These past 10 days have given me a glimpse of what my retirement might be like. Since I finished teaching my class the first week of March, I really have no teaching responsibilities right now, so my days are fairly wide open. And let's just say I have not made the best use of those … Continue reading My Retirement Is Not Looking Too Productive
Category: happiness
What Makes the People of Finland So Happy?
The latest World Happiness Report was just released, and for the third year in a row, Finland is the world's happiest country, followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway. The results are based on Gallup poll data of 1,000 people from each of 153 countries over a three-year period. The report ranks each country based … Continue reading What Makes the People of Finland So Happy?
Music Monday: What Goes Up Must Come Down, and Vice Versa (Fingers Crossed)
The stock market's historic bull market has come to a screeching halt. We all knew that at some point it would end, but not as dramatically as it has. For some reason, it made me think of the song Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears. https://youtu.be/P5jNJd7HRVU Fortunately, a look at the history of the … Continue reading Music Monday: What Goes Up Must Come Down, and Vice Versa (Fingers Crossed)
From Thanks to Rants
In yesterday's post, I expressed my gratitude to all the wonderful people who made our time in Singapore so special. While those good feelings will last a long time, the things I noticed on my trip home today did bring me down a bit from my SIngaporean high. Since "they" say it's a good idea … Continue reading From Thanks to Rants
To the People of SIngapore – Thank You!
It's our last day in Singapore, and to say we have loved it here would be a misunderestimate (hat tip to President Bush!) As we sat having our last teh and kaya toast at the corner cafe this morning, I reflected on all the wonderful people whose paths we have crossed that made this such … Continue reading To the People of SIngapore – Thank You!
You Can Tell When the End of Your Trip Is Near
My wife, son, and I have been blessed to spend the last ten weeks in Singapore as part of a teaching opportunity I had with a group of Villanova students. We go home this weekend, and we are trying to make the most of our last couple of days here by jamming in as much … Continue reading You Can Tell When the End of Your Trip Is Near
Well That Wasn’t The Answer I Was Hoping For! But…
A recent headline caught my attention immediately: What is the ideal age to retire? It's a question I've been giving more and more thought to, now that I'm getting, well, you know... I was hoping the article was going to reveal that the ideal age was sooner than I thought, which would mean I was … Continue reading Well That Wasn’t The Answer I Was Hoping For! But…
If I Read These Books, Will I Be More Like Mr. Rogers?
Back in 2018, I wrote about my experience of seeing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”, the documentary about Mister Rogers. The film, which has a 98% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, was phenomenal. I also wrote: To say he was one of the kindest, gentlest men I have ever seen would be an understatement. I also … Continue reading If I Read These Books, Will I Be More Like Mr. Rogers?
Singaporeans Like Us, They Really Like Us (Well Our Food at Least)
A hat tip to Sally Fields for the title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl_NpdAy3WY I was reminded of this when we went to a Shake Shack restaurant for dinner tonight in Singapore. There was a line to get in, and no seats available for sitting (fortunately, a few seats opened up right before we got our food so we … Continue reading Singaporeans Like Us, They Really Like Us (Well Our Food at Least)
Music Monday: Do You Know Your Parents’ Favorite Music?
I've been writing my Music Monday column for about a year and a half, and it's been a chance for me to share the music of both my favorite artists as well of artists that are new to me. Since my family reads my blog posts (well at least they tell me they do), I … Continue reading Music Monday: Do You Know Your Parents’ Favorite Music?










