Month: April 2011

March of the Penguins

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I finally saw the March of the Penguins. It’s unquestionably informative and beautifully photographed. Almost everything in it was new to me, and I couldn’t help being astonished and moved by what these birds do in Antarctica. (They’re very different… Read More ›

A beautiful fractal project

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In last month’s post about our Fractal Fair, I made the following promise: Stay tuned for a post on one project in particular, a spectacular children’s book on fractals. So here’s the follow-up, or at least a preliminary follow-up. I… Read More ›

LEDs as street lights?

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The City of Boston is installing new lights on the sides of the streets in my neighborhood and others. But there’s a lot of controversy about these LED bulbs. On April 14 the Dorchester Reporter published an article under the… Read More ›

Sea Breeze Mexican Grill

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Yay, a real restaurant has opened in my neighborhood! Until this point all we’ve had has been two pizza-and-sub places and a café. There are real restaurants one neighborhood over — take your pick of directions, a couple to the… Read More ›

Making the Grades

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Everyone who has any connection with education — teacher, student, parent, administrator — needs to read Todd Farley’s Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry. Yes, the book is a bit repetitive, and of course it reflects… Read More ›

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

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I’m sure you’re familiar with all the controversy surrounding Amy Chua’s memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Some of the controversy is well-deserved, but much is not. This book came to the world’s attention through an excerpt published in… Read More ›