Feb. 8, 2013 Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights? Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics Feb. 6, 2013 Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker Feb. 4, 2013 Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel? David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert Feb. 1, 2013 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid? Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO) The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish January 30, 2013 Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day' America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans! Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown! Germany remembers Hitler rise to power Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats Ballot riles Guinness World Records The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin January 28, 2013 Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback' Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating? David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends David Clark Scott Lego Racism? The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south

Jewish World Review Jan. 22, 2013/ 11 Shevat, 5773 So much for unity: Obama's speech failed to rise to the moment By Dana Milbank http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | President Obama began his second inaugural address with a reminder that this ceremony, like the 56 inaugurations before it in U.S. history, was a unifying symbol. “Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution,” he said from the West Front of the Capitol, his voice echoing across the Mall, where hundreds of thousands of people waved American flags. “We affirm the promise of our democracy.” Thus ended the warm-courage-of-national-unity portion of the proceedings. What followed was less an inaugural address for the ages than a leftover campaign speech combined with an early draft of the State of the Union address. Obama used the most visible platform any president has to decry global-warming skeptics who “still deny the overwhelming judgment of science.” He quarreled with Republicans who say entitlement programs “make us a nation of takers.” He condemned the foreign policy of his predecessor by saying that “enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.” “We cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate,” the president informed his opponents. Not that they were listening. George W. Bush declined to join former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter at the ceremony (Bush’s father missed it, too, although he has been in poor health.) Mitt Romney sent regrets and, it appeared, the vast majority of House Republicans skipped the proceedings as well. With Republican citizens also shunning the event, the crowd gave huge cheers for liberal favorites — John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, the Clintons, Sonia Sotomayor — and hardly a peep when Lamar Alexander, a Senate GOP leader, gave a magnanimous speech about the moment, “our most conspicuous and enduring symbol of the American democracy . . . this freedom to vote for our leaders, and the restraint to respect the results.” Obama’s main event was full of crowd-pleasing lines about equal pay, same-sex marriage, poll access, immigration, gun control and health care. Although it tied together the various elements of his agenda, it failed to rise to the moment. The president read from the founding documents (“We hold these truths to be self- evident”), echoed John F. Kennedy (“This generation of Americans has been tested by crises”), and even tossed in a Neville Chamberlain phrase (“peace in our time”) and some Hallmark sentiment (“Embrace with solemn duty, and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright”). However, the emphasis was unusually political for an inaugural address. Obama reminded his opponents that his oath of office, “like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction.” But if the speech wasn’t as grand or as memorable as previous addresses, perhaps that’s not entirely a bad thing. In his first term, Obama was undone by impossibly high expectations. This time, expectations are quite low that he can do much to change the grim state of Washington. With a lower hurdle to clear, Obama’s pedestrian rhetoric and tough words for his opponents gave Americans a fair sense of what to expect in the coming years. The lower altitude fit the day well. The crowd was big and enthusiastic — a sea of red, white and blue flags extended back almost to 14th Street, but nothing like the euphoric celebration of four years ago. High clouds blocked the sun and a cold wind chilled the spectators. Chief Justice John Roberts got the oath of office right this time, although Myrlie Evers-Williams, in her invocation, declared Obama the 45th president (he remains the 44th). James Taylor, who performed at the Democratic National Convention, got a prime spot in the lineup in between the swearings-in of Vice President Biden and Obama; he performed “America the Beautiful” — the song Romney famously sang during the campaign, mocked in an Obama TV ad. Capping the less-than-historic feel of the moment, “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.” “Wow,” said the emcee, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), when he returned to the microphone. There was less wow in the address that preceded Clarkson. Obama teased the crowd with a theme of unity: “Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.” But his “we the people” theme turned out to be more of a campaign retread. “We the people understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it,” he said. “We reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.” And we the people accept that we live in an era of diminished oratory. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Comment on Dana Milbank's column by clicking here. Previously: • 01/21/13 Less an inauguration than a tepid rerun • 01/03/13 The GOP's savior • 01/03/13 Boehner defined by a Sandy sidestep • 12/21/12 Obama in focus, yet all over the map • 12/20/12 A deal or a mutiny • 12/13/12 Joe Lieberman's sad send-off • 12/10/12 Post-thought think tank: Why DeMint and Heritage are a perfect pair • 12/06/12 Republicans wave the white flag • 12/05/12 Romney's last duty • 12/04/12 Obama's poor efforts at transparency • 12/03/12 The urge to purge: Rational Republicans defy purists at their own peril • 11/30/12 The naked 'fiscal' truth: Lawmakers can't hide the lack of progress • 11/28/12 Santorum's new cause: opposing the disabled • 11/20/12 Norquist in defeat • 11/19/12 Susan Rice's tarnished resume • 11/15/12 Let those poor states secede • 11/12/12 Whole lot of blaming going on • 11/08/12 At Romney headquarters, the defeat of the 1 percent • 11/07/12 Why I voted Republican • 11/06/12 Romney's new tune • 11/01/12 The Supreme Court's dog-day afternoon • 10/31/12 A perfect political storm • 10/29/12 Behind the Clinton 'bromance,' a stealth campaign • 10/25/12 A Trumped-up bomb • 10/24/12 Groupthink Live: How conventional wisdom congeals in 2012 • 10/23/12 The sound of worldviews not colliding • 10/22/12 The tea party is helping Dems • 10/18/12 Moderate Mitt wins conservatives' blessings • 10/16/12 Reid's latest salvos are beneath the dignity of his office • 10/08/12 Obama pays price for ducking the questions • 10/05/12 Mitt Romney holds his own -- and then some -- in first debate • 10/03//12 The Zinger candidacy --- all sugary platitudes, no protein • 09/25/12 Obama makes room for 'The View' • 08/17/12 Hateful speech on 'hate' groups: The Family Research Council is no KKK • 08/16/12 Now Dems are employing harsh tactics • 08/14/12 Paul Ryan on soapbox at Iowa State Fair • 08/13/12 Romney's welfare gambit • 08/07/12 Harry Reid's latest broadside • 07/26/12 Romney can't have it both ways on defense spending, tax cuts • 07/19/12 Ron Paul, fed up • 07/17/12 The rotten results of one-party rule • 07/11/12 The missing giants of the Senate • 07/09/12 Representative Gaffe • 07/02/12 The umpire strikes back • 06/25/12 Norquist delivers the GOP's marching orders • 06/19/12 The left, feeling left out • 06/18/12 Skip the falsehoods, Mr. President, and give us a plan • 06/15/12 The Wall Street Senate • 06/13/12 Jeb Bush's heresy • 06/12/12 Pileup at the White House • 06/11/12 Obama's fate could be in Europe's hands • 06/04/12 Welcome to Camp Competitive • 05/31/12 Digging a racial grave • 05/30/12 A new conspiracy theory: Is Romney a unicorn? • 05/29/12 Do Republicans really want to clone one for the Gipper? • 05/24/12 Obama's protectors are under the microscope • 05/22/12 Obama's Old World mess: Allies are coming up short at a key moment • 05/16/12 Where have all the candidates gone? • 05/15/12 Barack Obama, the first female president • 05/14/12 Irrationality wins: Voter cure for Congress's failures will likely backfire • 05/08/12 Obama's marriage mess: His advisers scramble to clean up his 'evolution' • 05/07/12 Taking out Dick Lugar • 05/03/12 Gingrich may have ended campaign, but he will remain out of this world • 05/02/12 Our do-almost-nothing Congress • 05/01/12 President Obama, campaigner in chief • 04/25/12 Romney's immigration Etch a Sketch • 04/23/12 A congressional deal on immigration? Dream on • 04/19/12 Dems battle back against Republican 'war on women' • 04/18/12 Debauchery: An American govermental specialty • 04/17/12 Silent witness • 04/12/12 Rebuffing Obama's gimmicky 'Buffett Rule' • 04/11/12 Santorum's Gettysburg surrender • 04/09/12 The facts vs. Mitt Romney • 04/06/12 Mitt Romney, talking to the press, keeps the press at a distance • 04/05/12 From tracking al-Qaeda to tracking the wayward spouse • 04/04/12 Budget cuts as back-door deregulation • 03/26/12 My pet Mitt • 03/22/12 Mitt Romney's latest gaffe may be etched in history • 03/20/12 Supreme Court conceives of life after death • 03/15/12 Conservative for Obama: The British PM as campaign prop • 03/14/12 In Section 60, a silent search for meaning • 03/13/12 Super Friends, unite • 03/12/12 It's time to believe: Romney's a winner • 03/07/12 Settling in to Washington's ways • 03/06/12 AIPAC beats the drums of war • 03/05/12 Did Republicans forget the women's vote? • 02/29/12 Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, in (mostly) his own words • 02/28/12 Common ground becomes a great divide • 02/27/12 An expert witness for the GOP gender gap • 02/21/12 Where Romney shines • 02/15/12 A Republican death wish? • 02/14/12Obama's budget games • 02/13/12 Are GOPers playing right into Obama's hands? • 02/08/12 Obama pumps the compressor of Joe Hudy's Extreme Marshmallow Cannon • 02/07/12 Abramoff's atonement • 02/01/12 Why we in the media just love Newt • 01/31/12 The end of the road for Newt Gingrich? • 01/25/12 Gingrich is Obama's best surrogate • 01/24/12 Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney's attack dog • 01/16/12 Mitt Romney's Al Gore problem • 01/12/12 Kamikaze Gingrich, on the loose in South Carolina • 01/11/12 Journalists' campaign trail secrets revealed • 01/10/12 Mitt Romney's money problem • 01/09/12 Newtonian exceptionalism • 01/05/12 Mitt Romney out of control • 01/04/12 Indecision 2012: In Iowa and the GOP • 01/03/12 Rick Santorum's curious closing argument • 12/28/11 A few cracks in my crystal ball • 12/23/11 A few cracks in my crystal ball • 12/20/11 Strange brews and views? • 12/19/11 Cellphone ban would be a distraction • 12/15/11 Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell and the Malfunction Minuet • 12/14/11 The presidential auction of 2012 • 12/12/11 Newt's tactics comes back to haunt him • 12/06/11 Can an anthem save Occupy non-movement? • 12/05/11 The winner of the GOP campaign: Washington • 11/30/11 Barney the bully: Congressman Frank's other legacy • 11/23/11 Jon Kyl's search-and-destroy mission • 11/21/11 Pay to play, brought to you by Washington • 11/17/11 Big enough to save the supercommittee? • 11/16/11 Why Newt Gingrich won't last • 11/08/11 The 2012 campaign gets seedier • 11/06/11 A Machiavellian model for Obama • 11/03/11 The Herman Cain crack-up • 11/01/11 Cain can --- he will survive • 10/27/11 Stuntmen of the supercommittee • 10/26/11 Democrats on the sidelines • 10/24/11 Rick Perry's birther Parade • 10/24/11 The birthers eat their own • 10/19/11 The GOP's middle man • 10/17/11 The waiting for nothing Congress • 10/12/11 Sparsely occupied D.C.: Why the movement hasn't caught on • 10/10/11 Can Obama strike an alliance with Occupy Wall Street? • 10/06/11 Chris Christie, such a presidential tease • 10/05/11 Obama and his foot soldiers go toe to toe • 09/28/11 Cain could deliver • 09/26/11 Republicans? Mr. Nice Guys? • 09/22/11 Why Ron Paul is winning the GOP primary • 09/21/11 I am a job creator who creates no jobs • 09/20/11 Obama launches a revolution • 09/19/11 Dems for Romney? • 09/14/11 ‘Supercommittee’? More than stupor committee • 09/07/11 Mitt Romney finds his (corporate) voice • 09/01/11 The infallible Dick Cheney • 08/31/11 This liberal says Perry is the ultimate conservative candidate • 08/29/11 Wanted: More bite from Obama the Great Nibbler • 08/10/11 How Rep. Austin Scott betrayed his Tea Party roots • 08/09/11 The most powerful man on Earth? • 08/08/11 The FAA shutdown and the new rules of Washington • 08/04/11 Lt. Col. Allen West fires a round at the Tea Party • 08/03/11 Government on autopilot • 08/02/11 Dems mourn debt deal like death • 07/27/11 Life imitates sport • 07/26/11 Obama and Boehner take on Washington • 07/21/11 Why Americans are angry at Congress • 07/20/11 The new party of Reagan • 07/18/11 Rob Portman, the boring Midwesterner who could bring sanity to the debt debate • 07/13/11 John Boehner's bind • 07/04/11 Stephen Colbert, Karl Rove and the mockery of campaign finance • 07/01/11 President Puts Up His Dukes, As He Ought To • 06/28/11 Rod Blagojevich verdict: All shook up • 06/27/11 Progressives voice their anger at Obama • 06/24/11 ‘Mission accomplished,’ Obama style • 06/22/11 Jon Huntsman's first step toward oblivion • 06/21/11 Scott Walker finds making bumper stickers is easier than creating jobs • 06/20/11 A day of awkwardness with Mitt Romney • 06/06/11 Hubris and humility: Sarah Palin and Robert Gates on tour • 06/02/11 The Weiner roast • 06/01/11 Congress clocks in to clock out • 05/30/11 Hermanator II: No More Mr. Gadfly • 05/24/11 How Obama has empowered Netanyahu • 05/24/11 Pawlenty bends his truth-telling • 05/20/11 Default deniers say it's all a hoax • 05/18/11: Gingrich gives voice to moderation • 05/17/11: Donald Trump and the House of Horrors • 05/16/11: The medical mystery of Mitt Romney • 05/12/11: The body impolitic: Schock photos should tempt lawmakers to cover up • 05/10/11: Muskets in hand, tea party blasts House Republicans • 05/09/11: The GOP debate: America -- and the party -- needs the grown-ups • 05/05/11: Mitch Daniels, an alternative to scary • 05/03/11: Obama's victory lap • 05/02/11: How the journalist prom got out of control • 04/28/11: Obama's birther day: Why did he lower himself by appearing in the briefing room? • 04/27/11: Obama, lost in thought • 04/24/11: Andrew Breitbart and the rifts on the right • 04/22/11: Ten Commandments for 2012 • 04/21/11: Obama likes Facebook. Facebook likes Obama. • 04/18/11: Without Nancy Pelosi, Obama is adrift • 04/15/11: If progressives ran the world • 04/14/11: Faith in political apostasy • 04/13/11: One man's revolution is another's political expediency • 04/11/11: Shutdown theatrics • 04/06/11: Paul Ryan's irresponsible budget • 04/05/11: Robots in Congress? Yes, we replicant! • 04/04/11: Robert Gibbs, Facebook and the White House corporate placement service • 04/01/11: Haley Barbour, the fat cats' candidate • 03/31/11: Republican freshmen in House shut down compromise, and possibly the government • 03/30/11: Coburn and Durbin, the dynamic duo of the debt crisis • 03/28/11: The Obama doctrine: A gray area the size of Libya • 03/24/11: Dems as Weiners • 03/23/11: Obama's quick trip from tyrant to weakling • 03/17/11: Who's afraid of Elizabeth Warren? • 03/15/11: The underwear flap over Bradley Manning • 03/10/11: In Senate's debt debate, talk isn't cheap • 03/09/11: With Obama's new Gitmo policy, Administration officials had some 'splainin to do • 03/02/11: Issa press aide scandal is like bad reality TV • 02/25/11: Jay Carney: Mouthpiece for an inscrutable White House • 02/14/11: The Donald trumps the pols at CPAC • 02/09/11: Arianna Huffington's ideological transformation © 2011, Washington Post Writers Group