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Women in space/science:Canadians have our very own brave female pioneer of the void, Dr. Roberta Bondar. She even ,deservedly, has a public school named after her. CLICK on her pic to find out more about one of this country's heroines! 
Author Anne Rice. She wrote the quintessential vampire novel of the late 20th century, "Interview with the Vampire" as well as a number of other books under a coupe of psuedonyms, such as "The Mummy" an the `Vampire Lestat' (I believe).Born Anne Howard allen O'Brien, 1941, in New Orleans,U.S.A. (look at the pic., this is a 60 year-old woman?!). For more on our very talented Anne CLICK her photo! Does anyone know the true `definition' of "pornography"? Well, it began about400 years ago, and like everything then, (and now?) it depended on money! You see, there was what was called "art" i.e. nudes; and then there was cheaper produced `stuff', shunned as `mediocre' works. The all-important diference was money! At this time art, and people were `chattal' so it is no surprise that as well as controlling land, legal torts etc,, that they (powers that be!) would `lay a hand'on artistic creativiy as well!
It REALLY is money! Why? Well first lets fix a price in the 17th Century! It is, at the time, $50 (prob.US). A princely sum ,at the time, well beyond a few YEARS of disposable income at the time, that is for `Joe' or `Jane' Blow!
It would seem like the "International Monetary Exchange" the conspiracies could very well be true. Snobs w/ money and postion, heritage... dictate what `is good for the commoners'. Disgusting, isn't it, but in, at least, the case of so-called "pornography" it is true!
So, $50 (inflation adj.) has become the rule for as "pornography" is defined! A true conspiracy of the rich and affluent to define what is `immoral' to protect the `lesser' from themselves. $50! Beautiful twin nurses cleared! YES! The beautiful Sara and Cindy gough have been cleared of `misconduct' by the "College of Nurses of Ontario". Yes the "Tribunal" of Nurses of Ontario cleared both sisters of 'misconduct'. Yes, the "Gough" sisters, were as guilty as they looked (clowning after what could have been a `harrowing restraint take-down' and seeing that it was over, relieved! Case closed! They served their profession and the people well. Now,...onwards to modern times and new twisted morality! Let's talk about what constitutes `porn' or "adult material"!Here is one of my salient points! Look at a so-called work by a (even by my std.) `old master': and then look at a nude in a `skin-mag'. What's the difference? Texture? Age? Reputation?
Stephen Hawking: machines could take over
By Rick Perera
IDG News Service
If humans don't watch out, computers will take over the Earth, says Stephen Hawking.
Since computers double their capacity every 18 months, there's a real danger they will develop intelligence, the Cambridge University physicist told the German news magazine "Focus," which published the interview in its Monday edition.
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Hawking's comments, are reminiscent of the scenario in Stanley Kubrick's science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey," were published along with an introduction to his forthcoming book, "The Universe in a Nutshell."
Hawkings said scientists could deliberately change genetic material, increasing the complexity of DNA and thus improving humans.
It will be a slow process, because it takes around 18 years, or a generation, to determine the effects of genetic manipulation, he said.
It is vital to develop ways of keeping biological systems superior to electronic ones, Hawking continued. Humans must develop an interface that allows the human brain to be directly connected to a computer, so that the artificial brain contributes to human intelligence, rather than opposing it.
Hawking, who has the neurological disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (known in the U.S. as Lou Gehrig's disease) uses a motorized wheelchair and communicates with the aid of a portable computer and speech synthesizer.
Meanwhile, researchers continue to attempt to create more artificially intelligent devices to make humans lives simpler. Japanese electronic manufacturers announced Monday a robot-like device that will make it possible to control home appliances such as VCRs remotely via the Internet using cell phones [See story - NTT unveils robot-like Internet remote control]. Can a day of reckoning with our household appliances rising up against us be not too far off?
Focus, in Munich, is at http://www.focus.de/. Stephen Hawking's Web site is http://www.hawking.org.uk/
With files from Kuriko Miyake of the IDG News Service.
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