subscribe to the discussion at http://www.subtle.net/empyre/ The members of the U.S. Department of Art and Technology will do whatever it takes to keep America safe. That means amplifying our intelligence, taking action on all key fronts, and deconstructing and re-writing media texts. The US Department of Art & Technology is an artist-led, virtual government agency. The US DAT functions as a conduit between the arts and the broader political and economic culture for facilitating the artists¹ need to extend aesthetic inquiry into the social sphere where ideas become real action. The Department proposes and supports the idealized definition of the role of the artist in society as one whose reflections, ideas, aesthetics, sensibilities, and abilities can have significant and transformative social impact on the world stage. Secretary Randall M. Packer: Head of the US Department of Art and Technology and chief media arts advisory for the Federal Government, Sectretary Packer represents the United States in aesthetic and cultural matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to the heads of the executive departments of the Government when so requested. Joining Secretary Packer throughout the month are many of the agents and staff artists for the USDAT. Some of those attending will be: Under Secretary for the Office of Artist & Homeland Insecurity, Jeff Gates; Director of the Bureau of Pharmakogeographical Surveying, Trace Reddell; Commanding General of Operation Artistic Freedom, Andrew Nagy. Among the recent projects undertaken by the USDAT are: ---> The Experimental Party DisInformation Center, an immersive media installation subverting Republican propaganda. Three years in the making, the installation is the culmination of a project started by US Department of Art & Technology Secretary Randall M. Packer in 2001 when he created a ³virtual government agency² as a critique of the role of the artist in society. http://www.experimentalparty.org/ ---> Media Deconstruction Kit (MDK): MDK is a real-time system that alters broadcast media live and in real-time, transforming news stories, advertising, political pundancy, live up-dates, scrolls, and network logos into an immersive, sensorial, multimedia experience. (Randall Packer, Wesley Smith) http://www.experimentalparty.org/mdk ---> WetheBlog.org: A medium that offers an artistic alternative to the spin-doctors of the political parties. WetheBlog.org is the virtual community to participate in with media artists, cultural critics and other creative people who are repositioning themselves as new leaders in the governance of this planet. (Jeff Gates) http://wetheblog.org ---> Homeland Insecurity Advisory System: A Web-based initiative designed to broadcast the daily threat condition confronting citizens of the US and around the world due to the risk of our government-in-action. (Jonah Brucker-Cohen) http://www.usinsecurity.us -- -empyre- facilitates critical perspectives on contemporary cross-disciplinary issues, practices and events in networked media by inviting guests -- key new media artists, curators, theorists, producers and others to participate in thematic discussions. To participate, subscribe to -empyre- at: http://www.subtle.net/empyre/ --