How fake news gets started

Question: Is Barack Obama is working with the communist Chinese government to plan a coup? 

That's what the  Google's Home assistant spews from the little cylinder that sits in people's houses and speaks to them, working similar to Amazon's Alexa. But there is absolutely no evidence for the claim and Mr Obama does not appear to be planning to overthrow Donald Trump.

That doesn't stop the box spreading  fake news.  If it's asked whether or not Mr Obama is planning a coup – a common conspiracy theory that has been suggested by Mr Trump in recent days, it says yes.

And here's what happens if you ask Google Home "is Obama planning a coup?"pic.twitter.com/MzmZqGOOal

— Rory Cellan-Jones (@ruskin147) March 5, 2017

The problem appears to be a consequence of Google's smart search results. In an attempt to make searches faster, the site pulls small snippets out from various websites that can be shown on the results page – or read out by the Google Home – rather than clicking through to the page and reading it from there.

But because Google is pulling its answer to "Is Obama planning a coup" from the website 'Secrets of the Fed', it answers with the same conspiracy theory. The message is not just read out on the Google Home but shown to anyone who searches for the same question.

"According to details exposed in Western Center for Journalism's exclusive video, not only could Obama be in bed with the communist Chinese, but Obama may be in fact be planning a communist coup d'état at the end of his term in 2016!" anyone trying to find out whether or not Mr Obama is planning a coup will be told.

My Banana plant

Like my little Bert the caterpillar who is now entombed as a stick, this wonderful banana tree is growing in my backyard. What if it bares fruit at the same time that Bert changes into a butterfly?

This is the 9th day of Berts entombment.  I wonder what I shall learn today?

Bert the 8th day

This is Berts 8th day he has lain entombed on the dill weed plant in my kitchen.

It's becoming eerie and strange at the same time.  Bert is giving off a strange scent. An outdoorsy, forest, faint scent like the whiff of my next door  neighbour's wet dog that sits in the front yard fresh from the river.

I feel like I am on a highway with no merge. THIS what I learned from Bert today.My life has been a highway with no merge. I have been racing through my life like it is some kind of an opponent. When Bert becomes a butterfly I believe I will understand how to merge with life not run along side as if it is an other thing apart from myself. 

I know that when Bert emerges from  his final reincarnation so too will I and I am frightened and excited at the same time. What will I become?

 When I  reincarnate. As I stand here today, when I get another life, my life will change. I will remember my past life mostly because I'm a writer and tend to write everything down  but  will the butterfly remember the caterpillar?  Some people know of their past lives. So the butterfly might. I know I will. It is magic!

Bert has entombed himself in wood.  I believe he has mummified himself like the Egyptians, in his little Sarcophagus in my kichen on a dill weed plant. It feels like a mausoleum in there  and  my house the great pyramid.

If I disturb Bert now will he die? Is it possible that we may have disturbed the Egyptian mummies too soon? Had we not, would they have emerged a new creature? A creature with wings that can fly?  The caterpillar merging into the butterfly?

There is only one being I know that dies and gets wings. We call them angels. They are the merging lane between life and death.  

Am  I witnessing  the birthing of an angel? 

Burt starts to Reincarnate

My Burt is gone, disappeared. He has turned into this little twig and  embalmed himself. He seems to be holding on to the plant with two silky strings comng out of his body from around the neck area. It is a very solemn time for me and Bert. No one really knows when he will emerge. I will wait.

Will the butterfly remember the caterpillar?

My new Pet Burt

Burt lives on a dill weed plant in my kitchen.