Spin by Brian Springer

Brian Springer - Spin
57 min 26 sec - Apr 9, 2006
Average rating: (547 ratings)

Using the 1992 presidential election as his springboard, documentary filmmaker Brian Springer captures the behind-the-scenes maneuverings of politicians and newscasters in the early 1990s.

Pat Robertson banters about "homos," Al Gore learns how to avoid abortion questions, George Bush talks to Larry King about Halcion -- all presuming they're off camera.

Composed of 100% unauthorized satellite footage, "Spin" is a surreal expose of media-constructed reality.

I found this doco today and thought, "Wow! I had no idea this is what happens..."

There are several things happening here. For starters, we have a person with an idea - it's kind of a curiosity really based on intuitive feeling. The seemingly strange idea leads him to a very mundane and time consuming task of taping live satellite feeds.

The point of difference here is that what gets beamed up in the sky is raw footage taken from the very moment interviewees sit down and get their make-up done.

Now, this is when the interesting stuff happens. This is where you get to see the reality behind the camera - the reality behind the news. In the meantime, the raw footage is downloaded by news media to be cut and pre-digested for public broadcast.

It is then gulped by people like you and me and then absorbed by our minds.

So this dude spent like a whole year downloading raw footage from the satellites, going one by one and looking out for interesting snippets regarding the presidential elections in the US (1992 presidential elections - Clinton vs. Bush Sr.).

Here we have contemporary presidents, future presidents, future vice-presidents, news commentators, fundamentalist Christian preachers - all of them speaking their mind. Raw and uncut.

After all, who could be watching, right?

As the Australian elections are coming - and pretty much most other countries are about to have one, too - this is a definite must-see. Learn about the tricks the news media uses to screw with your mind and manipulate the outcomes of the political process.

If you dare to wake up, that is...

"...a study of the founders and supporters

of oppressive political regimes..."

"...shocking in its clinically spare descriptions
of the true nature of evil..."

www.ponerology.com

• BBC News - Curse of the Open Mic (29 January 2001)
• Halcion (Triazolam) - Wikipedia
• Benzodiazepine - Wikipedia

• Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky
• The Century of the Self
• The Secret Government by Bill Moyers

The Great Global Warming Swindle

1 hr 13 min 32 sec - Jun 14, 2007
Average rating: (244 ratings)

The Great Global Warming Swindle is a controversial documentary film by British television producer Martin Durkin, which argues against the scientific opinion that human activity is the main cause of global warming.

The film showcases scientists, economists, politicians, writers, and others who are sceptical of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming. Publicity for the programme states that global warming is "a lie" and "the biggest scam of modern times."

The programme's accuracy has been disputed on multiple points and several commentators have criticised it for being one-sided, noting that the mainstream position on global warming is supported by the scientific academies of the major industrialized nations and other scientific organizations.

The film disputes the positions of these scientific organizations by interviewing scientists and others, including Richard Lindzen and other contributors to reports by the IPCC, who disagree with explanations that attribute global warming to human activities.

Channel 4, which screened the documentary on March 8, 2007, described the film as "a polemic that drew together the well-documented views of a number of respected scientists to reach the same conclusions."

"This is a controversial film but we feel that it is important that all sides of the debate are aired."

Spread the word - keep those wings flapping.

• The Great Global Warming Swindle - Channel 4 Official Website
  
• Wikipedia Entry - Debate Summary and Timeseries Data
  

How Open Source Projects Survive Poisonous People (And You Can Too)

54 min 55 sec - Jan 25, 2007

Average rating: (366 ratings)
Description: Google Tech Talks January 25, 2007

Abstract: Every open source project runs into people who are selfish, uncooperative, and disrespectful. These people can silently poison the atmosphere of a happy developer community. Come learn how to identify these people and peacefully de-fuse them before they derail your project. Told through a series of (often amusing) real-life anecdotes and experiences.

Highly recommended - especially, the question time towards the end.
Also, really enjoyed the suggested methods of project disinfection.

And In Some Cases...

Q: I would like to ask if there is any significance to the fact that F is being afflicted in the area of his gallbladder, considering the relation to the word 'Gaul?'
A: Only significance is that this is an unnecessary organ, much like the appendix.
Q: You say it is unnecessary. Was it ever necessary?
A: In earlier models... When one receives message of pain there, could it be symbolic of advancement of neophysicality?
Q: Are you asking me? I have known a lot of people who had pain there who are just unhappy people.
A: But why unhappy? Think, my dear... And remember, your consciousness operates on four levels, not just one!
Q: And what are these four levels?
A: Physical body, consciousness, genetic body and spirit- etheric body.
Q: Are those the four composites of the human manifestation in 3rd density?
A: 3rd and 4th. One leads oneself, through physical actions, as well as psychic ones, to develop these "problems" when one is preparing to "bump it up" a notch.
Q: Very interesting...
A: Now, a gentle warning: soon you too, L, will experience something similar!
Q: How similar?
A: Exactly similar!

(...)

A: (..) Why do you suppose you have adopted the dietary practices you have?
Q: Because they seem to be the only ones that work to keep me from being sick. I can't eat like other people... never have been able to.

Excerpts from Session 981010
by Laura Knight-Jadczyk

Always Indebted - Keep Up the Grace