The final episode of book notes on Tragedy and Hope. Aaron finishes up reading from his notes, and gives some added commentary on the book as a whole.

topics include: China, traditional society, agrarian reform, communism, anomie, Greek thought, MIC, ideological warfare, free energy, controlled conflict, liberalism, party politics, petty-bourgeois, Eastern Establishment, government-dependent corporations, old money, middle-class outlook, US education system, literature, Ernest Hemingway, Barry Goldwater, psychodynamics of family, private schools, doctors, irrational vs rational thought, sovereignty

On this installment of Themes and Memes Adam and Aaron review The Brotherhood of the Bell, a made for TV film that is well known in alternative media. This podcast is in the same vain as the previous episode which was a review of Rosemary's Baby. The theme of secret society membership, and more specifically how to break from the cult and expose it, is explored here.

Topics include: secret societies, Skull and Bones, cults, discrediting whistleblowers, mystique, Freemasonry, burden of proof, emotional distress, psychology, bells, initiation ritual, hand symbolism, dependency on establishment, vanity, FBI, shield, government seals, ideals, daytime television, talk show, audience, extremists, conspiracy, diverting attention, George W Bush, John Kerry, homeless people, paying dues, alternative media, manipulation

On this installment of Themes and Memes Adam and Aaron review the original 1968 version of Rosemary's Baby by infamous director Roman Polanski. At the least this film points out some very real aspects of cult behavior, but to what extent are the darker occult practices it portrays real?

Topics include: cults, 1960s, sexual revolution, witches coven, occult rituals, sex magic, Aleister Crowley, black magic, dreams, consciousness, confusion, psychology, fragility of human psyche, Roman Polanski, satanism

On this installment of Themes and Memes Adam and Aaron review the movie The Machine. This is yet another film about artificial intelligence development, but is unique in that it portrays transhuman technologies being developed by the military. Do independent productions tell the truth while Hollywood deceives, or is there more to the story than that?

Topics include: recurring memes, similar films, military, Ai, artificial intelligence, human enhancement technologies, converging technologies, test on veterans, government testing, cold war with China, Hugo de Garis, Ben Goertzel, confusion, intelligence tactics, cognitive dissonance, counterintelligence, public affairs, purpose of the podcast, underground facility, recruitment, ambiguous love interest, family, father, mother, daughter, brain child, plot, background check, area 6, old woman, death and rebirth, mind uploading, machine consciousness, ritual, Vincent, Ava, ethics, corruption, archetypes, character development, transhumanism, killing machine, emotion, sun rise, new day, machine brought to life, Tron Legacy, Bladerunner, music, soundtrack, good overcoming evil, overthrowing the creator, creation coming into godhood, occult, speech, synthetic telepathy, communication, movies with parallel themes released simultaneously, alchemy, demographics, muses, changing values

On this installment of Themes and Memes Adam and Aaron review the movie Transcendence. Johnny Depp stars as a Kurzweil-like Ai researcher who is assassinated only to be given second life by uploading his consciousness into a machine. What seems to be an obvious Singularity sales pitch has a bit of a twist.

Topics include: Johnny Depp, Will Caster, Ai researcher, uploading consiousness into computer, quantum computing, TED, neo-luddites, RIFT, Ray Kurzweil, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, singularity, radical, dialectic, debate, bad reviews, sci-fi, Hugo de Garis, Max Waters, name meanings, magician, Castor and Pollux, mythology, gemini, Brightwood, ash, Evelyn, life giving, sunflower, DoD, government money, independent research, transhuman project, humanitarian goals, internet, underground base, solar panels, resurrection, Jesus, nanotechnology, superhuman strength, drones, hive mind, collective, retain individuality, playing to innate fears, use of established tropes, the Borg, military, FBI, shifting allegiances, digital consciousness, nanites, rebuild and upgrade, tragedy, reversal of antagonists, moral ambiguity, incite guilt in audience, nature, Aubrey de Grey, tech hippie, garden, apocalypse, water

On this installment of Themes and Memes Adam and Aaron review the movie Her. By far the best movie reviewed on this podcast to date, Her is a film that addresses many complex issues. This film is set in the near future, but is quite obviously a commentary on our current situation, specifically the relationship between humans and their machines.

topics include: Spike Jonze, occult symbolism, alchemy, reproduction, brain child, idea made manifest, spiritual journey, sexual energies, American Beauty, disenfranchised male, virility, Spirit boat, water, ship, multilayered meaning, 7 layers, religion, saviors, messianic complex, saving yourself, converging technologies, subconscious, secret life, intimacy, surrogate sex partner, avatars, real dolls, psychology, personality types, meaning of names, Samantha, Theodore, listener, gift, god, idolatry, man in love with his own creation, technology as a crutch, honesty, introspection, art of multiplication, escapism, fantasy