Pat Macpherson, Pfc. Sandoval, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly; Larry Wilmore Jan. 20, 2015
"The Nightly Show" State of the American Protests: Al Sharpton calls an emergency meeting to address all-white nominations for the 2015 Oscars, and Larry takes a look at recent protests.
(Comedy Central) Get a taste of extra nightlyness when "The Nightly Show" with Larry Wilmore premieres on Comedy Central on MLK Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 19, 2015.
Who could ever replace Colbert?
Who will fill Stephen Colbert's shoes? No one. No one can. But someone will fill the timeslot with The Daily Show's Jon Stewart's blessing and backing. Senior Daily Show Correspondent Larry Wilmore gets his own show, first called "The Minority Report," until FOX got angry about that and threatened to sue. But the new show will focus on material too hot for Stewart to tackle (or too lacking in ratings potential). "I know," Stewart must have said, "let's get Larry to do it." In any case, it is a great opportunity for Wilmore to get some laughs while increasing the diversity of the ultra-white late night U.S. TV talkshow format.
(CC) Dec. 18, 2014 - The Colbert Report's yard sale offers something for everyone, Pope Francis helps the U.S. bury the hatchet with Cuba, and Stephen reminisces with Phil Klay about Iraq.
Boundary-Pushing Late Night Hosts Move On — Colbert Up, Ferguson Out
There must be more to life than network TV!
They both started their late-night shows in the same year, reinventing their respective corners of television by bending and sometimes breaking the rules.
But as Stephen Colbert and Craig Ferguson both say goodbye to long-running programs this week, only one has turned his showbiz rebellion into a launchpad for an even bigger TV platform [pushing David Letterman off his throne and eventually destroying Jimmy Kimmel, the new Johnny Carson, in the ratings].
I loved Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central.
From the cover of Entertainment Weekly to [a final interview with outgoing warlord/president/CEO B.S. Obama and] shoutouts from James Franco and Michael J. Fox, everyone seems to be talking about tonight's finale of The Colbert Report. Including, to no one's surprise, the host himself.
(CC) Pres. B.S. (Barry Soetoro) Obama wows the Colbert crowd with charisma proving that there are two things he can't do -- stop wars or memorize jokes written for him, Dec. 9, 2014. But he's funny enough for a puppet leader.
But there's another long-running late-night host also saying goodbye this week.
Craig Ferguson (Sonja Flemmings/AP)
On Friday, Craig Ferguson hosts his last episode of CBS' The Late Late Show after nearly 10 years. His departure isn't getting much attention -- in part because he's leaving as CBS builds its new late-night franchise around Colbert, who will replace retiring legend David Letterman in the new year.
Both Colbert and Ferguson blew up the traditional talk show format, but each man accomplished it in his own, unique way. More + NPR AUDIO + MORE VIDEO
(TCR) Stephen Colbert takes Pres. Obama's trip to China and the inevitable criticism from "some" in the mainstream media. But nothing can compare to his send-up of Fox Business contributor Bo Dietl's unhinged rant.
I won't stand for that white hipster ironical racism; people might misunderstand it.
.
Stephen Colbert responded to criticism about a tweet about his show from his TV network last week, saying he would dismantle the imaginary foundation that created the stir.
It surely says something about our culture that a single tweet (when the twit hit the fan) can turn into a major racial incident: Colbert's send-up of Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder's new foundation to help Native Americans.
The controversy erupted when a Twitter account associated with Colbert's Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report, took the joke too far -- away from its original context.
"I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever," read the tweet from @ColbertReport.
Hipster (ironic) racism? It's not Colbert's Twitter handle, and Colbert himself had nothing to do with the tweet, but a lot of people -- specifically Asian-Americans -- didn't think it was funny. They thought it was racist.
But not everyone thinks so, not, for example, Jay Caspian Kang, an Asian-American who wrote a piece about the controversy for newyorker.com. Where some saw racism, he tells NPR's Rachel Martin, he saw a big misunderstanding.
"When the tweet came out, without the sort of context of the first part of the joke, then it does seem a little bit shocking," he says.
One of those offended was activist Suey Park, 23. Park re-tweeted in outrage, and the #CancelColbert social media campaign began. Kang understands where the anger comes from.
Seeing Red
Colbert responded on his show by saying he would "shut down" the imaginary foundation that sparked fury among select critics. The most vocal has been Suey Park (Twitter nicknameAngry Asian Woman). She began the #CancelColbertcampaign.
In an article for Time, Park wrote last week: "The problem isn't that we can't take a joke. The problem is that white comedians and their fans believe they are above reproach." She also discussed her motivations in a video interview with Huff Po. In another tweet she stated: "White people -- please keep #CancelColbert trending until there's an apology."
Rachel Stark has the right idea: "Calm, reasoned debate among comics about which jokes should be off limits doesn’t exist"!
We love you, Suey Park, but be an activist about something more serious than satire. For if we lose our hero and white-ally Colbert because of your humorless campaign, we will not be amused, not amused in the slightest, and we'll start our own offensive imaginary foundation to continue the mission of calling attention to a racist #Redskins owner Dan Snyder by mocking Asians in the blogosphere. (Please send all complaint letters in response to our rant to "Attention: I. Rony, Features Editor, Wisdom Quarterly" via EFF.org).
"Some of what Suey Park was saying [was about] Asian-Americans who are second-generation: It's sort of ingrained in our heads to always protect that idea of assimilation and upward mobility," Kang says.
"One of the things that upsets us," he says, "is when somebody comes and agitates in a way that would reflect badly upon us."
But Kang defends Colbert. It's also upsetting to "reflect badly upon the people who[m] we would consider our allies, who are trying to help us have this sort of assimilation, post-racial dream," he says.
In his article, Kang writes, "There's a long tradition in American comedy of dumping tasteless jokes at the feet of Asians and Asian-Americans -- [which] follows the perception that we will silently weather the ridicule."
"I think the writers in Hollywood know that it's just not going to be an issue the way that it would be if the joke was on another minority group," he says. LISTEN
All jokes and satire aside, there are discomfit ting conversations to be had.
Dr. Elaine Pagels discusses the Lost Gospels with Stephen Colbert (Minute 13:30)
The life, death, and tomb
of Jesus provide proof that Jesus Christ (St. Issa) was a humble prophet of God, not the exclusive
"son" of God, like heavenly beings "born-among-devas" (devaputras). He was crucified as punishment but survived. Crucifixion leads to death by internal "drowning," a fate one is spared from if one is pierced on the side to release liquid as it builds up in the lungs. His friends, family, and/or followers bribed a Roman guard to spare him.
He migrated to Asia with a merchant caravan along the Silk Road to
teach the Lost Tribes of Israel in a large outpost along the Silk Road in Kashmir, India (as documented by Holger Kersten). He eventually died like a normal human being, a holy elder of many years (and, we speculate, was almost certainly reborn in a lower heaven such as Brahma's Retinue, a lofty world in spacedescribed in Buddhist cosmology).
The new Ku Klux Klan - now with 1% less racism! ,,
(LINK) Mr. Showcomedy clip: Skip to Minute 1:47 for "The New Ku Klux Klan"
According to last night's episode of The Colbert Report, there's a "new KKK"(1/30/13) and as reported at RawStory.com-- more Christian, less "hate group," and every bit as racist as before. Members have been leafleting the Eastern Seaboard in search of new recruits, much to the chagrin ofresidents from Florida to New York.
It was only a matter of time before the KKK loosened its membership requirements to allow more hate from more American. But it is still all about "Wake up, White America," white supremacy, neo-Nazism, ignorance, hate, and Aryan Brotherhood (quite like the fabled "Muslim Brotherhood" America and other Western powers banned in Egypt).
Meanwhile, the Associated Press is reporting today that -- although Asians are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the America -- Hispanics will equal Whiteswithin the state of former-Mexico-now-California in six months:
Hispanics soon to equal Whites
SACRAMENTO, California (Politico.com, 1/31/13) - State demographers say California's Hispanic
population will equal that of whites within six months and exceed it
early next year -- a milestone in the country's racial and ethnic shifts.
Population projections released Thursday [today, 1/31/13] by the state
Department of Finance show that Hispanics will become the dominant
ethnic group in California for the first time [since this territory all belonged to Mexico prior to it being misappropriated by former European expansionists and conquistadors].
By 2020, demographers say Hispanics will be about 41 percent of California's population, with whites less than 37 percent.
The white population will fall to about 30 percent by 2060 from the
current 39 percent, affecting politics and public policy in the nation's
most populous state. Whites currently lack a majority in only Hawaii
and New Mexico.The report says California's population will hit 50 million in 2049. More
"Oh You Men" - one of the funniest episodes of Mr. Show ever!
War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Politics, on the other hand. What is that good for? Laughs! We would give up paying attention -- if it weren't so tragically FUNNY.
Everything will be all right. But while the ride is in motion, we sometimes forget ourselves. Then it can get hair-raising. Is Romney that much of an idiot, Obama that much of a liar, the secret movers and shakers (hidden behind the scenes manipulating the game) that "evil"?
HALLOWEEN JOKES
Seven, Wisdom Quarterly A boywas devouring a sack of candy -- bar after bar -- when the old Zen master walked up to him hollering.
"You stupid fool, you're going to die eating that much candy!"
"My grandfather lived to be 107," the boy explained and kept gobbling away.
The old master was surprised. "You mean he lived to be 107 by eating candy?"
"No," the boy answered, "by minding his own business."
--------- Q: Why did the cat fall out of the tree? I don't know, why? A: Because he was dead.
Is there compassion and kindness (karuna and metta) in today's cutting comedy? There may not be for those public figures being skewered. But there sure is for the majority of us forced to endure mass media disinformation campaigns and pernicious half-truths and bald-faced untruths of politicians and newsy talking heads.
Thank Comedy Central, Stephen Colbert, Sarah "Great Schlep" Silverman, Jon Stewart, Laura Kightlinger, Lisa Lampanelli, Seth MacFarlane, Southpark creators Matt and Trey, and the good ol' boys with the Red State Update!
One of the leading sources of mock news -- just behind FOX News, the Daily Show, and the Onion -- has gone dark this week without explanation. Stephen Colbert's Colbert Report is rerunning episodes in the meantime. Mother is rumored to be at the heart of mystery.
Frank Luntz is visible on the sidebar at Wisdom Quarterly (courtesy of The Colbert Report) comically being skewered by Stephen Colbert. Luntz is a 1% PR man for sale to the highest bidder, waging war with words and spin. He sells himself to corporations and the politicians that serve them.
Luntz did the Occupy (Wall Street) Movement a great service last week: As the founder of right-wing messaging firm Luntz Global, he circulated advice to GOP strategists for how best to use specific phrases and terminology to hinder the efforts of the Occupy Wall Street movement. But word got out.
How the Occupy Movement (OM) presents itself, particularly before cameras, will play a critical role in determining whether it is successful at broadening its base of support. The US lost support for its invasion and illegal occupation of Vietnam exactly because the cameras were there. The US military now bans un-embedded cameras.
The whole world is watching. Spectators take their lead from how they identify with Occupiers they see on TV or meet in person.
This is a primer. It begins with some of the most subversive strategies being used against the OM. It finishes with general word-choice aimed at helping activists who wish to defend the movement.
Never drop the "Wall Street."
Luntz:Tell them, "You shouldn't be occupying Wall Street; you should be occupying Washington. [Herman "Koch" Cain got the memo and frequently used this talking point.] You should occupy the White House because it's the policies over the past few years that have created this problem."
This is a very important diversion. Luntz is suggesting that the GOP work to deflect attention from banks toward DC bureaucrats. But bailouts, insider trading, and the derivatives market trading crashed the economy. Government bureaucrats simply fail to regulate these massive firms with their own armies (such as billionaire Mayor Bloomberg's seventh largest army in the world, as he referred to it, the NYPD).
How We Win: Washington is a problem. But it is not “the” problem. Right versus Left is a shell game. It is a false narrative designed to divide and conquer.
The reason Washington is a problem is because representatives in Washington no longer pay any heed to the will of the people. This is because players on both sides of the traditional Right vs. Left “Washington” dynamic have been bought by special interest money. These special interests are the hands of the puppet master... More
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.
Poll-Cooking With AP: Obama Approval at 60% -- With 46-29 Dem-GOP Split
Tom Blumer (May 11, 2011) The chefs in the kitchens at AP-GfK (a joint effort of the Associated Press and GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications) have been working overtime cooking up a scrumptious dish for fans of Barack Obama and the Democratic party.
After tasting the output this morning, the AP's Liz Sidoti and Jennifer Agiesta could hardly contain their glee (also saved here for future reference, fair use and discussion purposes):
President Barack Obama's approval rating has hit its highest point in two years -- 60 percent -- and more than half of Americans now say he deserves to be re-elected, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll taken after U.S. forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
In March, the same poll had the president's approval rating at 53%. The graphic which follows, obtained from the the poll's "topline" at AP-GfK's web site, reveal that the AP pair enjoy feasting on empty calories: More
WARNING: Skimpy outfits, mild use of bad words, irony, sexually suggestive dancing!
Recycling in Search of Strong Women
Wisdom Quarterly
We sure do love Lady Gaga. Maybe it's because she seems like a strong woman, and they are in short supply. Unfortunately, it seems like a case of false bravado as with Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter, and other right-wing starlets. There aren't enough Chelsea Handlers, Wanda Sykes, Ariana Huffingtons, Hillarys, or Amy Goodmans. So we're stuck resorting to music for role models on how to be strong. Fortunately, they keep recycling through the dance hits, raps, and R&B themes. It may not be fresh, but it's reliable. Kwan Yin, Tara, Prajapati Gotami, the female arhats, Khema, and Uppalavanna are of course better role models, but they aren't in the media very often. Lady Gaga and others (Ke$ha, Christina Eagle, Britney, Cher, Paris, and Lindsay) are. Is there a media conspiracy to dumb down our distractions, or is it the cosmetics industry trying to convince us that women's only value is beauty, sexuality, and/or acting like a lesbian? It's a great media wasteland where trash and mash ups make the best art. We might as well have fun with it, like our comedy hero and heroine Stephen Colbert (of the Colbert Report and the Colbuffington Re-post) and Sarah Silverman, or take a lesson from Brazil.*
WARNING: Mild use of bad words, irony, pseudo aggression, transvestitism, and Sarah stabs a stuffed moose, (No moose were harmed in the making of this parody).
Lady Gaga leaves Britney Spears in the dust but can't trump Flo Rida or the Black Eyed Peas' digital hits. It's the 1,000th hit single since Billboard started the Hot 100 in 1958. Talented Lady Gaga is no "overnight sensation." "Born This Way" is Gaga's third single to top the Hot 100, but it's her first to debut in the top spot. Her breakthrough hit, "Just Dance," took 22 weeks to reach #1. Her follow-up, "Poker Face," took 15 weeks. Surprisingly, "Bad Romance" never reached the top spot. It logged seven weeks at #2. Is she recycling? "Born This Way" owes an obvious debt to a pair of Madonna hits, 1989's "Express Yourself" and 1990's "Vogue." Previous Gaga hits have also echoed Madonna. It's just like "Sarah Palin" raps in their epic battle: "Everything you do is just a rerun of Madonna! Your fans are in a frenzy like a bunch of g*y piranha."
*Brazil's "Waste Land"
Filmed over nearly three years, "Waste Land" was a hit at Sundance 2010 and is poised to take home a best documentary Academy Award. The film follows renowned artist Vik Muniz on a journey from his home base in New York to his native Brazil. His aim is the world's largest landfill, Gramacho Garden, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, to photograph an eclectic band of pickers (catadores) of recyclables. Muniz's initial objective was to "paint" the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of waste reveals both dignity and despair as the catadores begin to re-imagine their lives. In the end, Walker offers stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit (Almega Projects).
Stephen Colbert interviews physicist Dr. Micchio Kaku on the science of things still thought by most people to be impossible.
The Buddha described a world above the ordinary human plane. Earth is not limited to humans, not by a long shot. There are other beings here: unseen, hidden, shape shifting, and visiting. In fact, it's not accurate to think the planet belongs predominantly to humans. Nagas (hybrid reptilian beings) and Kinnaras (hybrid avian beings), in addition to numerous others (yakshas and maras, devas and asuras).
The sky immediately above the Earth is ruled by four "Great Kings" (maha rajas) -- a situation that makes much more sense in extraterrestrial/UFO terms than wispy angelic spirit beings. Of course, ETs are able to cloak themselves, transform their appearance, and relocate by teleportation. These are not "supernatural" occurrences. But because we do not generally understand the processes and laws of physics involved quite yet, we naturally have no alternative but to think them "magical."
Kinnaras, avian hybrids also called Garudas, stylistically depicted (Eddy-Jalbout/Flickr)
And to those who will not accept anything as magical, they're mythical, fanciful, utterly make believe. There's a middle ground. The science of the impossible is being revealed. When scientists come out and blow the whistle on secret government activities -- as compiled by persistent researchers like Richard Hoagland and Steven Greer -- it becomes very difficult to discount what is being explained and the documentation to support it as simple nonsense.
While Stephen Colbert jokes and Micchio Kaku grows famous, the revelations of real whistleblowers gets obscured. Phil Schnieder was killed for revealing a world so beyond our imagination that all we can do is watch "The Matrix" to try to get our head around what is happening.
What does it have to do with Buddhism?
The Buddha described this world with its many kinds of beings. We accept that the Dharma is true and leads to: enlightenment, fortunate karmic outcomes, and immediate happiness here and now. How, then, are we to ignore the others things he mentioned?
He did not ignore this world and what was going on. It may be secondary to purifying our minds, making merit (storing up beneficial karma that will follow us in the future like a never-departing shadow as we walk towards the light), and stopping harming others, but it is on the list.
What is the world coming to in just this century? We're the superpower, the Evil Empire: war on top of war, chemtrails, UFO sightings, enslaving others in a surveillance state and in third world sweatshops, money woes, chemical foods, cancers, and a general disregard for each other.
America, the Greatest Country God ever gave Man, was built on three bedrock principles: Freedom. Liberty. And Fear -- that someone might take our Freedom and Liberty. But now, there are dark, optimistic forces trying to take away our Fear -- forces with salt and pepper hair and way more Emmys than they need. They want to replace our Fear with reason. But never forget -- "Reason" is just one letter away from "Treason." Coincidence? Reasonable people would say it is, but America can't afford to take that chance. So join The Rev. Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A. on October 30th for the "March to Keep Fear Alive"™ in Washington DC. Pack an overnight bag with five extra sets of underwear -- you're going to need them. Because, to Restore Truthiness we must always... Shh!!! What's that sound?! I think there's someone behind you! Run! [Take that Glenn Beck and Jon Stewart.] See campaign>>
All materials on this site are submitted by editors and readers. All images, unless otherwise noted, were taken from the Internet and are assumed to be in the public domain.
In the event that there is still a problem, issue, or error with copyrighted material, the break of the copyright is unintentional and noncommercial, and the material will be removed immediately upon presented proof.
Contact us by submitting a comment marked "private."
Do not follow this journal if you are under vinaya or parental restrictions. Secure protection by Sucuri.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at creativecommons.org/about/licenses.
