archive
Simon Says
Does Voting Early Prompt Hasty Choices?
October 6, 2012 Voting can be a chore, but getting more people to vote by allowing early voting may not be doing the candidates or the electorate any favors.
Simon Says
Jimmy Hoffa: Still Searching. Still Waiting.
September 29, 2012 "What happened to Jimmy Hoffa?" is one of the great persisting questions of the past generation. The latest tip has lead to a spot under a driveway outside Detroit, in the long search for the former teamster union head.
Simon Says
The Emoticon Turns 30, Seems Happy About It :-)
September 22, 2012 Using three keystrokes to suggest a smile may not be a great scientific advance, but the emoticon has been simple, useful and enduring.
Simon Says
Putin Turns Photo Ops Into Soviet-Style Agitprop
September 15, 2012 The Russian president admitted this week that many of his highly publicized stunts are staged. Critics charge that state-run media may have returned to a time when Russians don't turn to the news for news so much as clues to what people in power expect them to think.
Simon Says
Go On, 'Curate' This Commentary, Too
September 8, 2012 In recent years the word "curate" has been plucked out of museums and pasted onto everything from cosmetics, furniture and fashion lines to recipes, music- and photo-sharing websites and cat videos.
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
Phyllis Diller: Showing, And Celebrating, Her Age
August 25, 2012 Phyllis Diller, who died at the age of 95 this week, broke down doors in comedy — not just for women, but for the middle-aged.
Television
Meet Peter Lassally, Late Night 'Host Whisperer'
August 25, 2012 From Johnny Carson to Jon Stewart, producer Peter Lassally has helped make many a talk show host. Still, he says, just because you're funny doesn't mean you'd be good at late night. "The gift that I keep looking for in people, whether they're hosts or guests, is likeability," he says.
Simon Says
If Politicians Went On Vacation, We'd All Get A Break
August 18, 2012 NPR's Scott Simon says voters and candidates might benefit if more politicians took real vacations — if they went somewhere, for at least a short time, where no one knows them. Where they don't have to ask for votes, money or spout talking points.
Around the Nation
Gang Violence Smolders On Hot Chicago Streets
July 28, 2012 This has been a summer of blood, sweat and tears in Chicago. The city has been scorched by historic heat, and the homicide rate has soared. Chicago's gangs span generations, but today, they're more disorganized and disparate. Violence seems random, and police are outnumbered.
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.
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.
