Pokémon [b][c] is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series and films, a trading card game, and other related media. The franchise takes place in a shared universe in which humans co-exist with the eponymous creatures, a large variety of species which have special powers.
The franchise's primary target audience was children aged 5 to 12 [4], but it is known to attract mostly geeky adults and kids of all ages [I].
Pokémon is estimated to be the world's highest-grossing media franchise, with the video games in particular being among the best-selling. The franchise originated as a pair of role-playing games developed by Game Freak, from an original concept by its founder, Satoshi Tajiri. More
(YouTube Movies & TV) A Glitch in the Matrix, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher (Room 237, The Nightmare), is a multimedia documentary that dives into the great existential question: Are we in fact living in a simulation?
[Was the "simulation" called Samsara by the Buddha?]
Using a seminal 1977 speech from Philip K. Dick as a jumping-off point, Ascher presents compelling scientific evidence and philosophical musings through interviews with real people shrouded in digital avatars, as well as samples from cultural texts like Minecraft and The Matrix, to support the idea that the [world within this cakkavala, this prison planet, this Empire of the City, or] universe is a highly advanced computer simulation.
Part sci-fi mind-scrambler, part true-crime horror story, A Glitch in the Matrix is an eye-popping, open-minded, and highly entertaining journey to the limits of radical doubt that leaves no stone unturned.
The Dead Internet Theory
Whoa, I know I played Neo, but I feel my most important role in life was like playing Budda.
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There is an online conspiracy, speculation, explanation, proposition (with evidence) that asserts that, due to a coordinated and intentional effort, the Internet now consists mainly of bot activitynot of real people.
Proponents of this "theory" (explanation of how things actually are) believe social bots were created intentionally to help manipulate algorithms and boost search results in order to manipulate consumer [6, 7], and no one can doubt that -- just as spam ruined email and junk calls ruined answering the phone when it's from an unfamiliar number.
Dog teleports in. Man's legs switch as he slips.
Some proponents of the theory accuse government agencies (like the CIA, NSA, NSC, DHS, DARPA, FBI, IRS, ISI, KGB, Meta, Google Corporation/Alphabet Inc., FB, Apple, AI, CCP, SpaceX, Amazon] and many more we do not know about) of using bots to manipulate public perception [2, 6].
The date given for this "death" is generally around 2016 or 2017 [2, 8, 9]. The Dead Internet Theory has gained traction because many of the observed phenomena are quantifiable -- one such quantifiable is increased bot traffic.
But the publicly available literature on the subject does not yet fully support the theory [2, 4, 10] but aspects of it are not in doubt.
This is where-when it becomes crucial to have read George Orwell's warning Nineteen Eighty-Four, to have a language or metaphor to refer to. In it the protagonist, Winston Smith (the Everyman), works in a cubicle at the Ministry of Truth manipulating reality, and all life is hounded by a "Telescreen." The screens are everywhere, always watching. Whether they are always all monitored, that is unknown, but one never knows when one is being watched. (Now, thanks to recording technology, we are always being watched not in real time but at any time authorities want to review the footage they are amassing for A.I. to go through). Sadly, most attempts to "rebel" are manipulated by police to preemptively (sting operation) undermine resistance, much as happened to the Occupy Movement, which was evaporated so that no one even seems to remember it now. It was big at the time. And the mainstream media was all for destroying it
Origins and spread
The Dead Internet Theory's exact origin is difficult to pinpoint. In 2021, a post titled "Dead Internet Theory: Most Of The Internet Is Fake" was published onto the forum Agora Road's Macintosh Cafe esoteric board by a user named "IlluminatiPirate" [11], claiming to be building on previous posts from the same board and from Wizardchan [2], and marking the term's spread beyond these initial imageboards [2, 12].
The conspiracy theory has entered public culture through widespread coverage and has been discussed on various high-profile YouTube channels [2]. [It has? This is the first we're hearing about it from a poorly done video by a man who can barely pronounce English words.]
It gained more mainstream attention with an article in The Atlantic titled "Maybe You Missed It, but the Internet 'Died' Five Years Ago" [2]. [Yes, thank you, we had missed it, though we suspected something was off, and it all started from the time we first surfed the Internet.] This article has been widely cited by other articles on the topic [13, 12]. More
There's more than enough delicious nutritious food for everyone when we go vegan.
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Vegans vs. Farmers: Hardcore Heated Debate
(Hammad c) The vegans vs. farmers debate is a heated battle of ethics, environmentalism, and the health implications of raising, tormenting, butchering, and consuming animal bodies.
WARNING: Violent numbing videogaming! Killer in training reacts to vegan activist compassion.
Conscientious and compassionate vegans argue that killing animals to make them "food" is unethical and that a plant-based diet is the most sustainable and healthy lifestyle for human health.
However, conservative and compassionate farmers stand by their animal butchering practices, arguing that it's necessary to make "food" out of these living beings to make money (a livelihood).
The stakes are high, and both sides have compelling arguments. To find common ground, we need constructive dialogue and solutions that benefit everyone -- including animals, our shared environment, farmers, and these d*mn cr*zy vegans.
Life is full of stories. Sometimes one small story gives a glimpse of a far larger one. Last week I was in Prague to speak to executives at one of Europe’s largest lottery and online gaming groups. The industry is being buffeted by negative attitudes towards gambling, a ton of regulation, and the shift online. And these people want to know what to do about it.
Harvard Prof. David Vago, an instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, has held the position of Senior Research Coordinator for the Mind & Life Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering dialogue and research at the highest possible level between modern science and the great living contemplative traditions. Prof. Vago relates how his personal mindfulness practice has integrated with his professional scientific research. He talks about the thriving community of scientists interested in mindfulness that has taken root in contemporary academia and research, and he highlights some current projects and lines of inquiry that have benefited from this uniquely...
Is Super Mario a Buddhist?
Stanford Prof. Jane McGonigal is an author and game designer who wants to change the world through gaming. In this second part of a presentation recorded during the 2011 Buddhist Geeks Conference, she shares the details about games where people are going into the world and using gamer virtues for real life good. From better community organizing, to solutions for regional famine, to possible treatments for cancer, McGonigal and her gamers are changing the world one epic win at a time....
The Angry Buddhist
Fiction author Seth Greenland is also a playwright and screenwriter. For two seasons he was a writer-producer on the Emmy-nominated HBO series "Big Love." His latest novel, The Angry Buddhist, is the story of an ex-policeman seeking guidance from an online Buddhist teacher. The novel is currently in development with Showtime as a possible series for the network with Greenland writing and producing. Buddhism is really making its way onto the pop culture landscape. More
2012 CONFERENCE Lama Surya Das (American lama), Amber Case (cyborg anthropologist), Stephen Batchelor (former Buddhist monk, author), Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel (teacher and author), Matt Flannery (Kiva.org CEO), Martine Batchelor (former Buddhist nun, teacher, author), Michael Stone (Buddhist Activist), Daniel Ingram (practical Dharma teacher), Willoughby Britton (contemplative scientist), Ken McLeod (teacher, executive coach), Tami Simon (Sounds True CEO), Rohan Gunatillake (meditation entrepreneur), Stuart Davis (bodhisattva rocker), Vincent Horn (Buddhist Geek), Robert Spellman (contemplative artist)...
"Escape to reality" is what the Buddha taught, but endlessly in samsara we try to escape from reality -- to little effect. This is not real (see Three Marks), and virtual representations of it are even less real.
(LAWeekly.com) While some spent the weekend AdultCon in downtown, a radically different group of conventioneers gathered at the University of the West in Rosemead (Los Angeles) for the inaugural Buddhist Geeks Conference, not for cosplay in Shaolin monk's robes but instead as the Western face of an aeons old religion. More
"Is Super Mario a Buddhist?" asks Stanford Univ. neuroscientist Jane McGonigal (Paul T. Bradley/LAWeekly.com).
The reality of staring at hypnotically pulsating screens is not as fun as the initial thrill of escapism into video games. The mind-body was guided in its evolution to interact with the sensual world not a virtual duality.
Jane McGonigal has been announced as the latest speaker to be added to the line-up for Buddhist Geeks | The Conference. Jane is one of the world’s leading healing-game designers and digital thinkers and was a sensation at last year’s TED. Her talk was ranked as one of the most engaging they’ve ever had. Jane’s new book is called Reality is Broken. Her work and ideas are available on her website.
VIDEO GAMES (On the Media) (NPR, July 1) Take a one-hour look at the history, culture, and future of video games like WoW. Whether you know it or not you are likely a gamer and games are creeping into nearly every aspect of life. How far have video games come, and where are they going?
"World of Warcraft" has millions of active subscribers worldwide (Blizzard). While there's no publicly-available, comprehensive census of exactly who plays the game, there are several researchers who have studied WoW players extensively. More
Superstruct: Games predict our future archive.superstructgame.net Gamers’ scores will reflect personal role in humankind’s survival.
PALO ALTO, California — The Institute for the Future (IFTF) announced the [2008] launch of Superstruct, the world’s first Massively Multiplayer Forecasting Game (MMFG). Designed by renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, Ph.D., and IFTF lead forecaster Kathi Vian Ph.D., Superstruct invites players to imagine life in 2019 and to document and record how they, their families, local communities, or extended social networks might respond to a catastrophic population collapse. Global gameplay ran for six weeks.
Superstruct was played by more than 8,000 citizen "future-forecasters." Although the game is no longer in play, learn about it and explore some archived game content:
Could Gaming Ever Be Good For Us? The average American kid will have spent 10,000 hours playing games by the time s/he turns 21. That's as much time as one has spent in school. Researcher Jane McGonigal, author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, appeared on the public radio program "Science Friday" today [Feb. 18, 2011] to explain how we might make real life more "gameful." It can fulfill need that reality does not. Gaming need not be escapist, she demonstrates. Sometimes it can be quite "returnist." Life can often be made better by making it more like a "game," defined as an "unnecessary obstacle we choose to overcome." She invented "Jane the Concussion Slayer" to restore brains after head traumas. More>>
Dick Grace: Vintner blends compassion, Cabernet Not only is the former Smith Barney executive a follower of Buddhism with direct access to the Dalai Lama, but the profits of his winery -- after expenses... (SF Chronicle, Jon Bonné, 9/26/09).
Waking up the spirit, and taste buds, too What, indeed, is less known is that it prides itself as the sacred grounds of three major religions in the country -- Buddhism, Won-Buddhism and... (AsiaOne, Lee Joo-hee, 9/27/09).
How open-minded are you to uncertainty? The Dalai Lama (the leader of Tibetan Buddhism) perhaps embodies this type of openness and wisdom better than any other spiritual leader.... (Albert Lea Tribune, 9/25/09).
Monk to speak on Buddhism Kelsang Jampa, a Buddhist monk from Kadampa Meditation Center in Arlington, Texas, will speak from 10:30 am to noon Saturday at Texarkana Public Library... (Texarkana Gazette, Rhonda Morrow, 9/25/09).
Udupi: Buddhism Losing Sheen in India—Dr. Tamil Selvi Udupi, Sep 26: “Although Buddhism was founded in India and has deep roots worldwide, it's extremely distressing that the religion is steadily declining in... (Daijiworld.com, 9/25/09).
On that "can't-factor" of the I think that this is the most positive character that Buddhism has instilled in the overall ethos of the people of Sri Lanka. The people may vote for the... [The Island (subscription), Malinda Seneviratne, 9/26/09)]
Movie showcases beauties of Nepal Baratz, shying from delving into the history and theology of Buddhism, prefers to skim the surface of Buddhism as a practice, documenting the veneer of... (UW Badger Herald, Francis Bea, 9/24/09).
Few options exist for vegetarians Vegetarianism and veganism are strongly associated with three religious/ethnic groups, which are currently underrepresented on campus: Buddhism... (The Daily Evergreen, Allison Rowe, 9/24/09).
Beyond Social Exclusion Buddhism is perhaps one of the earliest manifestations of anti-caste and anti-untouchability uprising. According to Buddhist sources, such drives were often... (Mainstream, 9/26/09).
Annual March of Indian Buddhists reach Deekshabhoomi Deekshabhoomi is a sacred monument of Buddhism at the place where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was converted to Buddhism along with thousands of his followers on... (Lanka Everything, 9/24/09).
The Buddhist in your foxhole It's about Thomas Dyer, the Army's first Buddhist chaplain. (This isn't that surprising. When I profiled an Army chaplain back in 2005, I learned that of... (GetReligion blog, Brad A. Greenberg, 9/23/09).
Against the Stream Buddhist meditation and discussion... It's great for beginners to Buddhism and meditation, but is also ample ground for some serious meditation work. The philosophies of the Against the Stream ... (Examiner.com, 9/3/09).
Shake your Buddha (Creative Loafing) Museum and Gallery Listings The paradox of militant Buddhism inspired the Metropolitan's fascinating 2006 exhibition “Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of... (New York Times, 9/24/09).
Crusading for a just world In the first row, right beside Mrs. Weeramantry, were representatives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam, while across the aisle sat... (Sunday Times.lk, 9/26/09).
Who would simulate clubbing baby seals to win a game?
In an attempt to stop Canadian seal clubbing, PETA is taking its protests to new shores. It's planning a gathering in the icy northern kingdom of the world's biggest online game, World of Warcraft, where a team of four seal killers is apparently clubbing their way through the continent's baby animal population.
"Anyone who slaughters baby seals for their fur must surely be in service to the evil Lich King," said PETA on a Facebook page set up to publicize the gathering, referencing one of Warcraft's key bad guys. Bizarrely, slaughtering animals for their skins is actively encouraged in World of Warcraft... More>>
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