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The Act of Killing
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 2195
Unbelievable.
I haven't seen the documentary that won the Oscar for 2012, but I have a hard time believing it in any way beat this...
Produced by Erroll Morris and Werner Herzog, Director Joshua Oppenheimer gives opportunity to some of Indonesia's more celebrated executioners, murderers, rapists and gangsta's to reenact their war crimes and tell their story.
This is dark, but brilliant fare. Now in their 70's, Indonesia's murdering class still in power, they want their story told, and are happy to reenact their executions, murders, and rapes for the the camera. Without justification (but with substantial Western Encouragement), "The Act of Killing" retells Indonesia's Genocide not so much as a rabbit hole as a moral and ethical abyss, as the characters both freely acknowledge their roles and duties yet without in any way accepting moral culpability...
The murderers watch it and shower it with approval. They go on collections, where they terrorize Chinese immigrants for protection money, freely given on the basis of their reputations alone. There's the epiphany where the lead executioner, in his role of the victim, realizes what he thinks his own victims felt, until the director is compelled to interrupt and advise him "...but you knew you were acting, in a film, whereas your victims knew they would die...", or words to that effect...
And yet somehow, each of them, the inane lifestyles, the unthought values and unconsidered consequences, the idolizing and worshiping of the most despicable of human traits, somehow you get the feeling that perhaps they realize, that despite their place in a society that not only accepts but celebrates their "accomplishments", that somehow they know that what they did was wrong...
It's a Russian doll, infinitely nesting, tangled and tangling web of the darkest of human fears and realizations. It's shame on META META META levels. It's the firsthand portrayal and reenactment of heinous and amoral things, and as painful as it is to watch it's complicity to ignore. And if you think it's irrelevant, read this:
This is ongoing and worldwide, Mexico, Rwanda, Syria, Croatia, again and again, but few countries have had the audacity to celebrate and promote their war criminals like Indonesia has.
Reviews: http://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/feature-programs/the_act_of_killing/
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/05/act-of-killing-screening-in-indonesia
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_act_of_killing/
Bricking
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 2480
Bricking. From the Wikipedia:
"The word "brick", when used in reference to consumer electronics, describes an electronic device such as smartphone, game console, router, or tablet computer that, due to a serious misconfiguration, corrupted firmware, or a hardware problem, can no longer function, hence, is as technologically useful as a brick."
Bricking can also be used to intentionally disable computers or hardware that have been modified to play "Unauthorized" content or run unauthorized apps. Consider Apple's "Error 53" - which ruins all iPhones repaired by unauthorized dealers. I'm not making this up. They are, apparently, well within their legal rights to do so. Do you own the phone?
And an interesting article on Google's acquisition of a tech company, and product, and then subsequent announcement that upon the end of the warranty on the product it would "Brick" it. Meaning Kill it. Read the full article here: https://medium.com/@arlogilbert/the-time-that-tony-fadell-sold-me-a-container-of-hummus-cb0941c762c1#.1lfxbvyf5.
This type of corporate ethos makes me increasingly uncomfortable, and raises some interesting questions regarding ownership. Do you really every own the product if the company that sold it to you (or it's subsequent acquiring company) can destroy it at will and without repercussion? What does ownership now mean? Do you own things, or are you owned by the companies that sold them to you? Consider Keurig, the idiots choice for mediocre coffee. Or GM's claim to own the software inside your car, or John Deere's ownership of your tractor. Or Monsanto's ownership of your farm, crops and grain. Three links here: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130513/12113523062/monsanto-wins-case-seed-patents-planting-your-own-legally-purchased-grown-seeds-can-be-infringing.shtml && https://thegranddisillusion.wordpress.com/monsanto-vs-farmer/ && http://www.cnbc.com/id/100464458. In fact the evils of Monsanto are far too long to be listed here, and would require months of your own research and hair pulling. It's good to be aware, but be warned you're treading now the thin line between awareness and insanity...
The intrusion of technology into our lives, increasingly, daily, has raised some complex moral and ethical dilemmas that are consistently being resolved in favor of the companies selling us these products. We own less, and in a way, after the companies fashion, rent more of our lives. For the company, this is great, we are now the lifetime consumer. But for us, maybe, not so good...
Think about it. Do you want to own your life, or merely rent it from a company?
Iceland
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2824
I like Iceland. By which I mean, I've never been, but from pictures on the web and the music of Bjork it seems a pretty progressive place.
They don't put up with a lot of shit either...
Following the 2008 Financial Collapse, orchestrated largely by the banks, they chose to hold their bankers accountable and imprisoned them. This is without precedent, the bankers who orchestrated the 2008 US Collapse not only profited hugely from their fraud and market manipulations, they continued to profit through bailouts, despite any number of clear and transparent examples of market manipulation and fraud.
This week, one of the reasons came to light with the leak of the "Panama Papers", the biggest leak in history, showing how the rich and powerful use tax havens like Panama to illegally store and launder their money. So far, not enormously big news in the west, despite any number of notable figures being named, but also interesting in that they've already begun censoring the internet in China for any mention of them...China's ruling party have a number of inconvenient ties to Panamanian Banks. Vladimir Putin as well. As well as any number of Western and European Companies, Political figures and celebrities.
How many banks are there in Panama, anyways?
As always in the west we'll probably ignore it, or find, vilify, and if possible imprison the person who leaked the information, certainly we will in no ways seek justice for those whose transgressions are made apparent.
The Prime Minister of Iceland's name was listed in the papers. And in the ensuing demonstrations has (apparently) resigned, despite no proof of wrongdoing, but in Iceland, after the Banking & Economic Collapse of 2008, appearances are everything, and the Prime Minister has resigned. Or not, maybe...
What is certain is that one way or another the people will demand, and have, justice. This, too me, demonstrates a nation of people with both will and a strong moral compass.
I've never been, but I like Iceland.
Technology & Prizes
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Ideas & Questions
- Hits: 2293
And there's the "Drone Prix" in Dubai, I had no idea there was such a thing. Probably there wasn't, but now there is, and that's the new way of the world and if you didn't know you're an idiot...
I say that in Irony. If you knew I'd tell you you need a life...and that, sincerely...
And Drones, they're cool and all, and drone racing, well, I appreciate it, but imagine...
What if we gave out prizes for self-driving car competitions, and AI competitions, evolving AI, or genetic engineering, green energy, or other cutting edge technologies, where would we be? These are the things that deserve our attention...
Not drones, superficially cool, but autonomous drones that can interact with their surroundings, with convincing AI - Human interfaces, so many deserving endeavors and the basest of them get their own grande-prix...bloody hell...
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