What are are people in Australia thinking about new media these days? Or Montreal, Canada? Or Timbuktu, for that matter? Are you missing out on some really cool digital art just because you live in...Manhattan? Los Angeles? Tokyo? Funny, but even the most cosmopolitan net art fans might be ignorant of movements in other corners of the world. Perhaps -empyre-, a new mailing list, can help. Moderated by Melinda Rackham, Empyre is an international arena designed for the discussion of media arts practice and theory. Originally, it was conceived to examine the Australian regional online community. Today, -empyre- will regularly invite guests in the fields of media arts practice, theory, curation or administration to discuss thier particular areas of expertise, publications, zines and creative projects. The first guest: Ollivier Dyens from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, curator of the "Metal and Flesh" website http://www.metalandflesh.com, and author of the book "Metal and Flesh," which discusses how tech is affecting our world and culture.