~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #79

[human being <human@electronetwork.org>]

===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #79
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (1/26/2004)

01) Top Stories of Electromagnetism
02) Electromagnetic health & safety
03) Electromagnetic trash & treasure
04) Electromagnetic security & surveillance
05) Electromagnetic power & energy
06) Electromagnetic current & human affairs
07) Electromagnetic transport & communication
08) Electromagnetic matter & information
09) Electromagnetic trends & inventions
10) Electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
11) Electromagnetic business & economics
12) Electromagnetic artworks & artifacts

===================================================
00) --commentary--  no comments


===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------

// related to the approach to the  .US energy task force...
// this is a prime example for public review of .gov policies.
// this is a crucial document to read for all sorts of reasons,
// one being Cheney playing in his own private 'world game'
// to organize world resources by a model of the world that
// is based on the limits of individual perceptions that are
// dependent on the best-case of human bloodsport as default.
// this is insufficient for situations requiring a resolve today
// that war, deception, silence do not cut it when nuclearized.

Cheney exhibits the power of silence // important character study.
Discretion, secrecy and inscrutability have become his weapons
<http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stories/0,1413,86~10669~1913960,00.html>

	'"I start out by nature to be a private person," he says. "Where I  
grew up, out West, you learn not to toot your own horn. I remember at  
an orientation for congressional fellows. There was a quote. Attributed  
to Sam Rayburn. You never get in trouble for something you don't  
say.'"' ... 'Then it's back to silence. Silence lets people know you  
can keep confidences, Cheney says. Lets them know you can be trusted.'  
... 'He is the second most powerful man in the Bush administration,  
both in constitutional rank and, it would seem, real influence.' ...  
'Yet to a large degree, Cheney remains publicly defined by his  
invisibility.' ... 'Few people know where he is much of the time, where  
he resides at night.' ... 'White House officials have become concerned  
that negative stories about Cheney have reached critical mass, to a  
point that it could be harming the president. One of those concerned  
officials is Dick Cheney, who has been more bothered than usual by much  
of his recent coverage, sources close to the vice president say.  
Particularly on Halliburton, the subject of which triggers a quick rant  
against the press.' ... 'People who have worked with Cheney say he is  
very much at home in a post-9-11 environment where information is  
regarded as hyper-sensitive and confined to a select few in the  
executive branch.' ... 'Cheney has described himself as "fatalistic"  
about the future...' ... 'Cheney has a long-standing curiosity --  
obsession, some have said -- with catastrophic scenarios involving  
biological, chemical and radiological weapons. This long precedes Sept.  
11, 2001.' ... 'In speeches, Cheney always says that "September 11  
changed everything." But one gets a sense that it didn't change his  
views, only confirmed them.'

[and] Cheney faults 'desperate' attacks on Halliburton
Vice president rejects allegations he helped former company
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/23/cheney.halliburton/>

Senators press Scalia about meeting with Cheney // (Lieberman + Leahy)
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/23/scalia/>

	'Two senators have written Chief Justice William Rehnquist to raise  
concerns about Justice Antonin Scalia's impartiality in a case that  
involves the White House's energy task force.' ... 'Scalia also had  
dinner with Cheney in November, two months after the administration  
asked the justices to overrule the lower court.'

[and] EM-quote from On Law: Scalia and those ducks // high bias ratio.
<http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040123-103002-1312r>

	'The present controversy began when Scalia accompanied Cheney on a  
hunting trip to Texas one month after the Supreme Court agreed to hear  
the case this spring. The two men reportedly flew down to the Lone Star  
State on a private jet owned by an energy corporation.' ... '... there  
was no advance word from Scalia's chambers that he would be going on  
the trip with the vice president, an old friend from their Nixon  
administration days.' ... 'If Scalia does withdraw the Cheney case  
could result in a 4-4 tie on the Supreme Court -- which would mean the  
lower court ruling would stand and the vice president would have to  
disgorge the contested records.'

[and] Halliburton execs said to take kickbacks // Cheney and Co.
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/23/haliburton/>

	'The disclosure is the first firm indication of corruption involving  
U.S.-funded projects in Iraq and raises new questions about  
Halliburton's dealings there, the newspaper said.

[and] Justice Scalia's Misjudgment // op-ed...
Justice Antonin Scalia ought to recuse himself from a case
about Vice President Dick Cheney's secret energy task force.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/opinion/25SUN3.html>

Democracy at Risk // e-voting versus the Republic for which it stands
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/23/opinion/23KRUG.html>

---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------

How Dirty Bombs Work // basic information...
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/dirty-bomb.htm>

	'If people got rid of contaminated clothes, showered and evacuated the  
area within a day or so of a small or medium blast, they would probably  
be fine. The bomb would boost radiation levels above the normal, "safe"  
level, but not by a lot. In the short term, the human body could handle  
this increased exposure fairly easily. People very close to the blast  
could conceivably suffer radiation sickness and might require hospital  
care.' .. 'The main concern would be prolonged exposure. Many  
radioactive isotopes bind with other materials, including concrete and  
metal, extremely well. This would make it nearly impossible to  
completely remove the material without demolishing all contaminated  
structures. Clean-up crews could wash away a lot of the radioactive  
material, but a small amount would probably remain in the city for many  
years, even decades. Anybody living there would be exposed regularly to  
this radiation, which could conceivably cause cancer.'

Some Kyocera cellphone batteries recalled in U.S.
<http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2004/01/23/rtr1224347.html>

	'Kyocera Wireless has received reports of batteries in the Model 7135  
Smartphones short-circuiting, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety  
Commission said. It said the batteries can "erupt with force or emit  
excessive heat" and said one consumer received minor burn injuries.'

// like the postings about how problems can be solved during
// 'slow wave' sleep, intractable problems that may result in
// cognitive dissonance, such as facts on the ground vs. overt
// lies about what is going on, in the media, could be related.
// then, this reinforced through a top-down system of discipine
// where one's life is on the line, while in combat, and having
// rotations deferred, etc. it seems unusual if these factors
// are not brought into such scenarious- it is common sense...

Stress epidemic strikes American forces in Iraq // nervous system.
The war's over, but the suicide rate is high and the army is
riddled with acute psychiatric problems. Peter Beaumont reports
<http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/ 
0,6903,1130771,00.html>

---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------

New Tech Gadgets Get Tougher to Operate // via NewsScan Daily
<http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040126/D80AI1K80.html>

	'Not only are the latest electronic gadgets packed with more features  
than ever, they're also harder than ever to figure out.' ... '"It's a  
computer, that's what it is. It's got menus and menus. I have to  
consult a manual anytime I try other features and then I forget how to  
do it," Sherby said. "If it takes that much effort to learn what to do,  
forget it."' ... 'Time is wasted on poorly written, Bible-sized  
manuals. Patience is lost on customer service calls. Extra trips are  
made to the store. Consumers pay for bells and whistles they never  
use.' * 'A typical home's entertainment center has become an electronic  
Tower of Babel, given all the competing and sometimes incompatible  
formats and standards.' *

---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------

Howard Dean's 'smart ID' plan
<http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107_2-5147158.html>

EM-related quote: Probe of Intercepted Messages Focuses on Shelby
Justice Department Investigating Leak of Classified NSA Material
Regarding Sept. 11 Attacks // why electronic intercepts exist...
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A36876-2004Jan21>

	'The investigation centers on the disclosure in 2002 that the National  
Security Agency had intercepted two messages on the eve of the Sept.  
11, 2001, attacks signaling that something was to happen the next day.  
The cryptic messages were not translated until Sept. 12.' ... 'At the  
time, Vice President Cheney chastised committee members publicly about   
the disclosure of sensitive information. Critics said the  
administration was trying to stop public disclosure of embarrassing  
information about the lapses in intelligence and security surrounding  
the attacks.' .. 'Cheney's criticism prompted the House and Senate  
intelligence committees to encourage an FBI investigation of  
themselves. Within two months, FBI agents had the phone records,  
appointment calendars and schedules of 17  senators and had questioned  
more than 100 people, including all 37 members of the committee and  
about  60 staff members.'

EM-quote from: Israeli System Tries to Thwart Bus Bombers
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-israel-bus- 
bombers,0,3387714.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'A more sophisticated version of the [bus turnstile] system includes  
electronic sensors to detect explosives up to three feet away, setting  
off an alarm near the driver.'

// e.g. future 'lineup' of suspects collected for a witness to a
// crime has everyone with a 2 inch scar on their cheek lined up,
// either virtually or in person, even if profiles are incorrect.
// with ubiquitous scanning, every gateway (door, lobby, camera,
// airport, counter) would be a vestibule for criminal reviews...

Biometrics Enters Third Dimension // get your face scan...
<http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61969,00.html>

---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------

// informative. about developing solar cells for Mars and Earth...

Mars Solar Photovoltaics Offer Earthly Hope
<http://www.solaraccess.com/news/story?storyid=5939>

Interior finishes plan on Alaska drilling
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/22/alaska/>

	'Interior Secretary Gale Norton signed off on a plan Thursday for  
opening most of an 8.8 million-acre swath of Alaska's North Slope to  
oil and gas development. Some of the drilling could occur in areas  
important for migratory birds, whales and wildlife.' ... '[The Bureau  
of Land Management] can now modify or waive environmental safeguards on  
a case-by-case basis for economic reasons, environmentalists said.'

---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------

The University of Toronto Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Mind
Friday, January 30th - Saturday, January 31st
University College, Room 179
<http://www.utism.org/>

	'[Bringing] together professors and graduate students from various  
domains who all have a common interest in the mind, in the hopes of  
nurturing a trans-disciplinary approach to mind research.'

Gates Announces Partnership With U.N. // technology & literacy...
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-world-forum- 
gates,0,4844465.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'Drawing on a $1 billion Microsoft fund, the U.S. software giant will  
work with the U.N. Development Program to provide software, computer  
training and cash to establish computer centers in poor communities,  
starting with pilot projects in Egypt, Mozambique and Morocco.' ...  
'Gates said the centers would not have to use only Microsoft products.'

Student is selling her virginity on the internet for Ł10,000 // drudge
<http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/story_pages/news/news3.shtml>

Queen to give knighthood to Bill Gates // drudgereport.com
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/01/25/ 
ngates25.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/01/25/ixnewstop.html>

iPod 'threatens marriages' // or, marketing tech-seducation 101...
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=7760>

	'The new trend, the latest in "fetish technology" has been spotted by  
The Sunday Times and was examined in an article entitled: "There's  
three of us in this marriage, me, you and the iPod." ... 'Apparently:  
"Grown men (it’s usually men) swoon as they caress its elegant touch  
wheel and the glinting backlit buttons."' .. 'And the thousands of  
women who bought their husbands and boyfriends an iPod for Christmas  
are beginning to regret it as their partners become "increasingly  
fanatical Poddies, spending whole evenings and weekends with this small  
object of desire, their partners have been rendered iPod widows."' ...  
'The effect of technology on relationships is a serious problem. The  
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers is set to publish marital  
advice that will include a warning about the role that computers can  
play in the wrecking of marriages.'

---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------

// web development by the Internet Office of the Holy See...

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER, JOHN PAUL II
FOR THE 38th WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY, May 23, 2004
THEME: The Media and the Family: A Risk and a Richness
<http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/ 
communications/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_20040124_world-communications- 
day_en.html>

	'The extraordinary growth of the communications media and their  
increased availability has brought exceptional opportunities for  
enriching the lives not only of individuals, but also of families. At  
the same time, families today face new challenges arising from the  
varied and often contradictory messages presented by the mass media.'  
... 'This year’s theme is also a reminder to everyone, both  
communicators and those whom they address, that all communication has a  
moral dimension.'

How Night Vision Works
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/nightvision.htm>

// not EM-related, though in terms of cognition and speech
// and future brain-studies on such things, it is probably
// of some importance in terms of understanding sentience...

Parrot's oratory stuns scientists // via drudgereport.com
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3430481.stm>

Davos Discovers the Blogs // via cursor.org
<http://billmon.org/archives/000985.html>

---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------

Illustrating Formal Logic with Johnston Diagrams // Venn diagrams...
<http://www.logictutorial.com/>

UNITeS, UN Volunteers and the WSIS
<http://www.unites.org/wsis/>

IEEE Releases One-Millionth Online Technology Document
<http://www.ieee.org/products/onlinepubs/news/0104_04.html>

Microsoft seeks XML-related patents // not again...
Microsoft has applied for patents that could prevent competing  
applications from processing documents created with the
latest version of the software giant's Office program.
<http://news.com.com/2100-1013-5146581.html?part=dtx&tag=ntop>

---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------

// this is a unique instance of belief systems embedded in the
// hopes of technology. there are many, many more to do with
// person health therapies, at least in the .US, and there is
// a name for such objects yet it is forgotten at this moment.
// the magical object incorporates so many dimensions and a
// systemic belief of choices, habits, it symbolizes cultures
// using aromatherapy, music therapy, light therapy, zeitgeist...

Sweet Dreams Made by Machine // electronic 'dream workshop'
<http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,62004,00.html>

	'The dream machine comes equipped with a voice recorder, array of  
lights, picture frame, fragrance dispenser, selection of internally  
stored background music, two speakers and a timer.' .. 'Working in  
conjunction, these components allow users to design their dreams  
through multisensory stimuli of scents, sounds and more.'

---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------

Musharraf vows harsh punishment for nuke proliferators
<http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_548742,00050002.htm>

Anti-U.S. tunes big hits in Iraq // media-war is just .biz
<http://www.washtimes.com/world/20040126-120106-7828r.htm>

	'America's next big battle may be waged in the cassette and CD players  
of Iraqis.' ... '    Though the lyrics are contemporary, the music is  
based on a kind of centuries-old religious music called praising, which  
is influenced by an ancient form of Islamic mysticism called Sufism.'  
... '  Mr. Ajrari even carries multimedia "video" versions of the CDs,  
in which the anti-U.S. tunes are accompanied by footage of American  
troops killing and maiming Iraqis.' ... 'Mr. Hassani said many of those  
using music to promote jihad are pretenders with no real spiritual  
credentials.' .. 'A real jihad has to be called for by a high-level  
cleric, not some artist trying to make a quick profit, he said. "The  
act of jihad cannot be until we have permission from God and our source  
of emulation."'

Investigation of nuclear 'heroes' divides Pakistan --
The president admitted Friday that Pakistani scientists
may have sold nuclear information to other countries.
<http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0126/p07s01-wosc.html>

U.N. Official Warns of a 'Wal-Mart' in Nuclear Trafficking
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/23/international/23CND-NUKE.html>

	'"When you see things being designed in one country, manufactured in  
two or three others, shipped to a fourth, redirected to a fifth, that  
means there's lots of offices all over the world," Dr. ElBaradei said.  
"The sophistication of the process, frankly, has surpassed my  
expectations."'

The Voice of Osama bin Laden: Osama's voice on tape proves that the
leader of al Qaeda is still alive. Or does it? // simple speculation.
<http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/wo_muller012304.asp?p=0>

	'I think Osama bin Laden is still dead. And I don’t think I’m just  
being stubborn. To understand my logic, consider the following three  
issues: the state of the antiterrorism effort, the technology of voice  
identification, and the most likely alternative hypothesis that could  
explain the audio tape.'

Envoy: N. Korea Ready to Make Nuke Deal
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-world-forum- 
north-korea,0,847819.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'Strong, who is Secretary-General Kofi Annan's personal envoy, said  
North Korea is a lot farther "down the track" toward developing nuclear  
weapons than Iraq was, and U.N. nuclear agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei  
said "it is almost certain that they have nuclear weapons."' ... '"The  
stakes really are very high," ElBaradei said. "We need all to bite the  
bullet and get a settlement as soon as we can. Everybody will lose" if  
there is no settlement.'

Definition/Scope: electromagnetic deception
<http://call.army.mil/products/thesaur/00003602.htm>

Definition/Scope: imitative electromagnetic deception
<http://call.army.mil/products/thesaur/00003605.htm>

Definition/Scope: simulative electromagnetic deception
<http://call.army.mil/products/thesaur/00003604.htm>

Definition/Scope: manipulative electromagnetic deception
<http://call.army.mil/products/thesaur/00003603.htm>

// bizarre to be nitpicking 'unanswered questions' of another
// country when Q&A related to WMD/war/oil/kickbacks/deceptions
// are moot in the homeland. EM-related in all these ways, too.

U.S. Has Questions on Russian Arms Sent to Iraq // rear-view mirror.
<http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/ 
story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=817131&tw=wn_wire_story>

	'Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday there are still  
unanswered questions about Russian military equipment that U.S.  
officials believe made its way to Iraq before last year's U.S.  
invasion.' .. 'U.S. officials last year said they believed private  
Russian firms sold Iraq antitank missiles, night-vision goggles and  
electronic jamming systems and that private sector technicians went to  
Baghdad to train Iraqis to use the jamming equipment.'

[e.g.] Powell Troubled by Russia Democracy, Foreign Policy
<http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/38122%7Ctop%7C01-26- 
2004::07:37%7Creuters.html>

// .US constitutional law is relevant here, and is being discounted
// for conducting a war under 'false pretenses' - disregarding law.
// obviously things are more complex than is being stated, yet to
// use such simplistic arguments exacerbates the actual issues and
// makes everything even less secure: inadequate strategic planning.
// else, there should be a clear victory for such justifications...

Ashcroft: war justified even without WMD // by what law, attorney?
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/26/ashcroft/>

	'Ashcroft made the comments a day after David Kay, the outgoing top  
U.S. weapons inspector, pressed U.S. intelligence agencies to explain  
why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the  
invasion.' ... 'Although the White House has insisted that illicit  
weapons eventually will be found in Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney  
and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell recently held open the  
possibility that they would not.'

---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------

Big Blue's Big Bet: Less Tech, More Touch // 'on-demand' strategy
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/25/business/yourmoney/25ibm.html>
	
	'This year, the 38,000 people in I.B.M.'s software group are being  
reorganized and retrained to focus on making and selling products  
tailored to the most common business problems of 12 major industries,  
including banking, insurance, automobiles, utilities, consumer packaged  
goods, telecommunications and life sciences.' .. 'Likewise, the 3,000  
researchers in I.B.M.'s labs are moving well beyond the hard science of  
making computers and programs run faster and more efficiently. They are  
also focusing on solving business problems and modeling patterns of  
human behavior, giving their work more of the flavor of social science.  
"I think it's a huge opportunity, but it is also a huge cultural change  
in research," said Paul M. Horn, the director of I.B.M. labs.' ... 'If  
Mr. Palmisano's overhaul of I.B.M. proves successful, Big Blue could  
gain a long-term competitive advantage...' ... 'Mr. Palmisano likes to  
say that his plan is bold but not really risky because I.B.M. is just  
following customer demand. Companies are less enamored of technology  
itself than in what technology can do for them - the practical  
benefits, or solutions, he says.' ... 'I.B.M. wants to ... capture in  
software some of the things businesspeople actually do - like sifting  
and analyzing information - and automate it. This is where much of the  
I.B.M. research effort comes into play and involves sophisticated text  
analytics, modeling, simulation, mathematical optimization and the  
like. And for this to really pay off for I.B.M., the ideas and  
techniques developed for one customer have to be useful for an entire  
industry or several industries.'

Report: DOJ probing Blu-ray format group
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/01/26/bluray/ 
index.php?redirect=1075100366000>

	'The investigation is into whether the group's members may have acted  
together to impede the technical progress of a rival standard being  
developed by the DVD Forum, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed  
source close to the DVD Forum.' ... 'The battle between the Blu-ray  
group and DVD Forum is pitting some of the largest names in consumer  
electronics and computing against each other over the format for  
next-generation optical discs. The discs can store between four and six  
times as much data as today's DVD discs because they use more advanced  
blue laser technology, as opposed to red lasers used in DVDs.'

---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------

Break-Dancers Perform For The Pope, Get His Blessing // boombox .va
<http://www.wftv.com/news/2792793/detail.html>

EM-quote: LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II TO ARTISTS. 1999
<http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/ 
hf_jp-ii_let_23041999_artists_en.html>

	'... I appeal to you, artists of the written and spoken word, of the  
theatre and music, of the plastic arts and the most recent technologies  
in the field of communication.'

death of the internetwork // poem... (01/2000)
<http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0001/msg00082.html>

// wonder how electromagnetism is visualized in such chambers- if
// it is invisible to the eye, except for computer visualizations...

book: Electromagnetic Anechoic Chambers:
A Fundamental Design and Specification Guide // EM-architecture...
<http://www.wileyeurope.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd- 
0471208108.html>

	'The electromagnetic anechoic chamber has been with us since it was  
invented at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, in the  
early 1950s. Just about every major aerospace company has large numbers  
of them located throughout the United States and the world. Now,  
because of the stringent electromagnetic interference requirements that  
must be considered in the development of all new electronic products,  
these facilities are appearing in the automotive, telecommunications,  
aerospace, computer, and other industries.'

The Odder Side of the WEF
When World Economic Forum bigwigs aren't debating the fate of the
planet, they can see a magic show or find out "How to Be Hip"
<http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2004/ 
nf20040123_2499.htm>
	
	'... how about a session about technology and the arts that asks  
whether the great French artist Monet would approve of modems? Lorna L.  
Abungu, executive director of the International Councils of African  
Museums, is one of six cultural experts who will discuss whether the  
increasing use of technology -- especially the Internet -- by museums  
makes exposure to art more widespread or more random and alienating.'  
.. 'Another question is whether the Internet will eventually make  
museums unnecessary. "We'll be discussing whether there's a need for  
physical museums if complete collections are available on the Web,"  
Abungu says. Let's hope she's not worried about her job.'

// ~ an extra layer of extreme forms of protective hardware ~

Fortress Home: Welcome Mat Bites // the extreme-housing industry...
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/22/garden/22SAFE.html>

	'At the annual International Builders Show here this week — a trade  
gathering of 90,000 home builders spread across 10.6 miles of aisles —  
all manner of newfangled security devices went on display to prevent  
nearly every type of unauthorized intrusion.'

Updater 3.0 // error messages, aesthetics, language...
<http://www.markfiore.com/animation/updated.html>

Eiffel Tower illuminated in red to honor China // photos @ 2nd URL
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/25/content_1288014_1.htm>
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/25/content_1288014.htm>

	'A climax of the China-France Culture Year that  started last October,  
the illumination in red of the tower coincides with  celebrations of  
the 40th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between two  nations.'  
... '    Sponsored by the company Electricity of France, the  red  
lighting will last till Jan. 29, visible each day from 1700 to 0730  
local  time.'

// note: the basic upkeep of these structures, over a period of
// 300 years should be interesting in terms of cost and possible
// unforeseen/untested sideeffects. there is something buildings
// that last, that they do not become cultural sinkholes. so if
// or if not to rust, they may be left empty to become ruins...

EM-quote: The Bilbao effect -- Art versus architecture:
Which will win out? SARAH MILROY looks at the magnificence of
the new museums and wonders if their beauty is only skin deep
<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/ 
20040124/BILBAO24/TPEntertainment/TopStories>

	'In 300 years, people will look back on the last half-century as the  
time when photography went from book-sized to billboard scale, when  
video jumped from the small screen to installations of drive-in  
dimensions.' ... 'Art expanded to express our technological  
capabilities and our craving for overwhelming bodily sensation, a  
hunger arising perhaps from our indenture to the flat screen. But  
sculpture responded by doing something more dramatic than all its  
siblings; it disappeared. And then it re-emerged as a form of  
architecture, shouldering its way into predominance -- at least for a  
while.'

Gallery Show Seeks the Art in Spam,
Seen Through the Eyes of the Future // NYC exhibit. great.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/26/technology/26spam.html>

	'Riffing on the idea of junk e-mail as a lowly commercial life form,   
Mr. Jarnow along with the other curators, Daniel Greenfeld and Mike  
Rosenthal, tried to depict  how  an archaeologist 450 million years in  
the future might present current culture, based only on relics of spam.  
Motifs include  the random text typically added to the end of spam  to  
avoid being discarded by spam-finding filter programs, which the  
exhibit presents  as the work of the "great writers of the 'Ordovician  
Gothic.'"'

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