Goodbye to a quiz whiz
Back in 2005, "It's Academic" host Mac McGarry ferried me around the NBC channel 4 studio, introducing me to news anchors and other luminaries before settling back to talk about his more than 40-year career as host of the high school quiz show for a Beacon cover story on him. In the weekly show, teams from three local schools compete with lightning-fast velocity to answer... READ MORE
At your fingertips
Most people I speak with — regardless of their age — tell me they prefer reading a real newspaper (on paper) rather than a virtual one on a computer screen.They like the “old-fashioned” tactile experience, where they can turn the pages, skim the headlines, choose which ads to read, clip articles of interest, and generally feel like they have accomplished something... READ MORE
Imperfect harmony
You know how it is that sometimes something very ordinary strikes you as meaningful in a new way?For example, I attend Sabbath services every week at a synagogue near my home. There are a number of places in the service where everyone is expected to sing along or sing in response.Normally, at these times, I hear mostly my own voice in my head. But if I stop singing and listen for a moment,... READ MORE
With appreciation
Each year, I look forward to fall, knowing that our annual 50+Expos can’t be far behind. I so relish the opportunity to see hundreds, even thousands, of our readers in person, and to speak with many of you, as I did last month at our Maryland and Virginia events.There is nothing so heartwarming to a journalist as to meet readers and hear accolades and appreciation for our work, as... READ MORE
Common (lack of) sense
An item from the “be careful what you wish for” department: I was having a problem coming up with a topic for this month’s column. I was praying for some inspiration.Then I glanced at the day’s news in the paper, and oh, was I sorry! While it provided a nearly instant topic, it also made my blood boil, not once, but three times.Here, in a nutshell, are the first... READ MORE
Facing an empty nest
Our two children, Jeremy and Tova, are once again off to school. For the past 15 years, my wife, Judy, and I have rather looked forward to the fall, when we could send our kids back to school for most of the day after a busy summer spent juggling their schedules and ours.Things started to change when Jeremy graduated from high school three years ago. That fall he left the country to spend... READ MORE
A march remembered
Lucila Woodard was 29 years old when she made her first visit to Washington, D.C. On August 28, 1963, she attended the March on Washington in the nation’s capital and her memories from the day include hearing Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous words.Today a resident of Greenspring Village in Springfield, Va., where she shared her story, Woodard is looking back half a century ... READ MORE
Courting controversy?
During the coverage of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act in June, I first heard of 84-year-old plaintiff Edie Windsor. Although she had married her longtime partner in 2007, the marriage wasn’t recognized legally. When her wife died in 2009, Windsor was hit with a $363,000 estate tax bill she would not have had to pay if she her... READ MORE
Intractable problems
Why do so many of the social issues we currently face appear to be intractable?I think one of the reasons is that many problems in our society are treated as having a very limited range of solutions — as being black and white, leaning left or right, offering a choice of yes or no, take it or leave it. A few issues may really present such a stark choice, at least sometimes. But... READ MORE
Whatâs private anymore?
The recent revelations that our government collects telephone records and intercepts Internet communications have led to a great hue and cry throughout the world.I don’t deny the revelations are shocking. But what’s shocking to me is that the programs have been revealed, not that they are taking place.I am also shocked by how surprised so many people seem to be that privacy and... READ MORE
