Titor claimed that in the year 2038, a computer-based mainframe error called the UNIX 2038 problem would wreak havoc upon the world and only an original 1975 IBM 5100 computer could solve the problem. Titor claimed that the 5100’s BASIC and APL programming languages held the key to future salvation and he was a soldier sent back in time to retrieve one in working condition.

Think of it as an uber-geeky Terminator, with Titor as the Michael Biehn character.

When asked about his year-2000 pit stop, Titor said that he dropped in to pick up some family photos lost during the “second Civil War” and to warn us of a cattle-based disease outbreak that would kill millions of people.  He also hinted at future historic events, scientific laws yet to be discovered and breakthroughs that would change human life as we know it — including time travel technology (his machine was nestled in the trunk of a 1975 Chevette). Like some Nostradamus firing off prophecies from a local Starbucks, Titor lit up scientific message boards for months with vague announcements hinting at the world to come.

Titor offered to answer any direct questions asked of him but refused to repeat himself. He confirmed the Everett-Wheeler Model of Quantum Physics and claimed that this discredited the Grandfather Paradox. The enigmatic man from the future kindly responded to most queries with a keen sense of duty and patience, but occasionally got peeved at naysayers. Eventually, the fatigue from being called crazy and the repeated denial of his warnings made Titor bow out of the message boards in March of 2001 — leaving us to the mercy of fate (or destiny).

Since his disappearance, John Titor’s predictions toppled one at a time — each failing to come true even as his legend continues to grow. His forecast of the 2004 Civil War never materialized; its escalation to near-apocalypse status in 2008 also proved false. Although some suggest Titor did hint at such events as September 11 and Hurricane Katrina, his failures overshadow any authentic augury. And now we wait for the 2015 Russian nuclear attack that destroys all major US cities, leaving Omaha, Nebraska as our nation’s capital. Why should we believe this prediction? Well, Titor’s followers — and he does have them — claim that his arrival in our time changed the path of history and steered us away from these horrific events.

Like another enigmatic modern-day folk hero, DB Cooper, who became a symbol of his time, John Titor holds a place in our own culture. Titor reflects our desire for online anonymity coupled with an urge to berate and harass from behind the impersonal architecture of message boards. When Titor reached out to our imperiled society with a desire to help — or maybe just to get some attention — we, in typical fashion, mocked and drove away.

According to his own posts, in 2011, the 13-year-old John Titor lives in Florida and is training with the “Fighting Diamondbacks” in preparation for the upcoming Russian conflict. Perhaps we should track him down and apologize before we run out of time…

Well, I finally saw Inception. I hadn’t planned on writing about it, however, as everyone from fanboy to critic to armchair PhD has already weighed in. Still, Christopher Nolan‘s latest certainly squeezed my mind grapes, so I figured I’d throw some ideas together.

++Dream a Little Dream++
Artists of all kinds have long been fascinated with dreams — from painter to playwright to composer to filmmaker. The connection should be obvious: dreams are nearly synonymous with imagination itself. Artifacts from the sleep state can be inspiring or disturbing, but the true nature of dream remains an enigma. Inception makes a noble attempt at cracking the cipher, but Nolan’s airtight aesthetic fails to convey the mind’s deepest and most anarchic interiors.

The film is hardly a failure, however. Nolan seems to understand that Hollywood is America’s dream factory — that to step into a theater is to enter the headspace of the filmmaker. This an environment where your own reality is no longer of primary concern (plus it’s air-conditioned!). We moviegoers are willing participants in a ritual of sensory subjugation, and cineplexes exist to enhance this ceremony via giant screens, stadium seating and potent sound systems.

This dream extends in multiple directions. Like the subconscious projections in Nolan’s film, movie actors, sets, wardrobes and so forth are but ancillary expressions of the director’s imagination. Which means that, metaphysically speaking, Inception can be seen as a facet of cinema itself.

Grad-school grandstanding aside, Inception is basically a big summer movie. So the lofty stuff ultimately takes a backseat to elaborate effects and action sequences. To his credit, Nolan maintains a cogent sci-fi narrative while simultaneously exploring the nature of loss. Dialogue and exposition are nonetheless sacrificed on the altar of audience comprehension, yet these faults can be forgiven due to Nolan’s heroic balancing act. I mean, you try making a movie like this.

One complaint I wholly agree with is that Nolan’s dreamworld isn’t terribly… well, dreamlike. There’s no doubt that Nolan is a gifted cinematic architect who has shown himself capable of wrenching powerful performances from his actors. Still, he’s more watchmaker than imagineer, which is why his slumberland feels clinical. It’s not the fault of technology — as was the case in The Dark Knight, Inception goes light on obvious computer trickery. And directors like Stanley Kubrick and Stephen Spielberg have crafted far more evocative worlds with less.

Consider the nature of the sleeping unconscious. Even those dreams with high a degree of detail contain plenty of shifty elements when we recall them in the light of day. And that shiftiness extends to pretty much every aspect of the dreaming experience. The interrelation between objects, places and events are nothing less than fluid. Meaning is multilayered, enigmatic and “extra-logical.” None of this lends itself to moviemaking, but Nolan seems to duck the challenge entirely. Inception‘s only hints of elasticity are in its architectural elements, and these are ultimately more mechanistic than mutable.

Such criticisms aren’t solely limited to set design and FX — they apply to Inception‘s characters and concepts, as well.

++Interpolation and Identity++
Though an original work, it’s impossible to consider Inception without recognizing the kaleidoscopic imagination of sci-fi scribe Philip K. Dick, whose intertextual tales have eluded translation by several gifted filmmakers. To some degree, Inception mirrors the concepts in PKD’s The Minority Report, as well as the Spielberg-helmed adaptation. It’s a powerfully freaky thing to think that someone can get inside your head for the purpose of extracting information. In Dick’s story, it’s a preemptive law enforcement technique — the mere thought of committing a crime being justification for arrest. Nolan’s yarn is more about mindjacking as corporate espionage, but it’s certainly in keeping.

What scared PKD most wasn’t ubiquitous authority but rather the porousness of identity. Even his protagonists that are agents of “the system” (The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) experience the paralyzing and pervasive fear of losing themselves across multiple layers of consciousness. Another occupational hazard is the danger of being subsumed by one or more cover identities (A Scanner Darkly) — a literary fascination shared by William S. Burroughs.

My point is this: to effectively evoke dream reality, there must be at least passing attention paid to the mutable nature of identity. Nolan’s film deals with three layers of dream consciousness, each a further step removed from the rules of waking reality. Yet his protagonists remain rooted even as they descend further into raw strata of mind. This is especially odd considering that they’re occupying another person’s dream and therefore susceptible to said individual’s subconscious idiosyncrasies. PKD would’ve thrown everybody’s physical, mental and emotional characteristics into one big psychic Cuisinart until the mission was either a paranoid shambles, or an entirely new plotline emerged. Why do I feel like me, but look like you? Is this my memory or yours? How do I know I haven’t already been compromised? Which reality is the “true” reality, if that can even be ascertained? And does it even matter?

Nolan expresses some of this by having his characters struggle with the idea that their current reality is a mirage. To me, this is the most powerful aspect of the film, touching as it does upon mental illness and the effects of consensus reality. Those unwilling or incapable of entertaining this shared consensus suffer tremendously, as did PKD in his own life. I wish more of these themes were addressed in Nolan’s film, but I understand the difficulty of building a summer blockbuster using madness as the cornerstone (we’ll see what Del Toro does with Lovecraft).

++Neurosecurity and Mindfulness++
I’m surprised that the geek overlords on Boing Boing, etc. haven’t brought up mindhacking in their discussions about Inception (or maybe they have, and I missed it). To me, the idea of establishing a defense against brain invaders is interesting, especially in light of new discoveries in neuroplasticity and the battle to maintain computer network security.

Fascinating stuff, but I’m pretty sure our psyches are less in danger of being harmed by outside forces than our own mental habits.

One of Nolan’s most original ideas is that the subconscious can be trained to act as a built-in police force during synaptic security breaches. The director seems to gravitate towards characters who exhibit tremendous martial/intellectual/transcendental discipline on the road to exceptionalism (Batman, The Prestige). This includes certain mental technologies.

Buddhism has for centuries been aware of the the mind’s plasticity. It teaches (among other things) that we can shape the function of our neural networks by observing our thoughts and establishing new patterns. In therapeutic psychology, this is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — a remarkably effective treatment for a host of mental afflictions. Borrowing from Buddhism, it prescribes mindfulness as a method for rooting out “bad code” and establishing a healthier psyche.

Remapping the mind requires a great deal of discipline, but it can be done. Brains are far less rigid than stone, and even stone can be shaped by water. In this view, our thoughts are similar to ripples on a swift-moving river. Like thoughts, these ripples spontaneously and constantly appear and disappear. By not fixating on the origin of the ripples, but rather accepting the simple fact of their existence, we can begin to see the river as a whole and even influence its flow.

Inception takes a more martial approach to mindfulness, but it does offer hints as to how we can keep our shit together in the midst of chaos. In the film, one of the characters experiences acute panic when he realizes the reality he thought was solid is in fact quite the opposite. (We experience similar feelings of disassociation when someone close to us dies, we lose our job, get divorced, etc.) The character is told to focus on his breath and remember his training. The particulars of instruction aren’t revealed, but I’m guessing it involves meditation and mindfulness.

It’s easy to dismiss all of this as pop-culture exotica. And that might be true of the mystical kung-phooey on display in The Matrix, but this is different. Keep in mind that neuroplasticity and mindfulness training are hardly the core of Inception, but since it takes place almost entirely in people’s heads, there’s no way of avoiding some of these concepts.

If you haven’t seen movie yet, I definitely recommend it. Less as an artistic achievement and more as an incitement to cognitive investigation. Popcorn and Milk Duds optional.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CVYOCMpJRY

I wasn’t interested in “Lost.” It looked to me like a (more) scripted version of the worst kind of reality TV. If it takes place on a beach, I concluded, there is no possibility the women will be portrayed as human beings. They will be shrewy and semi-nude at all times. Bitch Island. It will be about the fights they have over some bland, muscle-y dude. Swimsuits and face-slapping. Plus, how long can the conceit of surviving on an uninhabited island realistically play out? It won’t last a season.
I was flipping through channels. I didn’t have cable. It was bleak.

I’m not one of those “I hate television” people. I like television. Even network television. “Twin Peaks” was on network television. “Arrested Development” was on network television. Neither for very long, but still. I’ve always believed in it as a writers’ medium — the most immediate way to transmit strong narratives to a mass audience. But I was losing faith. Flipping through channels, finding nothing.

Then something caught my eye. A grey-haired man in a pristine suit in a jungle. Just an image. It was jarring and kind of creepy and lovingly shot, and nothing, nothing on a network drama at the time was ever startling or weird or artfully arranged. I had to know what the hell was going on.

I’ve now been in a dysfunctional relationship with this show for six years. We’re breaking up this Sunday. More accurately, ”Lost” is breaking up with me (me, and millions of other faithful suckers.)

As with any breakup, the psyche develops coping mechanisms to help you get over it: alternating between remembering only the good times, until the pain of loss becomes to much to bear; then recalling only the disappointments, the failures, the times you almost left for good, until you’re so angry, you’re kind of glad it’s over.

If you’ve ever watched this show, you know there’s plenty from both sides. Schlocky performances, dead-weight episodes (and, debatably, seasons), laughable special effects, annoying tropes, heavy-handed symbolism, clunky retcon, obnoxious musical cues, storylines written irreversibly into corners, narrative logic conveniently invented and quickly abandoned. But also: some really wonderful acting, gorgeous cinematography, challenging allusions, headspinning mysteries, intelligent, slow-burning storytelling, nuanced character growth, and, every once in a while, flashes of the sublime.

“Lost” is a show which rewards, and occasionally demands, loyalty and careful viewing. Despite its many sins and essential silliness, it often withstands repeat viewings, analysis, even research. You can’t say that about many shows on a major network. No matter how disappointing the series finale might be (and it will inevitably disappoint many fans), history will view it kindly. I believe it will be considered one of the best programs ever to air on television. Maybe the worst of the best, but among the best nonetheless.

So before “Lost” breaks up with us for good, let’s remember some of the flashes of brilliance that kept us faithful to one series for six years. Five favorite moments, after the jump. (Spoilers for already-aired episodes.) Add your picks in the comments.


Jack pursuing his deceased father through the jungle. This is the moment that hooked me. The scene that widened the scope of the story and told us: this is not simply ”Lord of the Flies” with hot thirty-somethings. It’s not just going to be about water and weapons and waiting for rescue. There’s something supernatural or psychological or both going on. And it’s creepy.

Characters in the alternate timeline flashing to their lives in island timeline. Do you ever get the feeling something is not quite right? As though you’re not in the right place or time; you quite literally belong somewhere else? And sometimes, you catch glimpses of where that might be? This season’s flashes, brought about by love and near-death, is the only new story component that intrigues me as much as anything in the early seasons.

To me, it’s a big, brilliant idea, and it plays on every sense of displacement you’ve experienced, every glancing deja vu, every time you wake from a dream and for a moment you can’t quite tell what’s real, every time you meet someone and you’d swear you’ve met before. Sci-fi often deals with unhinged time or alternate realities, but this season’s “Lost” takes a more mature, poignant approach to these themes: only love or death will set you right.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJIH2VmNWQI

Charlie’s death. This was when I reassured that, as far as the mythology of the island had spun out, “Lost” was still a show about people. True, the death of the washed-up junkie/Britrock semi-star was one of the strongest arguments for “the island is a kind of Karmic clearinghouse that redeems you and then kills you” theory kicking about at the time. But it was also heart-rending. I cried, okay? Real tears that I typically reserve for real people.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7gX8zzfM-s

“The Constant.” The whole thing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s96iG2lwam4

The very first shot in the series. This scene took its time. The peaceful bamboo canopy, then the bloodied man. The quiet, then the noise. It was clear from the first few seconds: this was something a little bit different.

I’m gonna miss you, “Lost.”

Things are really heating up here in DC. I’m getting so busy, I frankly don’t know what to do with myself.

In the last few years, I’ve been slowly but surely making inroads into what some would call “punditry,” but I never really expected much to come out of it. After all, I have a pretty narrow area of expertise — music and media policy — which doesn’t lend itself to red meat debates on cable TV.

Which is why I’m shocked that I’ve been asked to do a segment on FOX News. I don’t know too much about it at the moment, but the producer I spoke with told me that I’d be talking about telecommunications issues and their impact on the cultural sector. This falls perfectly in my wheelhouse, so there’s really no way I could turn down the opportunity.

Only problem is, they haven’t told me which program my segment will be appear on, or if it’s gonna be live or taped. I have zero interest in being ambushed by Glenn Beck, especially after having seen some of my DC peers on his infamous chalkboard. Even if it’s on a more anodyne program, there’s reason to be wary (insert your favorite line about the network being “fair and balanced” here).

Still, this is a remarkable opportunity. Wouldn’t it be weird if I became a regular? I’ll definitely let you know how this all plays out.

This video is so nuts I don’t even know where to start. I mean, it’s not every day that you come across an evangelical homage to Star Trek with rock guitars and “uncircumcised fill-uh-stone Klingons.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBRSdOTirjk

Thanks again to Shane of the Government for the tip.

Broadcast from LPFM station The Radiator in Burlington, VT, Poli-Sci-Fi Radio is hosted by community media guru/Contrarian contributor Bill Simmon and superstar political blogger Steve Benen. The hour-length program features Steve (one of the most influential web scribes in the country) talking about the latest political hullaboo for the first half, after which Bill drops some science fiction, um, science. Of course, the two freely comment on both subjects, which makes for the hottest geek-wonk crossover you’ll hear on the airwaves.

Poli-Sci-Fi Radio is about to celebrate its 100th episode with a buncha amazing special guests, including:

MSNBC political commentator and analyst Rachel Maddow
Comics writer and illustrator Brian Wood
Political blogger Matt Yglesias
Actress and web video pioneer Casey McKinnon
Blogger, academic and political/sci-fi wonk Gerry Canavan

Tune in live on Sunday at 4:00 P.M. EST and join their live chat here.

And if you somehow miss the live stream (for shame!), the podcast of the episode will be posted on Tuesday night.

Congrats from all of us at The Contrarian!

CNN is reporting that Great Britain has released the largest collection of UFO files to the public. I skimmed through some of them this morning via the BBC and found many fascinating stories.

Although I am not a UFO buff, it is still fascinating that governmental bodies keep records of these sighting regardless of validity.

OK. You were great last night, and you’re a great person, but… I have to go.