Facebook has built a system that has exempted high-profile users from some or all of its rules, according to company documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Known as “cross check” or “XCheck,” the program was initially intended as a quality-control measure for actions taken against high-profile accounts, including celebrities, politicians, and journalists. Today, it … Continue reading I’m Less Important to Facebook Than a Dog
I am happy to see that Dan Ariely still has his biweekly column in the Wall Street Journal, so I guess no fallout yet from the issues I had written about before. Even better from my perspective, this week's column introduced a new psychologic term I had never heard before - the End of History … Continue reading The End of History Illusion
An international team of researchers, in a study of hundreds of older people, found two key brain functions which improve with age. For their study, the team looked at three separate components of attention and executive function in 702 participants ages 58 to 98, when cognition often changes the most. The brain networks are involved … Continue reading So It’s Not All Downhill Once You Turn 58
The old adage of "take two aspirin and call me in the morning" may soon be replaced with a "nature prescription." With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the health benefits of spending more time outdoors, a growing faction of the U.S. medical community is prescribing time outside the same way they would traditional medication. The idea of writing … Continue reading Take 4,000 Steps and Call Me in the Morning
We were blessed to be able to go to a wonderful wedding yesterday for another one of my remarkable nephews and his equally remarkable bride. The wedding ceremony was held outside under perfect conditions, where the bride and groom shared a beautiful set of vows with each other. After a fun outdoor reception, it was … Continue reading A Hidden Challenge of Being the Bride and Groom
Seth Godin had a short but inspirational post today: A simple substitute might change a habit. Instead of a snack, brush your teeth. Instead of a nap, go for a walk. Instead of a nasty tweet or cutting remark, write it down in a private notebook. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of … Continue reading Instead Of…
We are nearly two weeks into the semester, and once again I am blessed with a wonderful group of students. They are engaged, curious, friendly, respectful, and just seem happy to be here. I wrote in a post a couple of weeks ago that this was the start of my 36th year at Villanova. So … Continue reading As If I Needed to Be Reminded That I’m Old
I never was, and never will be, a Don Juan. Growing up, I was always nervous around girls. I just blamed it on my looks and/or my awkwardness. As a result, I did my best to avoid them, and they seemed quite happy with my decision. However, on those rare occasions when a girl would … Continue reading I Wish Those Nuns Had Never Taught Me to Enunciate
This post may seem a bit odd coming just one day after I wrote about the controversy surrounding behavioral economist, Dan Ariely. While I personally don't think it looks good for Dan, I'm hoping it's an isolated incident and it doesn't negate all the other research he has done. Plus, people are supposed to be … Continue reading Practicing, Not YouTubing, Makes Perfect
Hat tip to Dan Pink for this week's blog post. In this week's Pinkcast, Dan shares an idea that can help us to maximize the benefits associated with mistakes. While we can often learn from our mistakes, it is just as important to be able to move on from them, to put them behind us. … Continue reading Tiny Toilet Offers Big Results
Borden's Blather 