Handbook for the Disinformation Age

Kevin Candela

Image courtesy of http://freelance-writing.lovetoknow.com

It used to be about what you COULD learn. What was available.


No more.


Now it’s a matter of sifting. Comparing. Seeking out the sources of news articles, scientific mainstream beliefs, etc. And that gets tricky because not only are the waters muddy, people are being paid to muddy them. That’s what happens when you clamp down on the economy—morals fall to the wayside when one gets hungry. Not that plenty of misinformed and selfish people can’t troll and “murkify” the waters on their own: I’m sure many do, for kicks and simply because they know they’re doing wrong at heart but feel it fits their “persona” by this point. And for other reasons. But since corporations own the truth at this point, in effect, they also SPONSOR it.


Yes, there are paid “muck trolls”, no doubt about it. They’re probably the better ones, generally speaking. That is to say they probably don’t spell “know” with two letters and can otherwise converse in the English they were taught for TWELVE YEARS, unlike the people (term used loosely to be sure) who muddle things and assault the intelligent and knowing just for giggles.


I’m not gonna pick a “worse” between those two ends of the liars’ brigade. What I will say is that there are certain things you can pick up on (especially here online) that are giveaways. Here’s a short list, there being other clues beyond these that you’re dealing with a deliberate misinformation dispenser.


I’m gonna call ’em Muddies because the abbreviation for deliberate misinformation dispenser is the same as for dentists.


HOW TO SPOT A MUDDY


(ONE WHO DELIBERATELY WORKS TO KEEP THE TRUTH HIDDEN):


1) The Paster: Copies and pastes articles Instead of attempting discourse.


The Paster doesn’t discuss things. He (usually) or she (occasionally) Googles to find other peoples’ articles to post in support of their fervent beliefs. This is a sort of indirect muddying, where the crucial back and forth, the interaction between minds, is deliberately subverted by bringing in “supporting opinions” in the form of stuff written by other. The only real outcome of this is the instant stagnation of the conversation. “Did you read that article?” No, I didn’t. I didn’t because I’m talking to you. I’m not reading articles. The article might take half an hour to read. You might have posted a video two hours long because you think it supports your opinion. Maybe it does. But how is this a discussion? It’s not even YOUR thoughts, it’s just expressing opinion(s) you like, ones that make you comfortable. Pasters are very tedious because it is almost impossible to get them to actually chat back and forth with you in their own words. Sometimes you wonder if they HAVE their own words. They are a subclass of the next “muddying species”, the Diverter


2) The Diverter: Refuses to respond to your statements directly.


The Diverter will simply not directly reply to your assertions. They are the opposite of Negators in that they don’t disagree so much as DIVERT. The subject at hand is one they must get away from, in general because they know they’re up against truth that is, at deepest levels, irrefutable. So they use a number of tactics to avoid conceding a valid and truthful assertion that they don’t want catching on with the masses.


3) The Hammerhead: Basically yells negations at your assertions without any more content, discussion or rationalization. Equivalent to a small child defiantly and indignantly asserting “Nunh-UH!” to everything he or she is being told.


This person APPEARS to be ruled by sheer emotion. One emotion. Anger. The hammerhead is really not worth indulging. They are rather embarrassing. Most often they are feeble at writing and that seems to make the ones that aren’t simply being paid to fake ignorance even madder.


4) The Club Member: Plays to the gallery by using insider/outsider terms and clichés in an attempt to make it look like he and the reader are part of the same “common sense team” and he’s simply assailing an outsider with bad ideas.


I said “he” because this is almost always a male thing. It usually revolves around rubber stamp statements like these:


“Surely you don’t expect US to believe that…”


(Appropriate response: “Us? Got a mouse in your pocket?”)


“Nobody in their right mind thinks what you’re saying makes any sense.”


This kind relies on a gullible audience that likes to hear or see such boiler plate statements because they are comfortable and known. They also have NO PLACE WHATSOEVER in public debate or discourse. They are cheesy LAWYER TACTICS.


5) The Marginalizer: Without knowing a thing about you beyond your point of view on one subject, somehow feels qualified to make broad generalization about your nature, mindset and personality so as to put you into one of the “loser type” files in their tiny little mental filing systems. Dumb as the Hammerhead and just as fearful but occasionally spells an entire sentence correctly and gets the grammar right. Helps that they usually go with small words and short sentences.


6) The Kitchen Sink Denigrator: Like the Hammerhead too, but attacks YOU PERSONALLY. Not about the topic at hand. They often look at your bio info to see if they can find something to work with. These aren’t quite so dumb as Hammerheads because they’ll do research, which is too much trouble for the illiterate.


7) The Condescender: Smarmy “Of course it is, sure, whatever you say” condescension using cliché terms is the go-to for this breed of truth hider. They try to portray you as naïve, childlike, unrealistic and in need of “gentle handling”. They are sort of Club Member variety in many ways, because their words tend to be covered in a sticky glaze of patriarchal mock tolerance. “It’s okay, Daddy knows you need your little illusions” is another pander to the gallery. And all parental types are subliminally hooked in by this little charade…all too often.


The problem?


As often or not, the gallery falls for these cheap maneuvers. The truth remains hidden. Why? Cliches. Shallow intellects. Laziness. Fear.


We gotta get smarter as a culture, people. I suggest sooner rather than later. Quit letting these stupid little moves fool you into buying the words of liars, sponsored and paid for liars and freelancers alike.


The truth’s more important than these people’s fragile realities.

Shadow Pokers New Guidelines for Contributors 

“All sources MUST be given credit if used in your blog posts. This includes photos (unless they are your own), research, quotes, etc. If you are unsure what needs to be cited, contact one of the administrators.


"We prefer firsthand accounts of interactions with paranormal, abduction stories, cryptid sightings, etc. because we believe that sharing your experiences not only helps our cause, but also becomes a teaching tool for others. This may help some come to terms with similar things they have experienced.”

"Debate should be polite, respectful and as objective as possible. Marginalizing, name calling, generalizing, mocking and all similar non-discussion "comebacks" are strictly forbidden. All discussion should be as positive as possible: After all, we're all here looking to LEARN, not dictate."

"We are always encouraging our viewers to learn about different topics throughout the spectrum of The Unknown. If you would like to contribute an article on a certain topic (say Roswell for example) you are welcome to it.”

So, What’s It Like To See A Ghost?

by Jodie Bares

I have gotten this question a few times from the people who know that I have had experiences with the paranormal. Those that I’ve talked to about my sensitivity towards spirits, everyone always wants to know what they look like. If you ask me this because you’re trying to compare notes with me based on things you’ve seen, then it may not be the same. Let me explain why.

When we think of ghosts or spirits, the typical image of a floating sheet with two eyes usually come to mind, or perhaps a blobby orb bouncing around a room.  Let me tell you, I have never seen a Casper the Friendly Ghost-type, full-body, transparent, bobbing blob. 

Great Monsters Have Something to Say

by Kevin Candela

The defining fiction of my childhood, perhaps my whole life, is the Godzilla series. When I was a kid, other kids would rip on me because I dug Godzilla and not so much "American" King Kong. They thought Godzilla was silly and Kong "respectable". They're both tragedies, of course, but the tragedy of Kong is about human/American desire to "grab the unknown and stick it somewhere where one's own species can gawk at it at their leisure". And since we're "hunting Bigfoot", we're still doing it. In fact we almost HAVE to "bring in a body" in this age of digital deception. Yes, this is an aspect of human nature. And it's an important one to scrutinize--hence Kong, despite the ridiculous "I'm in love with a nearly hairless little kewpie doll" aspects--is necessary and critical to our culture. That's why it was iconic even in the early Sixties.

The Encounter That I Want To Forget

by Jodie Bares

To this day, I am still very frightened to watch The Exorcism of Emily Rose.  I made it a good forty-five minutes into the film and once this demonic face melted onto the screen, I had to shut it off.  This was a movie, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen something like that.

The other evening, my husband and I were talking about the film and he asked me why I like paranormal things if I don’t like to be scared watching horror movies? My answer: “because I’ve seen things that are very similar to the things they show in that movie.” I only ever told him part of the story, and I’ve done the best to suppress a few little details, but that particularly demonic face on the screen triggered a memory that I thought I had deeply buried.

If Two Barflies with Boards and Ropes Make You Feel Safe, You Should Probably Not Read This

by Kevin Candela

It’s funny what people will believe if it makes them feel safe. Secure. In control. 

Like the way two career bar sots in Great Britain claimed they were behind the crop circle phenomenon. This happened back in the Nineties. The biggest service I could do for these attention-seeking “gentlemen” here would be naming them, so that isn’t going to happen. But you remember these “everyman” (if the average man spends his days in a bar, which probably isn’t the case) types and their boast that they were behind the crop circle phenomenon. Claiming to use no more than two-by-fours and ropes, these guys said they went here and there making patterns in the crop fields.

Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World: Mexico and Latin America Pt 2

by Jodie Bares

Two weeks ago, we began our journey into the cryptids and unknowns rooted in Mexican and Latin American culture.  This week we will continue our search for the unknown and a few more creatures looking in the jungles and the shadows...

It is said that there is a Bigfoot type creature lurking in Mexico.  Called The Sisimite (also referred to as “The Olmec Ape”), it has been reported in three Mexican states: Campeche, Chiapas and Quintana Roo, which is known to be covered in lush jungle. Its nickname comes from an artifact that was found during an archaeological dig at an Olmec site, that carbondatedback approximately two-thousand years.  Mexico Unexplained describes this creature with the following, “The Sisimite has been described as a hairy ape-like creature, much larger than a human, with the face of a human.  It has only 4 fingers and no thumbs, and, in some cases, it has been described as having backwards-facing feet. Sisimites walk upright, like humans.  They let out high-pitched screams but have no language.  They are generally regarded as being hostile to humans and have been accused of kidnapping people. Their apelike fur has been described as ranging from a chestnut color to pitch black.  They have no protruding ears and their noses are flat…”

Of Tinfoil and Ostrich Feathers

by Kevin Candela

It's pretty much always been "the move": If someone is telling you something that frightens you, something you don't WANT to believe (whether it's true/real or not), the least witty among us will go for the cliche. 

Let's call it THS - Tinfoil Hat Syndrome. And let's be clear, it's not about discourse, or argument, or disagreement of any kind. When someone tells you to put on your tinfoil hat, or suggests you're already wearing one, this is their equivalent of holding up a cross to ward off vampires. Because a vampire is "bringing them bad news" too. Not that they'll actually consider the possible existence of vampires, which I will neither confirm nor deny here.

Kevin Candela on Church of Mabus Radio

SHADOW POKERS co-founder/blogger Kevin Candela on CHURCH OF MABUS Radio...

Who are the Annunaki and how are They Connected to Nibiru?

by Jodie Bares

A few weeks ago, one of our members asked about the reports of Nibiru and wanted to know more about the mysterious Planet X.  With all the reports of the rogue planet coming to smash into us in recent history, and with the soft disclosure we are experiencing in the government, I think it is time we take a look at it. However, if we are going to talk about Nibiru, we also need to talk about its inhabitants, the Annunaki.  In this article, we are going to dive into the stories, the folklore, religious text,and scientific fact surrounding the legend.

Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World: Mexico and Latin America

by Jodie Bares

Ah, Mexico… What’s not to love about it?  They have awesome food, they have a rich culture that we are still studying and analyzing to this day, and they even have a whole holiday centered around the love and appreciation for the dead.  Mexico has come up a lot lately in the news; especially in the world of the ever-expanding knowledge of the ancient Maya and just how advanced they really were.  So, if scientists are now able to peel back the rainforest canopy and find ancient ruins, will it soon be possible they may come across the unknown?  I should warn you before we proceed that many of the cryptids we are going to talk about here have their origins in Mexican and Latin American folklore, so even though there have been numerous reported sightings of these creatures over the years, they made indeed be just myth and superstition.  With that said, it’s time to open the book on Mexico and explore what they offer in the world of cryptids.

Shadow Pokers on Church of Mabus Radio

Coming February 16, Jeffery Pritchett and our own Kevin Candela sit down at the CHURCH OF MABUS cybertable and get deep into the weirdness abounding in our universe. Be sure to tune in and find out what the SHADOW POKERS are all about, and what the future holds for the organization and its members.

Click here for details.

The Big Picture

by Kevin Candela

Watching They Live again a few nights ago got me to thinking about the influence of movies on my perspective. In particular, I set about figuring what movies had helped “awaken” me to my current state, whatever that might be.

First of all I should explain that I started out as a Young American True Believer. This is when I was in single digits—the 1960s, to be exact. America had done some crazy stuff, but the way I was getting it told to me it was always someone else who “started it”. You know there’s a playground/sibling parallel to that “he/she/they started it!” thing that makes it real to a little kid, bringing it home before his or her eyes, so whoever “started it” is the all-purpose bad guy. This is how it is done with our society. So if your news shows are backing up your textbooks in agreeing that we’re only violent in response to “outside threats”, as a little kid you don’t (or we didn’t) consider that Orwellian. You’re not even up to READING Orwell yet anyway. You figure Father Knows Best. And you believe.

Roland Doe and the True Story of the St. Louis Exorcism

by Jodie Bares

In the winter of 1973, audiences flocked to local movie theaters to see a horror movie about a little girl being possessed by the Devil and the men that were in charge of casting out the said demon.  However, what if I were to tell you that The Exorcist was not just creative story telling by Hollywood screenwriters; but was indeed based in fact?  The film, which was first released as a novel written by William Peter Blatty in 1971, was inspired by a true story of the demonic possession of Roland Doe (the alias media and other publications have used when discussing the story) and the men that were responsible for exterminating the evil dwelling inside him.

Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World: Russia and Slovakia Regions

by Jodie Bares

Welcome back to another edition of Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World.  We are now turning our attention to Russia and its former territories when it was the Soviet Union.  I have decided to lump these two regions together since the following Cryptids are reported in all these countries. So, what do these places have in store for us?  Let’s not waste any time and dive further.

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Bigfoot is a huge deal in the Cryptid world, and if you are a true believer, you might have the best shot at seeing one in these countries.

Hunting Cryptids ‘Round the World: Japan

by Jodie Bares

What do you think of when someone says “Japan?”  Most would probably say Sushi, Godzilla, Anime, kimono, shrine, or Sumo. There is so much more to Japan than just pop culture and amazing food.  Believe it or not, Japan has tales of Cryptids and other supernatural things, just as our own culture does. Throughout this new series, we will be looking at some of the better-known creatures and beings, and show how they relate to our own American unknowns. 

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Probably the best well known cryptid that comes from the world of Japanese superstition is the Kappa.

Shadow Chat: Sizing Up the Cosmic Elephant

Welcome to the first installment of SHADOW CHAT, one of several new features we're rolling out here, on the SHADOW POKERS blog. SHADOW CHAT lets you read, comment, and be part of one of the many conversations that happen behind-the-scenes between our members here at SHADOW HQ.

Craig: Ryan Skinner just dropped this bomb (edit: via the Skinwalker Ranch Facebook group):

“Just learned a bombshell piece of information that you will likely hear about at some future point in the new york times. Apparently the metals recovered are completely made of known earth alloys, however what is interesting is its design on a molecular level is arranged in such a complex way that NOTHING we have at this level of technological advancement is even remotely capable of replicating.... the implication was that is was "man made"....just not by any current tech process. You fill in the blanks.”

Do Spirits Really Visit Us in Our Dreams? Part 2

by Jodie Bares

So last week, I began telling you about how to tell if you have had visitations in your sleep from your deceased loved ones and friends. Then I shared an example of how my grandfather’s spirit talked me out of suicide. Pretty heavy subject matter, I know.  This week I am going to continue the subject with a few more visitations I’ve had in my dreams. I’d like to say that the stories will be much lighter but, let’s face it, when dealing with death, it always has an air of sadness to it.

Do Spirits Really Visit Us in Our Dreams? Part 1

by Jodie Bares

I am certain that most readers of this blog have had someone pass away that they were close to.  I am certain that most of us dream of these people, especially the ones that we formed the closest bonds with.  But are you truly dreaming of those that have passed or is it something other worldly?  What if I were to tell you that you were not dreaming, but instead were experiencing a visitation from the other side?

Flashing Lights

by Chaz Bares

Around 4 to 5 years ago I was working overnights at my job. My shifts changed from 8pm to 4am, to eventually 4pm to 12am. The building I worked in was located right along Highway 270 and Interstate 64 in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s safe to say that my drive home was always in the dark and usually pretty uneventful. In order for me to get on the interstate, I had to drive along an overpass and take a side road that would eventually merge onto the highway. Right at the end of the overpass were some traffic lights.  Past these traffic lights the road led forward to another slightly smaller building. At 12am, these lights were always green. I can’t think of a single night were I even had to stop or slow down. However, one particular night was different. Nothing stood out on this night, at first. From what I recall the weather was fair and partly cloudy. The wind wasn’t too strong, and it just felt like a standard night going home. As per usual, I started on my way home. However, on this night, one thing changed. I found myself having to stop at a red light on the overpass. First thing I looked for were other vehicles. Often vehicles coming from another direction will trigger a sensor on some of the more high-tech traffic lights. However, I was the only visible car. I found it to be a bit odd, but then again it could have just been my luck had finally run out, and I caught that elusive red light that I seemed to have dodged for the past year. That’s when I noticed something very strange. After sitting at the stop light for what seemed like far longer than normal, I noticed the lights in the small building begin to flash. I’m not talking about a small flicker here and there that could be attributed to a bad light bulb. The lights throughout the entire building started flashing in no particular pattern. I can’t recall how long this lasted, but I can tell you the entire time it was happening the traffic light remained red. The moment the lights in the building stopped flashing the traffic light turned green. I was the only one there to witness it and to this day I have no idea what it could be.

The Ghost that Went to College

A paranormal experience by Jodie Bares

The biggest question that many senior students had when they attended the College Fair at Lewis and Clark Community College in the Spring of 2007 wasn’t “How big are the class sizes?” “What types of degrees do you offer?”  “How much will it cost for me to attend?” No, the most frequently asked question was, “Is this place really haunted?” Or at least, that was my biggest question.  Every time the subject of Lewis and Clark Community College had been brought up around family and friends, the only thing they would talk about it the ghost that haunted the halls and how the library was haunted and to never go up there at night alone.

You Can Prove Anything You Like With Statistics

by Kevin Candela

So last week our daring news-shredder Trent/Craig finds that article that tells us that Florida and California had the most UFO sightings last year. I simply took those bare statistics, factored them in with other raw data (state populations) and what do you know? The article seems to suggest you’re better off by far looking for aerial anomalies in CA or FL than some out of the way spot like, say, Montana or New Hampshire. But that only slightly deeper analysis (took a lot of time but wasn’t hard) that I did with its information says this is really not the case at all.