund abortions,
because that hurts millions of women around
the world."
Other issues in the platform that draw a new
Republican vision of the U.S.-U.N. relationship
include the prickly matter of dues owed by the
United States to the U.N., as well as matters of
stewardship over the environment. On the dues
question, the platform calls for a "fair, not
disproportionate share of the dues," to be paid
to the U.N., "once it has reformed its
management and taken steps to eliminate waste,
fraud and abuse." The monies the U.S. has
contributed toward peacekeeping missions
would also be credited toward U.S. dues.
The GOP opposition to U.N. control of the
global environment is a strongly worded
provision: "We reject the extremist call for the
United Nations to create a 'Stewardship Council'
modeled on the Security Council, to oversee the
global environment." The platform cites
attempts of "international bureaucrats" to
"by-pass" the "processes of national
governments."
Gregory Gronbacher of the Grand Rapids,
Mich.-based Acton Institute cites international
accords on environmental issues, such as the
Kyoto protocols, as an example of U.N. attempts
to control how nations use their resources. An
educational foundation, the Institute advises
religious leaders on the moral importance of
limited government and a free market economy.
Gronbacher, Acton's director of academic
research, observes, "The Clinton administration
has signed treaties that many Americans are not
comfortable with. Some of the U.N. conference
and treaty requirements are morally
problematical with the founding principles of
our nation."
Gronbacher added, "It appears Bush will take
issues of national sovereignty and the will of the
American people into consideration before
signing treaties which place U.S. resources at the
disposal of international bureaucrats."
Mary Jo Anderson is a contributing reporter to
WorldNetDaily.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/20000803_xex_platform_hol.s
html
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - It's wizard: Harry Potter's spells can be spoken in class
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:35:50 -0400
It's wizard: Harry Potter's spells can be
spoken in class
03.08.2000 - By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK
Birkenhead Primary School has scrapped its ban on
teachers reading Harry Potter books aloud in class
following a backlash from parents.
In a newsletter to parents this week the school said it
had reconsidered its decision and it was now up to
teachers to decide whether to read Harry Potter to
pupils.
Last month, the school banned the reading of the
popular children's series after two complaints about the
wizardry and magic content of the J. K. Rowling-penned
books.
Pupils, however, were still allowed to read Harry Potter
by themselves during school time and discuss the
books in class.
Principal Nigel Bioletti said teachers and "a number" of
parents had approached the school administration
asking it to reconsider.
He refused to say whether he regretted his earlier
decision.
"We'll be leaving it to the teachers now [to decide
whether to read Harry Potter to pupils]. They know their
own children and their own class."
Alexia McLay, whose 6-year-old son is a pupil, said she
knew of at least five people who had written letters to
the school opposing the ban.
"I think the principal made the wrong decision without
running it by other people involved with the school.
We're really pleased that he has listened to all the
parents who reacted and has come to a sensible
compromise."
http://www.herald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=146558&thesection=news
&thesubsection=general
Link via:
http://www.newsviewtoday.com
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - NZ: Abortions not up to parents
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:40:42 -0400
Abortions not up to parents
03 AUGUST 2000
By TARA ROSS
Schools can help students of any age get abortions
without informing parents, let alone getting their
consent.
The legal situation has been clarified after the
mother of a Linwood High School student raised
concerns about the school helping her 15-year-old
daughter arrange an abortion without her knowledge.
The Christchurch woman said the school helped set
up the abortion, and provided transport to and from
the operation, yet the first she learned of it was
when a hospital receipt arrived in the mail.
Jane Roseveare, a lawyer specialising in youth
advocacy at the Christchurch Community Law Centre,
said the
Guardianship
Act gave all young women the right to decide to
have an abortion.
Section 25a of the act says a female child of
whatever age may give her consent or refusal to
abortion as if she were an adult.
It was a major exception to the general rule that
parental consent was needed for medical treatment
for children under the age of 16, she said.
"Parental consent or even knowledge is not
required, so whatever your age you're treated as an
adult with regard to abortion."
Ms Roseveare said the only requirement for a school
to inform parents was in the Education Act, which
limited that consultation to notifying parents only
of anything affecting their child's progress at
school or their relationships with teachers and
other students.
"It's a bit of a minefield for all parties
involved," she said. "But when it comes down to it,
unless there's a serious threat to children's
learning or safety at school, (schools) have no
obligation to inform the parents."
Linwood principal Rob Burrough was unable to
comment on the case that raised the complaint, but
said abortion was an issue that all schools faced.
"I don't think we deal with it any differently," he
said. "Our policy is – and it would be the same at
all schools – that we try to get the family
involved if at all possible.
"It does concern me that students are able to
bypass their parents, but we're bound by law and
our hands are tied."
Mr Burrough said schools were caught between
parents and their children.
"If a student wants to go ahead with things,
there's not much we can do. We either support them
or drop them, and our role is to support students
as much as possible."
Lincoln High School guidance counsellor Alan Mears
said the issue probably came up two or three times
a year at his school, and it was always fraught
with difficulties.
"You're damned if you do and damned if you don't,"
he said.
School counsellors did their best to encourage
students to involve their families, and to take the
time to make a well informed decision, but the
final decision was up to the student.
Christchurch GP Pippa MacKay said school
counsellors had a similar role to GPs – their
obligation was to help the child.
"You can't make them tell their parents, and it's
our role to support them through their decision.
"I know how these mums feel, but their children
have rights in this regard," she said. "It's
important that children know that their health
information is confidential."
Senior advocate at the Commissioner for Children's
office Trish Grant said schools had to have an
"extreme reason" not to inform parents.
"At the end of the day these professionals are
going to move out of that person's life, and their
enduring relationship will be with their family."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,293870a11,FF.html
Link via:
http://www.newsviewtoday.com
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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - EIN items (8/4/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:47:10 -0400
RUSSIA MEDIA DEBATE TURNS TO CONTROL OF TV STATIONS
MOSCOW -- Russia's media speculated Wednesday the Kremlin might be
poised
to tighten its grip on the country's airwaves by taking controlling stakes
in two top television broadcasters.
http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=185469&text
RUSSIA SEEKS RETURN OF DIPLOMATIC ASSETS IN FRANCE
PARIS -- Russia said on Wednesday that it had the right to retaliate
against France as it pursued a legal battle to unblock diplomatic accounts
frozen in a commercial trade dispute.
http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=185448&text
UN Launches Million-Dollar Program for Chernobyl Victims (3Aug.00)
http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=185618
BEIJING WARNS U.S. TO KEEP CHINA OUT OF ELECTION DEBATE
BEIJING -- China has hit back at criticism from the U.S. Republican Party
and warned American politicians to keep Sino-U.S. relations out of the
presidential election campaign.
http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=185416&text
Beijing Rounds Up Portraits Of Dalai Lama In Tibet (3Aug.00)
http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=185429
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Hey, Watch Out for That Spider Mite
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:53:17 -0400
Thursday August 3 1:52 PM ET
Hey, Watch Out for That Spider Mite
LONDON (Reuters) - The language may be different but plants, like humans,
talk to each other and warn of impending danger, according to a study.
New research by scientists at Kyoto University in Japan, published in the
science journal Nature, describes how lima bean plants send out distress
signals to protect themselves and warn their neighbors of an impending
attack by spider mites.
Instead of words and sentences, the lima bean plants emit chemicals to get
their message across.
``These plants can prepare defenses against the spider mites in advance,''
Junji Takabayashi and his colleagues
said in the Nature report.
The chemicals make the plants less susceptible to the spider mites. They
also attract the mites' natural predators
to help the plants them fight them off.
At the same time the chemicals can activate genes in neighboring plants to
produce the same chemicals which
act as an insect repellent.
``These findings on airborne information transferred among plants are
important for understanding...interactions
in ecosystems as well as for developing new methods for plant protection,''
the scientists added.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000803/od/beans_mites_dc_1.html
Link via:
http://www.newsviewtoday.com
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subject.
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Million Costa Ricans Ask Virgin for End to Violence
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 08:56:49 -0400
Thursday August 3 1:52 PM ET
Million Costa Ricans Ask Virgin for End to
Violence
By Daniel Brenes
CARTAGO, Costa Rica (Reuters) - A million people gathered in Costa
Rica's holy city of Cartago to ask the Virgin Mary for an end to a crime wave
that has traumatized the normally peaceful Central American nation.
A long line of pilgrims, many wearing white ribbons on their lapels as a
symbol of peace, trekked 19 miles from
the capital to a shrine in Cartago in an endless column to commemorate the
365th anniversary of the apparition
of the Virgin de los Angeles, Costa Rica's patron saint.
Some pleaded for favors in the shrine where an image of the dark-skinned
Virgin, carrying a baby, is kept.
According to lore, the image appeared to an Indian woman Juana Pereira,
on Aug. 2 1635.
Some asked the Virgin to bless Costa Rica's soccer squad in the
preliminary rounds of the 2002 World Cup.
But, according to surveys carried out by local radio, most of the estimated
one million Costa Ricans attending
the religious event appealed to the Virgin to end a crime wave that has seen
kidnappings soar 500 percent in
the past six months.
``I hope all of us will use this celebration of the Virgin to pray for peace in
Costa Rica, an end to the violence,
and that each one of us learns to live up to his responsibilities,'' President
Miguel Angel Rodriguez said as he
walked with the throng.
Long used to regarding itself as the Switzerland of Latin America, and
relatively safe by regional standards, the
nation of 4 million people has been stunned by recent violence.
Earlier this month, one of Costa Rica's top crime officials said violence was
getting out of control.
Investigative police chief Linneth Saborio said police did not have the
resources to investigate the rising number
of crimes in the country, a favorite destination for tourists seeking rain forest
and eco-adventure.
Costa Rican crime hit international headlines in March when two U.S.
women were murdered near the
Caribbean port of Puerto Viejo. A teenage boy is in custody.
Last month, three Costa Ricans were beaten to death by suspected
Nicaraguans near the two countries' border
and a few days later, police traded shots with a band of kidnappers. A
hostage was killed and three police
officers injured.
At the shrine in Cartago, the head of Costa Rica's Roman Catholic Church
called on the people to heed the
word of God.
``Then we'll see the kidnappings and violence vanish like magic,'' said
Monsignor Roman Arrieta.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000803/od/crime_virgin_dc_1.html
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (8/4/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:08:32 -0400
*** U.N. commander says he needs troops
United Nations (AP) - The U.N. commander in Sierra Leone told the
Security Council Thursday he needs many more troops quickly, but the
U.S. remained opposed to an immediate increase in the 13,000-strong
force. Indian Maj. Gen. Vijay Jetley said rebels from the
Revolutionary United Front, who took 500 U.N. peacekeepers hostage in
May and kept 233 others surrounded for 2 1/2 months, still pose a
serious danger to the U.N. force. He said the U.N. needs "many more
troops to be given to us as quickly as possible" but said he did not
recommend a specific number. The Security Council initially sent
6,000 peacekeepers to Sierra Leone to help implement a cease-fire
signed in July 1999 by the government and rebels who terrorized
Sierra Leone for 8 years, killing tens of thousands of civilians and
mutilating thousands more. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568653021-6ed
*** Israelis moving to West Bank
TALMON, West Bank (AP) - Last week, just days after Israeli
negotiators discussed handing this part of the West Bank over to the
Palestinians, Orly Tel-Kar and her husband moved to a tiny Jewish
settlement near the Palestinian city of Ramallah. Ignoring the
intensifying peace talks, they are among about 560 families that have
settled in the West Bank this summer, according to the head of a
regional council. Some are there as a political statement,
demonstrating their belief that the West Bank belongs to the Jews,
not the Palestinians. Others are lured by subsidized housing prices
and open spaces away from crowded cities. All could lose their new
homes if the Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568656222-a7e
*** Mob burns 5 alive in India
HYDERABAD, India (AP) - A mob of nearly 200 villagers in southern
India burned to death Thursday 4 women and a man they accused of
practicing black magic, police said. The victims were dragged from
their homes and tied to a tree in the main square in the village of
Timmapur in Andhra Pradesh state. The mob then doused them with
kerosene and set them on fire. Police are investigating the deaths
but no arrests have been made. Another woman managed to escape the
mob with injuries to her hands and was admitted to a hospital in the
nearby city of Warangal. Police said the villagers believed the
victims were practicing sorcery and had caused the deaths in the
area. But only 2 men had died in the village in recent months. One
died in the local hospital after suffering chest pains and the other
drowned in a nearby canal. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568650536-967
*** Iran officials said film violates dress code
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian officials have summoned the film director
husband of pop star Googoosh to court over a film they say violates
the Islamic dress code, a newspaper reported Thursday. Supporters of
Googoosh and her husband, Masood Kimiai, said the move was an attack
by hardliners on the increasing cultural freedoms associated with
moderate President Mohammad Khatami. The summons against Kimiai was
issued after the Revolutionary Guards, who see themselves as the
upholders of the Islamic revolution, filed a complaint over Kimiai's
film "Protest." They said the film was "promoting inadequate Islamic
dress code," the government-owned daily newspaper, Iran, reported.
Kimiai and Googoosh are abroad shooting a film. On Saturday, Googoosh
performed in Toronto for 12,000 people, her first concert since
Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution halted her career. The goverment bans
women from singing or dancing before audiences that include men. ###
*** Gov't resists Calif. marijuana law
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Department of Justice pledged Thursday to
continue resisting California's voter-approved medical marijuana law,
arguing the government has the right to penalize doctors who
recommend cannabis by revoking their licenses to dispense medication.
Justice department lawyers argued their position in U.S. District
Court here during what may be the final stage of a lawsuit brought by
the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU contends that the
government's position violates doctors' free speech rights, and that
many doctors now resist recommending pot for fear of losing their
federal right to prescribe medication. U.S. District Court Judge
William Alsup was expected to rule within weeks, lawyers said, and
the ruling could have broad implications for several states with
similar laws. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568653053-c03
*** Compaq, gov't to make supercomputer
HOUSTON (AP) - Compaq Computer Corp., in conjunction with the
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, was selected Thursday by the
government to build and manage the world's largest nonmilitary
supercomputer. The PSC will manage the $36 million project for the
National Science Foundation, based in Arlington, Va. The computer
will be based on Houston-based Compaq's AlphaServer SC, the company
said. A total of 2,728 processors will allow the computer to perform
more than 6 trillion operations per second. The system will allow the
federal science foundation to establish a single high-powered
resource for research in fields as varied as drugs, weather
forecasting and modeling of earthquakes. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568646978-a92
*** Reno will speed up e-mail review
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Janet Reno said Thursday she will
accelerate a promised review of the FBI's e-mail surveillance system
and do everything she can to calm privacy advocates' worries about
it. In a weekly media briefing, Reno reiterated that she will have an
independent panel of experts critique the inner workings of
"Carnivore," the FBI's system. Carnivore is the term used for the
entire system, a computer running the Microsoft Windows NT operating
system and software that scans and captures "packets," the standard
unit of Internet traffic, as they travel through an internet service
provider's network. The FBI can install a Carnivore unit at a service
provider's network station and configure it to capture only e-mail
going to or from a person under investigation. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568650814-ab1
*** Web body to accept address plans
NEW YORK (AP) - The Internet's oversight body said Thursday it will
accept proposals next month for expanding the pool of online
addresses used to find Web sites. New domain names such as ".movie"
or ".travel" would help relieve the crowded field of dot-coms. They
would be the first global suffixes added since the 1980s, when Net
use was limited to academics and bureaucrats. As the Internet grows,
the pool of short, simple names shrinks. So the Internet needs new
domain suffixes, the same way the phone system often requires new
area codes. At stake is a New Economy increasingly dependent on the
Net and on customers' ability to easily find Web sites. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568648432-0cf
*** Report: Bacteria closing more beaches
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Beach closings and advisories because of high
bacteria levels are on the rise nationwide, according to a new report
that awards high praise for pollution control to only 5 beach areas,
all on the East Coast. The nationwide survey released Thursday by the
Natural Resources Defense Council also singles out 4 states as "beach
bums" for failing to regularly monitor their coastlines. There were
6,160 beach closings and advisories nationwide in 1999, with 70% due
to bacteria associated with sewage or polluted runoff - even with
drought conditions limiting runoff, according to the council's 10th
annual report. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568648137-721
*** Report: Limit egg donor pay
WASHINGTON (AP) - Newspaper ads have offered $50,000 for an ovarian
egg donated by a top college student. And the Internet site of a
former Playboy filmmaker site solicited similar bids for eggs from
models-turned-egg donors. Such tactics are way out of bounds, says a
new bioethics report. Women should be paid only for the time,
inconvenience and medical demands of donating an egg - meaning
anything more than $5,000 requires justification and anything over
$10,000 is simply inappropriate, the American Society for
Reproductive Medicine reported Thursday. By last year, a common rate
appeared to be $2,500, although some clinics paid $5,000, according
to a new medical report. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568651429-a8e
*** Clinton to award Medal of Freedom
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton will bestow the nation's highest
civilian honor next week on 15 distinguished Americans, including
three senators, an economist, a general, an admiral and the Rev.
Jesse Jackson. Clinton announced Thursday that he will recognize the
individuals at a White House ceremony on Wednesday. Established by
President Truman as a wartime honor, the Presidential Medal of
Freedom was reintroduced by President Kennedy as way to honor
civilian service. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568652285-40c
*** Museums announce ethics guidelines
NEW YORK (AP) - The American Association of Museums has adopted new
ethical guidelines on how museums should finance and oversee exhibits
of private collections, a move prompted by a furor over financing of
last year's "Sensation" exhibit and other art shows. The guidelines,
approved unanimously by the association's board and announced
Wednesday, advise against some of the practices used by the Brooklyn
Museum of Art in its exhibit of works owned by British ad executive
Charles Saatchi. The show was controversial because of the shock
value of some of the art, including a depiction of the Virgin Mary
featuring clumps of elephant dung. But ethical questions also arose
because the museum accepted loan of the works from Saatchi and
included Christie's auction house among the sponsors. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568650031-c4c
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (8/4/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:14:41 -0400
TEMPLE MOUNT PRAYERS?
The Chief Rabbinate Council will vote on Monday on a proposal to establish a
synagogue on the southern edge of the Temple Mount. Haifa's Chief Rabbi
She'ar Yashuv-Cohen ruled several months ago that Jews who have taken
the proper Halakhic [Jewish legal] precautions may ascend to parts of the
Temple Mount. Sources in the Rabbinate estimate that the proposal will be
voted down.
CNN RESTORES JERUSALEM TO ISRAEL
Supporters of Jewish Jerusalem scored a victory yesterday, following their e-
mail campaign to CNN. An unknown number of users wrote to CNN to
complain about the appearance of Jerusalem on its weather site's city-listing
as a "city without a country." The list of Middle East cities began with
Jerusalem, followed by an alphabetical listing of countries with their
respective cities. As of 8 PM Israel time last night, readers who complained
of the inaccuracy received a reply explaining that the listing for Jerusalem
was changed to "Jerusalem, Israel," and that a note was added on the
bottom to the effect that "Palestinian and Arab leaders consider part of
Jerusalem the capital of the prospective Palestinian state." The listing for
Israel now includes the following cities: Eilat, Haifa, Jerusalem, Ovida, and
Tel Aviv.
OVER THE PALESTINIAN FENCE
Another sign that the Arabs do not take Israel seriously in its refusal to
allow a return of Arab refugees from 1948: Delegations of Arab refugee
camp residents have been visiting Israeli towns and photographing what they
claim are their old homes. Eitan Rabin writes in Ma'ariv that the security
forces have been receiving reports that the phenomenon is intensifying, and
that Arabs have visited Jaffa, Lod, Acre, and smaller outlying towns to
"check out" the territory. The Palestinian Authority is apparently
encouraging actions of this nature, with the cooperation of Islamic
organizations and Arab Knesset Members. A group of 50 Arabs recently
arrived in the northern Kibbutz of Beit HaEmek, as well as in Kibbutz Yad
Mordechai near Ashkelon. In both cases, as in others, the Arabs left after
an argument with the Jewish residents.
Arafat's intractability on Jerusalem and other issues at Camp David could
have been guessed by readers of the Palestinian press during the talks. So
writes Itamar Marcus, Director of Palestinian Media Watch. "Had Arafat
intended to move toward Barak and away from his traditional positions,"
writes Marcus, "he would have had to prepare his public opinion via the
media under his control. Instead he permitted the Palestinian leadership to
make pronouncements that cornered him into the same inflexible positions,
which were published in the Palestinian Authority's (P.A.) official
newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. Arafat even allowed his newspaper to print
that it would be considered 'treason' were he to compromise in general, and
on Jerusalem and the refugee issue in particular..." The article appears
on in full on Arutz-7's website, at
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/english/newspaper/arabpress/pmw/pmw-
030800.htm
Yet another article describes how Palestinian summer camps teach young
Arabs how to war with Israelis. New York Times reporter John F. Burns
wrote this past Wednesday of camps for 25,000 Palestinian teenagers which
offer "no fun-in-the-sun by a cool clear lake, no rousing sing-alongs
beside a roaring campfire," but rather "the chance to stage a mock
kidnapping of an Israeli leader by masked Palestinian commandos, ending
with the Israeli's bodyguards sprawled dead on the ground," a "mock attack
on an Israeli military post, ending with a sentry being grabbed by the neck
and fatally stabbed," and "the opportunity to excel in stripping and
reassembling a real Kalashnikov rifle." The article can be seen, after
registering, at
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/080300palestinian-camp.html
NEW HIGHWAY
The Palestinian Authority is planning to pave a highway from Jenin
southwards to Shechem. The Palestinians signed a contract this week with
the American State Department, which will contribute $70-80 million towards
the project. The planned road is located totally in Palestinian-controlled
area, and will run roughly parallel to another already-existing road in
Israeli area.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"I don't think it makes any sense to go into the details [of the conditions
for a possible Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon]. This is a different
culture of negotiation. Whenever you declare what you are willing to give
up, the negotiations will begin from this point on."
- Ehud Barak, quoted by Ilene R. Prusher, in The Christian Science Monitor,
Feb. 25, 1997
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, August 4, 2000 / Av 3, 5760
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - School Funds in Danger After Ruling
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:21:43 -0400
August 4, 2000
School Funds in Danger After Ruling
PHOENIX (AP) -- Nearly 8,000 followers of a polygamist church in an
isolated community near the Utah state line have been ordered to teach their
children at home, putting the school year in doubt.
Deloy Bateman, a high school science teacher in Colorado City, said many
teachers have resigned following the pronouncement by Warren Jeffs, head
of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
``Even if the school stays open, the religious leadership will likely turn up the
psychological pressure on all others to leave town,'' said Bateman, who left
the church three years ago and has taught at the high school for 17 years.
School is scheduled to begin Aug. 22. About 1,000 students attend public
school in Colorado City and another 300 attend public school in neighboring
Hildale, Utah.
Colorado City Mayor Dan Barlow said public schooling would continue and
he didn't anticipate problems in hiring competent teachers.
Colorado City was settled by polygamists who broke away from the Mormon
Church after it banned the practice of multiple marriages. Polygamy is
against the law in both Arizona and Utah.
Ben Bistline, a longtime Colorado City resident and former member of the
church, said he was puzzled why Jeffs would abandon a school system
already under his followers' control.
``They've been talking around here for two years about this date or that date
being the time when the true believers would be swept up into heaven,''
Bistline said. ``I guess they figure now that they have to get rid of all the
apostates before they can cleanse themselves to go to heaven.''
Mohave County Superintendent Mike File said the school district would lose
about $3 million in funding if 500 students left. School officials in Colorado
City have already said at least that many students would not be enrolling this
fall.
``We've got to provide public schooling if there is one child or 1,000,'' File
said. ``This is a tough thing to accept because it's one thing if it's the
people's choice but quite another if they are being told to do it (for religious
acceptance).''
Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - CNN Restores Jerusalem to Israel
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 09:10:11 -0500
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, August 4, 2000 / Av 3, 5760
------------------------------------------------
CNN RESTORES JERUSALEM TO ISRAEL
Supporters of Jewish Jerusalem scored a victory yesterday, following their
e-mail campaign to CNN. An unknown number of users wrote to CNN to
complain about the appearance of Jerusalem on its weather site's
city-listing as a "city without a country." The list of Middle East cities
began with Jerusalem, followed by an alphabetical listing of countries with
their respective cities. As of 8 PM Israel time last night, readers who
complained of the inaccuracy received a reply explaining that the listing
for Jerusalem was changed to "Jerusalem, Israel," and that a note was added
on the bottom to the effect that "Palestinian and Arab leaders consider
part of Jerusalem the capital of the prospective Palestinian state." The
listing for Israel now includes the following cities: Eilat, Haifa,
Jerusalem, Ovida, and Tel Aviv.
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - NewsScan items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 12:18:37 -0400
KINKO'S EXPANDS ITS INTERNET PRINTING SERVICES
Following successful test marketing in five cities, Kinkos.com has now
begun a national rollout of its new "Print to Kinko's" service, which
allows users to send documents over the Internet for printing, finishing
and same-day delivery throughout the U.S. Kinkos.com was formed when
Kinko's Inc. combined its online operations with Liveprint.com and received
an additional $40 million in startup capital from America Online and other
investors. A company executive says, "Nobody's more well-positioned to use
this mode of distribute-and-then-produce, rather than
produce-and-then-distribute. Why does everything have to be produced, put
in boxes, and shipped across the country, when we can ship it
electronically, produce it locally, and deliver it for you right on the
spot?" (Washington Post 3 Aug 2000)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33124-2000Aug3.html
STEPHEN KING NOVEL MAY HAVE SCARY CONSEQUENCES
The new Stephen King novel, published on the Web with a request that at
least 75% of downloaders send the author $1 for the privilege, may well
change the way all sorts of intellectual property is marketed, says R. Polk
Wagner, a Penn law school professor. "Traditional intellectual property
theory holds that producers (that is, King) won't produce unless they have
the ability to restrict the access of others to their goods. Here King is
doing two significant things: First, he's only asking 75 percent of the
people to pay him, thereby engaging in an unusual form of price
discrimination where only those who feel the moral pressure to contribute
will do so. That is, King acknowledges that not everyone will pay. Second,
he's explicitly asking people to pay for his future services. The
traditional theory of intellectual property would not consider this
possibility. Classic intellectual property theory holds that producers must
get paid for the works they've already created, not works they've yet to
produce." The result could be troubling for publishers, who depend on the
sacredness of intellectual property for their livelihood. "If Stephen King,
one of the 'poster boys' of the intellectual property industry, doesn't
need intellectual property (protection) anymore, what does that mean for
intellectual property generally?" (Knowledge@Wharton 3 Aug 2000)
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-2419316.html
newsscan@newsscan.com
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Real World News - 08/04/00
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 11:53:37 -0500
Selected Items from:
REAL WORLD NEWS 08/04/2000
Visit Real World News online at http://www.realworldnews.net
FLOODS LEAVE ONE MILLION HOMELESS IN INDIA
A fresh wave of flash floods have left more than one million people
homeless in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, where the Indian
army and air force were called in Friday to assist relief operations.
"Troops together with helicopter units rescued hundreds of villagers
who were taking shelter on rooftops, or hanging from trees in some of
the worst-hit districts," army commander S. Madhok said. According
to the Assam flood control department at least five districts were
submerged after flood waters burst the banks of the Brahmaputra River
and its tributaries at several places. "At least one million people
have been rendered homeless by the flooding," one department official
said.
http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/asia/article.html?s=asia/hea
dlin
es/000804/asia/afp/Assam_floods_leave_one_million_homeless__military_c
alle d_in.html
CANADA SEIZES U.S. SHIP
Canada's armed forces have boarded and seized an American-owned ship
that had refused to deliver its cargo of Canadian military supplies
being returned from Kosovo. The soldiers, who were dropped by
helicopter onto the deck of the ship, took nearly an hour to gain
control of the vessel. No one was injured in the operation. The ship,
GTS Katie, is now steaming towards a Quebec port, escorted by two
Canadian warships.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_865000/865091.s
tm
WEST NILE EXPECTED IN ALL OF NEW YORK
Birds infected with the West Nile virus have been found in an
additional five New York counties, and the virus has probably spread
throughout the state, the state health department said Thursday.
"Since we are finding West Nile virus in birds in counties well
outside of the area originally affected, and many of the birds are
too young to fly far, it is likely that the virus is present
throughout New York state," Health Department Commissioner Dr.
Antonia C. Novello said.
http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/8/3/234218
SMOKE FILLS 'BIG SKY' AS WESTERN FIRES RAGE
Wildfires forced exhausted fire crews to give up ground Thursday as
blazes across the West grew stronger, prompting one government
official to call this the worst fire season in a half century. Sixty
large fires raged across more than 650,000 acres of the West as night
fell Thursday - and Friday's forecast called for more dry and hot
conditions, with the potential for lightning-packed thunderstorms.
This year, nearly 62,000 wildfires have been reported across the
nation, scorching nearly 3.8 million acres.
http://www.foxnews.com/national/080400/western_fires.sml
RARE VIRUS LINKED TO DEATHS IN CALIFORNIA
California health officials say they have linked three recent
unexplained deaths to a rare virus, normally carried by rodents, that
has almost never before infected humans in North America. The
so-called ``arenavirus'' causes a rare, but often fatal respiratory
disease, and is transmitted to humans through inhalation of dust
contaminated with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents.
Variations of the virus are often seen in human populations in Africa
and South America, scientists said. However never had it been seen in
humans anywhere in the United States,
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000804/ts/health_virus_dc_2.html
CLINTON ORDERS ELECTRICITY MEASURES IN CALIFORNIA
President Clinton on Thursday ordered federal agencies in California
to cut their power use by an estimated 5 percent and told the Federal
Power Marketing Administrations to maximize the amount of electricity
available in the state. ``Currently the supply of electrical power
is tight in California due to record demand for electricity. The
state faces rolling blackouts in some areas. These conditions put
both customers and businesses at risk,'' Clinton said in the order to
federal agencies.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000803/ts/power_clinton_dc_1.html
ACLU ASKS CITY TO OUST BOY SCOUTS FROM PARK
The Boy Scouts are asking to stay in Balboa Park for 50 more years.
The American Civil Liberties Union wants them kicked out now because
the scouts don't admit gay boys as scouts or gay men as leaders. And
the dispute may soon erupt before the San Diego City Council and the
courts.
http://www.uniontrib.com/news/metro/20000803-0010_2m3scouts.html
EGYPT REFUSES TO PRESSURE ARAFAT
Egypt has offered to help Israel reach a peace deal with the
Palestinians but said it would not put pressure on Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat to make concessions on Jerusalem. The Israeli leader
Ehud Barak has been having talks with Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak at his summer palace in the Mediterranean port of Alexandria.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_865000/86526
5.st m
PA REJECTS ANY ISRAELI CONTROL OVER TEMPLE MOUNT
The Palestinians will never accept any Israeli part in the control
over the Temple Mount, where Islam's third holiest site, Al-Aksa
Mosque, is located, Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker and chief
negotiator Ahmed Qurei told The Jerusalem Post yesterday during an
interview in Ramallah. "[Shared sovereignty] will never be acceptable
to us, even if that means that the struggle will continue for another
1,000 years," Qurei said.
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/08/04/News/News.10523.html
PALESTINIAN SUMMER CAMP OFFERS THE GAMES OF WAR
It is summer camp time for 25,000 Palestinian teenagers, and
strikingly unusual camps they are, too. As run by the men who handle
psychological warfare for Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, they
allow no horsing around in the dorm, no fun-in-the-sun by a cool
clear lake, no rousing sing-alongs beside a roaring campfire. Instead
they train in the art of kidnapping and murder.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/080300palestinian-camp.ht
ml
RUSSIA, IRAN TO EXPAND COOPERATION ON NUCLEAR POWER
Russia and Iran pledged to increase cooperation on nuclear power
engineering, oil and gas Thursday at a meeting between Alexander
Dondukov, minister for industry, science and technology, and Iran's
visiting energy minister Habibollah Bitaraf, Interfax reported.
Bitaraf hailed the high quality of Russian power-engineering
equipment and expressed his wish that more Russian businesses would
bid for power-engineering construction projects at international
auctions, Lazutin told the news agency.
http://www.russiatoday.com/news.php3?id=185930§ion=default
COMPLETE TEXT OF GEORGE W. BUSH'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Mr. Chairman, delegates, and my fellow citizens ... I accept your
nomination. Thank you for this honor. Together, we will renew
America's purpose...
http://www.gopconvention.com/daysconvention/speakers/bush_remarks.html
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION PROTESTS FIZZLE OUT
The protests at the Republican National Convention this week
sputtered to an end, with 1960s-era activists calling them an
embarrassment to the name of demonstrations.
http://www.washtimes.com/election2000/default-20008319425.htm
POTTER FANS TURNING TO WITCHCRAFT
The Pagan Federation has appointed a youth officer to deal with a
flood of inquiries following the success of the Harry Potter books
which describe magic and wizardry. The federation says the Potter
books, by JK Rowling, and TV shows such as Sabrina The Teenage Witch
and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, had probably sparked the new flood of
interest. Mr Norfolk said that parents should not be alarmed by their
children's sudden interest in magic. "Paganism is recognised as a
valid religion," he said. "In no way is it a cult and certainly it
offers nothing untoward.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=306
029& in_review_text_id=250010
WORLD EVANGELICAL CONFERENCE TO CLOSE SUNDAY
The Rev. Billy Graham's mass conference for evangelical Protestants
from 209 nations and territories will conclude Sunday by issuing two
statements defining the growing global evangelical movement. On
Thursday, 1,000 participants who have been meeting in three task
groups all week were handed a 6,000-word first draft of the
"Amsterdam Declaration: A Charter for Evangelism in the 21st
Century'' that will summarize their discussions.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/0804/i_ap_0804_35.sml
CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES WAIT IN SILENCE AT CONVENTION
Christian conservatives tuning into the Republican National
Convention this week - even the gavel-to-gavel coverage on cable
-have heard next to nothing from the podium speakers about the core
issues that have galvanized them into a political force over the past
two decades. As scripted by the Bush campaign, there has been little,
if anything, said about abortion rights, the Department of Education,
gays in the Boy Scouts or school prayer. There has been lots said
about inclusion and diversity of views.
http://capitolhillblue.com/Article.asp?ID=663
PINT-SIZED PREACHER REVS UP SOUTHERN REVIVALS
The Rev. Billy Graham fired up congregations. Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. raised crowds to their feet. Now, a new preacher is revving up
revivals across the southeast, but is taking the pulpit in a way the
faithful has never seen before. The Bible says Jesus welcomed the
little children, and the Rev. Frank Harris Jr. has taken those
scriptures to heart. Just 12 years old, Harris announced his calling
to his family's congregation in Memphis, Tenn., last June, and has
been traveling the country on the revival circuit ever since.
http://www.foxnews.com/national/080300/preacher_fnc.sml
THE DANGERS OF NATURALISM: ARE HUMANS MERELY ROBOTS?
You've seen the stories: They're nothing short of horrifying. An
18-year-old girl at her high school prom delivers her baby in a
bathroom stall, then leaves the dead child in a trash can and returns
to dancing. We shudder at the breathtaking callousness and disregard
for human life; yet for some scientists, such behavior is only
natural. http://www.lifelinenews.net/cover/cover.html
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Subject: [BPR] - Girls just want to learn witchcraft
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 13:05:14 -0500
August 4 2000 BRITAIN
http://www.the-times.co.uk/
Girls just want to learn witchcraft
BY RUTH GLEDHILL, RELIGION CORRESPONDENT
TEENAGE girls are showing unprecedented interest in witchcraft, with about
100 every month wanting to join covens to learn about casting spells,
according to a report in the September issue of Youthwork, a monthly
magazine of the Premier Christian Media Group.
Boys, too, are rejecting Christianity and the Church for witchcraft,
inspired by television programmes such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and
Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the Harry Potter books.
However, the greatest demand is from young women seeking female empowerment.
The demand is being accelerated by thousands of pages on the Internet
offering anything from "poison" rings to spells.
The report says that the development is influenced by pressure to pass
exams, to find boyfriends and to become wealthy.
One book to be published later this year, The Young Witches' Handbook, by
Kate West, vice-president of the Pagan Federation, includes spells to get a
partner and pass exams. Marina Baker, author of another book, Spells for
Teenage Witches, to be published next month, said: "Young people have always
been into all things mystical but they are not getting the spiritual
guidance they need from teachers, families or Churches."
The trend is worrying evangelical Christian leaders.
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Subject: [BPR] - Terra exposes thin snow cover in North America
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Shophar_Sho_Good")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 13:34:47 -0500
ENN News
Terra exposes thin snow cover in North America
Friday, August 4, 2000
By Robinson Shaw
http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2000/08/08042000/lesssnow_30122.asp?P=2
In this image, the red line represents the average March snow line; the
yellow line shows the average February snow line.
The thinnest snow cover since 1966, a harbinger of flood or drought,
appeared across North America during the winter of 1999-2000, according to
data recorded by NASA's Terra satellite.
"The winter of 1999-2000 brought relatively little snow cover to parts of
the North American continent, and the snow melted early as compared to
normal years. Low snow cover can result in drier soil conditions, affect
crop production and lead to wildfires," said Dorothy Hall of NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center.
The United States is already showing the effects of the slim snow cover,
from wildfires to water restrictions.
"The lack of snow cover is a continuous manifestation of last summer's
drought that persisted into winter," said NASA's Vince Salomonson.
Cool waters in the Pacific Ocean prompt changes in atmospheric circulation
and results in more northerly jet streams. Jet streams are the path storms
take when they move across the planet. In the United States, the jet stream
travels west to east. Consequently, temperatures across the lower 48 states
and Canada have been warmer.
Compared to snow cover in other years, the cover in 1999-2000 was lower in
every month from November through April.
Using data from Terra's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, or
MODIS, and other satellites, scientists are able to determine chart snow
cover with great accuracy.
Data collected from MODIS over an eight-day period between March 5 and 12
showed the snow line - the southernmost border for snowfall across the
continent - tracking across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, hundreds of miles
north of the average snow line.
According to NOAA's national environmental satellite data and information
service, the average March snow line would normally extend from New England
through the Midwest, including southern Wisconsin, to southern portions of
North Dakota.
It normally tracks farther south in the western states, running along the
Rocky Mountains and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
"One thing snow does is make water available when it's needed rather than
when it falls," said Taylor.
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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today (8/4/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 20:27:58 -0400
PA diplomats begin to prepare for statehood-Israel Radio
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Jerusalem Post
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- The Palestinian Authority is to begin preparing its
diplomats for next month's expected declaration of Palestinian statehood,
Israel Radio reported. Starting tomorrow, PA envoys to some 22 countries
are to undergo a two-week training course on the subject. Tonight the
Palestinian leadership is to convene in Gaza City to hear PA Chairman
Yasser Arafat report on his diplomatic offensive following the failure of the
Camp David summit. Tomorrow Arafat is to continue his campaign with a
visit to Turkey.
Taliban victory in Afghan war challenges foreign power peace initiatives
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Stratfor Report-2357 GMT, 000803
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Afghanistan=92s ruling Taliban =96 in the midst of a summer
military offensive =96 has taken control of a key northern town, despite
initiatives by China, Iran and Pakistan to bring an end to the war. This latest
victory places Taliban forces in a position to cut off opposition Northern
Alliance supply lines, challenging the cohesion of the foreign parties
attempting to resolve the conflict. Strategically, this Taliban victory could not
have come at a worse time for the foreign powers trying to resolve the
conflict; their cohesion will be seriously challenged.
The status of the Afghan war is determined not by the tactical gains and
losses of each side, but rather by the level of foreign support from Iran,
Pakistan and Russia. Pakistan supports the Taliban, while Russia and Iran
back the Northern Alliance. China, Iran and Pakistan have recently agreed
that a stable Afghanistan would improve the economic stability of the region
and reduce the threat of Islamic fundamentalism. The meetings among
China, Iran and Pakistan prior to the summer offensive appeared to have
brought assurances of Pakistan=92s commitment to peace. Pakistan will
actually have to rein in Taliban militants to prevent Russia from tanking any
potential peace initiatives.
Iran and Russia sign agreement nuke agreement
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Middle East Newsline
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Iran and Russia have agreed to increase cooperation in
nuclear power. The two countries signed such an agreement during a
meeting of representatives in Moscow on Thursday night. The cooperation
include Russian aid to Iran in nuclear engineering and in construction of
Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. The agreement also includes cooperation
between Iran and Russia on energy issues. The two countries are planning
an oil and natural gas pipeline to compete with the U.S.-sponsored Baku-
Ceyhan pipeline.
Russia to make huge weapons deal with India
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Middle East Newsline
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Russia is counting on rescuing its defense industry with a
huge weapons deal with India. The proposed deal would sell Russian tanks
in a deal worth more than $600 million. Russian sources said Moscow wants
the contract signed by October when President Vladimir Putin is scheduled
to visit India. The proposed contract calls for the delivery of the tanks by
2004.
Russian defense sources said Moscow is proposing to sell 310 T-90S tanks
to India for $2.12 million each. The Itar-Tass news agency said the proposed
contract would require Moscow to supply technology so that India could
assemble 210 tanks. Russia would supply the rest of the tanks,
manufactured by Uralvagonzavod. The T-90S is a lightweight tank with a
three-member crew, a 125 mm cannon and laser-guided missiles. The tank's
840-horsepower engine allows the vehicle to achieve speeds of 60 kilometers
per hour.
Turkish military expels 44 officers to purge alleged Islamist activities
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Turkey's powerful armed forces Friday expelled 44 officers
from its ranks for "indiscipline" -- a charge that usually refers to alleged
Islamist activities. The powerful military, which has seized power three times
since 1960, considers itself the guardian of the strictly secular constitution.
Its top generals now see politicized Islam as Turkey's greatest internal
threat. "It has been decided to remove 44 personnel from the Turkish armed
force for indiscipline," the general staff said in a statement at the end of a
four-day meeting of the Supreme Military Council, which is charged with the
task of purging the forces of personnel suspected of having Islamist ties.
Russia begins military withdrawal from Georgia
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Russia began withdrawing Soviet military hardware from
Georgia on Friday in a process financed by Western countries and viewed by
Tbilisi as an important step in the loosening of its ties with Moscow.
Armoured vehicles, 49 tanks and artillery guns would be loaded onto railway
wagons and taken to the Black Sea port of Batumi and from there
transported to the Russian ports of Novorossiisk and Tuapse. Western
countries are financing the withdrawal process under the final act of the
Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. "The United States' government
has provided $10 million in assistance for this move of Russian forces,"
Chicky said. Britain paid a further 100,000 pounds.
California deaths linked to rare virus
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- California health officials said Thursday they have linked
three recent unexplained deaths to a rare virus, normally carried by rodents,
that has almost never before infected humans in North America. The so-
called "arenavirus" causes a rare, but often fatal respiratory disease, and is
transmitted to humans through inhalation of dust contaminated by infected
rodents.
Variations of the virus are often seen in human populations in Africa and
South America, scientists said. Arenavirus has also been documented
recently in rodents in Southern California. However never had it been seen in
humans anywhere in the United States, "except among overseas travelers
and laboratory workers exposed accidentally while doing research,"
California Health Director Diana Bonita said in a statement.
Chief rabbis hold hearing over Temple Mount
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Ha'aretz
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- The state's top rabbis will for the first time formally
investigate a controversial proposal to build a synagogue on the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem, next to Islamic holy sites, a council official said today.
An attempt to build a synagogue on the Temple Mount would likely spark
violence between Israelis and Palestinians and incur the wrath of the Muslim
world.
Arafat to seek statehood support from Turkey
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Ha'aretz
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Palestinian Authority Leader Yasser Arafat is to visit
Turkey on Saturday for a one-day official visit, the Anadolu news agency
reported Friday. Arafat will meet Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer,
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem during the day
before leaving Turkey later Saturday. Arafat's visit is part of a whirlwind tour
around various Arabic and regional countries where he is looking for support
for his plan to declare a Palestinian state on September 13.
UNIFIL sees full deployment soon
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Jerusalem Post
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Diplomatic sources were optimistic last night that UNIFIL
would soon get the Lebanese government's go-ahead to fully deploy its
troops throughout south Lebanon and along the border with Israel. This
followed top-level talks between senior Lebanese Army and UNIFIL officers at
the headquarters of the international peacekeeping force in Nakoura
yesterday
All Israeli control over Temple Mount will be rejected by PA
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Jerusalem Post
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- The Palestinians will never accept any Israeli part in the
control over the Temple Mount, where Islam's third holiest site, Al-Aksa
Mosque, is located, Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker and chief
negotiator Ahmed Qurei told The Jerusalem Post yesterday during an
interview in Ramallah. "[Shared sovereignty] will never be acceptable to us,
even if that means that the struggle will continue for another 1,000 years,"
Qurei said.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak suggested at the Camp David summit that the
site be shared, by dividing sovereignty "vertically and horizontally," sources
said. This would mean that the Palestinians would have control over
everything above the ground, while Israel would have sovereignty over
everything underneath the ground. Qurei rejected this suggestion.
"Everything in the world was built over something else," he said, adding that
now the area is one of Islam's most holy sites.
Israel Aircraft Industry reassesses spy satellite sale to Turkey
Weekend News Today
Lead: Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Jerusalem Post
Fri Aug 4,2000 -- Israel Aircraft Industries is to reassesses its agreement to
sell spy satellites to Turkey following a decision by Ankara, under a US
firm's pressure, to reopen the tender it had awarded IAI. IAI was frustrated
over the way the deal is being handled by the Turks. An agreement had been
made following a lengthy price war with France's Alcatel, with IAI cutting its
original bid almost in half. The setback is the latest in a number of
controversial decisions by Ankara. The frustration felt in the defense
establishment could also jeopardize future deals, such as the sale of the
Arrow anti-missile system and the Phalcon AWACS radar.
http://www.upway.com/cgi/readnews.cgi?day=3D00_08_4&item=3D#965430889
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Subject: [BPR] - What are The Queen's Beasts?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 20:45:10 -0400
http://www.royal.gov.uk/faq/beasts.htm
The British Monarchy
The beasts in St. George's Hall, Windsor Castle, were a Golden Wedding
present to the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh from the City of London.
In the foreground can be seen a unicorn wearing a royal coronet as a
collar, a lion royally crowned is in the background. The use of the lion
and unicorn as supporters to the royal arms dates back to the accession
of James VI (of Scotland) and I (of England) in 1603. (To the right can
be seen part of the equestrian figure of the King's Champion. The
Champion used to ride in to the Coronation Banqet in Westminster Hall to
throw down his gauntlet and challenge anyone to deny the new sovereign.
This ceremony ceased after George IV's coronation in 1821) © Royal
Collection
What are The Queen's Beasts?
Heraldic beasts have been depicted since medieval times as supporters in
coats of arms, and carved stone figures of such creatures were widely
used to decorate castles, palaces and public buildings, particularly in
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. One example is the series of
King's Beasts mounted on the bridge leading to the entrance of Hampton
Court Palace - originally placed there to celebrate Henry VIII's
marriage to Jane Seymour, the beasts were demolished in William III's
reign and subsequently replaced in 1909. The figures on the bridge today
date from 1950.
For the coronation of The Queen in 1953, a special series of ten
heraldic beasts was devised and created to illustrate her ancestry. The
beasts were 6 feet tall, and positioned at Westminster Abbey to mount
guard over the place of The Queen's crowning. A set of The Queen's
Beasts was carved in stone and these can be seen in the Royal Botanic
Gardens at Kew.
The ten beasts, and the shields they hold, portray The Queen's royal
ancestry. The are: the lion of England supporting the royal arms of the
United Kingdom; the griffin of Edward III holding the badge of the Royal
House of Windsor; the falcon of the Plantagenets bearing the golden
fetterlock badge of the House of York; the black bull of Clarence
supporting the royal arms used from 1405 to 1603; the white lion of
Mortimer holding a badge with the white rose of York; the Beaufort yale
(a heraldic antelope able to swivel its horns to counter an attack from
any side), representing the House of Lancaster, bearing a crowned
portcullis badge; the greyhound of Richmond supporting a Tudor rose
badge; the red dragon of Wales supporting the arms of the princes of
North Wales; the unicorn of Scotland holding a shield of the old royal
arms of Scotland; and the white horse of Hanover supporting the royal
arms used from 1714 until 1800.
Other examples of royal heraldic beasts can be seen at St George's
Chapel, Windsor Castle, where 76 beasts of 14 different types are
represented; known as the Windsor Beasts, they decorate the Chapel roof.
Among the fourteen different types, there are six beasts unique to this
Windsor series: the white swan of Bohun holds the arms of Bohun (the
family of Henry IV's first wife Mary); the white hart of Richard II
supports a shild depicting a badge of broom-pods (planta genista - a pun
on the name Plantagenet); a silver antelope, wearing a golden circlet
and chained, bears the arms of France and England quartered; the black
dragon of the Earls of Ulster supports the red cross on gold of the de
Burgh family, from whom the Yorkist kings were descended; and the
unicorn of Edward III and the hind of Edward V hold vanes (a type of
flag) rather than shields.
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