An Autonomous Agent

exploring the noosphere

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The Jihadis Return: ISIS and the New Sunni Uprising – Patrick Cockburn

Patrick Cockburn explains the recent up-welling of religious warfare occurring in the Middle East in his book, The Jihadis Return: ISIS and the New Sunni Uprising. The situation in the Middle East could be the defining crisis of my generation and Cockburn does a good job reporting the details.

No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller – Harry Markopolos

In No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller, Harry Markopolos, the financial fraud detective who studied Bernie Madoff’s questionable returns in early 2000, narrates the entire history and investigation of Bernie Madoff’s ponzi scheme — starting in 1998. I was shocked, as was Markopolos, on learning about the negligence and failure of the SEC on numerous occasions. The book provides a good summary account of the Madoff fraud and the people involved. It also provides important insight into financial fraud, reform, and regulations.

Mayan Murals: Xultún, Guatemala

I ran across an article, Maya Murals: Stunning Images of King & Calendar, which talked about a discovery in Xultún, Guatemala. It was of a dwelling which contained numerous murals painted by the Maya. Thought to be 1,200 years old, it contains some interesting depictions. Especially a picture of three black men, who are apparently wearing white medallions and black headdresses. When I first saw this, I thought: “Why does a Mayan mural have three African men with ivory medallions wearing “Pharaoh” type headdresses?” I am not sure; could it be that the Maya had a special desire to paint themselves black, perhaps like a panther? Or is this evidence of a connection with Africa?

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)

Aaron Swartz was a critical protagonist and fighter for open access. Sadly, for Swartz, centralized sources of power detest such proponents of freedom. These power hungry institutions are constantly trying to win legal control over various aspects of the internet. Restriction and control of the internet inevitably results in clever ways around such imposed sanctions. Why then, do they keep trying?! Money, as usual, is the answer. And it is the responsibility of all freedom supporting internet users to demand and fight for such rights as seem necessary to uphold the open and free internet. I hope that one day the US constitution includes internet access rights.
Swartz’s vision of the internet as a way to empower the individual is a powerful force for democracy and societal progress. I suggest watching the documentary and biography, The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz.
Swartz ran into trouble when he tried to show the world how academic journal producers restrict access to their publications. They lockup knowledge and scientific discoveries inside virtual safes, where any combination of $$$$ will unlock the door. It is a shame. Academic knowledge should be shared and free to access; for a good example go to arXiv.org, also The Social Science Research Network.
P.S. I found out the other day that one of the coauthors of RSS was Aaron Swartz — when he was only 14 years old, wow! What would I do without RSS feeds!? They provide such a convenient and “simple” stream of articles, news, and updates. He was brilliant.

Counter Intelligence (2013)

Top Documentary Films posts links to numerous free films. It has been one of my favorite places to visit when I am bored; I especially like the coverage of controversial and radical subjects — films which are unlikely to be found on sites like Netflix and Hulu. One such documentary is Counter Intelligence, an investigation and history of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Through declassified public documents and former CIA officers, the film reveals how the CIA has operated in the past. Studying the history of the CIA, one can speculate as to how the agency may be influencing current world events.

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