I personally made the mistake of regarding Trump’s candidacy as a stunt, scoffing at the idea that he could be the nominee. Mea culpa. We failed to take Trump seriously because of a third media[…]
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Month: April 2016
“Cruz has proceeded with several fingers in the wind; every time the conservative mood has shifted even a little, he’s shifted quickly too”
While his fellow Tea Party senators, from Paul to Rubio to Utah’s Mike Lee, built detailed policy portfolios that fit their interests and inclinations, Cruz never seemed to take a step on any contentious issue[…]
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“The Haggadah is not the story of the exodus from Egypt”
The Haggadah is not the story of the exodus from Egypt. Far from it. It’s a rabbinic collage of odd, disconnected passages — snippets of biblical verses with rabbinic interpretation, a few breaks for performance[…]
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“Whether this king indeed knew nothing of Joseph has long been a matter of some debate”
Before the curse of the mallet and the tyrannical command of the lash, before Egypt grew into a horror house of bondage, there occurred a peculiar act of ignorance: “A new king arose over Egypt,[…]
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“How come he criticizes Open Orthodox figures for their liberal Zionism, but never says a word of criticism about the anti-Zionism found in Satmar and other haredi groups?”
Rabbi Gordimer gives us a continuing list of controversial statements from people identified with Open Orthodoxy. As mentioned, he will spend hours and hours reading their material until he finally hits pay dirt. We are[…]
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“It’s…odd that ‘bro’ has become a culturally white designation”
It’s…odd that “bro” has become a culturally white designation. The word has roots both in the church and as a way that black people address black men — as “brother.” Black use of that word[…]
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“Cruz is the pinup for pessimistic times”
Cruz is the pinup for pessimistic times. Even John McCain, who once dismissed him and Rand Paul as “wacko birds,” said last week that Cruz has what it takes to manage the mess of the[…]
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“Today ’empowerment’ invokes power while signifying the lack of it”
Sneakily, empowerment had turned into a theory that applied to the needy while describing a process more realistically applicable to the rich. The word was built on a misaligned foundation; no amount of awareness can[…]
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“The climate of California made it ready for the growth of craft brewing”
As the first years of craft brewing progressed, there was little reason to think that these small little breweries on the Pacific coast would do more than produce a niche product for an extremely small[…]
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“Art is always difficult, but it is especially difficult when it comes to telling other people’s stories”
Are we then to cry “appropriation” whenever a Westerner approaches a non-Western subject? Quite the contrary: Some of the most insightful stories about any place can be told by outsiders. … Art is always difficult,[…]
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