Jim McLaughlin's Blog

Timeless Stories for My Brain and Yours

Blog

  • One First Impression

    Still on the honeymoon. While it is fun getting to participate in and observe board activities from this vantage point, I know the sense of euphoria will not last too long. While I hope I will always have a great relationship with my fellow board members, I’m not so naïve to think we won’t disagree.… Read more

  • Why a Blog and Why Blog?

    Two different questions, obviously. On the first, my first alternative might have been to start building some email distribution list, so that people could feel like they were “in the know”, but I want everyone to have equal access. I also want information to be available 24×7 and fully searchable. In the world of Knowledge… Read more

  • My First Days on the Board

    Wow, what a shock!  One minute, I’m just another interested, involved citizen, and the next, I’m on the Board of the Cheltenham Township School District.  There’s only one picture I know of for the exact moment of the transition (brownie points to anyone who can find it), but it was quite an evening and I’ll… Read more

  • May the Mash-ups Continue

    Dan Ariely has opened my eyes to a fascinating area of study called Behavioral Economics (BE). His book, Predictably Irrational, is a great read (or listen, in my case) and it is full of idea-generating studies and discussions. He may not be the only or even the first or best BE out there, but kudos… Read more

  • Listening Rhetoric, A New Old Idea?

    In one of my many Teaching Company lectures, enjoyed on my daily commutes, I enjoyed a survey of rhetoric, but one of the referenced works was equally powerful in explaining some important concepts. The Rhetoric of Rhetoric, by Wayne C. Booth, presents the many types and forms of rhetoric and focuses heavily on a form… Read more

  • Note to Self: Read This Book

    For 2009-2010, Va Tech selected Daniel Goldman’s Ecological Intelligence for their 10-year old Common Book Program. Goldman is the author of Emotional Intelligence. After visiting Rachel Carson’s home near Pittsburgh, I’m interested in seeing where else this topic has led. Read more