The fence around the Zervas building site has gone up. What surprised me is that it’s right against the street — it encompasses what used to be the sidewalk. I wonder if there’s a safety issue here. I saw a jogger in the road on the south side of Beacon St. Also, for drivers it’s…
Our local elementary school, which I’ve been walking to daily for the past seven years, is getting torn down to be replaced by a new building. I will continue to be walking by every day on my way to the dog park, so I thought I’d post a few random thoughts when they came to…
My latest missive is a love letter to a Broadway Musical on behalf of me and my kids: The New York Times recently reported that the Rockefeller Foundation would be paying for 20,000 eleventh graders to see the musical “Hamilton,” the Broadway phenomenon that tells the story of the founding father Alexander Hamilton. Perhaps they should consider…
If we define “green” as environmentally aware and proper and “brown” as the opposite, most people probably are living a “khaki life.” I know I am. I also know that I should try to do better. I’m not going off the grid, or buying carbon offsets for my every car ride, but I try to…
Great guacamole at Tito’s Tacos This summer, my daughter (age 10) and I took a trip to Los Angeles. We were there to visit my sister, and also just to explore the city; my daughter had never been to L.A. and I hadn’t been since she was born (!). We had a great time and…
Last fall, El Kurru, the archaeological site where I work in Sudan was featured in a National Geographic/PBS film called “Rise of the Black Pharaohs.” National Geographic recently posted some video of the drone footage with narration by the camera operator in their online National Geographic Raw series. It’s fun to see and you can…
Did your best friend ask you to give a toast at their wedding? Are you getting married and want to give your maid of honor some advice on making a toast? This guide is for you, a step-by-step guide to writing and giving a wedding toast whether you are the Best Man, Maid of Honor,…
The New York Times Motherlode blog published my latest essay on April 15, 2015: Former Gov. Jeb Bush made news recently because he checked “Hispanic” on a voter registration form. This is obviously ridiculous from a scion of the Bush family (and Mr. Bush has said he made a mistake). Yet, I understand, because the family…
There’s been a record amount of snowfall in Boston this February and we might break the seasonal snowfall record by this weekend. That means a lot of time shoveling snow, and that means a lot of time getting lost in thought. My latest essay was published in the Good Men Project. An archeologist shovels through the Boston snow…
As I prepare for another dig later this month (i.e. ignore clothes and such but trying to find the perfect book for the airplane), I was reminded of an essay I wrote for Booksense.com. That website is no longer available so I guess the rights reverted back to me. Dig libraries can be described in…
Jack Cheng, PhD 