What do all of these topics have in common? They were among the 31 lessons I learned as part of the TED-Ed July challenge. The lessons consisted of watching a 3-5 minute video each day and then answering a series of multiple choice and short essay questions on the topic. I found the lessons to … Continue reading Earworms, Refugees, Poetic Patterns, and the Ethics of Self-Driving Cars →

There are not many movies where the characters celebrate Noam Chomsky day instead of Christmas, or where the father orchestrates a "Free the Food" assault on a local grocery store. But then there aren't many movies like Captain Fantastic. When I first heard about the movie, I thought it was another superhero movie, along the … Continue reading Captain Fantastic Lives Up to Its Name →

Chelsea Clinton did a wonderful job introducing her mom to the nation last night. She used personal stories about what her childhood was like, and how her mom was always there for the big moments, like games and recitals, as well as the small, everyday ones, like watching movies together. My favorite line from her … Continue reading “Smiled on by Fate” →

I've watched a lot of last week's and this week's conventions (and I mean a lot), and there have been some impressive speakers. And I'm not necessarily referring to the content of what was being said, but more to the style and poise and grace of the speakers. I expected people like President Obama, Joe … Continue reading So Much for the Fear of Public Speaking →

Early this morning my wife (that is not her in the photo) and I hopped on a train and headed into the great city of Philadelphia. The reason for our journey was to support Moms Demand Action (MDA), a non-partisan grassroots movement to mobilize moms and families to advocate for stronger gun laws. MDA takes … Continue reading Moms Demand Action on Common Sense Gun Laws →

I recently came across an ad in Facebook for a course from Udemy on Leadership, featuring Seth Godin. Seth has been one of my favorite authors and marketing gurus for several years, and he seems to be a man of integrity, intelligence, kindness, creativity, and foresight. He is the author of 18 books that have … Continue reading Not Even Seth Godin Is Immune to Internet Trolls →

I was recently asked to join the board of Reconstruction, Inc., a Philadelphia-based non-profit that works on issues related to re-entry programs for recently released prisoners, the injustices associated with the sentence of life in prison without parole (referred to as death by incarceration), and community building for families and neighborhoods affected by crime and … Continue reading Reconstruction, Inc. – Doing Work That Matters →

The Wall Street Journal had a story the other day about Starbucks' disappointing results in Europe and the U.S. that resulted in its third consecutive sales-target miss. While there could be several possible explanations for not hitting its sales target (changing consumer preferences, more competition, pricing, decreased quality, etc.), what was surprising were the reasons … Continue reading Is There a Link Between Terrorism and Sales of Starbucks Coffee? →

It's been a few months since we had to put our dog Butters to sleep, and we were waiting for the right time to get a new dog. Well the wait is over. We were fortunate to find out about a dog that was being fostered by a friend of a friend, and when we … Continue reading Our Newest Family Member →

My son and I were driving around today, and Elton John's classic song, "Candle in the Wind" came on the radio. It immediately brought back memories from almost 20 years ago of Princess Di's funeral and Elton's performance of Candle in the Wind in memory of her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8gO0Z818j4 It's one of my favorite songs, and … Continue reading Elton John and Ally McBeal →