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 ›
Dorchester/Boston
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 ›
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 ›
Punching down or punching up?
“Why do we have to have a Black History Month?” whined one of my less favorite Weston students in February of 2016. “Why don’t we have a White History Month?” “Because,” I replied without taking time to think, “every month… Read More ›
Avoid a risk in eleven languages!
Look at the image below. How many of these eleven languages can you identify? No fair asking Dr. Google! And I don’t think we can count English, since if you’re reading this blog you obviously can identify English. So how… Read More ›
Restaurants need more business on Tuesdays. So we had to go eat at Tavolo last night.
Restaurants need more business on Tuesdays. So we had to go eat at Tavolo last night. I know, it was quite a sacrifice, but somebody had to do it. Barbara had a margherita pizza with a side of house meatballs… Read More ›
Vincent and William
Keeping a watchful eye out for intruders, Vincent guards his brother William as he sleeps:
Dana Bullister for City Council!
Normally I don’t endorse political candidates in this blog. But normally my former students don’t run for office! In fact, as far as I know, this is only the 2½th time. Please correct me if I am wrong. Why the… Read More ›
Brasserie: An old but new restaurant in the South End
It rises again like the phoenix! As you know, the sad fact is that many restaurants have been forced to close permanently during the pandemic. But we were delighted to learn that one of our favorites, Gaslight Brasserie du Coin,… Read More ›
“Can data solve our wicked problems?”
That’s a direct quote from an audience member in yesterday’s online program at the Leventhal Center: “Can data solve our wicked problems?” The program, titled “Matt Bui on how communities use & refuse data about themselves,” was part of the… Read More ›
A typical house in Dot?
Spotted on my walk yesterday afternoon—a longer walk than usual because the weather was so perfect—was this beautiful house. Is it really typical for Dorchester? Well, you be the judge.
Boston in Transit (the book this time)
Five weeks ago I wrote about a BPL talk on “Boston in Transit,” i.e. the history of public transit in Boston. Now I’ve been reading the accompanying book, with the same title. What a gorgeous book it turns out to… Read More ›
A cheery song about the MBTA! (Red, blue, orange, and green)
Okay, so the lyrics aren’t perfect. That’s all right; don’t quibble. Just remember: always look on the bright side of life. No, wait, that’s John Cleese. Oh, well. Here’s the MBTA song:
Tavolo
Scrumptious dinner last night out on the patio at Tavolo! Barbara started with chef’s burrata with arugula, melon, prosciutto, vincotto, and black pepper; my starter was frico (pan-fried grana Padang, potatoes, baby arugula, pickled red onions, with balsamic reduction). Unfortunately,… Read More ›
The Mattapan-Ashmont “High Speed” Line in 360°
When I first moved to Boston, the Red Line went from Harvard to Ashmont (red because it’s close to crimson). Then the northern portion was extended from Harvard to Alewife. It was supposed to go to Arlington and Lexington, but… Read More ›
A new unit of distance?
No, this sign isn’t at a Starbucks:
An outstanding dinner from Tavolo
Barbara and I had an outstanding dinner tonight from Tavolo, with lots of leftovers: chef’s burrata with basil pesto, prosciutto, grape tomatoes, parmesan & parsley crumb, and vincotto; seafood fregola with shrimp, mussels, tomato broth, and garlic butter; confit duck… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 