
Recent Posts - page 2
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Still no haggis for me, thanks.
Eight months ago I reviewed The Haven, and today was our return visit. You’re wondering, I’m sure, about three things: whether anything has changed, whether I relented and had haggis this time, and whether there was any bagpipe music. The… Read More ›
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What’s math got to do with it? Alaska’s new voting system would be good for Massachusetts…perhaps.
Because of its small population—despite being the largest state in area—Alaska gets to elect only one member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Until last year it used the traditional system: a separate primary for each party chooses one finalist… Read More ›
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Secrets Typed in Blood
As the third, most recent, and best-so-far novel in Stephen Spotswood’s great Pentecost and Parker series, Secrets Typed in Blood is an outstanding detective novel that takes place in the year of my birth. I reviewed the two previous books… Read More ›
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Brunch at Via Cannuccia
To follow our first excellent experience—dinner on April 20—Barbara and I joined our friend Meredith for brunch yesterday at Via Cannuccia. Like the dinner, brunch was first-rate. From Stefano’s wonderful home-made pastries, we each had a shy brioche roll with… Read More ›
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Flicka says it’s her turn.
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“JP” stands for…
For some of us, JP means Jamaica Plain. For others of us, it’s the country code for Japan—as in URLs ending in “.jp” and other related uses. For everyone, and for both of the above reasons, it’s appropriately in the… Read More ›
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Virtual abutters
“Virtual Abutters Meeting” was the headline on the notice. My first reaction was to ask myself “What’s a virtual abutter?” And then I realized that I had misparsed the headline. “Virtual,” it turned out, really modified “meeting,” not “abutters.” Also,… Read More ›
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Two truths and a lie
Your task, of course, is to figure out which of the three is the lie. Yesterday, you see, was a special occasion. (No, not my birthday. And that’s no lie.) As a result, Barbara and I decided to indulge in… Read More ›
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Teachers deserve better.
“Teachers deserve better. They deserve more trust and respect, and less standardized testing, smaller class sizes, and yes, larger paychecks.” So says author Alexandra Robbins in The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession. A well-known long-time New… Read More ›
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A language-learning proposal
Continuing to sing the praises of the under-appreciated Helen DeWitt, I must tell you about her language-learning proposal. For a bit of context, I will first tell you about a brief conversational exchange I had with my ninth-graders at Weston… Read More ›
Featured Categories
Books ›
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Among mysteries, novels are usually better than short stories. In science fiction, short stories are most often better than novels.
June 3, 2023
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A new Agatha Christie? How can that be?
June 1, 2023
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Trace Elements
May 23, 2023
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Ukulele of Death
May 19, 2023
Dorchester/Boston ›
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Just Thai Kitchen keeps getting better and better…
May 29, 2023
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Piper
May 26, 2023
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Tavolo: Pizza Ieri
May 24, 2023
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Still no haggis for me, thanks.
May 18, 2023
Food & Restaurants ›
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Brunch at Via Cannuccia
May 14, 2023
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“JP” stands for…
May 11, 2023
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Two truths and a lie
May 5, 2023
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As promised, Via Cannuccia!
April 21, 2023
Life ›
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What’s math got to do with it? Alaska’s new voting system would be good for Massachusetts…perhaps.
May 17, 2023
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The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling
April 2, 2023
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Which do we want, democracy or fascism? Pick one. (Wait…isn’t this supposed to be a book review?)
March 29, 2023
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Happy ἐξελαύνω Day!
March 4, 2023
Linguistics ›
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Scots
May 28, 2023
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A language-learning proposal
May 1, 2023
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မြန်မာဘာသာ
April 29, 2023
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Why isn’t there an “r” in “castle”? And why isn’t there an “r” in “please”?
April 27, 2023
Math ›
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She is often considered the first female mathematician.
May 21, 2023
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Forming Our Future
April 13, 2023
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Which trig is which?
March 31, 2023
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“Mathematics is the art of giving the same name to different things.”
March 16, 2023
Model Railroading ›
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I finally got to see the world’s finest model railroad, but…
June 19, 2022
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“The Therapeutic Value of Model Railroading”
May 25, 2022
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Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Ringo Starr. What do they all have in common?
March 24, 2022
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That long-awaited model railroad update: finally a progress report!
December 28, 2021
Movies & (occasionally) TV ›
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One Hour Photo
March 22, 2023
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Monopoly
March 14, 2023
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The Next Generation
February 13, 2023
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It Happened One Night
January 10, 2023
Teaching & Learning ›
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Some experiences with ChatGPT
May 31, 2023
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Teachers deserve better.
May 3, 2023
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Are you really saying that they mistaught me—not just in one but in two courses in 11th grade?
March 20, 2023
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Keep your language!
March 6, 2023
Technology ›
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How well does ChatGPT do when it tries to talk about Trump and Greek literature/mythology?
April 9, 2023
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Popular culture, math, and computer science
March 1, 2023
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No, APL doesn’t stand for “Alison, Phil, and Larry.”
February 21, 2023
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What grade should these get?
February 17, 2023
Travel ›
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Globle
February 15, 2023
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No pirates. And it’s not in Penzance. But it’s nearby: It’s Death in Cornwall.
August 9, 2022
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Miriam and Alan explore Scotland.
July 6, 2022
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What could possibly shock a German?
April 19, 2022
Weston ›
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“Dear parents of math geniuses…,” writes Tanya Khovanova
December 6, 2022
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How can girls succeed at the highest level of high-school debate?
November 20, 2022
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Reading Latin and Ancient Greek for fun and profit. For what? Fun? Yes, fun. Really. And the profit was purely intellectual, not financial.
October 19, 2022
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Trust what you read! (On second thought…)
September 2, 2022