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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
May 22, 2008
/ 17 Iyar 5768
Two very different sides of the Internet
By
Michael Smerconish
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Two individuals are currently creating an Internet buzz by choosing to share tremendous private suffering with the public. But while one is using the Web to teach and heal, the other seeks to take vengeance and humiliate.
Perhaps you've already heard of Randy Pausch. If not, I'd love to be the one to introduce you. He's a 47-year-old computer science professor who holds a doctorate and has tenure at Carnegie Mellon University. In September 2006, he was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas, one the deadliest forms of the disease.
He's married with three young and beautiful children. The Pausch family pictures are straight out of a lifestyle catalog. In August 2007, he was told he had only three to six months of "good health" remaining. And so, one month later, he delivered a lecture - The Last Lecture - to 400 friends and colleagues.
I'd never heard of "last lectures." Normally robust members of academia are invited to deliver an address as if it were their last. Uncommon is that a professor such as Pausch, at the top of his mental game, would give it literal meaning. And while his students have now multiplied, he is very clear that the intended audience totaled only three: the children he shares with his wife, Jai, who were only 4, 2 and 3 months old respectively when he was first diagnosed.
The lecture, titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," instantly became an Internet sensation. By now more than 15 million people have viewed it online. A recently released book version, titled "The Last Lecture" and co-authored by Jeffrey Zaslow, just debuted at No. 1 in Publishers Weekly, a bible for the print trade.
In the lecture, professor Pausch ruminates about his life. Self-deprecating and insightful, his remarks present a non-preachy lesson plan. But be forewarned. You won't turn off the lecture once you begin, and watching Pausch requires an instant and emotional commitment, not because he demands it, but because his words and circumstances do. After I viewed the lecture, I ordered the book, and then perused his blog.
Typical is what he posted on a recent Sunday:
"I'm in the process of slowly getting my strength back. Once we have demonstrated we can keep the blood pressure down, then we can dial back on the blood pressure meds, which are causing a good part of the fatigue.
Several people have expressed concern about the tumor marker. True, it's going up. But by the time this is over, it'll probably be over 5,000, so don't worry too much just yet!
Today's box score:
Creatanine (kidney function): 3.1
CA19-9 (tumor marker): 404
Blood Pressure: 130/82
Tough stuff, but reading Pausch is not entirely a downer. To the contrary, as he told the attendees at the outset of the lecture that started it all: "If I don't seem as depressed or as morose as I should be - sorry to disappoint you!" That was just before he told them he was then in better physical health than they were - and proceeded to prove it by doing one-handed push-ups.
"Five years ago, I wouldn't have known about Randy Pausch, let alone seen his last lecture. I've watched the complete 76-minute lecture three times now. YouTube has made it is so easy for me to do this. ... But for every Randy Pausch, there's a hundred Tricia Walsh-Smiths," said Jenkins Law Internet Librarian Dan Giancaterino.
Walsh-Smith, a playwright and former actress, could use a dose of Pausch's grounding and humility. She's the other person now causing an Internet sensation, in her case, by using YouTube, and its penchant for instant viewership, to get back at a husband who is dumping her. Like Pausch, she, too, has quickly become a media figure. But there's nothing redeeming about her 15 minutes of fame because her only goal appears to be throwing mud in all directions.
Taken together, Pausch and Walsh-Smith show that the difference between "good" and "bad" use of media to air private woes boils down to one thing: motive. While he seeks to be a beneficial influence on his children, she attempts to tar and feather her soon to be ex.
In her first video, Walsh-Smith revealed that even though she and her husband never had sex, she found his stashes of Viagra and porn. She then called his assistant at work and asked what to do with the offending material.
Now it's reported that more than 3 million people know all about Tricia Walsh-Smith's bad pre-nup and the emotional distress it has caused her. And in a sequel, she asked for donations so she can buy a tent once she's forced to move out of her husband's apartment. I'm thinking Ringling Bros.
A salient difference is that while both Pausch and Walsh-Smith invite us to examine their lives, there's no appeal to voyeurism in "The Last Lecture." Pausch has said his goal is to preserve a piece of himself so his children can remember him as they continue to grow up. But Walsh-Smith seeks to offer only a 1-900-variety guilty pleasure.
Pausch also illustrates that there are circumstances where mass media afford appropriate opportunities for the airing of private matters. But it all depends on content. The mass media, especially new media such as the Internet, can and often do help millions of us learn something new, see something in a new way, or build up lives, friendships and communities. It's all out there if you know where to find it, which often requires guidance. That suggests a way in which the Internet is still incomplete: Who will guide us to the good stuff and warn us away from the bad?
There is a place for Walsh-Smith, too. It's the same place as it was pre-Internet: the dustbin.
Some things make claims on our attention because they are truly important. Then there are thousands of claims throughout the Internet and e-mail world, claims that seldom hold. But Randy Pausch just reset the bar.
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.
Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
02/12/07 Sublimely ridiculous suits
11/28/07 Cell phones cut out secondary circle of kinship
09/26/07 What do we owe those who have died in Iraq?
08/30/07 A Navy SEAL's gut-wrenching tale of survival
07/30/07 First it was a faux pas, now it's a new word
© 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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