how does anything exist at all?

 

how does anything exist at all?

I posed this question to Stable Diffusion AI, & this is an image it came back with. 

It is a great metaphor- since that question is the fundamental mystery, and is ultimately unanswerable in any conventional sense.

It's pretty unsettling that AI can generate not just literal interpretations, but also "artistic" or "interpretive" creations.

Any attempt to figure out what comes next as a result of the developments in AI & other technology will also be met a with a big red X.  I'm old enough to know that the maxim is true, "Not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we CAN think.” -Werner Heisenberg

MAGA Sheep

MAGA Sheep
by The Monkey Buddha

 It will never stop amazing me that some people actually idolize a classless, self-important buffoon like Donald Trump. Like, okay... you fell for the idea that he supports the "conservative agenda" & all that, but to think that he is some great or admirable person is just weird.

I have many family & friends who have been pro-Trump to various degrees, and they are smart, good people. However, I see hardcore Trump supporters (especially those rocking MAGA Hats & Trump flags) like people who send money to televangelists, in exchange for a "blessed" prayer napkin or some shit. Hate to break the news, but they've been swindled... by the most ridiculous fucking swindler to ever have swindled. It's laughably obvious that Trump is a pathological liar, con-man, and The King of Bullshit, but people eat it up for some reason. 

People consuming right-wing corporate propaganda don't get exposure to all the completely insane & stupid stuff he does. Even a fraction of it, though, should be enough to make you appalled. The fact that Christian conservatives, especially, don't see that Trump is the embodiment of the Anti-Christ archetype is hilarious & bewildering to me. 

So, the faithful flock continue to follow their faux-Golden Shepherd, as he fucks up one thing after another in American society and world affairs. You have to wonder exactly what kind of abominable act or despicable declaration it would take to alienate his most loyal supporters...

"donald trump as a golden statue with a shepherd's crook,
with a flock of sheep wearing red baseball caps surrounding him.
The background is glittering gold"
-generated by Stable Diffusion, prompt & curating by The Monkey Buddha

1st Spring Bloom

 

I'm so glad Spring is coming & nature is coming alive again!

I've been explaining to my 4 yr. old son the concept of the seasons, and trying to instill the wonder of the rhythms of nature.

The daffodils outside my house are the first flowers to bloom, and their distinctive yellow blossoms instantly brighten up the world.

Schumer is VERY Concerned

 

Schumer is VERY Concerned
by the Monkey Buddha

Although Donald Trump & other right-wing nutjobs are my usual target for political satire, I'm an equal opportunity critic. The reign of terror that is just beginning under Trump 2.0 is partly the fault of the Democratic establishment, that has not given a proper voice to the populist, progressive views shared by so many people in this nation.

Few represent the decrepit, corporatist, out-of-touch Democratic establishment better than Sen. Chuck Schumer of NY. However effective he may have been throughout his career, Schumer & the party leadership have failed to truly recognize and organize against the absolute assault on American society by President Musk & demented Uncle Donny. These old-guard Democrats are totally clueless on how to deal with the immediate, existential threat to democracy and the American institutions being rapidly executed by The Trump Republican Party™.

Granted, it is tremendously difficult to fight back against the fascist shitstorm that is upon us, especially when it being perpetrated by such insane stupid assholes... but, hey, that's what you fucking signed up for when you became a national political leader! 

If you want an example on how to address the current situation, look to Congresspeople like Chris Murphy, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, and of course, the people's champ Bernie Sanders, who is organizing "Fight the Oligarchy" events. In the alternate timeline where Bernie became our President, perhaps we wouldn't be swirling down a corporately-controlled regressive dystopia in this country. Back here in so-called "reality", at least he is trying to communicate with & mobilize the citizens. The power of the populace needs to be harnessed to push back against the systematic repression of social progress by the various monied interests controlling our government and economy.

Anyway, all that Sen. Schumer has been able to muster, in the face of these barbarians recklessly dismantling the federal government, is some disgruntled condemnations & cringe-inducing press conferences. Schumer's signature "sternly looking over the glasses on the tip of his nose" has become a meme in itself. So, I thought that I should properly memify "Concerned Schumer," as seen above.

Macro Photos of "Kyber" Crystals

 

Recently my son received a crystal-growing kit as a gift. It turned out to be a fun science experiment, and we pretended that they were the fictional "kyber crystals" that power a Jedi/Sith lightsaber in Star Wars.

The fractal nature of the crystals is very interesting, and using macro photography I was able to show the self-similar features at smaller scales.

 

I also found a cool little display case to keep on his desk, so he can look at them with his magnifying glass:

Trump’s Republican Congress, in Awe of Their Golden God-King

Trump’s Republican Congress,
in Awe of Their Golden God-King 
by The Monkey Buddha

However, a closer look reveals the disturbing reality…

Seeing the Republican cower before a buffoon like Trump has been an eye-opening lesson in craven fealty & shameless cowardice. Republicans at his joint session to Congress, clapping for ideas like annexing Greenland and cutting social services, are absolutely insane.

I generated the base image with Stable Diffusion, & stayed up late one night photoshopping all these creepy Trump-loving Congressmen's faces in, beholding Donald Trump's gold-plated, shit-stained glory.