Worth a Second Look

Short Film Concepts

2008-11-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

Have an idea for a short film concept? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section! You may be lucky enough to see it be written (and hopefully produced) by the Student Film Production Club here at the University of Oklahoma!

A few words or a paragraph would be great; basically, however much you see fit to describe your Oscar-worthy masterpiece.

Thanks!

The Most Important Video I Will Ever Post

2008-10-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

What's the Difference Between Palin and Biden?

2008-10-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

On the Outside Looking In: Examine Your Life

2008-09-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from On Truth: The Tyranny of Illusion by Stefan Molyneux

(get a free pdf version of the book here)

If we were only ever exposed to English, we would not think of it as “English,” just as “language.” The need to differentiate English as a language only arises when we come into contact with other languages.

Similarly, if we are only exposed to our own mythologies, we do not think of them as mythologies, but rather as the truth. If we only know our own god, then we can refer to this fiction as “God” – this is a universe away from saying “a god,” – or, more accurately “our god.”

Deep down, each of us knows that our faith in our fragile fairy tales can only be sustained if we constantly steer clear of competing fairy tales. This tends to cripple our capacity for empathy – we must in our hearts ridicule the foolish beliefs of other cultures, and never take the terrifying
leap of trying to see our own culture through their eyes.

The fear and hatred that so often mars the relations between different cultural groups does not arise out of ignorance, but rather out of knowledge. Christians feel uneasy around Muslims – and Muslims feel uneasy around Christians – not because they are different, but because they are the same. Two adulterous women who know each others’ secrets will, if forced to sit together for lunch, have a very uncomfortable time – not because they know too little about each other, but rather because they know too much.

The only way that mythology can sustainably dominate generation after generation is by pretending that it is not mythology, but reality.

To help clarify this, consider the following thought experiment.

Imagine that the water in a sink has consciousness, and is sentient. Now imagine that I pour this water into a variety of glass containers, each of a different shape. The water, since it is sentient, would doubtless congratulate itself on its individuality. Since it would be unable to see the glass that surrounded it, contained it, and shaped its very form, it would honestly believe that its true physical shape was a mug, jar, test tube, or martini glass.

The sentient water filling the test tube would look at all the funny glass shapes around it and be enormously amused. “Do they not know how ridiculous they seem from the outside? Can they really imagine that that is their true shape? It’s madness!” it would chortle, pressed up against the glass of its own conceptual prison. And the water in the martini glass would look at all the other containers – including the test tube – and say exactly the same thing.

And this, really, is the state of all of the different cultures around the world. Each of us is poured into a clear glass container, which we believe represents the truth, which provides us with a shape and an identity that we mistake for “human nature.” And this can work relatively well – at least until we begin to catch sight of all the other glass containers surrounding us.

For a time, we will endeavor to maintain the illusion that only other water is contained in an obvious glass container – not us! However, there are those among us who can break free from the glass cage of culture – we stand outside such containers, and from our vantage point, the differences in the sizes and shapes of the containers are practically irrelevant.

The size and shape of your prison is not important. The fact that you are in a prison is. The knowledge that you are in a prison does not have to be learned. It only has to be accepted. It is not something that you do not know. At a very deep level, you are perfectly aware that what you call the truth is just the magical physics of invisible fairy tales.

How do I know this?

As with every idea in this book, there is no need to take my word for anything. You can easily discover your deep understanding of this fact with a few simple experiments.

As I have mentioned before, you can sit down with your parents and ask them about goodness. You can sit down with your friends and tell them that you are afraid that you are living in a fiction that is sapping your joy and independence. You can go to a mosque and ask if you can observe. You can put yourself in someone else’s “glass container” and see how you feel.

Try it. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine sitting down with your parents to ask them about goodness, or having a drink with your friends and talking about social mythologies. Do you feel nervous? Do you feel a vague and uneasy fluttering in your stomach at the very thought of such honesty and curiosity?

Why? Why do you feel afraid? Why have you never asked such questions? Who told you that such questions were not allowed? Were you ever punished for asking these questions in the past? Is there any law against asking such questions?

What will happen when you ask such questions?

You already know the answer. That is why you are afraid.

It is not cowardice that makes you afraid. It is wisdom that makes you afraid.

Because you have every reason to be afraid.

Understanding the Economic Crisis: The Shape of Things to Come

2008-09-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

How to Avoid Another Depression

2008-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Originally by Mark Thornton | Posted on 9/10/2008. Courtesy of mises.org

"Great Depression" is a strong term, but what exactly does it mean? Depressions are a normal part of a business cycle that are now often called recessions, downturns, or corrections. They occur in any economy where the financial markets are based on fractional-reserve banking.

Depressions only become "great" when normal to severe depressions are used as excuses for massive increases in government intervention. Murray Rothbard's America's Great Depression clearly demonstrates this phenomenon. The three great depressions in the history of the United States are the Progressive Era (1907–1922), the Great Depression (1929–1945), and the Great Stagflation (1970–1982).

The year 2008 marks the beginning of the next recession, correction, or depression. All the statistical indicators are pointing in that direction. All market indicators point in that direction as well. Ask any noneconomist and you will get that same answer. We only have to wait for the folks at the National Bureau of Economic Research to officially confirm what we already know.

The reason for the depression is the bust in the housing market — we all know that too. Austrians reported on the housing bubble throughout the boom. Beginning in early 2003, Frank Shostak, Christopher Meyer, Lew Rockwell, Robert Blumen, Jeff Scot, and others, including this author, were writing and lecturing about the housing bubble. We identified the cause of the bubble as the Federal Reserve and its inevitable consequences of a bust in the housing market and the overall economy.

Homebuilder stocks peaked in mid-2005 and it's been like watching a train wreck in slow motion ever since. When the overall stock market peaked one year ago we could finally celebrate the beginning of the correction phase of the business cycle even though most of us suspected it would be a severe one. Several mortgage dealers went bankrupt in 2007 and the increased number of foreclosures signaled that the correction was finally under way.

By late 2007 there were definite signs of major corrective forces acting in financial markets. However, whenever such corrections seemed to be ready to take place they were circumvented by government intervention. On December 12, 2007, the Fed announced the Term Auction Facility which would auction reserves at the Discount Window for a "broader range of counterparties" and against a "broader range of collateral" than open-market operations and without identifying the borrowers. This was the first extraordinary intervention.

Then in March, Paulson and Bernanke orchestrated the weekend purchase of Bear Sterns by J.P. Morgan, providing Morgan with a $30 billion, ten-year loan. This certainly was an extraordinary intervention. It also helped set a pattern of intervention that sends exactly the wrong signals to the market. Government officials at the Fed, Treasury, and elsewhere have been telling us that everything is fine in the economy and then, when bad economic news is announced, they claim that "it's not as bad as we anticipated." Then, when markets react to this misinformation, government comes in with some massive bailout in the form of a brand new, extraordinary intervention.

In July, Secretary Paulson told Congress that he saw no need for additional legislation to address problems at Fannie and Freddie and then, less than one week later, he announced that the Treasury would "backstop" the two megamortgage lenders. This essentially reversed what Treasury secretaries have been saying for decades, that they do not stand behind or guarantee the securities and debts and obligations of these government-sponsored entities.

Now an even more radical step by the Treasury has essentially nationalized Fannie and Freddie. Of course this does not help troubled homeowners or prospective buyers. It does not help homebuilders. Essentially, it hurts all those people because it puts them as taxpayers at risk for several trillion dollars in potential losses.

Most commentators think this takeover of Fannie and Freddie was the right thing to do: unfortunate, but necessary to prevent a financial crisis. This is all wrongheaded. It might delay a financial crisis, but it only makes the overall economic crisis even worse. History has well demonstrated that government intervention only lengthens the economic crisis and increases its overall cost. Just ask the Japanese about their experience.

Given the extraordinary nature of interventions that have been taken so far and the precedents that have been set, we have all the makings of the next great depression.

In the absence of all these government interventions, it is likely that the corrective phase of the business cycle would already be over and we would be in recovery mode. To be sure, housing would remain in a slump for some time to come, but restorative market forces would already be at work creating the next generation of companies and jobs.

If we want to avoid the next great depression, all such government interventions should cease. The Treasury Department should revise their recent action and turn their proposed conservatorship of Fannie and Freddie into a bankruptcy receivership that would ultimately liquidate the corporation and their liabilities. Meanwhile the Fed should announce its intent to stop Term Auction Facilities and close the discount window to all but its traditional customers. To reduce the negative impact of the recession, government should cease foreign hostilities, reduce military spending, balance the budget, and cut taxes and regulations.

Achieve World Peace

2008-08-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Download the free book!

Announcing Acronycal Corporation!

2008-07-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

Acronycal Corp is the umbrella organization for: Acronycal Records, Acronycal Productions, the Eureka Foundation, and a number of other long term projects.

The Eureka Foundation is a non-profit, philanthropic group that works in a fashion similar to DonorsChoose. The musicians/artists/bands post a project, and the donors give a tax-deductible donation! It's win-win! And the donors will likely become repeat customers for the artist in the future. The artists get their projects paid for, gain future listeners, and the donors get a tax write-off, new music, and benefits (including discounted music, VIP-priority ticket access, etc.) regarding Acronycal Records artists!

There are long-term projects under development pertaining to film under Acronycal Productions as well. A script, tentatively named The Grid Breaker, is being written as we speak! Though, it will likely be sold to the highest bidder to raise money for the company, rather than be internally produced within Acronycal.

Founded by Kyle Olbert, Alec Morris, Toby Rice, and Reilly Smith.

The Singularity Is Near

2008-07-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ray Kurzweil is a futurist. Futurism is synonymous with optimism (extreme optimism at that). Ray Kurzweil wants to live forever, and you can too!

A recent book he released, entitled The Singularity Is Near, is based upon a key principle in regards to biological and technological evolution: the law of accelerating returns. In short, the progression of humanity in both biological and technological terms is exponential, not linear. If you've ever taken a decently difficult high school math course, you would know that an exponential function curves.

y=2x is a linear function on a graph
y=x² is an exponential on a graph.

Notice, both graphs actually look relatively similar for quite a substantial distance. The catch is that on the exponential graph, the "knee of the curve" is an area containing explosive increases in information.

Kurzweil, among others, believes the "knee" will show itself in the coming decades. The "knee" comprises the emergence of a world in which biological and technological evolution merge; humans will transcend the boundaries of their biology.

I highly recommend the book The Singularity Is Near, as it will make you happy to be alive in such a wonderful time period.

Everyday Anarchy

2008-06-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

2008-06-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

1) Life In Technicolor

A masterful instrumental opening that, had it been fleshed out with the lyrical brilliance of Chris Martin, could have been the best song on the album. A very artful introduction to an album departing from the Coldplay status quo (a welcome departure at that).

2) Cemeteries of London

This could be considered the lyrical introduction for what Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends has in store. Like much of the album, "Cemeteries of London" is littered with references to ghosts, death, and religious overtones. Nevertheless, a very satisfactory track indeed.

3) Lost!

Quite unlike any previous Coldplay song to date, "Lost!" has a background echoing with the sound of an organ, another subtle religious touch in itself. A tribal drum beat keeps up the flow, and creates quite a unique feel while coupled with the organ. Occasionally, the band brings us back a taste of Coldplay past with bursts of their trademark guitar sounds prevalent in many of their singles.

4) 42

By this point, the theme of death has become the inescapable stable of the album, as it is yet again the primary lyrical object. Beginning with the slow piano and vocal pair that has become Chris Martin's strong suit, the second half of "42" opens into an upbeat melody which almost makes one forget the depressing subject matter. However, the final seconds forcefully remind the listener.

5) Lovers In Japan / Reign Of Love

This is one of Viva la Viva's crown jewels. An epic two-fold track encompassing all the musical angles Coldplay has to offer. The second-longest track on the album as well as their second longest ever, this is one of the three songs on Viva la Vida that's deserving of the label "epic."

6) Yes

Akin to "Lovers In Japan / Reign Of Love," the grandeur of "Yes" is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Just when you thought that you'd been shown all sides of Coldplay, they manufacture this masterpiece. The musical diversity coupled with powerful lyrics and mesmerizing vocals, "Yes" may be my personal favorite track.

7) Viva la Vida

Not much needs to be said about Viva la Vida, as evidenced by the millions who downloaded it over a month ago. The most airwave-friendly track besides Violet Hill.

8) Violet Hill

"Violet Hill" reminds us of the Coldplay of albums past. Strong guitar, a forceful beat, and familiar lyrical territory make this song the guilty pleasure track of Viva la Vida. Quite obvious as to why this was the first single.

9) Strawberry Swing

Hints of folk sounds are dropped into "Strawberry Swing," but not so much as to dilute the traditional Coldplay sound. Probably the softest and lightest track on the album, it reminds of the simple audio pleasure the band provided us by singing about the color yellow, among other things.

10) Death and All His Friends

The third in the trio of epic two-fold songs, "Death and All His Friends" gives us a familiar upbeat sound, followed up by an ambient, soft second half, that seems more narrated rather than sung. That is not a bad thing.

11) Lost?

Many will probably be reminded of the brilliance of "The Scientist" here. Chris Martin and his piano. A perfect ending to a magnificent 4th effort in Coldplay's short but impressive career so far. They've come a long way since A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Though it may not have the numerous singles and radio-friendly tracks as previous efforts, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is easily the best overall album Coldplay has put out thus far. In a league of its own.