Pat @Pat@qoto.org

No one ever responds to my #TruthBeTold toots (almost), so I don't know if people understand them or not. So I'm going start Patsplaining some of my old #truthbetold toots...

Shinzo Abe shot during speech...

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-ex-prime-minister-abe-may-have-been-shot-taken-hospital-nhk-2022-07-08/

#science #fiction #ScienceFiction #SciFi #film #movie #telepathy #virtual #crime #supervillain #technology #mind #control #hivemind #neural #AI #future #FTW

Retro SciFi of the Week…

Virtuosity (1995)

Films about the mind comprise a huge chunk of the science fiction genre. They trace their roots all the way back to the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the 19th century. Themes include mind alteration, mind control, telepathy, direct neural links, the hive mind, virtual worlds and much more.

Virtuosity marked a turning point and a refresh of this subgenre. Although this isn’t the best example of mind films, it’s significant because it began to pull together the elements of the next major phase of the subgenre. This led directly to “The Matrix (1999)”, and later to “Inception (2010), “Time Sleeper (2020)” and many other groundbreaking films about the mind and virtual worlds.

Predecessors influencing this film include “Altered States (1980)”, “Brainstorm (1983)”, “Max Headroom (1987)”, and “Lawnmower Man (1992)”. Most of the earlier influential works were tied more to the “hardware” of the brain, such as “Spock’s Brain” (from ST:OS) and “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (1962)”.

When Virtuosity first came out, it looked like the subgenre had finally jumped the shark, but the somewhat goofy features in this film came to define the next phase of this subgenre. (I’ll highlight some of those elements under a spoiler content warning in this thread.)

(Image: low-res movie poster, fair use)

@lucifargundam

re boost of "Technology is too powerful"

That "virus" would require humans with awfully weak immune systems in order to procreate.

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This morning I was awoken by a spider crawling on my shoulder.

I hate when that happens...

**** SPOILER *****

I just watched a youtube video review of this film and the reviewer also noticed that the Sonmi character was speaking about the film itself, except they saw it in another scene. When the interrogator asks, “And what if no one believes this ‘truth’.”

Sonmi replies, “Someone already does.”

In the narrative, she is referring to the interrogator believing her truth. But the youtube reviewer saw this as also referring to the audience believing what the film is offering, with the Sonmi character again speaking for the film.

Now I wonder if there are more instances of that character being a metaphor for the film. Obviously the presentation of her philosophy is the overarching message of the film, so it makes sense. I guess I’ll have to watch it again…

#TruthBeTold #independence #US
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It’s surprising that Benjamin Franklin didn’t even make it into the top ten of historians’ list of the rankings of the best presidents of United States.

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#TruthBeTold = A statement that is logically or literally true (or partly true), but seems to imply something that isn’t true or is just plain weird. (for rhetoric, logic or propaganda studies… or just for fun)

(Image of portion of table from Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA-3.0)

scotus: "Abortion isn't in the Constitution."

senate: "Neither is the filibuster."

roe, roe, roe your boat, gently down the stream...

#gameTheory #psychology #society

If I was narcissistic, I would go around and try to convince everyone that they are narcissistic. And perhaps even perpetuate the idea that narcissists are not self-aware, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the ploy. Then the ones who are gullible and not narcissistic, would give up more of what they got to me. Other narcissists would not change even if they were gullible enough to believe me. In fact, they would likely help with the deception. (It may be that people who have clinical narcissistic personality disorder may actually lack self-awareness, but I’m not sure about that. The orange guy appears to lack that self-awareness.)

Is there any doubt at all, that much of society’s problems are the result of too much self-interest, and not enough compassion? Too much brain-fucking, and not enough genuine communication?

#science #fiction #ScienceFiction #SciFi #film #movie #race #bias #justice #technology #progress #future #robot #robots #android #philosophy #EV #inclusion #epic #FTW

Retro SciFi of the Week…

AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Like last week’s movie, this is an epic that spans a period of time. It also has a theme of liberty and justice, among many other topics. The production quality and special effects are among the very best.

Nearly all of the actors do a tremendous job in this film. Haley Osmont gives an amazing performance for a child actor. It also stars William Hurt, who has appeared in many great science fiction films and who just recently passed away.

Ironically, for a film that deals with the topic of justice, this one has significant racial bias, which is all too common in Hollywood movies. Otherwise it’s a great, classic scifi with lots of futuristic technology and special effects.

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If Trump wore a jumpsuit, what color would it be?

#germany #nordstream2 #russia #ukraine #oil #food #hunger #fuel #gas #energy
#nato #eu #europe #driving #electriccar #global

Here’s a good overview on the Russo-Ukranian War and NATO...

https://www.c-span.org/video/?521360-3/washington-journal-dalibor-rohac-discusses-nato-summit-russia-ukraine-conflict&event=521360&playEvent&auto

Purple #haze all in my brain
Lately, things just don't seem the same
Acting funny, but I don't know why
Excuse me while I kiss the sky…

#Hendrix
#MastoPrompt
#SmallPoems
#Poetry
#music

Plunge

It had been so long
since I’d done this,
but they were egging me on…

Peers are motivating, sometimes helpful
they give you courage
but mostly it’s good times and playful.

Okay, ok, I’ll do it, I’ll do it
Take a breath, take a plunge, let go
Exhilaration, motion, ouch!… Now pain go away.

Well, that’s the last time I’ll listen
to you peers of wisdom. No, no.
Why make a playground slide out of wood anyway?

#MastoPrompt
#SmallPoems
#Poetry
#splintered

Tilt

I’m on top of the world
where the sun never sets
in the summer, all the time it gets.

I see the #sunrise everyday
but it never ever goes away
it just bounces, round and round.

But come the fall
it will touch the ground
and stop its round and round.

Then the cold and dark
the pitch, the stark
long winter, forever night.

#MastoPrompt
#SmallPoems
#poetry

This was supposed to be labeled as a #TruthBeTold, but I'm sure you've already figured that out.

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#TruthBeTold = A statement that is logically or literally true (or partly true), but seems to imply something that isn’t true or is just plain weird. (for rhetoric, logic or propaganda studies… or just for fun)

Okay, a little more comment...

It's a documentary about a huge traditional music festival or choral festival or something like that in Estonia.

To Breathe As One (2009)

Found this documentary - it was made about a decade before the pandemic, but...

No further comment.

(Video: 35 second, fair-use clip, no audio)

#scotus #roe #dobbs #SexStrike

Prostitutes will no longer provide services to Supreme Court Justice Merrick Garland after abortion opinion...

Alyssa Milano and others call for a sex strike...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCu4iJWTI3U