"Non Lethal Weapons" (NLW) which do not kill the enemy, but render them inactive are classified as techniques of political control. Citizens, prisoners and riots in general are the target group of police or military utilising "weapons of mass protection" which are not bound by international regulations. The definition of non lethal means that no more than a quarter of the effected people die. Opponents of the use of these means wish to call them therefore "Less Lethal Weapons" (LLW). A mobile multi-media exhibition in Europe has produced books, a theatre play and an exhibition on the topic how LLWs are employed for the pupose of political control.

European theatre-makers, artists, architects, engineers and scientists developed an urban mobile theatre platform called TROIA. "The whole purpose of TROIA (English) is to focus public awareness and discussion on the technologies of political control within the context of a fast developing Europe." Olaf Arndt describes the problem in an excerpt from his book (PDF): "Domestic security has created a science-fiction reality with the aid of electricity, sound waves, gas and foam. It paints a picture of civil conflict which, despite a 30 year old tradition in the use of hi-tech weaponry such as pepper gas, computer searches,computer intelligence networks, police round-ups, is still seen by most as some fantastic script for a Hollywood film and bearing no relation to reality."

Inspired by this German article in Telepolis
TROIA English
TROIA German

It is great, that a network of free community-maintained "wiki" city guides exists. The one on London for example is very handy as a travel guide.

Joining interactive online maps and public transport planning/usage via  Google hacks goes one step further to provide for a sustainable urban environment. Dare to think of post-oil, post-car environments where walkable neigbourhoods become reality.

Maybe soon collaborative wikies will inform where on can find sustainable green housing, walkable urban environments, cycle paths, public transport, public places and monitor pollution. A paradigm shift in values is taking place right now, usability for urban environments becomes a necessity.

Some location based wikies are on the way..

inspired by
worldchanging-another world is here

An informative educational geometry site makes the geolyphs of the Nazca in the Peruvian desert its topic. It also refers to the German born mathematician Maria Reiche who devoted a large part of her life to these artefacts. Before going to the site, it is advisable to turn off your sound!

The epidemic of mostly small white yappers is apparent,from Europe to Australia there is no lap, arm or leg free from such a pet dog. China is catching up. New York has now its glossy Vogue for pampered Barbie-pets: 'The NY Dog'. Luxury goods, boutique gear, necklaces, earrings  and dog horoscopes are available. The pet industry has doubled in the last decade. " Spending by U.S. consumers on their 153 million dogs and cats has doubled in the past decade, to $34.4 billion last year, making the pet industry the country's seventh-largest retail segment-60 percent larger than the $20 billion human-toy industry"

The production of this mono-culture of domestic (mostly urban) pets stands in stark contrast to the species extinction rates of the Earth: "Changes in biodiversity were more rapid in the last 50 years than at any time in human history... Future models are very uncertain but all of them tell us that as we move into the next 100 years, we'll be seeing extinction rates that are a thousand to 10,000 times those in the fossil record."