Beyond the Beyond: Strange Culture

The story of Steve Kurtz is one that I have been following for a few years now. He was accused by U.S. federal prosecutors in an incredibly long and drawn out witch hunt of being a bio-terrorist, a suspected murderer, and eventually a pernicious mail fraud mastermind, beginning when paramedics found suspicious lab materials in his house. He had called them because his wife had just died of a heart attack. The lab materials were from an art project the professor was making about genetically modified food.

Someone has produced a documentary about the ordeal and I would very much like to see it.

Link to film blurb

"Art becomes the next suspect in America's 9/11 paranoia"
from the Guardian in 2004 when the story first came out.

Trackback to my confused muttering in 2005 and link to a case summary as it went to trial.

Guardian update from last week regarding the dismissal of the case.
`As Nature magazine put it: "It seems that government lawyers are singling Kurtz out as a warning to the broader artistic community".'

Beyond the Beyond: Dead Media

Microsoft has decided to pull the plug on their "Digital Rights Management" entrenched music service, rendering any media that you legally bought through the comercially lagging MSN portal effectively unusable. I have noticed this is one of those "I told you so moments" by technology bloggers around cyberspace.

The legal precedent involved here I find troubling and increasingly widespread. Content distributors are creating a scenario where regardless of you purchasing software and media from them, they still technically own that intellectual property and legally control its use. This is somewhat like a hardware store sueing you because your twelve year old daughter cooked POP TARTS in your toaster instead of the toast bread it was intended for, thus potentially damaging the toaster brand and the future of toaster distribution as we know it.

As an artist, the concept that media conglomerates, software makers, and distributing networks can buy up copyrights in bulk, put seemingly innocuous digital locks on content, and then sue your pants off for trying to use that content for your own ends outside of the intended manner, is an incredibly threatening prospect.
People`s eyes tend to glaze over and look dreamily off into the distance when I talk about this stuff, because who really cares . . . iPods(TM) are so cool.

10 / 10 ---> IGN.com

yes. i will play this game.

SPORE will SUCK. That is all.

Posemaniacs

...the most useful website I've ever been to.

A few good questions...

"1) General, five years ago the Commander in Chief said that combat operations in Iraq had ended. Since this isn’t true, the Commander in Chief was either lying, delusional, or simply a fool. Which do you believe to be the case?

2) You have said on various occasions that Iran is meddling in Iraq, that it is supplying weapons, fighters, and training to the warring factions. Others have charged that the United States is meddling in Iraq, that it is supplying weapons, troops, and training in Iraq. Which of these assertions do you believe to be the more accurate? Have you seen any evidence of American involvement?

3) You have expressed a commendable admiration for our soldiers, saying that they are the finest young men of our nation. Would you let your daughter date a black Pfc. with a GED? A kid named Gonzalez with tattoos?

4) Permit me a personal question, General. Have you ever said anything but “yes” to anyone who could affect your chances of promotion? Can you give us examples?

I have received a letter from a squad leader in Baghdad who suggests that always saying “yes” qualifies you as a streetwalker but not as a soldier. I am sure this isn’t true. That is, I am sure you could be a soldier as well. Will you explain to us why the sergeant is wrong? Can you give the Congress a reason to believe that anything other than your career matters to you?"

Murder Cult, USA

Chicago: GTA IV Ads to Be Pulled From Buses as Transit Authority Caves to Pressure

MATH-------->FTW

Not Long Now