One thing that has developed and lasted from the growth of the Internet is the potential for a participatory democracy. It not only allows for people to form communities that can empower themselves, but that can subvert established systems of power. This is the inherent potential within the type of connectiveness that the Internet provides.

 
There used to be a television show in the late 1950's and early 1960's called Playhouse 90. It was a 90 minute show that put play productions on television. Many productions eventually inspired movie adaptations such as Marty and Requiem For A Heavyweight. This is the type of show that should have a revival in today's programming. The benefit would be to allow the television audience to be exposed to award-winning plays on a regular basis that have not been made into movies.

 
The most recent edition of Orwell's 1984 has an introduction written by Thomas Pynchon. It discusses the repercussions of the book, both as a parable of the Soviet Union under Stalin and a warning of the totalitarian tendency of the present. Now more than ever this cautionary tale is vital to understanding the oppressive political atmosphere undertaken by president Bush with the promise of a fraudulent War on Terrorism that lasts forever.

 
The Cannes Film Festival ended today. Four films were given seven awards. Elephant directed by Gus Van Sant won Best Director and the Golden Palm. Other movies that looked interesting were Dogville, Mystic River, and Brown Bunny. Even though Brown Bunny was considered the worst movie, it can still be many times better than the average mainsteam blockbuster from Hollywood. These movies will be released this upcoming year, and some may be nominated for the next Oscars.

 
The Open Source Reader is a compilation of various texts that help explain the philosophy behind the open source movement. The document is itself open source in that others can add to and modify its contents to further describe this new method of software development. What is most interesting is if these principles can be applied to social situations and political systems.

 
Another great writer is Jorge Luis Borges, who may not be as well known as English language authors because he is from Argentina. Here is a sample of his work, which can be called magic realism. This style uses speculation in much the same way as science fiction, to explore various ideas, but concentrates more on literary aspects than fantastic plot devices. It is always important to expand one's horizons by reading authors from other cultures.

 
Thomas Pynchon is one of the greatest novelists in the later part of the twentieth century. He is also a vital part of the artistic movement that emerged in the 1960's. It is wonderful to have a memoir that is about living within that decade as well as about Pynchon the man. It shows how the two can intermingle.

 
Despite the turmoil that Iraq is now in, there are still moments where resistance to the occupation can be inspiring. When a U.S. soldiers defies an order to censor Al-Jazeera in Iraq it is a sign that not everyone believes that this war was fought for the right reasons. It also demonstrates that there is a necessity for multiple media sources reporting on the situation in Iraq, even media sources that are considered bias in one respect if they offer a different view from the prevailing Western media bias.

 
What has been one of the most reprehensible aspects of the War on Drugs is the misleading ad campaigns saying that marijuana is responsile for violence, terrorism, and other social problems. It makes one want to collect money to run their own ads showing how nonthreatening marijuana is in comparison to tobacco and alcohol.

 
This is one of those commercials that sticks in the imagination and eventually becomes a part of pop culture. It should be noted that this required no trick photography, editing, or computer animation. It is also important to realize that it took 605 attempts before they got the right shot.

 
Ever since the turn of the millenium, there has been a returning attention to ideas of civilization. There is the concern of what great ideas exist to shape how people can sustain themselves. David Brin has an interesting article discussing such a thing, and how our current age is different in that it emphasizes the future rather than the past.

 
The convention is a prime gathering place for those deemed by society as geeks. It is a humorous diversion to look at the social setting of these highly intelligent people who just happen to like science fiction. Of course an alien perspective helps with the flavor of the observations.

 
It is always interesting to look at best lists, especially concerning movies, music, and books. There is always the debate over what is included or excluded. This list is a selection of science fiction authors, and this is a selection of mind-expanding books in general. Overall, a great place to inspire one to enlarge their base of knowledge.

 
One of the most important aspects of the War in Iraq is how it has affected the civilians of that country. They have been placed in the way of the fighting armies, many killed or seriously maimed, and their relations in America have been subjected to suspicion and racial profiling. Compared to the false reasons behind the war, we see that it is a waste of humanity. It is important that their perspective, both in Iraq and this country, be kept in the forefront.

 
The structure of games can be used as models for behavior in social situations. They can also be examples of logic at work. Chess is one type of game that personifies this, along with its interesting variations. Game theory is the method of applying the logic of games such as chess to economics and political science and is a way to understand how humans can exist with each other.

 
Even though it appears to have failed, the network economy offered a new model of economic relations that can still be applicable. This is especially true in regards to the infrastructure that still remains from the acclerating information economy. The so-called "dot.com" bubble may have burst, but the increase in Internet connectivity has created a new type of medium that is egalitarian and empowering.

 
The explanation of the reality of quantum physics is very complex. This essay tries to list the various ways reality in terms of space and time can be viewed or interpreted. All of them have in common the importance of perspective on material things, and how that affects the things themselves. This in turn provides a contribution to critical thought since any critique must deal with the inherent truth of the subject.

 
This demonstrates that the Middle East is not a uniform set of customs that is alien to any Western sensibility. Iran in particular is not as backward as it has been portrayed by the media or estimated by its history. The cross-cultural dialogue is an invaluable tool to promoting not only international standards of rights and liberties, but helps common understanding which can initiate sharing of culture. Besides all that, this is also an unbiased view on opium smoking, of all things.

 
One of the powers of the Internet is its ability to transfer information that can be suppressed in other communications media. Alternative news sources have found a home where a critical stance can be taken on the powers-that-be. This is a continuation by electronic means of the samizdat tradition. On the Web, listservs, blogs, and BBS's, all sorts of new discussions can be allowed to flow freely. It is truly a democratic media and a starting point for real world activism.

 
The more that the world becomes interconnected, the more relevant discussions of a world government becomes. There are competing sides for and against, and they usually deal with the automony of nations and the ability for individuals to have political freedom. At its most abstract, it is an interesting thought experiment.

 
The phenomenon of blogs has created a distribution of a few vital hubs and many blogs with only a few connections, the opposite of the bell curve. This is at first unequal, but is a sign of which blogs are reliable sources of information. What must be considered is that interconnectiveness compensates for this inequality. At a certain point all blogs are linked to each other.