The Case of Gil Hoffman: Citizen Armies and Journalistic Ethics

Recently I went to see a talk by Gil Hoffman at a synagogue in Bridgeport. Hoffman, who is currently on a US speaking tour, is a reporter for the Jerusalem Post covering Israeli politics and government. As an Israeli citizen, he serves as a reservist in the Israeli Defense Forces -- specifically, as his JPost bio states, in the IDF "Spokesperson Unit." Obviously this is a conflict of interest, but of what magnitude? To be sure, having an army in which all citizens are required to serve presents some unique ethical conundrums for people in certain lines of work -- that is to say, some ethical dilemmas are inevitable. Mr. Hoffman is affable, funny and generally charming (one can see why he would be an effective spokesman for the IDF) but given the extremely flattering treatment of Israeli government policy that he offers in his public presentations -- he seems loath to criticize the government for anything, and flatly describes opposition to Jewish settlements in the West Bank as anti-semitism -- one has to wonder, where exactly does his journalistic duty to inform the public end and his duty to the IDF begin (and vice versa)?

GOP Foreign Policy in a Nutshell, As Evidenced By the CBS-NJ Debate

America Fuck Yeah, Israel Fuck Yeah, Other Countries Go to Hell.

Where to See Outdoor Shakespeare in Connecticut

Outdoor Shakespeare is nothing new: in fact the very first performances of the Bard's work were held at the plein-air Globe Theatre on the banks of London's River Thames. But outdoor performances of Shakespeare as an annual summertime ritual is a more recent phenomenon whose 'Big Bang' moment was in 1954 when New York's famed Public Theater started staging free performances of Shakespeare in Central Park every summer.

Where are the best places to see outdoor Shakespeare in Connecticut? If you're looking for a scenic location, you won't want to miss the Flock Theatre Company's performances beside the lily pond in the glorious Connecticut College Arboretum. If you're looking for top-notch acting and production values, you can't beat the Elm Shakespeare Company, which performs towards the end of summer in New Haven's Edgerton Park and on the Guilford Green. And if you want something memorable -- and maybe a little goofy -- be sure to head to Bridgeport for Connecticut Free Shakespeare's "Shakespeare in the Zoo," in which peacocks roaming the grounds of the Beardsley Zoo have been known to make cameos by wandering onstage during this company's playful and music-filled productions.

Here is a list of options for outdoor Shakespeare in Connecticut. If you go, remember to bring a comfy folding chair and bug spray. Although the performances may be free to attend, they are not free to produce, and donations are always appreciated.

Elm Shakespeare Company -- New Haven and Guilford -- http://elmshakespeare.org/

Connecticut Free Shakespeare -- Bridgeport -- http://ctfreeshakespeare.com/

Flock Theatre -- New London - http://flocktheatre.org

Capital Classics Theatre Company - Saint Joseph College, Hartford - http://www.capitalclassics.org/

Shakespeare on the Sound - Norwalk - http://www.shakespeareonthesound.org

ARTFARM "Shakespeare in the Grove" - Middletown - https://sites.google.com/a/art-farm.org/www/

Just Your Average Catholic, Communist, Gay Poet/Politician

Only in Italy.

OUP Gives Long Overdue Credit to Female Baseball Historian

"It’s taken 50 years but Dorothy Jane Mills, formerly Dorothy Z. Seymour, wife of the late baseball historian Harold Seymour, has received long overdue acknowledgment as coauthor along with her late husband of three seminal books on the history of baseball that are considered the scholarly standard in the field. In a formal announcement by Oxford University Press executive editor Tim Bent, Mills was given formal credit and her name will now accompany her late husband’s on the books' covers and title pages."

Pork, Pastors, and Prayer Breakfasts

Thirteen really Muslim things Obama has done.

Uncle Solar Wants You!

Clean Energy Victory Bonds.

US Navy Swastika Building Update

"A couple of years ago, the swastika-shaped building at the Naval Amphibious Base in San-Diego discovered by Google Earth became an Internet hit. The former U.S. resident and now Israeli citizen Avrahaum Segol got word from a friend in 2006 and made getting rid of the offensive symbol his own personal project."

Question

When is the New York Times going to run an obituary of Matthew Simmons? The longer they ignore his death, the more they fuel these kinds of conspiracy theories.

Axis of Social Media

North Korea takes its war against Yankee imperialism onto the battleground of facebook.

Pirate Defense Lawyers Take Note

The Law Library of Congress has digitized its collection of pre-1923 piracy trials.

Dean Vs. DFA

Is it weird that DFA is putting out this when Howard Dean is putting out this?

How Jimmy Carter Saved Craft Beer

One of the unheralded accomplishments of a misunderstood and under-rated president.

News flash! Journalists Prepared to Once Again Utterly Misread Annual Social Security Trustees Report

"Thursday's report will once again describe an essential program in admirable fiscal health. But every year, journalists twist the facts to fit a narrative favored by the political elite: that the program is in crisis. Rather than manufacturing a false drama that shakes people's confidence about their future benefits, two Social Security experts write, reporters should stick to the facts."

"Further and Faster Than Margaret Thatcher"

New Statesman looks at David Cameron's first 100 days.

How The One-State "Solution" Got Its Mojo Back

JTA:

In one of the more curious twists in Israeli politics, prominent figures on Israel’s right wing have begun pushing for a one-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians as equal citizens with full voting rights. The one-state solution previously had been the preserve of the post-Zionist left, Palestinian hard-liners and left-leaning European intellectuals who envisioned turning Israel proper, the West Bank and Gaza into a single state in which the Palestinians soon would become the majority and assume the reins of government. For the overwhelming majority of Israelis, the idea has been anathema because it seemed to spell the end of the Zionist dream of a sovereign Jewish state. So what has changed? In a word: Gaza.

Excited Delirium

Is 'excited delirium' an actual cause of death or is it a euphemism for 'death by Taser?'

When Politicians Pledge to Keep Jobs At Home...

... it's time to ask who's producing their campaign commercials.

Is Use of Facebook and Twitter a Campaign Expenditure?

"My name is Joe Candidate, and I approved this tweet."