Start watching horror films. Researchers say fans of horror films and other post-apocalyptic movies are handling the real-life fear brought by the coronavirus pandemic better than others. A team in the United States and Denmark finds horror flick enthusiasts are experiencing less psychological distress due to COVID-19. In addition to horror films, movies that fall into … Continue reading Worried about COVID-19? Here’s a Simple Solution
Today was ICE Challenge Day in my class, one of my favorite days of the year. The sponsor of the Challenge is Villanova's own ICE Institute, where ICE stands for Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship. Here is a brief description of the Challenge: The ICE Challenge is an annual requirement for all students entering the Villanova … Continue reading If You Can’t Beat It, Then Start a Business
As part of my preparation for this semester, I had to make sure I was comfortable with the various features of Zoom. I didn't want to be fumbling around in the middle of a live Zoom session with a roomful of students trying to figure out how to record the session, share a screen, or … Continue reading Forget About Learning How to Zoom, I Need to Learn How to Smize
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
Elizabeth Bernstein wrote a wonderful story in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal: Why Being Kind Helps You, Too—Especially Now. Bernstein notes that there is research which links kindness to a wealth of physical and emotional benefits. Plus, it’s an excellent coping skill for the Covid-19 era. Here are some of the highlights from the story: Studies … Continue reading The Power of Kindness
I start teaching next week, and all my classes will be 100% in person. I will be teaching in a large room that has been reconfigured as a classroom. The room has a social distancing capacity of 40 students, and since my biggest class only has 28 students, there should not be an issue keeping … Continue reading Me, Nervous? Apparently So…
As part of my University's plan for re-opening this semester, all students, faculty, and staff are required to be tested for COVID-19 before the start of the semester. The cost of the test is generously paid for by the University. I ordered my testing kit online on Thursday, July 30, and it arrived at my … Continue reading Sometimes, It’s Good to be Negative
Torch, a San Francisco based leadership coaching firm, recently commissioned One Poll to conduct a survey asking respondents how they envision the world will appear in the wake of COVID-19. Overall, 75% of the 2,000 Americans surveyed said they fear life will never return to what was once “normal.” Here were some other findings: 63% of … Continue reading Survey Looks at the Future of Work, Post COVID-19
Note: the first part of this post may not be of much interest to many people. But if you scroll down, you will see a couple of really cool animations of data. Charles Joseph Minard (27 March 1781 – 24 October 1870) was a French civil engineer recognized for his significant contribution in the field … Continue reading Is This the Best, or Worst, Graph Ever Drawn?
It’s one of the greatest moments in sports history. North Carolina had just tied the game at 74, with 4.7 seconds left. Villanova called a timeout. And this video picks it up from there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAepPm6nStQ As I watched the replay earlier this week, one of my first thoughts was how different this would have been … Continue reading Imagine If This Had Been Played During the Lockdown
Borden's Blather 