The Age of Simulation

Questions, speculations & updates on the techniques and nature of media fakery
hoi.polloi
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by hoi.polloi »

Some interesting posts on Orwell from other threads:
It is not an accident, of course, that the most prosperous period of human history, that of 19th century USA, coincided with the least amount of banker control over the U.S. economy. [...] George Orwell envisioned the world of "1984," in which two rival powers maintained perpetual hostility and martial law but never went to war against each other. "1984" continued in effect until one player, the United States, weakened and could no longer afford to subsidize its rival. What happened to the world Communist threat was that the American taxpayer, looted and betrayed by the minions of the World Order, could no longer afford to pay for Communism in Russia."

from "The World Order" by Eustace Mullins
- http://cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?p=2380443#p2380443

Simon asking about connection to Waugh:
Orwell, an admirer of Waugh's writing, concluded that Waugh was "almost as good a novelist as it is possible to be ... while holding untenable opinions."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evelyn_Waugh
- http://cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?p=2377984#p2377984
BBC War Propagandist, George Orwell worked hard to prop up the Rocket Myth. Yet Orwell came close in 1984 to telling the truth when writing: "The rocket bombs which fell daily on London were probably fired by the Government of Oceania itself, 'just to keep people frightened'.
- http://cluesforum.info/viewtopic.php?p=2375489#p2375489

I've heard before that Orwell was somehow halfway into the "elite" circles, and it is interesting that his works are required reading in grade schools. Animal Farm and 1984 could be considered as unnecessarily bleak as they are prophetic and wise about human character. Actually, I wonder how difficult it was to avoid "elite" circles back in the day. It's arguably a little tricky today if you are in any sort of university or college setting, even with such a relatively enormous world population. But I would guess back when many of these weird conspiracies were forming in the wake of the terrible and awesome inventions of radio and television, that you could brush shoulders with future propagandists as easily as you might the next great (or bad) novelists of the time. So was Orwell one of these propagandists or was he just naturally close to the burgeoning groups of them and hence borrowed from their imaginations?

Well, well, well -- looks like we have some fun homonymic syllables going on:

Herbert George (H.G.) Wells (sparked concepts of "time" travel and "nuclear" weapons)
George Orson Welles (War of the Worlds hoax)
George Orwell (1984)

I guess the name "George Well" is like the "John Q. Smith" of science fiction. Probably just a coincidence and all that.
simonshack
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by simonshack »

hoi.polloi wrote: Well, well, well -- looks like we have some fun homonymic syllables going on:

Herbert George (H.G.) Wells (sparked concepts of "time" travel and "nuclear" weapons)
George Orson Welles (War of the Worlds hoax)
George Orwell (1984)

I guess the name "George Well" is like the "John Q. Smith" of science fiction. Probably just a coincidence and all that.

Image
(a favorite exclamation from my old favorite cartoonist Gotlib,
which roughly translates: "Holy blood! But that is of course!")

Thanks muchly Hoi ! What a liberating find! I now realize this "Wells" charade has been torturing my mind for ages - because each time I searched my brain (in conversations with people, when wishing to cite one or the other of the Wells'es) - I kept mixing them up !!!

Well, well, well... indeed! ^_^

I guess the question here would be: Why did Eric Arthur Blair choose the pen name "George Orwell"?
fbenario
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by fbenario »

simonshack wrote:I guess the question here would be: Why did Eric Arthur Blair choose the pen name "George Orwell"?
Eric Blair (aka - George Orwell) changed his name in 1933 - his new pen name stressed his deep and lifelong affection for the English tradition and countryside - George V was monarch at this time and the River Orwell (located in the County in which he lived) was one of Eric's favorite visiting spots.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Eric_ ... rge_Orwell
Winston'sMyth
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by Winston'sMyth »

I read a few biographies about 15 years ago and only have a general impression of the man left in my memory banks. He suffered poor health most of his adult life and thought of himself as an outsider to his literary peers like Aldous Huxley. As far as the statue goes, it seems perfectly Orwellian to me! I think the perps know it is much more effective to co-opt the opposition than directly oppose it.
Mercurial
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by Mercurial »

I found this essay of Orwell's on censorship and freedom of the press a few years ago and was quite blown away by it: http://theorwellprize.co.uk/george-orwe ... the-press/
If publishers and editors exert themselves to keep certain topics out of print, it is not because they are frightened of prosecution but because they are frightened of public opinion. In this country intellectual cowardice is the worst enemy a writer or journalist has to face, and that fact does not seem to me to have had the discussion it deserves.
It's really worth a read - I was shocked by Britain's "uncritical admiration of Soviet Russia" and the murderous brute Stalin at that time. How could we have aligned with that raging criminal?

Puts me in mind of a story a friend told me about meeting Gore Vidal. He was at his curmudgeonly best, practically knocking people over with his stick. He leaned in and hissed "Who's the worst statesman ever?" My friend: "I don't know, Hitler? Bush?" Vidal: "Churchill!" And with that he was off, no explanation. This was years ago and it's made me do a bit of homework on the matter. My friend just put it down to Vidal being a contrarian. I'm not so sure!! Funny how the pieces come together to make a very different picture to the one on the box!
Mercurial
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by Mercurial »

And this one is rather good: (Orwell again)

http://wikilivres.ca/wiki/Catastrophic_Gradualism
There is a theory which has not yet been accurately formulated or given a name, but which is very widely accepted and is brought forward whenever it is necessary to justify some action which conflicts with the sense of decency of the average human being. It might be called, until some better name is found, the Theory of Catastrophic Gradualism. According to this theory, nothing is ever achieved without bloodshed, lies, tyranny and injustice, but on the other hand no considerable change for the better is to be expected as the result of even the greatest upheaval. History necessarily proceeds by calamities, but each succeeding age will be as bad, or nearly as bad, as the last. One must not protest against purges, deportations, secret police forces and so forth, because these are the price that has to be paid for progress: but on the other hand “human nature” will always see to it that progress is slow or even imperceptible. If you object to dictatorship you are a reactionary, but if you expect dictatorship to produce good results you are a sentimentalist.
bostonterrierowner
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by bostonterrierowner »

Mercurial wrote:
It's really worth a read - I was shocked by Britain's "uncritical admiration of Soviet Russia" and the murderous brute Stalin at that time. How could we have aligned with that raging criminal?
You guys put him in power :) And many , many more criminals and scoundrels . This is why your island is called "Perfidious Albion "

I don't mean to offend you Merculiar . Mafia responsible for raping this planet is just headquartered in London , IMHO . Ordinary Brits are not to blame .
Vext Lynchpin
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by Vext Lynchpin »

bostonterrierowner wrote:I don't mean to offend you Merculiar . Mafia responsible for raping this planet is just headquartered in London , IMHO . Ordinary Brits are not to blame .
They are headquartered in the City of London in particular, which is distinct from Greater London.
sunshine05
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by sunshine05 »

Here's a great video on the history of green screen compositing over time.


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8aoUXjSfsI
hoi.polloi
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by hoi.polloi »

That fellow looks like he's employing a few digital effects, himself. :blink:

And his mannerisms are super ishy. Get away. Stand back from the camera, man. We can see you.

Nice summary, though. I wanted to hear more about the ultraviolet technique used in The Old Man and the Sea.
lux
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by lux »

Is this guy a human being? (Mark Potok)
Image

Watch:

full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joqQfSnGWas
sunshine05
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by sunshine05 »

I think it's very possible that he is not real. He seems to have that same purple-ish tone that "Snowden" has. I think CGI is now at the point where it can fool just about anyone.
I, Gestalta
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by I, Gestalta »

Watch it in 480p on youtube. Better yet, download it with keepvid.com and take a very close look in VLC or whichever software you would prefer.

It appears to me that there is, indeed, a human being sitting there. However, a computer-generated face/head seems to have been superimposed over it. The head is too small, the skin-tone is different, and the size of the head does not seem to make sense with the breadth of the shoulders. The face has a very two-dimensional feel to it and, lastly, the movement of the lips does not match the crispness of his diction.

Lastly, a lot of the youtube comments are along the lines of, "dude, he looks like a smurf!".
lux
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by lux »

^ That's the impression I had when first watching him. Like it was a guy wearing an animated mask. It's very weird.
Libero
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by Libero »

Look up the leader of the Southern Poverty Law Center..., the National Urban League where Trayvon's mom spoke.. The ACLU... Pick a group, in fact... In the 60's it's laughable for the ACLU. They're all covered.
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