Today’s world has troubles unique to its
time in history, from the global financial crisis to technological
meltdowns to full scale, computerized global war.
Observing the convergence
of such events, contemporary prophets have begun to emerge from
obscurity to suggest that these conditions might be signs of the demise
of the modern world.
These men are historians
as well, using all manner of information and patterns from the past to
provide context for where we are going.
Their predictions interpret the current state of affairs in our world as evidence that the America we know may come to an end.
The men proposing these
ideas are not crackpots living on the streets of New York; they are
intelligent, learned men who come armed with the evidence to back up
their claims.
what's your opinion ..?
California is a strong brand, the state of new beginnings, dreams and
movie stars, of surfers and a wonderful climate. But the Golden State is
bankrupt and the city of Los Angeles is running out of cash. Public
services are being cut and unemployment keeps rising. At the same time,
optimism, entrepreneurship and the belief in the power of America are
stronger than ever.
In Los Angeles, we meet five people who are going through a transformation in their lives during this crisis. Justin and Christine lost their jobs and are now living in a van with their two young sons. Charles has gotten out of prison after fourteen years. Mizuko prepares her children for the future by making them at ease in virtual reality. Laura has taken advantage of the crisis by buying land cheaply and starting an urban farm and artists collective Fallen Fruit maps the abundant free 'public fruit' available in the city. Who are the pioneers who are reinventing the new America and how do they see the future?
Vast new cities are being built across
China at a rate of ten a year, but they remain almost completely
uninhabited ghost towns. Racing to stay ahead of the world economy, is
the superpower about to implode?
"There are around 64 million empty apartments in China," claims analyst Gillem Tulloch. It's all part of the Chinese government's efforts to keep its economy booming and there are plenty of people who would love to move in, but the properties are priced out of the market. It's after 2pm and in the new city of Dongguan shop owner Tian Yu Gao is yet to serve a single customer. "It's a bit boring," he sighs. His open shop is a rare sight in the Great Mall: once heralded by the New York Times as proof of China's astonishing consumer culture, today it is an eerie vista of emptiness. "It can't stay this way," insists Tulloch, "when the bubble bursts, it will impoverish vast numbers of people"
In Los Angeles, we meet five people who are going through a transformation in their lives during this crisis. Justin and Christine lost their jobs and are now living in a van with their two young sons. Charles has gotten out of prison after fourteen years. Mizuko prepares her children for the future by making them at ease in virtual reality. Laura has taken advantage of the crisis by buying land cheaply and starting an urban farm and artists collective Fallen Fruit maps the abundant free 'public fruit' available in the city. Who are the pioneers who are reinventing the new America and how do they see the future?
Quants: The Alchemists of Wall Street
Quants are the math wizards and computer
programmers in the engine room of our global financial system who
designed the financial products that almost crashed Wall st. The credit
crunch has shown how the global financial system has become increasingly
dependent on mathematical models trying to quantify human (economic)
behaviour. Now the quants are at the heart of yet another technological
revolution in finance: trading at the speed of light.
What are the risks of treating the economy and its markets as a complex machine? Will we be able to keep control of this model-based financial system, or have we created a monster?
A story about greed, fear and randomness from the insides of Wall Street.
What are the risks of treating the economy and its markets as a complex machine? Will we be able to keep control of this model-based financial system, or have we created a monster?
A story about greed, fear and randomness from the insides of Wall Street.
The Matrix
The film depicts a future in which reality as perceived by most humans is actually a simulated reality or cyberspace
created by sentient machines to pacify and subdue the human population,
while their bodies' heat and electrical activity are used as an energy
source. Upon learning this, computer programmer "Neo"
is drawn into a rebellion against the machines, involving other people
who have been freed from the "dream world" and into reality.
The film contains many references to the cyberpunk and hacker subcultures; philosophical and religious ideas such as René Descartes' evil genius, the Allegory of the Cave, Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation, the brain-in-a-vat thought experiment; and homages to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Metropolis,[2] Hong Kong action cinema, spaghetti westerns, dystopian fiction, M. C. Escher's work,[2] and Japanese animation.
Even if The Matrix is a hybrid and may contain much more than any genre name could describe, it belongs to the epic genre, as, in modern terms, it redefines the hero who sets out to suppress overt threats to humanity.[17][18][19] The movie makes numerous references to recent films and literature, and to historical myths, religions and philosophies. The Matrix's premise resembles the Ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself",[20] Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity,[21] Calderón de la Barca's Life is a Dream, René Descartes's evil genius, Kant's reflections on phenomena versus the Ding an sich, Edwin Abbott Abbott's Flatland, George Gurdjieff's The Sleeping Man,[22] and the brain in a vat thought experiment.
Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation is featured in the film, and was required reading for the actors.[23] However, Baudrillard commented that The Matrix misunderstands and distorts his work.[24][25]
In Postmodern thought, interpretations of The Matrix often reference Baudrillard's philosophy to demonstrate that the movie is an allegory
for contemporary experience in a heavily commercialized, media-driven
society, especially of the developed countries. The influence of the
matrixial theory of Bracha Ettinger
articulated in a series of books and essays from the end of the 1980s
onwards was brought to the public's attention through the writings of
art historians such as Griselda Pollock[26][27] and film theorists such as Heinz-Peter Schwerfel.[28]
There are similarities to several works by science fiction author Philip K. Dick,[29][30][31] as well as cyberpunk works such as Neuromancer by William Gibson.[16] The film's use of the term "Matrix" is adopted from Gibson's novel.[32]
Japanese director Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell was a strong influence.[33] Producer Joel Silver has stated that the Wachowskis first described their intentions for The Matrix by showing him that anime and saying, "We wanna do that for real".[34][35] Mitsuhisa Ishikawa of Production I.G, which produced Ghost in the Shell,
noted that the anime's high-quality visuals were a strong source of
inspiration for the Wachowskis. He also commented, "... cyberpunk films
are very difficult to describe to a third person. I'd imagine that The Matrix is the kind of film that was very difficult to draw up a written proposal for to take to film studios". He stated that since Ghost in the Shell had gained recognition in America, the Wachowskis used it as a "promotional tool".[36] Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was another science fiction film that helped inspire the visual style of The Matrix.[37][38][39]
Reviewers have commented on similarities between The Matrix and other late-1990s films such as Strange Days, Dark City, and The Truman Show.[40][41][42] Comparisons have also been made to Grant Morrison's comic series The Invisibles; Morrison believes that the Wachowskis essentially plagiarized his work to create the film.[43][44] Comparisons have also been made between The Matrix and the books of Carlos Castaneda.[45] In addition, the similarity of the film's central concept to a device in the long-running series Doctor Who has also been noted. As in the film, the Matrix of that series (introduced in the 1976 serial The Deadly Assassin)
is a massive computer system which one enters using a device connecting
to the head, allowing users to see representations of the real world
and change its laws of physics; but if killed there, they will die in
reality.[46]
The Matrix Trilogy Decoded by Mark Passio
Philosophy and the Matrix - Return to the Source
BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS
In every corner of the globe, we are
polluting, diverting, pumping, and wasting our limited supply of fresh
water at an exponential level as population and technology grows,
resulting in the desertification of the earth.
Corporate giants profit by forcing developing countries to privatize their shrinking water supply. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk water export schemes to turn a global catastrophe into a product. Corrupt governments use water for economic and political gain, military control of water emerges, and a new geopolitical map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.
The good news is that people everywhere have fought and will continue fighting for their basic right to water, from Michigan court cases to violent Bolivian revolutions, from Mexican awareness Caravans (right) to Maine citizens dumping bottle water back into their river (above left), or even third graders protesting in grade school - People fight, because they must.
Corporate giants profit by forcing developing countries to privatize their shrinking water supply. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk water export schemes to turn a global catastrophe into a product. Corrupt governments use water for economic and political gain, military control of water emerges, and a new geopolitical map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars.
The good news is that people everywhere have fought and will continue fighting for their basic right to water, from Michigan court cases to violent Bolivian revolutions, from Mexican awareness Caravans (right) to Maine citizens dumping bottle water back into their river (above left), or even third graders protesting in grade school - People fight, because they must.
STATEMENT FROM THE FILMMAKER:
Dear Torrent users,
I thank all of you for your interest in my film. When I read the book Blue Gold, I knew immediately I must utilize my film talents to relay the urgency of prioritizing our fresh water management for the survival of our race. I had no idea of the financial and physical risks that making this film would entail at the time, and if I did I honestly would not have made the film. Luckily for the world, the film exists, and so it is my goal to follow the advise of the first press review which proclaimed "Every person on the planet must see this film". In this respect I thank godcanjudgeme for uploading this torrent and bringing a new audience to the film.
I have seen film festival audiences around the world transformed by the stories of the heroes of the water wars. I am thrilled that in the US and Canada the DVD is available via http://shoppbs.org and http://amazon.ca respectively. I respect the internet community that chooses to view films through torrents like this for whatever reason. In fact my first documentary, Hackers Wanted, focuses on the philosophy of true hackers and their journeys exploring cyberspace.
It is important to understand that independent films costs a great deal of personal finances to create, in this case over $100,000. In order that I may make other films in the future, I must at least make my money back. I respectfully ask that if you download the film you consider donating $5-$10 to the further publicity of the film via PayPal on my site http://www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com. Also consider reviewing the film favorably on IMDB and recommending that others buy the DVD.
Dear Torrent users,
I thank all of you for your interest in my film. When I read the book Blue Gold, I knew immediately I must utilize my film talents to relay the urgency of prioritizing our fresh water management for the survival of our race. I had no idea of the financial and physical risks that making this film would entail at the time, and if I did I honestly would not have made the film. Luckily for the world, the film exists, and so it is my goal to follow the advise of the first press review which proclaimed "Every person on the planet must see this film". In this respect I thank godcanjudgeme for uploading this torrent and bringing a new audience to the film.
I have seen film festival audiences around the world transformed by the stories of the heroes of the water wars. I am thrilled that in the US and Canada the DVD is available via http://shoppbs.org and http://amazon.ca respectively. I respect the internet community that chooses to view films through torrents like this for whatever reason. In fact my first documentary, Hackers Wanted, focuses on the philosophy of true hackers and their journeys exploring cyberspace.
It is important to understand that independent films costs a great deal of personal finances to create, in this case over $100,000. In order that I may make other films in the future, I must at least make my money back. I respectfully ask that if you download the film you consider donating $5-$10 to the further publicity of the film via PayPal on my site http://www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com. Also consider reviewing the film favorably on IMDB and recommending that others buy the DVD.
the end of suburbia
Since World War II North Americans have
invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a
sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the
population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too
has the suburban way of life become embedded in the American
consciousness.
Suburbia, and all it
promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st
century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the
sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of
irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life
and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global
demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and
the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists
and policy makers argue in this documentary.
The consequences of
inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil
Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming
years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of
their dream? Are today’s suburbs destined to become the slums of
tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to
avoid The End of Suburbia?
the crisis of civilisation
Fuel
Director Josh Tickell takes us along for
his 11 year journey around the world to find solutions to America's
addiction to oil. A shrinking economy, a failing auto industry, rampant
unemployment, an out-of-control national debt, and an insatiable demand
for energy weigh heavily on all of us. Fuel shows us the way out of the
mess we're in by explaining how to replace every drop of oil we now use,
while creating green jobs and keeping our money here at home. The film
never dwells on the negative, but instead shows us the easy solutions
already within our reach.
With the US raising their debt ceiling,
are we in a global bail-out bubble that will eventually burst? This doc
offers a fresh insight into the greatest economic crisis of our age: the
one still awaiting us.
The financial storm that has rocked the world began brewing in the US when congress pushed the idea of home ownership for all, propping up those who couldn't make the down payments. When it all went wrong the government promised the biggest financial stimulus packages in history and gargantuan bailouts. But what crazed logic is that: propping up debt with more debt? "They're giving alcohol to a drunk: it just sets him up for a bigger hangover."
The financial storm that has rocked the world began brewing in the US when congress pushed the idea of home ownership for all, propping up those who couldn't make the down payments. When it all went wrong the government promised the biggest financial stimulus packages in history and gargantuan bailouts. But what crazed logic is that: propping up debt with more debt? "They're giving alcohol to a drunk: it just sets him up for a bigger hangover."
Ghost Cities
"There are around 64 million empty apartments in China," claims analyst Gillem Tulloch. It's all part of the Chinese government's efforts to keep its economy booming and there are plenty of people who would love to move in, but the properties are priced out of the market. It's after 2pm and in the new city of Dongguan shop owner Tian Yu Gao is yet to serve a single customer. "It's a bit boring," he sighs. His open shop is a rare sight in the Great Mall: once heralded by the New York Times as proof of China's astonishing consumer culture, today it is an eerie vista of emptiness. "It can't stay this way," insists Tulloch, "when the bubble bursts, it will impoverish vast numbers of people"
I am Gurgaon. The new Urban India
The shining facades of Gurgaon, a
satellite city of New Delhi, are symbols of Indias unparalleled economic
growth. Gurgaon was built at the turn of this century by the largest
project developers in the world. A village 15 years ago, has now grown
into a city of 1,4 million inhabitants, but with little or no
infrastructure. How viable is this new type of city?
Residents of the gated communities of this privatized society offer insights in their hope, desires, and in the new self-confidence of the Indian middle class. Gradually it becomes clear what the consequences of the credit crisis and the growing gap between rich and poor are for the city and the psyche of its inhabitants.
Gurgaon: a Ponzi Scheme or the prototype for future mega cities as they will be found all over India within a few decennials?
Residents of the gated communities of this privatized society offer insights in their hope, desires, and in the new self-confidence of the Indian middle class. Gradually it becomes clear what the consequences of the credit crisis and the growing gap between rich and poor are for the city and the psyche of its inhabitants.
Gurgaon: a Ponzi Scheme or the prototype for future mega cities as they will be found all over India within a few decennials?
Gasland
As American energy firms look for new
sources of petroleum, natural gas has become an increasingly important
part of their portfolios, especially after the 2005 Energy Policy Act
(created with the participation of Dick Cheney, a former executive with
energy giants Halliburton) removed environmental protection restrictions
against hydraulic fracturing drilling (known in the trade as
"fracking"). Since then, gas drilling has been sharply on the rise, and
when Josh Fox, a theatrical director and filmmaker,
was offered $100,000 for the gas rights to family property on the
Delaware River Basis in Pennsylvania, he was curious about the possible
effects of drilling. Fox set out to talk to other property owners about
what he could expect, and their answers startled him -- fracking taints
water sources near drilling sites, and many households have discovered
their water is not only undrinkable after gas drilling, it's even
flammable. It turns out this is just the tip of the iceberg of the
environmental damage done by reckless gas drilling, and in his
documentary Gasland, Fox travels to 34 states and talks to dozens of
property owners and environmental experts on the under-reported menace
of fracking and the truth about the dangers of natural gas. Gasland was
an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
THE SKY IS PINK
Fault Lines : Fracking in America
For years now, the United States has tried to lower its dependence on
foreign oil for its energy needs. With stability in the Middle East in
question, drilling at home has never been more attractive, but it often
comes at a cost. Natural gas extraction - fracking - is being touted as
the answer. The way fracking is taking place, there are questions being
asked about the process and its implications.
What caused America to go from being a
leading exporter of oil to the world’s largest importer? What are the
economic and sociological forces that have contributed to that change
and impede its solution?
Gashole is an eye-opening
documentary about the history of oil prices and sheds light on a secret
that the big oil companies don’t want you to know – that there are
viable and affordable alternatives to petroleum fuel! It also provides a
detailed examination of our continued dependence on foreign oil and
examines various potential solutions – starting with claims of buried
technology that dramatically improves gas mileage, to navigating
bureaucratic governmental roadblocks, to evaluating different
alternative fuels that are technologically available now, to questioning
the American Consumers’ reluctance to embrace alternatives.
Narrated by Peter Gallagher, hear from a
wide range of opinions from representatives of the US Department of
Energy Representatives, Congressional leaders both Democrat and
Republican, Alternative Fuel Producers, Alternative Fuel Consumers
(including actor Joshua Jackson), Professors of Economics and Psychology
and more. Anyone who buys gas should see this film!
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