*Sarcasm* Who does this patriarchal, sexist, misogynist, capitalist, female-exploiting, dominating, degrading male chauvinist p*g Hefner think he is making sense and being well-spoken?
Bark like a d*g, you S.O.B! How dare come on The Dick Cavett Show prepared with that smug confidence of knowing all the right things to say and actually making a few good points when we all know what you've done! Dick, are you going to let him answer like that?!
You've set women back centuries, not to mention the poor girls and ladies of the world to everyone exposed to your smut gateway magazine that opened the floodgates to an avalanche of pornographies and filth. Filth, I say!
Wives or "playmates," Hef? - Wives. - Oh nice!
You should be, you should be...well, I don't what you should be! Who am I to should all over you? You're as much a symptom as a cause of our moral decay. Only a Republican pedophile like Mr. Trump could restore us and MakeAmericaGreatAgain for the first time after that Democrat pedo Mr. Biden nearly ruined this nation!
Tiangong (Chinese 天宫, Pinyin Tiāngōng, lit. "Heavenly Palace") [5][6], officially the Tiangong Space Station [7] (Chinese 天宫空间站, Pinyin Tiāngōng Kōngjiānzhàn), is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by China Manned Space Agency [8].
Tiangong is a modular design, with pieces docked together while in low Earth orbit, between 210 and 280 miles (340 and 450 kms) above the surface of Planet Earth.
Modules of the Heavenly Palace (TSS)
It is China's first long-term space station, part of the Tiangong program and the core of the "Third Step" of the China Manned Space Program. It has a pressurized volume of 12,000 cubic feet (340 m3), slightly over one-third the size of the US's International Space Station.
Tiangong Space Station aims to provide opportunities for space-based experiments and a platform for building capacity for scientific and technological innovation [9] far in excess of Europe, the US, or any other human efforts on the planet currently. More
Is there a Buddhist parallel to this popular Western story of a Garden, a first human couple, a Wisdom Tree, and a tricky shapeshifting Serpent? There is. One need only look at the Agganna Sutta, "A Buddhist Genesis," a discourse given by the Buddha "On Beginnings."
But first it may be better to question the Sumerian, Jewish, Christian version -- made silly by its oversimplification over the millennia. The Christian version makes next to no sense, the Jewish interpretations a little more sense, and the much older Sumerian roots from texts like the Epic of Gilgamesh the Enūma Eliš. All of these are creation myths rooted in some kind of history.
Sadly, many readers misunderstand the Buddhist version of "Genesis." The Buddha is in no way explaining how life began. It is preexisting. He is merely explaining how it came to Earth and how karma (deeds) impacts the environment. As people become so, too, the world declines. We are not evolving so much as devolving from a Golden Age (Satya Yuga), and it is all cyclical. It happens again and again.
This is an echo of the older Vedic (Hindu) and Shramanic (Jain) versions, and that is because "Buddhism" does not begin with the historical Buddha. He is constantly referring back to previous buddhas (Great Heroes or Ford-makers as Jainism calls them, avatars and sages in the Old Vedic Religion that became Brahmanism and much later Hinduism).
At their pure inner core, all beings know that they are not separate from one another. In that state of mind, it is as if they live in a Garden of Eden, where they have no need for shame, no need to differentiate friend from foe, good from evil, and no need to imagine a creator god to oversee their behavior.
They have no expectations that their lives should be other than they are.
It's all me. I created everything. - Even us?
But something in our nature likes to delude us into forgetting this oneness [or unity] of all things and into believing that life should be fairer than it is.
We give that demon a name, Mara [Death, the Obstacle to Enlightenment], to help us identify it.
Suppose that, a very long time ago, the first two human beings evolved from earlier beings. We’ll call them Adam and Eve. Their inner core, or Buddha-nature [or natural state of only dreaming and soon to awake], was pure, and they had no fear of other beings, no sense of good and evil, no self that was separate from other beings and from whatever force brought them into being.
Adam and Eve did have a sense, though, that one of the trees in their garden bore intoxicating [entheogenic] fruit that they should stay away from.
That was the Tree of Duality. Looking for an opportunity to trick Adam and Eve into believing they were distinct separate beings, Mara [the Deceiver] took the form of a snake to talk with them.
No beings had ever lied to Adam and Eve, and they had no way of knowing that the snake was not really a being, so they listened as the demon Mara told them how much fun it would be to become intoxicated on the fruit of the Tree of Duality.
Zarathustra, Iran (Persia)
So Adam and Eve ate the fruit and became drunk with duality. They began to see the world as a conflict between good and evil [as taught in the novel Near East religion of Zarathustra called Zoroastrianism].
They decided that only a cruel god would create such an unfriendly place, so they invented the god of the Old Testament and then hid from him.
Because Mara had taken the form of a snake, they feared and despised all snakes. They made distinctions everywhere: friend and foe, human and animal, smart and dumb, handsome and ugly, strong and weak, rich and poor. They began to see old age, sickness, and death as unfair, as burdens, as suffering.
Four prophets: Mani, Zoraster, Buddha, Jesus
They thought child-bearing was punishment. So that was how Mara, for thousands of years to come, deluded human beings into forgetting that they could return to the Garden of Eden.
Every parable is supposed to have a moral. I’d say the moral is: Some believe in an original sin that requires salvation. Other believe in a delusion that requires awakening. — Mel Pine (Urgyen Jigme)
Trump said, "I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.... Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything" [1]. Many commentators and lawyers described such an action as sexual assault [2]. Apologists argued that the remarks were an assertion that sexual consent is easier to obtain for the wealthy and/or famous [3]. If a footballer had been there, might he have sandbagged the scumbag future presidential candidate? More
The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel: Is Trump a Time Traveler?
(Jimmy Kimmel Live) May 29, 2025: Jimmy Kimmel goes deep down into the Rabbit Hole again, digging through history to prove that Don Joe Trump is more than he seems. More than a clown, might he be a time traveling clown? #Kimmel
Trump pardons reality TV stars, RFK Jr. dials back COVID vaccines, JD Vance grifts in Vegas
(Jimmy Kimmel Live) May 28, 2025: Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon to reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, he floated the idea of pardoning the men who plotted to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer along with granting clemency to a man convicted of tax evasion, JD Vance headlined a fundraiser in Las Vegas last night, Melania announced that her new audiobook is narrated by A.I., Judge Jeanine Pirro is the new interim U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C., RFK Jr announced that the CDC will no longer recommend the COVID vaccine for pregnant women or healthy children, and DOGE has been closing offices operated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Subscribe
Mr. Newberger's AI Funnies, 5/25/25; The Rabbit Hole with Jimmy Kimmel?, May 29, 2025; Mac Miller; Sheldon S., Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
It was a full house of participants gathered on a damp and drizzly evening. Next local poetry event is May 15th, 4:00-6:00 pm at the SPARC Centre Gallery. Also in attendance were the current Poets Laureate Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon, who announced the upcoming "Poetry & Cookies" on Saturday, May 17, 2025, 4:00-6:00 pm (with a surprise open mic portion, so sign up). A beautiful land acknowledgement to the Native Tongva (Kizh, Gabrieleno) tribe of Los Angeles and region including the Channel Islands was delivered by the head of the library to launch the evening. Handouts were given and introductions were made. Then we got to writing, prompted by the workshop leader, former library Poet Laureate Dr. Lipkin. Grief was expressed about the Eaton Fire four months after the LA Fire devastated the city.
These three submissions, written on site, stood out. A page of writing prompts was handed out with leading phrases meant to trigger the creative process and the start of a poem (prompt shown in green).
THE NIGHT WAS DARK BUT THERE WAS ONE LIGHT.
The tunnel, the train, ah, the 6:40, yes, right on time. And here by its light, the reason for my stumbling, railroad ties -- and this long slick guide, steely, cold in pointing only this way or that. You see, I can't go back. I was fated forward roam, here alone, at night, right on track, in search of some way out. Then came the breeze, a breath, fresh air cool on my face -- with something left to face, over there, one more thing, right there. The night was dark but there was one light.
The two hours raced as we each wrote four pieces -- a fairytale, elegy, persona poem, and a prompted piece. Poets love to "paint" outside the lines, so every work of creativity was its own, each somewhat elegiac for what was lost to the fire. Only a small percentage of the participants were men; one cried as did another woman, who read and read every chance she could get, apparently dying for validation.
Fairy tales have been around for centuries because they capture something essential about the human experience.
In this workshop, we will use fairy tales and their tropes as inspiration to write about our own lives.
Thinking about the forest, the animals, the seasons, and the symbolic characters we find in fairy tales,
we will explore the persona poem and elegy, among other exercises to spark the imagination,
to celebrate and commemorate Altadena, and to process grief.
The workshop is FREE and open to the public -- all ages and backgrounds welcome.
Please bring a notebook and pen if possible; otherwise, the Altadena Library may provide writing utensils.
Anniversary of the LA Fire
The Jan. 7th fire was the worst in its history
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, marks nearly four months since the Eaton Fire devastated the Altadena community. We extend a special invitation to Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre residents and to those impacted by the Palisades Fire. Please join us to write and process experiences, releasing grief, and showing Los Angeles community resilience.
ABOUT: The presenter
of this workshop is former Altadena Library Poet Laureate (2016-2018) Dr. Elline Lipkin, PhD, a poet, nonfiction writer, and academic (Prof. Elline Lipkin, UChicago, Graham School) who until the Eaton Fire had been an Altadena resident for 13 years. She holds an MFA and PhD in literature and creative writing and has been a research scholar with UCLA'sCenter for the Study of Women. She is the author of two books. Her third, Girl in a Forest (on triohousepress.org), is forthcoming in October 2025. She served her community for two years as Altadena Poet Laureate and editor of the Altadena Poetry Review.
Those who produce a poem worthy of attention at this workshop are encouraged to submit it to Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal for consideration. Editors will consider submissions, and publication may be the result. Yesterday (May the 4th Be With You Day) this website had 53,000 views, and today (Cinco de Mayo) 56,000 and counting (running from 5:00 pm to 5:00 pm). Moreover, the past six months have seen 2.94 million views. So publication may draw considerable attention to your efforts.
Read works of poetry, short fiction, memoir, slam, spoken word, rap, whatever in a circle of area poets at South Pasadena Arts Council SPARC Centre Gallery located at 1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena, third Thursdays, from 4:00-6:00 pm. FREE
WEEKLY: Meditate with Amy Rutledge (Tuesdays via Zoom)
Meditate with Amy Rutledge, virtually, on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 6:30–7:00 pm viaZoom. All-ages are welcome. Join Amy and others for a guided half-hour meditation via Zoom in recognition of Mental Health Month. Be kind to yourself and chill in a group for 30 minutes.
ABOUT: Amy Rutledge came to the study of meditation as a path toward personal healing after struggles with the effects of Lyme disease as well as depression and anxiety. She found that it helped her in unexpected ways when many other approaches failed. More: meditatewithamy.com
The True Pagan Origins of Easter | Ancient Architects
(Ancient Architects) Easter Sunday is a time when the Christians of the world are celebrating the "resurrection" (rebirth) of their man-god Jesus, the "Annointed One," while Christians and non-Christians alike are feasting on chocolate eggs.
The consumption of chocolate eggs is certainly not a Christian tradition. Biblical scholars and historians universally concede that before ever becoming a Christian holiday, Easter was undoubtedly a pagan festival.
This can be seen by the fact that the date of "Easter weekend" changes every year, which is due to Easter always being celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox.
Unlike the word "Christmas" (Christ mass), the word Easter has pagan roots, and history books trace it to the Saxons: Eastra was the spring goddess. It wasn’t until the 8th century when the Anglo-Saxons took the name from the goddess and married her up with the resurrection to form the new Christian holiday of "Easter."
Easter as a celebration goes back much further than the Saxons, and some say it evens goes as far back as the Sumerians and the legend of Damuzi (or Tammuz) and Ishtar (or Inanna).
The legend known as "The Descent of Inanna" was found inscribed on a 4,100-year-old clay tablet. As Tammuz dies, Ishtar follows him into the underworld where she gets judged, killed, and is hung on display.
Meanwhile, the earth goes into decline with crops failing and animals not reproducing. A lot of the information in this video comes from the brilliant article by Joanna Gillian from Ancient Origins and you can read this now at ancient-origins.net/myths... for more detailed information.
(ReligionForBreakfast)
March 21, 2025: Is the Easter Bunny pagan? Probably not. It seems to have been invented by German-speaking Protestant Christians sometime in the 1600s [who were totally not thinking about sex, spring fertility, lusty fecundity, or anything like that because who knew rabbits were symbolic of sexual appetite, libido, or having lots and lots of babies back in Old-Timey Germany? Goddess Eostre, for which we have the word estrus, being "in heat," and perhaps Easter, the East, or the Dawn...]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stephen Winick, "Ostara and the Hare: Not Ancient, But Not as Modern as Some Skeptics Think,"
Library of Congress Blogs, April 28, 2016.
Stephen Winick, On the Bunny Trail: In Search of the Easter Bunny, Library of Congress Blogs, March 22, 2016.
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.
.jpg)
%20wiki.jpg)
_02_(cropped).jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
%20grab%20'em%20by%20the%20pussy%20or%20combover.jpg)
