This post is a kind of collaboration with my youngest son. He is writing a similar post, highlighting his favorite songs to listen to using his headphones. He's got a much broader range of music that he listens compared to me, so I'd encourage you to check it out at Muzik Mondai. I'm often a … Continue reading Music Monday: Music to Test Your Headphones With
Dan Ariely has written several books about irrational decision making, including Predictably Irrational and The Upside of Irrationality. His books are both enjoyable and educational. In addition, he has a regular column in the Wall Street Journal called Ask Dan, which has been the basis for many of my blog posts over the past five … Continue reading How to Avoid Behaving Irrationally
otherwise, they kick you." That was one of the memorable lines from the documentary American Factory. I found out about the movie from one of my students, who told me that after reading one of the articles for class she thought of this film. American Factory (美国工厂; ç¾Žåœ‹å·¥å» ) is a 2019 American documentary film directed … Continue reading “Donkeys Liked to Be Touched in the Direction Their Hair Grows…
Well, it looks like we survived the first week back at school without having to reverse our plans. And I think that's all we can do, just focus on getting through one week at a time. Besides a minor glitch right before school started, Villanova's students seem to be following all the guidelines that have … Continue reading Week One Is in the Books; Just Thirteen More to Go
Reporter Leah Fessler had a story in this week's New York Times about how important it is to recognize our small wins and routine accomplishments, rather than just wait to celebrate when we have major breakthroughs. According to Teresa Amabile, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and co-author of The Progress Principle: … Continue reading Now This Is My Idea of Productivity – Celebrating the Mundane
I received the following email today: Hi Jim, The University of Pennsylvania has an opening for a Research Track Associate and/or Full Professor Division of GI, Hepatology and Nutrition in their Philadelphia, PA location. We thought you might be interested in this opportunity. To explore this further you'll find more details and the application instructions … Continue reading Wow – This Ivy League School Is Really Lowering Its Standards…
Last week I wrote a post about how I find it annoying that when I sign my name as Jim at the end of an email, many people will write back with "Dear James". To me, it's a sign of lack of caring, a lack of paying attention to the details, and disrespect. I was … Continue reading My Name Is Borden. Quincy Borden…
I'm guessing that my headline has already scared a few people away. Some of you may be thinking - "bubblegum music is bad enough - there's the possibility that there will be more than one post about it?" But just keep reading... The 2001 book Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth rules out teen pop or boy bands as inherently bubblegum … Continue reading Music Monday: Bubblegum Music – Part One…
Earlier this week I wrote a post about songs featuring the name Caroline. One of the songs featured was written and performed by a wonderful band from Pittsburgh, the Clarks. I had written a post three years ago about how we had the opportunity to watch the Clarks perform in an intimate setting at the … Continue reading It’s a Good Thing I Don’t Have Too Many Followers
The world map shown above highlights the geographical distribution of views of my blog over the past five and a half years. The United States recognizes 195 countries, and at this point, there are only 12 left where I have not had a single viewer over the past years. Here are the countries, along with … Continue reading Dear People of Greenland and Svalbard, Is It Something I Said?
Borden's Blather 