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.

  • Hyperpolyglots/Babel No More

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    “What do you call someone who speaks three languages?” “Trilingual.” “And what do you call someone who speaks two languages?” “Bilingual.” “And what do you call someone who speaks only one language?” “American.” OK, it’s a stereotype, but — sadly… Read More ›

  • Matching mats

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    Douglas and I now have matching purple exercise mats — matching purple, that is, even if they have very different dimensions. Douglas, of course, thinks that his is a sleeping mat, not an exercise mat.          … Read More ›

  • The Breakers

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    The Breakers is a rather low-key episode in Marcia Muller’s long-running Sharon McCone series. In general there are two types of long-running series: those where the characters remain static and familiar, and those where the characters change and develop. Sharon… Read More ›

  • Recommended podcasts

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    The downside of giving up the commute from Dorchester to Weston is that I don’t listen to as many podcasts as I used to. (Sure, I can — and sometimes do — listen to them at home, but it’s not… Read More ›

  • MR@MoS

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    Disappointing. That’s all I can say. The Museum of Science had announced a special one-day members-only preview of their new model railroad exhibit, so of course I had to go. “What does it have to do with science?” asked Barbara…. Read More ›

  • O Canada!

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    Exactly one week ago I wrote about the podcast Word Bomb, describing the first eight episodes. Now the ninth episode has come out, and I feel compelled to address one point: how Canadian is Word Bomb? The official description of Episode #9… Read More ›

  • The Last Place You Look

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    Kristen Lepionka grew up mostly in a public library and could often be found in the adult mystery section well before she was out of middle school… She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her partner and two cats. That’s what the… Read More ›

  • It’s academic.

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    Passport to Murder; Death by Committee; The Black Hour. My imagined Final Jeopardy clue says “This is is what all three titles have in common.” …  … OK, enough suspense: the answer is “What are three titles of recent academic… Read More ›

  • Noise and the City

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    I thank my former student, Sury Dewa Ayu, for this link to Erica Walker’s website Noise and the City, which examines how urban noise affects public health in various Boston neighborhoods. Here’s Erica’s own blurb about the site: Erica Walker is a doctoral… Read More ›

  • Orange cat on purple blanket

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    William points out that he looks good on the purple blanket: