My mom passed away last Friday at the age of 89. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few months ago, and was placed on home hospice at the end of August. My mom was fortunate to live with her sister, who has done a phenomenal job over the past few years taking care of … Continue reading A Tribute to My Mom →

Seth Godin's blog post today was titled "Simple Questions for Writers", and I have reproduced it below. 1. What is it for? If this piece of writing works, what will change? What action will be taken? The more specific you are in your intent, the more frightening it is to do the writing (because you … Continue reading My Answers to Seth Godin’s Simple Questions for Writers →

As I have mentioned before, some days it is hard to think of something to write about, and I find myself going to the usual suspects for blog ideas - the Wall Street Journal, Seth Godin, Fred Wilson, LinkedIn Pulse, Harvard Business Review, or the New York Times Health and Fitness blog. While leading an … Continue reading A Possible New Source for Blog Ideas →

Holman Jenkins wrote an interesting piece in today's Wall Street Journal about how big data could possibly be useful in preventing mass shootings. Hitachi, the big Japanese company, began testing its crime-prediction software in several unnamed American cities this month. The project, called Hitachi Visualization Predictive Crime Analytics, culls crime records, map and transit data, … Continue reading Big Data to the Rescue →

While watching the news tonight there was a story about President Obama's trip to Oregon to pay his respect to the families and friends of those who were victims in the shooting that took place at Umpqua Community College. I was quite surprised to see that there were people protesting the President's visit because they felt … Continue reading “I’m Quite Certain He’s Earned It” →

In honor of Throwback Thursday and the release tomorrow of the new Steve Jobs movie, I thought I'd share the first TV ad for the original iPhone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHA3mg_xuM4 I consider the iPhone perhaps the greatest technology product of all time. There doesn't seem to be much it can't do, particularly when you are given the … Continue reading “Hello”, the First iPhone TV Ad →

Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, published a research study this week that concluded that there is an inverse relationship between Physical Activity (PA) and Heart Failure (HF) risk. In particular, it noted that PA in excess of the minimum amount recommended per day may be required for more substantial reductions in HF … Continue reading WHAT???!!! 30 Minutes of Exercise a Day Is Not Enough? →

David Brooks, a columnist for the New York Times, wrote a wonderful editorial in today's paper reflecting on the current state of today's colleges and universities. Brooks notes that "Many American universities were founded as religious institutions, explicitly designed to cultivate their students’ spiritual and moral natures." But unfortunately over time, "Academic research and teaching … Continue reading What Is the Role of a University Today? →

I received the following email earlier today from our University's Office of Public Safety: Federal authorities have  notified colleges and universities in our region that threats of violence have been made against "an unspecified university near Philadelphia". The information includes a specific date of Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 at 2:00 pm. Authorities have no other … Continue reading The Threat of Terror Hits Close to Home →

The Wall Street Journal had a story this week about the growing importance of grammar on dating sites. Some of the members of dating sites say written communications matter, from the correct use of semicolons, to understanding the difference between its and it’s, and sentences built on proper parallel construction. One woman from New York … Continue reading Keys to Dating: Personal Hygiene, Personality, and Spell Check →