National and
International

Thoughts on Jewish Orthodoxy and Ultra-Orthodoxy by Gerry Krownstein May 10, 2015   Intermarriage: a no-no to the orthodox, but done all the time in the bible. Moses did it. King David did it. The problem is matrilineal Jewishness (see below).

Matrilinial Jewishness: Being a Jew is determined by the religion of the mother. This made some sense when there were no paternity tests. Science has made that obsolete. There is no reason not to count the father as the source of Jewishness. continued

Business and
Technology

Physics Explained by Inger Stryn May10, 2015  I been reading a lot about physics lately, because that seems to be the scientists' favorite science, being so confusing that even they don't understand it. I decided “how hard could it be”, and settled in to figure it out. I was OK with apples falling on Mr. Newton's head (I always thought they were figs, but what the hell). I was OK with everything being made of atoms, which are tiny pieces of the thing. Everything is made of atoms – oxygen is made of oxygen atoms, irons are made of iron atoms, nickles are made of nickle atoms, butter is made of butter atoms (which they call molecules, for some reason), and so on. But then they said that atoms are made of things too. That's where I got confused. continued

Climate Change and the American Public by Sten Grynir May 17, 2015   We have missed the boat on climate change. At this point in time, the increases in greenhouse gases that have already occurred are sufficient to make a real difference in our climate. Even if we got serious about reducing emissions (unlikely given the hostility to regulation, and even to free market solutions on the part of the Republican party and some coal and oil state Democrats), the end result would merely be to slow the increase in greenhouse gases, not reduce them.

Arts and Reviews
 

Mystery Series – Books vs TV by David Katz May 20, 2015  Two series of mystery books have been converted into TV mystery series, with very different results: Bones, and Miss Fisher's Murders. Bones is based on series by Kathy Reichs, about a forensic anthropologist that solves murders using the clues provided by the murder victims' skeletons. Miss Fishers' Murders take place in 1920's Australia, with the heroine being a socialite who rose from abject poverty to wealth when several of her English relatives died (of natural causes), making her father the heir to a baronetcy and great wealth. continued

TANGLEWOOD 2015 By Dave Sear May 18, 2015  What is really new and exciting in the Berkshires this summer is that Tanglewood has extended its schedule from the middle of June to early September.  Also that this will be Andres Nelsons first summer as music director of the Boston Symphony.  In addition there is lots of new programing and  new performers both classical and pop that will range from Beethoven to Lady Gaga. continued