You’ve probably seen the news about the recent college admissions cheating scandal, in which wealthy parents paid exorbitant sums to buy their children’s way into prestigious colleges. The last time I looked, about 50 people had been indicted in this scandal but one name stands out, featuring again and again in news stories and social

Remember the musical Bye Bye Birdie? In it, Paul Lynde sings this famous refrain: Kids! I don’t know what’s wrong with these kids today! Kids! Who can understand anything they say? Kids! They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs – Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy loafers! And while we’re on the subject, Kids! You can talk and talk

I’m hesitant to springboard an article using something I read in Reader’s Digest but I always like to start at the beginning. My hesitancy to cite Reader’s Digest comes from my own prejudices about the magazine, based on the assumption that its readership is primarily women of a certain age, which I am not. (My wife

A few months ago, a colleague suggested a television program called The Good Place, a highly-rated show that follows the adventures of a group of friends in the afterlife. My colleague thought that not only would I enjoy the show, it might make a good subject for an article. While my wife and I really

Did you ever notice that some authority figures really don’t like it when lay people question them? I remember the following incident quite clearly: I was in college in nineteen-eighty-something, before the era of smartphones, GPS or even MapQuest. When we wanted directions in those days, we had to ask someone. At the time, I

In addition to the insightful, entertaining and, quite frankly, brilliant articles that I contribute to OU Life, I am also a regular contributor to the web site Jew in the City. Generally speaking, my offerings there consist of questions that have been submitted by readers and my responses, fleshed out to longer-than-average length. (I answer

Actor Chris Pratt has jumped on the “Daniel fast” bandwagon, thrusting it into media spotlight. The “Daniel fast,” for those who may not know, involves eating only things that grow from seeds, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. People undertaking this diet avoid meat, dairy, sugar, fat, alcohol, caffeine and processed foods. Inspiration for this

I used to work for an organization that was composed of some of the most creative individuals you could ever hope to find. The down side was that, when we had a staff conference, trying to get them all where they were supposed to be was like trying to herd cats. When I lamented the

It’s probably the most appalling story of the year (so far. The year is young, so give it time!). Dr. Lara Kollab, a resident at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, was fired after a tweet was revealed saying that she would give Jews the wrong medications. Kollab had worked in the internal medicine program since July

(With apologies to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) Andrew Johnson, a high school wrestler at Buena Regional High School in New Jersey, was told that he could not compete at a December 19 meet in Atlantic County with his dreadlocks. Johnson was wearing his usual headgear and covering, but the referee said it was not