PodCast

How stuff works- Episode 46
How Delta Force works.
Time: 20:05
Website: howstuffworks.com
Description:With the world's best weaponry, a shadowy legal status, and almost no oversight, Delta Force is the stuff of military legend. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn why Delta Force was created, and how this group works.

Why I picked this?

Well. Apart from having to do this uninteresting piece of homework, I'd say it's because it was a highly rated show, interesting discussions over interesting topics and, uh, Delta Force.(And the minimum time requirement kthx) Yes, super military anti-terrorist groups that leave you in total awe at their accomplishments and little 12 year old kids screaming their lungs out of their sheer awesomeness "COOL!" while those super-human Rambo freaks slit their enemies throats and destroy armies of millions, bare handed. That is the impression they leave.
Oh yea, Chuck Norris started in a Delta Force movie. Still not convinced? No?

It was quite interesting to know that this counter-terrorist group is one of the most flexible and lenient groups in the US army branches. They look like normal civilians, with the exception that they are super-human Rambo freaks that slit their enemies throats and destroy armies of millions, bare handed. They wear casual clothes. And the hosts were basically nerdy fans of them so it was oddly entertaining to hear them talk.

They also discussed previous missions they have failed or accomplished, including the "1984" hijack and the 2-clip method. 4 terrorists dead, 8 shots fired in 4 heads, 2 for each head with 100% accuracy. No casualties, no injured hostages. 100% efficient. How awesome is that? Those are some really insane people that are eager to kill with style. They recruit only and only the best. Maybe I should join too. Don't you think too Mr. White? (Yes, I am expecting an answer. Leave a comment)

Anyhow, my initial expectations of this podcast were proven false. It was quite interesting and I am planning to listen to their other 70 podcast, especially the one that's called "Is there a worse way to die?". Excuse me while I do. Have a good holiday, and take care!

Giorkos "Jack" Pfeifer.

Finally, I get transferred from that shithole to the general psychiatric ward. Doctors said I’m too much too handle. Said I’m not insane, but possessed. Maybe it’s true. But I won’t let them get inside my head. I know what I see, and I know it’s part of me. Jack knows too. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably lose my mind.
Isn’t that Right Jack?
Damn straight son.


1st day. Hofstra Hospital.

First time I try to draw him. Good picture in my opinion. Deserves full marks. But whatever happened to that English teacher? What was his name? Tim? Troy? Last time I wrote the perfect essay he would still mark is as a 18-19 out of 20. MY PERFECT ESSAY. I remember. Jack appeared that day. His eyes. His mouth. All dripping blood. Jack killed him. He destroyed his face. He bit pieces of his head and spat them. Forced his fingers in his eyes. And gnawed on the optic nerve. He ate him. In front of the other pathetic simpletons. I could remember their faces. The intimidation of the emperor. Absolutely disturbing. I could taste the blood. It’s like we have a spiritual bond or something.
Isn’t that right Jack?
Damn straight son.

Hmphf. Whats up with that wuss doctor that keeps looking at me. Terrified. Like I’ve entered inside his psyche and consumed it. Other patients won’t come near me. But I’ll behave. I don’t want to wear that stupid Christmas suit or whatever it is again. They keep injecting me with that substance. Even though sometimes the urge comes, I don’t quite wanna charge them All keeping their distances. I’ll manage. I’ve got Jack.
Even when they penetrate my skull with that needle he’s there for me. All the lobotomies. Still there. My agony is his agony. But they got the special weapon they say. Something that will fry my brain. Bring it on I say. Jack will protect me.
Isn’t that right brotha?
Damn straight son.

2nd Day. Hofstra hospital.

Hmmph. The atmosphere is different today. Something’s cooking in the kitchen. Jack’s feeling uneasy. I don’t like it. That huge security guard’s looking persistently. I guess the day has come. Amma give them a fight. Whatever it takes.
I hear the locks. They’re coming. Coming to my moisturized room with the beautifully decorated walls with mould. Heh, they’re hesitating to get in. I’m sure they brought a lot of tranquilizers. Looks like it’s a bunch of them. We’re gonna get them Jack. Together.
Ready Jack?
Damn straight son.

Here they come.

I don't... know.

Have I been gone from time? Have I dispersed from nothingness to an entity once again? Whatever happened to the shithole? Did it upgrade or something? No, it’s different. Everything’s different. Who are these people? They look familiar yet unknown. New staff? Jack? Jaack? Yep still here. Holding firm to my hand. Something wrong. I shouted “CURSE THEM, I STILL KNOW I AM HERE” but my jaw was so numb I could barely make any sense out of my voice. I feel numb. I feel devastated. A doctor walked in. With his notepad. Writing stuff. I was lying staring at the roof. I remember him. He could tell me what happen. I gained a momentary strength and stood up. I stared at him. He was petrified. I tried to speak to him with my eyes, it was useless since I could not feel my jaw. He lost his balance. Why was he afraid? I was talking to him. Before I could even stretch my hand to grab him, the security jumped in and forced me back on the bed. Together with some shots. As If it wasn’t enough that I felt half dead already.

Jack. He walked away. He just sits in the corner staring at the ground. Whats wrong with him? It’s not himself anymore. He looks… lifeless.

Jack? Everything going to be okay right?



Jack?

He simply glared at me weakly, I saw melancholy. A dark swirling void. Like we we’re apart. Then he stared at the floor again, specifically at a small stain of blood. Nostalgic.

Jack. Although we’re apart, you’re still a part of me… Don’t give up to them weaklings.
Jack?
Damn… you…

Hatred… he said. Hatred. I let him down. I am sorry. I terribly sorry. But you can’t leave me like this. I will make up for this Jack. Whatever it takes. I will die along with you.

I am dieing. Jack is dieing. My soul is crumbling.

What have they done to me?


It doesn't matter.

20,000 years. Trapped in a black hole. Waiting for a tear of light to resurrect me. Everything sucked in. All hope… such a nuisance. It doesn’t matter. It’s all calm. Tranquility. I savor the moment. The moment I have died. I am a planar entity and I am still floating around. Only my body is the wall that keeps me in. It is indestructible. My hands are made of dust. I keep hitting it and scratching it. The pain is real. Is the wall real? My nails come off. I still have my head. But it turns me into liquid sodium. The wall is indestructible. Just before I struck the final hit, I felt needles. I’m still a part of this world aren’t I? So many vague memories, so many vague feelings. I don’t feel destroyed enough to cry. But thats proof that I’m destroyed already? Rhetoric questions. I can still make them. So lost. So petty. So insignificant. The universe is incomprehensibly large. I am floating in space. Stars are fading… away.



I have lost someone important. Someone transparent. But I don’t know who. Why was he important.?
It was lost in the dust of time. Unimportant detail.


Unimportant detail.





Unimportant Detail...




Unimportant Detail…





Unimportant… Detail…

Anticipation.

Nemesis for a man.
True. You burn in desire for women. They can manipulate your insanity for them. Our need for flesh is similar to their financial needs and "compassion" which we don't really have. They are hard to comprehend fully compared to us. They can learn our behavioral habits and get into our minds. Scary stuff.

The term crazy is a concept defined by the society at large (the majority of people).
The idea of crazy, or what constitutes crazy, changes through time and from one culture to the next.
It is true that some individuals that differ on an extreme scale may be defined as crazy. The common denominator for someone to be socially accepted is having a "healthy" way of thinking along with others, and sharing the same beliefs. If their difference is unique and completely opposite he may well be characterized "crazy". Common sense is called common sense because it is abundant and shared by many, if you can reason with them
The definition definitely changes over the years. As Inteligence and preferences alter so do the viewpoints of humans, towards being more accepting.


Modern medicine doesn't truly treat mental illness, it simply repress or masks it?
It masks it. You cannot treat the root the problem, only the symptoms. The human brain is a very complicated organ that modern science cannot alter, since we cannot fully comprehend it.

Kung-Fu Panda

"Kung-Fu Panda(2008)" is another comical cartoon animation creation of Dreamworks Entertainment. I chose this movie because, despite it being a cartoon it can preach the tastes of the older audiences too. I found it fairly entertaining. Not the best cartoon animated film that came out, but still, yea, it was quite something.



In a film which Jack Black starts, it's destined for awesomeness (well not really, I hate this guy but he's kind of funny). Po(Jack Black), a clumsy fat panda has the dream to become the world's greatest Kung-Fu fighter along with the furious five: Mantis(Seth Rogen), Tigress(Angelina Jolie), Crane(David Cross), Snake(Lucy Liu) and Monkey(Jackie Chan), the nation's Kung-Fu Heroes. Master Oogway (Randall Dug Kim), the head of the Buddhist Kung-Fu monastery prophesies the return of the evil snow leopard warrior Tai Lung(Ian McShane) who was trained by Master Shifu(Dustin Hoffman) to become the greatest warrior to exist, but his own love and blindness for his apprentice he is unable to stop him from destroying their home, Valley of Peace and attaining the ultimate Dragon Scroll which would lead him to ultimate knowledge. In order to prevent the forthcoming destruction of the Valley of Peace Master Oogway organizes a festival to search for the warrior to counter Tai Lung. The thing is, despite everyone's disbelief, Master Oogway chooses Po to be the one. Po's dull ramen-serving life is about to change despite his discouraging appearance, he will discover his true power lies on nothing else than his own weakness.(His appearance)



Tai Lung, a pissed off kitty.

Another fairy-tale with a lesson of life in it(supposedly) which combines for the first time in the history actual fighting choreography, which was something refreshing in this kind of movies and offered plenty of action.
The bad thing about it, it was very predictable. Veeery predictable. I mean, come on, you know that in the end he's going to rise up no matter what... In every cartoon. But, hey you can't expect a kid's cartoon to be realistic, you gotta give those kids some optimistic(Yet unrealistic) messages. It wasn't as funny as Shrek, but it definitely had its moments.




Directed by Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Produced by Melissa Cobb
Written by Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross,Ian McShane,Jackie Chan
Music by: Hans Zimmer,John Powell
Cinematography: Yong Duk Jhun
Distributed by: DreamWorks Animation, Paramount Pictures

Translation Professionale

0.03-0:05: Look at that hippy Rambo wannabe. Not an aesthiticaly pleasing person eh?
0.16-0.22:Woah a little transsexual midget. You will have fun being my b****! Letsa run ova der
0:35-0:36: Don’t you dare penetrate me!
0:36: Come here
0:37-0:44: Why don’t ya use your overated Rambo skills and kick that vase on my knee ya disgusting hairy testicle of the chimpanzee? I am da greatest!
0:48 Little Monkey!
0:49-0.50: Last chance… Get down now.
0:50-0:52: Make me foo’!
0:54 Ready…?
0:55 Ya!
0:56 Aim for the balls.
1:04-1:06 Why? As If you didn’t throw a vase on them…
1:08: Whyyyy!?
1:10 : You can do it! Cut his f****** head off!
1:11 : Which head?!
1:14 : Look at me nose. Look at me hand. Look at me feet. You don’t wanna see under me pants.

MINOR BUN ENGINE BENNY LAVA (aka You're not the only special person around Mr. White =) )

The History Boys.

Alan Bennett

A multi-talented artist, born in Leeds, England in 1934. Worked as an actor, playwright, broadcaster and director. His brilliance was traced by Oxford University where he won a scholarship there. Alternatively he tried to study medieval history, but when he realized he loved to perform on stage he moved on to acting. In August 1960, Bennett, along with several other names, became instantly famous by appearing at the popular Edinburgh Festival in the satirical play "Beyond The Fringe".

Bennett's very first stage act Forty Years On, was first introduced in 1968. Many radio and tv plays followed, together with nouvellas, short stories and a large material of non-fictional broadcasting and actor appearances. Bennett's mourning-like yet with expressing characteristics voice and the smart humor and obvious humanitarian style of his writing made his readings of his work and his autobiography immensely popular. His creations of the famous "Winnie The Pooh" stories which became an around-the-world popular cartoon are also quite enjoyed.


His most recent play "The History Boys" has been a very succesful play and has been made into a movie. It has won many award including:

• 2004 Evening Standard Award for Best Play
• 2005 Olivier Award for Best New Play
• 2006 Drama Desk Award for Best New Play
• 2006 New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play
• 2006 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Broadway Play
• 2006 Tony Award for Best Play

In the September of 2005 he openly admitted that he had undergone treatment for cancer, with a probability of survival being less than 50%. He is a bisexual, having affairs with both women and men. Bennett lived in Camden Town, London for 31 years, and lives together with his parter for the last 14 years, Rupert Thomas.





Sources: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/504794/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003141/
and of course our favorite wikipedia.org

Above & Beyond

Above & Beyond a.k.a Oceanlab is an British Trance/Progressive band. Formed in 2000 by Jonathan "Jono" Grant,Tony McGuiness and Paavo Siljamäki. They are currently in their top form and have worked with many great vocalists, including Justine Suissa and many other great DJ producers (such as Armin Van Buuren). Their first album, Anjuna Beats Vol. 1, was the album that was forwarded by Pete Tong and Paul Van Dyke, thus boosting their popularity to what they are today.

Due to the lack of recognition from the Music awards, as they usually promote the typical Commercial junk of "Cascada" they haven't won many awards. Despite that they are currently hitting the top 10 Dj's in the world in a survey called by DJ Mag and have been there for the past 2 years. They have still many spots to rise and it is not unlikely that they will hit #1 in the following years.

Above & Beyond compose Trance & Progressive songs that appeal to the Trance community, under the "pop culture's" radars. Their songs are exclusively for Trance followers. What I love about their songs is the incredible depth that I can detect within their beats. It speaks to me with words that I cannot express verbally, a euphoric orgasm should be the word that I'm looking for. Sweet melodies with angelic vocals and of course lots of bass, an overwhelming combination for me.



I couldn't care less for a music video. "Oceanic" is a song that can provoke my imagination and alter my mood incredibly. As the theme suggests, you can easily picture the unfathomable depth of the sea and the oceanic blue in the tune. I had a hard time choosing my favorite A&B song as all of them are great , for me that is, so I came up with the first one I found when I typed "Above & Beyond" on youtube. Note that it is by no means my favorite Trance song.



PS. Trance is not for everyone.

The Military Issue

Other countries that also have conscription are Lebanon, Israel, China, Germany, and Finland. How do you see these countries' need for obligatory military service compared with that of Cyprus? What historical elements warrant certain countries an obvious need for increased military numbers?
Cyprus, despite having a conscription, it does not justify the fact that we’re in a war zone. Cyprus does not have a strong military force and the economy is not strong enough to create an army that could actually fight back the Turkish army in case of a Turkish invasion. Being a member in the EU acts as a shield to any threat and politically, Turkey would not invade Cyprus because Turkey itself is interested in joining the EU despite its expansionist policies and militaristic regimes. Cyprus is currently in peace and people nowadays view it as unnecessary as Cyprus relies heavily on foreign countries for assistance, countries like Greece, Serbia and France. Countries like Lebanon, Israel are currently into an unstable zone so having a strong reinforced army would be crucial for their citizens safety and a conscription would be deemed as absolutely necessary. Unlike Cyprus, they are in heavy pressure and they actually have a motive to train troops. - What sort of alternative service option might be equally beneficial to traditional military service?Instead of serving heavy labor service such as the army, social service could prove more useful rather than serving an unnecessary training that most of the population disapproves. -

What sort of advantages does one have to gain through military service and what does a young person stand to lose?
For the sake of realism, in the Cypriot army you gain only 1 month of good exercise and then you just actually sit, play playstation, eat souvlaki and party. To simply put it, it is a waste of time. In a normal and proper military service, you learn about discipline, you keep your body in an excellent condition, and most of all you learn how to act in times of war.

- What is a conscientious objector and under what sort of conscription circumstance could you see yourself as being a conscientious objector. Perhaps in a hypothetical scenario, what historical example of conscription could you empathize with conscientious objectors?
A conscientious objector for a conscription would be physically evading the army service. I do not need a fiction scenario to be a conscientious objector. In the Cypriot army you just remain apathetic and sit all of the time. I really don’t want to waste time. I could empathize with the Vietnamese war candidates as they fought a pointless war and died a dog’s death.

- Is the current time requirement for military service adequate? Do you find it excessive, or perhaps not long enough?
It is way too excessive. The ideal limit for me would be 4-6 months. As for why, it is stated somewhere above.