During my frequent trips to the Waltham Public Library, I noticed a plaque with the name Francis Buttrick on a wall of the brick building. Though I could safely assume that Francis Buttrick was a benefactor of the library, I was curious to learn more about him and the history of the building. Francis Buttrick came to Waltham in 1838 as a carpenter, [...]
The season is changing, and as the winter chill arrives—especially here in New England—what better way to enjoy it than to stay indoors and get crafty. Let’s bring winter inside our homes with these fun DIY ideas! A new take on classic snow globes are DIY waterless Items needed include glass jars, or clear plastic ornaments, artificial snow or glitter, small decorations such as [...]
When I was younger, I always dreamed of being a pirate or a knight. When I discovered the sport of fencing at age 8, that dream came true. There are three different types of fencing: foil, epee and sabre. In foil, the target area is only the torso, and you must hit with the point of the weapon (there’s a little button that gets [...]
With the holiday season upon us, many of us will indulge in sweet treats at the office and at home, unless you are someone who does not care much for sweets, a concept that may surprise some of us candy lovers! It turns out our sweet tooth has to do with two genetic variants of a hormone known as FGF21. Published research from [...]
One of my favorite ways to unwind after work or on the weekend is by playing video games. Here are some of our staff’s favorite games to play! Don jokes that Adobe InDesign is his favorite “game” because he’s so good at it. But as far as console games go, he prefers to stick to Forza and Rock Band—racing and rocking! Melina enjoys scary games [...]
I think one of the surest ways to find yourself in a disagreement with someone is by telling them a film adaptation is better than the original book. Of course, it is all a matter of personal opinion, but what films make that unpopular opinion true? Here are some films I feel succeeded the books. Girl, Interrupted: The book lacked so much detail that [...]
This past August, an art exhibit took place in New York City. This doesn’t seem too unusual, considering that NYC is a great place for art. What made this exhibit so special was that it wasn’t for humans—it was for dogs. This unique idea formed when art critic and dog owner Jessica Dawson took her dog, Rocky, for walks through art galleries. Dawson believed [...]
Halloween is over, and with it, the sense of mystery and spookiness, but that doesn’t mean we can’t submerge ourselves in a good mystery or crime book! Here are what some of us at PSG have to say about our favorite books and authors when we’re seeking suspense. Nora loves reading mystery novels from classic authors Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as [...]
Just kidding . . . it’s probably not best to make a speech on an empty stomach. But don’t worry, if you’re one of many people with glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, there are some tips and tricks to calm the feeling of nervousness—and, in some cases, nausea—before publicly speaking. This Harper’s Bazaar article gives some great advice to get over the fear. Some [...]
A few weeks ago, I got to meet my favorite author—Patrick Rothfuss. He was doing a book tour to celebrate the release of the tenth anniversary edition of his fantasy novel The Name of the Wind, and made a stop at Brookline Booksmith to do a Q&A session in the store’s basement and a signing upstairs afterwards. I wasn’t able to secure a ticket for [...]