This is classic. I love the parts inspired by Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson…so true.

In 2003 Donald Rumsfeld estimated a war with Iraq would cost $60 billion. After 5 years the war has cost the American taxpayer 10x times that amount. In the long run, the war is estimated to cost 3 trillion dollars (a whopping 50x Rumsfeld’s original estimate! Ouch!). That kind of money would come in really handy right now as the U.S. government sinks into the debt quicksand.

To find how the numbers are calculated watch this interesting video:

This documentary is absolutely fascinating look at the future of humanity. Warning: the ideas, speculations and scientific research in this film just might blow your mind. Be sure to watch in full-screen.

“Technocalyps is an intriguing three-part documentary on the notion of transhumanism by Belgian visual artist and filmmaker Frank Theys. The latest findings in genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, bionics and nanotechnology appear in the media every day, but with no analysis of their common aim: that of exceeding human limitations.

The director conducts his inquiry into the scientific, ethical and metaphysical dimensions of technological development. The film includes interviews by top experts and thinkers on the subject worldwide, including Marvin Minsky, Terence McKenna, Hans Moravec, Bruce Sterling, Robert Anton Wilson, Richard Seed, Margareth Wertheim, Kirkpatrick Sale, Ralph C. Merkle, Mark Pesce, Ray Kurzweil, Rabbi Youssouf Kazen, Rael and many others.”

Part I – Transcending Human Limitations

The first part provides an overview of recent technological developments in bio-genetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, implants and nanotechnology – and prognoses made by leading scientists about the impact of these developments in the near future.

Part II – Preparing For The Singularity

In this part advocates and opponents of a transhuman future are weighed against each other; prognoses are done when we can expect the transhuman revolution and how people are preparing for it already now.

Part III – The Digital Messiah

This part covers the metaphysical consequences of the new technological revolution. On the one hand scientist start to use metaphysical concepts to describe the impact of their research, on the other hand, a surprisingly large number of scientific projects is inspired by religious aspirations and more and more theologians from any religious or spiritual belief are getting interested in these aspirations of new technology, making the discussion inextricable complex.

Social Media ROI (Return On Investment) Credit: Intersection Consulting

I work at an online marketing firm in Burnaby that has made the leap into social media marketing in the last few months. From working with a few clients I’ve learned a lot about the huge potential that social media sites like Youtube, Facebook and Twitter hold for progressive businesses that want to communicate better with their customers.

The whole discipline of marketing is undergoing a fascinating shift away from the traditional form of advertisements (which most savvy consumer ignore) and toward more interactive “conversations” that centers on improving brand awareness and hyping new products through people’s social networks. In a way, social media becomes a platform that facilitates the kind of word-of-mouth recommendations that influence how people think and what they purchase.

It just gets tricky convincing business people in sales meetings that social media is they way to go. I think this Socialnomics video on the huge potential of social media marketing may be an excellent tool in showcasing the potential that these social media platforms holds for savvy businesses. The ROI (Return On Investment) for forward-thinking businesses that take the leap into social media before their competition is a massive marketing opportunity that simply didn’t exist even a few years ago.

Social Media ROI: Socialnomics

“Dynasty” is 60th annual ski and snowboard film from ski and snowboard film making legend Warren Miller. After watching the trailer, I can assure you that even at 85 years he is still skiing and making truly epics videos. Miller is a resident of nearby Orcas Island, from which you can see snow-capped Mount Baker and Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains in the distance on a clear day.

The Vancouver premiere is this weekend at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are $23 at ticketmaster (plus their bullshit service charges) but you can save $7 by getting your ticket at Comor’s 4th Avenue or North Burnaby locations.If you get your tickets at Comor you also a $50 coupon for Comor and a special deal on holiday bookings in Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Banff’s Norquay.

The show times are:

Saturday Nov 14    7:30pm    Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Sunday    Nov 15    4:00pm    Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Warren Miller’s Dynasty Trailer:

Check out the jaw-dropping trailer (preferably in full-screen):

An interesting rock pillar in Whistler's Upper Bowls.

With all the rain we’ve been having in the Lower Mainland, soft fluffy snowflakes have been falling from the sky in the Coast Mountains making for a very promising early season at Whistler Blackcomb. Whistler was originally scheduled to open on November 26th, but with over 3 feet of fresh snow in the last week and another 2 feet expected by the weekend, the resort has announced it will open early on Saturday, November 14th!

If you have the rest of the week off and you can’t wait for the weekend to go riding all that fresh powder, Mount Baker will be opening on Thursday, November 12th (which is nearly a month earlier than last year) with plenty of knee-deep powder for everyone to enjoy. It looks like this is going to be another solid year of big  fluffy dumps in the Pacific Northwest.

Social Media Mandala. Check it out in the larger version on Flickr

Social media is making a big impact in our lives. Facebook has grown into such a phenomenon that many young people find it weird or suspicious if you don’t have an account. The growth of easy-to-use blogging platforms like Wordpress, user-generated content sites like Youtube and real-time messaging services like Twitter has empowered people to express their creativity online -- and to a potentially massive audience. All of these changes in how we communicate and use media is slowly eroding the once rock-solid business models of mainstream media outlets like newspapers, magazines and television networks.

These two videos by Erik Qualman do an amazing job of communicating just how quickly social media is revolutionizing our culture and how we socialize. Be sure to check out his blog and his great new book “Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business”

I recommend you watch these videos in full-screen:

Local Vancouver filmmaker Murrary Siple’s documentary Carts Of Darkness is an awesome  film on some adventurous (and insanely crazy) homeless people who race shopping carts down the steep hills in the city.

Watch Carts of Darkness:

Here is another exceptional article that will make you think by William Upski Wimsatt from his excellent book No More Prisons.

Why We Love Prisons