Bingo Little

I wish I could take a vacation from myself.

—John O’Hara, to his friend Robert Simmonds

Late to this party, not being on social that often, but our daughter Emily texted on 2/22 to remind us of Natalie’s birthday and urged us to make mojitos in her honor.

Text "Should You Feed Birds or Other Wildlife?" on a blue background beside an image of two birds at a birdfeeder.

Is feeding birds and other wildlife a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on the species and the habitat, say two Tufts biologists.

now.tufts.edu/2026/01/15/f...

An illustration of a border collie running in the snow.

When it comes to protecting your dog in extremely cold weather, a @tuftsvet.bsky.social alum says:

1) Watch your dog for signs it’s too cold
2) Never leave your dog alone outside
3) Protect paws from ice buildup

More tips ➡️ now.tufts.edu/2018/01/03/h...

When she was sad she created art to survive, and when she was happy she created art to avoid becoming sad again.

—Jonas Hassen Khemeri, The Sisters

During her performance as Sola Mahfouz in a play about her life, Tufts student Julia Soojin Cavallaro wears a colorful headscarf and stands on a stage with her head down, while two men play violin and another plays piano in the background.

From Afghanistan to the Tufts stage: a music composition class performance tells the story of a young woman's journey from Taliban-controlled Kandahar to America.

Learn more: now.tufts.edu/2026/01/06/a...

My Best Books of 2025 2025 was another fantastic year of reading, and I’m glad I chose my books well because there was not a single dud among them.  Of the books I read, 9 translated works found a place on this lis…

Here are my favourite books of 2025.
It was another wonderful year or reading!
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/12/17/m...

Just finished Needle’s Eye by Wieslaw Mysliwski, a tour de force of memory, meaning, and loss, a personal history and broad sweep story, compelling reading. Got it as part of my @archipelagobooks.bsky.social monthly subscription — highly recommended. @ssacks.bsky.social @onebrightbook.bsky.social

Amen to The Life of Chuck as the best movie of the year. Would never have seen it without your review and saw it twice and now I want to see it again.

“Oh! It’s Bookshop Day!” I remarked to my girlfriend this morning.
“What does that even mean?” she said. “EVERY day is bookshop day for you.” It’s a fair point. I bought only one book today. I hope others fared better than I did.

I did the same back in September after about 100 pages. His writing sometimes was superb, but it all ended up going nowhere, and life is too short to read books not worth reading while others await. My next novel was Cece, and it was so well done and I recommend it highly.

And I was 84 — I listen to a lot of jazz from the 1950s. More proof of the fallibility of AI

A 4 star from you and it’s on my to see list

Hey I’m glad you reminded us of it. Somebody should bring it back out. I was astonished that there were more VHS copies than DVDs for sale — what a commentary!

And jeez, Comfort and Joy is hard to find. Nothing in the library network and expensive on eBay. It sure disappeared.

Normally I skip the fiction in the New Yorker but at your recommendation just sat down and read it — so powerful and well done. All the characters living and breathing people, no artifice. Now I want to read the novel. Thanks as always for your astute recommendations.

Your review was very well done. I’ve read The Snow Leopard 6 times since 1981, viewing it as a travel book, then found more and more in it. But the most recent reading I thought: your 8 year old son just lost his mother, and you’re leaving the country for 2 months. Great writer, lousy human being

The Saskiad, by Brian Hall — after finishing his amazing Fall of Frost a couple of weeks ago.

I’ve read a lot of Maigret mysteries lately. Any other mystery recommendations in that neighborhood?

"Smash the machines!" Substitute "AI" for "machines" and this scene from Heroes for Sale (1933), starring Richard Barthelmess and Loretta Young, will seen highly relevant to today's challenges.

@backlisted.bsky.social Wonderful evening in NYC with John Mitchinson back in the saddle at the 92nd Street Y, great discussion about William Maxwell with Jennifer Egan, Deborah Treisman and Alec Wilkinson — and warmup act Nicky Birch. Bravo!

Just finished The Book of I by David Greig, set in Scotland in 835, thanks to
@ssacks.bsky.social review. One of the best novels read this year — so evocative, smart, and funny, despite the slaughter by raiding Vikings. Proof again short books are so often better. @backlisted.bsky.social

The Human Cost of Healthy Eating Researchers including from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University have found in a new study that some recommended U.S. diets carry higher risk of forced labor in their...

A first-of-its-kind study by @tuftsnutrition.bsky.social and the University of Nottingham found that some recommended U.S. diets carry a higher risk of forced labor than what Americans currently eat, depending on where and how foods are produced.

now.tufts.edu/2025/10/08/h...

Thanks to a memorable @backlisted.bsky.social episode on Tove Jansson a few years back, her book caught my eye in this free little library in front of the Finnish embassy in Washington a couple of days ago. Now if only I could read it! @iammilliam.bsky.social

Tarin Ziyaee, Mike Levin and Josh Bongard | Embodied Natural Intelligence VS Embodied AI YouTube video by Foresight Institute

Thanks for hosting us Foresight Institute!

(w/ @tarinz.bsky.social and @drmichaellevin.bsky.social)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCq2...

What’s the Federal Reserve and Why Is Its Independence Important? Tufts economist Michael Klein explains the dangers for the economy if the president takes control of the Federal Reserve Bank.

When it comes to the Federal Reserve, its chairman and its Board of Governors say they make their decisions based on what they believe is best to foster economic growth and stability, rather than politicians’ preferences. | @fletcherschool.bsky.social

now.tufts.edu/2025/09/11/w...

Shutterstock image of an animated all-white figure wearing a red cape and holding a red shield defending against red germ-like figures coming its way.

It's that time of year again. As cold season starts, it's important to keep your immune system strong 💪

This is how: now.tufts.edu/2025/09/15/b...

Succession Battles Are Not Just a TV Trope The Market Basket saga shows that governance issues are a common problem for large, successful family-owned businesses, says a business professor

As the Market Basket saga continues to show us, governance issues are a common problem for large, successful family-owned businesses.

Just read this novel, Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran in two days — a story set in contemporary China and perfectly pitched. Just elliptical enough to be compelling and the absolute right length — 198 pages.
@iammilliam.bsky.social @levistahl.bsky.social @phaude.bsky.social

Does Climate Change Lead to Conflict? Tufts researcher shows connection between low rainfall and the outbreak of civil wars between African pastoralists and farmers

Does climate change lead to conflict? That's the question behind one researcher's work.