Zeitgeist Movement related posts

By now nearly everyone will be aware of the website Wikileaks. In recent days they started releasing US diplomatic cables (messages). Unfortunately in doing so there has been a number of attacks on the website and it’s hosting. As such there was a call put out for anyone with a web server to start hosting a mirror of the wikileaks website.

I have responded with http://wikileaks.zeitgeist-info.com/

So far there are over 720 mirrors, with more being added all the time. If you are technically inclined and would like to help, the site is currently less than 20MB in size and is only plain HTML, so you only need Apache (or maybe nginx) and not advanced things like  PHP and MySQL, etc..

Please Note : Mirroring the wikileaks website is a personal action taken by the zeitgeist-info.com webmaster, and is not representative of the Zeitgeist Movement’s stance on Wikileaks.

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Mars Project Video

The Mars Project videos show a time traveller from current time going back 10,000 years and talking to a hunter-gatherer and explaining the concept of agriculture and industrialised society. The point is to open up peoples mind to the possibilities of a whole new civilisational paradigm, such as that of the Resource Based Economy.

Note : The first one doesn’t make much sense, you need to watch all three videos (like the playlist embed above).

Part 1 — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5HNXNXUzz8

Part 2 — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktmCjYoZkfg

Part 3 — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUhLsGMmopo

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http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

Dan Pink gives one of the most Zeitgeist Movement relevant TED talks on the science of Intrinsic versus Extrinsic motivation.

This MUST WATCH 18min video explains the core reason for a Resource Based Economy. Intrinsic Motivation.

Dan Pink : The Science of Intrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation is the Reward and Punishment (also called carrot and stick) approach to getting people to do things. The best example is Money. Work harder and you get paid harder, screw up and you loose more, or even worse, the police get sent around.

The monetary systems use of Extrinsic motivation is only good for basic, mechanical tasks. i.e those that are easily automated.

Extrinsic motivation can :

• Diminish performance
• Crush creativity
• Encourage cheating, shortcuts and unethical behaviour
• Foster short-term thinking.
• Become Addictive
• Extinguish Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic Motivation is a renewable source of productivity which promotes creativity,  engagement and quite often collaboration. Companies like Google, and open source communities like Linux, and Wikipedia are powered by intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation requires three main points :

Autonomy -The ability to choose what you are working on, where, when, how and with whom (you rarely get all those choices, but at least a couple of them).

Mastery -Doing tasks that can get you into a state of Flow. The task level is perfect, not too hard or two easy, but a notch or two beyond your current abilities.

Purpose – Doing your work for a good reason. Hint; money alone isn’t a good reason, if your doing your current job purely for money and would quit if you won the lottery then you have no Intrinsic motivation.

Resource Based Economy

Dan Pink talks about Intrinsic motivation working best when the concept of money is off the table. When people are paid enough that they can have the main things in life they need (e.g food, water, shelter, electricity, and the ability to share that with someone they love), then you allow Intrinsic motivation to shine.

By promoting a world of sustainable, renewable and abundant energy and resources, based on collaboration, open access to knowledge and automation of repetitive tasks, all using the scientific method to select the best possible options, then you end up with a world which shines with intrinsic motivation and no longer has a need for money. That’s when you have a Resource Based Economy.

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Song Analysis

Song : Billionaire

Singer : Bruno Mars and Travis McCoy

Writer : Travis McCoy

Record Label :

Music Clip

Lyrics

[Bruno Mars]
I wanna be a billionaire so fricking bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen
[Chorus]
Oh every time I close my eyes
I see my name in shining lights
A different city every night oh
I swear the world better prepare
For when I’m a billionaire
[Travis “Travie” McCoy]
Yeah I would have a show like Oprah
I would be the host of, everyday Christmas
Give Travie a wish list
I’d probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt
And adopt a bunch of babies that ain’t never had sh-t
Give away a few Mercedes like here lady have this
And last but not least grant somebody their last wish
Its been a couple months since I’ve single so
You can call me Travie Claus minus the Ho Ho
Get it, hehe, I’d probably visit where Katrina hit
And damn sure do a lot more than FEMA did
Yeah can’t forget about me stupid
Everywhere I go Imma have my own theme music
[Chorus]
Oh every time I close my eyesI see my name in shining lights
A different city every night ohI swear the world better prepare
For when I’m a billionaire
Oh oooh oh oooh for when I’m a Billionaire
Oh oooh oh oooh for when I’m a Billionaire

[Travis “Travie” McCoy]
I’ll be playing basketball with the President
Dunking on his delegates
Then I’ll compliment him on his political etiquette
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
But keep the fives, twentys (?) completely separate
And yeah I’ll be in a whole new tax bracket
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
I’ll probably take whatevers left and just split it up
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
Eating good sleeping soundly
I know we all have a similar dream
Go in your pocket pull out your wallet
And put it in the air and sing

[Bruno Mars]
I wanna be a billionaire so fricking bad
Buy all of the things I never had
Uh, I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen

[Chorus]
I wanna be a billionaire so frickin bad!
Travie Mccoy Billionaire lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com.com/travie-mccoy-billionaire-lyrics.html

Analysis

The lyrics above are great if you are a monetary driven capitalist. However not all goals are the same. As Dan Pink talks about in his book “Drive : The Surprising Science of Motivation“, there are two main types of goals. Learning goals and achievement goals. Wanting to learn about Macro Economics is different from wanting to get an A in your Macro Economics class.

Our current Consumerist culture has driven us towards loving Stuff and Money.

Alternative Lyrics

Resources and References

http://www.directlyrics.com.com/travie-mccoy-billionaire-lyrics.html — Lyrics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_McCoy –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billionaire_(song) –

http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/26/billionaires-wealth-europe-biz-billies-cx_af_0826eurofembillies.html — Some actual Billionaires.

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