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@START@ATW Readers Respond! Readers Response: ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? MESSAGE FROM: RICK OLSEN I think your magazine will be a great resource to my BBS and certainly will save me the time of creating the same type of thing. You have a good variety of stuff in here. I do have a request - keep it clean. My BBS does not carry adult files, and we have one game that is adult oriented (Bordello) but I consider that "tame" compared to some of the adult games out there. I want all my subscribers to be able to enjoy ATW, no matter how old (or young!). RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner Appreciate the comments Rick! Adult oriented material will not appear in this magazine unless it pertains to science/medical related material. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? MESSAGE FROM: JOSEPH ZARROW Staff. Congrats on your first ish. Nice, informative stuff. The articles were a tad dry in tone, but interesting nonetheless. What surprised me however, was how the "editor's letter to readers" commented on how he was sick of seeing all these internet magazines all on the same topics and your first issue seemed to bear almost solely on the subject of astronomy and the space program. Please add variety in the future. I hope that, if you do this, it will not detract from the depth of articles. Good luck in all your endeavors. -Joe Zarrow Herndon, Va RESPONSE FROM: Ken Regenfuse Joe, you are absolutely right. We sorta did get carried away with space and science articles. I have to blame that one on Tom. He is a space and science fiction fanatic. I am glad to see that you agreed with my point of view, but seriously, we will do our best in the future to offer a vast variety of articles that interests all of our readers from children to senior citizens that are not dry and boring, but also keeps your interest until you finish reading the entire article. Thanks for the comment and the compliment. I hope you continue to enjoy our efforts. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? MESSAGE FROM: JAMES GOLDBLOOM Compliments on an excellent idea... keep it going! My users are expressing and interest. RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner Thanks James, we have a lot planned for the magazine - stay tuned! ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? MESSAGE FROM BOB GIBBONS: You forgot the best program for actually computing PI. Yours rely in the ATN function being correct. PI can be defined as PI= 4*(1-1/3+1/5-1/7+1/9-1/11.....) This basic program does it: 1 CLS 2 DEFDBL A,B,C,D,E,F 5 B=1:D=1 10 FOR X=3 TO 10000000# STEP 2 20 B=B*-1 30 C=X*B 40 E=1/C 50 D=D+E 55 LOCATE 1,1 60 PRINT X,4*D 70 NEXT RESPONSE FROM TOM WILDONER: Appreciate the response Bob! ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? NOTE FROM KEN REGENFUSE: As our second isuue of Across The Wire magazine is shortly going to press I would like to thank all the people that have taken the time to read our first isuue and all the sysops that have decided to run our magazine on their BBS's. All the comments that we have received thus far have been positive and encouraging. The written comments that we have received have been answered and will appear in this issue. I would like to take this time to encourage all of our readers to send us your comments. Your likes, dislikes, and what you, as a reader, would like to see in future issues of Across The Wire. Our goal is to make Across The Wire magazine the best BBS magazine in the world. A lot of that goal depends upon you, the reader. Without your input we, as the editors, have no idea of your tastes. We have no idea if a certain article may offend someone out there in cyberland, or if there was an article that you loved and would like to see more of. Our main goal is to include approxamately 100 plus articles in each and every issue. After much discussion we felt this was a good number to attract any and all users. I don't expect our readers to read all the articles in any one issue. I know when I pick up a magazine, I only read the articles in that magazine that interest me. By offering a vast number of articles and topics to read we feel we can attract all users to read something of interest to them and at the same time not over burden that user with tons of articles on any one subject. By offering 100 plus articles each month in the magazine not only will we be the largest BBS magazine out, as far as we know, but we will also accomplish our goal of offering a vast variety to all our readers. To all the BBS sysops that have already decided to carry our magazine, we wish to thank you for your early support. I personally hope that the magazine helps your BBS's to grow and attract readers and users of all ages. Remember you, as sysops, also play an important role in making our magazine a success. It is important that you get those comments up to us that either you or your readers leave so we may continue to improve our magazine and make it as fine a magazine as possible. Ken Regenfuse - Co-Editor ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? NOTE FROM TOM WILDONER: Greetings! Welcome to the second issue of Across the Wire magazine! The magazine really seems to be off to a fantastic start - I would like to take a moment to thank all the readers for their response (positive or negative) on the magazine, after all, the magazine is designed for you. I would also like to thank all the sysop's out there for taking the time to download and setup our door program. We are always looking for contributors to the magazine - do you have a particular knack in game reviews, do you know some tips and tricks to software, do you dabble in programming? Think about contributing an article to ATW. Share your knowledge and thoughts with other readers across the globe. I would like to solicit your comments for the future of ATW - would you like to see any of the following? - A monthly questionnaire? - The ability to load and view back issues online? - Would you like to see reviews of internet, gopher, ftp, or WWW sites of interest? - Would you like shareware reviews? - Would you like to see another monthly magazine just for science? Let us know what you think! Tom Wildoner T&J Software Editor @START@ ATW Policy Policy Statement for Across The Wire Monthly BBS Magazine: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POLICY DATE: March 7, 1995 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ General Policy: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. No charge will be collected for access to this magazine. The door/magazine may be run on a pay BBS, but no additional charge will be claimed for access to this information. 2. Individual articles may contain there own copyright information. 3. The copyright notice on Across The Wire magazine is on source code and the door reader only. The following rules shall apply to all articles/screens submitted: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. T&J Software retains the right to refuse any article submitted for publication in Across The Wire magazine. 2. T&J Software reserves the right to modify/change the text of any articles submitted (for spelling and clarity only) for the magazine. 3. T&J Software reserves the right to refuse any ANSI screen submitted for publication in the magazine. BBS ANSI screens will be displayed pending room in the database. We don't want a bloated database filled strictly with BBS ads <G>. 4. BBS advertisements will only be included if the subject BBS is an active BBS carrying the magazine (regular uploading of the log file). 5. ANSI screens in "bad taste" will be rejected. How to Submit Articles: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Articles should be uploaded to T&J Software BBS by the 21st of each month to be included in the next month's magazine. Articles can be uploaded to the following locations: T&J Software BBS 717-325-9481 3 Nodes - 28.8k Upload to ATW SUBMISSION file area. E-Mail to: tjsoft@postoffice.ptd.net Crash it to Fido 1:268/400 Submitting your BBS Name and Number for inclusion in the magazine: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. A BBS will only be added to the magazine BBS Listing if the sysop of the submitting BBS uploads the magazine log files on a monthly basis. 2. After three months of no magazine log files being sent to T&J Software, the BBS listing will be removed from the list. 3. No charges will be collected to include a BBS name in the listing or for advertising in an ANSI screen. Tom & Jane Wildoner T&J Software @START@ATW BBS List BBS's Proudly Carrying "Across The Wire" Magazine ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Arkansas ~~~~~~~~ The File Cabinet BBS Bob Harmon 501-247-1141 5/95 The R.F. ZONE BBS Matt Nelson 501-935-5574 5/95 California ~~~~~~~~~~ The Launch Pad BBS Rick Olsen 805-734-3878 5/95 Inland Sports BBS Jim Charters 909-789-2978 5/95 Illinois ~~~~~~~~ The Garage BBS Tom Guelker 618-344-8466 5/95 THE DARKROOM BBS Dave Davidson 618-345-3663 5/95 Maryland ~~~~~~~~ ShareWare Paradise Bryan Rittmeyer 410-239-7473 5/95 Massachusettes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Emerald City Tim Lyons 508-668-4441 5/95 Missouri ~~~~~~~~ Beyond Tomorrow Will Wright 816-263-0980 5/95 New Jersey ~~~~~~~~~~ ADAMSCOM Online....tm Mark Adams 908-572-7490 5/95 New York ~~~~~~~~ Computer On-Line Joe Schiavone 914-344-4856 5/95 North Carolina ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gentle Breeze BBS Larry Beheler 704-657-6898 5/95 Ohio ~~~~ Fleet BBS Mike Morrell 216-646-0655 5/95 FIRST TRY Ken Mathews 614-685-3013 5/95 Pennsylvania ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Docksider BBS Ken Regenfuse 610-678-0350 5/95 T&J Software BBS Tom & Jane Wildoner 717-325-9481 5/95 Woody's NutHouse Jim Woodward 717-748-5728 5/95 Tennesee ~~~~~~~~ The Tazewell BBS Jim Edmondson 615-626-0557 5/95 Utah ~~~~ Instant Access BBS Brian Fetterman 801-257-5554 5/95 Planet Reisa BBS White Lace 801-596-7350 5/95 Virginia ~~~~~~~~ Empire Systems ][ Chip Slate 703-251-1645 5/95 AD Public Message System James Goldbloom 703-998-2958 5/95 Washington ~~~~~~~~~~ Columbia Basin BBS Cal Baker 509-766-2867 5/95 Wisconsin ~~~~~~~~~ The BIRCH BARK BBS James Fish 414-242-5070 5/95 How to get your BBS listed: 1. Run the program UPLOAD.EXE which is included with the ATW door. This program will ask you for some information and will then ZIP up the information and log file. The file created will be called xxxxxxxx.ATW - simply upload this file to T&J Software! T&J Software BBS 717-325-9481 3 Nodes - 28.8k Upload to ATW SUBMISSION file area. E-Mail to: tjsoft@postoffice.ptd.net Crash it to Fido 1:268/400 2. Your BBS will remain on the list indefinitely as long as the log files are sent to T&J Software on a monthly basis. 3. After lapsing for three months, your BBS listing will be removed. @START@Chip's [800] BBS List ????????? ????????????????????????? ??? ????? ?????????????? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ??????? ???????? ?? ????????? ? ???? ? ?? ?? ????????? ??????????? ??????? ??? ????????????????????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ???????? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ????? ??????? ??? Last Updated: April 18, 1995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This BBS List was created in conjunction with the T&J BBS by Chip Slate. ANY questions, comments, corrections, updates, or suggetions, should be Directed to: +------------------------------------------------------+ |SysOp Chip Slate BBS: Empire Systems 2 (703)251-1645| +------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: The numbers before the BBS name ARE NOT a rank of any kind, they are there for numbering purposes ONLY. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #1 *NEW* Texas A&M University Information Line NUMBER: 1-800-852-4335 BEST SERVICE: Information BBS SOFTWARE: UNIX??? --------------------- #2 *NEW* ANYWHERE Host Server NUMBER: 1-800-852-5293 BEST Service: ????? BBS SOFTWARE: ?????? -------------------- #3 *NEW* Advantis NUMBER: 1-800-852-3822 BEST Service: Information BBS SOFTWARE: ?????? -------------------- #4 ACF-The Association of Children and Families NUMBER: 1-800-627-8886 BEST SERVICE: E-MAIL,FILES BBS SOFTWARE: MajorBBS by Galacticomm ------------------------------------- #5 NBCI-The National Biological Control Institute BBS NUMBER: 1-800-344-6224 BEST SERVICE: TELECONFERENCE BBS SOFTWARE: MajorBBS by Galacticomm ------------------------------------- #6 AT&T Global Support-A support board for AT&T computers. NUMBER: 1-800-692-8872 BEST SERVICE: E-mail BBS SOFTWARE: MajorBBS by Galacticomm ------------------------------------- #7 DIAL-JAN-Disabilities BBS NUMBER: 1-800-342-5526 BEST SERVICE: CONFERENCES BBS SOFTWARE: PcBoard ------------------------------------- #8 BUDDY BBS-Dedicated to Seeing Eye Dogs NUMBER: 1-800-449-2252 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: Wildcat! ------------------------------------- #9 ITE-The Institute of Transportation Engineers NUMBER: 1-800-982-4683 BEST SERVICE: MAIL BBS SOFTWARE: WILDCAT! ------------------------------------- #10 WTIE-The Waste Water Information Exchange NUMBER: 1-800-544-1936 BEST SERVICE: CONFERENCES BBS SOFTWARE: PcBoard ------------------------------------- #11 DWIE-The Drinking Water Information Exchange NUMBER: 1-800-932-7459 BEST SERVICE: CONFERENCES BBS SOFTWARE: PcBoard ------------------------------------- #12 ZDI Author's Upload Center-For shareware authors NUMBER: 1-800-426-3425 BEST SERVICE: MAIL BBS SOFTWARE: PcBoard ------------------------------------- #13 FTA-The Federal Transit Administration NUMBER: 1-800-231-2061 BEST SERVICE: FORUMS BBS SOFTWARE: UNKNOWN ------------------------------------- #14 GULFLINE-Environmental Discussions, support Board NUMBER: 1-800-235-4662 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: PcBoard ------------------------------------- #15 FAA-FSDO-Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards BBS NUMBER: 1-800-645-3736 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: Unknown ------------------------------------- #16 SBA-The Small Business Administration BBS NUMBER: 1-800-697-4636 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: TBBS. ------------------- #17 Geological Survey-BBS for information on earthquakes NUMBER: 1-800-358-2663 BEST SERVICE: EARTHQUAKE DATA BBS SOFTWARE: UNKNOWN NOTE: ONLY 1200 BAUD -------------------- #18 ORIE-Another BBS dedicated to education NUMBER: 1-800-222-4922 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: MajorBBS by Galacticomm ------------------------------------- #19 Nuculear Commission-Nuculear Decomissioning NUMBER: 1-800-880-6091 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: WILDCAT! ------------------------------------- #20 NEBBS-Supercomputer Simulation NUMBER: 1-800-447-6377 BEST SERVICE: CONFERENCES BBS SOFTWARE: UNKNOWN ------------------------------------- #21 NBIAP-Dealing with Life Sciences NUMBER: 1-800-624-2723 BEST SERVICE: FILES BBS SOFTWARE: UNKNOWN ------------------------------------- #22 Nebraska Online-Economic Information Exchange on Nebraska NUMBER: 1-800-392-7932 BEST SERVICE: INFORMATION BBS SOFTWARE: Unknown ------------------------------------- #23 CAM-AIDS support BBS. NUMBER: 1-800-542-5921 BEST SERVICE: FORUMS BBS SOFTWARE: MajorBBS by Galacticomm ------------------------------------- #24 SIMS-NET-The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction NUMBER: 1-800-852-1027 BEST SERVICES: CHAT, 300+ Minutes per day BBS SOFTWARE: Unknown ------------------------------------- @START@B. H. Gill B. H. Gill ====================================================================== Computers have a down side. They're expensive. And they grow. Start out with a simple computer. You get software that needs a new device. It doesn't make sense to have that expensive device for just one piece of software, so you get new software. At least one of the new programs needs a device you don't have. And the cycle starts again. I know. It's happened to me -- I started out using a PCjr with expanded memory (that's another story). It wasn't very satisfactory. About a year ago I had a chance to buy a 'discontinued' 486 IBM compatible with an 82 meg hard drive. No sound card, no CD-ROM drive, but it sure beats a PCjr. Even one on steroids. The 486 had DOS, Windows, and Works for Windows already installed. I picked up Sim City 2000 and Oregon Trail ("for the kids"). Then my family walked through the Mall of America. Impressive place. My oldest daughter had some money she'd earned. Now she had a program called Jurassic Art. I had a program called Lloyd that I figured the younger kids would like. We were on the other side of the Cities and heading for home when I read the fine print on Lloyd's box. The thing needed a sound card. So I bought a sound card. A Sound Blaster 16. Lloyd worked fine, and now we could hear music in the other two games. Sound Blaster came with some really interesting software, and I started exploring that. About this time I bought some (fairly) inexpensive speakers. It made sense: The software and sound card worked better with a better output device. Have you noticed how software eats up hard drive space? By late last year I was down to 3 or 4 meg available. And that was after removing Oregon Trail and Jurassic Art. So I bought a new hard drive. 428 meg. Oregon Trail and Jurassic Art are back on. So are some other nifty programs. There is still plenty of room on the new hard drive. Does this mean that the cycle is over? Yesterday I got a CD-ROM disk in the mail. Brian H. Gill, Sauk Centre, Minnesota. (Sorry: no e-mail address. I can't afford it.) COPYRIGHT 1995 Brian H. Gill, Sauk Centre, Minnesota @START@Testing for EMI TESTING FOR EMI PREFACE Although most modems employ either good hardware error control or software error control, occasionally the electromagnetic environment can be so bad that even the best modems will be effected. This little discourse is an attempt to help the layman, of which I'm one, find and correct those atrocious cases of noise which might over come even the best modem. My background and expertise for writing this comes from many years in the USAF working in a related field. INTRODUCTION: Probably, at one time or another, everyone who has ever used a modem has vehemently cursed "line noise" and then resigned themselves to the fact that there is nothing they can do to change it. WRONG! "Line Noise" is just another form of EMI and I hope to show, in this little report, where it comes from, how you can check for it, and even how to control it. Regardless of whether you call it EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference), RFI (Radio Frequency Interference), noise, or some other obscenity, it all boils down to one thing: Trouble for the communicator. Furthermore, what's really disconcerting is, to one degree or another, IT'S EVERYWHERE! SOME BACKGROUND INFO: I prefer the acronym EMI because virtually EVERY device that operates on electricity does create some electromagnetic fields. Specifically, anytime that an electric current is passed through a wire (or any other conductive medium), electromagnetic fields are generated. The strength of these fields varies with the voltage and current being passed - something like an electric blanket is so negligible that it can be ignored; older televisions with their high voltages and unshielded screens can be awful. The list of what's good and what's bad is far too lengthy for inclusion here; still, a little common sense and thought says that things like refrigerator compressors, vacuum cleaners, vcr's, tv's, sewing machines, pumps, etc make a lot of noise! However, sometimes, they make even more noise than they are supposed to. For instance, a compressor that is not working efficiently will be prone to generate even more EMI than it should. In the case of a refrigerator, this is doubly bad because, aside from the EMI that you have to contend with, you are probably getting diminished cooling efficiency and thus increased electrical usage = a bigger utility bill. Therefore, control of EMI pays off in more benefits than just a better modem connection. Of course, the most natural way to detect EMI is to lose connection when Granny's old washing machine kicks over to spin cycle and throws a barrage of broad spectrum noise all over the phone line... and that about 15 minutes into a 20 minute long distance download of that file you've wanted for the last six months. However, the BEST way to find out if you have some EMI problems is the look for them BEFORE they cause trouble. And, here's the good part - you do NOT have to be an expert or own a lot of fancy equipment to go EMI hunting. Now, before I go into more detail about how to go on your EMI hunt, I want to tell you a little more about it. Earlier I mentioned that the strength of EMI depends on voltage and current; EMI also has another characteristic - frequency. The Radio Frequency (RF) on which the EMI is broadcast will vary according to the wavelength of its propagator and some other factors; however, there is no need to go into all the deep technical details of EMI. The main thrust here is to identify that EMI might be present at one RF and not at another. Thus, your EMI hunt will have to be conducted on two planes - one spatial and one spectral. About the only good thing here is that modem communications seem to be most adversely affected by EMI in the lower RF bands. So, although it would be nice to have a very sensitive, multi-band, broad spectrum, tune-able receiver (which costs lotsa money), a simple battery powered, AM pocket radio will do the job. Just a couple observations about your little radio - remember, it is not very sensitive and the RF range is rather limited. So, any EMI that you find should be considered a potential hazard because there is likely to be a stronger signal somewhere else on another frequency. RUNNING THE TEST: Actually, I recommend four separate tests; one inside the house, one outside the house, one where you examine individual devices such as tv's, refrigerators, microwaves, etc., and one where you check along the route of the lines to your computer/modem. Individual Appliances So that you'll get a feel for the sort of signals to look for, we'll discuss testing individual devices first; and, the best example that nearly everyone has is a TV. 1. With the TV off, place your radio in front of the TV about two feet from the screen. 2. Turn your radio on and tune it to where there is only static; best results will probably be somewhere between 600 kilocycles and 1000 kilocycles. Adjust the volume to a comfortable level. 3. Turn on the TV and you should immediately hear a buzzing, motor-boating sound. You might try to tune the radio a little for optimum reception. If you have doubts about whether or not this specific signal is coming from the TV, turn it off and on a couple times and note whether or not the signal goes away each time you turn off the TV. If it does, you can bet you've found your first source of EMI. 4. By moving your radio around the TV you can determine roughly from where the strongest signals are coming. As you move from appliance to appliance you'll learn the different sounds associated with each. Also, for some of the devices, you'll have to run more than one test. The VCR, for example, should be tested three times - once with it just on, once with it in Play mode, and once with it in Record mode. Perhaps this needs to be stressed: Any device that has more than one mode of operation should be tested for each mode. For example, I have a clean air system that has two modes of operation and each mode has two settings - Hi and Lo. With the Ionizer off, it's not too bad; however, when I turn on the Ionizer, even in the low mode, it throws out as much EMI as an old, unshielded TV - different RF and different type signal, none-the-less, it makes a lot of EMI! One last thing on the subject of testing the individual devices; keep good notes and maybe even make a little sketch or diagram - you can use this data later when you start trying to eliminate or minimize the effects of the EMI that you've found. Inside the House After you have examined the individual devices, it's a good idea to just tour the house with the radio on checking from room to room; you may have over looked something, or you may find something that did not show up on any of the specific appliances. If you have more than one floor, be sure to check carefully directly above and below your computer/modem because something could be throwing a signal down or up and you might not have noticed it earlier. Outside the House Now, you're probably gonna look a little peculiar to the neighbors while walking around the outside of the house pointing a little cheap radio at everything; but, this is a good way to check for the really serious external sources. Do you have a Heat Pump? Check it! Is there anything like a sump pump? Check it! Make several checks at different times of day/night. If you find something that you suspect is related to the electrical or telephone lines, you might call that particular service provider and ask them to do an evaluation because nearly all power and phone companies have investigative teams just for this purpose. Along the Lines Finally, the last test is along the power and phone lines that connect your computer/modem. Get up real close to the lines and move the radio slowly and carefully from the place where the lines come into the house to where they actually connect to the computer/modem. By now you should have a good feel for how the EMI signals sound so make an effort to tune them in - vary the tuning and volume. Especially look at places where the cables/lines go close to offending devices or where they are coiled (coiled cables have a tendency to act as antennas). If you've taken good notes, by the time you've completed all the tests you should have an excellent understanding of the electromagnetic environment in and around your house... Now it's time to do something! MINIMIZING THE EMI: By now you may be thinking, "This is hopeless! I've got EMI EVERYWHERE!" Welll.... Yes, in this technological society that's normal; but, it's not hopeless. There are several different things you can do to reduce the harmful effects of EMI and a couple of them don't even cost a dime! Isolation For example, if it's possible you should try to isolate your computer/modem from the rest of the house. I'm fortunate enough to have a special room in a corner of the house that is away from the TV, the kitchen with all its appliances, the utility room with the washer and dryer, etc. Also, I use some devices to filter the power and phone lines. The act of isolating your computer/modem from sources of EMI is probably the most effective way to abrogate the effects of EMI; however, there are other methods that also work AND are especially useful when combined with isolation. Re-Orientation Re-orientation of the emitting device is often very effective. Remember when we checked the TV and found that the EMI signals were strongest from the front and back? If your computer/modem is near the TV, try to rearrange things so that the TV radiates in a direction away from the computer/modem. You probably noticed, when you were checking the individual appliances, that nearly all of them radiated their EMI signals in a directional pattern. So, although it may be a little like musical chairs, re-orientation of the offending devices can significantly reduce the amount of noise being aimed at your computer/modem and their power and phone lines. Shielding Depending on the construction of your home, sometimes you can shield your computer/modem with as simple a chore as closing the door. However, most often, to be truly effective, shielding requires an in depth knowledge of the EMI to be shut out; and, it can get a little pricy. Still, you can shield the lines without too much expense - some old newspapers, tin foil, and duct tape can be used to shield the lines... or, you could buy shielded cables. Warning! Any time you use a conductive material (tin foil) for shielding, after the job is done, you should run another test in that specific area because signals have the ability to "jump" from one source to another - your shielding could act as a reflective antenna and spread the EMI in a new direction. None-the-Less, shielding of the lines IS a good idea. Repair Remember earlier we talked about the refrigerator with the faulty compressor that was making a lot of noise? Fix it! This will pay double benefits: Lower EMI levels and better cooling efficiency. Replacement Another flash back - buy Granny a new washing machine; trade that old TV for a newer model with better shielding (also, the newer TV's operate on lower voltages = lower EMI signals. Now a days, most all electrical devices come with warnings about how much interference they cause - look for these warnings and read them carefully. Bottom Line on EMI? You know it's there so fore warned is fore armed... Good Luck! Jim Edmondson The Tazewell BBS (615) 626-0557 8,N,1 300 - 14.4k A Wildcat! System @START@The Doom Hacker's Guide: Press Release THE DOOM HACKER'S GUIDE: PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/11/95 Note that you can find pictures of the book and more information at http://www.portal.com/~hleukart on the World Wide Web, or E-mail Hank Leukart (me!) at ap641@cleveland.freenet.edu. THE DOOM HACKER'S GUIDE Since Doom was released in 1993, it has become the most popular computer game ever. What makes Doom so special? Simplicity, realism, and profound carnage, says PC Magazine. Entertainment Weekly has described Doom as the multimedia equivalent of Natural Born Killers: "A relentless rock and roll gorefest, a raw thrill-of-the-hunt experience that just happens to have some of the coolest 3-D graphics ever designed." The game is so pervasive that office computer networks have been stalled while employees stalk each other in real-time death matches. There are no draws--it's kill or be killed. But the real story behind this 3-D gaming masterpiece is that it can be customized, and that's where Hank Leukart, author of THE DOOM HACKER'S GUIDE (MIS:Press book/CD-ROM, March 1995, ISBN: 1-55828-428-1), comes in. This book/CD package is a boon to wannabe Doom masters by allowing players to make their very own versions of Doom and Doom II. Leukart's informative Doom FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) has been packaged with Doom and Doom II, accessed online by tens of thousands, and cited by publications from PC Magazine to The New York Times. In the book, Leukart reveals how to project your own computer fantasies onto the screen. "Picture replacing the demons in the game with your friends, or turning a shotgun into a meat cleaver," Leukart tempts, with a smile. "Or you can construct Doom levels so that they have a strikingly similar layout to your school's campus or your place of work. Or maybe you'd like to substitute the Baron of Hell's ominous scream with your neighbors' sons' obnoxious shrieking. You can even change the soundtrack to play a little piece called 'Death in B Minor.' The possibilities are virtually limitless." In nine chapters, Leukart takes the reader through the intricacies and possibilities of Doom. First, he introduces the building blocks of Doom and how to create the rooms, doors, steps, and other architectural elements meant to heighten the thrill of the chase. Then he fine-tunes the basics by introducing DEU (Doom Editing Utilities by our own Raphael Quinet!), a DOS-based map editor. This is the utility that can turn Doom into your home, office, or campus in a few hours. Take a lesson from his section on using a map editor and creating action-packed levels, each designed to enhance the playing experience. Graphics, sound, and music are all under your control when you master the NewWADTool (NWT, authored by Dennis Moller), a slick piece of code that turns your average Troopers into your co-worker, your boss, even New Gingrich. Change the way Doom is played, alter the speed of a gun, modify the monsters' actions, or customize the text messages by using the editing tool DeHackEd, by Greg Lewis. Once these details are mastered, one of the most-read sections will be the level design section, which covers "Common Mistakes Made by Novices," "Making Good One-Player Levels," "Make Good Cooperative Mode Levels," and "Making Good DeathMatch Version 1.0 and 2.0 Levels." The appendices are a vital reference for Doom hackers, listing every resource name and filename as well as the dozens of utilties and sample files on the CD-ROM. Best of all, THE DOOM HACKER'S GUIDE comes packaged with The Doom Hacker's CD, which contains all the tools you need to create new Doom scenarios, as well as an abundance of add-on levels, graphics, and sounds. The CD also includes DEU, DoomCAD, NWT, and DeHackEd. Also packaged are Edmap and WadEd, two other Doom map editors. Two of the most popular add-ons are Xmas/Doom (thanks to our friends on #doom on IRC) and Clinton Doom (you'll have to see it for youself). And if you run into roadblocks, The "Official" DOOM FAQ, compiled by Hank Leukart (me again!), is also bundled with the CD, so your answers are just a few keystrokes away. With The DOOM HACKER'S GUIDE in hand you're more than ready for the next DeathMatch--but this time you'll be playing on your own turf, by your own rules. Let the games begin! You can grab this totally cool book at any of the following stores: * Barnes and Noble * WaldenBooks * Borders Books * Software Etc. * CompUSA * Many other local bookstores, and many more stores in the USA. Let me know what you think! -Hank Leukart (ap641@cleveland.freenet.edu) ----------- Hank Leukart ------------ | "Official" DOOM FAQ v6.666 Writer --- (ap641@cleveland.freenet.edu) --- | FAQ available by E-mail/FTP/WWW -------WEB PAGE NOW AVAILABLE:------- | "Official" DOOM FTP Site: --(http://www.portal.com/~hleukart)---| ftp.cdrom.com: /pub/idgames @START@The Net PC Games Top 100 List ============================================================================== | This week the votes from 785 people have been used to compile this chart. | | This Top 100 is checked out weekly by most game developers and publishers. | | Let them know what games you like and start voting for this list now! | | Send your votes to jojo@xs4all.nl and you'll get the next chart sent to | | you personally. You can ask for the document that tells how to vote. Just | | send a message with subject line 'send doc' and you'll know all about it. | | The format for every line with a vote is: points title [ ID ] | | You can allocate a maximum of 20 points, but not more than 5 for one game. | | An example can be found at the bottom of this list. | ============================================================================== ============================================================================== *** SPOTLIGHT *** ============================================================================== This weeks' Spotlite is for Kais Al-Essa, from Saudi Arabia: "I started as a normal user in my college and was getting this list through the GAMES-L mailing list. Then I started voting for my favorite games. I started a BBS, "Sahara BBS" on mid 1989 and I am still running it. At some point in time when the Top 100 was just in its first issues, I started copying these issues and posting them in my BBS for public as text files. We even had a dedicated files directory for this list as well as a couple of others. Our users enjoyed it so much, that if I delayed the posting even one day, I'd get howls and screams from everyone!! Now, we started an Internet access for the BBS users. This is the first of its kind in the whole of Saudi Arabia. So, we are getting some good attention and the number of interested users is certainly increasing. We now have a seperate Conference for the Top 100 list and lots of users are following the tracks of the Top 100 for buying their games. We here, at Sahara BBS, both users and operators, think that the Top 100 Games List is one of the best publications on the Internet. We think this is what the Internet is all about. Sharing information and having fun at the same time! Continue the good work .." Thank you, I will! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do you have an interesting story to tell about the Top 100? Do you have a World Wide Web page pointing to this list? Do you publish the list on a BBS or in a magazine? Do you distribute it via leaflets, radio or tv, satellite or telephone? Did the Top 100 change your way life? Or are you just glad it exists? Tell me about it! And maybe you will be in next weeks' Spotlight! ============================================================================== The following games have not yet received enough points to enter the Top 100: ============================================================================== New Contestants (Runners Up) Edition 120 - Week 16 - April 17, 1995 ============================================================================== NW Title Developer/Publisher(s) Cat ID ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tip 1 3 NBA Live 95 Electronic Arts SP [1602] Tip 2 7 Renegade: Battle for Jacob's Star {C} SSI ST [1590] Tip 3 8 Wings of Glory {C} Origin/Electronic Arts SI [1586] Tip 4 2 Ravenloft 2 DreamForge/SSI RP [1606] Tip 5 5 Championship Manager '93 Domark SP [1592] Tip 6 4 Strat-O-Matic Baseball Strat-O-Matic SP [1598] Tip 7 2 Woodruff and the Schnibble... {C} Coktel V./Sierra AD [1603] Tip 8 5 Crystal Caliburn: Solid State Pinball {W} StarPlay AC [1595] Tip 9 1 Great Naval Battles 3: Fury in the Pacific SSI ST [1607] Tip 10 7 Bureau 13 Take 2/Gametek AD [1591] Tip 11 2 Lost in Eden {C} Cryo/Virgin AD [1604] Tip 12 4 Premier Manager 3 Gremlin SP [1597] Tip 13 3 Guilty {C} Divide by Zero/Psygnosis AD [1601] Tip 14 2 Jagged Alliance Sir-Tech ST [1605] The following list is a Top 100 of the most popular PC games in the world: ============================================================================== The Net PC Games Top 100 Edition 120 - Week 16 - April 17, 1995 ============================================================================== TW LW NW Title Developer/Publisher(s) Cat ID Points ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 ( 1) 16 Descent {S} Parallax/Interplay AC [1565] 793 2 ( 2) 26 Galactic Civilizations (+Shipyards) {O} Stardock ST [1508] 454 3 ( 3) 8 Dark Forces {C} LucasArts/Virgin AC [1585] 415 4 ( 4) 21 Warcraft: Orcs and Humans Blizzard/Interplay ST [1528] 322 5 ( 5) 27 Master of Magic SimTex/MicroProse ST [1501] 300 6 ( 6) 27 Doom 2: Hell on Earth Id/GT/Virgin AC [1502] 281 7 ( 8)^ 52 U.F.O.: Enemy Unknown (+X-Com) Mythos/MicroProse ST [1437] 281 8 ( 7) 108 Nethack 3.1 {F} DevTeam RP [1186] 253 9 ( 10)^ 39 Tie Fighter (+add-on) LucasArts/Virgin AC [1473] 246 10 ( 9) 16 Heretic {S} Raven/Id AC [1566] 214 11 ( 12)^ 18 Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger {C}Origin/EA AC [1562] 207 12 ( 11) 120 Civilization MicroProse ST [1002] 201 13 ( 13) 80 Master of Orion SimTex/MicroProse ST [1344] 204 14 ( 14) 20 Panzer General SSI ST [1522] 188 15 ( 16)^ 22 Transport Tycoon MicroProse ST [1521] 160 16 ( 15) 117 VGA Planets {S} Tim Wisseman ST [1131] 154 17 ( 17) 56 Myst {W} {C} Cyan/Broderbund/Electronic Arts AD [1426] 124 18 ( 19)^ 70 Doom (+hacked add-ons) {S} Id AC [1386] 121 19 ( 18) 66 SimCity 2000 Maxis/Mindscape ST [1399] 109 20 ( 22)^ 16 Little Big Adventure (+Relentless)Electronic Arts AD [1538] 121 21 ( 20) 29 System Shock LookingGlass/Origin/Electronic Arts RP [1438] 112 22 ( 21) 28 Colonization MicroProse ST [1496] 110 23 ( 23) 18 Magic Carpet {C} Bullfrog/Electronic Arts AC [1549] 115 24 ( 28)^ 2 X-COM 2: Terror from the Deep Mythos/MicroProse ST [1600] 126 25 ( 25) 26 One Must Fall: 2097 {S} Epic AC [1505] 91 26 ( 27)^ 44 The Settlers (+Serf City) Blue Byte/SSI ST [1458] 93 27 ( 24) 111 X-Wing (+Imperial Purs.,B-Wing) LucasArts/US Gold AC [1169] 78 28 ( 26) 16 Rise of the Triad (+retail version) {S} Apogee AC [1564] 71 29 ( 30)^ 19 Roids {S} {O} Leonard Guy AC [1531] 81 30 ( 29) 119 Dune 2: Building of a Dynasty Westwood/Virgin ST [1110] 72 31 ( 31) 8 Mortal Kombat 2 {C} Midway/Acclaim AC [1582] 73 32 ( 32) 21 Nascar Racing Papyrus/Virgin SP [1529] 75 33 ( 37)^119 Star Control 2: Ur-Quan Masters Accolade AC [1116] 77 34 ( 35)^ 88 Warlords 2 SSG ST [1284] 60 35 ( 34) 62 Pinball Fantasies Digital Illusions/21st Century AC [1416] 56 36 ( 36) 22 Under a Killing Moon {C} Access/US Gold AD [1517] 54 37 ( 33) 25 Wacky Wheels {S} Beavis/Apogee AC [1509] 42 38 ( 39)^ 17 U.S. Navy Fighters {C} Electronic Arts SI [1543] 54 39 ( 38) 19 Boppin' {S} Accursed Toys/Apogee PU [1526] 37 40 ( 42)^ 28 NHL Hockey '95 Electronic Arts SP [1493] 45 41 ( 43)^118 World Circuit (+F1 Grand Prix) MicroProse SP [1123] 46 42 ( 44)^ 55 Ultima 8: Pagan Origin/Electronic Arts RP [1401] 48 43 ( 40) 76 Epic Pinball (+Silverball retail v.) {S} Epic AC [1359] 36 44 ( 46)^ 2 Discworld: The Problem with Dragons Psygnosis AD [1596] 50 45 ( 45) 81 Privateer (+Righteous Fire) Origin/Electr. Arts AC [1337] 46 46 ( 41) 37 Jazz Jackrabbit {S} Epic AC [1479] 29 47 ( 47) 31 Lode Runner: The Legend Returns Sierra AC [1487] 39 48 ( 51)^101 7th Guest {C} Trilobyte/Virgin PU [1230] 44 49 ( 48) 117 Ultima Underworld 2 LookingGlass/Origin/El. Arts RP [1127] 36 50 ( 49) 93 Betrayal at Krondor Dynamix/Sierra RP [1275] 37 51 ( 52)^ 53 Battle Isle 2 (+add-on) Blue Byte/Accolade ST [1439] 40 52 ( 55)^ 10 The Lion King Disney/Virgin AC [1580] 38 53 ( 54)^ 67 Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father Sierra AD [1377] 36 54 ( 59)^ 15 Ecstatica {C} Psygnosis AD [1530] 45 55 ( 50) 93 Syndicate (+add-on) Bullfrog/Electronic Arts AC [1271] 23 56 ( 65)^ 3 Bioforge Origin/Electronic Arts AD [1599] 50 57 ( 58)^109 Minesweeper {W} Microsoft ST [1184] 36 58 ( 57) 54 Raptor: Call of the Shadows {S} Cygnus/Apogee AC [1434] 34 59 ( -)* 1 MONTY PYTHON'S WASTE OF TIME {C} 7th Level AC [1588] 40 60 ( 53) 118 Railroad Tycoon MicroProse ST [1121] 23 61 ( 56) 7 World at War: Stalingrad Atomic/Avalon Hill ST [1584] 27 62 ( 61) 71 Rebel Assault {C} LucasArts/US Gold AC [1374] 33 63 ( 64)^ 22 Realms of Arkania 2 (+Schwarze Auge 2) Sir-Tech RP [1514] 33 64 ( 66)^120 Falcon 3.0 (+add-ons) Spectrum Holob./MicroProse SI [1005] 34 65 ( 60) 25 Aces of the Deep Dynamix/Sierra SI [1500] 23 66 ( 63) 30 World at War: Operation Crusader Atomic/Avalon H. ST [1489] 25 67 ( 71)^ 71 IndyCar Racing Papyrus/Virgin SP [1375] 34 68 ( 62) 80 NHL Hockey Electronic Arts SP [1340] 17 69 ( 78)^120 Links 386 Pro (+add-ons) Access/US Gold SP [1006] 35 70 ( 76)^ 4 Vinyl Goddess from Mars Union Logic AC [1593] 32 71 ( 67) 110 Empire Deluxe (+add-ons) New World ST [1177] 20 72 ( 68) 82 MS Flight Simulator 5.0 Microsoft SI [1334] 21 73 ( 69) 12 Aladdin Disney/Virgin AC [1578] 22 74 ( 73) 72 Slicks 'n' Slide {S} Timo Kauppinen SP [1352] 24 75 ( 72) 16 Trickle Down {O} Multigrain ST [1563] 22 76 ( 70) 40 Theme Park Bullfrog/Electronic Arts ST [1459] 18 77 ( 77) 41 Angband {F} Robert Alan Koeneke RP [1255] 26 78 ( 88)^ 3 Pizza Tycoon MicroProse ST [1594] 36 79 ( 74) 22 Front Page Sports: Football '95 Dynamix/Sierra SP [1520] 19 80 ( 75) 69 Sam & Max Hit the Road LucasArts/US Gold AD [1379] 20 81 ( 82)^ 19 The Incredible Machine 2 Sierra PU [1537] 26 82 ( 90)^120 Wolfenstein 3D (+hacked add-ons) {S} Id/Apogee AC [1013] 31 83 ( 84)^ 4 Alone in the Dark 3 {C} Infogrames/I-Motion AD [1587] 25 84 ( 80) 95 SVGA Air Warrior Kesmai/Konami/GEnie SI [1251] 18 85 ( 89)^ 32 1942 Pacific Air War MicroProse SI [1460] 26 86 ( 85) 11 Cyberia {C} Xatrix/Interplay AC [1574] 18 87 ( 79) 66 Mortal Kombat Probe/Virgin SP [1400] 12 88 ( 83) 44 Harpoon 2 Three-Sixty ST [1462] 16 89 ( 81) 94 Day of the Tentacle LucasArts/US Gold AD [1268] 14 90 ( 87) 15 Video Poker {S} {O} IBM EWS ST [1571] 17 91 ( 91) 9 Knights of Xentar MegaTech RP [1581] 20 92 ( 96)^ 23 MetalTech: Earthsiege Dynamix/Sierra AC [1515] 21 93 ( 92) 120 Darklands MicroProse RP [1008] 17 94 ( 86) 6 All New World (+Lemming Chronicles) DMA/Psygnosis AC [1570] 9 95 ( 98)^ 52 Cannon Fodder Sensible/AVME/Virgin AC [1435] 15 96 ( 94) 106 Ultima 7 Part 2 (+Silver Seed) Origin/El. Arts RP [1195] 12 97 ( -)^ 33 Xquest {S} Atomjack AC [1482] 20 98 ( 93) 45 Hocus Pocus {S} Apogee AC [1456] 9 99 ( 99) 11 Flight Commander 2 Bigtime/Avalon Hill ST [1572] 13 100 ( 95) 16 King's Quest 7: Princeless Bride {W} {C} Sierra AD [1553] 10 Dropped Out: ( 97) 114 Wing Commander 2 (+Sp. Op. 1+2) Origin/Mindscape AC [1007] (100) 13 BlackThorne {S} Blizzard/Interplay AC [1536] ============================================================================== | TW : This Week | The Net PC Games Top 100 is compiled using votes | | LW : Last Week | sent by many people from all over the world. The | | NW : Number of Weeks | latest chart is published every Monday on Usenet | | - : New Entry | in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.* newsgroups. | | ^ : Climbing |-----------------------------------------------------| | * : Bullet | If you send your votes, do it like this: | | AC : Action | > 5 Dark Invader [1435] | | AD : Adventure | > 4 Mysterious Forces 2 [1322] | | PU : Puzzle | > 5 Super Fighter [1502] | | RP : Role-Playing | > 2 Magic of Zuul 4 [] | | SI : Simulation | > 4 The Lost Tycoon [] | | SP : Sports |-----------------------------------------------------| | ST : Strategy | (c) 1995 all rights reserved Jojo Productions | | {S}: Shareware | Balderikstraat 16 | | {F}: Freeware | 3032 HC Rotterdam | | {D}: Demo Only | The Netherlands | | {C}: CD-ROM Only | | | {W}: Windows Only | jojo@xs4all.nl | | {O}: OS/2 Only | http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo | ============================================================================== @START@ScaryFish v2.2 ScaryFish 2.2 (scary22.*) and SCHTKR 1.2 (schktr12.*) readily available! ScaryFish 2.2 is the latest version of a unique multi-species fishing simulation game for IBM-compatible computers. The shareware version gives you fully-functional access to almost 50 "holes" at 3 "worlds", over 25 of the game's 40+ species, and access to most of the game's diverse tackle/equipment selection. Anglers (fishermen) appreciate the realism, but you don't have to know anything about fishing to enjoy the game. The diversity of the situations and always-different results let you run the program again and again. As you run the game a number of hilarious mishaps might occur. ScaryFish appeals to all ages and is popular with many who don't normally play computer games as well as regular gamers. System requirements are still extremely low: an IBM-compatible computer with at least 470K RAM. Graphics are not required (!), but the game supports up to 640x480 VGA. The zipfile is under 200K; obviously the game won't clog up your disk space. The new version includes the spectacular results of the 1994 records competition (result94.txt). ScaryFish has one of the most extensive "highscore" lists of any game, mostly for big fish. Now records are saved for all species as opposed to just the original 32, so species such as Shark and Tarpon are now eligible. SCHTKR is the "lite" version of the game's Make Your Own Worlds Utility (MOWU) that lets you create your own "worlds" for use with the game. It also has a custom screensaver of fish species anglers care about as well as a challenging set of rapids at one of the program's example worlds. SCHTKR and the MOWU have a design competition where you could win $200 or more! The deadline for the first Best Worlds Contest has passed, with entries from 4 countries. Beginning May 1 1995 registered users can order a User Worlds disk with hundreds of new fishing holes and the opportunity to vote for their favorite "world", for a low $9 to cover costs. The deadline for the second Best Worlds Contest is December 31, 1995. Filenames are scary22.zip and schtkr12.zip. Ahti Eric Rovainen PMP Software @START@Review: Dolores Claiborne DOLORES CLAIBORNE A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 7.8 U.S. Availability: general release 3/24/95 Running Length: 2:11 MPAA Classification: R (Mature themes, language) Starring: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, David Strathairn, Judy Parfitt, Ellen Muth, John C. Reilly, Eric Bogosian Director: Taylor Hackford Producers: Taylor Hackford and Charles Mulvehill Screenplay: Tony Gilroy based on the book by Stephen King Cinematography: Gabriel Beristain Music: Danny Elfman Released by Columbia Pictures Stephen King makes his living by writing horror stories, so it's odd that the most successful screen adaptations of his work are those outside the boundaries of his usual genre. STAND BY ME, MISERY, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, and now DOLORES CLAIBORNE are all intelligent, well-fashioned films that bear little resemblance to the gory schlock of SLEEPWALKERS and PET SEMATARY. DOLORES CLAIBORNE begins as a dark and dreary murder mystery set in the small town of Little Tall, Maine. The skies above this village are continually congested with clouds, the streets are slick with rain, and the sea is gray and angry. Yet this story, which starts out as an investigation of a suspicious death, soon takes a grim, disturbing turn. Memories crowd out the present as the narrative takes us back eighteen years to expose the ugly roots of one family's dysfunction. Two deaths lie at the center of DOLORES CLAIBORNE--Vera Donovan's (Judy Parfitt) in the present and Joe St. George's (David Strathairn) in the past. After Joe fell into a partially-concealed well during the total solar eclipse of 1975, his wife Dolores (Kathy Bates) was suspected, but never convicted, of murder. The death was eventually ruled as accidental, splotching the previously-perfect record of Detective John Mackey (Christopher Plummer). Now, nearly two decades later, Dolores stands accused of killing her invalid employer and, although the evidence is entirely circumstantial, Mackey is determined to get a conviction. Dolores' daughter Selena (Ellen Muth at age 13; Jennifer Jason Leigh at age 31), a reporter living in New York city, receives a fax of an article in a Bangor newspaper detailing her mother's suspected involvement in Vera's death. Haunted by her muddled recollections of her father's end and driven by an unshakable conviction that her mother is guilty, she takes a brief leave-of-absence to go home. Once there, she is confronted not only by the unpleasantness of the present, but by the ghosts of the past. Parts of DOLORES CLAIBORNE are delivered with an unshielded emotional and psychological impact. The script is not consistently at this high level--there are times, most notably during the climactic sequence--when unfortunate choices are made, but the overall result is a film that illuminates certain "forbidden" shadows. Generally, mainstream movies avoid risky material like this honest exposition of the issues underlying the fissure between Dolores and Selena. The main characters, mother and daughter, are well-written and effectively portrayed. Dolores is a sad, lonely survivor who has, perhaps unjustly, endured a lifetime of misery. Secrets can be an oppressive burden, and Dolores has been worn down by them. Selena, on the other hand, has become an alcoholic and drug-abuser as the result of what she has repressed. Bates and Leigh, two accomplished and versatile actors, are in peak form as they settle into the isolation of their characters--two very different people whose individual pain is intertwined. Less effort is vested in DOLORES CLAIBORNE's male principals. In the case of Joe, this is understandable. He exists only in flashbacks with our impressions filtered through Dolores' perspective. She has no reason to recall him kindly, and Strathairn's portrayal echoes this. Plummer's John Mackey, on the other hand, is basically an unpleasant person. Supposedly, he's a very good detective, but we're never shown anything other than obsession and bitterness. There's a lot to digest in DOLORES CLAIBORNE. The subtle visual effects, which mix digital animation and live-action, form an effective framework for a story teeming with emotional turmoil. With their unique method of delineating shifts in time (a person in the present actually walking into the past), the flashbacks are invested with a degree of eerie immediacy. Although the forced ending, which seems deigned to create an unnatural moment of triumph, weakens the climactic catharsis, it doesn't diminish the human tragedy which is central to DOLORES CLAIBORNE. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Camilla CAMILLA A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 5.4 U.S. Availability: varies (early 1995) Running Length: 1:29 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Nudity, language, mature themes) Starring: Jessica Tandy, Bridget Fonda, Elias Koteas, Maury Chaykin, Graham Greene, Hume Cronyn Director: Deepa Mehta Producer: Simon Relph Screenplay: Paul Quarrington based on a short story by Ali Jennings Cinematography: Guy Dufaux Music: Daniel Lanois Released by Miramax Films The first word that comes to mind when attempting to describe CAMILLA is "ordinary." Nothing in this film, except perhaps a few appealing performances, is worth a backward glance. CAMILLA is the kind of dull, vapid road picture that makes melodramatic twaddle like Edward Zwick's 1992 LEAVING NORMAL look invigorating. The problems start with the story--a sad combination of predictable circumstances, recycled characters, and requisite cliches. Admittedly, these are strung together with skill, but the lack of special moments makes CAMILLA a largely-unimpressive experience. This is all- too-familiar territory, with a worthy cast doing their best to salvage something. Freda and Vincent Lopez (Bridget Fonda and Elias Koteas) are vacationing in Georgia. He's a graphic designer and she's a composer. One day, while taking a stroll, Freda hears violin music. Intrigued, she investigates and meets Camilla Cara (Jessica Tandy), an aging-but- energetic former concert performer living in a neighboring mansion owned by her movie producer son Harold (Maury Chaykin), whom she refers to as "a thief and a buffoon." Vincent and Harold hit it off immediately, leading to a job offer for Vincent to design Harold's movie posters. Eager to get started, Vincent agrees to fly back to Toronto while Harold goes to Atlanta to check on the progress of his latest flick. Freda elects to remain in Georgia with Camilla. After the departure of the men, the two women quickly form a friendship that transcends the generation barrier. On a spur-of-the-moment impulse, they pack a few things and get in Freda's car to head north for the Winter Gardens in Toronto where Brahms' Violin Concerto--the most difficult piece ever attempted by Camilla--is scheduled to be performed. The trip doesn't go smoothly, however, and along the way there are a number of detours, including a disastrous ferry boat excursion and a stopover at Niagara Falls. CAMILLA is an undemanding motion picture--too undemanding, in fact. Despite winning performances by the leads, there's little here for an audience to chew on. The film rambles along lazily, requiring little more from viewers than that they avoid going into a coma. Cursory attention is fine--go to the bathroom and you won't miss anything. CAMILLA isn't a "bad" movie per se. It's just a rather flat and uninspired one--the kind of thing that started with high hopes and good intentions, but never developed further. It has a made-for-TV feel irrespective of the big-name cast, something like a DRIVING MISS DAISY lite. Nevertheless, Jessica Tandy, in the penultimate role of a distinguished career, shines through the subpar material, occasionally making this film not only bearable, but somewhat engaging. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Bad Boys BAD BOYS A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 4.0 U.S. Availability: wide release 4/7/95 Running Length: 1:59 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, language, mature themes) Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Tea Leoni, Tcheky Karyo, Theresa Randle, Joe Pantoliano Director: Michael Bay Producers: Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer Screenplay: Michael Barrie, Jim Mulholland, and Doug Richardson Cinematography: Howard Atherton Music: Mark Mancina Released by Columbia Pictures 48 HOURS, BEVERLY HILLS COP, and LETHAL WEAPON were all, to some extent, reasonably entertaining action films. The unavoidable result of their success has been a long string of sequels and rip-offs. The latest is BAD BOYS, an overlong sample of MTV-style direction that "borrows" heavily from these (and numerous other) flicks, and, in the process, elevates them to the comparable level of CITIZEN KANE. The action sequences--and there are a lot of them--are apparently designed to camouflage the lack of a credible story. I suppose someone guessed that if the audience was too busy following bullets, bodies, and explosions, they wouldn't have time to wonder about things like logic and coherence. Unfortunately, the movie contains occasional moments of inactivity and, during those, the first thing that comes to mind is: What's the point? After asking the question a few times, it becomes clear that not only are things moving fast, but they're completely out of control. Consider what happens to a downhill skier or race car in this situation, and you get an idea of what BAD BOYS has to offer. When it came to putting ideas on paper, the writers had a beginning (a drug heist from the Miami P.D.'s evidence safe) and an ending (guess what happens to the bad guys). They also had a premise: take a couple of mismatched cops who hide their respect for each other, and team them with a female civilian/witness who is destined to prove her worth, but only after botching things a few times. No, it's not original, but it's the only glue that holds this production together, even if it is spread far too thin. Because outside of these few basics from script writing 101, no thought was put into the screenplay for BAD BOYS. The cops, Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey, are played by TV sitcom stars Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. For reasons too silly to explain, they're forced to swap identities whenever they're with a murder witness (Tea Leoni). If there ever was comic potential in this unnecessarily contrived situation, it's not realized. I think THREE'S COMPANY may have done the same thing, only better. Much better. Smith and Lawrence are likable, and they have a certain modest chemistry that surfaces during the so-called "humorous" banter, but everything about their characters is a regurgitation of previously recycled material. (Does that make it re-recycled?) The other characters are equally familiar: the tough female sidekick, the loyal wife (Theresa Randle), the evil drug lord (Tcheky Karyo), and the loud- mouthed police captain (Joe Pantoliano). The most complimentary thing I can say about BAD BOYS is that it has style and energy. The cinematography is frequently inventive, and Mark Mancini's SPEED-like score is the perfect accompaniment for chases and fights. Unfortunately, there's only so far a movie can go on loud music, nicely-framed shots, testosterone, and adrenaline. BAD BOYS takes the often-traveled road, and leads the audience to a dead end. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Funny Bones FUNNY BONES A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 4.6 U.S. Availability: limited release 3/24/95 Running Length: 2:07 MPAA Classification: R (Mature themes, language, violence, body parts) Starring: Oliver Platt, Lee Evans, Leslie Caron, Freddie Davies, George Carl, Jerry Lewis, Ruta Lee Director: Peter Chelsom Producers: Simon Fields and Peter Chelsom Screenplay: Peter Chelsom and Peter Flannery Cinematography: Eduardo Serra Music: John Altman Released by Hollywood Pictures FUNNY BONES is anything but what the title suggests. As a comedy, this movie is a complete flop, with fewer laughs than the average mindless sitcom. As a drama, it isn't much more successful. Writer/director Peter Chelsom, who brought us 1992's magical HEAR MY SONG, here gives us an array of offbeat characters who lack any semblance of three-dimensionality. They all have their little quirks, but none is able to engage our attention or sympathy. For the most part, FUNNY BONES is flat. Even the presence of funny man Jerry Lewis, still as energetic and zany as ever, can't liven up these proceedings. The story doesn't allow for much light humor, preferring instead to dwell on long-buried family secrets, and the tone has only two modes: dismal and grim. While this might be the proper mood for a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, the actual story turns out to be rather unspectacular--not to mention muddled. Tommy Fawkes (Oliver Platt) is an up-and-coming comedian about to go on stage for his big Las Vegas debut. On hand are his mother, Laura (Ruta Lee), and father, George (Jerry Lewis), a world-famous comic. From the beginning, Tommy's evening is a disaster. No one's laughing at his jokes and he's becoming progressively more desperate. Finally, after the spectacular failure of one gag, Tommy walks off the stage after informing his audience that he has only two weeks to live (this is a metaphorical, not factual, statement). Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a transaction is taking place between two ships. A group of Englishmen, led by an unscrupulous policeman named Stanley Sharkey (Ian McNeice), is buying six mysterious "eggs" from four Frenchman. Sharkey's party has no intention of playing fair, however, and things get ugly. One of the French crew is killed; one of the English, Jack Parker (Lee Evans), is hung out to dry by his companions; and an egg is lost. Jack, a strong swimmer, manages to make his way to shore. Once on solid land, his emotional instability gets the better of him and he climbs the Blackpool tower, threatening to kill himself. He is talked down through the efforts of his father (Freddie Davis), uncle (George Carl), mother (Leslie Caron), and a dog called Toast. Fresh from his Las Vegas failure, Tommy arrives in Blackpool, intending to find and buy funny acts to convert for his own use. After witnessing dozens of embarrassing performances, Tommy is introduced to the Parker Brothers--two aging gentlemen with a "unique" slapstick act. Things are not as straightforward as they first seem, however, and in getting to know the Parkers, Tommy is forced to confront unpleasant truths about himself and his famous father. Anyone who has seen a Vaudeville act knows that, like the routines of standup comics, they're a lot more funny in person than on camera. In fact, it takes an extremely talented performer to effectively translate a portion of the spontaneous humor to the screen. In FUNNY BONES, while the cast is comprised of accomplished actors, no one exhibits this ability. Unfortunately, more than one quarter of the film is devoted to Vaudeville performances, and these sequences are more often tedious than diverting. As lifeless as the slapstick routines are, a solidly-dramatic script could have salvaged FUNNY BONES. Alas, there isn't one. Oh, there are a few clever lines here and there, and one or two thought provoking ideas, but little is done with any of the better elements. Character development is routine and the narrative often strays onto odd tangents. By the time the overlong story sputters to a close, only a few loose ends have been tied off, and you're unlikely to care about the ones left unresolved. This motion picture is a disjointed, messy affair, and a disappointment to those who had been looking forward to this director's sophomore effort. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Priest PRIEST A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 8.5 U.S. Availability: limited release beginning 3/24/95 Running Length: 1:40 MPAA Classification: R (Mature themes, sex) Starring: Linus Roache, Tom Wilkinson, Cathy Tyson, Robert Carlyle, Christine Tremarco, Robert Pugh, Lesley Sharp, James Ellis Director: Antonia Bird Producers: George Faber and Josephine Ward Screenplay: Jimmy McGovern Cinematography: Fred Tammes Music: Andy Roberts Released by Miramax Films The Catholic community's outcry against PRIEST has already begun, and it will doubtlessly become more intense before it abates. One of the most disturbing elements of any organized protest of this sort is that most of those involved will not have seen the picture in question. Another equally unfortunate byproduct is that, as was the case with THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, the movie itself may get lost somewhere in the resulting polarization. If that happens, it will be a shame, because PRIEST has a lot to say, and doesn't deserve to be hamstrung by those who miss the point or have no idea what they're talking about. The main character is Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache), a by-the-book, straightlaced Roman Catholic priest who is new to a rural parish in Great Britain. Father Greg is the sort who believes his job is to give moral advice, not act as a social activist--a charge he levels against fellow priest Father Matthew Thomas (Tom Wilkinson). While trying to serve his flock, however, Father Greg has his own personal demons to wrestle. Not only is he unable to keep his vow of celibacy, he breaks it with another man--something many of his less tolerant parishioners would surely view as an "abomination" if they learned of it. Even as he struggles with his sexual identity and its implications, Father Greg is forced to endure an additional crisis of faith when a fourteen year old girl (Christine Tremarco) comes to him under the seal of confession and admits to being sexually molested by her father. There is nothing in PRIEST that hasn't appeared in recent newspaper accounts, which makes the Catholic League's opposition to the film somewhat ludicrous, not to mention hypocritical. Perhaps they feel threatened by PRIEST's depiction of men of the cloth as flawed human beings rather than as icons. Certainly, the men who don the collar here are not perfect, but neither are they lunatics, Epicureans, or devils. Jimmy McGovern's script does an excellent job of dovetailing the two main elements of the film--Greg's homosexuality and Lisa's sexual abuse--into a compelling whole, often using unexpected bursts of humor to keep the level of tension from becoming too intense. Arguably, the more stirring story centers on the priest's battles with his conscience over how to help Lisa, but this film wouldn't have the same emotional resonance without the other pieces. In fact, the final scene incorporates several threads into a moment that, while perhaps a little overdone, is nonetheless powerful. PRIEST addresses both social and religious themes. At its core, however, is the question of absolute certainty versus faith. There is, of course, no answer to most of the questions that Greg agonizes over, but these--such as how Christ could expect him to keep silent when that silence condemns a girl to continued suffering--are presented for the audience's consideration. It is by his reaction to the issues that Greg's true character is slowly revealed. It doesn't take long for us to realize that our first impression of the man is as false as his facade. Linus Roache gives a multi-layered portrayal of Father Greg, presenting a character we can accept equally as a spiritual advisor and as the tortured man beneath the collar. Tom Wilkinson is more understated, but no less real, at Father Matthew, the older priest who accepts Greg's confidences without judging him. Christine Tremarco is chillingly believable as Lisa, and Robert Pugh radiates menace as her father--a man who gives a horrifyingly logical explanation for his activities. Provocative films like PRIEST rarely arrive without creating some sort of controversy. By not compromising her vision (which is similar to that of fellow British film maker Ken Loach), director Antonia Bird has fashioned a picture that not only stirs up a hornet's nest of timely and volatile spiritual issues, but faces up to homosexuality and incest with a frankness which few films dare. PRIEST is effective not only because of all the ground it traverses, but because the final turn brings closure without excess. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Stuart Saves His Family STUART SAVES HIS FAMILY A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 4.2 U.S. Availability: general release 4/12/95 Running Length: 1:37 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Language, mature themes) Starring: Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shirley Knight, Harris Yulin, Lesley Boone Director: Harold Ramis Producers: Lorne Michaels and Trevor Albert Screenplay: Al Franken based on his book Cinematography: Lauro Escorel Music: Marc Shaiman Released by Paramount Pictures STUART SAVES HIS FAMILY is yet another feature spinoff of a SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE skit. Unfortunately, like the notable flops that preceded it (THE CONEHEADS, IT'S PAT), this one should have remained confined to television. Stretched out to an agonizing ninety-seven minutes, STUART goes from being passably amusing to tedious to virtually unwatchable. Of course, part of the problem is the script, which suffers from a bizarre case of split personality--this has to be the first SNL movie that attempts to deliver a drama-based denouement. Since FORREST GUMP debuted to universal popular acclaim, the movie- going community has been awaiting the inevitable copycats. Odd that the first should come from the same production company that distributed GUMP (Paramount), and that it should emerge from under the SNL umbrella. While it wouldn't be unexpected for writer/star Al Franken to parody Robert Zemeckis' megahit, that's not the approach he chose. Instead, with only the barest hint of mockery, he has tapped into the mawkishness that made GUMP so well-loved. Stuart isn't necessarily a Forrest clone, but he's a socially-challenged individual who overcomes great adversity to attain fame and prosperity. The film starts out with a light, satirical touch, showing us part of an episode of a cable access show called DAILY AFFIRMATION, which is hosted by Stuart Smalley (Al Franken). Stuart, a member of about half-a- dozen support groups, including Al-anon, Overeaters' Anonymous, and Debtors' Anonymous, lisps his way through the short program, dispensing pop psychological advice. His "fifteen minutes of fame" are in jeopardy, however, since the director of programming has moved DAILY AFFIRMATION from its customary 12:00 noon slot to 2:45 am, right after a hair replacement infomercial. Stuart's family is as dysfunctional as they come. His father (Harris Yulin) and brother (Vincent D'Onofrio) are alcoholics, his sister (Leslie Boone) is angst-riddled and overweight, and his mother (Shirley Knight) is indecisive and insensitive. As Stuart puts it (in one of the film's wittiest lines), "Seeing my mother is like a trip to the dentist's before the advent of modern pain killer." Fortunately, Stuart lives in Chicago, where he has friends like the equally screwed up Julia (Laura San Giacomo), while his family is a long bus trip away in Minnesota. Nevertheless, a series of events, beginning with the death of an aunt, keeps Stuart shuttling back and forth between states. It's difficult to say whether, given a chance, the movie could have succeeded as a uncompromising lampoon. The opening half-hour, which is played almost exclusively for laughs, has its moments (several of which are highlighted by Marc Shaiman's perfectly-toned score), but there's a feeling that the material is already being stretched beyond its natural limits. The film, however, decides to get serious. Instead of continuing its jokey, farcical tone, it turns almost grim as the storyline centers on the cancerous effects of alcoholism in Stuart's family. There's nothing humorous in the scenes where Stuart and his siblings confront their father about how his drinking has scarred their lives. While on the surface it might seem laudable that Franken has decided to guide his film in this unexpected direction, the problem is that the drama doesn't work. It comes across as flat and heavy-handed. Since each member of Stuart's family is initially introduced as a stereotypical caricature, it's difficult to accept any of them in a situation where they're intended to be taken seriously. Franken doesn't seem to realize that his one-dimensional characters lack the depth necessary for believable drama. The result is a failed attempt to turn a SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE spinoff into a social commentary. Like Forrest Gump, Stuart Smalley has his arsenal of pithy sayings, including "It's easier to put on slippers than to carpet the entire world." Such comments seek to put a lighter spin on a bleak topic, but they're offered up too late. By then, a heavy dose of gravity has already capsized the floundering ship. In the end, it's this movie that needs saving--but there's no life preserver. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Tank Girl TANK GIRL A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 6.8 U.S. Availability: general release 3/31/95 Running Length: 1:44 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, language, sexual situations) Starring: Lori Petty, Malcolm McDowell, Naomi Watts, Ice T, Jeff Kober, Don Harvey, Stacy Linn Rawsower Director: Rachel Talalay Producers: Richard B. Lewis, Pen Densham, and John Watson Screenplay: Tedi Sarafian based on the comic book created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin Cinematography: Gale Tattersall Music: Graeme Revell Released by United Artists Pictures When it comes to embracing camp, there's no halfway point. To be successful in this arena, a movie must turn its back on even the semblance of conventionality, expressing everything from the most insignificant line of dialogue to a climactic event with an irreverence that would make the Monty Python troupe members offer winks and nudges of appreciation. It is because TANK GIRL takes this approach that it germinates into a high-spirited, madcap example of film making run amok. Certainly, this movie isn't art, but it sure is fun. Film adaptations of comic books have become nearly as prevalent as those based on Stephen King stories. In some cases (THE CROW, THE MASK), they work reasonably well. In others (TALES FROM THE CRYPT), the results are disastrous. None, however, not even Jim Carrey's special effects tour de force, have gone to the extremes visited by TANK GIRL. Nothing is sacred--this movie pushes the envelope as far as it will go, and the result is an offbeat and energized juxtaposition of action and comedy. This is the kind of tone that films like HUDSON HAWK, THE LAST ACTION HERO, and DEMOLITION MAN tried in vain to capture. It's the mixture of seeming spontaneity and a total lack of seriousness that fuels whatever success TANK GIRL has. The name of the game is outrageousness, and the script never attempts anything that might damage it. There is no characterization to speak of, and the plot is simply a nonsensical piece of fluff upon which to drape so much excess. And just when you think things can't get sillier, something happens to change your mind, whether it's the insertion of oddly-rendered animated sequences, a bizarre rendition of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It", or Lori Petty's title character sporting a brassiere that would make Madonna gasp with envy. TANK GIRL takes place in a post-apocalyptic future. In this scenario, the Earth-devastating disaster was a comet strike, and it has left most of the globe in ruins and water in short supply. There are three types of survivors: members of an organization called Water and Power, small bands of nomads who won't submit to authority, and the mysterious and deadly Rippers. Rebecca (Lori Petty), aka "Tank Girl", is a member of a renegade faction in the Blue Dunes. When Water and Power troops arrive, they kill everybody except Rebecca and a little girl called Sam (Stacy Linn Rawsower). While the girl is sent to work in a strip joint, Rebecca is granted a personal audience with Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell), the leader of Water and Power. Kesslee wants Rebecca to join his forces. When she refuses, she's put to work in a labor comp. While looking for a way to escape, Rebecca meets another ill-treated woman (Naomi Watts). Together, the pair search for a way out of Water and Power's fortress while Kesslee plots how to use Rebecca to uncover the secret entrance to the lair of the Rippers--the vicious and hitherto untouchable group of "demons" that routinely slaughter Water and Power troops. Given her bleached blond punk hairdo and ever-perky expression, Lori Petty is an inspired choice for Tank Girl. She gets all the right inflections on the one-liners and doesn't know the meaning of the term "reserve". Malcolm McDowell, the consummate over-the-top villain, displays a far more delectable nastiness here than in STAR TREK GENERATIONS. This bad guy is someone to root against. Naomi Watts is appealing as Tank Girl's sidekick and Ice T is virtually unrecognizable as the Ripper T-Saint. With a breakneck, don't-bother-to-stop-and-think-about-it pace, TANK GIRL zips along for over one-hundred moments, only occasionally lapsing from its zaniness. The rock-and-rap soundtrack, supervised by Courtney Love-Cobain, invigorates certain scenes, and blends nicely with the visuals. Judging by the finished product, it's pretty clear that director Rachel Talalay achieved her vision. TANK GIRL is one of those chew-the-popcorn, munch-the-candy flicks--the kind you go into expecting to have a good time, but nothing more. Given those expectations, disappointment is as unlikely as boredom. - James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Jefferson in Paris JEFFERSON IN PARIS A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 7.2 U.S. Availability: limited release 4/7/95 Running Length: 2:22 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Mature themes) Starring: Nick Nolte, Greta Scacchi, Thandie Newton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lambert Wilson, Simon Callow Director: James Ivory Producer: Ismail Merchant Screenplay: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Cinematography: Pierre L'Homme Music: Richard Robbins Released by Touchstone Pictures THE BOSTONIANS. A ROOM WITH A VIEW. MR. AND MRS. BRIDGE. HOWARDS END. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY. These represent the best of Merchant- Ivory--a category in which their latest, JEFFERSON IN PARIS, does not belong. Nevertheless, although this examination of several years in the life of Thomas Jefferson (the U.S. minister to France between 1784 and 1789) is flawed, it nevertheless represents two-plus hours of diverting melodrama. The historical accuracy of certain plot points may be in doubt, but this certainly isn't the first motion picture "based on a true story" to play loose with the facts. Nick Nolte looks like Thomas Jefferson, and his deserved reputation as a fine actor further argues in his favor as the perfect choice for the title role. Inexplicably, however, Nolte is actually rather flat. As was the case with Robert Duvall in HBO's STALIN, the part seems to smother him. He's adequate, but no emoting is involved, and there are many sequences where Jefferson comes across as stiff and lifeless. Nolte never successfully forges a bond between his character and the audience. The whole film is rather superficial. It tells its story reasonably well, but doesn't do much more. Considering that this picture comes from Merchant-Ivory, the producer-director team that has given us a number of multi-layered films, the lack of depth is disappointing. JEFFERSON IN PARIS is just another MASTERPIECE THEATER-style costume drama. There are four principle storylines developing in parallel throughout the movie. The first relates to Jefferson's burgeoning friendship/romance with painter Maria Cosway (Greta Scacchi). The second follows the changes in his relationship with one of his slaves, fifteen- year old Sally Hemings (Thandie Newton). Another examines the jealous reactions of his daughter Patsy (Gwyneth Paltrow) to his mistresses. The final, and potentially most interesting, is an observation of the political events leading up to the French Revolution, and how Jefferson reacts to these. In JEFFERSON IN PARIS, it's the secondary performers who impress. Thandie Newton (FLIRTING) brings life and vibrancy to Sally (although there is one horribly over-the-top scene where she dances for Jefferson in the privacy of his bed chamber). Gwyneth Paltrow, who was excellent in her FLESH AND BONE debut, gives a multi-dimensionality to a character conflicted by love, commitment, and jealousy. Simon Callow (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL) has a delightful turn as the gay husband of Scacchi's Maria. When it comes to issues, JEFFERSON IN PARIS is feeble and fumbling. After introducing the ironic hypocrisy of Jefferson's having written a document claiming that "all men are created equal" while nevertheless maintaining a significant contingent of slaves, little more of substance is presented on the subject. Equally given short shrift is the ideology underlying the French Revolution. Aside from a few brief discussions filled with facile arguments, this particular element of the plot seems designed more as an historical backdrop than anything else. Impressions of JEFFERSON IN PARIS are likely to be based largely upon expectations. Those anticipating something with the depth and breadth of a HOWARDS END will be disappointed. Regardless, though it may be occasionally slow-moving and perhaps a half-hour too long, this film is put together with care and a mindfulness of quality. Little here is exceptional, but, fortunately, less is below par. In the end, like QUEEN MARGOT or 1776, JEFFERSON IN PARIS serves as a snapshot of history and the characters that made their mark upon it. -James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: Clean, Shaven CLEAN, SHAVEN A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 7.7 U.S. Availability: limited release 4/95 Running Length: 1:20 MPAA Classification: Not Rated (Violence, gore, language) Starring: Peter Greene, Robert Albert, Megan Owen, Jennifer MacDonald, Molly Castelloe Director: Lodge Kerrigan Producer: Lodge Kerrigan Screenplay: Lodge Kerrigan Cinematography: Teodoro Maniaci Music: Hahn Rowe Released by Strand Releasing Consider how mainstream movies depict violence. Bodies are chopped up, blown apart, and torn to pieces. Blood and gore flow as freely as water. Films like INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE are awash in a crimson tide, and no one thinks twice about it. Then along comes a film like CLEAN, SHAVEN, where nothing is gratuitous, and suddenly viewers are shocked. HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER provoked a similar response, for the same reasons. There's no denying that the film is disturbing, at times profoundly so. One scene in particular resulted in more than half the audience wincing, turning away, or leaving. Often, it's the simplest, most realistic forms of violence, when portrayed in such a vivid manner, that cause the stomach to churn. During CLEAN, SHAVEN's screening at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, a member of the audience fainted. As a result of this single, thirty second sequence, which film maker Lodge Kerrigan refused to edit out, this movie took nearly eighteen months to acquire a distributor. Peter Winter (Peter Greene) is a schizophrenic, and CLEAN, SHAVEN introduces us to his world, where paranoid delusions intermingle with reality. Through the use of viewpoint photography and stark, unusual images, we are brought into Peter's mind. It's not a pleasant place to be. Upon occasion, movies like to present a protagonist who straddles the line of sanity, but CLEAN, SHAVEN shows no such ambiguity. Peter is clinically insane. (One psychiatrist at the screening I attended described this as "the best portrayal of untreated schizophrenia ever [presented] on film.") The story, which develops largely without dialogue, follows Peter's quest to locate his young daughter Nicole (Jennifer MacDonald). Having been institutionalized for the last several years, Peter has had no contact with Nicole, who had been living with her grandmother. Now, she has been adopted, and he is determined to find her. His intentions are profoundly unclear, and he is already under suspicion of having brutally murdered another young girl. A detective (Robert Albert) is on his trail, closing in while gathering evidence. In many ways, CLEAN, SHAVEN is an incredible cinematic experience, but it will neither entertain nor appeal to a "typical" movie-goer. Writer/director Kerrigan is aware of this, but was unwilling to change a frame of the final cut. His vision, which took more than two years to commit to film, remains intact. And, frankly, without the controversial scene, the character study would be incomplete. As was true of Michael Rooker in the title role of HENRY, so Peter Greene is hauntingly convincing as CLEAN, SHAVEN's off-balance lead. Whether scrubbing his skin with steel wool, cutting into his scalp with a scissor, curled into a ball fighting against a flashback, or hiding from his own reflection, Greene has a perfect sense of Peter. The other actors are all competent, but their work pales in comparison to this singular performance. It's always difficult to rate a film that, while powerful and well made, is an exercise in endurance. There are those--even among the art-film crowd--who will find this picture unbearable. Theaters will warn of its graphic content. Viewers will endlessly debate all the unanswered questions posed within. But no one who sits through this film is likely to forget it. CLEAN, SHAVEN is one of those rare movies that leaves an indelible imprint on anyone still watching as the closing credits roll. -James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: The Sum of Us THE SUM OF US A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0 U.S. Availability: limited release Spring 1995 Running Length: 1:40 MPAA Classification: No Rating (Mature themes, language) Starring: Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson, Deborah Kennedy Directors: Geoff Burton and Kevin Dowling Producer: Hal McElroy Screenplay: David Stevens based on his play Cinematography: Geoff Burton Music: David Faulkner Released by The Samuel Goldwyn Company Love is perhaps the most common theme explored by movies. It is also the most frequently misrepresented. Many Hollywood love affairs end up heavily over-romanticized, and the picture they paint is invariably far from reality. So it's refreshing to find a film like THE SUM OF US, which is about love in all its genuine forms: sexual (both gay and straight), platonic, and most important, familial. Given the honesty of the script, it should come as no surprise that America's film industry had nothing to do with the movie--this is yet another gem from Australia. Not only are Harry (Jack Thompson) and Jeff (Russell Crowe) father and son, but they're best friends as well. Their relationship is relaxed and comfortable--they banter and kid around and, though they occasionally get under each other's skin, there's never any acrimony in their arguments. Harry is aware of his son's homosexual preferences and accepts them unquestioningly. The only thing he has to say on the subject is that he's disappointed Jeff will never have an opportunity to father a child. With so many dysfunctional family stories around, THE SUM OF US serves as the perfect antidote. Despite his good looks and outgoing personality, Jeff is actually somewhat shy, as becomes obvious when he's getting to know Greg (John Polson), a man he meets at a local gay pub. Greg is no more certain of himself than Jeff, and it's only after a lot of nervous conversation that the pair arrive at Jeff's home. No sooner have the two dimmed the lights, however, than Harry wanders into the room to greet his son's prospective lover, unintentionally but effectively dispelling the romantic atmosphere. Meanwhile, Harry, who has been a widower for a number of years, is looking for female companionship. To that end, he enrolls in Desiree's Introduction Agency, and is set up with a middle-aged woman named Joyce (Deborah Kennedy). The two hit it off almost immediately, but, while both are interested in pursuing a serious relationship, it's unclear exactly how far each is willing to go. THE SUM OF US is delightful, by turns droll and serious. Yet even during its most dramatic moments, it retains a light-hearted tone that keeps things from becoming too grim. There's always a joke right around the corner, and none of the humor seems ill-suited to the situation. Writer David Stevens has a near-perfect sense of his characters, and they're the sort of people it's a pleasure to get to know. Strong, unaffected performances by leads Jack Thompson (who bears a resemblance to the American sit-com actor Jerry Van Dyke) and Russell Crowe (PROOF, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD) emphasize our sense of Harry and Jeff as normal, everyday people. There is no "fourth wall" in THE SUM OF US. The characters frequently turn to the camera--sometimes right in the middle of a conversation with each other--and address a sentence or two to the audience. The words are spoken with such easy familiarity that this particular device is almost always more effective than gimmicky. THE SUM OF US isn't exactly cutting-edge, but it takes a few chances (or what might be perceived as chances by an American viewing audience). Jeff's homosexuality is a complete non-issue. There's nothing political or tragic in his situation. In fact, he and the other characters frequently joke about it. Also, no compromises are made to give the conclusion an extra lift, proving it's possible to have a happy ending without undermining the story's intelligence. It's production elements like this that make THE SUM OF US such a worthwhile examination of what love is like for those whose lives don't follow traditional movie scripts. -James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Review: The Cure THE CURE A film review by James Berardinelli Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli RATING (0 TO 10): 4.8 U.S. Availability: wide release 4/21/95 Running Length: 1:38 MPAA Classification: PG-13 (AIDS themes, language) Starring: Brad Renfro, Joseph Mazzello, Anabella Sciorra, Diana Scarwid, Bruce Davison Director: Peter Horton Producers: Mark Burg and Eric Eisner Screenplay: Robert Kuhn Cinematography: Andrew Dintenfass Music: Dave Grusin Released by Universal Pictures Forget cancer. That life-stealer, which has fueled tear-jerkers from TERMS OF ENDEARMENT to MY LIFE, is passe, its position usurped by AIDS. Apparently, PHILADELPHIA was just the tip of the iceberg, and, if THE CURE is any indication, the American movie-going population may be on the verge of a deluge. One problem immediately comes to mind, however--how the grueling ordeal of the victim can be made palatable for mass market audiences. THE CURE offers a possibility, and it's not a pleasant one, for, as presented in this film, the bane of AIDS offers a noble, sanitized death. The Hollywood portrait of suffering here is in stark contrast to the gut-wrenching reality of SILVERLAKE LIFE: THE VIEW FROM HERE, Peter Friedman and Tom Joslin's 1993 documentary about living with and dying from AIDS. If you're looking for a watered-down AIDS movie that goes for the easy way out every time, THE CURE is perfect. It's the kind of production that would be at home as a TV after school special. In the most pedantic and obvious fashion possible, it ticks off all the appropriate truths: people shouldn't be reviled because they have AIDS, AIDS is not an airborne contagion, you don't have to be gay to get AIDS, and some gay people are even "nice." Of course, these are all valid messages for a motion picture to disseminate to a largely-ignorant public, but THE CURE presents them in a preachy and awkward manner. Good intentions combined with poor execution don't add up to much. The story centers around two neighboring boys: Erik (Brad Renfro of THE CLIENT), a loner with a self-absorbed, often-drunk mother (Diana Scarwid), and Dexter (Joseph Mazzello of JURASSIC PARK and SHADOWLANDS), an AIDS victim whose only friend is his loving mom (Anabella Sciorra). After a few conversations through a fence, Erik and Dexter meet face-to- face, the former having to overcome a fear of getting physically close to someone in Dexter's condition. However, following this first meeting, it doesn't take long for the two to become pals, and their growing friendship leads Erik to help Dexter begin a search for a cure to rid him of the scourge threatening to claim his life. In general, the script, which has a tendency to paint everything with broad strokes in black and white, is not well-written. While there are several scenes that are wonderfully insightful (such as an incident when Erik and Dexter covertly flip through an issue of PLAYBOY, then come into contact with two "real" women), these represent high points in a screenplay that often relies upon coincidence, contrivance, and manipulation. The ultimate goal of THE CURE is to wring a few tears from everyone in the audience, and it tries everything in pursuit of that aim. Character development proceeds along predictable, and not especially deep, lines. These aren't real people; they've been lifted from stock. Does anyone doubt that Erik and Dexter are destined to be good friends? Can anyone not see that Dexter's mom will develop maternal feelings for her son's only buddy? Is there any doubt that Erik's mother, the personification of AIDS-paranoia, homophobia, and alcoholism all-in-one, is actually a reincarnation of the Wicked Witch? In fact, actress Diana Scarwid drips so much meanness that she comes across as laughably absurd. I found one scene in THE CURE somewhat alarming, and possibly a little irresponsible. In an instance when Erik and Dexter are menaced by a knife-wielding bully, the AIDS-infected child calmly slices his own hand, brandishes the open wound, and intones, "My blood is like poison." This particular method of fighting back gets the job done--the man runs away--but it also potentially reinforces several negative stereotypes about AIDS and AIDS victims. Is the single camera shot of cuts on the attacker's arm enough to clue the audience in that blood-to-blood contact is necessary for a possible transmission? Or will the less-enlightened viewer come away thinking that a drop of HIV+ blood is deadly even if it touches only unbroken skin? There were plenty of wet eyes at the screening of THE CURE I attended, which indicates that the movie was accomplishing something. It does this, however, through shameless and intrusive manipulation that is less concerned about emotional honesty than pulling strings. Had the characters been more than thinly-sketched types and had the story contained a few more of those "special" moments of bonding between the two children, THE CURE might have been a heartwarming, heartbreaking tale. As it is, this film left me longing for another viewing of SILVERLAKE LIFE or, failing that, PHILADELPHIA. Both present the same themes as THE CURE, but in a manner that is both poignant and effective. -James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com) @START@Video Coming Attractions *************************************************************** * WELCOME TO KING VIDEO'S COMING ATTRACTIONS! (4/07/95) * *************************************************************** New announcements: ------------------- SAFE PASSAGE - JUNE 6 COLONEL CHABERT - JUNE 20 DUMB AND DUMBER - JUNE 20 LITTLE WOMEN - JUNE 20 THE LAST SEDUCTION - JUNE 27 Upcoming VHS release dates: ---------------------------- (List price in parentheses if it's less than the usual $89.98) - APRIL 11 IMAGINARY CRIMES (PG) drama; Harvey Keitel, Fairuza Balk, Kelly Lynch, Vincent D'Onofrio, Chris Penn THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (R) drama; Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman - APRIL 18 THE ADVOCATE (R) critically acclaimed period mystery; Colin Firth, Ian Holm, Amina Annabi, Donald Pleasance, Nicol Williamson BLUE SKY (PG13) drama; Jessica Lange, Tommy Lee Jones ED WOOD (R) comedy/biography; Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Bill Murray I LIKE IT LIKE THAT (R) award-winning independent film; Lauren Velez, Jon Seda, Rita Moreno, Griffin Dunne QUIZ SHOW (PG13) drama; Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, John Turturro - APRIL 25 HOOP DREAMS (PG13) award-winning sports documentary THE PUPPET MASTERS (R) sci-fi; Donald Sutherland, Julie Warner THE RADIOLAND MURDERS (PG) mystery; Mary Stuart Masterson, Brian Benben, Ned Beatty TERMINAL VELOCITY (PG13) action; Charlie Sheen, Nastassja Kinski - APRIL 27 FORREST GUMP (PG13) comedy/drama; Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright ($22.95 list price) - MAY 2 FLOUNDERING (R) comedy; James LeGros, John Cusack, Ethan Hawke, Steve Buscemi THE ROAD TO WELLVILLE (R) comedy; Anthony Hopkins, Bridget Fonda, Matthew Broderick, John Cusack, Dana Carvey TRAPPED IN PARADISE (PG13) comedy; Nicolas Cage, Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz - MAY 9 MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN (R) Gothic horror; Kenneth Branagh, Robert DeNiro, Helena Bonham-Carter, Tom Hulce, Aidan Quinn THE WAR (PG13) drama; Kevin Costner, Elijah Wood - MAY 15 S.F.W. (R) action/drama; Stephen Dorff, Reese Witherspoon - MAY 16 BULLETS OVER BROADWAY (R) comedy from Woody Allen; John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Tilly, Chazz Palminteri HIGHLANDER: THE FINAL DIMENSION (PG13) action/fantasy; Christopher Lambert, Mario Van Peebles THE JUNGLE BOOK (PG) live-action Disney adventure; Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Sam Neill, John Cleese ($22.98 list) MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE (R) drama/biography; Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Broderick, Campbell Scott PONTIAC MOON (PG13) drama/adventure; Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen THE PROFESSIONAL (R) action; Gary Oldman, Jean Reno SPEECHLESS (PG13) romantic comedy; Michael Keaton, Geena Davis - MAY 23 CLERKS (R) award-winning comedy; Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson HEAVENLY CREATURES (R) true-crime drama from New Zealand; Kate Winslet, Melanie Lynsky A LOW DOWN DIRTY SHAME (R) action/comedy; Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jada Pinkett, Charles S. Dutton RICHIE RICH (PG) comedy; Macaulay Culkin ($22.98 list) - MAY 31 LEGENDS OF THE FALL (R) drama/Western; Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn - JUNE 6 INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (R) Gothic horror, from the Anne Rice novel; Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christan Slater, Kirsten Dunst JUNIOR (PG13) comedy; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emma Thompson SAFE PASSAGE (PG13) drama; Susan Sarandon - JUNE 13 DISCLOSURE (R) drama/suspense, from the Michael Crichton novel; Michael Douglas, Demi Moore DROP ZONE (R) action; Wesley Snipes - JUNE 20 COLONEL CHABERT (NR) French period drama; Gerard Depardieu DUMB AND DUMBER (PG13) comedy; Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels LITTLE WOMEN (PG) drama; Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, Gabriel Byrne, Eric Stoltz MURDER IN THE FIRST (R) drama; Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman STREET FIGHTER (R) action, based on video game; Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia - JUNE 27 COBB (R) biography/sports drama; Tommy Lee Jones EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN (NR) Oscar-nominated foreign film THE LAST SEDUCTION (R) drama/suspense; Linda Fiorentino OLEANNA (NR) sexual-harassment drama from the David Mamet play; Debra Eisenstadt, William H. Macy - COMING IN SEPTEMBER THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE (NR) award-winning period drama; Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm PULP FICTION (R) Quentin Tarantino's multiple award-winning crime drama; John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Bruce Willis & all-star cast - SEPTEMBER 15* THE GOOFY MOVIE (G) Disney animation (list price TBA; April theatrical release) - OCTOBER 6* CINDERELLA (G) Disney animated classic (list price TBA) - NOV 3* THE SANTA CLAUSE (PG) holiday comedy; Tim Allen (list price TBA) (* - Nationally advertised availabilty dates. Street date will probably be the preceding Tuesday.) COMING SEPTEMBER 19 ON LASERDISC: ---------------------------------- THE LION KING (CLV $29.98 list, deluxe CAV edition $99.98 list) NOTE: This list does not include ALL the releases for the above dates; only the bigger and/or more notable ones. ALSO NOTE: Release dates are subject to change! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JMC * King Video Inc. * * martyc@vt.edu * VA's most exciting video stores * * Virginia Tech * The Blacksburg Electronic Village * * Blacksburg VA * www.bev.net >> The Village Mall * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The usual disclaimers, etc. @START@About Your Moderator Hello Everyone! I'm happy to be a contributing party to this new TJSoft Door program! I'm James Fish, moderator of the ATW Political Forum. I will be contributing non-mainstream conservative text files and responding to appropriate messages left regarding same. Two years ago I was computer illiterate..."today I are one!" Am sysop of The BIRCH BARK BBS, featuring a significant collection of political, historic and economically oriented files. And the operator of the InterNet Listserve List "FWIW"... My BBS is also a happy registered user of some of the TJSoft programs! Regarding replies...I will be most happy to attempt intelligent responses to all such posts received. I encourage difference of opinion, the only way we can challenge our beliefs! Please note, "flaming" will not stimulate a response! regards =================================================================== The BIRCH BARK BBS / 414-242-5070 (long distance callers require manual upgrade, usually within hours) No Fee, No Adult Areas, No Download Limits Largest On-Line Collection Of Non-Mainstream Conservative Text Files! On-Line Distribution Point For Several Publishers 24 Hours / 14.4 =================================================================== To subscribe to FWIW simply send the following: To: listserv@earth.execpc.com Subj: (leave blank) Message: subscribe fwiw That's it! The welcome letter will tell you more! =================================================================== @START@UNplanning your future... * America's Future, Inc. * Behind The Headlines * April 1995 * NEW PUSH FOR "WORLD GOVERNMENT" =============================== They're back! Despite all the U.N.'s problems with international peace- keeping, the advocates of world government are busier than ever. At the so-called World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark, last month, some 10,000 delegates from more than 140 countries debated plans for a world government financed by global taxes and other revenues totalling $1.5 trillion over five years. Provisions call for creation of a "global human security fund" to finance a World Ministry of Agriculture, a World Ministry of Industry, a World Ministry of Social Affairs and a World Police Department. While the Republican-led Congress is unlikely to go along with any such globalism, the Copenhagen Summit was addressed in supportive terms by both Vice President Al Gore and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Next on the U.N.'s timetable is a World Summit of Children in June, followed by the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing, China, in September, and a gala commemoration of the U.N.'s 50th anniversary next October in San Francisco. Awe-struck observers might well ask, what's next? Well, there already have been a whole series of U.N. conferences on world population, held in Cairo last September; on human rights, conducted in Vienna in 1993; and the famous Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June, 1992, attended by Vice Presi- dent Gore, among others. The Rio conference produced what's called the Convention of Biological Diversity. Its stated purpose is to "protect the variability among all living organisms and species...." Critics have called the treaty a quantum leap in environmental radicalism, allowing international bureaucrats to intrude into the day-to-day activities of American farmers, ranchers and businessmen, and to impose regulations governing them. President Bush refused to sign on, but President Clinton has submitted the treaty to the Senate for ratification. Senator Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is among lawmakers demanding major revisions to protect U.S. interests before any further consideration. There's more. Also out there, waiting for Senate ratification, is the "Convention of the Law of the Sea." It establishes an International Seabed Authority to regulate private mining of the ocean floor. An entity called the Enterprise would be empowered to develop the seabed resources for the benefit of all mankind. Western countries and companies would provide the necessary funds and technology. Critics see it as part of a "New Interna- tional Economic Order" aimed at promoting the redistribution of global resources, technology and wealth. Nor is this all. Also awaiting Senate ratification is a U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, drawn up by a 1990 world summit hosted by the U.N.'s Children's Emergency Fund, or UNICEF. Presidents Reagan and Bush declined to sign the treaty as an infringement both on U.S. sovereignty and on parental authority. However, last February Hillary Clinton served notice that President Clinton would sign the treaty and send it to the Senate for ratification. Not so fast, says Phyllis Schlafly, president of Eagle Forum and a leading opponent of "one-worldism." Warns Mrs. Schlafly: "This outrageous U.N. treaty is designed to take children away from the protection of their parents, put children under the authority of U.N. `experts,' give children the legal rights of adults, and set up government lawyers to sue parents to assert the child's `rights.'" Citing the treaty's dangers, Mrs. Schlafly asks parents: "Do you want the U.N. to have the power to tell your minor children that they have the `right' to refuse to do their homework? Or the `right' to watch TV when you tell them to turn it off? Or the `freedom of religion' to refuse to go church with you? Or the `right' to refuse to clean up their room and carry out the garbage?" The answers are obvious. National Review, the conservative magazine, calls the Rights of the Child treaty "the mother of all mandates." It cites a number of "horror stories" from Great Britain, which signed the treaty four years ago. For example, a U.N."enforcement" committee is on record against parents who "chastise" their children. In response, the British government has felt obliged to ask if "a light smack" would be permissible! Concludes National Review: "The U.S. Senate should slam-dunk this globocratic nonsense." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Behind the Headlines, written by Philip C. Clarke, is a syndicated column distributed by America's Future. It is available to interested newspapers and other publications on a gratis basis as a service of this non-profit educational organization. For more information, please write or call Mr. John Wetzel, c/o America's Future Inc., P.O. Box 1625, Milford, Pa. 18337 (717) 296-2800. @START@"Wall of Separation" was between Fed and State! * America's Future, Inc. * Behind The Headlines * April 1995 * OUR FOUNDING FATHERS AND RELIGION ================================= To modern Americans, the separation between church and state is taken for granted. But an important new book reveals that the Founding Fathers had a slightly different view on the subject. The First Amendment to the Constitution contains these well-known words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." And through the early part of the nation's history, this phrase was taken to mean that the federal government could not establish a state religion, nor could it limit religious practices. But over the past 30 years or so, the courts have gradually altered this interpretation so as to literally divorce religion and matters of faith from anything at all in the public domain. And it's a change for the worse, says M. Stanton Evans, author of a new book entitled, The Theme is Freedom: Religion, Politics and the American Tradition. Evans poses the question: "Was the First Amendment really intended to build a `wall of separation' between the church and state?" His answer: "History is clear: it was not. The Founding Fathers wanted to protect religion from federal government interference, not diminish its influence in our public life." With meticulous research, Evans demonstrates that the Founding Fathers were very religious men. Even Ben Franklin, whose reputation casts him as a lovable rogue, had a deeply held religious faith. The author quotes Franklin's words: "The longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men." Indeed, as Evans reveals, the Founding Fathers were so devoutly religious that many of them supported state-sponsored churches. Nine of the 13 colonies had officially "established" a church, meaning that the government recognized a particular denomination as having rights and privileges that others did not have, including subsidies paid from tax revenues. But growing religious diversity in the colonies made many of the Founding Fathers reconsider the wisdom of an official church. And, as Evans notes, in 1785, before adoption of the Constitution, James Madison co-sponsored a bill in the Virginia legislature to "disestablish" the Protestant Episcopal Church and forbid taxes from being used to support any church. Evan goes on to say that this trend to disestablish churches did not mean the Founding Fathers were enemies of religious matters. Indeed, the Continental Congress had a chaplain and opened its first session with a prayer, as does today's Congress. And, Evans adds, "in 1780, in the midst of Revolutionary conflict, the Congress also took steps to print an American Bible, as the supply from England had been cut off." He also reveals that the very words of the First Amendment were written by a committee that contained "two members from Connecticut's state established Congregational Church." Evans also recalls that the Founding Fathers believed the federal government had no power to regulate religion, but that states did have such power. In Thomas Jefferson's second inaugural address, for example, the third president said that "in matters of religion, he had `left them, as the Constitution found them, under the direction and discipline of State or Church authorities acknowledged by the several religious societies.'" Evans reports that Jefferson's views were based on the Tenth Amendment, as well as on the First. In the latter amendment, the Founders wrote that "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." As Evans sums up: "The conclusion seems irresistible: that no wall of separation between religious affirmation and civil government was intended by the First Amendment. The wall of separation was between the federal government and the states. "We have come to a day," he concludes, "when a child's mention of God in a graduation address or the presence of a Nativity scene in a public place triggers threats of legal action. This is a gross distortion of our Constitutional history and a dishonor to our Founders." To which we say, Amen to that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Behind the Headlines, written by Philip C. Clarke, is a syndicated column distributed by America's Future. It is available to interested newspapers and other publications on a gratis basis as a service of this non-profit educational organization. For more information, please write or call Mr. John Wetzel, c/o America's Future Inc., P.O. Box 1625, Milford, Pa. 18337 (717) 296-2800. @START@Recommended reading for April 15th! [Jacket Review] For Good And Evil: The Impact Of Taxes On The Course Of Civilization ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ by Charles Adams Pub. Madison Books "I can honestly say that in the course of fifteen years of professional research and writing about taxation, I would place Charles W.Adams' history at the absolute top of any reading list on the subject." - From the forward by Professor Alvin Rabushka Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University [Jacket] The very word taxes sends shivers up spines. Yet, very few realize the tremendous impact that taxation has had on civilization. Charles Adams changes that in this facinating history. Taxation, says Adams, has been a catalyst of history, the powerful influence if not the direct cause of many of the famous events of history that have marched across the world's stage as empires collided and battled for the right to tax the loser. For Good And Evil is the first book to examine how taxation has been a key factor in world events. Like the Rosetta Stone - a tax document - the book sheds fresh light onto much of history. Did you know that biblical Israel split after Solomon's death because his son refused to cut taxes? That Rome rose to greatness due to a liberal tax regime but declined under corrupt and inefficient ones? That in Britain, Lady Godiva made her famous ride as a tax protest? That in Switzerland William Tell shot an apple off his son's head as punishment for tax resistance? Or that Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, was a Customs House? Combining facts with thought-provoking comment he frequently draws parallels between tax events of the past and those of the present. Finding fault with the way Western civilization is taxed, Adams provides ideas for curing those faults by using the valuable lessons that history has taught. The special value of this refreshing new look at history lies in the lessons to be drawn by all thinking taxpayers. "Taxes are the fuel that makes civilization run, but how we tax and spend determines to a large extent whether we are prosperous or poor, free or enslaved, and most importantly, good or evil." Once you read For Good And Evil, you'll never feel the same about taxes! @START@History repeating itself... [T]he empire of the Romans filled the world.... [T]he world became a safe and dreary prison for [Caesar's] enemies....To resist was fatal, and it was impossible to fly...."Wherever you are," said Cicero to the exiled Marcellus, "remember that you are equally within the power of the conqueror." - Edward Gibbon [1] [W]e have ceased to be the world of nation-states that we once were....I don't believe that the world is going to retreat into a situation where people are going to run away from this global neighborhood we've become, because there are no sanctuaries left - there's no place to run to. - Shridath Ramphal, co-chairman of the Commission on Global Governance [2] NOTES: [1] Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, from Great Books of the Western World, Robert Maynard Hutchins, editor-in-chief (Encyclopedia Britannica/ University of Chicago, 1952), vol.40, p.34. [2] Answer to a question posed by the author during a press conference at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt, September 7, 1994. See The New American, October 3, 1994, p.13. Source: Freedom On The Alter: the UN's Crusade Against God & Family By William Norman Grigg (c)1995, First Printing, March 1995. @START@PC going to the dogs! IS YOUR DOG A RACIST? ===================== Don't worry, says Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Secret Life of Dogs, if your pooch "prefers people of his owner's race." It "means only that he can see a difference between races, not that the dog or owner is a bigot." Whew! "You do a dog no favor, however, by encouraging his racial preferences. If your dog has such prejudices, it's a good idea to accustom him to people of other races. You could enlist the help of friends of other races, who could visit with you in the dog's presence. Some attention and a few dog biscuits handed out by the friends might go a long way toward changing your dog's unprogressive attitude." (USA Weekend, 1/6-8/95) Source: Rothbard-Rockwell Report PC Watch by L.H.R.,Jr. April 1995, Vol.VI, No.3, p.7 @START@Most interesting Q & A ! Q. How many amendments to the Constitution have been proposed over the years? Which took the shortest time to ratify? The longest? A. Since the Constitution was signed in 1787 by members of the Convention held in Philadelphia, there have been 10,679 amendments proposed to it, according to an analysis by the Hearst newspapers. To date, only 27 amendments have become part of the founding document, including the first ten known as the Bill of Rights. The swiftest passage came for the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, its ratification by the states was com- pleted on July 1, 1971. By contrast, it took 203 years to pass the 27th Amendment, which in essence directs that Congress cannot pass immedi- ate pay raises for itself. The 27th stipulates that no law varying compensation for senators and representatives shall take effect before there is an intervening election of representatives. It was among the first 12 amendments proposed by the Congress in 1789 and sent to the states for ratification (without any time limit attached); it took until 1992 for Michigan to become the 38th state to ratify - the requisite three-fourths. Some have called the result of the convention in Philadel- phia a miracle. As Daniel Webster warned: "Miracles do not cluster. Hold on to the Constitution of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands - what has happened once in six thousand years may never happen again. Hold on to your Constitution, for if the American Constitution shall fail there will be anarchy throughout the world." Source: The New American The Right Answers, p.18 April 17, 1995 @START@UNshameful history! * The New American * April 3, 1995 * UNITED NATIONS CHRONOLOGY: FIFTY YEARS OF SHAME +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ By Robert W. Lee Though far from complete, the following record demonstrates the extent to which the United Nations has, since its founding in 1945, worked to pull down the economic, political, and moral pillars on which the American Republic was built: APRIL 25, 1945. The United Nations founding conference convened in San Francisco with U.S. State Department official Alger Hiss serving as Secretary-General. Hiss, a Soviet spy, would eventually be convicted of perjury for lying about his pro-Soviet activities. FEBRUARY 6, 1946. The Senate confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Harry Dexter White to be executive director for the United States of the UN's International Monetary Fund (IMF). White served as chairman of the committee that established the IMF. In November 1953, Attorney General Herbert Brownell confirmed during a speech in Chicago that White, like Hiss, was a Soviet spy. Brownell asserted that "the records in my department show that White's spying activi- ties for the Soviet government were reported in detail by the FBI to the White House...in December of 1945. In the face of this infor- mation, and incredible though it may seem, President Truman subse- quently on January 23, 1946 nominated White" to the IMF post. SEPTEMBER 8, 1954. The Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty was signed by the eight participating nations, including the United States. The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), is a region- al subsidiary of the UN, later served as the primary "legal" justifi- cation for U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Writing in the New York Times for March 2, 1966, C. L. Sulzberger revealed that former Secre- tary of State John Foster Dulles "fathered SEATO with the deliberate purpose, as he explained to me, of providing the U.S. President with legal authority to intervene in Indochina." After the war, which formally ended with a communist victory on April 30, 1975, SEATO, having served its purpose, was disbanded (February 1976). SEPTEMBER 13, 1961. The UN launched Operation Morthor, a full-scale military invasion of the independent, anti-communist province of Katanga in the former Belgian Congo. The UN assault included the bombing of hospitals, attacks on ambulances, and general violence so extreme that the 46 civilian doctors of Katanga's capital of Eliza- bethville issued the book-length report 46 ANGRY MEN which, accompan- ied by pictorial examples of UN atrocities, documented the horror that the UN inflicted in the name of "peace." SEPTEMBER 25, 1961. President John F. Kennedy presented the U.S. disarmament plan, subsequently published as State Department Publica- tion 7277 (Freedom From War: The United States Program for General and Complete Disarmament in a Peaceful World), the ultimate aim of which is the creation of a world order in which "no state would have the military power to challenge the progressively strengthened U.N. Peace Force...." The treasonous policy outlined in this sovereignty- destroying document remains in effect to the present. NOVEMBER 11, 1965. Rhodesia declared its independence from Great Britain, and the UN General Assembly immediately branded it "a threat to international peace and security." On December 16, 1966, the Security Council voted to impose mandatory sanctions (for the first time in UN history), which the Johnson Administration promptly endors- ed. In 1971, Congress approved an amendment allowing the U.S. to import strategic materials from communist nations, but repealed the amendment in 1977. On April 18, 1980, Rhodesia officially expired, becoming the Marxist-ruled nation of Zimbabwe. UN sanctions were lifted and by late September the U.S. and other Western countries had pledged more than $300 million in aid to the new communist regime led by terrorist Robert Mugabe. OCTOBER 25, 1971. The General Assembly voted to admit Mao Tse-tung's Red China into the UN, and ousted Nationalist (Free) China. In an unprecedented move, Secretary-General Thant subsequently expelled Free China's press representatives from UN headquarters. The 1975 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records reported that the "greatest massacre in human history ever attributed to any nation is that of 26,300,000 Chinese during the regime of Mao Tse-tung be- tween 1949 and May, 1965." APRIL 16, 1974. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced plans to aid communist North Vietnam and areas held by the Vietcong in the South. The program, described in a report by UNICEF director Henry Labouisse, called for $18 million of the $22.5 million amount to be spent in the North. NOVEMBER 13, 1974. Yasir Arafat, leader of the terrorist Palistine Liberation Organization (PLO), addressed the UN General Assembly. It was the first time that a representative of any group lacking offcial UN status had appeared before the assembly. In subsequent months, the PLO was invited to participate in many UN agencies, and the UN announced on October 7, 1978 that its Secretariat had launched a $500,000 publicity campaign to, among other things, create a moderate image for the PLO in the United States and other Western countries. APRIL 2, 1992. The U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, many provisions of which are diametrically opposed to tenets of our own Bill of Rights. Article 20, for instance, requires states "to prohibit by law any propaganda for war and any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incite- ment to discrimination, hostility or violence." In the United States, the right to preach, print, and propagandize even wrong-headed views has been one of our most cherished and vigorously defended freedoms. JULY 1993. The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) granted consul- tive status to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), a coalition which includes the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). NAMBLA promotes pedophilia and advocates sex with children as young as six years old. On January 26, 1994, the U.S. Senate unani- mously voted to withhold $118.8 million in fiscal year 1994, and in 1995 if necessary, from the U.S. annual contribution to the UN unless ECOSOC severed its ties with ILGA. In September 1994, ECOSOC did indeed suspend ILGA, but only until the homosexual group proves that it has in turn cut ties with NAMBLA and any other groups that condone, promote, or seek to legalize adult-child sexual relations. [end] @START@Trick or Treat! * The New American * April 3, 1995 * UNICEF: BEHIND THE MASK +++++++++++++++++++++++ By William P. Hoar Halloween trick or treating and greeting cards are what most Americans think about when they hear the name UNICEF. The greeting card operation alone, according to a recent Yearbook of the United Nations, brings in an annual take of $76.6 million. But behind the marketing facade that supposedly raises funds for international child welfare programs is an agenda to augment the power and influence of global government. UNICEF specifically supports, as noted in its State of the World's Child- ren, 1994, "sustainable development following the guidelines of Agenda 21, the blueprint for the world's environment agreed to at the 'Earth Summit' in Rio de Janeiro in 1992." An Agenda 21 document acknowledges that it "proposes an array of actions which are intended to be implemented by every person on earth...." One outgrowth of UNICEF's 1990 World Summit for children was the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was pushed through in 1990, has 176 signa- tories, but has yet to be ratified by the United States. Hillary Clinton announced at a memorial service for James Grant, the late head of UNICEF, that the U.S. would, in his honor, sign the world pact and send it to the Senate for ratification. Proponents argue that the plight of children is so ghastly as to require that there be an immediate world "right" to protect them; but they also insist that the resultant "protections" (at least in the U.S.) would be so meaningless that no one should worry about any changes that might occur. Are we to believe that global power grabbers would spend so much effort on empty symbolism? Former UN consultant Graham Hancock points out in his book, The Lords of Poverty: The Power, Prestige and Corruption of the International Aid Business, that "personnel and associated costs" absorb some "80 percent of all UN expenditures," with UNICEF and other "humanitarian" agencies spending an inordinate amount on self-promotion. But in view of some of the "beneficiaries" of UNICEF aid, the inordinate administration cost is not necessarily bad news. Consider the help given the communists in Vietnam (or substitute other dictatorships for similar results). As Robert Heinl of the Detroit News commented in a May 1975 column called "UNICEF Aided Vietnam Fall": Last fall when you gave the kids trick-or-treat money for UNICEF Christams cards, did it occur that you, and behind you, the U.S. Government, were bankrolling the Communist takeover of South Vietnam" Well, you were.... UNICEF collected and disbursed a total of $13,649,433 for its Indochina children's programs....Of this eight-figure sum, $8,976,587 went to Communist recipients: $6,313,130 diectly to Hanoi and $1,975,567 more - via Haiphong and Hanoi, of course - to the Viet Cong.... Here's more recent notoriety: Auditors for UNICEF itself have found it necessary to criticize the agency's propensity for bribery payments - sometimes euphemistically called "salary supplements" or "commissions." According to a UN audit conducted for the auditors general of Britain, Ghana, and India, "the practice appears to be widespread among United Nations organizations, multilateral and bilateral organizations and non- governmental organizations." The problems of bribery, reported the New York Times for December 25, 1994, are "particularly pervasive" in Africa. However, the most bothersome thing seems not to be the amount of bribery, nor the principle. Such payments, commented the Times, "divert money from development efforts and pose the risk of steadily increasing. Indeed, the auditors did not stress the amount involved but rather the potential threat to programs." In other words, if the complicity with bribery and graft becomes known, the scam might suffer and globalizing efforts be set back. The plight of children remains part of the shell game. [end] @START@WWII Forced Repatriation / Operation Keelhaul * The Future of Freedom Foundation * April 1995 * REPATRIATION - THE DARK SIDE OF WORLD WAR II: PART III By Jacob G. Hornberger ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Adolf Hitler did not trust Andrey Vlasov. The Russian general had served in the Russian army since the Russian Revolution. He had fought hard and valiantly in the successful defense of Moscow. It was only because of Stalin's refusal to permit Vlasov and his men to retreat during the subsequent battle at Leningrad that the German forces had defeated and captured Vlasov. It was difficult for Hitler to believe that Vlasov was now willing to lead captured Russian soldiers against Stalin and his communist regime. So, it was not until the very end of the war - January 1945 - that Hitler finally relented and permitted Vlasov to lead Russian POWs into battle against the Russian army. But by this time, Germany was close to defeat. The forces under Vlasov's command - some 50,000 Russian soldiers - played a minor military role in the war. Ironically, Vlasov's forces did have one very interesting military victory. The Czech underground sought their assistance in helping to liberate Czechoslovakia from Nazi control! Vlasov, who despised the Nazis as much as he hated the communists, agreed to help. The Saturday Evening Post later reported: Prague really was liberated by foreign troops, after all. Not by the Allies who did not arrive until the shooting was all over, but by 22,000 Russian outlaws wearing German uniforms. The leader of these renegades was General Vlasov, a former hero of the Red Army. The battlefield was obviously chaotic. The Russians were approaching from the east. The Americans and British were approaching from the west. Vlasov and his forces were in the middle, the German forces were at his back. On May 7, 1945, Germany capitulated. Vlasov knew that Stalin was not a forgiving man. After his capture, Vlasov had openly defied the communists and communism. He had tried to arouse the Russian people to revolt against their communist tyrants. Vlasov knew that capture meant certain death for him and his men. Andrey Vlasov chose to surrender to American forces. He did not know that Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin had already sealed his fate. He did not know that these four rulers of the Allied powers had already committed themselves to one of the worst holocausts in history. He did not know that evil pervaded not only the Nazi and communist regimes, but the American and British regimes, as well. Part of the Yalta Agreement between the Big Three - Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill - involved the repatriation of Russians and Americans to their respective homelands. Keep in mind that the German POW camps contained American prisoners, British prisoners, and Russian prisoners. The Big Three agreed that as the Russians liberated Germany POW camps. American and British POWs would be turned over to the American and British forces. As the Americans and British liberated German POW camps, Russian POWs would be returned to Russia. There was one problem with this agreement - a problem that each of the Big Three was well aware of. American and British POWs wanted to return to their own forces. RUSSIAN POWS DID NOT WANT TO RETURN TO RUSSIAN FORCES BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE FATE THAT AWAITED THEM. Stalin wanted revenge. The Russian prisoners were traitors to communism. They deserved to die. And Roosevelt and Churchill felt the exact same way. Russia was "our friend." Stalin was "Uncle Joe" to the American people. Any Russian who had defied Uncle Joe - any Russian who had opposed our communist friends and allies - deserved to be executed. The revenge and ensuing holocaust had to be kept secret from the world. The American and British people had to continue maintaining their illusion that this was a war of good versus evil - that only the Nazis engaged in cold-blooded murder - that the Allies epitomized all the goodness of mankind. Therefore, the Big Three spelled out their plans not just in the official Yalta agreement but, also, in a March 31, 1945, secret codicil to the agreement. As James Sanders, Mark Sauter, and R. Cort Kirkwood point out in their shooking book, Soldiers of Misfortune (1992), the codicil was kept secret from the American and British people for FIFTY YEARS. The codicil outlined the secret plan by which the Russian POWs would be forcibly returned to Stalin's clutches. American government officials called their part in the holocaust Operation Keelhaul. In his book Operation Keelhaul (1973), Julius Epstein described the meaning of the term: To keelhaul is the cruelest and most dangerous of punishments and tortures ever devised for men aboard a ship. It involves trussing a man up with ropes, throwing him overboard, unable to swim, and hauling him under the boat's kell from one side to the other, or even from stem to stern. Most of those keelhauled under water are already dead when their punishment is over. And Epstein describes his reaction to the choice of this term by American government officials to describe their part in the Allied holocaust: That our Armed Forces should have adopted this term as its code name for deporting by brutal force to concentration camp, firing squad, or hangman's noose millions who were already in the lands of freedom, shows how little the high brass thought of their longing to be free. The roles played by each of the conspirators was clear: Roosevelt and Churchill would force the Russian anticommunists into Stalin's hands. The communists would take over from there and do the actual killing. How many were turned over to the Russians by American and British forces? TWO MILLION INDIVIDUALS. Yes, two million Russian people sent back to the communists where they were either immediately executed or sent to die in the Gulag. It was not easy to "persuade" the Russian prisoners to return to the communists. Sometimes, subterfuge was used. Epstein details several examples. One took place on May 28, 1945, in Lienz, Austria. British forces ordered all Cossack officials to attend an important British conference with high British officials. The Cossacks were told to leave their coats since they would be back by six in the evening. Their famalies were advised so that family members would not worry over their short absence. When the Cossacks appeared nervous, an English officer told them, "I assure you on my word of honor as a British officer that you are just going to a conference." The 2,749 Cossacks - 2,201 of whom were officers - were driven straight into a prison camp and were advised by British officials that the Soviet authorities would soon arrive to pick them up. Epstein writes: One Cosack officer remarked: "The NKVD or the Gestapo would have slain us with truncheons, the British did it with their word of honor." The first to commit suicide by hanging was the Cossack editor Evgenji Tarruski. The second was General Silkin who shot himself....The Cossacks refused to board [the trucks]. British soldiers with pistols and clubs began using their clubs, aiming at the heads of the prisoners. They first dragged the men out of the crowd and threw them into the trucks. The men jumped out. They beat them again and threw them onto the floor of the trucks. Again, they jumped out. The British then hit them with rifle butts until they lay unconscious and threw them like sacks of potatoes in the trucks. The same scenes were repeated all along the lines - two million Russian people tricked and beaten by British and American forces so that Stalin could finish the job later on. Some of this dirty work even took place on American soil. Epstein describes what happened to Russian POWs who were imprisoned at Fort Dix, New Jersey: First, they refused to leave their barracks when ordered to do so. The military police then used tear gas, and, half-dazed, the prisoners were driven under heavy guard to the harbor where they were forced to board a Soviet vessel. Here the two hundred immediately started to fight. They fought with their bare hands. They started - with considerable success - to destroy the ship's engines.... A sergeant...mixed barbiturates into their coffee. Soon, all of the prisoners fell into a deep, coma-like sleep. It was in this condition that the prisoners were brought to another Soviet boat for a speedy return to Stalin's hangmen. Andrey Vlasov - the man who hated communism - the man who hated Nazism - carefully explained his position and reasoning to the American generals. In his book Vlasov, Sven Steenberg describes Vlasov's conversation with one of his American captors: He began to speak, at first slowly and dispassionately, but then with growing intensity. For one last time, he spoke of all the prospects, hopes, and disappointments of his countrymen. He summed up everything for which countless Russians had fought and suffered. It was no longer really to the American that he was addressing himself - this was rather a confession, a review of his life, a last protest against the destiny that had brought him to a wretched end....[Vlasov] stated that the leaders of the ROA were ready to appear before an international court, but that it would be a monumental injustice to turn them over to the Soviets and thereby to certain death. It was not a question of volunteers who had served the Germans, but of a political organiza- tion, of a broad opposition movement which, in any event, should not be dealt with under military law. Vlasov could not know that he was a dead man before he even surrendered to American forces. Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill, and Truman had already decided that he needed to be executed for the "crime" of betraying his own government. There was no need to go through the time, expense, trouble, and possible embarrassment of a trial. All that needed to be done was for the Americans to turn him over to their friendly executioner, "Uncle Joe" Stalin. American military officials delivered Andrey Vlasov to Soviet military authorities. On August 2, 1946, the Soviet press reported that Andrey Vlasov had been hanged by Soviet officials for "treason as well as active espionage and terrorist activity against the Soviet Union." Unfortunately, all of the facts of the forcible repatriation of the Russian anticommunists have not been revealed. American and British government officials take the position that "national security" will be jeopardized if the citizenry is ever permitted to know all of the details of the Allied holocaust. Thus, fifty years after world War II, American "adults" are still not permitted by their public officials to see the government's files and records on America's involvement in the "good war" and, specifically, in the Allied holocaust. As with most claims of "national security," the concern is not so much with the security of the nation but rather with the security of the U.S. government and, specifically, the U.S. military-industrial complex. For it is entirely possible that the American people will finally pierce through all the lies and deceptions that have clouded their minds since the first grade in public schools to which their parents were forced to send them. It is quite possible that they will recognize the wisdom of their Founding Fathers - and see that the biggest threat to their well- being lies not with some foreign government, but rather with their own government. Was the Allied holocaust the end of the repatriation story? Unfortunately, no. the last chapter of Stalin's, Roosevelt's, Truman's, and Churchill's horrid tale of deception, brutality, and murder involves Americans "liberated" from German POW camps by the Russians - and the role played in this chapter by the U.S. government, the same government that has always insisted that the American people "support the troops." [end] Mr. Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. 11350 Random Hills Road, Suite 800 Fairfax, VA 22030 Tel. (703) 934-6101 Fax. (703) 803-1480 One year subscriptions for Freedom Daily is $15. @START@UNcompatibility [Excerpt] The UN's vision of "peace" and the communist vision of "peace" are identical - a fact which was candidly recog- nized by no less an authority than former UN secretary- general U Thant. In a message sent to a 1970 UNESCO symposium on Lenin held in Finland, Thant declared: Lenin was a man with a mind of great clarity and incisiveness, and his ideas have had a profound influence on the course of contempor- ary history....[Lenin's] ideals of peace and peaceful coexistence among states...are in line with the aims of the U.N. Charter..."[1] Note: [1] "Lenin Aims Like U.N.'s, Thant Says," Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1970 Source: "Freedom On The Alter: The UN's Crusade Against God & Family" By William Norman Grigg (c)1995, First Printing...March, 1995, p.26 @START@UNmuzzle our legislature! [excerpt] * UN BARS CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION. On February 29, 1992, U.S. Army Colonel Albert C. Zapanta returned to the United States after a six-month tour of duty with a UN peacekeeping force in Western Sahara. One of 30 Americans sent there to monitor an election, Zapanta had complained about being neglected by the UN, threatened by neighboring Moroccans, and forced to live under danger- ous circumstances. A Senate Foreign Affairs African subcommittee sought to hear Zapanta's testimony about his ordeal. But State Department officials barred his appearance because a UN regulation for- bids those who serve in UN missions to give information to national legislatures, even their own. The U.S. had already contributed $43.3 million for this mission. The Bush Admin- istration did nothing to challenge this outrageous UN policy that amounted to another step away from national sovereignty. Notes: Barbara Crossette, "Congress Scrutinizes Peacekeeping Test Case," New York Times, March 1, 1992. Source: "Changing Command: The Betrayal of America's Military" By John F. McManus (c)1995, First Printing...March 1995, p.36. With permission. @START@Governing principles! It can't be repeated too often that, in the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers asserted the revolution- ary and "self evident" truth that "men...are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." The Founders went on to assert, "to secure these Rights, Governments are insti- tuted among Men." Note the logical sequence: 1) God exists; 2) God creates man and endows him with rights; and 3) Man creates government to protect those rights. The individual precedes and is superior to government. Our Constitution is not a body of law to govern the people; it was formulated to govern the government, to make government the servant and not the master of the people. Source: Global Tyranny...Step By Step: The United Nations and the Emerging New World Order By William F. Jasper (c)1992 p.147 @START@UNenlightening Facts! (II) Excerpts: GLOBAL TYRANNY...STEP BY STEP: The United Nations and the Emerging New World Order By: Willaim F. Jasper --------------------------------- From Chapter 4, REDS, p.65 Support for the UN was even written into the Communist Party's basic document. The preamble to the constitution of the Communist Party, USA states: The Communist party of the United States...fights uncompromisingly against...all forms of chauvinism...It holds further that the true national interest of our country and the cause of peace and progress require...the strengthening of the United Nations as a universal instrument of peace. [10] ---------------------------------- p.66 Another former top Communist Party member, Joseph Z. Kornfeder, revealed in 1955: Now, as to the United Nations. If you were, let's say, a building engineer, and someone were to show you a set of blueprints about a certain building, you would know from those blueprints how that building was going to look. Organization "blueprints" can be read the same way. I need not be a member of the United Nations Secretar- iat to know that the UN "blueprint" is a Communist one. I was at the Moscow headquarters of the world Communist party for nearly three years and was acquainted with most of the top leaders, and, of course, I was also a leading party worker. I went to their colleges; I learned their pattern of operations, and if I see that pattern in effect anywhere, I can recognize it... From the point of view of its master designers meeting at Dumbarton Oaks and Bretton Woods, and which included such masterful agents as Alger Hiss, Harry Dexter White, Lauchlin Currie, and others, the UN was, and is, NOT a failure. They and the Kremlin masterminds behind them never intended the UN as a peace-keeping organization. What they had in mind was a fancy and colossal Trojan horse under the wings of which their smaller agencies could more effectively operate. And in that they succeeded, even beyond their expectations... Its [the UN's] internal setup, Communist designed, is a pattern for sociological conquest; a pattern aimed to serve the purpose of Communist penetration of the West. It is ingenious and deceptive. [12] Two years earlier (1953), a congressional committee heard testimony from Colonel Jan Bukar, a Czechoslovakian intelligence officer who had defected to the West. Among revelations he supplied was a lecture given by Soviet General Bondarenko at the Frunze Military Academy in Moscow. In that lecture, Bondarenko told the elite trainees: "From the rostrum of the United Nations, we shall convince the colonial and semicolonial people to liberate themselves and to spread the Communist theory all over the world." [13] ----------------------- p.72 Among the many defectors from the communist bloc countries who have testified about the importance of the UN in the Soviet scheme of things is former KGB operative Ladislav Bittman. In his book THE KGB AND SOVIET DISINFORMATION: AN INSIDER'S VIEW, Bittman wrote: The United Nations is an international organization that deserves special attention for the role it plays in overt and clandestine propaganda campaigns conducted by the Soviets. As an organization that helps to shape world public opinion and plays a vital peace- keeping role, the United Nations is a major battlefield for the Soviet union and the United States...But the Soviet Union maintains the most impressive intelligence organization, consisting of the largest single concentration of Soviet spies anywhere in the West... Spying in New York is so pervasive that some diplomats refer to the United Nations as "the stock exchange of global intelligence operations." [27] Arkady Shevchenko, who was an under-secretary-general at the UN when he defected in 1978, has described the United Nations as a "gold mine for Russian spying." [28] The most senior official to defect to the West, Shevchenko was a personal assistant to Soviet Foreign Secretary Andrei Gromyko from 1970 to 1973. He then became Under-Secreatry-General for Political and Security Council Affairs at the United Nations. Shevchenko confirmed what anti-communists had been saying all along: The Soviet Politburo regarded detente as simply "a tactical manoeuvre which would in no way supersede the Marxist-Leninist idea of the final victory of the worldwide revolutionary process." [29] And the United Nations was continu- ing to play an essential role in that process. "In spite of this and other exposures," said Pincher in 1985, "the Inter- national Department and the KGB have not reduced the scale of their opera- tions out of the United Nations and its offshoots, being unable to resist the facility, denied to ordinary diplomats, that renders UN staff free to travel, without restriction, in the countries where they are based." [30] KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky gave a similar assessment: The size of the KGB presence in both the United States and the UN delegation in New York increased more rapidly at the height of detente than at any other period: from about 120 officers in 1970 to 220 in 1975. At the very moment when the London residency was being sharply cut back, those in the United States were almost doubling in size. [31] It should be of no small concern to American taxpayers to learn that they have been subsidizing these KGB campaigns of espionage, subversion, and disinformation against their own country. In his massive 1964 study, KGB: THE SECRET WORK OF SOVIET SECRET AGENTS, John Barron revealed: The KGB derives still another advantage from placing its officers on the United Nations payroll. Since the United States pays 25 percent of the entire U.N. operating budget, it pays 25 percent of the bountiful salaries granted KGB officers insinuated into U.N. jobs. American taxpayers thus are compelled to finance KGB opera- tions against themselves and the noncommunist world. Moreover, the Soviet Union requires its citizens paid by international organizations to rebate the greater part of their salaries to the government. Thus, it actually makes money each time it plants a KGB officer in the U.N. [32] -------------------------- p.75 The KGB has undergone a number of recent permutations, but to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of its death are highly exaggerated. Zdzislaw Rurarz, the former Polish ambassador to Japan who defected to the United States in 1981, was one of the few Soviet experts to take notice of Boris Yeltsin's sinister new security superagency, the MSIA. Rurarz reported in January 1992 that Boris's MSIA "is an amalgam of four previously existing institu- tions: the USSR MVD, or the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian MVD, the ISS, or Interrepublican Security Service, which was mainly the former KGB, and the FSA, the Federal Security Agency, or the Russian equivalent of the former KGB." "The MSIA has inherited the network of informers and collaborators of the former KGB and ISS which was in place throughout the USSR. Why," asks Rurarz, "should Russia need such a network in the remaining former Soviet republics, now 'independent states'?" [37] An obvious question - that yields an obvious answer - except to "liberals" who are too busy planning new welfare schemes on which to spend the "peace dividend," and to "conser- vatives" who are too busy celebrating and congratulating themselves on their victory over communism. Commenting on the Kremlin security reshuffling, Albert L. Weeks wrote in April 1992 that the "new" Russian agency under Viktor Barannikov "means that 500,000 officials and informers function today as a separate entity, going about their business largely as before. Thousands of other ex-KGBists work for Yevgeny Primakov, director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency." Dr. Weeks, professor emeritus of New York University and author of numerous articles and books about the Soviet Union, also noted that "90-95% of middle- ranking KGB officers remain in the same positions as before the August, 1991, coup attempt, according to a recent defector...." [38] NOTES ===== [10] G. Edward Griffin, THE FEARFUL MASTER: A SECOND LOOK AT THE UNITED NATIONS (Appleton, WI: Western Islands, 1964), pp.76-7. [12] Ibid., p.120. [13] Executive Hearings before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, May 13 and 14, 1953, SOVIET SCHEDULE FOR WAR - 1955 (Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1953), p.1721. [27] Ladislav Bittman, THE KGB AND SOVIET DISINFORMATION: AN INSIDER'S VIEW (McLean, VA: Permagon-Brassey's International Defense Publishers, 1985), pp.56-7. [29] Chapman Pincher, THE SECRET OFFENSIVE (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985), p.204. [30] Ibid., pp.129-30. [31] Christopher Andrew and Oleg Gordievsky, KGB: THE INSIDE STORY OF ITS FOREIGN OPERATIONS FROM LENIN TO GORBACHEV (New York: Harper Collins, 1991), pp.539-40. [32] Barron, KGB: THE SECRET WORK OF SOVIET SECRET AGENTS, p.20. [37] Zdzislaw Rurarz, "YELTSIN'S POLICE," Washington Inquirer, January 4, 1992, p.4. [38] Albert L. Weeks, "KGB'S UNDIMISHED POWER HAUNTS RUSSIAN REFORM," Washington Inquirer, April 17, 1992, pp.1,7. [end] @START@YGBK! A guard at Lakeside, California's El Capitan High School spotted a gun in a student's car. The school wants to expel the boy, but his parents claim that he suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder (which is why he forgot the gun was in his car) and that removing him would be a violation of federal laws banning discrimination against the handicapped. So far, the courts have sided with the parents. Source: Reason Brickbats April 1995 @START@The "weak link!" * The New American * Publisher's Page * 3/6/95 * HONOR THE OATH! +++++++++++++++ By John F. McManus At the start of a new Congress, every member of the House and Senate is required to swear the following solemn oath: Do you swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter - so help you God? Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) recalls his deep sense of responsibility as he and his colleagues took that oath in January 1993. He remembers being filled with pride, gratitude, and an awe as a newly elected congressman. Pride in being able to stand as a member of such an august body. Gratitude to those who had sent him as their representative. And awe because he was now standing where so many remarkable Americans of the past had stood to "faithfully discharge the duties" of their office. SAD AWAKENING But his pride changed to sadness and anger at an incident that occurred immediately after the oath had been administered. Congressman Pombo recalls: We had no sooner completed the oath when one of my colleagues rose to ask that full congressional voting privileges be given to the non-voting delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. His opening words astounded me. He said that he considered the matter "one of fairness, not of constitutionality." He obviously knew that the Constitution requires that members of Congress come from the "states." And he also knew that the District of Columbia and the territories were not states. Yet he was calling on all of us to disregard this eminently clear portion of the document and to place his definition of "fairness" above the Constitution. this was my chilling introduction to service in the U.S. House of Representatives. The chamber's walls were still echoing the solemn oath taken by each of us when one member asked us to disregard it. The oath he had taken was a formality for him; its real meaning obviously counted for nothing. NECESSARY CORRECTION Last September, more than 300 Republican House candidates and incumbents signed their party's "Contract with America." It mentions the Constitution only twice: to call for amendments and to discount claims that some of the "Contract" violates the Constitution. One of the most well-known features of the GOP "Contract" is its call for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. Incoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and many others in Congress would have Americans believe that the Constitution is deficient, and that enormous deficits can be combated in no other way but by amendment. But the Constitution isn't deficient; Congress is. And the House that Gingrich now leads is where proper corrective action can and should be taken. Article I, Section 7 begins: "All bills for raising revenues shall originate in the House..." If the House won't introduce a bill to spend, there is nothing the Senate, the President, the courts, or anyone can do about it. Therefore, Gingrich and company, committed Americans have some strong advice for you: Leave the Constitution alone! You and your colleagues are not bound by any oath to your "Contract." Each of you is bound by an oath to the Constitution which gives you all the authority you need to balance the federal budget. You have the power of the purse, and you have it because the Founders of this nation wanted it in the hands of the House, the congressional body the people can change every second year. If a majority of House members (218) really wants a balanced budget, it can be accomplished without tinkering with, discrediting, or doing further damage to the Constitution. WHO IS TO BLAME? Senators are as guilty as representatives of disregarding the Constitution. Nor do we mean to disregard guilt on the part of the President and federal judges at every level. Though their oaths of office may differ slightly, all federal officials are required to swear allegiance to the U.S. Constitution. Who is to blame for the ongoing travesty that is leading our nation toward destruction? Certainly all federal officials who discount the Constitution and the solemn oath they take must receive abundant condemnation. But blame also lies with the American people who allow their elected representatives to treat the Constitution with contempt. Sound government under the U.S. Constitution will return only when enough Americans are educated enough to demand that our nation's leaders adhere uncompromisingly to the true "law of the land." [end] @START@Schindler's List...Spielberg's Slip! [Excerpt] Of the highly acclaimed motion picture Schindler's List which tells the story of the survivors, Helena Silber said that "the ending depicted [in the film] at the Brinnlitz factory was, well, not quite right." In a March 18, 1994, article by Washington Times reporter Matt Neufeld, Helena Silber tells the rest of the story: The truth, she explains, was far more dramatic: Toward the end of the war, Oskar Schindler obtained guns for his workers. He wanted the Jews to be able to defend themselves if the Nazis decided to slaughter them. The author of the book Schindler's List says Mrs. Silber's account tallies with those of other survivors. Thomas Keneally says Schindler bribed the governor of the Moravian province for the arms. The workers then prepared for "a pitched battle." Mrs. Silber wonders why the film's ending wasn't entirely accurate: "If he [Spielberg]--had gotten me, I would have told him." Movie Director Steven Spielberg's omission of this essential part of history could not be because it was not known. Thomas Keneally wrote of the firearms acquisition in his book. He reported: During the winter, Oskar [Schindler] built up an independent arsenal...Most of the weapons, in any case, came from a flawless source, from Obersturmbannfuher Rasch, SS and police chief of Moravia. The small cache included carbines and automatic weapons, some pistols, some hand grenades... Once Oskar had the weapons, he appointed Uri Bejski, brother of the rubber-stamp maker, keeper of the arsenal... Having selected a small body of prisoners for training, Uri took one at a time into Salpeter's storehouse to teach them the mechanisms of the Gewehr 41 W's [semi-automatic military-style rifles]. In producing the movie, perhaps someone along the line felt that this part of history was not "politically correct" given the force of today's anti-gun sentiment--particularly in light of the popularized misconcep- tion that semi-automatic firearms are "assault weapons" and unsuitable for self-defense. >From Mr. Keneally's account, there is no doubt that Jewish survivors of the holocaust were fully prepared to defend themselves with just such semi-automatic firearms. No part of those historical atrocities should be forgotten or rewritten or covered up for political reasons. [End of excerpt] Source: Guns, Crime, and Freedom By Wayne LaPierre, pages 87 & 88 @START@Keep on truck'n... * America's Future, Inc. * Jan/95 * GM TRUCK RECALL WAS ALL POLITICS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In a surprise turnabout, the Department of Transportation announced recently that it would not pursue the recall of a controversial General Motors pickup truck after all. The decision has far reaching implications. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena had made headlines with his planned recall of General Motors C/K pickup trucks because of an alleged safety threat to drivers. Pena claimed that the location of the truck's "side- saddle" gas tanks made the vehicle prone to catch fire if struck from the side. He said that "approximately 150 people have died as a result of side- impact fires in these trucks, in crashes that were otherwise survivable." Pena added that "GM management ... appears to have made a decision favoring sales over safety." The recall was heralded by the Center for Auto Safety, a group founded by consumer activist and auto-industry foe, Ralph Nader. It referred to the GM truck in question as a "rolling fireball" and had campaigned long and hard for its recall. However, less than two months after his initial announcement, the Transportation Secretary dropped his recall effort. In return, GM agreed to pony up a cool $51 million to support auto safety research and buy 200,000 child safety seats for low-income families. By contrast, the recall would have cost the giant automaker a fortune. Some 9 million C/K trucks were built between 1973 and 1987. In any event, why did Pena change his mind on the recall? The answer reveals a classic example of regulatory excess. In announcing his recall decision, the Transportation Secretary discarded a wealth of research data - produced by his own agency - that showed the truck in question to be as safe as any other on the road. In fact, the GM pickups had about the same fatality rate from side-impact crashes as other similar trucks made by Chrysler and Ford. And, it performed far better in side-impact crashes than did the average passenger car built during the same period. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA - the agency within the Transportation Department that handles auto safety issues - was about to conclude an investigation showing that the trucks did not pose an "unreason- able risk," and that they met all relevant safety standards when produced. Marion Blakey, a former administrator at NHTSA, recently noted that "agency engineers certified that the C/K pickups not only met but exceeded the federal safety standard. Senior career officials unanimously recommended that the investigation be closed." Nonetheless, Pena went ahead with his recall campaign. Writing in the Washington Post, Blakey called the Secre- tary's decision "a troubling precedent." It set aside, he wrote, "an exhaus- tive investigation by professional government researchers that had determined the trucks met the federal safety standard." Worse, according to Blakey, the decision appeared to apply an arbitrary safety standard for one type of vehicle made by one auto manufacturer. "Instead of setting a clear bar for manufacturers to jump over," he wrote, "it told car companies that in the future they must jump and then the department would decide how high the safety bar really was." As the former highway safety official concluded: "If American manufacturing cannot count on government to stand by its own regulations, the result will be increased costs and damaged American competitiveness abroad." With any luck, the new Republican majority in Congress will make it a priority to rein in these regulators, who make it their daily practice to hound productive Americans, and who cost the economy hundreds of billions of dollars. Although consumer activists and trial lawyers were unhappy, Transportation Secretary Pena's decision to drop the recall campaign against GM may be a sign that the Washington bureaucracy is already getting the message from last November's congressional election. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Behind the Headlines, written by Philip C. Clarke, is a syndicated column distributed by America's Future. It is available to interested newspapers and other publications on a gratis basis as a service of this non-profit educational organization. For more information, please write or call Mr. John Wetzel, c/o America's Future Inc., P.O. Box 1625, Milford, Pa. 18337 (717) 296-2800. @START@YGBK! "We also pay tribute to the people's republic of Cuba and to Comrade Fidel Castro. In size, the people's republic of Cuba is a small country... But there is one thing where that country stands head and shoulders above most of the countries of the world: it is its love of human rights and of freedom." - Nelson Mandela, May 10, 1990 Source: The New American June 29, 1992 @START@Haitian History of Democracy (?) (From) LARRY ABRAHAM'S INSIDER REPORT October 1994 THE INSIDE SCOOP ++++++++++++++++ America's Folly Is Only Exceeded By Haiti's -------------------------------------------- I thought you might be interested to see the wonderful example of democracy in action as it has prevailed in Haiti since 1804: Ruled Fate ----- ---- Jean-Jacques Dessalines 1804-06 shot *Henri Christophe 1807-20 suicide Alexander Petion 1807-18 died of illness Jean-Pierre Boyer 1818-43 fled to France Charles Herard 1843-44 fled Philippe Guerrier 1844-45 died of old age Jean-Louis Pierrot 1845-46 unknown Jean-Baptiste Riche 1846-47 unknown Faustin Soulouque 1847-59 fled to Jamaica Fabre Geffrard 1859-67 fled to Jamaica Sylvain Saenave 1867-69 executed Nissage Saget 1870-74 retired Michel Domingue 1874-76 fled to Jamaica Boisrond Canal 1876-79 fled to Jamaica E. Felicite Salomon 1879-88 fled to France F. Florvil Hyppolite 1889-96 apoplexy Tiresias Simon Sam 1896-1902 fled Nord Alexis 1902-08 fled to Jamaica Antoine Simon 1908-11 fled to Jamaica M. Cincinnatus Leconte 1911-12 blown up Tancrede Auguste 1912-13 poisoned Michel Oreste 1913-14 fled to Jamaica Oreste Zamor 1914 murdered in jail J. Davilmar Theodore 1914-15 fled J. Vilbrun Guillaume Sam 1915 dismembered AMERICAN OCCUPATION 1915-1934 Stenio Vincent 1930-41 resigned Elle Lescot 1941-46 fled to Florida Dumarsais Estime 1946-50 overthrown Paul Magloire 1950-56 overthrown J. Nemours Pierre-Louis 1956-57 resigned Frank Sylvain 1957 overthrown Daniel Fignole 1957 overthrown Francois Duvalier 1957-71 died of illness Jean-Claude Duvalier 1971-86 fled to France Henn Namphy 1986-88 stepped down Leslie Manigat 1988 overthrown Henri Namphy 1988 overthrown Prosper Avril 1988-90 fled Ertha Pascal-Trouillot 1990 taken hostage Jean-Bertrand Aristide 1991 fled to America Cedris junta 1991-94 overthrown AMERICAN OCCUPATION Jean-Bertrand Aristide 1994 (?) *"King" of Northern Haiti The only thing that makes this track record look more ridiculous is our sending troops and spending taxpayers money to keep this travesty going. [end] @START@Global: (1)Warming (2)Cooling (3)All of the above America's Future, Inc. Behind The Headlines October, 1994 ACTIVISTS IN SEARCH OF A CAUSE ****************************** Nothing excites the environmental activists more than a crisis - the bigger the better. But all too often, the facts get lost in the hustle. Recently, Science magazine published a report by two CalTech professors which suggested that the Earth's climate has been cooling and for the last 6,000 years. Global cooling? It's a possibility, says Time magazine. The news-weekly ran a cover article earlier this year with the title: "The Ice Age Cometh?" But wait a minute. Wasn't it just a couple of years ago that the supposed crisis was global warming? The polar caps would melt, the seas would rise and the world's coastal cities would be under three or four feet of water? What's the public to believe? Well, a report by Dan Murphy of Investor's Business Daily suggests that the public and policymakers alike should cast a very skeptical eye on global climate claims. Why? Because the real scientific community is only too willing to admit that it doesn't have all the global climate answers. Consider what one of the CalTech researchers told reporter Murphy. "This is such a new science," said Samuel Epstein, "and such a new thing that we're in the process of developing it and finding out where the possible inconsistencies might be." Epstein adds: "Something that's as complicated as trying to read climate and various things, it's foolish to say, `I have the answer.'" Epstein and other scientists are aware that the scientific record is very incomplete. Epstein's work which shows a global cooling of about five degrees Celsius over the last 6,000 years, is based on three-ring samples from the ancient bristlecone pine trees. And this work builds on earlier bristlecone research. But other scientists have taken a different approach and tried to measure temperatures in a logical time series, especially over the 20th century. And these findings suggest a slight warming trend since 1900 - about one degree. Finally, a more recent study of global temperatures in the atmosphere, collected by orbiting satellites since 1980, suggests a very slight cooling trend - well within the range of normal variation.With such conflicting data, it's a small wonder that most scientists are uncertain. But the activists don't hesitate to dismiss this scientific uncertainty. Indeed, they are engaging in a breakneck effort to do something - anything! Consider how the information office of the United Nations' Office on Sustainable Development responded to the Investor's Business Daily article. A new U.N. report, writes Julie Thompson of the information office, "evaluates some of the uncertainties and fluctuations mentioned in your article. But we admit that underlying the U.N.'s work is universal acceptance by Governments of the need to act today in order to avoid irreversible damage tomorrow." How's that again? The operative phrase in the U.N.'s explanation is: "universal acceptance by Governments of the need to act today...." Now, "If the need to act" consisted of just funding additional research until the scientific record was more complete, most Americans probably would agree. But the activists seem to have a larger agenda in mind. Apparently, they want to control human activity and economic growth, and they're exploiting the global climate issue in the process. As the U.N.'s Julie Thompson notes: "... the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reaffirm(s) its 1990 findings that global warming, primarily as a result of human activities, is a serious threat to the planet." Most Americans would not stand for a directive by the U.N. to cut back on driving or to modify electric utilities, forcing consumer rates ever higher. But that's essentially what is happening. The U.S. government appears to have "bought" the activists' idea of "Don't just stand there, do something," despite the lack of clear scientific evidence. As one Washington wag put it: "The activists never let the facts get in the way of a good cause." =================================================================== Behind the Headlines, written by Philip C. Clarke, is a syndicated column distributed by America's Future. It is available to interested newspapers and other publications on a gratis basis as a service of this non-profit educational organization. For more information, please write or call Mr. John Wetzel, c/o America's Future Inc., P.O. Box 1625, Milford, Pa. 18337 (717) 296-2800. @START@Wasteful Efforts! * The Freeman * March 1995 * The Foundation for Economic Education RECYCLING MYTHS +++++++++++++++ By Lawrence Reed If there's a buzzword in the business of managing America's solid waste problem, surely it is "recycling." At times the term seems to have taken on an almost religious meaning, with the faithful assuming that "disposable" is bad and "recycling" is good by definition. There's nothing wrong with recycling when it's approached from a perspective of sound economics, good science, and voluntary cooperation. Too often, it's promoted as an end in itself without regard to whether it's worth the time and expense. Recently, a speaker on this subject told my local Rotary Club that we should all recycle more of the paper we use so America could save its trees. The implication was that we're using too much paper, that trees are endangered, and that our civic duty requires that we do more with less. As it turns out, most of the trees that are planted in America are planted with the intent of eventually harvesting them to make things like paper. This means that if we all used less paper, there would be fewer trees planted. Maybe some people ought to use less paper anyway (bureaucrats, for instance), but no one should assume that the people who are in the business of growing and harvesting trees are going to continue to do so even if we don't buy their products. "We're running out of trees" is a fiction older than most of the trees alive today. The truth is that though the total area of forestland in the conti- nental United States is about the same as it was 75 years ago - 600 million acres - there are far more trees because of greater tree density per acre. Market-driven technological changes, such as the development of wood pre- servatives, have led to more efficient use of forest resources. Market incentives have given private land owners good reason to replant nearly three million acres of trees every year. So when it comes to paper, recycle to your heart's content, but not because you think we'll run out of trees if you don't. A recycling mania has been sweeping the country for nearly a decade. More than 6,000 curbside programs are operated by local governments, serving at least 70 million Americans. In a recent year, more than 140 recycling laws were passed in 38 states - mandating the activity or requiring taxpayers to pay for it, or both. All this has occurred at the same time that cost-cutting entrepreneurs are busy producing less and less packaging to contain more and more goods. Without any edicts from politicians, plastic milk jugs today contain 30 percent less plastic than they did just 20 years ago. The weight of aluminum cans declined by 36 percent between 1960 and 1990. Experts like Lynn Scarlett of the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation point out that America's solid waste problem is a public policy failure, not a market failure. Because of flat rate charges for municipal garbage pick-up and disposal, government policies in most areas subsidize those who throw away large quantities of refuse at the expense of those who throw away very little. Entrepreneurs know how to construct landfills now that pose absolutely no hazard to the environment, and anyone who has ever flown over almost any state knows there's plenty of land for this purpose, but natsaying regulators have almost closed down this efficient waste management option. The fact is that sometimes recycling makes sense and sometimes it doesn't. In the legislative rush to pass recycling mandates, state and local govern- ments should pause to consider the science and the economics of every propo- sition. Often, bad ideas are worse than none at all and can produce lasting damage if they are enshrined in law. Simply demanding that something be recycled can be disruptive of markets and it does not guarantee that recycling that makes either economic or environmental sense will even occur. Many people believe that simply segregating plastic containers, glass bottles, newspapers, and metal cans and then placing them in colorful boxes at curbside means that recycling has somehow taken place. Without ever questioning either the cost or the outcome of the process that starts at the curb, they assume that whatever happens must be both economically and environmentally sound. Recycling, however, doesn't really happen unless all that plastic, glass, paper, and metal is turned into new, useful products that are actually in demand in the marketplace. Some of what we put at curbside actually ends up in a landfill or piled to the ceiling in warehouses with no place to go. Recycling programs may make a lot of civic-minded citizens feel good, but the whole rationale is undermined to the extent they are nothing more than expensive, politically motivated, and circuitous methods of old-fashioned garbage disposal. Quite often, more energy and resources are spent than saved in the process of recycling. Municipal governments, because of the inherent shortcomings of public sector accounting and budget information, routinely underestimate the full costs of their recycling programs. One area where recycling plainly works is in the disposal of aluminum cans. Since the process requires 10 percent less energy than transforming bauxite into aluminum, it pays for producers to use recycled cans. Hence, a market has developed for these cans, and market incentives encourage entrepreneurs to find efficient ways to collect them. One area where recycling doesn't make sense is in the disposal of juice containers used principally by school children. Aseptic disposable packages such as those small juice boxes were banned in Maine and are a target of the more extreme environmentalists. But as a 1991 study from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) in Dallas showed, such knee-jerk, interventionist, pseudo-solutions to nonproblems are rooted in misinformation or incomplete information: * Filling disposable boxes requires about half as much energy as filling the supposedly preferable alternative, glass bottles. * For a given beverage volume, transporting empty glass bottles requires 15 times as many trucks as the empty boxes - thus using more fuel and causing more air pollution. * Because the end product is lightweight, small, and rectangular, the boxes can be transported more efficiently than full glass bottles - using 35 per- cent less energy. Some staes have threatened to ban disposable diapers as a way to encourage the use (and recycling) of cloth diapers. Studies show, however, that when all environmental effects are considered, cloth has no clear advantage over dis- posables. In California and other western states where there is relatively abundant landfill space and a shortage of water, the case for disposables is actually quite strong. Residents of those states who avoid them and wash cloth diapers with the scarce water may actually be doing harm to the environment. The marketplace, once again, is not as dumb as certain do-gooders think it is. Several cities, including Portland, Oregon, and Newark, New Jersey, have essentially banned polystyrene food packages. That's what McDonald's used to put its burgers in until it was pressured into switching to paperboard containers. The average American thinks these efforts are positive for the environment because they will somehow promote recycling. They also believe that because paper is "biodegradable" and polystyrene is not, the switch will reduce the need for landfills. The truth of the matter is more complicated than that. Polystyrene, it so happens, is completely recyclable, which isn't always true of the paper used in, say, drinking cups. And those paper cups, by the way, cost the consumer about 2 1/2 times as much as polystyrene. Studies from NCPA and other respected organizations show that production of the old polystyrene McDonald's hamburger shell actually used 30 percent less energy than paperboard and resulted in 46 percent less air pollution and 42 percent less water pollution. The average 10-gram paper cup consumes 33 grams of wood and uses 28 percent more petroleum in its manufacture than the entire input of a polystyrene cup. Furthermore, the paper cup requires 36 times more chemical input (partly because it weighs seven times as much) and takes about twelve times as much steam, 36 times as much electricity and twice as much cooling water to make, compared to its polystyrene counterpart. And, about 580 times as much waste water, 10 to 100 times the residual effluents of pollutants, and three times the air emission pollutants are produced in making the paper cup. Environmentalists who put their faith in government, with hardly a scrap of evidence that suggests they should, seem oblivious to these realities. To them, mountains of refuse waiting to be recycled into things people don't want at a cost they would never freely pay is not a reason to abolish manda- tory recycling schemes. Instead, it gives them a reason to pass new laws that would force-feed the economy with recycled products. Market economists - by nature, philosophy, and experience - are skeptical of schemes to supplant the free choices of consumers with the dictates of central planners. the recycling mania confirms their suspicions. [end] @START@Arrow Keys in Quick Basic -> How can I make Quick Basic to recognize the arrow keys (up and down) from -> within a program? -> -> I always capture the keys the user presses with C$=INKEY$ instructions and -> then I examine the ASCII code of C$. -> But in the case of the up and down arrow keys both report an ASCII code of 0 -> (the same happens with all the function keys) so how can I distinguish one -> from the other? Things like Up/Down/Left/Right/end/home/alt keys/etc.. return a two digit scan code that has a NUL(ASCII code 0) and then another character... E.g. DO WHILE T$ = "" T$ = Inkey$ LOOP IF T$ = CHR$(0) + "H" then Print "Up Was presed!" IF T$ = CHR$(0) + "P" then Print "Going Down" Alt Keys go the same way, Always with that NUL infront of them.. Hope this helps. Steven Smith @START@Dimensioning vs. String Space DIM A(500), B(500,4) Use REDIM instead of DIM. Place the '$DYNAMIC metacommand at the top of your program. Using DIM Array(Constant,constant) places the entire thing in DGroup -> the 64K chunk of memory reserved for the stack and static variables. Using REDIM places it in far memory -> all memory left after the .EXE code and the 64K taken by DGroup. @START@ProBas ToolKit ProBas ToolKit Overview The ProBas ToolKit is a collection of high-level modules that make extensive use of the low-level routines in the ProBas Professional Basic Programming Library. The philosophy behind ProBas is to provide powerful, proven, low-level routines that afford the most capability with the least encumbrance. The ProBas ToolKit compliments this idea by providing high-level, "plug-in" modules so that you concentrate on the task at hand, not on spending hours or days writing and debugging another menu or some commonly-used module. The bottom line is simple: Time is money and you have better things to do than recreate the wheel. When you get right down to it, a single ToolKit routine can save weeks of coding time. When you consider how much your time is worth, just that one routine can more than pay for your entire collection of tools. Plug And Go Many of the modules in the ToolKit are written in Basic and make extensive use of the assembly language routines in ProBas. These modules can be stored in a library for easy access or loaded via the File menu in the QB/QBX editor. Users of Microsoft's Professional Development System Basic 7 can load ProBas ToolKit modules into EMS memory to leave more programming room in the QBX environment. Using ToolKit modules couldn't be easier; just set a few variables and CALL the module. The calling parameters are logical, consistent, and follow the ProBas philosophy of maximum flexibility with minimal limitations. User Interface Tools The ToolKit contains a wide assortment of user interface tools including menus, windows, list boxes, message boxes, dialog boxes, calendars, user color selection, error windows and more. All modules were designed to afford maximum power and flexibility. The ToolKit features menuing modules to suit almost every need. Choose from a wide selection of pull-down, pop-up, 123, bar, highlight and scroll menus, with and without mouse support and with and without help reminder lines. Other products offer only a limited number of 25x80 text mode menus. The dozens of menus in the ToolKit support 25, 43 or 50-line text modes, CGA graphics modes 1 and 2, EGA graphics modes 7, 8 and 9, VGA graphics modes 11 and 12 and the Super VGA 800x600 mode that Basic doesn't directly support, not to mention our exclusive text and graphic mode virtual screens. The ToolKit gives you complete control over all aspects of each menu, including overall placement, the text and placement of menu items, colors, and even the type interface. Each menu comes with fully commented and documented Basic source code so that you can easily modify or add features to any menu module. For example, you can have a pull-down menu item invoke a pop-up menu, and return to the pull-down, just by inserting a few lines of code. SAA-compliant pull-down menus and dialog boxes are very popular these days. ToolKit's text and graphic mode pull-down menus have all of the features you expect, such as the alt-key illuminating the bar, hotkeys, invalid menu items, stand-alone bar items, check boxes, radio buttons, reminder lines and simultaneous support for both the point-and-shoot and press-drag-release mouse interfaces. When working with pull-down menus and dialog boxes, you can choose self-contained modules that you call and which return when the user is done, or you can build your own using the interactive menu and dialog objects that give you complete control over every aspect of the interface. Dialog objects include input boxes with full text editing and masking, text lines, check boxes, radio buttons, vertical and horizontal list boxes and more. There are even pre-configured plug-in dialog objects, such as a QuickBASIC-style file selection box. All of these modules are written in Basic using the assembly routines in ProBas, so you can easily incorporate additional features to suit your exact needs by simply calling other ProBas routines or ToolKit Modules. The graphics menus, dialog boxes and list boxes make extensive use of the graphic icons and GUI objects in the ProBas library. This allows you to define your own GUI standards or emulate the look and feel of Microsoft Windows to any degree. You can even grab dialog objects, such as vertical or horizontal scroll boxes, and incorporate them into your program any way you like for Windows' functionality without the Windows look. Windows Galore With ProBas and the ToolKit you get windowing capabilities that put dedicated window libraries to shame. You can give your programs that professional snap with the powerful and flexible windowing modules in the ToolKit. Need to ask the user to select from a list? Put the list in a scrolling window with a highlight bar, with or without scroll bars, and with or without mouse support. How about allowing the user to tag multiple items? No problem! Why just scroll a file when you can present it in a window with full vertical and horizontal scrolling with just a single call? Why prompt a user for a file name when you can display a directory in a window (with any combination of name, size, date, time and attribute information) and allow the user to select a file using the keyboard or the mouse? It's easy! Pop-Up Tools The ToolKit contains a selection of high-level plug-in pop-up tools. Need an editor? Pop-up either a mini-editor with word-wrap for short memos and notes or a more extensive word processor for bigger editing jobs. You have complete control over size, placement and colors. Want to add a combination single/multi-user rolodex and mailing-list data base with full B-Tree indexing? No problem. How about a multi-user notepad database? It's in there. Other handy pop-up tools include a pop-up dual-memory, multi-mode calculator, modules that allow your users to select program colors and much more. B-Tree Indexing The ToolKit comes with a complete multi-user B-Tree indexing system that allows you to create, find, add, edit and insert keys in a balanced B-Tree index. Written entirely in assembly language, these routines are blindingly fast and take up hardly any memory at all. For example, an index of 10 million last names requires less that 16K of memory in your program and can locate a record in under a second! Routines include insert, delete, full and partial searches, get next key, get previous key, get first key and get last key. Open as many indexes as you need to search on multiple keys. Use indexes to instantly sort megabytes of data. Use the B-Tree routines with the lightning-fast file I/O routines in ProBas to assess and manipulate huge data bases thousands of times faster than possible with Basic alone. Key and record limits are in the billions, so you'll never outgrow these routines. Calendar & Date Routines The ToolKit comes with colorful pop-up calendar modules with all of the features that you expect. These great-looking calendars will appear fully drawn in the blink of an eye in either text mode or EGA/VGA graphic modes for a really impressive look. You get modules that pop-up a calendar, interactive routines that allow the user to browse through months and years, and calendar modules that allow you to define the keystrokes and user interface. The ToolKit's Julian date routines are a must when working with date-driven applications like accounts-receivable or inventory control. You can easily find out the number of elapsed days between two dates, what the date was 37 days ago, or what it will be in 90 days. Other handy date routines include a routine to tell you what day of the week a particular date falls on, anytime in the current, previous or next century. Assembly Answers To Basic Problems Lest you get the wrong impression, not all of the routines in the ToolKit are written in Basic. While Basic modules that make extensive use of the assembly routines from the ProBas library are the best way to handle many programming chores, some things just work better in assembly. So, in addition to the assembly B-Tree routines, the ToolKit also includes a selection of high-level assembly subsystems to perform tasks that would be impossible with Basic. Patch EXEs The ToolKit's PATCH routines allow you to patch .EXE files and create self-modifying code. This is an ideal way to create installation programs that do away with configuration files that can be lost or damaged. You can use these tools to easily patch filespecs, passwords, and other user-defined data right into your executable program. For example, you can embed the user's name and company name into the program files in an encrypted format, so that their name appears every time the program is run to discourage pirating. You can also use these routines to add serial numbers to your programs during disk duplication, patch data for custom menus created by the user or even write programs that learn with use and modify themselves. BCD Math Routines The ToolKit comes with a set of BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) routines that allow you to work with numbers as large as 255 digits with any number of digits to the left or right of the decimal point. These routines are string-based and amazingly fast and include functions such as add, subtract, multiply, divide, compare, sine, cosine, tangent, and more plus routines for formatting numbers to words and rounding BCD values. TSR Protected Storage The ToolKit includes a full set of routines to create a TSR (terminate and stay resident) protected storage area in memory. This allows your program to set aside anywhere from 1K to 63K of memory as a TSR storage area into which you can "peek" and "poke" entire strings or arrays at assembly language speed. You can use a protected storage area to pass data between chained, shelled or stand-alone programs, or to permit the program to exit entirely and come back with your data still intact. The TSR routines can also be a viable alternative for protected data storage when your customers don't have EMS or XMS memory. CGA Character Sets Tired of the limited character set available in CGA? With the ToolKit, you can create custom character sets for CGA that are just the thing for making laptop and briefcase computer screens easier to read. These routines allow you to add or redefine the IBM-extended character set or add up to 128 additional custom characters, icons, logos, and foreign characters at a time. Best of all, these character sets just take up 2K of memory. Other Goodies The ToolKit comes with all of this plus a comprehensive manual consisting of Introduction, Tutorial and Reference sections, detailed examples, and fully commented Basic source code. Many of our customers tell us that the ToolKit not only saved them hundreds of programming hours, but also taught them hundreds of programming tricks and how to get the most out of Basic. The ProBas ToolKit is the ideal companion for the ProBas Library. TeraTech Inc - Tools for Programmmers(tm) Basic, C++, ASM and Visual Basic/Win programming tools & consulting for PC ***>>> Call, write or Email for FREE catalog & demo disk <<<*** 100 Park Ave Ste 360 Dept 500,Rockville MD 20852 USA Email:info@teratech.com Voice: +1-301-424-3903, 800-447-9120 x500 Fax:301-762-8185 BBS:301-762-8184 @START@Glare/Guard(R) Introduces Four New Monitor Filters Glare/Guard(R) INTRODUCES FOUR NEW PC MONITOR FILTERS SANTA ROSA, Calif. - April 3, 1995 - Glare/Guard, the world's market leader in anti-glare/anti-radiation filters for personal computer monitors, today unveiled four new models which start at $19.99--an industry first for optically coated, framed glass anti-glare filters. The new models decrease bothersome glare by up to 99%, significantly reducing eye strain and headaches as well as delivering sharper image quality at affordable prices. Perfect for home office and family PC users as well as business users, the new models are called the GlareDefender(TM), the Standard (TM)500, the Optima(TM)1500 and Optima(TM)1700. info: tel. 212/213-7090 @START@HP Announces Two New Surestore Disk Drives HP ANNOUNCES TWO NEW SURESTORE DISK DRIVES WITH 1.2GB AND 2.14GB OF STORAGE CAPACITY PALO ALTO, Calif. - April 3, 1995 - Hewlett-Packard Company today announced HP SureStore Disk 1000S+ and 2000LP drives, two 1-inch-high, 3.5-inch disk drives that offer 1.2GB and 2.14GB of storage capacity, respectively. These drives have been qualified on most major operating platforms and come with an easy-to-use installation diskette for smooth integration into high-end PCs, workstations, multiuser systems, servers and disk arrays. @START@Compaq Introduces Powerful New PCs for the Home COMPAQ INTRODUCES POWERFUL NEW PCs FOR THE HOME INCLUDING FIRST 586-BASED PRESARIO PRODUCTS HOUSTON - April 3, 1995 - Continuing its aggressive pursuit of marketshare in the fast growing home PC market, Compaq Computer Corporation today launched 12 new easy-to-use Presario PCs, including the company's first 586-based consumer models. The new line is the industry's first to feature fast "quad-speed" CD ROM drives on all models, which greatly enhance the multimedia experience. The new Presario products are ideal for all types of PC users -- from novice to enthusiast -- and lift lifestyle and multimedia computing to a new level. The more powerful 486- to 586-class microprocessors and "quad-speed" CD-ROM drives are combined with the standard set of Presario multimedia features, eight to 16 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) and more than 20 bundled software titles. info: tel. 800-888-5858 @START@Novell Announces Perfectworks 2.1 for Windows NOVELL ANNOUNCES PERFECTWORKS 2.1 FOR WINDOWS OREM, Utah, April 3 - Novell, Inc. today announced the development of PerfectWorks 2.1 for Windows. The new version, formerly known as WordPerfect Works, includes more than 30 new features and enhancements found throughout the program, making PerfectWorks the most integrated, powerful and easy-to-use Works program available today. PerfectWorks integrates Novell's PerfectSense technology with QuickCorrect and Grammatik to help users improve their writing and save time. QuickCorrect is the same writing technology found in Novell's PerfectOffice that automatically corrects misspellings. The popular Grammatik grammar and style checker uses PerfectSense technology to help users improve their writing and usage; Grammatik even suggests replacement words, phrases and sentences and then rewrites them if desired, saving users valuable time. Internet: bstowell@novell.com @START@ NeXT Ships Enterprise Objects Framework 1.1 NeXT SHIPS ENTERPRISE OBJECTS FRAMEWORK RELEASE 1.1 REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - April 4, 1995 - NeXT Computer, Inc. today shipped Enterprise Objects Framework Release 1.1, a new version of its revolutionary technology which seemlessly integrates object-oriented applications with data from leading relational databases from Oracle Corporation and Sybase, Inc. The Enterprise Objects Framework enables customers to rapidly build reusable business and application-level objects that are independent of underlying databases. @START@Netware 4.1 Earns Four New Product of the Year Honors NETWARE 4.1 EARNS FOUR NEW 'PRODUCT OF THE YEAR' HONORS NetWare Also Sweeps Brand Preference Study, Remains the Favorite of IS Professionals PROVO, Utah, April 4 - Novell today announced that NetWare 4.1 has earned four new Product of the Year awards from three leading industry publications, InfoWorld, LAN Magazine and Network Computing. These awards join the top product honors already awarded to NetWare 4 this year from PC Week, Personal Computing and VAR Business. Novell also announced that NetWare has swept Computerworld's Brand Preference Study for Local Area Networks, earning top marks from IS professionals in five categories. @START@FBI Investigates Silicon Valley Spy Ring FBI INVESTIGATES SILICON VALLEY SPY RING SAN FRANCISCO - The FBI is investigating a suspected Silicon Valley spy ring which allegedly stole trade secrets from high-tech companies and sold them to a rival firm, court documents showed Tuesday. A Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., alleges that employees of several Silicon Valley firms or their outside contractors supplied copies of top-secret technical drawings of parts to Semiconductor Spares Inc., a small San Carlos, Calif. company. @START@Intuit Stockholders Approve Merger With Microsoft INTUIT STOCKHOLDERS APPROVE MERGER WITH MICROSOFT MENLO PARK, Calif. - April 10, 1995 - Intuit Inc. announced that its stockholders approved Intuit's proposed merger with Microsoft Corporation at a special stockholders' meeting held today. Consummation of the merger remains subject to regulatory approval by the U.S. Department of Justice, which the Company and Microsoft are in the process of seeking. info: tel. 415/329-3555 @START@How Vulnerable are Your Computer Systems? HOW VULNERABLE ARE YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEMS? Free assessment tool available ROSEMONT, Ill. - April 10, 1995 - Comdisco Disaster Recovery Services, the world's leader in enterprisewide computer disaster recovery, announced today the availability of a free self-assessment survey from which businesses can determine how vulnerable their computer data is in the event of a prolonged computer disruption. Companies can request the survey by calling 1-800-272-9792, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. (CST). @START@ Compaq Sues Packard Bell for False Advertising COMPAQ SUES PACKARD BELL FOR FALSE ADVERTISING HOUSTON - April 10, 1995 - Compaq Computer Corporation today filed suit alleging that Packard Bell Electronics, Inc. is misleading the public by selling, as new, products that contain used components. The lawsuit claims that Packard Bell fails to disclose to potential purchasers of their products that they may be buying a computer that contains used components. According to the Complaint, which was filed in Federal District Court in Wilmington, Delaware, Packard Bell disassembles many of its returned products and then uses these parts in the assembly of certain products which are then sold as new. info: tel. 713-374-0484 @START@HP Announces First Gigabit Fibre Channel Controller HP ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY'S FIRST GIGABIT FIBRE CHANNEL CONTROLLER FOR DIRECTLY CONNECTING PERIPHERALS TO THE NETWORK Low-cost Single-chip Solution Advances Fibre Channel Evolution PALO ALTO, Calif. - April 10, 1995 - Hewlett-Packard Company today announced Tachyon, the industry's first Fibre Channel controller fully integrated on a single chip. The new chip is designed for high- performance applications in network-attached mass-storage solutions and can transfer data at unprecedented gigabit speeds. The chip will allow vendors of mass-storage solutions, host adapters and computer systems to slash the lengthy development times and high manufacturing costs previously associated with high-speed implementations. info: tel. 408/447-5334 @START@Hitachi Introduces World's Fastest Mainframe HITACHI INTRODUCES WORLD'S FASTEST MAINFRAME COMPUTER SYSTEM SANTA CLARA, Calif. - April 10, 1995 - Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) Monday announced a new line of mainframe computers that, on a performance basis, operate at twice the speed of current products while occupying less than half the floor space. Designed and manufactured by Hitachi, Ltd., the new enterprise computer system, called the HDS Skyline Series(TM), also reduces, on a performance basis, power consumption and cooling costs by more than 70 percent. info: tel. 408/970-4356 @START@Borland dBase & Paradox Support Lantastic Network Users BORLAND dBASE & PARADOX SUPPORT LANTASTIC NETWORK USERS SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. - April 10, 1995 - Borland International Inc.'s two desktop database management systems, dBASE and Paradox, fully support Artisoft's LANtastic 6.0 networks. "As the leading provider of DOS and Windows databases for networked file servers, Borland recognizes the importance of network compatibility to database developers and their users," said Richard Gorman, vice president of products for Borland. "Especially for small- to medium-size businesses that don't have much time or resources to spend on their computer systems, it is vital to purchase components that have the flexibility to work together -- and grow together -- from the start. dBASE, Paradox, and LANtastic do that." info: tel. 408/431-4863 e-mail: scurry@wpo.borland.com @START@Epson Introduces Nest-Generation EPSON INTRODUCES NEST-GENERATION ActionTower 486/586 PERSONAL COMPUTERS TORRANCE, Calif. - April 10, 1995 - Meeting the growing business and home market demand for affordably priced, high-performance multimedia PCs, EPSON Monday introduced the next generation of its popular ActionTower family: the ActionTower 8000 series and the ActionTower 7000 series. The new EPSON ActionTowers come with an optimal configuration of today's most desired features and are pre-loaded with one of the PC industry's richest bundle of application, entertainment, education and information-access software. info: tel. 310/782-5161 @START@Microsoft's New Scenes Sterogram Collection 2.0 MICROSOFT'S NEW SCENES STEREOGRAM COLLECTION 2.0 AND PERSONAL SCREEN SAVER MAKE WINDOWS-BASED COMPUTING MORE FUN REDMOND, Wash., April 10 - Microsoft Corp. today announced two new screen savers, the Microsoft(R) Scenes Stereogram Collection version 2.0 and Microsoft Scenes Personal Screen Saver. The Scenes Stereogram Collection screen saver includes random dot and landscape stereograms, which comprise actual photographs from nature that have "hidden" 3-D images. For example, after defocusing or looking "beyond" the jungle scene, the user will see a pride of lions. Stereogram images, in general, have become a social phenomenon inspiring a number of books (including three New York Times' bestsellers), posters, postcards, and national syndication in the Sunday comics. @START@Survey Finds Many Still Intimidated by Computers SURVEY FINDS MANY STILL INTIMIDATED BY COMPUTERS SEATTLE - April 10 - About one in four Americans still are intimidated by computers, according to a survey commissioned by software giant Microsoft Corp. A separate survey done for Microsoft in Britain, Germany and France got a similar response and found that more than half of those questioned believe computers have made work more enjoyable. Microsoft senior vice president Pete Higgins said the surveys, showed that computers have become widely accepted at work and in the home but still face some resistance. @START@Fujitsu Announces Next-Generation Scanners FUJITSU ANNOUNCES NEXT-GENERATION SCANNERS M3093EX/GX and M3096GX Highlights SAN FRANCISCO - April 11, 1995 - Fujitsu Computer Products of America Inc., the industry leader in the high-performance mid-range scanner market, today announced its line of next-generation high- performance scanners at the AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) trade show. The new M3093 and M3096 products scan at 27 and 22 ppm respectively, about 10 percent faster than the previous models. The new scanners feature locking paper guides for advanced paper handling. The guides decrease the chance a document will be skewed in the imaging process, an important consideration in high-speed, batch-production environments. info: tel. 408/432-6333 or e-mail: mmedeiros@fcpa.fujitsu.com @START@Packard Bell Makes Statement in Response to Compaq PACKARD BELL MAKES STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO COMPAQ LOS ANGELES - April 10, 1995 - ``Compaq has evidently developed a public relations strategy to divert our efforts and slow our growth,'' said Beny Alagem, president and CEO, Packard Bell. ``We have not had an opportunity to carefully review the complaint but it appears to be a strictly self-serving document defending Compaq's own practices. We believe the complaint is totally without merit and specifically designed to stall Packard Bell's momentum in the marketplace. ``The world now recognizes that Packard Bell is the comsumer's choice and Compaq clearly feels the heat.'' @START@Powerful Servers Deliver Unprecedented Database Performance WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL SERVERS DELIVER UNPRECEDENTED DATABASE PERFORMANCE MAYNARD, Mass., April 11 - Digital Equipment Corporation today announced the computer industry's most powerful server systems for demanding, large commercial and scientific applications, until now the domain of expensive traditional mainframes and super- computers. The new AlphaServer 8400 enterprise server and AlphaServer 8200 departmental server are the first to use the record-breaking BIPS (Billion Instructions Per Second) chip from Digital. They deliver the industry's highest RISC performance and best price/performance for business-critical applications at one-tenth the price of the most widely used mainframes. info: tel. 508-264-6672 @START@Cray Communications Inc. Identity Statement CRAY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. IDENTITY STATEMENT ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION, Md., April 11 - Cray Communications, Inc. issued the following: Recently, Cray Computer Corp. filed for bankruptcy-court protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. This event has caused some confusion among our customers and prospects about our relationship with this company. Neither Cray Communications, Inc. or its parent company, Cray Electronics Holdings, PLC, is or has ever been affiliated with Cray Research, Inc. or Cray Computer Corporation. info: tel. 301-317-7483 @START@UNISYS and IMC Team to Provide Open OLTP for Business UNISYS AND IMC TEAM TO PROVIDE OPEN OLTP FOR BUSINESS Edison NJ - April 11 - Unisys Corporation and Information Management Company (IMC) today announced that the companies have joined forces to develop commercial Open Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) products for business applications. Available now, and fully integrated, the initial offering includes an enhanced TUXEDO ETP System integrated with Open TransPort for interoperability amongst OLTP Systems. Work is in progress to provide system management and high availability. The products will be sold directly by Unisys under the TransIT trademark, and also offered by IMC on UNIX, Microsoft Windows/NT, and IBM platforms through IMCs worldwide distribution channels. The goal of this teaming is to provide MIS with an Open OLTP environment that offers transaction processing capabilities and the reliability, availability, serviceability and security inherent in proprietary TP environments. info: tel. 908-346-3100 or fax 908-417-9771 @START@Pioneer Introduces Desktop Quadspeed CD Recorder PIONEER INTRODUCES DESKTOP QUADSPEED CD RECORDER LONG BEACH, Calif., April 11 - Pioneer New Media Technologies, Inc., makers of the industry's first quadspeed CD-ROM readers and multidisc changers, has introduced a quadspeed, desktop CD-ROM recorder and reader. Providing both quadspeed and doublespeed recording and reading modes, the Pioneer DW-S114X offers a sustained data transfer rate of up to 614 KB/sec. "Pioneer combines the benefits of CD-Recordable technology with the convenience of desktop computing," said Mark Stevens, marketing director for Pioneer. "Our customers now can take advantage of an advanced technology that is proving it's reliability in our 500-disc jukebox." info: tel. 408-727-4356 or CompuServe 74021,1117 @START@AST Endorses Pakistan's Software Initiative AST ENDORSES PAKISTAN'S SOFTWARE INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY PRIME MINISTER BHUTTO IRVINE, Calif., - April 12, 1995 - AST Computer announced its endorsement of Pakistan's Software Export Initiative presented today by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to a group of software companies from around the United States. "Information Technology plays a key role in development of global economics in third world countries," said Safi Qureshey, AST's chairman and chief executive officer. "This initiative by the Pakistani government demonstrates a commitment that is vital to the successful development of the software industry in Pakistan and is in harmony with AST's commitment to furthering the use of technology worldwide." info: tel. 714/727-4141 or 800/876-4278 (AST) @START@Over 3,000 High Tech Firms Profiled in 1995 AEA Directory OVER 3,000 HIGH TECH FIRMS PROFILED IN 1995 AEA DIRECTORY SANTA CLARA, Calif. - April 12, 1995 - The just-published American Electronics Association (AEA) 1995 Membership Directory shows that 23 percent of the trade group's member firms are in the software segment of the industry. Semiconductor firms are second with 16 percent, with communications and telecommunications companies following, with 15 and 11 percent, respectively. info: tel. 408/987-4251 @START@IBM Reduces Prices of Top ThinkPad Models IBM REDUCES PRICES OF TOP ThinkPad MODELS SOMERS, N.Y. - April 12, 1995 - IBM today reduced prices by up to 14 percent on selected models of ThinkPad(a) notebook computers. The price cuts cover four models in the premium 755 series, including the 755C and 755CD, a CD-ROM unit with advanced video, telephony and infrared capabilities that remain unmatched by competitors. info: tel. 914/766-3419 @START@Microsoft Concedes to Wang MICROSOFT CONCEDES TO WANG FRAMINGHAM, Mass. - April 12, 1995 - In a move that is uniquely conciliatory, Microsoft has agreed to display Wang's name on the screen of every copy of Microsoft Windows. This is part of Wang's settlement of its legal proceedings with Microsoft, which centered around ownership of Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), a cornerstone of Microsoft Windows. The agreement additionally includes a cash consideration, worldwide service agreement, and other technology access, and positions Wang for market for market leadership in imaging and work flow going forward. @START@New Software Makes PC Card Installations Painless NEW SOFTWARE MAKES PC CARD INSTALLATION PAINLESS IRVINE, Calif. - April 12, 1995 - New Media, a leading developer and manufacturer of portable computing solutions, Wednesday introduced "Auto-Install" configuration software, a unique software package designed by New Media to make the company's full- line of PC Cards the easiest in the industry to install. New Media set the standard for ease-of-use in PC Card software when it introduced the industry's first true PCMCIA plug-and-play client drivers, giving users the ability to freely exchange, remove and/or insert PC Cards into their mobile PCs without the need to re-configure or re-boot their systems. info: tel. 714/453-0100 @START@Apple Stock Rises as Takeover Talk Resurfaces APPLE STOCK RISES AS TAKEOVER TALK RESURFACES PALO ALTO, Calif. - April 13 - Apple Computer Inc. stock rose in heavy trading Wednesday amid renewed talk of a possible takeover of the personal computer maker, industry analysts said. Analysts pointed to several factors that could be buoying the stock, including a report carried in Tuesday's San Francisco Examiner quoting Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Larry Ellison as saying the database software company had actively pursued buying Apple. @START@ISDN Modem Soars to Record Performance Heights ISDN MODEM SOARS TO RECORD PERFORMANCE HEIGHTS V.42bis Compression Ensures Optimum Throughput LAS VEGAS, April 14 - ZyXEL, the leading supplier of high performance modem and data communications products, has unveiled the industry's first family of ISDN modems to provide ISDN and V.34 transmission capabilities in a single device. Setting the pace in ISDN modem performance, the ZyXEL Elite Series of ISDN modems offer features not previously available in a single product. The company has redefined modem communications by combining advanced ISDN technology with V.34 capabilities and an extensive array of analog features to provide users with a high-performance, multi- functional product. info: tel. 714-693-0808 @START@Echo Lake Personal Multimedia PGM Applauded ECHO LAKE PERSONAL MULTIMEDIA PGM APPLAUDED Delrina's Echo Lake Applauded by Computer Industry Pundits SAN JOSE, CA, and TORONTO, ONT - April 14, 1995 - One of the most talked about new consumer software products is Delrina's Echo Lake, a personal multimedia program for capturing and sharing life stories. The product is expected to be available in May. The choice of Echo Lake as one of P.C. Letter's Demo '95 Premiere products, as well as early reaction from industry analysts and media, make this one of the most anticipated launches in Delrina+s seven-year history. "The user interface is absolutely gorgeous," said David Coursey, editor and publisher of P.C. Letter, and conference chairman for Demo '95. "And it's one of the best designed products I've seen in a long time. This is the kind of product that captures people+s imagination, and it may be the first application that lets average people create true multimedia shows." info: tel. 800-734-2330 @START@New Computer Viruses! Please note! The following new computer viruses have been detected. Please be alert for them when you scan your computers. OPRAH WINFREY VIRUS: Your 200MB hard drive suddenly shrinks to 80MB, and then slowly expands back to 200MB. POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS: Never calls itself a "virus", but instead refers to itself as an "electronic microorganism." PEACE CORPS VIRUS: Toughest virus you'll ever love. AT&T VIRUS: Every three minutes it tells you what great service you are getting. MCI VIRUS: Every three minutes it reminds you that you're paying too much for the AT&T virus. PAUL REVERE VIRUS: This revolutionary virus does not horse around. It warns you of impending hard disk attack---once if by LAN, twice if by C:>. RIGHT TO LIFE VIRUS: Won't allow you to delete a file, regardless of how old it is. If you attempt to erase a file, it requires you to first see a counsellor about possible alternatives. BILL CLINTON VIRUS: Promises to save your disk, then once installed, does what all of the other viruses tell it to do and ignores its installer. GEORGE BUSH VIRUS: It starts by boldly stating, "Read my docs....No new files!" on the screen. It proceeds to fill up all the free space on your hard drive with new files. ROSS PEROT VIRUS: Activates every component in your system, just before the whole damn thing quits. AL GORE VIRUS: Undistinguishable from the directory tree. MARIO CUOMO VIRUS: It would be a great virus, but it refuses to run. TED TURNER VIRUS: Colorizes your monochrome monitor. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER VIRUS: Terminates and stays resident. It'll be back. DAN QUAYLE VIRUS: Prevents your system from spawning any child process without joining into a binary network. GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST VIRUS: Nothing works, but all your diagnostic software says everything is fine. NEW WORLD ORDER VIRUS: Probably harmless, but it makes a lot of people really mad just thinking about it. GALLUP VIRUS: Sixty percent of the PC's infected will lose 38 percent of their data 14 percent of the time. (plus or minus a 3.5 percent margin of error.) TERRY RANDLE VIRUS: Prints "Oh no you don't" whenever you choose "Abort" from the "Abort" "Retry" "Fail" message. TEXAS VIRUS: Makes sure that it's bigger than any other file. ADAM AND EVE VIRUS: Takes a couple of bytes out of your Apple. CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS: The computer locks up, screen splits erratically with a message appearing on each half blaming the other side for the problem. AIRLINE VIRUS: You're in Dallas, but your data is in Singapore. FREUDIAN VIRUS: Your computer becomes obsessed with marrying its own motherboard. PBS VIRUS: Your programs stop every few minutes to ask for money. ELVIS VIRUS: Your computer gets fat, slow and lazy, then self destructs; only to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across rural America. OLLIE NORTH VIRUS: Causes your printer to become a paper shredder. NIKE VIRUS: Just does it. SEARS VIRUS: Your data won't appear unless you buy new cables, power supply and a set of shocks. JIMMY HOFFA VIRUS: Your programs can never be found again. CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS #2: Runs every program on the hard drive simultaneously, but doesn't allow the user to accomplish anything. KEVORKIAN VIRUS: Helps your computer shut down as an act of mercy. IMELDA MARCOS VIRUS: Sings you a song (slightly off key) on boot up, then subtracts money from your Quicken account and spends it all on expensive shoes it purchases through Prodigy. STAR TREK VIRUS: Invades your system in places where no virus has gone before. HEALTH CARE VIRUS: Tests your system for a day, finds nothing wrong, and sends you a bill for $4,500. CLEVELAND INDIANS VIRUS: Makes your 486/50 machine perform like a 286/AT. CHICAGO CUBS VIRUS: Your PC makes frequent mistakes and comes in last in the reviews, but you still love it. ORAL ROBERTS VIRUS: Claims that if you don't send it a million dollars, it's programmer will take it back. RETURNED PC VOLUNTEER VIRUS: Still the toughest virus you've ever loved. Use your virus scan, don't let any of these viruses happen to your PC! @START@Limbaugh of Borg! : I am Limbaugh of Borg. : Resistance if futile. : Democrats are irrelevant. : Socialism is irrelevant. : You will be assimilated. : Ditto Ditto Ditto. Keith @SPACE@Mathematicians : In article <3n0gvg$lju@sunserv.kfki.hu>, : Matyas Sustik <sustik@cs.elte.hu> wrote: : >There are 3 kind of mathematician: those that can count and those : >that cannot. @SPACE@Funny Test Answers County High School, where I teach science. They reveal a wide variety of common errors from the funny guess to the complete misunderstanding of the subject. Enjoy. Q: Name a pollutant and its source: A: Weels from a motorway. Q: Is crude oil pure or a mixture? A: Pure, because its on its own. A: Pure, because it is nateral. Q: Why will this nail rust? A: If air get to a nail it will go rusty because air is really water. A: If drying agent fell from the sky it would crush your car, not rust it!!!! Q: What is meant by "endangered species"? A: It is soon to be killed off. A: It means that it is dangerous. Q: When the [cooling] experiment was repeated with thicker glass flasks, cooling took longer. Why? A: Because the heat had to conduct itself through a much thicker distance, which took a lot longer. Q: Where do you find the colours of a spectrum? A: In a Rambow. Q: [On digestion] What is the reaction between acids and antacids called? A: Relief Q: Why does it take longer to cook a potato on top of a mountain? A: Because the potato is at least 1000 feet above the ground. A: It takes longer because of convection. It has to rise all the way up, and th takes some time. Q: What is the unit of resistance? A: Homes (H). Q: The journey from Preston to Carlisle to Preston always takes longer than the journey from Preston to Carlisle. Suggest why this is so. A: The train driver would be tired. Q: Explain the conservation of momentum, and how it applies to a space rocket. A: The conservation of momentum means the conservation of force at which the Q: [On crude oil] What non-energy uses are there for oil? A: Cooking. Q: Describe the function of the cell membrane. A: It keeps the cell warm. Q: How is eye colour etc. passed on to the next generation? A: The jeans (not Levis). Q: Describe how the egg cell is specialised. A: The egg is round so it is easier to get down the tube, because if it was squa there would be a problem. Q: What should medical workers wear when dealing with accidents involving large amounts of blood? A: The should wear gloves and a suit. Q: A car is able to move, and can perform 3 life processes. What are they? A: Speak (hooter). A: Reproduce. A: Gets old. A: Turn. Q: There are three life processes that a car cannot carry out, so it cannot be a living thing. Which processes does a car not carry out? A: Wink A: Sleep. A: Jump in the air. Q: [On periscopes] How do the two mirrors make it work? A: The objects goes into the top mirror. It then gets reflected into the secondA: Your eyes hit the mirror. Q: [On a valley flooded by a dam] Give two problems that the rabbits might have after they have moved. A: They might not be able to get a good water supply, or an open space for them play. Q: Describe changes in the weather which could lead to a decrease in evaporation from oceans. A: There could be a drought, so there wouldn't be any water in the oceans to evaporate. Q: What liquid goes round the body? A: Liquid nitrogen. A: Sodium hydrogen carbonate. Q: Why can camels walk on sand better than horses? A: Because camels have flat, webbed feet. Roxane Johnson Roxane@treetop.demon.co.uk @START@Review: More Internet for Dummies REVIEW: MORE INTERNET FOR DUMMIES Levine & Young IDG Books 1994 If you enjoyed INTERNET FOR DUMMIES, here's more for you. After a quick refresher course on the basics that were well covered in the first volume, MORE INTERNET FOR DUMMIES expands on several topics and covers new areas to give the moderately experienced user new skills and knowledge on advanced Inter-netting. To be sure, there's a certain amount of duplication, but I found enough new material to make this volume worthwhile in its own right. Authors Levine and Young provide detailed coverage of some of the commercial on-line services that offer Internet access such as Delphi and America Online as well as public UNIX providers. There's a chapter on using Windows software to cruise the Internet as well as chapters on Trumpet (a great newsreader) and Eudora (an easy-to-use mail reading pgm available for both Windows and Mac users). MORE INTERNET FOR DUMMIES even tells you how to grab your own copy of the shareware version of Eudora right off the net! Other subjects expanded from INTERNET FOR DUMMIES include HGopher, WINWAIS, Internet Relay Chat or IRC for short, as well as updated and detailed World Wide Web coverage as well. There are a lot of little tidbits, called "Fun and Silly Stuff" and "10,000 Interesting Things to Do on the Net" to keep you busy for days. Finally there's a pretty comprehensive glossary that will intrepret the buzzwords and jargon and translate it to plain, understandable English. MORE INTERNET FOR DUMMIES is a post-graduate course on mastering the Internet and would be of particular interest to anyone using Windows and the programs that run under it to access the Net. It is well written with humor and includes more Rich Tennant's 5th Wave cartoons which are delightful as always. Not only is it enjoyable reading, you'll learn something too! %T More Internet for Dummies %A John R Levine & Margaret Levine Young %I IDG Books Worldwide %C San Mateo California %D 1994 %O $19.95 USA $26.95 Canada %G ISBN:1-56884-164-7 %P 390 pages, paperbound %K Internet, computer netwoeks, online services (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Build Your Own Shortwave Antennas REVIEW: BUILD YOUR OWN SHORTWAVE ANTENNAS, 2nd Ed. Andrew Yoder TAB/McGraw-Hill As a radio amateur I have always been interested in antennas because without one, the best radio equipment is useless. Given the sophisticated state-of- the-art in receivers and transcievers, it seems that the only area left for experimentation and practical construction projects is the antenna system. Andrew Yoder (author of PIRATE RADIO, also published by TAB/McGraw-Hill) gives us lots of good hands-on information for the beginner and veteran alike. In the brief introduction, Yoder gives us some shortwave basics, discusses propagation and even chides the F.C.C. by reprinting a news release written by them in which they display an incredibly erroneous description of radio propagation. The serious portion of the book begins with beginner and makeshift antennas and continues with basic discussions on horizontal, vertical antennas and transmission lines. Now equipped with some fundamental knowledge we can start to construct some antennas. Author Yoder gives some essential info on construction, tools, materials and practices, masts and supports and, most important, emphasizes safety measures, grounding and lightning protection - probably the most important considerations when discussing antennas. Also covered are the standard half-wave dipole, end-fed Zepp, loops, rhombics, inverted vees and highly directional antennas. In addition, for those with limited space, there is a chapter on indoor, limited space and portable antenna systems that perform quite well given the limitations. Finally, there's a discussion on radio interference. The appendices include a chart of wire lengths for half-wave antennas, a bibliography and a list of suppliers. I enjoyed reading Andy Yoder's BUILD YOUR OWN SHORTWAVE ANTENNAS and would definitely recommend it as a valuable addition to any radio enthusiasts bookshelf. %T Shortwave Antennas %A Andrew Yoder %I TAB/McGraw-Hill %C New York Ney York %D 1994 %O $16.95 %G ISBN: 0-07-076534-0 %P 207 pages, paperbound %K shortwave radio reception, antennas (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Internet Insider REVIEW: INTERNET INSIDER Ruffin Prevost Osborne McGraw Hill 1995 This is a collection of writings in a humorous and satirical vein about and from the Internet. The colorful cover reminds me of the supermarket checkout tabloids that I never seem to be able to avoid no matter how hard I try. INTERNET INSIDER offers such revelations as "Boy's Soul Sucked Into FAX- MODEM!", "Man Buys Desert Town - Plans to Build Info Highway" and "The King is Alive and Well Online - Sources say He Prefers Macs!" Of course there's the obligatory O.J. Simpson drivel, complete with your own O.J. police mugshot and photo of his cell in the "VIP Wing" of the L.A. County lockup. To be fair, there are some serious articles as well, such as "Is Big Brother Reading Your E-mail?" dated 1990. Many of the inclusions in INTERNET INSIDER are taken from various offbeat newsgroups or contributed by net users. And, there's more - the author promises to provide an ongoing e-mail updates and accept contributions for a future edition which will also be available by anonymous FTP. I found the INTERNET INSIDER marginally amusing. However, I wonder what the reaction might be if one of our new Congress members opposed to spending any more taxpayer money on the NREN got hold of a copy and used it to show the results of that funding! Personally I'll stick to MAD and old copies of NATIONAL LAMPOON. However, if you're a fan of the Midnight Star and other supermarket tabloids you'll love INTERNET INSIDER. %T Internet Insider - The Shocking News from the Edge of Cyberspace %A Ruffin Prevost %I Osborne McGraw-Hill %C Berkeley California %D 1995 %O $14.95 %G ISBN: 0-07-882084-7 %P 284 pp paperbound %K Internet humor (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Multiengine Flying REVIEW: MULTIENGINE FLYING, Paul A Craig TAB/McGraw-Hill 1994 This new title, part of the TAB Practicl Flying series, is an excellent supplement to ground school training required to obtain a multi-engine rating, vital to all serious pilots. However, the change from single to multiengine flight presents new situations and elements of danger and it is essential for anyone seeking to make the transition be aware of these. Paul Craig, a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) covers the essential subjects: multiengine aerodynamics, takeoffs, landings, engine-out procedures, propeller systems, fuel and electrical systems. Also included is a description of multiengine flight training detailing a syllabus of seven lessons complete with objectives and completion standards. Next, author Craig tells us about the Multiengine rating practical test standards and what to expect including sample oral questions you are likely to be asked during the examination. Finally, there is a chapter on the multiengine flight instructor and what to do once you earn your multiengine rating. This book is obviously not for new pilots, but for those with many single engine hours in their log books and considerable flight experience. A multiengine rating is mandatory for those seeking the Commercial Pilot's license or those wishing to move up to larger, faster and more powerful aircraft. This book will help you understand what you're getting into and help you through it should you decide to go after your multiengine rating. %T Multiengine Flying %A Paul A Craig %I TAB/McGraw-Hill %C Blue Ridge Summit, PA %D 1994 %O $19.95 %G ISBN:0-07-013423-5 %P 212 pp, paperbound %K aviation, multiengine (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Multimedia REVIEW: THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO MULTIMEDIA David Haskins Alpha Books Recently I reviewed THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO CD-ROM and found it to be most informative and well written. THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO MULTIMEDIA seems to take up where the first book leaves off in expanding and offering new material on the subject. Some of the subjects covered include the Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Multimedia, Graphics and Sound, MIDI, WAV, installing and trouble- shooting multimedia peripherals, hardware and software. Also covered are the Top Ten CD-ROMs including Encarta, MYST and eight more. Of particular interest is a complete section on how to make your own multimedia presentations using text, images and sound to make all kinds of innovative and creative productions - slide shows, cartoons, animations and even movies! The book comes with a bonus CD-ROM that contains some neat stuff to play with - such as several game demos such as Epic's Pinball, Overkill (a fast space arcade game) and DOOM which is one of the hottest PC games ever! Also included are several neat graphics like chevy.gif and lunarium.gif and a whole lot more. In short - there's a lot in THE CONPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO MULTIMEDIA to keep you occupied and busy for months. Its easy learning and fun to boot! %T The Complete Idiot's Guide to Multimedia %A David Haskin %I Alpha Books %C Indianapolis Indiana %D 1994 %O Includes CD-ROM, $19.95 USA, $26.99 Canada %G ISBN: 1-56761-505-8 %P 357 pages, paperbound %K CD-ROM, multimedia, computers (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Fatal Distractions REVIEW: FATAL DISTRACTIONS by David Gerrold, The Waite Group Press 1994 This book and accompanying CD-ROM contains 87 of the very best ways to get beaten, eaten,maimed and mauled on your PC. The CD-ROM contains 180 MB of games that should keep any moderately active gamer occupied for months. System requirements are a 386 processor, 4 megs of RAM, a hard drive and, of course, a CD-ROM drive. In addition, many of the games support a mouse, joystick and soundcard. But, of course, any serious game-player has all that and probably much better. There are text adventures, dungeons, Pac-mazes, tetroids, puzzles, packing, strategy and 3-D games galore, including Castle Wolfenstein (with several add-ons), Commander Keen, Doom and a whole lot more. Also included is the Adventure Game Toolkit from Softworks. This is regarded as the best adventure game engine available anywhere and allows you to write your own adventure game. All in all, FATAL DISTRACTIONS is a wonderful collection of games and great diversions and $27.00 is a pretty good deal for the serious (and not so serious game player. %T Fatal Distractions %A David Gerrold %I The Waite Group Press %C Corte Madera California %D 1994 %O Includes CD-ROM $26.95 %G ISBN: 1-878739-77-8 %P 173 pages paperbound %K computer games (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Internet Chat Quick Tour REVIEW: INTERNET CHAT QUICK TOUR Donald Rose Ventana Press INTERNET CHAT QUICK TOUR is another in the series of "Quick Tour" titles introducing readers to real-time on-line conversations. This book will guide you into this fascinating world that has been compared by many to Citizens' Band (CB) Radio, mainly for its similarities in engaging in communiations with total strangers on a random basis. INTERNET CHAT QUICK TOUR will tell you what to do in order to get connected to IRC and how to communicate within this multi-channel medium, showing which of these channels are fun, wierd and informative and how to participate in them. Also covered are rules of etiquette, behavioral quirks and patterns you're likely to encounter and some warnings as well. There is pretty decent coverage of the various chat channels on a multitude of subjects which explains what kind of discussion you may expect to find on them and information on IRC-related World Wide Web pages. The appendices list many IRC servers, contain a glossary of terminology and an explaination of the free On-line Companion service offered by Ventana Press. Although I am not personally familiar with IRC and on-line chatting, the book seems to explain the basics quite satisfactorily and thoroughty enough to satisfy anyone interested in becoming active on this interesting new communication medium. Donald Rose's book managed to pique my interest to the point that I may give it a try, when I have a few hours to kill. %T Internet Chat Quick Tour %A Donald Rose %I Ventana Press %C Chapel Hill NC %D 1995 %O $14.00 %G ISBN: 1-56604-223-2 %P 174 pp, paperbound %K Internet, IRC, on-line chat (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: NETLAW - Your Rights in the Online World REVIEW: NETLAW - Your Rights in the Online World Osborne/McGraw-Hill 1995 This book is important for anyone needing to know their legal rights and obligations in the online world. The subject is fascinating because it is so new that, in many cases, there are no legal precedents to guide us and therefore, its like sailing in uncharted waters. If there is such a person who is a recognized authority on the subject of online law it would have to be Lance Rose, Esq. He writes regularly for WIRED and BOARDWATCH and is a moderator on LEXIS Counsel Connect, a high-priced online system for attorneys. His law firm specializes in online legal matters. He is definitely very well qualified to author such a book. NETLAW covers many important issues - everything from freedom of speech, censorship, contracts, copyright, privacy, the public domain and a whole lot more. There's a chapter on dangers and responsibilities in the online world as well as online crime and what to do when the cops come knocking on your door with examples of prominent search and seizure cases like the Steve Jackson Games case. Also covered are adult materials, obscenity and pornography. The appendices contain a lot of valuable goodies as well - sample contracts, the text of relevant legislation such as the Electronic Communications Provacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, New York's Computer Crime Statute, the Child pornography Statute, relevant cases with citations, a bibliography of sources of additional information and much more. America is, unfortunately, a lithigator's paradise - make a wrong move and someone's waiting to sue you. This book is not a substitute for competent legal advice, but it may just save you from putting yourself in an awkward and compromising position that could cost you big bucks and more. NETLAW is not an easy read, but author Rose has done a fine job with the difficult task of writing about the Law for laypeople in language they can understand. It is therefore a valuable work and and every serious net user would be well advised to read it. %T Netlaw - Your Rights in the Online World %A Lance Rose, Esq %I Osborne/McGraw-Hill %C Berkeley California %D 1995 %O $19.95 %G ISBN: 0-07-882077-4 %P 372 pp, paperbound %K Internet, computer networks, legal issues (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Virgin's One World Atlas Review of Virgin's One World Atlas ================================== There have been a couple of reviews of this CD-ROM in the British press recently that have given very good scores. These reviews seem to have been somewhat superficial so by way of balance here are my opinions. Good Points ----------- The interface works well. The first screen contains lots of objects that you can point and click at. These range from a pair of sunglasses (aviators ?) to cards marked 'Highest Mountain', 'Largest Lake' etc. The latter are spoiled because some of the titles are illegible. Every screen including this one has a rolled up embroidered scroll at the bottom. Click on this and it unrolls to give a series of navigation options. This clever idea means that the screens are never cluttered by a menu, and when you do want the menu a common set of icons help you navigate. As you navigate through the atlas a selection of world music plays. Clicking on the sunglasses brings up a beautifully rendered satellite picture ofthe earth complete with surface and submarine topography. Clicking on four directional arrows causes this image to rotate. Zooming in to the image displays increasingly more detail. Unfortunately you can't zoom from the satellite image to the actual world maps. Surely this would not have been too difficult to code ? You can look at political or geographic maps of the world and zoom in to a particular country. You can click on some of the larger cities to get a couple of facts and figures about them. Using the menu bar you can get a brief socio-political history of each country. You can also choose to look at a gallery of photographs of that country whilst listening to a selection of local music. Once you have selected a country you can return to the first screen to find out about the largest, highest etc. in that country. The title screen also allows you to use a crude text search facility to find the text on a particular country, city, lake etc. Bad Points ---------- And that's all ..... The geographical maps have a very poor level of detail. Only the major metropolitan areas and geographical features are displayed. This means that you will not be able to find small cities or large towns. I want to be able to use a CD atlas to find the location of any large town in the world. Ideally I would like to be taken to the appropriate part of the atlas as well. One of the major selling point of multimedia educational tools is depth of information. By any measure of depth this title fails. To only store facts about the country as a whole plus the record holding cities, lakes and mountains is pathetic. I want to be able find out information about particular cities, and perhaps even see their sights and sounds. Some of the better US atlases allow the user to zoom down to street maps. Why not hold a street map for each capital city ? This is a contentious area, but I expect the socio-political coverage to be un-biased. The section on the UK is very biased and does not represent a true account of the political happenings of the last decade. The picture gallery forthe UK begins with a series of pictures of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland. Despite perceptions in the US, this does not shape the day to day lives of the majority of the population of Northern Ireland let alone the rest of the UK. If this title is being bought as a research tool then you will be sadly disappointed. There is no image or text capture facility. So you will not be able to copy information to your favourite word processor to turn into an essay for school. In my opinion there is insufficient depth of information to perform any real research. Conclusion ---------- Why would anyone want to own this title ? If you want a pretty satellite image of the earth and want to browse the sights and sounds of particular countries whilst astounding people with facts like 'The second biggest city in Tibet is ...' then this title is for you. If you want any more detail below the level of country then look at what other atlases are available. This CD has a very slick front end and enough information to convice the average reviewer, but it has NO DEPTH. The majority of people will get bored of it very quickly. If you own Encarta '95 (Sorry, I can't speak for the other encyclopedias) then DO NOT BUY this CD. Encarta contains more geographical information than this disk and allows you to see the sights and sounds of individual cities not just countries. Ok, Encarta's map is cruder but then it's not supposed to be an atlas. If you want an atlas with pretty pictures of the world and good detailed country maps, then consider spending half the price of the disk on a paper atlasand the rest on a good CD game. By the way, I took this CD back to the shop and got my money back. Mike Coker "The views represented in those article are my own and do not represent those ofthe company I work for, my family, my cats or even the bloke I met in the pub last night." @START@Doonesbury on Disk DOONESBURY ON DISK NOVATO, Calif., April 5 - Mindscape(R), Inc., a leading developer of multimedia consumer software, is teaming up with acerbic political and social cartoonist Garry Trudeau to develop a line of software products based on Trudeau's unique Doonesbury characters and perspectives. Doonesbury Toonscapes(TM), as the line will be called, includes the following products, all currently under development: Doonesbury Screen Saver, Flashbacks: 25 Years of Doonesbury, and FrontRunner '96: the Doonesbury Election Game. The Doonesbury Screen Saver will debut this spring with the other titles following later in the year. Commenting on the selection of Mindscape as a partner in his first foray into software, Trudeau explained, "Microsoft was my first choice, but then I heard about Mindscape, which had a cooler name, and the people seemed smarter. So I went with them." info: CompuServe: 74664,3171, (Mindscape) @START@At Home with Microsoft BOB AT HOME WITH MICROSOFT BOB Keeping a home and family running smoothly is never an easy task. A home computer equipped with Microsoft Bob can make it easy and fun to track finances, organize tasks, communicate with family and friends, even help parents and kids get creative. AT HOME WITH MICROSOFT BOB, from Microsoft Press, is an idea-packed guide that offers plenty of ideas and advice for the home computing family to maximize fun and enjoyment. AT HOME WITH MICROSOFT BOB is a lively book that presents practical and fun ideas for using Microsoft Bob on a home computer. Simple instructions for navigating in the Microsoft Bob "Social Interface" make it easy to get acquainted with Microsoft Bob. The book helps readers integrate Microsoft Bob into their everyday home lives so that moving around in Microsoft Bob becomes as comfortable as moving around their own homes. info: tel. 206-882-8080 or 800-MSPRESS (rec'd from BAKER ENTERPRISES) @START@Review: Travel Planner CD REVIEW: CD-ROM - TRAVEL PLANNER CD Expert Software Here's another of those neat road-trip planners I've been looking at lately - and with a pleasant surprise! It does all kinds of neat things and the priced at just under $20.00 - more than half the cost of the competition. The TRAVEL PLANNER CD plans your trip in seconds, offering you a choice of shortest, quickest, preferred, scenic or optimized routings using a database containing 147,000 cities and 575,000 miles of roads in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Once the route is selected TRAVEL PLANNER prints the itinerary and color maps to take along on your trip. TRAVEL PLANNER CD offers plenty of multimedia features too - like narrated slide shows that preview over 100 destinations, videos, audio help, descriptions and information on state and city points of interest. In addition there's some information on tourist needs like car rental, hotels, airlines and travel tips. To run Expert Software's TRAVEL PLANNER CD you'll need a 486SX or higher computer with 4MB of RAM, 5MB of hard drive space, MicroSoft Windows 3.1, VGA/SVGA, a mouse, a MPC2 compatible CD-ROM drive and as an option, a sound card. Quite frankly I'm impressed with this package, mainly in that it offers plenty of bang for the buck - lots of great features many of which are missing from the higher priced travel planners. At $19.95 it should please just about everyone. %T Travel Planner CD %I Expert Software %C Coral Gables FL %D 1994 %O CD-ROM, $19.95 %K Travel planner, roadmaps (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Encarta'95 REVIEW: CD-ROM - ENCARTA'95 Microsoft 1994 Microsoft's complete interactive multimedia encyclopedia on CD-ROM is quite a package of knowledge and learning. One reviewer said "this is the CD-ROM that will make print encyclopedias obsolete", but its really like comparing apples and oranges. ENCARTA'95 is a LOT more fun than a shelf full of books! ENCARTA'95 is a sight and sound show that teaches. It contains more than 26,000 articles, 7,000 photos and illustrations, 800 maps, over 100 animations and video clips and, if that's not enough, more than 8 hours of sound! Microsoft's team of 25 editors update ENCARTA annually - the 1995 edition contains more than 10,000 revised articles and plenty of new material as well. The ENCARTA powerful pinpoint tool finds information easily and allows users to search by title, time, media, place, or key words and filters information to browse, create lists and find facts quickly and effortlessly. The new fly-out menus make finding articles much easier and faster. ENCARTA is extremely easy to master by anyone who can point a mouse and click the buttons! System requirements are pretty standard - a 386SX, 4MB of RAM, 3.5MB of free hard drive space, CD-ROM drive, sound card, SVGA monitor, Windows 3.1 or later, a mouse and loudspeakers. ENCARTA also features an interactive world atlas, an illustrated timeline of world history, a media gallery with thousands of graphics and a neat learning game called MindMaze. One feature I find extremely useful is ENCARTA'95's seamless integration with Microsoft's BOOKSHELF and WORKS programs which allows users to import information directly into a word processing application for easier report writing. I sure wish I had that capability when I was writing term papers and essays. Unfortunately, my review does not do ENCARTA'95 justice! There's so much great stuff and innovative presentation here. You really have to play with ENCARTA'95 for a few hours to fully appreciate it. If you recently purchased a multimedia system you may find that ENCARTA'95 was bundled with the software that came with it. If not, buy it and if you're not pleased, Microsoft offers you a 90 day money-back guarantee. You can't lose! %T Encarta'95 %I Microsoft %D 1994 %O CD-ROM, $99.95 %K encyclopedia (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Review: Languages of the World REVIEW: CD-ROM - LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD N T C Publishing Group This multilingual dictionary database contains 17 dictionaries in twelve lagluages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Dutch, Danish, German, Japanese, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish. It offers the equivilent of 132 separate dictionaries or language combinations and 7 million words on a single CD-ROM. Amazing! The database contains specialized words from business, science and technology as well as everyday terms. It will easily and quickly provide translations, definitions and synonyms. As a bonus, LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD contains N T C's American Idioms Dictionary. N T C Publishing group produces high-quality travel guides and many language courses, so the LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD CD-ROM is no surprise. It comes in three formats: MS-DOS, Windows and Macintosh. The MS-DOS version search engine can be used as a TSR with a word processor, thus allowing you to paste the result of your dictionary search directly into the document being edited. The Windows version the same feature and can be inserted into any Windows application through the use of the clipboard. In addition, the Windows version offers the option of displaying Japanese and Chinese characters on the screen. Installation was easy. There's a HELP menu, appropriately indexed and hyperlinked to different sections for easy browsing. LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD is not difficult to master using the HELP and pop-up definitions and examples. I found this CD to be quite handy in going back and forth between the various world's major languages, but I am puzzled by the fact that Russian, which is spoken by over 200 million speakers, was omitted. %T Languages of the World %I N T C Publishing Group %C 4255 Touhy Ave Lincolnwood Illinois 60646 %O CD-ROM DOS $129.95 Windows $149.95 %G ISBN: DOS 0-8442-9294-X WINDOWS 0-8442-9250-8 %K disctinaries (C) 1995 Michael Crestohl Nahant Massachusetts USA mc@shore.net DISCLAIMER: I have no interest, financial or otherwise, in the success or failure of the book or materials reviewed herewith, nor have I received any compensation (other than a review copy requested by me) from anyone who has. All opinions expressed are strictly my own. @START@Jonathan's Space Report Jonathan's Space Report No. 237 1995 Apr 12 Cambridge, MA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shuttle ------- Processing of Discovery for STS-70 and Atlantis for STS-71 continues; it seems likely that STS-70 will fly first because of the delays in the Mir program. Columbia completed its refit in California and departed Palmdale on Apr 11 aboard the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft en route to KSC. Mir --- Dezhurov, Strekalov and Thagard remain aboard Mir; they had been in space for 29 days 9 hr 49 min at 1600UTC on Apr 12. Launch of Progress No. 227 (named Progress M-27 after launch) was carried out on Apr 9 at 1934 UTC, and the Progress docked with the Mir complex on Apr 11 at 2300 UTC. Apr 12 is the 34th anniversary of the launch of the Vostok spaceship, when Yuriy A. Gagarin became the first human in space. Recent Launches -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The newly formed Lockheed Martin carried out its first launch on Mar 22; the former General Dynamics Commercial Launch Services, which had become Martin Marietta CLS, is now part of the new Lockheed Martin empire, and the San Diego (old GD/Convair Space Systems Division) and Denver (old Martin Marietta Astronautics Titan plant) operations are to be merged. Lockheed Martin's Atlas IIAS launch vehicle flight AC-115 (Atlas stage number 8204) took off from LC36B at Cape Canaveral and placed a Space Systems/Loral FS-1300 class communications satellite in orbit for INTELSAT, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization. Intelsat 705 will be placed over the Atlantic Ocean. The AC-115 launch was swiftly followed by the final Atlas E launch from Vandenberg on Mar 24, and a further Atlas Centaur launch, this time a IIA model, from pad 36A at Canaveral on Apr 7. AC-114 (with Atlas first stage 8111) placed American Mobile Satellite Corp.'s AMSC-1 into orbit. AMSC-1 (also known as M-SAT) is a Hughes HS-601 class comsat with 16 L-band and one Ku-band transponders. The satellite is the first to be optimized for mobile telephone communications. It will be complemented by a similar M-SAT satellite for Canada's Telesat Mobile Inc., to be launched later this year. Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Pegasus launch vehicle returned to flight on Apr 3. This was the first successful launch using the Lockheed L-1011 carrier airplane, which took off from Vandenberg AFB and dropped the Pegasus over the Point Arguello Warning Area in the Pacific. The 3-stage standard Pegasus placed three small satellites in a 730 x 750 km x 70.0 deg orbit. The three satellites all use OSC's new Microstar bus design. Two of the satellites, Orbcomm FM1 and FM2, are the first satellites in OSC's Orbital Communications Corp. (Orbcomm) subsidiary's low Earth orbit (LEO) communications network. They are 1.0m in diameter and 0.16m high, with a mass of 40 kg; once on orbit they deploy a 3.3m long VHF/UHF communications antenna and a pair of solar panels spanning 2.2m. Orbcomm FM2's uplink antenna was malfunctioning last week, but FM1 was operating well. The third satellite is Microlab 1, a 68 kg scientific satellite 1.0m in diameter and 0.3m high. It carries NASA-MSFC's Optical Transient Detector experiment to study the global distribution of lightning, and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research's GPS-MET experiment which will study the occultation of GPS navigation satellite signals by the atmosphere to derive meteorological information. Microlab is owned by OSC, with NASA and NSF renting the space for and operation of their experiments. The Orbcomm program has been shrouded in commercial secrecy, with few details released on the precursor test payloads: Satellite Launch date Orbit Design. Orbcomm-X 1991 Jul 17 771 x 776 x 98.5 1991-50B Orbcomm-XP-1 1993 Feb 9 727 x 790 x 25.0 1993-09A Orbcomm? 1993 Apr 25 747 x 835 x 69.9 1993-26B Orbcomm FM1 1995 Apr 3 727 x 756 x 70.0 1995-17A Orbcomm FM2 1995 Apr 3 737 x 747 x 70.0 1995-17B Microlab 1 1995 Apr 3 731 x 749 x 70.0 1995-17C On Apr 5 Israel launched its most sophisticated satellite to date, the 'Ofeq-3 ("Horizon-3") 3-axis stabilized technology satellite. The Shaviyt launch vehicle took off on a westward trajectory from Palamchim Air Force Base in Israel and placed the satellite and the AUS-51 solid motor third stage in a retrograde orbit. 'Ofeq-3 carries an electro-optical scanner and has a mass of 225 kg. It has been reported in the media as Israel's first spy satellite, but I think this is probably an overstatement. 'Ofeq-3 should probably be considered as Israel's first 3-axis-stabilized technology development satellite, with an experimental imaging system (whose resolution may be as good as a few metres) intended for both remote sensing and military reconnaissance applications, but it isn't a full fledged spysat. 'Ofeq-3's westward orbit is rare, but not a record; some US Air Force satellites in the 1960s went to an inclination of 144 degrees to the eastward equator (i.e. 36 degrees to the westbound equator). There are quite a few polar retrograde satellites with inclinations up to around 105 degrees, and the GAMBIT spy satellites used inclinations up to 110 degrees regularly in the 1960s and 1970s. Below I give a table of all satellites whose inclinations exceeded 110.5 degrees. Highest inclination satellite orbits Satellite Launch Orbit (km x km x deg) Owner GAMBIT 28 1966 May 14 133 x 358 x 110.6 NRO GAMBIT 68 1971 Jan 21 139 x 418 x 110.9 NRO GAMBIT 69 1971 Apr 22 132 x 401 x 110.9 NRO GAMBIT 71 1971 Oct 23 134 x 416 x 110.9 NRO GAMBIT 64 1970 Apr 15 130 x 388 x 111.0 NRO GAMBIT 66 1970 Aug 18 151 x 365 x 111.0 NRO GAMBIT 67 1970 Oct 23 135 x 396 x 111.1 NRO GAMBIT 70 1971 Aug 12 137 x 424 x 111.0 NRI GAMBIT 72 1972 Mar 17 131 x 409 x 111.0 NRO GAMBIT 44 1966 Jun 20 127 x 325 x 111.4 NRO GAMBIT 49 1968 Jan 18 138 x 404 x 111.5 NRO GAMBIT 51 1968 Apr 17 134 x 427 x 111.5 NRO GAMBIT 47 1967 Oct 25 136 x 429 x 111.6 NRO GAMBIT 45 1967 Aug 16 142 x 449 x 111.9 NRO CORONA 66? 1964 Jun 13 350 x 364 x 115.0 NRO CORONA 70? 1964 Aug 21 349 x 363 x 115.0 NRO Geos 3 1975 Apr 9 839 x 853 x 115 NASA GAMBIT 27 1966 Apr 19 145 x 398 x 117.0 NRO RAE 1 1968 Jul 4 5861 x 5861 x 120 NASA NTS 1 1974 Jul 14 13445 x13767 x 125 USAF 'Ofeq-1 1988 Sep 19 245 x 1152 x 142.9 Israel 'Ofeq-2 1990 Apr 3 206 x 1586 x 143.2 Israel 'Ofeq-3 1995 Apr 5 369 x 729 x 143.4 Israel OV1-2 1965 Oct 5 403 x 3462 x 144.3 USAF OV1-8P 1966 Jul 14 998 x 1013 x 144.3 USAF OV1-4 1966 Mar 30 879 x 1011 x 144.5 USAF OV1-5 1966 Mar 30 996 x 1048 x 144.7 USAF Kosmos-2290 was deorbited on Apr 4 from its 180 x 557 km x 64.8 deg orbit. The reason for the unusual maneuver a week before deorbit (see JSR 236) remains unclear. My description of the Start launch vehicle last week was inaccurate; it differs from Start-1 in that there is a new second stage inserted between the first and second stages of Start-1. According to Maxim Tarasenko, apparently there are actually six stages including a small kick motor to circularize the orbit. The failure was in the fourth stage, and the fifth stage never got a chance to fire. The debris impacted eastern Russia. Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. DES. Mar 2 0638 Endeavour ) Space Shuttle Kennedy LC39A Spaceship 07A Astro 2 ) Mar 2 1300 Kosmos-2306 Kosmos-3M Plesetsk LC132 Calibration 08A Mar 7 0923 Kosmos-2307 ) Proton-K/DM2 Baykonur LC200 Navigation 09A Kosmos-2308 ) Navigation 09B Kosmos-2309 ) Navigation 09C Mar 14 0611 Soyuz TM-21 Soyuz-U2 Baykonur LC1 Spaceship 10A Mar 18 0801 SFU ) H-II Tanegashima Science 11A GMS-5 ) Weather 11B Mar 22 0405? Kosmos-2310 Kosmos-3M Plesetsk Navigation 12A Mar 22 0618 Intelsat 705 Atlas IIAS Canaveral LC36B Comsat 13A Mar 22 1645? Kosmos-2311 Soyuz-U Plesetsk Recon 14A Mar 24 1405 DMSP 24547 Atlas E Vandenberg SLC3 Weather 15A Mar 28 0900 Gurwin-1 ) Start Plesetsk Technology FTO UNAMSAT ) Comsat FTO EKA-2 ) Dummy FTO Mar 28 0618 Eutelsat HB1 ) Ariane 44LP Kourou Comsat 16B Brasilsat B2 ) Comsat 16A Apr 3 1348 Orbcomm 1 ) Pegasus L1011 VAFB/PAWA Comsat 17A Orbcomm 2 ) Comsat 17B Microlab 1 ) Science 17C Apr 5 1116 'Ofeq-3 Shaviyt Palamchim Technol. 18A Apr 7 2347 AMSC-1 Atlas IIA Canaveral LC36A Comsat 19A Apr 9 1934 Progress M-27 Soyuz-U Baykonur Cargo 20A Reentries --------- Mar 2 ODERACS II D Reentered Mar 3 ODERACS E Reentered Mar 3 Foton 10 Landed in Russia Mar 10 Kosmos-2280 Deorbited Mar 15 Progress M-26 Deorbited over Pacific Mar 18 Endeavour Landed at Edwards AFB Mar 18 Kosmos-2244 Deorbited Mar 22 Soyuz TM-20 Landed in Kazakhstan Apr 3 Kosmos-2137 Reentered Apr 4 Kosmos-2290 Reentered Current Shuttle Processing Status ____________________________________________ Orbiters Location Mission Launch Due OV-102 Columbia Aboard SCA OMDP - OV-103 Discovery OPF Bay 2 STS-70 Under review OV-104 Atlantis OPF Bay 3 STS-71 Under review OV-105 Endeavour OPF Bay 1 STS-69 Jul 20 ML/SRB/ET/OV stacks ML1/ ML2/RSRM-44 VAB Bay 3 STS-70 ML3/RSRM-45/ET-70 VAB Bay 1 STS-71 .-------------------------------------------------------------------------. | Jonathan McDowell | phone : (617) 495-7176 | | Harvard-Smithsonian Center for | | | Astrophysics | | | 60 Garden St, MS4 | | | Cambridge MA 02138 | inter : jcm@urania.harvard.edu | | USA | jmcdowell@cfa.harvard.edu | | | | JSR: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/jsr.html | ! ftp://sao-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/jcm/space/news/news.* | '-------------------------------------------------------------------------' @START@JPL Instrument to Measure Earth's Atmospheric Temperature PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011 Contact: Mary A. Hardin FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 3, 1995 JPL INSTRUMENT WILL MEASURE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE An experimental instrument, launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, Calif., could alter the way scientists monitor global atmospheric temperatures and climate change by using the worldwide array of Global Positioning System satellites. The Global Positioning System Meteorology instrument -- or GPS Met -- was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Corporation Microlab satellite on a Pegasus launch vehicle. The instrument, developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was successfully placed into orbit at 6:48 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. From its vantage point in low-Earth orbit, GPS Met will receive and track the radio signals broadcast by 24 high-orbiting satellites of the U.S. military's GPS network. Just before each GPS satellite passes out of view of the Earth, its signal, as seen by GPS Met, will slice through the atmosphere from the top of the stratosphere down to the Earth's surface. This process is known as atmospheric occultation or radio occultation. "As the signal descends, the atmosphere acts as a lens, causing the signal's path to bend and its travel time to increase by a small, but perceptible amount," said JPL engineer Dr. Thomas Yunck, one of a team of experts who proposed the GPS technique in the late 1980s. "By precisely measuring the signal's increasing travel time and the fluctuating signal strength, we can recover highly accurate profiles of atmospheric density, pressure, temperature and, to some degree, turbulence and winds." "The most obvious scientific application of this technique will be monitoring changes in climate by providing precise, stable and high-resolution profiles of atmospheric temperatures across the globe," added Rob Kursinski, a JPL scientist on the GPS Met team. "The GPS Met data represent the first, hopefully, in a long-term observation program, which will provide us with much needed, long-term information about how trace greenhouse gases may be modifying Earth's atmosphere and climate". GPS Met will also be used to study the amount of water vapor in the lower atmosphere, the JPL science team said. "Water vapor is extremely important to Earth's weather and climate system," Kursinski explained. "It is crucial to the operation of the Earth's atmospheric heat engine, which redistributes absorbed solar energy to higher latitudes. Water vapor is also the primary greenhouse gas in our atmosphere." Using the technique of radio occultation to explore planetary atmospheres dates back to 1965, when scientists studied the signal sent back by Mariner 4 as it passed behind Mars. In the years since, this technique has been used to study other planets in the solar system and their moons. "Studying Earth with this technique has been difficult because the observations require both a radio source and a suitable receiver located off the planet, outside the atmosphere," Yunck said. "Until now, we have not had such matched pairs in Earth orbit. "Additionally, to be of use in studying Earth's atmosphere, whose nature we know quite well, such measurements must be continuous and comprehensive," he said. "We therefore need many transmitters and receivers aloft at once, densely sampling the global atmosphere every few hours. The cost of such an enterprise has generally made it impractical within Earth science programs." The advent of microsatellites and small launcher technologies is changing all of that. GPS Met is the first "proof-of-concept" demonstration of the GPS occultation technique. If successful, it could lead to a future constellation of tiny microsatellites, each no larger than a small paperback book and weighing less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds), that would continuously survey the global atmosphere with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution, Yunck said. The GPS observations from a constellation of tens or hundreds of receivers in low-Earth orbit may have a dramatic impact on weather forecasting because they would provide a number of unique and fundamental features which would complement the present suite of worldwide weather monitoring measurements, Kursinski explained. Another important application of the GPS Met technology will be its ability to map the ionosphere -- the area of the upper atmosphere consisting of free electrons. Low frequency radio waves broadcast from Earth interact strongly with the ionosphere. This interaction allows the radio signals to be sent great distances as they are reflected off the ionosphere. Ionospheric disturbances have been known to cause violent solar flares, for example, which can disrupt radio communications worldwide. With a large array of orbiting GPS receivers, it will be possible to create three-dimensional images of the ionosphere that will help scientists map its structure and could give them a near real-time picture of the ionosphere's often erratic behavior, Yunck said. The GPS Met experiment is sponsored jointly by NASA's Office of Mission to Planet Earth, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. The instrument was developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is being managed by the University Corp. for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. @START@Device Developed for Bird Protection DEVICE DEVELOPED FOR BIRD PROTECTION EPRI-sponsored researchers have developed a technology to help prevent birds from flying into structures that can injure or kill them. The device, which emits a pattern of radio-frequency signals that are imperceptible to human beings, has been tested successfully in the laboratory. Now the researchers are preparing to test it in the field. The technology was conceived for use at wind farms. But according to EPRI's Earl Davis, who is managing the ongoing research at the University of Pittsburgh, it has the potential to be useful in a variety of applications--for diverting birds away from airplane engines, tall buildings, and sites containing hazardous chemicals. The technology could even be used to drive nuisance birds away from areas like sports stadiums and hotels. "The historical approach to this kind of diversion has been to use lights and sounds that people can perceive," says Davis, "but these techniques are not necessarily the best way of communicating with animals." EPRI's technology emits a pattern of radio signals in a frequency already approved by the Federal Communications Commission for broadcasting. Since these signals cannot be detected by human ears, they can be used in areas where people are present. The aim of EPRI's research is to successfully startle birds away from a given danger zone. In laboratory tests at the University of Pittsburgh, researchers have determined that pigeons perceive and recognize the radio signals. Complementary signals, such as ultraviolet light and sound, may be used to enhance the technique. The next step is to test the device under controlled conditions on other bird species in the field. Commercialization would follow. In the meantime, EPRI has applied for a patent on the technology. The U.S. Air Force, which is plagued by the problem of birds flying into the engines of its aircraft, is among the groups that have already shown considerable interest in the device, Davis says. "This technology has the potential for great commercial value," he concludes. @START@The Polar Ice Caps Recent events in Antarctica indicate that the polar ice caps may be more susceptible to melting than previously supposed. The Larsen ice shelf now appears to be in the process of breaking up: a huge iceberg has broken off it, but more importantly a large part of the ice shelf has disintegrated altogether, leaving open water between James Ross island and the Antarctic peninsula for the first time since Antarctic exploration began. Also there have been reports of a 40-mile long crack opening up in the Larsen ice shelf, apparently after the iceberg broke off. Temperatures in the Antarctic peninsula (where these events and the earlier breakup of the Wordie ice shelf took place) have risen by 2.5 C over the last 40 years. Although some melting of polar ice has been anticipated as a consequence of global warming, the speed and scale of recent events in Antarctica appear to have taken the scientific community completely by surprise. Ice is not a very good conductor of heat: the thermal conductivity at 273.15 K (0 C) is 2.26 W/(m.K), but it improves slightly at lower temperatures - at 260 K it is 2.35, and at 240 K it is 2.50 W/(m.K) [from table 33 "Thermophysical properties of saturated water substance", Handbook of heat transfer fundamentals 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill 1985]. Putting a physical perspective to these figures, this is the amount of heat in watts per square metre that would travel through a 1m thick sheet of ice with a temperature difference of 1 C between the top and bottom. Now apply these figures to an Antarctic ice shelf, such as the Larsen ice shelf. A typical thickness of ice for these is about 200m, and we have heard that 2.5 C of warming has taken place. Assuming that it has penetrated the top 100m of ice already, how long would it take to warm the remainder? The 100m of ice which has not yet warmed has a mass of about 10e8 g/m^2, to warm this by 2.5 C requires a heat input of 2.5 x 10e8 J/m^2 (assuming a thermal capacity for ice of 1 J/(g.K) - the actual figure may well be higher, in which case the heat input required will increase correspondingly). The heat flux through 100m of ice is (2.5W/(m.K) / 100m) x 2.5K temperature difference, or 6.25 x 10e-2 W/m^2. This will take 4 x 10e9 seconds to provide the 2.5 x 10e8 J/m^2 required, or a little over a century. Before the ice shelf actually broke up, substantial melting would have to take place. The latent heat of fusion for the water-ice transition is over 300 J/g. With the heat flux just calculated, it would take over three thousand years for the bottom half of the ice shelf to melt. No wonder glaciologists are not too concerned about the prospect of the polar icecaps melting in the near future! So why is the Larsen ice shelf breaking up? I think it is because of a physical property of ice that has hitherto been overlooked - transparency. Water is extremely opaque to infrared radiation of any wavelength, but the same is not necessarily true of ice. The molecules in water can vibrate or rotate freely, while those in ice are bound into a rigid crystal lattice and so cannot move. The various different vibrational and rotational modes of the water molecule occur at the right frequencies to make it a good absorber of infrared; when they are suppressed, infrared absorbtion no longer occurs. Imagine for a moment that ice is completely transparent to infrared. We saw earlier how, using regular heat conduction, it would take a century or more for heat to get through a 100m thickness of ice. Using the same example given earlier but including the effects of infrared transmission: for a 2.5K temperature difference at 260K the net heat transmission is s.T2^4 - s.T1^4 = 269.2 - 259.1 or about 10 W/m^2 (where s is the Boltzmann constant, 5.67 x 10e-8 W/(m^2.T^4), T1 is 260K, T2 is 262.5K). This is nearly 200 times more than the heat flux calculated earlier. Instead of taking 3000 years to melt, the ice shelf is gone in little more than a decade. With the limited time and resources at my disposal, I have so far been unable to find any research which conclusively proves or disproves whether ice is sufficiently transparent in the relevant parts of the infrared spectrum (from about 4um to 120um) for infrared heat transmission to work. However, I have found some supporting evidence in the book "Radiative Heat Transfer" (Michael F. Modest, McGraw-Hill 1993 ISBN 0-07-042675-9). In chapter 11, "Radiative properties of semitransparent media", there is a graph (Fig 11-4, p442) "Spectral absorbtion coefficient of clear water (at room temperature) and clear ice (at -10 C)". It shows that the absorbtion spectra of water and ice are almost identical for ultraviolet, visible and near infrared. However, for infrared wavelengths beyond 10um the spectral properties of water and ice abruptly diverge - the ice becomes significantly more transparent than water, so that for a wavelength of 20 um (this is end of the range the graph covers) ice is over 10 times more transparent than water. Unfortunately, this does not indicate what happens at longer wavelengths, or when the temperature is lowered or the pressure increased. It is also possible that other mechanisms than infrared heat transmission could give rise to anomalously high rates of long-range heat transfer through ice - for instance phonons, individual quanta of sound energy, can probably travel quite long distances through ice and could perhaps transport significant quantities of heat - they do in liquid helium. Given the evidence that "bulk" ice such as ice shelves and glaciers appears to be melting at a faster rate than simple theory would suggest, and given the catastrophic consequences if the polar ice caps should melt, I think that the possibility that unconventional modes of long-range heat conduction operate in ice deserves thorough investigation. The experiments necessary to conclusively settle this issue one way or the other should not be that difficult or expensive to conduct. Is anyone reading this message prepared to carry them out? -- Hugh Easton <Hugh@daflight.demon.co.uk> @START@Hubble Finds New Dark Spot on Neptune PHOTO RELEASE NO.: STScI-PR95-21B HUBBLE FINDS NEW DARK SPOT ON NEPTUNE NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a new great dark spot, located in the northern hemisphere of the planet Neptune. Because the planet's northern hemisphere is now tilted away from Earth, the new feature appears near the limb of the planet. The spot is a near mirror-image to a similar southern hemisphere dark spot that was discovered in 1989 by the Voyager 2 probe. In 1994, Hubble showed that the southern dark spot had disappeared. Like its predecessor, the new spot has high altitude clouds along its edge, caused by gasses that have been pushed to higher altitudes where they cool to form methane ice crystal clouds. The dark spot may be a zone of clear gas that is a window to a cloud deck lower in the atmosphere. Planetary scientists don t know how long lived this new feature might be. Hubble's high resolution will allow astronomers to follow the spot's evolution and other unexpected changes in Neptune's dynamic atmosphere. The image was taken on November 2, 1994 with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, when Neptune was 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometers) from Earth. Hubble can resolve features as small as 625 miles (1,000 kilometers) across in Neptune's cloud tops. Credit: H. Hammel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and NASA @START@Workshop for Biomedical Researchers NUCLEIC ACID AND PROTEIN SEQUENCE ANALYSIS WORKSHOP FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHERS Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 4-9, 1995 Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is again offering a five-day workshop on "Nucleic Acid and Protein Sequence Analysis," June 4-9, 1995. It is funded by a grant from the National Center for Human Genome Research of the National Institutes of Health. The workshop will familiarize biomedical researchers in applying supercomputing resources to problems of concern in macromolecular sequence analysis. Emphasis will be on alignment of and pattern extraction from multiple sequences. Participants will gain practical experience on PSC's Cray C-90 and T3D in (1) comparing and aligning sequences, (2) identifying informative patterns in a set of sequences; and (3) using extracted informative patterns to identify related sequences. Researchers will also learn several approaches to database searching and multiple sequence alignment, how to use profile analysis effectively, and how to identify patterns in their sequences. Participants are encouraged to bring sequence analysis problems from their current research. Extensive documentation will be given at the outset on the PSC computing environment as well as on the specific programs to be employed in the workshop. No prior supercomputing experience is required. Workshop leaders are Dr. Gary Churchill, Cornell University, Dr. Michael Gribskov, San Diego Supercomputing Center, and Dr. Hugh Nicholas, PSC. A limited number of grants to cover travel and hotel accommodations are available for U.S. academic participants. ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A $135 REGISTRATION FEE, IN ADVANCE, UPON ACCEPTANCE INTO THE WORKSHOP. DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1995. Enrollment is lmited to 20 participants. * * * * * PITTSBURGH SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER NUCLEIC ACID AND PROTEIN SEQUENCE ANALYSIS WORKSHOP FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHERS June 4-9, 1995 APPLICATION Name: ________________________________________________________________ Affiliation: ________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________ (Business) ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ (Home) ________________________________________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________ ______________________________ (Business) (Home) *Social Security Number: _______-_____-_______ Citizenship:___________________ Electronic Mail Address:_______________________________________________________ Status: ___Graduate ___Post-doctoral Fellow ___Faculty ___Other (specify) In order to attend the workshop, will you need funds for travel?___ lodging?___ Please indicate specifically any special housing, transportation or dietary arrangements you will need: __________________________________________ How did you learn about this workshop:_________________________________________ REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must submit a completed application form and a cover letter. The letter should describe, in one or two paragraphs, the sequence analysis problems encountered in your research, and how participating in the workshop will enhance this research. Please include a brief statement describing your level of experience with computers. Faculty members, staff and post-docs should provide a curriculum vita. Graduate students must have a letter of recommendation from a faculty member. If you have requested travel funds, please include the cost of roundtrip air fare from your home to Pittsburgh and indicate the amount of travel funds you will need. ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A $135 ADVANCE REGISTRATION FEE UPON ACCEPTANCE INTO THE WORKSHOP. Please return all application materials by APRIL 21, 1995 to: Biomedical Workshop Applications Committee Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center 4400 Fifth Avenue, Suite 230C Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Direct inquiries to: Nancy Blankenstein, blankens@psc.edu or 412/268-4960. *Disclosure of Social Security Number is voluntary. PSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, or handicap. @START@Kennedy Space Center Space Shuttle Status Report KENNEDY SPACE CENTER SPACE SHUTTLE STATUS REPORT FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1995 (10:35 AM EST) KSC Public Affairs Contact: Bruce Buckingham 407-867-2468 (fax 407-867-2692) NOTE: Missions STS-71 and STS-70 are both being targeted for no earlier than launch dates and options are being protected for each to be the next one launched. A firmer decision is expected within the next two weeks. MISSION: STS-71 -- 1st MIR DOCKING VEHICLE: Atlantis/OV-104 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 * TARGET LAUNCH DATE: June 10 (no earlier than) * APPROX. LAUNCH TIME: 10:12 p.m. LAUNCH WINDOW: 5 minutes * KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 21 at 5:41 p.m. MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes CREW SIZE: 7 up, 8 down ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 196-245 statute miles/51.60 degrees * Change from earlier report IN WORK TODAY: o Aft engine compartment close-outs o Install main engine heatshields o Spacelab close-outs o Tunnel leak checks o Preparations for crew equipment interface test KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are targeted only): o Crew equipment interface test (April 8-9) o Final payload bay closure (April 13) o Roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (April 19) o Roll to Launch Pad 39-A (April 25) MISSION: STS-70 -- TDRS-G VEHICLE: Discovery/OV-103 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 *TARGET LAUNCH DATE: June 8 (no earlier than) *APPROX. LAUNCH TIME: 10:23 a.m. LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes *TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: June 16 at 8:33 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 8 days CREW SIZE: 5 ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 184 statute miles/28.45 degrees * Change from earlier report NOTE: Discovery will not be transferred to the VAB for temporary storage but will remain in OPF bay 2 for an accelerated flow schedule to meet an earlier targeted launch date. The accelerated flow is made possible by not going to the VAB. IN WORK TODAY: o Auxiliary power unit leak and functional checks o Water spray boiler checks o Solid rocket booster stacking operations in Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 3 WORK COMPLETED: o Ammonia servicing o Landing gear checks KEY OPERATIONAL MILESTONES (dates are targeted only): o Install main engines (April 17) o Roll to Vehicle Assembly Building (May 3) o Roll out to pad 39 B (May 11) MISSION: STS-69 -- WSF-2 & SPARTAN 201-03 VEHICLE: Endeavour/OV-105 LOCATION: Orbiter Processing Facility bay 1 TARGET LAUNCH DATE: July 20 APPROX. LAUNCH TIME: 12:06 p.m. LAUNCH WINDOW: 2 hours, 30 minutes TARGET KSC LANDING DATE/TIME: July 31 at 8:37 a.m. MISSION DURATION: 10 days, 21 hours CREW SIZE: 5 ORBITAL ALTITUDE and INCLINATION: 190 statute miles/28.45 degrees IN WORK TODAY: o Extended duration orbiter pallet demate preparations o Preparations to remove main engines o Functional checks of the forward reaction control system WORK SCHEDULED: o Remove extended duration orbiter pallet (April 11) NOTE: The orbiter Columbia is expected to begin its ferry flight from Palmdale, Calif., to KSC on April 11 with an arrival at the Shuttle Landing Facility targeted for mid-day April 12. Columbia has spent the last six months undergoing structural inspections and modifications at the Rockwell facility in Palmdale. Columbia's next mission is STS-73, a 16-day flight targeted for launch in September. Upon arrival, Columbia will be stored temporarily in the Vehicle Assembly Building until Atlantis is rolled out of the Orbiter Processing Facility for external tank mating operations. # # # # NOTE: This Space Shuttle Status Report and other NASA status reports and press releases are available from a data repository known as an anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server at ftp.pao.hq.nasa.gov under the directory /pub/pao/statrpt/ksc. Users should log on with the user name anonymous , then enter their E-mail address as the password. Within the /pub/pao directory there will be a readme.txt file explaining the directory structure. @START@Mir 18 Mission Control Center - Kaliningrad Status Report Mir 18 Mission Control Center - Kaliningrad Status Report #10 Friday, April 7, 1995 8 a.m. Central The investigations into how the human body changes and adapts to a weightless environment continued this week as Mir 18 Commander Vladimir Dezhurov, Flight Engineer Gennady Strekalov, and U.S. Astronaut and Cosmonaut Researcher Norm Thagard completed their third week aboard the Mir Space Station. Yesterday, Dezhurov spent 24 hours wearing the Holter Monitor which gathered data on his blood pressure and heart rate as part of the continuing effort to establish a baseline condition of the crew members' cardiovascular system. The Mir 18 commander and his two crewmates also were involved in body mass measurements which are done periodically during the flight. They also had blood draws taken in support of the metabolic research activities. Earlier today, the crew had more work time with the Chibis suit, the Russian version of the Lower Body Negative Pressure Unit used on the Space Shuttle. For this session, Dezhurov was the test subject, with Thagard supporting the experiment. Chibis suit activities are always coordinated to take place during a communication pass so flight controllers on the ground can monitor biomedical telemetry during the experiment. Later this morning, Thagard will conduct a television broadcast from Mir where he will be describing activities and accomplishments that have happened aboard the station recently. Following his status report, he will be interviewed by WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. Both the status report and the interview will be carried on NASA TV. Everything remains on schedule for the next cargo supply ship for the Mir station. Progress 227 is set to be launched Sunday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Soyuz rocket at 22:30 Mir Time (3:30 p.m. EDT). Docking to the Mir station is projected to take place on April 11 just before midnight Mir time (5:00 p.m. EDT). The docking to Mir will be carried live on NASA TV. Progress 227 will deliver a variety of research materials to the orbiting station. The equipment aboard includes various kits, logbooks, observation materials, glovebags, greenhouse fixative, and harvesting materials. All of those items are part of the fundamental biology work being done on Mir. Progress will also bring to the station a Mir Grab Sample Container which will take air samples in support of the environmental monitoring effort, and blood and urine collection kits for the metabolic research effort. The next Mir 18 status report will be filed on Tuesday, April 11. @START@Hubble Views Planet Neptune and Asteroid Vesta HUBBLE VIEWS PLANET NEPTUNE AND ASTEROID VESTA The latest surprising findings on the planet Neptune and the asteroid Vesta will be presented in the next Space Astronomy Update at 2 p.m. EDT, Wed., April 19, in the NASA Headquarters auditorium, 300 E St. SW, Washington, DC. Entitled, "Hubble Looks at the Outer Solar System", the event will feature panelists Dr. Heidi Hammel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Dr. Ben Zellner of Georgia Southern University. Hubble images will show the new dark spot in the northern hemisphere of the distant planet Neptune. Only last June Hubble revealed that a great dark spot in the southern hemisphere -- discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989 -- had mysteriously disappeared. Hubble images of the asteroid Vesta will show a complex surface with a geology similar to that of terrestrial worlds such as Earth or Mars. The battered ancient surface -- the oldest terrain ever seen in the Solar System -- allows astronomers to peer below the crust. Vesta is unique in being the only asteroid astronomers actually can study in a laboratory -- thanks to a collision blasting a piece of the asteroid's surface into space which eventually fell to Earth. The fragment will be displayed at the event. The event will be carried live on NASA Television with questions and answers from participating NASA Centers. NASA Television is broadcast on Spacenet 2, transponder 5, channel 9, C-Band, located at 69 degrees West longitude, with horizontal polarization. Frequency will be on 3880.0 megahertz, with audio on 6.8 megahertz. @START@Vesta - Asteroid or Mini-Planet? ASTEROID OR MINI-PLANET? HUBBLE MAPS THE ANCIENT SURFACE OF VESTA NASA's Hubble Space Telescope images of the asteroid Vesta are providing astronomers with a glimpse of the oldest terrain ever seen in the solar system and a peek into a broken off section of the "mini-planet" that exposes its interior. Hubble's pictures provide the best view yet of Vesta's complex surface, with a geology similar to that of terrestrial worlds such as Earth or Mars. The asteroid's ancient surface, battered by collisions eons ago, allows astronomers to peer below the asteroid's crust and into the past. Astronomers also believe that fragments gouged out of Vesta during ancient collisions have fallen to Earth as meteorites, making Vesta only the fourth solar system object, other than Earth, the Moon and Mars, where scientists have a confirmed laboratory sample. (About 50-60 other meteorite types are suspected to have come from asteroids, but positive identifications are more difficult to make.) "The Hubble observations show that Vesta is far more interesting than simply a chunk of rock in space as most asteroids are," said Ben Zellner of Georgia Southern University. "This qualifies Vesta as the 'sixth' terrestrial planet." No bigger than the state of Arizona, Vesta offers new clues to the origin of the solar system and the interior makeup of the rocky planets. "Vesta has survived essentially intact since the formation of the planets," Zellner said. "It provides a record of the long and complex evolution of our solar system." Resolving features down to 50 miles across, Hubble reveals a surprisingly diverse world with an exposed mantle, ancient lava flows and impact basins. Though only 325 miles (525 kilometers) across, it once had a molten interior. This contradicts conventional ideas that asteroids essentially are cold, rocky fragments left behind from the early days of planetary formation. Besides providing scientists with direct samples, Vesta's chipped surface allows Hubble to study the asteroid's rocky mantle, giving scientists a unique opportunity to see what a planet looks like below the crust. "Our knowledge of the interior composition of the other terrestrial worlds, the Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury and even Earth, depends heavily on theory and inference," Zellner said. "Vesta allows us to actually see the mantle and study pristine samples in our laboratories." Before these observations, only the smaller and less geologically diverse asteroids, Ida and Gaspra, have been observed in detail by the Jupiter-bound Galileo spacecraft. Unlike Vesta, these smaller objects are pieces torn off larger bodies by collisions that occurred perhaps only a few hundred million years ago. @START@Physics News Update ********************************************************************** This is a "Physics News Update" distributed by Phillip Schewe of AIP Public Information. For those who want to receive PNUPs via email, mail listserv@aip.org with a blank subject line and the command "add physnews" in the body, and you will be added to the distribution list. Past PNUPs, as well as "What's New" and "FYI" news bulletins, are available for anonymous FTP from ftp.hep.net in the PHYSICS-NEWS directory, in subdirectories by year. The files are named by date; the latest file is always found as "latest.txt". (Thanks Kipp!) I am redistributing this with Mr. Schewe's permission. Complaints or suggestions about the Updates should go to him at pfs@aip.org. Header courtesy of Sendhil Revuluri (s-revuluri@uchicago.edu). --Vishnu Jejjala The University of Maryland ********************************************************************** PHYSICS NEWS UPDATE physnews@aip.org A digest of physics news items by Phillip F. Schewe and Ben Stein Number 222 April 17, 1995 American Institute of Physics A CIRCUMSTELLAR DUST RING has been observed by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite during its survey of the sky. Computers simulations of the motion of asteroidal dust particles moving toward the sun had shown that the presence of the Earth helps to trap some of the particles in a circumsolar ring in which the Earth is embedded; the disposition of dust would be denser beyond the Earth's orbit than inside of it. Previously, the "zodiacal light" (reflected sunlight) from the dust had been seen by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), but COBE's observations are fuller and more unequivocal. (W.T. Reach et al., Nature, 6 April 1995.) INTERGALACTIC MAGNETIC FIELDS are probably very weak but may well influence galaxy formation. These fields might be primordial or might arise from magnetized plasma expelled by galaxies. R. Plaga of the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany suggests that the fields between the galaxies can be detected through their influence on gamma ray bursts reaching the Earth. According to Plaga, fields as weak as 10**-24 gauss would delay the arrival of some gamma-ray photons by a measurable amount. He believes that it might be possible to extract such information from gamma-burst data of the type recorded by the Gamma Ray Observatory. (Nature, 30 March 1995.) THE 1996 FEDERAL R&D BUDGET REQUEST amounts to $72.8 billion, 52% of which is for the Defense Department, 9.5% for the Energy Department, and 12.5% for NASA. Within DOE the request (in millions of dollars) for high energy physics is $685.6 (up 6.8% from FY95), for nuclear physics $321.1 (down 3.1%), and $366 (down 0.6%) for fusion research. The high energy request includes operating budgets of $146.4 for Fermilab, $80.8 for SLAC, and $45.5 for Brookhaven. Construction projections of note are the Fermilab main injector ($62.4) and the SLAC B factory ($57.6). The largest nuclear physics construction project is the Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, at $71.3. The DOE request for basic energy science is $811.4, up 10.6% from FY95. This includes $169.6 for materials science, $178.7 for facilities operations, $118.3 for chemical sciences, and $108.7 for applied mathematical sciences. A separate category, major user facilities (mostly synchrotron sources at Oak Ridge, Argonne, Brookhaven, and LBL) will cost $240. At the NSF, the request for physics research is $142.2 (up 9.1%), while for materials research it is $190.9 (up 8.9%). The request for geoscience is $451.5 and for astronomy $110.4. The NASA request for physics and astronomy is $1131, including $237.6 for development of the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility, $182.7 for Hubble Space Telescope operations and servicing, and $93.2 for small explorer missions. The NASA planetary exploration request is $827.8, including $191.5 for Cassini development, $108.5 for the Mars Surveyor, and $75.1 for Galileo operations. The budget for the Mission to Planet Earth is $1341.1. (Physics Today, April 1995; Physics World, March 1995.) @START@Review: Alternatives for Ground Water Cleanup Book Review of "ALTERNATIVES FOR GROUND WATER CLEANUP" National Research Council, Committee on Groundwater Cleanup Alternatives. Washington: National Academy Press, July 1994/315p America's groundwater resource, which supplies more than 50% of drinking water, is threatened not only be excessive overdrafts, but by contamination. It is estimated that 300,000 to 400,000 sites may have contaminated soil or ground water requiring some form of remediation. One 1991 report concluded that over the next 30 years the US will spend $480 billion to $1 trillion in cleanup activities, with a best guess of $750 billion, or $8,000 per household. (The magnitude of the problem may be equally significant in other industrialized countries.) Restoration of contaminated ground water to drinking water standards is possible, but cleanup is inherently complex, and will require large expense and long time periods. The inability of "pump-and-treat" systems to reach drinking water standards at many sites to date is not only due to complexity, but insufficient or inaccurate characterization of the problem. "The Committee strongly believes that existing ground water cleanup goals cannot be attained in reasonable time frames (decades) at a large number of sites with current technologies." Some sites will remain contaminated above drinking water standards for the foreseeable future, even when the best available technologies are used. Although long-term goals may remain the same, interim objectives are needed to acknowledge current technological limitations. (ground water cleanup goals) ------------------------------------------------------------- from: FUTURE SURVEY A Monthly Abstract of Books, Articles, and Reports Concerning Forecasts, Trends, and Ideas about the Future. Published by the World Future Society 301-656-8274 ----------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC POLICY IS NOT "SCIENCE" -- IT IS "POLITICS". This is because costs and benefits are different in "kind" and they accrue to "different" individuals (e.g., profits for the rich and cancer for the poor). Those who make statements about public policy are engaging in politics. Jay Hanson ----------------------------------------------------------------- @START@Climate Change: Some Basics C l i m a t e c h a n g e : s o m e b a s i c s This addresses some frequently asked questions. It is no FAQ though, just an old-fashioned article meant to be read sequentially. Last revision April 1995: Carbon cycle feedbacks, human-made aerosols. Contents : * Introduction * The natural greenhouse effect * The enhanced greenhouse effect * Response time and feedbacks * Human-made aerosols and natural climatic variability * The ice record of greenhouse gases * Conclusion * References * Administrivia * Introduction Will the rise of human-made greenhouse gases, if going on uncurbed for some more decades, cause serious consequences during the next century ? Alas, there is no simple yes-no-answer to this question. Climate, its natural vagaries, and the long-term effects of increasing greenhouse-gas levels are only partially understood. The shortest defensible answer I can think of, a first approximation so to speak: it is roughly an even bet, fifty-fifty. A nontechnical, by no means comprehensive outline of some of the basic science behind this answer follows. Potential impacts and responses are not addressed. Please note that this is not my field. I have a fair idea of the broad picture, but I don't understand all the technical niceties. I tried to sketch some basics in a way which most readers with some interest in our planet's workings might be able to understand. For details, good places to start are chapters 1 through 7 of [Houghton] or, if you want to dig more deeply, the reports [IPCC 90/92/94]. Much of the following information can be found there. Some nontechnical introductory articles are: [Maskell] introduction to the basic science [Schelling] allround: science, impacts, responses [Broecker] natural climatic variability [White] history, some basics, climate debate up to 1990 [Ausubel] potential impacts; critical, though not complacent On the net, [IUCC] provides almost one hundred fact sheets of one to two pages each that cover science, impacts, and responses. * The natural greenhouse effect The sun's radiation, much of it in the visible region of the spectrum, warms our planet. On average, earth must radiate back to space the same amount of energy which it gets from the sun. Being cooler than the sun, earth radiates mostly in the infrared. Often, incoming solar radiation is called `shortwave', whereas outgoing infrared is called `longwave' radiation. Greenhouse gases and clouds in earth's atmosphere absorb and re-emit some of the outgoing infrared radiation. The direction of this re- emission is more or less random, some going upwards and some going downwards. Therefore, only part of the re-emitted infrared radiation goes out to space. If earth is to balance the incoming energy, it may either emit more outgoing or absorb less incoming radiation or both. In order to emit more infrared radiation, earth's surface must warm. In order to absorb less incoming solar radiation, earth must increase it's reflectivity or albedo ("whiteness"). Currently, earth's surface has an average temperature of about 15 o C. However, if you take a look from space, then you find that the infrared radiation going out to space from the upper atmosphere corresponds to an average temperature of only about -18 o C. This is the so-called `effective radiating temperature' of our planet. At -18 o C roughly 240 W/m^2 (watts per square metre) of infrared radiation are emitted. This is just the amount required for balancing the absorbed solar radiation. On the other hand, at an average temperature of 15 o C earth's surface emits an average of roughly 390 W/m^2 of infrared radiation. This amount just suffices to ensure that about 240 W/m^2 will eventually escape to space, while the remainder is trapped by greenhouse gases and clouds [Berger]. The `natural greenhouse effect' can be defined as the 150 or so W/m^2 of outgoing infrared or longwave radiation captured by earth's preindustrial atmosphere. It warms earth's surface by about 33 degrees Celsius. As an aside, note that garden glasshouses retain heat mainly by lack of convection and advection [Jones]. As we just saw, the atmospheric greenhouse effect is caused by absorption and re-emission of infrared radiation. So the `greenhouse' effect is a misnomer. We won't get rid of it, though ;-) Let us fill in a few details. Under clear sky, roughly 60-70 % of the natural greenhouse effect is due to water vapour [IPCC 90, p 48], which currently is the dominant greenhouse gas in earth's atmosphere. The remainder stems from other greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and nitrous oxide. Clouds are another important player in the game. Beginners please do not confuse clouds with water vapour: clouds consist of water droplets or ice particles or both. Under cloudy sky the greenhouse effect is considerably stronger than under clear sky [Raval]. Globally and seasonally averaged, clouds capture roughly 30 W/m^2 of the outgoing infrared radiation [Berger]. At the same time, cloud tops in the sunshine look dazzlingly white: they reflect sunlight. Earth's present albedo is somewhere near 0.3, meaning that about 30 % or slightly over 100 W/m^2 of the sun's incoming radiation is reflected back to space, while about 70 % or roughly 240 W/m^2 is absorbed. Globally and seasonally averaged, clouds reflect nearly 50 W/m^2 of the incoming solar radiation back to space, so they are presently responsible for almost half of earth's albedo. Overall, given the current cloud pat- tern of our planet, clouds exert a net cooling effect of roughly 50 (solar reflected) minus 30 (infrared trapped) = roughly 20 W/m^2. The quantities involving clouds are hard to measure and may vary by a few watts per square metre, depending on whom you listen to [Berger]. The above outline omits convection and evaporation. If you look more closely, you find that the atmosphere constantly loses, while earth's surface, globally averaged, constantly gains radiative energy. The radiative cooling of the atmosphere and the radiative heating of the surface are balanced by convection and by evaporation/re-condensation (cloud formation) which `convectively' couple the surface to the atmosphere [Berger]. * The enhanced greenhouse effect During the past two centuries and especially during the past few decades, human activities have increased the atmospheric levels of several greenhouse gases. To name a few: Carbon dioxide (CO2) went up from about 280 ppmv (parts per million by volume) in the year 1800 via 315 ppmv in 1958 to 354 ppmv in 1990. Methane (CH4) increased from about 0.8 ppmv in 1800 to roughly 1.7 ppmv in 1990. Nitrous oxide (N2O) increased from about 0.285 ppmv in 1700 to 0.310 or so ppmv in 1990. Enhanced levels of greenhouse gases cause the so-called `enhanced greenhouse effect', meaning that more of the outgoing infrared radia- tion is trapped by the additional greenhouse gases. Presently, the enhanced greenhouse effect is estimated at about 2 to 2.5 W/m^2. Doubling the preindustrial CO2 level from 280 ppmv to 560 ppmv CO2 enhances the greenhouse effect by slightly over 4 W/m^2. If business goes on as usual, the combined effect of the increased greenhouse gas levels is likely to reach the equivalent of a CO2 doubling around or before the year 2050 and will hardly stop there. The enhanced greenhouse effect disturbs earth's radiation balance. As mentioned, in order to restore the balance, earth's surface may warm, earth's albedo may increase, or both. There is broad consensus among climatologists that at least some surface warming will occur. It is uncertain, though, by how much and how swiftly earth's surface will warm. To the best of present knowledge, the so-called equilibrium surface warming for a CO2 doubling, also known as the `climate sensitivity', is likely to sit somewhere between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius, with a best estimate of 2.5 o C. In other words, there is a fairly broad range of conceivable outcomes. Since about 1890, average global surface temperature went up by about 0.5 o C. There is an uncertainty of roughly a factor of two: the true warming is likely to lie somewhere between 0.3 and 0.6 o C [IPCC 90, IPCC 92]. Even if the warming were known precisely, this would presently hardly permit to narrow down the predicted range of outcomes. Taking into account aerosol cooling and natural climatic variability, climatologists can only say that the observed warming is consistent with (although no proof for) the estimated range of climate sensitivity to human-made greenhouse gases. Some core uncertainties follow. * Response time and feedbacks One pickle is the response time of the climate system to greenhouse gases. There may be a lag time of a few decades, though this is not known for sure. Nor is it known whether it will take decades or centuries until equilibrium is approached for a given level of green- house gases. Much of this uncertainty stems from poorly understood behaviour of the ocean. The topmost so-called `mixed layer' of the ocean is warmer and less dense than the deeper layers, so it tends to stay on top. In the northern North Atlantic and near Antarctica some regions are known, where cool, particularly salty (thus dense) surface water sinks and deep water forms. But it is much less clear, how and how swiftly deep ocean water returns to the surface [IPCC 90, p xxvi, p 179-180]. Then there are the feedbacks, including but not confined to: water vapour feedback probably positive ice-snow-albedo feedback presumably positive cloud feedback poorly understood feedbacks in the carbon cycle see below It is widely agreed that, without any feedbacks, a CO2 doubling would eventually increase surface temperature by about 1.2 o C. However, warming tends to increase evaporation as well as the amount of water vapour carried by the lower atmosphere [Raval], and water vapour is the dominant greenhouse gas. Snow and ice reflect much of the incident sunlight back to space, so a reduction of snow and ice cover may enhance warming. With water vapour and ice-snow-albedo, but without cloud effects, many though not all estimates are somewhere between 2 and 2.5 o C for a CO2 doubling. The cloud feedback is probably the largest single uncertainty in the predictions. This feedback might be large, yet not even its sign is known. Deep clouds tend to cool, high clouds tend to warm. Depending on whether and how cloud cover changes, the overall feedback may be negative or positive. As a further complication, optical properties of clouds may change in ways that are hard to predict [Tselioudis]. Many climatologists presume that, everything else remaining equal, the cloud feedback is likely to be slightly positive, but this is by no means certain, the more so as not everything else has remained equal (see below: aerosols). Feedbacks in the carbon cycle, springing from climatic changes or from rising CO2 levels, may slow down or speed up the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide. To name a few: CO2 fertilization, higher temperatures and increasing precipitation can increase plant growth, drawing down some CO2. The mix of species in ecosystems is likely to change, which in turn may affect atmospheric CO2. Dryer and warmer soils as well as dieback of vegetation can release CO2. The overall effect of these and other carbon cycle feedbacks on atmospheric CO2 is unclear. If the relationship between CO2 level and temperature observed over the past 250,000 years should persist in the future, then the long-term climate feedback on atmospheric carbon dioxide level would be positive. On the other hand, ecosystem models tentatively suggest that carbon release (positive feedback) may dominate over the next decades, while carbon storage in vegetation and soils (negative feedback) may win out in the long run [IPCC 94]. * Human-made aerosols and natural climatic variability It is attempted time and again. But it is presently hopeless to draw conclusions from the observed temperature record about the present or future amount of greenhouse-gas induced warming. This is because the effects of at least three factors cannot be disentangled: human-made greenhouse gases (warming) human-made aerosols (cooling) natural climatic variability As already touched upon, it is not clear how rapidly the climate will respond to anthropogenic (human-made) greenhouse gases. Thus a given rate of warming does not by itself reveal when and at what level the warming is eventually going to stop. Aerosols are small (0.001 to 10 micrometres) airborne particles. In the troposphere, the lower about 10 to 15 km of our atmosphere, human-made aerosols have greatly increased since about 1850 and present a large source of uncertainty in assessing the effects of anthropogenic emis- sions on climate. `Fine' aerosol particles with sizes between about 0.1 and 1 micrometre can influence climate in two ways. Under clear sky they scatter and absorb solar radiation; some of the scattered sunlight goes back to space (direct effect). By acting as cloud condensation nuclei, aerosols may enhance reflectivity and life-time of clouds (the indirect effect). In this size range, sulfur dioxide - yielding sulfate particles after oxidation - is presently the largest source of human-made aerosols. Probably the next largest source is organic and elemental carbon from biomass burning. Both sulfate aerosols and those from biomass burning have a net cooling effect. Globally averaged, they may currently cancel about 50 % of the warming effect of human-made greenhouse gases. So far, though, confidence in such estimates is low. The uncertainty margin is large, ranging from about 10 to 100 % [IPCC 94, sections 3, 4.4, 4.7]. Moreover, global averages may not be adequate for assessing aerosol ef- fects. Tropospheric aerosols are unevenly distributed, as most of them are washed out after about a week. Anthropogenic sulfate aerosols are mainly located over Northern Hemisphere land areas. The distribution of aerosols from biomass burning is less clear. Human-made greenhouse gases have life-spans of up to over 100 years and are much more evenly distri- buted. Aerosol cooling is not a simple offset to greenhouse-gas induced warming: even if the global averages cancel, the different distributions may still cause climatic changes. Reducing sulfur dioxide emissions or biomass burning reduces the aerosol effect quickly, leaving over the effect of the more long-lived greenhouse gases [IPCC 94]. Estimating aerosol cooling more precisely will be tough. Aerosols are difficult to measure. Particle sizes, compositions and regional distributions vary. So do their climatic effects. Assessing the latter involves modeling of regional climates and of clouds, both of which are not yet very reliable [IPCC 94] [Wigley]. Even less is known about natural climatic fluctuations on a decadal to century scale. It is not known what course earth's temperature would have taken without anthropogenic emissions. Some players that may be involved in natural climatic variations on this time scale: Random atmospheric variability including shifts of the polar front, variations in the circulation of the North Atlantic and of the Pacific Ocean, solar variability, volcanism. Unraveling climate's natural vagaries may take a long time: there is a dearth of suffi- ciently long and detailed climatic records [Broecker] [Crowley & North, chapter 5] [Kerr] [Rind] [Schlesinger] [Street]. To provide just one example: The Little Ice Age is a much discussed cooling spell with temperature decreases of 1 or so degree Celsius, lasting from about 1450 to the 19th century. Even though this is a quite recent event, the global patterns of the climatic changes involved and the mechanisms behind these changes are so poorly known that, in 1993, Rind and Overpeck wrote, presumably only half jokingly: "At the present time, it is still possible to question the existence of the Little Ice Age" [Rind, p 371]. * The ice record of greenhouse gases During the past millenium, until about the 19th century, atmospheric greenhouse gas levels varied little and hence, during that time, probably contributed little to climatic variations. On a longer time scale, changes of greenhouse gas levels probably contributed signifi- cantly to the coolings and warmings of the last two glacial cycles. Ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica indicate that there was a close link between greenhouse gases and temperature [Raynaud]. For instance, the Vostok ice core from Antarctica exhibits a striking correlation between temperature and the concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) over the past 250,000 years [Jouzel]. The level of nitrous oxide (N2O) probably also varied more or less in phase with temperature [Raynaud, p 928]. The variations of these trace gases may account for up to about 50 % of the estimated temperature changes [Crowley, p 2364] [Raynaud, p 932]. CO2 was most important, while methane and nitrous oxide contributed less. During the onset of the last glaciation, the CO2 decrease markedly lagged the onset of the cooling. During the past two deglaciations, CO2 may have risen in phase with temperature or with an, in geologic terms, modest lag of up to about 1000 years [Raynaud, p 931]. Whether greenhouse gases led or lagged the climatic change, that is, whether they were a primary cause for the change or whether they acted as a positive feedback (which amplified a climatic shift already under way), is important for finding out just exactly what happened, but it is not by itself relevant for estimating the effect of the trace gases on surface temperature [Raynaud, p 932]. In spite of this, the effect is hard to quantify. During the last deglaciation, roughly 18,000 to 10,000 years ago, the rise of trace gas levels enhanced the natural greenhouse effect by about 2.5 to 3 watts per square metre. The meltdown of the huge glacial ice shields reduced earth's albedo, accounting for another about 3 to 3.5 watts per square metre. These figures are compatible with the IPCC estimate of about 1.5 to 4.5 o C surface warming for a CO2 doubling, but they do not yet permit to narrow down the uncertainty [Crowley, p 2366]. There remain many unknowns, some of which follow. For instance, in glacial times the atmosphere probably carried more dust (aerosols) than today, but the average global dust load during glaciations is quite uncertain [Crowley, p 2366]. Also, it is not known whether and how cloud cover changed during glacial cycles. Getting reliable information on past cloud cover is very difficult; it may be an insoluble problem [Eddy, p 147]. Moreover, just how cold was the last glacial maximum about 18,000 years ago ? Estimates for global mean surface temperature at the last glacial maximum range from about 3 to 5, maybe even 6 degrees Celsius below the present-day average of about 15 o C [Barron] [Crowley & North, p 79]. Last but not least, the sensitivity of earth's present-day climate system to an enhanced greenhouse effect of so or so many watts per square metre need not necessarily equal the sensitivity of the last glacial maximum's climate to the same disturbance. The starting positions differ. * Conclusion Two remarks. Firstly, current climate models tend to predict gradual climate change. This is no guarantee against unpleasant surprises: climate models are far from perfect, the same holds for the basic climatologic knowledge which is fed into the models. Vice versa, sudden climatic shifts in the recent geologic past do not imply that similar shifts must necessarily happen in the near future. Past climates can help to understand the climate system's workings, but they do not readily reveal what to expect. Our climate appears to be headed for a "warm atmosphere-cold pole combination" which may be unique in earth history. No completely satisfactory geologic analog is known [Crowley & North, chapter 14] [Eddy, p 16-27, 39-71]. Secondly, much of the debate focuses on warming, the most plausible reaction of the climate system. Climate, however, may change in a host of other potentially serious ways. For instance, spatial and seasonal precipitation patterns may shift, affecting fresh water availability, which is critical for many countries and a potential source of con- flicts. Cloud patterns, ocean currents, atmospheric circulation or the distribution of extreme weather events may change. This is why many climatologists prefer the term `climate change' over `global warming'. It is an open question how soon the uncertainties can be narrowed down, and whether climatologists will be able to predict details reliably before they start to happen in the real world. In spite of a flood of new results, I am under the, hopefully mistaken, impression that during the past few years more questions were raised than answered. Human-made greenhouse gases will change our climate. There is no free lunch, we cannot alter earth's radiation balance for nothing. It is uncertain by how much, how swiftly and with what twists the climate will change, but this is dubious comfort, since uncertainty cuts two ways. The present best estimates may well overstate the risk, but they may as well understate it. The climate change issue resembles a gamble with high stakes. * References [Ausubel] Jesse H. Ausubel, A second look at the impacts of climate change. American Scientist 79 (1991), 210-221 [Barron] Eric J. Barron, Lessons from past climates. Nature 360 (1992), 533 [Berger] A. Berger and Ch. Tricot, The greenhouse effect. Surveys in Geophysics 13 (1992), 523-549 [Broecker] Wallace S. Broecker, Global warming on trial. Natural History 101, 4 (April 1992), 6-14 [Crowley] Thomas J. Crowley, Geological assessment of the greenhouse effect. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 74 (1993), 2363-2373 [Crowley & North] Thomas J. Crowley, Gerald R. North Paleoclimatology. Oxford University Press 1991 [Eddy] J.A. Eddy and H. Oeschger (eds), Global Changes in the Perspective of the Past. Chichester, UK, John Wiley & Sons 1993 [Houghton] John Houghton, Global Warming: The Complete Briefing. Lion Publishing, Oxford, UK / Elgin, Illinois, US 1994. Albatross Books, Sutherland, Australia 1994 [IPCC 90] Climate Change - The IPCC Scientific Assessment J.T. Houghton, G.J. Jenkins, J.J. Ephraums (eds) Cambridge University Press 1990 [IPCC 92] Climate Change 1992 - The Supplementary Report to the IPCC Scientific Assessment. J.T. Houghton, B.A. Callander, S.K. Varney (eds), Cambridge University Press 1992 [IPCC 94] Climate Change 1994: Radiative Forcing of Climate Change and An Evaluation of the IPCC IS92 Emission Scenarios. J.T. Houghton, L.G. Meira Filho, J. Bruce, Hoesung Lee, B.A. Callander, E. Haites, N. Harris and K. Maskell (eds) Cambridge University Press 1995 [IUCC] Information Unit on Climate Change (IUCC), Climate Change Fact Sheets. To order write to: IUCC, UNEP, Geneva Executive Center, Case Postale 356, CH-1219 Ch^atelaine/Geneva, Switzerland. On the web, connect to http://www.unep.ch/iucc/fs-index.html/ Also available via APC networks on bulletin board IUCC.CLIMFACTS [Jones] M.D.H. Jones and A. Henderson-Sellers, History of the greenhouse effect. Progress in Physical Geography 14, 1 (1990), 1-18 [Jouzel] J. Jouzel, N.I. Barkov, J.M. Barnola, M. Bender, 13 more authors, Extending the Vostok ice-core record of paleoclimate to the penultimate glacial period. Nature 364 (1993), 407-412 [Kerr] Richard A. Kerr, Unmasking a shifty climate system. Science 255 (1992), 1508-1510 [Maskell] Kathy Maskell, Irving M. Mintzer, Bruce A. Callander, Basic science of climate change. The Lancet 342 (1993), 1027-1031 [Raval] A. Raval & V. Ramanathan, Observational determination of the greenhouse effect. Nature 342 (1989), 758-761 [Raynaud] D. Raynaud, J. Jouzel, J.M. Barnola, J. Chappellaz, R.J. Delmas, C. Lorius, The ice record of greenhouse gases. Science 259 (1993), 926-934 [Rind] David Rind & Jonathan Overpeck, Hypothesized causes of decade- to-century-scale climate variability: climate model results. Quaternary Science Reviews 12, 6 (1993), 357-374 [Schelling] Thomas C. Schelling, Some economics of global warming. The American Economic Review 82 (March 1992), 1-14 [Schlesinger] Michael E. Schlesinger & Navin Ramankutty, An oscillation in the global climate system of period 65-70 years. Nature 367 (1994), 723-726. Discussion: Nature 372 (1994), 507-509 [Street] F. Alayne Street-Perrott, Drowned trees record dry spells. Nature 369 (1994), 518 [Tselioudis] George Tselioudis, Andrew A. Lacis, David Rind & William B. Rossow, Potential effects of cloud optical thickness on climate warming. Nature 366 (1993), 670-672 [White] Robert M. White, The great climate debate. Scientific American 263, 1 (July 1990), 18-25 [Wigley] Tom M.L. Wigley, Outlook becoming hazier. Nature 369 (1994), 709-710. A comment on: K.E. Taylor & J.E. Penner, Response of the climate system to atmospheric aerosols and greenhouse gases, ibid. 734-737 * Administrivia Caveat: This is not my field. Those climatologists who told me their opinion so far found the article reasonable. Sole responsibility for errors and misconceptions is mine, however. Corrections are welcomed, the more so as my time for maintaining this article is scarce. Please note the motto, though: "not overly detailed" ;-) Students should not use this article as a reference for school projects. They should instead use it as a pointer to some of the published literature. Copyright (c) 1995 by Jan Schloerer, all rights reserved. This article may be posted to any USENET newsgroup, on-line service and BBS, as long as it is posted in its entirety and includes this caveat and copyright statement. However, please inform me, so I know where the article goes. This article may not be distributed for financial gain, it may not be included in commercial collections or compilations without the express written permission of the author. Jan Schloerer schloerer@rzmain.rz.uni-ulm.de Uni Ulm Klinische Dokumentation D-89070 Ulm Germany @START@New Aviation/Space Museum in Colorado A new aviation and space museum has recently opened in Denver, Colorado. The Wings Over the Rockies Aviation and Space Museum opened on December 1, 1994 in Hangar 1 of what was formerly Lowry Air Force Base in East Central Denver. The museum has a number of items currently on display including the following aircraft: a prototype glider U-3A, USAF version of the Cessna 310 T-33, the classic jet trainer RF-84K, very rare (25 built) carried in the bomb bay of a B-36 mothership F-86H, late-model Korean War vintage fighter F-4C, early model USAF Phantom F-4E, Chase & test aircraft used at Edwards AFB H-21, Vertol-built tandem rotor helicopter A-7D, Early model USAF Corsair II with Navy-style refueling probe FB-111A, Swing-wing strategic bomber used by SAC EB-57E, Electronic defense systems "intruder" aircraft B-1A, The No. 3 B-1A prototype, only one of two on public display in the world B-52B, Early model Stratofortress F-100D, First USAF supersonic fighter F-101B, Formerly with the Oregon & N. Dakota Air Guard F-102A, Delta-winged fighter F-104C, Tactical version, aircraft on display is a Vietnam Veteran F-105D, Largest single-seat, single-engined fighter used by USAF F-106A, Served with the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, ADC Note that the museum has all six Century Series fighters on display. A pre-WWII Douglas B-18 Bolo bomber is currently undergoing restoration. The former Martin Marietta Corp. has donated its engineering mock-up of the Space Station Freedom module used in its bid for the project. It is also undergoing restoration. The museum provides a video viewing room with a variety of aviation/space videos. Also housed in the museum is an aviation/space research library which includes books and a photo archive where materials may be used on-site. A full photographic reproduction laboratory will also be available in the near future. As mentioned before, the museum is located on the site of what was formerly Lowry AFB in Denver. Access to the museum is through the gate on 1st Ave & Quebec St. or the gate on 6th Ave and Dayton. Easy access from Denver International Airport by following Pena Blvd to I-70 west, south on I-225 to 6th Ave exit, west on 6th Ave to the base gate. Inform the civilian guard (the guards will be gone by June) that you are visiting the museum. The museum is open from 10 to 4 Mon-Sat and from 12 to 4 on Sunday. The museum is also available for events such as unit reunions, meetings, birthday parties, and receptions. Admission: Seniors (60 & over): $2.00 Adults: $4.00 Children (6-17): $2.00 Children under 6: free Museum Members: free The phone number is: voice 303-360-5360 fax 303-360-5328 The mailing address is: P.O.Box 200158 7750 E. Irvington Pl. Denver, CO 80220-0158 @START@ Spaceviews Update S P A C E V I E W S U P D A T E 1995 April 15 Contents: * Space Missions * Progress Spacecraft Docks with Mir Israel Launches Spysat Cellular Phone Satellite in Orbit Orbcomm Launch a Partial Success * Future Projects * Lucid Selected for Second U.S. Mir Mission LLV to Launch Clark Spacecraft * Space Policy * Walker Proposes Multiyear Authorization for Space Station U.S. May Permit Commercial Use of Ukranian Rockets * Space Science * ESO Telescope Project Threatened ----------------------------- * Space Missions * Progress Spacecraft Docks with Mir The Progress M-27 spacecraft, carrying hundreds of kilograms of food and supplies, docked with the Russian space station Mir early Wednesday morning (April 12), thirty-four years to the day after Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. The spacecraft was launched Sunday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After spending over two days matching orbits with the Russian space station, the Progress spacecraft docked automatically on the first attempt. The spacecraft carried 400 kg (880 lb) of food for cosmonauts Vladmir Dezhurov and Gennady Strekalov and American astronaut Norman Thagard. The spacecraft also carried several hundred kilograms of supplies, 25 kg (55 lb) of notes and other papers, and some lollipops. The successful shipment permits the crew aboard Mir to continue their historic mission. The three men will stay aboard Mir until June, when the shuttle Atlantis will dock with the station and replace the three with two Russian cosmonauts . ----------------------------- Israel Launches Spysat Israel launched its first operational surveillance satellite last Wednesday (April 5), giving the country the ability to quickly obtain high-resolution images of its neighboring countries. A Shavit rocket launched the 225-kg (495-lb) Ofeq-3 satellite from Palamchim Air Force Base south of Tel Aviv. The spacecraft was placed into an orbit 300 to 700 km (185 to 435 miles) above the Earth with an inclination of 37 degrees. This orbit permits the spacecraft to pass over Iran, Iraq, and Syria several times each day. The spacecraft orbits from east to west, as opposed to the traditional west to east, as Israel can only safely launch rockets to the west, over the Mediterranean Sea. The Ofeq-3 spacecraft is the culmination of an Israeli program to provide the nation with its own satellite reconnaissance program. In the past, the United States had provided Israel with satellite imagery, but access to this data was believed to be restricted after Israel used it to coordinate the bombing of an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981. Israel launched two experimental satellites, Ofeq-1 and Ofeq-2, in 1988 and 1990 respectively, to test the technology needed for a spysat. ----------------------------- Cellular Phone Satellite in Orbit An Atlas 2 rocket placed a communications satellite into orbit last Friday (April 7) that will for the first time permit cellular phone users throughout North America, whether in a large city or in the wilderness, to place and receive phone calls at a far smaller cost that current satellite phone technologies. The satellite, named MSAT, was launched from Cape Canaveral on the evening of April 7. The spacecraft was flawlessly placed in its geosynchronous orbit shortly thereafter. The launch was the eighteenth for the new aerospace conglomerate Lockheed Martin. American Mobile Satellite Corporation, the owner of MSAT, said that the satellite is the first of its kind that allows cellular phone users to stay in touch throughout North America. The system will require a special phone, with an estimated cost of $1,500, but will offer rates as low as $0.75 per minute. To achieve the same level of connectivity before MSAT required a briefcase-sized satellite phone, which cost $35,000 and charge rates of $10 per minute. The $450-million satellite was built by Hughes and Spar Aerospace. It is the first of two satellites the company plans to launch. ----------------------------- Orbcomm Launch a Partial Success The first two satellites in Orbital Communications Corporation's Orbcomm series, which will provide tracking and communications services in North America, were successfully launched on a Pegasus last Monday (April 3), but problems with one of the satellites may keep it from entering service. One of the satellites, Orbcomm 2, has developed a problem with its uplink receiver, which is used to receive commands from the ground. Unless this problem is corrected, it is unlikely that the satellite can function as a part of the Orbcomm constellation. The other satellite, Orbcomm 1, was functioning normally after a section of corrupted software in its GPS receiver was reloaded. The two satellites, along with a third small scientific satellite, were launched on a Pegasus off the coast of California. The launch was the first successful launch from Orbital Science Corporation's L-1011 aircraft. The satellites are the first in what will comprise a constellation of several dozen small satellites in low Earth orbit. These satellites will be used in a variety of largely non-voice communications programs, such as tracking commercial trucks, monitoring pipelines, and transmitting data received from remote environmental sensors on the ground. Orbital Communications Corporation is a subsidiary of Orbital Sciences Corporation. ----------------------------- * Future Missions * Lucid Selected for Second U.S. Mir Mission Astronaut Shannon Lucid has been selected to be the second American astronaut to stay aboard the Mir space station, as part of the continuing international space station program. Navy Commander Jerry Linenger was also selected to be the third American to stay aboard Mir, with retired Air Force Colonel John Blaha and astronaut Scott Parazynski as the backups to Lucid and Linenger. Lucid is scheduled stay aboard Mir early in 1996, while Linenger will be aboard Mir later that year. The durations of their stays were not announced. Both astronauts will be ferried to and from the space station from the space shuttle Atlantis. The 52-year-old Lucid is a veteran of four shuttle missions between 1985 and 1993. She has a Ph.D in biochemistry from the University of Oklahoma. The 40-year-old Linenger has flown on the shuttle once, on the STS-64 mission in September 1994. He has a doctorate in medicine from Wayne State University and a Ph.D in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina. ----------------------------- LLV to Launch Clark Spacecraft CTA Incorporated has selected the Lockheed Launch Vehicle (LLV) to launch the NASA-funded Clark remote sensing satellite in 1996. The launch will be the second use of the LLV by the Rockville, Maryland, company. The LLV-1 rocket will launch the 285-kg (630-lb) spacecraft into a 510-km (320-mi) sun-synchronous polar orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Once in orbit, the Clark spacecraft (of Lewis and Clark fame) will use advanced remote-sensing instruments to study changes in the Earth's environment. Clark, and its sister spacecraft Lewis, are among the first spacecraft being developed by NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Initiative. The program calls for small, inexpensive spacecraft built quickly using the latest in technology. The technology tested by these spacecraft can then be used in larger, more expensive missions. The Lewis spacecraft is being developed by the TRW Space and Electronics Group, and will also be launched on an LLV. The CTA-built GEMStar(r) communications satellite will be launched into a near-polar orbit later this year by an LLV. ----------------------------- * Space Policy * Walker Proposes Multiyear Authorization for Space Station In a move widely seen as an effort to placate international partners, House Science Committee chairman Robert Walker has introduced legislation that would authorize funding for Space Station Alpha for the remainder of its construction. Walker (R-PA) introduced legislation last week that would authorize $13.2 billion dollars for construction of the space station between now and 2002. The $13.2 billion dollar figure comes from the $17.4 billion cap placed on the project by President Clinton minus two $2.1 billion appropriations already made for the project. Although it is unlikely that the appropriation will pass in both houses of Congress, especially since no companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, approval of the authorization in the House would be seen as a victory for space station proponents, who have struggled in recent years to support the program. It is also believed that this authorization would be seen by the station's international partners as a sign that NASA and Congress are serious about completing the station. ----------------------------- U.S. May Permit Commercial Use of Ukranian Rockets The United States and the Ukraine are discussing a bilateral space launch trade agreement what would permit U.S. companies to use Ukranian rockets, such as the Zenit and Cyclone. At least one multinational venture using these rockets is being planned. Such an agreement would pave the way for Boeing to proceed with its Sea Launch project, which would use Zenits launched from offshore platforms in the Pacific. Boeing is currently working with SC Energia and NPO Yushnoye in the former Soviet Union and Norweigan shipbuilding conglomerate Kvaerner A/S on the project. Under the current Sea Launch proposal, mobile launch platforms would be based off the coast of California. Before a launch, a Zenit rocket and payload would be brought aboard and the launch platform would be towed south to the Equator, where a launch would gain the maximum benefit from the Earth's rotation. ----------------------------- * Space Science * ESO Telescope Project Threatened A project to build the world's largest telescope in Chile is threatened with cancellation unless European and Chilean officials can resolve a dispute over the land on which the telescope is being constructed. The family which claims ownership of Cerro Paranal, the mountaintop where the telescope is being built, has filed suit against the European Southern Observatory (ESO), claiming the land was illegally seized by the Chilean government in 1988 and given to ESO. ESO claims to be immune to lawsuits in Chilean courts and, according to the Chilean Foreign Minister, may scrap the project if the lawsuit is not resolved. A decision may come as soon as April 19, when representatives from ESO's eight member nations -- Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland -- meet to discuss the project. The $500 million project would build four 8-meter telescopes which, when combined, would have the power of a single 16-meter diameter telescope. Currently the largest telescope in the world is the Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, with a diameter of ten meters. ----------------------------- @START@Earth Day 25 Years Later Earth Day 25 Years Later We must strive to achieve a sustainable society by Gaylord Nelson On April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. Fully 10 percent of the population of the country, twenty million people, demonstrated their support for redeeming the American environment. . . . American politics and public policy would never be the same. (American Heritage magazine, October 1993) The idea of Earth Day 1970 was to have a national demonstration of environmental concern big enough to shake up the political establishment--get its attention, get some action, force environmental issues onto the political agenda of national priorities. The idea worked, thanks to the spontaneous response of millions of concerned Americans, and the event served as a wake-up call to the political establishment. Suddenly, the environment became a national political priority. Since Earth Day 1970, Congress has enacted nearly 40 major federal environmental laws addressing a wide range of issues, including clean air, clean water, energy conservation, hazardous wastes, and herbicides and other pesticides. Dozens of individual public land bills have been enacted since 1970 to designate or expand wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, national parks, and wildlife refuges. Perhaps most important, more than 80 percent of Americans now regard themselves as environmentalists. Since 1970 we have come a long way. After 25 years of researching, debating, and learning, increasing numbers of people recognize that the state of the environment is the key factor in determining our way of life and the quality of it. Increasingly, we are coming to understand that air, water, soil, forests, minerals, rivers, lakes, oceans, scenic beauty, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity constitute the wealth of the nation. This is our capital. In short, these resources are all there is. That's the whole economy. That's where all the economic activity--and all the jobs--comes from. Nonetheless, this simple proposition is conveniently overlooked when doing so serves some immediate political or financial interest. That's why we so frequently hear political and business leaders, economists, and others who should know better vacuously assert that they "are for the environment if it doesn't cost jobs." This misses the obvious point that a healthy environment and a prosperous economy are inextricably tied one to the other. In the jargon of the business world, the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment. All economic activity is dependent on that environment, on its underlying resource base. If the environment is finally forced to file under Chapter 11 because its resource base has been polluted, degraded, dissipated, and irretrievably compromised, then the economy goes bankrupt with it because the economy is just a subset within the ecological system. When the environment is sacrificed in the short-term interest of creating jobs, the cost and long-term job loss always exceed the immediate benefit. Consuming capital and counting it as income--this is the road to bankruptcy. At this point in history, no nation has managed to evolve into a sustainable society. All are pursuing a self-destructive course; we are all fueling our economies by consuming our capital--that is to say, by degrading our resource base. Recently, in a joint statement, the United States National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London, two of the world's leading scientific bodies, addressed the state of the planet in the following words: If current predictions of population growth prove accurate and patterns of human activity on the planet remain unchanged, science and technology may not be able to prevent either irreversible degradation of the environment or continued poverty for much of the world. (Population Growth, Resource Consumption, and a Sustainable World, 1992) This sobering observation confronts us with the challenge to significantly reduce population growth in the next few years and achieve population stability before the mid-21st century. Right now, we are dealing with a social, ecological, and economic challenge unlike any other in our history. This challenge is far more serious than the military threat to the democratic West in World War II. Nations can recover from lost wars--witness Germany and Japan--but there is no recovery from a destroyed ecosystem. On December 5, 1962, Dean Acheson, in a speech at West Point, observed that "Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found a goal." Ironically, that describes the current American dilemma. The Soviet superpower has disintegrated, the Communist menace has dissolved, and the Cold War is over. As yet, as a nation, the United States has not found a unifying theme, a moral cause to replace the Cold War--this despite the fact that a monumental moral cause is near at hand, a far more serious challenge than the Cold War ever was. It's the war against the planet. How do we bring it to an end, and where do we start? We must start in the United States. We cannot and should not wait for the rest of the world. Truly understanding that sustainability is the ultimate issue will bring America face-to-face with the political challenge of forging a sustainable society during the next few decades. It is a challenge America can meet if we have the leadership and the political will to do so. Nearly 60 years ago, in a speech in Philadelphia on June 27, 1936, President Roosevelt said: There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny. This eloquent exhortation fits well the generation now coming of age. The challenge of creating a sustainable society implies a bigger rendezvous with history and a bigger destiny than Roosevelt was thinking about in 1936. With enough determination, Americans can measure up to the challenge. I am optimistic the generation now preparing to take the helm will have the foresight and will to do so. (Nelson, formerly a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was founder of Earth Day 1970. He is currently Counselor for the Wilderness Society. In addition, he is Chairman of Earth Day XXV, a group that is helping to organize a national Earth Day event on the Mall in Washington, DC.) @START@The Earth is in Your Hands The Earth is in Your Hands Working together, we can achieve a new generation of environmental protection by Carol M. Browner Earth Day 25 is a time to reflect on how we're doing in protecting our environment. Twenty-five years ago, in the wake of the first Earth Day, our nation created, virtually from scratch, the most advanced system of environmental protection in the world. In the course of a very short history--a mere quarter- century--we have made tremendous progress. We no longer have rivers catching on fire. Our skies are cleaner. And U.S. environmental expertise and technology are in demand throughout the world. In the years since the first Earth Day, EPA banned lead in gasoline, lowering lead levels in our air by more than 90 percent and protecting millions of children from harm. We banned dangerous and widely used pesticides like DDT. We closed unsafe local garbage dumps all over the nation and helped to make recycling a household habit. We provided American towns with substantial funding for wastewater treatment--the second biggest public works effort in U.S. history, resulting in cleaner rivers all over the United States. All cars and trucks now have standards for fuel economy, set by EPA, that allow consumers to choose a car for its energy efficiency. And EPA has played an important role in ensuring that companies and others comply with our environmental laws or face stiff penalties. Perhaps most important, the nation has gained a new understanding. More Americans than ever understand that to ensure a good quality of life for ourselves and our children, we must act as responsible stewards of our air, our water, and our land. More to Do But much remains to be done. Thirty years after Rachel Carson warned us in Silent Spring to reduce our dependence on pesticides, we have doubled our pesticide use. Twenty-five years after the garbage-filled Cuyahoga River spontaneously caught on fire, 40 percent of our rivers and lakes are not suitable for fishing or swimming. In 1993, people in Milwaukee, New York, and Washington, DC, were ordered to boil their drinking water. In Milwaukee, hundreds of thousands of people got sick from contaminated water; 100 died. Twenty years after passage of the Clean Air Act, two in five Americans still live in areas where the air is dangerous to breathe. Fourteen years after Love Canal, one in four Americans lives within four miles of a toxic dumpsite. Asthma is on the rise. Breast cancer is on the rise. And the past 25 years have left us with a complex and unwieldy system of laws and regulations and increasing conflict over how we achieve environmental protection. The result of this history? An adversarial system of environmental policy. A system built on distrust. And too little environmental protection at too high a cost. The Challenge We Face In the next 25 years, we must maintain the progress we have made, and we must build on that progress. We must continue to protect the health of the people of this country, the health of our communities, the health of our economy, our air, our water, and our land. The environmental problems of the future will be more complex than ever. We can work together to address these problems today, or we can handle them as expensive crises tomorrow. When President Clinton and I arrived in Washington two years ago, we believed that we needed a fundamentally new system of environmental protection. One that protects more and costs less. And one that builds on the strengths of the last 25 years but overcomes the deficiencies of the past. We have an opportunity to reinvent a system of strong public health and environmental protections--to find solutions that work for real people in real communities. We must do it with common- sense, cost-effective measures that produce the very best environmental results for the least cost. In this new system, we need a firm commitment to public health and environmental goals--combined with flexibility, innovation, and creativity in how we achieve those goals. We must move beyond the one-size-fits-all approach of the past. We must work industry by industry, community by community to prevent pollution, rather than clean it up after the fact. We must involve those who will live with environmental decisions, to ensure that they have every opportunity to be a partner in making those decisions. New Strategies for the Future In the last two years, the Clinton Administration has initiated a variety of strategies to reinvent environmental protection--to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and move toward a flexible yet firm approach to pollution protection. These strategies will allow us to achieve results that are cleaner, cheaper, and smarter. Last year we launched the Common Sense Initiative, a fundamentally different way of doing business that takes us beyond the pollutant-by-pollutant, crisis-by-crisis approach of the past to an industry-by-industry approach for the future. Beginning in six industries, we are bringing together leaders of business, state and local government, the community, labor, and the environmental movement--to sit down and examine environmental protection in these industries from top to bottom. By working together, we will be able to find answers to the tough questions and arrive at solutions never before thought possible--solutions that will be cleaner for the environment, cheaper for the taxpayer and industry, and smarter for the future of this country. Through our Brownfields Action Agenda, we are working in partnership with state and local government, communities, industry, and small business, to clean up the contaminated pieces of land that sit idle in cities across this country--to bring them back to life, to remove a blight on the neighborhood, to create jobs, to create hope. We recently lifted the Superfund stigma from 25,000 sites around this country. Recognizing the need for quality science in all that we do, we recently launched our STAR program--Science To Achieve Results--bringing the best and the brightest from across the scientific community to assist us in our work, so we can direct our resources to the highest risks and do it using the highest quality data. Five thousand graduate students in science are competing for 100 fellowships in research at EPA. We've expanded our use of risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis. In fact, the National Academy of Sciences has recognized EPA as a world leader in using risk analysis. These are some of the strategies we are using to reinvent environmental protection. All of these strategies work for business, for communities, and for people across the country. All of these are new strategies that will take us to the future. We Must Reinvent, Not Repeal Last month, the President, the Vice President, and I announced the Clinton Administration's regulatory reinvention of environmental protection. Through a package of important reforms, we will trust honest business people as partners, not adversaries--without sacrificing one ounce of public health protection. We will cut paperwork by 25 percent, saving 20 million hours a year for business and communities. Time and money should be invested in making a product, not filling out forms. We will allow a six-month grace period--to give small business owners a chance to fix compliance problems instead of paying a fine. We will reward companies that take responsibility for finding and fixing environmental problems. Our goal is compliance with the laws that protect public health and the environment--not punishment. We will institute one-stop emissions reporting and consolidate our air-pollution rules. Instead of a dozen different rules and a dozen different forms, our goal is one rule, one permit, one report. Under our new Project XL--excellence and leadership--we will choose 50 businesses and communities and say to them, "Here's the pollution reduction goal. You know your operation better than anyone else. If you can figure out how to reach the goal and exceed that goal, then you can throw out the rule book." Through the Clinton Administration's regulatory reinvention, we are refining environmental protection to make it more flexible, more effective, more sensible, and more affordable--to achieve the very best environmental results for the least cost. These reforms will move us beyond rigid, one-size-fits-all regulation. But unlike proposals for regulatory reform being debated in Congress, these reforms do not cross the line to one- size-fits-all deregulation. We need to reinvent environmental regulations--not repeal public health protections. The Clinton Administration's regulatory reinvention will help us work together to protect our health and our environment--and do it through common-sense, cost- effective measures. After all the progress we've made since the first Earth Day 25 years ago, we cannot go back. We must go forward. Every American Must Help It is the job of government to protect the public. But government cannot do the job alone. We need every American to help ensure strong public health and environmental protections. Joining together is not a matter of choice--it is a necessity. We all breathe the same air, drink the same water, and work and play in the same environment. That's why EPA is using this 25th anniversary of Earth Day to remind parents and kids, communities and companies that "the Earth is in your hands." If we join together, we can take the common sense steps we need to take--and be proud to pass along a safe, clean world to our children and our children's children. # (Browner is Administrator of EPA.) @START@The Average Urban American According To... Zero Population Growth _________________________________________________________ In 24 hours, the average urban American: Consumes 150 gallons of water Produces 120 gallons of sewage Consumes 3.3 pounds of food Produces 3.4 pounds of garbage Consumes 15 pounds of fossil fuels Produces 1.3 pounds of pollutants @START@Fan Run Star Trek Convention: Shore Leave 17 Convention Announcement: Fan Run Star Trek Convention (update 04/03) Shore Leave 17 July 7 - 9, 1995 Hunt Valley Mariott Inn Shawan Rd.,Hunt Valley, MD Tel. (410)785-7000 (make your own res.) Confirmed Guests: Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim on VOY) Dwight Schultz (Lt. Barclay on TNG; also guested on B-5) Ann C. Crispin (ST novel author) Carmen Carter (ST novel author) Brad Ferguson (ST novel author) Howard Weinstein (ST novel and comics author) Bob Greenberger (ST novel and comics author) Tim DeHaas (ST script author) Bob Eggleton (ST and SF artist) Joan Winston (ST fandom legend) Jaqueline Lichtenberg (ST fandom legend) Steve Wilson (ST comics author) Bob Pinaha (DC Comics) Kirk Borne (Astronomer, Space Telescope) Warren Hack (Space Telescope Science Institute) Anne Kinney (Astronomer, Space Telescope) Christian Ready (Science Planning Specialist, Space Tel.) Patricia Vener-S. (Technical Specialist, Goddard SFC) more guests TBA Shore Leave 17 is produced by the Star Trek Association of Towson Inc., a not-for-profit organization in Towson, Maryland. For updated information please call our 24-hr hotline at (410)821-5563. Direct any questions you may have to me (heyer@stsci.edu), the above hotline, or write to: Shore Leave 17, PO Box 6809, Towson, MD 21285-6809. Answer #1: Yes, I am on the committee (chair for science). Answer #2: The membership form can be found after my .sig Please crosspost this announcement to other systems (CompuServe, GEnie, Prodigy, AOL, local BBS's, whatever). Thank you. CloudShape ---------------------------- snip, snip, snip --------------------------------- Shore Leave 17 Registration Form (please snail-mail with payment, DO NOT EMAIL) DEADLINE FOR PREREGISTRATION IS MAY 31, 1995 (after that at-the-door only) Fill out one copy of this form per person (you can mail them all together in one envelope of course). Enclose 2 SASE's per address, and a check or money order made out to "Shore Leave 17", and mail to: Shore Leave 17, PO Box 6809, Towson, MD 21285-6809 Membership does not guarantee a seat in the Main Programming Room or an autograph. There is a $25 returned check fee. Name: _________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________ City,State,ZIP: _________________________________________________ Telephone: _________________________________________________ Age (if child): ____ >From which computer network did you get this form: ______________ Please mark below if you want more Please mark below if you like to help information on the following topics: with the following: o Art Show/Auction o Art Show/Auction o WorkShops o Charities o Charities o Registration o Children's Programming (5-11) o Security o Filking o Fan Panels o Masquerade o Special Programming I am paying for: Adult Membership ($45): Youth (age 5-12) ($12): Workshops: Children's (age 5-11) ($ 5): Writers' (beginners) lecture only ($15): w/critique ($25): Writers' (intermed.) lecture only ($20): w/crit. (1- 5 p.) ($25): w/crit. (6-20 p.) ($30): Artists' Workshop ($20): Script Writers Work. free : Stargazing free : more workshops TBA TOTAL: Only 3-day preregistrations, under age 5 free with one paying adult. You must be preregistered for the convention to attend the workshops. @START@The Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List ----======= THE INTERNET TOP 100 SF/FANTASY LIST =======---- Edition Number 14 3rd April 1995 r--------------------------------------------------------------------------, | This chart was compiled using votes sent in by 415 people. If you want | | to vote for a book, then send a message containing your votes to me at | | tcooke@spam.maths.adelaide.edu.au. Each line of your message should | | contain a vote for one book, and should be of the form: Score out of 10, | | Title of the book, and then the Author or Editor of the book. | L__________________________________________________________________________J =============================================================================== Pos | Title | Type | Author/Editor | Score =============================================================================== 1 Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien 8.72 (199) 2 Ender's Game S1 Orson Scott Card 8.04 (181) 3 Dune S1 Frank Herbert 8.00 (185) ^ 4 A Fire Upon the Deep Vernor Vinge 7.98 (79) 5 The Demolished Man Alfred Bester 7.97 (53) 6 The Shadow Rising S4 Robert Jordan 7.97 (45) 7 Lord of Chaos S6 Robert Jordan 7.96 (34) 8 A Canticle for Leibowitz Walter M. Miller 7.95 (57) ^ 9 Hyperion S1 Dan Simmons 7.86 (97) 10 The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein 7.84 (136) ^11 Aristoi Walter Jon Williams 7.83 (20) 12 The Stars my Destination Alfred Bester 7.82 (57) 13 The Dragon Reborn S3 Robert Jordan 7.78 (47) 14 The Shadow of the Torturer S1 Gene Wolfe 7.76 (60) 15 Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner 7.74 (49) 16 A Wizard of Earth sea S1 Ursula Le Guin 7.74 (56) ^17 The Hobbit J.R.R.Tolkien 7.70 (127) 18 Lord of Light Roger Zelazny 7.66 (65) 19 The Eye of the World S1 Robert Jordan 7.65 (52) ^20 The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula Le Guin 7.63 (92) ^21 The Long Run Daniel Keys Moran 7.63 (24) 22 The Dispossessed Ursula Le Guin 7.63 (67) ^23 The Anubis Gates Tim Powers 7.62 (34) 24 The Fires of Heaven S5 Robert Jordan 7.61 (43) ^25 The Citadel of the Autarch S4 Gene Wolfe 7.60 (35) ^26 Player of Games Iain M. Banks 7.59 (44) 27 The Claw of the Conciliator S2 Gene Wolfe 7.58 (47) 28 Snow Crash Neal Stephenson 7.58 (62) ^29 The Sword of the Lictor S3 Gene Wolfe 7.56 (34) 30 The Time Machine H.G. Wells 7.55 (58) 31 Use of Weapons Iain M. Banks 7.51 (44) ^32 Startide Rising David Brin 7.50 (105) 33 The Forever War Joe Haldeman 7.50 (72) 34 The Great Hunt S2 Robert Jordan 7.48 (50) ^35 Gateway S1 Frederick Pohl 7.47 (74) ^36 Neutron Star C Larry Niven 7.47 (29) 37 Marooned in Realtime Vernor Vinge 7.46 (43) 38 Red Mars S1 K.S. Robinson 7.45 (47) 39 Speaker for the Dead S2 Orson Scott Card 7.45 (121) 40 Fall of Hyperion S2 Dan Simmons 7.42 (72) ^41 Have Spacesuit, Will Travel Robert A. Heinlein 7.42 (36) 42 Dying Earth S1 Jack Vance 7.40 (28) 43 City C Clifford Simak 7.39 (38) ^44 The War of the Worlds H.G. Wells 7.35 (29) 45 The Door into Summer Robert A. Heinlein 7.35 (47) 46 I Robot C Isaac Asimov 7.34 (95) 47 Jhereg Steven Z. Brust 7.32 (41) 48 Citizen of the Galaxy Robert A. Heinlein 7.30 (57) 49 Foundation S1 Isaac Asimov 7.28 (139) 50 A Scanner Darkly Phillip K. Dick 7.25 (25) 51 Nine Princes in Amber S1 Roger Zelazny 7.22 (90) 52 Starship Troopers Robert A. Heinlein 7.22 (103) ^53 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy S1 Douglas Adams 7.16 (149) 54 Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury 7.14 (58) ^55 Green Mars S2 K.S.Robinson 7.13 (19) 56 Childhood's End Arthur C. Clarke 7.12 (79) ^57 Puppet Masters Robert A. Heinlein 7.12 (33) ^58 Witches of Karres James Schmitz 7.11 (16) 59 Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein 7.08 (126) 60 The Mote in God's Eye L.Niven/J.Pournelle 7.07 (109) 61 Second Foundation S3 Isaac Asimov 7.07 (107) 62 The Uplift War David Brin 7.06 (71) ^63 Lest Darkness Fall L. Sprague de Camp 7.04 (15) ^64 Mission of Gravity Hal Clement 7.01 (38) 65 Foundation and Empire S2 Isaac Asimov 7.01 (100) 66 The Man in the High Castle Phillip K. Dick 7.01 (64) ^67 The Caves of Steel S1 Isaac Asimov 7.00 (78) 68 Cyteen C.J. Cherryh 6.99 (46) 69 The Peace War Vernor Vinge 6.97 (40) ^70 Tunnel in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein 6.95 (19) 71 Ringworld S1 Larry Niven 6.95 (132) 72 Blood Music Greg Bear 6.94 (35) 73 Magician S1 Raymond E. Feist 6.93 (71) 74 The Naked Sun S2 Isaac Asimov 6.92 (71) ^75 The Dragonbone Chair Tad Williams 6.92 (22) 76 Consider Phlebas Iain M. Banks 6.89 (45) ^77 The Mists of Avalon Marion Z. Bradley 6.87 (17) 78 Solaris Stanislaw Lem 6.87 (25) ^79 Star Beast Robert A. Heinlein 6.86 (19) 80 The Pride of Chanur S1 C.J. Cherryh 6.85 (41) ^81 Tigana S3 Guy G. Kay 6.85 (20) 82 Protector Larry Niven 6.84 (24) 83 Babel 17 Samuel R. Delaney 6.81 (30) 84 Galactic Patrol S3 E.E. Doc Smith 6.81 (36) 85 The Urth of the New Sun S5 Gene Wolfe 6.80 (30) 86 A Man Rides Through S1 Stephen Donaldson 6.77 (29) 87 Neuromancer William Gibson 6.76 (128) 88 2001 : A Space Odyssey S1 Arthur C. Clarke 6.74 (57) 89 Rendezvous with Rama S1 Arthur C. Clarke 6.74 (94) ^90 Restaurant at the End of the Universe S2 Douglas Adams 6.73 (37) ^91 Life, the Universe and Everything S3 Douglas Adams 6.72 (35) ^92 Double Star Robert A. Heinlein 6.72 (30) 93 The Eyes of the Overworld S3 Jack Vance 6.71 (17) 94 Homeland S1 R.A. Salvatore 6.70 (10) 95 Pyramids S7 T.Pratchett 6.70 (29) 96 The Colour of Magic S1 Terry Pratchett 6.68 (20) ^97 Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury 6.68 (29) ^98 The Tombs of Atuan S2 Ursula Le Guin 6.65 (21) 99 Dragon's Egg S1 Robert L. Forward 6.65 (37) 100 Earth David Brin 6.63 (48) =============================================================================== {S1} indicates that the book is the 1'st book in a series. {C} indicates a collection of short stories. * indicates that the book was not on the chart last week. ^ indicates that the book has risen from last week's position. This chart is also available via WWW at http://www.clark.net/pub/iz/Books/Top100/top100.html Rising Entries ============== To Reign in Hell Steven K.Z. Brust Agyar Steven K.Z. Brust The Masters of the Vortex S7 E.E.Doc Smith Elfqueen of Shannara S3 Terry Brooks Treason Orson Scott Card The Scions of Shannara S4 Terry Brooks Sourcery Terry Pratchett The Gate to Women's Country Sherri S. Tepper Druid of Shannara S5 Terry Brooks -- Tristrom Cooke | Editor of the tcooke@maths.adelaide.edu.au | Internet Top 100 | SF/Fantasy List @START@Corrupt Windows Swap File Subject: Re: Corrupt Windows Swap file!!? (V95 #73) Date: Sun, 09 Apr 1995 21:28:13 -0400 From: Joe Morris <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org> In INFO-IBMPC 95.73 Jayesh Sahasi wrote: >My machine a 486SX has been giving me error messages if I make a >permanent swap file. Every time I start windows, I get a message "Swap >file is corrupt: Press Y to delete..." I've changed the size of this >file several times, and I've deleted and re-configured it a dozen >times. Any idea as to what may be wrong. I had recently used disk >compression routines (DOS 6.2 doublespace), could that be causing >problems? If you've placed a permanent swap file on a compressed disk, you've got an invalid configuration. (This is documented in the notes on DoubleSpace, although it could have been made a little more prominent a restriction.) Since Windows 3.1 came out long before MS-DOS 6, the Windows setup code has no idea what compressed disks are, and much less idea that they aren't an appropriate place to put a permanent swap file. The result is that the WIN31 virtual memory setup logic will cheerfully propose your compressed disk as a good place to put the swap file; you've got to make sure that you change it to an uncompressed disk. (Note that when you create a compressed drive, DoubleSpace will recognize a permanent swap file and move it to the host (uncompressed) drive.) Unfortunately, Microsoft chose not to include in MS-DOS 6 a replacement for the Windows module that controls the allocation of a permanent swap file. If necessary, reduce the size of the DoubleSpace compressed volume to free up enough space on the (real) host drive, then allocate the permanent swap file there. Joe Morris / MITRE Date: Sat, 08 Apr 1995 23:25:32 -0500 (EST) From: CLEIKIS@delphi.com Subject: Re: Corrupt Windows Swap file!!? (V95 #73) Jayesh, >My machine a 486SX has been giving me error messages if I >make a permanent swap file. Every time I start windows, I get >a message "Swap file is corrupt: Press Y to delete..." [... Text Deleted...] Sure, that's easy to fix. The swap file for Windows must be on an uncompressed drive. If you didn't know, doublespace (and all compression software for that matter) creates an uncompressed drive for every compressed drive, called the host drive. It basically has your autoexec.bat, config.sys, etc file that you need until the drivers for the compression software are loaded at boot time. Using the the doublespace software, increase (I think it's actually decrease the size of the compressed drive) the size of this drive to the size you want for your swap file. Then tell windows to put it there. If you have one drive, C:, then the uncompressed drive is usually D:..Otherwise the uncompressed drives start after the last compressed drive. Hope this helps, Craig "Lynx" Leikis Email Address: CLEIKIS@delphi.com Never wrestle a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it. @START@Memory Upgrading Problems Subject: Memory upgrading problems (Rhea, Info-IBMPC 95.72) Date: Fri, 07 Apr 1995 09:30:37 -0400 From: Joe Morris <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org> In INFO-IBMPC 95.72 Jon Rhea wrote: > I purchased a 4MB memory upgrade module for my IBM PS/2 model >70. There was already a module in the first slot, so I put the new one >in the second slot. When I started the computer, the screen said >either 225 or 255 (I can't remember exactly which) at the top left hand >corner. It did not try to read the A: drive at all and it did not go >through the internal tests. I removed the new module and started the >computer as it was before I began anything. Now, at startup I get two >error messages: 161 and 163. The error codes you are likely to get while playing with the hardware are: 161 System Options Not Set-(Run SETUP); Dead battery. 162 System Options Not Set-(Run SETUP); CMOS checksum/ configuration error. 163 Time & Date not Set-(Run SETUP); Clock not updating. 164 Memory Size Error-(Run SETUP); CMOS setting does not match memory. 165 PS/2 System options not set. 215 PS/2 Motherboard memory failure. 216 PS/2 Motherboard memory failure. Note that the correct response to the 16x error codes is to run the reference disk to reset the option CMOS settings. You don't say what flavor of PS/2-70 you've got; your description of the failure makes me suspect that you were sold a memory kit that isn't compatible with your particular system. (Sort of like some auto parts house selling you an engine for a Chevrolet without asking if you've got a Blazer or a 'Vette.) My references (which may not be complete) don't indicate that any PS/2-70 is capable of using a 4 MB simm *in a motherboard slot*. If you have a memory expansion card you can use 4 MB simms (IBM part number 87F9977), but the memory slots on the motherboard can accept only 1 MB (p/n 6450603) or 2 MB (p/n 6450604 for 85 nsec, p/n 6450608 or 6450609 for 80 nsec) simms. Which 80 nsec part is used depends on the flavor of PS/2-70 you have. Using the wrong type of simm can do all sorts of mischief -- I speak from experience. The good news is that (at least for me) there was no damage to either the system or the incorrect simm. Joe Morris / MITRE @START@Windows .HLP Files Date: Fri, 07 Apr 1995 22:19:09 -0800 From: "IAN M. SCHMUTTE" <JRICE@pluto.pomona.edu> Subject: Re: Windows help (V95 #72) > Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 14:31:00 EDT > From: John Pinter <jmp@cybernetics.net> > > Suppose I want to write a file to be processed by the Windows help > processor (a .hlp file). Where can I find doc on how to do that? > Thanks. Dave There are several resources available. There is a good guide called Help Authors Guide, or HAG, from microsoft. (Also WinHag.) From Microsoft, you can download What6 to make the files using Word6 and WHPE to compile them. General pointers: check the comp.os.windows.programmer.winhelp group, where there is a FAQ available. There is also a listserv called Winhlp-L. (this is much more advanced, though.) I learned from the HAG, mostly. Jeff @START@Modem Problems Date: Fri, 07 Apr 1995 08:34:45 -0500 From: Terry McNeal <mcneal@ac.grin.edu> Subject: Re: Modem problem >Even though the telephone line is live and even though the computer >checks out the modem and finds it fit enough to proceed with placing a >call, I get the response "No dial tone." I get that using the Windows >Terminal program, using WinComm Pro, and using the America OnLine >software. I know I am using the right port. > >Now where do I start? Do I call Boca Research? Do I call >Delrina--that makes WinComm Pro--or do I call Micron. Any suggestions >in diagnosing and fixing this one? I had the exact same symptoms trying to get a Hayes Optima 144 PC Card modem working in my notebook machine. After a lot of head scratching and conversation with the Hayes Tech Support folks (good people), it was discovered that there was a defect in the cable between the modem and the telephone jack. It did not make a good enough connection for the modem to be able to detect the dial tone. After replacing the cable, and making sure it was fully seated in the telephone jack and the modem connector (you think it is going to break before it snaps in), everything worked fine. I suggest you start by carefully examining the cabling between the modem and the telephone jack. Make sure the connectors on both ends are well seated and making good contact. Make sure the cable itself does not show any signs of stress where the wires may have broken inside the insulation. Also, check out the telephone jack itself. Look for the same things in the jack and the cable going back to the service connecting block. (Of course, the easiest way to make these checks is to try another cable and telephone jack.;-)) From what you said in your message, it looks like your machine and software is working properly, so if you need to call someone, I would start with the modem manufacturer. Hope this helps. Good Luck. Terry McNeal Grinnell College Internet: MCNEAL@AC.GRIN.EDU Systems Coordinator Noyce Computer Center Voice: (515) 269-4901 Grinnell, Iowa 50112 Fax: (515) 269-4936 @START@WordPerfect 6.0 Troubles Date: Fri, 07 Apr 1995 10:42:54 -0600 (CST) From: "Andrew W. Ragland" <RAGLAN45@ccvax.mmc.edu> Subject: WordPerfect 6.0 Troubles Here's a bit of misfortune for others to learn from: Scandisk recently found some bad files on my C: drive. I had it fix them as best it could, and tried to get on with my life. No such luck. WordPerfect 6.0a for Windows refused to launch without a tantrum. I kept getting faults in module SHWIN20.DLL, the QuickCorrect list was garbaged totally, and the program threw GPFs every time I did anything complicated - like hitting Return at the end of a paragraph. I copied SHWIN20.DLL from my boss's machine. No fix. I reinstalled WP. No fix. I reinstalled Windows. No fix. I called WP Support and they told me that what had most likely happened was that what had probably happened was that the initializiation files WP keeps in the Windows directory had been corrupted. I had to delete three files, at which point WP came up as if it had just been installed. I lost my Button and Power bar configurations, and had to go all through my Preferences resetting everything -- directories, file locations, etc. Fortunately, the guy at WP gave me a tip, which I now pass on: Copy the files STANDARD.WPT, WPCSET.BIF and WPQC60US.DAT from your Windows directory to a floppy. If WP hangs up again, and you get the same errors, just delete those files from your HD and copy them back over from the floppy. Saves you hours of tedium reconstructing your working environment. I've already had to do it once since the original crash. I suspect my HD needs some work, but haven't had the time to take care of it. Andrew W. Ragland Product Support Manager R & M BioMetrics / BioQuant raglan45@ccvax.mmc.edu @START@Notes on EMM386 Program Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 13:35:03 -0400 From: "J. Dashiell" <dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil> Subject: emm386 program if you're not using ems and have the line: devicehigh=c:\dos\emm386.exe /noems /i=e000:efff <cr> in the config.sys file that will work. However, the following line is wrong: devicehigh=c:\dos\emm386.exe ram /i=e000:efff <cr> The reason it's wrong is it introduces a conflict. That include area is being used for ems framing when the ram switch is specified rather than the /noems switch. So it's best to have /noems and /i=e000:efff in config.sys on emm386.exe line since the two switches like to hang out together. jude <dashiell@nadc.nadc.navy.mil> @START@Notes on SMARTDRV.EXE Program Date: Wed, 5 Apr 1995 13:08:57 EDT From: "Sean F. Leinen" <sfleinen@sean.jersey.ingr.com> Subject: Re: SMARTDRV.EXE June Ritchie <TCRITCJ%VCCSCENT.BITNET@vm.gmd.de> writes: > Before running memmaker Smartdrv.exe looked like this in my > autoexec.bat: > > c:\dos\smartdrv.exe > > After running memmaker Smartdrv.exe looked like this in my > autoexec.bat: > > LH /l:0;1,45456 /S c:\dos\smartdrv.exe /x Hi June! Memmaker added the "/X" option to SMARTDRV.EXE? That's a new one on me - I've never seen that before. Just out of sheer curiosity, did you select (at any time during the memory optimization process) the "use conservative settings" (or words to that effect)? This might've added the "/X" to disable write-behind caching, which is a conservative setting. > I used to see a table during boot that said SmartDrive was > loaded and it indicated various cache settings. I don't see > that anymore. I assume that is because of the /x switch that Change the "/X" to "/V", and reboot. You should then get the caching table upon boot. Also, if you need to look at this table again, you can simply key-in "SMARTDRV" (with no options), and it will display that caching table without making any changes. The "/V" means "verbose". Replacing the "/X" with the "/V" will also re-enable the write-behind caching. Disabling write-behind caching, while smart for compressed (DBLSPACE'ed/DRVSPACE'ed) drives, will negatively impact performance on a system that's not using disk compression. You're more-than-likely better served with write-behind caching on - it will make a dramatic performance difference when there's a substantial amount of disk activity occurring, especially on systems with older drives. Also, you might want to add FASTOPEN.EXE to work in conjunction with SMARTDRV.EXE: LH C:\DOS\FASTOPEN.EXE C:=100 /X Place that line just *before* the SMARTDRV.EXE line (so SMARTDRV will take advantage of FASTOPEN's file quick look-up table when the data it needs isn't in cache). What FASTOPEN.EXE does is, instead of caching file *data*, it caches the *location* of the file(s) on the disk. The next time that file is needed, if it is not already (or has been flushed out of) SMARTDRV's cache, the disk controller is fed the exact location of that file on the disk (instead of searching for it in the FAT) and the hard disk's heads are literally sent (jumped) right to that location to begin reading. The "C:=100" means reserve table space for 100 files for the "C:" drive, while the "/X" means place this table space in eXtended memory. You can add as many drives as you want ("C:=100 D:=100 E:=100..."), but make sure that you have the "/X" switch and HIMEM.SYS enabled so this table will go into eXtended memory - it can get quite large if you reserve space for many files/disks. Enjoy, -SEAN @START@Multimedia Computing and Networking 1996 CALL FOR PAPERS --------------- MULTIMEDIA COMPUTING AND NETWORKING 1996 San Jose, California Jan 29 - 31, 1996 ============================================================================ Conference Chairs: Martin Freeman, Philips Research; Paul Jardetzky, Philips Research; Harrick M. Vin, University of Texas at Austin. Program Committee: H.W. Peter Beadle University of Wollongong Edward A. Fox Virginia Polytechnic and State University Jose J. Garcia-Luna U.C. Santa Cruz Gita Gopal Hewlett-Packard Laboratories David Greaves Cambridge University Wendy Hall University of Southampton Kevin Jeffay University of North Carolina Dilip D. Kandlur IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center Randy Katz U.C. Berkeley Thomas D.C. Little Boston University A. Desai Narasimhalu National University of Singapore Duane Northcutt Sun Laboratories P. Venkat Rangan U.C. San Diego Arturo A. Rodriguez Scientific Atlanta Lawrence A. Rowe U.C. Berkeley Doug Shepherd University of Lancaster Brian Smith Cornell University Cormac Sreenan Bell Laboratories Dan Swinehart Xerox PARC Manu Thapar Hewlett-Packard Laboratories Sean White Interval Research Ian Wilson Olivetti Research Hui Zhang Carnegie Mellon University This conference is part of the IS&T/SPIE 1996 International Symposium on Electronic Imaging to be held on Jan 28 - Feb 2, 1996. Advances in computer and networking technologies have fueled the rapid growth of research and development in multimedia computing and high-speed networking. As emerging multimedia technologies set higher performance levels at competitive costs, they are starting to enable and proliferate multimedia solutions in a spectrum of commercial and laboratory projects. The object of this conference is to bring together researchers, developers, and practitioners working in all facets of multimedia computing and networking. The conference will serve as a forum for the dissemination of state-of-the-art research, development, and implementation of multimedia systems, technologies, and applications. Presenters will be encouraged to make multimedia presentations and demonstrate their solutions. Papers are solicited in all areas of multimedia, including, but not limited to: Multimedia Computing - hardware and software architectures - multimedia operating system services - real-time operating system services - data streaming and delivery mechanisms - media and user interaction Multimedia Networking - network and transport protocols - quality-of-service control and scheduling algorithms - bandwidth management strategies - synchronization mechanisms - mobile network architecture - community networking architecture. Multimedia User Interfaces - video widgets - synthetic animation - intelligent information access - interactive navigation schemes. Multimedia Authoring Systems - media capture and creation - scripting languages - authoring metaphors and editing techniques Multimedia Applications - video-on-demand servers and services - set-top technologies and operating systems - multimedia conferencing and mail - education and training - digital libraries - medical applications - cyberspace communication, presentation, and interaction - electronic communities - entertainment and games. Multimedia Standards, Documents, and Data Interchange. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS: --------------------------------- Please submit an extended abstract for review. The submissions should not exceed 5 pages including figures, tables, and references, using a typeface no smaller than 10 points. Electronic submissions (in postscript format) are encouraged. To obtain detailed instructions for electronic submission, send a e-mail to: mmcn96@cs.utexas.edu. Only if electronic submission is not possible, please send 5 hard copies of your extended abstract to: Professor Harrick M. Vin Department of Computer Sciences Taylor Hall 2.124 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 78712-1188 Phone : (512) 471-9732 E-mail : mmcn96@cs.utexas.edu In addition to submitting an extended abstract, please also electronically submit a cover page to both mmcn96@cs.utexas.edu and abstracts@mom.spie.org. Each cover page should contain: 1. Title of paper 2. Author names and affiliations 3. Name and address (both postal and electronic) of contact author 4. Abstract (500 words) 5. Keywords 6. Submission area (from the list of relevant areas in the call for papers) Each extended abstract will be reviewed by the members of the program committee. Authors of accepted papers will be asked to submit a camera-ready manuscript (not exceeding 12 pages) that will appear in the conference proceedings. The Conference Chairs and Program Committee will also ask authors of the best papers to enhance their papers and make journal form submissions to the ACM/Springer Verlag Multimedia Systems Journal. A special issue of the Multimedia Systems Journal will be devoted to the theme of the conference. Similarly, authors of selected papers will be asked to submit a tutorial style paper for IEEE Multimedia Magazine. IMPORTANT DATES: --------------- Submission deadline: July 3, 1995 Notification of acceptance: September 29, 1995 Camera-ready abstracts due: November 27, 1995 Camera-ready manuscripts due: January 1, 1996 @START@ Dockside ANSI [H[39C[0;36m??? ? ? ???[2H[40C? ??? ??[3H[40C? ? ? ??? [4H[16C[31m?[6C[1;33m??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?[s [u??[5H[5C[37mN[7C[0;31m??????? [1;33m? ? ? ? ? ??? ??? ? ? ?[s [u ?? ??? ??? ??? ???[6H[5C[30m?[7C?[0;31m?[1;5;33m???[0;31m[s [u?[1;30m? [33m??? ??? ??? ? ? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???[7H[s [u [37mW[30m???????[37m? [0;30;41m?[31;40m?????[30;41m?[40m[s [u[41m[2C[1;36;40m(610) 678-0350 [34m- Node #1 - [0;36mUSR 28800 D[s [uual Standard[8H[5C[1;30m?[6C??[0;31m?????[1;30m?? [36m(610) 67[s [u0-7938 [34m- Node #2 - [0;36mUSR 14400 V32.bis Sportster[9H[5C[s [u[1;37mS[6C[0;31m????????? [1;37mLocated In Reinholds,Pennsylvan[s [uia - 24 Hours Daily[10H[13C[30;41m?[0;41m??[1m????[11H[40m[s [u[41m[13C[30m?[0;41m??[1m????[5C[35;40mWildNet & Compulink [s [u[36mNet Mail[12H[13C[30;41m?[0;41m??[1m????[13H[12C [40m[s [u[41m [31m???[30;40m?[5C[32mAn Authorized [34mAPOGEE [31m* [s [u[34mEPIC [32mMegaGames[14H[12C[41m [31m???[30;40m???[s [u[47m? [0;30;47m?[2C[1;32;40mAnd [34mT&J Software [32mDistributi[s [uon BBS[15H[5C[0;33m?[47m??????[41m??[1;34;43m?[0;33;41m?[40m[s [u[41m[30m? [1;31m???[2C[30;40m??[47m??[40m?[16H [0;33m?????[s [u????[1;34;43m??[40m?[43m??[41m [31m???[3C[30;40m???? [31mO[s [un-Line [37mGames * Magazines * Files * Doors[17H[5C[44m [40m[s [u[0;30;44m? ? [1;34;43m?????[30;47m????[40m?[5C????[18H [s [u[47m??[44m [34;43m? ?[30;47m?????? [0;30;47m?? ???[40m[s [u[47m?[19H[3C[1m??? ?[0;30;47m??[1;40m????[47m? [3C[40m????[s [u[47m???[0m????[1;30;47m??[0;30;47m?[20H[21H[14C[1;36;40mWE A[s [uRE THE BBS WITH SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ![22H[14C[0;31m??????[s [u?????????????????????????????????????????????[23H[0m @START@ T&J Software BBS [H[1C[0;36;44m?????????[4C???[9C???[19C[30;40m??????????????????? [2H [36;44m?????????[4C???[9C???[3H[4C???[4C?????????[6C???[40m[s [u[44m[18C[1;40mSysOp: Tom Wildoner[4H [0;36;44m???[4C???[40m[s [u[44m??????[1C??[3C???[21C[1;40m(717)325-9481[5H [s [u[0;36;44m???[4C???????[3C????????[10C[1;37;40mINTERNET: [33mtjs[s [uoft@postoffice.ptd.net[6H [0;36;44m???[4C???????[4C??????[40m[s [u[44m[15C[1;37;40mFIDO: [33m1:268/400[7H[8H [0;36;44m???[40m[s [u[44m?????[2C???????[2C????????[1C?????????[1C???[4C???[2C[40m[s [u[44m??????[2C???????[2C????????[9H[3C????????[1C?????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C????????[1C?????????[1C???[4C???[1C????????[1C????[40m[s [u[44m????[1C????????[10H[3C????????[1C???[3C???[1C??????[40m[s [u[44m[6C???[4C???[1C??[1C???[1C????????[1C????????[1C????[40m[s [u[44m??[11H[3C????????[1C???[3C???[1C??????[6C???[4C?????[40m[s [u[44m?????[1C????????[1C????????[1C??????[12H[3C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C?????????[1C???[9C???[4C??????????[1C???[2C???[1C[40m[s [u[44m???[2C???[1C????????[13H[3C????????[2C???????[2C???[40m[s [u[44m[9C???[5C????????[2C???[2C???[1C???[2C???[1C????????[40m [44m[14H[15H[54C???????[2C???????[2C????????[4C[1;33;40mSpeciali[s [uzing in DOORS and UTILITIES![14C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C????????[3C[30;40m?[1;33mOur Doors[0;30m?[1;33mare[s [u[0;30m?[1;33minformational,[22C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C???????[18H[4C[1;33;40meducational, or just for fun. So[s [u[18C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[1C???????[19H[4C[40m[s [u[1;33;40mcome[0;30m?[1;33mby[0;30m?[1;33mand relax[0;30m?[s [u[1;33mat[0;30m?[1;33ma[0;30m?[1;33mplace[22C[0;36;44m????[40m[s [u[44m????[1C????????[1C????????[4C[1;33;40mwhere[0;30m?[1;33mou[s [ur DOORS[0;30m?[1;33mare[0;30m?[1;33malways open![18C[s [u[0;36;44m???????[2C???????[2C????????[22H[23H[0m @START@ Current versions of T&J Software Doors/Util's --== T&J Software ==-- Current versions of doors and utilities File Request from 1:268/400 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?F?R? MAGIC ?F?R? MAGIC ? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?F? ? Announce! v3.70 ANNOUNCE? ? ? ANSI Vote Booth v2.60 ANSIVB ? ?F? ? GoodUser v1.70 GOODUSER? ?%? Money Market v4.00 MONEYM ? ? ? ? OneRun v3.50 ONERUN ? ?%? T&J Lotto v1.70 LOTTO ? ?F? ? BadUser v2.80 BADUSER ? ? ? Convince! v1.50 CONVINCE ? ? ? ? Dollarmania! v2.70 DMANIA ? ?%? Lasso! v1.50 LASSO ? ? ?%? Lemonade v4.00 LEMONADE? ?%? Prize Vault v4.60 PVAULT ? ? ?%? Scramble v4.00 SCRAMBLE? ? ? Bordello v1.50 BORDELLO ? ? ?%? Video Poker v1.70 VIDEOP ?F? ? Ratio! v1.20 RATIO ? ? ? ? Studs! v1.50 STUDS ? ? ? Studette! v1.20 STUDETTE ? ? ?%? Strip Poker! v1.31 SPOKER ? ?%? OnLine! v1.90 ONLINE ? ? ?*? T&J Raffle! v1.10 RAFFLE ? ?*? CONNECT Mag v1.20 CONNECT ? ? ?*? RIP Vote Booth v1.00 RVB ? ?%? On Line Legal v1.10 OLA ? ? ?*? Lemonade RIP v2.00 LEMONRIP?F? ? AgeCheck! v1.10 AGE ? ?F?*? TJYesterday v1.40 YEST ?F? ? TJStat v1.50 TJSTAT ? ?F? ? TJTop30 v1.20 TOP30 ?F?N? WinCheck! v2.00 ? ? ?%? Bible Online v1.00 BIBLE ? ?%? Business Cards v1.00 BCARD ? ? ?%? LimitLog v1.00 LIMIT ?F?N? WCAlarm v1.00 WCALARM ? ? ?%? JunkYard v1.00 JUNKYARD?F?N? ExState v1.00 ? ?F?%? World Fact B. v2.00 WORLDFB ? ?%? FedJobs v1.00 FEDJOB ? ?F?%? Apocrypha Door v1.00 ?F?*? TJNew (WCX) v1.00 NEWWCX ? ?F?*? TopDL (WCX) v1.10 TOPDL ?F?*? TopUL (WCX) v1.00 TOPUL ? ?F?*? TJSLevel (WCX) v1.00 SLEVEL ?F?*? TJBad (WCX) v1.00 BADWCX ? ?F?*? TJGood (WCX) v1.00 GOODWCX ?F?*? TJTFiles (WCX) v1.00 TFILE ? ?F?*? TJMessage (WCX)v1.00 TMESSAGE?F? ? TJWho? (WCX) v1.00 TJWHO ? ?F?N? FArea (WCX) v1.00 FAREA ? ?%? Consumer Info v1.00 CINFO ? ?F?%? Census Door v1.00 CENSUS ?F?%? Book of Mormon v1.00 ? ? ?%? Consumer Safe. v1.00 CSAFETY ?F?%? Across The Wire v1.00 ATW ? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? F= Free door/utility program R= * FULL RIP supported %= RIP Detection N= Not applicable All doors can be found on the T&J Software BBS at: (717)325-9481 28.8 Sportster (717)325-2054 28.8 Sportster (717)325-4369 28.8 USR DS Internet: tjsoft@postoffice.ptd.net FIDO: 1:268/400 FREQ: TJMAGIC for a complete list of what is available. FREQ: VERSIONS for a list of current door versions. FTP: ftp europa.com /outgoing/DOORS/tj-software anonymous login with EMail address for your password. Visiting Sysops have instant access to all doors/utility programs. Doors support various COM ports, baud rates to 115k, DV/Network ready, fossil driver support, and much more! The doors easily setup, and registration can be done online in DOOR #7 using VISA or MC! T&J Software doors have been tested on nearly every BBS package on on the market and uses beta test sites running various software and hardware setups. Free drawings are held on our board for various free registered doors -- try Lotto or Raffle on our system when you call! How to get the latest copy of all T&J Software Doors/Utility Programs: 1. Format FIVE HD disks (3.5" only). 2. Get THREE dollar bills. 3. Mail your $3 and FIVE HD disks to: T&J Software 397 W. Broadway Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 ????? ?om T&J Software @START@The Access Denied Public Message System [H[2H[12C[0;1;35m??????[6C???????[9C??????? ??????? ????????[3H[s [u[11C????????[5C????????[8C???????? ???????? ????????[4H[34m?????[s [u??????[35m????????[34m?????[35m???[34m??[35m???[34m????????[s [u[35m????????[34m?[35m????????[34m?[35m????????[34m??????????? [5H? [30mAD[7C[35m????????[5C??? ???[8C???????? ???????? ????????[s [u[7C[30mAD [34m?[6H?[10C[35m??? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ???????[s [u? ???????? ????????[10C[34m?[7H?[10C[35m??? ??? ??? ??????? ??[s [u? ??????? ??????? ????????[10C[34m?[8H?[18C[36mTHE ACCESS D[s [uENIED PUBLIC MESSAGE SYSTEM[18C[34m?[9H?[75C?[10H?[29C[37m(703[s [u) 998-2958[32C[34m?[11H?[75C?[12H?[17C[36m300-28.8k Multi-Node[s [u QuickBBS Version 2.80[16C[34m?[13H?[17C[36mSysOp: James Goldblo[s [uom (1:109/611@Fidonet)[16C[34m?[14H?[75C?[15H?[7C[0mThe NUMBER[s [u ONE rated [36mmessage dedicated [37monline BBS for over[10C[s [u[1;34m?[16H?[7C[0m10 years with 100,000 callers. Internet, Fidon[s [uet, Local[12C[1;34m?[17H?[7C[0mmessages from 1,000+ users. Priv[s [uate node also available.[11C[1;34m?[18H?[75C?[19H?[7C[0mSend I[s [uNTERNET netmail for FREE, primary support for INET.[11C[1;34m?[20H[s [u?[75C?[21H? [30mAD[14C[35mEASY MENUS - FRIENDLY - SIMPLY THE BES[s [uT[16C[30mAD [34m?[22H????????????????????????????????????????????[s [u?????????????????????????????????[23H[0m @START@The BIRCH BARK BBS! [H[0;1;33m???[2H ?[30m??[44mo[0;34;47m???????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m???[31m???????????????????????????????????????????????[3H[40m[s [u[47m[1C[1;33;40m? [0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m* * * * *[40m[s [u[44m * [0;34;47m?[31m?????????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m??????????[4H[1C[1;33;40m? [0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m*[40m[s [u[44m * * * * [0;34;47m? [1;37mWELCOME[40m[s [u[47m TO [5H[1C[33;40m? [0;34;47m?[40m[s [u[44m [1;37m* * * * * * [0;34;47m?[31m???????????[40m[s [u[47m????????????????????????????????????[6H[1C[1;33;40m? [s [u[0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m* * * * * [0;34;47m?[31m[40m[s [u[47m???????????????????????????????????????????????[7H[1C[40m[s [u[1;33;40m? [0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m* * * * * * [40m[s [u[0;34;47m? [1;37mThe BIRCH BARK BBS !! [40m[s [u[47m [8H[1C[33;40m? [0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m* * * [40m[s [u[44m* * [0;34;47m?[31m??????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m?????????????[9H[1C[1;33;40m? [0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m[40m[s [u[44m* * * * * * [0;34;47m?[31m????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m???????????????????????????[10H[1C[1;33;40m? [0;34;47m[40m[s [u[47m?[44m [1;37m* * * * * [0;34;47m? [40m[s [u[47m [1;37mSysop: James Fish [11H[1C[40m[s [u[33;40m? [0;34;47m?[44m [1;37m* * * * * * [40m[s [u[0;34;47m?[31m???????????????????????????????????????????????[40m [47m[12H[1C[1;33;40m? [0;34;47m???????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m[31m???????????????????????????????????????????????[13H[40m[s [u[47m[1C[1;33;40m? [47m [37mLarge On-Line Collection of "[40m[s [u[47mNon-Mainstream" Conservative Text ! [14H[1C[33;40m? [s [u[0;31;47m??????????????????????????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m????????????????????[15H[1C[1;33;40m? [0;31;47m???????[40m[s [u[47m???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m????????[16H[1C[1;33;40m? [47m [37mLinked To The Wo[40m[s [u[47mrld Message Exchange <WME> * No Adult Only Areas * [40m [47m[17H[1C[33;40m? [0;31;47m????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m??????????????????????????????????????????[18H[1C[40m[s [u[1;33;40m? [0;31;47m?????????????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m?????????????????????????????????[19H[1C[1;33;40m? [s [u[47m [37mENJOY !! [40m[s [u[47m [20H[1C[33;40m?[30m??[41mo[40m[s [u[0;31;47m??????????????????????????????????????????????????????[40m[s [u[47m???????????????????[21H[1C[1;33;40m? [0;31m????????????????[s [u??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????[22H [s [u[1;33m?[23H[0m @START@ATW BBS List BBS's Proudly Carrying "Across The Wire" Magazine ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Arkansas ~~~~~~~~ The File Cabinet BBS Bob Harmon 501-247-1141 5/95 The R.F. ZONE BBS Matt Nelson 501-935-5574 5/95 California ~~~~~~~~~~ The Launch Pad BBS Rick Olsen 805-734-3878 5/95 Inland Sports BBS Jim Charters 909-789-2978 5/95 Illinois ~~~~~~~~ The Garage BBS Tom Guelker 618-344-8466 5/95 THE DARKROOM BBS Dave Davidson 618-345-3663 5/95 The Sojourner BBS Rick Flint 708-872-4096 5/95 Maryland ~~~~~~~~ ShareWare Paradise Bryan Rittmeyer 410-239-7473 5/95 Massachusetts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Emerald City Tim Lyons 508-668-4441 5/95 Missouri ~~~~~~~~ Beyond Tomorrow Will Wright 816-263-0980 5/95 New Jersey ~~~~~~~~~~ ADAMSCOM Online....tm Mark Adams 908-572-7490 5/95 New York ~~~~~~~~ Computer On-Line Joe Schiavone 914-344-4856 5/95 Farby's Funhouse Gary Farbman 914-744-5085 5/95 North Carolina ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gentle Breeze BBS Larry Beheler 704-657-6898 5/95 Ohio ~~~~ Fleet BBS Mike Morrell 216-646-0655 5/95 FIRST TRY Ken Mathews 614-685-3013 5/95 Pennsylvania ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Docksider BBS Ken Regenfuse 610-678-0350 5/95 T&J Software BBS Tom & Jane Wildoner 717-325-9481 5/95 The FreeLand BBS Marty Cox 717-636-0936 5/95 Woody's NutHouse Jim Woodward 717-748-5728 5/95 Tennessee ~~~~~~~~~ The Tazewell BBS Jim Edmondson 615-626-0557 5/95 Utah ~~~~ Instant Access BBS Brian Fetterman 801-257-5554 5/95 Planet Reisa BBS White Lace 801-596-7350 5/95 Virginia ~~~~~~~~ Empire Systems ][ Chip Slate 703-251-1645 5/95 AD Public Message System James Goldbloom 703-998-2958 5/95 Washington ~~~~~~~~~~ Columbia Basin BBS Cal Baker 509-766-2867 5/95 Wisconsin ~~~~~~~~~ The BIRCH BARK BBS James Fish 414-242-5070 5/95 Puerto Rico ~~~~~~~~~~~ Centus (R) BBS Adfel J. Rivera 809-283-6942 5/95 How to get your BBS listed: 1. Run the program UPLOAD.EXE which is included with the ATW door. This program will ask you for some information and will then ZIP up the information and log file. The file created will be called xxxxxxxx.ATW - simply upload this file to T&J Software! T&J Software BBS 717-325-9481 3 Nodes - 28.8k Upload to ATW SUBMISSION file area. E-Mail to: tjsoft@postoffice.ptd.net Crash it to Fido 1:268/400 2. Your BBS will remain on the list indefinitely as long as the log files are sent to T&J Software on a monthly basis. 3. After lapsing for three months, your BBS listing will be removed. @START@ T&J Software BBS [H[1C[0;36;44m?????????[4C???[9C???[19C[30;40m??????????????????? [2H [36;44m?????????[4C???[9C???[3H[4C???[4C?????????[6C???[40m[s [u[44m[18C[1;40mSysOp: Tom Wildoner[4H [0;36;44m???[4C???[40m[s [u[44m??????[1C??[3C???[21C[1;40m(717)325-9481[5H [s [u[0;36;44m???[4C???????[3C????????[10C[1;37;40mINTERNET: [33mtjs[s [uoft@postoffice.ptd.net[6H [0;36;44m???[4C???????[4C??????[40m[s [u[44m[15C[1;37;40mFIDO: [33m1:268/400[7H[8H [0;36;44m???[40m[s [u[44m?????[2C???????[2C????????[1C?????????[1C???[4C???[2C[40m[s [u[44m??????[2C???????[2C????????[9H[3C????????[1C?????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C????????[1C?????????[1C???[4C???[1C????????[1C????[40m[s [u[44m????[1C????????[10H[3C????????[1C???[3C???[1C??????[40m[s [u[44m[6C???[4C???[1C??[1C???[1C????????[1C????????[1C????[40m[s [u[44m??[11H[3C????????[1C???[3C???[1C??????[6C???[4C?????[40m[s [u[44m?????[1C????????[1C????????[1C??????[12H[3C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C?????????[1C???[9C???[4C??????????[1C???[2C???[1C[40m[s [u[44m???[2C???[1C????????[13H[3C????????[2C???????[2C???[40m[s [u[44m[9C???[5C????????[2C???[2C???[1C???[2C???[1C????????[40m [44m[14H[15H[54C???????[2C???????[2C????????[4C[1;33;40mSpeciali[s [uzing in DOORS and UTILITIES![14C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C????????[3C[30;40m?[1;33mOur Doors[0;30m?[1;33mare[s [u[0;30m?[1;33minformational,[22C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C???????[18H[4C[1;33;40meducational, or just for fun. So[s [u[18C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[1C???????[19H[4C[40m[s [u[1;33;40mcome[0;30m?[1;33mby[0;30m?[1;33mand relax[0;30m?[s [u[1;33mat[0;30m?[1;33ma[0;30m?[1;33mplace[22C[0;36;44m????[40m[s [u[44m????[1C????????[1C????????[4C[1;33;40mwhere[0;30m?[1;33mou[s [ur DOORS[0;30m?[1;33mare[0;30m?[1;33malways open![18C[s [u[0;36;44m???????[2C???????[2C????????[22H[23H[0m @START@T&J Software Ad [H[1C[0;36;44m?????????[4C???[9C???[19C[30;40m??????????????????? [2H [36;44m?????????[4C???[9C???[3H[4C???[4C?????????[6C???[40m[s [u[44m[18C[1;40mSysOp: Tom Wildoner[4H [0;36;44m???[4C???[40m[s [u[44m??????[1C??[3C???[21C[1;40m(717)325-9481[5H [s [u[0;36;44m???[4C???????[3C????????[10C[1;37;40mINTERNET: [33mtjs[s [uoft@postoffice.ptd.net[6H [0;36;44m???[4C???????[4C??????[40m[s [u[44m[15C[1;37;40mFIDO: [33m1:268/400[7H[8H [0;36;44m???[40m[s [u[44m?????[2C???????[2C????????[1C?????????[1C???[4C???[2C[40m[s [u[44m??????[2C???????[2C????????[9H[3C????????[1C?????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C????????[1C?????????[1C???[4C???[1C????????[1C????[40m[s [u[44m????[1C????????[10H[3C????????[1C???[3C???[1C??????[40m[s [u[44m[6C???[4C???[1C??[1C???[1C????????[1C????????[1C????[40m[s [u[44m??[11H[3C????????[1C???[3C???[1C??????[6C???[4C?????[40m[s [u[44m?????[1C????????[1C????????[1C??????[12H[3C????????[40m[s [u[44m[1C?????????[1C???[9C???[4C??????????[1C???[2C???[1C[40m[s [u[44m???[2C???[1C????????[13H[3C????????[2C???????[2C???[40m[s [u[44m[9C???[5C????????[2C???[2C???[1C???[2C???[1C????????[40m [44m[14H[15H[53C???????[2C???????[2C????????[16H[4C[40m[s [u[1;33;40mSpecializing in DOORS and UTILITIES![13C[0;36;44m???[40m[s [u[44m?????[1C????????[1C????????[17H[3C[30;40m?[1;33mOur Doors[s [u[0;30m?[1;33mare[0;30m?[1;33minformational,[21C[0;36;44m??[40m[s [u[44m??????[1C????????[1C???????[18H[4C[1;33;40meducational, or [s [ujust for fun. So[17C[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[1C???????[40m [44m[19H[4C[1;33;40mcome[0;30m?[1;33mby[0;30m?[1;33mand relax[s [u[0;30m?[1;33mat[0;30m?[1;33ma[0;30m?[1;33mplace[21C[s [u[0;36;44m????????[1C????????[1C????????[20H[4C[1;33;40mwhere[s [u[0;30m?[1;33mour DOORS[0;30m?[1;33mare[0;30m?[1;33malways open![s [u[17C[0;36;44m???????[2C???????[2C????????[21H[22H[23H[0m