Martin Gardner died this week, inspiring one of two reactions: (a) Who? (b) Oh my god, Martin Gardner! [Followed by ten minutes’ recall of a youth spent with pencil and paper, scribbling and scratching one’s head] I am, needless to say, in group B. Gardner was (for all you group-A types) the world’s foremost constructor …
Monthly Archives: May 2010
Bad Dads We (Don’t) Love: Asian Edition
Um, so first we get Indonesia’s smoking toddler. Now comes a father in Wuhan, China, who tried to auction off his son on a street corner: He put up a table with a sign on it, giving the youngster’s name and age and boasting of his capacity for hard work. But when bidders began to ask …
Worst Father’s Day Gift Ever?
In my line of work, silly season has always kicked off right about now: It’s summertime, when Washington goes on recess and news outlets start writing about the stupidest things imaginable. My dear alma mater Time practically defined this category with its urgent and breathless reporting, in summer 2001, of the great danger posed to …
Relatives: Who Are You?
My mother is town for JP’s birthday, with my step-father and her mother (my step-grandmother). On JP’s birthday we will be joined by my father and his third wife, or in JP’s somewhat confused parlance—Grandpa Steve and Grandpa Lucie. At some point on his birthday JP will see his mother’s parents—Ong and Ba (they’re Vietnamese). …