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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
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Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
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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, 2010
/ 9 Menachem-Av, 5770
Playing word games to relieve the misery
By
Wesley Pruden
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Now for something entirely different: BP's gusher in the Gulf seems to be capped, with nothing but tiny oil "seeps" to foul the waters, and we can start building the gallows at last. A public hanging has always been good clean fun (unless you're the hangee). A waltz at the end of a rope can be a favorite public entertainment again. There's no shortage of invitees to the dance. British Petroleum, or BP as British Petroleum prefers to be called, can furnish an entire cast of hangees. So can the federal government, whose bureaucrats long ago perfected the art of bungling. Even the White House, where Barack Obama fiddled with his teleprompter and his putter for 70 days before he allowed more than a few oil skimmers into the Gulf, has an abundant array of criminal incompetents. The president kept the skimmers out of the Gulf at the behest of the maritime unions, but he did shed some presidential tears for the pelicans. The good news about the oil cap was received in Washington, and in the media, with reluctant one-handed applause. Pounding on BP was fun for one and all, all the more fun because the poundees deserved every lick upside the head and every kick in the backside. Lost in the fun, however, was the fact that only BP and the oil companies knew how to do anything about the runaway well, and the prospective hangees were the only people who would fix it. When the well was finally capped, it was hard to give up the fun. The heroes - and heroes they are - are the engineers and drillers who devised the remarkable exercise in technology and made it work. One day, when the passions of the mob cool, these heroes will be recognized for the miracle wrought by remote control at the bottom of the sea. But when Sunday dawned and the cap seemed to be holding, as measured by the pressure in the well, a fascinating dance unfolded between BP and the Obama White House. This was an exercise best appreciated in Washington, where politics is understood to be oxygen. The test of the cap continued to show it holding; the view of the wellhead, as captured by the lens of the underwater camera was the reassurance everyone was waiting for. For the first time since April 20, when the well blew out of control, there was no oil gushing into the sea. Who wouldn't applaud that? The president and his wise men, for one and several. The Coast Guard admiral in charge, reflecting White House wishes, wanted to reopen the cap to relieve pressure, if any, that might be lurking in the well. The sight of the oil flowing into the sea again would keep the crisis simmering, and keep the pressure on BP. The villainy of BP's senior executives, after all, has been a godsend to Mr. Obama, whose plummeting popularity suggests that a lot of people think he's the villain-in-chief. BP, naturally, was eager to exploit the first good news it had seen in weeks. On Monday, the feds "allowed" the company to keep the cap in place. Thad Allen, the admiral in charge of the operations in the Gulf, said, "it is important that all decisions are driven by the science." Driven by science, not politics. Imagine that. What won't they think of next? The Obama administration is lately having a bad turn with "caps." Harry Reid, the leader of the Senate Democrats, is trying to "rebrand" the president's energy and climate-control legislation by eliminating the word "cap" from "cap-and-trade," which was what everybody called the scam when it passed the House in June. When someone asked him whether the Senate version of cap-and-trade would include a "cap" on greenhouse emissions - which the global-warming fanatics imagine will boil the globe in its own juice - he replied: "I don't use that. Those words are not in my vocabulary. We're going to work on pollution." Mr. Reid's word game reflects the Democratic strategy of trying to freshen up the label on something the Democrats know the public doesn't want, but will give the federal bureaucracy, one of the party's most reliable constituencies, more control of the economy, and hence control of the lives of ordinary Americans. The Capitol Hill newspaper Politico reports that Mr. Reid imported a learned professor of word games to Washington to brief 30 senior staffers in a class in how to mislead with marketing language. Democrats have had a certain success in persuading the media to refer to liberals, who understand how they stunk up that word, as "progressives." So why not? But putting a cap on stink may be more difficult than capping a mere oil well.
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JWR contributor Wesley Pruden is editor emeritus of The Washington Times. Comment by clicking here.
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