Culture of fear

Unknown Unknowns

"... as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know." - Donald H. Rumsfeld ( US Secretary of Defense) February 12, 2002

How are you affected by something you can't see or can barely perceive? After a period of brainstorming and a dramaturgy workshop, Susanne Bentley now reformulates the direction of the Bent Object's "Below 20" research. Distilled research elements include:
- Relationship between the performance (including performer) and spectator
- Presence of performer/environment
- Infrasound - biological effects, subliminal influence
- Suggestion rather than statement
- Domination of the individual by an environment, placed within a period in history in which Western man believes in an increase in control.
New elements to be added include storytelling, visiting hours and possibly some known knowns.

Plan to monitor all internet use

UK is getting all 1984...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8020039.stm

Download the communications consultation pdf and see what YOU think.

Past & present wisdom from the White House

"Rumsfeld: Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones."

He was right you know...

http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=2636

But even "unfree" countries have had problems, that have been fixed by "real-time intelligence", while now the homeland is protected by the new National Counterterrorism Center... Thank you George.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/12/20081217-6.html

oh and the surveillance bill...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7500937.stm

Form 696

Musicians and performers in London will soon be required by law to complete and hand over to police an eight page form detailing all their personal information and the ethnic background of their audience if they want to perform.

http://www.infowars.net/articles/december2008/021208Musicians.htm

gRig's All Hallow's Eve - f0am

21h -> 1h: f0amlab - Koolmijnenkaai 30-34 Quai Des Charbonnages - 1080 Brussels - 4th floor

From Cyberpunk to Cyberbotany: After the Research Gathering with Angelo Vermeulen, FoAM, [nadine] and the Guild for Reality Integrators and Generators invite you to cultivate the vegetal side of your mind... From dystopia to heterotopia, from human-machine to human-plant interactions, a post-cyberpunk eve for retro-techno-pagans, archaic revivalists, lab-witches, eco-nomads, pre & post millenial cultists. gRiggers are preparing an evening of ethnobotanical cooking, cyberbotanical lighting, autumn tunes, with viriditas and thalience diffused through the air, culminating in a (pre)futuristic celebration of the All Hallow's Eve.

w/ Lowdjo's special Halloween-set, spinning: 70's horror sounds, cyberpunkish industrial sounds, (belgian) new beat, and much more.. so expect general darkish sounds that evolve into a more chilled-forest-walk-dub and transnational bass set to close this Halloween night with a late snack by warm candle light.

Come early!

So what CAN a kid do these days?

A US woman who let her 9-year-old son travel on the New York City underground system by himself has been dubbed 'America's worst mom'. Lenore Skenazy's actions have sparked a huge debate about parenting.
Heather Alexander reports from New York:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7449795.stm