-Caveat Lector- SkeptiNews 991209b - - - - - - - - - - - All The News That's Fit To Question * Passages starting with ':' are editorial comments to provoke discussion. * Nothing contained here is ever endorsed for truth, accuracy, or meaning. * PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE THE ENTIRE BULLETIN WHEN YOU REPLY; CUT/PASTE, EH? * Nobody behaved strangely to produce this bulletin. <bzzzt> Damn implant. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ $ Nobody Pays Me For This: http://www.californiacarnivores.com _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # Scientology denied charitable status. LONDON (AP) Govt officials denied the Church of Scientology charitable status, saying it does not provide any public services. Scientologists said they would appeal the decision of the Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England & Wales. The commission said the Elronners do not meet the essential test for cha- ritable status: "that of conferring public benefit." It said Scientology activities "were private in nature and in the benefit they delivered." Curses: http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2562515424-fbb : Do you do the public a service by keeping your belief system's documents secret? If you actually provided public results, would we all detest you? @ Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Powerlines And Cancer: http://www.mcw.edu/gcrc/cop/powerlines-cancer-FAQ/toc.html _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # Your face or mine? Ask a computer. (WSJ) Computerized face recognition, a staple of spy movies and science fiction, is increasingly part of the real world. http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145009233,00.html # Warning! Strange behaviour! Nobody sees the thief looking for a car to break into, or the woman steeling herself to jump in front of a train -- but somehow the alarm is sounded. Enter a world where machines predict our every move: http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19991211/warningstr.html : Do computers know more about you than you know about yourself? Is this a good thing? If you knew yourself as well as computers do, could you stand yourself? Do you wonder how computers, aliens, telepaths, put up with you? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # Controversial Statue: Diana As Virgin Mary. LONDON (Reuters) A statue portraying Princess Diana as the Virgin Mary has sparked fury at an art exhibition exploring the idea that royal, sports and show business stars have replaced religion. http://news.excite.com/news/r/991209/08/odd-diana # Carlos Santana's vision of the Virgin Mary - she spoke to him - pot is not a drug: http://news.excite.com/news/r/991208/23/life-mexico-santana : Do you see and talk with sacred virgins very often? Do they offer pithy advise? Do you worship celebrities? Are they more approachable than gods? # Three Sentenced to Death for Child Sacrifice. ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) An Ethiopian court sentenced a flour mill owner, a sorceress and her friend to death for murdering a seven-year-old girl in a witch- craft rite: http://news.excite.com/news/r/991208/07/odd-sorceress _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # Eye chip may help restore vision. (AP) Wireless video goggles and a laser- powered microchip stapled to the retina could someday give blind patients a small measure of sight. The intraocular retinal prosthesis or "eye chip" uses a small video camera in a set of goggles to send images to the micro- chip fastened to the back of the retina, forming images that can stimulate the retina and be "seen" by blind people. A direct connexion to the brain: http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2562510462-172 : Would you like some sensory prostheses? Should we all have implants to extend our senses into ranges not covered by our wetware? What spectra would you most like to directly sense? What senses are you better off without?? # Electronic neurons could speed up stroke patients' rehabilitation - TINY implants acting as artificial neurons could herald a breakthrough - shot directly into muscles: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/991208/18/cayv.html _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # China busts 103 Christians. BEIJING (AP) Chinese authorities have detained 103 folks belonging to various Christian sects, expanding a crackdown that until now mostly targeted the Falun Gong spiritual movement. Since China's legislature tightened laws against cult activities in October, authorities have designated 10 groups not within mainstream Christianity as cults. The groups have a total membership of roughly 3 million people. A drop in the bucket: http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2562516399-0c1 : Are all non-sanctioned religions 'cults'? Are all sanctioned faiths tools? Are religions the most cost-effective political tools? Are UFOlogy, NewAge- ism, conspiratorialism, almost as good? What's your favorite macro-meme?? # PAT ROBERTSON SAYS BILL CLINTON'S "A GENIUS". Smart, yes, but with "the morals of an alley cat," the 700-Clubber says. Then he snorted some more cocaine: http://www.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/shart?ID=415000&TP=getarticle _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # Docs Probe Old Mystery. PARIS (Reuters) Doctors will take a DNA sample from a 204-year-old heart to try to solve one of France's longest last- ing mysteries the fate of the Dauphin, heir to executed King Louis XVI & Queen Marie Antoinette. http://news.excite.com/news/r/991209/08/odd-heart : Do you care about the deaths of ancient aristocrats? Do the voices in your head drive your search? Is it better than working for a living? Why? # Pig clone for the millennium - It is hoped pig organs can be used for human transplants. (BBC) The world's first cloned pig should be born within months, say scientists in Scotland. Bacon will be standardized: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_343000/343230.stm _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ # Turkish court rules on head scarves. ANKARA (AP) Turkey's appeals court ruled that a university had the right to bar a female student who wears an Islamic head scarf from classes. This predominantly Muslim country has strict secular laws that forbid religious dress at schools and public offices. http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2562513265-4d3 # Muslim women say: "Oh, to hell with that damn scarf!" One of the biggest spats in the Muslim world is over the hijab -- what women wear to cover their heads. More women are choosing to dump the hijab, to the dismay of traditionalists. But some say life's better when covered: "It's amazing how different people treat you, especially men. I don't get whistling when I'm walking down the street. I don't get inappropriate comments." www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/09/187l-120999-idx.html : Are men pigs? Are scarves needed to give women respect? Are only men who catcall women pigs? Are any women pigs? Are any pigs women? Are any pigs cloned? Are any clones pigs? Should men wear scarves? Would they behave?? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "Don't trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die." --anon * Rev. Ric Carter, ULC * http://skepticon.da.ru * FAX: 603-415-3736 * Fringe * Science * Faith * Sex/Drugs * UFO/PSI/Y2K * Conspiracy * * email INFO or SUBSCRIBE SKEPTICHAT to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * (sorry, I can't answer all email - but thanks for your feedback) * SkeptiChat/News archives: http://www.sonic.net/~ric/sc/files.htm * THE OFFICIAL MAILING LIST OF THE *SEVENTY*SEVENTH* MILLENNIUM!! DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! 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