Rich shares insights on quality living, space exploration, IVF breakthroughs, and movie reviews, emphasizing discipline, excellence, and meaningful connections. Most importantly is what the legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi, said about excellence: “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
Watch now and discover: → The record-breaking rise in IVF births and its implications. → Why is the US spending $20 billion to build a base on the Moon? → Recent advancements in space exploration and lunar bases. → The importance of quality over quantity in life → Play Ball! Major League Baseball starts today with “robot umps” contesting balls & strikes.
Rich Tola talks about the best practices for storing common household items to extend their lifespan and maintain quality. Perfect for anyone looking to optimize their home organization. Plus, the top fun facts of the day, including Barnum & Bailey Circus, USA Baseball Team falls to Venezuela, meteors falling from the sky, and the Smashing Pumpkins are headlining this year’s Lollapalooza!
Watch now and discover: → Understanding the importance of proper storage for household items. → Heat and humidity can ruin books and photographs. → The Greatest Show on Earth turns 145 years old today. → Better luck next time…in 2030 that is, for the USA Baseball Team. → The Smashing Pumpkins, Charli XCX and Lorde are coming to Lollapalooza!
Rich has some fun today talking about last night’s Oscars winners including Barbra Streisand’s heartfelt tribute to Robert Redford. He also talks about the Razzie Awards for the worst in cinema, fun facts of the day including March Madness and the USA Baseball team moving on to the finals in the World Baseball Classic, plus the 6 Etiquette Mistakes that’ll cost you abroad.
Watch now and discover: → Robert Redford would only play characters with a backbone. → Sorry Ice Cube for winning those Razzies…make another Barbershop or 21 Jump Street. → The odds of scoring a perfect March Madness bracket is 1 in 120 Billion. → Top 3 Jobs for Women today compared to 100 years ago. → Way to go USA Baseball…next up for the finals, hopefully Italy.
Rich discusses the evolution of classroom habits, current facts about media consumption, sports, and spring break trends, blending personal stories with insights on changing social behaviors. Plus a reading from his memoir about the best college night of his life!
Watch now and discover: → Decline of traditional classroom activities → Media multitasking trends among millennials and Gen Z → Changes in sports viewership and engagement → Spring break destinations and cultural shifts → Personal stories illustrating social changes.
In today’s Tola Talks, Rich Tola reflects on the recent tragedies at Brown University and Bondi Beach in Australia, pays tribute to the tradition of Hanukkah, discusses cultural observations related to In-N-Out Burger, and shares insights from the world of sports, particularly focusing on resilience and the lessons learned from volleyball competitions.
Watch now and discover: → 5% of the year is gone, time to reflect. → Thoughts and prayers for recent tragedy victims, including Hollywood legend, Rob Reiner. → Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the temple of Jerusalem. → Adam Sandler’s Chanukah song is a cultural staple. → The best team doesn’t always win in sports.
On today’s Tola Talks, we discuss various controversies dominating the news including Russian sanctions, White House construction projects, and the Gaza cease fire, before shifting to a nostalgic celebration of Major League Baseball – the 1989 movie starring Tom Berenger and Charlie Sheen, Major League – plus a good luck shout-out to the former New York Yankee and bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, Don Mattingly, aka, Donnie Baseball. We also reflect on the decline of Hollywood and the impact of the 1980s on film, sharing my Top 30 movie picks from that era, highlighting their cultural significance as well as my personal memories associated with them.
Have a great day everyone, and as always, get your workout in! Peace – R
As many of you know, I put my life on hold three years ago so I could return home to care for my ailing parents. Both were battling cancer that had unfortunately metastasized, while my Dad was the first to leave us.
To the sweetest and kindest and most beautiful woman in the world – at least to me she was – here’s a tribute to my biggest fan – my Mom:
Rose Mary DiStefano Tola (1941-2025) passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer on Monday, May 25, 2025. Born on March 10, 1941, she was 84 years young when she passed. For those who knew Rosie, as she was known to her beloved family and friends, she was the sweetest and nicest and prettiest yet strongest gal from North Trenton, who first appeared on American Bandstand with Dick Clark live from Philadelphia in 1957. Born and raised in Trenton, NJ, and a graduate of Trenton Central High School, she worked as a licensed beautician for several years before marrying Francis “Richie” Tola, a legendary barber and baseball mentor who recently passed away in October. Rosie also retired after 20-years of service with the Department of Education for the State of New Jersey. She was a caring and supportive wife of 65 years, as well as a mother to three wonderful children and four loving grandchildren. She is survived by the following: her son and daughter-in-law, Sam and Pam Tola, her son Richard, her daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Patrick Tuffy, her grandchildren Matthew and Samantha Tola, and Riley and McGwire Tuffy, plus numerous nieces. She is predeceased by her brother, Benedetto “Benny” DiStefano, and sister, Philamena “Phyliss” Wilson. Per her wishes, there will be a private family service only. To everyone she was blessed to have met, Rosie was a compassionate and kind soul, and above else, a proud mother and grandmother, beautiful friend, aunt, co-worker, client, patron and forever baseball and soccer fan – until recently, when she fell in love with women’s basketball. For her 84 memorable years of life, Rose Mary DiStefano Tola was a beacon of light and a wonderful listener who will surely be missed.
And here’s a picture of us a few weeks before she passed. Love you Mom!!
For those who knew my father, he was a man like no one else. I guess you could say my own uniqueness, and passion, and desire to go my own way was just like my Dad’s. RIP to a local legend who was arguably the best barber in the world – and best hitting instructor! Below please find his obituary and Celebration of Life event this Sunday.
FRANCIS “RICHIE” TOLA (click HERE to visit the Obituary)
Francis “Richie” Tola (1938-2024) passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer on Monday, October 28th. Born on July 7, 1938, he was 86 years young. For those who knew him, Richie was the greatest guy who had passion in everything he did. Born and raised in Trenton, NJ, he was a legendary barber for nearly 68 years beginning in 1957, one year after graduating from Trenton Central High School and serving in the National Guard. He was also a motivational mentor and hitting instructor to scores of kids and adolescents who ever played the game of baseball. He was revered for helping anyone and everyone who wanted it. The beloved “Richie the Barber” was also a terrific storyteller as well as an infinite source of knowledge, recounting true tales about the Mafia, baseball, Sicily (his home country), movies and anything medical related. As one longtime friend and customer tells it, “before there was Google, there was Richie.” He is survived by his wife, Rose Mary, son and daughter-in-law, Sam and Pam Tola, son Richard, daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Patrick Tuffy, four grandchildren, Matthew and Samantha Tola, and Riley and McGwire Tuffy, brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Carolyn Tola, his four nieces, and pre-deceased sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Joseph Pallotti. Per his wishes, there will be no funeral services. There will, however, be a Celebration of Life held in his honor on November 10th from 4-6pm, in the main batting cage at Nottingham Little League. In remembrance of Richie’s life and love, the family requests any donations be made to “Nottingham Little League”, P.O. Box 2521, Hamilton, NJ 08690. Thank you for being his friend, patron or baseball player he influenced throughout his wonderful life.
Thanks for your enduring impact on the world Dad, and with love and light, I’ll see you on the other side. RIP – R
Today we’re talking Omicron (again) and how antibody treatment plagues government bureaucrats even though it cuts the risk of death by 80% (with quotes from Rep. Rand Paul); the comparison of the virus narrative, testing and positive cases to several examples including 1) the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s as well as the shrouding of the marijuana plant with politicians touting a “War on Drugs” and 2) baseball’s batting averages, slugging percentages and on-base percentages. Plus there’s wackiness and wackos in the air with an ex-Raiders cheerleader punching an 80 year-old man over wearing a mask, and on a better note, a special shout-out to a British woman for losing 118 pounds in 11 months – inspired by last year’s Christmas photo of herself wearing pajamas. Not to mention more talk about feeling discouraged as cryptocurrencies plummet 6% after yesterday’s show.
Rich Tola – Filmmaker | Author | Creator, Tola Yoga
Since my childhood summers playing baseball at Nottingham Little League, I’ve been taught that the best hitters always perform in the late innings. So finish strong everyone, and have a happy and safe holiday season!
I also hope this decade has been as good to you as it has me, as this marks my most amazing one yet beginning with my film, Boulevard Zen. Exactly 10 years ago this week we premiered at the Silent Movie Theater in Hollywood. Thanks to everyone who supported me, i.e., watched or read or listened to any of my creations since the film. And a special thanks for taking my Tola Yoga classes.
No doubt I’ve built an awesome foundation in developing and producing original content as well as successfully crossing the finish line – on time and on budget – more than 15 times. Not to mention teaching my modern-day fitness style of yoga to more than 20,000 students throughout the US.
