Stories that Caught My Eye

A few articles that caught my eye:

It's a ring thing: Why Shaq thinks highly of Riley

"It has been almost 20 years since Pat Riley won his fourth NBA championship as a coach. Seventeen years and six months, to be precise.

With Riley suddenly positioned to make one last drive for No. 5, here are five questions and answers about his controversial return to the bench in Miami in place of Stan Van Gundy:"

Conservative Judaism- Which Way Does It Go

"Many of us have learned that Conservative Judaism is either a complex ideology (at least we never get a straightforward explanation) or simply a movement that stands in the center between Reform and Orthodoxy. An early classic of Conservative Judaism was titled, “Tradition and Change,” but tradition and change is a paradox, not a banner of belief.

Conservative Judaism is crying out for renewal and revitalization. Some of the most spiritually charged, socially sensitive prayer groups and institutions in the country choose to not affiliate themselves with the Conservative movement. Yet they are led by rabbis ordained by the Conservative movement and attended by congregants who grew up in that movement.

In synagogues that do define themselves as Conservative, the congregants often expect halachic observance from their rabbis, yet they are not moved to emulate them. Conservative Jews are increasingly confused and uncertain about their spiritual direction.

As I posed these problems and questions, some turned the question back to me.

“Who are you, and what do you believe?”

When I reflect upon the beliefs with which I was raised and how I have grown in my faith, I realize that the word “Conservative” does not best fit who I am and what I believe.

I am a Covenantal Jew."

Popular toys of the last 100 years

• 1900-1909	Crayola Crayons
• 1910-1919	Raggedy Ann Dolls
• 1920-1929	Madame Alexander Collectible Dolls
• 1930-1939	View-Master 3-D Viewer
• 1940-1949	Candy Land
• 1950-1959	Mr. Potato Head
• 1960-1969	G.I. Joe
• 1970-1979	Rubik's Cube
• 1980-1989	Cabbage Patch Kids
• 1990-1999	Beanie Babies
• 2000-Present	Razor Scooter

Gene-Therapy Tried for Parkinson's

"The Illinois man is among a few dozen patients enrolling in the first attempts at gene therapy for Parkinson's, a milestone in the quest to better treat the degenerative brain disease.

It's a time of mixed excitement and caution: These first three studies are to see if gene therapy is safe to try, not to prove whether it works. Yet studies in monkeys suggest at least one of the approaches has the potential to finally target the underlying disease, not merely tame its symptoms.

"It's this delicate balance between giving (patients) hope but making it clear to them, and to the world, that this is still highly experimental," says Dr. William J. Marks Jr. of the University of California, San Francisco, who is leading the most closely watched approach — using a nerve growth factor to rescue dying brain cells.

"It's a gamble," agrees Dr. Leo Verhagen of Chicago's Rush University Medical Center, a co-researcher in the project who treated Castle.

"This is the first trial that, if it works, could slow down the disease's progression," he explains."