Author Archives

I am entering my 21st year as a math teacher at Weston High School, the sole public high school in Weston, MA. It’s also my 44th year as a teacher altogether. In addition to my day job, I taught for 20 years at the Saturday Course in Milton, MA. I also teach at Harvard’s Crimson Summer Academy each summer; 2017 was our 14th consecutive summer.

Sometimes I work on educational software. I also read, cook, and continue building my model railroad whenever I can. For some reason I'm left with less so-called free time than would be ideal. Nevertheless, I manage to devote time to my wife, Barbara, and to our excessive number of cats as well.

• The sister of English

  By ljd42 on February 7, 2020

  No, not Paul English or Todd English —  I mean the sister of English, as in the English language. Languages, like people, have family trees. If you’re French, you might be able to trace your family tree back to an ancient Roman… Read More ›

• Which American dialect do you speak?

  By ljd42 on February 6, 2020

  

  You and I don’t speak exactly the same version of American English. Our vocabulary, pronunciation, and maybe even syntax will vary, depending on geography (producing different dialects), socio-economic class (sociolects), and individual characteristics (idiolects). Many Americans are skilled at identifying… Read More ›

• Map workshop at the BPL

  By ljd42 on February 4, 2020

  

  Interactive historical local maps! Interactive historical local maps! Yesterday I attended a fascinating workshop at the Boston Public Library (JP branch), where we explored their new home-brewed web-based software for dynamically viewing historical changes in local maps and used it to… Read More ›

• We need a respite from xenophobia.

  By ljd42 on February 2, 2020

  Our xenophobic president is about to be acquitted of the high crimes and misdemeanors that he committed. His “alleged” actions have been proved, even according to Mitch McConnell’s good friend Senator Lamar Alexander (R, TN), who voted against additional witnesses… Read More ›

• “There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.”

  By ljd42 on February 1, 2020

  

  Leonard Cohen, Louise Penny, and Michael Connelly have nothing to do with each other. Nothing obvious, at any rate. But there’s an important connection that all these artists share, embodied by the quotation in the title to this post, which… Read More ›

• Our War

  By ljd42 on January 30, 2020

  

  This novel is strictly fictional. It’s just fiction, I tell you. It’s purely coincidental that Craig DiLouie’s Our War is about a Republican president who is impeached by the House, and then is convicted by the Senate (!), and then…  wait for it…… Read More ›

• What is the most popular surname in your country of origin?

  By ljd42 on January 28, 2020

  

  Thanks to Lisetta Shah, my former colleague and former student, for this link to maps and explanations of the most popular last name in every country. Check it out! Some of it will come as a surprise to you, some of… Read More ›

• The huge Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show

  By ljd42 on January 26, 2020

  

  This year’s Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show was different from previous years’ — not because the exhibits were significantly different (they weren’t) nor because it was held in West Springfield rather than Amherst (that’s been true for years). It… Read More ›

• To be in Irish and Spanish

  By ljd42 on January 25, 2020

  

  Or should that title be ‘“To be” in Irish and Spanish‘? The issue is just use versus mention, you know. (If you don’t know, check out this Wikipedia entry.) Let’s start with Spanish, since I am guessing that most —… Read More ›

• “Angry white guy unloads on new city councilor in voice mail”

  By ljd42 on January 24, 2020

  As posted by Adam Gaffin: My new city councilor, Julia Mejia (whom I wrote about on December 11 because she won by a single vote) received an angry voicemail message from a Trump supporter and gave a masterful response in… Read More ›