I started my Music Monday series a few weeks ago as a result of a Wall Street Journal article that talked about the state of rock and roll and mentioned some lesser known bands as part of the story. One of the bands mentioned was Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, a Birmingham, Alabama … Continue reading Music Monday – Southern Rockers with a Conscience
“Loneliness is killing us.” So claims Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, in his new book, Them: Why We Hate Each Other — and How to Heal. Mr. Sasse offers as evidence the growing rates of suicide and overdose deaths in America. I've written about the loneliness epidemic on multiple occasions, five times in the past six … Continue reading Finding Your Fremont
Regular readers of my blog likely know the "Dan" I am referring to. It's Dan Ariely, a leading behavioral economist, and best-selling author. Dan has a biweekly advice column in the Wall Street Journal that has often provided me with ideas for my blog, and today's column is no exception. Here is the email in question: … Continue reading Not So Fast, Dan
Last week I wrote about the great Christmas commercial British retailer John Lewis came out with this year which features Elton John. The Boy & The Piano opens with 71-year-old Sir Elton sitting at a piano at home, playing the first few notes of his famous hit Your Song. From there, it works backward through his life, from … Continue reading British Firm Has the Nerve to Poke Fun at John Lewis’s Christmas Commercial Featuring Elton John
It was another wonderful Thanksgiving, getting a chance to spend time with family. I am grateful for such moments, and I always look forward to them. In honor of the holiday, I thought I would share this crowdsourced Thanksgiving poem I came across on NPR. Earlier in November, NPR asked its readers and listeners to … Continue reading Thanksgiving 2018
Arguments began last month in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a lawsuit that claims Harvard University is discriminating against Asian-American applicants. Many are watching the federal trial examining how Harvard uses race to shape its student body as a landmark test of civil rights laws. During the trial, information about Harvard's admission practices have been revealed, … Continue reading Secret Tips for Getting into Harvard – Would My High School ID Have Helped?
I'm still not sure how it happened, but it did. I had just finished one class, and there was a ten-minute break before the next one, so I decided to go and use the men's room. The time in between classes is a busy one for the restrooms, and the only open spot was the … Continue reading Add One More to Life’s Embarrassing Moments
When the song Killer Queen came out in 1974, I distinctly remember rushing out to buy the album it was on and playing the song over and over until I had it completely memorized. Ever since that night, Queen has been one of my favorite groups. However, somehow I missed their performance at Live Aid in 1985, … Continue reading Music Monday: Queen at Live Aid
Before you invest a couple of minutes into reading this post, please note that the headline is totally click-bait. The question I asked is likely not that interesting to most people, and the result is not really "shocking". But hey, if I can even get one more person to read my blog, then I count that … Continue reading I Asked My Students a Survey Question, and I Was Shocked at the Response
An essay in today's Wall Street Journal shares research about a new tool for analyzing hundreds of thousands of small genetic differences that can predict a range of psychological attributes from birth. The author of the essay believes the tool will transform how we see ourselves, our capacities, and our problems. As I read the … Continue reading Would You Want to Know?
Borden's Blather 