Category: lessons learned

Did Seth Godin Just Pen the Perfect College Admissions Letter? Stockbrokers Take Note…

In one of Seth's posts this week, he notes that if your job is one of detecting and selecting, for example, college admissions or stock picking, the data shows that while it’s possible to be worse than average at such tasks, it’s almost impossible to do consistently better than the average. To believe you're doing … Continue reading Did Seth Godin Just Pen the Perfect College Admissions Letter? Stockbrokers Take Note… →

Music Monday: A Boy Named Shel

It's one of those serendipitous Internet connections again. I was exchanging comments with a fellow blogger, Michel Kuch, on his wonderfully unique blog - Kuched, when he mentioned the song, Solitary Man. I was aware of the song, it's one of my favorite Neil Diamond songs. But Michael mentioned that Johnny Cash sang it as … Continue reading Music Monday: A Boy Named Shel →

COVID-19 and the Ford Pinto

In the 1970s, the Ford Motor Company introduced a new subcompact car called the Pinto. In response to several fatal accidents involving the Pinto, Ford prepared a seven-page company memorandum entitled “Fatalities Associated with Crash-Induced Fuel Leakage and Fires.” In the memo, Ford estimated the cost of fuel system modifications to reduce fire risks in … Continue reading COVID-19 and the Ford Pinto →

Sometimes, the Title of a Movie Tells You All You Need to Know

Sometimes, the title of a movie may not give you any idea what a film is about. For example, "You've Got Mail" could have been about a stalker who sends somebody threatening emails. Or "Animal House" could have been about an elderly woman who lives with over 100 cats in her house. Other times, the … Continue reading Sometimes, the Title of a Movie Tells You All You Need to Know →

It’s International Haiku Poetry Day!

I didn't want to write another haiku, but what can I say - it's International Haiku Poetry Day. Thank you to Beth at I Didn't Have My Glasses On for letting me know about this holiday. Observed annually on April 17, it's a day that encourages everyone to try their hand in creativity. For those … Continue reading It’s International Haiku Poetry Day! →

A Fellow Blogger Has Come Up with the Perfect Stay at Home Activity

In his blog post yesterday, fellow blogger Ray Visotski shared how he spent part of his day: Early this morning, after playing with the dogs in the yard, I looked at the house and thought to myself, “I wonder how many bricks it took to build our house?” Two hours later, I have the answer. … Continue reading A Fellow Blogger Has Come Up with the Perfect Stay at Home Activity →

Seeing Signs of Hope While Out for a Drive

Today, my wife, son, and I went for about a two-hour car ride, never venturing more than five miles from our house. The purpose of the trip was for my wife to drop off schoolwork for her preschool students. A fellow teacher had put together a driving route, using Mapquest, that configured the best route … Continue reading Seeing Signs of Hope While Out for a Drive →

Music Monday: The Most Popular Jukebox Songs of All Time

We have been watching the wonderful PBS Ken Burns mini-series on Country Music, and it has been quite informative. Part of today's episode featured Patsy Cline, someone I knew very little about. However, I did learn that her hit song "Crazy", which was written by Willie Nelson, at one point was the most popular jukebox … Continue reading Music Monday: The Most Popular Jukebox Songs of All Time →

Gift Card vs. Cash – Which Would You Prefer?

It's a question that at first glance, at least to me, has a simple answer. Cash, of course. Cash enables you to do anything you can do with the gift card, plus a whole lot more. A gift card, on the other hand, restricts your choices to just the gift associated with the card. By … Continue reading Gift Card vs. Cash – Which Would You Prefer? →

What Would Cause You to Stop Being a Fan of Someone or Something?

Earlier this week, Seth Godin had a post about lifelong fans, and the importance we place on being a fan. He writes: This instinct (of being a fan) is so strong that we suspend disbelief (and create belief) based on something as shallow as what logo is on the box. We confuse our rational understanding … Continue reading What Would Cause You to Stop Being a Fan of Someone or Something? →