Jack's musings on human nature, science, higher education, cooking, photography, and life...

OK, I’m a car snob. There, I said it... Guilty as charged! I have always loved cars. I had dozens of cool matchbox cars as a little kid, my school notebooks were full of hot-rod sketchings, I knew the name of every car on the road, I got my learners permit the day I turned 16, and ignoring my parent’s trepidation, was driving their land yacht solo shortly thereafter. I purchased my first car, a beautiful blue 1971 Camaro, as soon as I could afford to own one while I was in college. I’ve spent a small fortune on car magazines, and a much larger fortune on the real things. To me, cars are not merely a way to get from point A to point B - oh don’t I wish... Unfortunately, I see them as works of art, fashion statements, something to be admired, and yes, even lusted after. Given these views, it’s no surprise that I value style and design above pure functionality. Don’t get me wrong, I believe a vehicle has to meet its functional requirements, it must be well engineered, and built to a very

"College should be hard.  Going to college should not be." Those words, spoken by Dr. Michael Moore, the Chief Academic and Operational Officer at eVersity (also pictured above) will forever be emblazoned in my memory.  I first heard them during a customer panel discussion I was moderating at Ellucian Live 2016.  The concept is so simple, yet so incredibly profound.  College academics should challenge a student's mind but the act of going to college should be straightforwardly simple! eVersity  is a part of the University of Arkansas system and is a 100% accredited online university. It was just starting to operate when I met Michael in early 2016, but its driving purpose was firmly established: to help working adults who started college, but did not complete, get a high quality undergraduate degree.   The  Lumina Foundation  estimates that over 30 million individuals fall into this category of starting college, but not earning a degree.  That's a staggering num

  Dead tree stumps??  Yep, that’s what I said, a life lesson taught by dead tree stumps!  OK, so here’s the story. It was a cold and dreary weekend, the kind where you’d rather stay nice and cozy in a warm bed.  But, my wife and I wanted to do something outside after being cooped up in a car for three days earlier in the week on our drive back from Texas. I was hoping for a bike ride, but it was windy as well as cold.  Cold + cloudy + windy ≠ good bicycling conditions.  So, we decided to go for a hike in  French Creek State Park  instead.  French Creek is a gem of a park.  It’s 7,700 acres and is the largest contiguous forested area between Washington, DC and New York City with 35 miles of fantastic hiking trails.  It’s one of our favorite places to hike. However, I have to admit that the idea of trudging around in the mud on a dreary day didn’t sound very motivational after spending a week in the warmth of Texas enjoying endless vistas under brilliant blue skies.  But,