'Between Two Ferns' is one of my favorite online video series, and I was wondering if there was ever going to be any new episodes. The last episode released was in September, 2016, and that represented the first new episode since October 2014. In other words, there has only been one new episode in nearly … Continue reading It’s Back! A New Episode of ‘Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis’ →

I don't know why this commercial from the early 1970s always stuck with me. Here is link to a web site that has the video: https://www.oddballfilms.com/clip/13160_13316_bowmar2 I still remember most of the dialogue: "I was a real dummy. I couldn't add. I couldn't subtract. I couldn't multiply. I couldn't divide. Percentages made my head spin. … Continue reading A Favorite Childhood Memory – the Bowmar Brain →

Every summer, Villanova University offers what is known as the Summer Business Institute, or SBI. Here is some info about the program from its web site: SBI is a full-time, 16-credit program held on Villanova’s campus, which focuses on finance, economics, accounting, marketing, management, analytics and information technologies. Created exclusively for non-business majors in 1997, … Continue reading Three Cheers for the Students in Villanova’s Summer Business Institute →

In the field of ethics, one of the guiding principles for making ethical decisions is known as the "Mom Test". Basically the Mom Test asks decision makers to think about what their mom would think of the decision he or she is about to make. If you think your Mom would approve the decision, then … Continue reading I Think De Niro Failed the “Mom Test” →

The Atlantic had a wonderful article last week that looked at the rules Fred Rogers used when talking with children. He insisted that every word, whether spoken by a person or a puppet, be scrutinized closely, because he knew that children—the preschool-age boys and girls who made up the core of his audience—tend to hear … Continue reading Words Mattered to Mr. Rogers →

This post is somewhat connected to yesterday's post that looked at the concept of restorative justice. One of the possible benefits of restorative justice and other types of prison reform measures is that there will be fewer people spending time in prison. Taking care of prisoners is expensive, and by reducing that population, federal and … Continue reading Unintended Consequences of a Drop in the Crime Rate →

I just watched an episode of Wyatt Cenac's HBO show "Problem Areas". My wife had told me she had watched it earlier and thought I would like it since it was about the concept of restorative justice. I had never heard of Wyatt Cenac, his show, or restorative justice, but I am glad I watched … Continue reading “It’s Easier to Build Strong Children Than to Repair Broken Men” →

That was easy; I feel much better already. In this week's Wall Street Journal column, Dan Ariely mentions a research study from 2000 which showed that subjective socioeconomic status (i.e., where people ranked themselves relative to others) was more predictive of physical health and psychological well-being than actual socioeconomic rank. The metrics used were self-rated health, heart … Continue reading My Socioeconomic Status Is Better Than Yours, and Yours, and Yours; Heck, It’s Better Than Everyone’s →

The picture above is an aerial view of Kapoho, Hawaii, one of the most beautiful places we have had a chance to visit. That's what it looked like last week; here is what it looks like now: The second picture is showing the result of the recent lava flow from Mt. Kilauea that has destroyed … Continue reading Photographs and Memories →

A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that couples undergo significant personality changes during the first year and a half of marriage. The research team asked the couples to assess their levels of what psychologists call the big five personality traits: extraversion (how social and outgoing a person is), openness to experience (how intellectually curious or … Continue reading How Marriage Changes Your Personality and Being an Introvert →