~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #129

[brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>]

===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #129
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (7/25/2004)

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--

Something very basic dawned on me after deciding to take apart some  
broken electronics to try to salvage some motors and switches for  
future junkbots or other electronics projects. The things that were  
broken were taken apart and the parts were divided up into plastic,  
metal, useful junk, hardware/screws, circuit boards, and trash. With a  
simple screwdriver, and several items to take apart, there was almost  
nothing to be thrown away as trash that could not be recycled, except  
for the circuit boards or parts which were designed to be very  
difficult to deconstruct without special tools. Though while finding a  
lot of great stuff and learning about how various things are put  
together, what is hard to reconcile is the amount of good things that  
are just thrown out because one or two parts no longer work. And, when  
this happens, literally there are dozens more significantly useful  
parts that work perfectly well that took a lot of time, energy, money,  
and labor to create yet go into the waste-stream without a good place  
to bring them for others to use (besides e-bay, possibly, though not as  
effective as a local store for these type of goods.) For instance, a  
high-pressure boiler, very fine AC switches that someone competant in  
high-voltage electronics could easily handle and put to work, various  
types of metal shapes and even spare parts, -- this just goes into a  
landfill somewhere. The circuit board, the most toxic parts, are a  
minute percentage yet when an item is just dumped it is embedded in  
this 95% of recyclable packaging which if it were taken apart could be  
re-used or reformulated. It is all very useful for someone, and likely  
more economical. There are a few interesting electronics salvage places  
locally, one deals more with these types of electronics waste streams-  
and they get sorted in some way and sent further down the line after  
getting some useful parts. Yet in the era of D.I.Y. robotics and  
potentially a resurgence of interest in hardware electronics, to go  
along with the software, this is the 'trash becomes treasure' scenario,  
where the parts begin to regain value apart from the whole device,  
revaluing/re-evaluating the value of an electronic artifact. One bad  
chip does not a electronics wasteland make. Losing all material  
resources and investment of a device because of one bad chip, due to a  
misperception of lost value, does create this wasteland, and  
exponentially so. As, if only one small fraction of a device stops  
working, the other parts still may work just fine, yet for another,  
different purpose. If a hypothetical chain-store that caters to the  
local robotics/electronics crowd could do a Whole Earth electronics  
re-use with the help of computer-based inventory systems (online and  
in-store) then maybe such a re-use could be made possible on some small  
scale for basic, all custom, items. Maybe not, probably not, though, as  
things are not designed to be re-used and it may be a fool's gold if  
they are not able to use the junk. Yet the potential is so great that  
it is hard to accept that what is still good is considered and dealt  
with as pure waste, and much of it has to do with electronics for  
better and worse, as a prime cause. If designed obsolescence is the  
goal, then the possibility of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, in  
the top stories section below, would be the ideal scenario for such  
economics-- and also its greatest weakness. Imagine all the cars with  
computer chips that would stop functioning entirely once one chip flips  
several wrong bits or fries out. Though a model-T would still work.


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

// the question of dual-use technologies brings into question the range  
of
// improvised or devised vehicles for delivering EMP to such heights-  
which
// could feasibly range from hijacked airliner to Earth-orbitting  
satellites...
// this is a hugely significant issue in relation to 'terrorism'  
(around the
// world, too, it is imagined) as the economic devastation could be  
complete,
// to a degree not possible in detonating a nuclear WMD by shipping  
container...
// it is also wondered about the above-ground detonation of nuclear  
weapons as
// if maximum damage is done above ground, very tall buildings could be  
used...
// standards for the basic shielding of consumer electronics would be  
helpful,
// that is, if the companies themselves want future purchasers of their  
goods.
// if this is indeed what the National Missile Defense would be  
prepared to
// address, via missiles against satellites and large aircraft related  
to EMP,
// it would make a lot more sense why such programs would be moving  
forward...
// though that is speculation and obfuscation of the science of the  
existing
// anti-ballistic missile is absurd whereas the other use may be a  
direct hit...
// that is, if it is actually so. and if other nations could use this  
shared
// defense whereas none would seem to currently exist for such a  
predicment.
// possibly a treaty about the use of such a defensive weapon could be  
forged
// so that existing state-state relations are not held under a nuclear  
threat.
// if true that NMD is related to EMP it would be important to know of  
this.
// also, 'prevention' in the document is considered in superstructural  
terms,
// not in more mundane and potentially exponetially catastrophic,  
consumer-
// electronics and appliances terms. what good is a powerplant without  
stable
// loads? how can a grid function if there is no load or even basic  
consumer
// appliances to maintain a modern existence? as things are designed  
today-
// one chip goes bad on any circuit board and the thing is a piece of  
junk
// to be thrown away-- it most likely cannot even be fixed given the  
givens.
// now if billions of such appliances went 'off the home market'  
instantly,
// and could not be readily financed, applied, or replaced-- what is  
being
// protected if the critical infrastructure survives yet nothing else  
which
// can be used to stabilize the generic, related everyday citizen  
systems?
// imagine the economic losses if all computer hardware in North America
// just broke, irreperably, and backups were useless without  
equipment...
// EMP's effects on 'information' society are not addressed at all here,
// prevention-wise: this business-as-usual would be out-of-business  
fast.
// what is a phone good for without a refigerator? ask the donner party.
// [it would seem possible that solar panel systems could survive an EMP
// if the material itself could weather the surges, and the electronics
// to regulate the power were sheilded. then home-power systems could be
// used to generate distributed emergency power for critical systems...]
// (and what happens with nuclear power plants in case of an EMP strike?
// ~they'll be rendered unavailabe until near the end of restoring  
power.]

Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack // *** EMP paralysis .pdf via  
cryptome.org
<http://www.house.gov/hasc/openingstatementsandpressreleases/ 
108thcongress/04-07-22emp.pdf>

	'Briefly, a single nuclear weapon exploded at high altitude above the  
United States will interact with the Earth's atmosphere, ionosphere,  
and magnetic field to produce an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) radiating  
down to the Earth and additionally create electrical currents in the  
Earth. EMP effects are both direct and indirect. The former are due to  
electromagnetic "shocking" of electronics and stressing of electrical  
systems, and the latter arise from the damage that "shocked" - upset,  
damaged, and destroyed - electronics controls then inflict on the  
systems in which they are embedded. The indirect effects can be even  
more severe than the direct effects.' .... 'Depending on the specific  
characteristics of the attack, unprecedented cascading failures of our  
major infrastructures could result. In that event, a regional or  
national recovery would be long and difficult and would seriously  
degrade the safety and overall viability of our Nation. The primary  
avenues for catastrophic damage to the Nation are through our  
electrical power infrastructure and thence into our telecommunications,  
energy, and other infrastructures. These, in turn, can seriously impact  
other important aspects of our Nation's life, including the financial  
system; means of getting food, water, and medical care to the  
citizenry; trade; and production of goods and services. The recovery of  
any one of the key national infrastructures is dependent on the  
recovery of the others. The longer the outage, the more problematic and  
uncertain the recovery will be. It is possible for the functional  
outages to become mutually reinforcing until at some point the  
degradation of infrastructure could have irreversible effects on the  
country's ability to support its population.' .... '[One] key  
difference from the past [model of potential EMP use] is that the US  
has developed more than most other nations as a modern society heavily  
dependent on electronics, telecommunications, energy, information  
networks, and a rich set of financial and transportation systems that  
leverage modern technology. This assymetry is a source of substantial  
economic, industrial, and societal advantages, but it creates  
vulnerabilities and critical interdependencies that are potentially  
disastrous to the United States. Therefore, terrorists or state actors  
that possess relatively unsophisticated missiles armed with nuclear  
weapons may well calculate that, instead of destroying a city or  
military base, they may obtain the greatest political-military utility  
from one or a few such weapons by using them - or threatening their use  
- in an EMP attack. The current vulnerability of US critical  
infrastructures can both invite and reward attack if not corrected;  
however, correction is feasible and well within the Nation's means and  
resources to accomplish.' [.pdf pp.9-10] .... 'Gamma rays form a  
high-altitude nuclear detonation interact with the atmosphere to  
produce a radio-frequency wave of unique, spatially varying intensity  
that covers everything within line-of-sight of the explosion's center  
point. It is useful to focus on three major EMP components...' [.pdf  
p.13] [SEE FIGURE 2, .US and Canada]

// this is a key quote because there is basically no knowledge of this  
in the
// realm of traditional societal knowledge-- it is as if it is an  
abberation,
// that somehow technology and computers 'just worked' outside of a  
context
// for their sources of power, their physicality (versus the virtualism  
that
// has succeeded in most popular and also heavily-funded cultural  
theorizing)
// yet the tangible aspects have been all but irrelevant in terms of  
value,
// importance, critical assessment. in particular, the field of  
architecture
// is the most profane in this regard for a censorial control of  
information
// to keep electrical power and related isuses out of public and  
professional
// dialogues, shielded by aesthetic terminology of art and beauty and  
design.
// no power, no skyscrapers. no power, no welding. no power, no  
elevators. no
// power, no heat nor light nor cooling. no power, not much of  
anything. and
// it is this new culture, based on electromagnetism, which has yet to  
arrive
// in the dialogues which allows most all of today's science and  
technology
// to be conducted, whether nano-tech or genetic labs or social  
software or
// mass media or voting machines or food or money. it is a critical  
lapse.
// and such studies and interdisciplinary vantages of this cultural  
spinal
// cord need to be encouraged in pursuing greater understanding, and  
not to
// continue rewarding models that bound questioning well before the  
context
// in which they operate. that is, shared, non-proprietary public  
knowledge
// which can help persons better understand cultural systems in built  
form.

[quote] Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United  
States
from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack // so too: any 'developing'  
society...
<http://www.house.gov/hasc/openingstatementsandpressreleases/ 
108thcongress/04-07-22emp.pdf>

	"Electric power has thus emerged as an essential service underlying US  
society and all of its other critical infrastructures." ... 'All other  
infrastructures and critical functions are dependent upon the support  
of electric power and telecommunications...' [.pdf p.16] [See Fig.4]  
.... '...Conducting research to better understand infrastructure system  
effects and developing cost-effective solutions to manage these effects  
will be important to understanding the implications of the rapid  
evolution of electronics and electrical systems, and their growing role  
in controlling and operating modern critical infrastructure.' [.pdf  
p.24]

// this document is a very institutional view of the questions  
involved, and
// if perceived from a citizen's view, it is not at all reassuring in  
scope.
// Public EMP effects: case-in-point -- dealing with it,  
after-the-fact...

[and] Keeping the Citizenry Informed

	'Support to National leadership also involves measures to ensure that  
the President can communicate effectively with the citizenry. Although  
the US can improve prevention, protection, and recovery in the face of  
an EMP attack to levels below those that would have catastrophic  
consequences for the Nation, an EMP attack would still cause  
substational disruption, even under the best of circumstances. Many  
citizens would be without power, communications and other services for  
days -- or perhaps substantially longer -- before full recovery could  
occur.  During that interval, it will be crucial to provide a reliable  
channel of information to those citizens to let them know what has  
happened,
  the current situation, when help of what types for them might be  
available, what their governments are doing, and the host of questions  
which,
if not answered,  are certain to create more instability and suffering  
for the affected individuals, communities, and the Nation as a whole.'  
[.pdf p.54]
	
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------

// the idea of a free emergency brochure was brought up on this list  
for WMD,
// nuclear, dirty bomb, cyber, and critical infrastructure attacks. the  
.US
// still is not doing anything for informing the basic citizenry of  
what to
// do in case of an attack or disruption (what if ? then...). with a  
Dept.
// of Homeland Security (superbureacracy) at least a basic  
guide/brochure
// could be produced as any corporation in the country does quarterly,  
for
// how to help survive and recover from the #1 threat to all systems  
today.
// if this is not in the mission statement, who's the security actually  
for?
// maybe the .US can request intellectual property fair-use from the  
.UK...
// the DHS could be held responsible if an attack occurs without any  
public
// campaign for preparing citizens to manage probable situations  
involved;
// that is to still 'be prepared' even if in an age of information  
anxiety,
// as 'ignorance is bliss' easily translates to 'ignorance is WMD  
blisters'.

Britain to Issue Public Safety Leaflet on Terrorism // ** WMD wake-up  
call
<http://www.reuters.com/ 
newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=5764448>

// not sure of the situation in north-east India, though electricity  
programs
// and irrigation seem to go hand-in-hand in rural agricultural areas,  
though
// it is unknown what this actually entails-- if it is to pump water  
into some
// system of pressurized water pipes and sprinklers or to distribute  
far-away
// water resources. in any case, what had helped in developing the .US  
farms
// with irrigation systems seems to also be a liability if the  
water/drought
// effects the source of power (dams) - thus threatening water systems  
again.
// that is, the droughts continue to effect electrical irrigated areas  
too.

headline: Drought warning adds to India woe

Maine man says lightning strike energized him
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/07/23/lightning/>

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

Getting back into the groove // follow-up. audio archaeologists...
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3917849.stm>

	'It has given the scientists funding to perfect their technique and  
technology in the hope it can be used to access a huge archive. The  
library's files include 128 million items in formats ranging from tape  
to disc and from wax cylinders to tin foil cylinders.' .. 'In the past,  
the library has said that America's audio heritage is in danger.  At  
least half of the wax cylinders used to record sound before 1902 are  
gone, because no one bothered to preserve them or because they weren't  
properly stored.' .. 'Fungal mould and insects have been the main  
culprits in silencing the voices of Americans from  legendary eras such  
as the Civil War, the conquest of the western states, and the early  
days of slavery.'

Scheme to make electricity from rapeseed
<http://www.reuters.co.uk/ 
newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=552315&section=financ 
e>

	'The pilot power plant in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, will burn oil  
extracted from crops grown by local farmers and generate an initial 1  
megawatt of electricity, or enough power for 1,000 homes.' .... 'Andrew  
Cokr ... noted there were some non-commercial schemes in operation,  
including a subsidised rapeseed power plant in the German parliament  
building.'

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

GPS Coke Can can obtained and X-rayed // and mock-up pop-can IED...
<http://www.engadget.com/entry/3633064540774831/>

Virus purporting Bin Laden suicide hits Web
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/24/content_1639862.htm>

Energy Dept. Halts Use of Computer Disks // .US nukedisk freeze...
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4345273,00.html>

	'The Energy Department, responding to a security scandal at the Los  
Alamos weapons lab, ordered a halt Friday to classified work at as many  
as two dozen facilities that use removable computer disks like those  
missing at the New Mexico lab.' .... 'The disks, known as ``controlled  
removable electronic media'' or CREM, have been at the heart of an  
uproar over lax security...'

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

STATE again nearly short of electricity
Sacramento Bee - Sacramento,CA,USA
SUMMER electricity costs soar with usage and fuel hikes
Orange Leader - Orange,TX,USA
BULGARIAN Electricity for the Olympics
Novinite - Bulgaria
ELECTRICITY, water output increases by 5.7 per cent-Oman
MENAFN - Middle East


---------------------------------------------------
06-- Electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------

Too young for technology? // via macsurfer.com
Parents, scholars reconsider tech for youngsters
<http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/ptech/07/23/business.of.life.ap/ 
index.html>

	'"Mental ability is gained from manipulating the three-dimensional  
world at that age and (from) managing your own mind and not having it  
managed by an electronic machine," said Jane M. Healy, author of  
"Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children's Mind."' ....  
'Healy recommends kids stay off computers until age 7. Others suggest 3  
is OK to start. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen  
time before 2, worried youngsters may get discouraged if they talk to a  
computer monitor and get no response.'

RESUME Of Vice President Dick Cheney To Be Posted On Monster.Com
Axis of Logic - USA

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

Walls of Walkman:  Sony's little music machine turns 25 — yes, it's been
that many years since public conversations died // *** beyond the  
boombox...
<http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/ 
Layout/ 
Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1090665866131&call_pageid=968867495754&col=9 
69483191630>

	'You could inhabit that insulated place oblivious of the distractions  
of the world around you, while the world around you was oblivious of  
your unobserved departure.' .... 'The technology-driven personalization  
of taste — manifested in these post-Walkman days in portable CD  
players, digital music downloading and playback devices, mobile  
wireless Internet communicators, the ubiquitous PDA (personal digital  
assistant), mobile telephones and text messaging — represents both a  
repudiation of former modes of social transaction that were necessarily  
communal, such as music shared in live performance settings, and a  
fragmentation of social activity.' .. 'As well as the privatization of  
identity, Turner adds, who says the Walkman has had "enormous cultural,  
sociological and psychological consequences.' .. '"We may think we're  
connected to the universe, we may well be in control of our personal  
space as a result of these technologies, we may think we're networking,  
but it's in a one-on-one system. It's a fetishization of connectedness,  
an illusion."'

* regarding the word 'hinterlands'... what about an analogous word:  
'hinterLANs'
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF- 
8&safe=off&q=define%3A+hinterland&btnG=Search>

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

// after my Handspring PDA went kerplunk, and was resurrected but again  
went
// kaput into electronic circuit purgatory (batteries drain  
immediately, then
// loses all information) the idea of the PDA as a PIM/custom-software  
device
// has been contemplated. on the Mac OSX platform, had to resort to  
using the
// addressbook and calendar, things in the past that were not  
integrated nor
// easily synced, yet they are backups. upon doing so, and hearing of  
how the
// iCal and Address Book are synced with the iPod, its 'pod' aspect has  
been
// of interest, should someday it transform into a data-entry device  
that is
// not doomed by the 'add-on' approach of the Springboard modules which  
makes
// proprietary solutions very expensive versus standards or built-in  
features.
// though, the idea of any type of keypad/stylus and a larger screen  
and it
// would seem possile the iPod is, at its most basic, also a PDA  
candidate of
// sorts. not a computer for processing spreadsheets, though maybe it  
could
// become a calculator, voice recorder, media storage device that is  
helpful
// beyond the .MP3 junkies who make future hearing aid specialists  
salivate.
// this is another reason that, by always changing, 'form factor' could  
be a
// liability rather than a chance to keep standards (proportions,  
weight, and
// balance) while using the space saved by new designs (inside the  
shell) to
// put more battery power, other circuitry, so that one case may fit  
all pods.
// that kind of economy of scale of one device seems lost on some  
companies
// who, like Sony seems to, have put out streams of new customized  
devices
// in trying to get some magic formula in which to proceed. or, maybe  
it is
// that the iPod is a media device, and educational environments will  
require
// another computational device to do the basics, like 2+2=4. though  
with a
// media device, language training via sound could go along with PDA  
functions
// like language training by software to provide a new core device  
platform
// that is limited in its applications (not a computer) yet totally  
connected.
// the PDA/PIM model would seem somewhat different, as it a miniature  
computer
// in some cases, running small versions of very large programs.  
whereas the
// media pod type of device seems to be more like a cellphone in its  
software,
// with finite 'processing' features. though PDAs do seem to be heading  
into
// media pod territory (audio/video) and cellphones, yet neither of  
these are
// by default computer sofware related in terms of needing larger OS'  
to run.
// the types seem to be: GPS, PDA, CELLphone, AV media device, storage  
device.
// maybe cellphones will integrated mobile-based data functions, always  
on
// when out, such as GPS and bluetooth and wi-fi, whereas a media  
device may
// revolve around storage of data and an extension of information  
management
// systems, to extend into audiovisual data playback on different  
media, yet
// possibly there is another 'micro-computer' or this PDA disappears  
for a
// subnotebook/palmtop with a full-blown computer OS for those who need  
it.

headline: Apple Returns to Its Educational Roots // iPod. what if,  
model-T...

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

// below is a series of articles on 'the future of computing' which  
several
// times mentions the deep pockets of the .US .gov in RD&D of new  
products,
// most likely related to the slush fund for the 'war on terrorism' and  
the
// department of homeland security, and the needs for .IQ and .AG  
conflicts.
// it would seem that previous eras when there was a global war, there  
would
// be such innovations occuring and the public involved (such as making  
new
// kinds of ships for massive fleets) though this seems very much in  
private
// and university sector, seemingly very small-scale development out of  
site.
// that is, until it may hit the marketplace and revolutionize the  
industries
// from the government research grants- thus the drive for innovations  
may be
// a hidden aspect of the present and often horrific or hard to even  
comprehend
// events in their more traditional influences of, say, creating jobs  
and for
// saving precious resources, none of which has followed previous  
patterns...
// caveat being that they may be created and protected, though in other  
realms
// that may have dual-uses, such as battery technology. it is guessed  
that most
// large technology corporations are probably working on major advances  
as a
// result of current geopolitics, and government funding to go ahead  
with it.
// this would seem likely. if anyone knows how it actually works please  
share...
// (for instance, as with batteries and solar panels and displays, all  
of these
// may revolutionize the way things are/will be done and speed up the  
advances).

Bye-Bye Boring Beige Box // home server...
PC makers are starting to crank out designs that capitalize on a host
of new technologies aimed at making computers far more exciting
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2004/ 
tc2004068_4765_tc149.htm>

Computing's New Screen Gems: Display technologies are moving rapidly to  
thinner,
more flexible, and efficient systems. Even CRTs are getting rethought  
// NED...
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2004/ 
tc2004068_1264_tc149.htm>
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/tc_special/04future_pe/ 
04future_b.htm>

The Race for Brawnier Batteries:  As laptops and other electronic  
devices demand
ever-more juice, researchers are scrambling to come up with better  
power sources
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2004/ 
tc2004068_2972_tc149.htm>

	'Actually battery power and performance have seen some improvements  
over the past few years. The problem is, they just haven't kept up with  
the demands of today's devices. It isn't just business users who now  
must cart suitcases full of rechargers for everything from cell phones  
to personal digital assistants. Consider the hardships faced by U.S.  
soldiers in Iraq, many of whom lug more than 20 pounds worth of  
batteries to support their inventory of high-tech gear -- and might  
soon have to carry even more.'

Electronic Ink // as if reversing developing process of photographic  
paper...
<http://www.businessweek.com/technology/tc_special/04future_pe/ 
04future_c.htm>

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

[a side-note on the .US strategic missile defense developments in the  
last few weeks: mention of it on the BBC had an expert speculating that  
the real nature of the program was not to shoot down (North Korean)  
nuclear missiles, which all tests indicate they are unsuitable at doing  
in any scientific way-- instead said the commentator, it goes very much  
in line with ('full spectrum') dominance of space-based weaponry, that  
these are ideal missiles for taking out satellite systems which, in  
effect, would change the nature of the EM battlefield, then.]

Vivisimio 9-11 document cluster-search // All in The Family, the WWW  
churns...
<http://vivisimo.com/search?input- 
form=simple&query=cheney&v%3Asources=911&v%3Aproject=911&x=0&y=0>
<http://vivisimo.com/911>

Rice: US may not go to war with Iran // no comment.
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/24/content_1639792.htm>

	'Rice said that every situation was different and Saddam Hussein was a  
"unique" circumstance who was accused of defying the international  
community, and having used weapons of mass destruction.' ....  
'Nonetheless, Rice expressed concerns about Iran's ties to terrorism  
and its nuclear program...'

[and] North Korea rejects US nuke proposal // no comment.
<http://www.reuters.co.uk/ 
newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=552963&section=news>

	'The statement came a day after U.S. disarmament diplomat John Bolton  
finished a tour of South Korea and Japan during which he said the U.S.  
proposal and Washington's response to Libya showed that the Bush  
administration was serious about solving the nuclear impasse and not  
stalling before the November election.'

[and] Pakistan Releases Three Nuke Scientists: Pakistan Releases
Three Men Accused of Leaking Nuclear Technology to Other Countries
<http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040724_570.html>

The Case of Keith Idema // sourcing suitcase nukes. via cryptome.org
<http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/7/22/105010.shtml>

	'The next year, 1992, Keith became the star at a Pentagon briefing by  
delivering the startling news that since the Soviet breakup,  
weapons-grade nuclear material had been, not leaking, but pouring into  
the hands of the international terrorist underworld.  When a system  
like communism collapses, whatever you're sitting on top of becomes  
your currency.  If you're supervisor of a shoe factory, you trade shoes  
for food, clothing, whatever.  If you re in charge of a potato  
warehouse, potatoes are your new rubles.  And those who were in charge  
of weapons-grade nuclear material found themselves in an enviable  
trading position.' .. 'Keith described to those at that Pentagon  
briefing the nuclear backpack or  suitcase  nuclear bomb, a tactical  
atomic device that could lay waste to 40 city blocks when detonated,  
Keith warned that the number of missing units from the former Soviet  
arsenal was unknowable.  The traffic was lucrative to those who  
controlled that material and their tight Soviet-era control was now out  
of control.'

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

Oil, Venezuela's Lifeblood, Is Now Its Social Currency, Too //  
beautiful photo.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/24/business/worldbusiness/24venez.html>

	'And with the Aug. 15 recall referendum that could end Mr. Chávez's  
presidency drawing ever nearer, the spending spree - on everything from  
housing to railroads, health clinics and literacy programs - is an  
increasingly important, and successful, tool for solidifying support  
for Mr. Chávez. Recent polls show he could squeak to victory.' ..  
'Pdvsa's new role has raised eyebrows among oil executives and in  
Washington, which has long counted on Venezuela as one of the four big  
exporters of oil to the United States and which has been hoping Pdvsa  
will help curtail the reliance on Middle Eastern crude.' .. 'The  
company that has emerged from the ashes of the strike that ended in  
February 2003 is nothing like the button-down, corporate-style company  
that in the 1990's was often the No. 1 provider of foreign oil to the  
United States.' .... 'The future lies in developing the oil deposits  
under the vast grasslands of north central Venezuela, the so-called  
Orinoco Belt, which oil executives believe may contain more oil than  
all of Saudi Arabia...'

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

** Worldwide Call for Submissions **
LEA Gallery Special cfp: Global Crossings (GX) Online Exhibition
<http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/LEA2004/authors.htm#gx>

	'Through this Gallery we seek to showcase little-known work in the  
art-science-technology field and to counter the natural tendency of  
networks to be inward looking, thus reinforcing established points of  
view.'

 From potato peelers to trash cans, the ordinary becomes extraordinary  
// funny.
<http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-d3900691jul22,0,4366368.story>

	'Gadgetry has always created a demand for design, of course; no doubt  
the caveman judged his club by its look as well as its heft. But now  
that engineers pelt consumers with a bewildering array of inventions  
and improvements, designers must simultaneously excite the acquisitive  
mind and soothe the fear of circuitry.'

The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices Online
<http://www.mtn.org/quack/welcome.htm>


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