In 2009 we conducted a study of online distribution of pirated media.  The questions were: “How do they make money?”, “Why do the sites survive?”, and, “Who pays the operators?”.  The answers were strange, and changed noticeably over the course of a single year.

The pirate media distributors stream their wares out of server farms on sovereign native people’s territories in the West, and in Sweden, Ukraine, and China to the East.  Using legal loopholes, bribery, and protection from mob and government interests, the sites not only survive, they thrive and propagate.

Often it seemed there was hardly any money making involved, where it begged the question why so much time was being spent mounting the pirated materials beside the distribution of malware to steal private data.  Ad revenue visibly increased every month, however.

22% of studied pirate streams had ad placements for major corporate interests on Jan 1st, 2009.  By June major corporate placements had gone to 39.5%, and by September, 52.5%.  By Jan 1st 2010 it was 91%. It is what the slaves to cliche call a tipping point.

[Read more →]

Ciné Institute Director David Belle reports from Port-au-Prince: “I have been told that much US media coverage paints Haiti as a tinderbox ready to explode. I’m told that lead stories in major media are of looting, violence and chaos. There could be nothing further from the truth. “I have traveled the entire city daily since my arrival. The extent of damages is absolutely staggering. At every step, at every bend is one horrific tragedy after another; homes, businesses, schools and churches leveled to nothing. Inside every mountain of rubble there are people, most dead at this point. The smell is overwhelming. On every street are people – survivors — who have lost everything they have: homes, parents, children, friends. “NOT ONCE have we witnessed a single act of aggression or violence.  To the contrary, we have witnessed neighbors helping neighbors and friends helping friends and strangers.  We’ve seen neighbors digging in rubble with their bare hands to find survivors. We’ve seen traditional healers treating the injured; we’ve seen dignified ceremonies for mass burials and residents patiently waiting under boiling sun with nothing but their few remaining belongings. A crippled city of two million awaits help, medicine, food and water. Most haven’t received any. “Haiti can be proud of its survivors. Their dignity and decency in the face of this tragedy is itself staggering.” David Belle, January 17th, 2010 Go to Ciné Institute’s website for latest photos and footage coming from the students in Jacmel. cineinstitute.com

[Read more →]

ECL Editor Desk

In a choice that one can only hope he will reverse, Presidential hopeful Barak Obama chose legendary liar Joe Biden as his Vice-Presidential running mate.  In what is being hailed as a pathetic and weak move across the board, one wonders what photos of Obama Biden must have.

Are there no other elders Obama could have chosen?  Must he pick a blowhard loser who only can claim to be effective as an insider?  Is this change anyone can believe in?

Now expect a bold pick from McCain like Condi or… well, Cheney would be a bolder choice than Joeseph Biden, a man who has already brought moore than his fair share of shame upon the Democratic Party.

Obama might as well have picked Cynthia McKinney for equal calamitous effect.  The McCain camp must be opening champagne bottles by the case.  

Loose change you can believe in… Obama is now officially a bummer.

Iraq Hussain Osama and Mr. Plagiarism 2008, who could say no to that?

[Read more →]

TIBET: CUSTODIAN OF KAILASH

In the first article of this series, Tibet: Beyond Geopolitics, it is argued that the Chinese occupation of Tibet was a karmic message to a social and religious system that had grown weak and complacent. This view, while in line with Buddhist philosophy, nevertheless begs one fundamental question: why was this message driven home so harshly on the peaceful nation of Tibet, instead of on the belligerent and corrupt countries of the world? The answer lies in the complex interaction between a lofty, snow-covered Himalayan mountain, the collective karma of Tibet and the spiritual fate of the entire planet. Are we ready?

[Read more →]