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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
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
Oct. 19, 2009
/ 1 Mar-Cheshvan 5770
Everything Is Suspect
By
Mitch Albom
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Back in 1949, a little girl in California fell down a well. As diggers tried to save her, a huge crowd gathered. The rescue attempt, which took several days, was broadcast nationwide on radio and followed anxiously on a new medium called television.
Since that moment, kids and danger have been an irresistible lure for broadcasters. Have you ever noticed how, during "sweeps" months on local TV news, there are suddenly breathless reports on how the babysitter, bugs, chocolate or hotel beds may be and here's the money phrase "harmful to your children."
It works every time.
So it's no surprise that this past week, the biggest and most watched news story in this country was a runaway helium balloon that, for a while, was thought to contain a 6-year-old boy named Falcon Heene.
TV cameras first caught sight of the balloon Thursday. Within minutes, it seemed, all of America was watching. The balloon stayed up for two hours, traveling 50 miles, becoming the airborne equivalent of the O.J. Simpson white Bronco chase, everyone riveted, cell phones and e-mails burning up with "Are you watching this?"
And then the balloon landed.
And there was no boy inside.
A HAT TRICK OF MORNING TV
Shortly thereafter, young Falcon was discovered hiding in the garage rafters. His parents, we were told, were overwhelmed with relief.
Of course, we couldn't just stop there. We had to see for ourselves. And the family led by a father who chases storms and fancies himself a maverick meteorologist was too happy to oblige, putting his whole brood in front of CNN, as well as all three network morning shows, a feat not even Brad Pitt sitting on Tom Cruise's lap could achieve.
And then, during the CNN interview, young Falcon, when asked by his dad, Richard Heene, why he didn't come out when the parents were yelling his name, said, "You had said we did this for a show."
And the biggest storm Heene ever had chased had just landed in his living room.
Across the nation, people yelled, "Hoax!" The same cooing anchors who seemed overly concerned about the poor boy's health suddenly fired away with suggestions of manipulation. The father denied it vigorously. "I'm not selling anything," he implored to the "Today" show. He also said: "What have I got to gain out of this?"
Nothing, except maybe fame.
The most precious American currency of all.
WHY WE QUESTION EVERYTHING
Are you surprised people doubt him? In a nation where people eat bugs, sing terribly or throw themselves at strange bachelors to get a piece of celebrity, why would you be surprised?
Personally, as this goes to press, I don't think Richard Heene was devious enough to hide his own son, set this stunt in motion, and then rely on a 6-year-old to keep a secret.
More likely, he saw the attention the story was getting, and became quickly intoxicated with the camera lights so much so, that when Falcon had an apparent asthma attack during a "Good Morning America" interview and was taken off camera, Richard remained seated saying, "It's not sounding good."
Excuse me. But if my son is having an asthma attack, my response to "GMA" is, "Sorry, gotta go."
It doesn't help that Heene and his wife took part several times in the lowbrow "Wife Swap" reality show. Or that reports from the always-contacted "people who know him" suggested he had a temper and was publicity-crazed.
I don't know how much of this was manipulated. I do know we live in a world where 1) we now expect to see every expression or grief or relief; 2) we expect to judge those emotions; 3) People have no problem showing those emotions to strange cameramen; and 4) everything is suspect.
So maybe I'm wrong. I wish I weren't. I wish Heene had never done "Wife Swap." I wish Heene had hugged his son like he'd never let him go, and told reporters, "Please leave us alone." I wish viewers didn't race to watch this stuff, then argue whether it's fake as if their lives depended on it. I wish we weren't always looking to be riveted or stimulated by images on screens.
But what I wish for doesn't exist anymore. It disappeared with a girl who fell down a well and was long gone by the time a balloon flew across the sky.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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