We need more people like Vonnegut. People willing to fly by the pretension and self-congratulation and tell it how it is.

Fascinating perspective on the arts and modern culture.

“The Penultimate Truth about Philip K. Dick”

In 2007 I produced this documentary about the mystical experiences of sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick.

Philip K. Dick is considered by many to be one the world’s greatest science fiction writers ever; as a sufferer from mental illness himself he had the ability to turn his hallucinations about the universe into an extraordinary writing career.
During his lifetime, Dick produced an astonishing amount of prize winning novels and short stories, which were translated into more than 25 languages. Three of his literary works were transformed into blockbuster movies: Blade Runner, Minority Report and Total Recall.
Several years before his death, Philip started having mystical experiences that affected his everyday life. As a result, he started to wonder if what he had imagined for his stories was real and if life was just an illusion or the creation of each person’s subjectivity.
This in-depth program explores Philip K. Dick`s world, a universe full of mysteries and intrigues.

‘VALIS’ is a fascinating book to read. I also recommend ‘a scanner darkly’. I hope to read more of his work in the near future.

The source of some extraordinary sociological surveys and studies.

“BBC – ‘Newton: The Dark Heretic’ Aired 2003 ‘Heretic’ in the sense that he disbelieved in the concept of the Trinity. A very interesting documentary revealing a hidden and truly enlightened side to one of the greatest minds that western civilisation has known. His deep study of science led him to a firm conclusion that there is a Creator and based on his study of early Christian history, he was convinced that the concept of The Trinity was a falsification of the pure message of monotheism that Jesus preached. Newton vehemently rejected the corruption of the Christian establishment and the innovation that is the divinity of Jesus, his belief was the revealed God is one God. During his life he was forced to keep this belief secret for fear of being labelled a heretic and after his death this information was carefully suppressed. The documentary also highlights the point that in the absence of study of the final divine revelation no matter how great the mind the knowledge of the unseen can not be deciphered as is illustrated by the fact that Newton spirals into a hopeless search for the truth by vigoursly engaging in the art of alchemy! File can be downloaded from http://www.islamictorrents.net/details.php?id=6870

“Description: This 60-minute program is a compelling adaptation of Lee Strobel’s personal journey from atheism to faith in God… a journey in search of the truth about intelligent design in the universe. During his academic years, Lee became convinced that God was outmoded, a belief that colored his ensuing career as an award-winning journalist at the Chicago Tribune . Science made the idea of a Creator irrelevant… or so Strobel thought. My road to atheism was paved by science… but, ironically, so was my later journey to God. Lee Strobel Has science discovered God? At the very least, it’s giving faith an immense boost as new findings emerge about the incredible complexity of life and our universe. In The Case for a Creator DVD, Strobel reexamines the theories that once led him away from God. Highlighted by spectacular computer animation, The Case for a Creator DVD is a remarkable film in which you’ll encounter the mind-stretching discoveries from cosmology, cellular biology, DNA research, astronomy, physics, and human consciousness. The Case for a Creator DVD is produced by Illustra Media, the same studio team that released The Privileged Planet, Unlocking the Mystery of Life , Where Does the Evidence Lead and The Prophecies of the Passion . More than 40 minutes of extra bonus features (not included; please upload if you have this!).”

Personally, I’m agnostic. I think atheism is an absurd concept by its own definition: the Cartesian scientific method does not allow conclusions to be made from unknowns. I find the sometimes childish and offensive posturings of athiests (particularly on the net, stumbleupon.com is full of them for some reason [social engineering propaganda for "Generation i", I wonder?]) boring and, frankly, a little scary. In my opinion, we need God. Without the unknown, without the temperment of its uncertainty, we are nothing but soft machines to be tinkered with by psychopathic Corporations and Ivy League Eugenicists. The existance of God is not an argument or a debate any more than a discussion about the existance of the Binomial Theorum. God is a sum of infinite parts, a timeless destination, a collective wonderment forever, most likely, beyond our understanding. And who is any one of us to decide boundaries to such a thing? You have to be technically insane.

A whirlwind world tour of some of the craziest unanswerable questions archaeology and history has to offer us. And, yeah, as pointed out below, the music is great.

“Find out where Religion originated from. And that Religious characters are just myths from ancient egypt. If you do your own research you will find it to be true. Im currently Researching and cant find any faults in this documentary.”

I consider myself agnostic – I think atheism is arrogant, philosophically unsound, painfully unscientific and hypocritical – and I am severely cautious about any “Godless” direction taken by anyone in any humane social discipline, save History. In conclusion to such debate I like to coin the oft sought-after phrase, “Ideas don’t kill people, people-so-rigidly-adhered-to-them-so-as-to-believe-anyone-believing-otherwise-must-be-murdered do.”

Hat tip to Daily Glimpse (run by old faithful, Buzz Aldrin) for this lead.

You can read the William Burroughs essay (it’s short, easy to read and very much worth it, if not essential reading) at Daily Glimpse here.