John McAfee

Until quite recently, I cannot claim to have known very much at all of the computer programmer and software developer John McAfee. In fact, the extent of my knowledge was my association of his surname to the antivirus software he designed and named - I view it every time I power up my laptop.

I was actually fortunate enough to have been informed of McAfee's infamy by a friend almost immediately before the most recent turn of events in this strange and bizarre saga - he'd even had the foresight to predict that the story was "about to get much much more interesting over the next few days."

Although perhaps now subscribing to an outdated stereotype, it's probably still true to say of most people (myself included) that they would presume the designer of a successful anti-virus software to be an archetypical computer nerd; technologically obsessive, introverted, socially-awkward, often pale, bespectacled, and unfashionably hair-styled and dressed. 

With the shattering of your preconceptions imminent, let me introduce you to the strange man that is John McAfee. 
 

McAfee (this is a genuine photograph)

Now aged 67, he has exhibited increasingly erratic and unhinged behaviour for what I can only imagine is for most of his life, though it's in the last year or so that things have become particularly interesting.

In May of this year he was arrested by police at his riverside compound in Belize, and the subsequent press release revealed that his detainment was due to illegal drug manufacturing and the possesion of unlicensed firearms. This ocurred, reportedly, in the presence of his 17-year-old Belizean girlfriend. 

The police found $20,000 in cash, a laboratory teeming with chemistry equipment, seven pump-action shotguns, one single-action shotgun, two 9mm pistols, 270 shotgun cartridges, 30 9mm pistol rounds, and twenty .38 calibre rounds. As to quite why this would be considered necessary possessions is unknown, but it would transpire that the equipment and firearms were legal. A police spokesman would go on to say: "He was suspected (of making crystal meth) but he was not convicted nor was he charged. He was only suspected."

Over the subsequent months McAfee would display evermore deranged behaviour, and begun fortifying his jungle compound until it resembled a small security base, complete with heavily armed guards on constant patrol, while associating with known criminals and gangsters. He also wrote on the internet at great length his attempts to extract and purify extremely powerful psychoactive drugs (colloquially known as "bath salts") from commercially available chemical compounds. He described the effects of the potent base-form of the drug: "I had visual and auditory hallucinations and the worst paranoia of my life." 

He would go on to write that it's "the finest drug ever conceived, not just for the indescribable hypersexuality, but also for the smooth euphoria and mild comedown." In a rather unforgettable turn of phrase, he would detail the administrative procedure for the drug, via rectal insertion, known informally as 'plugging':

"Measure your dose, apply a small amount of saliva to just the tip of your middle finger, press it against the dose, insert. Doesn't really hurt as much as it sounds. We're in an arena (drugs/libido) that I navigate as well as anyone on the planet here. If you take my advice about this (may sound gross to some of you perhaps), you will be well rewarded."

His rapid estrangement from the local community and those who know him may well be explained by the psychosis-inducing drug he's extensively administering  - also apparently unaware of the extent of his overdosing on the powerful chemicals. At any rate, journalists who recently spent time with McAfee reported increasing unease and discomfort in his company as his mental state has declined.

Last Sunday, a neighbour to one of McAfee's beachfront properties, U.S. businessman Gregory Faull, was found dead at his home. He had been killed by a single bullet to the head. McAfee and Faull's arguments and disputes were well known, and Belizean police have confirmed that McAfee is "a person of interest" in their line of enquiry investigating Faull's murder.

McAfee has disappeared, in hiding somewhere in Belize. Although admitting that Faull was "an annoyance", he is vehemently denying responsibility for or involvement in the killing. Despite not actually being an official suspect, he maintains that he is the victim of a conspiracy against him by the authorities, and is moving constantly to avoid detection. The Prime Minister of Belize, Dean Barrow, said: "I don't want to be unkind, but he seems to be extremely paranoid, I would go as far as to say bonkers."

Where events will next lead is anyone's guess, although I think it's fair to say that we certainly haven't heard the last of McAfee.

Stanley Kubrick

Kubrick was truly the master of his craft, and indisputably one of the greatest film directors of all time. His cinematic achievements remain unsurpassed, and many argue that he may well be the greatest director, living or dead.

His films were innovative in every sense of the word.  His cinematography was revolutionary, while his artistry was incomparable. His technical directorial skill was preeminent, and his cinematic conception was extraordinary. To this day his films remain without cinematic challenge.

For any single man to have directed such breathtaking works of film such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange, and Barry Lyndon (among others) is incomprehensibly brilliant.

This stunning tribute by fellow film-fan Joel Walden is the most distinguished online homage to Kubrick (or any other director, for that matter) I have seen, and each viewing I indulge in is a pleasure. 

From Bad to Worse for the BBC

Just as it appeared that the eye of the storm may have passed for the still-beleaguered BBC, desperately attempting to explain away serious allegations of negligence at best and outright complicity at worst surrounding the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse case, it has found itself directly implicated in another (also not undeserved) scandal - and one of even greater danger to the corporation as we know it. 

The two events, although technically separate, are almost farcically inter-related. Only a few days ago, seemingly anyone would surely have agreed that the worst was over for the numb and shocked BBC. It had just about endured, more than a little nervously, the damning criticisms and attacks from all sides over its mismanagement and failings. 

Allegations of the "systemic failures" among countless others had shaken the corporation to its core, but it had at least clung to (albeit weakened) vestiges of strength and defense against relentless assaults from other media and the government.

The BBC must have breathed a collective sigh of relieve, then, as as the onslaught began to recede and it became apparent that the scandal, although seriously damaging, was survivable. How little they could have known as to the the extent of the events that were soon to follow. 

Apparently desperate to display fortitude and integrity after the blatant and contemptible culture of silence that prevailed during Savile's years of widely-known abuse at the corporation, and the decades since - particularly the disastrous attempted censorship of the Newsnight investigation into Savile's repulsive crimes - on November 2nd Newsnight decided to run a separate programme on the abuse of children at a care home in North Wales. 

More specifically, it included a witness who stated that he was sexually abused on several occasions by a prominent Thatcher-era Conservative MP during his time at the care home.

Although the programme did not identify the apparent abuser, internet speculation revealed him as former treasury minister Lord McAlpine. He issued an understandably vehement denial, and all allegations were quickly disproved as utterly false. 

The Newsnight witness, Steve Messham, apologised for the case of mistaken identity, and the BBC issued an unreserved apology. Astonishingly, it emerged that Messham provoked a 1994 libel trial after falsely claiming that he had been abused by a senior police officer. His claims were easily dismissed, but cost publishers of his allegations £375,000 in damages and £1,000,000 in costs. 

Messham's form even improves. During the Waterhouse public enquiry into cases of sexual abuse in North Wales, he leapt from the witness box, physically attacked a lawyer, and screamed obscenities at the barrister. Sir Ronald Waterhouse concluded that although he most likely had suffered abuse, he was 'an unreliable witness'. Unsurprisingly, the Crown Prosecution Service reached the same conclusion. Messham's own lawyer admitted that he was 'disturbed' and conceded that some of his allegations may be fabricated.

Even if Messham had not been Newsnight's only witness, utterly basic research would have led the team to realise immediately that he unsuitable - let alone investigate the plausibility of his claims. 

George Entwistle, Director-General of the BBC, resigned following the furore. Serving only 54 days in the role, he is the shortest serving Director-General in the history of the BBC. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "We made a film that relied upon a witness who yesterday came out and said he had made a mistaken identification. That identification was wrong. We should not have put out a film that was so fundamentally wrong. What happened here is completely unacceptable."

The Chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, lambasted the "shoddy journalism," while David Cameron described the corporation's situation as "very difficult, very serious." 

What makes the events so ridiculous and offensive is their utterly inept nature. Both mistakes are so elementary and basic, and yet both of opposite intentions - the Savile scandal was one of disgusting secrecy and censorship, while 'Messhamgate' was absurdly over-eager ambitiousness and thoughtlessness. 

Lord Patten told BBC News: "If you're saying, 'Does the BBC need a thorough structural radical overhaul?', then absolutely it does, and that is what we will have to do. The basis for the BBC's position in this country is the trust that people have in it. If the BBC loses that, it's over."

The BBC's newly appointed Director-General, Tim Davie, said: "If the public are going to get journalism they trust from the BBC I have to be, as director general, very clear on who is running the news operation and ensuring that journalism we put out passes muster.

  "The first decision I have made is to get a grip of that, take action and build trust by putting a clear line of command in."

About time, too. 

Skyfall - review

Arriving back from my nearest screening of Skyfall (the release of which is now the UK's highest grossing Bond weekend ever and surely in contention to break other box office records), my verdict can only be that it's a decidedly impressive (and entertaining) feat of filmmaking. 

Casino Royale (2006) had done a reasonable job of introducing a crueler, complex and more troubled Bond - played superbly by Daniel Craig (I've long been of the opinion that he's by far and away the best actor to inhabit the role) in a decent and solidly made film. It's successor, Quantum of Solace (2008) was mediocre at best and terrible at worst. Inconsistent, poorly written and with a hopelessly muddled narrative, even Craig's exemplary performance was not enough to redeem it. The James Bond of the 21st century was ineffective and unsure of its place or purpose, unsuccessfully attempting to convene traditional expectations with contemporary adjustments. 

When the rumours and speculation surrounding Skyfall's initial development were confirmed, the crew was definitely quite unlike any other previous installment - with a particularly intriguing power-trio at the helm. Sam Mendes is a brilliant director known for previous films including American Beauty (1999), Road To Perdition (2002) and Revolutionary Road (2008). Each film is of a unique construction and different artistic ambition, but all are elegant, beautiful and finely crafted. Thomas Newman is one of the most talented film composers alive, as is Roger Deakins for his incredible cinematography. Both are two of the most wrongfully underrated contributors to their arts - having been nominated for ten and nine Academy Awards respectively, with no wins between them. 

Skyfall is uncompromisingly intelligent, modern, and serious - yet the film is also a sentimental appreciation of (and homage to) 50 years of James Bond's cinematic legacy. The discerning screenplay contains many (often glib) references to Craig's predecessors, and even the structure itself is a tribute to the forefathers of this screen icon. 

Mendes exploits his actors perfectly; Craig is allowed unprecedented potential to develop and explore his character's disturbed and troubled nature (which he does superbly) whilst retaining the legendary reserved detachment and dangerous aloofness. Bond is unfit, literally and figuratively - aged and embittered, struggling to come to terms with the world as it has changed around him. Mendes himself described him as suffering from a "combination of lassitude, boredom, depression [and] difficulty with what he's chosen to do for a living."

Javier Bardem plays the most memorable and sinister Bond villain in recent memory; a crazed and sadistic bouffant-blonde intent on destruction and sabotage, a once brilliant MI6 agent turned mastermind cyberterrorist. Genuinely disconcerting, Bardem subtly proportions deranged madness with eerie lucidity. 

Judi Dench's iconic M is finally given the detail and attention she has long deserved, and adopts a central role in the film - with her relationship with Bond particularly examined, while the supporting cast featuring especially excellent performances from Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Wishaw as the reinvented Q. 

Bardem as Raoul Silva

The film's stunt choreography is also brilliant, and in the true tradition of the series particular attention is paid to the opening sequence; a dizzying, spinning chase through the streets of Istanbul. Craig's insistence on performing his own stunts wherever possible is admirable, and Mendes' vehement dislike of CGI aids the believability and realism of the scenes.

Newman and Deakins are also each sublime and performing to the height of their talent. Newman's score is threatening, pulsating, and rhythmic - an excellent fusion of electronic elements alongside the conventional classical instrumentation. The cinematography is characteristically brilliant of Deakins, and it is surely the best shot Bond film.

Ultimately, the film is so successful because of its near-perfect unison of classic Bond with Mendes' own interpretation. He has created James Bond for the 21st century; contemporary without cliche, nostalgic without over-sentimentalism - a layered, complex, intruiging film - yet supremely enjoyable and accessible. 

Finally, Justice for Gary McKinnon

A few days ago, British Home Secretary Theresa May finally withdrew Gary McKinnon's extradition order to the United States. He had been accused of hacking into highly-classified American military and NASA computer systems, between 2001 and 2002.

May's decision is long overdue. McKinnon did not sabotage or damage the American computer systems, nor was he engaged in any realistic reconnaissance or criminal espionage. He was, in fact, searching for evidence of UFOs and the free energy suppression conspiracy theory.

His actions were not malicious, and he even wrote cyber-notes warning the computer systems of their own inadequate security. As if the American appeal for extradition was not already questionable, McKinnon has a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, and his condition is compounded by clinical depression.

To extradite someone suffering from a recognised cognitive deficit with a likely risk of suicide or self-harm is immoral regardless of the law, particularly so in context to McKinnon's innocuous intentions and meager crimes.

It is surely the woefully lax security of the computer systems that should be scrutinised, and the U.S. government's blatant desire to make an example of McKinnon rather than acknowledge their own failures should be condemned.

In any case, there is no recognised legal basis for the extradition of a British citizen to the U.S. for  alleged crimes committed in Britain itself, not America, particularly concerning cyber-crimes. This is another damning indictment of the absurdities and hypocrisies of the extradition policies between Britain and America.

Thankfully, Theresa May's verdict was a pleasing victory for reason and compassion.

McKinnon in 2009

Felix Baumgartner

At precisely 12:08 local time high in the atmosphere above New Mexico, USA, a full 24 miles (128,000ft) above the Earth's surface, Austrian skydiver, base-jumper and daredevil extraordinaire Felix Baumgartner threw himself off the ledge of a capsule lifted to the edge of space by helium-balloon, and began to fall. 

Just before the jump, balanced precariously on a small step, Baumgartner composed himself, made a short address of humility, and saluted. Any accusations of melodrama are quickly invalidated by the extraordinary ambition and unprecedented personal danger of this feat. 

Baumgartner had previously announced that during this stunt he intended to break four world records: the highest manned balloon flight, the first human to break the sound barrier without the assistance of a vehicle, the highest skydive, and the longest duration free fall. 

Although the data collected during the project is awaiting independent verification before the records are confirmed, it is understood that at maximum velocity he was traveling at a speed of 834.4mph, and indisputably broke the sound barrier. His maximum altitude is also believed to be at the astonishing height of 24.261 miles.

The consequences of any mistake or equipment failure would have been catastrophic, and even the effects of breaking the sound barrier on the human body were uncertain. Baumgartner's own team identified 16 major risks that required particular attention if the mission was to succeed. They included: ultraviolet radiation, wind shear, landing impact, extreme temperatures, oxygen starvation, decompression sickness, entering an uncontrollable spin during the descent, "shock-shock interaction" (the effect of shock waves colliding in the air while passing through the sound barrier), and even fire aboard the capsule. The two greatest dangers, however, were a "breach" in Baumgartner's pressurised suit, and the accidental deployment of his parachute. 

Red Bull are undoubtedly the only company who would sponsor such a project, and although organisations such as NASA requested to be informed of all scientific data gathered, there was no question as to any actual involvement or association with something so dangerous.

Indeed, Red Bull's calculated risk of sponsorship is reported to be worth up to £100m to the brand. In fact, it has already been suggested that it may be the most successful marketing campaign of all all time - and was watched live in partnership with YouTube by a record 8 million online viewers. 

Some have lambasted the event as nothing more than a mere stunt, and not a true triumph of human endeavour or inspirational success despite all risks. I'm so far undecided, but you can watch the extraordinary footage and decide for yourself. 

Killing Them Softly - review

Settling myself into the movie theatre seat at a screening of Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, my expectations of the latest work by this distinguished New Zealand-born filmmaker were exceedingly high. He has the rare distinction of being one of the few contemporary young directors whose efforts have been continuously received with near-unanimous critical acclaim. His directorial debut, Chopper (2000), was serious, visceral, disturbing, and brilliant. Dominik's next film, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), is a masterpiece. One of the greatest works of American 21st century cinema so far, it is visually exquisite, beautifully written, and extraordinarily well acted. An already incredible achievement, it is even more astonishing when it's reiterated that this was only Dominik's second directorial endeavor. So, then, when it was announced that his next film was to be a black comedy crime film depicting a misguided and ill-advised heist inside the brutal American Mafia and its violent consequences? Excitement and eager anticipation was only logical. 

The economic recession of 2008 and harsh financial climate serves as the catalyst for the events of the film, the sequence of which begins with two impoverished degenerates.

Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) and Frankie (Scoot McNairy) are a pair of lowlifes and petty criminals, more desperate than ever to make a quick buck. Although initially unwilling, they are coaxed into robbing a Mob-protected poker game, persuaded by the allure of a quick job and easy cash - but when they do, the repercussions are deadly. Brad Pitt's character, Jackie Cogan, is the film's antihero - a mysterious and dangerous professional enforcer enlisted by the equally clandestine figure (played by the ever-befitting Richard Jenkins) known only as "the Driver" to identify and execute the culprits behind the heist. 

The moral ambiguity of the ruthless criminal underworld causes the characters to be neither protagonists or antagonists, which is intelligently and pessimistically juxtaposed with the 2008 global financial crisis and United States presidential election of that year. As Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson) in Martin Scorsese's The Departed (2006) concluded: "When you decide to be something, you can be it. That's what they don't tell you in the church. When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?"

Russell (Mendelsohn) and Frankie (McNairy)

In these latter years of his career, Pitt is establishing himself as a truly great actor - exceptionally talented, serious, intelligent, and with a discerning choice in roles. The antithesis of, say, the now dismal Johnny Depp. Pitt's performance is brilliant, and is principal to the film's effectiveness. Supremely compelling, Pitt's Cogan is relaxed yet tense, talkative yet introverted, brutal yet gentle (he can only "kill them softly," hence the title), conflicted, and only just concealing a silent, smoldering fury.

The other performances are similarly accomplished. McNairy and Mendelsohn are superb as the woefully amateur, condemned duo. Ray Liotta, Sam Shepard, Vincent Curatola, and a particularly great turn from James Gandolfini, among others, completes this fantastic cast. 

The film's premise is admirably simple but is created with impressive complexity, and it's for that reason that I don't want to reveal any further spoilers. However, it is not the truly great classic that some have declared it to be. It is excellently directed, perfectly acted, assertively written, and impressively filmed. Nevertheless, it's certainly not perfect. The political commentary is commendable in intention, but eventually becomes over-emphasised until clichéd, and is vulnerable to misinterpretation as an opportunistic post-production re-edit. The screenplay is also not effortless, and at times the black comedy is misplaced and ineffective, inconsistently written against other moments of macabre seriousness. 

Be that as it may, I only subject Dominik to such scrutiny and criticism because of his considerable talent and incredible potential - and while it may not be his best film, it's still exceptionally good.