A Jewish Colony In 17th Century America?

Thirteen English colonies on the East Coast of North America, most settled by groups seeking religious freedom, came together to form the United States. In his new alternative history, The 14th Colony, author Michael Silverstein describes a fictional additional colony, New Israelia, founded by Jews in northern Florida in the 1650s—300 years before the actual founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

“Before beginning serious research for this project,” said Silverstein, “I viewed a book about such a colony as a tongue-in-cheek way to explore one of history’s most vibrant and quirky eras, the mid-17th century. The more I researched, however, the more obvious it became to me that this wasn’t just an alternative history with a far-fetched premise, but something that could easily have happened.

“In a number of ways,” Silverstein continued, “this period also bore some chilling resemblances to our own times. There were international conflicts over markets and resources. There were heinous deeds committed by religious fanatics. Millions of people in different parts of the world were being brutally exploited and enslaved. False messiahs were garnering huge followings. There were even examples of irrational exuberance—the entire economy of Holland was almost taken down by a tulip buying bubble.”

The story of The 14th Colony plays out in both the New and Old Worlds—in an England governed as a republic under Oliver Cromwell; in the Spanish-controlled Americas; in the ghettos of Southern Italy and the surprisingly tolerant Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth in Eastern Europe; and in the Holland of Rembrandt, and its Jewish-friendly colony in northeastern Brazil.

A fuller description of The 14th Colony, and the era in which the book is set, along with notes about its author and book ordering information, can be found on the book’s Web site.

My wife discovered this blog — Margaret and Helen — and shared the link. These women don’t hold back, so don’t go there if you’re expecting anything even approaching moderation. On the other hand, if you share my slightly twisted sense of humor, you’ll probably have a good laugh or two. I especially enjoyed these posts:

What was I thinking when I called Sarah Palin a b***h?

Harold Isn’t a Muslim Either

Mr. Sullivan was also impressed with the gals.

I got it wrong in my last posting. At least, I got it partly wrong. I wrote then that Sarah Palin was unqualified to be Vice-President because she was unqualified to be President if the need arose. And that her selection on a McCain ticket was thus a grievous mistake.

I still agree with the first part of that evaluation. She’s certainly not qualified. But as for the grievous mistake part, well, I missed that one by a mile.

Let’s be honest. Whoever wins in November isn’t going to shape U.S. policies to any great extent. Decisions made in past years (and still being made by Bush & Company) will determine what can and can’t be done. Most really major decisions will be made by other governments and the bond market. Whoever becomes President is going to be reacting to these demands, not initiating big new programs of his own.

Enter Sarah Palin. This woman brings an entirely new element to the national scene. Something missing since a sexually-dysfunctional Bill Clinton got it on with a trailer-park-quality partner named Monica in an alcove of the Oval Office. Palin would bring dysfunctionality back to the national scene in a major way, and giving it a family dimension.

We need someone in the “Big Four” whose sister requires backroom clout to get the right divorce settlement. We need someone whose high-school-aged daughter is having a kid out of wedlock. We’ve learned about these things just days after the announcement of her getting on the Republican ticket. Imagine what will come out when the National Enquirer gets on the case!

We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, we’ll argue and furiously point fingers as this woman enters our lives, almost certainly by way of some new personal upheaval. Dick Cheney gave us the imperial vice-presidency. Which was really kind of high falutin’ Beltway stuff when you think about it. Palin would bring to her next job a focus we can all easily understand and relate to: A Dr. Phil and Dr. Dan vice-presidency that will help us weather the hard times ahead.

Why? For the simple reason that it will be entertaining. Our government is going to be hard pressed to do the bread thing in years to come. The least we still have a right to expect is some circus.

Great choice, John McCain. You saw the need and filled the gap. Now, if you happen to win in November, just stay healthy. Then we can all enjoy the Palin follies from a safe distance.

The Moderate Voice prides itself in “Domestic and international news analysis, irreverent comments, original reporting, and popular culture features from across the political spectrum.” A comment on my “Bill Kristol on Victory in Iraq and Impotence in Georgia,” certainly qualifies in each and all of these aspects. I do not know who “Spikester” is (perhaps I should), but he has written a most original, “irreverent,” superb, and–if it weren’t for the subject matter–entertaining comment on the Russia-Georgia conflict. I highly recommend it to TMV readers.

It is a l o n g comment, so please take your cup of coffee, or whatever liquid nourishment, with you and be prepared to stay a while. Whatever you think of the situation, you will find Spikester’s comments interesting–certainly irreverent–and worth your time. Scroll down in the comments section to my post until you come to Spikester’s comment.

The Obama camp uses a relatively new (well: new to me, at least) social-networking technology called “Scribd,” to share policy proposals. H/t Justin Gardner.

After consuming American and foreign media, you might be forgiven for walking away with the impression that there’s only one contest for one office that matters in November.

Now, a joint project between Politico and Real Clear Politics obliges the whims of political junkies and casual observers alike, who are hungry for something more than which presidential candidate has been treated the most unfairly by which prominent Manhattan-based publication.

This joint project is called The Scorecard,” and it debuted around mid-day today, with posts on Congressional contests in Oregon, Minnesota, and Arizona. Check it out, here or here.

Unfortunately, the answer is probably, “Yes.”

H/t Alan Stewart Carl.

….at Countdown To Crawford, a new blog by the Los Angeles Times that is detailing the last days of the Bush administration.

Yes, it’s from the L.A. Times, the same newspaper that has the highly lively and addicting Top of the Ticket weblog. The Times is one of several newspapers that is launching itself quite comfortably in terms of content and style into the cyberjournalism age. This latest addition to its web infosites will be offering bits about the White House and federal agencies, as observations to the political scene, rather than commentaries. And since the Times has caught on about the importance of “feeding the beast” on the Internet, it’s offering several posts a day from its writers across the country.

It’s a great idea for those who want to find out how the federal government is working (or not working) as it winds down to Bush’s exit from the White House. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING…but then I am biased: when the San Diego Union hired me in 1982, being a newspaper junkie I subscribed two two papers…the San Diego Union and the LAT. The LAT became one of my five favorite papers in America. And its quality in terms of content and punchiness has not changed, even with its new owner.

WARNING: Countdown To Crawford can and is addicting. Take A Peek at Countdown To Crawford and we know you’ll be taking more than one daily peek…

The name of my new weekly Monday column at The National Catholic Reporter online, is El Rio Debajo El Rio: The River Beneath The River.

I’m honored to join the four talented, long-time online columnists there at NCR, all of whom are tireless social justice and peace activists and prize-winning journalists: Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister; Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton; the Jesuit Father John Dear; and NCR Senior Correspondent John L. Allen, Jr., who is Vatican analyst for CNN and covers global issues. The National Catholic Reporter also has a weekly print edition that carries the work of additional insightful and daring journalists.

As of this month, I’ve been blogging at TMV for 12 months. And that has been a huge honor also. My brother and sister journalists here at TMV are as dear to me as kin; the talented young ones, the talented and vibrant mid-aged ones, and the talented and outrageous elders here as well. I daily read most all my co-bloggers’ works as well as many smart, brave and vivacious bloggers on other sites. It’s like being in a perpetual open air lyceum. I don’t know that my world is made bigger, but it is definitely made deeper.

I’ve also come to know many of the intelligent commenters here at TMV, and have considered many points of view and gained valuable insights into human nature, cultural and otherwise, from the souls who post their knowledge, facts and opinions.

Thus, from time to time, I will be linking back and forth between my columns at the National Catholic Reporter and my columns at The Moderate Voice to invite readers from each site, and other blog sites as well, to come to the feasts laid out by the other. I think many will find kindred spirits.

If you would like to read the first column I filed this morning over at the National Catholic Reporter– The River Beneath the River– you can find it here: The Babushka Brigade: What Old Believers Say about Torture of Human Beings.

Too, because this is my first year anniversary at TMV, I would like to thank you all, from all of us here at TMV, really, for your ongoing support of our work.

I realize that at this moment we are all trackside regarding SuperTuesdayTwo, anticipating the last leg of the horse race of our times… and that there are millions of blog and MSM opinions and analyses flying everywhere like the dirt coins divotting into the air from the sharp horseshoes of the fastest runners. Nonetheless, no matter which horses win this race, I just wanted to say that to me, our Readers, and hopefully the ongoing sanity of their hearts and minds, are pretty much our only reason for being… and for writing.

See you at the track finish line. And after. The real stories are just beginning. Trust me, the race AFTER the SuperTuesdayTwo race is going to be the most astonishing of all thus far.

dr.e

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Is this election campaign getting a bit peppery? Perhaps...but it can't get as peppery as some of the recipes on a great new foodblog called Chilefire.com.

Chilefire is the labor of tasty love of Bryce of Wyoming. It’s a food blog that offer up spice and everything nice: information about spices, recipes, restaurant reviews…even home brewing tips. To some, chiles may merely be something hot…to others a reason for a long sit on the “throne” a day later…but to Bryce spices are part of the joy not just of eating but of living. He writes, in part:

Cooking is one of my great pleasures. I enjoy nothing more than creating food that enlivens the palate, invokes strength of flavor, and speaks of refined textures and seductive and sensuous aromas. Spices, herbs and aromatics are to me like pigments to a painter - to be mixed in an endless variety of alchemical compounds, elixirs, and infusions.

But spices, herbs and aromatics go beyond the pleasures of the palate. Historically, in early trade, spices often took the place of currency, they have played important roles in the healing arts, adding properties to medicines, and enhance our seductive qualities, bringing scent to perfume.
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Take A Peek at…Foodblogga.

Readers of politic blogs think politics is delicious, but when was food named after politicians? (Well, come to think of it baloney, ham and tongue sandwiches do sound as if they were.)

But there ARE blogs beyond politics — fine blogs. And food blogga makes you want to come back for seconds and thirds. Posts have such names as How to Talk Turnips to Firemen: Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Sage Glaze and Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Sage Glaze.

Come to think of it, again, food could be named about politicians. For instance, after watching the Democratic and Republican presidential debates “fresh tripe” comes to mind.

Take A Peek at Food Blogga and we know you be taking a daily peek. And, unlike with political blogs (TMV excepted), after you feast, you won’t feel “distressed.”

If you’re a map-freak like me, or otherwise fascinated by “the intersection of politics and geography,” you’ll enjoy this relatively new site, launched about two months ago by Patrick Offenhof, an analyst for New Media Strategies.

H/t Jonathan Martin.

Take A Peek at Repptide – a fascinating (and addicting) concept in tracking opinion on the Internet. And it’s a site that promises to be a resource for weblog writers who want to come up with an idea for a post: Repptide tracks a slew of fascinating items (which are rated). It’s creator explains it’s mission this way:

What’s repptide? It’s probably best described as an organic review and opinion site. I call it organic because it takes a different route from the other review sites: if you’ve ever been to a restaurant that you liked, only to suddenly have an experience that completely changed your opinion, then you’re in luck. repptide captures that shift in public opinion by tracking live opinions, from positive to negative, and vice versa. It’s not static like the other review sites; that’s why I call it organic.

Not only are businesses in the spotlight, but people as well. repptide’s organic rating system can be used like a live opinion poll: how’s your favorite American Idol contestant holding up? Or that up-and-coming presidential candidate you’ve been keeping your eye on?

There’s more to find out — so go to Repptide and explore it yourself. We KNOW you (like yours truly) will be hooked.

Take A Peek at Repptide and we KNOW you’ll be taking several daily peeks…

Take A Peek at the new website Government Is Good. The brainchild of Douglas J. Amy, Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College, Government Is Good should provide Democrats with lots of useful arguments and Republicans with lots of things to debate. And, of course, with bloggers with lots of raw material to become passionate and/or outraged about.

Amy writes:

Why a website extolling the virtues of modern democratic government? Because for years conservative politicians and pundits have been disparaging and demonizing government and too little has been done to defend it. The idea that “government is bad” has been one of the overriding themes of the Republican Party; and it has pledged to reduce government programs to a minimum, except for a few areas like the military and national security. And whenever and wherever conservatives have been in power, they have tried to put their anti-government philosophy into practice by cutting taxes, neglecting social programs, and undermining environmental, consumer, and workplace regulations.

This online resource is a response to this political attack on government and an effort to set the record straight about this much-maligned institution. It will show that government is not a scourge on society; it is a valuable and positive force in the life of every American. Government is not the problem; it is actually the only solution to most of the pressing problems we face as a nation – from global warming to our growing health care crisis. If we want an America that is healthy, secure, well-educated, unpolluted, compassionate, prosperous, just, and free, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector.

And, indeed, we are DEFINITELY in a new era when it’s seemingly harder for Republicans to argue that they are in favor of small government or that government is the problem, as the increasingly popular and quoted Ronald Reagan used to say.

In an era of criticism about government bungling on Hurricane Katrina, criticism about government intervention in the Terri Schiavo case, and a government advocating warrant-less wiretaps, coupled with a massive exertion of executive branch power over the legislature, the days when you could say “Republicans want smaller government and Democrats want bigger government” seem gone. Many Republicans do want bigger government but it depends on what it involves (for instance, for some Republicans such as the increasingly unpopular one in the Oval office it should not involve supporting bipartisan-backed children’s health care.)

Take A Peek at Government Is Good - a site that will provide resources for debate (on both sides).

…at nationalplatforms.com a political webtool that is a MUST for Election 2008. Make sure you bookmark it — since it could be highly useful in the months and years to come.

Basically, National Platforms is a kind of clearing house where campaigns of all parties can have their stands on issues available without any kind of media (or blog) bias. Its homepage states:

We want you to have a reliable source of official information concerning the presidential candidates running in 2008. Their platforms, positions, and issues are show herein with consistent questions asked to each campaign.

Since we receive all posted information directly from each listed campaign/candidate, you can trust what you read here. It is not our goal to push or endorse any candidate or party. We solely want to be a trustworthy website where you can get all the political information you want for the 2008 Presidential Election.

When you explore the site, there’s a lot of info — with much, much more to come. Take A Peek at National Platforms and we know that you’ll be taking a daily peek…

FOOTNOTE: The political campaigns are becoming a lot more conscious of the importance of content on their sites and offering the chance for website reader feedback. For instance, note THIS PAGE from Republican Fred Thompson’s website that explains his core principles.

….at News Groper, a truly unusual and remarkable site.

Just imagine a news site with more and more stellar bloggers than The Huffington Post. If you do, News Groper is it.

The truly A List bloggers include President George Bush, Al Gore, Ann Coulter, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and a mind-blogging list of many more.

They probably never dreamed they’d see a day when they’d be blogging.

And actually, the day hasn’t arrived yet.

Because News Groper is a world-class political parody website. Click on one of the posts “by” one of the famous political types and you’ll get a wonderfully written and often laugh-out-loud parody.

There are a huge number of posts to read but for starters read:
–Here’s what I will and won’t talk about by Senator John McCain
–Democracy hangs by a thread in New Jersey by Nancy Grace
–The agenda for my 135 minutes as commander-in-chief by Dick Cheney

Good political parody is hard to do on a consistent basis. But since the quality is so high in initial News Groper entries, and their raw material to parody gets sillier and ore outrageous by the minute, its prospects to build, maintain and expand its readership are good.

Take A Peek at News Groper and we KNOW you’ll be taking a daily peek..

..at Re-Think Immigration. This is a brand, new weblog that is timelier than ever.

Re-Think immigration should be REQUIRED READING by everyone on ANY side of the immigration issue. The reason: it is a non-partisan blog that promises to offer some useful links on the issue. It’s one of those sites that could become a useful resource to everyone, versus a refuge for people on one side or another.

Take A Peek at Re-Think Immigration and we know you’ll be taking more than just a daily peek.

….at Newcritics, Tom Watson’s truly superb popular culture group blog. When it says “The Best In Web Criticism,” it is NOT an overstatement.

You can boil down the reaction to a quick and detailed read this way:

The criticism and posts on this site are to be read, savored and emulated. It’s truly a place that elevates web criticism.

For instance, with THIS POST on the Sopranos’ highly-controversial finale and see what writer M.A. Peel concludes about what that final episode really mean in terms of Tony’s future…or lack of it. It’s one of yours truly’s favorite pieces on that controversial final episode of TV’s greatest drama.

Take A Peek at Newcritics and you’ll be taking more than a daily peek…