Watching the World
Music and Satanism
Law enforcement authorities in recent years have observed that crimes ranging from arson to child abuse to murder are frequently surrounded by an increasing amount of satanic and occult trappings. In many cases, authorities state that adolescents involved in criminal activity are strongly influenced by punk and “heavy-metal” rock music, notes The Register, a California newspaper. One police probation officer explained: “Basically, the music teaches that you don’t have to listen to your parents, and that you should live life the way you want.” She added that some rebellious teens take lyrics literally and begin to live them—including embracing Satan as a symbol of power. Orange County deputy district attorney Dick Fredrickson says: “Once you fall into that heavy-metal syndrome and the embracing of Satan, then it’s easy to do things you otherwise would not do.” The article pointed out that satanic messages and traces of the occult have become so common at the scene of a crime that police officers are receiving special training to recognize them.
Baby Experiments
Each year, as many as 2,000 babies in Britain have medical experiments carried out on them without the knowledge of their parents, according to 19 senior doctors and academics at Britain’s Institute of Medical Ethics. The Medical Post reported that the group’s study revealed that such failure to obtain parental consent occurs “most often with research involving newborn infants.” Dr. Richard Nicholson, deputy director of the Institute, stated that doctors publicly admit that such unauthorized experiments occur because “difficulties in obtaining consent from parents are so great that they don’t even make the attempt.”
“Paperless Marriages”
When a man and a woman live together as husband and wife without benefit of a legal marriage, how long does that relationship last? Statistics from Norway and Sweden show that “half of the paperless marriages do not last over two years, and 60 percent to 80 percent of them break up in a maximum of five years,” reports the French daily Le Monde.
Illiteracy Up
“There have rarely been so many . . . illiterate people” in France. This statement by the French daily Le Figaro is based on a report establishing “that about 15 percent of the [French] population, namely 8 million people (immigrants excluded), are as good as illiterate. . . . They can scarcely read and can only write phonetically. Also, according to the UNESCO definition of illiteracy, they are incapable of ‘understanding a brief and simple text relating to facts of everyday life.’” Schoolchildren are no exception, as approximately a quarter of those entering high school cannot read properly.
Suicides and TV
Two new studies claim that television dramas about suicide, as well as television news coverage on the subject, seem to cause “a temporary increase in the number of teen-agers who take their own lives,” notes The New York Times. The reports suggest that media coverage of the subject results in an “imitative effect” on teenagers, thus influencing the suicide rate. A study by two sociologists revealed that the number of suicides increased by as much as 7 percent in the seven days after special reports or televised coverage of news incidents of suicide. The results were “nearly 3 extra suicides nationwide per program, or 110 more suicides than would otherwise be expected in the [six] years covered in the study.” Dr. David P. Phillips warns that “for about a week after news stories on suicide, teen-agers and their friends, parents and counselors should be especially alert for signs of suicidal tendencies.”
Youths’ Fears
Unemployment is the biggest fear among British teenagers, reports The Guardian of London. A survey of 15- and 16-year-olds reveals that fear of nuclear war ranks as their second greatest worry. Though girls expressed more pessimism than boys, “a substantial proportion of both sexes felt helpless or fatalistic” about nuclear war prospects. Such anxieties are not limited to Britain. Throughout much of western Europe, the worsening employment situation contributes to what the European Common Market’s Economic and Social Committee calls “vague feelings of uneasiness about the future” that have led to a ‘sharp fall in the birth rate.’
Murderous Traffic
Since the State of Israel was founded in 1948, there have been 13,717 traffic deaths on the country’s roads—three times more deaths than the 4,500 killed during the Middle East wars and in terrorist attacks. According to a news release by Israel’s Minister of Transport, the government in Jerusalem has decided to appoint a select committee to investigate the causes of the unusual number of traffic deaths on Israeli roads.
Whale Migration
Radio transmission is helping to unravel the mysteries of whale migration. “Whales off the coast of Japan have been tracked over a distance of 2,000 kilometers [1,250 mi],” says the French daily La Croix. “Gray whales from the Mexican coast migrate as far as Alaska.” By equipping certain whales with transmitters, scientists have collected reams of information concerning diving time, travel speed, and migratory cycles. Gathering these facts was a challenge because radio signals can be received only when the whale surfaces—for no longer than three seconds each time!
Shock Treatment
Recently, a new form of treatment to save victims of snakebite was discovered, and The New York Times reports that it defies scientific explanation. The remedy involves a series of high-voltage, low-current electric shocks that by means of a modified stun gun are administered to the area of a bite approximately five to ten seconds apart. Each of the 34 cases treated showed evidence of venomous bites penetrating the victim’s skin. The researchers explained that when treatment was given within a half hour of an attack, none of the victims showed the usual serious medical complications, and no deaths occurred among those treated. The researchers also noted that within 15 minutes of the therapy, the pain caused by the poisonous bites disappeared. Similar relief was also obtained in two cases where victims were not treated until two hours after suffering venomous bites. In addition to snakebites, researchers say, the bites of venomous ants and scorpions can successfully be treated with shock therapy.
Harmful Habit
Gastroenterologist Dr. Keith Taylor at the Stanford Medical Center says that late night snacks can be harmful, especially if a person repeatedly goes to sleep an hour or so after eating. Why? He explains that most body functions, including digestion, are slowed down during sleep. Thus, the excess acid produced as a result “frequently backs up into the esophagus when you’re lying down, causing irritation,” notes Parade Magazine. People already suffering with ulcers of the stomach or the duodenum will likely suffer even greater discomfort. Dr. Taylor suggests eating at least two or three hours before retiring at night. Milk is not recommended for ulcer patients, since researchers claim that, rather than being a neutralizer to line the stomach, milk stimulates acid production.