Tonight was the annual talk by Coach Jay Wright to our business school freshmen. As always, Coach Wright was inspirational, sharing his thoughts on leadership, teamwork, hard work, and positive attitude. I thought one story he told was particularly powerful, that of the stonecutter. When I came home later I looked to see if I … Continue reading Coach Jay Wright and the Stonecutter
Category: lessons learned
This Is Why We Need a Free Press
The Village Voice ceased online operations last month, a year after ending its print edition. It was the end of the line for the laborious, gritty investigative reporting that was the heart and soul of the paper. The muckraking for which the Voice was known has become an endangered species. According to an article in the … Continue reading This Is Why We Need a Free Press
Returning to the Scene of My (One and Only) Crime
I think at this point the statute of limitations has expired. So it's time to come clean. When I was about 18 years old a friend and I went to Zern's Farmers Market in Gilbertsville, PA just for something to do one Saturday night. As we were walking past the record store, I caught a … Continue reading Returning to the Scene of My (One and Only) Crime
I’m Not Sure How I Would Answer This Question
Here is one of the questions Dan Ariely was posed in this week's Wall Street Journal: Hi, Dan. My son Joey is turning one year old, and we’re throwing a birthday party for him. People usually give toys on such occasions, but I’d like to ask them to give him money instead. How can I … Continue reading I’m Not Sure How I Would Answer This Question
Some Thoughts about Poetry and Censorship
I'm not sure why, but last week a random thought about poetry popped into my head. It may have been triggered by hearing about a book that had been turned into a movie or was going to be turned into a movie. And I thought, 'I wonder if singers/composers/record companies ever buy the rights to poems with … Continue reading Some Thoughts about Poetry and Censorship
Can Computers Be Funny?
It's a question that artificial intelligence researchers are asking themselves with greater urgency. If one of the goals of AI is to allow humans to converse with computers in a way that is as natural, intuitive, and frictionless as conversing with people, then AI systems need to master irony, sarcasm, ambiguity, humor, and puns—aspects of conversation that … Continue reading Can Computers Be Funny?
What If???
We were driving to a family reunion yesterday, and along the way we passed the building (shown above) where I used to work 37 years ago, Prudential Insurance. It was my first "real" job, working as a dividend analyst in the group insurance division. I was part of a management development program that would have … Continue reading What If???
How I Improved My Memory by Playing Connect 4 Using My Mouth
I've always been intrigued by people who seem to be blessed with an amazing memory. My aunt seems to have an unlimited memory for people's birthdays and phone numbers. A former colleague at Villanova was able to recall the names (and details) of students he taught 40 years ago. And then there's Joshua Foer. Foer had … Continue reading How I Improved My Memory by Playing Connect 4 Using My Mouth
Warning! This Post Might Give You Nightmares…
A woman in Ipswich, England, a small town about 60 miles north of London, filed a report with the Ipswich Borough Council, claiming she has been woken on an almost nightly basis by a tinny, distant rendition of ‘It’s Raining, It’s Pouring’. Here's what it sounded like (you've been warned): Early one morning, after being … Continue reading Warning! This Post Might Give You Nightmares…
The Fascinating Online Gig Economy
Have you ever heard of the web sites Upwork or Get Friday or Fiverr? How about 99designs? Perhaps freelancer? If so, then you might have some familiarity with the world of online freelancing. If not, let me introduce it to you. Online freelancing is a global marketplace where people looking for help on a project … Continue reading The Fascinating Online Gig Economy
Borden's Blather 