The Agalev youth wing have started a campaign for educational bodies to drop Windows in favour of Linux, an admirable campaign to not only save money but safeguard the future of open computing. They even have an electronic postcard on the Agalev website which students can send to their school’s governing body, raising awareness of the superior Linux alternative to Microsoft products. However, how ironic is it that the Agalev website, including the electronic postcard, is powered by a Microsoft web server?
www.agalevcampagne.be
Popularity: 7% [?]
In a study commissioned by French television channel France 2, Swiss research lab Dalle Molle Institute for Perceptual Artificial Intelligence (IDIAP) found reason to believe that the most recent audio recording purportedly made by Osama Bin Laden is a forgery.
US intelligence officials previously authenticated the recording, saying the voice on the tape was “almost certainly that of Osama Bin Laden”. Apart from being evidence that Bin Laden is still alive and on the run, comments made on the recording referring to the events in the US on 11 September 2001 would appear to be an admission of guilt. It is significant to note that the direct involvement of Bin Laden and al-Qaeda in those events still has not been proven publicly or in a court of law, despite being generally assumed.
As much as al-Qaeda would benefit by showing that Bin Laden is still alive and defiant, US intelligence agencies would benefit as much (if not more) by proving Bin Laden’s involvement in terrorist attacks on Western civilians. Who fabricated the Bin Laden tape? Your guess is as good as mine.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Regional newspaper Passe-Partout reports that traffic cameras on the Leuven ring have caught 6,030 speeding vehicles in October 2002. Since the start of the system in July, the number of speeding drivers haven’t decreased significantly, and a reasonable person would draw the conclusion that infringing the privacy of ordinary citizens isn’t worth the dubious results. On the other hand, more than six thousand fines means a tidy sum in the hands of the local law, so how slim are the chances of any reasonable people drawing obvious conclusions?
Popularity: 6% [?]
Those wishing to add a touch a class to their usual pub crawl would do well to swing by the Sablon in Brussels on 28, 29 or 30 November. For their annual Nocturnes 170 antique dealers and galleries will be opening their doors after dark, accompanied by an eclectic mix of world music. For more information, take a look at their website (in French only).
www.antiques-world.com
Popularity: 6% [?]
Hacker mag Phrack looks set to issue its 60th edition on 25 December 2002, making it one of the oldest zines around. To celebrate, they’re soliciting articles up to their usual excellent if eclectic standard: “To make this milestone edition of PHRACK MAGAZINE a quality release, the PHRACK MAGAZINE editorial staff are soliciting papers from the community. [...] The call for papers starts on Monday the 14th of October, and new papers will be accepted up until Friday the 13th of
December.”
Popularity: 6% [?]
AlterNet reports that Spanish scientists have discovered that doses of THC (yes, as in cannabis) administered to the brain can reduce the size of and even completely eradicate tumours in rats. Good news for those diagnosed with cancer. The bad news (as if cancer patients haven’t had enough of that already) is that US scientists have known about this property of THC since 1974, but after a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) clampdown on succesful research at the Medical College of Virginia the major pharmaceutical companies (granted sole right of research on this issue) have been unable to duplicate the results. But don’t worry, they do have dozens of other—albeit more expensive and deadly—drugs to sell you, though.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Anthony R. Pratkanis skillfully and concisely allays common public fears over subliminal advertising. It doesn’t work. Never did. Probably never will. The perpetrator of the original “Eat popcorn/Drink Coke” subliminal advertising scam, one James Vicary, lied about it to generate business for his failing marketing agency. You’ll be surprised by how many people still relate these “findings” today, more than forty years later, as the holy gospel truth. Read the CSICOP article and feel free to embarrass your less well informed friends.
www.csicop.org
Popularity: 5% [?]
National Geographic ventures into Tolkien’s world, exploring the language and myth of Lord of the Rings. The NG documentary is also available on video and DVD.
www.nationalgeographic.com
Popularity: 7% [?]
