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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
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
July 20, 2011
/ 18 Tamuz, 5771
‘Zinging’ a new song of a culture gone wrong
By Marybeth Hicks
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I'm working the refreshment tent this week at the music festival in my hometown, putting in my volunteer hours for our children's school, when I realize I am not shocked by the tattoo-covered, fifty-something woman walking toward me in Daisy Duke shorts and midriff-baring bustier.
Her stiletto sandals, black nail polish, pigtails and pierced, red lips don't faze me in the least. I turn to her without blinking and smile easily as I ask, "What can I get for you?"
I retrospect, it's possible this is the moment when I surrendered to the reality that our cultural decline is now complete.
Heck, when you don't bat an eye at a teenage boy's gauged ears (those are the pierced ear rings that put giant holes in the ear lobes), and you take for granted that the child in front of you in church will spend the entire service playing games on a Nintendo DS, and you don't roll your eyes anymore when you realize your middle-aged neighbor is highlighting his hair…well… you've been worn down.
There was a time when it made headlines that a young woman's phantom pregnancy resulting in her unexpectedly giving birth, when she thought all she had was a bad stomachache. This happens so often now there's a reality show on the Discovery Channel called "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant."
For some of us - mothers, for example - this is like naming a show "I Didn't Know I Was Breathing." But culturally, we'd be in the minority.
Sadly, those days are long gone… faded into cultural oblivion along with obituaries in which the last names of surviving family members are all the same.
Not only has our culture devolved into a celebration of diverse and widespread tastelessness, but those of us who yearn for bygone days of common social mores are loathe to even mention such things, for fear of offending the people we find offensive.
Perhaps this is why the new book, "Of Thee I Zing: America's Cultural Decline from Muffin Tops to Body Shots," by radio host Laura Ingraham with co-author Raymond Arroyo is such a treat. For culturally cathartic ranting, it's well worth the cover price. ( Click HERE to buy it at 42% discount.)
But be forewarned: "Of Thee I Zing" may elevate your blood pressure. Reading Miss Ingraham's observations about dirty dancing at the prom, designer duds for infants, and airplane seat companions who fire up laptop porn will likely cause you to break into a sweat when you realize your chances of avoiding such phenomena are nil.
Then again, Miss Ingraham offers perhaps the only reasonable response to such fads as holiday sweaters, internet dating, and mealtime house calls from Jehovah's Witnesses: A good laugh.
"The path from Florence Henderson to Snooki is a rocky one! It's a path that we should avoid, and help our children avoid, if at all possible. (If for no other reason than to stop the proliferation of the Snooki bump, I believe it is possible.)," Miss Ingraham offers.
"Of Thee I Zing" should make us realize that if we put today's American culture into a time capsule, we will all be a mortified when future generations discover the truth about us. That is, assuming they have regained some cultural decorum by then.
Perhaps in that distant, decorous future, our spray tans, invisible braces, sagging pants, flip flops at formal functions, blue jeans at funerals, and fascination with the likes of Charlie Sheen will be only the outdated trappings of a society that lost, for a time, its good breeding.
"Taken individually these cultural failings are not the end of civilization," Miss Ingraham says. "But taken as a whole they indicate that we have lost respect for our human dignity and are setting a truly tragic example for those who will follow us."
"We are better than this as a people, and so are our kids."
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JWR contributor Marybeth Hicks, a wife of more than 20 years and mother of four children, lives in the Midwest. She uses her column to share her perspective on issues and experiences that shape families nationwide.
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