Peter Gilstrap wrote the first and best in-depth profile of me for the New Times of Los Angeles in January 1999. He got all his facts right. I’ve been in awe of him eversince.
I ran into Peter and his new squeeze in Hollywood Saturday night. He moved back to L.A. from Nashville (where he worked on a daily newspaper) three months ago and he’s now a freelance writer. He brought his girl with him from Nashville. They love L.A.
Further investigation will reveal a pattern of illegal spying by the New England Patriots and will tarnish their coach, their team and their victories. The Patriots’ spying on other team’s signals has been a story screaming out for coverage for years. Many teams have been convinced that the Patriots stole their game plans.
Whenever I hear we should pray for someone, I just tune out. I have no belief in the efficacy of prayer (except to affect the one praying).
Brad A. Greenberg says we should pray for Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett, who was hurt in a game Sunday.
Anonymous responds on Brad’s blog:
While you’re praying, will you tell God to save the rest of the billions of people on the planet whose injuries weren’t televised nationally and treated almost instantaneously with all the health care that a millionaire can garner?
I don’t understand how praying is supposed to work. Is the the number of people praying for this football star that will make him get better? Or the ernestness with which they pray?
Does a successful prayer mean that Kevin Everett gets to cut in line for miracles in front of an unknown child in Bangladesh?
Anyways, miracles always seem to happen to people with proper healthcare. Meanwhile the rest of the world suffers and dies.
God bless the whole world, but millionares and celebrities more than most.
And sorry for being bitchy about this. I just find the concept totally off. The same folks who will ignore medical science and say "prayer helped Kevin" will be the ones fighting against research to save others, fighting against healthcare for the poor and middle-class, fighting against science education, fighting against, well, everything that may ACTUALLY save Kevin.
Present company excepted, Brad. But excuse me for not getting why the most famous injured guy in the world doesn’t have enough prayers beseaching the Maker already, and maybe if folks have God’s Ear they could point it toward the rest of this suffering bastards on this planet.
Brad says we should pray for world peace.
Joe writes:
Motor avenue in west l.a. is a crucial artery to take people from culver city to their jobs in century city and westwood. It relieves traffic on overland and sepulveda and is generally regarded by many as a necessary part of traffic flow.
So on my way in today i notice a sign on motor called "traffic calming information" with a number to call 213-227-6464, which i thought would be some meditation mantra. No, it is an announcement that as of October, they will be shutting the traffic lights on motor to turn every few seconds to make traffic worse so that people who have to work in the area, including mexicans, blacks, poor whites, etc., who do not live in the area, will not drive by the area. I call fascist BS of the worst kind. This is simply liberal professionals in cheviot hills trying to create their own little preserve. Well, i am sorry, but there is such a thing as public roads. Maybe your kids are too good to go to public schools, and you do not use any public services, but guess what, i pay taxes and get to use roads like motor, that, last time i checked, belonged to us, not liberals who want to exclude riff raff.
I wonder if these same liberals are pushing for traffic relief on crenshaw boulevard in south l.a., or at least fixing the paving in south l.a. which currently looks like something from san miguel de allende.
Give me a break. Traffic reduction for white liberals.
PS. I think that motor thing is ancient history. From searching the web it looks like homeowners were defeated and Motor is now normal.
Orit Arfa, who’s so hot she should be illegal, writes from Israel:
My inbox is filling up with a lot of spam, and it’s really annoying. The subject is invariably the same: Shana Tova.
I’ve been hearing from acquaintances with whom I haven’t spoken for years who probably hit "send" to everyone in their contact list; PR companies for whom it’ll be a good year if they get some press out of the people on their mailing list; random people whose names I don’t recognize. My particular favorites are those from old flames who take advantage of the Jewish New Year to reconnect with me. (Many singles out there use the holiday as an excuse to flirt–you know who you are…) It’s a Rosh HaShana spam fest, and it’s doubly annoying when they include files or pictures over 1 MB. Stop cramming my computer!
These Shana Tova greetings are impersonal and disingenuous. I know the majority of these Jewish spammers don’t really mean to wish me a good year. They’re being polite, getting over a formality, and kissing tails (and not the heads). But it’s not polite. It’s actually very rude. If you want to wish me a happy new year, personalize the greeting so that I know you mean it, send it to ME only, or else end up in my junk folder.
I completely agree. Unless you’re a hot chick who wants me, I don’t need your best wishes. What’s the point? It’s like going to a strip club. You can watch but not touch.
…Here’s a report from, yes, the front lines of the illegal immigration crackdown (scroll down to comment from "hllnwlz"):
I’m a high school English teacher in OC. Some very interesting things are afoot in Anaheim public schools.
The AP in charge of scheduling says our freshmen enrollment is down 100 kids, about 5% off normal. We’ve been reading about decreasing enrollment coming through the elementary schools, but didn’t expect it to hit us so quickly.
In five classes, I SHOULD have 100-110 kids.
I have 71. Any of you familiar with OC public schools knows how low that number is.
Also, I’ve got many, many more white and asian students than ever before. I *think* what’s happening is that many of those families have downsized into our lower-middle class neighborhood.
On top of that, the recently immigrated Mexican kids seem to have *poof* vanished. (Note: I have no knowledge of their status, illegal or legal.) ALL my students, for the first time in my career, have insisted that I eschew their given names and use an anglicized version (e.g. Mary for Maricruz, Judy for Yuridia, Tommy for Tomas, etc.) instead. No one is speaking Spanish inside or outside the classroom.
This leads me to believe either (a) all the enforcement ICE has been doing is scaring the crap out of the (legal and illegal) immigrant community and/or b) people are ditching Cali for greener pastures.
My money’s on b. [Emphasis added.]
But they’re ditching East Tulsa too. Maybe they’re ditching the U.S. entirely. Even if they are only moving around internally, this could be a large and portentous demographic shift. In a decade someone will get tenure for discovering it. … P.S.: Note that "hllnwlz"’s comment is from a blog tracking the puncturing of the housing bubble. Sugggestive!
Sarah Shapiro writes on Cross-Currents.com:
In the Jerusalem Post of February 23, 2007, I read of a plagiarism charge against the author Naomi Ragen, and was prompted by that report to inform the plaintiff’s attorney of my own related experience. Two respected rabbinical authorities on shmiras halashon were consulted as to whether it was advisable and permissible to make this matter public, before doing so…
Intellectual property theft inflicts a particular kind of anguish—one to which any writer who experiences it can testify. For me, the experience was exacerbated not only by the fact that autobiographical accounts of my personal life were reproduced without permission in a work of fiction, but that they were used for purposes I find repugnant, differing radically in intention from mine. Events in my life as an Orthodox Jew were used in a work that degrades and condescends to Orthodox Jews. Some lines of my account were reproduced word for word, some were obviously modified to disguise the similarity, and some were embellished (for example, with words such as “base” and “shameful”) in such a way that the accounts would conform to the pejorative image of Orthodox Jews which Ms. Ragen’s writings promote. Experiences which were in fact life-giving and positive were given a spin whereby Orthodox observance of Judaism is made to look superstitious, narrow, confining, small-minded, backward, repressive, and whereby haredi adherents are often depicted as either hypocritical evildoers (usually male) or melodramatic, helpless victims (usually female) who must break free, valiantly and courageously, from patronizing religious coercion, rabbinical oppression and their own neurotic dependency. From the outset of this case, including the initial decision as to whether or not to contact Michal Tal’s attorney, all major steps have been taken in accordance with daas Torah. The lawsuit was submitted to the av bais din of the bais din Yerushalayim, Rav Dov Levine, and the hearing is scheduled for this Wednesday.
Michal Tal, author of The Lion and the Cross, emails me Sept. 11, 2007:
As the author who initiated a plagiairism suit againt Naomi Ragen, I’d like to add my comments to Sarah Shapiro’s.
The discovery of one’s words, creativity, literary devices, and characters in another’s book, feels like the greatest form of violation, or like someone stole your child. In my case, part of the plagiraized material came from my dreams , which were adapted for use in my novel. This intimate form of inspired writing, taken and utilized by another, feels like rape.On many levels, a book one has written is like their child; something conceived and nurtured carefully and devotedly over time. Unlike hack writers, who rely on tried and true formulas for all of their books, real novelists don’t use formulas, but invest hours of research, seek exerpiences or sources for inspiration, record their dreams, which are sometimes inserted into their story, and apply themsleves devotedly, almost in a form of mania, to the act of creative writing. To have the results of all of these efforts brazenly stolen from you, is devastating. A relatively unknown author feels like the private citizen bullied by a corporation. One is faced firstly, with utter disbelief by most. Why would someone who adores an author believe the accusations of a stranger? Secondly, a successful author has greater access to resources for protection and justifcation, than does the "starving artist". Then there’s the hate feedback on the internet by Ragen fans.
The Jewish concept of "Im ain ani li mi li?" ("If I am not for myself, who will be for me?") has come to my aid in this case. Having the truth on one’s side give a person incredible courage. I would hope that this case come to its just conclusion, so that people in the arts can view this case as an example of protection of the inviolate creative and intellctual rights of the artist.
Novelist Naomi Ragen emails me October 8, 2007:
Dear Mr. Ford, Do you think it is ethical to print charges against an author destroying her reputation when the subject is under judicial review and will be decided in the courts? Is it right to allow people to publicize these charges with no rebuttal from the author? Are you aware of the fact that the Cross-Currents website is run by Jonathan Rosenblum, who has a long-held and well-documented personal bias against me and has attacked me in the past in print for which he was sent a formal letter of complaint by the editor of the Jerusalem Post?
Are you aware that Michal Tal’s self-published book came out after my book was already in the hands of a publishing house, and thus I could not possibly have used any of her material, which had no relevance to my book at all anyway? Are you aware that my book is the story of the historical character Gracia Mendes, and hers is about a horny Milanese tax collector and his equally horny son and a book that I felt embarrassed to read when I was forced to do so by this court case? Are you aware of the fact that Ms. Shapiro aired all her unfounded charges thirteen years ago, and they were thoroughly examined and rejected by the legal staff of Random House? Would you like to see the letter? Are you aware that her book, her diary of her anger management classes, contains numerous instances of her physically abusing her children? Are you aware that both authors are represented by an attorney who sent me a letter saying that if I didn’t pay him "a considerable sum" under the table, that he would "ruin" my reputation, by spreading these charges on the internet? Are you aware that by posting these things you are helping him to do this you and are now complicit in this attempt at extortion?
Video Audio of ABC’s I-Caught Profile of Bloggers Such As MySelf and Perez Hilton
Samantha Wender writes for ABC News:
It’s the modern day diary, online personal journals or blogs attracting millions of viewers to the Internet. But it’s the people behind these blogs who have access to the hottest events, keep tabs on the haves and have nots, and can make or break a career and influence an industry with just a stroke of a keyboard. They are blogebrities — writers, thinkers and gossipers who have branded themselves by taking over the Web, and have thousands of people awaiting their next postings.
…Bloggers like Lavanderia, Faran Krentcil of Fashionista.com and Luke Ford… top the list of an estimated 101 million blogs that social-media company Technorati tracks.
…Luke Ford… admits that there are flaws in the medium of blogging. "The overwhelming opinion of blogs is that they are not accountable, that they are not credible and that they’re flaky and unreliable and pesky, if not downright malicious, vicious, libelous, irresponsible, just wreaking havoc, divulging all sorts of personal information that doesn’t need to be made public and I agree. Almost all the criticisms of blogs are accurate. But just because a medium has flaws, which blogging does and all the criticisms I basically agree with, that’s just one side of the story."
Whether or not bloggers are accountable, they do have a voice and some are making millions from the industry. One popular tech blogger claims to make nearly $3 million a year, mainly from ad revenues. Lavanderia says his site registers an average of 6 million to 7 million hits a day and with a new VH1 show "What Perez Says," a spot on MTV’s "Celebrity Rappers" and a book deal, he clearly has taken his image and branded it like no other blogger.
Jesse Katz writes for Los Angeles magazine:
In his 32 years as director of the UCLA branch of Hillel, the global Jewish student fellowship, Chaim Seidler-Feller has never been just a rabbi. He is a pundit, a scholar, a mediator, a rainmaker, a Hollywood macher—the paragon of Westside liberalism in a city with the second-largest Jewish population in the nation. With his crescent of steel-wool hair and staccato Brooklyn accent, he presides over a 25,000- square-foot stone-and-glass cultural center, built in part with million-dollar donations from Steven Spielberg, Lew Wasserman, and Edgar M. Bronfman. A founding member of Americans for Peace Now, the leading voice for nonviolence in the Middle East, he preaches dialogue with Israel’s enemies and self-reflection for its defenders . He has officiated at the wedding of UCLA’s then-chancellor Albert Carnesale and, as the technical consultant on Yentl, guided Barbra Streisand through the intricacies of Talmudic law. “Chaim is the best of us,” says the Oscar-winning actor and Peace Now emissary Richard Dreyfuss. “He’s got an open mind, he’s got a sense of humor, he’s got a sense of proportion, and he’s civil. That sets him apart not only from other rabbis but from almost everyone I know.”
Rachel Neuwirth is his social and political inverse, a hawkish, often bellicose online columnist who believes Jews everywhere are imperiled. Born in Israel, where she served in the air force and played on the women’s national basketball team, Neuwirth is still fit and tenacious and convinced that survival depends on resolve, not wishful thinking. Her writing, usually unpaid commentaries, can be as unforgiving of her own people as of Islamic militants; jeremiads such as “Jewish Anti-Semitism” and “Beyond Self-Hating” condemn the Seidler-Fellers of the world as traitors, so concerned with making nice that they legitimize the forces that would do them harm. In progressive circles, Neuwirth is considered a zealot and a bully, obsessed with enforcing an extreme code of Jewish loyalty. To the pro-Israel lobby, she is nothing short of brave. “If I wanted to have a dinner party at my house, a polite gathering with couples, where there might be some political disagreement, would I invite Rachel? Probably not,” says her friend Gary Ratner, western region executive director of the American Jewish Congress. “But in a hostile environment, where we’re outnumbered and the tension is very real, you want Rachel next to you, covering your back. She is not going to be intimidated.”
Given these two personas—the peacenik and the nudnick, as the blogosphere has dubbed them—it is tempting to think there was a certain inevitability to what happened outside Royce Hall on October 21, 2003, that Seidler-Feller, who was 56 at the time, and Neuwirth, who was 53, were bound for a collision. But that hardly explains the intensity of the pressure to which the rabbi was subjected, or the ugliness of his eruption. In the dusk of early autumn, as the Santa Anas swirled, Seidler-Feller attacked Neuwirth, clawing, hitting, and kicking her until students pulled him away.
Leviah writes:
Rachel Neuwirth as you stated is a non professional commentator from Israel. This does not make her less deserving of respect and open minded approach from all of us. Her opinion might look to a hawkish to you. To the rest of us they sound sensible. HOWEVER!!! This is NOT the issue.
The issue is at hand is Chaim Seidler-Feller’s behavior. A community leader and a Hillel Rabbi, supposed to serve as role model. A man who professes to be a "peace lover" physically and violently attacked a woman. This is a major Shanda not to mention… a crime. He dose not need any mouth piece to clear him from these violations. Let me remind you that we are equal in the eyes of the law and we are instructed by our Torah: "Zedek Zedek Tirdof."
Steven Spielberg’s money nor Barbra Streisand’s money and the rest… is not going to distort the facts. It is hard to believe that Yentel would condone beating up a woman for having opposing political views. What became of us? Did Chaim Seidler-Feller, create a mini Tailbone enclave at UCLA? I think not!
By the way, Among all the praises to Chaim that you have dished out and the insults to Rachel, you neglected to mention one ‘tiny little’ fact that my shad a different light on Rachel (Zealous in your opinion). Rachel is a sister of a fallen soldier. The least we can do for her is to show our respect.
As an alumni of UCLA and a parent of two students currently enrolled at UCLA and as a Religious Feminist, I am calling for a change at Hillel UCLA. Enough is Enough! We tolerated Chaim’s point of view for two generations. Members of my family were force-fed his one sided propaganda during all that time. We need a well balanced Rabbi. The man is not well and not too young, as you said 57. Let the ‘Big wig friends’ he claims to have, take care of him NOT Hillel UCLA. He became a burden and a liability that we cannot afford.
This concussion — non of us cooked. It is all his own doing. Shame on you for the attempt to white wash it.
JERUSALEM, Sept. 5 — It was one of Israel’s dirty little secrets. In the early 1960s, as Israelis were being exposed for the first time to the shocking testimonies of Holocaust survivors at the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a series of pornographic pocket books called Stalags, based on Nazi themes, became best sellers throughout the land.
Read under the table by a generation of pubescent Israelis, often the children of survivors, the Stalags were named for the World War II prisoner-of-war camps in which they were set. The books told perverse tales of captured American or British pilots being abused by sadistic female SS officers outfitted with whips and boots. The plot usually ended with the male protagonists taking revenge, by raping and killing their tormentors.
After decades in dusty back rooms and closets, the Stalags, a peculiar Hebrew concoction of Nazism, sex and violence, are re-emerging in the public eye. And with them comes a rekindled debate on the cultural representation here of Nazism and the Holocaust, and whether they have been unduly mixed in with a kind of sexual perversion and voyeurism that has permeated even the school curriculum.
More.
