If you’re like me, you just kind of assume that holidays have been around as long as man. As I settle in for my annual laziest day of the year (which is saying something if you know me) I thought a little reflection on the origin of Father’s Day was in order. 

Father’s Day was made an official holiday in 1972 by President Richard Nixon.

As is the case with many holidays, buying gifts is something retailers encourage, and Father’s Day is no exception.

Watch this short video from TIME (1:42). It’s an interesting history lesson.

I’ve never quite understood the necessity for movie reviews (or restaurant reviews either for that matter). My personal opinion has been in direct contradiction to so many reviews in the past that I rarely ever make a decision to see (or not see) something that interests me based on a review. 

Scientifically speaking, in a decision making scenario where you have very little information and need to arrive at a conclusion quickly you tend to look at indications like “social proof” as a way to justify your decision. Movie reviews serve that purpose in a world of so many entertainment options.

If you’re into list making and/or reviews here is a pretty decent list of the:

Top 25 Movies of the 21st Century according to the NY Times. 

I watch a lot of movies and I’ve only seen 6 out of 25. How many have you seen?

This past week I had the misfortune of discovering that two acquaintances had attempted to commit suicide last weekend. One succeeded in taking his own life and the other is in critical condition at the hospital.

Life can be very cruel. Modern society and our “always on” world make finding meaning an ever more elusive task. If you’re in the darkest of times in search of purpose and meaning in your own life then please get help. Modern medicine can do wonders for you. A wise man gave me this formula for happiness not too long ago. Maybe it can be helpful to you.

Make sure you always have:

Thursday night I had the pleasure of attending a talk given by the renowned astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson. It was one of the most entertaining, thought provoking, and eye opening experiences I’ve had in a long time. The title of his talk was the Cosmic Perspective and the intent was really to give us a glimpse into our place in the Universe and the grand scheme of things. A couple of nuggets for you:

Coach: “What would you say to a beer Normie?”

Norm: “Daddy wuvs you.”

May it never get that bad,

Jeff