You, Yes You, Can Break Up a Bureaucracy!

Tired of dealing with bureaucracy? Feel like nothing is getting done because of all the red tape? In his latest Pinkcast, Dan Pink notes that the longer we work within a bureaucracy, the more likely we are to absorb the wrong-headed values and practices. However, there is a way to break through bureaucracy, and for … Continue reading You, Yes You, Can Break Up a Bureaucracy!

As If I Needed a Reason to Like Oreos Even More

As a child, Oreos were always one of my favorite cookies. Much later in life, their value went way up when I found out that Oreos are suitable for vegans (well, sort of). So when my wife sent me the wonderful video below, I didn't think it was possible that I could like Oreos anymore … Continue reading As If I Needed a Reason to Like Oreos Even More

Five Coping Skills, in Honor of World Mental Health Day

The five coping skills come courtesy of Dr. Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist, and Professor of Psychology at Yale University. In January 2018, her course titled Psychology and the Good Life became the most popular course in Yale's history, with approximately one-fourth of Yale's undergraduates enrolled. The course was made available online via Coursera in … Continue reading Five Coping Skills, in Honor of World Mental Health Day

If You Have Nothing Nice to Say, Then…

It was one of the life lessons my parents taught me at a young age; if you've got nothing nice to say about someone or something, then don't say anything at all. It came back to me tonight as I was waiting to pick up a pizza. Last week, I had ordered a pizza from … Continue reading If You Have Nothing Nice to Say, Then…

Day One of WordPress Stats Detox Completed…

My name is Jim, and I look at my WordPress stats way too much. Part of the problem is that I have the WP app on my phone, and it is just so easy to check my stats when I've got a few free seconds. And it seems like I've got way too many "a … Continue reading Day One of WordPress Stats Detox Completed…

We Are All Socially Awkward Now

Kate Murphy, a reporter at the New York Times, wrote an interesting story last month: We’re All Socially Awkward Now. Murphy writes the following: Research on prisoners, hermits, soldiers, astronauts, polar explorers, and others who have spent extended periods in isolation indicates social skills are like muscles that atrophy from lack of use. People separated from society — by … Continue reading We Are All Socially Awkward Now

The Value of Learning to Write by Hand

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) say that both children and adults learn more and remember things more efficiently when writing by hand rather than a keyboard. The study’s author believes all modern children should receive at least some instruction in handwriting. The brain activity of 12 young adults and 12 … Continue reading The Value of Learning to Write by Hand

Was It Something I Said?

As many of you know, I check my WordPress stats way too often. One of the stats I check is the number of followers, which is a fairly public stat that other WordPress users can see. Yesterday, I hit somewhat of a milestone when the number of followers reached 900. I wasn't going to mention … Continue reading Was It Something I Said?

Is This What High School Should Look Like?

In a post this past week on Fred Wilson's wonderful site - AVC.com - he wrote about his venture capital firm's latest educational investment, Sora Schools. I spent some time reading about the school, and it sounds marvelous. Here is some information from the school web site: Sora is a live, virtual high school where … Continue reading Is This What High School Should Look Like?

My Blog Is on the Verge of a Major Breakthrough

Well, at least according to Seth Godin. Here was one of Seth's posts this week: “Well, that’s a dumb idea” As dumb as selling shoes, an item that comes in 100s of sizes, over the internet. As dumb as expecting people to find a date or a spouse online. As dumb as building an encyclopedia … Continue reading My Blog Is on the Verge of a Major Breakthrough