I received a lot of nice feedback from yesterday's post, Michael Bloomberg Delivers Commencement Speech and Father Peter Sings – Just Another Day at Villanova, but one of the comments really caught me by surprise: "Jim, great post. I wish you continued success with your writing. Please stop by for a visit when you are in … Continue reading Wow! I Never Knew That President Obama Read My Blog →

When I first heard the news a few weeks ago, I couldn't quite believe it. Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City and founder and CEO of Bloomberg, L.P. was going to be the commencement speaker at this year's Villanova graduation ceremony. As I wrote in a previous post, I am a big fan … Continue reading Michael Bloomberg Delivers Commencement Speech and Father Peter Sings – Just Another Day at Villanova →

I guess the allure of opiods must be incredibly powerful, even for those who have committed to helping others overcome the addiction. Such is the case of two counselors at a halfway house for recovering addicts in Chester County, a suburb of Philadelphia. The two died this past Sunday of drug overdoses. Police found used needles and … Continue reading Who Counsels the Counselors? →

The Wall Street Journal's A-Hed strikes gold (or should I sat yellow) again today, with a story about Amazon's Community Banana Stand. In late 2015, Amazon opened its first Community Banana Stand near its Seattle headquarters. The Stand was brainchild of CEO and founder Jeff Bezos, who believed that Amazon should offer everyone near its … Continue reading Yes! We Have Bananas, Bananas at Amazon Today! →

My favorite part of the Wall Street Journal is the A-Hed, the story that appears every day in the bottom center of the front page. Ranging from the silly to the serious, and from the quirky to the downright bizarre, the A-Hed gives free rein to the reporters' imagination. Everyone who works at the Journal is … Continue reading Chinese Toddler Is an Eating Machine →

I had the chance to visit an old friend from college at his house "down the shore" this weekend. Shortly after I arrived we met another college friend and his wife for an early dinner filled with good food and lots of laughs. After a couple of hours it was time to go our separate … Continue reading I Could Look at This All Day →

Elmore Leonard, master of the crime novel, was asked once about the key to his success as a writer. He replied, "I leave out the parts that people skip." So in honor of Elmore...

I just finished reading a great book today, How Google Works. One part of the book talks about innovation, and notes that while most organizations spend a lot of time encouraging people to be innovators, little time, if any, is spent on identifying followers, and the critical role they play in helping new ideas get … Continue reading The First Follower Is What Transforms a Lone Nut into a Leader →

Today I went to the ceremony for the latest group of students to be inducted into Beta Alpha Psi, the national honor society for liberal arts and sciences majors. Here's a brief description of Phi Beta Kappa, from Villanova's web site: Phi Beta Kappa was founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776. Since … Continue reading Phi Beta Kappa – A Celebration of the Liberal Arts and Sciences →

I was at the funeral today of a former colleague, a wonderful man who devoted his life to helping others. During the service, the priest read a poem by Linda Ellis. The poem is titled "Dash", and talks about the line that separates the date a person is born from the date a person dies. … Continue reading The Dash – A Story of a Life →