News Service Shows Israel’s Other Side

By Rachel Pomerance
Published on December 16, 2004

Bemoaning the way Israel is portrayed in the news is something of a favorite pastime for many American Jews. But rather than complain that Israel is depicted unfairly in its conflict with the Palestinians, two Silicon Valley executives are taking a different approach.

Helluva Ball Club

By Richard A. Macales
Published on April 3, 2003

There is something about baseball, war and commanders-in-chief that eternally binds us to our national pastime. Presidents want the baseball teams to play, and the fans want to take their minds off of wars, economic problems and domestic troubles. So it's a win-win situation.

Such is baseball, where hope springs eternal. It is FDR throwing out one of his 11 first pitches on opening day during the Great Depression and later during World War II. A confident JFK in 1963 -- just six months after the Cuban Missile Crisis and seven months before his assassination -- is seen smiling in a famous photo tossing out the first pitch in Washington.

No matter how intense world affairs are, there is something comforting and consistent about baseball, and it even gives the president a moment of relief from pressing issues.