Proving that they weren't just flashes in the pan, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen returned to the top of the Billboard Charts with their newest albums this week. The last time these two held the top two spots was back in 1985, when Springsteen was on top with "Born in the USA" and Madonna held the … Continue reading Music Monday: Madonna and Bruce End 34-Year Slump
Long-time readers of my blog (i.e., my wife and children) will likely recognize where this photo comes from. For the rest of you, this photo was featured in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, in its most recent story about men's fashion. This post marks the fifth one I've written about the crazy men's fashion stories that … Continue reading I Can’t Even…
Our air conditioning system stopped working last week, and after a few days of doing without it, we finally broke down and called a local service company. The "guy" who arrived looked like he had just graduated high school, but he couldn't have been older than his mid-twenties. Despite his youthful appearance, he was very … Continue reading A Five-Minute Job That Took Me Six Months to Do
I'll never forget a presentation I made several years ago during an Open House event at Villanova. The event was geared towards high school seniors and their parents who were visiting the campus for the day to learn more about the school. I had volunteered to give about a 15-minute talk about the advantages of … Continue reading How to Lie with Statistics
My name is Jim Borden, and I like Frosted Mini-Wheats. There. I said it. A couple of times per year, for whatever reason, I feel a need to pick up a box of Frosted Mini-Wheats, probably my favorite cereal of all time. And it's just as good, if not better, with almond milk. I know … Continue reading Guilty Pleasure Brings Back Childhood Memory
There was an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal about jealousy. The main point of the story was that other people’s plans for the future irritate us much more than experiences they’ve had in the past. At first, this idea might seem strange. Don’t we feel envy for people’s accomplishments and possessions, such as … Continue reading I Must Not Have Been Part of This Research Study
I stopped drinking alcohol about eight years ago, basically for health reasons. I will admit I missed the taste of beer, so I would occasionally have a non-alcoholic beer, like O'Douls. (I should also point out that I eat fake hamburgers and drink decaf coffee - I know, what a crazy life I lead). I … Continue reading Proof Once Again That I’m Not a Trendsetter
The Wall Street Journal's A-HED story today was titled, "Small Talk Is Tough for Finns. So They’re Taking Lessons. ‘I Love Your Shirt.’" As soon as I saw the headline, my first thought was that the Finns sounds like my kind of people. The story notes that in Norway's cafes, restaurants, buses, trains, and saunas, … Continue reading I Think I Might Be Part Finn
Old-time readers of my blog should know who Dan Ariely is, given how often I've used his work in my posts. If you're not sure who he is, Dan Ariely is a Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University. He is also the author of several New York Times bestsellers and he has … Continue reading According to Dan Ariely, I Should Be the Most Productive Person in the World
Villanova University was blessed to have Bert Jacobs, co-founder of the Life is Good brand, as its commencement speaker this past weekend. Bert started selling t-shirts with his brother John out of a van back in 1989. But as their web site points out, it was not very prosperous. They lived on peanut butter and jelly, … Continue reading “Life Is Good” Co-Founder Delivers Inspirational Commencement Speech and a Few Well-Thrown Frisbees
Borden's Blather 