The late lamented CF Donovan’s, in the Savin Hill neighborhood of Dorchester, closed its doors for good just over three years ago. Barbara and I had always enjoyed eating there — not for its gourmet food, but for the standard… Read More ›
Month: November 2012
A bad sign
I fear that 88 Wharf, which I reviewed three years ago, is going downhill. The rumor is that it’s about to go out of business. I don’t know whether that is really true, but the subject line of their recent… Read More ›
Soup and suans
Changsho may or not be the best Chinese restaurant in Cambridge, but it definitely has the best hot-and-sour soup. Mary Chung may or may not be the best Chinese restaurant in Cambridge, but it definitely has the best suan la… Read More ›
Camry electronics
After our eight-year-old Ford Taurus bit the dust, Barbara and I bought a 2012 Toyota Camry. I love the car, and I’m still learning its ins and outs. In particular, I have been pleasantly surprised by its electronic capabilities, especially in… Read More ›
Privilege
I suppose I’m biased. But bias or no, Privilege is must reading for anyone interested in the intersection of education, schools, and the American class structure. The full title of Shamus Rahman Khan’s sociological study is Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent… Read More ›
The Woman Who Died a Lot
Unless you’ve been reading this blog for at least the past six and a half years, you probably don’t realize that I’m a fan of Jasper Fforde. See my posts of 11/1/11, 11/30/06, and 8/8/06 for more information, but here… Read More ›
Popsicles, law, and language
Companies have to protect their trademarks, of course. There are even a few well-known examples where trademarks were lost because they weren’t protected — Wikipedia cites aspirin, dry ice, escalator, kerosene, laundromat, linoleum, phonograph, thermos, videotape, and zipper — so… Read More ›
XO
XO is the latest novel by Jeffery Deaver, two of whose books I previously reviewed — on August 27, 2006, and on November 23, 2009 — although I’ve read many more of his books than those two. In fact, I suspect that… Read More ›
Playtime
I’m not quite sure what I think of this 1967 Jacques Tati movie, which I just saw for the first time. It’s a bit slow, a bit French, and a lot jarring. The set is supposed to look like Paris,… Read More ›
Persistence
NPR aired a fascinating report this morning in its Your Health segment of Morning Edition: “A Struggle For Smarts? How Eastern And Western Cultures Tackle Learning,” reported by Alix Spiegel. Everyone knows the stereotype of the successful Asian student, and there’s… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 