http://getdocued.net/fresh Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:11:42 +0200 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://getdocued.net/img/introVideo.jpg http://getdocued.net/fresh http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-376 "For many, Trotsky’s assassination in Mexico marked a tragedy in Soviet history, cutting off the possibility of a humane version of communism taking hold in Russia, with Trotsky himself arguing that he would have held back the tides of arbitrary rule and terror. But is that so?" (Uncommon knowledge) Joining the conversation are Hitchens and Hoover senior fellow Robert Service. I like this conversation quite a bit because it is touching all the sensivite points of the narrative of communism. http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-375 A journeyman picture documentary about the japanese criminal organization "Yakuza". Often called the 'japanese mafia' this influential and widespread organization is known for its brutality and corruption all over the world. And also - mystified, as it is hard for an outsider, to actually get to know more about it or realize it exists, even when living in Japan. Lately, the Yakuza have not only been involved in the usual corruption, brutality, drugs and assasinations but also in the growing and lucrative business of child ponography. Journeyman Pictures creates a short but interesting insight in a somewhat mystical, deadly and dominant force - even in the 21st century. (elysion) http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-374 Thomas Sowell is one of the brilliant minds who I found exclusively through my work with getdocued. He is a strong critic both of American liberalism (left wings) and conservatives. Sowell wrote many books about the question why intellectuals always have a huge crush on ideas like socialism, central planning and big government. Sowell is one of the few thinkers (at least from a European perspective) who constantly defends ideas which are most of the time against our first intuitions. Great stuff! Additional information --------------------------------------------- This link brings you to number 1 of 5 parts. If you want to find the other parts: try this one link==http://tv.nationalreview.com/uncommonknowledge/ http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-373 Physicist Steven Cowley is certain that nuclear fusion is the only truly sustainable solution to the fuel crisis. In his short talk he explains how fusion works and what steps we need to do to actually get energy from fusion reactors. Opinon: Mr. Cowley actually says that fusion technology needs another ten billion dollars to work, not to mention that just recently big and expensive fusion experiments were done. I always think, if things are so expansive, maybe it is not the right time for it. Because in ten years from now on, our whole technology will be on a whole new level. And with that technology it is reasonable to assume, we can have this fusion experiments for a lot less money - but maybe with better results. http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-372 If you liked Powers of Ten, the iconic documentary from the 70s demonstrating the scale of the universe, you'll love this. It's like an updated version of the aforementioned, giving a good impression of what astronomers presently know about space - and how much yet remains to be found. There's no narration, instead your journey through the lightyears is accompanied by soothing chill-out sounds. (an) --awe-inspiring ride, 7 mins-- --additional information (see link box): • American Museum of Natural History Official Site • Download of Digital Universe Atlas @ Hayden Planetarium http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-370 As someone who has heard Coulter talk on quite a few occasions, in addition to having read a couple of her essays, I was pretty surprised when I saw this in the listings at Fora.tv. She may be seen as one of the most controversial political pundits of the US by some; the majority of commentators are a little less generous in their verdict. In fact, her over-the-top conservatism and outrageous statements have earned her notoriety at best, and outright hatred at worst. Anyway, she is a best-selling author and remains a regular guest on several widely broadcast talk shows as well as debate forums. Coulter really is an expert on everything, from foreign policy to financial crisis, and covering such a broad field, her occasional disregard for details is excusable. In this hourlong rant she gets to recite an assorted collection of her most blatant commentaries, delivered with juicy punchlines such as "Not all muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are muslims". What you make of this - satire, polemic, hate-speech - probably depends on where you're coming from, so don't worry if you're actually captivated by this woman's charm. You can always claim it's irony. (an) --Self-righteous tirade, 59 mins-- Additional resources (see link box): • Coulter's official site • Column archive (2002-present) http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-369 Everybody talks about climate change these days. So why do it again? Simple answer: I found a great debate on "Munk Debates". 2 Environmentalists against 2 Sceptics. A real challenge. If we want to find the truth - this are exactly the formats of talks we need: controversial dialogues. Additional Info -------------------------------------------------- If you want to see the movie find and press the button "high quality" - then it starts automatically. The Button looks like a download button, but it actually starts the film! http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-368 "The Trap, what happened to our dreams of freedoms" is a great documentary by the famous Adam Curtis. At the heart of the question there is the question of the two concepts of liberty which were defined by Isiah Berlin: Positive and Negative Liberty. While negative liberty does mean that you need to restrain power of politicans so that the individual live their lives, positive freedom wants to give the people a common sense which is worth living for - but ultimaltely can turn to the cruelst dictatorships ever. Curtis shows in his film how positive liberty was abused a thousand times in the recent history and is responsible for millions of death. On the contrary he also shows that negative liberty also can turn into positive liberty and thus also can be distructive. As the recent neocon-governments in the US and the labour party in Britain has shown. This film is absolulety worth watching. Additional Comments ----------------------------------------- I think as I stated before, that it's a great film, but in the end Curtis doesn't understand the idea of negative liberty fully. The idea of negative liberty is that you can have your own dreams and wishes and go after your own (or your families) or whatever sense of life. And that you don't need a national sense of life - or something similar. In addition Curtis argument, that "Shock therapy" hasn't worked out in Russia means that economic theory is falsified - is scientifically spoken - plain wrong. http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-367 This is the introduction to an entire course of political philosophy held at Yale University. The 20 lectures long course includes (which are all online available) almost every important political philosopher, starting with Socrates. Watch this series and you know how political philosophy is presented on one of the most prestigious universities. I myself think, that this courses are also a good preparation for test and essays. http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-366 In science it's not the case, that the better ideas will make the race automatically. With Ludwig von Mises it's quite the same. He as many thinkers in the history choose the wrong moment to publish his master piece (Human Action). At that time he was fleeing from the Nazi regime and Keynes (who advised big spendig which every state likes in times of crisis) reigned the field. So it took years for Mises and his thoughts to gain some ground, which was basically to his world reknown scholar Hayek. If you want to hear about the biography of a truly liberal mastermind. Watch that documentary. Further Information ------------------------------------------- Their is another nice piece from ex-presidential canidate Ron Paul about Mises on Youtube. -> just go to the link section -> on mises.org you will find many of his works. http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-365 The African-American economist and social commentator puts things into perspective. His views towards university tuition, gender equality, racial discrimination and international affairs are mind opening, to say the least. In addition to his provocative thesis he is a full blown critic of president Obama. If you want to broaden your horizon in the field of social politics - Sowell is your man. Additional information ------------------------ Discussion: ~30 min Latest Book of Sowell: Economic Facts and Fallacies http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-364 The poor and uneducated people are the ones suffering most because of the world wide recession - so one may think and so it is often said. "Close to Home" sets up their cameras in a hair salon at the Manhattan Upper East Side, where the rather wealthy reside. It's an intimate space where she has come to know well the surprisingly diverse clientele -- from athletic trainers and housewives to high-end bankers, actors and opera singers. Despite expectations that this neighborhood is a secure bastion of privilege, these days, when clients get in the chair, they offer a window into the country in recession: Some are broke, others don't have a plan, and they're all looking to commiserate. Deborah Boles, the owner and sole hairdresser at Deborah Hair Designs, started the business in 1985. "I wanted a place where people can go and they can feel comfortable," she says. "They know they belong here." But it's all on the line with the current downturn -- clients come less often; some skip coloring or skip the trim -- and as Deborah watches neighboring businesses go under, she wonders how long she can survive. Barbara, Deborah's sister, helps out at the salon, but she has been struggling with her own economic crisis. After buying a home in Florida at the height of the market, she now has a subprime mortgage that she can no longer afford. Unable to pay the exorbitant interest, she has had to take in four tenants, each with their own stories of foreclosure and unemployment. http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-363 Peter is an Australian philosopher and Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He has been voted one of Australia's ten most influential public intellectuals. Outside academic circles, Singer is best known for his book Animal Liberation, widely regarded as the touchstone of the animal liberation movement.(remixed from wiki) With his well-crafted and profound ideas on animal rights, he is a worthy opponent for everybody who thinks of animals as pure machines. In this talk he talks especially about speciesism. (Speciesism is the assigning of different values or rights to beings on the basis of their species membership. The term was created by British psychologist Richard D. Ryder in 1973 to denote a prejudice against non-humans based on morally irrelevant physical differences -> wiki) My opinion: I can recommend Singer - he is one of the few people out there who's logics are really coersive. Further infos -------------------------------------- Length: 59 min. Book-Recommendation are in our link box http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-362 This is wonderful small documentary by Sahar Sarshar about the "Mosaic Man". An old Vietnam veteran who spends his time doing art in public spaces. But while some artists painting pictures on the streets, Jim Powers does art which are meant to last. With his mosaics, which are found in public spaces all over New York, he not only wants to make the things of daily life more pretty, but he also documents the history of local spaces. --Documentary, 8.00 mins-- --Additional resources (see link box): • Thanks to "gunjan arya saraf" who recommended that documentary • Find other projects of Sahar Sarshar on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/4877242 http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-361 The title of this video may be somewhat misleading - George Wittenstein, one of the few surviving members of famous Nazi Germany resistance group 'The White Rose', is not actually reflecting on how people make history, their motivations or the processes involved. Indeed, in this hourlong talk, recorded at UC Santa Barbara in May 2009, he recounts some of his memories of the fight against Hitler's regime, restoring a bit of color to what has long since become textbook convention. In this vein, I found Wittenstein's account of his fellow conspirators' arrest particularly poignant - again, a well-known fact (in Germany); yet hearing the story from a man who was actually there - involved, endangered, bereft of colleagues, friends - adds a whole new dimension and does after all justify the title: This is not history. It's His Story. (an) --Lecture, 59 mins-- --Additional resources (see link box): • "Memories of The White Rose": Essay by George J. Wittenstein • Scans and translations of leaflets distributed by the White Rose • Recommended read: "Sophie Scholl and the White Rose" by Jud Newborn, Annette Dumbach http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-360 Bacteria are the oldest living organisms on the planet. They control a major portion of chemical processes in our environment and in our bodies. And they communicate! The main hypothesis in this talk, delivered by Bonnie Bassler in February 2009, is that 1. Bacteria have a good sense of the size of their own population, and that of other kinds of bacteria surrounding them, 2. Once a certain population density is reached, a specific behaviour will be triggered, and 3. Understanding the means of bacterial communication can pave the way to developing new kinds of antibiotics and medical therapies. This charismatic presentation will not only broaden your understanding of bacterial communication, but is also bound to change your views about our relation with microorganisms in general - because it's actually us living in their habitat, not the other way around. (an) -- lecture, 19 mins -- -- Additional resources (see link box): • Perspective Series in Journal of Clinical Investigation • NOVA scienceNOW video profile of Bonnie Bassler • Full transcript of Nova interview -- http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-359 The journalist Serge Michel and the photographer Paolo Woods are presenting their new book "China Safari: On the Trail of Beijing's Expansion in Africa". At first, I had little expectations about this book presentation, but than it caught me. Basically for two reasons; first they try to really give an objective account on the recent entanglement between China an Africa. Second, they show really great pictures of their journeys through Africa. What I also like is that they focus more on people and their stories than on governments. They talk with a Chinese woman, who started as a translator in Africa and made a fortune over the past few years. Or take the first generation of Chinese African Children, who were born in great number during the last ten years. The authors really take their viewers and listeners on a safari. What I don't like is, that they sometimes don't understand how the economy works. And so they criticize low wages and living conditions. In doing so - at least in my opinion - they don't really get how an economy of a failed country gets started, but this is really just a small and forgivable mistake. So 4,5/5 points! (jn) http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-358 Lawrence Lessig, probably best known for his research in the field of copyright and intellectual property rights, is the speaker in this excellent lecture on the nature and causes of corruption. He starts out with the US Congress as example of an institution unable to make good decisions in an acceptable frame of time, and whose approval by the public has in consequence declined sharply. Lessig argues that both effects are mainly caused by massive lobbyist intervention. Other examples given are journalism, academy and the medical industry. A related point touched is the question of personal responsibility: To what degree is one to be held accountable for silently witnessing unethical behaviour? The lecture is extraordinarily well-structured and visually appealing, Lessig also provides quite a few annotations and literature recommendations (see link box). It is part of a series to be consecutively released over the next months, reviewing the topic of corruption from different angles. (an) --lecture, 55 mins-- http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-357 We've all heard of 'leaving everything behind and living on the road' or even have thought about doing it ourselves. So here's a guy, who made this dream come true and took his wife and 5 kids, gave them some instruments and hit the road. Just like that. The ‘Travelling Neutrinos’ roamed from Moscow to Mexico, sleeping on beaches, befriending circus folk and crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a raft made of giant scraps of metal. An exciting, astonishingly intimate portrait of survival outside of conventional society. A poor life, when it comes to exclusive food and clothing, but rich in experiences and adventure. Sure not suited for everybody. But for Poppa Neutrino and his family, it is. (elysion) http://getdocued.net/docuinfo/dokumentation-356 '"A Revolution on Screen" is a two-part video essay coinciding with the 2009 New York Film Festival Masterworks series "(Re)Inventing China: A New Cinema for a New Society, 1949–1966." This series is the first major U.S. retrospective of the films made during the "Seventeen Years" period between the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the Cultural Revolution. Part 2 will be published next week."' (movie image source) What I really like about this documentary or "moving image essay" is, that it is focusing on the means of film makers, the structure and sound of movies at that time. So it doesn't judge the film or the ideologies which should be put forward but in contrary deals with aspects of film making solely. (jn)