I start teaching next week, and all my classes will be 100% in person. I will be teaching in a large room that has been reconfigured as a classroom. The room has a social distancing capacity of 40 students, and since my biggest class only has 28 students, there should not be an issue keeping … Continue reading Me, Nervous? Apparently So…
Odds are this is something that only bothers me, and I know it's kind of petty, but maybe it's something James Bond could relate to. Just like he could relate to my good looks. But anyway, I've got to get it off my chest because it happens somewhat frequently. My email address is james.borden and … Continue reading My Name Is Borden. Jim Borden.
I have no idea how I've gotten to my age without ever having read Of Mice and Men. But today I put an end that gap in my literary education, and so far, so good. The beginning of the book features an essay on Steinbeck by Susan Shillinglaw, who at the time was a professor … Continue reading John Steinbeck Knew What It Took for the World to be a Kinder, Gentler Place
We've been cleaning, and clearing, out our house the past couple of days, and I came across the photo shown above in one of Villanova's print publications. Like many organizations, including schools of higher education, we have committed a great deal of time, energy, and money to the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In … Continue reading The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same?
Note: the first part of this post may not be of much interest to many people. But if you scroll down, you will see a couple of really cool animations of data. Charles Joseph Minard (27 March 1781 – 24 October 1870) was a French civil engineer recognized for his significant contribution in the field … Continue reading Is This the Best, or Worst, Graph Ever Drawn?
In Seth Godin's blog post today, he asks the following: If you have a retail chain that offers: A variety of products, at high margins, that are easy to ship, without being needed immediately, in expensive retail locations, where the in-person shopping experience isn’t particularly remarkable… And while we can all see where this is … Continue reading Can What You Do Be Replicated by Technology?
I just came across this expression today, but according to at least one web site, the saying has been printed on many posters. “Hire character, train skill” has been credited since 2005 to former Porsche CEO and motivational speaker Peter W. Schutz, but it’s uncertain when he first said it. Regardless of when it was … Continue reading “Hire Character, Train Skill.”
I’ve always said one of my greatest strengths as a teacher is the ability to take a room full of young, energetic students and within minutes have a few of them on the edge of REM sleep. I get it. For some people, accounting is not the most interesting topic to sit and listen to. … Continue reading Now I Know What My Students Must Feel Like
I’m only about 10 years behind on this story that went viral back in 2010. Apparently someone got wind of the U.S. military’s recipe for brownies, which was, to put it mildly, a bit overboard. The specifications/recipe run for 26 pages! Here are some of the highlights: Whole eggs may be liquid or frozen and … Continue reading This Is What All Recipes Look Like to Me
There is something special about listening to two voices blend together in harmony, becoming something greater than the sum of their parts. The past couple of weeks I have come across two wonderful duets. What makes them extra special is that they were impromptu performances; in both cases, neither singer knew each other before they … Continue reading Music Monday: A Remarkable Pair of Duets
Borden's Blather 