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Saturday, March 22, 2003 New networks mimic the behavior of insects and bacteria
Drawing heavily on the chemistry of biology, researchers from Humboldt University in Germany have devised a way for electronic agents to efficiently assemble a network without relying on a central plan. Rather than determine the structure of a network in a top-down approach of hierarchical planning, agents found nodes and created connections in a bottom-up process of self-organization. When an agent happened on a node, it began to produce one of two simulated chemical trails at a rate that decreased in time. The strength of the chemical trail also faded as time went by. The key to the self-assembling network is that the agents are drawn to the chemical trails laid down by other agents. The researchersâ model contains two types of network nodes÷blue and red. Each agent starts out as a green agent, which lays down no chemical trails and travels randomly. When an agent happens on a blue node, it turns blue, and when an agent happens across a red node, it turns red. Red and blue agents lay down chemical trails that attract agents of the opposite color. Over time the model changes from many green agents traveling randomly to colored agents moving among nodes like traffic in a network.
Rational Mysticism
In ''Rational Mysticism,'' Horgan, a former senior writer for Scientific American, sets out to find how trances, visions, satori and other mystical experiences work. The early civilizations that invented science also used religion as an intertwining path to the truth, and Horgan follows in this tradition. He is a seeker as well as a journalist, and his mission is personal as well as professional. It's ''The Varieties of Religious Experience'' meets ''Siddhartha.'' Horgan flies to Sudbury, Ontario, where the tourist attraction is the Big Nickel, a coin 27 feet across and 2 feet thick, and where he straps on the Octopus, a machine that promises to induce religious and mystical visions, out-of-body experiences and even alien-abduction episodes. Its inventor, Michael Persinger, a psychologist at Laurentian University, mows his lawn wearing a three-piece suit. Horgan dons the Octopus, a Velcro headband festooned with wires and solenoids, with disappointing results. He does not attain nirvana, thinking mostly, ''How will I turn this into a scene for my book?'' Persinger says his machine does not work well on skeptics. (reg. req.) Friday, March 21, 2003 Bibleman fights for truth, discipline and the hearts of 5-year-old boys
Bibleman is the brainchild of actor Willie Aames, best known for his role on the '70s show "Eight is Enough" and the '80s sitcom "Charles in Charge," which co-starred Scott Baio. He's a masked superhero who defeats villains by using biblical principles. And he has a line of videos, action figures, books and toys to take his message to kids. Six 90-minute Bibleman videos are available, with such titles as "Shattering the Prince of Pride," "Conquering the Wrath of Rage" and "Breaking the Bonds of Disobedience."
MPEG video of Bush being groomed on-camera before war speech
MPEG video of Bush goofing around on-camera before war speech
The occult meaning of Shock and Awe
As bombers began taking off from aircraft carriers, from bases in Kuwait and elsewhere, and B-52s that started from England hours ago began to arrive over Iraq, the Pentagon announced that 'Shock and Awe' had begun. But did you know that this phrase has potent occult meaning? According to leading mythologist William Henry, Shock and Awe relates to the ancient Hebrew phrase Shak-In-Ah, meaning glory. Among ancient mystics, Shak-In-Ah was known as the power of the Ark of the Covenant.
Iowa officials will monitor war underground
Key state officials plan to remain at an underground center at Camp Dodge near Des Moines for the next few days. Iowa Homeland Security Adviser Ellen Gordon says activity around the nation and the state will be monitored now that war with Iraq has begun. The underground center has a high-tech communications system and reinforced concrete walls a foot thick. It was built to withstand natural disasters, such as an earthquake or tornado. Thursday, March 20, 2003 Militias revived in California
Militias in rural states have gone largely unnoticed since their apocalyptic predictions of a millennium disaster proved ridiculous. Now, the militias claim that the federal government has agitated a world situation it cannot control and that armed Americans must prepare to defend themselves, said Cooper and others. The militia of 2003 is not a hate group but rather a collection of "godly men who truly love this country," Martin said. He estimated that as many as 4,000 members across the state stand ready to fight and have gone unnoticed because of their lack of formal command structure, and shunning of uniforms while training on ranches and rifle ranges.
Mind control countermeasure kits
The countermeasure devices being sold below cause a scrambling of frequencies emitted from implants and frequencies from directed energy by sending into the brain small frequencies that counter them effectively. The technique can be compared to jamming of the implants and directed energy.
US airstrikes blast Iraqi civilians
Missile attacks by American warplanes and naval ships on Baghdad hit some non-military targets and injured a number of civilians, an Iraqi government official said on Thursday. "Initial information indicates a number of civilian targets were hit in the Doura area, and a number of civilians were wounded," Uday al-Taei, a senior information ministry official told reporters.
American anti-France sentiment hits stupid new low
The SBL organization is group of US patriots dedicated to having the Statue of Liberty sent back to the French. Now is the time to show support for our PRESIDENT and our representatives realize that. They have already worked to change the name of FRENCH FRIES to FREEDOM FRIES. If we all make an effort and write to our Senators to let them know, we can have this gift sent back to the people who gave it, because they've obviously forgotten what liberty means. As Liberty Island is an important tourist attraction, we believe a better, more American statue should be put in Liberty's place. Here is our suggestion: Ronald Reagan.
Poor ecological situation cause of two-headed calf
At the end of February milkmaids at the Zarya farm clutched their heads in horror: their favorite cow named Toma delivered an unusual animal: it was a calf with two necks and two heads. The farmers were unhappy to see that the two-headed calf died during difficult confinement. Fortunately, the cow itself survived. Veterinary specialists of the Vologda region say that appearance of the mutant calf is closely connected with worsening ecological situation in the region. Vets say that soils in the area where the strange calf was born catastrophically lack selenium and iodine, this fact causes anomalies. For instance, a calf without a tail was born at a neighboring farm last year. This was the first time that a two-headed calf was born.
Possible hijack thwarted in Florida
US authorities contacted air traffic controllers in Cuba, who said the plane might have been hijacked during a domestic flight from the Isle of Youth to Havana. "Havana indicated that it was a domestic flight with 35 people on board and that it was a possible hijacking." Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Djindjic predicted his own death
"I was in Belgrade a month ago, on February 17. He gave me a full run-down of his reform programmes. "It was then suddenly that he told me: 'They'll kill me'," prosecutor Carla del Ponte said in an interview with the Italian daily La Republica on Tuesday. "He knew that the fight against organised crime went hand-in-hand with the arrest of war criminals. He knew what the connections were between the old paramilitary apparatus and the mafia."
Street preacher charged with raping Elizabeth
This is the first time officials have acknowledged that Elizabeth was sexually assaulted, although court documents and Mr Yocom steered clear of graphic details. The charges of sexual assault were listed after negotiations between prosecutors and family members who worried that Elizabeth's psychological recovery might be affected if she was questioned in a trial about sex in captivity.
Wave UFO by Mariko Mori
Wave UFO is a visionary work, which brings together art, science, performance, music, and architecture in an integral work of art. In this project, Mariko Mori has fused new technologies, computer graphics, video projections, and engineered structures in order to expand the art experience. The visitors participate in the artist's conceptions of interconnected dream worlds. In a capsule within a huge architectural sculpture of whale-like proportions (approx. 5 x 11 x 5 m), which can only be accessed via a staircase, three people can recline in seats for seven minutes. The images projected on the dome screen of the capsule are generated by a kind of interactive bio-feedback loop that reads the brainwaves of the participants. In a computer-animated video projection, Mori sends the "travelers" on a trip to a spiritual cosmos.
Reverse racial lawsuit against Sun Micro
Sun Microsystems is faced by a lawsuit alleging it practices discriminatory policies by replacing older American employees with younger and lower paid Indians. Analysts note that the allegation struck at the heart of an ongoing debate between US technology groups and their high-tech employees over the federal government's H-1B visa programme, which allows corporations to temporarily import foreign workers. The visa programme was designed to help US companies find workers with hard-to-find skills but there is growing concern among American workers that the companies are taking advantage of it to merely cut costs.
Briton jailed for amassing terror books
Mohammed Azam, 32, was arrested in September after police searched his home in Luton, north of London, as part of a drug inquiry. Detectives said they discovered more than 140 books on topics including urban terrorism, guns and bomb-making. Prosecutors at Southwark Crown Court said Azam, who has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, bought the books over the Internet five years ago when he was contemplating going to Algeria to fight for an Islamic state.
Video games: An electronic pain killer
Psychology researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, have found that video games are a good distraction from chronic pain. In the study, subjects were asked to take up the joystick for a few rounds while experiencing pain -- and reported lower pain ratings as well as higher tolerance of pain.
Red Alert would end some personal freedoms
"You literally are staying home, is what happens, unless you are required to be out. No different than if you had a state of emergency with a snowstorm." "The reason being is, what we're saying is, 'Everybody sit down!' "If you are left standing, you are probably a terrorist. And if you are not law enforcement or emergency response; That's how we're going to catch you. Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Farmer with explosive-laden tractor in standoff with police
The incident began around noon Monday, when a man police identified as Dwight Watson, 50, of Whitakers, N.C., drove his Jeep ÷ which was towing a trailer carrying a green John Deere tractor and a motorcycle ÷ into the pond. He mounted the tractor and drove it off the trailer and into the shallow water. Watson wore a military medic's helmet emblazoned with what appeared to be a red cross and a T-shirt bearing a variety of badges or patches. On the tractor were banners reading "Salute to Veterans" and "God Bless the Troops." An American flag flown upside down in the traditional signal of distress flew from the vehicle. Another flag depicted tobacco leaves. Update: He surrenders Dwight W. Watson fought for years to keep alive the tobacco farm that had been in his family for five generations. In the interview via cell phone, Watson referred to his action as a "mission" and said the intent was to spread the message that government policies had forced farmers like himself out of business. "I don't give a damn no more," Watson said, his voice rising with anger. "If this is the way America will be run, to hell with it. I'm out of here."
Feral children
Ever since the legend of Romulus and Remus ö the twins, brought up by a she-wolf, who founded Rome ö people have been intrigued and fascinated by tales of children brought up by wild animals, away from normal human contact. This web site is intended to provide light reading for those with a passing interest in feral children, and includes: - extracts from a range of popular books on the subject - some rather more substantial works and academic papers - an extensive list of other books for those carrying out serious research
Comic book discourages illegal Mexican immigration
the fictional village of San Gumer, an impoverished young man's thoughts are candied by images of U.S. dollars, the Statue of Liberty, hamburgers and blondes posing with brand-new cars. "It's a paradise, brother," a veteran migrant named Checho devilishly tells Berny, the naive country youth who has lost his factory job and is tempted to migrate illegally from Mexico to the "Yunaites Staites." In the fictional story, bandits in the Arizona desert descend on a migrant and kill him with a pistol blast to the back when he tries to save his wife from being raped.
Computer virus writers mostly lonely losers without girlfriends
In almost all cases, virus writers were computer-obsessed males between the ages of 14 to 34 years, he said. "They have a chronic lack of girlfriends, are usually socially inadequate and are drawn compulsively to write self-replicating codes. It's a form of digital graffiti to them," Hruska said.
Lithuanian Catholic Church accuse president of deal with the devil
as president last month. Since then, Lena Lolishvili, a Georgian who claims to be able to see the future and cure illnesses with her psychic powers, has caused outrage as her influence over government has spread. Cardinal Audrius Juozas Backis, Lithuania's leading Catholic cleric, spoke out in an interview with the magazine Veidas. "Only God and the Devil can see the future," he said, adding that Ms Lolishvili's deeds "demonstrate Satan's work and his efforts to operate through people under the command of evil powers". Ms Lolishvili first came to the public's notice during the president's inaugural mass, held in the Catholic cathedral of the capital, Vilnius. She was seated directly behind Mr Paksas among the country's leading politicians. Monday, March 17, 2003 Violent sketches taken from sniper Malvo
The documents feature scattered writings, including lyrics from reggae songs, references to the movie The Matrix, quotes from various philosophers and references to Islam. There are also drawings that resemble newspaper photographs of Malvo, with the addition of crosshairs of a sniper scope centered on Malvo's head. The second page features what appears to be a tracing of a photograph of Malvo in shackles, guarded by a uniformed man. "Bondage" is written across Malvo's chest. Cartoon bubbles coming from Malvo have him saying "Justice be done!" "I'll never give up my pride even though I'm broken up inside," a lyric by Jamaican reggae singer Luciano, and "What is meant to be will be! Death!" The page also features snippets of lyrics from several songs by reggae star Bob Marley.
Raelian cult claims demands pour in from parents to clone children killed in intifada
Like Judiasm, Christianity and Islam, the Raelians have a deep connection to Israel. Cult members believe in the creation story recounted in the book of Genesis, but they believe the word Elohim - the Hebrew word for the God who created Adam and Eve - means not "God" but "those who came from the sky," or in other words, visitors from another planet. The first humans, they believe, were clones made by these extraterrestrial visitors, and their deep interest in human cloning stems from the belief that they are thereby imitating the acts of their creators. And once they have assured themselves of eternal life through cloning, the Raelians also plan to build the Third Temple here.
Poetic serial killer strikes again
For two years in 1996 and 1997, the killer known as "the Mons dismemberer" sowed panic by leaving over 40 bags of body parts around the region. They were all dumped in such evocatively named locations as the Rue de la Solitude (Loneliness Street), the Chemin de lâInquietude (Path of Anxiety) or the meeting point of the Rivers Haine (Hatred) and Trouille (Fear). The heads of the five women who were his victims were never found. Investigators believed the killer, who had not struck for six years, was probably dead until two more bags of body parts appeared in northern France. The first grisly discovery was made on February 25 when an arm and leg concealed in a bin liner were fished out of a riverside leisure centre in the village of Locquignol, in the forest of Mormal near Lille. The fact that the place is known locally as La Hachette (The Hatchet) raised suspicions among the local gendarmerie that the crime was the work of the Mons killer. Then on March 4, a womanâs torso, also wrapped in a plastic bag, was found floating on the River Escaut at a place known as Vieux-Conde, a name which translates as "Old Cop". Sunday, March 16, 2003 Islamic gold dinar will minimize dependency on US dollar
Malaysia will start using the Islamic gold dinar starting mid 2003 in its foreign trade section with some countries replacing the U.S. dollar in a first step move toward unifying the currency used in commercial dealings between Islamic countries. The success of this idea, according to several western newspapers, may lead to minimizing the U.S. dollar hegemony as an intermediate tool in commercial dealings in the world. This move is considered from one side a way to recall a currency related to the history of Muslims and their monetary heritage since the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and from the other side, the ability to find the Islamic alternative to the dollar at a time the calls to boycott all what is labelled as American starting from goods to currency, are intensified.
Clonaid plans to provide proof of cloning
Clonaid, the firm that claims it has created five human clones so far, today said it plans to produce scientific evidence to support its claim soon. ăAll the proofs for the Japanese baby are ready to be published and that should be in a few days ... maybe next week,ä Ms Boisselier said. The evidence would include the results of DNA testing performed by a credible scientist, she said, adding: ăNot someone chosen by me.ä Ms Boisselier said about 50 Israelis and Palestinians had asked to use the groupâs cloning technique, among them several on both sides who had lost a child during 29 months of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and wanted to reproduce their lost offspring, she said.
Columbia accident investigation spurs photo fakes
Finding out the root cause of the Columbia tragedy is a tough, technological detective story, demanding the time and talents of engineers and scientists both inside and outside the government. Particularly irksome to those involved in the investigation are a number of images now circulating around the Internet ö photo fakes of the catastrophe. According to one investigator on a NASA team studying the Columbia accident, this type of "Photoshop slop" only helps to undermine the serious work of investigators, and fuels "the conspiracy nuts out there."
Mysterious People: The site of human mysteries, anomalies and enigmas
Mysterious People is devoted to the lives of mysterious, strange and unusual people. It consists of a series of biographical articles, with sources and further reading listed at the end of each piece. The choice of subjects for the site is entirely personal, and reflects the author's own interests and preferences, rather than following any strict, objective criteria which make up an unusual or mysterious person. In the main I have tried to write about those who were, experienced or did things, genuinely, sometimes startlingly, unexplainable or unique. I have also included a number of characters whose exploits are not as widely known as perhaps they should be. So you will find shadowy occultists rubbing shoulders with enigmatic imposters, eccentric travellers with mystical writers, the king of the gypsies with a princess from Javasu.
Women used as guinea pigs for male sex offenders
The woman, Catherine, (not her real name) was a patient at the hospital for three years. Now living in the community, she has revealed that female patients were ordered to pair up with male offenders at a special event dubbed "the clinical disco" by staff. The youngest female patients were also frequently "groomed" by paedophiles and then sexually abused. |
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