Fact Checks and Mark Z. and Stuff.

From my chat with friends on Facebook.

WHY is Mark Zuckerback and Facebook “fact checks” so big a deal? People believe or click/share whatever they want to believe, especially political memes or links. Fact or fake. Social media is not New York Times etc. Difference is Facebook posts are written by ordinary people; NY Times reports, by professional (or paid) journalists. But FB or NY Times feeds both elicit individual readings or common sense.

Meanwhile, for our own individual convenience or pleasure, we fact check stuff whatever is tossed at us. I believe that's the way it has always been. Whether FB fact checks or not, we still need to dig things up. Although the common trend is people click/share as long as the post/meme satisfies their partisan/political angst. They don't really care about facts/fakes.

Facebook Friend 1: “Good point. We aren't babes in the woods anymore. We understand Fake News and that everything in print or on TV is not necessarily true. Don't we?” / Facebook Friend 2: “We do. But there are a lot of ppl that don’t. They’re too lazy to pick up a book or do some more research than the meme that is in front of them. It’s truly sad.”

ISN’T that what it is these days? That's just the way the media has evolved. In fact, even traditional/mainstream media's reportage has become (blatantly) subjective or opinionated or angled towards a preferred party politics. And the choice of front page news has also turned ridiculous. (A celeb's new dog is news or a parent cracking an egg on a kid's head is viral.)

       True, others don't double check stuff but I don't think that'd be others' worry. LOL! In fact they're cool clicking and sharing inane memes. Their daily entertainment. Even if you tell them "That is fake!" as long as the post feeds their political zealotry, they'd carry on and even insult you for correcting the data. Before Mr Zuckerberg’s announcement, I don't think FB ever "fact checked" or if it did, still they let go posts/memes that are massively clicked (regardless it is fake). 👧📱🧒

Compilation of short MORNING THOUGHTS.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

When I was a little boy, my mind was always working on the "how" rather than the "what." A tiny talking box called a transistor radio puzzled me. So I tore it down to find out. (Bad!) To keep my (then) 5-year old son’s hyper-activity contained, I’d bring home bond papers from work, and then he’d start drawing on the other side. His art had backstories that he’d joyfully tell me. Last Christmas, I sent my grandson Keian an MTV “screen print” kit. Get the boy's mind working. 👶👀👦

YOU see, in these days when everything is electronically easy, children have to be motivated to think as they play. Somehow, that was my little trick with Arrow when she started chewing antique furniture in the house right after we adopted her. So I went to Goodwill Outlet and brought the dog a bag of stuffed toys to “eat.” Then I notice she doesn’t just tear them down. She figures out why the toys are squeaking. She knows how to start—by biting out the eye part to get in like a surgeon. If it’s hard to break the toy, she’d coax me to play tug. Smart dog! 

Correctness? Life now and then. Grass fed: Cattle were fed grass, hay, corn etcetera. Grain supplements and by-products, nope. Free range: Chickens, ducks, goats roamed the farm, freely. Handcrafted: Rice wine (“tapuy”) was made by hand in the house. Non-GMO/organic: Open-market veggies and meats, non-factory, were cooked before eaten. Herbal cure: Boiled guava leaves. A smart UC Berkeley grad lectured me on how to live a responsible, wellness life? Duh. ?☎️🐴

My activism began when I protested the dumping of mining wastes on a mountain river in a small town where I grew up. I pursued journalism so I could find out more about what’s going on. Before I was introduced to Leftist politics, it was all gut-level facts to me. So I don’t get the dissing of Walmart over Exxon. Black Lives Matter in America over black lives matter in Africa. One-time $11-20 billion border wall over an annual $768-770 billion military spending. (Re)educate me what really is activism. ☮️✊☮️

Craze at the moment on Facebook is the “10 Year Challenge” app. It upstaged the Betty White passing and the “Don’t Look Up” brouhaha. Certainly more fun frolic and grownup chill than all the juvenile political dissing and anti-Christian insults. Sure, there’s the Jan 6 hoopla and Novak Novac thingy but hey this is electronic plaza. To click or not to click? / That is the question—/ Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer…” Anyways, here is my 10-year challenge contribution. LOL! 👺🤠👽

The country with the most 1-person households is the United States. I notice that it is more of a choice than a consequence. Strange to me since I emanated from a planet where “aloneness” isn’t a cultural fact. No one lives alone. If neighbors notice that you are alone, they’d come knockin’ like crazy, 15x a day—with a bowl of “pansit” or a cerveza and offer to watch TV or play chess. If you insist on your aloneness, they’d spread rumours that you are a vampire, zombie, or a werewolf. 🤠👺👽

Words. Words are words. I was born into and grew up in a world where language is more sound-based than correct vocabulary. Tagalog and other tribal dialects are long, repetitive syllables or wordage. Mostly, we’d rather gesture with our nose, hands, or roll our eyes to speak our mind. No problemo. Then the internet was born, then Social Media. Boom! Words got complex. Politics. But then “Let’s go Brandon!” isn’t as nasty as parallels with Hitler, ain’t it? Words. Word... 🗣🙉😂

Our inconsistencies. Unvaccinated world #1 tennis player Novak (“novak,” dig?) Djokovic is barred from playing at the Australian Open set to start on the 17th. Yet Kyrie Irving, unaxxed as well, was allowed to play in the NBA, which sends players to weekly “covid protocols.” Meantime, U.S. ice hockey players say they are boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics next month. Covid? Politics? Yup. But not business: Google how many U.S. companies are operating in China. 

       Other tennis issue: If Djokovic wins this year’s Australian Open, that’d be his 21st Grand Slam title. A world record, which breaks his tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nada, 20 titles each. And by the way, Novak is “money” in Serbian language. Champ’s purse in Men’s play in Australian Open: $2.75 million. 🎾💉🎾

We sit in front of the computer and read stuff. Warnings of virus doom that stay over reassurances of end of scourge. News Left, News Right. Contradicting info. We issue criticism of leadership, blame stuff, whine no end—in here. Yet the truth is, whatever happens to the world or however politics evolves, we have a personal life. Family. The first and last field of battle to fight; first and last garden of goodness to enjoy. Till we get distracted again with stuff. 😟📲😫

Omnism is the recognition and respect of all religions and their gods or lack thereof. Eckankar is a New Age monotheistic religion. One God for all. “Religious Pluralism” is also expounded in Yan Martel's “Life of Pi.” While differences amidst diversity is a primal human reflex, unity or coexistence amidst such a reality is also a non-impossibility. Yet when Faith or non-Faith is boxed as a political exclusive, it gets harder. At least, these days. But hope springs eternal. 🦋🌺🐓

Many ask: "Do you trust science?" How about an analogy. "Black powder" was first used for festival fireworks in old China. Then Marco met Kublai. Science ensued and increased black powder's potency. Gunpowder was born. Wars got weirder. Enter opium, coca, cannabis. Herbs. Eased pain. Until science entered, made `em into mass-produced drugs, increased dosage. Kick is spiked for profit. Consumer products. But science is also cool. Like, cars finally rested the horse. 🔭💊🔬

[Photo: Eric Wrobbel.]