Start the Weekend Right Link Series – Volume #2, Edition #1
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before College, Be Great Daily
One of my younger fraternity alumni started a blog focused on personal development, motivation, and inspiration. He wrote an entry that caught my eye because of its timeliness. With colleges across the nation kicking back into session either this past week or this coming week, I thought that now was the perfect time to share this entry. What are the 5 things that you wish you knew before college?

What If?, Danger & Play
Mike at Danger & Play has some of the best content on the web for men of all ages. This particular entry poses the question – what if? In this short, but thought-provoking read, Mike asks a lot of great “what if” questions. My favorite one was, “What if you live your life with a sense of urgency and purpose?” More people need to live life with a better sense of urgency. The time is now, people!

Great Leadership Isn’t About You, Harvard Business Review
This one is a little bit longer, but it really hits home on one of the core characteristics of great leadership. The article suggests that great leadership is about inspiring your followers to “share your enthusiasm for pursuing a shared ideal, objective, cause, or mission.” Amen! As the title of the article states – great leadership is not about YOU!

The English Major Has Lost Its Way, John William Pope Center
Keeping with the earlier theme of “back to school,” this is an entry about how the English major has lost its way in higher education. My undergraduate degree is in English, but I always knew that English couldn’t be the end of the road. In my graduate studies I opted to get a degree in Public Policy along with two different certifications – one in Public Relations and another in Curriculum Studies. You have to be diversified if you’re an English major. The third to last paragraph of the linked commentary gives a concrete suggestion to improve the English major curriculum, and I agree with the writer.

What’s Wrong With Comcast?, The Atlantic
We all remember listening a few months ago as a customer tried to cancel his service with Comcast and the telephone rep for the cable giant refused to let him do so until the bitter end. It was the very definition of a public relations nightmare for Comcast. In the wake of the call being released, some folks began interviewing current and former Comcast employees to try to figure out what the problem is over there. This article sums up their largest problem – a company that is built on a fragmented structure. Not a good situation to be in. Not good at all.

Building a Better Teacher: An Interview with Elizabeth Green, EdWeek
Normally, I’d stay far away from posting links that direct people to articles on education-based websites. The unfortunate truth is that the public education industry is inundated with extremists and ideologues who are intellectually dishonest and blatantly lie to disgrace the people they assume to be their opposition. And most public school teachers are brainwashed by the propaganda organizations that they call “unions” (particularly here in New Jersey) so it makes having an intelligent conversations virtually impossible. This interview, however, is with an author who wrote a book about which teaching methods work in a charter school in Newark. Incidentally, this charter schools is also one of my clients, so I’m extra interested in their success. In fact, I’m so interested that I’m actually going to buy a physical copy of this book (who buys physical books any more?!) to see what the author has to say.

How Anthony the Developer Lost Over 200 Lbs… In One Year, Nerd Fitness
Sometimes, I’ll spend an hour or so reading through different motivational websites focused on realistic approaches to the world. Many years ago, though, I stopped reading blogs focused on the primary writer’s weight loss journey. Those blogs are a dime a dozen out there, but their abundance doesn’t bother me. I’m bothered by the “if I can do it, YOU can do it!” bullshit that accompanies most of these weight loss journeys. No, idiot. Your readers’ lives are different than your lives. They can’t do exactly what you did because they’re NOT you. A few years ago there was a semi-famous blog written by a guy who lost 125 pounds by counting calories and starting to work out. Big surprise he lost weight, right? And then after he stopped counting calories and working out? He gained 70 pounds back. Now he justifies gaining the weight back as being healthy. Amazing. The article linked here is NOT that website nor is it that guy’s story! This article is from a fun fitness website called Nerd Fitness and it talks about a guy who lost 200 pounds. I’m not suggesting you get inspired from what this guy did because he’s not you. However, looking at the pictures is pretty dramatic and eye-opening.

The Necktie, Doghouse Diaries
One thing I hate about working in an office is that I often have to wear a necktie. I liked the comic that I’m linking here so much that I pinned it to my office wall. Stupid neckties…

‘Six Californias’ Plan May Make 2016 Ballot, USA Today
This article may not be as recent as some of the others linked above, but it is certainly relevant. Particularly in our country, where we’re finally beginning to have a national dialogue about whether a two-party system works best for American and what elements are in place that keep the two-headed monster firmly in control of American politics. The map in this article shows how the state of California could (and should) be broken into six different states.

9 Striking Library Posters from the Great Depression, BOOK RIOT
If you made it down this far, then you already know that I was an English major back in college. You may have surmised from that information that I enjoy reading – which would be correct. One of the book-focused websites that I follow is BOOK RIOT, though not all of their content is focused on book reviews. Take, for example, the entry linked here. This is a post listing nine different library posters from the time of the Great Depression. I don’t know why, but I appreciated these posters – they were fun to look at for a few minutes. I hope you enjoy them!

Start the Weekend Right Link Series – Volume #1, Edition #3
Gamestop Defends Xenoblade Price Tag, Metroid Prime Trilogy Being Restocked, Joystiq
That’s right. I’m starting this week’s Start the Weekend Right link series with a story about a video game. When I was younger I played video games a lot. As I got older the free time that I used to spend playing games vanished. These days if I get 5 hours of video gaming in every year, then that would be a lot. Back to this story: a few years ago a Nintendo subsidiary named Monolith Soft came out with a role-playing game (RPG) called Xenoblade Chronicles. I picked up this game when it was finally released in North America and without question this is the best RPG that I’ve ever played. The game was so good and available in such a limited quantity, that you can only find used copies and they are going for $80 – $100+ online. Pretty impressive for a game that almost didn’t make its way to this part of the world!

How to Know If You’re Working (and Living) With Purpose, Inc.
This is a good article for those of you who might be wondering whether or not you’re living a life of purpose. The author of this article – Shelley Prevost – poses four questions for you to ponder in order to come to an answer. After reading the article, I can honestly say that I have strong, positive answers for each of these questions. In addition, I think these questions provide a good framework to adequately consider whether you are, in fact, living a life of purpose. For me, I know that if I didn’t have a job with community impact or at least have the ability and opportunity to help other people on a daily basis, then I wouldn’t be satisfied. We only have a short time on this planet – why not be happy and try to give others happiness in the process?

How The Heck Do I Get Started!?, Nerd Fitness
If you’ve ever tried to do something – anything! – big in your life, then you’ve stopped to ask yourself this question. Steve Kamb – the guy behind Nerd Fitness – is one of the best, most entertaining fitness writers that I’ve ever come across online. He integrates all of the geeky things that I either was or currently am a fan of and works them into the world of fitness. Trust me here, folks – if you read Steve’s writing you’ll see that he has a gift for making fitness fun. In this entry, he gives some perspective on how you can start doing whatever it is that you want to achieve. Unlike nearly all of the weight loss blogs out there, Nerd Fitness isn’t annoyingly preachy and Steve doesn’t force you to accept his perspective on life (consciously or subconsciously). He’s just a cool, geeky guy who got in great shape and had a lot of fun along the way. Give his blog a read – I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!

Time Capsule Found During Renovations at FDU Makes Special Request, Daily Record
I stopped linking to Gannett articles when the media giant went uber greedy and charged for accessing their silly, mostly-shoddily written articles after only a few days of being offered online for free. So I was conflicted on posting this link because who knows how long it will be active. Anyway, I thought that this very short story was entertaining. Apparently, some guys who were remodeling the bathrooms at FDU some 80+ years ago left an unofficial “time capsule” in the wall. The capsule was written during prohibition and asks the finder to have a drink on the renovation team if prohibition had finally ended!

Controlling Emotions, Wall Street Playboys
There is a growing movement in the blogosphere called the manosphere. This group of bloggers are typically young men who are successful at one aspect of their lives or another (or many at one time) and they write a very real-world, practical approach to achieving similar success. Some blogs focus on stories related to that success and others talk about the ideas behind that success. The team at Wall Street Playboys posted an article the other day talking about how and why it is important to be in control of your emotions. If you’re a young man and you’ve found your way to this week’s link series, then I encourage you to read this article.

You Don’t Know Jack… About the Assumption, Busted Halo
This isn’t an article to read, but rather a short video where Father Jack Collins interviews people on the street about whether or not they know the meaning behind yesterday’s holy day of obligation. What holy day of obligation was yesterday you ask? It was the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If you’re not sure what that means, then take a few minutes and watch this video so you can find out.

Vivat Jesus!, His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan
One of the blogs that I really enjoy reading is that of His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan. Cardinal Dolan had a very natural speaking (and writing) voice that boils down complex theological issues in a way that is easy to understand and appreciate. In this entry, he talks about visiting the recent Knights of Columbus national convention. I thought this was a good entry to add to this week’s list of links not just because I enjoy Cardinal Dolan’s writing, but because as a member of the Knights of Columbus, I’m glad to spread commentary about the good work that the fraternity sponsors around the country.

New Residential Construction Planned for Waterfront, Asbury Park Sun
It’s amazing how much new construction is going on in Asbury Park. Granted, we’re not talking about a new developing every week, but it certainly seems close to a new development every month. From the expansion of the Johnny Mac’s area to the Vive residential development that was sold out just about as soon as the units went on sale to the renovations up and down Cookman and the many entrepreneurs and small business owners still rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy – there’s a lot going on in Asbury Park. This article talks about yet another residential development planned for the waterfront area. If you’re interested in development in New Jersey or the revival of Asbury Park, then this article is for you.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?, Men’s Health
Admittedly, this is not a safe article for me to read! There are some nights when I have an absolutely horrible time trying to get to sleep and then there are other nights when I sleep like a log. Unfortunately, there are more nights when I toss and turn and wake up in the middle of the night for one reason or another, but that should improve when I’m off the tremendous amount of medication that I’m currently on. In any event, this article from Men’s Health says that if you get 5 hours of good, quality sleep, then you’re okay. It’s a quick article – only a few paragraphs long. If you have a few minutes, then I suggest giving it a read.

Start the Weekend Right Link Series – Volume #1, Edition #2
Old Professors Never Quit, They Just Hang Around, Bloomberg
As an adjunct professor with potential designs to become a full-time professor at some point in the future, I found this article interesting. The author explores the issue of having professors in the classroom that just don’t seem to ever want to retire. One of the interesting points in the article is that the number of active professors over the age of 65 doubled from 2000 to 2011. This discussion begs the question of whether it even matters that there are so many older professors in the classroom. Definitely an interesting read for my fellow education news junkies.

Most Newark Residents Want More Charter Schools, Poll Reveals, Newark Patch
This article could have easily been put in the “obviously – duh!” file. Of course most Newark residents want more charter schools! Not only have charter public schools in Newark (and other urban areas in New Jersey) been proven time and time again (PDF) to absolutely decimate the traditional public schools in terms of academic performance, they do it at a fraction of the cost of the traditional public school sector. Everyone in New Jersey knows that the silly, increasingly irrelevant teachers’ union fights tooth and nail against charter schools because they do a better job at a more efficient cost. And it seems like the folks in Newark want more charters as this article reports 71% of respondents supported an expansion of charters in the city.

Breaking Down Monmouth’s Nonconference Schedule, A Daly Dose of Hoops
If there are any other Monmouth University basketball fans out there reading this series of links, then I encourage you to check out the Daly Dose of Hoops breakdown of the nonconference match-ups that the Hawks will have during the coming season. Also, if you didn’t see the release of the nonconference games for the coming season, then this article will update you on who the Hawks are playing outside of the MAAC in 2013 – 2014. College basketball season is coming soon…

The Sweetness of Time Off, NY Times – The Dealbook
I enjoyed reading this article because I enjoy the idea of taking time off to recharge your batteries. What Dealbook does in this article is discuss how to vacation and what the concept of vacation means in and for today’s workforce. At my job, in addition to 12 holidays each year I get 31 “paid time off” days. We don’t distinguish between sick days and vacation days and we are only allowed to carryover 12 days each year. That means that each year I absolutely must take off 19 days (the equivalent of about 4 weeks of work). Frankly, I find it hard to do this because I rarely get sick and I’m not the type to go off on week-long vacations to exotic or interesting places (that’s not easy to do while you’re battling student loan debt). However, in the spirit of this article I’ve been considering going on a longer vacation by heading to some place other than the Jersey Shore. Who knows?

Neptune Plans Rent Control Measure, The Coaster
For anyone living around my area of Monmouth County and, particularly, in Neptune Township – this article is for you. It appears that there may be a local property management company that is increasing rental rates beyond what one might consider a reasonable annual adjustment. The Township Committee in Neptune is going to combat those large adjustments by instituting a rent control measure. More details in the article.

County Rolls Out New Tax Assessment Program, Asbury Park Sun
No, I’m not some nerd for tax assessment programs or local property taxes. This article caught my eye because I think it’s a great example of new methods being used to eliminate wasteful, inefficient practices from the past. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I get frustrated when working with local governments or workers who are beyond retirement age and can’t function at the speed of now. The new system for adjusting property taxes in Monmouth County is an easy to understand, logical, timely system. Good work by all involved in this program!

Asbury Park Press Among Hardest Hit in Gannett Job Cuts, Asbury Park Sun
At one point, I used to follow local news agencies and the surprising amount of drama that takes place at these institutions. Today, I have a much smaller though still lingering interest in what goes on at the organizations that provide the public with what is considered “news.” So when I saw that the second largest newspaper in New Jersey – the Asbury Park Press – was hit pretty hard with a round of job cuts from Gannett, I thought that this would be an interesting story to share. Which brings me to…

End of An Era at First Energy Park, WOBM
The retirement of Asbury Park Press sports writer Tony Graham leaves a large hole in the coverage of many Monmouth University sports. Tony’s writing was excellent and though I haven’t followed him any longer than I started attending the home basketball games in 2009, I always enjoyed reading his postgame wrap-ups on his wildly popular The Hawks Nest blog. You can read Tony’s announcement regarding his retirement here.

Monmouth University Stadium To Get $5 Million Upgrade, Long Branch-Eatontown Patch
Clearly, this week’s Start the Weekend Right link is heavy on Monmouth University-related news. And rightfully so – we’re just a few weeks away from school being back in session and there is a lot going on in and around the campus right now. This story is about a long-awaited, much needed update to the university’s otherwise weak football “stadium.” One of the areas of the university’s athletic facility offerings that has been a black eye in the shadow of the MAC is the football field. Some of the problems with the field can be fixed as this story shows. However, until the university finds a way to add bleachers to the visitor’s side of the field, it’s going to be tough to sell Kessler Field as a big-time, Division I football field. In any event, the addition of this new four-story building goes a long way in getting Monmouth where it needs to be.

Roxbury’s Tito Santana Enjoys the Quieter Life, Roxbury Register
This is a fun, wholesome story from my hometown’s weekly newspaper. Anyone who is a fan of WWE or, more appropriately, the old World Wrestling Federation, will know the name Tito Santana. A former WWE World Tag Team Champion and WWE Intercontinental Champion, Santana is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame and… he was one of my gym teachers in high school. I’ve written about Santana every once in a while over my various internet properties over the last nearly twenty years. He’s a great man with a beautiful family. I was friends and teammates with his oldest son in high school and from what I see on Facebook, he’s grown into a great young family man himself (no surprise there – he was an awesome kid in high school). This article gets the facts a little bit incorrect on Santana’s career as it says his last professional match was in 1993 against Virgil. That’s not entirely correct as he beat Jeff Jarrett in 2000 on WCW NITRO (but who’s keeping track?). Anyway, Santana is a great part of my hometown and I’m glad that the local paper chose to write a nice article about him.