Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place

Recently, I wrote a post about Carolyn Ferguson’s wonderful Belle Epicurean. She makes various French-inspired pastry concoctions which she calls “buns” (brioche really). Yes, they have the sticky consistency of your average bun, but there the resemblance ends. Carolyn’s chocolate walnut bun is to die for: a combination of butter, pastry and chocolate that is heaven itself. Likewise, her ham and cheese galette. Try one of these and you can’t ask for a tastier lunch or snack. And it looks like gourmet ice creams are on the way as well! Now they’ve covered pretty much all my major taste buds.

By the way, congratulations to Carolyn and her husband on the birth of their first baby, a girl who’s one month old today. May they share much joy together!

I met Carolyn’s husband (sorry I’m terrible with names and he’s told me his several times!) again today at the Belle’s Buns stall at the University District Farmer’s Market. He told me that Carolyn got a call from Food & Wine Magazine, which was interested in including her in a story they were planning about artisanal bakeries. The Magazine couldn’t have picked a baker more deserving of this honor. Plus, if Carolyn’s delightful pastry finds its way into the pages of the publication it will be perfect promotion for their new retail shop coming to Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel this fall (stay tuned here for news of her opening). Of course, you can buy Belle’s lovely buns at the U District Market through November (I’ve heard the market may even run longer this year). Tell ‘em I sent you!

What was especially wonderful for me to hear from him was that they believe that my earlier post about them was what turned Food & Wine on to them. The staff member who spoke with Carolyn said they’d read about Belle Epicurean in a blog and mine is the only one that has featured her (so far–but that’ll change soon). I love being a matchmaker in this way and wish Carolyn continued success in her business and hope that Food & Wine includes her in the final version of the story (for more on this stay turned here where I’ll announce when the article comes out).

Wired News reports that the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing yesterday in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s MGM v. Grokster decision. The upshot was:

…lawmakers warned P2P industry leaders to do more about piracy on their networks or face potential legislation that could restrict P2P usage.

There’s nothing so ridiculous as a U.S. Senator getting him or herself all in a lather about some “deeply disturbing moral issue.” And Barbara Boxer, carrying water for Hollywood (one of her money “players”) and Ted Stevens (the old blowhard) didn’t disappoint their patrons.

Boxer: “I want everybody to come out of this in good shape, but there’s a right and wrong here.

She skewered the P2P industry for failing to keep pornography from finding its way to children who enter innocent search terms into P2P software and “get something horrific” instead. “If you don’t do more to protect our children, it’s not going to sit well,” she said.”

Stevens: “If you don’t do it, I’m going to move over and meet with Sen. Boxer on this. We’ve got to find some way to meet this concept of protecting our intellectual property. We can hardly accuse the people abroad of stealing our intellectual property if we can’t protect it at home.”

What you’ll notice is that the greedy entertainment industry and their Congressional lapdogs are using children and pornography as a fig leaf for their real desire: to smash the P2P industry so that filesharing dies a horrible death. As a parent myself, I’m sick and tired of politicians who play on people’s heartstrings with manipulative slogans like Boxer’s (”protect our children”). Leave the kids out of it, Senator Boxer. If you want to destroy filesharing come out and say it. But she needs the cover of child pornography because filesharing is a relatively popular phenomenon. All this goes to show the danger inherent in ill-informed politicians attempting to legislate morality (filesharing is “stealing” after all, isn’t it?) and social policy.

Wired News reports that Rep. Rick Boucher (D, VA) has a much more level-headed and reasonable approach to this problem:

I am going to fight, tooth and nail, any effort to hobble file sharing. I mean, if the attack that the industry makes is against file sharing per se, I’m going to fight that, because there are very legitimate uses of file sharing.

Boucher also supports the voluntary licensing proposal outlined below. We need more like Rick Boucher though of course as a minority Democrat, his ideas will gain as much currency in Congress as a Lincoln penny.

But my main reason for this post is to highlight a remarkable idea proposed by Adam Eisgrau, executive director of P2P United, during his Committee testimony. He proposed (and I don’t believe the idea is original to him) a voluntary licensing system by which those who download files would pay a monthly licensing fee which would entitle them to unlimited downloads. The fee would be paid to the appropriate rightholders (record companies and musicians and composers who make the music).

What would be extraordinary about this proposal would be that in one stroke it would decriminalize the personal behavior of millions of Americans who break the law every day by downloading. It would also reward artists based on the “professionally measured popularity of their music” rather than on some lucrative record deal negotiated with high priced agents and entertainment lawyers. What could be more democratic and capitalistic at the same time?

Eisgrau explains that the voluntary licensing fee has strong precedent in our society:

In the face of a seemingly intractable impasse between [the] then-new technology [or radio] and copyright owners, ASCAP and BMI were [created] by songwriters to bring broadcast radio in from the copyright cold in the first half of the twentieth century. Songwriters originally viewed radio exactly the way the music industry today views P2P users — as “pirates.” After trying to sue radio out of existence, songwriters ultimately formed ASCAP (and later BMI and SESAC). Radio stations interested in broadcasting music stepped up, paid a fee, and in return got to play whatever music they liked, using whatever equipment worked best.

And if it can happen once a century, why not resolve the filesharing conflict in a similar way in the 21st century?

And just think, if 5-million Americans participated in this program at $10 per month that would mean $600-million per year would be enriching the artists who make the music. That’s money that not going to them now.

In addition, independent artists will truly have a wide open path to fame, stardom and success–a path that doesn’t need to pass through the office of a record company. Legal P2P filesharing will further decentralize and democratize music by providing a revolutionary, cheap, and now legal means of distribution: the download.

The entertainment industry flacks of course dismiss the idea with an upturned nose though their arguments seem haphazard and frivolous:

“There is no need to bring the parties [P2P and the music industry] together in the wake of this decision,” said Fritz Attaway, executive vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America. “The legitimate content distributors and content creators are talking…. What was needed was to get the free riders out of the way.”

Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, said the music industry is unlikely to make nice with companies deemed to have enabled piracy in the past.

“They take our property and then say they want to be licensed,” he said. “There are legitimate players out in the marketplace. They are doing fine with licenses.”

You’ll notice that Attaway and Bainwol make no mention whatsoever of consumers. Their strategy is to blame P2P for the problem and sue them out of existence. I’ve got news for them. P2P exists only because it’s providing a service that millions of people want. If people didn’t want this stuff then there’d be no P2P. Wouldn’t it make much more sense to attempt to channel people’s desire for music downloads into a course that would legitimize and legalize this activity?

In reality, entertainment industry opposition to this idea lies in the fact that they believe they can make so much more money if they can force people to pay for every song they download (rather than the flat montly fee proposed by Eisgrau). Does the word “greed” ring a bell?

Thanks to Public Knowledge for alerting me to this story.

Back in the old days of those old-fashioned, red-blooded Christian missionaries, there were missions to just about every land and faith imaginable: mission to the heathen, mission to the Jews and even a mission to the world. Now, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who largely deserves credit for the incredibly exploitative alliance forged by right-wing Israelis and American Jews with Christian evangelicals, has created his very own Mission to the Evangelicals. The difference being that Eckstein doesn’t want to make them Jews. He wants to make them Christian Zionists and he wants to use their money to support the Greater Land of Israel phenomenon represented by the settler movement. See this previous post I wrote about Eckstein.

Ze’ev Chafets wrote an illuminating profile of Rabbi Eckstein and his work with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. I came away from reading it thinking of him as the Jimmy Swaggart of the Jewish people.

Chafets story chronicles Eckstein’s evolution from an Anti-Defamation League staffer who came to believe that the ADL was missing the boat in refusing to consider evangelicals as a source of political and financial support for Israel; to the leader of a philanthropic powerhouse which has raised $250 million in the past eight years and is the second largest charity registered in the State of Israel. Eckstein has gone from a pariah within the ADL to a major power broker courted by the likes of Ariel Sharon.

The rabbi calls himself a “nonevangelical defender of evangelicals.” But after Chafets describes a few typical interactions between the Jew and his evangelical friends, you wonder why they are so dear to his heart. In the profile’s first paragraph Eckstein is described by a Midwestern, Harley-riding (into his own church service no less) evangelical minister as “a kingdom guy.” We get the idea, but the Rev. Steve Munsey has to explain himself (unfortunately for him): ”What do I mean by kingdom guy?” he said. ”Like a godfather in the Mafia, it’s a term of respect.” Yeah, with that kind of “respect” who needs enemies?

Not to be outdone, the good reverend shows Eckstein even more ‘respect’ when he introduces him to the 5,000 parisioners gathered in the sanctuary hall (as described by Chafets):

‘Yek-eel Epstein is a powerful giant,” he said, butchering the name. ”He rates right up there. You’ve seen him on TV. He was a rabbi, and he became a born-again Christian!”

Lucky for the rabbi, he gets to clear up that little misunderstanding by explaining to the crowd that he isn’t an evangelical. He does that just before he collects his $5,000 check from the minister handed out in the “humble, modest” surroundings of the Church’s sanctuary. I guess neither Eckstein nor Munsey have lately read Rambam’s eight levels of charity, the highest level of course being anonymous giving.

It also makes you wonder whether all this kissing up to evangelicals is worthwhile when all you come away with is a measly 5,000 bucks.

The rabbi also has a most untraditional view of tzedakah. I call it proprietary fundraising as opposed to Clal Yisrael fundraising. In other words, Eckstein views his relationship with the evangelical movement as proprietary. He owns it. Traditional Jewish fundraising, however, is performed for the benefit of Clal Yisrael (or “all Israel”). If one fundraiser has success in raising funds he or she usually would feel an obligation to share that knowledge for the greater good of the Jewish people so that others might also succeed in raising funds to support those in need. But not Yechiel Eckstein:

In April, Eckstein attended a conference of major Jewish philanthropies in Las Vegas, but when fund-raisers there asked him to share his strategies, he tactfully demured.

In other words, he believes that the evangelicals are his own little cash cow reserved for his own pet charitable Israeli projects. A most unconventional and selfish view of Jewish fundraising.

In order to justify his danse macabre with the evangelical movement, he has to do some heavy theological revisionism regarding the nasty habit that they seem to have of wanting to convert Jews. Here’s his reply to that one:

‘Jews have such a cynical, negative view of these people. There are all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories out there about how evangelicals only support Israel to bring on Armageddon or because they want to convert the Jews to Christianity. That’s just not true.

But of course it certainly is true and Eckstein seems to believe by categorically denying the existence of these well-known ideas that this somehow will make them disappear.

One of the most telling incidents in Chafets’ story occurs during a conference call with Gary Bauer (ardent right-wing ideologue) involving Eckstein, a staff member named Sandy Rios and Chafets. Here’s how the latter recounts it:

”Jews tend to demonize evangelicals,” Eckstein said sadly.

”And not the other way around?” I asked.

Eckstein shrugged. ”Not really. No.”

Throughout this conversation, Rios was clearly eager to join in. And as soon as there was a pause in the discussion, she did. ”You know,” she said, ”the truth is, Christians do want to convert Jews.”

Eckstein and Mamo exchanged glances. ”Not by some bait-and-switch trick,” she said. ”But we believe it’s part of God’s plan.” Eckstein winced the way he had when Pastor Munsey called him a born-again Christian.

”Anyway,” Rios said, ”we love Jews, notwithstanding their rudeness and hatred for us.”

Poor Sandy, she picked the wrong place in which to announce her anti-Semitic views. But it makes you wonder who’s great idea was it to hire her in the first place?

Eckstein later calls Chafets back to let him know they fired Rios basically explaining–it’s so hard to find good help these days: “”Hiring staff is a problem. Truthfully, it’s extremely hard to find people who understand exactly what we’re doing here.”

But Rios isn’t the only one having trouble understanding what Eckstein’s “doing here.” Or I should say, I don’t have trouble understanding WHAT he’s doing. I just don’t understand WHY he’s doing it.

I’m not going to go over the incredibly pernicious effect that Eckstein and his work is having in promoting a partisan Bush-focussed Jewish agenda domestically and a partisan Likud-focussed agenda within Israel. You can read that in my earlier post linked above.

Last month, I posted about the problems the U.S. Air Force Academy is having with evangelical Christian chaplains spreading “The Word” a bit too strenuously (to put it mildly) among the cadets, especially those who are not Christian.

Today, NPR ran a broader examination (hear it) of the problem in all the armed forces. Jeff Brady interviewed David Hicks, the Navy’s chief of chaplains, who presented a tolerant and ecumenical perspective on the mission of chaplains. However, the story clearly points out that evangelical chaplains (who now comprise 60% of all chaplains) haven’t gotten the message.

Take the case of Gordon James Klingenschmidt, the evangelical Navy chaplain who officiated at public memorial service for a Catholic sailor who died at sea. This fellow doesn’t accept the notion of ecumenism within the military service. He cannot in good conscience conduct an ecumenical service as it violates his own religious practice. At the memorial, he explains:

“I quoted John 3:36 and this verse is very controversial, very non-pluralistic and it says if you believe in the son you have eternal life if you don’t believe in Jesus then you don’t have eternal life ‘for God’s wrath remains upon you.’”

Klingenschmidt is about to lose his job over that sermon. He objects to his termination saying federal law says chaplains have the right to “practice their own faith.” He continues:

“I don’t know why my commanding officer punished me for my sermon except that he wanted me to preach a different message. In other words, he wanted me to preach their faith instead of my own faith.” He claims the Navy is setting up “a new pluralistic religion akin to Unitarianism.”

Brady notes that Congressmember Walter Jones (R, NC) is sponsoring legislation that would allow chaplains like Klingenschmidt to “express their faith openly without fear of retribution.” Isn’t that cozy and convenient. Because a U.S. Navy chaplain refuses to minister to those of other faiths that means that he’s suffering “religious discrimination” for his beliefs? How ludicrous.

Chaplain Hicks notes that when you become a chaplain you accept the notion that you will deal with service members of all faiths. He explains that when you conduct an ecumenical service you preach in one way and when you preach to members of your own faith you preach another. This subtlety appears lost on Klingenschmidt and other evangelical clergy. In their view, they are there to minister to fellow evangelicals and to convert those who aren’t yet evangelicals. That’s it. Please excuse me but this makes me extremely uncomfortable.

If evangelicals can’t minister to everyone whatever their religion then they shouldn’t be military clergy. It’s as simple as that. If I were a Jewish chaplain, even an Orthodox one who would have a more restrictive view of religious practice than I, how could I possibly justify only ministering to fellow Jewish soldiers (especially since there are relatively few in the armed forces)? In fact, I had a suggestion–fire all the evangelical clergy and replace them with Jews. At least then you know there won’t be any proselytizing since Jews don’t do it (except for Chabad).

Though Brady does not mention it, his reporting borrows heavily from Laurie Goodstein’s excellent New York Times story of July 12th: Evangelicals Are a Growing Force in the Military Chaplain Corps. Thanks to the Democracy Cell Project for providing the original source for this story.

tags air_force_academy, air_force_chaplains, evangelicals, klingenschmidt, proselytizing

I don’t know how it’s possible that I’ve lived in Seattle for seven years and I’ve never attended the Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival sponsored by the
Center for Wooden Boats. 15,000 Seattleites and tourists descend on the South Lake Union docks for a wonderful display of vintage wooden boats including everything from kayaks and canoes to family yachts. The festival earlier this month was blessed with beautiful warm weather and my wife suggested I take our four year-old, Jonah, who loves anything with engines (airplanes, trains, fire trucks, boats, etc.). Naturally, Jonah wanted to step foot in every single boat that was moored dockside which would’ve added up to ten or more. With all the ducking and high-stepping necessary to board and disembark from these beautiful vessels, daddy was quickly getting tired of it. I managed to bring Jonah over the the music (quite good) and the Seattle vintage vessels like a tugboat.

I love keeping great old crafts alive and the love and perfection achieved in building wooden boats deserves preservation. My only fear is that with the dramatic facelift Paul Allen is bringing to Lake Union will there still be room for a quaint old festival like this one in the Lake Union’s gentrified future?

Here are some photographs I took that day:

I remember when I read Amanda Hesser's wonderful profile of Julie Powell, a then-secretary who took on the daunting and heroic project of cooking every recipe in Julia Child's masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a tiny Long Island City apartment kitchen. The ariticle was utterly charming and I was won over by Powell's indomitable spirit. Julie Powell cooking her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking in her tiny kitchen (credit: Christopher Smith/NYT) Powell has apparently become a food writer for the Times. As such, ...

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