~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #91

[brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>]

===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #91
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (3/12/2004)

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--

Robots up to now have not been something I considered in any sense
relevant to electromagnetic education. Yet some of the more innovative
works are being done in education with robotics and microcontrollers,
though these can also be used for non-robotic-based learning of how
microcontrollers work. DIY Robotics, though, has taken off and has
been compared to earlier events that had origins in PC development,
among other things. Two things in this past week had an influence
that is changing my sense, with all the robot news (of the DARPA
road race, say)-- one, in trying to self-learn electronics with an
integrated approach, that is a cultural context-- the book so far
that comes near this is on robotics which will probably be written
about some other time (amazing), though unique is it is both of
a type of art of basic electronics (actual robotic sculptures, and
in these terms: 'Junkbots, Bugbots & Bots on Wheels' BEAM) so it is
one area where the hardware, electronics, sometimes (with some robots)
programming microcontrollers, and electronic artifacts as a resource
for making things that may otherwise be broken or by learning by
taking things apart (such as, printers have servo or stepper motors)
gives a very pragmatic understanding to the electronic environment.
The other thing that I read about this week that had an impact was
that one of the little rovers on Mars was able to take a photo of
its heat shield across a crater, but even more, took a photograph
of Earth from Mars. I was not able to locate the photo, but then
it changed my sense of these robots as extensions, looking away,
to almost like pets or creatures, looking back, saying 'hello world.'
In that sense, an ambassadorial quality of robots is considerable.


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

// .US Energy Task Force case - another Friend of the Court. (via  
cursor.org)

American Progress Files Amicus Curiae Brief in Cheney v. U.S. District  
Court
<http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=36854>

	'Today the Center for American Progress joined with four leading  
library associations, the nation's largest archival association, and  
four other public interest organizations in a friend of the court brief  
in the case of Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States,  
et. al., v. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  The case  
concerns the request by the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch for  
disclosure of who, outside of the government, participated in the vice  
president's National Energy Policy Development Group.  Vice President  
Cheney has refused to disclose any information about the group.' ...  
'Joining the Center in filing the brief are the American Association of  
Law Libraries, the American Library Association, the Association of  
Research Libraries, the Center for American Progress, Common Cause, the  
National Security Archive, People for the American Way, the Society of  
American Archivists, and the Special Libraries Association.'

// there is a caveat: it is problematic to conduct nuclear diplomacy if  
one
// of the countries in the region has known undeclared weapons, so  
there may
// be a reason not to declare, thus- why should the rules be any  
different?
// whereas if all nations did declare there would be no nuclear  
exceptions.
// there is a country in the region with 100-200 weapons, undeclared it  
is
// said, and this couuld be a (possibly legitimate) reason for not  
declaring.
// for 'fair treatment' -all- would have to declare -all- nuclear  
programs,
// as anything less is allowing open deception with nuclear strike  
forces.
// if one is allowed to lie without consequence, all should be able to,  
etc.

U.S. toning down criticism of Iran nukes // confused reporting...  
unclear.
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/03/09/iran/>

	'... Washington also accepted a draft resolution containing some  
praise of Tehran's willingness to open its nuclear programs to outside  
inspection.' ... 'In Tehran, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said he  
hoped the IAEA ultimately would come to agree with Iran's assertion  
that all its nuclear activities are "for peaceful purposes."' ...  
'While praising Tehran for some cooperation, ElBaradei said he was  
"seriously concerned" about Iran's refusal to declare plans and parts  
for the P-2 enrichment system, calling it a "setback to Iran's stated  
policy of transparency."' ... 'Iran, too, insists it wants its nuclear  
dossier closed -- something ElBaradei has said would not happen until  
all suspicions about past experiments are dispelled and future openness  
is assured.'

// even if .US non-diplomacy prior to this has been incompetent at best,
// there seemed to be an agreed upon concern about nuclear weapons by  
all.

[and] Iran will resume uranium enrichmemt // perilous nuclear relations.
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/03/10/iran/>

	'He warned European partners Iran could end nuclear cooperation if  
they fail to support Tehran.' ... 'Shamkhani's comments were the first  
suggestion by any senior Iranian official that the military has been  
involved in at least some aspects of the nuclear program.' ... 'In the  
draft, United States compromised with Britain, France and Germany to  
tone down criticism of Iran's continued nuclear secrecy and give some  
praise of Tehran's willingness to open its programs to outside  
perusal.' .. 'Kharrazi also warned that Iran could end nuclear  
cooperation, and called on its European partners to resist U.S.  
pressure at the Vienna meeting.' .. '"We recommend the three European  
countries to remain committed to their obligations (toward Tehran) and  
resist U.S. pressures if they want the project of cooperation between  
Iran and them to lead to results," Kharrazi said.' .. 'He warned that  
Iran would stop cooperating with the three nations if they fail to  
support Iran.' .. '"Cooperation is a two way street. If they don't  
fulfill their obligations, there is no reason for us to cooperate," he  
said.' ... 'Kharrazi accused the IAEA of giving in to U.S. pressure.'

// does this mean that .RU and .CN will deal with any nuclear surprises?
// it is an interesting article to read about the diplomatic language  
and
// in a sense shows how the reasoning is, much of it is a reaction to  
the
// .US incompetency and yet the issues remain, if not even more  
critical.
// nuclear diplomacy (between states) would seem to rely on  
transparency in
// knowing what is being dealt with. thus, chaos or surprise may not  
help in
// stabilizing relations or responses, should something occur, in  
escalation
// or even in a terrorist attack. transparency hinges on all no  
exceptions,
// though it would seem- that nuclear countries declare themselves as  
such.
// therefore, hardline positions do not work if it is largely  
hypocritical
// in terms of allies who do not declare weapons systems as part of  
defense.

[and] Russia, China Resist U.S. Over Iran Nuke Resolution // nuclear  
diplomats.
<http://www.reuters.com/ 
newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4557086>

// it is hard to convey the horror and express the sadness of these
// events - what was describe on the news reports that was very gripping
// about the terror attacks were that the bombs were detonated by cell-
// phones, and secondly, more disturbing, people who were calling their
// love ones to find out their status, were ringing the phones on  
persons
// who were, assumed injured and or dead, on the victims of the attack.

Spain: Van, detonators, Quran tapes found // EM media. remote bombs.
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/03/11/van/>

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

// wish there was worldwide acknowledgement for the inventors who
// invest their talents to develop human enabling technologies...

Disembodied robotic arm clambers round home // robotic assist
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994767>

	'The metre long arm, called Flexibot, is capable of docking to a  
wheelchair or a wall and can help disabled people feed themselves. It  
can also enable users to brush their teeth or shave, and even help with  
putting on make-up, says its designer Mike Topping, of Staffordshire  
University's Centre for Rehabilitation Robotics. The 2.3 million Euro  
project is backed by the European Commission.'

Why Sugar Pills Cure Some Ills // brain scans...
<http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,62296,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2>

USC Study Finds Faulty Wiring In Psychopaths // MRI brain scans...
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040311072248.htm>

	'Adrian Raine, a professor of psychology and neuroscience in the USC  
College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, focused his research on two parts  
of the brain: the hippocampus, a portion of the temporal lobe that  
regulates aggression and transfers information into memory; and the  
corpus callosum, a bridge of nerve fibers that connects the cerebral  
hemispheres.' ...  'The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers  
that connects the two hemispheres of the brain, enabling them to work  
together to process information and regulate autonomic function. Raine  
explored its role in psychopathy for the first time.' .. '"There's  
faulty wiring going on in psychopaths. They're wired differently than  
other people," Raine said. "In a way, it's literally true in this  
case."'

// 'nanosecond electric pulsing uses "Ultra-short Pulsed Systems
// Electroperturbation Technology," or UPSET.' ... first pulse?

Cell Shocked: USC Researchers Present New Electric Pulse Technology--
A new technology that uses electric fields to alter the "guts" of a  
cell may
lead to improved methods of treating diseases such as cancer and  
leukemia,
according to researchers in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040311071327.htm>

	'The technology, called electroperturbation, exposes cells to electric  
pulses just tens of nanoseconds (tens of billionths of a second) long,  
said electrical engineer Thomas Vernier, an investigator on a  
collaborative study to develop the technology.  ... 'The pulses are so  
brief and intense that they pass virtually undetected through the outer  
membrane of the cell without damaging it, Vernier said. But these  
fast-rising pulses pack such a powerful punch to the intracellular  
structures of the cell that they can dramatically change its  
biochemical balance, or trigger the start of cell death, a process  
known as apoptosis.'

Evidence Suggests That The Brain Can Switch To 'Automatic Pilot' During  
Learning
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040309072844.htm>

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

[strangeness: received a course-book for a local arts community center
which has a greats program to take short classes. well, surprisingly now
a class is 'how to e-mail your goldfish', for people to bring in their
dead goldfish so they can be scanned, put on t-shirts, e-mailed. ???]

New method cleans up radioactive lab coats
Supercritical CO 2helps nuclear laundry go green.
<http://www.nature.com/nsu/040308/040308-4.html>

// this category is used because SUVs are considered both a monetary
// treasure while also being of the worst fuel-efficiency vehicles that
// exacerbates many environmental and other, resource-based, issues by
/  their demand. 'the treasure' is not considered burning them down
// (plus, if you want toxic clouds, this is a good way to do that).
// note that .US car markers, after rebuffing hybrids for SUVs are
// now purchasing existing technology to stay in the growing sector.

Man Charged With Torching 125 SUVs // via drudgereport.com
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/10/national/ 
printable605042.shtml>

Environmental Impact Of Computers Growing, Study Says
<http://www.unwire.org/UNWire/20040308/449_13789.asp>

// this is also why it is not a good idea to wear electronics of just
// any kind around ones skin/clothing, per se. as it could be toxic to
// have strange materials and chemicals in contact with human skin...
// jewelry may be a conceptual sketch, requiring more advanced work...

[and] UN calls for greener PCs // corporate citizen peer-pressure  
needed...
The United Nations has published research that shows that the lifespan  
of
PCs needs to be extended to prevent serious environmental problems.
<http://www.enn.ie/frontpage/news-9397652.html>

	'The book also says that the total materials required to make the  
average desktop computer amount to approximately 1.8 tons. This is  
comprised of fossil fuels, water and various other chemicals. To make  
one humble two-gram memory chip alone takes around 1.3 kilograms of  
such materials, say the researchers.'


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

Bugging the Bedroom. Esquire, 1966 // via TSCM-L
This is the end of the affair; if you want to
hear a replay, your lover has the tapes

High-tech snooping for bin Laden // 'better late than never.'
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/03/04/binladen.search/index.html>

// this is another reason why 'all-in-one' information devices may cause
// a lot of harm without several layers of security in case of theft,  
etc.
// adding a money-exchange system into cellphones may bring muggings,  
etc.

Israeli spy chief's phone theft raises fears for secrets  // via TSCM-L  
<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/ 
2001876453_mossad11.html>

Device Detects, Traps And Deactivates Airborne Viruses And Bacteria
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040309073744.htm>

	'"When the aerosol particles come into the device they are charged and  
trapped in an electrical field," Biswas explained. "Any organic  
material is oxidized, so it completely deactivates the organism."'

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

Next Year Critical for Broadband Communications over Powerlines //  
gridhack
<http://tdworld.com/ar/power_next_year_critical/index.htm>

	' With broadband being offered at as low as $29.95/month from some DSL  
providers, will power companies be able to compete on price and make  
BPL a profitable venture? The answer likely depends not only on whether  
they can successfully compete with other high-speed Internet  
providers—or lease lines to them—but also on whether they can use the  
broadband system for internal applications. These applications might  
include automated meter reading, communication with field personnel,  
distribution system management, power quality monitoring, remote load  
control, and fault detection.'

Warning of looming electricity shortages
`No faith in government estimates' // .nz
Looming electricity shortages that could strike with the
ferocity of the 1970s oil shocks were not being addressed by
the Government or the energy sector, a forum in Dunedin heard yesterday.
<http://www.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/ 
getitem?date=11Mar2004&object=HA951B3470TM&type=html>

// if only the 'zero-energy' misnomer would be dealt with accurately,
// everything has an energy cost, to produce material goods it is a
// part of its cost, including its use. there is no one-time energy
// audit for the material goods that occupy/are an abode or materials
// used to create it, and compose these. 'zero-energy' is zero-sum.
// if the rhetoric is real than realism can take hold in the ideas.
// it has even been written that buildings can produce more than they
// consume, in 'energy', which oddly defying physical laws of physics.
// waiting for the idea of an 'enegy tax' to come back into this also.

R.I.P., Texas Oil - Here Comes the Sun // Austin, TX.US
Inside the plot to make the Lone Star State a solar powerhouse.
<http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/ 
view.html?pg=4?tw=wn_tophead_6>

	'Today the Lone Star State imports more crude than it exports, and  
21st-century oil has become a byword for jihad.' ... '... in December,  
Austin announced its intention to become the clean energy capital of  
the world.' ... 'But the challenge isn't about developing hardware;  
it's about creating a smart support system for tomorrow's smart  
utilities. Austin is betting there will be a profitable sweet spot at  
the intersection of energy grids, digital networks, chip fabs, and  
solar panels. It reasons that developing innovative technology is the  
best way to find fat profit margins that won't be offshored overnight.'

[and] Red wine mends solar cells
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/031004/ 
Red_wine_mends_solar_cells_031004.html>

Researchers Create Terahertz Magnetism From Non-magnetic Materials--
A team of engineers and physicists at UCLA, UC San Diego and Imperial
College in London has successfully created a "metamaterial" that
displays strong, tunable magnetic activity at terahertz frequencies.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040305073144.htm>

	'The new properties were created by opening a gap that allows the  
structure to resonate at higher frequencies. By mimicking the magnetic  
effect at a much smaller scale, the researchers were able to create  
magnetic activity at nearly optical frequencies using common  
non-magnetic materials such as copper.'

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

PARC founder George Pake dies // worked on nuclear magnetics. r.i.p.
<http://news.com.com/2100-1001_3-5172123.html>

	'Pake led the research lab from its inception in 1970 until 1978, then  
moved on to oversee Xerox's corporate research from 1978 until 1986.  
PARC helped pioneer research into many key technologies, including  
laser printing, Ethernet, graphical user interfaces and client-server  
computing.' ... 'Halvorsen said Pake had a quiet but persuasive way  
that helped set the tone for PARC and paved the way for its culture of  
inventiveness.' ... 'After his retirement from Xerox in 1986, Pake  
started the Institute for Research on Learning, a group that explored  
learning as a fundamentally social activity. Pake worked on projects  
that looked at ways of teaching math and science in a hands-on way.'

Money for free electricity returned unused // poverty and electricity...
<http://www.iol.co.za/ 
index.php?click_id=124&art_id=vn20040311151959517C367164&set_id=1>

	'The absence of a uniform national policy for the supply of free basic  
electricity has resulted in tens of millions of rands allocated for  
this being returned to national government while poor households have  
been disconnected.'

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

// revisiting the New World Information and Communication Order...

UNESCO and the GII/GIS: The NWICO and the Withdrawal of the United  
States
<http://www.si.umich.edu/Classes/607/final_papers/gs_4_final_paper.htm>

[and]  Alternative visions for NWICO: An historical and comparative   
evaluation
<http://www.idsnet.org/Papers/Communications/MICHAEL_BASIL.HTM>

	'This paper examines the history of broadcasting and other forms  of  
communication across several countries for the specific conditions   
that affect the form and use that communication takes. It examines  the  
tenability of alternative visions for the New World Information  and  
Communication Order. Specifically, because the nature of the   
communication system appears to be so closely related to the political   
and economic structure under which the system is operated, we  can  
identify four conditions which are associated with the most  valuable  
forms of information via communication. Distribution  of ownership  
between both commercial and non-commercial enterprises,  point-to-point  
communication augmenting broadcasting, and the  public's active  
interest in the content of the media appear to  lead to the highest  
level of diversity in communication. Although  this discussion is  
primarily focused on broadcasting, the infrastructure  for other forms  
of communication such as telephone and internet  communication also  
appear to be related to the structure of the  surrounding civil  
society.'

[and] Fresh calls for new global order // news.
Old wounds over demands for a new world information and communication  
order have
been opened at WSIS as developing countries cry loud over glaring  
disparities
in the flow of information, media and cultural products from the North  
to South.
<http://www.ipsnews.net/focus/tv_society/viewstory.asp?idn=201>

Ford will use Toyota's hybrid technology
<http://www.iht.com/articles/509400.html>

	'The agreement is a coup for Toyota, which has been trying to sell its  
hybrid system to a variety of automakers to help offset its high  
development cost.' ... 'Toyota hopes that signing on more manufacturers  
to use its hybrid technology will result in higher production volumes,  
and thus lower costs, for makers of hybrid components.' .. '"Toyota  
believes that spreading this environmental technology is something we  
can't do alone," said a Toyota spokesman, Hitoshi Nagashim.' ... 'Under  
the agreement announced on Tuesday, Toyota will license to Ford a  
patented hybrid control system that links a gasoline engine with an  
electric motor.'

Sputnik/Vanguard // stunning photograph, great information...
<http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~js/space/lectures/lec09.html>

Robot Designers Get in the Swim 
<http://www.wired.com/news/technology/ 
0,1282,62612,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4>

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

Evolution of Latin Characters // *** animation
<http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/latin.html>

Mobile Giants Seek New Domain // .mob
<http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/23336.html>

How Robots Work // The Future: AI
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/robot.htm>
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/robot8.htm>

	' Homebrew robotics is a rapidly expanding subculture with a sizable  
Web presence. Amateur roboticists cobble together their creations using  
commercial robot kits, mail order components, toys and even old VCRs.'  
// 'The real challenge of AI is to understand how natural intelligence  
works. Developing AI isn't like building an artificial heart --  
scientists don't have a simple, concrete model to work from. We do know  
that the brain contains billions and billions of neurons, and that we  
think and learn by establishing electrical connections between  
different neurons. But we don't know exactly how all of these  
connections add up to higher reasoning, or even low-level operations.  
The complex circuitry seems incomprehensible.' .. 'Because of this, AI  
research is largely theoretical. Scientists hypothesize on how and why  
we learn and think, and they experiment with their ideas using  
robots...'

// there is some historical precedent to banning telescopes with respect
// to the church's view of the universe (say, today, with religious  
views
// of literal 7-day creation) versus a contrasting view by scientists...
// kepler, galileo, copernicus had some troubles doing their work too,  
it
// seems a bit similar - if ideologically, this were to happen also  
today.
// it is entirely possible Hubble discoveries could be judged  
blasphemous,
// though not overtly stated as such. symbolic of backwards private  
policy.

Senators: Don't Doom Hubble Yet // church-staters attempt an off-switch?
<http://www.wired.com/news/technology/ 
0,1282,62636,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_7>

	'President Bush has proposed that the space shuttle stop flying in  
2010 and that the remaining shuttle flights concentrate on completion  
of the International Space Station. Bush has also proposed that NASA  
develop a new spacecraft capable of going to the moon and Mars, with a  
tentative first launch of 2014.' 	[note: for a moment thought it said  
'NASCAR' vs. NASA, above.]

Charge Doping Of Molecules One Atom At A Time
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040312085324.htm>

	'This precise control and reversible tuning of individual molecules  
becomes ever more important as electronic devices shrink in size, to  
the point where individual molecules become the circuit elements.' ...  
'"We've shown you can take a single molecule and add atoms to it that  
donate charge to the molecule, thereby changing the molecular  
electronic properties in much the same way that silicon semiconductor  
properties are changed when you add dopant atoms to it," Crommie  
said....'

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

Yarn spun from nanotubes: Tiny tubes may yield ultrastrong fibres.
<http://www.nature.com/nsu/040308/040308-10.html>

Robot builder could 'print' houses // the end of architecture? big 3d  
printer.
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994764>

	'A robot for "printing" houses is to be trialled by the construction  
industry. It takes instructions directly from an architect's  
computerised drawings and then squirts successive layers of concrete on  
top of one other to build up vertical walls and domed roofs.' .. 'The  
precision automaton could revolutionise building sites. It can work  
round the clock, in darkness and without tea breaks. It needs only  
power and a constant feed of semi-liquid construction material.'

[and] South Korean Robot to Guard Houses // machines for living...
<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-SKorea-Robot- 
Guardian.html>

	'MOSTiTECH's robot wheels around the house with its motion sensors and  
heat detectors, snapping shots of anything that moves and keeping a  
lookout for fires and gas leaks.' .. 'If anything's amiss, it sends  
images or text messages to the owner's mobile phone.'

Super Hoe // basically, Wired's 'fetish' column for technofarming...
<http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/ 
start.html?pg=8?tw=wn_tophead_5>

// it is possible that video stores and audiovisual warehouses,  
basically
// local outlets, may instead become kiosks in another 'general store'  
of
// the future, and could diversify into another realm of more advanced,
// less mass market adventures such as remote video storage for DVD-
// websites or the home-theater/filmmaker/production, audio-mastering,
// or even community media development centers, producing local works.
// take the lifespan of the media versus the business model, and  
comparing
// this with 'department stores' of the past, it may be that not much is
// differentiating things these days. if Belamy's book 'Looking  
Backward'
// is any indicator, what may evolve is a single store with one product
// or so that could be looked at, yet the wherehouse is elsewhere which
// may be delivered to the home- the theater, the stadium, the concert,
// museum, becoming part of the house's core organization of content.
// yet, how to deal with things that cannot be done on house-scale yet
// which starts to 'organize' content now disorganized, such as media
// production and leveraging what can be done by individuals versus a
// place for furthering the quality and resources... maybe consumer-
// electronics could turn into media electronics, and in turn, a place
// for creation or considation of content/production, for consumption.
// who knows. just like printing, they may print circuits someday, and
// the fabrication of processors involves screenprinting, etc, so it is
// not that far off, a need to transform industries, adapting to change.
// most every 'online' based 'innovation' is stalled (in the .US at  
least)
// because of the massive high-cost of broadband and the excessive cost
// to host content and develop it and the lost time in inefficiencies.
// if there was smooth delivery, things could be going a lot faster.

Will Your PC Kill the Video Store? Blockbuster sizes up online
movie rentals and adopts the advantages for its own service.
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,115160,00.asp>

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

Nuclear missile allegedly damaged
Web site says Navy called 'broken arrow' aboard Bangor sub
<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/164280_nuke11.html>

	'As the P-I reported in December, the top leadership of the Strategic  
Weapons Facility, Pacific -- responsible for handling intercontinental  
ballistic missiles at Bangor -- was sacked on the spot. Three officers  
have been reassigned and three enlisted men face courts-martial on  
lesser charges....' ... 'So strict are the Navy's protocols for  
handling nuclear weapons that overlooking the smallest details results  
in discipline. The accident immediately shut down the strategic weapons  
facility. Fitzpatrick said the unit's failure to pass a subsequent  
inspection resulted in the firings.'

// it could also be that nuclear threats are more likely in the  
near-term,
// prior to installation of nuclear detection sensors and defense  
measures.
// then again, from what is written, there is no real defense better  
than
// nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful declaration and nuclear  
diplomacy.
// anyone who pulls a nuclear wildcard would be doing so to the entire  
world.
// * last paragraph gives dirty-bomb plan * could this create a new  
threat?

A Nuclear 9/11 By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF // NYT op-ed.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/10/opinion/10KRIS.html>

	'"I wouldn't be at all surprised if nuclear weapons are used over the  
next 15 or 20 years," said Bruce Blair, president of the Center for  
Defense Information,  "first and foremost by a terrorist group that  
gets its hands on a Russian nuclear weapon or a Pakistani nuclear  
weapon."' ... ['Thanks to the ineptitude of hard-liners in Mr. Bush's  
administration']--[see below] '...Then there's Iran, which has sought  
nuclear weapons since the days of the shah, and whose nuclear program  
seems to have public support. "I'm not sure there is a way to get an  
Iranian government to give it up,"  a senior American official said.'  
... 'It's mystifying that the administration hasn't leaned on Pakistan  
to make Dr. Khan available for interrogation to ensure that his network  
is entirely closed. Several experts on Pakistan told me they believe  
that the administration has been so restrained because its top priority  
isn't combating nuclear proliferation — it's getting President Pervez  
Musharraf's help in arresting Osama bin Laden before the November  
election.'

Army to Gates: Halt the free software // rules of engagement.
<http://news.com.com/2100-1012-5171976.html?part=dtx&tag=ntop>

// writer may be asking 'what is cruel & unusual' vs. non-lethal  
weaponry...
// the question may also be if it is indiscimate/crowds, versus  
targeted, too.
// there is an image from sci-fi movies if memory serves, where a noise  
has
// everyone holding their ears in an incapicitated state, as a horrible  
event.

The Pentagon's Secret Scream: Sonic devices that can inflict pain--
or even permanent deafness—are being deployed. // via drudgereport.com
(Source: Los Angeles Times; published March 7, 2004)

	'The device is a powerful megaphone the size of a satellite dish that  
can deliver recorded warnings in Arabic and, on command, emit a  
piercing tone so excruciating to humans, its boosters say, that it  
causes crowds to disperse, clears buildings and repels intruders.'

// wonder if 'personal radar' will become a tool, portable radar to  
locate
// surroundings, unlike GPS from one source, instead from a person's  
POV...

Sandia Sensor Has Potential To Help U.S. Military
Eliminate 'Friendly Fire' During Combat
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040311071943.htm>

	'The sensor, dubbed by the Army as "Athena" - protector of the troops  
- is not a radio transmitter that broadcasts a signal for the aircraft  
to receive. Instead, the sensor creates synthetic radar echoes, so that  
the radar picks up the sensor signal in the same way it picks up radar  
echoes from tanks, trucks, or other objects.' .. 'In general, the radar  
transmits a pulse of energy then looks for the reflections of that  
energy from objects on the ground. The tag sees the radar's transmitted  
pulse and sends it back to the radar, except it adds a little bit of  
data to the reflection (or echo).' .. 'As the radar picks up (or  
receives) reflections from the ground, it recognizes the tag's unique  
data signal and places an icon on the pilot's screen to alert him. The  
project has good system integration between tag and radar, Wells said,  
which is key to making it usable.' .. '"Generally the tag will be  
nearly as accurate in locating a moving tag as it would be in locating  
any other moving object," he said.'

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

// versus 'The Viagra Economy' of stock-market indicators as health...

Green GDP system to debut in 3-5 years // innovative.
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/11/content_1360779.htm>

	'Xu said as the Chinese central leadership is turning to a scientific  
concept of development which calls for an overall, coordinated and  
sustainable development, more Chinese local governments have shown  
great interest in introducing the green GDPconcept into their economic  
development calculation systems.' .. 'Xu said the Chinese government is  
paying more attention to the importance of environment and resources in  
the economic growth. The change can be seen in the NBS's latest  
publication, Statistical Communique of the People's Republic of China  
on the 2003 National Economic and Social Development.' .. 'He said, for  
the first time, the Communique added a special section on resources and  
environment, briefing the influence of economic development on  
resources and environment.' ... 'China is facing the problems of  
over-consumption of resources in pursuit of rapid economic growth, said  
Xu, adding that the pureconcept of GDP fails to reflect the influence  
of economic growth on the resources and environment.' ... 'Xu said at  
the first stage, the NBS plans to adopt the calculation methods the  
United Nations enshrined in its comprehensive environmental economic  
account system.' ... 'The NBS is also working on the "energy resources  
account", which will help calculate consumption of energy resources  
during the economic growth.'

EM-quote: INTERVIEW-U.S. official says trade deficit with Israel too  
high
<http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/ 
story.jsp?id=2004031013580002385760&dt=20040310135800&w=RTR&coview=>

	'[Under Secretary of Commerce Kenneth] Juster also met officials from  
Jawwal Palestinian Communication, the Palestinian mobile phone  
provider.' .. '"In our view they really provide a professional model  
for Palestinian economic development and it's in everyone's interest  
that they succeed in providing jobs for Palestinians," he said.' .. 'As  
such, he urged Israeli customs officials to release mobile phones and  
other telecoms equipment intended for Jawwal.'

// Job's Apple (R) takes on China's apple on the basis of being  
'famous'.
// ...how do you say -no Apple Computers sold here- in  
Cupertino-English?

CHINA: Apple Computer Logo Rejected For Apparel Line // poetic justice.
<http://www.just-style.com/news_detail.asp?art=33250>

	'Apple Computer Inc has been rejected in a bid to register its  
trademark logo for a Chinese clothing range, the China Daily has  
reported.' .. 'As a result, the United States-based computer giant is  
now launching legal action against the Chinese State Administration for  
Industry and Commerce’s trademark appraisal committee, which deemed the  
logo too similar to a clothing trademark registered by Guangdong Apples  
Industrial Co.'

[and] Apple faces claim for unpaid royalties levy on iPod // the  
second-front...
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/10/ 
financial0938EST0045.DTL>


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

With This Rig, I Do Thee Wed  // computerfolk cakemod
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,62598,00.html>


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