Essays
1091 results
Page 72
On worshipping Steve Jobs
Sainthood for Steve Jobs? Not so fast
The late high-tech innovator Steve Jobs created products that no one had previously realized they couldn't live without, and that transformed millions of people into plugged-in zombies who seem to have lost all consciousness of inhabiting a common public space.
Essays
5 minute read
Beyond the Penn State scandal
Penn State's forgotten victims
Much has been written lately about children and athletes victimized by sex-abusing coaches at big-time sports programs like Penn State's. But what about the innocent Penn State athletes whose reputations will now be sullied by their association with a scandalized program?
Essays
2 minute read
When a mother vanishes
Life (after 70) without mother
For nearly 70 years my mother was in my corner. In her 90s she could barely communicate. But who could imagine life without her?
In defense of Joe Paterno
The (dubious) sins of Joe Paterno, or: What would you have done?
What is it, exactly, that Joe Paterno did that merited his firing after 46 years as Penn State's football coach? Are you certain that, in the same circumstances, you wouldn't have done the same thing?
Essays
3 minute read
The thrill of falconry
When you own a falcon, who needs a gun?
The elegance of trained falcons must be seen to be believed, as I did in Germany recently. But what is now merely an elegant entertainment was once a means of human survival for hunters and warriors.
Essays
4 minute read
The Inquirer's new home
The Inky comes down from its ivory tower
After 86 years in an ivory tower on North Broad Street, the Inquirer is moving to modest third-floor quarters in a former department store. Farewell, elitist pomposity; hello humility.
Essays
3 minute read
"Boss': Politics as usual
A big-city boss confronts the ultimate challenge
“Boss” offers a dark, detailed, unsparing look at how a big city— in this case, Chicago— actually works.
Essays
3 minute read
Roger Ebert's "Life Itself'
A charmed life, with a little help from his friends
Roger Ebert's memoir reveals the film critic as a lovable fellow who never had to apply for a job, fight for a promotion, sleep with an editor or fret about money. No wonder his book made me grumpy.
Essays
5 minute read
America through a Spanish lens
‘Think it over, America': Voices from the Spanish past
For an American, there's nothing like a sojourn in Spain to get a fresh perspective on our own current economic and political malaise. Both countries have made their share of mistakes since 1492. But the real problem is the reluctance to learn from those mistakes.
Essays
7 minute read
Joe Paterno and Penn State's scandal
Joe Paterno and his media enablers
Sportswriters who promoted the cult of Penn State coach Joe Paterno now profess themselves shocked that one of his former assistants is an alleged serial child molester. Anyone who understands the business of Division I collegiate football programs should have noticed the contrary evidence long ago.
Essays
3 minute read