Adrian Chen has written a stunning piece on Russian social media trolls. Titled “The Agency,” the article is a virtuoso example of investigative journalism. Chen can rest on his laurels forever, as far as I’m concerned. “The Agency” is the gold standard of how to expose wrongdoing. It’s a very long article, but here’s an…
Yom HaShoah
April 15, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2105, is Yom HaShoah in Israel, “Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.” The Israelis remember not only those who were murdered but also those who fought back. This is what happens at 10:00 a.m. Unlike a lot of people, I never had any trouble believing that the Holocaust happened. My mother went to…
The great irony of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
December 28, 2014
I began studying the Israeli Defense Forces when I was about nine. I couldn’t explain why. Part of the reason was that the Israelis used World War II equipment, which had interested me since I was five. I’ve always hated war, but I’ve always studied it. People often enter the psychiatric field to find out…
Not very smart, guys
June 1, 2014
The French have arrested the murderer responsible for the mass shooting in Belgium at the Jewish museum. He’s a twenty-nine-year-old Muslim career criminal who went to Syria for a year and acted in the named of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), formerly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq. It’s not very smart…
My second interview since 2002
May 6, 2014
Here’s my second interview since 2002. It’s with bassist Joe Burcaw. We have a lot in common, and we would likely disagree on nearly everything if we got into it politically and socially. But why would I do that to Joe? I like his playing. That’s all that matters. There was one question that I…