What would happen if you tried to toast a piece of bread inside a freezer? Which appliance would win - would the toaster be able to toast the bread despite the below freezing temperatures, or would the freezer be able to keep the toast from ever heating up? I have to admit it wasn't me … Continue reading Appliance Showdown: Toaster vs Freezer →

In response to yesterday's blog post that was a tribute to Elvis, Bud Drago, one of my teaching colleagues, commented that on the date of Elvis' death, he and his bandmates were practicing for an upcoming gig. When they heard the news, the band played a couple Elvis songs in his memory. 40 years later, … Continue reading Hidden Talents? →

Today is the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, and I thought I'd share a few memories I have of him. I was lucky enough to have seen Elvis in concert, just a few months before he died. It was at the venerable Spectrum in South Philadelphia, and my friend Joe had somehow managed to … Continue reading A Tribute to the King – Three Memories →

It's my favorite line from one of my all-time favorite songs, Imagine, by John Lennon. I had been thinking about those words the past couple of days as I reflected on the hate and bigotry that was on display in Charlottesville this past weekend. Why is peace so hard? Why can't the world be as … Continue reading Imagine all the people living life in peace →

in 2016, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy declared that isolation was the most common disease in the U.S. Social isolation and loneliness have been associated with major negative health effects in study after study, leading some researchers to consider long-term isolation to be just as bad for longevity as smoking cigarettes. There are also links … Continue reading A Solution to the Isolation Epidemic? →

The Wall Street Journal had a story yesterday that looked at how popular spa vacations have become for men. In an effort to change men's mindset that a spa retreat is for women, these spas offer activities such as hiking, bootcamps, fitness classes, hand and foot sports conditioning (a mani-pedi), hunting, tree climbing, tennis, and … Continue reading Spa Vacations for Men – I’ll Pass →

We went to see the  Dunkirk movie today (not one of my favorites), and as we were leaving the theater I looked around and was amazed by how many people just left their food and drinks behind them. It just seems incredibly inconsiderate to do such a thing; are some people so lazy that they … Continue reading The Reviews Are In – You’re a Slob →

I saw the following headline in The Onion today: Man Surveys Party For Next Group To Silently Stand In and I thought, "Hmmm, sounds like me." I then read the story, and it was eerie how well it captured my party behavior. Here's the brief story: Determining the time had come to seek out livelier … Continue reading Onion Story Hits Close to Home →

That's a picture of the front entrance to a local library. It's a great library, perhaps the best in the area. I don't get there as often as I'd like, but it seems like every time I go to check out a book, there's a fine on my account. Usually it's a pretty small fine, … Continue reading Is This Poor Design, or Am I Just a Whiner? →

NPR has a story about a fascinating experiment that is taking place in a Kenyan village. There are 400 people living in this Kenyan village, living on less than $2 a day in mud-brick huts with no running water. Instead of the usual types of financial aid given to such people - think food, seeds, cows, … Continue reading $22 a Month – Is This the Best Way to Fight Poverty? →