~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #100
From
brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Tue, 13 Apr 2004 00:22:39 -0500
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #100
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (4/13/2004)
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-- urls...
===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------
Sicilian Blazes Put Science to the Test // ***
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=572&u=/nm/20040405/lf_nm/
life_italy_fires_dc_3&printer=1>
'A series of spontaneous fires started in mid-January in the town of
Canneto di Caronia in about 20 houses. After a brief respite last
month, the almost daily fires have flared up again -- even though
electricity to the village was cut off.' ... 'From the start, Gabriele
Amorth, one of the Catholic Church's exorcists, suspected the devil was
at work.' .. '"I've seen things like this before," he told Il
Messaggero daily. "Demons occupy a house and appear in electrical
goods," he said, urging the parish priest to take action.' ... 'Two
fire trucks and a police jeep sit at the entrance of Canneto on alert
for the next blaze while a van with a large, rotating antennae on top
measures the radio waves.' .. 'A host of three-legged instruments to
monitor geomagnetic, meteorological, electromagnetic and electrostatic
indicators sit in apartments and next to lemon trees in the gardens.
Colored markings on the street indicate the presence of volcano
experts.' ... 'The hypotheses now range from a build-up of electrical
energy caused by grounding wires running off the railway to a rare
"natural phenomenon" in which surges of electricity rise from the
earth's core.'
Supreme Court to release audio tapes from terror, Cheney cases // ***
all-ears
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/04/08/scotus.tapes/>
'The unusual arrangement announced this week will allow the public to
quickly hear all or parts of the legal arguments in cases testing the
power of the executive branch.' ... 'The following week, the justices
will hear an unrelated appeal from Cheney in an executive privilege
case involving his refusal to turn over documents related to an energy
policy task force he headed in 2001. Arguments are scheduled for 10
a.m. ET April 27.' .. 'The justices will decide whether separation of
powers gives the executive branch the right to refuse to disclose
internal government discussions and information. A lawsuit claims
Cheney made improper contacts with energy industry lobbyists when
developing government policy.'
Putin Calls for Demilitarization of Space
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-russia-
space,0,2306922.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'Putin and other Russian officials said after the test that the
development of new weapons wasn't aimed against the United States, but
most observers viewed the move as Moscow's retaliation to the U.S.
missile defense program.' .. '"For many years, space has been part of
military-political rivalry," Putin said Monday. "Now we must do
everything to demilitarize space and turn it into the arena of peaceful
cooperation."' .. 'But he added that despite Russia's push for peaceful
use of space, it still is and will likely remain an arena of the arms
race.' .. '"We will be striving to prevent space from being an arena of
military-political confrontation, but we all understand very well that
this situation still exists now and will continue to exist for quite a
long time," Putin said. "We are taking it into account and will
continue to take that into consideration in the future."'
China's Premier Orders Halt to a Dam Project Threatening a Lost Eden
<http://nytimes.com/2004/04/09/international/asia/09DAMS.html>
'In a written instruction, the news reports said, Mr. Wen ordered
officials to conduct a major review of the hydropower project, which
calls for a 13-stage dam. Environmentalists consider the Nu, which
rises in Tibet and flows 1,750 miles through Yunnan Province between
the Mekong and Yangtze, one of the last pristine rivers in Asia. Its
upper reaches flow through a canyon region so rich in biodiversity that
a United Nations agency last year declared it a World Heritage Site.'
.. '"We should carefully consider and make a scientific decision about
major hydroelectric projects like this that have aroused a high level
of concern in society, and with which the environmental protection side
disagrees," Mr. Wen wrote, said Ming Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper.'
North Korea says standoff with US at "brink of nuclear war" // VP
Cheney.
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/040409/1/3jdy5.html>
[and] Cheney to Promote Nuke Reactors to China // see above.
<http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0404/138456.html>
[and] Pakistani Tells of North Korean Nuclear Devices //
drudgereport.com
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/13/politics/13NUKE.html>
'Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistani scientist who sold nuclear
technology around the world, has told his interrogators that during a
trip to North Korea five years ago he was taken to a secret underground
nuclear plant and shown what he described as three nuclear devices,
according to Asian and American officials who have been briefed by the
Pakistanis.' ... 'White House officials declined to discuss the
intelligence reports, saying through a spokesman that the subject was
"too sensitive." But Vice President Dick Cheney was briefed on Dr.
Khan's assertions before he left for Asia over the weekend, and he is
expected to cite the intelligence to China's leaders on Tuesday to
press the point that talks over disarming North Korea are going too
slowly, administration officials said. They expect him to argue that
the Bush administration is losing patience and may seek stronger
action, including sanctions.' ... 'Mr. Bush's aides say that they are
making progress, and that there is no use publicly denouncing North
Korea while diplomacy continues. If the country already has a few
nuclear weapons, they say, a few more would not make a strategic
difference.'
Quick Departure From Iraq Could Be Worse // oil-quote...
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iraq-no-way-
out,0,7607266.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'Bad as things are in Iraq, a quick U.S. departure would make them
worse -- encourage terrorists, set the stage for civil war, send oil
prices spiraling and ruin U.S. credibility throughout the Middle East.'
... 'An American flight from Iraq would ... leave a power vacuum in a
strategic Middle Eastern country with the world's second-largest proven
petroleum reserves.' ... 'Shiite militancy in the south could spread
throughout the Persian Gulf, especially to Shiite communities in Saudi
Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province. Unrest in Iraq would delay the day
when it could become a leading oil producer -- adding to the upward
pressure on world oil prices.' .. '"Two-thirds of the proven oil
reserves of the world are in the Persian Gulf," Cole said. "It is not a
place the U.S. can afford to have fall into chaos."'
// note: gas-tax. in addition, cars may subsidize itself by rising oil
prices.
Ford CEO says government help needed to boost fuel-efficient purchases
<http://www.canada.com/montreal/story.asp?id=197CA591-E3B9-4F4C-BD69-
4A56400FF567>
'Ford Motor Co. chairman and chief executive Bill Ford Jr. says the
government should offer $3,000 tax breaks or possibly boost taxes on
gasoline to spur U.S. consumer interest in gasoline-electric hybrid
vehicles.' ... 'He also mentioned his past support of an additional tax
on gas, which he said would make fuel economy "a purchase motivation
for the customer." But he said he wasn't prepared to say now how big a
tax hike might be appropriate and acknowledged such a tax increase
"doesn't have legs" in the political arena.' .. '"I'd like to get
either federal or state and local help ... and I think it's the
responsible thing to do," he said. "If the federal government really
wants to encourage this kind of behavior - and they should - then
that's a way they can clearly help."'
DRUDGEREPORT: BIRD ON WIRE THROWS AIRLINE SYSTEM IN CHAOS //
drudgereport.com
<http://drudgereport.com/flash2.htm>
'bird standing on an electric line caused a two-second power outage at
the Los Angeles International Airport control tower Monday, delaying
nearly 100 commercial jets as technicians scrambled to bring the
equipment back on line, the LOS ANGELES TIMES reports on Tuesday.' ..
'The 9:38 a.m. outage occurred when the bird touched a power pole
adjacent to the airport, sending 34.5 kilovolts through its body. The
jolt momentarily cut off power at the control tower and administration
building before the circuit restarted.' .. 'Developing...'
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
// the only thing about this in terms of 'i think, therefore...' is
that,
// once programmed the brain may atrophy certain other related
functions,
// in that the issues of doubt and questions and thinking may not go
along
// with hardwiring responses to certain impulses that may mindmap
meaning,
// yet also possibly create blocks to other experiences, or so it
seems...
With Tiny Brain Implants, Just Thinking May Make It So // gated
brainscape
<http://nytimes.com/2004/04/13/health/13BRAI.html>
'Can a machine read a person's mind? A medical device company is about
to find out.' .. 'The company, Cyberkinetics Inc., plans to implant a
tiny chip in the brains of five paralyzed people in an effort to enable
them to operate a computer by thought alone.' .. 'The implants, part of
what Cyberkinetics calls its BrainGate system, could eventually help
people with spinal cord injuries, strokes, Lou Gehrig's disease or
other ailments to communicate better or even to operate lights and
other devices through a kind of neural remote control.' ... 'Devices
have long been implanted in the brains of patients with Parkinson's
disease to deliver pulses of electricity that reduce tremors and
rigidity.' .. 'But systems like BrainGate do not deliver current.' ..
'Instead, they listen to the electrical signals produced by the brain's
neurons as they work. The aim is to discern a pattern of neuronal
activity indicating the intention to initiate a particular physical
movement.' ... 'To implant the chip, a small hole will be cut in the
patient's skull, above the ear. The chip, which measures about 2
millimeters (or just under one-tenth of an inch) square, will be
placed on the surface of the brain at the motor cortex, which controls
movement.' .. 'The electrodes, which are like spikes protruding from
the chip's surface, will extend into the brain to a depth of 1
millimeter.'
Worry over radiation from electricity cable
<http://www.thisishertfordshire.co.uk/news/barnet/
display.var.479003.0.worry_over_radiation_from_electricity_cable.php>
To Read the Menu, Baby Boomers Turn to Eye Treatments
<http://nytimes.com/2004/04/11/business/11EYE.html>
'Biology and vanity are collaborating to make vision correction
techniques a boom market, as some 78 million aging Americans seem
intent on seeing well but looking good. Granny glasses? Grandpa's
bifocals? Not for them. Offer them the option of paying $1,500 for a
three-minute remedy and the eyeglasses are gone.' ... 'Unlike Lasik,
the popular laser surgery, conductive keratoplasty procedures do not
involve using lasers to change the shape of the eye. Instead, a tiny
instrument applies radio waves in a circular pattern on the outer
cornea, shrinking small areas of collagen, a fibrous protein found in
connective tissue, bone and cartilage. The treatment increases the
cornea's curvature, improving near vision.'
// curious what could be deduced if the brain reacted to letters and
numbers
// instead of just letters, when they look alike and-or different.
also, in
// relation to dyslexia this could be a way of testing pattern
recognitions...
// (for example: 9g, 6g, 96, 3E, 1I, 7L, 8B, else 3E, 5S, 0O, or just,
bdpd...)
Mental Abilities: Peering Into a Math Whiz's Brain // organized
architecture...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/13/health/13ADOL.html>
'The findings, [Dr. Michael W. O'Boyle] said, also suggest that this
difference does not lie in the overdevelopment of a specific
mathematical region of the brain. Rather, it seems related to an
ability to use more of the resources the brain has available.' ..
'Earlier research on math whizzes found that they were usually male,
left-handed and possibly better at using both hemispheres of the brain
to process information, according to the report, in the journal
Neuropsychology.' ... 'The subjects were asked to determine if a pair
of letters flashing on a screen were the same or different.'
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Clear Skies No More for Millions as Pollution Rule Expands // **
<http://nytimes.com/2004/04/13/national/13AIR.html>
'More than half the nation's population lives in or around areas that
violate clean air standards, according to a list to be released on
April 15 by the federal government.' ... 'On April 15, the
Environmental Protection Agency will release a list of about 500
counties that violate or contribute to violations of ground-level
ozone, more than double the number listed under older standards.
Ground-level ozone, which is odorless and invisible, is a major
component of smog on hot summer days. Prolonged exposure causes the
equivalent of sunburn to the lungs.' .. 'Many states and locales are
reviewing strategies that would intimately affect how people live —
from cutting speed limits by 5 miles per hour, to discouraging house
painting during summer months, to giving tax breaks to businesses that
encourage telecommuting.'
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
EM-headline: Madrid bomb suspects 'phoned Britain before blowing
themselves up'
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article/0,2763,1190274,00.html>
'Fresh links between last month's Madrid bomb attacks and Britain
emerged yesterday after it was reported that terror suspects telephoned
Britain shortly before blowing themselves up 10 days ago.'
Spy agency launches recruiting campaign
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/04/10/nsa/>
'The [National Security Agency], an element of the Defense Department
based at Fort Meade in Maryland, conducts electronic wiretapping and
signals gathering for foreign intelligence purposes.'
Tracking the blackout bug // not cyberterrorism. via wirednews...
<http://www.securityfocus.com/news/8412>
'A number of factors and failings came together to make the August
14th northeastern blackout the worst outage in North American history.
One of them was buried in a massive piece of software compiled from
four million lines of C code and running on an energy management
computer in Ohio.' ... '... over a dozen of task force's 46
recommendations for preventing future outages across North America are
focused squarely on cyberspace.' ... 'In the end, it turned out that a
computer snafu actually played a significant role in the cascading
blackout -- though it had nothing to do with viruses or cyber
terrorists. A silent failure of the alarm function in FirstEnergy's
computerized Energy Management System (EMS) is listed in the final
report as one of the direct causes of a blackout that eventually cut
off electricity to 50 million people in eight states and Canada.' ...
'After the alarm function crashed in FirstEnergy's controls center,
unprocessed events began to cue up, and within half-an-hour the EMS
server hosting the alarm process folded under the burden, according to
the blackout report. A backup server kicked-in, but it also failed.
By the time FirstEnergy operators figured out what was going on and
restarted the necessary systems, hours had passed, and it was too late.'
New Intel Chips Ensure Better Security // via NewsScan...
<http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040412/D81T8V2G0.html>
'Intel's PXA27x processors, announced Monday at a conference in
Taiwan, contain a security "engine" that's on the same piece of silicon
but separated from the area where general processing takes place. The
engine also has access to secure memory.' ... 'Carriers, for instance,
can secure the software that boots up a phone, making it next to
impossible for hackers to tweak the device and cause trouble.' ..
'"Carriers want to be able to identify the handset on the network. They
want to make sure nobody is doing anything malicious with that
handset," said Dave Rogers, Intel's wireless marketing manager.'
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
Power remains out at top Las Vegas Strip hotel-casino // via
drudgereport.com
<http://www.lasvegassun.com/drudged/041210781.html>
'He said thousands of feet of cable would have to be replaced before
the posh hotel could reopen Tuesday morning at the earliest, adding
other lines were damaged after the failure.' .. 'A Nevada Power
spokesman called the outage an internal problem at the megaresort. Both
Nevada Power and hotel engineers were investigating.' .. 'Feldman said
the power failure caused surveillance cameras to shut down but a
priceless collection of Monet paintings on display were safe. There
were no reported injuries or thefts.'
French power workers cut electricity // ~wild cuts
<http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2004/04/08/414144-ap.html>
'Striking French power workers switched off street lights and cut
electricity to homes Thursday to protest against plans to partially
privatize public utilities.' .. 'Even the famed Chateau de Versailles
lost power. National protests by power and gas workers marked the first
major trade union challenge to the conservative government since it was
reshuffled last week. Electricite de France and Gaz de France employees
marched in Paris, with smaller rallies in other cities, to protest
against plans to sell stock in the state-owned power and gas
utilities....'
China eyes Russian electricity imports
<http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=669667&PageNum=0>
'On Friday a Chinese delegation from the Heilongjiang power utility
visited the Bureya hydropower plant to probe possible deliveries. The
distance from the plant to the nearest power substation in Heilongjiang
province is only 300 kilometers.'
18% spike in electricity rates // .NY
<http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-
lifree083745752apr08,0,1817833.story?coll=ny-li-span-headlines>
'The new plant replaces one built in 1968 that used sulfur-heavy
diesel fuel, which spewed fumes prompting complaints from its neighbors
in and outside the village.'
[and] Xcel may boost electricity rates in 2005 // ~8% co.us
<http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2073887,00.html>
Brazil's Regulator Grants 19% Rate Increase for Cemig Utility
<http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/
news?pid=10000086&sid=aX_v0XeEkdb0&refer=latin_america>
China's electricity gap dims growth prospects
<http://www.iht.com/articles/513962.html>
// writer/thinker Lewis Mumford made a unique case for the relevance of
mining
// and mining technologies in relation to resulting events as they
exist with
// technology. it is still a mystery what exactly this was meant to
say, if it
// was the technological aspect, of living underground, of the danger
involved,
// of extracting resources at the interface between nature, humans, &
machines,
// or in some way encapsulates the full spectrum of obtaining hi-tech
living...
// that at these perilous depths and dangers the world above ground is
built...
// also, there is apparently an excellent exhibit on mining at
Chicago's museum.
Russia mine blast leaves 20 dead
At least 20 miners have died and dozens more are trapped underground
after an apparent gas explosion in a mine in Russia, officials say.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3615515.stm>
// it is interesting to see how countries electric supply-demand grids
relate.
Turkmenistan doubles electricity export to Turkey
<http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=675219&PageNum=0>
'In addition to Turkey, Turkmenistan also supplies electricity on a
long-term basis to Afghanistan and Iran.'
some headline samples from google news alerts:
ELECTRICITY supply disrupted in south Delhi
Times of India - India
TURKMENISTAN to increase electricity exports to Turkey through ...
(Iran)
Interfax - Turkmenistan
BELARUS to raise price of electricity exported to Poland
ITAR-TASS - Moscow,Russia
SOUTHERN African electricity producers, distributors meet in ...
Xinhua - China
SMALL power producers gridlocked in electricity market
New Zealand Herald - Auckland,New Zealand
[and] 'OPEN access' to electricity stressed // economics &
e-infrastructure...
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/610398.cms>
'Even as our country strives to achieve over 8 per cent growth rate in
near future, the key to achieving this target lies with availability,
portfolio quality and reliable infrastructure services at competitive
prices.' .. 'Among the key infrastructure services, electricity is one
of the most important.'
---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
Electricity kills two, several others injured // Lagos
<http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/nationalx/nr309042004.html>
Necedah teen says mother forced her to wear electric dog collar //
(child abuse)
<http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/politics/
8388185.htm>
Internet cafe fined in deaths of gamers
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2004/04/09/cafe/>
'Chinese authorities have fined an Internet cafe after two teenagers
spent more than 48 hours playing an online video game, then fell asleep
on a railroad track and were killed by a train, the government's Xinhua
News Agency reported Thursday.'
Police: Skilling was acting erratically // .US energy policy/task force
member?
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2004/04/10/skilling/>
'A police spokesman says Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling was acting
erratically and was taken into custody. Skilling's lawyer charges that
his client and his wife were assaulted by two men and called police for
help. "Mr. Skilling asked several passing cab drivers to call for the
police after he and his wife were followed and harassed by two men, who
questioned him about Enron and refused to answer when Mr. Skilling
asked whether they were FBI agents," said Skilling's lawyer, Bruce
Hiler.' ... 'The police source said Skilling ran up to patrons at two
bars and pulled open their clothes.' .. '"He was shouting at them,
'You're an FBI agent and you're following me,"' the source said.' ..
'The source added that Skilling allegedly did the same thing to people
on the street. He was with his wife at the time, and was described as
being intoxicated and highly uncooperative when he was approached by
police, the source said.'
Scalia Apologizes for Seizure of Reporters' Audio // e-mediated 'free'
speech...
<http://209.11.49.220/eandp/news/
article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000485311>
'"The electronic media in the past respected my First Amendment right
not to speak on radio or television when I do not wish to do so, and I
am sure that courtesy will continue," Scalia wrote.'
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Coming soon: The smut-free DVD // ~self-censoring technology~
American cinephiles will soon be able to enjoy their movies without
sex, violence, swearing - indeed, without any of the interesting bits.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3611969.stm>
[and] Howard Stern Dropped After FCC Threat
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=513&u=/ap/20040408/
ap_on_go_ot/fcc_howard_stern_9&printer=1>
'"Mr. Stern's show has created a great liability for us and other
broadcasters who air it," said John Hogan, president of Clear Channel
Radio. "The Congress and the FCC ( news -web sites ) are even beginning
to look at revoking station licenses. That's a risk we're just not
willing to take."' ... 'Federal law bars radio stations and
over-the-air television channels from airing references to sexual and
excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be
tuning in. The rules do not apply to cable and satellite channels or
satellite radio.' ... 'Stern has charged on the air that he's being
punished for his criticism of President Bush ( news -web sites ). Clear
Channel's political action committee and its employees have given
$265,800 to Republicans for the 2004 election, more than any other
broadcaster, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a
nonpartisan research group.'
how a standard doorbell chime works // solenoid animation...
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/animation36.htm>
EM-headline: Bush, in Crawford, calls leaders // telephone calls.
Russian scientists plan to send men to Mars // humor? what about robots?
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/10/content_1411528.htm>
'``Both US and Russian experts have estimated that the Mars project
costs around a trillion dollars. How can they launch this with so
little money?'' Gorbunov said.' .. 'Alexandrov didn't explain how his
firm would raise the funds, but said one of the reasons he thought such
a mission would be profitable was it could involve a ``reality''
television show.'
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
Refining Semiconductors, One Atom at a Time
<http://nytimes.com/2004/04/08/technology/circuits/08next.html>
'... a physicist has succeeded in controlling doping precisely at the
atomic level. Michael F. Crommie, a professor of physics of the
University of California at Berkeley, has attached single dopant atoms,
one by one, to single molecules, thereby custom-tailoring their
electronic properties.' .. 'The work is significant because of the
tight control it offers, possibly in designing molecules that will in
the future become single circuit elements.'
Diagram of Wm. Safire's Chemistry of the Middle East // Wednesday,
April 07 2004
<http://uggabugga.blogspot.com/
2004_04_04_uggabugga_archive.html#108136027781316270>
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
Is 'nanotech' label overused? // nanostyle...
<http://news.com.com/2100-1006_3-5189785.html>
'The term "nanotechnology" comes from the nanometer, which is
one-billionth of a meter. Nanoscale measurements are used to describe
molecules and their behavior. One nanometer is roughly the diameter of
10 hydrogen atoms, and many of the smallest components of everyday
products, like the transistors in microchips, are measured in
nanometers.' .. 'The world of viruses, proteins and drug interactions
can also be measured on a nanoscale. The most liberal use of
"nanotechnology" encompasses all technology that operates below the
threshold of 1,000 nanometers, or one micron.'
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
EM-related quote from: Chinese hostages in Iraq 'freed'
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3620839.stm>
'Soon after news of the releases broke, reports emerged of further
abductions. Unconfirmed reports say 11 Russians have been seized in
Baghdad.' .. 'The Arab TV station al-Jazeera said a Russian oil company
official had told it that 11 of the firm's employees had been
kidnapped.' .. 'The station did not say when they were taken.'
// thought this might be a dual-use backup plan for some global missile
defense
// though it seems to not fit that category. curious if lasers, solar
winds,
// grappling-hook or anchor satellites might change galactic boulder's
course.
Dangerous space rocks under watch: Asteroid protection plan proposed
//drudge
<http://cnn.space.printthis.clickability.com/pt/
cpt?action=cpt&title=CNN.com+-+Dangerous%A0space+rocks+under+watch+-
+Apr+8%2C+2004&expire=&urlID=9865728&fb=Y&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2
F2004%2FTECH%2Fspace%2F04%2F08%2Fspace.collision.reut%2Findex.html%23&pa
rtnerID=2018>
'If an asteroid was confirmed to be on a catastrophic collision course
with Earth, the experts said it would take about 30 years to get ready
to do anything about it.' .. '"The Space Shuttle's main engines and the
fuel contained in the large external tank could successfully deflect a
1 kilometer object if it were applied about 20 years in advance," of a
projected collision, Griffin said.' .. 'Using a nuclear bomb might make
matters worse because the pieces of the blown-up asteroid would stay in
the same orbit and eventually come back together again.'
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
Oil Surges; U.S. Fuel Demand Saps Supplies
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=4789110>
'Prices have surged about 8 percent in the last three days.' .. '"The
stocks turned expectations on their heads, flipping market sentiment
from slightly bearish to bullish in nanoseconds," Societe Generale
wrote in a note. "The key is the near-feverish demand for gasoline and
diesel."'
[and] Energy Dept. sees summer gas price hike // .US
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/04/08/gas_hike/>
'... Caruso warned that prices could be substantially higher in some
parts of the country and that unforeseen problems with refineries or
pipelines could cause price spikes.'
Yahoo! Results Reveal Trends Behind Recovery
<http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3337701>
Indian IT Firm Opens U.S. Consulting Arm
<http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3338121>
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
// thinking lately about the symbolism of telephone poles and found
this:
Faulkner's Distorted Crucifix: Wood Imagery in ~Light in August~
Allen Frye, College of Charleston // ~distorted image of the wooden
cross~
<http://www6.semo.edu/cfs/tfn_online/light_frye.htm>
'... the Christian parallels cannot be ignored and must function for
some firm purpose if we believe Faulkner to be a worthwhile artist.
Upon perusal of the Christian parallels, they do, in fact, lead to a
discrepancy worthy of exploring that, as yet, has been seldom noted. If
Light in August has enough surface parallels to warrant the claim of a
direct parallel in both theme and action to the Gospel of John, then
where, in Light in August, is the crucifix, the most important symbol
of Christianity?3 Faulkner himself would not have been one to leave out
such a significant "tool" in his writing. The "mythical method" which
he employed assumes not leaving out important symbols or giving them
only small mention, but using them, distorting them even.' ... 'The
last chapter of the novel concludes its use of wood imagery. Lena, who
has not been a part of Christmas' wooden world, now rides with a
furniture repairman, a wooden repairman. The shift to the repairman's
point of view, a conspicuous shift at the end of a novel, perhaps
suggests that the narration will "repair" or conclude Christmas'
crucifixion. And indeed, Lena's and Christmas' stories come together
through the wood imagery. Lena looks out from the truck, "watching the
telephone poles and the fences passing like it was a circus parade"
(444). Christmas has already been referred to as looking "more lonely
than a lone telephone pole in the middle of the desert" (99).
Typically, Lena's narration does not call attention to poles, planks,
or posts of any kind. It is only after Christmas is dead that Lena
notices the cross-like images. This would seem to suggest not only that
she is perhaps a Virgin Mary figure carrying a Christ figure inside
her, but also that she herself is the resurrected "life" after Christ's
(Christmas') crucifixion. It seems highly possible in a novel which so
skillfully distorts the Crucifix that the process of Christ's death and
resurrection could also be distorted. Ironically, however, Lena (life)
exists simultaneously with Christmas (death), but never meets him
because within the context of the New Testament resurrection comes only
after death. In turn, Lena and Christmas never meet because it would be
illogical for the Virgin Mary figure to meet her baby while she is
carrying her baby. The emphasis at the end of the novel (and the
beginning) is undoubtedly on life, suggesting through Lena's attention
paid to passing telephone poles that life exists and continues while
Christ figures are crucified.'
// here's an actual telephone pole that is used as a cross at a church.
it is
// the only one ever seen that uses an actual pocked-wood of electrical
poles,
// yet it is extremely tall (which some are, myabe pine?) from regional
forests.
electrical cross-arm pole as cross symbol
<http://www.electronetwork.org/temp/epolecross.jpg>
<http://www.electronetwork.org/temp/epolecrossstreet.jpg>
[and] Telephone Pole Tree sculpture // as cross...
<http://www.hwb.com/gruhn/sculpture/sculpture.html>
'... Short, the red arm draws attention to itself and its off axis
behaviour. Just enough to punctuate, anchor even, without dominating.'
.. 'The off axis behaviour of the red arm is a hint that there are
other directions, planes, frames of reference that exist in three space
that are not within the strict bounds of this constructions.' .. 'The
red arm also completes an inherent reference of the overall structure
to the Crucifixion and the Russian Cross. The white arms alone suggest
the classic Russian Cross and red arm, by skewing beyond the structural
rules of the white elements declares itself to be other than the Cross.
Of course, that which is on the cross but is not of the cross must be
the crucified - wounded, listing, bloody.'
// here are religious sculptures made from bottoms of wooden utility
poles...
[and] Perfected Praise - Billy Riddle's Christ-centered Sculpture // ***
<http://www.mckenziebanner.com/2002/2002_features/
feature_Jun5_02_BillyRiddle.htm>
'Riddle found in sculpture healing for his troubled mind. Using
hand-held pneumatic rotary die grinders, he coaxes from the cast-off
end of utility poles various interpretations of Christ - walking on
water, enduring the crucifixion, the trinity caught within the confines
of Jesus as man.' ... 'Through his sculpture, Riddle seeks to inspire
in a way that is not limited or confused by the perceptions imposed by
language. "Everybody has his own philosophy," he says. "This, being
visual, exceeds words; it will say to people what it needs to say
instead of what I want it to say. It is, in a sense, kind of a
perfected praise."' .. 'Even his choice of medium has meaning: He
explains in reverential tones, "I see that tree cut down for the
purpose of making telephone poles, then they chunked off these ends -
pieces of wood that are worthless. They're so full of poison bugs won't
eat them. To think of finding God in something that appears to have no
worth at all is inspiring."' .. 'The very poison that turns hungry bugs
away from the creosote-soaked wood has convinced Riddle to stop using
the poles in favor of wood cured on the stump, after reading OSHA's
guidelines regarding the hazardous chemicals in telephone poles.'
// following on the work in 'learning from Las Vegas' on the impact of
// signage on street-based infrastructures and aspects of speed, here
are images
// of a community center and different church using LED signs for
speeding cars.
churchsign1.jpg
<http://www.electronetwork.org/temp/churchsign1.jpg>
<http://www.electronetwork.org/temp/signage.jpg>
// since the 'circuit benders' musical instruments have been thinking
about
// the human system as a circuit which, when short-circuited, is in
some way
// analogous to idiosyncracies in how a 'normal' system works, which
none are
// perfect so it may be an average or idealized system which works
perfectly.
// such as, speech impediments may be a type of circuit issue, so might
those
// encounters with romantic love, or the reflex to toxic environments,
which
// may inform or compose a human's behavior for coping with changed
circuitry.
Bioelectromagnetism: discrete interpretations // abstract. via
syndicate...
<http://www.extenza-eps.com/extenza/
loadHTML?articleId=18693&objectIDValue=18693&type=abstract>
'The ancient concept of the magnetic and electric properties of the
human body dates back thousands of years. Recorded accounts of
biomagnetism, bioelectricity and magnetic therapy show an
often-controversial history. Contemporary understanding of
biomagnetism, based on the interaction of living organism with
electromagnetic fields led to the new discipline of
bioelectromagnetism: the study of electromagnetic phenomena within and
between biological systems. Due to recent, groundbreaking research new
paradigms are emerging linked to consciousness-related phenomena. While
bioscientific interest in magnetism is concerned directly with the
anatomy and functions of the human body, related art projects tend
focus on the invisible energies surrounding and impacting human life.'
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