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June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched
Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases
Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?
Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case
Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there
Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah
Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value
Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified
Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?
Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

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


Jewish World Review May 4, 2007 / 15 Iyar 5767

Los Angeles Times death watch

By Greg Crosby


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Witnessing the death of anything that was once alive and vital is not a pleasant experience. Although never a fan of the ultra liberal Los Angeles Times I am nevertheless saddened to watch it fade, going not gently, but agonizingly into that good night.


The "Left" Angeles Times, as I and many others have referred to it, has spent the better part of the last two or three decades moving further and further towards the far left, not only in its editorial views, but even within its "hard news" pages.


Some years ago the Chandler family, after owning the paper forever, sold the Times to the Chicago Tribune Co. which took much of the "local" feeling out of the paper. Lots of other changes were made including new editors, new columnists, and section names, and lots of new executives. The only thing to survive the take over, it seemed, was that the paper remained steadfastly liberal in its slanted news coverage. But as time went on and more and more changes were made, very little hard news was left in the Left Angeles Times. The focus was shifted to features, entertainment and fashion. I guess they figured those were the only things that people who live in Southern California care about.


Most recently, real estate mogul Sam Zell has purchased the Tribune Company which, in addition to the L.A. Times, includes other important papers like The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, and Newsday. For a measly down payment of $315 million Sam Zell got it all including the Chicago Cubs and other goodies, some of which will be sold off. In an interview recently Mr. Zell said that it he has no intention of selling The L.A. Times. "I don't have any plans to sell any newspapers. We're going to own all of the newspapers for the foreseeable future," he was quoted as saying. Swell. Whether or not this will mean an improvement for the dying paper is anybody's guess. My guess is that it's too late for any last minute CPR.


For any serious newspaper, the Op-Ed pages are its heart and soul. I don't care if it's liberal or conservative; a newspaper has the right to speak its mind to its readers and vice versa. However, the Op-Ed section should be the ONLY place where the paper's point of view should rear its slanted head. To skew a story in any particular direction, to push a political agenda within what otherwise appears to be a straight ahead story simply undermines the paper's credibility as fair and dispassionate. Journalistic objectivity, by and large, should be the order of the day in the main section of any paper. The views held by the L.A.Times — as printed within its hard news reportage — have been transparently leftist for years. Not good form for a serious news journal, my friends.


For the longest time liberal slants have been predominately featured in virtually every single section of the paper — from comics to sports to fashion, to society, to entertainment and to, yes, even the food section.


To make matters worse, if they actually could be made worse, the Times has now totally eliminated the separate Op-Ed section of its Sunday edition and rolled it within the Book Review tabloid section. The message this sends to readers is clear — "we, the L.A. Times, no longer consider Op-Ed important enough to warrant its own section." Now I suppose a cynic might argue that since the paper has its views and opinions scattered throughout all the other sections of the paper, having a separate section for opinion is redundant, but hey, I'm kind of an old fashioned guy. I like my sports to be in the sports section, the comics to be in the comic section, and the opinion to be in the opinion section. Sue me.


You know, I think the problem is that the Times just doesn't know what the hell to do with the Op-Ed pages. Maybe the fresh twenty-somethings they've been hiring are having a tough time grasping the basic concept of "editorial and opinion." Case in point: Not long ago the newspaper had a brilliant idea, it thought, as a way to enliven and update the Op-Ed pages — they would hire a guest celebrity to become the de facto Editor of the section, four different guest editors a year. First one out of the box was movie producer Brian Grazer. But then, just days before the thing was due to hit the streets, all hell broke loose.


The paper killed the whole idea after news leaked out that the editorial page editor's girlfriend worked for the public relations firm representing Grazer and his Imagine Entertainment. Critics accused the paper of having a "conflict of interest" and fearing more bad press (no pun intended) the publisher stepped in and nixed it. The editor of the editorial page then quit in a huff and the big concept of using guest celebrity editors was scrapped for good — thank goodness.


But you see the point? The Times doesn't get it. They really, truly don't know what to do with their newspaper. They keep increasing the style, entertainment, and fashion aspects of the paper while at the same time devaluating more serious aspects of the paper like book reviews and editorial pages. I don't know what Sam Zell and his people will bring to the editorial meetings in the future, but whatever they do, they can't make it any worse. Or can they?


Maybe its time to just pull the plug on her. They call The NewYork Times "the old grey lady." The Los Angeles Times might be named "the old grey Hollywood star." Heroic measures have been tried without success to keep her career going. The Times has had just about every kind of make-over she could have. In keeping with her West Coast attitude, the paper has undergone more than her share of cosmetic surgery, face-lifts, body-peels, and infusions. She's had electrolysis, Botox, waxing, and full body massages. She's been in rehab, she's had group therapy, shock therapy, and spiritual elevations. She has contemplated her navel and come up with only lint. With everything tried, still the starring roles don't come. The plum parts going to the internet and cable. Right now she isn't even worthy of character parts. And all the voice work goes to the big names.


Time to put the old grey Hollywood lady to bed.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

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