The ’60s and the the ’70s were formative years for many of us. A must-see film recently illuminated these decades through the lens of the story of WBCN, a.k.a. The American Revolution. Perhaps I need to point out a couple… Read More ›
Month: July 2021
No, it’s not Lupin. It’s Hannah LeBaron’s Adventure Cats!
Some say you can’t train a cat. My former student Hannah LeBaron and her cat Lily beg to differ. Go read the interview with them on the Community Cats podcast! Apparently Hannah is now an influencer on social media—or so… Read More ›
The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn
Heartfelt thanks to my friend and colleague Leah Gordon for recommending this wonderful novel! The Rose Code is a remarkable work of historical fiction, focusing primarily on three invented characters—together with a supporting cast of real-life ones, such as Alan… Read More ›
An excessively large box for Flicka
For some reason Flicka likes this excessively large box. Apparently she doesn’t understand that cats are supposed to sit in boxes that are slightly too small for them!
Osteria Madre
Another new restaurant in the Lower Mills area! This time it’s the “mother restaurant,” Osteria Madre, on the Milton side of the river but just “a stone’s throw from Dorchester.” Since it has only been open for two weeks so… Read More ›
William loves to watch television!
William had to get really, really close to the TV so that he could enjoy watching the promo of The Last Pig:
A dinner fit for a king—with prices to match—at Pearl in Dorchester
Last night Barbara and I tried out The Pearl, a new seafood restaurant in Dorchester’s growing South Bay development. Barbara had grilled oysters and chilled king crab legs. I had Caesar salad (with anchovies: yum!) and a grilled lobster. I… Read More ›
“The Student as Citizen”
Going all the way back to its conception in 2003, the Crimson Summer Academy (CSA) has had a theme for the summer: “The Student as Citizen.” If you look at its public-facing webpage, you will see this statement: “The curriculum… Read More ›
The Suicide House, by Charlie Donlea
Don’t let the title scare you away. Without committing any spoilers, I can tell you that it’s a bit misleading. This is another book about a boarding school—but it’s one that is totally different from the Atwater School in All… Read More ›
Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, By Shankar Vedantam (and Bill Mesler)
Podcast listeners are—or certainly should be—familiar with Hidden Brain, a fascinating podcast filled with lots of interesting info. Useful Delusions, as you might guess from the subtitle, The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain, is Vedantam’s distillation of ideas… Read More ›
Your neighbors have a right to shoot off fireworks, don’t they?
Well, no. Aside from being illegal in Massachusetts, they are dangerous and traumatic everywhere. This satirical episode of the always great Breaking Cat News captures all the issues, especially if you read the fine print:
Should “exam schools” exist?
Boston Latin School. Stuyvesant High School. Two of the very finest public schools in the nation. Should they exist? 50 years ago I would have been taken aback by the very question. Of course they should exist! Who would doubt… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 