The Way It Iz

Pop culture has a funny way of contrasting current events. When the world is in chaos, television, movies, and music tend to try to get your mind off of the hectic nature of real life and let you focus on something less dire. The middle of the 20^th century saw the rise of rock and roll in the ’50s and ’60s, disco in the ’70s, and hair bands in the ’80s. All of this came amid the Cold War, when every American was constantly worried that the world could end in a nuclear war at any given moment. As soon as the Berlin Wall came down and the Cold War ended, we saw a rise in grunge music. As opposed to the musical genres that preceded it, grunge had a depressing sound to it, regardless of the lyrics.

Last week, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg jumped simultaneously into the debates for the Democratic primary and a shark cage. Upon entering, Bloomberg was bombarded by attacks from his fellow candidates, which he was obviously ill-prepared to defend. Those of us who lived through three Bloomberg terms in New York City should not be surprised by how lackluster he was. Bloomberg was never “Captain Charisma” while he was mayor, and that reputation definitely continued in the debate. Still, this week, I’d like to discuss the attacks his opponents levied on him, how he handled them, and how he should have handled them.

It was at the sheva b’rachos of his grandson that I truly learned of the greatness of Rabbi Mendel Kaufman. The hosts of the sheva brachos decided to play a game akin to the old television show, The Newlywed Game. However, instead of exclusively newlyweds, the contestants were the newly married couple, the parents, and the grandparents. The rest of us were spectators. It came to the question directed at the husbands: “Name something you own that your wife would want to get rid of.” Before anyone else was able to respond, Rabbi Kaufman answered simply: “Rabbi Kaufman.”

I’d like to look at the concept of change. For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to differentiate between two types of change. The first type of change is personal change. This is any change that is made to the individual. It could be as simple as a new hair style to as monumental as choosing a person with whom to spend the rest of one’s life, and everywhere in between. The second type of change is collective, or societal change. This change could involve the changing of public discourse, the passing of new laws, or the election of a new leader (or in some countries, a coup that changes the leadership by force).

Earlier this week, Fox News Channel’s Chief Palace Correspondent, John Roberts, broke the horrifying details of a sinister deep-state plan that infiltrated the highest office in the land. Roberts detailed the account in his report on Tucker Carlson’s nightly show, and this disturbing story could have ripple effects that will be felt from Hodu to Kush. “This could only have resulted from a gross amount of incompetence, combined with truly awful government overreach,” Roberts asserted. “It really goes to show just how much our leadership here in Shushan wants to control your life.”

It’s been a few weeks since the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. The public interest in celebrity news has always fascinated me. I never understood why people cared about the private lives of celebrities. If they are doing something good, like donating to charity or visiting children in the hospital, I can understand the draw, but when it’s the small things, like what they are wearing to a wedding or what they had for breakfast or even what they named their kid, I can’t seem to wrap my head around why that gets media attention.