This Will Make You Feel Better

This is the 43rd in a collection of newspaper ads written by Harry Gray, then CEO of United Technologies, that appeared in the Wall Street Journal from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Here is the text from that ad. If you sometimes get discouraged, consider this fellow: He dropped out of grade school. … Continue reading This Will Make You Feel Better

Hey NRA – You Cannot Be Serious!

The NRA has reached a new low. It has taken a classic children's fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, and revised the story line by inserting its own agenda into the narrative. The new story is called "Little Red Riding Hood (Has a Gun)". In this version, Little Red Riding Hood gets a rifle for … Continue reading Hey NRA – You Cannot Be Serious!

Two Tips for Not Overeating at a Restaurant

Going out to eat is usually a festive occasion, as it should be. However, some people, many of whom may be quite disciplined with their eating habits at home, lose their self-control at a restaurant. I recently came across two tips that may help people in such situations. The first tip relates to something I … Continue reading Two Tips for Not Overeating at a Restaurant

Age, Gender, Race, Religion, Ethnicity, First Name

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." While that may have been true in Shakespeare's time, do we need to add a new type of discrimination today based on a person's first name? Researchers at Harvard Business School found that online marketplaces that choose … Continue reading Age, Gender, Race, Religion, Ethnicity, First Name

The Fire Started How??!!

I enjoy the Farmers Insurance commercials, and when I heard the company had a web site that detailed some of its more unusual insurance claims, I had to check it out. Here are some of the more interesting ones, with some humorous animations: Hot Dog: While it’s true that dogs are man’s best friend, it’s also … Continue reading The Fire Started How??!!

Achoo!

What do you say when someone sneezes? In the U.S., the common responses are "God bless you", "bless you", or the occasional "gesundheit". But what about in China, or Spain, or the Philippines? Well to find the answer to that, we turn to good old Wikipedia. In non-English-speaking cultures, words referencing good health or a … Continue reading Achoo!

To Pave the Cow Path or Not

I remember hearing about the following anecdote several years ago, and here is a web version retelling of it: A new college campus was being built, and the question arose, "Where should we put the walkways?" Some felt the walkways should be around the edges, to leave the center green and untouched. Some felt the walkways … Continue reading To Pave the Cow Path or Not

The Two Penny Difference

This is the 42nd in a collection of newspaper ads written by Harry Gray, then CEO of United Technologies, that appeared in the Wall Street Journal from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Here is the text from that ad. If you earn a dollar and spend 99 cents, you're OK. But spend $1.01 … Continue reading The Two Penny Difference

Everything You Need to Know You Can Learn from a Big Red Dog

I was driving my car the other day and I heard a commercial for the great Please Touch Museum, and it mentioned that it had an exhibit featuring Clifford the Big Red Dog. The commercial noted that the exhibit features a hands-on, activity-filled play space that focuses on “Clifford’s Big Ideas”— 10 simple, tangible life lessons designed … Continue reading Everything You Need to Know You Can Learn from a Big Red Dog

This Is How All Conflicts Should Be Settled

I've often heard what a powerful effect music can have on people, but this raises it to a whole new level. I first read about this psychological warfare tactic back in August, when South Korea successfully used loudspeakers to blast messages critical of North Korea across the most heavily armed border in the world. The … Continue reading This Is How All Conflicts Should Be Settled