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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
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
February 6, 2012
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
Sept. 30, 2009
12 Tishrei 5770
Making the List
By
Roger Simon
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The media have an obsession with lists: The 50 Most Influential People. The 10 Most Powerful. The Five Sexiest.
Did you make any of those lists? Or the scores of other lists? Don't feel bad. You'll make some list someday. It's inevitable.
In 1968, Andy Warhol said that in the future everybody would be famous for 15 minutes. He was talking about how the media needed to create celebrities and focus attention on them, but how fleeting such attention could be.
What Warhol could not anticipate, however, was the Internet. Today, everybody with a computer is the media. And with social networking, you can invite people to pay attention to you.
But in a world in which everybody is famous, nobody is famous. Which is why we need lists. We have to narrow things down a little to tell us who is most famous, most noteworthy, most worth watching.
Nobody can make every list. But anybody can make some list. (I am currently ranked No. 6 on the list of Columnists Not Important Enough to Be on a Real List.)
Are you famous if you make a list? It depends on how you define fame. If you define it the way Warhol did (i.e., you are famous if you are noticed), then yes. But there are different kinds of fame.
I was once standing next to a well-known TV newsperson at a political rally, when a member of the audience came up to him and asked, "Are you somebody famous?"
The newsperson looked at him. "Apparently not," he said.
Lists can be controversial. Time magazine not long ago printed its "Top Ten Political Sex Scandals," which included: Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards, David Vitter, Kwame Kilpatrick, Larry Craig, Barney Frank, Mark Foley, Bill Clinton, Gary Hart and Jerry Springer.
I'll bet Mark Sanford, John Ensign and James McGreevey are furious.
Watch lists — Fifty People to Watch in the Coming Year! — have their own problems. What happens, for example, if nobody watches them? As The New York Times recently reported, people on the government's terrorist watch list have been allowed to purchase hundreds of guns in this country over the past five years, and one suspected terrorist was able to buy more than 50 pounds of explosives.
It is not clear, therefore, what exactly the government is "watching" when it comes to its own watch list.
The granddaddy of all watch lists is the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list (formally known as the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list). It has its own Website and ranges from such well-known criminals as Osama bin Laden (which the FBI spells as Usama Bin Laden, but don't be confused, call the bureau if he tries to cash a check with you using either name) to James J. Bulger, who gets the full celebrity treatment: "Bulger is an avid reader with an interest in history. He is known to frequent libraries and historic sites. He maintains his physical fitness by walking on beaches and in parks with his female companion." He also "loves animals." That's the good news. The bad news is that "he has a violent temper and is known to carry a knife at all times."
People on that list seem like very, very bad people. On the other hand, they made a list. As Oscar Wilde once said, "The only thing worse in the world than being talked about is not being talked about."
If you didn't make it onto any lists so far this year, I am sure that in the months ahead you will do some really cool (and totally nonviolent) stuff so you can make it next time.
I am already keeping an eye on the top candidates. I've got a list here somewhere.
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Roger Simon Archives
© 2009, Creators Syndicate
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