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"Luke Ford reports all of the 'juicy' quotes, and has been doing it for years." (Marc B. Shapiro)
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) LATEST POSTS:
- Robert Putnam: The Man Who Counted What America Lost
- W. Bradford Wilcox: The Sociologist Who Tells America to Get Married
- Peter Moskos: The Cop Who Talks to People
- Julius Krein
- Ryan Burge: The Numbers Man in the Empty Church
- Emily Oster: The Economist in the Delivery Room
- The Most Ridiculous Story Ever Told
- Tanner Greer
- Economist Tyler Cowen
- Richard Reeves: A Life in Institutions
- Jake Adelstein: The Reporter Who Became His Story
- Jim Goad (1961-2026)
- Moira Greyland
- Robert Oscar Lopez: The Inconvenient Witness
- Two Ledgers: Decoding the Gurus and the Price of Talk
- The Pervert’s Progress: Costin Vlad Alamariu and the Making of Bronze Age Pervert
- Curtis Yarvin: A Life Against Democracy
- Mark Helprin: Against the Current
- Mark Brandt: The Man Who Asked Who Else Is Prejudiced
- John T. Jost: The Psychologist of Acquiescence
BEST POSTS:
- * The Enlightenment Wasn’t Enlightened (6-23-26)
* Mr. Burge Draws The Line (6-23-26)
* 'Improving on Democracy' (6-17-26)
* People Leak To People Who Are Fun (6-11-26)
* Why Does Australia Produce So Many Great Journalists? (6-11-26)
* Steve Wynn and the Press: Power, Litigation, and the Contest Over Las Vegas (6-3-26)
* Sheldon Adelson and the Journalists (6-3-26)
* The Vigilant Animal: Thinkers Who Reject the Myth of Human Gullibility (6-2-26)
* The Cost of Refusing the Misunderstanding Myth (6-2-26)
* Show Me How It Travels (6-2-26)
* The Norm Explainers (6-2-26)
* Centering Marginalized Voices (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Washington Post put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Financial Times put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for the Los Angeles Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for The New York Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* Why Wembanyama Lives on the Perimeter (5-31-26)
* The Emotional Palettes Of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Sacramento (5-27-26)
* The Administrative Capital: Sacramento Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* San Diego - The Quiet Republic (5-27-26)
* The Quiet Bar: San Diego Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* SF v LA Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* Why Talent Travels Poorly Between San Francisco and Los Angeles (5-27-26)
* San Francisco and Los Angeles as Rival Models of Urban Access (5-27-26)
* Social Cliques in New York, 2026 (5-25-26)
* Social Cliques in San Francisco, 2026 (5-25-26)
* The Rival Courts of Washington (5-25-26)
* The City of Private Rooms (5-25-26)
Category Archives: Personal
Where Do You Get Your Self-Esteem?
I asked my last GF (who was 40 and whip smart and accomplished and a 6-7 in looks without make-up), what percentage of her self-esteem came from her looks. She said, “100%.” When I’m in a healthy state, connected to … Continue reading
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Struggling With My Demons
From three years ago:
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Reason Magazine Party
I was at Reason magazine’s West Coast headquarters tonight. * I was so pleased that this distinguished gentleman at tonight’s party was agreeing with everything I said about illegal immigration until his libertarian son rudely told me the guy was … Continue reading
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No Regrets
I’ve had no regret about converting to Orthodox Judaism, even as I have grown to understand the depth of my brokenness that led to the drama I created (in myself and around me) as I undertook all sorts of contradictory … Continue reading
Posted in Conversion, Orthodoxy, Personal
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Dreaming Of Hard Work
I had a boss who said: “I don’t think you dream of hard work. There’s not tear in your eye when you think about missing work. I’m just curious about that reverie you had. You take four days off for … Continue reading
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Walking Alone
When I walk or daven with friends, distance doesn’t matter. The quality of the seats doesn’t matter. I can go forever. I’m absorbed in my connections. The hours and miles speed by. When I daven alone or walk alone, I … Continue reading
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The Discombobulating Effect Of The Jewish Holidays
Because of all of the Jewish holidays of the past three weeks, my schedule has gone to pot. I haven’t hit my regular 12-step meetings, I haven’t done as much 12-step work on my own, and I’ve missed a ton … Continue reading
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I Grew Up By Avondale College On Currans Road, Cooranbong, NSW
My childhood home in Australia. My mom’s grave at Avondale College: More.
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I Wish I Was A Syrian Refugee
I wish I were a Syrian muslim living in Germany or Sweden. My life would be so easy if I were. All my worries would be at an end. And if I saw a pretty woman I wanted to take, … Continue reading
Stepping Back Into Church
I’m a preacher’s kid. I grew up in Seventh-Day Adventist churches. Then I left all that at age 18 and became an atheist for a few years and then converted to Orthodox Judaism. For the past four years, I’ve been … Continue reading
Posted in Addiction, Christianity, Personal
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