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"Falling Down" (1993) was described as a contemporary Odyssey, in which the Odysseus is a middle-aged white man, who is threatened by the changing social landscape of America.
According to the surveys, such men played a major role in electing Trump, and somebody who does research on the topic even called William Forster, the main hero of the movie, a distilled version of Trump’s voter. Even divorced Forster's mantra "I am going home" parallels "Make America Great Again!"
Love the opening scene of the movie:
According to the surveys, such men played a major role in electing Trump, and somebody who does research on the topic even called William Forster, the main hero of the movie, a distilled version of Trump’s voter. Even divorced Forster's mantra "I am going home" parallels "Make America Great Again!"
Love the opening scene of the movie:
Nor is it properly said, "there be three times, past, present, and to come": yet perchance it might be properly said, "there be three times; a present of things past, a present of things present, and a present of things future." ~ Augustine of Hippo
I have decided to share my impressions regarding the Historical Park "Russia — My History" in Moscow since the place sheds light on today's Russia even more than on Russia of the past.
Fragment 1 – everything you have never suspected about WW1 .
The funniest part of all was the ~ 5 minutes long movie explaining WW1. According to it, unlike England, a bare island depending on imperial conquests for its wealth, and France, another cruel empire (footage of French or English beating unspecified exploited natives), huge Russia was interested only in peace, stability and inner economic development, which prompted Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, to organize the Hague peace conference. Unfortunately, the aggressive foreigners brought the peaceful tsar's efforts to naught.
The resulting war caused much suffering. Englishmen suffered from hunger (footage of pale sad people) and France introduced food stamps (footage of long food lines). In contrast, Russians experienced no such thing. And at this point the about-to-be (re?) educated Russian viewer sees 1001 sausages on a market stand: sausages lying on the stand, sausages hanging from strings, a veritable sea of sausages! The only problem grimly looking Russians in winter coats have is choosing which tasty sausage to buy.
What is the matter with Belgium?
Nov. 21st, 2015 07:23 pmSince Brussels is currently on highest terror alert, this seems a sadly suitable time to read this informational article from 19.11.15:
Belgium is a failed state
Brussels' nest of radicalism is just one of the failings of a divided, dysfunctional country.
Belgium is a failed state
Brussels' nest of radicalism is just one of the failings of a divided, dysfunctional country.
Best Posts Series § 9
Sep. 7th, 2015 12:28 amBest Posts Series § 9
LITERATURE & CULTURE
Conservative Art, Conservative Notions of Culture
I fell in love with HP fanfic "Toujours Pur" by SnorkackCatcher. It is short, but very powerful.
Summary: Mrs Black watches the Quidditch from her private box and reflects on her disappointing sons, the importance of Black family values, and a certain Chaser for the Kenmare Kestrels ...
Huck Finn and democratic self-making
Transformers 4 is the Greatest Film Ever Made About 21st Century America
100 highlights of Special Collections at Bradford University. I was touched by "Reunion and Reconciliation: The Peace Sculpture" by Josefina de Vasconcellos.
I became intrigued by the description of Ian Mortimer's book "Centuries of Change: Which century saw the most change - and why it matters to us." (Haven't read it yet.)
Loved the movie "Tea With Mussolini." Watch the trailer here.
POLITICS – Past and Present
MY FAVORITE POST: battles over ancient bones and modern identities
The Quiet German: The astonishing rise of Angela Merkel, the most powerful woman in the world.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent at The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. (If you're interested in the issue of race in America and/or simply want to discover a good columnist.)
The World's Most Toxic Value System
the forgotten roots of the first world war
MISC.
How air conditioning remade modern America
Science once communicated in a polyglot of tongues, but now English rules alone. How did this happen – and at what cost?
LITERATURE & CULTURE
Conservative Art, Conservative Notions of Culture
I fell in love with HP fanfic "Toujours Pur" by SnorkackCatcher. It is short, but very powerful.
Summary: Mrs Black watches the Quidditch from her private box and reflects on her disappointing sons, the importance of Black family values, and a certain Chaser for the Kenmare Kestrels ...
Huck Finn and democratic self-making
Transformers 4 is the Greatest Film Ever Made About 21st Century America
100 highlights of Special Collections at Bradford University. I was touched by "Reunion and Reconciliation: The Peace Sculpture" by Josefina de Vasconcellos.
I became intrigued by the description of Ian Mortimer's book "Centuries of Change: Which century saw the most change - and why it matters to us." (Haven't read it yet.)
Loved the movie "Tea With Mussolini." Watch the trailer here.
POLITICS – Past and Present
MY FAVORITE POST: battles over ancient bones and modern identities
The Quiet German: The astonishing rise of Angela Merkel, the most powerful woman in the world.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent at The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. (If you're interested in the issue of race in America and/or simply want to discover a good columnist.)
The World's Most Toxic Value System
the forgotten roots of the first world war
MISC.
How air conditioning remade modern America
Science once communicated in a polyglot of tongues, but now English rules alone. How did this happen – and at what cost?
Best Posts Series § 8
Feb. 17th, 2015 11:25 pmBest Posts Series § 8
This links' post includes several links to truly exceptional sites on what I called "Literature, History, Politics," which I've been gathering for a long time. But, first of all:
"This year marks the 25th anniversary of a mass immigration wave that would ultimately bring more than one million immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union." My family has been among those FSU immigrants, that's why I wanted to share those series of posts about how we, FSU immigrants, changed Israel and how Israel changed us.
Literature, History, Politics
At this Psychohistory website (*), in the "Books" section, I was interested in the book "The Origins of War in Child Abuse," especially in "Chapter 6: The Childhood Origins of World War II and the Holocaust." Psychohistory may not give all the answers, but it has led to several important insights, imo.
"Timothy Snyder is Housum Professor of History at Yale and the author of Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin." You may read articles by this famous historian here. He has written a lot about Ukraine and Russia, and even though the most recent article is dated November, 2014, some are more relevant than ever. See, for instance, "Ukraine: The Antidote to Europe’s Fascists?"
Kenan Malik is "a writer, lecturer and broadcaster." His post with "99 of the most relevant essays and reviews" is here. I was especially interested in his posts on Enlightenment (not all of them are included in the above list, f.e. "the enlightenment – and why it still matters" is not) and in his posts on multiculturalism. Regarding the latter, "the failure of multiculturalism" seems to fully express his position.
How Iowa Flattened Literature: with CIA help, writers were enlisted to battle both Communism and eggheaded abstraction. The damage to writing lingers.
"How—and How Not—to Love Mankind." The article discusses the differences between "two great European writers of the nineteenth century, Ivan Turgenev and Karl Marx." I read Turgenev's "Mumu" in childhood, which made the article even more interesting.
He has also written "The Specters Haunting Dresden" and "Modernity’s Uninvited Guest: Civilization makes progress, but evil persists." (In general, I don't agree with many of his opinions, but some of his columns are interesting, and, for somebody from the Middle East, educational regarding how quite many Europeans perceive the developments on their continent.)
Ottomans and Zionists: Blogging about Turkey and Israel, the two most interesting countries in the Middle East.
Articles by Terry Eaglton, "a literary critic, writer and chair in English literature in Lancaster University's department of English and creative writing."
Language
A Linguist On the Story of Gendered Pronouns
Why Is the Mor in Voldemort (and Mordor and Dr. Moreau) So Evil-Sounding?
Photos
52 Powerful Photos Of Women Who Changed History Forever
The Most Astonishing Photos That Won Awards In 2014
Please, comment to let me know whether anybody reads those posts.
(*) "Psychohistory, the science of historical motivations, combines the insights of psychotherapy with the research methodology of the social sciences to understand the emotional origin of the social and political behavior of groups and nations, past and present."
This links' post includes several links to truly exceptional sites on what I called "Literature, History, Politics," which I've been gathering for a long time. But, first of all:
"This year marks the 25th anniversary of a mass immigration wave that would ultimately bring more than one million immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union." My family has been among those FSU immigrants, that's why I wanted to share those series of posts about how we, FSU immigrants, changed Israel and how Israel changed us.
Literature, History, Politics
At this Psychohistory website (*), in the "Books" section, I was interested in the book "The Origins of War in Child Abuse," especially in "Chapter 6: The Childhood Origins of World War II and the Holocaust." Psychohistory may not give all the answers, but it has led to several important insights, imo.
"Timothy Snyder is Housum Professor of History at Yale and the author of Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin." You may read articles by this famous historian here. He has written a lot about Ukraine and Russia, and even though the most recent article is dated November, 2014, some are more relevant than ever. See, for instance, "Ukraine: The Antidote to Europe’s Fascists?"
Kenan Malik is "a writer, lecturer and broadcaster." His post with "99 of the most relevant essays and reviews" is here. I was especially interested in his posts on Enlightenment (not all of them are included in the above list, f.e. "the enlightenment – and why it still matters" is not) and in his posts on multiculturalism. Regarding the latter, "the failure of multiculturalism" seems to fully express his position.
How Iowa Flattened Literature: with CIA help, writers were enlisted to battle both Communism and eggheaded abstraction. The damage to writing lingers.
"How—and How Not—to Love Mankind." The article discusses the differences between "two great European writers of the nineteenth century, Ivan Turgenev and Karl Marx." I read Turgenev's "Mumu" in childhood, which made the article even more interesting.
He has also written "The Specters Haunting Dresden" and "Modernity’s Uninvited Guest: Civilization makes progress, but evil persists." (In general, I don't agree with many of his opinions, but some of his columns are interesting, and, for somebody from the Middle East, educational regarding how quite many Europeans perceive the developments on their continent.)
Ottomans and Zionists: Blogging about Turkey and Israel, the two most interesting countries in the Middle East.
Articles by Terry Eaglton, "a literary critic, writer and chair in English literature in Lancaster University's department of English and creative writing."
Language
A Linguist On the Story of Gendered Pronouns
Why Is the Mor in Voldemort (and Mordor and Dr. Moreau) So Evil-Sounding?
Photos
52 Powerful Photos Of Women Who Changed History Forever
The Most Astonishing Photos That Won Awards In 2014
Please, comment to let me know whether anybody reads those posts.
(*) "Psychohistory, the science of historical motivations, combines the insights of psychotherapy with the research methodology of the social sciences to understand the emotional origin of the social and political behavior of groups and nations, past and present."
'Je suis Charlie.' It's a bit late.
Jan. 10th, 2015 11:20 pmAn interesting article.
'Je suis Charlie.' It's a bit late.
and the opinion from Israel: Op-ed: Jihadi extremism is becoming more powerful and the free world is simply not coping; the far-right is not the answer, but neither is surrender.
Quote from the first article:
"There has also developed over the past two decades a moral commitment to censorship, a belief that because we live in a plural society, so we must police public discourse about different cultures and beliefs, and constrain speech so as not to give offence. [...] The irony is that those who most suffer from a culture of censorship are minority communities themselves. [...] What nurtures the reactionaries, both within Muslim communities and outside it, is the pusillanimity of many so-called liberals, their unwillingness to stand up for basic liberal principles, their readiness to betray the progressives within minority communities. [...] Liberal pusillanimity also helps nurture anti-Muslim sentiment. It feeds the racist idea that all Muslims are reactionary, that Muslims themselves are the problem, that Muslim immigration should be stemmed, and the Muslim communities should be more harshly policed."
'Je suis Charlie.' It's a bit late.
and the opinion from Israel: Op-ed: Jihadi extremism is becoming more powerful and the free world is simply not coping; the far-right is not the answer, but neither is surrender.
Quote from the first article:
"There has also developed over the past two decades a moral commitment to censorship, a belief that because we live in a plural society, so we must police public discourse about different cultures and beliefs, and constrain speech so as not to give offence. [...] The irony is that those who most suffer from a culture of censorship are minority communities themselves. [...] What nurtures the reactionaries, both within Muslim communities and outside it, is the pusillanimity of many so-called liberals, their unwillingness to stand up for basic liberal principles, their readiness to betray the progressives within minority communities. [...] Liberal pusillanimity also helps nurture anti-Muslim sentiment. It feeds the racist idea that all Muslims are reactionary, that Muslims themselves are the problem, that Muslim immigration should be stemmed, and the Muslim communities should be more harshly policed."
Best Posts Series § 7
Apr. 15th, 2014 08:19 pmBest Posts Series § 7
POLITICS, HISTORY & CULTURE
If you want to understand Russian - Ukrainian situation, read this article. "When it comes to explaining Russia’s Ukrainian adventurism, the West has attempted to hide behind a wall of myths and hope its problems will just go away."
On Crimes and Punishments and Beccaria. "This [post] addresses why medieval governments and the Church used so much violent torture, not by analyzing the Middle Ages, but by revisiting the first moment that [those questions] were asked by someone else, and thereby entered the central conversation of European thought, with real and wonderful consequences." A truly wonderful post from an historian!
A Week of Groceries In Different Countries [Pictures]
Tales from Dystopia is a series of blog posts of memories of the apartheid era in South Africa.
197: Before It Had A Name. There's the time when you know something is happening, but you're not sure exactly what. The illness […] The era, before it's been given a title. And something changes when the name is given. Stories of that transformation...between what it is now, and what it was before it had a name.
LITERATURE
A Letter from Anton Chekhov To His Brother Nikolay. What defines a cultured person.
The Lack of Female Road Narratives and Why it Matters.
The Appeal of Horror
SCIENCE & ECONOMICS
Scientists have found that memories may be passed down through generations in our DNA
How businesses can ignore large potential markets without going bankrupt.
Competition’s effect on prices. "When competition results in overcapacity and fixed costs are a major cost that must be amortized across the number of units sold, prices rise."
POLITICS, HISTORY & CULTURE
If you want to understand Russian - Ukrainian situation, read this article. "When it comes to explaining Russia’s Ukrainian adventurism, the West has attempted to hide behind a wall of myths and hope its problems will just go away."
On Crimes and Punishments and Beccaria. "This [post] addresses why medieval governments and the Church used so much violent torture, not by analyzing the Middle Ages, but by revisiting the first moment that [those questions] were asked by someone else, and thereby entered the central conversation of European thought, with real and wonderful consequences." A truly wonderful post from an historian!
A Week of Groceries In Different Countries [Pictures]
Tales from Dystopia is a series of blog posts of memories of the apartheid era in South Africa.
197: Before It Had A Name. There's the time when you know something is happening, but you're not sure exactly what. The illness […] The era, before it's been given a title. And something changes when the name is given. Stories of that transformation...between what it is now, and what it was before it had a name.
LITERATURE
A Letter from Anton Chekhov To His Brother Nikolay. What defines a cultured person.
The Lack of Female Road Narratives and Why it Matters.
The Appeal of Horror
SCIENCE & ECONOMICS
Scientists have found that memories may be passed down through generations in our DNA
How businesses can ignore large potential markets without going bankrupt.
Competition’s effect on prices. "When competition results in overcapacity and fixed costs are a major cost that must be amortized across the number of units sold, prices rise."
The Single Clenched Fist
Sep. 18th, 2013 12:15 amThe Single Clenched Fist
by Carl Sandburg
The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open asking hand held out and waiting.
Choose:
For we meet by one or the other.
Loved the poem since it can refer to much more than a conflict betwen two people. For instance, to one's attitude towards the world. Whether you tend to expect the worst in every new situation, or let yourself be open to the best too.
by Carl Sandburg
The single clenched fist lifted and ready,
Or the open asking hand held out and waiting.
Choose:
For we meet by one or the other.
Loved the poem since it can refer to much more than a conflict betwen two people. For instance, to one's attitude towards the world. Whether you tend to expect the worst in every new situation, or let yourself be open to the best too.
Best Posts Series § 6
Sep. 5th, 2013 10:13 pmBest Posts Series § 6
LITERATURE & WRITING TIPS
A scholar's take on Realism and Modernism: Part I Part 2 Part 3.
A lesson in logical fallacies, in which each fallacy gets its own biting haiku.
A writer's take on 3 Levels of Conflict necessary for a good story: global (the character against the world), local (between characters) and inner.
Several basic but sometimes helpful writing tips.
POLITICS, SOCIETY, CULTURE & the rest
When climate change becomes a matter of war and peace. Explanation of the economic factor in the Syrian civil war.
Israeli vs. Palestinian narratives. The linked blog is the most extreme Israeli Left, and I disagree with much written in it. However, this column presents the narratives well.
The Politics of Security in a Democracy. Why do politicians tend to overreact to terrorist threats?
THE ROOTS OF HORROR: The Institutionalized Destruction of Innocence -- and of Life Authoritarian parenting: its causes and the far-reaching socio-political effects.
This newly-found blog has many other interesting posts, f.e. "When Life and Happiness Are Not Enough: The Tragedy of the Unborn Self." Are people right to "decry the obsession with narrow self-interest"? Do we really need "noble, higher purpose"?
UNUSUAL PHOTOS
Incredible Self Portraits by 14-Year-Old Photographer. "Zev from Natick, Massachusetts, has taken the photography world by storm with his surreal photo manipulations. Better known by the nickname of ‘fiddle oak’ […] His work seems to mirror the transition from the fairy-tale childhood worlds into more complicated and still unknown ones."
Photo collection of wooden mobile houses looking like "gingerbread Victorian houses on wheels."
See the past like you wouldn't believe. Paris in color 1909-1930. At the page's bottom you can find links to other capsules. I loved the 1909-1915: Color photographs of Imperial Russia.
LITERATURE & WRITING TIPS
A scholar's take on Realism and Modernism: Part I Part 2 Part 3.
A lesson in logical fallacies, in which each fallacy gets its own biting haiku.
A writer's take on 3 Levels of Conflict necessary for a good story: global (the character against the world), local (between characters) and inner.
Several basic but sometimes helpful writing tips.
POLITICS, SOCIETY, CULTURE & the rest
When climate change becomes a matter of war and peace. Explanation of the economic factor in the Syrian civil war.
Israeli vs. Palestinian narratives. The linked blog is the most extreme Israeli Left, and I disagree with much written in it. However, this column presents the narratives well.
The Politics of Security in a Democracy. Why do politicians tend to overreact to terrorist threats?
THE ROOTS OF HORROR: The Institutionalized Destruction of Innocence -- and of Life Authoritarian parenting: its causes and the far-reaching socio-political effects.
This newly-found blog has many other interesting posts, f.e. "When Life and Happiness Are Not Enough: The Tragedy of the Unborn Self." Are people right to "decry the obsession with narrow self-interest"? Do we really need "noble, higher purpose"?
UNUSUAL PHOTOS
Incredible Self Portraits by 14-Year-Old Photographer. "Zev from Natick, Massachusetts, has taken the photography world by storm with his surreal photo manipulations. Better known by the nickname of ‘fiddle oak’ […] His work seems to mirror the transition from the fairy-tale childhood worlds into more complicated and still unknown ones."
Photo collection of wooden mobile houses looking like "gingerbread Victorian houses on wheels."
See the past like you wouldn't believe. Paris in color 1909-1930. At the page's bottom you can find links to other capsules. I loved the 1909-1915: Color photographs of Imperial Russia.
So I wanted to share the story of August Landmesser, a German who didn't bow down (from here):
"He was a worker at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, during the “We all love the Nazis” era in Germany. At the launch of the naval training vessel Horst Wessel on 13 June 1936, a ceremony was held. A ceremony which was attended by Hitler himself."
"He was a worker at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, during the “We all love the Nazis” era in Germany. At the launch of the naval training vessel Horst Wessel on 13 June 1936, a ceremony was held. A ceremony which was attended by Hitler himself."
"Landmesser later on created problems to the regime by wanting to marry a Jewish woman. He did not survive the war. Nor did his wife.
...
Do you know if you would salute under the same circumstances?
One thing is for sure.
We need more Landmessers… "Best Posts Series § 5
Apr. 1st, 2013 12:42 amBest Posts Series § 5
LITERATURECulture is a Fiction. "If you think studying "culture" is something different from studying literature, that it leaves literature behind, I have a different perspective for you." And his additional post: Three Kinds of Magic.
Unusual Book Designs. The post is in Russian, but the pictures are the important part. If you want to ask for explanation about a certain book, feel free.
And, in case you missed it before: Books of the Year: The Best Books of 2012. My book recommendations / mini reviews.
SOMETHING SMALL TO THINK ABOUT
Decision fatigue. "Researchers have found that your willpower goes down, as does your ability to make good decisions, when you've had to make a series of decisions over the course of a day. […] President Obama indicated that he's cut his wardrobe down to blue suits and gray suits, so that he can cut down on the time spent deciding. Good call, Mr. President. […] A regular routine isn't limiting to creativity. It's freeing because it conserves your energy to make the important decisions related to your creative life."
The Tradeoff Between Ambition and Happiness. In this case, the main value isn't even in the originality of the post itself, but in beginning this conversation. First of all, with yourself, if you feel it may apply to your life.
Screw Optimism and screw “sanity”. "Optimism is wonderfully adaptive as long as optimists aren’t your leaders or analysts, and don’t run your nuclear power plants […] Likewise I am beyond tired of the excessive stigmatization of anger and hatred."
POLITICS
The problem of “good enough.” “Idealism is the only mindset which produces change. […] The wet noodle mindset of “good enough” has never produced any value for anyone except exploiters and rulers. The willful acceptance and tolerance of evil generates more evil, and has never generated anything but more evil."
Mark Kitto "You'll never be Chinese: Why I'm leaving the country I loved." [From August 8, 2012] An interesting analysis of China's situation, both China's current problems and predictions about the country's future.
The Modern King in the Arab Spring. The point of view of Jordan's Abdullah II, the region's most pro-American Arab leader.
CENTURY OF THE SELF - watch here. "This series is about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy." I haven't watched it yet, but the series seems interesting.
Corn, Ethanol, Farms, Food and the Logic of the Granary. Discussion of US farm subsidies.
Women & Influence - some powerful facts concerning women in political office.
SOCIETY
For Amusement Only: the life and death of the American arcade. The article also shows that blaming social ills on games is anything but a new phenomenon.
If you are interested in fashion, you may like THREAD FOR THOUGHT blog. "How fashion intersects politics, economics, gender, race, & pop culture."
If you like analyzing pop culture, look at Jane's take on Yeah Yeah Yeah's new video for their single "Sacrilege".
Books of the Year: The Best Books of 2012
Feb. 23rd, 2013 11:11 pmBooks of the Year: The Best Books of 2012
1. "So Big" – Edna Ferber Edna is an ardent lover of art & beauty, who is forced to be a poor cabbage farmer, yet she neither breaks nor loses her sensitivity. She wants educated due to her back-breaking labor son to see what's valuable in life, but sometimes the understanding
comes too late.
The novel may take place in turn-of-the-century Chicago, but the questions it raises are no less relevant today. What is valuable in life? What is the connection between money and success, if it is there at all? What will make us truly happy?
T2. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake" - Jenny Wingfield This family saga was called "Southern Gothic at its best", touching "on many genres—family life, Christian fiction, coming-of-age, and suspense". USA Today wrote "anyone who loves Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird will delight in Swan, the Lakes' eleven-year-old daughter".r
From Amazon: Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion... Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed
young preacher... In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness ... But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core and setting the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.
3. "Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman" - Stefan Zweig Zweig is one of my favorite writers, and he didn't disappoint in this biography.
About his other works: "The Royal Game", a novella about a monarchist in the period after Austria's annexation, is one of the most famous of Zweig's works, but his stories on other topics are no worse. I especially like how he conveys the inner world of children, as in "Burning Secret" (a good review).
The Austrian Jewish writer had to leave his country in 1934 after Hitler's rise to power. Despite physically escaping Hitler, seeing the horrors of WW2 made him feel hopeless and in 1942 commit a joint suicide with his wife.
4. "Cows, pigs, wars & witches : the riddles of culture" - Marvin Harris Entertaining & thought provoking book.
About the Connecticut school shooting
Dec. 22nd, 2012 01:41 amThis horrible tragedy was on the 1st page of Israeli newspapers too. Wanted to share some thoughtful posts I read:
February 13, 2013: The School Shooting Pivot Date analyzes people's reactions. “Frantic hyperactivity to mask impotence, frantic hyperactivity to signal to some omnipotent entity that you are trying to make things right– it’s the description for what’s happening now and the definition of obsessional neurosis.”
Can’t Bear to Look: Why the Media is Full of Distorted/Freak Photos of Adam Lanza."If we’re going to learn from this tragedy, especially with all the question marks that exist surrouning mental health, distorting Lanza’s image beyond his already thoroughly internally-distorted self is a bad idea. Rather, it is incumbent on us to try and see him as clearly as we can."
Stop Comparing the United States to Israel. Why presenting Israel "as some sort of shining beacon of what a country with an armed citizenry could be like" is mistaken. I was extremely surprised some people in US thought this about my country. In one of Israeli newspapers they even had a table, comparing US vs. Israeli gun laws, and in Israel laws are significantly stricter.
You Cannot Make Me Own a Gun: What Gun Culture Looks Like. A teacher writes why forcing teachers to carry guns isn't the best idea, and about gun culture of her town in general.
Drew Magary in "Down With Big Gun" offers to target the industry of firearms manufacturing.
Today in Maariv, one of the main Israeli papers, on the front page:
Israel identified new shipment of Fajr-5 rockets headed to Gaza from Iran.
Israeli spy satellites have spotted a cargo vessel at the Iranian port being loaded with [rockets and] other weapons. * Israeli intelligence sources estimate: the goal is to refill the stock of Fajr-5 rockets that were shot at Gush Dan * Hamas: the ceasefire doesn't include smuggling
Note: Gush Dan, or the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area, includes "areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. [...] The Tel Aviv metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area in Israel and consists an estimated population of 3,206,400 residents, 95% of whom (3,000,000) are Israeli Jews. It houses about 42% of Israel's population." [wiki]
In Israel many think the operation ended too fast, without providing sufficient deterrence (delay till the next round). Especially, the South's citizens who have been living for years under rocket fire.
