The Little Golden Book of Alternate Facts

In the Trump era of "fake news," a new term has been introduced to confuse the public & obfuscate the truth.

President (*gag*) Trump's senior advisor & propaganda minister KellyAnne Conway used the words "alternative facts" during an interview on Meet the Press. She used this ridiculous phrase to describe Press Secretary Sean Spicer's claim that Trump had the biggest inauguration crowd ever, a demonstrable lie. She couldn't even say it without laughing, because she knows what a load of bullshit she's spewing.

Artist Tim O'Brien took this absurd declaration and showed us how to properly educate our children in this age of extreme double-speak, by creating "The Little Golden Book of Alternate Facts":

Crazy Trippin' Fashion Dude

I've been posting on this blog for so long, that sometimes I remember posting things... but forget where & when I posted them!

Recently, I was looking for this image of a guy in an insane, ridiculous outfit. However, I couldn't remember what I named it, or what I posted it under.

I just saw the photo again on FFFFound!, which is where I originally saw it. I had to do  a reverse Google Image search, & luckily my blog post came up on the front page. The post was about a crazy abstract website, that unfortunately seems to no longer exist.

The caption I put on it was "Crazy Tripping' Dude" which, considering his fashion choice, was pretty accurate. Now, it is archived again, for the benefit of humanity & my future reference.

Thinking or Listening?

I saw this quote by one of my favorite thinkers (...or is it listeners?), Terence McKenna, on Awakening Our Truth.

It refers to to the mystery of consciousness and the inner voice we experience.

Where does this voice come from?...

The McKenna quote is appropriately accompanied by the image of a thinking chimp, being manipulated by an alien entity- with what appears to be The Flower of Life over his third eye. This process of evolving consciousness is mediated by the psylocibin mushroom.

"Half the time you think you're thinking,

you're actually listening."

-Terence McKenna

"The Underlying Nature of Reality"
by Aaron Morse
 

For Approval

I saw this video on Reddit, and thought it was appropriate with the current climate of nonsensical reality we find ourselves in.

It is called "For Approval" by Mainframe design studio.

For Approval from Mainframe (North) on Vimeo.

It is a good example of how creative use of photo-realistic computer graphics can fool our senses and warp our expectations.

The Inauguration of President A$$hole

Today is the day, where against all odds & common sense, Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as The President of the United States.

This is truly a historic event. For the first time, a shitty businessman, expert in casino bankruptcy, con-artist, reality TV host, sexual predator, and person of orange color will be the most powerful person on the planet.

I have no doubt the coming years with Trump as the head of the Executive Branch will be a epic disaster. His shameless ignorance and ego-maniacal narcissism, as well as his endless ethical conflicts of interest, will lead to corruption in government that will make everything that came before it look like child's play.

Of course, I would prefer more than anything to be wrong, and I'd love to see a successful Trump administration lead this country with positive results. That, unfortunately, is foolish, and like being in a bus with a irritable monkey driving toward a cliff and hoping the monkey quickly figures out how to hit the brakes or steer away. 

Although he hasn't made any official decisions yet, his ridiculous first press conference & his cabinet picks are all the indication I need to see where this is going. Rick Perry for Dept. of Energy? Tom Price for Sec. of Health & Human Services? Betsy DeVos for Sec. of Education? Get the fuck out of here with this shit. These people either are clueless about the departments they are supposed to run, or actively want to destroy it. Trump is simply fulfilling the Republican dream of dismantling the federal government from within. I don't think the government is the solution to all our problems, but there are some things government is needed for, and these people want nothing more than to hand all services and authority to corporate and private interests.

I was watching him talk at one of his donor events last night and it was mind-numbing to think this self-centered doofus is going to have so much power.

Anyway, I made the picture below back in 2011, during the days of the "birther" controversy, when Trump was leading the charge for Obama to show his birth certificate. I couldn't stand this asshole back then, and would never have imagined that America was so masochistic & fucked up that we'd actually elect this buffoon.

My Nostradamus-like visionary powers are both a blessing and a curse, but this graphic could never be more appropriate than this day of national reckoning.... or is it "wreck-ening"? ...We'll see soon enough.

"Flower of Life" Yoga Block

I previously posted about examples of the pattern known as "The Flower of Life" used in the design of commercial products

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

The Flower of Life in Commercial Design

For New Years I was over my brother's house, and his soon-to-be wife had this yoga block with a sacred geometry motif. It has the center circle of the Seed of Life symbol, and is covered by The Flower of Life pattern.

Yoga is a discipline that is intertwined with spirituality, so it's not surprising that this design is incorporated into such equipment.

Incidentally, I am heading with my fiancee to a "Yin-Yang Yoga" class tonight. I have taken yoga classes before, and she found a new place close to where we live so I'm going to check it out.

Cursed City of the Monkey God

A couple years ago, I posted about the ruins of the "City of the Monkey God" that was found in the jungles of Honduras.


It turns out that exploring the lost city is even more difficult than anticipated. Besides the remote, overgrown nature of the location, there are vipers and parasitic diseases which make visiting the area extremely dangerous. Many of the team members exploring the site were infected after being bitten by sand flies.

National Post:

Explorers find disease-cursed 

City of the Monkey God

and nearly lose their faces to flesh-eating parasite

This has given rise to the idea that the city is "cursed" in some way. However, it is more attributable the fact that it is in a wild and hostile jungle environment. Having a legend around the city makes it more exciting and dramatic, but the fact is that rainforests are usually inhospitable due to predators and disease.

The only "curse" is that of human mortality, in the face of dangerous circumstances.

Geometric Techno Buddha

I liked this fusion of techno-spiritual elements that I saw on Inner Cosmos.

The face of a buddha is overlaid with The Flower of Life sacred geometry pattern, a spherical hexagonal grid, and digital circuits emanating from the "third eye" pineal area.

The black & blue-green color combo also happens to be one that really appeals to me. It is a color that feels serene, yet futuristic.

Sorry, I Don't Speak Human

Seen on Inner Cosmos

Our Personal Bacteria Cloud

I am fascinated by microbiology and the idea of lifeforms and ecosystems existing at levels below the threshold of our perceptions.

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

Microbes

I've posted previously about how microorganisms exist in the atmosphere. Well, it turns out that bacteria also form a cloud around the immediate space around every human being.

Gizmodo:

We're all Surrounded 

by a Personal Cloud of Bacteria

This doesn't really bother me because I don't fear germs or microbes. I see myself as living in symbiosis with them.

I try to eat well & stay healthy so my immunity isn't compromised, which is how these organisms take hold in the body. If you take care of yourself so your biological defenses are strong, it's less likely you will be infected by a pathogen.

Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence

When I was a kid, my siblings & I would watch the awesomely demented cartoon "Ren & Stimpy". It's one of the reasons I now have a slightly warped sense of humor & an appreciation for the absurd.

I previously posted about the ridiculous jingle for a toy "Log" that was in one of the episodes.

The Monkey Buddha:

Ren & Stimpy: "Log!"

There was another episode where Ren comes home to find that Stimpy & his cousin have ruined their home and all his collectibles. His rare dinosaur droppings were painted like Easter eggs & his collection of incurable diseases were poured into the sink.

Ren was rightfully pissed off (pun intended), so he decided to pee on the board game they playing at the time. Unfortunately, this game was "Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence".

This insane game also had a catchy, hilarious jingle:

Here's the scene where Ren comes home & ends up finding out why the game has its name:

Fractal Branching

One of my favorite topics is the mathematical field of fractals. I think it is one of the most important conceptual tools to understanding the nature of reality.

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

Fractals

I saw this animated GIF on the Tumblr blog Crystal Realities. 

The animation shows the fractal branching pattern that forms in so many natural processes. This mysterious, self-organizing pattern maximizes the use of a given area, and is present in phenomena as diverse as blood vessels, leafs & plants, rivers & waterways, and lightning.

"Fake" News

2017 is going to be a hell of a year. Here in the US, we are going to have a thoroughly corrupt President who is a pathological liar with narcissistic personality disorder, and a Republican Congress whose very first act was to attempt to dismantle their Ethics Committee.

To exacerbate the situation, our modern age has endless media sources that propagate information, opinions, and ideas from all perspectives- regardless of accuracy or intent.

When I was growing up, the idea of "fake news" was limited to media like The Weekly World News, with stories about Bat Boy and the President meeting with aliens.

Now, there are so many people and outlets creating content that it is increasingly difficult for the average person to distinguish fact from fiction. There are people taking advantage of this muddled media environment to raise thousands of dollars in ad revenue by making up fake news stories. They do this by taking advantage of people's willingness to share items on social media that reflect their worldview, regardless of the source.

Digiday:

'The Underbelly of the Internet': 

How Content Ad Networks Fund Fake News

Unfortunately, the population is severely lacking in the one skill that would help cut through the bullshit- the ability to think critically. People have not been taught how to be skeptical, research, and be objective. The result is that people either believe nothing at all, or they only trust what already reinforces their existing belief system.

It's so bad, that websites are giving advice on how to spot "fake news". These tips may seem like common sense to those with the ability to critically analyze information, but it is evidently something that much of the public needs to learn.

Washington Post:

The Fact Checker’s Guide for Detecting Fake News

Here are the points from the article above:

• Determine whether the article is from a legitimate website
(although some people would argue the "legitimacy" of certain websites)
• Check the ‘contact us’ page
• Examine the byline of the reporter and see whether it makes sense
• Read the article closely
• Scrutinize the sources
• Look at the ads
• Use search engines to double-check

In this era of "click & share" this checklist is more than the typical person is willing to do. However, it's a good guide for the person who wants to make sure a source isn't completely full of shit.