Saturday, November 07, 2009

Derren Brown - The Heist (Full Documentary)

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The System, a Channel 4 special in which Brown shared his "100 per cent guaranteed" method for winning on the horses, was first shown on 1 February 2008.

The show was based around the idea that a system could be developed to "guarantee a winner" of horse races. Cameras followed an ordinary member of the public, Khadisha, as Brown anonymously sent her correct predictions of five races in a row, before encouraging her to place as much money as she could on the sixth race.

To demonstrate the system to the viewer, Brown tossed a coin showing ten heads in a row to prove it was not impossible, just highly improbable.

After Brown had placed a bet of £4,000 of Khadisha's money on a horse in the final race, he explained that The System did not really exist. He had started by contacting 7,776 people and split them into six groups, giving each group a different horse. As each race had taken place 5⁄6 of the people had lost and were dropped from the system. Far from Brown knowing which horse would win, he had a different person backing each horse in each race, and it was simple logic that meant that one individual, who happened to be Khadisha, won five times in a row. This was similar to the coin flipping earlier: rather than having a predictive technique, Brown had simply tossed a coin repeatedly until ten heads had come up in a row, taking over nine hours to produce the required film. Brown expressed the opinion that the principle behind The System (essentially confirmation bias) is what is behind belief in spiritualism or homeopathic and alternative medicine.

After the selected horse in the final race lost, and Khadisha was convinced that she had lost all her borrowed money, Brown told Khadisha to look again at the betting slip in her hand. The ticket showed the winning horse's name, meaning Khadisha kept her stake and received winnings of £13,000. Brown claimed that he had decided to bet for a different horse when he got to the booth.

Scams & Swindles: Phishing, Spoofing, ID Theft, Nigerian Advance Schemes Investment Frauds

Crimes of Persuasion: Schemes, scams, frauds

How to Become a Professional Con Artist

Players: Con Men, Hustlers, Gamblers, and Scam Artists

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Friday, November 06, 2009

Sarah Silverman - Jesus Is Special

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Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is a Jewish American comedienne, writer, actress, singer, and musician. Although usually credited as Sarah Silverman, she is sometimes credited by her nickname, Big S. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion.

She often performs her act as a caricature of a Jewish-American princess, mocking bigotry and stereotypes of ethnic groups and religious denominations, by having her comic character endorsing them in an ironic fashion.

The Comic Toolbox: How to Be Funny Even If You're Not

The Art of Comedy: Getting Serious About Being Funny

Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy

Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy

Link of the day - I will pay you $25, if you come up with a cool domain name for me.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac - BBC Documentary

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Eathing, Third Edition - PBS Documentary

Monday, November 02, 2009

Salvation

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This documentary portrays the front-line street workers who serve the needy under the umbrella of the Salvation Army. One of the world's largest social agencies, the Army is a religious institution that serves the practical needs of people first, believing that religion is of no use to anyone who is hungry, homeless and hopeless.
Join filmmaker Rosemary House as she peers into the hearts and minds of people on both sides of the street – those who help, and those who need help. Shot in the streets of Toronto at Christmastime, the film chronicles the small hopes and tiny victories of life lived below the poverty line and the daily rewards for those who work to serve others.

Red-Hot and Righteous: The Urban Religion of The Salvation Army

My 30 Days Under the Overpass: Not Your Ordinary Devotional


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