Category Archives: Uncategorized

I have indefinitely suspended the caffein reintroduction project. Too many side effects — pulsing eyelid, nervousness, migraine headache.

Day 3 I’m on Day 3 of reintroducing caffeine into my diet. Sleeping last night was fine. I had decaffeinated black tea this morning (even decaf tea has some caffeine in it). Felt the same lift as the previous two … Continue reading →

Day 2 Here I am in Day 2 of my effort to reintroduce caffeine into my diet. Day one started off pretty smoothly — I got a lift from the cup of white tea I drank in the morning, and … Continue reading →

Day One I gave up caffeine years ago. I recently decided to try reintroducing it into my life, to combat a persistent sleepiness during the day. Today was the first experiment with reintroduction, via a cup of white tea — … Continue reading →

The Newton TAB published my article about the historic Allen School in West Newton, Massachusetts, in its July 5 issue One of my favorite parts of many history documentaries is when a vintage image of a location appears on screen, … Continue reading →

This commentary piece of mine appeared in the Newton (Mass.) Tab on February 24, 2021 During Black History Month in February, we focus on the contributions of Black Americans to the American story. However, by confining our attention to one … Continue reading →

This is my first blog about retirement since signing off at Olin College on January 1. I am glad to report that all is going well. I have overcome many difficulties: I have adjusted to sleeping longer, having more time … Continue reading →

Quite a few commentators have noticed that the names of many Internet companies are childish, even infantile. Without a second thought, we use Internet services that sound like baby talk—Google, Yelp, Skype, Doodle, Zillow, Etsy and Hulu. In many cases, … Continue reading →

I learned storytelling from many different sources. There was the influence of my Irish heritage, which I received through my father’s mother. There was my father himself, a seasoned raconteur and humorist. There’s the whole Southern storytelling tradition I was … Continue reading →