Ben's Vortex

[jcook]

Someone ought to ask the Doctor who prescribed it (Finasteride) to Ben why he did so knowing Ben was depressed (or maybe the prescription in the DVD is phony/fake).

Dude, you really need to quit it. You are not an American nor do you live in the U.S. If you did/were you would understand that we are the most overly medicated country on earth. Our doctors have free roam to prescribe what they want, basically whatever the drug company reps push on them. Also people try drugs and want to be prescribed them, Xanax and Adderall are prime examples. People tell doctors what they want to take and they take these drugs to abuse them, not to be taken for any real ailment.

You need to quit doubting Jill and Robert's work digging info up on the movie too. It is just getting annoying at this point. (Wow didn't think I would be saying that, lol)

[gianaameri]

Dude, you really need to quit it. You are not an American nor do you live in the U.S. If you did/were you would understand that we are the most overly medicated country on earth. Our doctors have free roam to prescribe what they want, basically whatever the drug company reps push on them. Also people try drugs and want to be prescribed them, Xanax and Adderall are prime examples. People tell doctors what they want to take and they take these drugs to abuse them, not to be taken for any real ailment.

You need to quit doubting Jill and Robert's work digging info up on the movie too. It is just getting annoying at this point. (Wow didn't think I would be saying that, lol)

If I find inconsistencies, it raises a red flag, in the context of trying to understand a very complex and unclear situation.

It has nothing to do with being American, European, or doubting anybody's good intentions and work.

As to America, I graduated from Campus Life (McDowell Hall, 4th Floor, American U., D.C.) and worked for a U.S. Federal Agency and spoke with every Secretary of State and I am familiar with the dealings in bars and restaurants in DC (not drugs, politics, internal and international), and worked for several U.S. companies (and I am a Friend of America)... so I know the U.S., and in what you describe it is not that different from some European countries.

...but I'll stop and bail-out know from the thread given your post (praise the Lord).

[TONY CHANEY]

Tired of reading this stuff looking for some real feedback pertaining to the video. Can we please make a new thread called, I don't know, how about, "Things not pertaining to the Ben's Vortex video." This way gianaameri can post and reply to him / herself.

[FW]

Tired of reading this stuff looking for some real feedback pertaining to the video. Can we please make a new thread called, I don't know, how about, "Things not pertaining to the Ben's Vortex video." This way gianaameri can post and reply to him / herself.

The best way to keep a thread on topic is by not responding to off-topic posts. Gianaameri isn't the only one posting off topic.

[stairman]

Amazing how some can get fixated by something. Get on with life people!!!

[Squirrel Girl]

Here's a guy who was successful at having a covert life for 28 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19331209

I still find it hard to believe Ben could pull this off, but maybe.

[WEPIV]

Here's a guy who was successful at having a covert life for 28 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19331209

I still find it hard to believe Ben could pull this off, but maybe.

I saw this today on BBC.com. This guy was in Germany, and in the air force the same time I was. (But not the same air base so I didn't know him.)

[gschaut]

Sorry, hate to hijack this thread by actually reviewing the video itself, but...

Just got finished watching Ben's Vortex.

First, excellent work! Very well written, documented, and researched. Wonderful cinematography, and a clear, concise job of editing.

If I were a non-diver watching this video, I might have wanted a clearer understanding, up front, of the difference between open water and cave diving certifications. Working for TV, I have to be extra careful to "dumb things down" to the third grade level if I'm writing for news content. That might be part of what's wrong with this country.

As to the conclusions, I'm sorry but I have to side with Robert on this one. I think that the most plausible conclusion is that Ben McDaniels faked his own death from day 1.

You remember the character "Roger" from "American Dad"? The little alien who is continuously inventing new persona by the carload?

I think Ben McDaniels might have been a classic Walter Mitty. So dissatisfied with his own life and past that he felt the need to create wild and interesting identities in order to find acceptance. We know that he had made previous attempt(s) at creating false identities. But each time, his false persona tripped over the truth, the "real" Ben McDaniels. So Ben decided that the solution was to remove the ID known as Ben.

I think that all the cave diving books, the talking about being a "self trained" cave diver, the log books, the maps were all just careful groundwork to ensure his complete disappearance. In Ben's mind, a dead cave diver would just be automatically written off by authorities, and no one would come looking for him. He might not have had the slightest idea how much stink his parents would make over his body never being found. That's the tough part about disappearing- making people believe that the "lack" of a corpse is reasonable and normal.

Stupid question- Given that creating a "new" identity in post-9/11 America is a bit difficult (but not impossible), has anyone done a nationwide database search for his dead brother Paul? That would be the perfect, lazy-man's solution to creating the necessary false documents. Use your dead brother's checks, credit cards, driver's license, etc. If I had to toss a dart at a map of the USA, I would bet Las Vegas for a start. High rollers, tourists, lots of rich folk (single young ladies) on vacation, nobody questions a new face in town. Access to all the "wrong people" for creating forged documents. Easy drive to/from Mexico.

Anyway, excellent film, hope it gets wide distribution

[RebreatherPro.com]

Ben's Vortex is now available as an Internet stream or download. www.BensVortex.com

[JamesK]

Ben's Vortex is now available as an Internet stream or download. www.BensVortex.com

Thank you! Now I can finally watch it!