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May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review April 2, 2007 / 14 Nissan, 5767

Where's the bomb? On Fox Mondays

By Debra J. Saunders

Debra J. Saunders
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | The Fox series "24" has reached the stage that plagues many successful entertainment franchises: As the show's directors keep trying to top what it did last season or in the last episode, the series is becoming so hyped that it is downright ridiculous.


I know: It also is ridiculous to expect any realism from a series about a thrill-seeking intelligence agent who keeps cheating death, beating the bad guys and saving the world in 24 hours.


The premise of "24" is that the show happens in real time. I've been able to suspend disbelief when the show's star Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) agent Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, dies and is brought back to life — which has happened at least once. But don't expect me to believe that there are no traffic jams in Los Angeles. Even after a nuclear bomb toasted nearby Valencia.


In the show's first season, navigating through L.A. gridlock was a challenge for Bauer. Now, characters zip across the southland in record time, day or night. I've been in traffic jams on L.A. freeways at 10 p.m. on a Saturday. But this season, after a nuclear blast, bad guys have been able to scoot about town like it's Sunday morning.


This season started with Bauer being released after serving 18 months in a Chinese hell hole in which he uttered not one word — not even, "Where's the bomb?" Nonetheless, after having his ribs broken at the Russian consulate, Bauer has no trouble staying on his feet. Even the computer geeks can work after they've been wounded. Milo was shot in the arm. Terrorists used an electric drill on Morris. Yet, they're still at their desks.


Where's the beef? Where's the food? CTU chief Bill Buchanan doesn't even have pizza delivered to fuel the troops. In such a pressure cooker, there should be candy-bar wrappers and Coke cans everywhere. Apparently working for CTU means you don't eat.


Then again, maybe that's why Jack never goes to the bathroom.


Since its first season, "24" 's need for plot twists has required that characters take stupid pills to keep the plot twists coming. Bauer's daughter Kim was the stupid pill queen. One improvement this year: Dim Kim has yet to grace this year's show. Alas, that means that other cast members are stand-in stupid.


So when Bauer — who speaks fluent Russian, has intimate knowledge of weaponry and geopolitics — finds out where terrorists are launching a nuclear-armed drone, what does he do? Naturally, he leaves the room in the Russian consulate from which he could give CTU the launch location — so that he can make the call after entering a hall filled with hostile armed guards. Makes "intelligence operative" seem like an oxymoron.


Then, when the bad guys catch Bauer, the one good bad guy does the same dumb thing. He's dead.


And while real danger abounds — read: that little nuclear bomb that went off in Valencia threatens to poison Angelenos who survived the original blast — the aftermath apparently leaves the show's writers bored. So with a couple of nuclear bombs still in the hands of terrorists, Bauer decides to investigate his old girlfriend Audrey's mysterious death in China. The stupid pill again.


One reason the show has been a hit: Bauer may use torture with limited effect, even on people he allegedly loves, but it's often the information technology guys (and ladies) who save the day. Yes, the IT folks bicker, but when they're at their CTU stations, "24" becomes "The Office" — with national security at stake. Brains trump brawn and tech geeks rule.


Much has been made of creator Joel Surnow's conservative politics. He's a buddy of Rush Limbaugh. I am most impressed with the show's ability to buck political correctness by showing dangerous Muslims — including a family that whined about discrimination — as well as the cruel folly of treating American Muslims as if they all are dangerous.


Despite my grousing, I am still hooked. But I'd be happier with less action and more of Bauer and company dealing with the same irritating obstacles which everyday Angelenos face. Let "24" be real-time "24" again.


Just as James Bond movies became too slick, with too many gadgets and too few reasons to fear for Bond's safety — that is, before the return-to-basics "Casino Royale" — "24" has so much excitement, it's hard to get excited.

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© 2007, Creators Syndicate

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