"The Politics of Ecstasy" (video)

The oxymoronic "Politics of Ecstasy" (one not having anything to do with the other) might be about meditative bliss (piti and sukha). It might be about the dance club drug "E" (which is a groovy love potion and a terrible health menace because it contains the brain-depleting toxic chemical amphetamine "Meth"). Or it might be about having fun in an oppressive Judeo-Christian society with Puritanical (Sharia Law) leanings.

America is great, but it can be just a little hypocritical. We all try as best we can to enjoy ourselves, while being made to feel guilty about it. This shaming does us more harm than good. And in the long run, we are co-opted: We are lied to as kids and go on to lie to our kids in the naive beliefs that this keeps them "innocent."

It leads to disillusionment. We have fun and enjoy having fun, and there's no reason for fun other than fun. There's plenty of time to suffer and discover that most things are unsatisfying. All of these issues are called "politics" only when our hippie parents sit around and talk about it academically:

Buddhism at minute 22:22

• AUDIO: Deep Buddhist meditation explained in English
  
• North Korea's Global Happiness Index: China is the world's happiest place!
• Most global polls rate Scandinavian and west European nations as being among the world's happiest and most liveable. Not so says a North Korean survey, which ranked China as "the happiest place on earth." As Shanghaiist is reporting, a new global happiness index awarded China 100 out of 100 possible points.
• Be happy anywhere: the Beautiful Buddhist Nuns of Burma
  
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Shell Oil US President Marvin Odum talks about both history and the future.... witness cutting-edge college and high school student vehicles, many getting over 1,000 miles-per-gallon. Eco reporter Cary Harrison is covering the 2010 Shell Oil Eco-marathon, bonding with the brilliant minds who have gathered in the oil capitol to demonstrate what the future could look like.

• Radio and online webstream: Go Harrison!

"Sex and Zen" 3-D porn climbs at box office

Giving a whole new meaning to the Buddhist expression, "After the ecstasy, the laundry," 3-D pornography goes mainstream. But with mainland China imposing a ban, audiences must go to Hong Kong to see "Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy."

HONG KONG (AP) — A pioneering Hong Kong 3-D erotic comedy has powered ahead at the box office, bringing in $6.7 million globally.

As of Monday, "3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy" has earned $4.1 million in its home market, $1.75 million in Taiwan and $870,000 in Australia, where it has been screening in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney at movie theaters catering to ethnic Chinese communities, publicist Carmen Wong said Tuesday [May 3, 2011].

The $3.5 million production, which opened in Hong Kong on April 14, has drawn audiences with its novel mix of 3-D visuals and the moral tale of an ancient Chinese scholar who loses himself in a duke's harem.

In Hong Kong, it earned $360,000 on its opening day, shattering the territory's previous first-day box office record of $340,000 set by James Cameron's 2009 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar."

Its $4.1 million take so far makes it the Hong Kong box office champion for the year. The previous champion is the Chinese New Year comedy "I Love Hong Kong," which earned $3.3 million. Ticket sales were boosted by tourists from mainland China, where the lack of a ratings system has ruled out a release, as well as by female-only screenings.

However, "Sex and Zen," a remake of a 1991 Hong Kong movie by the same name, still has a long way to go before beating the cumulative take of "Avatar," which raked in a record $23 million in Hong Kong and then another $400,000 with an extended version.

"Sex and Zen" is to be released in South Korea on May 12 and in France, India, and Italy in June.