What kind of person steals a child’s toy?
It is exceedingly depressing to me that I will be posting this sign in front of our house tomorrow morning after the rain has stopped:
Category Archives: Everyday etiquette
Another installment of “Tales from the Playground”
When we last left our intrepid hero, he was walking away from the swingset after failing to secure a turn there for his child…. From the swingset I returned to “home base,” the bench next to which I had left our wagon upon arriving at the park. The wagon, with our coats and diaper bag… Read More »
Today’s installment of “Tales from the Playground”
So, there I was at the playground on Saturday with the three younger kids (1.5, 4, 6). I asked 1.5 if he wanted to swing in the baby swings and he gave me his customary affirmative grunt. So we walked over to the swings, which were both occupied by babies whose mothers were immersed in… Read More »
Grammar Police on patrol
For those whom this might amuse: From: Jonathan Kamens <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: Typographical error on “Commuter Benefits Order Fulfillment” email OK, so admit it, I’m ridiculously picky, and this is a ridiculously trivial thing I’m writing to you about. Still, on the off chance that someone there might care about it… The “Commuter Benefits… Read More »
Letting blind people drive
On the topic of mandatory periodic retesting of senior citizens when they renew their driver’s licenses, my wife recently had this letter printed in the Boston Herald (under the completely nonsensical headline “Rights watered down”, thus proving yet again that the Herald really needs to hire some better headline writers): Over a decade ago, it… Read More »
Rabbinic irony
I just saw an announcement for a talk being given tonight in a Boston Jewish venue by a visiting rabbi who shall rename nameless. The title of the talk is, “Self-Righteousness — Going on an Ego Trip”. The announcement of the talk included the following biography of the speaker (emphases mine): Rabbi [deleted] was born… Read More »
On public apologies
A few days ago, I flew off the handle and attacked someone on the jewish-boston mailing list for a comment which was meant in jest and which I incorrectly took seriously. I was helped to see the error of my ways by some very polite people, and this morning I sent this apology to the… Read More »
Speed kills
Four teens were killed, and a fifth critically injured, in a single-vehicle car accident in Leicester last Friday night. The driver of the car was traveling at over twice the speed limit. The local high school principal was quoted in the paper as saying, “It’s not like they did anything wrong.” I just sent the… Read More »
Lost and Found
Remember back on the playground, when you lost a favorite knickknack and later saw another kid playing with it? “Finders keepers, losers weepers!” the finder chanted, and that was the end of it, for how could you challenge such a time-honored saying? It is not surprising that children would resort to this defense, but how… Read More »
Beating a ticket
Approaching a red light on Washington St. at the intersection with Waverly Ave. near Newton Corner. Thought the two cars riding the yellow line at the red light were turning left (cars often don’t signal turns at that intersection, or for that matter anywhere else in the Boston area). Started to pass them on the… Read More »