The Age of Simulation

Questions, speculations & updates on the techniques and nature of media fakery
hoi.polloi
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by hoi.polloi »

In fact, look up any of the ACLU videos from the last decade, particularly ones starring "tortured Muslims" and you get some pretty fishy/boxy characters. Like Sony Playstation 3-ish.

I think I, Gestalta could be right; augmented reality is the style of the day. (web search: Augmented Reality)
lux
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by lux »

Here is another video of Mark Potok, also very odd:


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrT8z4EdTuw

This is SPLC's own video. An obvious digitally composited background, odd cuts and who is he talking to?

Mark is "one of the country’s leading experts on the world of extremism" according to this. Check out his credentials on that page.
pov603
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by pov603 »

Modeled on George Lucas, anyone?
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[url]wvuafm.ua.edu/[url]
simonshack
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by simonshack »

This Mark Potok / Tramp Kook contraption is certainly an eyebrow-raising case. :blink:

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Image GIFSoup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sU-9ZV7WsM

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http://www.radiofreesilver.com/progs/080711_ncmr_hs/
lux
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by lux »

As yet I haven't been able to find a single photo or video of Potok showing him in the physical presence of another person in the same frame at the same time.

This may be an earmark for animated sims/bots or whatever he is.

Notice also the difference in head shape in these two examples:
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Top image shows him with elongated head but in the bottom example his head is much more rounded. His hair color is also different and his shoulders are broader in the lower image as well.
sunshine05
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by sunshine05 »

Excellent analysis, guys. This is why I love it here.

I've been looking too, and lux - you're right. There are no sit down panel interviews with the guy. I also found other videos that look really odd and I was going to post some here, but I think you all have made the point clearly already.
sunshine05
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by sunshine05 »

The video of Snowden does that same fade-out as the Potok interviews. Also, there's something wrong with his eyeglasses, his right side. At some points, the eyeglass stem looks like it's digging into the side of his face, next to his eye. You can see it in the image right at the video as it's posted here.

And again, note his purplish hue, similar to Potok in many of his videos.

There also seems to be a trend with these digital cartoon androids and eyeglasses. They must use them to hide some noticeable flaw.


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yB3n9fu-rM
anonjedi2
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by anonjedi2 »

Nice analysis, sunshine05. I'm not particularly sure I follow the part about his eyeglasses, but I do think that his eyebrows look a bit painted on, do they not?
bostonterrierowner
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by bostonterrierowner »

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IMHO the perps made "Potok" look like Lew Trotsky .

2 fake revolutionists , one paid by City of London to wreak havoc in Europe another completely digitally created to wreak social havoc around racial issues in America :)

By the way "Potok" means "a stream " in Polish . A stream/potok of lies one might say ...
lux
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by lux »

bostonterrierowner wrote: By the way "Potok" means "a stream " in Polish . A stream/potok of lies one might say ...
Good catch!

I found more info on the translation here:
http://en.bab.la/dictionary/polish-english/potok

And, "Mark" comes from Marcus/Mars, the god of war:
http://www.meaning-of-names.com/english-names/mark.asp
Libero
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by Libero »

It looks like "Snowden" may have been chosen as his name with a purpose.
Fans of Joseph Heller's Catch-22 can't help but hear an echo of the novel's plot in the real-life drama playing out over the leak of information about massive U.S. government spying programs.
One of Heller's central characters was Snowden, an airman who was mortally wounded by flak on a bombing run, and who was tended to by the novel's protagonist, Capt. John Yossarian. As Yossarian patches a leg wound for Snowden, he gradually realizes that the airman has sustained devastating wounds to his torso. Peeling back Snowden's flak jacket, Yossarian recoils in horror as Snowden's intestines spill out and Snowden dies amid the gore.

The encounter radically alters Yossarian's outlook on the war and life. And the parallels with the NSA leaker go beyond the name. Indeed, Edward Snowden's figuratively spilling his guts on domestic spying in the United States could fundamentally alter the wholesale surveillance born of the war on terrorism.


http://articles.philly.com/2013-06-14/n ... eph-heller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22
RogerSmith
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Unread post by RogerSmith »

I feel like this is a relevant passage from a new article about a recent subject - an FBI fooled a drug dealer who wanted a hit. Who knows if that story is true, but what intrigues me is the explicit mention of the FBI "sending stages photos" and "fake pictures".
The agent was actually paid a $40,000 advance from an Australian bank account. He soon provided the "proof of death" Roberts wanted, first feeding Roberts an elaborate story about assassins and how the employee was "still alive but being tortured" and then later sending staged photos of the alleged torture. Roberts said he was "a little disturbed... I'm new to this kind of thing." The agent then said the employee had died of a heart problem under torture, and he sent along a fake picture of the "dead man."
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013 ... roberts/2/

Obviously, we already knew they did such things, but for it to be mentioned like this, one would think any and all should question just how simple it is to achieve such feats. They're evidently making this photo fakery software of theirs widespread among their fascist agencies.

They gave a fake story, then fake pictures, it sounds like they keep using the same scheme over again - pretty much because they are.
simonshack
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by simonshack »

*

"HSEEP" - the Homeland Security's SIMULATION machine

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http://www.c3pathways.com/hseep.php

I recently stumbled into this "HSEEP" (no, not "SHEEP", folks - it's no typo of mine :P ) governmental program which is rather indicative as to just what sort of stuff 9/11 enabled and set off. To be sure, Wickedpedia tells us that HSEEP was launched in 2002:
"HSEEP The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides a set of guiding principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. In 2002, the National Strategy for Homeland Security motivated Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD) 5, 7, and 8 providing the national initiatives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSEEP
So HSEEP was started in 2002 - and it is all about simulation / simulating national disasters - i.e. staging drills: Here's FEMA's graphic meant to illustrate the 'strategy' of these so-called "preparedness exercices" purportedly to keep all of us hapless citizens safe in times of terror / disasters / and deadly virus epidemics...

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And here are a few excerpts from this exhaustive Homeland Security "HSEEP" pdf document :
"A progressive exercise program is a series of exercises tied to a set of common program priorities. Each exercise builds on previous exercises using more sophisticated simulation techniques or requiring morepreparation time, personnel, and planning."

"Simulation is a method of implementing the performance of a model, or combination of models, over time. Modeling and simulation supports decision - making processes by providing human and/or computer feedback to players during exercise play, thus dynamically representing the impact of their decisions. For example, human-based simulation during exercises is often manifested through the SimCell, which represents nonparticipating entities."

"An example of a computer-based simulation could include wind damage and storm surge forecasting models developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which enable simulation of a hurricane’s effects on coastal communities. Modeling and simulation can also be applied in situations where reality cannot be achieved. For example, for safety reasons a bioterrorism exercise cannot be conducted by releasing a deadly virus into the environment. However, it is still important to exercise the capabilities necessary to respond to this type of scenario. The use of modeling and simulation can realistically replicate variables such as disease propagation, radiation, and chemical attacks."

"Exercise program managers should also consider other resources that can support exercises.
Such resources can include:
• Information technology (e.g., modeling and simulation capabilities)
• Exercise tools and resources (e.g., document templates)
• Materials from previous exercises
• Training courses
• Mutual aid agreements, memoranda of understanding, and memoranda of agreement
• Technical assistance
• Equipment or props (e.g., smoke machines) " ( :mellow: )
Forgive me - but I can't help but feeling that this "HSEEP" acronym is some sort of 'insider-joke', considering that so many of these "drills" staged around the USA have turned out to be mere 'smoke-and-mirror' operations to sell fake terror events to millions of TV-addicted SHEEP.
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KingMinusHead
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by KingMinusHead »

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

I haven't watched any of The Fast and the Furious movies (nor will I ever), but I was aware that the actor Paul Walker apparently died (complete with the obligatory mass-outpouring of public sadness over the deceased actor) prior to completing FATF7 (yes, they've made seven of them. SEVEN.). However, it seems that he was able to be digitally inserted into the latest installment of the film as a CGI sim; apparently his brothers Cody and Caleb (who have similar builds) acted as 'body doubles', and that Paul Walker's face was digitised in on top, allowing them to complete the film with his 'likeness' in it.
(Source: http://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment ... 31767.html

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(Source: https://fstoppers.com/bts/how-furious-7 ... enes-66822)

The following video from CNN explains how actors' faces can be digitised and then animated in a sim-form (although I believe they did not actually use this process with Paul Walker, but rather used previously existing footage (visual/audio) to build up a digital composite for his simulated face).


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edG0TF7xpiQ

Obviously, this is nothing new to the forum, but I thought it would be interesting to add it to the 'resource archives' of digital simulation technology as we keep abreast of 'what is possible'. I might add that I find it amusing to consider that such techniques are widely known to be used in modern films and TV shows (just watch House of Cards - I guarantee a significant number of shots are blue/green screen work with digitally inserted 'presidential backgrounds', to say nothing of Game of Thrones!) - and indeed, has actually been used as a promotional 'selling point' for FATF7 as a way of 'honouring Paul Walker' - but that so few are able to conceive that the very same techniques might be available and used to sell fantasy as 'reality' in our everyday media.
KingMinusHead
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Re: The Age of Simulation

Unread post by KingMinusHead »

Keeping in mind the possibility that Edward Snowden is a digitally simulated character of some kind (where the technology to achieve this easily both exists and is readily available), I would like make some casual observations:


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yB3n9fu-rM

Using the same video as previously posted in this thread (which people will already be familiar with and shows some peculiarities with his appearance and movements), I'd like suggest a possible similarity in characteristics with one Noam Chomsky. Chomsky has a fairly idiosyncratic way of speaking and expressing himself; his phrasing and intonation, as well as his construction of ideas and sentences. I've noticed that Snowden appears to share some of these (particularly the phrasing/pacing, use of pauses, and general way his ideas are verbally expressed), making him come off like he's a strong intellectual giving a lecture every time he speaks, and not a terribly 'real' character. (After all, what are the chances that an incredibly eloquent, highly intellectual man decides to work for the NSA, only to leak thousands of documents, and then lecture on the social concerns of said programs in the manner of a tenured professor, despite being in complete exile?). Now, this is complete speculation; but I am quite confident there would be computer programs which could analyse a person's speech patterns across a number of variables and be used as a 'template' for generating the 'language' and 'demeanor' for a simulated model (after all, there are computer programs which can 'model' the characteristics of tube guitar amplifiers and other musical equipment, and recreate them digitally, surely there is technology which can be applied to any number of different things, including human speech). Again, this is simply speculation, but I think it's an interesting thought to entertain in the context of the possible Snowden sim.

Here is a video of Chomsky for comparison:

full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdD9uSrNFT4

I was interested to note, then, the recent interview between Snowden and comedian John Oliver. In this interview, Oliver invites Snowden to talk about the NSA and spying etc. in terms of 'whether or not the US government can collect pictures of the general public's penises' (amusingly titles the 'dick-pix-program'). Snowden seems initially put off or confused by this but soon comes to 'join in the hilarity' by actively invoking the 'protection of people's junk' as a way of explaining the looming risks of the NSA, PRISM etc. Indeed, he is depicted as being 'very human', sharing many a joke with Oliver, as well as showing a kind of 'charming bashfulness' about him that is rather endearing. I won't lie, I actually laughed out loud quite a few times throughout the interview and quite enjoyed it, even coming to 'like' the Snowden character more, so you might say it 'worked' on me to some degree, even though I can 'suspend disbelief' with the idea that he may in fact be a sim of sorts.


full link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grl5_fn7aIM

I'm not sure why the video has a strange vignette filter running on it, however it is the only full length one available on YouTube at this time. Again, there are some visual pecurliarities with Snowden here (jagged movement, superimposed feel etc.), but it is made a little harder with the filter.

Perhaps the next point makes itself; however, at risk of being Captain Obvious, one might speculate that such a video could have been purposely designed to 'humanise' a previously rather one-dimensional and unlikely simulated Snowden character. I'd be interested to see what people make of this and if anyone has anything further to add.
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