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POPSSoftware licenses contain secret damnation clauses
more: The Catholic church offers a free EULA checking service through its "Devil's Advocate" program, although users can expect to wait several weeks before their computers are processed and shipped back to them from Vatican City. Infernal terms can appear in EULAs from any company, large or small. Early versions of Windows Vista included the clause "In exchange for using this software, the user agrees to surrender his soul to the Forces of Darkness and to be damned for all eternity", while the AVG antivirus program required the user to "abide where the worm dieth not", and also installed Yahoo Toolbar by default. But even for professionals, spotting the hidden damnation clauses can be tricky. "One client asked me to check the EULA for Corel Painter," said Beefy. "I was about to tell my client to click on the "I agree to the above terms" box, when I noticed what appeared to be a tiny speck of dirt next to it. On closer inspection, I saw that it was an asterisk, and, after scro
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POPSDirty layers hid painting's penis more: The painting however once belonged to the Spanish royal family, and Ms Moreira says she thinks this was when the post-production modesty came in. Removing layers of dirt, dust and paint specks that accumulated over more than three centuries cost 150,000 euros ($257,500).
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POPS"Pope proposes Catholic-Muslim merger" more: And I’m laughing, and he’s laughing. And then, we look at each other, and we’re both, like, you know, that’s not a bad idea. So we batted around some ideas for names, logos, market share and so on. We’re just trying some stuff out.” The Pope was not concerned that devout Catholics may be upset by the new combined-faith church. “Let’s just say, if they’re that devout, they’ll do what I say. I can switch to infallibility mode any time I like. And if any of my people don’t like that, they can just kiss my ring goodbye.” The Pope downplayed concerns that the merger could bring Muslim terrorists into the Catholic church, dismissing the attacks of recent years as youthful hijinks. “Hey, what kid hasn’t joined an extremist group at some time or other. I feel for those young mujahideen scallywags. It’s just a phase. I was in the Hitler Youth, myself.” “I’ll tell you one thing, though,” quipped the aged pontiff, “when this deal goes through, those Jews better watch out! No, I’m k
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POPSUS nuns on the run from Vatican inquiry more (full at source): Pressure on the nuns, whose numbers in the US have dwindled in the last four decades from 180,000 to just 60,000, has grown however since the launch of a so-called Apostolic Visitation ordered by the Vatican. With interviews and questionnaires, this is a formal inquiry into the activities of women's religious institutions being conducted by Mother Mary Clare Millea, an American nun who lives in Rome. In addition, a so-called doctrinal assessment has been ordered by the Vatican into the course being followed by an umbrella group of women's religious orders in the US, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, which may not have been toeing the line on issues such as the primacy of the Vatican.
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POPSWhen DuPont Almost Overthrew the Government * Irenee Du Pont - Right-wing chemical industrialist and founder of the American Liberty League, the organization assigned to execute the plot. * Grayson Murphy - Director of Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel and a group of J.P. Morgan banks. * William Doyle - Former state commander of the American Legion and a central plotter of the coup. * John Davis - Former Democratic presidential candidate and a senior attorney for J.P. Morgan. * Al Smith - Roosevelt’s bitter political foe from New York. Smith was a former governor of New York and a codirector of the American Liberty League. * John J. Raskob - A high-ranking Du Pont officer and a former chairman of the Democratic Party. In later decades, Raskob would become a “Knight of Malta,” a Roman Catholic Religious Order with a high percentage of CIA spies, including CIA Directors William Casey, William Colby and John McCone. * Robert Clark - One of Wall Street’s richest bankers and stockbrokers. * Gerald MacGuire - Bond salesman for Clark, a
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POPSShould Pope remove crucifix when he visits the Western Wall? continues (more through link): Quoting King Solomon, the rabbi said the Temple in Jerusalem (the Western Wall is believed to have been part of the Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70) was a "house of prayer for all people, not just Jews." He added, "We welcome this Pope. But he should show respect for other religions." But Catholics counter that it is the rabbi who should show a bit more respect for the Pontiff and not ask him to hide the cross that symbolizes his faith. Said Wadie Abunassar, media coordinator in Jerusalem for Benedict's trip: "I can't see the Holy Father removing his cross for any reason. He always wears a cross."
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POPSDalai Lama to fund 'neuroscience of compassion' continues: It seems the centre's goals involve not only investigating how the brain deals with compassion and altruism, but also leveraging those findings to improve people's lives. Doty hopes the centre's research will help understand and combat childhood bullying and recidivism among prisoners. He also wonders whether the benefits of intense mediation can be more easily achieved by healthcare and corporate workers to prevent burnout, depression and anxiety. These are all great aims, but I wonder if the centre will run into opposition from other scientists for its connection to a religious figure like the Dalai Lama.
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POPSBookies offer odds on proof of God continues: As a result of a flurry of small bets Paddy Power, which also runs books on who will be the next Pope and the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, has cut the odds on proof being found of God's existence to just 4-1. The bookmaker stands to lose more than £50,000 if proof emerges to justify religious belief. A spokesman for Paddy Power said that confirmation of God's existence would have to be verified by scientists and given by an independent authority before any payouts were made, however.
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POPSPriest and Nuns in brawl continues: He was taken to hospital with injuries to his neck and bruising to his abdomen. A lawyer for the clergy disputed his version of events, noting that the nuns had "a combined age of 160". "This establishment was being occupied illegally," said lawyer Gaetano Di Vietri. "As to the alleged aggression, I would only say that the two nuns have a combined age of about 160. For the rest, it will be up to the magistrate to clear up, but the clergy members deny the allegations." The priest and nuns belong to a religious order, the Disciples of Santa Teresa and the Baby Jesus, which owns the lease on the premises and reportedly wants the property back.
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POPS"CIA is taking over the churches" ?! Case in point: Daniel Ellsberg. Once a seminary student, then an officer in Vietnam, and finally working for the nation's highest intelligence organization, he was ordered to compile all the records of our war in Vietnam into a readable history. Ellsberg got them published by The New York Times, instead of keeping them secret. Otherwise known as the Pentagon Papers, these records showed how America deceived its own citizens and fostered a war in that far Southeast Asian country, of which we are still feeling the effects today. President Richard Nixon, to try to discredit Daniel Ellsberg, set up the "plumbers" spies who ransacked Ellsberg's psychiatrist office. Tricky Dick then used these same plumbers to tap the Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate office buildings. Other former CIA agents, like Phillip Agee and John Stockwell, told their stories of intrigue and American meddling in the affairs of other countries. All had a religious background and a penchant for telling the
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