School board members are typically unpaid volunteers, often parents who step forward to shape school policy, choose a superintendent, and review the budget. In most places, and during most times, it was a relatively unremarkable, yet vital position, one that few people paid attention to, or even knew who the members of the local school … Continue reading Why Would Anyone Want to Be on Their Local School Board?
The NPR website had a fascinating article a couple of weeks ago about the history of rock and roll in the Soviet Union. The focus of the article was on the Leningrad Rock Club: a 600-seat theater that opened in the early 1980s where bands could be seen and — more importantly — watched. The … Continue reading Music Monday: A Look at a Slice of Soviet Rock and Roll History
We were blessed to be able to go to a wonderful wedding yesterday for another one of my remarkable nephews and his equally remarkable bride. The wedding ceremony was held outside under perfect conditions, where the bride and groom shared a beautiful set of vows with each other. After a fun outdoor reception, it was … Continue reading A Hidden Challenge of Being the Bride and Groom
Seth Godin had a short but inspirational post today: A simple substitute might change a habit. Instead of a snack, brush your teeth. Instead of a nap, go for a walk. Instead of a nasty tweet or cutting remark, write it down in a private notebook. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of … Continue reading Instead Of…
If I am driving on a four-lane highway (two lanes in each direction), and I see a sign that indicates that the left or right lane is closed ahead, I generally try and get out of the lane that is going to be closed as soon as possible, or if I am already in the … Continue reading I Guess I’ve Been Merging Incorrectly All These Years
We are nearly two weeks into the semester, and once again I am blessed with a wonderful group of students. They are engaged, curious, friendly, respectful, and just seem happy to be here. I wrote in a post a couple of weeks ago that this was the start of my 36th year at Villanova. So … Continue reading As If I Needed to Be Reminded That I’m Old
Overdose deaths from stimulants in California nearly quadrupled between 2010 and 2019, and the problem has gotten even worse since. Preliminary data from the first nine months of 2020 — when much of the state was locked down because of the coronavirus— shows stimulant overdose deaths jumped 42% compared to 2019. California has proposed a … Continue reading Can Money Help People to “Just Say No”?
I never was, and never will be, a Don Juan. Growing up, I was always nervous around girls. I just blamed it on my looks and/or my awkwardness. As a result, I did my best to avoid them, and they seemed quite happy with my decision. However, on those rare occasions when a girl would … Continue reading I Wish Those Nuns Had Never Taught Me to Enunciate
Like many ideas for a blog post, this one just randomly popped into my head. And while it may not be of much interest to many readers, I found it fascinating to find out who are some of the famous musical artists who attended Villanova. I'll start with those individuals who actually graduated from Villanova: … Continue reading Music Monday: Villanova’s Famous Musical Students
It seems kind of important that a doctor can correctly interpret the following scenario: A 40-year old woman has a positive mammography in a routine screening. The doctor is told the following about scanning for breast cancer: 1% of women at age forty who participate in routine screening have breast cancer. 80% of women with … Continue reading Why Everyone Needs to Study Statistics, Even Doctors
Borden's Blather 