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May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
August 3, 2006
/ 9 Menachem-Av, 5766
Thoughts on the passing scene
By
Ben Wattenberg
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
We are agog at the new inventions of our times: computers, new medications, you name it. But the late Herbert Stein, a former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under Richard Nixon made a different case: That the late 19th and early 20th century were the times of the greatest invention: telephones, airplanes, automobiles, air-conditioning, the telegraph, indoor plumbing and so on.
I think Stein was probably right.
Herb was a colleague of mine at the American Enterprise Institute. The management once suggested that we share a secretary. Stein, one of the few economists with a sense of humor, said drolly: "Sharing a secretary with Wattenberg is like sharing a canoe with an an elephant."
Probably right again.
American diplomats
I have often traveled under the auspices of the US Government --- particularly what was then called the United States Information Agency. In the field these guys were great. I was in Moscow with my then-wife at a "night-club." I asked one of the USIA guys, Alan Coombs, to take our picture. We returned to our six person booth. Alan was at an inside seat. A Soviet military man with lots of stripes (A general?) started yelling at Alan Coombs our helper-outer. The officer leapt across the booth and grabbed the camera, saying (in Russian) that pictures couldn't be taken of Soviet military men. Coombs jumped back at him and salvaged our camera. A hero!
It's back at home that the diplomats get the reputation (often deserved) of being softball-playing striped pants cookie-pushers, too often willing to accommodate to that mystical "world public opinion."
Income
There is always a great argument about how many people are "in poverty" and whether the number is growing or sinking. Inflation rates and the CPI are often cock-eyed or subject to varying interpretations. The best way to see it, as I see it, is to see what people have. Today, more people have air-conditioners, cars, living space, television, books --- than ever before. That's good.
Can Democrats be hawks?
In 2003, Donna Brazille, a tough-minded liberal, co-authored an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. She said that Democrats ought to model themselves on the Sen. "Scoop" Jackson, quintessential liberal hawk. She said that Dems have been "AWOL on National Security." Yada, yada, yada. Now, Sen. Joe Lieberman is being scalded because he has supported the President's policy on Iraq. The Dems talk the talk, but they ain't walking the the walk.
Nepotism
Nepotism is supposed to be bad. But it's everywhere, and it should be. A politician's son/daughter may follow in his/her footsteps. It may well be the most important thing that can be bequeathed. My own family is heavy on writers, editors, artists, musicians. We try to help each other, but some object: They want to be weighed on their own merits. OK. But the truth is that we learn from our home environment, whether we like it or not.
This is true among business types, shoemakers, bakers and candle-stick makers. And a good thing it is.
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