Initial Political Offering
Who: Craig Benson, Cabletron Systems cofounder and a GOP gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire. Pedigree: Like billionaires Ross Perot and Michael Bloomberg, he's unpredictable and set for life. Eager To Please: Local biz - Benson plans to roll back recent increases in business enterprise and profits taxes. Reality Check: "New Hampshire is very much about grassroots support. You can't buy an election here, no matter how much money you have." New Year's Resolution: Make his political debut as successful as Cabletron's 1989 IPO, the largest tech offering ever.
Damage Control
Who: Chris and Janet Morris, defense contractors with a sci-fi past. Expertise: Leading authorities on nonlethal weapons, like high-powered microwaves, pepperballs, and calming agents. Current Assignment: Shortly after the September 11 attacks, the Morrises snared $9.2 million in pending projects from the Department of Defense Joint Nonlethal Weapons Program. They're assessing the potential impact of a massive biochemical attack on the US and evaluating the use of nanoparticles to clear facilities of threats such as anthrax and sarin-type nerve gas. Call To Arms: Recruited to join the US Global Strategy Council, chaired by former CIA deputy director of intelligence Ray Cline, who'd read their 1984 thriller, The 40-Minute War. In it, the US is goaded into a nuclear exchange when Arab terrorists fly a hijacked plane into the White House. New Year's Resolution: Start a nonlethal arms race.
Behind the Music
Who: Dan Rucks, video surgeon to the stars. Big Break: When Madonna's single "Secret" stalled on the charts back in '94, she called Rucks, who performed an emergency uptempo recut. The resulting Dan-O-Rama montage was the first remix to play on MTV and hit number one on the Top 20 Video Countdown. Star Power: Since then, the LA-based film editor has worked for Cher, the Judds, and David Bowie. Tools Of The Trade: Using a G4 dual processor, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe After Effects, Rucks edits hours of footage, splicing clips together to go along with a song's hooks, beats, and lyrics. New Year's Resolution: Finish compiling graphics to be played back on slope Jumbotrons and arena screens during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City this February.
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