In Israel, at least: But Ben-David said the government has relied too heavily on a quick fix. With heavy lobbying from ultra-Orthodox parties that often prove crucial in forming government coalitions, Israel has increased welfare payments fivefold since 1970, while the standard of living has doubled, he said. Nearly a decade ago, Prime Minister Benjamin …
War at the Opera: Opening of Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser in Paris
"Classical" music is widely perceived to be boring, but one composer that succeeded in changing that (if we ignore the sheer length of his operas) was Richard Wagner. Controversial in life and death, he changed the face of Western music in ways that few have, even (in some ways) paving the way for cinematic music …
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Why is Right-Wing Campaign Food Better Than Left-Wing Campaign Food?
Ben Macintyre at the Times wants to know, and so do we: On the Cameron plane in Scotland: prosciutto, mozzarella and peach salad, followed by rare roast lamb on a bed of lentils, with chocolate mousse for dessert. On the Brown bus, in Scotland: a bottle of Irn-Bru and a curly sandwich. George W. Bush …
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Valedictory or Salutatory Speech Politically Incorrect? You Have Options
It's that time of year when schools of all levels put their paperwork in order, produce large numbers of high quality pieces of paper (PETA hates it when we say this, but they're called sheepskins) and hands them to those who have endured to the end. This is otherwise referred to as graduation. It used …
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The Second Most Subversive Book I Ever Read
I'm not sure how to react to all of these liberals (like Joe Klein at Time) who call their conservative bêtes noires traitors or seditionists. But since they're going to call us names like that, it's time for this conservative (?) to come clean and talk about some of the subversive material that he's come …
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My Tribute to the Poles
The terrible plane crash which has killed much of Poland's leadership leaves one speechless. The Poles have taken much: partition of their country at the end of the 18th Century (the "Enlightenment" no less!), a battlefield in World War I, re-emerging after that only to be dismembered (and much of the population, Jew and Gentile, …
Easter Greetings, Russian (and Technical) Style
Over the years, I've come to associate Easter with the Russians. It's an odd thing; it started with the discovery of the traditional Russian Easter greeting (which I duly exchanged with a Muscovite friend this weekend.) That was accentuated by the discovery of Christianity's comeback during the "Great Patriotic War" (Visit to Zagorsk) and the …
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Does Education Kill Creativity?
Sir Ken Robinson thinks so, from this TED talk. This hilarious discourse is all too painfully true, as I have found out in my brief educational career. But the humour he uses kills a lot of the pain.
Simon Cowell Engaged to an Afghan
I don't normally follow this kind of stuff, but I can't resist this one... It's official. Simon Cowell is getting married! Beautiful Mezhgan Hussainy told RadarOnline.com exclusively that she and Simon are officially engaged. Until now, there have been only whispers and rumors about the couple possibly getting married -- but their plans have been …
Vanderbilt Professor: Homosexuality Punishable by Death Under Islamic Law
Former State Senator David Fowler of the Family Action Council of Tennessee reports this: At the end of last month, the Muslim Students Association at Vanderbilt University hosted an event sponsored by the university’s Project Dialogue committee. The topic was “Common Ground: Being Muslim in the Military.” One of the panelists, Awadh A. Binhazim, is …
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Positive Infinity 