! AtTenTIOn ShOppERz !

"In fear ye shall seek defense or shelter...come this way, my friend.

- "Unpublished Quotes Until Now" by Matt Lum (Chapter 10: The Lore is Our Shepherd)

BBC Documentary:
Terror Threat is Fantasy of Control
Take a read through this somewhat lengthy piece on the documentary set to air on BBC2 in a few weeks. I hope it finds domestic distribution -- I'd love to see it.

During the three years in which the "war on terror" has been waged, high-profile challenges to its assumptions have been rare. The sheer number of incidents and warnings connected or attributed to the war has left little room, it seems, for heretical thoughts. In this context, the central theme of 'The Power of Nightmares' is riskily counter-intuitive and provocative. Much of the currently perceived threat from international terrorism, the series argues, "is a fantasy that has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians. It is a dark illusion that has spread unquestioned through governments around the world, the security services, and the international media." The series' explanation for this is even bolder: "In an age when all the grand ideas have lost credibility, fear of a phantom enemy is all the politicians have left to maintain their power." Guardian Unlimited: The making of the terror myth

In the meantime, download and watch the clip below -- not sure who made it, so if you know, tell me so I can give credit where credit is due. Please 'right-click' and save target/file as then watch it from your harddrive. A media server mine is not. (if you're still one of those reluctant to download and experience QuickTime, just do it.

Are you scared, yet?
A look at the Republican National Convention footage reveals a scary truth: while lots of Americans chalked it up to the political equivilant of theFlobee infomercial (you know, the 'flip the switch and you're a barber' myth) -- we tend to forget that there are lots of Flobees in America's closets, basements and garages. But what exactly were they 'selling' to America -- and henceforth forcing on the world? See for yourself. None of the clips are repeated -- and they are presented in chronoligical order. [5.2M .mov]