01
May
Ensuring domestic bliss
From time to time, a young man who is about to get married will ask me, “You are in a long standing, happy marriage. What is the key to...
25
Apr
Managing and raising kids
Several years ago, I wrote an article with a colleague from Partners Healthcare. The article was the result of a conversation we had af...
17
Apr
Celebrating Remy
My granddaughter Remy celebrated her fifth birthday on April 7. Like all grandparents, I am convinced that my grandchildren will grow u...
10
Apr
Becoming a tough guy
I have always wanted to be a tough guy.
When I was growing up, my tough guy heroes were Clint Eastwood, James Bond, Charles Bronson,...
01
Apr
Preserving energy
I recently had a conversation with a colleague who is a serial entrepreneur. I don’t know how many companies he has started but he has ...
01
Apr
Celebrating February 7
Today (February 7) is the 51st anniversary of the first time I told my wife Denise that I loved her. She was a freshman and I was a jun...
01
Apr
Increasing intelligence
James Flynn, a researcher who studies intelligence, has noted that IQ’s have been rising over the last 100 years. This increase is call...
01
Apr
Measuring your life
This week we took care of our grandson while our daughter (Theresa) sat on a panel offered by the Harvard Business School. The audience...
01
Apr
Joining the Illuminati
You may not know this, but the Illuminati exists. At least 21% of adults believe this and it’s hard to believe that they are wrong.
...
19
Nov
Having the perfect face
October 26, 2025
There is a belief that the perfect face has “golden ratio” proportions. The golden ratio (the co...
19
Nov
19
Nov
Remembering the kids 2 November 9, 2025
The Bug Invasion
Laura, Julia, and Krista spent part of the night in a tent in the backyard. Around midnight they decided that they ...
19
Nov
Being appreciated November 16,2025
Sally Miller is a Chief Information Officer (CIO) for a five-hospital health system based in the Southeast. She is also a member of the...
18
Oct
Remembering the kids October 5, 2025
For my post this week, I have again excerpted a set of short vignettes from letters I wrote decades ago. These vignettes capture moment...
18
Oct
Identifying insight October 12, 2025
I am reading a Dave Barry (an exceptional comedic writer) book that my wife gave me for my birthday. In that book he discusses insight ...
18
Oct
Getting into Heaven September 28, 2025
I was raised a Catholic. I went to Catholic grammar school and high school. I was an al...
17
Oct
Finding ethical leadership September 15, 2025
If you scoured the Internet looking for the names of great leaders you could get lists that include Abraham Lincoln, Alexander the Grea...
04
Sep
Broadening horizons September 8, 2025
When the grandkids are a little older, I will step up my efforts to significantly expand their historical, cultural and artistic horizo...
27
Aug
Remembering moments with the kids August 24, 2025
For my post this week, I have excerpted a set of short vignettes from my book A Father’s Collage. These vignettes capture moments with ...
27
Aug
Celebrating an anniversary August 17, 2025
Forty-five years ago, I married Denise Louise Drake. She and I met at our dorm at Duke. She was 18 and I was 19.
For six years I res...
27
Aug
Coming to the beach September 1, 2025
Thirty-six years ago, we rented half of a duplex on West Dennis Beach, Cape Cod. Our daughters were 5, 3 and a newborn.
Over the nex...
06
Aug
The art of stalling August 3, 2025
When I was a Chief Information Officer, I would encounter a senior member of the medical, nursing, or administrative staff who would ex...
29
Jul
Interviewing Alex July 27,2025
Many years ago, my eldest daughter Julia was going out with a young man named Alex. They were both seniors in high school.
A month i...
29
Jul
Reflecting on your life July 20, 2025
My wife’s mother passed away last week. She was 96 and frail and had lived a wonderful life. She is pictured with her husband Fred, my ...
26
Jun
Warding off the Evil Eye June 22, 2025
My sister sent me a text message that features a product called War Water which could ward off the Evil Eye.
I had to learn more.
...
11
Jun
Enjoying a nap June 1, 2025
I have become a huge fan of the post lunch nap. In our house it is called Quiet Time. The Quiet Time name was coined by my wife Denise ...
10
Jun
Eliminating ultra-processed foods June 8, 2025
I think that Robert Kennedy is a bizarre and problematic choice to be head of HHS. However, I like the idea of reducing the consumption...
27
May
Appreciating offbeat math May 25, 2025
I was a math major in college and have always had a fondness for numbers. Particularly unusual or whimsical numbers.
If you are math...
20
May
Admiring the brain May 18, 2025
Shane Wighton, faced with needing a haircut during a Covid quarantine, invented a robot that cuts his hair. Shane is shown below lookin...
12
May
Becoming a submariner
Becoming a submariner
May 11, 2025
When I was 18, I was very unsure what to do with my life. My high school years had their bumpy...
08
May
Giving advice to aspiring leaders May 4, 2025
For decades I have taught classes to MBA students and mid-career professionals who aspire to be leaders in healthcare. One set of advic...
29
Apr
Managing camels April 27, 2025
Our summer vacation plans have included a week at Ocean City, NJ. One of the more unusual aspects of Ocean City is the presence of falc...
16
Apr
Predicting the tide April 13, 2025
We spend time on Cape Cod. Last week I checked the tide tables to see when it was going to be high tide. See the table below.
I ...
16
Apr
Saluting a mentor April 6, 2025
The excerpt below is from a letter I wrote in 1997.
On a Friday evening in 1997, I attend a retirement party for Dick Nesson. He is...
31
Mar
Surviving adolescence
When I was 13, I tried to make vodka. I put potatoes, yeast, water and sugar in a Skippy peanut butter jar. I pun...
24
Mar
Appreciating your feet
Appreciating your feet (March 23, 2025)
I am a big fan of walking. This has led to a daily goal of 10,000 steps.
A study attempte...
14
Mar
Protecting yourself from Bozons March 16, 2025
A couple of decades ago public health officials noted an increasing and alarming phenomenon – smart people, who spent a lot of time wit...
11
Mar
Feeling Insignificant March 9, 2025
If you ever want to feel insignificant, you have only to read about the latest astrophysics discoveries.
Recently there was an annou...
11
Mar
Becoming a Conspiracy Theorist March 3, 2025
I think I would be a good conspiracy theorist. I have a vivid imagination, and I am a pretty good writer and speaker. There are many pe...
24
Feb
Joining the board of the Student Conservation Association. February 23, 2025
Recently I joined the board of the Student Conservation Association (SCA). A picture of the current board is below on the left. The SCA...
17
Feb
Choosing a Religion February 17, 2025
In my 20’s I struggled with my relationship to the Catholic Church. I was raised to be a devout Catholic. I was an altar boy (see below...
10
Feb
The Science of Garbology February 10, 2025
You can tell a lot about a neighborhood or city by examining its trash. Below are two pieces of paper I found on the street behind our ...
03
Feb
Educating Emma February 3, 2025
One day this week Denise and I took care of our granddaughter Emma for the day. She had a fever at night. Her mother Theresa was travel...
28
Jan
Communicating with aliens January 27, 2025
As I sat down to write his post I wondered “what is the oldest sport?” I know you know that answer. Wrestling.
Wrestling was first doc...
20
Jan
My mother and the infant me January 20, 2025
My stepmother gave me a box of letters that my father (George) wrote to his parents while he was in college and during the first couple...
17
Jan
Seeing things January 16, 2025
I am not sure why I thought about the electromagnetic spectrum (see below) but I did. The spectrum is awesome in its diversity. One exa...
10
Jan
Being a grandfather January 12, 2025
Every now and then I think about how I am going to help my grandkids do well in their personal and professional pursuits. Below is a po...
08
Jan
Developing gratitude and self esteem December 18, 2024
Psychologists have developed an instrument to measure a person’s disposition towards gratitude. It’s called Gratitude Questionnaire 6. ...
08
Jan
Becoming a social media influencer December 26, 2024
A recent survey found that 57% of Gen Z folks want to be social media influencers.
I understand the attraction. You can become f...
08
Jan
Saving lives January 2, 2025
The 20th century saw the Green Revolution which led to significant increases in crop yields. The revolution introduced new technologies...