Recent Posts - page 2
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Zia Gianna
Take-out lasagna portions from Zia Gianna last night: one slice of meat sauce with peas, one with spinach, gooey cheese with both of course. Warning: these are not only delicious but also huge! Barbara and I together ate less than… Read More ›
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No social distancing?
Apparently they don’t understand about social distancing.
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Which non-Anglophone countries speak English most fluently?
I’ve known lots of non-native speakers of English who speak English fluently. Some of these are friends of mine, some are friends of my family, some were my classmates, some are my students. But is there any pattern to the… Read More ›
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A Very Stable Genius
As you know, the U.S. is currently being led by “a very stable genius,” as our dear leader calls himself. I finally finished reading A Very Stable Genius: Donald J. Trump’s Testing of America, written by two Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters from… Read More ›
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Unorthodox Quarantine Bonus
I was trying to avoid writing anything about the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, because that’s of course what everyone is talking about. But, sitting here in self-semiquarantine, I have just listened to a special 16-minute bonus episode of the Unorthodox… Read More ›
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Don’t Believe a Word!
Do you want to get a serious look at linguistics from an author who writes clearly for a general audience? If so, read David Shariatmadari’s Don’t Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth about Language. When I say it’s for a general audience, you… Read More ›
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Which states have you visited?
I’m not quite sure why this has been going around the Internet, but people are understandably reluctant to travel right now, so maybe it’s a good time for a visual representation of where you’ve been (USA only, unfortunately). Link is… Read More ›
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The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols
The perennial Sherlock Holmes strikes again! Nicholas Meyer, author of the famous The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, follows that up with another Holmes pastiche, this time with much more serious content: debunking the antisemitic hoax The Protocols of the Elders of Zion…. Read More ›
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Quidditch in Yiddish, etc
Surely you want to read the Harry Potter books in their new Yiddish translation, don’t you? “But I don’t read Yiddish!” you exclaim. That’s admittedly a handicap. But you can make some progress by sounding out the Hebrew letters (with… Read More ›
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You probably think this song is about ___________________ (who? not you).
Which picture shows Christine Lavin? Anyway, listen to her song about a certain someone:
Featured Categories
Books ›
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Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother
April 5, 2020
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The Panda of Death
March 31, 2020
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A Very Stable Genius
March 18, 2020
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Don’t Believe a Word!
March 15, 2020
Dorchester/Boston ›
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Seán Mac an tSíthigh tells the story of Boston’s Irish.
April 7, 2020
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William practices social distancing…
April 2, 2020
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Takeout from Tavolo to support social distancing
April 1, 2020
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Tavolo again
March 25, 2020
Food & Restaurants ›
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Zia Gianna
March 22, 2020
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Dim sum at Chau Chow
March 4, 2020
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Gaslight
February 26, 2020
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Valentine’s Day Dinner at Tavolo
February 16, 2020
Life ›
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No social distancing?
March 20, 2020
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Which states have you visited?
March 13, 2020
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You probably think this song is about ___________________ (who? not you).
March 10, 2020
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Which is better, having or wanting?
March 7, 2020
Linguistics ›
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Arabic — its sounds and its writing system — plus some related issues
March 27, 2020
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Which non-Anglophone countries speak English most fluently?
March 19, 2020
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Quidditch in Yiddish, etc
March 11, 2020
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Words for Granted
March 3, 2020
Math ›
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Social distancing: a simple geometry problem
April 3, 2020
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What difference could a few zeroes make? Zero is nothing, isn’t it?
March 8, 2020
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Mathematics Galore!
February 13, 2020
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Iowa and Ireland: election math
February 8, 2020
Model Railroading ›
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Bay State Model Railroad Museum Open House
March 9, 2020
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The huge Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show
January 26, 2020
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Murder on the Toy Town Express
December 2, 2019
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Greenberg Model Railroad Show
November 24, 2019
Movies & (occasionally) TV ›
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Contagion
March 29, 2020
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Keeping the Faith: Is it a Jewish film?
March 24, 2020
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BuffySpeak
November 10, 2019
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High Society
September 10, 2019
Teaching & Learning ›
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Unorthodox Quarantine Bonus
March 16, 2020
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Weston wins! High School Quiz Show: Tantasqua vs. Weston
February 14, 2020
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A very intensive language course
February 10, 2020
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Map workshop at the BPL
February 4, 2020
Technology ›
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“Why don’t high schools teach CS?” asks Mark.
December 20, 2019
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Intertwingled/“Hypertext in the Age of Trump”
October 18, 2019
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Graphing calculator prices: how TI cornered the market
October 16, 2019
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Comic Sans is back in the news.
October 10, 2019
Travel ›
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How about a nice, relaxing cross-country bus ride from NYC to LA?
January 13, 2020
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Seattle 4: The Food
October 30, 2019
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Seattle 3: The City (with insufficient rain)
October 29, 2019
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Seattle 2: The Wedding
October 27, 2019
Weston ›
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Are teachers entitled to get Social Security benefits?
November 21, 2019
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Linguistics in MetroWest
October 8, 2019
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Booksmart
July 28, 2019
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Weston alum on treating depression
July 5, 2019
