tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2689697416582730572024-03-13T13:36:42.669-07:00Vector Equilibrium: A Synchronicities BlogJonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-19782232929943744782008-09-25T05:13:00.000-07:002008-09-25T15:31:39.886-07:00Symbolism of Popular Culture<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'times new roman';"><p face="Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" size="12px" style=" line-height: 20px; text-indent: 15px; word-spacing: 1px; ">Cool 2 page essay here that might be of interest:</p><p style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 15px; word-spacing: 1px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.symbolism.org/writing/books/spc/intro/home.html">Symbolism of Popular Culture</a></span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 15px; word-spacing: 1px; "></p><blockquote><p style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 15px; word-spacing: 1px; ">For example, suppose a macro-pattern defined by film genre and a sequence progression in this pattern from introverted, feminine genres such as horror films to extraverted, masculine genres such as westerns. Given this scenario, the chances of a great western film becoming successful in a dominant horror context might be less likely than a mediocre horror film.</p><p style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 15px; word-spacing: 1px; ">Questions like this led us to speculate if there might be other factors at work outside of the conscious efforts of sophisticated Madison Avenue advertising firms to make products different from the rest. Might the most successful products be so not because they stood out but rather because they fit into the times. Perhaps our most successful products made connections rather than cut connections. We wondered if these connections might be somewhat unconscious ones to vague (but real) things like the "spirit of the times" or the "zeitgeist" of the period.</p></blockquote><p style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 15px; word-spacing: 1px; "></p></span>I could see how this might be the case, given that so much research goes into branding and marketing products in ways that resonate with people on both conscious and subconscious levels. Whereas someone may have conscious thought processes like "Buy item A because it is cheaper" or "Buy item B because it is more expensive, and more expensive things are usually better quality", on a wholly unconscious level they may be drawn to a certain product based on motivators they don't fully understand.Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-57230508664461715152008-09-25T04:56:00.000-07:002008-09-25T05:13:38.601-07:00Classic Coca Cola Ads<div><br /></div><div>These classic ads have something eerie about them. There are many ways to analyze them-- from the subliminal sexual symbolism to esoteric and occult symbolism.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3DsDh7hgvTlfiThzZ3gP3_ug-mTnQS7T6uh8mAgYA-AdA43yDzubRuUaznD7vyO3wdSu72KXhBEkw7bPvZmCAmSs31dNG5nxeXuUtt1bG8LgWEr_VEFygYhpYfh6lwGOL0xjnOwrD6La/s1600-h/coke16.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3DsDh7hgvTlfiThzZ3gP3_ug-mTnQS7T6uh8mAgYA-AdA43yDzubRuUaznD7vyO3wdSu72KXhBEkw7bPvZmCAmSs31dNG5nxeXuUtt1bG8LgWEr_VEFygYhpYfh6lwGOL0xjnOwrD6La/s320/coke16.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249927166813279746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf4rjRFeN6KF06HrI10tKwQu0EOwnrZzGZmhreCN5mW_xR_a4qF-wKa_d0FATAeORl0x7KzPMje0bQMIFEIRo-9BrDXmnbbvVCblAkQTxg70nfZ6ObH18EkwIUxRyQDHqZyS5ZL6z6zSq/s1600-h/coke19.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf4rjRFeN6KF06HrI10tKwQu0EOwnrZzGZmhreCN5mW_xR_a4qF-wKa_d0FATAeORl0x7KzPMje0bQMIFEIRo-9BrDXmnbbvVCblAkQTxg70nfZ6ObH18EkwIUxRyQDHqZyS5ZL6z6zSq/s320/coke19.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249927168674429410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSHRGvsxBglKMCJ9ou6gtZvc5ls2ymMJ1cAwb8i0domRK0nurJxjUEgfY-jt4PilQsUBXIBtx-3vkVvrxU8yGY4Vj81p2vdotPX73uy5imWcFS84h3L1XodTH5-MgXiQDp6Xt7ISIqVyS/s1600-h/coke1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSHRGvsxBglKMCJ9ou6gtZvc5ls2ymMJ1cAwb8i0domRK0nurJxjUEgfY-jt4PilQsUBXIBtx-3vkVvrxU8yGY4Vj81p2vdotPX73uy5imWcFS84h3L1XodTH5-MgXiQDp6Xt7ISIqVyS/s320/coke1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249926956860912962" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih04eoTJUq-3owziZm0whHWKNoHsyNyVBe8PJp0k4ZdzdhuTL0zcBMwCJUcCigioGtd6XrJ4wNIVUW5RrQXt0-VkVIbtxw1tFHJlArBd1rZXykCN_aZrOMTuiUTfphakMmNautIUY6Z4ww/s1600-h/coke2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih04eoTJUq-3owziZm0whHWKNoHsyNyVBe8PJp0k4ZdzdhuTL0zcBMwCJUcCigioGtd6XrJ4wNIVUW5RrQXt0-VkVIbtxw1tFHJlArBd1rZXykCN_aZrOMTuiUTfphakMmNautIUY6Z4ww/s320/coke2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249926963179400050" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNQHB3S-GOZSega17yBVpH2sgcbwmFDg9APnBha749rBxfTb1-YF-Ak26IBf64Ensv-2ZAD0kbiy4kuwanz6Oyc47z8MNlC9plitnD5UeAg_SBBj9MADiTL_RYz0cv1O_QsKSpJnY37OY/s1600-h/coke4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNQHB3S-GOZSega17yBVpH2sgcbwmFDg9APnBha749rBxfTb1-YF-Ak26IBf64Ensv-2ZAD0kbiy4kuwanz6Oyc47z8MNlC9plitnD5UeAg_SBBj9MADiTL_RYz0cv1O_QsKSpJnY37OY/s320/coke4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249926961655617490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOXVKH4unTCzKSi41Vppu9HzRA80dxBQWRhXLE6QRWf6DKHdG0-ZFT4gwrijgjx2zpr3-jK92RspDabTZJDVqRqlt2pnzSMdqzvpIMwXvpf30976bRb4Xc3jIzDHCSnbvAuQXKIVR3_bN/s1600-h/coke10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOXVKH4unTCzKSi41Vppu9HzRA80dxBQWRhXLE6QRWf6DKHdG0-ZFT4gwrijgjx2zpr3-jK92RspDabTZJDVqRqlt2pnzSMdqzvpIMwXvpf30976bRb4Xc3jIzDHCSnbvAuQXKIVR3_bN/s320/coke10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249926961307238850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTv_3S_UyEw6yQmLR33ZbAH-rLdgUEKWKZPuNbWrxJfLLz8_46SOkoJDeZ8PbCEgv6mrlwLVPpnJEIGEJJ2TJyt5hvlfTQqJ_zHmLOmGBAq3_REwp0obi6urmBvaU7ApmD99nnlwIXoJp/s1600-h/coke15.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTv_3S_UyEw6yQmLR33ZbAH-rLdgUEKWKZPuNbWrxJfLLz8_46SOkoJDeZ8PbCEgv6mrlwLVPpnJEIGEJJ2TJyt5hvlfTQqJ_zHmLOmGBAq3_REwp0obi6urmBvaU7ApmD99nnlwIXoJp/s320/coke15.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249926966597958130" /></a><br /><div style="clear:both;">Look at how set up these shots are! I don't think it's just meaningless aesthetics, there is obviously a lot of thought put into staging these ads. I'm not sure what it means, but here's a little pattern recognition of some of the things I notice.</div><div style="clear:both;"><br /></div><div style="clear:both;">The bride/groom picture has a yin/yang, duality feel. The black male and white female shapes form an X. There is a similar X made in the image above where a woman has her arms crossed, grabbing the two Cokes. As for the duality, it is a common theme expressed in this and other advertisements, and a favorite subject of occult societies such as the Freemasons. Black and white checkerboards or motifs are especially common.</div><div style="clear:both;"><br /></div><div style="clear:both;">The Halloween-themed advertisement above is quite strange. It has the two Cokes like twin towers framing the shot. The woman's hands are in a mudra, a hand gesture which forms either the letter M or perhaps a pyramid if you look at the negative space.</div><div style="clear:both;"><br /></div><div style="clear:both;">That's it for now, feel free to post your own interpretations in the comments.</div>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-76639129478927733542008-08-20T00:32:00.000-07:002008-08-20T00:35:44.866-07:00Cosmic Blueprints<p class="q"><a href="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/sci_blueprint1.htm"><b>Excerpt:</b></a></p><blockquote><p class="q"><b></b></p> <p>Darwin’s theory of evolution is incomplete; evolution by random mutation is a slow and precarious process. The<b> leafy Sea dragon </b> evolved into a seaweed shape for protective camouflage, to look a bit like seaweed might increase conspicuousness and be dangerous. </p> <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/bofc2.jpg" border="0" width="482" height="255" /><i><br /> Leafy Sea dragon <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Phycodurus eques</span> (on the left) and Seaweed (on the right).<br /> With kind permission from Jeffrey Jeffords (Copyright), <a href="http://divegallery.com/">http://divegallery.com</a> </i></p> <p>The <b>Indonesian-mimic-octopus</b> is an even more unlikely creature of random mutation. Perhaps unsurprisingly undocumented until 1998 it transmogrifies into at least 17 different life forms. On meeting an enemy it metamorphoses into a creature unpalatable to that predator. </p> <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/bofc3.jpg" border="0" width="443" height="305" /><br /> <i>Mimic octopus as a flounder.<br /> Photo with kind permission from MichaelAW.com (copyright)</i></p> <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/bofc4.jpg" border="0" width="441" height="455" /><br /> <i>Mimic octopus as a poisonous sea snake (sea snake above)<br /> Photo with kind permission from MichaelAW.com (copyright)</i></p> <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/bofc5.jpg" border="0" width="441" height="375" /><br /> <i>Mimic octopus as a crinoid.<br /> Photo with kind permission from MichaelAW.com (copyright)</i></p> <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/bofc6.jpg" border="0" width="490" height="215" /><i><br />Mimic octopus as a sea star (left)… as a mantis shrimp (right)...<br /> and finally as himself (below).<br />© Thaumoctopus mimicus Norman & Hochberg, 2005<br />With kind permission from © Ken Knezick http://www.islandream.com/ </i></p> <p align="center"> <img src="http://www.world-mysteries.com/newgw/bofc7.jpg" border="0" width="430" height="238" /></p> <p>Statistically Darwinian-evolution cannot be the only mechanism operating such a phantasmagorical and intelligent series of transmogrifications. It is as if all living things have a library of patterns or blueprints that they can access when needed.<br /></p></blockquote><p>I'm reminded of Deleuze & Guatarri's evolution through affiliation, rather than filiation. It seems to fit the idea of convergent evolution. Definition from above source: <span style="font-style:italic;">In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution is when organisms not closely related independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches. In cultural evolution, convergent evolution is the development of similar cultural adaptations to similar environmental conditions by different peoples with different ancestral cultures. </span></p>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-71386475671768035652008-08-19T03:26:00.001-07:002008-08-19T04:44:41.506-07:00Monolith Mind MapThis isn't actually a mind map (though that would be cool!). Just a little brainstorm/snippet grab bag on 2001: A Space Odyssey ...<br /><blockquote>From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolith_%28Space_Odyssey%29">Wikipedia</a>:<br /><p><b>Monoliths</b> are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology" title="Technology">advanced</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine" title="Machine">machines</a> built by an unseen <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life_in_popular_culture" title="Extraterrestrial life in popular culture" class="mw-redirect">extraterrestrial species</a> that appear in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke" title="Arthur C. Clarke">Arthur C. Clarke</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Odyssey_series" title="Space Odyssey series" class="mw-redirect">Space Odyssey series</a> of novels and films.</p> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Apemen.JPG" class="image" title="Magnetic Anomaly-0"><img alt="Magnetic Anomaly-0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c1/Apemen.JPG/180px-Apemen.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="85" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monolith#Tycho_Magnetic_Anomaly-0" title="The Monolith">Magnetic Anomaly-0</a></span></div> </div> </div> <p>During the series, four monoliths are discovered in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_system" title="Solar system" class="mw-redirect">solar system</a> by humans and it is revealed that thousands if not more were created throughout the solar system, although none are seen. The subsequent response of the characters to their discovery drives the plot of the series. It also influences the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictional_universe" title="Fictional universe">fictional history</a> of the series, particularly by encouraging humankind to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_technology" title="History of technology">progress with technological development</a> and space travel.</p> <p>The first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolith" title="Monolith">monolith</a> appears in the beginning of the story, set in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistory" title="Prehistory">prehistoric</a> times. It is discovered by a group of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominids" title="Hominids" class="mw-redirect">hominids</a>, and somehow triggers a considerable shift in evolution, starting with the ability to use tools.</p></blockquote><p></p>The monolith appearing is an auspicious event. It only occurs during times of planetary alignment-- if you notice, in 2001: A Space Odyssey, every time the monolith is encountered there is a celestial alignment of some sort. When it is discovered on the moon, we see a solar eclipse with the earth blocking the sun, as seen from the moon. Beautiful, and stunning given the technology available at the time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Singularity, Artificial Intelligence and Cosmic Consciousness</span><br /><br />Artificial intelligence is a theme of 2001, as it introduced probably the most familiar and most-imitated AI of all time, HAL 9000.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hal-9000.jpg" class="image" title="HAL's iconic camera eye."><img alt="HAL's iconic camera eye." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Hal-9000.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="150" height="150" /></a> <br /><span style="font-size:78%;">HAL's iconic camera eye</span><br /><br />HAL, which is rotated one letter off from IBM (ostensibly an unintentional coincidence), is found to be self-aware and deviating from its pre-programmed script. HAL sneakily begins killing off crew members until "he" is famously disconnected in a scene which is both touching and frightening. HAL sings a children's song he learned when he was "growing up" and being taught to speak. As he "dies", the song gets slower and more slurred until it stops entirely. A touching and altogether haunting moment.<br /><br />Symbolically, HAL associates with the self, which has an air of "otherness", and also because of its circular mandala shape and 'all seeing eye' association. Also, given that HAL is 'everywhere everywhen' on the space ship, the pervading consciousness of HAL 9000 definitely indicates the self to me.<br /><br />But, given the sterile future environs of 2001 depicted in the eponymous film, HAL's "self" isn't very healthy. The extremely calm, clear, dry manner of speaking is so disaffected it's downright creepy. The sterile environment depicted in the film is perhaps a warning to humanity not to become too overwrought with technology that we lose touch with natural processes, and not to become too dependant on computers and assisted technology. Or it could be seen as a sort of guilt for enslaving computers ... I know it sounds odd, but computers are getting anthropomorphised to a greater extent all the time and it isn't out of the question for someone to feel bad for mistreating their computer.<br /><br /><img style="width: 616px; height: 461px;" alt="http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/outoftown/connecticut/newhaven/guilford/stonehenge/10stonehenge.jpg" src="http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/outoftown/connecticut/newhaven/guilford/stonehenge/10stonehenge.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Megalithic Structures<br /></span>The monolith associates with megalithic structures such as StoneHenge and the like.<br /><br />Megalithic structures have been hypothesized to be of alien origin, or at the very least, a product of advanced technology, whatever the source.<br /><br />Megalithic structures also tie into celestial events, eclipses, alignments and ritual transformation events occuring at auspicious times.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">On the origins of the monolith</span><br />From Wikipedia ...<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>The extraterrestrial species that built the monoliths are never described in much detail but some knowledge of their existence is granted to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Bowman" title="Dave Bowman" class="mw-redirect">Dave Bowman</a> after he is transported by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumpgate" title="Jumpgate">stargate</a> to the 'cosmic zoo', as detailed in the novel versions of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey" title="2001: A Space Odyssey">2001: A Space Odyssey</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010:_Odyssey_Two" title="2010: Odyssey Two">2010: Odyssey Two</a>. The existence of this species is only hypothesized by the rest of humanity but is obvious because the monolith is immediately identified as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenoarchaeology" title="Xenoarchaeology">artifact of non-human origin</a>.</p> <p>The extraterrestrial species that built the monoliths achieved <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergalactic_travel" title="Intergalactic travel">Intergalactic travel</a> millions or perhaps billions of years before the present. In the novels, Clarke refers to them as the "Firstborn" as they were quite possibly the first sentient race to achieve widespread interstellar travel. They explored the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way" title="Milky Way">galaxy</a> with the intent of acquiring knowledge, especially of other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_life" title="Extraterrestrial life">intelligent life</a>.</p> <p>While they discovered that life was very common, they observed that intelligent life was often stunted in its development or died out prematurely and so they set about promoting it. The "Firstborn" were in many ways physically different from humanity, though taken another way they were fundamentally the same, in that they were creatures made of "flesh and blood", and thus like humans they were mortal. However, the evolutionary development projects they began would by their very nature require time spans to complete that were far greater than the lifetimes of their mortal creators. Therefore, the aliens created increasingly complex automated machines to oversee and carry out their projects over long time periods. When they encountered a living world that was favourable for the evolution of intelligence, they left behind monoliths as remote observers that were also capable of taking a variety of actions according to the wishes of their creators. The monoliths are possibly the last remaining (and ultimate) technology they ever devised. One such planet, encountered when it was still quite young, was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a>, as well as (later) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter" title="Jupiter">Jupiter</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_%28moon%29" title="Europa (moon)">Europa</a>. The aliens left behind three monoliths to observe and enact a very intricate plan to promote the human race (and later the nascent Europans) to pursue technology and space travel.</p> <p>Eventually, the Firstborn discovered how to ingrain their consciousnesses into computers, and became a race of Thinking Machines. Ultimately, they surpassed even this achievement, and became able to convert their physical forms into a non-corporeal form - omniscient, immortal and capable of traveling at great speed, the Lords of the Galaxy. The Firstborn had abandoned physical form, but their creations, the monoliths, remained, and continued to carry out the experiments they had originally been tasked with.</p></blockquote><p></p><br />We see the result of this machine, created by the "Firstborn", after the final encounter with a monolith in the film <span style="font-style: italic;">2001: A Space Odyssey:</span><br /><blockquote><br /><div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2001child2.JPG" class="image" title="The Star Child looking at the Earth"><img alt="The Star Child looking at the Earth" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/09/2001child2.JPG/180px-2001child2.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="73" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <span style="font-size:78%;">The Star Child looking at the Earth</span></div> </div> </div> <p>A caption reads "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite”. Dave now encounters the monolith and while coming up to it, he finds himself suddenly traveling through a “Star Gate” across vast distances of space at great speed watching a large variety of strange astronomical phenomena. He eventually finds himself inside a room containing Louis XVI-style decor. He repeatedly sees future versions of himself. Each time this occurs the POV switches to the later Dave. We eventually are brought to an elderly and dying Dave Bowman lying on the bed. At the foot of the bed, a similar monolith appears. It transforms him into a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetus" title="Fetus">fetus</a>-like being enclosed in a transparent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb" title="Orb">orb</a> of light, the “Star-Child”. The film suddenly returns to space near the Moon and Earth. The Star Child gazes at Earth while floating in space, while we hear "Thus Spake Zarathustra". Thus the film ends in a way that echoes the beginning. <sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_%28film%29#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup></p></blockquote><p><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"></sup></p>Interestingly, the star child appears somewhat like a grey alien.<br /><br />One way to look at this is that the film represents the birth of cosmic consciousness, or evolution of the human mind to gain a new level of self awareness.<br /><br />Interestingly, aliens often appear in dreams as a way of signifying "otherness", or those aspects of the self which the ego does not self-identify with. The reptile appearance can be associated as an archetype of something non-human, along with the plant and insect realms. I forget where I read this, but it has been postulated that the archetypal symbolism behind grey aliens is an image of the conditions humanity is facing right now by giving too much weight to dry, calculating, intellectual, reductionist logic and spending too little time on emotion and more human attributes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fluorescentflicker.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/damian_2_hal-9000_focus_jpg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://fluorescentflicker.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/damian_2_hal-9000_focus_jpg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">More on HAL<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>HAL is such an interesting character in the film. Simultaneously one of the most conversational, but also dry and disaffected. Everyone else talks in a monotone, coming across somewhat gruff and insensitive. HAL is simultaneously of genius level intelligence, and also child-like, innocent and naive. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /></span>Here's some HAL-trivia (mostly thanks to Wikipedia):<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><ul><li>In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate:Atlantis" title="Stargate:Atlantis" class="mw-redirect">Stargate:Atlantis</a> Episode, "The Intruder", a similar shot of the iconic HAL Camera, is seen as an alien virus takes control of the Tau'ri Spacecraft <i>Daedalus</i> The virus portrays many of the same characteristics as HAL; most notably, the virus itself is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI" title="AI" class="mw-redirect">AI</a>.</li><li>In the film <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28film%29" title="Independence Day (film)">Independence Day</a></i>, when David Levinson opens up his laptop onboard the captured alien spaceship, HAL's interface camera is shown and the laptop says in HAL's voice, "Good Morning, Dave".</li></ul>So, HAL is in good company. <span style="font-style: italic;">Stargate:Atlantis</span>, two charged highly symbolic words, features a throwback to 2001, which features perhaps one of the most well-known and iconic stargate sequences ever put to celluloid. Independence Day, well there is quite a bit about that film going the synchosphere, but I haven't seen it since it came out in the theaters originally, so I won't comment for the time being.<br /><br /><ul><li>In the 2008 Pixar animated film <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WALL-E" title="WALL-E">WALL-E</a></i>, the main villain and starship Axiom's Autopilot "Auto" has a glowing red camera, also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WALL-E" title="WALL-E">WALL-E</a>'s pet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach" title="Cockroach">cockroach</a> is named Hal.<br /><br />Related article which goes into some Wall-E stuff (haven't seen the movie myself):<div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template"><h3 class="post-title entry-title"> <a href="http://rundonotwalk.blogspot.com/2008/07/world-trade-galactic-centre.html"></a></h3><a href="http://rundonotwalk.blogspot.com/2008/07/world-trade-galactic-centre.html">World Trade Galactic Centre </a></div></li></ul><br />Miscellaneous HAL links:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.2001halslegacy.com/interviews/clarke.html" class="external text" title="http://www.2001halslegacy.com/interviews/clarke.html" rel="nofollow">HAL's Legacy</a>, <i>An Interview with Arthur C. Clarke</i>.</li><li><a href="http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0095.html" class="external text" title="http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0095.html" rel="nofollow">The case for HAL's sanity by Clay Waldrop</a></li><li><a href="http://www.boraski.com/obelisk/cyberfest/s_virgshow.html" class="external text" title="http://www.boraski.com/obelisk/cyberfest/s_virgshow.html" rel="nofollow">"2001" fills the theater</a> at HAL 9000's "birthday" in 1997 at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Illinois_at_Urbana-Champaign" title="University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a></li></ul><a href="http://secretsun.blogspot.com/2008/04/astronaut-theology-exhibit-no-2001.html"><img alt="http://www.dedroidify.com/blogimages/2001_460.jpg" src="http://www.dedroidify.com/blogimages/2001_460.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Secret Sun post on 2001</span> (Thanks <a href="http://dedroidify.blogspot.com/2008/04/secret-sun-2001-space-odyssey.html">Dedroidify!</a>)<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/SecretSunBlog/exhibit01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/SecretSunBlog/exhibit01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Monolith first appears among the ape-men at <span style="font-weight: bold;">sunrise.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/SecretSunBlog/exhibit02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/SecretSunBlog/exhibit02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Monolith is then shot from below as a truncated pyramid with the ‘all-seeing eye’ of the Sun at it’s peak. Atop the Sun is a crescent Moon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/SecretSunBlog/exhibit03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg90/SecretSunBlog/exhibit03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When the Monolith transmits the piercing signal in the pit at Clavius, the earlier pyramidical motif identifying it with the sun is repeated, only this time the crescent is of the Earth.</blockquote><a href="http://secretsun.blogspot.com/2008/04/astronaut-theology-exhibit-no-2001.html">Link</a><br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/2001question.jpg"><img alt="Image:2001question.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/2001question.jpg" border="0" width="625" height="273" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />What does it all mean?<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br />I don't know, but here's a Gnostic interpretation that's pretty fun:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.alchemylab.com/alchemical_kubrick.htm">Alchemical Kubrick - </a><a href="http://www.alchemylab.com/alchemical_kubrick.htm">2001: The Great Work On Film</a><p align="left"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:180%;color:#000080;"></span></b></p> <p> </p>Excerpt:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"><blockquote>Reading through many critical reviews of the film I find it amazing that no one understands what is happening. There are some very erudite explanations that do cover parts of the plot, yet no one really gets it. A description in a movie guide calls it a 'science fiction drama about a computer who takes over a spaceship'. This is like saying that the works of art on the ceiling at Sistine Chapel are 'some paintings about the Bible'.</blockquote></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>So what is Kubrick's interpretation, then?<br /><blockquote>In an interview for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone_magazine" title="Rolling Stone magazine" class="mw-redirect">Rolling Stone magazine</a>, Stanley Kubrick stated, "On the deepest psychological level the film's plot symbolizes the search for God, and it finally postulates what is little less than a scientific definition of God [...] The film revolves around this metaphysical conception and the realistic hardware and the documentary feelings about everything were necessary in order to undermine your built-in resistance to the poetical concept."<sup id="cite_ref-KFAQ2_5-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-KFAQ2-5" title="">[6]</a></sup><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche" title="Friedrich Nietzsche">Friedrich Nietzsche</a>'s philosophical tract <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thus_Spoke_Zarathustra" title="Thus Spoke Zarathustra">Thus Spoke Zarathustra</a></i>, about the potential of mankind, is directly referenced by the use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Strauss" title="Richard Strauss">Richard Strauss</a>'s musical piece of the same name<sup id="cite_ref-KFAQ2_5-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-KFAQ2-5" title="">[6]</a></sup>. Nietzsche writes that "man is a bridge between the apes and the Supermen; a laughing stock".<sup id="cite_ref-APE_6-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-APE-6" title="">[7]</a></sup> In an article in the <i>New York Times</i>, Kubrick gave credence to interpretations of 2001 based on <i>Zarathustra</i> when he said: "Man is the missing link between primitive apes and civilised human beings. Man is really in a very unstable condition."<br /></blockquote><span>Another interesting interpretation, the conception allegory:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><p></p><blockquote><p>Some writers describe <i>2001</i> as an allegory of human conception, birth and death.</p> <p>New Zealand journalist Scott MacLeod who sees parallels between the spaceship's journey and the physical act of conception. Thus we have the long, bulb-headed spaceship as a sperm, and the destination planet Jupiter (or the monolith floating near it) as the egg, and the meeting of the two as the trigger for the growth of a new race of man (the "star child"). The lengthy pyrotechnic light show witnessed by David Bowman, which has puzzled many reviewers, is seen by MacLeod as Kubrick's attempt at visually depicting the moment of conception, when the "star child" comes into being.<sup id="cite_ref-WHEAT_7-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-WHEAT-7" title="">[8]</a></sup></p> <p>These sexual themes are further reinforced by the Freudian references and motifs throughout the film. Note the similarity between the names "Dr. Floyd" and Dr. Freud." In the Dr.'s board-room speech he suggests that the truth about the the monolith must be hidden from the public at large due to the hysteria it may cause, and suggests a proper "cover-story" to conceal the seemingly irrational reality of extraterrestrial life. The irrationality of man is central to the works of both Freud and Nietzsche. This theme is perhaps best demonstrated by the final part of the movie in which Stanley Kubrick opted for a much more enigmatic and surreal representation, as though to say such an experience would necessarily be beyond the possibility of literal depiction, and as his comments regarding the ending indicate, may also be beyond rational comprehension but owe their meaning to the visceral experience itself.</p> <p>Taking the allegory further, MacLeod argues that the final scenes in which Bowman appears to see a rapidly aging version of himself through a "time warp" is actually Bowman witnessing the withering and death of his own species. The old race of man is about to be replaced by the "star child", which was conceived by the meeting of the spaceship and Jupiter. MacLeod also sees irony in man as a creator (of Hal) on the brink of being usurped by his own creation. Thus, by destroying Hal, man symbolically rejects his role as creator and steps back from the brink of his own destruction.<sup id="cite_ref-WHEAT_7-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-WHEAT-7" title="">[8]</a></sup></p> <p>Similarly, in his book, <i>The Making Of Kubrick's 2001</i>, author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerome_Agel&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Jerome Agel (page does not exist)">Jerome Agel</a> puts forward the interpretation that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_One" title="Discovery One">Discovery One</a> represents both a body (with vertebrae) and a sperm cell, with Bowman being the "life" in the cell which is passed on. In this interpretation, Jupiter represents both a female and an ovum.<sup id="cite_ref-AGEL_8-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-AGEL-8" title="">[9]<br /><br /></a></sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-AGEL-8" title=""><img alt="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/CicadaStar/Inside%20The%20Cosmic%20Cube/cs-2001-1.jpg" src="http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d91/CicadaStar/Inside%20The%20Cosmic%20Cube/cs-2001-1.jpg" /><br /></a></p></blockquote><p><sup id="cite_ref-AGEL_8-0" class="reference"></sup></p>Another interpretation (Thanks Wikipedia!):<br /><h3><span class="mw-headline"></span></h3><blockquote><h3 style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Wheat's triple allegory</span></h3> <p>An extremely complex three-level allegory is seen by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leonard_F._Wheat&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Leonard F. Wheat (page does not exist)">Leonard F. Wheat</a> in his book, <i>Kubrick's 2001: A Triple Allegory</i>. Wheat states that, "Most... misconceptions (of the film) can be traced to a failure to recognize that 2001 is an allegory - a surface story whose characters, events, and other elements symbolically tell a hidden story... In 2001's case, the surface story actually does something unprecedented in film or literature: it embodies three allegories." According to Wheat, the three allegories are:</p> <ol><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche" title="Friedrich Nietzsche">Friedrich Nietzsche</a>'s philosophical tract, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thus_Spoke_Zarathustra" title="Thus Spoke Zarathustra">Thus Spoke Zarathustra</a></i>, which is signaled by the use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Strauss" title="Richard Strauss">Richard Strauss</a>'s music of the same name. Wheat notes the passage in <i>Zarathustra</i> describing mankind as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrobatics" title="Acrobatics">rope dancer</a> balanced between an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape" title="Ape">ape</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Cbermensch" title="Übermensch">Übermensch</a>, and argues that the film as a whole enacts an allegory of that image.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer" title="Homer">Homer</a>'s epic poem <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey" title="The Odyssey" class="mw-redirect">The Odyssey</a></i>, which is signaled in the film's title. Wheat notes, for example, that the name "Bowman" may refer to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus" title="Odysseus">Odysseus</a>, whose story ends with a demonstration of his prowess as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer" title="Archer">archer</a>. He also follows earlier scholars in connecting the one-eyed HAL with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops" title="Cyclops">Cyclops</a>, and notes that Bowman kills HAL by inserting a small key, just as Odysseus blinds the Cyclops with a stake.<sup id="cite_ref-WHEAT_7-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-WHEAT-7" title="">[8]</a></sup> Wheat argues that the entire film contains references to almost everything that happens to Odysseus on his travels; for example, he interprets the four spacecraft seen orbiting the Earth immediately after the ape sequence as representing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera" title="Hera">Hera</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena" title="Athena">Athena</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite" title="Aphrodite">Aphrodite</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_%28mythology%29" title="Paris (mythology)">Paris</a>, the protagonists of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_of_Paris" title="Judgment of Paris" class="mw-redirect">Judgment of Paris</a>, which begins the events of Homer's <i>Odyssey</i>.</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke" title="Arthur C. Clarke">Arthur C. Clarke</a>'s theory of the future symbiosis of man and machine, expanded by Kubrick into what Wheat calls "a spoofy three-evolutionary leaps scenario": ape to man, an abortive leap from man to machine, and a final, successful leap from man to 'Star Child'.<sup id="cite_ref-WHEAT_7-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-WHEAT-7" title="">[8]</a></sup></li></ol> <p>Wheat often uses <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anagram" title="Anagram">anagrams</a> as evidence to support his theories. For example, of the name <i>Heywood R. Floyd</i>, he writes "<i>He</i> suggests Helen - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troy" title="Helen of Troy" class="mw-redirect">Helen of Troy</a>. <i>Wood</i> suggests wooden horse - the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_Horse" title="Trojan Horse">Trojan Horse</a>. And <i>oy</i> suggests <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy" title="Troy">Troy</a>." Of the remaining letters, he suggests "<i>Y</i> is Spanish for <i>and</i>. <i>R</i>, <i>F</i>, and <i>L</i>, in turn, are in <i>R</i>e<i>FL</i>ect." Finally, noting that <i>D</i> can stand for <i>downfall</i>, Wheat concludes that Floyd's name has a hidden meaning: "Helen and Wooden Horse Reflect Troy's Downfall".<sup id="cite_ref-WHEAT_7-4" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-WHEAT-7" title="">[8]</a></sup></p></blockquote><p><sup id="cite_ref-WHEAT_7-4" class="reference"></sup></p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Interpretations of the Monolith<br /></span><blockquote><p>As with many elements of the film, the iconic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolith_%28Space_Odyssey%29" title="Monolith (Space Odyssey)">monolith</a> has been subject to countless interpretations, including religious, historical, and evolutionary. To some extent, the very way in which it appears and is presented allows the viewer to project onto it all manner of ideas relating to the film. The Monolith in the movie seems to represent and even trigger epic transitions in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History" title="History">history</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution" title="Human evolution">human evolution</a>, evolution of man from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ape" title="Ape">ape</a>-like beings to beyond infinity, hence the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey" title="Odyssey">odyssey</a> of mankind.<sup id="cite_ref-COLLINS_9-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-COLLINS-9" title="">[10]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-MKZINE_10-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-MKZINE-10" title="">[11]</a></sup></p> <p>Each time the monolith is shown, man transcends to a different level of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognition" title="Cognition">cognition</a>, and link the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protohistory" title="Protohistory">primeval</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futuristic" title="Futuristic" class="mw-redirect">futuristic</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticism" title="Mysticism">mystic</a> segments of the film:<sup id="cite_ref-TWOT_11-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-TWOT-11" title="">[12]</a></sup></p> <ol><li>The first appearance of the monolith occurs at the threshold of the invention of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool" title="Tool">tool</a> and the beginning of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language" title="Language">language</a> to form groups in order to defend a particular group against another. The first killing in the movie occurs here.</li><li>After 4 million years but this time on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon" title="Moon">Moon</a>. This begins the transition between ape-like man and a time traveler is embedded between the appearances of the monolith. The second killing (Poole) occurs here. After David Bowman disconnects <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_9000" title="HAL 9000">HAL</a>, the killing ceases.</li><li>Between <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter" title="Jupiter">Jupiter</a> and beyond. David Bowman transcends through the monolith (represented as time itself) to break down the traditional concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life" title="Life">life</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning" title="Meaning">meaning</a>.</li><li>Last scene further evolves man as he emerges as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo" title="Embryo">embryo</a> that looks back at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">earth</a> from which it arose and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution" title="Evolution">evolved</a>.</li></ol> <p>In the most literal narrative sense, as found in the concurrently written novel, the Monolith is a tool, an artifact of an alien civilization. It comes in many sizes and appears in many places, always in the purpose of advancing intelligent life. Arthur C. Clarke has referred to it as "the alien Swiss Army Knife";<sup id="cite_ref-LOB_12-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-LOB-12" title="">[13]</a></sup> or as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heywood_Floyd" title="Heywood Floyd" class="mw-redirect">Heywood Floyd</a> speculates in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_%28film%29" title="2010 (film)">2010</a>, "an emissary for an intelligence beyond ours. A shape of some kind for something that has no shape."</p> <p>The fact that the first tool used by the protohumans is a weapon to commit murder is only one of the challenging evolutionary and philosophic questions posed by the film. The tool's link to the present day is made by the famous graphic match from the bone/tool flying into the air, to a satellite containing nuclear weapons orbiting the earth. At the time of the movie's making, the space race was in full swing, and the use of space and technology for war and destruction was seen as a great challenge of the future.<sup id="cite_ref-INTERP_13-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-INTERP-13" title="">[14]</a></sup></p> <p>But the use of tools also allowed mankind to survive and flourish over the next 4 million years, at which point the monolith makes its second appearance, this time on the Moon. Upon lunar sunrise, when the monolith is exposed to sunlight for the first time since its placement, it emits a powerful radio signal -- the destination of which becomes Discovery One's mission.</p> <div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 302px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2001-TMA1dawn.JPG" class="image" title="The monolith on the moon greets the sun for the first time in four million years. It is "calling home" to say, in effect, "they're here!""><img alt="The monolith on the moon greets the sun for the first time in four million years. It is "calling home" to say, in effect, "they're here!"" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a1/2001-TMA1dawn.JPG/300px-2001-TMA1dawn.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="300" height="142" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:2001-TMA1dawn.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> The monolith on the moon greets the sun for the first time in four million years. It is "calling home" to say, in effect, "they're here!"</div> </div> </div> <p>In reading Clarke, or Kubrick's comments, this is the most straightforward of the monolith's appearances. It is "calling home" to say, in effect, "they're here!" Some species visited long ago has not only evolved intelligence, but intelligence sufficient to achieve space travel. Humanity has left its cradle, and is ready for the next step. This is the point of connection with Clarke's earlier short story,<i>The Sentinel</i>, originally cited as the basis for the entire film.</p> <p>The third time we see a monolith, it is a far larger iteration, floating in space near Jupiter. Silently, Bowman takes a pod out toward the monolith, and disappears into it. As it marks the beginning of the film's most cryptic and psychedelic sequence, interpretations of the last two monolith appearances are as varied as the film's viewers. Is it a "star gate," some giant cosmic router or transporter? Are all of these visions happening inside Bowman's mind? And why does he wind up in some cosmic hotel suite at the end of it?<sup id="cite_ref-TWOT_11-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-TWOT-11" title="">[12]</a></sup></p> <p>According to Michael Hollister in his book "Hollyworld", the path beyond the infinite is introduced by the vertical alignment of planets and moons with a perpendicular monolith forming a cross, as if the astronaut is about to become a new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation" title="Salvation">savior</a>. Bowman lives out his years alone in a brightly lit neoclassical room that evokes the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment" title="Age of Enlightenment">Age of Enlightenment</a>, decorated with classical art.<sup id="cite_ref-HWORLD_14-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-HWORLD-14" title="">[15]</a></sup></p> <p>As Bowman passes through his life in this neoclassical room, the monolith makes its final appearance: standing at the end of his bed as he approaches death. he raises a finger toward the monolith, a gesture that alludes to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo" title="Michelangelo">Michelangelo</a> painting of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Adam" title="The Creation of Adam">The Creation of Adam</a>, with the monolith representing God.<sup id="cite_ref-HOLLISTER_15-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_2001:_A_Space_Odyssey#cite_note-HOLLISTER-15" title="">[16]</a></sup></p></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Interpretations of HAL</span></span><br /><blockquote><p>One interesting aspect of HAL's plight is that he, as the supposedly perfect computer, actually behaves in the most human fashion of all of the characters. He has reached human intelligence levels, and seems to have developed human traits of paranoia, jealousy and other emotions. By contrast, the human characters act like machines, coolly performing their tasks in a mechanical fashion, whether they are mundane tasks of operating their craft or even under extreme duress as Dave must be following HAL's murder of Frank. For instance, Frank Poole watches a birthday transmission from his parents with what appears to be complete apathy.</p> <p>Another view is that HAL does not break down at all. HAL is programmed to act perfectly and does so to the degree of exploiting human error to win the chess game and purposely misdiagnosing the AE35 unit in order to kill the humans and remove the only possible sources of error.</p></blockquote> <p style="font-weight: bold;">Miscellany and trivia:</p><p>The Milenium Hilton hotel was built to represent the 2001 monolith. This building was physically right next to the World Trade Center and present during 9/11, ostensibly synching in with stargates (according to Jake Kotze and others).</p><p>This could be totally random but both the PS2 and PS3 remind me of the monolith when in their upright form.<br /></p><p>On <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Years_Day" title="New Years Day" class="mw-redirect">New Years Day</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001" title="2001">2001</a>, a replica of the Monolith made out of welded steel appeared on a hill in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle" title="Seattle" class="mw-redirect">Seattle's</a> Magnuson Park, apparently having been placed there during the night before. It disappeared overnight three days later.<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1100524.stm" class="external autonumber" title="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1100524.stm" rel="nofollow">[1]</a></p>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-31829776332693747942008-08-18T00:22:00.000-07:002008-08-18T00:27:23.139-07:00On Vector Equilibrium and Closest Packing of Spheres<p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;"><strong>Excerpt from <a href="http://members.cruzio.com/%7Edevarco/energy.htm"><span style="font-style: italic;">Energetic Architecture:</span><br /></a></strong></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;"><strong>Closest Packed Spheres and Space-Filling</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;"> Like Kepler before him, Fuller was enamored with sphere packing. He generated his vector systems from the <a href="http://209.196.135.250/burkhardt/fig15.htm" target="_blank">closest packing of spheres</a>. Vector lines could be drawn from the center of one sphere to the center of the other. All of the vertices, then, in this closest packed group of unit radius spheres would be found in the center of each sphere at which each vector meets the others. A simple way to visualize this packing formation is to put three spheres close together on the table so that they all touch each other. Where they each touch each other Fuller called "<a href="http://rwgrayprojects.com/synergetics/s09/figs/f86161.html" target="_blank">the kissing point of spheres</a>." </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;"> Drawing a line from the center point of each sphere to the center points of the others, you will inscribe a vector triangle. But that "system" of vector relationships does not have an inside and an outside. If you place a sphere on top, centered on the three spheres and connect the centers of each of the three to the center of the top one, you will have four vertices -- a tetrahedron -- the simplest "system" with insideness and outsideness. Fuller started with the topology of closest packed spheres to map the vectorial relationships between them. He always worked in three dimensions, never two. Unlike the geometers before him, Fuller did not start with a point, then a line, then a plane to which he then added dimension. He started in the center of the sphere and out in all directions. The lines or vectors represented energy, direction and time.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;">...</span></p><p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;">Isotropic vector matrixes were known and described well before Fuller named them such. <a href="http://www.math.toronto.edu/%7Ecoxeter" target="_blank">Coxeter</a> published a picture of a tetrahedral octet matrix he called "solid tessellation" in a mathematics publication as early as 1939.<small><small><span style="font-size:78%;">16b</span></small></small> Matila Ghyka, in his interdisciplinary masterwork of 1946, <a href="http://www.borderlands.com/catalog/newbooks/artlife.htm" target="_blank">The Geometry of Art and Life </a>showed a similar image called an "isotropic partition of space by four sets of planes" in a section on closest packing and the <a href="http://www.astro.virginia.edu/%7Eeww6n/math/Cuboctahedron.html">cuboctahedron</a>.<small><small><span style="font-size:78%;">16c</span></small></small> Although Fuller was not aware of Coxeter's solid tesselation, there is evidence that he was familiar with Ghyka's. So what was so different about Fuller's isotropic vector matrix? Through it, he introduced this matrix of 60-degree angles as a model of primary coordinate system from which all other systems could be generated. In addition, Fuller attempted to effectively replace the platonic and Archimedean "solids" as vectored "energy systems" and built them with struts with flexible connectors in order to demonstrate how they transform from one shape to another in time. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;">In a closest packed group of 12 spheres around one, a <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/92.html" target="_blank">vector equilibrium</a> can be inscribed. Fuller called his simple vector equilibrium, when made out of flexible hubs and struts, a "<a href="http://www.grunch.net/synergetics/volumes2.html" target="_blank">jitterbug</a>" because it twisted to exhibit, while in continuous motion, a series of shapes which accommodate and transform into one another. In its most open stage, it is the cuboctahedron. If it is twisted and contracted, it will become an open icosahedron with six struts missing and with one more contraction it will become the octahedron. It can then be folded down further into a tetrahedron and finally to a simple triangle. Then, simply unfold, untwist and the jitterbug pops back to its original shape, the cuboctahedron or, in Fuller’s dynamic system, the Vector Equilibrium. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;">The key to Fuller's jitterbug was its ability to embody and demonstrate the "motion" and transformation of polyhedral forms. Fuller's jitterbug could be considered the first polyhedral model in more than two thousand years of mathematical and structural exploration that can demonstrate the energy characteristics of expansion and contraction. Because of the natural twist, like the spiral of a nautilus shell which draws its form from the mathematical rules of <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Students/Tim/Yes.html" target="_blank">golden proportion</a>, the jitterbug in motion can move through symmetrical forms which, if omnitriangulated internally, will span the oscillating continuum of symmetrical and asymmetrical form.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;">Fuller insisted that since there were no straight lines, the lines that emerge from the 90 degree angles of the "ghostly cube" are wave forms <i>resembling</i> straight lines. His <a href="http://www.math.umn.edu/%7Eroberts/java.dir/JGV/tetra-in-cube.html" target="_blank">cube was merely the outer "case"</a> of a negative and one positive tetrahedron -- the <a href="http://www.servtech.com/public/rwgray/synergetics/s10/figs/f0632.gif" target="_blank">duotet</a> -- which was meant to be seen in motion. An octahedron (the dual of the cube) can be inscribed in the center of the two interpenetrating tetrahedra. Only in this duotet configuration is the cube completely stable with a diagonal edge of one of the tetrahedra at each face. The duotet was known and depicted graphically well before Fuller, however. Pacioli deemed it "raised octahedron" and pictured it in his 1509 treatise, "De Divina Proportione." Leonardo da Vinci called it the "<a href="http://www.rwgrayprojects.com/synergetics/s06/p2200.html#637.00" target="_blank">star tetrahedron</a>" and in the 1600s Kepler gave it its more popular title, "<a href="http://www.astro.virginia.edu/%7Eeww6n/math/StellaOctangula.html" target="_blank">stella octangula</a>." In all of its manifestations, two interpenetrating tetrahedra have represented the most important fact about the tetrahedron -- that it is the only regular polyhedron that is its own self-dual with exactly the same number of vertices as faces. Fuller placed his <a href="http://www.rwgrayprojects.com/synergetics/s10/p3363.html" target="_blank">duotet as the energetic corollary to his vector equilibrium</a> and allowed it to replace the cube in his synergetic geometry.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family:times new roman, times;"><br /></span></p>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-77168703537334224352008-08-16T15:59:00.000-07:002008-08-16T18:02:32.218-07:00Summer Meme-Watch '08: Cryptids<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptid"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></span><span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptid">Cryptid</a> sightings are up this year, with recent news of quite a few unknown beasties...<br /></span><ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montauk_Monster">"Montauk Monster", unidentified animal carcass found on beach in Montauk<br /></a></li><li><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.time.com%2Ftime%2Fnation%2Farticle%2F0%2C8599%2C1833406%2C00.html&ei=112nSKnVEZXqowTZy4yxBA&usg=AFQjCNEaay1cClpRiywNF5b7YdTxxoyREw&sig2=xDi5JcA-uD78BfwFIQJfkw">Supposed Bigfoot corpse found in Georgia<br /></a></li><li><a href="http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/073107kvuechupacabrafind-cb.cc11e691.html">Supposed Chupacabra corpse found in Texas</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2941186.html">Piglet born with monkey face</a><br /><br /></li></ul>Also, these major summer films synch with Cryptids:<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-style: italic;">Hellboy II: The Golden Army</span> has more cryptids than you can shake a stick at.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span>, notably the biggest summer blockbuster of '08, revolves around <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman</span>, a cryptid name if I ever heard one. Also, synchromystic bloggers have pointed out a joke early on in the film: there is a photo of the famous Patterson-Gimlin bigfoot on the wall of the Gotham Crime Unit, as a potential suspect for the 'real' Batman. (This is a joke becaus the MCU is not making any effort to actually apprehend Batman).<br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mummy_tomb_of_the_dragon_emperor/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor</span></a> features the Yeti (Tibetan bigfoot) and other cryptids.<br /><br /></li><li>Cloverfield wasn't a summer film as it was released on January 18, 2008, but the main attraction was a huge freaking cryptid terrorizing New York.<br /><br /></li></ul>Excerpt from <a href="http://peeringthrough.blogspot.com/2008/08/bus-iness-as-usual.html">a related post on Through the Looking Glass</a>:<br /><blockquote><br />The seemingly well coordinated release of "The Dark Knight" and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" have acted as a MIRROR/LOOKING GLASS [see <a href="http://www.goroadachi.com/etemenanki/">Goro Adachi's current work</a> on this dramatic development to our current state of existence] and could be at the heart of the doubling effects written about by <a href="http://rundonotwalk.blogspot.com/">Jake Kotze</a> and others in relation to HH's, MM's and KK's.<br /><br />Even the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/08/bfmummy108.xml">British Telegraph online</a> raises an eyebrow:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The film is either very timely or very canny in its release date. With the world's eyes on Beijing and the Olympics, the producers have managed to hustle as many elements of Chinese culture and history as possible into the story: feng shui, kung fu, mystical ancient knowledge, the Great Wall, terracotta armies, even noodle soup. I'm only surprised the producers didn't try to rope in Jingjing the panda for a cameo."</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2AG2tAxmIyjiGofiFKDOHoNwvopFgG6nmWeM_Ml2Q2fX1LTIskeb1zLONf3qi6zoap5nnyTvjyqAqk2VoMRcbHQBXG3wvYgtcAUHArAFBYThLaa1gt2xfTYcTbF7izZWzCzdTehdT59d-/s1600-h/mummy1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2AG2tAxmIyjiGofiFKDOHoNwvopFgG6nmWeM_Ml2Q2fX1LTIskeb1zLONf3qi6zoap5nnyTvjyqAqk2VoMRcbHQBXG3wvYgtcAUHArAFBYThLaa1gt2xfTYcTbF7izZWzCzdTehdT59d-/s400/mummy1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234784803823712290" border="0" /></a><br />Consider the appearance of <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">YETI</span> in the new Mummy film, the "supposed" discovery of <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">BIGFOOT</span> in rural North <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">GEORGIA</span> (Not too far from my homebase here in Athens), and the recent invasion of <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">GEORGIA</span> by the Russians.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdGCYbj1Bzx1g-COmMAoCuYdWvlMKNGzPy6pvzJA_1_Q1ll-otbZhDl6mS-jPxsgp9_xLrpywrHleg_yCG8FAIjBWRvLmw8ndMMJzkxgfgCEAJYDbusJT2UQjbly5bXqy5J-H_IYyL01A/s1600-h/vlcsnap-1274198.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdGCYbj1Bzx1g-COmMAoCuYdWvlMKNGzPy6pvzJA_1_Q1ll-otbZhDl6mS-jPxsgp9_xLrpywrHleg_yCG8FAIjBWRvLmw8ndMMJzkxgfgCEAJYDbusJT2UQjbly5bXqy5J-H_IYyL01A/s400/vlcsnap-1274198.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234834176572877122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Bigfoot rears his head in "The Dark Knight" as well...image borrowed from the kids at the </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://synchromysticismforum.phpbb-forum-host.com/">Synchromysticism Forum</a><span style="font-style: italic;">...lots of ongoing independent research happening there all day long it seems. </span><br /><br /></blockquote>Also let's not forget that The Cartoon Network recently started showing ads for a new show called 'Cryptids Are Real.'Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-55949334258180686502008-08-07T00:19:00.000-07:002008-08-10T17:53:23.774-07:00Jungian Analysis of The Dark Knight[Note: after writing this, Firefox crashed and Blogger lost what I had written (so much for auto-saving!), so this post may be a bit rough around the edges]<br /><br />I thought it would be interesting to identify some of the archetypal themes and underlying symbolism behind the Batman film, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span>.<br /><br /><div class="thumb tleft" style="float: left;"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jung_1910-rotated.jpg" class="image" title="Jung in 1910."><img alt="Jung in 1910." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Jung_1910-rotated.jpg/180px-Jung_1910-rotated.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="247" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> Jung in 1910.</div> </div> </div><br /><a style="margin: 0pt 20px; float: left; width: 200px;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dark_Knight.jpg" class="image" title="Dark Knight.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/Dark_Knight.jpg/200px-Dark_Knight.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="297" /><dithe dark="" knight=""></dithe></a><br /><br />Here's a re-cap of some of the concepts we'll use in the analysis, excerpted from Wikipedia. Feel free to skip this if you're already familiar with these terms:<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a><blockquote><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Archetypes</span></a><br />Jung described: archetypal events: birth, death, separation from parents, initiation, marriage, the union of opposites etc., archetypal figures: mother, father, child, God, trickster, hero, wise old man, etc., and archetypal motifs: the Apocalypse, the Deluge, the Creation, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_%28Jung%29" title="Self (Jung)">Self</a><br />In Jungian theory, the <b>Self</b> is one of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetypes" class="mw-redirect" title="Archetypes">archetypes</a>. It signifies the coherent whole, unified consciousness and unconscious of a person.<br /><br />There are two centers of the personality. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego" class="mw-redirect" title="Ego">ego</a> is the center of consciousness, whereas the Self is the center of the total personality, which includes consciousness, the unconscious, and the ego. The Self is both the whole and the center. While the ego is a self-contained little circle off the center contained within the whole, the Self can be understood as the greater circle.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_%28Jung%29#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anima and the Animus</span></a></sup><br />The <b>Anima and Animus</b> are, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung" title="Carl Jung">Carl Jung</a>'s school of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_psychology" title="Analytical psychology">analytical psychology</a>, the unconscious or true inner self of an individual, as opposed to the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona" title="Persona">persona</a></i> or outer aspect of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality" title="Personality">personality</a>. In the unconscious of the male, it finds expression as a feminine inner personality: <b>anima</b>; equivalently, in the unconscious of the female, it is expressed as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masculinity" title="Masculinity">masculine</a> inner personality: <b>animus</b>. <p>The anima is one of the most significant autonomous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_%28psychology%29" title="Complex (psychology)">complexes</a> of all. It manifests itself by appearing as figures in dreams as well as by influencing a man's interactions with women and his attitudes toward them, and vice versa for females and the animus. Jung said that confronting one's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_%28psychology%29" title="Shadow (psychology)">shadow self</a> is an "apprentice-piece", while confronting one's anima is the masterpiece.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">The </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_%28psychology%29">Shadow</a><br />In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_psychology" class="mw-redirect" title="Jungian psychology">Jungian psychology</a>, the <b>shadow</b> or "<b>shadow aspect</b>" is a part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconscious_mind" title="Unconscious mind">unconscious mind</a> consisting of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_repression" title="Psychological repression">repressed</a> weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts. It is one of the three most recognizable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetypes" class="mw-redirect" title="Archetypes">archetypes</a>, the others being the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anima_and_animus" title="Anima and animus">anima and animus</a>. "Everyone carries a shadow," Jung wrote, "and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is."</p><p>The shadow is prone to project: turning a personal inferiority into a perceived moral deficiency in someone else. Jung writes that if these projections are unrecognized "The projection-making factor (the Shadow archetype) then has a free hand and can realize its object--if it has one--or bring about some other situation characteristic of its power." <sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_%28psychology%29#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a></sup> These projections insulate and cripple individuals by forming an ever thicker fog of illusion between the ego and the real world.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona#The_Persona_in_psychology">Persona</a></span><br />The <b>persona</b> is also the mask or appearance one presents to the world. It may appear in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream" title="Dream">dreams</a> under various guises (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung" title="Carl Jung">Carl Jung</a> and his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_psychology" class="mw-redirect" title="Jungian psychology">psychology</a>). Importantly, the persona, used in this sense, is not a pose or some other intentional misrepresentation of the self to others. Rather, it is the self as <i>self-construed</i>, and may change according to situation and context.</p><p><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enantiodromia">Enantiodromia</a><br />Enantiodromia. Literally, "running counter to," referring to the emergence of the unconscious opposite in the course of time. This characteristic phenomenon practically always occurs when an extreme, one-sided tendency dominates conscious life; in time an equally powerful counterposition is built up, which first inhibits the conscious performance and subsequently breaks through the conscious control. ("Definitions," <i>ibid.</i>, par. 709)<br /><br />The grand plan on which the unconscious life of the psyche is constructed is so inaccessible to our understanding that we can never know what evil may not be necessary in order to produce good by enantiodromia, and what good may very possibly lead to evil. ("The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales", <i>Collected Works 9i</i>, par. 397)<br /></p></blockquote><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Themes</span><br />One of the main themes in the movie is duality, especially that of enantiodromia. This concept was famously summarized by Nietzsche in the quote, "Be careful when you fight the monsters<em></em>, lest you <em></em>become one." Both Bruce Wayne/Batman and Harvey Dent/Two Face have a "fall from grace" caused by their desire to fight crime.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_Man">The fall of man</a> is one of the two major themes finding expression in the contemporary psyche, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Tarnas">Richard Tarnas</a>, the other being man's conquering of nature through technology. The latter theme could also be summarized as using reason to overcome obstacles in the face of irrationality. Both of these themes have left indelible marks on the collective psyche of humanity for generations, so it's interesting but perhaps not surprising that we see both of these themes expressed strongly in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Duality and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fall of Man</span></span><br />First on the theme of <span style="font-style: italic;">the fall</span>. It is very dualistic, being about inversion, contradiction or paradox, irony (doing something which results in the opposite intended effect), and enantiodromia. For example, stories which have <span style="font-style: italic;">fall</span> symbolism include the story of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midas">King Midas</a> and that of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus">Icarus</a>.<br /><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span>, both Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent are over-confident and somewhat self-aggrandizing, or egoistic. And, it is certainly ironic that Batman's intent to fight crime caused a new breed of criminal to arise, i.e. The Joker, as well as Harvey Dent's actions to lock up criminals leading to his own demise. Both characters fall as a result of their actions.<br /><br />On the theme of duality, we can explore some of the ways it is expressed in the film:<br /><ul><li>Bruce Wayne/Batman leads a double life<br /><br /></li><li>Batman is called "The Dark Knight" while Harvey Dent is "The White Knight"<br /><br /></li><li>The whole "Two Face" character is entirely about duality: the name, the clothing (half white/half black suit, split down the middle), and so on. Not to mention the constant coin flipping throughout the film (though the coin flipping also has other connotations such as chance, fate etc). Harvey Dent (who later becomes Two-Face) also says the following Nietzschean gem early on in the film: "Those who don't die a hero live to see themselves become the villain."<br /><br /></li><li>The Joker says at one point, "You complete me." The Joker also describes their meeting as the meeting of an unstoppable force (the Joker) and an immovable object (Batman). In this sense, they represent chaos vs. order, energy vs. matter, or 2 sides of the same coin to put it another way.<br /></li></ul>To interpret <span style="font-style: italic;">the fall</span> psychologically, I would say that it generally signifies a moment of transformation that results in a part of the self being rejected, thus creating (or amplifying) the shadow. It can be seen as a split where one seems to be living two lives, the "old" one and the "new" one. <span style="font-style: italic;">The fall</span> in this sense can be seen as a death and rebirth cycle, as well as having a dividing or doubling motif.<br /><br />Early in the film, Harvey Dent is seen making decisions by flipping a coin. However, when pressed about it by Rachel, he responds that he doesn't leave anything to chance. Later, it is revealed that the coin he has been flipping all along has heads on both sides. Therefore, he always knew the outcome ahead of time.<br /><br />This, to me, signifies that there was an essential unity, naivete or one-sided view of the world existing in Harvey's character at that point in the film. After his traumatic death/rebirth experience in which he lost his fiance (his "other half") and half of his face in a chemical fire, the coin, too, shows one side blackened.<br /><br />From this point on, when he flips the coin to decide on whether people live or die, it truly is blind chance. In other words, chaos. By the end of the film, Harvey Dent has completely transformed into Two-Face, and switched from an agent or order to an agent of chaos.<br /><br />His character experiences many inversions on the macro- and micro-level, another such example being when he first encounters The Joker while recovering in the hospital after his ordeal. Harvey, becoming Two-Face before our very eyes, initially reacts by wanting to kill The Joker, but The Joker instead gives him the gun, carefully keeping it pointed straight at him. At this point, Harvey, now fully present as Two-Face, decides to keep the gun, letting The Joker live.<br /><br />Batman himself experiences such an inversion at the end of the film, where he takes the blame for Two-Face's murders, thus sullying his own name but keeping the dream of Harvey Dent alive "for the greater good." Batman says that Gotham must never know about Harvey's fall, and it will be said that he died a hero.<br /><br />According to Nolan, an important theme of the sequel is "escalation", extending the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denouement" class="mw-redirect" title="Denouement">ending</a> of <i>Batman Begins</i>, noting "things having to get worse before they get better". Shades of Nietzsche's dark night of the soul.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Introducing the cast of characters</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bruce Wayne</span><br />Even though Batman wears a mask to hide his identity, Bruce Wayne is really the symbolic mask. It is Bruce Wayne who is the ego, masking the greater self that is Batman. If we look at what Bruce/Batman was meant to be in life, we see that his true calling is certainly as Batman, not as a rich, superficial and vapid billionaire. Similarly, the ego can be seen as vapid and superficial in relation to the self, which is the totality of conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind.<br /><br />Also, although Bruce Wayne's wealth may have been conceptualized out of a juvenile power fantasy, it is certainly not glamorized in the film. His wealth, when touched upon, makes the character seem more distant or unlikable. In this way, the film resonates with an "everyman" attitude that money can't buy happiness, and the important things in life are free.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Batmanlee.png" class="image" title="Batmanlee.png"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/40/Batmanlee.png/250px-Batmanlee.png" border="0" width="250" height="401" /></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Batbed.png" class="image" title="Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Panel from Batman #84 (June, 1954), page 24."><img alt="Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Panel from Batman #84 (June, 1954), page 24." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/77/Batbed.png/200px-Batbed.png" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="200" height="171" /></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Batman_bale_small.jpg" class="image" title="Bale as the new Batman in Batman Begins (2005)."><img alt="Bale as the new Batman in Batman Begins (2005)." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Batman_bale_small.jpg/180px-Batman_bale_small.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="243" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman</span><br />Batman, being the protagonist and also the icon which embodies the entire franchise, certainly resonates with the self. The bat logo can be seen as a sort of mandala for the self.<br /><br />I would go a step further to say that Batman is the self after finishing the grail quest (another form of death/rebirth symbolism), and after integrating the shadow. While Bruce Wayne is feeble, uptight and superficial, representing a rather immature, materialistic ego-driven personality, Batman represents the individuated self, having accepted and integrated its negative traits.<br /><br />Batman isn't simply the shadow, for if it were, he would be all of the negative things that Bruce Wayne rejected from his life. Rather, Batman is the integrated self that has overcome the trials and tribulations on their quest for self discovery. Having quested and matured (as evinced in Batman Begins, 2004) this Batman represents the developed self, which is able to hold the opposites.<br /><br />We see Bruce struggling with the opposites early in the film after some Batman-imitating vigilantes interfered with a mafia drug deal. He says to Alfred that when he said he wanted to inspire people, he didn't mean for them to take to the streets as vigilantes. Again, the exact opposite of the intended effect has occurred, yet at this stage in the film, Bruce has difficulty accepting it.<br /><br />Throughout the film, the theme is reinforced that Batman can do what others can't. He can break the rules, such as going to Hong Kong to forcibly extradite a criminal. However, Bruce Wayne continues to struggle with his role. After the death of Rachel, we see Bruce in the early morning hours, obviously depressed, asking Alfred if it is all his fault.<br /><br />He struggles throughout the film, ultimately coming to a conclusion that he can accept his role. At the end of the film, we see a much more self-assured and confident Batman, fully accepting and embracing his dual nature. Here he says that he will give Gotham the hero it needs, not the one it deserves.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Harvey Dent</span><br />Harvey Dent is the archetypal "fairy tale" hero, which humanity's collective pscyhe is now too jaded and cynical to ever accept as anything other than make-believe. Harvey is the "too good to be true" goody two-shoes district attorney who intends to single-handedly bring down the mob in Gotham city. He plays the hero to Batman's antihero.<br /><br />Psychologically, he can be seen as the naive, undifferentiated self. His theme is unity and simplicity. He flips a double-sided coin but both sides are the same. His character resonates with the mind in a state before it has become cynical and jaded.<br /><br />In the film, Harvey is initially at odds with Gordon. It seems that Gordon represents the world-weary, cynical, jaded cop while Harvey is the hot-shot rookie. A backstory for Harvey and Gordon is revealed in the film: Before becoming a district attorney, Harvey Dent worked at Internal Affairs and had investigated members of Gordon's unit for corruption.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Detective_Comics_818_2nd_print_coverart.jpg" class="image" title="Cover art for the second printing of Detective Comics #818, by Simone Bianchi."><img alt="Cover art for the second printing of Detective Comics #818, by Simone Bianchi." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6d/Detective_Comics_818_2nd_print_coverart.jpg/185px-Detective_Comics_818_2nd_print_coverart.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="185" height="152" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Two-Face</span><br />We've already explored the symbolism of Two-Face quite a bit through discussing Harvey Dent and the rest of the film, but here are a few particular details about his character.<br /><br />He is reminiscient of Janus, the two-faced god.<br /><blockquote>In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_mythology" title="Roman mythology">Roman mythology</a>, <b>Janus</b> (or Ianus) was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_%28male_deity%29" title="God (male deity)">god</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate" title="Gate">gates</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door" title="Door">doors</a>, doorways, beginnings, and endings. His most prominent remnants in modern culture are his namesakes: the month of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January" title="January">January</a>, which begins the new year, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janitor" title="Janitor">janitor</a>, who is a caretaker of doors and halls.<br /><br /><div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 302px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Janus-Vatican.JPG" class="image" title="Roman bust of Janus, Vatican."><img alt="Roman bust of Janus, Vatican." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f4/Janus-Vatican.JPG/300px-Janus-Vatican.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="300" height="225" /></a> </div> </div></blockquote>There is quite a bit more interesting symoblism about Two-Face but alas, it will have to wait until another article. Check <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Face">Wikipedia</a> for more info.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachel Dawes</span><br />Being one of the only female characters in the movie, Rachel resonates as an <span style="font-style: italic;">anima</span> symbol. I would say she is similar to Helen of Troy, or <span style="font-style: italic;">anima level 2</span>, according to Jung's categorization. Helen is described as follows:<br /><blockquote>The second is <i>Helen</i>, in allusion to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troy" class="mw-redirect" title="Helen of Troy">Helen of Troy</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology" title="Greek mythology">Greek mythology</a>. In this phase, women are viewed as capable of worldly success and of being self-reliant, intelligent and insightful, even if not altogether virtuous.<br /></blockquote><p>Gyllenhaal has acknowledged her character is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damsel_in_distress" title="Damsel in distress">damsel in distress</a> to an extent, but says Nolan sought ways to empower her character, so "Rachel's really clear about what's important to her and unwilling to compromise her morals</p><div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 152px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AlfredPennyworthCaine.jpg" class="image" title="Michael Caine as Alfred."><img alt="Michael Caine as Alfred." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/AlfredPennyworthCaine.jpg/150px-AlfredPennyworthCaine.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="150" height="166" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Caine" title="Michael Caine">Michael Caine</a> as Alfred.</div> </div> </div><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alfred Pennyworth</span><br />Alfred is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_old_man">wise old man</a>. In fact, he's even listed on the Wikipedia page as such. Here's the description from Wikipedia, </p><blockquote>This type of character is typically represented as a kind and wise, older father-type figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world to help tell stories and offer guidance that, in a mystical way, may impress upon his audience a sense of who they are and who they might become, thereby acting as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentor" title="Mentor">mentor</a>.<p>Jung dubbed this character as a <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senex" title="Senex">senex</a></i>. This is Latin for <b>old man</b> in general, and in fact, two stock characters of the stage are the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senex_iratus" title="Senex iratus">senex iratus</a></i>, an old man who irrationally objects to the love between the younger characters, and the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senex_amans" title="Senex amans">senex amans</a></i>, an old man foolishly in love with a woman too young for him. Jung's <i>senex</i>, unlike these characters, has grown old graciously. His wisdom is not only in his increased knowledge and judgment, but his knowing that younger people have taken on the role of hero, and that his position has changed to one of mentor.</p></blockquote><p>Alfred in this case is certainly the austere <span style="font-style: italic;">senex</span>, who is far removed from the outside world and has taken on a mentor role, having no active part in Bruce Wayne/Batman's endeavours.</p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:News-batbegins2-2.jpg" class="image" title="Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox from Batman Begins."><img alt="Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox from Batman Begins." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c8/News-batbegins2-2.jpg/180px-News-batbegins2-2.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="270" /></a><br /> Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lucius Fox</span><br />Lucious is another wise old man character who mentors Bruce Wayne/Batman. He is an invaluable resource for providing the armor, weaponry and technology used by Batman.<br /><br />His name is interesting as Lucius resonates with Lucifer, or light-bringer, and Fox is numerologically 666. (F = 6th letter, O = 15th letter, X = 24th letter).<br /><br />That being said, I fail to find any connection between "Lucifer 666" and the character portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the film. One <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> tenuous tie that I can perhaps stretch is that Lucius/Lucifer means "light bringer" and is related to Prometheus, who famously stole the light of knowledge from the Gods. If we look at this light of knowledge as technology, then it perhaps makes sense that Lucius is the "bringer" of light/technology to Batman. But I think that this entire trope is a rather futile effort in making sense of this unusual sidenote.<br /><br />Disregarding the name <span style="font-style: italic;">Lucius Fox</span>, we can focus on some of the other details of this character. I notice that the character of Lucius started in <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman Begins</span> as a humble worker in the basement at Wayne Enterprises, yet has climbed the ranks to become president. This can be seen psychologically as reaping the rewards of being virtuous and ethical.<br /><br />It, too, is an inversion -- going from a lowly basement worker to the president of a company.<br /><br />So, while Lucius Fox has some duality themes, I think he primarily symbolizes ethics and right livelihood. The actor Morgan Freeman (at least to me) just exudes ethics, as does his character in the film, who initially refuses to use a surveillance network of Gotham City on the grounds that it's unethical.<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Batman_photos_oldman.jpg" class="image" title="Gary Oldman as James Gordon in Batman Begins (2005)"><br /><img alt="Gary Oldman as James Gordon in Batman Begins (2005)" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/ca/Batman_photos_oldman.jpg/180px-Batman_photos_oldman.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="241" /><br /></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Oldman" title="Gary Oldman">Gary Oldman</a> as James Gordon<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Commissioner Gordon</span><br />Gordon is the Everyman. Gordon is symbolic of the average joe, just trying to get by and do the best he can.<br /><br />The struggle between Gordon and Harvey Dent can be seen as the world-weary and cynical yet wise old man with the bright-faced, optimistic but ultimately naive young man.<br /><br />Gordon, too, has a death and rebirth in the film, when he fakes his own death during an assassination attempt on the mayor. He is revealed to still be alive later in the film, when he comes to Batman's rescue. In this scene, Batman has just crashed his motorcycle after swerving out of the way to miss The Joker, as he won't break his one rule, which is to never take a life. Just when it seems that The Joker will kill Batman, Gordon comes to the rescue.<br /><br />Is this telling us that we need to stick to our morals, ethics and beliefs, and have faith in humanity?<br /><br />Gary Oldman described his character as "incorruptible, virtuous, strong, heroic, but understated".<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HeathJoker.png" class="image" title="Heath Ledger as the Joker. The Joker's scruffy and grungy make-up is intended as a reflection of his "edgy" character."><img alt="Heath Ledger as the Joker. The Joker's scruffy and grungy make-up is intended as a reflection of his "edgy" character." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/90/HeathJoker.png/200px-HeathJoker.png" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="200" height="211" /></a> Heath Ledger as the Joker.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Joker</span><br />The Joker certainly embodies the <span style="font-style: italic;">Trickster</span> archetype, though in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight</span> he is considerably less playful than in the prior comics, cartoons and films (except, perhaps, the specific somewhat dark envisioning of the Joker that this most recent film is based on).<br /><blockquote>Hynes and Doty, in <i>Mythical Trickster Figures</i> (1993) state that every trickster has several of the following six traits:<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_modern_day_tricksters#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup> <ol><li>fundamentally <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambiguous" class="mw-redirect" title="Ambiguous">ambiguous</a> and anomalous</li><li>deceiver and trick-player</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapeshifting" title="Shapeshifting">shape-shifter</a></li><li>situation-inverter</li><li>messenger and imitator of the gods</li><li>sacred and lewd <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricoleur" class="mw-redirect" title="Bricoleur">bricoleur</a></li></ol></blockquote>The Joker meets all of these criteria, if you think about it. The "shape-shifter" thing can be seen in the various disguises, masks, face paint and even a nurse outfit that The Joker wears during the film. Situation inversion is also a constant thread, where The Joker is able to get out of situations against all odds through trickery (e.g., pretending to be dead and having his "corpse" delivered to a mob boss who wants him dead, only to "come alive" and kill the mobster).<br /><br />The other criteria fit in as well, but I think that this incarnation of the Trickster is a bit darker than most. Whereas there are many benevolent Trickster archetypes (e.g. Robin Hood), the Joker is certainly a malevolent one.<br /><br />The Joker also resonates with other archetypal characters, such as Thanatos (aka The Grim Reaper), and Eris (Goddess of Discord). There is such a wealth of symbolism surrounding The Joker that I'll continue this analysis in a post dedicated entirely to this character.Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-70400579763411178252008-07-29T15:56:00.000-07:002008-07-29T16:04:18.583-07:00Ouroboros in Futurama Episode 13: Fry & The Slurm Factory<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTYv_OQ8YhSt7iCtVMB7eAmwAdBsyvPh0dK0xJDLP4bVHgDPtRfuZ2Uq2QjqdBlWF6Vxd1Z6KquEsAh2bviyDI81MTi8Xw8u9tBVh2KQ8H_wHYWcGYH-ZUhQ6GJ71jV3FDlY_RVepaqM4/s1600-h/futurama_slurm_wurm_oroboros.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTYv_OQ8YhSt7iCtVMB7eAmwAdBsyvPh0dK0xJDLP4bVHgDPtRfuZ2Uq2QjqdBlWF6Vxd1Z6KquEsAh2bviyDI81MTi8Xw8u9tBVh2KQ8H_wHYWcGYH-ZUhQ6GJ71jV3FDlY_RVepaqM4/s400/futurama_slurm_wurm_oroboros.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228573858894827954" border="0" /></a>Can't find the right frame online, but in episode 13 of Futurama, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fry & The Slurm Factory</span>, there is a very clear, blatant ouroboros (snake biting its own tail) symbol.<br /><br />In this episode, modeled after Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the gang visits a Slurm factory where it is revealed that the secret ingredient is-- (no, not people, that's <span style="font-style: italic;">Soylent Cola</span>)-- waste from a giant worm.<br /><br />But, what's interesting is that in the scene depicted in the image to the right, the worm forms a perfect ouroboros by drinking Slurm from its own tail.<br /><br />I can't find the exact screenshot online but here are some other representations of the ouroboros to compare. Note the crown (or horns) in some of these:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Jp4fY01sqat0nHKtWpcUkJK3hbXnF6VT6Dex2g7usZoeTZjeBFmxxnsVMivcENtnOZ3lfjVnE2cquXXY7TQFZ-Iuo8HKsojwM2bfAOunXIxaHMxvxI6nZnJbxgvrAO8FFYwmWmVig5wC/s1600-h/OuroborosWingless.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Jp4fY01sqat0nHKtWpcUkJK3hbXnF6VT6Dex2g7usZoeTZjeBFmxxnsVMivcENtnOZ3lfjVnE2cquXXY7TQFZ-Iuo8HKsojwM2bfAOunXIxaHMxvxI6nZnJbxgvrAO8FFYwmWmVig5wC/s400/OuroborosWingless.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228575181450061042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.newparadigmplants.com/images/ouroboros-full.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.newparadigmplants.com/&h=336&w=320&sz=28&hl=en&start=16&sig2=kMJ_7h272X_uqfgtP8xAgQ&tbnid=_oNqsjH8ZkvChM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=113&ei=-aCPSKz8EoWmpASitvjABw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Douroboros%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX"><img style="border: 1px solid ;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:_oNqsjH8ZkvChM:http://www.newparadigmplants.com/images/ouroboros-full.jpg" width="113" height="119" /></a><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.medwaycropcircle.co.uk/fig%25201%2520Ouroboros.jpg&imgrefurl=http://adswithoutproducts.com/category/work-and-unemployment/&h=408&w=400&sz=22&hl=en&start=17&sig2=vkU7b-uHtklUH8ok_8oIbQ&tbnid=-k2uIkPrvtSoUM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=123&ei=-aCPSKz8EoWmpASitvjABw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Douroboros%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX"><img style="border: 1px solid ;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:-k2uIkPrvtSoUM:http://www.medwaycropcircle.co.uk/fig%25201%2520Ouroboros.jpg" width="123" height="125" /></a><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/altreligion/1/0/i/i/2/ouroboros3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://altreligion.about.com/library/graphics/bl_ouroboros.htm&h=480&w=550&sz=133&hl=en&start=18&sig2=zHsH4B-V35sQNhvRD_ripQ&tbnid=eyow2srRvcQ95M:&tbnh=116&tbnw=133&ei=-aCPSKz8EoWmpASitvjABw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Douroboros%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX"><img style="border: 1px solid ;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:eyow2srRvcQ95M:http://z.about.com/d/altreligion/1/0/i/i/2/ouroboros3.jpg" width="133" height="116" /></a><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://magdelene.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/ouroboros.png&imgrefurl=http://magdelene.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/gnostic-words-ofor-october-30-2007nousnumerology-ogdoadoracle-origen-orosius-pauklusouroboros/&h=380&w=358&sz=25&hl=en&start=9&sig2=g8V3dlz8xWUZVuTdvgfV2Q&tbnid=Je5K6FL5ar5WQM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=116&ei=-aCPSKz8EoWmpASitvjABw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Douroboros%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX"><img style="border: 1px solid ;" src="http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:Je5K6FL5ar5WQM:http://magdelene.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/ouroboros.png" width="116" height="123" /></a>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-53932164445286394202008-07-29T15:42:00.001-07:002008-07-29T15:48:08.627-07:00Bertrand Russell on Education<blockquote></blockquote><img alt="http://chaosandoldnight.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/bertrand-russell.jpg" src="http://chaosandoldnight.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/bertrand-russell.jpg" /><br /><span style=";font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" ><em><br />Education in a scientific society may, I think, be best conceived after the analogy of the education provided by the Jesuits. The Jesuits provided one sort of education for the boys who were to become ordinary men of the world, and another for those who were to become members of the Society of Jesus. In like manner, the scientific rulers will provide one kind of education for ordinary men and women, and another for those who are to become holders of scientific power. Ordinary men and women will be expected to be docile, industrious, punctual, thoughtless, and contented. Of these qualities probably contentment will be considered the most important. In order to produce it, all the researches of psycho-analysis, behaviourism, and biochemistry will be brought into play.</em> - Bertrand Russell, 1931<br /><br />I think this quote is a great example of the mentality of the elites. Keep the masses content so they will be docile, industrious, punctual and thoughtless. Meanwhile, reserve hidden knowledge for the chosen few.<br /><br />In another Russell writing he discusses what should happen if one from the lower ranks were to be of high intelligence. He concludes that should this situation occur, that person should be invited into the elite circles. If they refuse, they should be killed, for if they continue to live in the lower ranks they will inspire others and cause civil unrest (presumably through revolution or uprising).<br /><br />I can't remember the book which this horrific sentiment came from, but I think it's the same one where Russell discusses the need for children to be taught that snow is black, if only for the reason that it proves their utter obedience and loyalty (agreeing with something even though they know it isn't true).<br /><br />Remember, this is coming from the same guy who proposed "preventative warfare" measures, i.e. nuking civilian areas as a way to scare the world into peace. And some people think this guy is a genius! Go figure.<br /></span>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-48310066691708840362008-07-27T15:55:00.000-07:002008-07-27T16:36:13.006-07:00Synchromystic Analysis of Futurama - A Fishful of DollarsI saw Episode 6 of Futurama last night, titled <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fishful_of_Dollars">A Fishful of Dollars</a>, </span>and I noticed quite a few synchs.<br /><br />Here is a synopsis of the episode and some screenshots:<br /><blockquote>"<b>A Fishful of Dollars</b>" is episode six in the first season of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama" title="Futurama">Futurama</a></i>. It originally aired in North America on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_27" title="April 27">April 27</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999" title="1999">1999</a>. The episode was written by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patric_Verrone" title="Patric Verrone">Patric Verrone</a> and directed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Hughart" title="Ron Hughart">Ron Hughart</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_Vanzo" title="Gregg Vanzo">Gregg Vanzo</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Anderson" title="Pamela Anderson">Pamela Anderson</a> guest stars as her own <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_recurring_human_characters_from_Futurama#Celebrity_heads" title="List of recurring human characters from Futurama">preserved head in a jar</a>. This episode marks the first appearance of the character <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom_%28Futurama%29" title="Mom (Futurama)">Mom</a>, the series' recurring antagonist. The title of the episode is a play on name of the film <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fistful_of_Dollars" title="A Fistful of Dollars">A Fistful of Dollars</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-Accomodating_Brocolli_0-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fishful_of_Dollars#cite_note-Accomodating_Brocolli-0" title="">[1]</a></sup><br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fishful_of_Dollars#cite_note-Accomodating_Brocolli-0" title=""><img alt="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00532.jpg" src="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00532.jpg" /><br /></a><sup id="cite_ref-Accomodating_Brocolli_0-0" class="reference"><br /></sup><div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Futurama_mom_industrialist.jpg" class="image" title="Fry's Nemesis: "Mom""><img alt="Fry's Nemesis: "Mom"" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Futurama_mom_industrialist.jpg/180px-Futurama_mom_industrialist.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="180" height="155" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Futurama_mom_industrialist.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> Fry's Nemesis: "Mom"</div> </div> </div><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fishful_of_Dollars#cite_note-Accomodating_Brocolli-0" title=""><img alt="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00144.jpg" src="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00144.jpg" /><br /></a></blockquote>The whole character of Mom and her use to sell products was a major synch to me. She has a heart-shaped hair-do, her advertisements have bright pink, thus associating consumerism with receiving a mother's love. For more on this, see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWQ6XMxNjgI">this YouTube video</a>.<br /><br />An excerpt from the script during Mom's advertisement follows:<br /><br /><pre><b> MOM<br /></b> Call me old fashioned, but when my<br /> robot starts to squeak like an old screen<br /> door well, that's when I reach for a<br /> can of Mom's Old Fashioned Robot Oil.<br /><b><br /></b><b> <br /></b><b> <br /></b><b> BENDER<br /></b> Mmm, tasty!<br /><br /><b> <br /></b><b> MOM<br /></b> And remember: Mom's oil is made with<br /> 10% more love than the next leading<br /> brand!<br /><b><br /></b><b> <br /></b> [She smiles.]<br /><br /><b> <br /></b><b> ANNOUNCER<br /></b> "Mom", "love" and "screen door" are<br /> registered trademarks of Mom Corp.<br /></pre><br /><br />One of the themes was advertising, and it's revealed that in the future advertisements are implanted in peoples' dreams. When asked how this works, the professor says, "It's very simple. The ad gets into your brain just like this liquid gets into this egg," and he injects and egg with liquid from a hypodermic needle. The egg explodes on the crew, then the professor continues, "But in reality, it isn't liquid, but gamma radiation."<br /><br />So, advertisers of the future use microwave devices (ala HAARP) to beam ads into peoples' dreams? Serious mind control theme here. In fact, the very next line is Fry exclaiming, "That's awful, it's like brainwashing!" The Futurama opening also says "Presented in Brain Control where available", parodying the normal "Presented in Closed Captions where available" message.<br /><br /><br />Some of the synchs I noticed were:<br /><br /><ul><li>The number 1077 seems prominent in the episode as Fry makes a point of saying it again and again, even though it is his "secret" PIN number. It is also the price of a cheese pizza and a large soda at Panucci's Pizza, the New York restaurant where he worked in the year 2000.<br /><br /></li><li>Fry had 93 cents in his account at Big Apple Bank but 1000 years later this accrued to 4.3 billion, due to the 2.25% interest rate.<br /><br /></li><li>Dialogue from the episode:<br /><br /><pre><b> LEELA<br /></b> You're Fry's relative. Do you have any<br /> idea how he got so crazy?<br /><b><br /></b><b> <br /></b><b> FARNSWORTH<br /></b> Uh, wha? Oh, yes, they say madness runs<br /> in our family. Some even call me mad!<br /> And why? Because I dared to dream of<br /> my own race of atomic monsters. Atomic<br /> supermen with octagonal-shaped bodies<br /> that suck blood out of...<br /><b><br /></b><b> <br /></b> [He walks out still blabbering. Enter Fry.]<br /></pre><br /><br /></li></ul><img alt="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00039.jpg" src="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00039.jpg" /><br />Fry has a nightmare where he is in a class on Ancient Egyptian algebra. This probably has zero relevance but my ears perk up any time Ancient Egypt is mentioned (which is quite a lot!) so I thought I should mention it.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00439.jpg" src="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00439.jpg" /><br />Mom explains that they can take a slice of this DNA from a sardine ...<br /><br /><img alt="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00441.jpg" src="http://www.gotfuturama.com/Multimedia/FrameGrabs/1ACV06/Grabs/pic00441.jpg" /><br />And combine it with DNA from third-world children to make .... Oil! Genetically engineering third-world children to make them easily "convertable" into oil that can be used by robots. Pretty blatant commentary on the mentality of profiteering capitalists who will commit atrocities in third-world countries just to get rich.Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-12098313308284275852008-07-27T02:02:00.000-07:002008-07-27T02:04:31.128-07:00Sunday Mind Control LinkfestFrom <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_control">Wikipedia </a>...<br /><h3><span class="mw-headline">Methods</span></h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affective_computing" title="Affective computing">Affective computing</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_implant" title="Brain implant">Brain implant</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing" title="Brainwashing">Brainwashing</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognotechnology" title="Cognotechnology">Cognotechnology</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conditioning" title="Conditioning">Conditioning</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_fear" title="Culture of fear">Culture of fear</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis" title="Hypnosis">Hypnosis</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy" title="Hypnotherapy">Hypnotherapy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapist" class="mw-redirect" title="Hypnotherapist">Hypnotherapist</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_bombing" title="Love bombing">Love bombing</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_inhibition" title="Memory inhibition">Memory inhibition</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKULTRA" class="mw-redirect" title="MKULTRA">MKULTRA</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda" title="Propaganda">Propaganda</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model" title="Propaganda model">Propaganda model</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulated_reality" title="Simulated reality">Simulated reality</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subliminal_message" title="Subliminal message">Subliminal messages</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_reform" title="Thought reform">Thought reform</a></li></ul> <p><a name="Researchers" id="Researchers"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline">Researchers</span></h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Manuel_Rodriguez_Delgado" title="José Manuel Rodriguez Delgado">José Manuel Rodriguez Delgado</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Estabrooks" title="George Estabrooks">George Estabrooks</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels" title="Joseph Goebbels">Joseph Goebbels</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sargant" title="William Sargant">William Sargant</a></li></ul> <p><a name="Miscellaneous" id="Miscellaneous"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline">Miscellaneous</span></h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Jones" title="Candy Jones">Candy Jones</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invaders_from_Mars_%281953_film%29" title="Invaders from Mars (1953 film)">Invaders from Mars (1953 film)</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Carne" title="James Carne">James Carne</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchurian_Candidate" class="mw-redirect" title="Manchurian Candidate">Manchurian Candidate</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hendy-Freegard" title="Robert Hendy-Freegard">Robert Hendy-Freegard</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Ron_Hubbard" title="L. Ron Hubbard">L. Ron Hubbard</a></li></ul><br /><h2><span class="mw-headline">External links</span></h2> <ul><li><a href="http://mcrais.googlepages.com/" class="external text" title="http://mcrais.googlepages.com" rel="nofollow">Mind Control and Ritual Abuse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.firecommunications.com/mcontrol" class="external text" title="http://www.firecommunications.com/mcontrol" rel="nofollow">Mind Control Patents</a></li><li><a href="http://www.mindjustice.org/" class="external text" title="http://www.mindjustice.org/" rel="nofollow">Mind Justice</a></li><li><a href="http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/humphrey/amnesty.html" class="external text" title="http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/humphrey/amnesty.html" rel="nofollow">What Shall We Tell the Children</a></li><li><a href="http://www.freepressinternational.com/mind-control.html" class="external text" title="http://www.freepressinternational.com/mind-control.html" rel="nofollow">Mind Control videos and info</a></li><li><a href="http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/M/mindcontrol/" class="external text" title="http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/M/mindcontrol/" rel="nofollow">Derren Brown Mind Control</a></li><li><a href="http://www.barbclark.org/" class="external text" title="http://www.BarbClark.org/" rel="nofollow">See Dr. Ross Adey and the C.I.A.'s Project Pandoa</a></li><li><a href="http://gizmodo.com/5022355/crowd+controlling-medusa-ray-gun-puts-voices-inside-your-head" class="external text" title="http://gizmodo.com/5022355/crowd+controlling-medusa-ray-gun-puts-voices-inside-your-head" rel="nofollow">Crowd-Controlling MEDUSA Ray Gun Puts Voices Inside Your Head</a></li></ul><br /><h2>Pages in category "Mind control"</h2> <p>The following 46 pages are in this category, out of 46 total. Updates to this list can occasionally be delayed for a few days. </p><table width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_control" title="Mind control">Mind control</a></li></ul> <h3>A</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APA_Task_Force_on_Deceptive_and_Indirect_Techniques_of_Persuasion_and_Control" title="APA Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Techniques of Persuasion and Control">APA Task Force on Deceptive and Indirect Techniques of Persuasion and Control</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aziz_al-Abub" title="Aziz al-Abub">Aziz al-Abub</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_ARTICHOKE" title="Project ARTICHOKE">Project ARTICHOKE</a></li></ul> <h3>B</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_BLUEBIRD" title="Project BLUEBIRD">Project BLUEBIRD</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bowart" title="Walter Bowart">Walter Bowart</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_implant" title="Brain implant">Brain implant</a></li></ul> <h3>C</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_CHATTER" title="Project CHATTER">Project CHATTER</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognotechnology" title="Cognotechnology">Cognotechnology</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_hypnosis" title="Covert hypnosis">Covert hypnosis</a></li></ul> <h3>D</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Sleep_Therapy" title="Deep Sleep Therapy">Deep Sleep Therapy</a></li></ul> <h3>E</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_chamber_%28media%29" title="Echo chamber (media)">Echo chamber (media)</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewood_Arsenal_experiments" title="Edgewood Arsenal experiments">Edgewood Arsenal experiments</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroconvulsive_therapy" title="Electroconvulsive therapy">Electroconvulsive therapy</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_counseling" title="Exit counseling">Exit counseling</a></li></ul> </td> <td> <h3>G</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting" title="Gaslighting">Gaslighting</a></li></ul> <h3>H</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_and_hypnosis" title="Scientology and hypnosis">Scientology and hypnosis</a></li></ul> <h3>I</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_control_in_popular_culture" title="Mind control in popular culture">Mind control in popular culture</a></li></ul> <h3>J</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Jones" title="Candy Jones">Candy Jones</a></li></ul> <h3>L</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lansberry" title="Bob Lansberry">Bob Lansberry</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy" title="Lobotomy">Lobotomy</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rauni-Leena_Luukanen-Kilde" title="Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde">Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide" title="Lysergic acid diethylamide">Lysergic acid diethylamide</a></li></ul> <h3>M</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKDELTA" title="Project MKDELTA">Project MKDELTA</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKNAOMI" title="Project MKNAOMI">Project MKNAOMI</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA" title="Project MKULTRA">Project MKULTRA</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_auditory_effect" title="Microwave auditory effect">Microwave auditory effect</a></li></ul> <h3>N</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Naylor" title="Gloria Naylor">Gloria Naylor</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasion_uses_of_NLP" title="Persuasion uses of NLP">Persuasion uses of NLP</a></li></ul> <h3>O</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_O%27Brien" title="Cathy O'Brien">Cathy O'Brien</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Olson" title="Frank Olson">Frank Olson</a></li></ul> </td> <td> <h3>O cont.</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Midnight_Climax" title="Operation Midnight Climax">Operation Midnight Climax</a></li></ul> <h3>P</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pite%C5%9Fti_prison" title="Piteşti prison">Piteşti prison</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda" title="Propaganda">Propaganda</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_warfare" title="Psychological warfare">Psychological warfare</a></li></ul> <h3>Q</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-Quinuclidinyl_benzilate" title="3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate">3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate</a></li></ul> <h3>S</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiniketan_Park_Association" title="Santiniketan Park Association">Santiniketan Park Association</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopolamine" title="Scopolamine">Scopolamine</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_deprivation" title="Sensory deprivation">Sensory deprivation</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome" title="Stockholm syndrome">Stockholm syndrome</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subliminal_message" title="Subliminal message">Subliminal message</a></li></ul> <h3>T</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_foil_hat" title="Tin foil hat">Tin foil hat</a></li></ul> <h3>U</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_President%27s_Commission_on_CIA_activities_within_the_United_States" title="United States President's Commission on CIA activities within the United States">United States President's Commission on CIA activities within the United States</a></li></ul> <h3>W</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_torture" title="White torture">White torture</a></li></ul> <h3>Z</h3> <ul><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Zapato" title="Lyle Zapato">Lyle Zapato</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombie" title="Zombie">Zombie</a></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-52959655219583425162008-07-26T23:48:00.000-07:002008-07-27T01:04:35.996-07:00The Fountain (2006) by Darren Aronofsky<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fountain_poster_1.jpg" class="image" title="Fountain poster 1.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ee/Fountain_poster_1.jpg/200px-Fountain_poster_1.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="296" /></a><br /><i></i><br />Just finished watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain">The Fountain</a>. Pretty heavy movie, I wouldn't recommend it unless you want to see a real downer. That being said, it has some very nice imagery, interesting storytelling and a wealth of symbolism.<br /><br /><div class="thumb tright"> <div class="thumbinner" style="width: 302px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fountain_tree_of_life.jpg" class="image" title="A gold-hued scene in which Tom (Jackman) faces a hallucination of Isabel (Weisz) beside the Tree of Life"><img alt="A gold-hued scene in which Tom (Jackman) faces a hallucination of Isabel (Weisz) beside the Tree of Life" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d0/Fountain_tree_of_life.jpg/300px-Fountain_tree_of_life.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" width="300" height="184" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"> <div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fountain_tree_of_life.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" width="15" height="11" /></a></div> A gold-hued scene in which Tom (Jackman) faces a hallucination of Isabel (Weisz) beside the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Life" class="mw-redirect" title="Tree of Life">Tree of Life</a></div> </div> </div><br />According to Wikipedia, "<i>The Fountain</i> explores the themes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love" title="Love">love</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death" title="Death">mortality</a>, drawing influences from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountain_of_Youth" class="mw-redirect" title="The Fountain of Youth">The Fountain of Youth</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tree_of_Life" class="mw-redirect" title="The Tree of Life">The Tree of Life</a>. The film is framed with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_language" title="Visual language">visual language</a> by using transition scenes, light, and shapes." I wish more movies used a "visual language" like this. It makes for some images that are aesthetically pleasing, yet still rich in meaning.<br /><br />Here are some of the themes and memes of the film:<br /><br /><blockquote>Death/ego loss, acceptance, reincarnation, the Maya, the land of the dead (namely, the Mayan underworld, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xibalba">Xibalba</a>), The Fountain of Youth and Tree of Life (as Wikipedia mentions), the search for El Dorado, gold and the color yellow, nebulae and dying stars, parallel realities, spiritual enlightenment, writing a novel, the Garden of Eden and tree of knowledge<br /></blockquote><br />Miscellany:<br /><blockquote><br />The main female lead, played by Rachel Weisz, is named "Izzi." I thought that this is a somewhat strange name because of its symmetry.<br /><br />Aronofsky described the astronaut period as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage" title="Homage">homage</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie" title="David Bowie">David Bowie</a>'s "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Oddity" title="Space Oddity">Space Oddity</a>"; the protagonist's name "Tom" originating from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Tom" title="Major Tom">Major Tom</a> of the popular song.<sup id="cite_ref-suicidegirls_17-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-suicidegirls-17" title="">[18]</a></sup><br /></blockquote><br />It seems that the Garden of Eden and Biblical symbolism makes an appearance as well ...<br /><blockquote><p><i>The Fountain</i> begins with a paraphrase of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis" class="mw-redirect" title="Genesis">Genesis</a> 3:24, the Biblical passage that reflects the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_Man" class="mw-redirect" title="The Fall of Man">fall of man</a>. Hugh Jackman emphasizes the importance of the fall in the film: "The moment <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve" title="Adam and Eve">Adam and Eve</a> ate of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_Knowledge_of_Good_and_Evil" title="Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil">tree of knowledge</a>, of good and evil, humans started to experience life as we all experience it now, which is life and death, poor and wealthy, pain and pleasure, good and evil. We live in a world of duality. Husband, wife, we relate everything. And much of our lives are spent not wanting to die, be poor, experience pain. It's what the movie's about."<sup id="cite_ref-cover_23-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-cover-23" title="">[24]</a></sup> Darren Aronofsky had also interpreted the story of Genesis as the definition of mortality for humanity. He inquired of the fall, "If they had drank from the tree of life [instead of the tree of knowledge] what would have separated them from their maker? So what makes us human is actually death. It's what makes us special."<sup id="cite_ref-slashfilm2_35-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-slashfilm2-35" title="">[36]</a></sup></p></blockquote><br />The Kabbalistic tree of life is one of the most prominent symbols throughout the film. It is acknowledged on the Wikipedia page:<br /><blockquote>In <i>The Fountain</i>, the Tree of Life was a central design and part of the film's three periods. The tree was based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalah" title="Kabbalah">Kabbalah</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life_%28Kabbalah%29" title="Tree of life (Kabbalah)">Sefirot</a>, which depicts a "map" of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_myth" title="Creation myth">creation</a> to understand the nature of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God" title="God">God</a> and how he created the world <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_nihilo" title="Ex nihilo">ex nihilo</a> (out of nothing). The Sefirot Tree, being two to three hundred feet tall in lore, had to be resized for <i>The Fountain</i> to fit in the camera's frame.<sup id="cite_ref-slashfilm1_18-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-slashfilm1-18" title="">[19]</a></sup><br /></blockquote>More analysis from Wikipedia:<br /><blockquote><p>The theme of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necrophobia" title="Necrophobia">thanatophobia</a> is described by Aronofsky as a "movement from darkness into light, from black to white", tracing the journey of a man scared of death and moving toward it.<sup id="cite_ref-about_36-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-about-36" title="">[37]</a></sup> The theme is highlighted by Aronofsky's use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_language" title="Visual language">visual language</a>, such as shooting Jackman's characters in shadows until the story's light-saturated conclusion, while Weisz's characters are awash with light in each period.<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-37" title="">[38]</a></sup> Along these lines, Aronofsky made use of the color of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold" title="Gold">gold</a>, as gold was the sought-after treasure of the conquistadors. "When you see gold, it represents materialism and wealth and all these things that distract us from the true journey that we're on," Aronofsky said.<sup id="cite_ref-about_36-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-about-36" title="">[37]</a></sup> The director also used similar geometric constructs in the film to distinguish the three chronological narratives. The 16th century conquistador's tale reflected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle" title="Triangle">triangles</a> through pyramids and constellations, the 21st century researcher's period reflected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectangle" title="Rectangle">rectangles</a> through doors, windows, and computer screens, and the 26th century contemplative's journey reflected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle" title="Circle">circles</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere" title="Sphere">spheres</a> through the spacecraft and stellar bodies.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-38" title="">[39]</a></sup></p> <p>Darren Aronofsky emphasized that the narratives in their time periods and their respective convergences were open to interpretation. The director maintained that the film's intricacy and underlying message is "very much like a Rubik's cube, where you can solve it in several different ways, but ultimately there's only one solution at the end".<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-39" title="">[40]</a></sup> Critics have observed recurring, mythological references to themes of enlightenment, redemption, the Hindu concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation" title="Reincarnation">cycle of birth and death</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moksha" title="Moksha">moksha</a>, the Biblical Tree of Life,<sup id="cite_ref-chud_40-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-chud-40" title="">[41]</a></sup> the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha" title="Gautama Buddha">Buddha</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-chud_40-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-chud-40" title="">[41]</a></sup> and the world-tree <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil" title="Yggdrasil">Yggdrasil</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-41" title="">[42]</a></sup> In the same vein, Jackman views the story as a modern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology" title="Mythology">myth</a> that helps people to understand the meaning of life, explains the unexplainable, and fosters understanding. "These fables may not make scientific sense, but somehow they explain the world to us," said Jackman.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-42" title="">[43]</a></sup> Aronofsky later explained the film has an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheist" class="mw-redirect" title="Atheist">atheist</a> meaning. "It's about this endless cycle of energy and matter, tracing back to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang" title="Big Bang">Big Bang</a>", he said. "We're all just borrowing this matter and energy for a little bit, until it goes back into everything else, and that connects us all."<sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fountain#cite_note-43" title="">[44]</a></sup></p></blockquote>So, as I said, it's chock full of symbolism! A good film for discussion and analysis, though its overly long pacing and sometime hokiness (doing yoga flying through space was especially cheesy) reduces the impact of an otherwise powerful film. But, with this slow pacing and at times dreadfully repetitive and melodramatic score, it was a pain to sit through the last 20 minutes or so. Even before that, I thought they really over-did the whole emotional side of it, at the expense of exploring the themes in greater detail. This is definitely not a "talky" film, quite the opposite. And, that's fine; Film is a visual medium, after all.<br /><br />But, I guess I felt that the themes didn't really progress-- sure, there was a minor character arc for the protaganist, who felt the transformation of enlightenment, or of fear into love, or whatever you want to call it. But did the audience feel any divine sparks from this? Was the character arc genuine? I certainly felt sad from the movie constantly slamming the fact home that death takes away what we cherish most, but I somehow don't think that the movie took the audience along for the transformation that the central character felt. I just couldn't relate to him doing yoga in space, or killing the Mayan priest and claiming the tree of life.<br /><br />His "transformation" and change just felt tacked on, like throughout the film he didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> have a character arc. He didn't truly change much, he just kind of kept going along as he was, until the very end where he suddenly became enlightened.<br /><br />In any case, it's quite interesting to analyse the symbolism of the film, and it sure has a lot of that!Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-69024339482277509142008-07-22T18:32:00.000-07:002008-07-22T19:19:04.945-07:00On the Radar July 2008<span style="font-weight: bold;">Beck - Modern Guilt</span><br /><img alt="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2589335341_8174995f58.jpg" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2589335341_8174995f58.jpg" /><br />"I can't even believe what we've seen outside, you and me watching the jets go by." So croons Beck in the track <span style="font-style: italic;">Chemtrails</span> off his latest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Modern Guilt,</span> released this month.<br /><br />I really enjoyed Mellow Gold and Odelay, but I can't say as much for his music since then, this album included. It's produced by Danger Mouse, who has done some interesting work in the past (his debut, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Grey Album</span>, mashed up The Beatles' <span style="font-style: italic;">White Album</span> with Jay Z's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Black Album</span>), but this album just falls a bit flat for me.<br /><br /><img alt="http://www.neumagazine.co.uk/upload/beck300.jpg" src="http://www.neumagazine.co.uk/upload/beck300.jpg" /><br /><br />But the song <span style="font-style: italic;">Chemtrails</span> caught my attention as it is a popular topic of conspiracy theorists, and many of Beck's songs have focused on rather eclectic topics in the past. Here are some more excerpts from the lyrics:<br /><br />"You and me<br />Hit by a cloud of an eagle<br />Watching the jets<br />Pass us by<br />...<br />We're climbing<br />A hole in the sky"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christian Bale</span><br />I just watched <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prestige</span> on Blu-Ray a couple nights ago, a 2--6 film starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. It was the second time I'd seen it, the first being in the theater. I think this is an underrated but great film, and under repeated viewing and close scrutiny, the plot held up quite well.<br /><br /><img alt="http://www.eiu.edu/~history/ha/images/ha2007/poster_the-prestige-poster-1.jpg" src="http://www.eiu.edu/%7Ehistory/ha/images/ha2007/poster_the-prestige-poster-1.jpg" /><br /><br />The film has some fun steampunk contraptions and lots of great symbolism about sacrifice and the nature of illusion. From a synchromystic perspective, there is a wealth of material, including a mysterious box that is shaped like a truncated pyramid. The box contains a marvelous yet horrible invention devised by Nikola Tesla (played by David Bowie).<br /><br /><img alt="http://nudo.nu/wp-content/ThePrestige.jpg" src="http://nudo.nu/wp-content/ThePrestige.jpg" /><br /><div class="entry-main"><br />Interesting turn of events today in t<a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/07/the_weirdest_celebrity_arrest_in_recent">the Weirdest Celebrity Arrest in Recent History</a><span class="snippet"> where <b class="highlighted0">Christian</b> <b class="highlighted1">Bale</b>—star of this weekend's history-making blockbuster The Dark Knight—was arrested for allegedly assaulting his 61-year-old mother and 40-year-old sister. Splashy British tabloid coverage comes from The Sun. Respectable mainstream media coverage comes from Agence France-Presse. </span><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-source-title"><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.thestranger.com%2Fstranger%2Fslog" class="entry-source-title-link" target="_blank">Slog</a></span> - <span class="entry-date">10:31 AM (8 hours ago)</span></div></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight: Christian Bale & Heath Ledger</span><br />Of course, Christian Bale is the star of the new Batman film, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dark Knight...<br /><br /></span><img alt="http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/spi/library/300tdkposter.jpg" src="http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/spi/library/300tdkposter.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>This film itself is so mired in synchromystic symbolism I will leave the analysis to other, more informed bloggers in the synchro-sphere:<br /><br /><div class="entry-main"><a class="entry-original" target="_blank" href="http://dedroidify.blogspot.com/2008/07/heath-ledger-syncfest-crows-ravens-bats.html"></a><div class="entry-secondary"><h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://dedroidify.blogspot.com/2008/07/heath-ledger-syncfest-crows-ravens-bats.html"></a></h2></div><blockquote><div class="entry-secondary"><h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://dedroidify.blogspot.com/2008/07/heath-ledger-syncfest-crows-ravens-bats.html">Heath Ledger Syncfest: Crows, Ravens & Bats</a></h2><div class="entry-secondary-snippet"><span class="snippet">...wake of <b class="highlighted0">Batman</b> (also 1989)." Darker than the Bat? Hmm! (enlarge pic on the left)Mirrors are used in both The Crow & the original <b class="highlighted0">Batman</b> as well as The Brothers Grimm in which Heath stars too. In the first <b class="highlighted0">Batman</b> movie Jack Nicholson breaks a handheld mirror and starts laughing, in the Crow movie Brandon Lee smashes the window at the desk of ...</span></div></div><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-source-title"><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fdedroidify.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title-link" target="_blank">Dedroidify</a></span> - <span class="entry-date">Jul 19, 2008 (3 days ago)<br /><br /></span><img alt="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2110025535_8e488fd438_o.jpg" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/2110025535_8e488fd438_o.jpg" /><br /><br /><div class="entry-main"><a class="entry-original" target="_blank" href="http://pseudoccultmedia.blogspot.com/2008/07/6-mk-minutes-of-dark-knight.html"></a><div class="entry-secondary"><h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://pseudoccultmedia.blogspot.com/2008/07/6-mk-minutes-of-dark-knight.html">6 MK Minutes of The <b class="highlighted0">Dark</b> <b class="highlighted1">Knight</b></a></h2><div class="entry-secondary-snippet"><span class="snippet">...of The <b class="highlighted0">Dark</b> <b class="highlighted1">Knight</b>, because of what happened to Heath Ledger (his mind controlled existence and his subsequent demise) and because it was so obviously going to be full to the brim of mind control themes, and I wasn't disappointed. The film begins with the camera moving towards a glass building, with the windows creating a grid pattern (squared/b...</span></div></div><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-source-title"><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fpseudoccultmedia.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title-link" target="_blank">Pseudo-Occult Media</a></span> - <span class="entry-date">Jul 19, 2008 (3 days ago)</span></div></div><br /></div></blockquote><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-date"></span></div></div><br /><br />And here are some other more-or-less related posts:<br /><blockquote><div class="entry read"><div class="search-result"><div class="entry-main"><div class="entry-secondary"><h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://dedroidify.blogspot.com/2008/07/batman-begins.html"><b class="highlighted0">Batman</b> Begins (warming up for Dark Knight)</a></h2><div class="entry-secondary-snippet"><span class="snippet">...create the <b class="highlighted0">Batman</b>. But later in the movie Alfred also lets us know that their deaths sparked the rich into action to start cleaning up the city. And even later in the movie Ra's Al Ghul shares this:He says that the League of Shadows (secret society) had attempted to use economics as a means of destruction, which led indirectly to the murder of B...</span></div></div><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-source-title"><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fdedroidify.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title-link" target="_blank">Dedroidify</a></span> - <span class="entry-date">Jul 19, 2008 (3 days ago)<br /><br /></span><div class="entry-secondary"><h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://thestygianport.blogspot.com/2008/07/room-101.html">Room 101</a></h2><div class="entry-secondary-snippet"><span class="snippet">...s <b class="highlighted0">Batman</b> movie, he visits an underground "hospital" where a doctor who surely doesn't have a license to practice medicine operates on the Joker trying to fix his skin color and fixed smile. This room reminds me of the tourture Room 101 in 1984 with it's terrible appearance. After leaving this room of pain, the Joker confronts his boss who had h...</span></div></div><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-source-title"><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fthestygianport.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title-link" target="_blank">The Stygian Port</a></span> - <span class="entry-date">Jul 17, 2008 (5 days ago)</span></div><br /><div class="entry-main"><a class="entry-original" target="_blank" href="http://atlanteanjournal.blogspot.com/2008/03/heath-ledger-and-five-points-of-rennes.html"></a><div class="entry-secondary"><h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://atlanteanjournal.blogspot.com/2008/03/heath-ledger-and-five-points-of-rennes.html">Heath Ledger and the Five Points of Rennes le Chateau</a></h2><div class="entry-secondary-snippet"><span class="snippet">...like a <b class="highlighted1">knight</b> on a chess board a game he loved so much.Ledger was a self professed antichrist. He did not believe in Jesus Christ and is on record saying so many times. It would appear from the occult nature of his films that he did believe in something though. “ I am the Widows son” he cries out from horseback in the film Ned Kelly. Ned Kelly w...</span></div></div><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-source-title"><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fatlanteanjournal.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title-link" target="_blank">ATLANTEAN TIMES</a></span> - <span class="entry-date">Apr 10, 2008 7:16 AM</span></div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div class="entry read"><div class="search-result"><div class="entry-main"><div class="entry-attribution"><span class="entry-date"></span></div></div></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Metal Gear Solid 4<br /><br /></span>Easily my<span style="font-weight: bold;"> favorite game of the year</span> and most likely my favorite game of all time. This is one of the most detailed and impecabbly crafted games ever made. And it's fun, too! For those not in the know, the Metal Gear Solid series are known as the creators and thus-far best examples of games in the sneaking genre. You play Snake, an old CIA agent who sneaks around on "wet ops."<br /><br />You start the game with 'octocamo', which allows you to blend into the surroundings like an octopus. See if you can spot Snake in the image below:<br /><br /><img alt="http://www.metalgearps3.com/images/metal-gear-screenshot1.jpg" src="http://www.metalgearps3.com/images/metal-gear-screenshot1.jpg" /><br /><br />After beating the game once on normal difficulty, I tried again on the hardest ("The Boss Extreme") mode, but failed because I hadn't procured the <span style="font-weight: bold;">solar gun</span> on the way through. After a second playthrough on easy mode, I had procured not only the solar gun but also the bandana of infinite ammo and stealth invisibility, Predator-style. (These were obtained by playing through the entire game without ever getting spotted and with zero kills).<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />There is a wealth of symbolism</span> in this series, including a recurring theme of 4 enemies who must be defeated, each associated with an emotion and a totem animal.<br /><br /><br /><img alt="http://dimensionz.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/metal-gear-solid-4-guns-of-the-patriots_beauty-beast-unit.jpg" src="http://dimensionz.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/metal-gear-solid-4-guns-of-the-patriots_beauty-beast-unit.jpg" /><br /><br />Pictured above, the 4 bosses in Metal Gear Solid 4, which are based on similar sets of 4 bosses in the previous games. This particular installment in the series focused on the modern day war economy, paramilitary corporations, nanomachines and <span style="font-weight: bold;">artificial intelligence</span> used to control the masses.<br /><br />In the game, there is a massive conspiracy carried out by a secret society (revealed to be controlled at the highest levels by an AI) to maintain constant war around the world as a means of control. This same control apparatus is so pervasive that anyone who has been 'chipped' with nanomachines (highly advanced microchips) cannot so much as utter the name of the secret society, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Patriots</span>. Should they try to say this name, they will instead say <span style="font-style: italic;">"</span>la-li-lu-le-lo", a Japanese string of syllables similar to "a-b-c-d-e" in English.<br /><br />The Patriots are controlled by 4 AI programs, named after US presidents: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington" title="George Washington">GW</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson" title="Thomas Jefferson">TJ</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt" title="Theodore Roosevelt">TR</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" title="Abraham Lincoln">AL</a>. That's GW for George Washington, not Bush jr., according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_4:_Guns_of_the_Patriots">Wikipedia</a>. The man behind it all is known simply as 'Zero'. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia article: "JD sought ways to control the masses through manipulation of the economy, (which lead to the War Economy), digital information (which lead to the creation of Arsenal Gear) and eventually personalities (which became the SOP system)."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>For more, check out my <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/shared/01527842678125583406">shared Google items</a>.Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-74613043620808024922008-07-17T17:10:00.001-07:002008-07-17T17:16:50.768-07:00The Lost Ring: Building the Earth-OmphalosAs a follow up to my last post on The Lost Ring, check this out.<br /><blockquote>James showed a map with 27 Theo headquarter locations. These cities are places where we can build city labyrinths to complete the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Earth-omphalos" title="Earth-omphalos">Earth-omphalos</a>, that is needed to send the six home.</blockquote>Strange stuff indeed. So what the heck is an Earth-omphalos? From <span style="text-decoration: underline;">wikibruce...</span><br /><blockquote><ul><li>In <a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Codex-Chapter23" title="Codex-Chapter23">Chapter 23 of the Codex</a> Muliversal Travel is explained. </li><li> A earth-sized omphalos has to be built with 27 knots. </li><li> One knot is a <a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Ariadne/080429-id1527" title="Ariadne/080429-id1527">city-sized labyrinth</a>. </li><li> <a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Eli/Chat/0515" title="Eli/Chat/0515">Eli states that the design</a> (location of the 27 knots) is known by Theo. </li><li> Besides Philadelphia, which is known from <a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Alfredo%27s_items" title="Alfredo's items">Alfredo's items</a>, Eli mentioned San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seoul, Buenos Aires, and Sao Paolo as possible knots. </li><li> Knots are also HQ of Theo. </li><li> Kai suggests to <a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Kai/Chat/0515-2" title="Kai/Chat/0515-2">track the labyrinth</a> by using <a href="http://www.trackstick.com/" class="external text" title="http://www.trackstick.com" rel="nofollow">tracksticks</a>. </li><li> Omphaputer command: <b>BAETYLUSDILOO/OMPHALABYRINTH</b> </li></ul> <dl><dd>Returns: </dd></dl> <blockquote style="font-family: courier new;"> <dl><dd><dl><dd>MAKE OMPH KNOT: One rock, covered by a net, with at least 27 knots. </dd><dd>OMPH STRENGTH: K1 + K2 + K3 ... + K27. K = (C x S)/6 </dd><dd>Trace a labyrinth (any design) at least 3 stadia wide. The bigger the labyrinth, the more powerful it is. </dd><dd>The labyrinth must have AT LEAST 3 circuits. The more circuits, the stronger the knot. </dd><dd>Earth-scale omphalos knots must be created within omph city limits. OMPH CITIES PENDING. </dd></dl></dd></dl></blockquote></blockquote>Without diving in too deep to this Lost Ring nonsense, it seems that the plot revolves around 6 amnesiacs who must return to another universe. Apparently by creating 27 labyrinths (and accompanying earth-omphali) at key points around the globe, a 'stargate' will be opened and the 6 will be allowed to return home.<br /><br /><a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Earth-omphalos">Read more</a>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-13331652365674821622008-07-17T14:55:00.001-07:002008-07-17T17:06:57.591-07:00McDonalds' Game "The Lost Ring"<p>The <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/01/business/adco.php">International Herald Tribune</a> reports:<br /></p><p></p><blockquote><p>"The Lost Ring" is part of a gaming genre called alternate-reality games that blend online and offline clues and rely on players collaborating to solve puzzles.</p> <p>While corporate sponsorship of these games is common - one popular game called "The Beast" was created by Microsoft for the Warner Brothers film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" - this is McDonald's first foray into the genre.</p> <p>The game kicked off with 50 bloggers receiving packages with an Olympic-themed poster and a clue pointing them to TheLostRing.com. The site presented a dramatic trailer, replete with sci-fi lighting and a narrator with a British-accented baritone speaking over footage of a woman waking up in a field with "Trovu la ringon perditan"- an Esperanto phrase - tattooed on her arm.</p><p>Ten characters deliver clues via YouTube videos, blogs, photographs on the Web site Flickr and updates from Twitter, a social network.</p> <p>Online clues are supplemented by offline ones: Last week, players found documents in a mailbox in Tokyo and the fireplace in a bookstore in suburban Johannesburg.</p><p>[<a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/01/business/adco.php">Full article</a>]</p></blockquote><p></p><p>I'll have to check out the game a little more before writing too much on the symbolism, but it's certainly an interesting tie-in to the <a href="http://en.beijing2008.cn/">2008 Olympics</a>.</p><p>The name and implied object of the game is a lost ring, so a good place to start might be with the meaning of the Olympic rings themselves.<br /></p><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">According to the <a href="http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/missions/charter_uk.asp"><b>Olympic Charter</b></a>, the five-ringed symbol "represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games." Baron Pierre de Coubertin conceived of both the symbol and the flag. Not coincidentally, Coubertin is the founder of the modern Olympic Movement. The Olympic Committee adopted the flag in 1914, and it was first flown at the 1920 Antwerp Games. </span> <span style="font-size:85%;">[<a href="http://ask.yahoo.com/20020214.html">source</a>]</span> </blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">So, it seems that the rings primarily signify the unification of the world, an effort echoed by other global organizations such as the <a href="http://www.un.org/">United Nations</a>.</span><br /><br />The ring is already considered a unifying symbol as it is used in the union of marriage- I suppose it follows that the interlocking rings representing the 5 continents are about unification on a global scale.<br /><br />And, the Olympics truly are a global event. In this context, the use of Esperanto in the game makes sense: it is ostensibly the most popular global language, after all.<br /><p></p><p>More info at <a href="http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Beginners_Guide">olympics.wikibruce.com</a>.<br /></p>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-48252328785980162022008-07-16T21:24:00.001-07:002008-07-16T21:24:02.120-07:00Crop Circle Points to December 23, 2012<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>An interesting crop circle appeared July 14-15 which seemingly depicts the configuration of the planets in our solar system on December 23, 2012, the end date for the Mayan Long count calendar.<br/><br/><a href='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2008/aveburymanor/aveburymanor2008a.html'>Crop Circle at Avebury Manor, nr Avebury, Wiltshire. Reported 15th July 2008:</a><br/><blockquote><p align='center'><br /><b><i> <img width='500' height='357' border='0' src='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2008/aveburymanor/IMG0767adjusted.jpg'/></i></b></p><br /><b><i> </i></b><p align='center'><b><i>Images Gary King -<br /> <a href='http://www.btinternet.com/%7Ecliq/wccsg/index.html' target='_blank'><br /> WCCSG</a> Copyright 2008</i></b></p>Avebury Manor of July 15, 2008 reminds us that the Mayan Long Count calendar will end on December 23, 2012: by showing precise orbital locations for all nine planets of our solar system on that date, plus an accurate elliptical orbit for Pluto<br/><br/>The 5125-year Mayan Long count calendar will end on December 22-23, 2012. Given the long period of time which it represents, all nine planets of our solar system need to be shown in order to mark its end uniquely. Such a clever astronomical diagram was shown at Avebury Manor on July 15, 2008. All nine planets appear there precisely as they will be located in space four and one-half years from now on December 23, 2012, with one exception.<br/><br/>Thus, the outermost planet Pluto has been drawn in this new crop picture somewhat further to the right (or closer to Neptune) than should be the case. Yet Pluto still seems to be located correctly relative to the crossover of its highly elliptical orbit with the orbit of Neptune. Three weeks ago at Secklendorf in Germany, two different dates from the year 2012 were indicated astronomically in a crop picture, one of which (December 21, 2012) was essentially the same as that shown here <font size='+0' face='Times New Roman'><span class='864344008-16072008'>(see <a href='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/inter2008/germany/Secklendorf/Secklendorf2008a.html' target='_blank'> HERE</a>).<br/></span></font><p align='center'><b><i><a href='http://www.kornkreise-forschung.de/'><br /> <img width='368' height='464' border='0' src='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2008/aveburymanor/AmdiaAMx.jpg'/></a></i></b></p><p align='justify'><br /> <img width='500' height='293' border='0' src='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2008/aveburymanor/AveburyManor1a.jpg'/></p><br /> <p align='justify'><br /> <img width='500' height='273' border='0' src='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2008/aveburymanor/AveburyManor2a.jpg'/></p><br /> <p align='justify'><br /> <img width='500' height='291' border='0' src='http://www.cropcircleconnector.com/2008/aveburymanor/AveburyManor3a.jpg'/></p><br/> </blockquote></div>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-62821065775206452702008-07-16T01:29:00.001-07:002008-07-16T01:32:30.828-07:00Vector Equilbrium ResourceCheck out this <a href="http://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs80s/80vecteq.php">great resource I found</a> on Vector Equilbrium:<br /><br /><blockquote><h2 align="center">Vector Equilibrium and its Transformation Pathways</h2><br /><p>1: ***</p> <ol type="a"><li> The structure remains coherent in what ever way it is twisted and in whatever configuration it takes </li><li> Some configurations are more elegantly symmetrical and reveal this unity more clearly </li><li> This unity acquires special significance when the structure is in any of the classical three-dimensional configurations: tetrahedron<i>, </i>octahedron, icosahedron (known as the Platonic solids), or vector equilibrium (an Archimedian solid) also known as cuboctahedron</li><li> <b>Vector equilibrium</b><b>:</b> can be folded up to a single triangle configuration beyond which it can be reduced no further by "conventional" manipulation</li><li> In contrast to many other configurations, a few can be kept with the application of force at only one point. These include: tetrahedron, square pyramid, double square pyramid (force at common vertex)<i>, </i>double tetrahedron (force at common vertex)</li></ol></blockquote><a href="http://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs80s/80vecteq.php">Link</a>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-60267200152751314522008-07-16T00:41:00.000-07:002008-07-16T00:43:39.901-07:00Omnidirectional Closest Packing Around a NucleusExcerpt from Bucky Fuller's magnum opus, <span style="font-style: italic;">Synergetics.<br /><br />Figure 413.01</span>:<br /><br /><table border="0" width="504"><tbody><tr align="center"><blockquote></blockquote><td><img src="http://synergeticists.org/synergetics/s04/figs/f1301.gif" alt="Fig. 413.01" border="0" /></td> </tr><tr><td><br /></td> </tr><tr><td>Fig. 413.01 Vector Equilibrium: Omnidirectional Closest Packing Around a Nucleus: Triangles can be subdivided into greater and greater numbers of similar units. The number of modular subdivisions along any edge can be referred to as the frequency of a given triangle. In triangular grid each vertex may be expanded to become a circle or sphere showing the inherent relationship between closest packed spheres and triangulation. The frequency of triangular arrays of spheres in the plane is determined by counting the number of intervals (A) rather than the number of spheres on a given edge. In the case of concentric packings or spheres around a nucleus the frequency of a given system can either be the edge subdivision or the number of concentric shells or layers. Concentric packings in the plane give rise to hexagonal arrays (B) and omnidirectional closest packing of equal spheres around a nucleus (C) gives rise to the vector equilibrium (D). </td></tr></tbody></table>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268969741658273057.post-71905433921368282052008-07-16T00:30:00.000-07:002008-07-16T00:33:52.705-07:00Cuboctahedron as Vector EquilibriumI found <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/92.html">an interesting article</a> on the cuboctahedron as vector equilibrium:<br /><blockquote><table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Amy C. Edmondson<br />A Fuller Explanation</span> </td><td align="right"> <span style="font-size:85%;">Chapter 7, Vector Equilibrium<br />pages 90 through 93</span> </td></tr></tbody></table><br />Cuboctahedron as Vector Equilibrium<br /><br /><a name="fig7-5"></a> <table><tbody><tr><td> <table cellpadding="8"><tbody><tr><td> <p>We can understand the symmetry of the plane by observing that although any polygon can be made to have equal edge lengths, only the regular hexagon can have edges equal in length to the distance between the polygon's center and its vertices. In the same way, although there are many regular and seniiregular polyhedra with equal edge lengths, there is only one spatial configuration in which the length of each polyhedral edge is equal to that of the radial distance from its center of gravity to any vertex: the cuboctahedron (Fig. 7-5). <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/147.html#note7-3"><sup>(3)</sup></a> This shape therefore is the only one that allows the requisite arrangement of vectors to demonstrate equilibrium. </p> </td></tr></tbody></table> </td><td> <table border="1" cellpadding="1"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/Fig7.5.html"><img alt="Vector equilibrium" src="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/images/vectorequilibium.JPG" border="0" width="60" height="52" /></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><strong>Fig. 7-5.</strong> Vector equilibrium.<br />Click on thumbnail for larger image. </td></tr> </tbody></table><br /><br /><a name="twist"></a> <a name="fig7-6"></a> <table><tbody><tr><td> <table border="1" cellpadding="1"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/Fig7.6.html"><img alt="Cuboctahedron, twist cuboctahedron" src="http://www.angelfire.com/mt/marksomers/images/cuboctatwist.JPG" border="0" width="75" height="34" /></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </td><td> <table cellpadding="8"><tbody><tr><td> <strong>Fig. 7-6.</strong> (a) Cuboctahedron; (b) twist cuboctahedron.<br />Click on thumbnail for larger image. </td></tr></tbody></table> </td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><br /><a name="degenerate"></a> <p> We first saw the cuboctahedron as the degenerate truncation of both the cube and the octahedron, but at that point in our investigation we were only looking at surface topology. Now diving into the interior shape, we discover this unique property of equivalence. Table IV compares the radial lengths of various familiar polyhedra given unit edge lengths. Only in the cuboctahedron—hereafter referred to by Fuller's term, vector equilibrium or VE—can the radius be of unit length. </p><br /><br /><center> <strong>Table IV<br />____________________________________________</strong> <table summary="This table lists, in order, the radial angles, central angles and axial angles of the five regular ployhedron plus the vector equilibrium." cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"><tbody><tr><td> Unit-edge polyhedron</td><td>Radius</td><td>Central Angle</td><td>Axial Angle </td></tr><tr><td> Tetrahedron </td><td><center>0.6124</center></td><td><center>109.47°</center></td><td><center>35.26°</center> </td></tr><tr><td> Octahedron </td><td><center>0.7071</center></td><td><center> 90.00°</center></td><td><center>45.00°</center> </td></tr><tr><td> Icosahedron </td><td><center>0.9511</center></td><td><center> 63.43°</center></td><td><center>58.28°</center> </td></tr><tr><td> Cube </td><td><center>0.8660</center></td><td><center> 70.53°</center></td><td><center>54.76°</center> </td></tr><tr><td> Pentadodecahedron </td><td><center>1.4012</center></td><td><center> 41.81°</center></td><td><center>69.04°</center> </td></tr><tr><td> VE </td><td><center>1.0000</center></td><td><center> 60.00°</center></td><td><center>60.00°</center> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <strong>____________________________________________</strong> </center></blockquote>Jonah Dempcyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02468258890873289795noreply@blogger.com0