~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #94
From
brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Sun, 21 Mar 2004 14:41:27 -0600
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #94
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (3/21/2004)
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-- (lots of interrelated 'top stories'...)
Maybe it was missed, yet I have yet to see in-depth reporting on
any news station about Judge Scalia's refusal for recusal from
the VP Cheney Energy Task Force case. This is so basic an issue
that relates to all others yet it is now as if it does not exist.
Again, if immunity were given to most all energy representatives
involved in the energy task force, it could be a way to go forward
with a focus on the reason for doing so, the integrity of national
security and energy policy and to be able to address the situation.
Right now everything is stuck and nothing is happened, which is a
threat to security of critical infrastructure and other policies.
Integrity in the direction of energy planning is needed immediately.
There is a looming gas/oil crisis, an economy dependent upon it, a
transporation infrastructure unable to adapt to other fuels, there
are effects from massive pollution and inefficiencies, and all of
this could be creatively addressed if only it was a public goal.
Nuclear, coal, oil/gas, hydro, and alternative energies all have
important places- and none should jeopardize larger public policy
to adapt to the changing situation and make the needed changes...
===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------
// outstanding article and buttresses all arguments for a new approach
to
// the energy situation in the .US and worldwide, given the givens. it
is
// possible it is the best economic choice, too, to plan instead of
react.
// the four areas mentioned in the article give a sense of things to
come...
// wonder if two-approaches could co-exist, artificial intelligence at
one
// ends of the grids and rule-based decisions at the other working
together.
// it should be noted: it has been reported that what Enron was trying
to do
// in the energy sector was moving towards such fundamental industry
changes.
// ('virtual utility' of fuel-cell cars in a parking lots as
micropowerplant.)
Building the energy internet // EPRI. microgrids. via sci-tech daily
review ***
Energy: More and bigger blackouts lie ahead, unless today's dumb
electricity grid can be transformed into a smart, responsive and
self-healing digital network—in short, an "energy internet"
<http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/
displayStory.cfm?story_id=2476988&subjectID=348909&emailauth=%25
27%2528P%252E0H%253E%253FTQPX%2520%250A>
'The chief reason for concern is not what the industry calls "poor
vegetation management", even though both of last year's big power cuts
were precipitated by mischievous trees. It will never be possible to
prevent natural forces from affecting power lines. The real test of any
network's resilience is how quickly and intelligently it can handle
such disruptions.' ... '... [T]ransforming today's centralised, dumb
power grid into something closer to a smart, distributed network will
be necessary to provide a reliable power supply—and to make possible
innovative new energy services.' ... 'The good news is that
technologies are now being developed in four areas that point the way
towards the smart grid of the future.....' [on micropower] '... the
grid will be transformed into a digital network capable of handling
complex, multi- directional flows of power. Micropower and megapower
will then work together.' ... '...[hydrogen's] most dramatic impact may
well come in power generation. That is because hydrogen could radically
alter the economics of intermittent sources of green power.'
al-Qaida No. 2: We Have Briefcase Nukes // ~90% complete, the dark wind?
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-al-qaida-
nuclear,0,1305460.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'Osama bin Laden's terror network claims to have bought ready-made
nuclear weapons on the black market in central Asia, the biographer of
al-Qaida's No. 2 leader was quoted as telling an Australian television
station.' .. 'In an interview scheduled to be televised on Monday,
Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir said Ayman al-Zawahri claimed that
"smart briefcase bombs" were available on the black market.' ... '"Dr
Ayman al-Zawahri laughed and he said `Mr. Mir, if you have $30 million,
go to the black market in central Asia, contact any disgruntled Soviet
scientist, and a lot of ... smart briefcase bombs are available,'" Mir
said in the interview.' ... '"They have contacted us, we sent our
people ... and they negotiated, and we purchased some suitcase bombs,"
Mir quoted al-Zawahri as saying.' ... 'Mir describe al-Zawahri as "the
real brain behind Osama bin Laden."'
Quid Pro Quack. By MAUREEN DOWD // public policy as private
Scalia-Cheney.biz
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/21/opinion/21DOWD.html>
'Justice Scalia proffers that while he accepted the vice president's
offer of a ride on Air Force Two to Louisiana for a duck hunting trip,
taking along his son and son-in-law, there was no quid pro quack. "I
never hunted in the same blind as the vice president," he says. No need
for justice to be blind when the blinds are just.'
[and] Ducking Democracy? Scalia's Lessons for Iraqis
Sarah Whalen, Arab News // extremely interesting perspective.
<http://www.arabnews.com/
?page=7§ion=0&article=41596&d=21&m=3&y=2004>
'... Iraqi judges know something Scalia may not — a Hadith of
unimpeachable authenticity teaches that two out of every three judges
are going to hell.' ... 'So imagine Iraqi judges’ perplexity when
Scalia not only refuses to recuse himself from a case in which his
impartiality is now reasonably in doubt, but then publicly mocks those
who dare suggest he should.' ... '...then, he quacked. Just like a
duck.' ... 'Washington State’s Congressman Jim McDermott remarked that
Cheney’s case created "a public energy policy which has led to two
invasions, two occupations" — a direct reference to US Middle East
policy.' .. 'The stakes could not be higher.'
[and] Scalia's ducking of recusal injures court
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/2459352>
'Justice Antonin Scalia is smart, witty and dangerous.' ... 'Scalia's
decision runs counter to both the judicial code (especially the canon
that calls for judges to regulate out-of-court activities "to minimize
the risk of conflict with judicial duties") and federal law (a judge
"shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality
might reasonably be questioned").'
[and] Cheney, energy and Iraq invasion:
Supreme Court to rule on secrecy // *** must read...
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/21/
ING0H5LTDA1.DTL>
'Why has the administration gone to such lengths to avoid disclosing
how it developed its new energy policy?' ... 'Significant evidence
points to the possibility that much more could be revealed than mere
corporate cronyism: The national energy policy proceedings could open a
window onto the Bush administration's decision-making process and
motives for going to war on Iraq.' ... '[Documents from the Task Force
included] maps of Middle East and Iraqi oilfields, pipelines,
refineries and terminals, two charts detailing various Iraqi oil and
gas projects, and a March 2001 list of "Foreign Suitors for Iraqi
Oilfield Contracts," detailing the status of their efforts.' ... 'An
April 2001 report by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and the
[James?] Baker Institute for Public Policy -- commissioned by Cheney to
help shape the new energy policy -- also devoted serious attention to
Iraq.' ... 'There are many other indications that, despite the Bush
administration's repeated and insistent denials, petroleum politics may
have played a crucial role in the U.S. invasion of Iraq.'
// not sure if this is an actual possibility-- yet much of the concern
about
// oil is that it is going to overheat the economic forces, and Kyoto
might
// be a way to bring a balance into the forces which could buffer raw
demand
// with reasonable demand versus environmental and other cultural
costs. it
// is wondered if these events could be beneficial to one another
somehow...
U.N. to Russia: Ratify Kyoto! // this could transform existing dynamics.
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/
0,1283,62737,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3>
'Kyoto will collapse without Russian backing because it must be
ratified by countries accounting for 55 percent of carbon dioxide
emissions by industrialized countries.' .. 'Now backed by states
accounting for 44 percent, the protocol needs Russia's 17 percent to
reach the goal after the withdrawal of the United States with 36
percent. But President Vladimir Putin has expressed worries Kyoto might
limit Russian economic growth.' .. 'Bush's father, ex-President George
Bush, signed up for the climate change Convention at a 1992 Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro and told delegates "we must leave this earth
in better condition than we found it."'
A Chip That Makes Electronics Easier To Use // vs programming
microcontrollers
<http://www.forbes.com/technology/2004/03/18/cx_ah_0318chips.html>
'Amulet's chip solves the problem by putting a complete graphical user
interface on a separate inexpensive chip that can be easily programmed,
and easily connected to most existing microcontroller chips. It's
called the Easy GUI chip, and Amulet sells it as a standalone chip or
installed directly on an LCD screen. Since Amulet is a fabless
semiconductor company that doesn't have its own factory of "fab,"
Singapore's Chartered Semiconductor (nasdaq: CHRT -news -people ) is
building it for Amulet under contract.' .. 'With the Easy GUI chip,
programmers designing their device's look and feel don't have to learn
any complicated programming languages, but instead use standard HTML
and graphic design tools that make the process almost as easy as
building a Web site. Digital images, icons and graphics can be quickly
adapted for display on the LCD screen. And all the interface design can
be done using standard tools from companies like Adobe (nasdaq: ADBE
-news -people ), Macromedia (nasdaq: MACR -news -people ) and Microsoft
(nasdaq: MSFT -news -people ). Simplifying that process saves
development time and lowers production cost.' .. 'The upshot for
consumers: more electronic products with dynamic Windows- or
Macintosh-like GUI interfaces will be showing up in kitchen appliances
or in the car or even at the gasoline pump--all of them made more
easily (and cheaply) than ever before.'
// suggestions for improvement include nuclear diplomacy, sharing
data...
Addressing the Unthinkable, U.S. Revives Study of Fallout
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/19/national/
19NUKE.html?ex=1080277200&en=e0e70d58d50239e4&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE>
'In a secretive effort that began five years ago but whose outlines
are just now becoming known, the government's network of weapons
laboratories is hiring new experts, calling in old-timers, dusting off
data and holding drills to sharpen its ability to do what is
euphemistically known as nuclear attribution or post-event forensics.'
.. 'It is also building robots that would go into an affected area and
take radioactive samples, as well as field stations that would dilute
dangerous material for safe shipment to national laboratories.' ...
'The basic science relies on faint clues — tiny bits of radioactive
fallout, often invisible to the eye, that under intense scrutiny can
reveal distinctive signatures. Such wisps of evidence can help identify
an exploded bomb's type and characteristics, including its country of
origin.' ... 'Having the ability to find out who launched a domestic
nuclear strike, the [NRC] report said, could deter attackers and
bolster threats of retaliation.' ... 'One way of trying to identify a
bomb's origin positively, several experts say, is to match debris
signatures with libraries of classified data about nuclear arms around
the world, including old fallout signatures and more direct
intelligence about bomb types, characteristics and construction
materials.'
Raid rewards soft line by Bush on smuggling:
US anxious to back ally despite nuclear ring
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,2763,1173930,00.html>
'The unprecedented Pakistani offensive against al-Qaida in the Hindu
Kush mountains has coincided with the Bush administration's decision to
ignore long-held suspicions that the government in Islamabad was
involved in a nuclear smuggling ring.' .. 'The timing of the assault -
apparently aimed at capturing al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman
al-Zawahiri - has led to allegations that President George Bush has
struck a deal with President Pervez Musharraf.' .. 'As part of that
deal, the administration's critics argue, General Musharraf would
deliver the al-Qaida leadership in time for the US presidential
elections in November. In return, Pakistan would avoid the sanctions
that would normally be applied against "rogue states" so deeply
implicated in nuclear proliferation.' ... 'To put the stamp on that
pact, the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, announced this week that
Pakistan was to be made a member of America's "major non-Nato ally"
club, a vote of confidence that confers advantages in acquiring
sophisticated weapons.'
// this could also be used as a way to build telecom infrastructure into
// structures, with LED, laser, and IR communications through the
fiber...
Concrete casts new light in dull rooms // images. concrete screen.
thanks *
Light transmitting concrete is set to go on sale later this year.
<http://optics.org/articles/news/10/3/10/1>
<http://optics.org/articles/news/10/3/10/1/concrete3>
'The days of dull, grey concrete could be about to end. A Hungarian
architect has combined the world’s most popular building material with
optical fiber from Schott to create a new type of concrete that
transmits light.'
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
Fires in Manholes, Not a Winter Rarity, Are on the Rise // NYC
(+gaslines)
<http://nytimes.com/2004/03/20/nyregion/20manhole.html>
'In fact, fire officials say the number of fires in manholes is on the
rise, and the ingredients are far from rare.' .. 'Melted snow mixes
with street salt and washes into a manhole. The slushy mix corrodes the
insulation of the underground electrical wires. The insulation slowly
burns, releasing flammable gases. Along comes a spark.' .. 'With each
slushy winter, these basic conditions return to the roughly 90,000
miles of underground electrical wires, more than half of them older
than 30 years.' ... 'On average, about 2,500 total manhole incidents
occur each year. Last winter there were 4,600, Mr. Long said.'
Chip health study on the way // via macsurfer.com
<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8225356.htm>
'Up until the late 1990s, when many chip factories became highly
automated, chip manufacturing workers handled and worked around a host
of chemicals, including benzene, trichloroethylene and arsenic. These
employees work in particle-free ``clean'' rooms, where they wear
full-body ``bunny suits'' and other gear designed so nothing
contaminates silicon wafers.' .. 'The consequences of clean-room work
on employees' health has been the subject of lawsuits filed against IBM
and National Semiconductor of Santa Clara. Both companies have been
sued by former workers who contend they developed cancer from working
around toxic chemicals.'
[and] Tech to study cancer data // via macsurfer.com
Industry to probe risks of exposure in chip-making plants
<http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/a/2004/03/19/
BUG7E5NDR01.DTL>
Teen sunbed ban plan
<http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004131217,00.html>
[and] Experts call for child sunbed ban
Children under 16 should be banned from using sunbeds because
of the risk of cancer in later life, say researchers.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk/newsid_3554000/3554607.stm>
[and] Campaigners Urge Age Limit on Sunbed Use
<http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2677708>
'[Hiom] called for EU-wide guidelines and said all sunbeds made and
sold in Europe should carry a permanent warning setting out the risks.'
.. 'Between 1995 and 2000 cases of malignant melanoma – the potentially
fatal form of skin cancer – increased by 24%.'
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Why software still stinks: // free day-pass. linear software
Programming must change -- but how? At a reunion // *** subject matter
experts
of coding pioneers, answers abound. By Scott Rosenberg //
reverse-architecture
<http://www.salon.com/tech/col/rose/2004/03/19/programmers_at_work/>
'...in the first flush of the personal computer era, the role of
software innovator began to evolve into something more like the grand
American tradition of the basement inventor -- with a dollop of the
huckster on top and, underneath, a deep foundation of idealism.' ...
'If computers are, as it has often been put, "amplifiers for our
brains," then software's limitations cap the volume way too low...' ...
'Finding new ways to think about programming and to make better
software demands a willingness for pioneers to open up their work so
others can learn from it.'
Uranium // via ae-l. relates to depleted uranium (DU) bullets/shells,
also.
<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/uranium.htm>
'How can uranium affect people's health? The greatest health risk
from large intakes of uranium is toxic damage to the kidneys, because,
in addition to being weakly radioactive, uranium is a toxic metal.
Uranium exposure also increases your risk of getting cancer due to its
radioactivity. Since uranium tends to concentrate in specific locations
in the body, risk of cancer of the bone, liver cancer, and blood
diseases (such as leukemia) are increased. Inhaled uranium increases
the risk of lung cancer.'
E-mail usage dropping due to spam
<http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2004Mar/gee20040319024343.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
Security beyond the firewall // patch management
<http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107_2-5175964.html>
Drone Spy Plane Crashes in Afghan Palace
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-karzai-
drone-crash,0,2203456.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
[and] Afghan Aviation Minister Assassinated // non-em-related
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-afghan-
assassination,0,4753680.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
'Shocking' Research Points To Ways To Protect Technology-- Toronto's CN
Tower acts as a lightning laboratory, teaching scientists how to protect
delicate electronic equipment against high-voltage surges, says a new
study.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040317073403.htm>
Putin pledges sweeping tax reform // oil tax
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3550531.stm>
'Oil companies will be required to pay more tax while social tax paid
by Russian employers will be reduced.' ... 'The government says the tax
cuts will be recovered by increasing levies on the oil industry.' ..
'But Mr Putin says the regime for oil companies would be introduced
cautiously so that "it doesn't undermine the energy sector's potential
for growth".' .. 'He said reform was necessary to provide "an economic
breakthrough".' .. 'The World Bank warned last month that Russia may be
overly dependent on oil sales revenue.'
Oil prices stay high one year after Iraq War // interesting overview...
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/19/content_1375106.htm>
'During the buildup of the US-led invasion of Iraq last March, oil
prices raced to 38 dollars a barrel, the highest since the Gulf crisis
in 1990. Later with the fall of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, oil prices
began to fall. Many analysts then predicted that oil prices would
return to 25 dollars a barrel with the recovery of Iraq's oil exports.'
... '... analysts here ... say the most immediate reason for price
surges lies in the decisions of production cuts by the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which supply about a third of the
world's oil.' ... 'Most analysts forecast that global oil market will
see a risingdemand as the United States and China are expected to
continue increasing oil consumption this year.'
U.N. Plans Independent Oil Program Probe
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-un-iraq-
corruption,0,2797939.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'The U.N. chief [Kofi Annan] said in the letter he wants "an
independent, high-level inquiry to investigate the allegations relating
to the administration and management of the program, including
allegations of fraud and corruption."'
---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
// the integrative approach of robitics in creative education...
Robots, fighter planes rule roost here // Ahmedabad, India
<http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=79340>
'Dipak Thanujoam, a final year student of Electrical Engineering,
..is.. the student co-ordinator for the festival. Dipak added, ''The
creativity and talent was always there, but there was no way of
showcasing the ability. This is an attempt to promote the talent as
well as nurture the inherent creativity of our students.'
Dogging Craze Has Brits in Heat // * adult content *
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,62718,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3>
Study Finds Male And Female Brains Respond Differently To Visual Stimuli
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040316072953.htm>
'The fMRI scans revealed significantly higher levels of activation in
the amygdala, which controls emotion and motivation, in the brains of
the male subjects compared to the females, despite the fact that both
males and females expressed similar subjective assessments of their
levels of arousal after viewing the images.'
For Most Africans, Internet Access
Is Little More Than a Pipe Dream //via scitech daily
<http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1079109268.php>
'Throughout the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, access to media is
largely an urban phenomenon. Newspapers and Internet cafes, though
expensive, are available in every African capital; but in rural areas
-- where it is often a struggle to achieve basic health care and
education -- a newspaper is often a luxury, and the Internet is a
distant dream.'
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Wireless internet stumbles ahead
The spread of wi-fi is being hampered by increasing complex and
incompatible
products, an industry body promoting the technology has said.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3549431.stm>
'Computing Which? tested 12 different wireless products and found that
some would not talk to each other, others were far too complicated to
set up and one device could not be tested at all due to technical
problems.' .. '"Setting up a wireless network is more complex than
assembling flat-packed furniture - it shouldn't be," said Jessica Ross,
editor of Computing Which?'
US astronaut's remarks add twist to Great Wall dispute
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/19/content_1374337.htm>
Russia Designers Work on New Spacecraft
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-russia-new-
spacecraft,0,7762464.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
Robots battle to be the best // robolympics
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3551363.stm>
NC State Scientists Develop Breakthrough Internet Protocol
Researchers in North Carolina State University's Department of Computer
Science
have developed a new data transfer protocol for the Internet that makes
today's
high-speed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections seem lethargic.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040316073259.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
Nanoscale Building Blocks Shaped by Electricity: Varying voltage
produces
30 different nanocrystal structures, from nanowires to nanobrushes //
EM-arch
<http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2004-03-19-2>
'"The architectures of the nanocrystals are mainly controlled by
applied voltages," says Zhili Xiao, lead scientist on the project.
"This gives us much greater control over the growth conditions of the
nanocrystals. We were able to create a great variety of structures with
greater convenience and predictability compared with more traditional
methods."'
Slot machine looms large in EU-Microsoft case // via macsurfer.com
<http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/03/19/
slot_machine_looms_large_in_eu_microsoft_case/>
'Windows XP Embedded is sold to manufacturers of relatively
uncomplicated machines such as cash dispensers and cash registers. The
manufacturers use the software to design a scaled-down version of
Windows XP to run their hardware, excluding non-essential functions
like Outlook Express and Media Player.'
New massive subatomic particle created // pentaquark...
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994800>
'Quarks and their anti-matter counterparts come as six different types
called up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top. Several hundred types
of particles, made of different combinations of quark types, have been
produced to date.' ... 'Now an international team called the H1
Collaboration says it may have produced a pentaquark built from two up
quarks, two down quarks, and an anti-charm quark - which is about 10
times as massive as a strange quark.'
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
TiVo Will Die: Three Trends Spell Doom for the Popular Personal Video
Recorder
<http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/ZDM/
tivo_death_commentary_pcmag_040319.html>
New standard would let devices communicate by touch // Near Field
Communications
<http://www.iht.com/articles/510996.html>
'NFC uses a combination of a chip, an antenna and some software to
allow devices to communicate when they are within a few centimeters
range at a cost of a few euros.' ... 'The forum members say NFC is not
meant to replace other wireless means for devices to interact, such as
infrared, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.'
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
N Korea warns on US-led exercises
North Korea has threatened to expand its nuclear weapons programme if
the annual US-led military exercises in South Korea go ahead next week.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3550913.stm>
Mercenary PC game upsets Chinese
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3550089.stm>
'Project IGI2: Covert Strike features a freelance mercenary stealing
intelligence and conducting sabotage in China.' ... 'This is the second
time that a computer game has ruffled feathers in China. Last year, a
game by Electronic Arts called Command and Conquer: Generals upset the
Chinese.' .. 'In the game, a group of international terrorists set up
base in China and fired missiles at the capital, Beijing.'
India riled by US-Pakistan ties: India has expressed disappointment at
a decision by the United States to upgrade its relations with India's
neighbour and rival, Pakistan, without informing India in advance.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3552629.stm>
'While here, Mr Powell said Indian/American ties, including military
ones, were perhaps better than ever before.' .. 'But Saturday's frosty
statement said he had not shared with Delhi this new decision on
Pakistan.' .. 'It comes as India prepares for general elections in a
month's time.'
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
America's Chip Crusade
<http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2004/mft04031919.htm>
'The U.S. claims the policy discriminates against American chip
makers. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) agreed, saying in
a statement issued Thursday that competition with China must take place
on a "fair playing field."' .. 'Yesterday's announcement brings what
appears to be lingering tension to a head. Reached for an interview
this morning, an SIA spokesperson cited how American semiconductor
designers and makers are also steamed about WAPI. Yep, you read that
right. Otherwise known as Wired Authentication and Privacy
Infrastructure, WAPI is a standard endorsed by the Chinese government
for making chips for wireless Internet devices.'
[and] US request of chip consultation in WTO "beyond understanding"
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-03/19/content_1375315.htm>
'China levies a 17 percent value-added tax on imported chips.
Domestic producers also are subject to the tax but qualify for rebates
of as much as 14 percent. Some US manufacturers said it discriminates
against foreign firms.' .. 'But Chinese semiconductor industry experts
said the discrimination charge was groundless because China's rebates
policy is open to all companies willing to set up manufacturing
operations in China.'
[and] China puzzled over US tax complaint
<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/19/content_316453.htm>
'The dispute between the world's largest economy, the US, and the
world's sixth-largest, China, has erupted amid efforts at the
Geneva-based WTO to revive the latest round of global trade talks,
which collapsed last September.' ... '"Widening conflict between both
major countries will not be good for global trade," WTO Director
General Supachai Panitchpakdi told reporters in Bangkok on Friday.'
// this gets at the issue of data management and the value of usable
// versus unusable information, even if only in terms of corporate-style
// productivity gains and losses (time=money). the 'relational
database',
// in contrast to the GUI operating systems, actually handles 'content'
and
// not just navigation and storage- in that they can be related in
multipe
// ways, organized and viewed in multiple ways, and, potentially,
clarified
// as to reasons for the hunting-gathering or collecting-archiving of
data.
Information overload and its discontents // ** true belief in 'bigger
is better'
<http://news.com.com/2010-7343_3-5175540.html>
'Easily overlooked is the fact that the boom was a one-off event. The
unique combination of the Year 2000 bug buildup, the Internet explosion
and the telecommunications bubble is not likely to repeat during our
lifetime.' ... 'My question is: How much more "productive" can we
reasonably become, when most tools are still too difficult to fully
master?'
Are oil stocks too slick? -- Driller and oil services stocks
have rallied along with crude prices. Have they gotten too hot?
<http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/19/markets/oil_stocks/>
'"Higher demand in China, OPEC's actions to constrain supply, the
falling dollar, the notion of potential supply disruption due to
activities in Iraq, concerns about motor gasoline -- all of this has
contributed to investor perception that oil prices are going to stay
high and that companies in the sector will benefit," said Brad Handler,
an oilfield services analyst at Blaylock & Partners. "So investors have
bid up a number of stocks. With valuations where they are, we think the
sector as a whole has gotten pricey in the short-term."' ... 'How a
possible slide in oil prices would impact the stock prices is also up
for debate.'
Lawsuit alleges Apple retail impropriety;
product invoices raise accounting questions
By Nick dePlume , Publisher and Editor in Chief
<http://www.thinksecret.com/news/retailaccounting.html>
Shell denies auditor refused to sign accounts
<http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/newswire/2004/03/21/rtr1306358.html>
Saudi Arabia Worried by High Oil Prices //...what if there is no
'seasonal drop'
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=4613253§ion=news>
'Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in an interview he did not yet
know whether strong oil prices would lead the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries to delay its pact to cut supplies by one
million barrels per day from April.' .. '"We too are worried about
prices but we also look at fundamentals of demand," Naimi told Il Sole
24 Ore.' .. '"I am convinced there are two reasons for such a high
price -- the reduced quantity of petrol in America and speculators
who are convinced there is going to be a lack of crude."' .. 'Naimi,
oil minister of the world's largest crude exporter, would not predict
the outcome of the cartel's meeting on March 31 in Vienna.'
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
Fun with USB ports: Now you can plug ashtrays, noodle cookers
and even rubber duckies into your USB ports. // via macsurfer.com
<http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/19/technology/personaltech/
bc.column.pluggedin.reut/>
Edison's Eve: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life
<http://cla.uconn.edu/reviews/Edison.html>
'Gaby Wood's perspective is insightful. She sees Thomas Edison's
talking doll project as an effort to reproduce human-like offspring via
the assembly line. To her, early motion picture pioneer George Melies
and his contemporaries were seeking to capture and manipulate human
life through a machine...'
[and] BOOK REVIEW: ''Edison's Eve'' by Gaby Wood
<http://www.startribune.com/stories/385/3234782.html>
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