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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
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Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 14, 2005
/ 5 Nisan, 5765
Madness is good for us
By
Lloyd Garver
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
North Carolina defeated Illinois, officially becoming the best men's college basketball team in the country and ending March Madness. I know it was already April, but that's the nature of this madness it's so mad that March can't contain it.
For two weeks, millions of people entered office pools, watched game after game on TV, cheered for colleges they never even heard of, and maybe even went to some games and cheered even louder. And for two weeks, those who didn't care about the tournament just shook their heads and wondered, "How can they care so much about something as insignificant as a game with all the serious problems going on in the world?" Perhaps the reason we care so much is precisely because of the problems in the world.
March Madness is a great escape from the real world. For a little while, people had some relief from thinking about family and work problems, the war, Social Security, and kids shooting up their schools. Maybe the relief was only for a couple of hours or even just a few minutes at a stretch, but this kind of escape from reality is a good thing for all of us. While you're screaming wildly because some 19-year-old kid jumps over another kid to dunk the ball, it's very hard to wonder if you'll be able to afford medical prescriptions in a few years. When you're watching a player somehow defy gravity and fly across the court to make a steal, you're not worried about that weird kid that's dating your daughter.
Am I suggesting turning away from reality, sticking our heads in the sand, and just not paying attention to things that upset us? Yes, I am. Not all the time. Just now and then, and for short bursts. I think it recharges our batteries and makes us stronger to go back and face the real world. Besides, it's fun.
So many of us had such a good time during the tournament that those who don't care about sports should be able to get the same benefits. Everybody should have their version of March Madness.
It doesn't really matter what you do, as long as you find something that you feel passionately about that you can lose yourself in. Choose something other people find frivolous or just don't get. If the people around you aren't thinking, "You've lost your mind, wasting so much time on something so unimportant," you probably chose the wrong thing. You might feel passionate about your children, religion, or politics, but you're going to need something else for this kind of diversion. Otherwise, before you know it, you'll be thinking about serious stuff again.
It can be reading, the theater, playing an instrument, sumo wrestling, glass blowing, or pollinating the perfect petunias. But it has to be something that you can't do while you're watching the news on television. Knitting and crossword puzzles are supposed to be good at warding off Alzheimer's, but it's too easy to be distracted by bad news while you're making a scarf or trying to think of a four-letter word for a baby marsupial.
For this to work, you have to get so involved in something that you can't imagine why anyone in the world would dare to call you while you're doing it. You have to get so immersed in this activity while you're doing it that you can't think about anything else. That's why I recommend always turning off the stove before you start doing your thing.
For things like the basketball championship, there can be a letdown once it's over. The person suddenly feels lost: "What am I going to act completely irrationally about tomorrow? Will I have to wait another year before I find something to divert me from all the painful things in life?" For those going through this "post-tournament depression," I've got good news: the baseball season started last week.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame
Street" to "Family Ties" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of
them in hardcover. Comment by clicking here. Visit his website by clicking here.
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© 2005, Lloyd Garver
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