I had no vested interest in rooting for either the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks; all I wanted was a good game, and I think it was a Super Bowl for the ages. While the ending was high drama, so was the amount that companies spent to advertise during the game. A 30-second … Continue reading Money Spent on Super Bowl Ads is Humbling
My Lack of Fashion Sense, but Do Guys Really Dress Like This?
I treat shopping for clothes the same way I treated art time in grade school; the goal was not quality, the goal was getting it over with as quickly as possible. Clothes have never meant much to me. In an ideal world, I'd still be wearing the clothes I had in college, and the first … Continue reading My Lack of Fashion Sense, but Do Guys Really Dress Like This?
Recap: The 31 Day Writing and Running Challenge and the Power of Habit
First, thank you to Matt Frazier and Christine Frazier for the idea and execution behind this 31-day challenge. It has been a highly rewarding experience in so many ways. While I have always been an avid exerciser, starting and maintaining a blog is something I have often thought about, but never did anything about. But … Continue reading Recap: The 31 Day Writing and Running Challenge and the Power of Habit
In Search of Excellence, Creating My First Test of the Semester
I would have hoped after doing this for 29 years I'd know how to make up the perfect test. But I'm teaching a new prep this semester, and so I am filled with the usual doubts. Will the test be fair, will there be enough time for the students to complete the test, will the … Continue reading In Search of Excellence, Creating My First Test of the Semester
What’s Your Personality Type? I’m an INTJ
I was reading multiple blogs today for some inspiration, and I came across this post about the Myers Briggs personality types from Fred Wilson, a venture capitalist who has been blogging every day since September 2003. So I decided to take the test (it took less than 5 minutes), and I was identified as an … Continue reading What’s Your Personality Type? I’m an INTJ
Sir Ken Robinson Was Right
Every semester for the past several years I have shown my students the Ken Robinson TED talk on how schools kill creativity. One of my favorite parts of the talk is where he talks about how women are better at multitasking, and uses his wife as an example. "...if she's cooking, you know, she's dealing with … Continue reading Sir Ken Robinson Was Right
Springsteen Concert Canceled for Lack of Interest!
(click to enlarge) OK, I'll admit I was trying to grab the reader's attention with the headline. And while the statement is true, it is somewhat "chronologically challenged" (credit to Neil Gaiman for that phrase), since it happened over 40 years ago. The concert was to be held at my old high school, Archbishop Carroll, … Continue reading Springsteen Concert Canceled for Lack of Interest!
What Does It Take to be a Great Coach/Guru/Leader/Adviser?
It's a question I actually called into the local sports talk radio show a few years ago - "Do you think the best players make the best coaches?" Unfortunately, the question never made it on the air, so I was left to figure it out on my own. It seems that the evidence is fairly … Continue reading What Does It Take to be a Great Coach/Guru/Leader/Adviser?
Why I Love DonorsChoose.org
Imagine making a donation to a cause that you really believe in, one that you believe will make a difference. Then imagine getting personalized hand-drawn thank you notes like the one above, telling you how awesome you are. Well that pretty much describes how the online charity DonorsChoose.org works. Its mission is  to "engage  the public in public … Continue reading Why I Love DonorsChoose.org
Brilliant but Boorish vs. Competent but Charismatic
Shortly after watching "The Imitation Game" I started thinking about whether I would want to be brilliant but boorish or competent but charismatic. My first thought was to go with the brilliant but boorish combination, since it seems that brilliant people are the ones that change the world. They are so driven by their ideas … Continue reading Brilliant but Boorish vs. Competent but Charismatic
Borden's Blather 