Paging criminals to be cool GPs systems for conscripts out of jail? It sounds fictional but it's far from it. An electronic tracking system that follows suspects is being presented as an alternative to incarceration for non-violent or first-time offenders. What it means to be single Two new books, celebrating single women's lifestyle, and studying this demographic group through history, are now out. They both fight the image that single women can't be really happy, and publicize them as cool and desirable. Plus a recount of many other works on this topic. Study: Dietary supplement may slow Parkinson. And a more optimistic view takes on cancer patients´ diagnosis. Then, Oxford University is using the latest technology to combat breast cancer. Find out more. Finally, sterilized blood, a step closer to reality. It appears philanthropy and ecological consciousness have won over artists like Madonna and the group Mana. Self-validation had never sounded so good. See it next. Go to "burned out celebrities" section.		October 22nd, Tuesday, 2002, ip nº30 What's love anyway? Why do we do it? Take a look at this inquisitive editorial on one of today's hot topics: marriage. This piece dives into phenomena like remarriages and the cultural prejudice against single people, but most important, it offers some hypothesis on why we marry. According to the article, when is asked to explain their reasons, people mention the emotional and physical "security" of marriage, in other words, company during old age. Still the majority says love is their motive. So, is love ultimately a "companionship insurance"? Wouldn't it be vital to acknowledge that solitude is also a part of our lives - a part that could be a valuable one, and that mustn't be considered only from the more lugubrious optic of death? Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,811303,00.html Living through the same patterns Sniper Attacks: A trail of terror You must have heard on the sniper case, the case that's terrorizing US citizens and which has evolved into a national manhunt. The thing is that if you think about it, the key for this case seems to be the surprise factor. The best weapons held by the "bad guys" are as simple as random behavior, and mostly, the capability to create unexpected situations. Isn't our experiential dumbness really making it harder for us to react and solve relatively new life (and death) situations? Link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/sniper/index.html Marriage bounces back? Hardly Celebrity nuptials rekindle love affair with weddings Afterwards peek on this UK survey (or publicity campaign) that proposes marriage appears to be making an extraordinary comeback, inspired by the in-depth coverage of celebrity weddings in magazines. However, this study reaffirms the singleton phenomenon with positive figures and points out that a majority do not believe marriage essential to ensure a lasting relationship, among other interesting data. Confusing? Check it out by yourselves! Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,811270,00.html Appeared in The Globe and Mail.		Government dissidents bound together to make their point: Here data on the rising college campuses´ movements against US policy of pre-emptive attacks. And ACLU (the American civil liberties union) rolled out a national campaign to challenge the Patriot Act. Privacy Issues Also, today's easy access to public records through the web sparked a debate on whether information should be preserved for the people's sake. Is anonymity over? Chinese government is up to something again, banning minors from entering Internet cafes, which are accused of poisoning the minds of urban youth. Go to privacy concerns section, clicking here. Cultural Maffia Read more on the evolution of a decisive copyright case that's making entertainment biz tremble, here. On death penalty The Illinois's capital punishment system seems to be now under scrutiny with an unprecedented set of clemency hearings. Read it next. And a one-word change in Florida death penalty law may imply that 16-year-olds can be executed. Statistics indicate it's taking longer for youths to leave their parent's house. Check it out!