For those of you following my Duhs, you know they have been written about infrequently. Since 2008, I have written essays containing only 86 Duhs. After I received a package today with three items, I began thinking that each one is a Duh. Hey, maybe everything I receive is a Duh. Maybe everything I do is a Duh. For those … Read More
Fourth Estate Shoots Itself in the Foot
Graphic: http://www.groundzeromedia.org/
Donald Trump’s candidacy exposed a growing chasm in our mainstream news coverage and Trump was a master in exploiting it. Trump didn’t make them write about him. He just kept being outrageous week after week, and they covered it. Trump’s running became a major story, in itself, because it sold. Newsrooms started thinking more about how to sell a story as … Read More
Despite Loss, We Have Plenty to be Grateful About
Dr. Gyi
The results of the Nov. 8 election were disappointing at the national level but we must be proud of that we now have a supermajority in both houses of the state Legislature! Additionally, at the municipal level we were able to pass measures to prevent water pollution in the Ballona Creek and maintain the power of the City Council to … Read More
Our Favorite Pastime, Eating
Mike Hennessey
Dateline Dayton – How to survive a busy week: Friday evening we were invited to dinner with our granddaughter, Julia’s mother’s family, for her 16th birthday. As you know, if there’s food, we are there. We went. Saturday morning our son Bill came by to review our financial information. He has financial power of attorney for both Pauline and me. … Read More
Becerra: Unpredictable, Shrewd Pick
Mr. Elias
All through his career, unpredictability has been the hallmark of Gov. Brown, and he did it again by choosing 12-term Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles as California’s next attorney general. With his confirmation by a Democratic-controlled Legislature completely certain, Mr. Becerra will force other major politicians to look over their shoulders; some are likely to change their longstanding … Read More
Jews Are Warned: On Your Guard. Here They Come Again
Mr. Hoenlein
First of two parts. Malcolm Hoenlien may be the most influential Jew in America. He also is 100 percent unknown to Reform and Conservative Jews, beyond the modest boundaries of Orthodox Jewry, the tiniest dimension of the American Jewish community. Here is the most fascinating aspect of Mr. Hoenlien’s keynote address at last evening’s opening of the West Coast Orthodox … Read More
If I Were a Rock…
Photo: Lynn Greyling / publicdomainpictures.net
Dateline Boston — This week I decided to finish a writing prompt that was given to me as part of a writing group I’m in. The prompt was, “If I were a rock…” I gave myself 6 minutes to write. If I were a rock, I would be a small rock, small enough to be put into a child’s pocket. … Read More
School Board Loses Sight of Certificated Salary Goal
Apples to Apples
It is an often-implied premise that the more classroom time a teacher has, the better educator he/she will become. Experience, it seems, still is looked upon as one of the more important factors in deciding a teacher’s salary. Back in 2011, in order to remain competitive, School District management set a goal of paying its most experienced teachers within the … Read More
Times – No Friend of Jews
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
Every Jew and many Christians know Israel is the most hated nation on earth since re-attaining statehood in 1948. Even in an era of cupcake college students, mentally crippled because their presidential candidate lost, the admirably brave kids still have retained enough of what passes for common sense to bitterly ridicule Jewish classmates wherever encountered on American campuses. Although fact-free … Read More
Political Reporting Irrelevant, Gabler Claims
David Brooks of The New York Times
Fourth of four parts. Re: “Trump Killed Objective Journalism, Gabler Says” President-elect Trump already has promised to take his war on the press into courtrooms and the halls of Congress. He wants to loosen libel protections. He has threatened Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos of Amazon with an antitrust suit. Individual journalists have reason to fear him as well. He … Read More