archive
Simon Says
Without A Career, How Do We Know Who We Are?
September 1, 2012 A lot of Americans identify themselves by their work. It used to be a kind of identity stamp, but the economic crisis may have hastened a change that was already under way: more people living with a series of short-term jobs instead of lifetime occupations.
Simon Says
Beyond Trampoline: New Summer Games To Consider
July 28, 2012 The Olympics have a long history of including some games and discarding others. In this accelerated digital age, there are a few new competitions that might be more familiar than trampoline maneuvers like the fliffus.
Simon Says
Blind Sportscaster Bob Greenberg Remembered
July 14, 2012 Bob Greenberg died this week at the age of 67. He was a sportscaster who happened to be blind. When I've told people he's one of the most extraordinary people I've ever worked with, there's usually polite incomprehension: A blind sportscaster?
Simon Says
'Mr.' And 'Ms.,' A Courtesy To Be Respected
July 7, 2012 Over the years, I've come to see good sense in my mother's advice: "If you're always slightly overdressed, you're never underdressed." If you begin with "Mr." or "Ms.," you may offend someone with sharp or silly questions, but not with discourtesy.
Simon Says
'Anti-Cheating Ring' Not Likely To Deter History
June 30, 2012 A wedding ring that proposes to imprint "I'M MARRIED" on a would-be philanderer's finger is sparking a lot of attention — and outrage. I'm merely skeptical.
Sweetness And Light
The Man Who Painted Sport, Bright And Beautiful
June 27, 2012 The recent death of artist LeRoy Neiman calls for remembering a man who was humble with his success, and generous with his help.
Simon Says
Behind The 'Model Minority,' An American Struggle
June 23, 2012 The Pew Research Center says Asian-Americans are now the fastest-growing ethnic and immigrant group in the United States. Pew says Asian-Americans also tend to be the most educated and prosperous. But every Asian group here has a different immigration story.
Simon Says
Remembering Henry Hill, A Real Wiseguy
June 16, 2012 Mobster-turned-FBI informant Henry Hill died this week of cancer at the age of 69. That's kind of young, but it's quite a few years older than what you might have thought he'd make.
Simon Says
When A Job Interview Turns Into Psychoanalysis
June 9, 2012 Why should someone who wants a job have to confide their fears, flaws and darkest dreams to total — judgmental — strangers? A job interview is a professional encounter, after all, not psychoanalysis, a religious confession, a third date or family therapy.
Simon Says
Just Deserts Follow Attempted Pasty Tax
June 2, 2012 This week, the British government reversed course on a plan to place a 20 percent tax on hot foods like pasties, a humble food more associated with the layman than a posh parliamentarian. Sometimes those politicians must eat their words.
Opinion
The Word 'Hopefully' Is Here To Stay, Hopefully
May 30, 2012 When The Associated Press said it would no longer condemn the use of the adverb "hopefully" in its style guide, most people shrugged. But the announcement was a red flag to people who have made the adverb the biggest bugaboo of English usage over the past 50 years.
Sweetness And Light
In Europe's High Season For Sports, Soccer Rules
May 30, 2012 The Olympics calls itself a "movement," but to most fans, Euro Cup soccer is a rock concert. In the coming months, Europe will host the French Open, Wimbledon, the Tour de France, the British Open and the Olympics. But the biggest draw may be soccer's quadrennial Euro Cup.
Simon Says
Her Husband, A Hero Lost For The Lives Of Others
May 26, 2012 This Memorial Day, Rose Mary Sabo will lay a wreath at the Vietnam War Memorial. Her husband, Leslie Sabo, died in the war 42 years ago, just a few months after she married the boy she met at a high school football game in Ellwood City, Pa., in 1967.
Simon Says
Teaching Kids Balance Can Be A Lesson For Parents
May 19, 2012 To be a parent is to be constantly reminded that almost everything you thought you were doing right for your children will one day turn out to be wrong. The latest revised revelation may be: Training wheels don't help kids achieve a sense of balance.
Simon Says
Can A Change Of Heart Beat The Flip-Flop Charge?
May 12, 2012 Politicians are often lauded in speeches for holding fast to their convictions. But history often honors those who change their minds. Perhaps it's too easy to automatically see political calculation as the only force that changes a politician's mind or heart.
