~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #110

From brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date Sun, 23 May 2004 21:55:22 -0500


===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #110
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (5/23/2004)

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-- none.

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

// the first day in office (or thereabouts) the Bush-Cheney  
administration
// had an energy plan ready to go. It has been involved in both war  
planning
// and Enron corruption scandals, and the very unusual refusal for  
recusal by
// Judge Scalia, in overseeing the release of documents regarding the  
private
// energy task force meetings run by VP Cheney. No legislation has  
passed in
// the last years, which also has not changed in outlook from very  
large and
// centralized plants (the kind taken out in wars, very easily or by  
boycotts)
// and a reliance on fossil fuels-- not a good thing for businesses  
either if
// not adjusting to new realities, i.e. with Kyoto changes much more  
likely.

Kerry urges energy independence for U.S. // free-day-pass.
<http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/05/22/kerry_energy/>

	'"There are two reasons why we cannot be asleep at the wheel during  
this current energy crisis," Kerry said in the weekly Democratic radio  
address. "First, soaring energy prices are putting our economy at risk  
and second, our dependence on Middle East oil is putting our national  
security at risk. But it doesn't have to be this way."' ... 'He said  
his long-term strategy as president would include investments in  
alternative fuels and new technologies that are more fuel-efficient. He  
said he would establish tax credits to help make fuel-efficient cars  
more affordable.' .. '"Our dependence on foreign oil is a problem we  
must solve together the only way we can -- by inventing our way out of  
it," Kerry said.'

Putin throws lifeline to Kyoto as EU backs Russia joining WTO // ***
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1222298,00.html>

	'President Vladimir Putin yesterday reversed months of fervent  
opposition to the Kyoto protocol and agreed to speed up Russia's  
ratification of the treaty.' .. 'The change of heart - which provides  
the ratification necessary for the protocol to come into effect -  
follows a decision by the EU at a summit in Moscow yesterday to drop  
its objections to Russia joining the World Trade Organisation.' ..  
'"The fact that the European Union has met us halfway at the  
negotiations on membership in the WTO cannot but influence Moscow's  
positive attitude towards ratification of the Kyoto protocol. We will  
accelerate our movement towards ratifying this protocol," Mr Putin said  
at the summit.' .. 'In his clearest statement yet on the subject, he  
added: "We support the Kyoto process."' ... 'The ease with which Moscow  
and Brussels overcame the dispute led them to conclude the Kremlin is  
seeking a warmer relationship with the EU, its new neighbour since  
enlargement on May 1.' .. 'Relations with Washington have grown  
increasingly strained over the conflict in Iraq, and the decision to  
ratify Kyoto - which the Bush administration flatly rejected in 2001 -  
suggests Mr Putin has chosen the EU over the US.'

[and] Putin U-turn could rescue Kyoto
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3734205.stm>

	'Kyoto was signed more than six years ago, and aims to reduce  
emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.' .. 'To come  
into effect it needs the support of developed nations responsible for  
55% of such emissions.' .. 'Since US President George Bush pulled out  
in 2001, Russia is the only country big enough to carry it over the 55%  
threshold.'

Electric Martian Dust Devils Could Prove Hazardous For Space Travelers  
//
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040520062226.htm>

	'University of Michigan scientists have found clues that dust devils  
on Mars might have high-voltage electric fields, which means the  
so-called mini-tornados could be hazardous for both human and robotic  
space explorers.' ... '"Dust devils are common on Mars, and NASA is  
interested in them as well as other phenomena as a possible nuisance or  
hazard to future human explorers," said Dr. William Farrell of NASA's  
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "If Martian dust devils  
are highly electrified, as our research suggests, they might give rise  
to increased discharging or arcing in the low-pressure Martian  
atmosphere, increased dust adhesion to space suits and equipment, and  
interference with radio communications."' ... 'Dust particles become  
electrified in dust devils when they rub against each other as they are  
carried by the winds, transferring positive and negative electric  
charge in the same way you build up static electricity if you shuffle  
across a carpet.'

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

The Electrical Patterns of Life
(The Work of Dr. Harold Saxton Burr) // via bioelectromagnetics-list
<http://www.wrf.org/news/news0003.htm>

	'"The Universe in which we find ourselves and from which we can not be  
separated is a place of Law and Order. It is not an accident, nor  
chaos. It is organized and maintained by an Electro-dynamic field  
capable of determining the position and movement of all charged  
particles. For nearly half a century, the logical consequences of this  
theory have been subjected to rigorously controlled conditions and met  
with no contradictions."' .. 'These were the statements of Dr. Harold  
Saxton Burr, Ph.D., who was E. K. Hunt Professor Emeritus, Anatomy at  
Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Burr was a member of the  
faculty of medicine for over forty-three years. From 1916 to the late  
1950's, he published, either alone or with others, more than  
ninety-three scientific papers.' .. 'Dr. Burr discovered that all  
living things - from men to mice, from trees to seeds - are molded and  
controlled by "electro-dynamic fields," which could be measured and  
mapped with standard voltmeters. These "fields of life," or L-fields,  
are the basic blueprints of all life on this planet. Their discovery is  
of immense significance to all of us. Dr. Burr believed that, since  
measurements of L-field voltages can reveal physical and mental  
conditions, doctors should be able to use them to diagnose illness  
before symptoms develop, and so would have a better chance of  
successful treatment....'

Climate Change Rises on Global Agenda // em-related
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-climate- 
challenge-i,0,3354327.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'"We may already be seeing -- in the increased incidence of drought,  
floods and extreme weather events that many regions are experiencing --  
some of the devastation that lies ahead," U.N. Secretary-General Kofi  
Annan said in March, when he urged all governments to ratify the Kyoto  
Protocol to reduce the world's "greenhouse gas" emissions.' .. 'That  
long-stalled 1997 accord is opposed in Washington, where U.S.  
government and industry object that emission controls would handicap  
the U.S. economy. Now only ratification by Russia can revive it, making  
this a critical year on the political front in a long, difficult debate  
over what to do about climate change.'

Walking Ability Improves in Miami Paralysis Study
<http://www.reuters.co.uk/ 
newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=5228147&section=news>

	'They transplanted cells known as Schwann cells from the  peripheral  
nerves, where regeneration does occur, to create a  bridge across the  
damaged area of the spinal cord and promote  the growth of axons, the  
nerve fibers that transmit messages.  Those cells also make the  
protective myelin sheath that  insulates nerve fibers.'

cremation and pollution of dental fillings // via design-l
<http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/25201/story.htm>

Broken Halide Lamps Could Cause Sunburn // ** (metal-halide)
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040520062755.htm>

	'If the protective glass that covers the bulb in that particular type  
of lighting is broken, UV light can filter out. Even one damaged bulb  
could cause injuries similar to welders' arc burns or snow blindness  
and can also lead to a peeling sunburn on the face and/or eyelids.'

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

And in the U.S., spam tops 80 percent mark // noise is signal. via  
macsurfer.com
<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5032714/>

	'Spam last month accounted for two-thirds of all e-mail traffic,  
according to e-mail monitoring firm MessageLabs Inc. Things are even  
worse in the United States, where spam accounted for more than four in  
five e-mails, according to Message Labs.'

Network Aims To Dispose Of Throwaway Society
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040521072130.htm>

Recycled Materials Make 100-year 'Long Life' Bridges Possible
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040520065409.htm>

	'"Fly ash, silica fume and slag are all industrial waste products that  
have been used previously in some types of construction,” Tikalsky  
noted. “These additives reduce the permeability of concrete and deter  
salts from entering. The additives also increase electrical resistance.  
So, in 40 or 50 years when water and salt eventually reach the steel  
reinforcement rods in the bridge deck, corrosion won't progress as  
rapidly."'

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

Farce? Rumsfeld bans cameraphones in Iraq?
<http://www.engadget.com/entry/3115679577945324/>

Law enforcement hard drive duplicator // via engadget.com...
<http://www.logicubeforensics.com/products/hd_duplication/md5.asp>

	'The Forensic MD5 system is designed specifically for the requirements  
of law enforcement, corporate security, and cyber crime investigation  
of forensic computer data. This hand-held IDE hard drive data capturing  
system is ideal for fast disk drive data seizure. Using its built-in  
CRC-32 engine, the MD5 allows for imaging speeds up to 3.3 GB/min. The  
system’s non-tampering drive capture ensures bit-for-bit accuracy,  
guaranteeing zero chance of alteration of the suspect and evidence  
drives. With it's lightweight portability, rugged construction and  
field tested capabilities, the MD5 is simply the best forensic hard  
drive data collection system for law enforcement, corporate security,  
and cyber crime investigation and prosecution.'

Clubbers choose chip implants to jump queues
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99995022>

	'The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona offers people signing up for VIP  
membership a choice between an RFID chip and a normal card. VIP members  
can jump the entrance queues, reserve a table and use the nightclub's  
VIP lounge.' ... 'When drinks are ordered the RFID is scanned with a  
handheld device and the cost is added to your bill. The chips, called  
VeriChips, are produced by US company Applied Digital Solutions.'

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

U.S. pays high price for imported gas // ** gasoline, not oil.  
free-day-pass...
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2004/05/21/gas_prices/>

	'"Refiners are spending all of their money just meeting all the new  
(environmental) regulations," Bill Greehey, the chairman and chief  
executive of refiner Valero Energy Corp., said in an interview Friday.  
"They don't have the money for strategic projects to add to their  
capacity, so it's not surprising that we're short capacity."' .. 'At  
the same time, Greehey acknowledged that this dearth has allowed the  
industry to enjoy phenomenal profits these days.' ... 'Often left  
unsaid ... is the fact that domestic refiners no longer have the  
wherewithal to produce enough gasoline to meet peak summer demand.' ...  
'Whether temporary or not, the current import shortfall places a bigger  
burden on domestic refiners, whose plants are already running at 95  
percent, on average. The harder refiners run their plants, the greater  
the risk of operational problems that could force them to temporarily  
shut down...'

EM headline: G7 to call for lower oil prices
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3740475.stm>

	'The G7 - consisting of the US, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Canada  
and Italy - is widely expected to release a statement criticising the  
current high level of oil prices.' .. 'Economists believe high oil  
prices could pose a risk to the world economy.'

117 charged with electricity theft // see photo of e-pole!
<http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20040520T220000- 
0500_60163_OBS_____CHARGED_WITH_ELECTRICITY_THEFT.asp>

Mbeki promises water and power
South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has promised all households will
have running water within five years and electricity within eight years.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3736045.stm>

	'President Thabo Mbeki says each household will have access to power  
by 2012 through the country's integrated system of government with  
strengthened local government working with the State power enterprise  
Eskom.'

Ninth Circuit Finds Electricity Supplier
Immune from Liability for Alleged Refusal to Wheel
<http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/ 
article_display.cfm?a_id=728>

EU 'confident' of star power site:  Europe is still confident that it  
will be
chosen to host Iter, the world's biggest nuclear fusion reactor. //  
rabbit.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3735017.stm>

	'Fusion powers stars and is seen as a cleaner approach to energy  
production than nuclear fission and fossil fuels.' ... 'After the  
International Space Station, Iter would be the largest international  
research and development collaboration.' .. 'In terms of the physics  
and huge amounts of energy involved, the project would be akin to  
building a star on Earth.' ... 'One kilogram of fusion fuel would  
produce the same amount of energy as 10,000,000 kg of fossil fuel.'

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

Ex-Hostage-Taker Named Chief of Iran TV
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-iran-media- 
chief,0,5818228.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'Iran's supreme leader on Sunday appointed a former captor in the 1979  
hostage crisis as the head of state-run radio and television.' ...  
'Zarghami was among militant students who overran the U.S. Embassy in  
Tehran and held 52 embassy staffers hostage for 444 days in 1979.'

EM-headline: Woman jailed after selling baby on the web

EM-headline: Spanish Prince Marries Ex-TV Anchorwoman

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

BULLET train stranded after electricity fails
<http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200405/24/ 
200405240028537709900090409041.html>

EM-quote: Republicans line up to finance top Democrat
<http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/ 
FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1084907726144&p=1012571727162>

	'Steve Largent, a former Oklahoma congressman and president of the  
Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, representing the  
wireless phone industry, is another prominent Republican lobbyist. His  
organisation has given $1,000 to Mr Daschle.' .. '"He [Daschle] was  
very involved in working on legislation to get the internet tax  
moratorium, which was critical for our members," says Mr Largent. "What  
we do is give money to people who support our issues."'

"Great Wall" view from space a mistake:ESA // what is going on?
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-05/22/content_1484556.htm>

Silos help bring wireless Internet to farm country // via macsurfer.com
<http://www.freep.com/money/tech/mwend21_20040521.htm>

	'"Our customers tell us that having high-speed Internet is as  
important in its own way as electricity," he says. "Farmers and  
business owners say it's critical for monitoring grain prices and the  
weather and communicating with customers."'

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

Nanobacteria revelations provoke new controversy // life? mayo, .mn.us
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99995009>

	'"These particles are self replicating, that is without doubt," Av Gay  
says. But finding out what is inside them is complicated because they  
are so small and because the apatite shells absorb contaminants. "The  
problem is to distinguish between material absorbed from the  
environment and unique sequences from these organisms."' .. 'Av Gay too  
will say nothing about what his studies have revealed. "The story seems  
to be gearing towards the idea that these are not bacteria, but maybe a  
new living form. It is a very interesting story, but you won't get the  
answer now."'

Nanotube makes [FET] metal transistor
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/051904/ 
Nanotube_makes_metal_transistor_Brief_051904.html>

	'The metal field effect transistor has the potential to consume less  
energy, operate at higher frequencies, and dissipate heat more readily  
than traditional semiconducting field effect transistors, according to  
the researchers.'

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

// this changing of interfaces or input devices may not need to be  
complicated
// as the same functionality could be obtained by a series of switches  
which
// determine the state of an input device with microcontroller and  
software- or
// so it seems, somewhat like a multiple button mouse with switch  
combinations.

Shape-shifting remakes interfaces // great ideas.
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/051904/Shape- 
shifting_remakes_interfaces_051904.html>

China Trying to One-Up Technology World // ~techno-nationalism.
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-chinas- 
techno-nationalism,0,5743486.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'These days, China's dominant message is this: We'll embrace the world  
-- but on our terms. And nowhere is this more evident than in the realm  
of high technology, where behind the acronyms is a battle of standards  
that could have global repercussions.' ... 'This trend goes beyond  
commercial and security concerns. Cultural pride is at stake: A  
once-great China humbled by Western powers in the 19th century doesn't  
want to be undercut again.'

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

N. Korea's Role in Nuke Market Questioned
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-nuclear- 
black-market,0,5614773.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'Inspections last year by the Vienna-based IAEA showed that Iran  
failed to report imports in 1991 of large amounts of uranium  
hexafluoride -- the same substance shipped to Libya, apparently by  
North Korea.' ... 'In its raw form, uranium hexafluoride cannot be used  
as nuclear fuel -- or in warheads. But it is part of a cycle that uses  
centrifuges in a process that produces enriched uranium with potential  
for both of those purposes.'

U.N. Envoy: N. Korea Continues Nuke Push
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-nkorea-un- 
nuclear,0,462731.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

Ex-Soviet Officer Honored for Prudence // amazing. we are lucky to be  
alive.
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-russia- 
doomsday-averted,0,3062279.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'A retired Soviet military officer was honored Friday for averting a  
potential nuclear war in 1983 by ignoring an alarm that said the United  
States had launched a ballistic missile, a U.S.-based peace association  
said on its Web site.' .. 'Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov was in charge of  
the Soviet Union's early warning system when the system wrongly  
signaled the launch of a U.S. Minuteman intercontinental ballistic  
missile in September 1983.'

Pakistan, India Postpone Nuclear Talks
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-pakistan- 
india-nuclear,0,6413778.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'Pakistan and India agreed Sunday to postpone nuclear talks originally  
set for this week so the new Indian government has time to settle into  
power, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said.'

UK pondered suicide pigeon attacks
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3732755.stm>

// along with the great shame, moral hideousness, and breakdown of  
lawful
// actions, it is worth noting that prior to em-media the recording of  
such
// acts would be by word of mouth, unless evidence could have been  
found in
// some testimony with documents. as hideous and plainly evil as these  
acts
// were and are, the em-media recordings act as a type of checks &  
balances,
// if only after the fact, of what actually occured, and may do what  
could
// not be done in Saddam's reign. that is, bring transparency to the  
torture
// and in doing so, change the outcome instead of keep it veiled in  
prisons.
// there has not been one dispute over the events that have occured,  
only of
// how they have and could have occured. and the role of em-media is a  
way,
// possibly unavailble in Saddam's reign, to provide evidence, a  
recording
// external to the mind, detached from those terrorized forever in  
memories.

Guantanamo Jail Videos Could Aid Probe // em-media recordings  
critical...
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-guantanamo- 
tapes,0,468517.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

[and] Rumsfeld bans camera phones // 'off the media record.'  
drudgereport.com
<http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9643950%255E401,00.html>

	'"Digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones with cameras have been  
prohibited in military compounds in Iraq," it said, adding that a  
"total ban throughout the US military" is in the works.'

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

Solar crystals get 2-for-1 // significant to solar economics. nano-e...
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/051904/Solar_crystals_get_2-for- 
1_051904.html>

	'Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory have tapped the  
efficiencies of nanotechnology to increase solar cells' potential  
energy production...' ... 'The method could increase what has been  
thought of as the maximum power conversion of solar cells by as much as  
37 percent, depending on the materials used, resulting in a solar cell  
with a potential efficiency of over 60 percent. The method could also  
be used to increase the efficiency of other optical components,  
including amplifiers, lasers, switches and light absorbers, according  
to Klimov.'

Bush feels pressure of oil barrel politics // (see .US energy task  
force.)
The Iraq war and gay marriage may grab the headlines, but rising petrol  
costs
will be a key concern at the US election, says David Teather
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/ 
0,7792,1221766,00.html>

	'It is not just at the petrol pump where consumers will feel the  
pinch. The broader impact on inflation as rising oil prices feed  
through to factories, freight and air travel will also impact voters.  
By Thursday the price of US crude oil had risen to $41.58 a barrel,  
close to record highs.' ... 'At present, data suggests the overwhelming  
number of Americans blame Opec rather than the Bush administration for  
the rising price of petrol. But Mr Zogby points to what could be a  
smouldering issue. "There is always a risk that, as the election  
campaign becomes more focused, then the president or vice-president  
could be hit by allegations of cronyism because of their ties to the  
oil industry," he said.'

Divide and Conquer: Why Apple Has an iPod Division // ***
<http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20040520.html>

	'Something is stirring at Apple. The company just had yet another big  
layoff at its Sacramento manufacturing plant. In an effort to further  
lower costs, Apple is essentially getting out of the business of making  
its own products. Given that everyone else is doing this, too, it isn’t  
such a surprise, but Apple was always different, always special. And  
now comes this reorg, in which Apple’s head of hardware engineering  
becomes the head of engineering for the new iPod division. Think about  
that. Why would they take someone used to producing products like the  
G5 workstation and turn his attention to little music players? It’s  
hardly a comparable challenge.'

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

CRYPTOME by Anti-Matter productions
<http://www.cryptome43.com/CryptomeAbout.htm>
<http://www.cryptome43.com/PIC/opening.htm>

	'Over the past 6 years Lumia and creative partner Bill Reim have been   
     developing an evolution in style that turns the one man show format  
on it's ear by combining character monologues with state of the art  
live sound and music. Add white hot avant-rock band Stendhal , and  
you've got all the makings of a spectacle of sight, sound and  
performance. "Having Stendhal on board really brings the concept full  
circle. They're all terrific players our styles mesh really well."  
Here, a new batch of Lumia's outrageous characters look at our ever  
changing post millennial society with themes ranging from the  
militarization of society, the corporate meltdown, and the inherent  
pitfalls of information based power.' .. 'Cryptome deals with a post  
9-11 world in a way that no other performance piece has to date.'

// if 'style of music' and 'style of space' are related, how does the
// transformation through electromagnetic technologies and e-instruments
// change the equations of older, traditional, non-electronic spaces? it
// would seem possible that 'the space' is actually a technological, not
// architectural, one, such as with speakers that can shape the spatial
// qualities of music, to make one type of space sound like another, ...
// it would seem in the age of projectible sound-bubbles that  
traditional
// architectural -notions- of what space is, may need to be  
requestioned.
// perhaps 'the technology' inspires particular kinds of space and  
music?
// the rollerbladers and bikers outside of time listening to mp3  
players.

If Music Is the Architect . . . // note: ~music of Modernism.  
em-architecture.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/22/arts/design/22ACOU.html>

	'The science of acoustics has taken flight since [the 1870s], but not  
without many a deflated reputation and misguided journey along the way.  
Over the last 50 years, more computing power has been applied to  
acoustic data than ever before, but most big halls have turned out to  
be dry and pale frames for music.' ... 'After all, Avery Fisher Hall  
had been planned as the apotheosis of the new science of acoustics: Leo  
L. Beranek, its first acoustic designer, was an electrical engineer who  
studied signal processing and noise dampening. He had surveyed more  
than 50 concert halls throughout the world. Nonetheless, Fisher Hall,  
then named Philharmonic Hall, opened in 1962 to widespread unease.  
Fourteen years later, the inside was destroyed and replaced. But the  
problems didn't end, and so, after decades of tinkering, Lincoln Center  
announced this week that sometime after 2009, the hall would be gutted  
again....' ... ', as Emily Thompson shows in "The Soundscape of  
Modernity: Architectural Acoustics and the Culture of Listening in  
America, 1900-1933" (M.I.T. Press, 2002), acoustics took on a life of  
its own. The Acoustical Society of America was organized in 1929.  
Increasingly, electrical tools were used not just in analyzing sound  
but also in reproducing sound, both in the halls and the home. The  
sonic frame of reference shifted.'

// the context of the building of the Amber Room has been a mystery, was
// it purely a material use, or was there some connection with EM  
aspects
// of electrostatic charges, known for tens of centuries... this, along
// with 'the amber trail' and how it fits into the story of EM  
knowledge.
// the room was built just as fundamental EM knowledge started taking  
off.

Fate of Russia's lost art treasure revealed after 60-year cover-up
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1222207,00.html>

	'The room, fully panelled and ornamented in amber, then 12 times more  
precious than gold, was built by German craftsmen as a present for  
Peter the Great in 1717.'

[em-related] SHOCK ROCK // Madonna concert tour.
<http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/21278.htm>

	'Madonna - who opens the tour on Monday in L.A. - doesn't skip a beat  
in making sure the $1 million-plus production is her most outrageous  
yet, complete with an electric chair, nearly nude pregnant women and  
plenty of lesbian love, according to reports out of London yesterday.'  
... '... the kicker to the provocative production promises to be the  
sizzling finale.' .. 'After she wraps her rendition of "Lament," the  
lights will go down and, following a flash-storm of fireworks, Madonna  
will reappear strapped into an electric chair and writhing to escape,  
according to reports.' .. 'She rises from the dead and sings her  
sentimental, Kabbalah-inspired lullaby, "Bedtime Story."'

 From LED light shows to laser-cut flowers: Tech gets sensual //  
macsurfer.com
<http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/ 
20040522/TRENDS22/TPTechnology/>

	'At the International Contemporary Furniture Fair held at New York's  
Javits Center this week, many booths full of chic, well-made furniture  
sat ignored as visitors flocked to see the latest in computer-generated  
lighting. It was a sign, perhaps, of the hunger for new technology to  
enter the home in aesthetically satisfying ways.' .. 'Take LEDs, those  
tiny, ultra-efficient light-emitting diodes that are increasingly being  
used in streetlights. Most designers haven't got much beyond the  
flashlight phase, says Douglas Mendelman, New York sales director for  
Montreal-based lighting firm Divvali.' ... 'Lighting is clearly where  
the buzz is in today's design...'

[and] Versa TUBE overview
<http://www.elementlabs.com/prod/versatube.htm>

	'Versa TUBE introduces an eye-catching new element to the designer’s  
toolbox. Imagine fluorescent tubes and neon changing color, having  
moving color patterns, and glowing with dynamic visual effects. All  
this is now possible with Versa™ TUBE.'

[and] Versa TILE overview // Venturi's electronic iconography building  
material.
<http://www.elementlabs.com/prod/versatile.htm>

	'Versa TILE turns ordinary spaces into visually mesmerizing  
environments. Walls and floors come alive with colors, patterns and  
moving images. Versa TILE’s flexibility enables endless moods from  
subtle and ambient to intense and pulsating.' .. 'Each single Versa  
TILE represents one pixel on the screen of a PC or Mac. What you see on  
the computer display is what you get on Versa TILE—whether video or  
still images. Content can be created using any graphics program or  
adapted from widely available stock imagery.'


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