To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Oct 6, 1999 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 08:27:03 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
8:00 PM Eastern
HIST - THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE ANASAZI -
1800s explorers encounter the ruins of a vanished
civilization.(CC)(TVG)
TLC - SUPER STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD - "Gold Mine in the
Clouds" - Gold mines in the jungles of New Guinea yield
unimaginable wealth.(CC)(TVG)
9:00
TLC - SUPER STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD - "NORAD: Cheyenne
Mountain" - NORAD is a nuclear attack watch post carved out
of the Rocky Mountains.(CC)(TVG)
9:30
TBN - JACK VAN IMPE PRESENTS
10:00
NBC - LAW & ORDER - "DNR" - A judge maintains her
husband's innocence after a botched murder attempt leaves her
mortally wounded.(CC)(TV14)
TLC - SUPER STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD - "Kansai International
Airport" - Japan's newest airport has a terminal a mile long
built on a man-made island.(CC)(TVG)
10:30
PBS - DIGITAL TV: A CRINGELY CRASH COURSE - Cutting edge
technology changes home entertainment; host Robert X.
Cringely.(CC)(TVG)
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Technology Like to Die For
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:22:51 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
From ABC News,
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/WiredWomen/wiredwomen991005.html
Technology To Die For
Commentary
By Dianne Lynch
Special to ABCNEWS.com
Imagine: Your teenager tells you he's headed for the library
but cruises to the mall instead.
As he saunters into the video arcade, a voice unmistakably his
mother's pipes up from his shoes: "And where do you think you're
going?"
This is a product I could get behind.
Talking shoes are just one of dozens of smarty-pants computer
applications about to hit the marketplace from a new tech start-
up called InfoCharms.
The company, a spin-off of the MIT Media Lab, will strut its
stuff this week at the Internet World Trade Show, where geeks
gather every year to find out what's hot and what's not.
This year, the buzz is all about wearable wares. Computer
clothing. Digital fashion. Judy Jetson, Move Over
And InfoCharms has the chip-in-your-shoe thing covered. It'll
kick off its marketing campaign at Internet World by producing
and presenting the first commercial fashion show featuring
cyberstyles. Gangly models will stroll the runways draped in
wired wear from Georgia Tech, Carnegie-Mellon, MIT and, of
course, InfoCharms itself.
Cyberstyle has been around since the days of Judy Jetson, but
InfoCharms is the first to bring it out of the cartoons and
media labs and into your living room.
"People have been researching wearable computers for years, and
we decided it was time to take it commercial," says company co-
founder Katrina Barillova. A former security expert who has
modeled and produced fashion shows part-time, Barillova takes
care of the fashion end of InfoCharms. Partner Alex Lightman, an
MIT grad, handles the wiring.
It's a match made in marketing heaven.
InfoCharms will collect about $700,000 from the show's
sponsors, Barillova says. It's the company's seed money, an
appealing alternative to selling off a chunk of the corporation
to get it off the ground. Heavy hitters like Hewlett-Packard and
Red Herring have signed on, and designers have donated their
work _ including picking up the cost of shipping _ just to be
part of the hoopla.
"We're marrying geeks with beauty," says Barillova, "and
everybody wants to get in on it."
Next Stop, Hong Kong
InfoCharms plans to present up to 40 fashion shows a year,
aiming at net revenues of more than $20 million. Sequels are
already booked for the fall in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
"Most people spend up to $200 million to create a global
brand," boasts Barillova. "We're doing it and getting paid for
it."
The InfoCharms brand eventually will cover a wide variety of
digital devices, each designed to be cheap, portable and task-
specific. First to the market will be the intelligent conference
badge, a silicon sliver that will allow you to collect basic
identification information from all of those faceless, nameless
strangers you chat with at professional conferences.
Here's how it works: You register for the conference by
providing basic personal information. That information is
downloaded to a Web site, where it is available to all
participants. You wear your conference badge, programmed to
track anybody with whom you spend more than five minutes (or two
minutes, or 30 seconds, depending upon how you program it). At
the end of the day, you scan your badge at the conference kiosk,
and it points you to the information on your new conference pals.
It's cheap, it's easy, and pointing to _ rather than storing _
all that data means the badge needs to hold only 8KB of memory.
No scribbled notes, no stacks of business cards to keep up with.
InfoCharms expects to be selling the badges in bulk by
Thanksgiving, at about $10 each. Eventually, it expects to
develop an information-storage device to compete with the Palm
Pilot.
"We want our products to be the cheapest you can buy,"
Barillova says.
Other Infocharms devices will record a runner's heartbeat,
control kitchen appliances from remote locations, and send out
911 signals across the Internet. Matchmakers for singles' events
are in the works, as are interactive toys that will respond to a
child's emotional state.
The Important Jobs
Dana Kirsh, an MIT grad and InfoCharms VP, has designed an
"Affective Tigger" that reacts to a child's physical state and
facial expressions. "The toy gets sad when the baby is sad, and
tries to cheer it up," Barillova says.
Leave it to a fashion model and a female MIT grad to bring
style, sentimentality and plain old common sense to the high-
tech marketplace. Forget grand designs and metasystems; give me
a little gadget that does a specific job every time. Especially
if those jobs include monitoring a baby' s mood swings, tracking
a toddler's backyard travels (or a teen's less-innocent
wanderings), collecting professional information from conference
colleagues I'm supposed to know but don't, and turning on the
oven when I'm stuck in traffic. You know, the important things.
And you can count on me to be first in line to pick up a pair
of those high-tech sneakers, complete with a chip that will
track my kids' location, any time, anywhere. Some of that
footgear will hum when its wearer is headed in the right
direction and screech or scold, in my own dulcet tones, when he
or she veers off course.
Forget Big Brother. Mother is watching. And high fashion _ not
to mention parenting _ may never be the same.
A teacher and a journalist, Dianne Lynch is the author of
Virtual Ethics. Wired Women appears on alternate Wednesdays.
isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Who has made the mouth?
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:22:51 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
*** WALK-THRU the BIBLE ***
Re: Who has made the mouth? (Exodus 3-4)
And Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that
I should bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt? (3:11) Forty years
later, this is now a different Moses from the one who "thought his
brothers would understand" that God would deliver them by his hand
(Acts7:25), and was striking out on his own. 'Oooooh, I can't do
this!'
God's response, "I will be with you." (vs12)
What a comfort! What assurance! As Christians we can sing "Blessed
assurance Jesus is mine..." and will quote "He leads me beside the
still waters...You prepare a table for me before my enemies; You
anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over." (Ps23:2,5) But how often
do we forget it, or doubt it, when we are actually in the middle of
life's situations? This 'chiding' is as much to myself as it is to you
who read this. The area I worry about the most, I have seen God's hand
work in the past numerous times. I -know- "better" than to worry. But
I still do. Knowing that God is "with" me should be enough; as it
should have been for Moses.
First of all, God makes a promise. A "sign" of God's call upon Moses.
Once Israel has come out of Egypt, they will "serve God on this
mountain." (3:12)
Well-and-good... for the -future-. But what about -now-? As I re-read
this passage now, I realize Moses was doing what I always do, too.
Trying to figure out everything ahead of time. Thinking through all
the angles and 'what-ifs?' and 'what-abouts?'. So, I come to Israel,
they're going to have all sorts of questions that I don't have the
answers to. Jesus said, "do not be anxious beforehand, what you should
say...whatever may be given you in that hour, speak that." (Mk13:11)
But...!
You are sending me, but I don't even know Your -name-.
"I AM THAT I AM" (3:14) As Jesus identified Himself to the rulers, He
said, "before Abraham came into being, I AM." (Jn8:58) God, with this
name, "I AM", is the only one who -could- make the claim He does,
"declaring the end from the beginning.." (Is46:10) He is the only God
Who can claim 100% accuracy for prophecy, because He -IS-. His
existence traverses all time concepts man can imagine. This is His
unique distinguishing characteristic of His essence, making Him "above
all gods" (Ps95:3), the "Most High". (Gen14:19, 2Sam22:14, Is14:14,
Dan4:34)
"I AM", the One who created all things and holds it together, will
bring Israel out from their affliction in Egypt, to a land "flowing
with milk and honey." (3:17)
However, you need to understand that there will be a struggle. The
"king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except by a strong hand." "I
will..strike Egypt with all My wonders..and afterward he will send you
away. (3:19-20) And Israel will come out with great wealth and
possessions.
But...!
They won't believe me! "Jehovah has not appeared to you." (4:1) Let's
face it, a lot of people claim to be great -somebodies-. They claim to
have visions or dreams. And, no doubt, he is remembering the taunt 40
years earlier, "who made you a judge" over us? Why should this be any
different than last time?
What is that in your hand? A staff...which becomes a snake. (4:2) God
gives him the first indication of what is about to come. "Signs" to
perform. While he would have seen Egyptian magicians performing their
demonic craft, he is now experiencing God's power, himself. This is
just the beginning.
But...!
"O Lord, I am not a man of words, either from yesterday or the third
day, nor since You have been speaking.." with me "..for I am heavy of
mouth and heavy of tongue." (4:10) -This-, from the man with the
world's greatest education credentials behind his name, of whom it was
recorded, "powerful in words and works." (Acts7:22) Even, once he
gets into Egypt and begins to speak to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh increases
Israel's bondage, and they don't listen to him, Moses complains, If
Israel isn't listening, "How should Pharaoh hear me..?" (6:12,30)
Who has made man's mouth? Who makes the dumb, deaf, seeing or blind?
"Is it not I, Jehovah?" And now go, and I will be with your mouth, and
will teach you what you shall speak." (4:11-12)
But...!
"O Lord, please..." send somebody else, whomever You wish.
Enough already!!
In an eastern culture things are typically done in "threes". A gift is
offered; the recipient refuses. The gift is offered three times; and
then is accepted. If it was accepted before the third offer, the
recipient could be considered greedy or too eager. Now, if the
recipient doesn't wish to accept, he might refuse the third time. But
if the giver -REALLY- wants to give the gift, he would offer a
"fourth" time. That goes beyond the requisit "three", and shows his
VERY SINCERE desire to give the gift. Now, if the recipient -REALLY-
does NOT want the gift, or has hostility to the giver, he can refuse
the fourth time. And that's like a slap in the face to the giver. One
OT example of this matter of "three" is found when Joash struck the
ground "three times" with the arrows, and Elisha is angry with him for
not striking more times, and thus assuring victory over the Syrians
perpetually. (2Kg13)
After his humble beginnings into this conversation, God has assured
Moses over and over of His hand upon Moses. And Moses has objected
"four" times. Three questions and doubts. And now, this "fourth" time
it's as if to say, 'I really -don't- want to do this! Can't You please
send somebody else?"
"And the anger of Jehovah glowed against Moses." (4:14)
Later when God would call Ezekiel, God's "hand..was on him", and he
was "made to eat" the scroll full of "weepings, mourning and woe" and
as God called him to go to the Jewish exiles, God -physically- lifted
him and carried him to where he was to go (Eze3:14), and it says he
"went bitterily in the heat of [his] spirit.." He did not want to go.
He was 'angry' at having to go. If you will, "kicking and screaming".
But "the hand of Jehovah was strong" upon him.
You see, the call of God upon His prophets is -NOT- a call to glamour.
It is not easy. As in Ezekiel's case, he took God's message into his
"heart". (3:10) Which meant that his heart was continually heavy,
because of the "woe" it contained. When Jeremiah sought to keep quiet
due to persecution, God's Word was a "fire" (Jer20:9) that he COULD
NOT keep it in.
Moses was no different. And God retorts...Well, there's Aaron! He's a
'good speaker'! BUT... My call is upon -you-. "I will be with -your-
mouth...and I will teach -you- what you shall do." (4:15) And, of all
things, notice the nature of this relationship as they are about to
face the Egyptians. As for what the Egyptians observe, Moses will be a
'god' and Aaron will be his (Moses') 'prophet'. (vs16) After all, this
is the way many pagan religions often function. Recall that the
people at Lystra differentiated Barnabas and Paul in this manner.
(Acts14:8~)
But, there is no choice in the matter. It is settled. All your
questions/objections have been answered. Whatever comes up along the
way, "I will teach you what you shall do." (vs15b)
Now, Go! (vs19) Your final concern, your safety... The ones seeking
your life are dead. It's safe.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"A Voice in the Wilderness - Oasis of Biblical Truth"
-- E-Mail: voice@cet.com
-- WebSite: http://www.cet.com/~voice
-- PO Box 9531, Spokane, WA 99209 USA
-- Please include this signature when forwarding... Thanks!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"This also, knowing the time, that it is already time to awake out of
sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. Let us
walk becomingly, as in the day...[putting] on the Lord Jesus Christ..
...redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Romans 13:11-14~ Ephesians 5:16
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - China Celebrates Ties with Moscow, Hosts Russian Warships
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:22:52 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
China Celebrates Ties With Moscow, Hosts Russian Warships
[CND, 10/05/99] For the first time ever, two Russian warships--the
flagship Varyag and the destroyer Burgy--are conducting military
exercises in Chinese waters, as a symbol commemorating 50 years of
diplomatic ties between the two countries, AFP reported on Sunday.
Despite the fact that Russia and China have been diplomatically linked
since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the
majority of their bilateral relationship has been fraught with
tension. The political atmosphere was particularly troubled in the
period following the death of former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in
1960 to the end of the Cold War at the end of the 1980s and early
1990s.
The recent warming of Sino-Soviet ties is concurrent to increasing
tensions between the United States and China. All indications point to
a desire among Chinese officials to solidify and strengthen the
Sino-Soviet bonds in the years to come.
At a reception hosted by Russian Ambassador Igor A. Rogachev in
Beijing, Chinese Premier ZHU Rongji formally welcomed the warming of
the bilateral relationship and called for "the strategic partnership
to be strengthened."
Similarly, ZHANG Wannian, Vice Chairman of the Central Military
Commission, told the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet Commander Mihail
Georgevich Zaharenko that he "hoped the military ties would develop
into the next century" and confirmed that military ties between the
two countries were growing. (Jennifer Hyman, YIN De An)
via: CND-Global Editors <cnd-editor@cnd.org>
China News Digest
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - The Lilliput lab on a microchip
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:22:52 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
From The Times,
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/99/10/06/timfeasci02001.html?999
October 6 1999 SCIENCE BRIEFING
The Lilliput lab on a microchip
Crime scenes may be the bread and butter of a forensic expert's work,
but they are also scientific nightmares. Objects must be bagged up,
labelled, sent to laboratories, analysed and then stored. Sometimes,
samples must be divided up among different scientists, so that
separate analyses can be carried out.
In every step lurks the possibility of contamination. With every
passing day, as some chemical evidence deteriorates, the culprit
distances himself from detection. And when the only available evidence
is a speck of blood, everything hinges on painstakingly judicious
analysis.
Imagine, then, how valuable it would be to carry out this laborious
procedure on the spot in a matter of minutes. This is one potential
spin-off of work being conducted by Andrew de Mello, a chemist at
Imperial College London, who has managed to fit what seems like an
entire laboratory bench on a glass chip the size of a fingernail. One
of the predicted revolutions of genetic research - the idea that we
will eventually carry swipe cards containing our genetic details -
depends on this so-called lab-on-a-chip technology. Dr de Mello, 29,
will reveal his work later this month at a lecture at the Royal
Institution, as part of the Scientists for the New Century series
sponsored by The Times and Novartis.
Carrying out a biological or chemical analysis is not simple. "First,
you have to get your chemical into an instrument," Dr de Mello says.
"Then you have to make sure the chemical is in the right form, so that
means filtering out contaminants. Then you perform the reaction.
"But this might produce many products, of which you want only one. So
you need to discriminate between them and separate them out. All these
steps require different equipment and, perhaps, different scientists.
We thought, let's ringfence all these processes and put them on to one
microchip."
To produce a chip - or a Lilliput laboratory, as Dr de Mello and his
colleagues affectionately call their creation - a maze of slender
channels is etched on to a tiny piece of glass, and then sandwiched
between two glass layers. These channels, which are up to 50
hundredths of a millimetre wide, are the Lilliputian equivalent of
test tubes.
The chemicals to be used in the reaction can be injected into the
channels using miniature pumps. After the chemicals have mixed, the
products can be separated out by applying an electric field. In
response to the field, molecules of different size whizz through the
channels at different speeds, and can be captured separately.
The chip, designed by Dr de Mello and his colleagues Professor Andreas
Manz and Dr Martin Kopp, turned in an amazing performance when it was
applied to a common genetic analysis. "When you have some DNA samples,
such as the blood specks on OJ Simpson's glove, the DNA is in very low
concentrations," Dr de Mello says. "That makes the DNA very hard to
detect, because there might only be one or two molecules." The answer
is to chemically "amplify" the DNA, which can be achieved by
repeatedly cooling and heating the DNA. Each step doubles the number
of molecules.
Dr de Mello explains: "If you are using normal-sized samples, then
this heating and cooling is very slow. You generally need to do about
20 or 30 cycles, and this can take up to three hours. But with our
chip we can do it in 90 seconds."
There are other advantages, he points out: "Because of evaporation,
you can't really use chemicals in quantities less than a millionth of
a litre. With a chip, we can use a pico-litre (a millionth of a
millionth of a litre). There really isn't much there, and it is all
enclosed, so it is much safer if reactions are violent or there are
toxic substances involved. Making 10,000 chips is as easy as making
one, so if you need to produce large amounts of a chemical, you can do
it with an array of thousands of chips rather than in vats."
It is also a boon for reactions that rely on diffusion: "When you stir
cream into coffee, you create turbulence. But with some processes, you
have to add the two chemicals and let them randomly diffuse into each
other. Obviously, this is quicker for smaller amounts."
Although lab-on-a-chip technology has only been around since the start
of this decade, it has flourished quickly. Drugs companies have
recognised that these Lilliput laboratories are a cheap, fast way of
testing new compounds. In fact, Dr de Mello's lectureship is sponsored
by Zeneca, the pharmaceutical company. Now companies and academic
institutions are trying to race ahead. This year, Imperial College
became part of a =A33.2 million project, with six other universities and
ten companies, such as GlaxoWellcome and Unilever, to propel Britain
to the front of the field. Just over a third of the sum has come from
government coffers. America is already making great strides -
Hewlett-Packard is investing $100 million over the next five years,
and put its first lab-on-a-chip instrument on the market two weeks
ago.
A major spur, Dr de Mello notes, is the completion of the
International Human Genome Project within the next five years. The
result is that scientists will have a master genetic atlas that should
help pinpoint links between genes and disease. This would be the basis
of DNA chips, which could be carried on swipe cards: "Among the top
ten diseases, nine have a substantial genetic component. If we know
what someone's genetic profile is, we can treat them easily and
quickly. We can also use this to find out which drugs people will
respond well to.
"But the key to this will be doing the profiling quickly enough. Using
conventional technology, it would take weeks or months. But if you can
create a microchip to do it, it would take a few minutes."
It is clear that Lilliput laboratories will be a lucrative line of
research into the next century. However, despite spending a year at
the University of California, Berkeley, and being invited to join a
start-up company, Dr de Mello opted to come back to Britain. "I feel
that teaching is absolutely integral to research. The students I teach
today are the research students of tomorrow."
He adds: "I also wanted to give something back to this country. We may
not be as big as the Americans but Britain is a world-class
competitor. This is a huge area, and I don't think we even know what
the potential applications will be."
via: isml@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (10/5/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:22:52 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
100,000 evacuated from floods in Mexico
Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: AP
Tue Oct 5,1999 -- The Mexican government declared a state of emergency
Tuesday in four states where the worst flooding in 40 years has killed
15 people and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 others. The
flooding has caused seven rivers to overflow. In the Gulf coast state
of Tabasco, residents were alarmed by reports of crocodiles up to 8
feet long roaming the flooded streets of the capital, Villahermosa.
Local officials said Tuesday that police shot one of the creatures as
it moved toward a populated neighborhood. Warning that water levels
would rise further, state authorities urged people to evacuate from
low-lying communities along the Grijalva, Usumacinta and Carrizal
rivers in Tabasco. Besides Tabasco, officials declared a state of
emergency in the Pacific states of Michoacan and Jalisco, and the
central state of Puebla. Local officials said some people were trapped
on rooftops by floodwaters in Puebla. Some 55,000 people have been
evacuated in Tabasco state, including more than 34,000 in
Villahermosa, where the Grijalva and Carrizal rivers have flooded due
to nearly a week of rain. Another 50,000 were evacuated in the central
state of Hidalgo.
Quake rocks northern Chile
Weekend News Today
By Weekend Staff
Source: Yahoo!
Tue Oct 5,1999 -- An earthquake with magnitude 5.1 rocked a wide area
in northern Chile on Tuesday at 11:20 a.m. local time, AP reported. It
was felt in some 15 cities and villages in a stretch of about 350
miles in Chile's narrow territory, the National Emergency Office said.
The affected area includes the port cities of Arica, in the border
with Peru, and Iquique, 1,050 miles north of the capital Santiago.
Children's polio may spread out of Iraq
Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: ArabicNews
Tue Oct 5,1999 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned
against the wide spread of children polio in Iraq and also of fears
that this disease will spread in the region as a whole. WHO stressed
that 16 polio cases were reported in Iraq since last May and that
another 19 polio cases are suspected at the meantime. The organization
added that nine of the 16 confirmed cases were found among children of
Bedouin families, while most of the polio cases reported since August
where found among children of settled families. The WHO on the other
hand expressed its concern over the announcement of the Iraqi Health
Ministry that some 1,985 cholera cases were reported, 30 of which led
to deaths in the central and southern parts of the country between the
two past months of April and August.
Religious discrimination in Galilee
Weekend News Today
By Andra Brack
Source: IsraelWire
Tue Oct 5,1999 -- Residents of the Galilee community of Karkom are
opposing the planned construction of a ritual bath (mikveh),
explaining it would attract Orthodox families, a situation which is
not welcome in the secular community. When the vote was brought before
the community residents, the opposition won out by a small number of
votes. Proponents of the mikveh, almost 50 percent of the community,
plan to take the issue to the courts in the hope of reversing the vote
taken by local residents.
South Korea: Twenty-two reported hurt in nuclear accident
Weekend News Today
By Weekend Staff
Source: Yahoo!
Tue Oct 5,1999 -- 22 workers were exposed to radiation at a South
Korean nuclear power plant Monday from a leak of heavy water during
maintenance on the plant's water cooling pump, Yonhap news agency.
Yonhap said the accident occurred at about 7 p.m. Monday at Wolsung
nuclear power reactor No. 3 in northern Kyongsang Province, according
to the Ministry of Science and Technology. (Reuters)
via: bible_prophecy-news@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Russia selling old weapons to Arabs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 09:22:52 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
RUSSIA SELLING OLD WEAPONS TO ARABS MOSCOW [MENL] -- Russia is
selling aging tanks, armored personnel carriers and other
equipment no longer used by the military to Arab and African
countries.
Russian officials and defense sources said government companies
have signed several contracts to sell the surplus equipment.
Last month,the Promexport government company said it plans to
sell tens of millions of dollars of such weapons over the next
year.
The contracts have been signed with Asian and Arab countries.
These include Algeria and Yemen.
Russian sources said the contracts have also been signed with
Syria for the supply of spare parts to its military.
Promexport also supplies components, spare parts and materials
for the production of tanks and armored personnel vehicles on
license to India.
Russian defense executives said they have offered Arab and
Asian customers new weapons for sale at very low prices. These
include T-55, T-62, T-64, T-72 tanks and armored personnel
vehicles BMP-1, BMP-2 and the BTR-70.
Last month, a Promexport spokeman told the Interfax news agency
that the company has received orders from European and CIS
countries, including Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Other countries include
Yemen, China, Turkey, Sri Lanka.
A major competitor to Russia in the Middle East is North Korea.
Last week, Korean officials said North Korea last year exported
$55.6 million in ammunition, armored cars and military clothes
to Ethiopia, Congo, Iran, Syria and Thailand.
The Korea Times of Seoul said the communist regime in tne north
exported last year $60 million of such weapons as AK rifles,
submarines and torpedoes several countries including Yemen.
via: "menl" <menl@actcom.co.il>
Middle East Newsline.
Wednesday morning. Oct. 6, 1999
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Christians Threaten to Close Holy Sites in Israel
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 12:59:34 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
Christians Threaten to Close Holy
Sites in Israel
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Christian leaders have
threatened to close down holy sites in Israel at
Christmas and warned that Pope John Paul II may
cancel his planned 2000 visit over a bitter feud with
Muslims in Nazareth.
Heads of the main churches in Israel gave the warning
in a letter to the government, a Christian official
told AFP on Wednesday, but said he was unable to
provide details.
The Haaretz newspaper said in a front-page report
that if the churches carry out the threat they could
seriously undermine Israel`s image among billions of
Christians at the height of the millennial
celebrations.
Christians are demanding the removal of a Muslim
protest tent near the Church of the Annunciation, one
of the holiest Christian shrines, where the Muslims
plan to build a mosque.
Nazareth's minority Christian community wants the
site next to the church to be cleared to make way for
a square to accommodate the millions of Christian
pilgrims expected to visit during the millennial
year.
The church is built on the site where Christian
tradition says the Angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary
she was pregnant with Jesus Christ.
But the town's Muslims say the land belongs to their
community and that the Christians have no right to
stop them building a mosque dedicated to Muslim holy
man Shehabeddin, who is buried there.
http://www.arabia.com/content/culture/10_99/nazareth_6.shtml
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Massive Computer Crashes in CA
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 13:05:32 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
Monday, October 4, 1999
PacBell Blamed for Failures of State Computers
LA TImes
By VIRGINIA ELLIS, Times Staff Writer
http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/POLITICS/CALPOL/t000089140.html
SACRAMENTO--In an unwelcome preview of what a Y2K meltdown could be
like, massive computer crashes have repeatedly forced agencies
throughout California to turn away customers for driver's licenses,
food vouchers and other services.
The Highway Patrol suddenly had difficulty checking criminal records.
Child Protective Services could not get quick access to abuse files.
For two days Glendale's Department of Motor Vehicles office had to
process driver's license renewals manually. And one consulting firm
clocked 19,000 minutes of intermittent outages -- an eternity in the
fast-paced world of computer technology -- from January to July.
"This has been a lot worse than anything we expect from Y2K," said
Elias S. Cortez, the state's chief information officer.
But the problem, which state officials fear may be ongoing, is not
another botched computer project. It is the phone company.
Pacific Bell, hired by the state to ferry its data records across the
high-speed telephone lines, is governed by a corporate culture so
steeped in voice communication, state officials say, that it has had
difficulty adjusting to the demands of a sophisticated data network.
And they -- and their consultants -- question whether the company will
ever be able to reinvent itself enough to adequately manage state data
communications over the long term.
Company officials insist PacBell is a leader in data communications
and has vastly improved its service in recent weeks, although they
admit that the company has not measured up.
"We didn't provide the quality of service that [the state] expected of
us or that we expected of ourselves," said Doug Michelman, a Pacific
Bell vice president.
Hardest hit has been the agency motorists love to hate, the DMV, which
has been struggling to correct a public image of indifference and
inefficiency. The outages have been "devastating to customer service,"
according to an internal report. And once computer service is
restored, "the lines of customers are staggering."
For many customers, the nettlesome task of renewing driver's licenses
or transferring auto registration became an ordeal. Some DMV offices
called in fire marshals to control the crowds. Others closed early and
turned customers away.
A few drivers in different parts of the state suffered the indignity
of having their cars impounded because computer records about their
license got swallowed in cyberspace.
Nutrition Program Affected
The debacle provided a stark reminder of the extent to which
government has become dependent on computers and the havoc that
results when they cannot function.
This summer, the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides
supplemental nutrition to poor families, reported a severe drop in
participation, attributed in part to the computer outages. As a
result, the state has had to return $5.7 million in unspent funds to
the federal government.
For poor mothers, most of whom do not own automobiles, the trek to the
program's office presents formidable challenges, said Phyllis
Bramson-Paul, the program's director. If they get turned away because
computers are down, she said, they are not likely to return.
"It's just very, very frustrating," she said, "to manage a program
that relies wholly on a communications system that is up and running
and then to have it fail so repeatedly and not to be sure when it's
going to be fixed."
The epidemic of computer crashes began shortly after the New Year,
when PacBell took over the task of providing telecommunications for
the state's vast data network.
A powerful political player whose parent company is a generous
campaign donor to governors, PacBell had been the winning bidder for a
seven-year, $1-billion contract to handle state government's entire
telecommunications network. It was awarded in the final months of the
Pete Wilson administration.
Since taking over the system, the company has gotten high marks for
near-flawless operation of the voice communications side of the
contract. But from the beginning, it had problems with the network
that links computers.
Most of its difficulties were caused by a combination of equipment
failures and software glitches, according to a consultant,
International Network Services, that was hired by the state to find
the source of the problems and assess the impact of the outages on the
government agencies.
In some instances, the consultant said in a report, the company
installed equipment that was outdated.
But PacBell's internal procedures, which had been geared for many
years to operating voice systems, added to the problem and hampered
its ability to manage telecommunications for a data network, the
report said.
"The majority of service disruptions and slow restoration times . . .
stemmed from inconsistent or inadequate processes and procedures," the
report said.
"It's been an unacceptable situation," said Christina Polley, the
Department of General Services' deputy director for
telecommunications.
PacBell officials said the company has installed backup systems on
critical lines -- all at PacBell expense -- and in recent weeks there
have been no major outages.
"We've made some drastic improvements . . . and that has given me
great confidence in our ability to meet the expectation of our
customer," said Lea Ann Champion, PacBell's president of business
communication services.
She conceded the company had purchased some equipment for the network
that did not function properly, but she took issue with contentions
that it was outdated. "I would categorize it as a state-of-the-art
network," she said.
Sen. Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey) said the state is also at fault
for failing to provide stiff penalties in the contract for poor
service and timing the contract's effective date to the beginning of a
new administration. "This should have been done in 1998, not 1999,"
she said.
The contract prevents the state from initiating any action against the
company until it has failed to meet service standards for three
consecutive quarters.
"You have to wait essentially an entire year before you're able to
terminate this contract," said Bowen, who heads the Senate Energy,
Utilities and Communications Committee. "[That] really ties the
state's hands."
State officials declined to discuss any proposed actions under the
contract, although they reminded PacBell in a Sept. 7 letter that it
had had "two consecutive quarters [when] . . . performance for data
services constituted excessive outages."
Cortez said for PacBell to maintain the contract it will need to shift
more of its resources--especially some of its key technology
experts--to the data communications network.
"The data world is a lot more challenging than the dial tone world,"
he said. "It's going to take quite a bit of effort on PacBell's part
to make this project a success. They've committed that they're going
to do that and we're going to hold them to that commitment."
State Reimbursing Affected Drivers
No one is watching PacBell's progress more closely than the DMV, which
last week was still submitting requests for the state to reimburse
customers whose cars were impounded because of computer outages. The
taxpayers end up footing the bill for such reimbursements.
An internal memorandum told of Debra Wilson, a motorist who went to
the Yuba City DMV office March 19 to complete her driver's license
renewal. On June 13, she was stopped by a police officer in
Marysville.
A quick check of DMV computer records showed the officer that her
driver's license had expired, and he immediately impounded her car.
The next day, when Wilson inquired at the DMV office, she was told
that computer outages on March 19 "resulted in driver's license
records not updating properly to the database."
The DMV recommended that she be paid $255 to reimburse her for towing
costs.
Bowen said the latest computer problems just add to the perception
that the state, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on
failed computer projects, can't operate data systems successfully.
"We're in a situation we should never have been in," she said, "and
I'm sure that you have a lot of people who went to DMV and WIC offices
and think the state once again didn't get it right."
via: nhney2k@onelist.com
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Misc News (10/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 13:12:43 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
EU EXPANSION TO MOVE FORWARD AT HUGE COST October 5, 1999
The London Telegraph reported today: "ROMANO PRODI reignited
one of the fiercest arguments in the European Union yesterday,
telling Britain that it would soon have to abandon its 2 billion
annual rebate from the Brussels budget. The comments by the president
of the European Commission set the stage for the first big battle
between Mr Prodi and Tony Blair, as EU leaders face up to the cost of
expansion into central and eastern Europe...Add time as commission
president, Mr Prodi told Spiegel magazine that 'before the end of my
term of office in January 2005 the EU will be bigger,' adding that
the costs of expansion would be 'high' for all member states. Asked
whether this meant that the British would lose their rebate he said:
'I assume so. Each country must carry a full share of the
burden.'...In a separate speech in Wiesbaden, Germany, he said EU
expansion would be a 'win-win game' for all EU citizens. He said:
'There are no losers. Everybody should benefit from it. . . The
taxpayers will see that their money is being used wisely for the
common good.' He said EU leaders should agree 'a precise timetable
for the unification process' when they met in Helsinki in December.
He said they should make sure they were ready to take in the first
batch of new members by 2002..."
CHECHENS IN JORDAN URGE MUSLIMS TO STOP RUSSIAN ADVANCE October
5, 1999
The World Tribune reported: "Jordan's influential Chechen community
has urged the Arab and Muslim world to stop Russia's offensive against
the autonomous republic. The Jordanian Society for the Support of
Chechnya, in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, urged Arab
and Muslim leaders to 'move quickly to stop the Russian aggression
against the people of Chechnya, who are now facing genocide because of
its commitment to the Islamic ideology.' The group also called on the
international community for an 'immediate and effective intervention
to end the continuous Russian onslaught against the people of
Chechnya.' There are an estimated 40,000 Chechens in Jordan and many
of them hold senior positions in the security forces and intelligence
departments. Russian intelligence sources said the Jordanian community
has funneled funds to support the Islamic fundamentalists in the
Russian republic..."
ISLAMIC ANGER AT OPENING OF TEMPLE SITE October 5, 1999
The London Times reported: "Palestinian Muslim leaders have
denounced the opening of a new Jewish archaeological site beneath
Jerusalem's Temple Mount, the flashpoint for centuries of religious
rivalry. Yesterday tourists, guarded by Israeli police, visited a huge
staircase used by Jewish pilgrims at the time of Jesus to enter the
Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site. The Herodian-era staircase,
known as the Hulda Ascent, led to one of the entrances to the Second
Temple, which now houses the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque,
the third holiest shrine in the Islamic world. The opening of the
staircase and other important archae-ologica Ehud Barak, the Israeli
Prime Minister, has stirred anger among officials of the Jerusalem
Wakf, the Muslim religious trust..."
EU PREPARING TO BEGIN UNIVERSAL LEGAL SYSTEM October 5, 1999
The London Times reported yesterday: "Ministers in Brussels
will today put the finishing touches to a five-year program
to create a 'European Area of Justice,' which diplomats are
comparing in scope to the single currency (Martin Fletcher
writes). The program, to be launched at next
week's European Union summit in Finland envisages that court
rulings in one member state will be recognized throughout the
EU and that suspected criminals will be repatriated without
the need for court proceedings. It also aims to tackle the
problem of illegal immigrants by agreeing a definition of a
refugee, which could mean refugees given
asylum in one country would have the right to live and claim
benefits in any other. But Britain and other states are opposed
to full-scale harmonization."
THIRD BALLISTIC MISSILE TEST IN RUSSIA IN TWO DAYS October
5, 1999
Reuters reported yesterday: "Russia test fired a submarine-launched
ballistic missile on Saturday, the third missile test in two days, the
Navy said. 'The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a Pacific Fleet atomic
submarine (Delta-3 by NATO classification)...successfully ballistic
missile from an underwater position in the Okhotsk Sea,' a navy press
statement said. The Navy press release said Russia launched another
submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) of the same type on
Friday, the first time it had tested an SLBM since the beginning of
the year. It also carried out a test launch of a land-based Topol
ballistic missile from the Arctic testing ground of Plesetsk on the
same day. The missile had been on duty for more than 14 years, much
longer than originally planned. Cash-strapped Russia has the world's
second largest nuclear arsenal after the United States but can rarely
afford expensive test launches.The test series coincides with a visit
to Russia of U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, whose remit covers
in part nuclear arms control..."
via: pre-trib-news <pretribnews@listbot.com>
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Court opens important term with flurry of decisions
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 13:16:22 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
Court Opens Important Term With Flurry of
Decisions
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNS) -- The US Supreme Court opened what is
certain to be a momentous 1999-2000 term with a flurry of
decisions in more than 1,700 cases.
The court let stand a lower court ruling that allows the Knox
(TN) County Board of Education conduct drug tests on
prospective teachers. Teacher's unions and civil liberties
groups had argued that the tests were an unwarranted invasion
of privacy.
Looking ahead, this year's term promises to be one of the
busiest and most influential in years, with key decisions
expected in areas such as abortion and free speech,
pornography, public aid to religious schools, and federalism.
"From the early caseload, this has the signs of a very
important year for the Supreme Court," said John Baker,
professor of law at Louisiana State University, told
CNSNews.com. "Some years you remember, and this will be one
of them."
High on the court's docket is a review of a Colorado law that
prohibits pro-life protestors from engaging in chanting,
picketing, or counseling within eight feet of a woman
entering an abortion clinic.
Hill v. Colorado, the case under review, could have massive
free speech implications for pro-life protestors, who claim
decisions in recent years have chipped away at their First
Amendment rights.
In the case, an appeals court found that the restrictions did
not violate the right to free speech because the ban was
"content-neutral" - that is, could apply to either side of
the debate.
However, Sekulow, while denying that the restriction is
content-neutral, claims that the target of speech
restrictions is irrelevant.
"Whenever the courts place restrictions on the mode of
political expression, that's a violation of the First
Amendment," Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and
Justice, who will argue the case before the court sometime in
January, told CNSNews.com.
Free speech concerns also animate U.S. v. Playboy
Entertainment Group, which will determine whether or not
sexually-explicit cable channels can be forced to operate
only late at night because of problems with "signal bleed";
and Erie v. Paps, which challenges the state of
Pennsylvania's power to ban nude dancing.
In Mitchell v. Helms, the court has been asked to rule on
whether the government may provide religious schools with
library books, audio-visual equipment, and computers.
Observers believe the case may be important in providing a
precedent in school voucher cases, an issue the court will
assuredly take up some time in the future.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed an amicus brief in
the case asking the court to rule against allowing public
funding of educational aids in religious schools, claiming
that the plaintiffs have not "adequately explained how it is
possible to ensure that whatever equipment the government
provides is not used to aid in religious instruction,"
according to ACLU legal director Steven Shapiro.
(c 1999, Conservative News Service)
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3482.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Religious "Memorial" Tiles Rejected at Columbine
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 13:18:41 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
Religious "Memorial" Tiles Rejected at Columbine
LITTLETON, CO (CNS) -- The families of two students shot to
death at Columbine High School last spring are suing the
school for failing to install ceramic tiles, which the
families designed as memorials to their murdered children.
The families of Kelly Fleming and Daniel Rohrbough say
Columbine High School officials asked them to create the
tiles, but then refused to install them because of their
religious themes.
One tile reads, "There is no Peace, says the Lord, for the
wicked." Another says, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
School administrators are reluctant to put the religious
tiles in a public school, fearing lawsuits on Constitutional
grounds. The federal lawsuit by the families seeks a court
order allowing the installation of the tiles.
This is the latest example of the anger and bitterness that
lingers among families of the children killed last spring.
Last week, Daniel Rohrbough's father was among the people who
chopped down two of the 15 trees planted in a church prayer
garden as a memorial to everyone killed on April 19.
Rohrbough said it was wrong for the church to memorialize the
student killers along with those they killed.
(c 1999, Conservative News Service)
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3484.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Making Schools More Homosexual-Friendly
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 13:22:35 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
Making Schools More Homosexual-Friendly
ATLANTA, GA (CNS) -- More than 700 teachers, administrators,
high school and college students, and homosexual activists
gathered in downtown Atlanta this weekend to strategize on
how to make schools around the nation more
homosexual-friendly.
The third annual national conference of the Gay, Lesbian, and
Straight Education Network (GLSEN) featured a keynote address
by civil rights activist and Georgia Democrat Rep. John
Lewis, comic relief by comedienne Margaret Cho, a "prom" for
homosexual youth, and symposia on topics such as "Responding
to the Religious Right" and "Addressing GLBT (gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered) Issues in Middle School."
Kevin Jennings, founder and executive director of GLSEN,
opened the conference by proclaiming, "We are at a new moment
in our history."
College freshman Derrick Henckel, who "came out" to parents
and friends at age 12, recounted his high school experience,
which he said included beatings, name calling and verbal
attacks.
"I never knew what awaited me every time I turned a corner,"
said Henckel. "I can only think what would have happened if
there had not been community organizations like GLSEN when I
had been in high school."
Lewis's keynote address pledged the support of the civil
rights community for homosexual activists.
"We have one more bridge to cross to reach that time when no
one is left behind because of race, color or sexual
orientation," Lewis.
"We have a moral obligation and a mandate to speak out,"
continued Lewis. "If we fail to speak out, then we become
less than human."
While the conference was spurred by what organizers described
as "an atmosphere of fear" that oppresses homosexual students
in American schools, symposia focused on the necessity of
making today's students more friendly to the homosexual
agenda.
"The fear of the Religious Right is that the schools of today
are the governments of tomorrow," said Deanna Duby of the
National Education Association at a symposium. "And you know
what, they're right."
"If we do our jobs right," added James Anderson, director of
communications for GLSEN, " we're going to raise a generation
of kids who don't believe [the claims of] the Religious
Right."
Strategies discussed included creating Gay-Straight Alliances
(GSAs) in high schools and middle schools, including lessons
on homosexuals in otherwise unrelated classes - for example,
emphasizing homosexual victims of the Holocaust in history
classes - and inviting homosexual partners and their adopted
children to speak in schools about "diverse families."
Other symposia, such as "The Locker Room: The Last Closet"
and "Sports, Sexual Orientation, and School Climate,"
discussed how to make locker rooms safe for homosexual
students, and how sports may influence a school to be less
friendly to homosexual students.
Activists from GLAAD, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education
Fund (LLDEF), the ACLU, and Americans United for Separation
of Church and State also gathered with attendees to give tips
and trade strategies on how to change school policies on
issues such as homosexuality in sex education classes,
homosexual literature in school libraries, school-sponsored
homosexual student groups, and cross-dressing among
"transgendered" students, as well as fighting "parental
rights" amendments and the elimination of sex education.
"The Right would love to have prayer in schools and religion
classes, but they would accept a neutral curriculum that only
taught the '3 Rs,'" said Steven K. Green, general counsel of
Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "You've
got to watch for that sort of watering down of sex-ed in your
community."
Cathy Renna, director of community relations of the Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), told attendees
at a symposia on "Responding to the Religious Right" how to
approach journalists writing stories on gay issues.
"One of the most important things you can do is have those
tough conversations with journalists about when it is
completely inappropriate to run to some radical group like
the Family Research Council because of misguided notions of
'balance,'" said Renna.
"We have to offer them some more moderate voices, or convince
them that there is no other side to these issues," she
continued.
"If [journalists] do a feature on Gay Pride, they invite the
American Family Association to comment," agreed one attendee.
"If you did a story on Hanukkah, you wouldn't get the Aryan
Nation to comment, would you?"
Above all, presenters and attendees discussed strategies to
portray religious voters as extremist and homosexual
activists as mainstream.
"We are now in the position of being able to say, we have the
high ground, we have the facts, and we don't have to go
one-on-one with these people," said Renna. "We've come such a
long way - we're the mainstream now."
The GLSEN conference received corporate sponsorship from
Levi's, which also provided youth scholarships for ore than
twenty high school students to attend, as well as American
Airlines and several homosexual-orientated businesses.
Exhibitors at the conference included the Log Cabin
Republicans, a homosexual GOP group; the U.S. Department of
Education; the photo exhibit "Loves Makes a Family," a study
in "family diversity" featured in the film It's Elementary;
and Out magazine, which supplied free copies of its latest
issue to attendees. The issue included an interview with a
male prostitute-turned-author, and a feature story on New
York actor Jonah Falcon, which focused on his genitalia.
Other material available at the information booth included
the publication Etc., which featured a variety of
sexually-explicit advertisements for homosexual gyms, bath
houses, and phone sex lines.
(c 1999, Conservative News Service)
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3485.htm
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Standby for the Y2K bug debacle
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 09:08:50 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Standby for the Y2K bug debacle
By BRIAN HALE
NEW YORK,
MONDAY Tuesday 5 October 1999
Most of the world's top computer experts plan to stockpile
food, water and cash before the Y2K bug bites. But they are
putting everyone else off-guard, lulling people into a false
sense of security with their complacency and slackness.
Says who? The world's top computer experts, that's who.
With less than 90 days to go until the clocks tick over to
zeros, their "ill-preparedness, complacency and misplaced trust
in suppliers" could be about to plunge business and consumers
around the world into serious problems, according to the
organisers of a global Y2K experts poll.
Even though 81per cent of the experts admit their organisations
still are not ready for the date rollover, 91per cent are still
optimistic in their overall assessment of Y2K and, say the
poll's organisers, the experts' complacency may be compounding
broader complacency.
Only executives involved in Y2K preparations took part in the
poll and the results left the organisers in an unusual
predicament when the outcome was revealed at a New York press
conference yesterday.
The experts' overall view is extremely optimistic even though
their answers to subsidiary questions suggest they should be
feeling the opposite because many of their organisations are not
ready for Y2K, others are falling behind in readiness efforts,
many have not made or tested contingency plans and most have not
really checked on their suppliers' Y2K readiness.
The results of the poll, conducted by CIO magazine, the Y2K
Centre of Dr Ed Yardeni, Deutsche Bank's chief economist, and
the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) -
a global information technology organisation with more than
20,000 members in 100 countries - almost left its organisers
speechless.
Full story:
http://www.theage.com.au/bus/19991005/A40341-1999Oct4.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Gold 'rush' pricing threatens banks
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 09:23:16 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Gold 'rush' pricing threatens banks
Short trading, manipulation to blame, charge some
By Jon E. Dougherty
© 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
Several months ago, when Gold Anti-Trust Action committee
chairman Bill Murphy warned congressional leaders that something
was amiss in the gold market, few listened. And throughout the
summer months, when Murphy's best industry minds were sounding
the alarm that the market price of gold was being artificially
manipulated downward, not many industry leaders, central bankers
and gold bullion bank CEOs heeded their warnings.
Today, however, Murphy said it is a different story. The
industry is finally beginning to come around after the price of
gold jumped from around $290 an ounce, where it has been for
most of the past year, to its current level of about $315 an
ounce.
And today, he said, there is panic -- or, at a minimum, "near-
panic in the gold loan industry."
At issue is whether some of the world's most influential
central and bullion bankers have attempted to manipulate the
gold market to their advantage, and the advantage of key
investors, by artificially depressing the price of gold while
making short-term loans on millions of ounces of non-existent
gold. For years, this appears to have been the case, Murphy
said, because of the uncharacteristic "supply-and-demand"
behavior of the gold market.
Murphy voiced his suspicions to WorldNetDaily in May, saying,
"I've been a trader for 25 years, and I began noticing that the
gold market was just not trading the way it was supposed to."
Full story:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_dougherty/19991006_xnjdo_gold_rush_.shtml
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Illinois on alert for African virus
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 1999 09:23:58 -0500
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
ILLINOIS ON ALERT FOR AFRICAN VIRUS
By Jeremy Manier
Tribune Staff Writer
October 5, 1999
As health officials in New York and along the East Coast gauge
the potential reach of a deadly virus that recently hit the
Western hemisphere for the first time, the outbreak has Illinois
disease experts on the lookout in case the virus spreads this way.
Epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention are worried that the new bug, West Nile virus, could
spread to other parts of the U.S. via migrating birds, which can
pass the disease to humans through mosquitoes that bite both
birds and people.
Although mosquito season is ending in the North, they say birds
migrating far South, where the insects remain active, could
still transmit the virus or remain infected until the spring
mosquito season.
So far, 50 people in New York have tested positive for West
Nile encephalitis and five have died from the new virus,
including one virus-related death confirmed Sunday.
"It's a wake-up call," said Jim Hughes, director of the CDC's
National Center for Infectious Diseases.
Full story:
http://chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,2669,SAV-9910050175,FF.html
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Israel Line (10/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 18:42:04 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
SAFE PASSAGE TO BE MONITORED WITH SMART CARDS
A ministerial committee decided on Monday to issue magnetic
identity cards to Gaza residents by June 2000, YEDIOT AHARONOT
reported. These identity cards, called smart cards, will
contain biometric information about cardholders, including their
fingerprints and facial structure. Through sophisticated
computer programming, police will be able to track individuals
using the safe passage route between the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank.
HA'ARETZ reported that the committee also decided to issue
smart cards to all foreign workers arriving in Israel. Data
stored on the cards will be catalogued on a database, enabling
law enforcement officials to access information about workers
not carrying cards. Tens and millions of dollars have been
invested on this project over the past two years.
According to YEDIOT AHARONOT, a similar system operates at Ben
Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to facilitate recognition of business
people who frequently travel to Israel, easing their passage
through security.
JORDAN TO CONSIDER NEW PLAN FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES
In a secret visit to Israel by Jordanian Foreign Minister,
Abdel Ilah al-Katib, several weeks ago, Jordan, for the first
time, expressed interest in rehabilitating Palestinian refugees
residing in Jordan, MA'ARIV reported. The Jordanian Foreign
Minister looked favorably upon a plan to improve the standard of
living of refugees with full understanding that Israel will most
likely oppose the return of such refugees to Palestinian
Authority controlled territory and that the many of the refugees
themselves do not to wish to relocate to Israel.
In light of the renewal of final status negotiations between
Israel and the PA, Jordan is lobbying for broad-based
international aid for this endeavor which will cost
approximately $7 billion.
Israel views Jordan's position on this issue as positive and
argues that similar solutions should be pursued and implemented
in other Arab countries where Palestinian refugees reside.
Representatives of Palestinian refugees residing camps in PA
controlled territory met with PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and
stressed that all peace agreements with Israel must provide for
the return of all Palestinian refugees to their original homes.
via: ISRAELINE@PANKOW.INTER.NET.IL
--- BPR
BPR Web Site - http://philologos.org/bpr
========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items (10/6/99)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 1999 18:50:58 +0000
From: research-bpr@philologos.org (Moza)
*** Annan says UN needs reform, money
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Nearly three years after embarking on a major
overhaul of the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said
Tuesday the world body still had too many administrators and rules,
and too little money. Member countries, primarily the U.S., owed the
United Nations more than $2 billion, he said. The unpaid dues and
bureaucratic delays have made it virtually impossible for the U.N. to
respond quickly to crises like those in Kosovo and East Timor, he
said. Despite promises by members, the organization's financial
trouble remains virtually unchanged: the world body is owed about
$2.15 billion in dues and assessments for peacekeeping operations -
the same amount it was owed in Dec. 1996, he said. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2561504633-ec5
*** Tories want to loosen EU treaty
BLACKPOOL, England (AP) - Britain's opposition Conservative Party
declared Tuesday that it would seek to renegotiate the European
Union's basic treaty. Hundreds of delegates at the Tory's annual
conference cheered the proposal, which would allow member-states to
reject all EU laws, except those dealing with free market and trade.
The divided party has taken an increasingly "Euroskeptic" stance since
losing power two years ago, much to the dismay of some members. "Only
decisions necessary to the core function of free markets and free
trade should have to be made in Europe," party foreign affairs
spokesman John Maples said in announcing a plan to try to renegotiate
the 15-nation EU's founding Treaty of Rome. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2561504081-706 ***
And: Thatcher looms at Tory conference, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2561508401-f29
*** China, North Korea celebrate ties
BEIJING (AP) - Chinese and North Korean leaders exchanged cordial
messages as China's foreign minister visited North Korea's capital
Tuesday to celebrate 50 years of ties between the communist neighbors.
Tang Jiaxuan and his North Korean counterpart and host, Foreign
Minister Paek Nam Sun, held talks after Tang's arrival in Pyongyang,
the official North Korean news agency said. The talks "took place in a
friendly atmosphere," with both sides discussing their relations and
"a series of matters of common concern," the agency said. North Korea
was among the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of
China after its founding Oct. 1, 1949. China fought on North Korea's
side in the 1950-53 Korean war. In recent years, China has provided
food and other aid to help alleviate North Korea's famine. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2561501829-e38
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.