TDS last night: Jon hit them hard twice

[elfwitch]

First he does a solid hit on Ridge's little announcement yesterday and then he slams it hard with the bit about recalling Army band members to play at funerals. He was so on last night. Maybe looking at his newborn son made him realize he has the power and the responsibility to help make some changes for the future. Having a newborn in your house will do that. It is some weird combination of love and lack of sleep.

[Burma Jones]

1. Jon Stewart - The finest Sit-Down Comedian EVER

quote from some top 100 comics thing on Comedy Central.

[ewagner]

2. Did you hear the audience reaction

to the Army guy saying that Band members had to be recalled because "there are a lot of funerals"?

There were audible gasps and moans from the audience. Unlike some of the other bits, there was very little laughter. The stupidity of the administration isn't funny anymore.

[NMDemDist2]

3. agreed, he was "ON" and seem fed up to his eyeballs with the crap

:smoke:

[PA Democrat]

4. Yes, the remark about "thinking outside the coffin"

was not a guy trying to get a laugh. It was Jon making a very heartfelt political statement. He was not amused; he was angry.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Agreed! He even told them to quiet

down...he had something to say last night. :)

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Kids Scared Dennis Miller Into Stupidity

Probably one way or the other. Miller looked at his kids after 9/11 and was so scared and felt so powerless, that his brain turned to mush. Suddenly, the cynic needed a "leader". He was so frightened that he wanted someone else to protect his kids' future.

Stewart apparently looked at his kid and took that responsibility onto himself, instead of being a cowardly little weinie and running to tough guy Georgie for cover.
The Professor

[elfwitch]

7. It's called Tikkun Olam

Tikkun Olam is the imperative to repair the world, so that it reflects the divine values of Justice (tzedek), Compassion (hesed), and Peace (shalom).

The concept of Tikkun Olam was created by Rabbi Isaac Luria in the city of Safed during the sixteenth century. Today, Tikkun Olam is identified with working for social justice, peace, freedom, equality, and the resotration of the environment.

Clearly, all three terms are connected with each other, and all are aspects of tikkun olam - repairing a broken world. Tikkun olam is our Jewish mandate to do what we can to make the world a better place for all of God’s children. Tzedakah, of course, is charity - and it comes from the Hebrew word tzedek, which means justice. Thus, giving tzedakah is simply doing what is right and just. G’milut hasadim are deeds of loving-kindness - giving of our time, our energy, ourselves, to help others on a personal level. Cooking for the homeless, visiting the sick or the elderly, paying a condolence call, are all examples of g’milut hasadim. And social action focuses on community work and action. It is striving to effect change in the laws of our country; it is protesting when wrongs are perceived; it is trying to make justice a reality for all.

from http://www.kiwcpa.org/kesher-israel/cwp/view.asp?A=612&Q=174968

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Thanks, That's Interesting!

Did not know that. I'm not Jewish, and the folks that i know that are Jewish are either HIGHLY reformed, or fallen away. So that's outside my experience.

Thanks for helping me learn something new.
The Professor

[elfwitch]

9. The spirit of Tikkun Olam...

is pretty strong even among EXTREMELY Reform Jews. I am somewhere in between just Reform and extremely Reform. It is always nice to help people learn a little more about Judaism. Most people have never even met a Jew much less have gotten the chance to ask questions.

[seventhson]

10. Very good stuff

are you involved in Tikkun.org?

It seems like Stewart takes his commitment to justice and his method of self-reflection very seriously as well as his comic art.

from his lips to God's ears, as it is said

I am glad you mentioned it as more folks need to understand these teachings and understand that Jews are not all right wing Sharonites - many many share the more progressive views of Jon Stewart (and can still have soime lightness of heart about world affairs)

Anyway , thanks.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. I Either Know or Have Known Dozens. Maybe over 100

I come from a mid-size city with a diverse population. (100,000 people) Not so big that it's isolated by community, but not so small as to be lilly white and waspy. But, since i fell away from Catholicism at the speed of light when i was 14 (not good for a nice italian boy), i've never really been that attuned to other people's religious background. Mine didn't matter to me, so i really wasn't that plugged into others' background.

Thanks again.
The Professor

[elfwitch]

12. most of the other Jews I know...

try not to make a big deal about it. They lead by example and deeds not by loudly proclaiming their piety through association. Besides, history has taught Jews that you shouldn't advertise it too much, there are a lot of people in the world that will not like you for it.

[Gothmog]

14. My Temple is reform but on the conservative side

There are sermons on this concept at our temple all of the time. It is also brought up at board meetings and committee meetings.

[elfwitch]

15. It was a very BIG deal at my temple in San Antonio...

not so nearly as much at my Temple in Dallas.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Good Point

So, it may not just be my intentional obliviousness to it. They just might not be advertising much as well. Those two would combine to amplify how little i know about it.
The Professor

[elfwitch]

17. You are welcome to ask questions OR

hit this site http://www.jewfaq.org/
It is a really good source for intro to Judaism.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Maybe

But, i really have little interest, and truly no personal need, for religion. Any minimal interest i have would be to connect with like-minded folks, such as you.

I took two semesters of Comparative Religion in undergrad school. I have the basics. I'm not sure how much more i care or need to know, except in very specific circumstances.

Thanks anyway.
The Professor

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. Tikkun Olam for Dummies (tell me if I get this right)

Tikkun Olam : Judaism :: Liberation Theology : Catholicism

Sure sounds like it. PING ChavezSpeaksTheTruth...

[elfwitch]

20. not that familiar with Catholicism

In spite of growing up in San Antonio, TX. There are a lotta Catholics in South Texas.

After looking it up, there is some similarity. I'd say the big difference is that the Jewish perspective on the world is that we aren't sure what comes after so we are expected to try to leave the world a better place than when we found it. We do not have the certainty that there is an afterlife in heaven or whatnot. We are expected to make this world a paradise just in case there isn't anything after you die.

[MissB]

13. Personally, I loved the Ken Lay segment

Where he made the point of Lay's connection to * and said that * had given Lay the nickname "Kenny Boy". Then he showed a snip of the Republican convention the year that Bush Sr ran for President. Lay was a speaker there (keynote, I think) and they showed footage of him. Then he put up a graphic of Bush Sr, Lay and *.

He said he had no joke, it just pissed "them" off when he did that. "Them" has to refer to the Bush administration.

[bossfish]

19. I'm pretty sure Lay wasn't the KEYNOTE speaker

at the GOP convention.

I doubt a non-politico spoke at all.