Today's Wall Street Journal had a story about the loneliness epidemic among the elderly, a topic I've written about a few times. This article profiled a few people who are experiencing loneliness: Danny Miner, a 66-year-old retired chemical plant supervisor, spends most days alone in his Tooele, Utah, apartment, with “Gunsmoke” reruns to keep him … Continue reading Where’s the Empathy?
Do you remember what it was like when you first learned how to ride a bike or to drive a car? Or what it was like when you sat down to take a test you thought you were ready for, and you quickly realized that wasn't the case? Thanks to the great guest speaker I … Continue reading Progressing Through the Four Stages of Competence
Among President Trump's tweets this week were the following: “Michael Cohen asks judge for no Prison Time.” You mean he can do all of the TERRIBLE, unrelated to Trump, things having to do with fraud, big loans, Taxis, etc., and not serve a long prison term? He makes up stories to get a GREAT & … Continue reading When President Trump Tweets, He Rarely Gets Off Scot-Free
Once again, I have Dan Ariely to thank for the idea for today's post. One of the questions posed to Dan in today's Wall Street Journal was the following: Dear Dan, Our 14-year-old son has a hard time getting up in the morning. He sets an alarm clock, but he always presses the snooze button … Continue reading Have You Ever Made a Ulysses Contract with Yourself?
No thanks, I think I'd rather stay cold, but apparently, it worked for the Mongols during the reign of Genghis Khan. A story in today's Wall Street Journal, "How Much Do Hot Drinks Help on a Cold Day?", looked at the science of what works and what doesn't work in our efforts to stay warm. … Continue reading Feeling Cold? How About Some Fresh, Warm Mare’s Milk?
George W. Bush gave a moving eulogy for his father today, George H.W. Bush. Here is the video, followed by the transcript (with my favorite parts italicized). Rest in Peace, George H.W Bush and thank you for your service to our country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u_Ntu3uHZk Distinguished Guests, including our Presidents and First Ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and … Continue reading A Beautiful Tribute to a Kinder, Gentler Man
Every year since 2014, Chapman University has conducted a Survey of American Fears. The results provide an in-depth examination into the fears of average Americans. For the most recent survey (June, 2018), a random sample of 1,190 adults from across the United States was asked their level of fear about ninety-four different phenomena including crime, the … Continue reading America’s Biggest Fears – and Mine
That is the conclusion of a paper just published in the current issue of the journal Learning and Behavior. In other words, dogs are not as smart as people believe. The researchers set out to study dogs from three different perspectives: phylogenetically, as carnivoran and specifically a canid; ecologically, as social, cursorial hunters; and anthropogenically, … Continue reading “There Is No Current Case for Canine Exceptionalism”
As I was walking across campus the other day during a torrential downpour, I noticed a few students without umbrellas. The drenched look brought back memories of when I was their age. For whatever reason, from the time I was probably 10 years old and then through college and for several years afterward, I refused to … Continue reading Life Lesson, Learned Late
Arguments began last month in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a lawsuit that claims Harvard University is discriminating against Asian-American applicants. Many are watching the federal trial examining how Harvard uses race to shape its student body as a landmark test of civil rights laws. During the trial, information about Harvard's admission practices have been revealed, … Continue reading Secret Tips for Getting into Harvard – Would My High School ID Have Helped?
Borden's Blather 