The Earth is Shining Under the Soot

by | posted in: Ape Con Myth, Library, The Cultural Devision, Video | 0

They Might Be Giants (band) got their name from They Might Be Giants (film), the title of which was a reference to Don Quixote‘s belief that windmills were giants. As explained in the film,…

“Of course, he carried it a bit too far. He thought that every windmill was a giant. That’s insane. But, thinking that they might be… Well, all the best minds used to think the world was flat. But, what if it isn’t? It might be round. And bread mold might be medicine. If we never looked at things and thought of what they might be, why, we’d all still be out there in the tall grass with the apes.”

Ape Con Myth is all about the might of might.  TMBG (film) summed it up in less than two minutes some 42 years ago…

… and 23 years ago TMBG (band) knocked it out in 47 seconds.

Finally, in 2007, Ape Con Myth summed it up in three words.

…  Eventually, we won’t have to say anything at all.

(Still) Introducing the Periodic Calendar

by | posted in: ACM Infographics, Ape Con Myth, The Time Bandits | 0

Unlike previous years, the latest Ape Con Myth calendar did not turn into a pumpkin on January 1st.

PeriodiccCal-600[Periodic?  Yes.  Perpetual?  Yes.  Pumpkin?  No.]

As a perpetual calendar that will outlive us all, the Periodic Calendar has not yet begun to fight change the way the world thinks about time.  But now, after three months of prototyping and design followed by a month of fundraising on Indiegogo to make the first-edition prints a reality, the real work begins…

At PeriodicCalendar.com, you’ll find all the latest news and research as Ape Con Myth explores the ramifications of the Periodic Calendar and begins to share it with the world.

Please join us as we unlock a new dimension of time…

Waking Up on the Wrong Side of Your Head

by | posted in: Ape Con Myth, Maps | 0

And now it’s time to play, Guess Which Way the Rankings Go!

Is 1st place South Dakota or 50th place West Virginia the state with the least or most Poor Mental Health Days?

This is just one example of the fun to be had at America’sHealthRankings.org, where you’ll find both an interactive map and timeline of state performance on a wide array of health issues along with a large resource of actions you can take to support your favorite cause.

Another game to play when confronted with a somewhat random website full of stats is, Why Does This Site Exist and Who’s Behind It?  “America’s Health Rankings” is about as generic as the name under it, United Health Foundation.  The United Health Foundation, of course, was established by the United Health Group, which you might or might not recognize as the largest single health carrier in the United States.  What’s their motivation?  Perhaps the same as yours.  They probably don’t want you to have to go to the doctor either.

We Won’t Be Satisfied Until All the Charts Go Through the Roof

by | posted in: Ape Con Myth, Video | 1

When it comes to prisons in the United States, the thing that really sticks out is how increasingly prone we are to put people in them.

And the worst part is, who is really going to stop and ask why?  It’s so much easier to assume they all deserve it.  Because, you know, everyone knows life isn’t fair, except when the courts are involved.

Yep, we’re all just a bunch of people getting exactly what we deserve!

[Chart from Wikipedia, Video via exp.lore.com]

Ask the I Ching: Do Exercise Programs Help Children Stay Fit?

by | posted in: Ape Con Myth, External Screenshot | 0

Ancient oracles have such an excellent sense of humor.  When asked about the New York Times article, Do Exercise Programs Help Children Stay Fit?, the I Ching simply replied…

The message here is for the adults of course.  And the adults understand too, though without quite getting it.

“Kids naturally love to run around and play,” Dr. Booth said. “But they’re just not doing it as much now. And we don’t know why. So what we really need to understand is, what’s happening to our kids that makes them quit wanting to play?”

Unfortunately the doc wants to do something about it, instead of keeping still, as the I Ching suggests.  If children naturally play, it’s something the adults are already doing that is draining the life from these youngsters. The process should be to stop doing stuff to these kids until they get their groove back.  Instead, things like this are being said…

But none of these suggestions will be easy to put in place, Dr. Booth said, or inexpensive, and all will require scientific validation. No one expected, after all, that well-designed exercise interventions for children would prove to be so ineffective.

… Wait…

No one expected, after all, that well-designed exercise interventions for children would prove to be so ineffective.

Really?

Well then here’s some exceptionally good advice for kids: Run!

[Reading via Psychic Science] [Previously on ACM – Ask the I Ching: Has ‘Europe’ Failed?]

The Occupy Wall Street Anniversary Coloring Contest

by | posted in: ACM Other, Ape Con Myth, External Images, Features | 0

Oh look!  Occupy Wall Street made an invitation for their Anniversary Action and forgot to color it in!

They were probably busy putting the finishing touches on plans for nine days of actions and events starting Saturday, September 15th.

Let’s do our part by coloring the invites and sending them out to our friends!

Be sure to share your version with the social network(s) of your choice and here in the comments for a chance at a free Ape Con Myth something or other!

Meanwhile, find out everything you need to know for the anniversary at #S17 , including actions in your area and this handy pdf breaking down what’s happening in NYC.

Giddy up!

The Creepy Parallel Universe Known as Our Past

by | posted in: Ape Con Myth, External Images | 0

No matter who you are or what you do, you’ll likely join the rest of us in breathing a sigh of relief for not being born any earlier than you were.  As Vonnegut put it in Cat’s Cradle, “History! Read it and weep!”  And weep is what you might do looking through this collection of vintage motivational cards from the early 1900’s.  While suggestive of ideas that might propel one to action, you can almost taste the condescension and extrapolate from it the working conditions that might have acted as the side dish to our past toiling.

As you return to your labor today, be thankful that its 2012 and not 1912, 1812 or worse.  And for all those reading from 2112, Despair, Inc. will give you a glimpse of how twisted things were in the early part of the 21st century.

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