To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Jordan to reconstruct site where it believes Christ was baptized
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 09:14:06 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Jordan to reconstruct site where it believes Christ was baptized
Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: Tampa Bay Online (AP)
Sat Aug 14,1999 -- Jordan plans to upgrade and reconstruct a holy site
it believes is the place Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist
roughly 2,000 years ago, an official said Saturday. The site lies on
the east bank of the Jordan River, 27 miles west of Amman. According
to Biblical tradition, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, which
runs through Israel and Jordan. Various locations along the river are
revered as the baptismal site and are visited by thousands of pilgrims
each year. The $7 million project includes building a guest house,
three baptism sites and a parking lot, and covers the necessary
infrastructure, such as a desalination station. The official, who
spoke on customary condition of anonymity, said the Jordan
Construction and Works Company expects to complete the project within
seven months.
via: bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Inside China Today items (8/15/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 09:21:10 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER BUSH SAID HE MIGHT DEFEND TAIWAN MILITARILY
AMES, Iowa -- US presidential frontrunner George W. Bush said
Saturday he might use force to defend Taiwan against aggression from
China if he were elected.
http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=85451&text
PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY GARRISON IN HONG KONG ON ALERT
HONG KONG -- China's People's Liberation Army forces in Hong Kong have
been placed on alert as tensions between China and Taiwan escalate,
according to a report today.
http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=85452&text
CHINA SLAMS US "INTERFERENCE" OVER DALAI LAMA TRIP
BEIJING -- China lashed out at the Dalai Lama's visit to the United
States Saturday, stating it would not tolerate foreign interference
concerning Tibet. http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=85449&text
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DENOUNCES RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN CHINA
WASHINGTON -- Human Rights Watch on Saturday accused China of
"multiple violations of human rights" following the arrest of six
people in northwestern Xinjiang province, an area tense with enmity
between local moslem Uighurs and Han Chinese settlers.
http://www.insidechina.com/news.php3?id=85448&text
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (8/15/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 15:59:08 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
PA TO CLAIM 6,000 JERUSALEM BUILDINGS
The Palestinians are planning to claim ownership of 6,000 buildings in
western Jerusalem under the final-status arrangements. So said the
Jerusalem representative in the Palestinian legislative council,
Hattam Eid. Among the buildings is the Ministry of Industry and
Trade, headed by Ran Cohen of Meretz. Eid said that the Palestinians
are making great efforts to prove their ownership of the buildings.
TECHNION MAKES 'SUPER IRON' BATTERIES
Researchers at the Technion - Israel's Institute of Technology - have
discovered a revolutionary new class of high-energy "Super-Iron"
batteries. The new cells have higher energy capacity than the standard alkaline
batteries in use today - they can last 50% longer - and are made of
non-polluting materials to boot. "The new battery replaces the
manganese dioxide in conventional batteries with a very unusual
material called super iron, which can store high quantities of
electricity," explained Professor Stuart Licht of the Faculty of
Chemistry to Science magazine, such that it will be more compatible
with today's high drain-rate electronics such as laptop computers,
cellular phones, and even electric cars. The new batteries also
promise to be cost effective, as iron is 100 times cheaper than
lithium, the prime component in many of today's standard batteries.
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Sunday, Aug. 15, 1999 / Elul 3, 5759
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Aug 16, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 08:25:25 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
8:00 PM Eastern
TLC - GLOBAL CATASTROPHE - Collapsing ice shelves;
insect plagues; slowing rotation of the
Earth.(CC)(TVG)
8:30
PBS - TUG OF WAR: THE STORY OF TAIWAN - Tensions across the
Taiwan Strait include the Japanese colonial era, 1947
massacre, government repression and cultural
revival.(CC)(TVPG)
9:00
A&E - INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS - "Earth in the Hot Seat"
- An unprecedented climatic change may have serious
consequences all over the globe.(CC)
TLC - THE NAPOLEON MURDER MYSTERY - Napoleon
Bonaparte dies mysteriously while in exile.(CC)
10:00
TLC - IN PURSUIT OF THE SHROUD - Scholars subject the
Shroud of Turin to a battery of tests to identify its
mysterious image.(CC)(TVG)
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (8/16/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 08:32:25 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
*** Israel pushes for Oct. 1 pullout
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel pressed ahead Sunday with plans to
begin a West Bank pullout on Oct. 1, angering Palestinian negotiators
who said they were not being consulted. Prime Minister Ehud Barak told
his Cabinet Sunday the army will begin preparations for a withdrawal
next month. The Cabinet statement said Barak planned an October
withdrawal "parallel with Palestinian fulfillment of commitments." The
withdrawal is the second scheduled under the peace accords brokered by
President Clinton at Wye River, Md., last year. Former Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu froze the accords after the first scheduled
withdrawal last November, accusing the Palestinians of noncompliance.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560724649-9fd
*** Also: Palestinians, Israel end meeting, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560713878-493 ***
Also: Israeli predicts peace with Syria, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560712507-a12
*** Cassini to buzz Earth on Saturn trip
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - A two-story, $3.4 billion spacecraft carrying
a load of deadly plutonium will zoom within 725 miles of Earth this
week to gain momentum for the final leg of its meandering, seven-year
voyage to Saturn. Cassini's return, two years after NASA launched the
largest and most expensive unmanned spacecraft ever, poses virtually
no risk, mission officials say. But anti-nuclear activists, concerned
over the 72 pounds of carcinogenic cargo, aren't so sure. "The fact is
space technology can and does fail," said Bruce Gagnon of the Global
Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. "And when you
start using nuclear materials in increasing numbers, the odds of an
accident increase." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560710429-960 ***
Also: 'Gravity assist' helps Cassini fly, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560710930-46c
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Rare Coins Depicting Jesus Found Near Galilee
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 08:38:56 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Rare Coins Depicting Jesus Found Near Galilee
JERUSALEM, Israel (EP) -- Coins bearing a likeness of Jesus
have been unearthed near the Sea of Galilee. Symbols of
Jesus with a cross or sitting on a throne are visible on the
58 "Jesus coins," including Greek inscriptions that describe
Jesus as Messiah and king of kings.
The coins were among thousands of bronze artifacts found in
three vessels, and date from the 10th and 11th centuries.
Other artifacts found within the vessels include coins,
pottery, lamps and tweezers. During this period of time
these artifacts were in use Muslims of the Fatimid Empire
ruled Palestine. It is estimated that the untouched
artifacts have been in the ground for 1,000 years. This
group of artifacts is the largest find of Islamic period
artifacts in Israel.
The "Jesus coins," along with another 24 coins from the
Byzantine period depicting Emperors Constantine X and
Michael VII, were the only pieces among the artifacts that
bear Greek script. Other coins and objects in the three
vessels are inscribed with Arabic writing. Researchers
conjecture that during these centuries Christians used the
coins as evangelism tools to reach area Muslims.
(c 1999, Evangelical Press News Service)
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3329.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Episcopals & Lutherans & Catholics
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 08:44:25 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
The Episcopal Church (see link #3 below) and the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (see link #4 below) are considering an
agreement for close cooperation. Leaders of the 5.2 million-member
ELCA will vote in Denver Aug. 19 on entering into full communion; the
2.4 million-member Episcopal Church already has approved the plan. The
churches would not merge, but would recognize one another=C6s sacraments
and clergy members, and collaborate in missions work and social
service projects. ...Full communion would allow local congregations to
exchange clergy, as when a small church that could not afford a
full-time pastor shares the services of a pastor from a larger church
nearby in the other denomination. Full communion also would encourage
close ties worldwide among 135 million members of the Lutheran and
Anglican traditions, observers said. The Episcopal Church is part of
the worldwide Anglican Communion (see link #5 below) of churches.
...Lutherans rejected a similar agreement with the Episcopal Church in
1997. Some Lutherans say Episcopal bishops, who are elected for life,
have too much authority. Lutheran bishops are elected for six-year
terms. Episcopalians consider their bishops part of the "historic
episcopate," an unbroken chain of leadership reaching back to the
earliest days of Christianity.
RELATED LINKS:
3: http://ecusa.anglican.org/
4: http://www.elca.org/
5: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/
Religion Today, August 16, 1999
http://www.religiontoday.com
------------------
Lutherans And Catholics To Sign Joint Declaration
HANOVER, Germany (EP) -- The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
and the Vatican will sign a joint declaration on the
doctrine of justification on Oct. 31, in Augsburg, Germany,
according to a report from Lutheran World Information. The
joint declaration is the result of more than three decades
of dialogue between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. The
signing will be the first time that such a declaration has
been recognized officially and jointly by the respective
church bodies.
The date of the signing is significant because on Oct. 31,
1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 theses against the
Vatican. Lutherans consider Oct. 31 the birthday of the
Reformation. Augsburg is important to the Lutheran tradition
because in 1530 Emperor Charles V assembled a conference of
Luther's followers to draft the Augsburg Confession, a
founding document of the Lutheran Church.
On the basis of responses from its member churches, the LWF
Council affirmed the Joint Declaration on June 16, 1998. On
June 25, the Roman Catholic Church gave the document its
support.
The declaration concerns the nature of justification, or the
way people become right with God. "Jesus Christ won
salvation through His life, death and resurrection;
salvation is a gift that no one but Jesus Christ can earn,"
says the declaration. "Together we confess: by grace alone,
in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any
merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the
Holy Spirit." The document reinforces biblical teaching that
salvation is strictly a gift obtained through faith in
Jesus, not because anyone else has earned it.
The role of "good works" or "Christian living" is a related
issue, but in the joint declaration Lutherans and Catholics
declare that this issue should not be "church dividing."
Roman Catholics hold that good works contribute to growth in
grace and teach that a reward in heaven is promised for
these works. Lutherans emphasize that justification is
complete in Christ's saving work.
The two parties developed an "Official Common Statement" and
a short explanatory "Annex" to the Joint Declaration. The
statement and annex underscore that a consensus in basic
truths regarding the doctrine of justification has been
reached.
The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, says, "With other
Lutherans around the world, I am extremely pleased to hear
the news." Anderson chaired the Lutheran group that worked
with Roman Catholics in the U.S. toward a document of
agreement in the 1970s and 1980s.
Anderson told Lutheran World Information, "American
Lutherans greet this announcement with enthusiasm. By
acknowledging that there is agreement on this crucial
article of the Christian faith, our two churches have
bridged a theological divide that has separated us for
nearly 500 years. This agreement will have a positive effect
on the mood of conversations between our two communions. I
hope that this theological breakthrough will lead to other
agreements in the future."
(c 1999, Evangelical Press News Service)
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3328.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Levi's Brave New World
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 18:30:41 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
http://www.wired.com/news/news/business/story/21268.html
-
Levi's Brave New World
perspective by James Glave
3:00 a.m. 16.Aug.99.PDT
SAN FRANCISCO -- Big Brother wore khakis.
Either that, or he'll be watching you buy yours at the new flagship
Levi's Store, opening here Tuesday.
At the lavish, frenetic, 24,000-square-foot, four-story complex, you
are invited to deliver the most intimate details about you and your
body in exchange for a dazzling entertainment experience and a perfect
pair of jeans.
The corporate take is slightly different, of course.
"It's the intersection of technology and the best a brand has to
offer," said Gary Magnus, content and development director for Levi's
Global Retailing.
The store of the future is aimed at teenagers who have grown up
plugged into big-screen video, electronic art, digital audio, and
high-speed Net connections.
It is also a digital nerve center wired with more than 40 miles of
cable, hundreds of speakers, and video routers, all pumping video and
MP3. Customers can take a dip in a hot tub for true shrink-to-fit
jeans, then stand in a human-size blow dryer while watching
experimental films.
Store visitors can also spy on other customers with remote operated
videocam "periscopes" that tilt, pan, and zoom. They peer into tourist
nexus Union Square across the street, but not into the fitting rooms.
The store is engineered for fun.
It's also orchestrated to learn as much as possible about its
customers, right down to their very fingertips and bust sizes. The
resulting profiles are uploaded at the end of each business day to a
Levi's corporate data warehouse.
Once there, data mining programs get to work, creating personalized
direct mail campaigns.
"We use biometrics so we can track people," Magnus said. "If
[customers] don't want to participate they don't have to. It is a fun
thing. We ask for your approval every step of the way."
Indeed, before soliciting fingerprints or personal data, customers
step up to a kiosk where they read the company's privacy policy on a
computer screen. The long statement scrolls across a terminal screen
at annoying typewriter speed.
"I'm not gonna wait for this. I'll just hit 'I Agree.'"
The result: A store that learns through sensory seduction. "It's
collaborative filtering," said Gregory Ercolino, of Ercolino
Productions, who handled the store's technical design and integration.
Of course, it's all optional.
Fingerprint identification is not required for visitors to enjoy
anything in the store. Customers can delete their record at any time,
and no processed data is shared or sold to any third party. The firm
will only will use the information for its own marketing programs.
That makes the data precious.
"[The data] is a gold mine, yes," said Siobhan O'Hara, the company's
customization director.
This Levi's store represents the first large-scale voluntary
collection of biometric marketing data in the country, if not the
world.
What's unsettling to privacy advocates, however, is the
fingerprinting. Demographic data can be fudged on a Web page, but a
fingerprint -- an irrevocable, permanent part of our human identity --
is forever.
"There is a broader issue here, where many people don't fully
understand the long-rage consequences of giving intensely personal
data, like detailed body measurements, to a third party," said Alan
Davidson of the Center for Democracy in Technology.
However, Levi's contends that young people were very keen on
personalization and customization.
For example, in-store kiosks welcome customers by name when they log
in.
The system even learns about a customer's musical tastes based on his
choices at CD listening stations, including what tracks he switches
off, and after how long.
Two floors up, customers are invited to partly disrobe and step into
the Levi's Original Spin -- a private booth that scans their body in
three dimensions to suggest an appropriate fit of jeans. The
dimensions are added to the customer's profile.
Levis takes great pains to assure customers that the information is
confidential. But Davidson pointed out that, if subpoenaed by law
enforcement or another government agency, Levi's would be forced to
turn over the biometric data.
"Personally, I find it frightening that there is a market-driven model
that leads us to massive and highly personal data collection linked to
unshakable biometric data," Davidson said.
A nonprofit group, Privacy International, sees the Levi's store as the
realization of a Huxleyan nightmare.
"This is the perfect way of softening up the population -- make people
believe the forfeiture of their identity is glamorous and beneficial,"
said the group's executive director, Simon Davies.
"But in 20 years' time, when people are routinely handing over their
fingerprints, you will discover a generation that totally loses its
capacity for anonymity -- and that is the germination of an
authoritarian state."
The executive director of a biometrics industry association said that
most consumers are very gung-ho on fingerprints and iris scans.
"The consumer acceptance of biometrics has been very solid," said Rick
Norton, executive director of the International Biometric Industry
Association. "There has not been a lot of resistance from customers."
After all, who can resist a perfect-fitting pair of jeans?
via: isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Pentagon Offers Virtual Tour
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 18:32:33 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
PENTAGON OFFERS VIRTUAL TOUR
The Department of Defense has added a virtual tour, with a slideshow
introduction, of the Pentagon that can be found on the DefenseLink
Internet site at http://www.defenselink.mil. The new virtual tour
allows anyone with a computer capable of viewing streaming video to
visit any or all of the 12 ceremonial corridors in the Pentagon.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Ken Bacon said, "You
can view the entire tour, which runs about 24 minutes, or you can
watch any one of the segments, such as our 'Hall of Heroes' where
every Medal of Honor recipient is honored. Our building tour program
hosts about 120,000 visitors a year. Now, with the virtual tour, many
hundreds of thousands more people will be able to see the Pentagon
without having to make a personal trip here." The virtual tour
includes a brief introduction and end of tour segment, all narrated by
Pentagon tour guides. The guides are military personnel assigned to
their Services' ceremonial units and who serve on temporary duty for
up to one year at the Pentagon. The "DoD 101" slideshow provides the
history of the military Services and describes how they perform their
roles and missions. The slides also depict interesting facts about
military operations and the people who work for the Department. Free
actual tours of the Pentagon are available to the general public on a
first-come, first-served basis, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. Additional information on the tour program is available on the
DefenseLink web site. -END- page 1
via: DODNEWS-L-request@DTIC.MIL
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Book Recommendation
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 14:53:24 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
The Feasts of the Lord
by Kevin Howard, Marvin J. Rosenthal
Hardcover - 224 pages (June 1997)
Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 0785275185
Dimensions (in inches): 0.74 x 9.35 x 6.35
From Back Cover: "Israel's feasts are infinitely more important
than just a series of cultural observances. These feasts are
appointed by the Lord, and they are owned by the Lord. He calls
them 'my feasts.' Together they form God's prophetic calendar,
outlining the work of history's most important person--Jesus,
the Messiah. As such, few themes are more timely or rewarding
for God's people today.
"'The Feasts of the Lord' covers all aspects of the biblical
feasts--historical background, biblical observance, modern
observance, and prophetic significance. Yet, this book is not
just another reference book on the feasts. It is written from
the Hebrew Christian viewpoint, helping you to see the feasts
through Jewish eyes.
"The words of the Savior, His messianic claims, and Bible
prophecy will all take on a rich, new relevance for you against
the exciting backdrop of 'The Feasts of the Lord.'"
Inside Front Cover: "Written with Christian and Jewish
audiences in mind, 'The Feasts of the Lord' takes the reader
through all of the holy days of Israel. These ancient
celebrations come alive as they are enhanced with over one
hundred and fify full-color charts, photographs and paintings.
As the history of the Judean holy days is revealed, the Jewish
customs that serve as the most foundational facts of
Christianity are brought to light. As Rosenthal and Howard
strive to create a fresh understanding, these traditions are
weighed in the light of God's Word to reveal the Messiah.
"Step back to the days of Israel's Temple and then forward to
the modern Jewish home to join a family as they celebrate these
feasts. Experience the alluring aroma of baking matza, hear the
nervous sounds of the bleating temple lambs, and feel the warmth
of the Judean sun. With each step of the journey, the brilliant
rays of the coming Messianic Kingdom and Israel's Messiah will
become more radiant."
Philologos Review: "The Feasts of the Lord" was an absolute
joy to read. The feasts took on a special meaning for me from
the moment I opened the book and looked into the eyes of a pet
lamb staring back at me. The book is beautiful as each page is
enhanced with illustrations, photographs and drawings. I was
pleasantly delighted to see a full color photograph of the
Passover Table with a description of each item explaining its
Biblical or traditional importance. I'm sure that most aspects
and much of the symbolism involved in the various feasts are
familiar to many of us, but as I read about each feast again,
there was always something new that I learned or some special
symbolism brought to light that I hadn't considered before.
Although Rosenthal is listed as co-author, I would say that 90
per cent of the book has been written by Kevin Howard, who does
an excellent job. I enjoyed his writing very much.
While researching some portions of the book, I came across the
chapter featuring the Passover (chapter 4) online -- one of my
favorite chapters, by the way. This chapter
(http://www.roshpinah.org/passover) by Kevin Howard first
appeared in the Zion's Fire magazine in the March-April 1996
issue.
You may view the Table of Contents of this book online at
http://philologos.org/bookstore/Listings/howard.kevin.1.htm
Thanks,
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Nurse sued for sharing beliefs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 09:17:53 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Two homosexuals sued a Christian nurse for sharing her religious
beliefs with them. Jo Ann Knight, a nurse who works for the
Connecticut Department of Public Health, visited the home of an
AIDS patient in a suburb of New Haven, Conn. During the visit, he and
his companion told Knight they were gay, had received little emotional
support from friends and relatives, and were afraid about the future,
the American Center for Law and Justice (see link #4 below), a rights
groups that represented Knight, said. ...Knight said she felt a strong
sense of compassion for the men and shared her Christian beliefs about
salvation with them. She also "shared in a loving and compassionate
manner her Christian beliefs that homosexuality is not an acceptable
lifestyle," Vincent McCarthy, the ACLJ attorney who defended Knight,
said. Both men shared their religious beliefs with Knight, thanked
her, and bid her a good afternoon, McCarthy said. ...But the men,
Kenneth Johnson and Byron Benton, later sued Knight in federal court,
claiming they suffered emotional distress from her statements, which
they said constituted harassment. U.S. District Court Judge Dominic
Squatrito dismissed the suit Aug. 10, upholding the First Amendment
rights of Knight to speak out on her religious beliefs. ...Knight=C6s
comments were "an appropriate expression of her religious beliefs,"
McCarthy said. Knight did not act in "an aggressive, harassing,
threatening, or intimidating manner toward either the patient or his
companion. In fact the opposite is true," he said. ...A federal
lawsuit brought by Knight against the Connecticut Department of Public
Health for reprimanding her, suspending her for two weeks without pay,
and barring her from visiting patients at home, is pending.
RELATED LINKS:
4: http://www.aclj.org
http://www.religiontoday.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Tunnels constructed by Syria to hide scuds
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 09:23:02 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Tunnels constructed by Syria to hide scud missiles
Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: The Middle East Newsline
Mon Aug 16,1999 -- Syria has constructed a network of tunnels
throughout the country to conceal its arsenal of ballistic missiles,
capable of being tipped with nonconventional warheads, according to
regional intelligence sources quoted by Steve Rodan, editor of Middle
East Newsline. The sources, who did not want to be identified, said
Damascus has obtained technology and help from North Korea to
construct the tunnel network. Pyongyang has constructed a huge network
of tunnels to conceal its missile and nuclear weapons program, the
sources said. So far, the sources said, Syria has completed the
construction of five tunnels to conceal Scud C missiles, with a range
of 500 kilometers.This would put Syrian missiles in striking distance
of virtually any target in Israel. Last month, Donald Rumsfeld, a
former U.S. defense secretary and chairman of the Committee to Assess
the Ballistic Threat to the United States, told the National Defense
University Foundation in Washington that such countries as Iran, Iraq
and North Korea have managed to hide their missile development
programs through the use of tunnels. The sources said Syria is in the
middle of constructing another nine tunnels. The goal is to allow
Syria to protect its arsenal of about 1,000 Scud C missiles from
Israeli attack, the sources said. They said the tunnels are so well
fortified that it can withstand any Israeli conventional bombing.
These sources also discovered that Syria has achieved the capability
of producing Scud C missiles. Currently, they said, Damascus, with the
help of North Korea, is developing the Scud D missile, with a
projected range of more than 700 kilometers. Syria also has produced
nonconventional warheads for its missile arsenal, the sources said.
These include warheads filled with the nerve agent sarin.
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Daywatch items (8/17/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 09:24:31 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
MASSACHUSETTS -- In the shadow of the 124-year-old
Worcester State Hospital for the Insane, with a clock tower
from an Alfred Hitchcock movie, a laboratory called Advance
Cell Therapeutics (ACT) is growing human clones. Sunday
afternoon, over sixty protestors gathered at the entrance
to the Bio-research Technology Park, home of ACT, to expose
cloning and cross-species experiments they call ghoulish.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3332.htm
PENNSYLVANIA -- A couple filed suit today in U.S. District
Court in Philadelphia charging that a public school
guidance counselor usurped their parental rights by
coercing and facilitating an abortion for their minor
daughter. The suit contends that the guidance counselor
coerced and assisted in the arrangement of a secret,
out-of-state abortion for their daughter, who had just
turned seventeen.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3335.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Strong Earthquake Shakes Turkey
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 05:27:43 -0500
From: "Croteau Network" <croteaunet@ime.net>
Strong Earthquake Shakes Turkey
By HARMONIE TOROS
Associated Press Writer
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- A powerful earthquake shook western
Turkey's most populated cities early Tuesday, killing at least
10 people and injuring scores as it collapsed homes and
buildings, a radio station reported.
The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude at 7.1, according to
the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo,
which had earlier reported 7.3. Turkish radio reported a 6.8-
magnitude quake. The reason for the discrepancy wasn't
immediately clear.
Reports said some tall buildings collapsed in Istanbul, and
there were people trapped in the debris and begging for help.
``We saw the floor move, we all ran out of the house,'' said
Ramazan Aydeniz, sitting in front of his ice-cream shop in
Istanbul. ``The kids, the elder were all in a panic.''
The quake epicenter was near Izmit, 65 miles east of Istanbul,
according to privately-owned TGRT radio. The station said there
were at least 10 deaths and scores of injuries in Izmit and
Istanbul. It did not elaborate on the casualties. Homes and
buildings were also reported collapsed.
Istanbul has a population of some 12 million people, and about
500,000 people live in the industrial city of Izmit.
The quake also shook the capital Ankara, 270 miles to the east,
but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury there.
Telephone and electrical service was cut in several areas as
the quake struck at 3:02 a.m. (8:02 p.m. EDT Monday), the radio
said.
Vehicles on the main highway linking Istanbul and Ankara
slammed into each other during the earthquake, it said.
``We never felt such a strong earthquake before,'' said Bora
Dalkilic, a college student in Istanbul. ``We are staying
outside in case there is another earthquake.''
Much of Turkey sits on a fault zone. Ali Pinar, an official
from the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory, said Izmit, also
known as Kocaeli, is located on the fault line.
Pinar warned against aftershocks and urged people to get out of
their homes immediately.
It was not clear if the quake damaged historical sites in
Istanbul such as the Blue Mosque, Saint Sophia and Topkapi
Palace, the seat of the Ottoman sultans.
A 6.3 magnitude quake that hit Turkey on June 27, 1998, killed
144 people and injured over 1,500 in and around the southern
city of Adana.
03AP-NY-08-16-99 2310EDT
http://www.newsday.com/ap/rnmpin14.htm
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - X-Files version of history backed by CIA report
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 06:10:35 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
X-Files version of history is backed by CIA report
By Michael Smith
THE CIA has released a secret history of its investigations
into UFO sightings, revealing that there was more truth in the
popular television series The X-Files than is often believed.
The highly critical report describes often bitter debates
between real-life X-Files investigators who believed that "the
truth is out there" and their sceptical bosses. It records tales
of bumbling undercover agents whose activities fuelled a
widespread belief that the government was covering up what the
agency described as "extra-terrestrial visitations by
intelligent beings".
The problem was eventually passed to the agency's physics and
electronics division where in true X-Files style just one
analyst investigated UFO phenomena. But the Fifties equivalent
of Fox Mulder was constantly undermined by his boss, described
by the CIA history as "a non-believer in UFOs", who tried but
failed to declare the project "inactive".
While the CIA investigations eventually concluded that all the
sightings could be explained, the report concludes that
"misguided" attempts to keep them secret led to widespread
belief of a government cover-up.
The report, written by Gerald K Haines, the official CIA
historian, was commissioned by the then CIA director James
Woolsey in 1993 in the wake of renewed claims of a CIA-led cover-
up. It calls for the first time on documents that the agency hid
from UFO enthusiasts who obtained thousands of more mundane
files under the Freedom of Information Act. The report,
completed in 1997, has been released at the request of the
British academic journal Intelligence and National Security and
is published in its summer issue this month.
US intelligence began investigating UFO sightings in 1947 when
a pilot claimed to have seen nine discs travelling at more than
1,000 mph in Washington state. The claim was backed up by
additional sightings including reports from military and
civilian pilots and air traffic controllers.
The first investigation, Operation Saucer, was carried out by
US air intelligence which initially feared that the objects
might be Soviet bombers. But some officers became convinced that
UFOs existed and in a top-secret report concluded many of the
sightings were "interplanetary". Air force chiefs had the report
rewritten to conclude that "although visits from outer space are
deemed possible, they are believed to be very unlikely".
The CIA initially dismissed the investigations as "midsummer
madness". But an agency committee decided they could be used by
Moscow either to create mass hysteria or to overload the air
warning system, making it unable to distinguish between UFOs and
Soviet bombers.
In 1955, claims by two elderly sisters to have had contact with
UFOs attracted widespread publicity. A CIA agent describing
himself as an air force officer spoke to them and reported that
he appeared to have stumbled upon a scene from Arsenic and Old
Lace. Analysis of a "code" which the women believed aliens were
using to make contact with them while they listened to their
favourite radio programme was morse code from a US radio station.
But when UFO enthusiasts heard of the "air force" officer's
visit they became immediately suspicious that he was a member of
the CIA trying to cover up the affair. One enthusiast pursued
the CIA conspiracy theory and was visited by another CIA
officer, who claimed to be in the air force and even wore an air
force uniform. The ruse failed, making the conspiracy theorists
even more suspicious.
The refusal to release 57 documents on the investigation in the
Seventies, to protect sources, also fuelled the cover-up theory,
Haines concluded.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000271261842766&rtmo=au5TX4XJ&atmo=99999bJ9&pg=/et/99/8/17/wufo17.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Nuclear-powered NASA craft to zoom by Earth on Tuesday
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 06:15:04 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Nuclear-powered NASA craft to zoom by Earth on Tuesday
August 16, 1999
Web posted at: 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT)
(CNN) -- NASA's mammoth Saturn-bound spacecraft will skirt
within 725 miles of Earth early Tuesday, picking up a boost for
its seven-year voyage and refueling anxiety among Cassini's anti-
nuke opponents.
The two-story, $3.4 billion spacecraft and the 72 pounds of on-
board plutonium that keeps it operational sparked an intense pre-
launch war of words two years ago.
Activists feared an accident during launch or the Earth fly-by
could rain down Cassini's carcinogenic cargo. NASA managers said
the risks were extremely low and the scientific benefits very
high.
The launch went off without a hitch in October 1997 from Cape
Canaveral. Now everyone wants a safe fly-by, and NASA expects
just that.
"There is just no prospect of having an accident," said Bob
Mitchell, Cassini's program manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. "We've been doing this kind of thing now for nearly
40 years and have lots of fly-bys of planetary bodies."
Anti-nuclear activists disagree, and they made there objections
known with demonstrations at the launch and at other protests
earlier this year.
"The fact is, space technology can and does fail," said Bruce
Gagnon of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power
in Space. "And when you start using nuclear materials in
increasing numbers, the odds of an accident increase."
NASA puts the risk of a fly-by disaster at one in a million.
Michio Kaku, a City University of New York theoretical
physicist, calls that a flimsy estimate.
"They basically ask their engineers to volunteer some
probability figures, then they take the average. This is not
science. This is voodoo," Kaku says.
The spacecraft requires plutonium not for propulsion but to
power its dozen scientific instruments. The probe's three
radioisotopic thermoelectric generators, or RTGs, generate heat
from the naturally decaying plutonium, which circuitry converts
into electricity.
The units were built especially strong in case of an accident
during launch or flyby. Each pellet is boxed in layers of heat-
and corrosion-resistant iridium and graphite. Cassini is the
largest and most expensive unmanned spacecraft ever.
Closest point over South Pacific
The flyby at 11:28 p.m. EDT Tuesday will use Earth's gravity to
change the probe's direction and speed relative to the sun. The
"gravity assist" and two previous close encounters with Venus
and a future flyby of Jupiter are the only practical way for the
probe to make the long journey to study Saturn's rings and
moons, starting in 2004, NASA says.
The probe will approach Earth at about 35,000 mph. Its speed
will increase by about 11,000 mph after the swingby. At its
closest point over the South Pacific, the probe may be visible
from Pitcairn or the Easter islands.
NASA has used planets' gravity to fling its probes through
space since 1973. The plutonium-powered Galileo probe to Jupiter
twice swung by Earth in the early 1990s at altitudes much lower
than Cassini's closest point. The nuclear opposition was less
organized then.
Fear of error and plutonium contamination
Activists fear navigation or communications mishaps could cause
the craft to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, showering the
planet with carcinogenic plutonium dioxide.
Gagnon's group organized protests in the United States,
England, Germany and elsewhere in June. A handful of anti-
Cassini Web sites also have been set up.
The protests pale in comparison to events leading up to
Cassini's October 1997 launch, when demonstrators threatened to
chain themselves to the pad and filed lawsuits to stop the
mission. The disaster risk at launch is estimated to be far
greater than the upcoming risk during the fly-by.
Anti-Cassini news abounds in Bangladesh, says F. R. Sarker, the
general secretary of the astronomical society there.
A June 12 demonstration in Dhaka drew several government
officials and hundreds of people who stopped traffic.
"If you ask any person in Bangladesh who reads news papers,
'What is Cassini?' he will tell you that 'It is a spacecraft
coming near to Earth in August with radioactive materials which
might cause deaths of lots of people,'" Sarker said.
The situation is reversed in India, he said, where astronomers
are unaware of the mission, let alone the fly-by.
Anti-nuclear activists unhappy
Mitchell said for re-entry to occur, a failure aboard the probe
would have to cause an exact change in its speed before the fly-
by. A hit by a meteor larger than a pea is the biggest risk, he
said. Cassini is wrapped with layers of mylar blankets to
prevent at least smaller meteors from posing a problem, Mitchell
said.
And then something would have to happen to prevent NASA from
transmitting corrective orders.
"We've been flying this thing for two years now and we got a
lot of practice," he said.
Kaku says debris from past missions and satellites also is a
risk.
"Cassini will probably execute a flawless mission around the
Earth if it can make the last hurdle through 8,000 pieces of
'space junk' surrounding the Earth," Kaku said.
The maximum danger comes 30 minutes into the actual fly-by, he
said, when Cassini enters a belt of dense debris that starts
about 20,000 miles from Earth.
Even if the capsules were to vaporize during an accidental re-
entry, the effects on Earth's population over 50 years would be
less than the amount of radiation from dental X-rays or a round-
trip flight across the United States, according to NASA.
Anti-nuclear activists, who dispute the numbers, say the space
agency should be using safe solar energy to power all its
probes.
But scientists say that Saturn is 10 times as far away from the
sun as Earth and its solar panels would have to be the size of
two tennis courts to harness enough energy. Others say we should
wait until engineers develop more efficient solar panels.
"Saturn is not going away," Kaku says. "Neither are the
planets. What's the rush? Why not delay our space probes a bit,
make them smaller and more sophisticated and use solar power?"
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
http://cnn.com/TECH/space/9908/16/cassini.flyby/
----------
Links of Interest:
Cassini Mission to Saturn
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/
Journey to Saturn - The Cassini Mission
http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/space/cassini/
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Scientists in dark about dot of light
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 12:34:07 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
http://chicagotribune.com/version1/article/0,1575,SAV-9908170273,00.html
Tuesday, August 17, 1999
SCIENTISTS IN DARK ABOUT DOT OF LIGHT
ASTRONOMERS CAN'T CLASSIFY SPECTRUM
By John Noble Wilford
New York Times News Service
August 17, 1999
Every night at their telescopes, astronomers invite the universe to a
battle of wits. Surprise us, they say, with some teasing wink of
light, some few cryptic clues to something unfamiliar and, better yet,
an implied challenge to a cherished theory. In most cases, astronomers
boast, we will have it figured out by dawn.
Now astronomers have an unyielding mystery on their hands, something
they have observed and pondered for three years: a point of light deep
in the northern sky that appears to be like nothing seen before.
This may turn out to be only a curiosity, an odd variation of a
familiar phenomenon, or it may be the first evidence of some
unsuspected object with reverberating theoretical implications.
Detecting planets around other stars is the most celebrated recent
discovery to challenge scientists, forcing them to rethink their
theories about the formation and dynamics of planetary systems and
take more seriously the possibility of life existing elsewhere in the
universe.
The mystery object has so far confounded astronomers because they
cannot decipher the language of its light. Usually, by breaking down
the spectrum of light into its component elements and charting the
spikes and dips on a graph, astronomers can identify and describe an
object within minutes.
In this case, however, astronomers are finding nothing familiar about
the light spectrum, a couple of Everests representing emissions from
the object surrounded by lower peaks and broad valleys of heavy
elements that blot out the true contours of the object's nature. They
are beginning to sympathize with archeologists who sought to read
Egyptian hieroglyphics without the Rosetta Stone.
"I've never seen a spectrum anything like this, and I take spectra for
a living," said S. George Djorgovski, an astronomer at the California
Institute of Technology who is the leader of the sky survey that
detected the mystery object.
Whatever the astronomers are seeing, it is probably not a star, at
least not any normal star. The light signature of stars is much
simpler than this object's. Nor is it a distant galaxy, which would
have much different light patterns.
With little evidence and even less conviction, some astronomers
speculate that the object is a quasar, one of the sources of
tremendous energies at the farthest reaches of the universe where the
enormous gravitational power of black holes presumably gobbles up
surrounding matter. If it is a quasar, it must be a rare kind beyond
current understanding.
"It doesn't look like a quasar to my eye, but I may be wrong," said
Wallace Sargent, a Cal Tech astronomer and quasar specialist, who is
also director of Palomar Observatory in Southern California, where the
discovery was made.
So if it is not a normal star, galaxy or strange quasar, astronomers
say, the most intriguing possibility is that the mystery object is
announcing the existence of an entirely new cosmic phenomenon.
"But we must do everything to rule out the known before we postulate
that we have discovered something really and truly new," Djorgovski
said.
Mystification is likely to be a more common experience in astronomy as
more powerful telescopes and instruments with improved sensitivity are
used for systematic probes deeper into the universe and over broader
stretches of sky.
Several comprehensive sky surveys under way or just beginning are
expected to discover many rare or even previously unknown types of
astronomical objects and forces.
Exploring the entire northern sky in different color filters, for
example, the Digital Palomar Sky Survey, now nearing completion, has
collected data on more than 50 million galaxies and about 2 billion
stars. The census has identified more than 70 quasars at such great
distances that they are being seen at a time when the universe was
less than 10 percent of its present age.
One surprising discovery was a starlike light several hundred times
brighter than the galaxy with which it was associated. Astronomers are
not sure, but they suspect they were seeing the aftereffects of a
gamma-ray burst, the most powerful known event in the universe.
First detected in the 1960s, gamma-ray bursts are examples of an
astronomical mystery that is only now being solved.
via: isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Big Brother's already watching
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 12:36:31 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
http://www.detnews.com/1999/metro/9908/17/08170038.htm
Subdivision cameras creepy, but Big Brother's already watching
By Laura Berman / The Detroit News
It's a brave new world, all right, and a few hundred people in two new
Macomb Township subdivisions are among the bravest.
Tina Young, for example.
She and her husband moved from Warren to a house in the Brittany Park
subdivision last December, drawn by the spacious homes, the promise of
a ready-made community, and a closed-circuit television system that
will allow them to watch the kids swimming in the pool or waiting for
the school bus.
"We thought about the closed circuit TV system, and we think it's a
positive thing," says Young, 29. "It's one of the reasons we moved
here."
But any new wrinkle in video-enabled life sets off warning bells in
those of us attuned, at least in principle, to the idea that
surveillance is, uh, creepy.
When George Orwell wrote 1984, he introduced the unnerving notion of
Big Brother watching you. Now, out on 22 Mile Road, there's a
subdivision with surveillance cameras, and a new vision of
post-millennial parenthood: "Oh, look, there's little Jason beating up
his sister on channel three. Let's bring him in for questioning."
It's not a big leap to see the happy new residents of Brittany Park as
unwitting Stepford husbands and wives, serenely unaware they've
plunged into the Twilight Zone as they grill steaks on the deck and
flip their remote controls.
Since Detroit News Staff Writer Mark Truby detailed the camera
systems in Brittany Park and another Macomb Township subdivision
last week, the developments have received national media attention.
As a society, we tend to approach technology the way dogs approach
strangers: sniffing warily and ready to dodge at the slightest hint of
danger.
Are the cameras in Brittany Park destroying privacy? Or are they like
test tube babies: a concept that inspired sensational headlines 15
years ago, and has since become practically humdrum reproductive
technology today?
As a 29-year-old mother of three, Young has a baby in diapers, a son
heading off to kindergarten, and a strong interest in convenience. If
she can turn on the television set and see that the pool is too
crowded with teen-agers for her toddling children, she can skip the
pool and hang tight in the great room of her Stratford model home.
"Otherwise, I've got to pack up the water wings, the snacks, the towels,
the sunscreen, dress everybody, walk to the pool -- and then decide to
come home," explains Young.
Besides, the cameras aren't trained on anyone's homes: They're posted
in only a few sites. Young says she'll appreciate being able to watch
her son get off the school bus on her TV set, rather than bundling up
the baby and heading into the snow and ice to meet him.
As a culture, we're attracted, perhaps fatally, to convenience. There
was a time when plastic bags lacked Ziplocs, telephones didn't take
messages and filled coffee mugs couldn't easily ride in the car.
Nearly every day, you and I make choices that almost imperceptibly
whittle away whatever slim veneer of privacy we still retain.
Before you decide that your world is far more private than the brave
new subdivision of Brittany Park, you may want to remember that the
cameras are whirring in the department store dressing room, the
telephone names every caller and your ATM card is watching you.
Laura Berman's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in the
Metro section. Reach her at (248) 647-7221 or lberman@detnews.com.
via: isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Flying eye
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 12:38:16 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
http://www.yahoo.co.uk/headlines/19990813/newscien/1544347707.html
Friday August 13, 1:01 AM
Flying eye
By Duncan Graham-Rowe
A COMPUTERISED eye developed by scientists in California can spot a
chunk of mineral, camouflaged tanks, or campers lost in the woods,
from thousands of metres up in the air.
The system, which scans vast areas for trace spectral signatures in
light reflected from the ground, will immeasurably aid the human eye
in commercial projects such as exploring for minerals. And it can peer
into dense foliage and find objects that even radar can't uncover.
At the heart of the device, called Hydice, or Hyperspectral Digital
Imagery Collection Experiment, is a sensor made of indium antimonide.
It is capable of detecting a broad range of wavelengths
simultaneously, from the visual part of the spectrum to the shortwave
infrared, says Glen Healey of the University of California at Irvine.
Images collected by the sensor are divided into thousands of pixels
like those on a computer screen. The system splits each pixel into 210
different wavelengths and analyses each for known characteristics of
the object being sought, whether this is a particular metal or a
colour of clothing. "You can cover huge areas of ground very quickly
from 20 000 feet," says Healey.
However, since its development nearly a decade ago, Hydice has found
relatively few practical uses for the device because of a trade-off
between spatial resolution and spectral resolution, says Jian Guo Liu,
a remote-sensing and image-processing expert at Imperial College,
London. "If you're looking for minerals it's potentially a very
powerful tool," says Liu. But this sort of work requires high
resolution--in other words putting a small area into a single pixel.
Because a smaller area means less light is available to analyse, high-
resolution images have too little spectral detail to be useful.
Healey and his colleagues believe they have overcome this with an
algorithm that allows them to identify pixels containing minerals,
even if that mineral makes up only 5 per cent of the pixel. In theory,
Healey could scan at a resolution of half a square metre per pixel
when flying a thousand metres up and spot a fist-sized lump of
sulphur.
Healey devises a separate algorithm for each target material by first
determining its spectral features under all possible light conditions.
During a mission, the system continuously compares the background as a
whole with the signal in each pixel. If the signature of the material
appears above the background, the pixel is ranked as positive.
The trick, says Healey, lies in looking for "invariants"--unique
spectral characteristics that remain relatively constant despite
changes in weather or daylight. "What the material looks like can
change under different atmospheric conditions," he explains. But their
system will deliver the same results, in rain or shine.
via: isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Stratfor Analysis on Iraq
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 07:52:11 -0500
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
[BPRnote: the political arena in the Middle East has gone through
several changes in just the last year alone. Seems a time of "out with
the old and in with the new."]
Stratfor's Global Intelligence Center
http://www.stratfor.com/world/default.htm
August 17, 1999
New Government to Break Iraqi Embargo?
Summary:
Reports are mounting that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein may be
preparing to step down, thus paving the way for the removal of
sanctions against Iraq. He does not particularly need to go, as he is
quite effective at breaking UN sanctions. However, his would-be
partners would prefer to do business above board, and may be urging
him to retire. It's a win-win deal for all involved, from Russia to Iraq to
the U.S. All that remains is for Saddam to figure out how to frame
retirement as his last great victory.
Analysis:
Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite television on August 16, citing other press
reports, said that Hussein will form a new government within the next
few days composed primarily of technocrats. The television station
added that he plans to choose current Finance Minister Hikmat al-
Azzawi, who was appointed deputy prime minister two weeks ago, as
Iraq's new prime minister. It also reported that Azzawi has held talks
with a number of university professors - some of whom are from
outside the Baath Party - to seek their help in running technology and
economic ministries. The reported goal of the new government is to
solve Iraq's economic and social problems and to improve relations
with other Arab states. The most startling part of the report, however,
was the claim that most of the ministers in the new government will be
new, with veteran members, such as Deputy Prime Ministers Tariq
Aziz and Muhammad Hamzah al-Zubaydi playing no part in the new
government.
While there is no confirmation of the report out of Iraq, it does come
on top of multiple reports that Saddam has been shuffling top security
positions
[http://www.stratfor.com/MEAF/commentary/m9908112100.htm ] and
grooming his youngest son Qusay to replace him
[http://www.stratfor.com/MEAF/commentary/m9908062000.htm ].
This could be nothing more than an ongoing and massive U.S.
psychological operation (PSYOP) aimed at unnerving the Iraqi
leadership. The Qatari report did accompany a denial, by the Iraqi
Culture and Information Minister, that a recent uprising in the Iraqi
military had been forcefully put down, with a number of officers killed.
Reports that Qusay is now heir apparent were denounced by
Saddam's older son, Uday, though he was notably alone in that denial.
However, despite Uday's denials and yet another in a string of
rumored coup attempts, it seems that Saddam is pursuing a new
strategy to break the impasse in Iraq's international relations. Evidence
is building that Saddam may just be serious about stepping aside.
In 1997, Al-Azzawi, in what even the Iraqi News Agency (INA)
described as a rare public appearance, announced a new Iraqi policy
of opening up unofficial trade channels, based on the fact that there
seemed to be no end in sight to the UN-imposed sanctions.
Apparently, this policy seems to have worked. Since mid-1998, there
have been numerous reports of rampant sanctions busting. Iraq has
recently announced a plan to massively increase oil exports,
something impossible without substantial foreign investment in oil
production and infrastructure development. But Iraq has already
apparently received aid on the infrastructure- development front [
http://www.stratfor.com/MEAF/commentary/m9908170057.htm ], and
is pushing ahead with negotiations with prospective production
partners as though the UN sanctions were already lifted.
The UN cannot lift sanctions on Iraq without the approval of the U.S.
Washington, in turn, cannot allow the sanctions to be lifted because -
regardless of the status of Iraqi arms production - it has so demonized
Saddam Hussein that it simply cannot normalize relations with the
Iraqi leader. As far as Saddam is concerned, there is no problem. He
can still export all the oil he can produce, and can import anything he
needs, albeit with a surcharge. Sure, he wants the sanctions-busting
surcharge lifted, but otherwise he really has little reason to step aside.
Iraq's would-be partners, however, would prefer to do business
without repercussions from the U.S. India was already forced to
withdraw a loan offer to Iraq under pressure from the U.S. and its
allies, and Russia and China have had to put off open investment in
Iraq. Saddam's allies may therefore be pushing him to take a cozy
retirement and let his son and a politically-correct cabinet take over.
Washington might even give this one a nod, as it would prefer to
deploy its military assets in more pressing venues, such as East Asia
and the Balkans. In return, Washington could offer to accept Qusay
and give up its support for the Iraqi opposition. For now, we only
have rumors, but the rumors keep adding up. The only thing that
remains is for Saddam to find a way to paint this as a final victory over
Iraq's oppressors, and not a final surrender to sanctions.
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - New generation of Arab leaders arrives
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 08:01:20 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
New hopes, fears as new generation of Arab leaders arrives
CAIRO, Aug 17 (AFP) - A new "internet" generation of leaders
has started arriving on the Arab political scene, stirring hopes
of greater freedom but also fears of instability.
The collective Arab leadership has become 76 years younger in
the last six months as men in their 30s and 40s inherited power
from their late fathers in Jordan, Bahrain and Morocco.
And a further rejuvenation looms on the horizon.
Eyes are fixed especially on Syrian President Hafez al-Assad
and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, both 69, who are the keys
to a comprehensive peace with Israel.
If they die before such a peace is achieved, it is uncertain
who will succeed them and whether they will have the experience,
legitimacy, and authority to sign a peace treaty with Israel,
analysts said.
Nor is it clear whether Assad's 34-year-old son Bashar, rumored
to be the next in line, will be able to maintain the stability
his father brought to former coup-stricken Syria, they added.
But in the long-run Salama Ahmed Salama, a columnist with the
Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, expects younger Arab leaders to
introduce democratic changes because they cannot resist ideas
spread through modern communications.
"You cannot act like (you're still in) the 15th century,"
Salama said. "The new generation of leaders will be forced to
adapt itself to new norms of government and democracy."
An Arab League official described the newcomers and those
waiting in the wings as "the internet generation," who want to
open to the West and share in the wealth created by new
technology.
They have little if any connection to Arab Socialism, which
produced centralized economies and an ideological view of Israel
as a danger to the Arab identity, said the official who asked
not to be named.
Instead, they are familiar with free-market economies and view
Israel as a "strategic adversary" which is not so much a foreign
body to be expelled but rather a country with which a compromise
must be reached, he added.
But the leaders must first secure their positions before they
make major changes, Salama said.
This is true for King Abdullah II of Jordan, who is 37, Emir
Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, 49, and King
Mohammed VI of Morocco, who is 36.
And any new leader in Syria and the Gaza Strip will not only
have to assert his authority but also establish legitimacy since
there are no clear lines of succession, analysts agreed.
How can Assad have his son replace him without a change to the
republican constitution, Salama asked. The Arab League official
said only Assad had the legitimacy to make peace with Israel.
A successor for Arafat can be found more easily because a
democratic method can be activated within the Palestine
Liberation Organization, Salama said.
Nonetheless, he continued, a new leader may not have the same
credentials in the Palestinian struggle as Arafat and may find
it harder to make concessions in the peace process with Israel.
Abdullah of Jordan, who is British educated, meanwhile appeared
to be cautiously taking the same steps toward greater democracy
as his late father, but the jury was still out on how far he
would go, Salama said.
The same is true for the young King Mohammed VI.
In Bahrain, the US- and British-educated Sheikh Hamad has shown
greater flexibility on internal politics by pardoning the
leading Shiite Moslem opposition figure last month after he was
sentenced to 10 years in jail.
In Qatar, where Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani overthrew his
father in a 1995 bloodless coup, some democratic changes have
been introduced in the last few years.
Until now they have been limited, Salama said, as is usually
the way with Arab leaders who like to "take the facade of
democracy but when it goes deeper, they start to get anxious."
One important Arab country -- Saudi Arabia -- is not about to
see a generational change in leaders any time soon; the ailing
King Fahd is about 80 years old, but has half-brothers in the
line of succession.
http://asia.yahoo.com/headlines/170899/world/934856400-90817022014.newsworld.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Controversy in Germany over Sunday shopping
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 08:02:45 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Tug-of-war continues over Sunday shop opening in Germany
BERLIN, Aug 17 (AFP) - The fierce tug-of-war over whether shops
should be allowed to open on Sundays in Germany was continuing
on Tuesday, with the regional office for worker protection in
Berlin digging its heels in harder and threatening punitive
measures against stores which opened without permission.
Full story:
http://asia.yahoo.com/headlines/170899/world/934884780-90817101314.newsworld.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (8/18/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 08:50:21 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
*** Iraqi fortunetellers banned
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi fortunetellers probably didn't predict
this: They could face up to five years in prison if they continue
their trade, al-Zawra weekly reported. The Justice Ministry accuses
palm readers and fortune telling magicians of defrauding Iraqis. The
ban excludes those who have official permits, such as spiritual
healers, al-Zawra said. Business for magicians and palm readers has
been booming in the last few years. Anxious Iraqis apparently find
some comfort in predictions of good fortune as their economy struggles
under international sanctions imposed to punish the country for its
1990 invasion of Kuwait. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560752236-74b
*** Student can't wear Star of David
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union says it will
sue a school district that banned a Jewish student from displaying a
Star of David necklace because administrators feared it could be
mistaken for a gang symbol. High school officials had told Ryan Green
he could wear the necklace, but not where it could be seen. David
Ingebretsen, head of the ACLU of Mississippi, said Green's family
agreed Tuesday to challenge the policy in federal court. Tom Green
told the Harrison County School Board Monday the necklace symbolized
his son's religious convictions and that he didn't want his son to be
afraid to express those beliefs in public. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560754625-5a2
*** Teachers in swing case can work
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Two teachers caught in a private sex club
can go back to work, but not in the classroom, a school board voted
Tuesday. Kenneth Springer and Tonya Whyte will earn their teacher
salary for up to nine months and be assigned to some other duties
within the Broward County school district until the allegations they
acted immorally are resolved by an administrative judge. The board's
decision comes just two weeks after the same panel voted 8-1 to
suspend Springer and Whyte indefinitely without pay. The negative
public backlash which followed prompted the board to reconsider. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2560755165-7ad
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Holographic storage technology
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 08:53:37 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
A press release from Lucent:
(http://www.lucent.com/press/0899/990811.nsb.html)
Lucent Technologies and Imation Corp. sign joint agreement to develop
holographic storage technology FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11, 1999
MURRAY HILL, N.J. and OAKDALE, Minn. -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU)
and Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) today announced a joint agreement to
collaborate on developing proprietary, holographic data storage
technology for the enterprise storage market.
Recent research advances at Bell Labs, the research and development
arm of Lucent, in both disk drive and storage materials technologies
indicate that the commercialization of holographic storage is
possible. Imation, a leading provider of data storage media, will work
jointly with Bell Labs to develop holographic disks.
Holographic storage provides dramatic advances in both data storage
density and transfer rates required by the latest Internet
applications and data warehousing.
Unlike other storage methods which record only on the surface of a
disk, holographic digital data storage allows recording through the
entire thickness of the material, which allows for a huge increase in
storage density. In addition, much higher transfer rates are
achievable because the data is stored and recalled in "page format,"
which can be accessed one million bits at a time.
Based on the experimental advances, first generation drives would have
the potential to store 125 gigabytes of user data on a removable
5.25-inch disk. This single disk capacity would be equivalent to that
of 27 current 4.7 gigabyte DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) disks. The
transfer rates would be around 25 times faster than that of DVD.
"With this capacity, the information in a typical large university
library could be stored on about 10 holographic disks," said Alastair
Glass, director of Bell Labs Photonics Research Lab. "Future
generations of devices are expected to store around a terabyte on a
single disk with about 150 times the transfer rates of current DVDs."
"This joint development agreement is another example of how we seek
strong partners to help us commercialize Bell Labs technology beyond
Lucent's core businesses," said Steve Socolof, Lucent New Ventures
Group Vice President.
"Imation has an impressive record in the development of optical
storage technologies and information management solutions. We look
forward to a productive relationship," he said.
"We are pleased to work with Lucent Technologies - a company with a
well-deserved reputation for innovation across many fields - to
co-develop this exciting new technology," said Steve Ladwig,
President, Imation Data Storage and Information Management. "As
Imation continues to expand its broad portfolio of data storage
offerings to help customers manage and protect their ever-increasing
amounts of data, we expect that this collaboration will fully leverage
our respective strengths."
"We will be discussing our plans for developing this technology into a
prototype data storage disk and device with systems companies, and we
are evaluating this technology as a possible venture," Socolof said.
"We plan to push this opportunity forward as quickly as possible."
via: isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Sanctity-of-life ethic takes hits in Europe, US
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 08:57:11 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Sanctity-of-life ethic takes hits in Europe, United States
By Tom Strode
WASHINGTON (BP)--The sanctity-of-human-life ethic has undergone
assaults in both Europe and the United States recently.
The Netherlands moved a step toward legalizing euthanasia when
legislation to permit physicians to perform so-called "mercy
killings" even on children as young as 12 years of age was
introduced in the European country's parliament.
In England, a 9-year-old girl dying of heart defects has been
rejected for a heart-lung transplant by her local health
authority because she has Down's syndrome, a London newspaper
reported.
German authorities have approved the sale of RU 486, the French
abortion pill, and seven other European countries have taken
steps to authorize the distribution of the drug, according to the
July/August newsletter of the International Right to Life Federation.
Two university professors in the United States, meanwhile, have
proposed legalized abortion is the reason for the decline in the
crime rate in the 1990s. The study said the crime rate is lower
now because the legalization of abortion in the early 1970s
reduced the number of people most likely to commit crimes.
Unwanted babies of young, poor, minority mothers were aborted at
a higher rate than those from other segments of the population
after abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court in 1973.
Southern Baptist bioethicist Ben Mitchell criticized the
developments and their global reach.
"Clearly the juggernaut of secularism has spawned a very powerful
child -- the culture of death," said Mitchell, who is a professor of
bioethics and contemporary culture at Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School in Deerfield, Ill.
"If these events don't show us how grotesque is the culture of
death, what will? If Christians don't resist and seek life-saving
alternatives, who will?"
Euthanasia has been practiced in The Netherlands for more than a
decade even though it has been technically illegal. The new bill
would provide doctors with immunity from criminal prosecution if
they follow specific guidelines when putting their patients to
death, according to a Reuters News Agency article in The
Washington Times. The proposal also would permit doctors to
perform euthanasia on 12- to 15-year-old, terminally ill patients when
the parents refuse to consent if the physician "is convinced this
would prevent serious detriment to the patient," the article quoted
the country's Justice and Health Ministries as saying.
If The Netherlands legalizes euthanasia, it would be the only
country to do so. Euthanasia was legalized in Australia's
Northern Territory in 1996, but the law was overturned in 1997,
according to Reuters.
"The Dutch are making themselves honest. Now their law matches
their practice," said Mitchell, a consultant with the Southern
Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "It's a sign of
very bad medicine, indeed, that the Dutch don't seem to be able
to offer comfort care to dying patients. Instead, healers become
killers."
The parents of Katie Atkinson of Sheffield, England, have been
told she is not eligible for any donor organ because she has
Down's syndrome, The Sunday Times reported, according to the Web
site of the Pro-life Infonet. The parents said Leeds General
Infirmary told them Down's syndrome children are not considered
for transplants because their "quality of life" is not good
enough, according to the newspaper.
In some other parts of England, however, health authorities in
the nationalized health system approve Down's syndrome children
for transplants. Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in
London have given the go-ahead for two Down's syndrome children
to have heart-lung transplants, The Sunday Times reported.
"Sadly, we live in an age of scarce medical resources and a
shortage of organs for transplant, but the decision not to
transplant because a child has Down's syndrome carries a price
tag almost too grave to imagine," Mitchell said. "Who decides
what a life worth living is? Who or what condition will be next?
This is a very, very slippery slope."
The abortion-crime rate link proposed by University of Chicago
economist Steven Levitt and Standford University law professor
John Donahue drew sharp criticism from not only pro-lifers but
editorial writers as well. The study said as much as half of the
decline in the U.S. crime rate between 1991 and 1997 could be
attributed to abortion.
"The twisted logic that sees abortion as a cure for crime is
absurd," Mitchell said. "This is a return to the eugenics of the
turn of the century. It smells like smoke, and it comes from the
pit. It's merely a way of rationalizing away our collective guilt for
nearly three decades of abortion on demand."
The National Right to Life Committee said in a written statement:
"It seems odd to assert that killing unborn babies in the '70s
led people in the '90s to do less shoplifting. One could just as
easily argue that an increase in the respect for human life has
led to a decrease in both the abortion rate and the crime rate.
The true effects of the over 40 million lives lost [through
abortion] since 1973 may never be known. Our society not only has lost
future artists, scientists, musicians and teachers but also has
accepted a mentality that targets for destruction the vulnerable,
whether they be children of poor parents or, with assisted suicide and
euthanasia, the elderly and disabled who have ceased to be 'useful.'"
According to the Pro-life Infonet, The London Independent wrote:
"[E]ven if -- and it is a very big if -- this research were in
some sense perfect, it seems a very weak underpinning to derive
policy from. We could, after all, end human hunger, poverty and
misery as well as crime by making abortion compulsory. It is that
absurd."
RU 486 already is used in France, Great Britain, Sweden and
China. It has been reported in recent months the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration is expected to approve RU 486 for marketing
in this country before the end of the year.
Baptist Press
August 17, 1999
http://www.religiontoday.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - How long is a generation?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 09:15:18 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
HOW LONG IS A GENERATION ?
Matthew 1 :17 tells us that all the generations
from Abraham to David are fourteen generations
and [all the generations] from David until the carrying
away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and
[all the generations] from the carrying away into
Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. When
we add fourteen plus fourteen plus fourteen, the total
is forty-two generations from Abraham to Christ.
The great chronologist, Thiele, says that from Abraham
to Christ, we have a total of 2,160 years. Divide forty -
two generations into that, and the length of a generation
becomes 51.4. Add that to May 14, 1948, and one
comes out at Rosh Hashanah, September 1999.
via: personal email
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arabia On Line items (8/18/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 10:08:23 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Syria Lifts Ban on Jordanian Newspapers
The move will put an end to the five-year ban which took effect after
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/8_99/syria_18.shtml
Palestinian-Israeli Talks Report No Progress
Another meeting between Palestinians and Israelis broke up without
result. http://www.arabia.com/content/news/8_99/talks_18.shtml
Barak Agrees to Delay in US Embassy Move to Jerusalem
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has accepted a delay in the move of
the US embassy from Tel Aviv.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/8_99/barak_18.shtml
Ten Key Dates in Finance in This Century
These are the world top key economic events this century as compiled
by AFP. http://www.arabia.com/content/business/8_99/events18.shtml
Jordan Returns to Egypt Stolen Pharaonic Treasure
The minister for tourism and antiquities handed over 28 Pharaonic and
Roman antiquities.
http://www.arabia.com/content/culture/8_99/jordan_18.shtml
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (8/18/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 13:05:01 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
BARAK "HELPING" CLINTON HOLD UP EMBASSY MOVE
Prime Minister Ehud Barak is pressuring U.S. Congressmen to
halt the plans to move the American Embassy in Israel from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem. Barak told Congressman Jim Bunning three
days ago that such an American initiative could harm Israel's
chances of reaching a deal with the Palestinians. Reactions
included:
* Likud leader Ariel Sharon sharply attacked Barak for
"weakening Israel's hold on Jerusalem."
* Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert called Barak's actions
"intolerable."
* United Torah Judaism Knesset faction head Rabbi Meir Porush
said that it's not Ehud Barak's decision as to whether the
embassy will relocate, and that his advice to American
representatives to delay the move was "political light-
headedness."
* Housing Minister Rabbi Yitzchak Levy (NRP) says that he is
certain that the U.S. embassy will be transferred to Jerusalem.
He recommends that a borough be established in the city for all
the countries that will follow the U.S. in moving their
embassies to Jerusalem.
Barak has apparently ordered a thorough check as to how the
story was leaked to the press in the first place. Former
Israeli liaison to the U.S. Congress Yoram Ettinger offered
Arutz-7 some background on the story: "This is not the first
attempt by the Prime Minister to postpone the embassy move.
When he visited the States several weeks ago, he met with the
pro-Israel Aipac lobby, and instructed its members not to push
the embassy issue at that time. Details of that request were
communicated in direct and indirect ways to senior U.S.
politicians. A total of 84 out of 100 senators - who were ready
to grant Barak a gift by passing a law that would obligate the
President to avoid procrastinating any longer - were shocked by
the news. Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman, a close political
ally of Clinton, was among those taken aback by Prime Minister
Barak's words."
News editor Ariel Kahane cited Barak's claim that in any event,
Clinton plans to delay the embassy move for another year. "This
comment indicates two things," Ettinger said. "It shows a
complete lack of understanding of the American system of
government. Congress is not inferior to the President, and does
not simply act according to his dictates, but is an autonomous
body equal to the President in the framework of mutual checks
and balances. Incidentally, there is nothing more upsetting to
a legislator than to be told that he must 'wait for the go-ahead
from the President' - especially for a conservative-minded
Republican legislator who functions as a political opponent of
the Democratic President! Secondly, the impression left in
Washington is that Jerusalem has been placed on the negotiating
table. Barak claims that raising the issue now 'will make
negotiations difficult.' If Jerusalem is not on the negotiating
table, why is it harmful to negotiations to move the embassy?
If Barak expresses hesitation and doubt regarding Jerusalem -
which is supposedly Israel's red line - Congressmen and Senators
are wondering what to expect from him on Yesha and the Golan!"
Ettinger added that American legislators were hoping to lower
Palestinian expectations: "The [Congressman] were hoping to
contribute to a more realistic Arab approach in the negotiations
by making the non-negotiability of Jerusalem a concrete 'given.'
Barak has now fed the other side's radical expectations, which
in the end, will itself hinder the negotiations."
EGYPT STOPS THIRD ISRAELI PLANE
Foreign Minister David Levy has instructed his ministry to
investigate an incident last night in which Egypt prevented an
El Al flight from flying through its airspace - the third such
incident in a few days. In the latest case, the pilot of the
Bangkok-bound flight was suddenly told by the Egyptian control
tower that he did not have the necessary flight permits.
From mid-air, the pilot radioed El-Al, which in turn appealed
to the Foreign Ministry. Hurried contacts with the country's
ambassadors bore no diplomatic fruit, and after an extended mid-
air delay, the jet and its 329 passengers performed an about-
face and returned to Ben Gurion Airport. Some of the passengers
boarded other flights to Bangkok, others were put up in Tel Aviv
hotels, and still others went home. Egypt's Aviation Authority
head said today that the incident was caused by a technical
problem, and will not be repeated. Two other Israeli planes were
refused passage through Egyptian airspace for similar reasons.
Foreign Minister David Levy today summoned Bassiouny for a
discussion on the matter.
NEW BANK NOTES TO BE ISSUED
The Bank of Israel announced today that new 50 and 200 shekel
bank notes will be issued on October 31 of this year. This
continues the policy of replacing the existing series of bank
notes, which began in January with the issuance of new 20 and
100 shekel notes. An NIS 500 bank note will also be issued at
as yet undetermined date in the future. The decision to replace
the bank notes was made in 1995, in light of significant
technological improvements in security measures protecting
currency from forgery. The notes will be in a vertical format,
and will carry special raised signs for the blind. Pictures of
1964 Nobel Prize Laureate for literature Shai Agnon and the
third president of Israel, Zalman Shazar, will appear on the 50
and 200 shekel notes, respectively, with pictures and texts
related to the two men on the reverse side. The new notes can
be viewed on the Bank of Israel website
<http://www.bankisrael.gov.il>.
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.a7.org>
Wednesday, August 18, 1999 / Elul 6, 5759
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - The New Jerusalem: Time and Place?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 11:29:25 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
BPRnote: This material is from Roger (landmarks@ainop.com), one
of our list members. It has been heavily edited by me for the
sake of brevity for transmission through the list. I trust that
I haven't chopped it up too badly, but I wanted to at least show
the list the various calculations that Roger has come up with
and therefore encourage others to further read his article and
perhaps do some additional study if they wish. This "math"
stuff absolutely amazes me. <g> The entire article can be read
at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/4189/NewJeru.html
Thanks for sharing this with us Roger!
-------------
THE NEW JERUSALEM
The New Jerusalem is to come down from heaven. Is there a time
indication for when this could happen?
As we make the following observations and calculations we will
be accepting these methods of determination:
That to add a zero to something is to follow in Father's
footsteps by making something from nothing as he did.
That to remove zeros is to remove this concept that was first
developed in Babylon, that babel means confusion and that Father
is not the author of confusion nor the zero.
That there are 48 hours in 2 days and 2 days with Father is
2000 years with man.
That the Jewish year 5760 begins 9/10/99 at 6 PM and ends
9/29/2000 at 6 PM which overlaps into the Julian year 2000 AD.
----------
Calculations from the Throne Room!
elders and seats
24 + 24 = 48 = 2 days = 2000 AD
24 x 24 = 576 + 0 = 5760
Amongst the 24 elders on 24 seats are 4 living beings.
..and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes
before and behind (Rev.4:6).
24 x 24 = 576/4 = 144
The Living beings represent the 144,000 or the 144.
4 beasts x 144 firstfruit = 576 + 0 = 5760.
The Throne Room of heaven speaks loudly the years 5760 and 2000.
--------
Calculations on the City
12,000 length x 4 walls = 48,000 - 000 = 48 = 2 days = 2000 AD
12 foundations x 4 walls = 48 = 2days = 2000 AD
12 gates x 4 walls = 48 = 2 days = 2000 AD
144 cubit thick x 4 walls = 576 + 0 = 5760
12 foundations x 12 gates x 4 walls = 576 + 0 = 5760
12,000 furlongs = 1500 miles x 4 sides = 6000 miles = 6000th
day = 2000 AD
---------
Cube Design
6 sides x 8 corners x 12 lines = 576 + 0 = 5760
---------
Golden City
Gold is measured in Troy ounces and 1 pound of GOLD equals 5760
grains.
----------
The Judge
The tribe of Dan is missing from the listing of the Tribes of
Israel seen in The Revelation.
Dan shall judge his people... (Gen. 49:16)
If Dan is to participate in the judgment of God then we should
be able to find the year in association with the Day of Judgment
and Dan.
All that were numbered in the camp of Dan were an hundred
thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. They
shall go hindmost with their standards (Nu. 2:31).
The number of the census taken of Dan's men able to go to war
were 157,600. This figure is 1 + 5760 + 0. The computer problem
called Y2K is to become an issue on 1/1/2000 which is within the
year 5760. The computer works with 1's and 0's as noted in the
figure of Dan's warriors by the 1 and 0 to both sides of the 5760.
----------
A Song Sung
And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the
song of the Lamb... (Rev. 15:3).
Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth,
the words of my mouth. (Det. 32:1)
The Song of Moses is seen being sung before the Throne of God
just as the 24 Elders on 24 Seats are around the Throne of God.
The Elders appear to a marker key to understand the time
relationship being pointed to in the dimensions of the New
Jerusalem. If the Elders are a marker key then the Song Of Moses
could be like wise.
The Song of Moses begins in Deuteronomy 32:1 which is the 5760
verse of the King James Bible. Moses tells us in Det. 31:29 that
these words are for the "latter days".
This term "latter days" could more properly be translated "at
the latter end of the days".
The song begins with the command "to hear" just as the command
is given in The Revelation to the overcomers to have "ears to
hear".
Is the Song of Moses seen in Revelation 15:3 or 153 to indicate
the last great gathering of The Fish during the coming Golden
Age? Certainly the number 153 is suggestive of the miracle that
Jesus preformed in John 21:11.
To arrive within the New Jerusalem an individual cannot go
around, dig under or scale over the walls without encountering
the dates of 5760 and 2000. That when an individual enters thru
the gates to the city of Gold they arive with the year 5760
indicated using the present day measuring reed of gold and the
5760 grains of a 1 pound weight of gold.
------------
The foundation wall of Ezra and Nehemiah's day was 60 cubits x
60 cubits per Ezra 6:3. This figures to be 60 x 60 = 3600 square
cubits. Allowing that this foundation has remained buried for
the past millinieums and applying the figures of increase
written in Matthew 13:8 we arrive at:
3600 old foundation x 60 fold increase = 5760
The years of 5760 and 2000 AD warrant the extreme watchful eyes
of the Watchman.
(c)1997 landmarks@ainop.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Misc news items (8/18/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 20:58:45 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
ONE THIRD OF GLOBAL POPULATION NOW INFECTED WITH TB
August 18, 1999
Reuters reported today: "Nearly a third of the world's population is
infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, according to a
new report, with 7.96 million new cases of the disease reported in
1997. The study, by the World Health Organization (WHO), blamed poor
control strategies for the situation, adding that more than half of
the new cases reported in 1997 occurred in five Southeast Asian
countries. Control failures also were cited for high rates in
sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe, along with high rates of HIV
infection in some African countries, where the disease has hit people
whose immune systems have been weakened. The study, published in
today's Journal of the American Medical Association, estimated that in
the 212 countries monitored by WHO, 1.86 billion people, or 32 percent
of the global population, carry the bacterium that causes the
disease..."
U.S. STAR WARS PROGRAM EXPLAINED TO RUSSIANS August 18, 1999
The BBC reported: "The Americans are trying to reassure the
Russians that a new weapon system similar to the 'Star Wars'
project of the 1980s is not a threat to them. The system breaches the
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed with Moscow in 1972 and
Washington now wants an agreement with Russia to amend the pact.
Officials from both countries were due to start talks in Moscow on
Tuesday. The consultations will also raise the issue of a Start III
treaty that could cut arsenals to 2,000 warheads for Russia and 2,500
for the US. The Pentagon intends to spend $1bn a year researching a
weapon that would be capable of protecting mainland America. The plan
is to set up 100 interceptor missiles around the country which would
be fired at incoming hostile rockets - a system reminiscent of the one
proposed by former US President Ronald Reagan. The decision to resume
development work on a national missile defense system has irked Russia
because it is a breach of the 1972 treaty. The pact prohibits Russia
and America from building a national defense system. US officials
argue that with the end of the Cold War, this system would not be
directed at Russia but at nations perceived as a threat, such as North
Korea..."
A REPORTED RUSSIAN "COUP DE SPACE" POSSIBLE
August 18, 1999
MSNBC reported today: "Some wonder if Russians are training
to occupy new space station--Could the first lengthy stay on
board the International Space Station be made by an all-Russian
crew? NASA officials and outside advisers
are concerned about the training reportedly being given to
a Russian contingency crew that may make an emergency mission
to dock the next station component to the parts already in
orbit. The service module, scheduled to be
launched late this year, is supposed to be attached by an automated
docking system. In case that doesn't work, Russia is training a
two-person contingency crew and a backup crew to go into orbit and
dock it manually. It is supposed to be a limited mission, but
according to NASA officials the contingency crews seem to be getting
training that should be reserved for the first long-term station crew,
which isn't scheduled to fly to the station until next March at the
earliest. The contingency crews are apparently taking up the long-term
crew=C6s time in the Hydrolab, the Russian water-filled tank that
simulates space conditions..."
NUCLEAR DEFENSE DOCTRINE OF INDIA PROPOSED August 18, 1999
Reuters reported yesterday: "India said Tuesday it would pursue
a doctrine of minimum nuclear deterrence based on aircraft,
ships and mobile land-based missiles and a 'flexible and responsive'
command and control structure. The National Security Advisory Board
said the doctrine was aimed at convincing a potential aggressor that
'any nuclear attack on India and its forces shall result in punitive
retaliation with nuclear weapons to inflict damage unacceptable to the
aggressor.' 'Nuclear weapons shall be tightly controlled and released
for use at the highest political level. The authority to release
nuclear weapons for use resides in the person of the Prime Minister of
India, or the designated successor(s),' a document outlining the
doctrine said..."
MISSILE DEFENSE AGREEMENT BETWEEN U.S. AND JAPAN August 18, 1999
UPI reported yesterday: "With North Korea apparently preparing
to test another long-range missile and China's declaration
last month that it had successfully launched a missile of its
own, Japan and the United States announced (Monday) they had
signed a long-awaited missile-defense research
agreement. The two countries will carry out joint research
on the nascent ship-based Navy Theater Wide ballistic missile
defense system. The United States will spend $36 million and
Japan $8 million on the project this year,
but the effort may extend for as long as five years."
INTERNET IN JEOPARDY--NOT Y2K COMPLIANT August 17, 1999
The International Herald Tribune reported today: "As companies
and governments rush to make sure their computers will not
suffer meltdowns when the year 2000 arrives, experts say there
is a large unanswered question in the battle against the so-called
millennium bug: the effects on the world's largest and most complex
computer network, the Internet. Partly because the global network is
so diffuse-no one is in charge of it-Internet specialists say it is
practically impossible to know or to test whether certain parts of the
system will crash, whether electronic mail that crosses the globe will
be lost or suffer long delays or whether users will be able to reach
World Wide Web sites that offer on-line trading and shopping in the
first days of the New Year. One thing is clear: Many of the basic
elements of the Internet-components that go by names such as routers
and switches-have been identified as 'noncompliant'and thus could
malfunction if they are not fixed or replaced before the new year
arrives. Cisco Systems Inc., the world's leading Internet component
supplier, lists 25 products on its Web site www.cisco.com that are not
compliant and a further 31 that the company does not plan on testing
because it regards them as too old to be serviced. Some of these
products were sold as recently as three years ago. Many are still in
use. Experts who met in Washington last month to discuss the problem
say the network's key 'backbone' components have been tested and will
function but that large parts of the Internet are beyond the purview
of U.S. regulators..."
Wired News
Plasma-Powered Trip to the Stars
by Leander Kahney
3:00 a.m. 18.Aug.99.PDT
Using a giant sail made of plasma, a new
type of spacecraft could beat Voyager I
to the edge of the solar system. But
NASA's taking no chances on it, yet.
Developed by a team at the University of
Washington, the Mini-Magnetospheric
Plasma Propulsion system, or M2P2, has a
maximum speed of 180,000 miles per
hour, or 4.3 million miles a day, about ten
times the speed of a space shuttle.
The brainchild of geophysicist Robert
Winglee, the M2P2 system employs a
huge plasma field around a satellite. The
field catches solar wind, like an enormous
electromagnetic sail.
Although it cannot be used within earth's
atmosphere, the system could
theoretically shoot a spacecraft across
the continental United States in just 10
seconds.
Though not as fast as the warp drives
described in Star Trek, the M2P2 system
would propel craft as fast as the current
knowledge of physics allows, researchers
said.
Despite its next-generation design, the
system functions similarly to one of
mankind's earliest forms of propulsion --
sailing.
The system employs solenoids on the
spacecraft to generate an
electromagnetic field 24 miles across,
with the spacecraft at the center.
The electromagnetic field is then filled
with a cloud of magnetized plasma, or
ionized gas, generated by a small plasma
chamber about the size of a pickle jar.
"It's like a balloon," Winglee explained.
"The electromagnetic field is the fabric
that holds the plasma in."
Once inflated, the plasma field harnesses
the solar wind, a stream of particles that
continuously shoots from the sun at
speeds between 780,000 and 1.8 million
miles per hour.
The system is based on well-known
physical principles and is essentially an
artificial version of Earth's magnetic field,
which shields the planet from the effects
of the solar wind, Winglee said.
If an M2P2 craft were launched today, in
just eight years it could catch Voyager I,
which launched in 1977. Even if it were
not deployed for another ten years, the
speedy M2P2 system could still overtake
Voyager as the first spacecraft to leave
the solar system, despite a 32-year
handicap.
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Do not offend anyone, except Christians
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 21:01:59 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Do not offend anyone, except Christians
Government Opinion (Published)
Source: Chuck Baldwin Live
Published: 8-18-99 Author: Chuck Baldwin
Posted on 08/18/1999 08:26:30 PDT by slb
Without question, we live in the most hypersensitive generation
in history. In this atmosphere of politically correct sensitivity a
man was fired job for using the word "niggardly." The word has nothing
to do with insulting a particular minority race, of course, but simply
means, "miserly, stingy, covetous." No matter. The man was fired
posthaste.
Just this week Sen. Robert Bennett from Utah was told to apologize for
quipping that unless Gov. G.W. Bush did something stupid, like have an
affair with a black woman, he was certain to win the Republican
nomination for president. He did.
Americans are told that they had better not offend black people,
Jewish people, homosexuals, Asians, Muslims, Indians, handicap people,
short people, fat people, near-sighted people, ugly people or any
other people. Any other people except Christian people, that is.
Christians are routinely impugned, denigrated and held up to
scorn from practically every quarter of society. In movies
they are pictured as maniacal murderers, serial rapists and
the like. They are favored targets of every late night TV
comedian. Christians are routinely told that if they
are offended by the content of television programs to "turn
the channel". Christian chaplains in our military services
are categorically instructed to not mention the name of Jesus.
The leaders of public education tell Christian valedictorians
the same thing. Christian schoolteachers are told to
check their faith at the entrance to the school. Christians
must listen to profanity, look at co-worker=C6s girlie magazines
but are threatened with their jobs if they bring a Bible or
gospel tract to work.
A most recent example of this anti-Christian bigotry is a story
from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In a nutshell, the story
states that all references to Jesus Christ contained in get
well cards were removed from a private gift shop that leases
space from the Arkansas Capitol. The
explanation: "We just want to make sure we don=C6t discriminate."
And, "We have to be sensitive to every culture and faith."
Except the Christian culture and faith, of course.
Patrick Henry said, "This nation was founded, not by religionists, but
by Christians, not upon religions, but upon the Gospel of Jesus
Christ."
Daniel Webster said, "Finally, let us not forget the religious
character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither
by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by
its light, and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its
principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its
influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or
literary.
"Let us cherish these sentiments, and extend this influence
still more widely; in full conviction that that is the happiest
society which partakes in the highest degree of the mild and
peaceful spirit of Christianity."
Those great Americans must be turning over in their graves
to see what has become of this once proud land. The current
American culture not only rejects our historic, Judeo/Christian
values it opposes them with open hostility.
It seems to me that the Christian population of this nation
is demonstrating tolerance to the "nth" degree. No other
religious group in this country, or any country, would allow
such blatant discrimination against it, without serious
resistance. Perhaps, we are tolerant to a fault. It may be time to
dust off those "Don't Tread on Me" flags.
via: "Pre-trib only" <Rapture@listbot.com>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Chronology of major earthquakes worldwide
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 21:09:10 +0000
From: "Moza" <moza@butterfly.mv.com>
Chronology of major earthquakes worldwide
LONDON (Reuters) - The death toll from Tuesday's earthquake in Turkey,
which measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, reached 3,479 Wednesday, the
Anatolian news agency reported.
Here is a chronology of major earthquakes that each killed over 1,000
people in the last 20 years. Magnitudes are based on the Richter scale
unless otherwise stated.
Jan. 25, 1999 - COLOMBIA - A quake measuring 6.2 killed at least 1,200
people and injured more than 4,500 in the central coffee-growing
region -- Colombia's worst natural disaster in almost 15 years.
May 30, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - A powerful earthquake hit northern
Afghanistan killing as many as 3,000 people and destroying 50 villages
in Takhar province.
Feb. 4, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - At least 4,500 people were killed in an
earthquake in the Rustaq district of Takhar province. The quake
measured 6.1.
May 10, 1997 - IRAN - Up to 2,000 people were killed and thousands
injured when an earthquake measuring 7.1 rocked rural areas of eastern
Iran. The quake leveled 11 villages and inflicted heavy damage on the
towns of Qaen and Birjand near its epicenter about 90 miles from the
border with Afghanistan.
May 28, 1995 - RUSSIA - Russia's worst earthquake killed 1,989 people
in the Far East oil-producing town of Neftegorsk, on the north of the
remote Sakhalin Island. It measured 7.5.
Jan. 17, 1995 - JAPAN - 6,500 were killed after a strong earthquake
ripped through central Japan. The earthquake, measuring 7.2 and
centered around the port of Kobe, was the biggest quake to hit Japan
in half a century.
June 6, 1994 - COLOMBIA - Some 1,000 people were killed in an
earthquake and mudslide disaster in the Paez River valley in
southwestern Colombia.
Sept. 30, 1993 - INDIA - Up to 22,000 people were killed in 36
villages destroyed after a series of powerful earthquakes which rocked
western and southern India. The first of the five tremors measured
6.4. The epicenter was in the region where the states of Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka meet near Latur. Officials said the final
death toll may never be known.
Dec. 12, 1992 - INDONESIA - A string of islands in the province of
East Nusa Tenggara was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.8. At least
2,200 people were killed. 1,490 died in Maumere on the island of
Flores, which took the brunt of the quake. Another 700 were confirmed
dead on Babi island.
Oct. 20, 1991 - INDIA - 1,600 dead, at least 2,000 injured. Richter
scale 6.1, close to Uttarkashi, 190 miles northeast of Delhi.
Feb. 1, 1991 - PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN - Around 1,200 dead (Pakistan 200,
Afghanistan 1,000), many hundreds injured. 6.8 on Richter scale in
Pakistan, shook large areas of both countries.
July 16, 1990 - PHILIPPINES - at least 2,000 killed, 3,500 injured.
Richter 7.7, epicenter the city of Cabanatuan. About half the deaths
were around the tourist center of Baguio. An estimated 148,000 people
were displaced or made homeless.
June 21, 1990 - IRAN - 35,000 dead, 100,000 injured, The worst
recorded disaster in Iran. Registering 7.7 on Richter scale,
devastated Caspian regions of Gilan and Zanjan. Some 500,000 were made
homeless.
Dec. 7, 1988 - SOVIET UNION - More than 25,000 killed, 18,000 injured.
6.9 Richter. Northwest Armenia. The town of Spitak almost totally
destroyed and Leninakan half-destroyed.
March 5, 1987 - ECUADOR - Over 1,000 people killed and several
thousand missing. The epicenter of the quake was El Reventador, 50
miles east of Quito.
Oct. 10, 1986 - EL SALVADOR - 1,500 people killed, 20,000 people
injured. 7.5 on the Richter Scale. Left over 300,000 homeless.
Sept. 19, 1985 - MEXICO - Between 6,000 and 12,000 killed, with 40,000
people injured. 8.1 on Richter scale. The earthquake hit Mexico city
and adjoining region.
Oct. 30, 1983 - TURKEY - About 1,300 people killed and 500 injured.
Over 6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake struck around the city of
Erzurum. Over 35,000 people homeless.
Dec. 13, 1982 - YEMEN - 3,000 people killed and 2,000 people injured.
6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake devastated Dhamar province
southeast of Sanaa.
June 11, 1981 - IRAN - 1,027 people killed and over 800 injured. 6.8
on the Richter scale. The town of Golbaf in Kerman province was
destroyed.
Nov. 23, 1980 - ITALY - 2,735 people killed and over 7,500 injured.
7.2 on Richter scale. The epicenter was at Eboli but damage was
reported over a huge area to Naples. Over 1,500 people were reported
missing.
Oct. 10, 1980 - ALGERIA - Provisional figures issued by the United
Nations said 2,590 killed. Registered up to 7.3 on the Richter scale.
The earthquake centered on the town of El Asnam and left 330,000
people homeless.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/19990818/wl/quakes_glance_4.html)
via: End_Times_News@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - IDchip in the palm of your hand
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 21:13:12 +0000
From: skyberspace@webtv.net
http://www.idchip.com/
Membership
Apply to become a charter IDchip TM member today and receive a $250
sign-up bonus! Plus you will receive all the perks that membership has
to offer.
You will receive the proprietary subdermal electronic implant with all
of it's monetary transaction security and convenience features.
You will be eligible to participate in various health insurance
packages which average between 20 and 40% lower premiums than similar
plans due to the health monitoring features of the ID system.
You will receive the proprietary IDchip TM software and computer mouse
which interfaces directly with the electronic implant in your palm
thus establishing a fool proof electronic ID system for e-commerce
over the Internet and in stores (the latter feature has yet to be
fully implemented).
You will be eligible to participate in the IPO (Initial Public
Offering) of Global Monetary's common stock. Note: In fact, members
will be given right of first refusal to all shares issued at the IPO.
After Global Monetary's cardless ID system is operational you will
instantly be enabled to participate. Once operational you will be able
to purchase everything without the need of cash, check or even a
credit card! The subdermal implant embedded in your palm is all you
need! It provides a unique encrypted secure electronic ID that
guarantees your accounts will remain safe from fraud and theft.
To qualify for membership you must own a qualifying computer system
and meet the demographic qualifications.
---
Frequently Asked Questions
I am concerned about getting an implant. What can you tell me about
it?
The IDchip TM implant is a very small electronic device that is
painlessly implanted into the tissue of your right palm. It leaves no
scar and is not visible in any way. You will not be able to feel it in
your hand, as the device is mostly soft flexible plastic. It will
never need to be removed as it is continually recharged by the
proprietary mouse . People have been made frightened of such devices
by television programs etc., but there is no justifiable reason for
concern. Pacemaker heart implants (which involve a much more invasive
installation process) have no such stigma associated with them. And
birth control implants have been used successfully for years.
How do I know if I am qualified to become a IDchip TM member?
Eventually, everyone will be qualified to become a member, but for now
all you need is a qualified computer and to meet the demographic
qualifications.
When I sign up to become a member of IDchip TM, what happens?
If your application is accepted, a customer service representative
will contact you to schedule a time for a certified technician to
painlessly affect the implant procedure. He will also setup the IDchip
TM software and mouse on your home computer and will be available to
answer any questions that you might have.
Why is Global Monetary paying so much money to get people to join?
We understand that the general public is uncomfortable with the notion
of implanted electronic Devices. So we feel we need to offer
substantial incentive until such time as it has gained more public
acceptance.
How can Global Monetary afford to pay so much money to get people to
join?
This is a point that puzzles many people. However, one only needs to
looks at the valuations of cable and Internet companies to understand.
Take for example the recent acquisition of Gannet Co. cable assets by
Cox Communications for an amount equal to $5100 per subscriber! Ebay,
an Internet auction company, with little earnings was recently trading
at an evaluation of $8000 per registered customer. This sounds
ridiculously high, but it is at least, in part, justified due to the
fact that these companies are establishing themselves as major
players in their respective industries. It is the same logic that we
use when we offer such handsome incentives to customers.
How does Global Monetary make a profit?
Currently we do not make a profit. We are aggressively building a
proprietary global system of exchange, customer tracking and
profiling. From this, profit potential will emerge in the form of
merchant fees and fees associated with market targeting, customer
research and law enforcement.
Are Global Monetary's implants approved by the FDA?
Global Monetary implants and implant procedures have been proven safe
and effective by independent laboratories. However, Global Monetary
has not sought FDA approval due to the fact that we are not required
to for products which are not being "sold" in the conventional sense.
Please be advised that this domain (Philologos.org) does not endorse 100 per cent any link contained herein. This forum is for the dissemination of pertinent information on an end-times biblical theme which includes many disturbing, unethical, immoral, etc. topics and should be viewed with a mature, discerning eye.