https://www.universalhub.com/2025/tom-lehrer-legendary-satirist-cambridge-dies-97
Life
Please listen to our next president. (We can hope.)
Please listen.
As Tom Lehrer says, that’s mathematics!
Tom Lehrer is 97 years old! (Actually, I missed his birthday, which was three months ago.) Needless to say, he isn’t performing anymore. But still, his longevity might be attributable to his music, since so many musicians seem to live… Read More ›
We are the world (a beautiful and inspiring rendition performed by a Paris “flashmob” three weeks ago)
Not really a flashmob, but that’s OK. It’s still beautiful and inspiring.
Not the other Wes Moore
Here I sit, listening to a special guest on Pod Save America: Wes Moore. I am immediately taken back to a blog post of mine from 14 years ago. That post was about a book with which you may be… Read More ›
A Message for Joni Ernst and the GOP
Written and performed by the great Bruce W. Nelson:
Irony
Probably not so easy to parody Sondheim. (Not so hard to parody Trump and Musk — except when you’re under such a tight deadline!) Well done, this 40% of the crew!
Welsh of the West End
The West End, you say? Where is that? Well, that should be easy: we all know that the West End is the portion of Boston that was “urban-renewed” (i.e. demolished) in 1958. But surely it didn’t have a significant Welsh… Read More ›
The Future of the Republican Party (as written 61 and 75 years ago)
How did the Republican party get into the condition it’s in today? And where is it headed? Let’s start by looking at what was being said in 1964 and in 1950, in a book that I was assigned to read… Read More ›
Passover in Australia — during the Second World War
As Passover approaches, when there is renewed antisemitism and too much hatred in this world, even from the president of our own country, we want to remember the Passover of 1943. On April 19 the revolt began against the Nazis… Read More ›
Слава Україні
They’re singing to you, Donald and Elon:
Trying to find my ancestors in the 1890–1920 U.S. Censuses
Censuses? Or should it be “censi”? (Or maybe even “censūs,” for us Latin scholars? I always liked the 4th Declension.) Whatever. The first problem is where to look. Google, of course, is your friend. And some people swear by various… Read More ›
They understand us across the pond.
The Marsh Family responds quickly and on point:
Jet Lag and The Amazing Race
Eight years ago I wrote several posts for this blog about June Academy at Weston High School. You may want to read the first of those posts before continuing with this one. Anyhow, one of the courses offered for June… Read More ›
Star Mangled Banner
Founders sing:
Happy Ἐξελαύνω Day!
In case you’ve forgotten, today is Exelauno Day. But surely you wouldn’t have forgotten such an important day, would you?
If you need to get blood drawn for a routine medical exam…
go to the lab at the Atrius Health office in Braintree! (I highly recommend it. This is an unsolicited testimonial.) My experience there yesterday can be summarized in three words: fast, efficient, painless. (Those adjectives describe the Atrius lab, not… Read More ›
Written in the South Pacific during World War II
This is a poem written by my dad in 1943 while he was serving in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific — not in Tahiti unfortunately, but in New Guinea in this case. During most of the war, however,… Read More ›
Learning Strategies 