Recent Posts - page 2
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How old is this old movie musical that I watched just now? Well, it was made in 1957, so…hmm…must be 65 years old!
To paraphrase Jamie Oliver (in a very different context), if you want to appreciate this 1957 musical, you have to get your classic Broadway musical mindset on. I’m talking about the Gershwin brothers’ Funny Face, starring Audrey Hepburn and a… Read More ›
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What do you notice about King Charles III’s accent?
After the last few days, I’m sure you have observed that King Charles III’s accent is not identical to his mother’s. But to most of us they both seem to be speaking RP, the “posh” British accent that contrasts with cockney… Read More ›
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What’s wrong with the word “inbox”?
Nothing is wrong with it! Even peevers who dislike all words that are newer than 50 years old can’t object: inbox is actually 64 years old! (In the sense, of course, of the physical tray on your desk, not in… Read More ›
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Always look on the bright side of life.
My friends tell me that I am an incurable optimist. That’s OK. I don’t want to be cured. I want to remain an optimist; I’m happier that way. As Eric Idle sang in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, you should… Read More ›
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A “newish” Agatha Christie…plus a golden oldie
There was, of course, no doubt: I had to watch the 2018 BBC adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence, even though I hadn’t (and still haven’t) read the original. The movie is adapted from a 1958 novel, one of… Read More ›
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We just can’t stay away!
Barbara and I seem to go to the Ashmont Grill more often than some people would expect. But we just can’t stay away! Last night, being a Thursday, was Buck-a-Shuck, so Barbara started with a dozen delicious oysters. I started… Read More ›
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Nasty, brutish, and short
If you don’t recognize the title of this post, it probably means that you didn’t pay attention in your college philosophy class! Or perhaps your professor just didn’t teach you about Hobbes (that’s Thomas Hobbes, not Calvin and). That’s right,… Read More ›
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Tell me again why you want to be a schwa. Perhaps it’s because you think it’s never stressed? Well, think again!
ə and ʌ: If you know those two symbols, can you hear the difference? (If you don’t know them, think about the English word above. It has two vowel sounds (as the third vowel letter is silent): the first is… Read More ›
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Flicka’s toes
Flicka is showing off her stripey nose and her extra toes:
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Trust what you read! (On second thought…)
You might not be familiar with a certain gastronomic website, The Passionate Foodie. If you do know it, you probably go to it for excellent advice about food and drink, as well as interesting articles about the history of food… Read More ›
Featured Categories
Books ›
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Have you read For Whom the SUV Rolls and Farewell to Legs?
October 2, 2022
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What did you read in high-school English?
September 27, 2022
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This philosopher explained Donald Trump before Trump ever became president.
September 17, 2022
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A “newish” Agatha Christie…plus a golden oldie
September 11, 2022
Dorchester/Boston ›
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“Scottish cuisine”: an oxymoron?
September 30, 2022
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We have Open Streets in Dorchester!
September 25, 2022
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We just can’t stay away!
September 9, 2022
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Flicka’s toes
September 3, 2022
Food & Restaurants ›
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Dinner at The Bowery
August 29, 2022
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Too hot to cook!
July 24, 2022
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Tavolo
July 21, 2022
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შემომეჭამა
July 17, 2022
Life ›
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Lies, Politics, and Democracy
September 23, 2022
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Jewish gatecrashers in the Ivy League
September 21, 2022
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Always look on the bright side of life.
September 12, 2022
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Superintelligence?
August 19, 2022
Linguistics ›
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Remember the Ebonics controversy?
October 4, 2022
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What do you notice about King Charles III’s accent?
September 14, 2022
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What’s wrong with the word “inbox”?
September 13, 2022
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Tell me again why you want to be a schwa. Perhaps it’s because you think it’s never stressed? Well, think again!
September 5, 2022
Math ›
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Linguistics/math interface
August 12, 2022
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Gender issues: a perspective from a Russian Jewish mathematician
June 24, 2022
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Wordle, Wheel of Fortune, Jotto, & the Mathematics of Information Theory
June 5, 2022
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“God created the integers…”
May 9, 2022
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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Revisiting Chinatown. (That’s Chinatown, not Chinatown.)
September 29, 2022
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Bond. James Bond.
September 19, 2022
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How old is this old movie musical that I watched just now? Well, it was made in 1957, so…hmm…must be 65 years old!
September 15, 2022
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The Taking of Pelham 123 and The Taking of Pelham 123!
August 31, 2022
Teaching & Learning ›
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Nasty, brutish, and short
September 7, 2022
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Trust what you read! (On second thought…)
September 2, 2022
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Interdisciplinarity (if there really is such a word)
August 6, 2022
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We have hope for the future: My students’ interdisciplinary presentations
July 30, 2022
Technology ›
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How has Phillips Academy Andover changed in a little over half a century?
August 30, 2022
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Nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to work there.
May 27, 2022
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Seventeenth anniversary of my very first blog post!
May 18, 2022
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Following 22 podcasts…
April 4, 2022
Travel ›
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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
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After reading The Paradise Affair by Bill Pronzini, I don’t want to visit Hawaii!
September 18, 2021
Weston ›
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Weston pix?
June 14, 2022
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What are we? “Jewish Americans” or “American Jews”?
April 8, 2022
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Parachutes, by Kelly Yang
September 8, 2021
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Zoe Rosenthal is not Lawful Good, by Nancy Werlin
August 31, 2021
Learning Strategies 