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Travel The World Without Leaving Your Desk | Culture of Science

2012-01-15T15:53:00.000-05:00

Travel The World Without Leaving Your Desk | Culture of Science: Photographer Kien Lam quit his job, packed a bag, grabbed his camera, and traveled the world. This is what he saw in 17 countries over 343 days in 6237 photographs:

What We Can Learn From Old Animals - NYTimes.com

2011-12-29T11:23:00.001-05:00

What We Can Learn From Old Animals - NYTimes.com:

"I would never have guessed the trauma she experienced,” said Ms. Leshko, a vegan. “She had a very peaceful day. She was bathing herself and lying in the grass and basking in the sunlight. That really tripped me up, to see this creature that had suffered so much in her life finding a moment of happiness."

Here is a video from her website:

Elderly Animals: Photographs by Isa Leshko from Mark & Angela Walley on Vimeo.

Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - YouTube

2011-12-24T21:04:00.000-05:00

Alberto Cairo: There are no scraps of men - YouTube:

"Alberto Cairo's clinics in Afghanistan used to close down during active fighting. Now, they stay open. At TEDxRC2 (the RC stands for Red Cross/Red Crescent), Cairo tells the powerful story of why -- and how he found humanity and dignity in the midst of war."

Massive 1,100+ year old Maya site discovered in Georgia's mountains - National Architecture & Design | Examiner.com

2011-12-23T03:41:00.000-05:00

Massive 1,100+ year old Maya site discovered in Georgia's mountains - National Architecture & Design | Examiner.com:

" Archaeological zone 9UN367 at Track Rock Gap, near Georgia’s highest mountain, Brasstown Bald, is a half mile (800 m) square and rises 700 feet (213 m) in elevation up a steep mountainside. Visible are at least 154 stone masonry walls for agricultural terraces, plus evidence of a sophisticated irrigation system and ruins of several other stone structures. Much more may be hidden underground. It is possibly the site of the fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540, and certainly one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent times."

Watch "TEDxSF - Louie Schwartzberg - Gratitude" Video at TEDxTalks

2011-12-23T01:15:00.000-05:00

Watch "TEDxSF - Louie Schwartzberg - Gratitude" Video at TEDxTalks:

Even if you choose to ignore the message, watch for the pictures/video a the start. Wow.

"Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career spans more than three decades providing breathtaking imagery for feature films, television shows, documentaries and commercials. As a visual artist, Louie has created some of the most iconic and memorable film moments of our time. He is an innovator in the world of time-lapse, nature, aerial and "slice-of-life" photography - the only cinematographer in the world who has literally been shooting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week continuously for more than 30 years."

Khan Academy Blends Its YouTube Approach With Classrooms - NYTimes.com

2011-12-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Khan Academy Blends Its YouTube Approach With Classrooms - NYTimes.com:

"This semester, at least 36 schools nationwide are trying out Mr. Khan’s experiment: splitting up the work of teaching between man and machine, and combining teacher-led lessons with computer-based lectures and exercises.

As schools try to sort out confusing claims about the benefits of using technology in the classroom, and companies ponder the profits from big education contracts, Khan Academy may seem like just another product vying for attention.

But what makes Mr. Khan’s venture stand out is that the lessons and software tools are entirely free — available to anyone with access to a reasonably fast Internet connection."

Kathryn Schulz: Don't regret regret | Video on TED.com

2011-12-19T01:50:00.000-05:00

Kathryn Schulz: Don't regret regret | Video on TED.com:

"We're taught to try to live life without regret. But why? Using her own tattoo as an example, Kathryn Schulz makes a powerful and moving case for embracing our regrets."

Email in the enterprise: entering its twilight at 40?

2011-12-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

Email in the enterprise: entering its twilight at 40?:

"While it’s certainly premature to declare email — which turned 40 years old in 2011 — “dead” as a technology, it’s fair to acknowledge that a new generation of communication tools is gaining traction as a more effective means of communication for the enterprise.

Email is without a doubt the most tried and true technology for both enterprise and personal communication, but it’s not without its shortcomings."

NFL: The All-22 Football Footage the League Won't Show You - WSJ.com

2011-11-09T00:41:00.000-05:00

NFL: The All-22 Football Footage the League Won't Show You - WSJ.com:

"For decades, NFL TV broadcasts have relied most heavily on one view: the shot from a sideline camera that follows the progress of the ball. Anyone who wants to analyze the game, however, prefers to see the pulled-back camera angle known as the "All 22."

While this shot makes the players look like stick figures, it allows students of the game to see things that are invisible to TV watchers: like what routes the receivers ran, how the defense aligned itself and who made blocks past the line of scrimmage.

By distributing this footage only to NFL teams, and rationing it out carefully to its TV partners and on its web site, the NFL has created a paradox. The most-watched sport in the U.S. is also arguably the least understood. "I don't think you can get a full understanding without watching the entirety of the game," says former head coach Bill Parcells."

Space Junk: NASA Can't Predict Re-Entry With Certainty - ABC News

2011-09-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

Space Junk: NASA Can't Predict Re-Entry With Certainty - ABC News:

"...according to Nicholas Johnson, NASA's chief orbital debris scientist, any one person's chances of getting hit by debris are tiny -- something like 1 in 21 trillion. The chances that of the 7 billion people on Earth, one of them, somewhere, could be hit are more like 1 in 3,200."

well assuming uniformly distributed people. LOL..

SF Giant's GM Brian Sabean

2011-08-18T02:47:00.000-04:00

ForaTv's Channel - YouTube:

"All of the sudden, we're not the national pastime," says Brian Sabean, general manager of the San Francisco Giants. Sabean attributes the fall of baseball to a lack of scholarships for young players. With star athletes pursuing more lucrative deals in other sports, viewers follow them to the NFL and NBA, causing baseball ratings to plummet."

ForaTv's Channel - YouTube

2011-08-18T02:16:00.000-04:00

ForaTv's Channel - YouTube:

"Elevation Partners managing director Roger McNamee predicts HTML5 will be a huge disruptive force for both web publishers and online advertisers. "HTML5 allows you to treat a web page as a brand new canvas, with no rules, no limits"

Hulu - American Experience: Robert E. Lee - Watch the full episode now.

2011-08-17T01:46:00.000-04:00

Hulu - American Experience: Robert E. Lee - Watch the full episode now.: "The American Experience: Robert E. Lee"

Crows are really smart!

2011-08-15T00:09:00.000-04:00

Fascinating

For Yankees’ Teixeira, Would-Be Hits Are Swallowed by a Shift - NYTimes.com

2011-08-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

For Yankees’ Teixeira, Would-Be Hits Are Swallowed by a Shift - NYTimes.com:

"Long said the team’s research had shown that Teixeira was losing 15 to 20 points off his average because of would-be hits that were swallowed up by the shift, making it a primary reason for Teixeira’s declining average"

‪Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America‬‏ - YouTube

2011-08-03T15:03:00.000-04:00

Looks like a good book.

‪Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America‬‏ - YouTube: "David O. Stewart takes a fascinating look at the young United States through the unlikely story of Aaron Burr, one of the most vilified and puzzling figures in our history"

The Body Odd - Crying shame: Tears don't make you feel any better, study shows

2011-08-02T16:12:00.000-04:00

The Body Odd - Crying shame: Tears don't make you feel any better, study shows:

"Scientists ended up with 1,004 crying episodes to analyze: Their results showed that the average boo-hoo lasted eight minutes and took place in the living room, usually alone or with one other person present. Conflict, loss, or seeing others suffer were the most common triggers for tears.

For the majority of cases -- 61 percent of them -- sobbers reported no change in mood compared to how they felt before moisture streamed down their cheeks. Thirty percent experienced a better mood afterward and nine percent felt worse."

Larger Brains May Have Evolved Due to Sports, Not Smarts | Playbook

2011-07-22T01:18:00.000-04:00

Larger Brains May Have Evolved Due to Sports, Not Smarts | Playbook:

"Endurance exercise has been shown to boost the levels of chemical messengers that promote growth and reorganization in the brain. It’s therefore possible that animals with an increased penchant for endurance exercise may have beefed-up brains. Though a definite cause-and-effect relationship has not been proven, researchers have shown that within a species, the animals with the bigger brains are the ones that run longer than the rest."

It goes on to say that the data were too noisy to show that it applied within humans, but I will go with yes ;) lol

Biking in Olean

2011-07-17T01:46:00.001-04:00

YES it is a short short season due to 6 months of winter, and cold falls and springs, but for a few months, it is nice.

YouTube - ‪TEDtalksDirector's Channel‬‏

2011-07-12T00:17:00.000-04:00

YouTube - ‪TEDtalksDirector's Channel‬‏: "Diving under the Antarctic ice to get close to the much-feared leopard seal, photographer Paul Nicklen found an extraordinary new friend. Share his hilarious, passionate stories of the polar wonderlands, illustrated by glorious images of the animals who live on and under the ice"

Pictures We Love: Best of June

2011-07-02T01:20:00.000-04:00

Pictures We Love: Best of June--

Some amazing pictures from the National Geographic.

:) :) Smile!!! :) :)

2011-06-30T01:04:00.001-04:00

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | Video on TED.com

2011-06-29T10:48:00.000-04:00

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | Video on TED.com

Very interesting.

Stay in school!

2011-06-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

NY Times:

"The evidence is overwhelming that college is a better investment for most graduates than in the past. A new study even shows that a bachelor’s degree pays off for jobs that don’t require one: secretaries, plumbers and cashiers. And, beyond money, education seems to make people happier and healthier. ....

The most unfortunate part of the case against college is that it encourages children, parents and schools to aim low. For those families on the fence — often deciding whether a student will be the first to attend — the skepticism becomes one more reason to stop at high school. Only about 33 percent of young adults get a four-year degree today, while another 10 percent receive a two-year degree."

City Life Could Change Your Brain for the Worse | Wired Science | Wired.com

2011-06-23T10:29:00.000-04:00

City Life Could Change Your Brain for the Worse | Wired Science | Wired.com:

"Meyer-Lindenberg’s findings, published June 23 in Nature, are a neurological investigation into the underpinnings of a disturbing social trend: As a rule, city life seems to generate mental illness.

Compared to their rural counterparts, city dwellers have higher levels of anxiety and mood disorders. The schizophrenia risk of people raised in cities is almost double. Literature on the effect is so thorough that researchers say it’s not just correlation, as might be expected if anxious people preferred to live in cities. Neither is it a result of heredity. It’s a cause-and-effect relationship between environment and mind."

That last sentence is a brave one.

The Sun Is the Best Optometrist - NYTimes.com

2011-06-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

The Sun Is the Best Optometrist - NYTimes.com:

"...the rapid increase in nearsightedness appears to be due to a characteristic of modern life: more and more time spent indoors under artificial lights.

Our genes were originally selected to succeed in a very different world from the one we live in today. Humans’ brains and eyes originated long ago, when we spent most of our waking hours in the sun. The process of development takes advantage of such reliable features of the environment, which then may become necessary for normal growth.

Researchers suspect that bright outdoor light helps children’s developing eyes maintain the correct distance between the lens and the retina — which keeps vision in focus. Dim indoor lighting doesn’t seem to provide the same kind of feedback. As a result, when children spend too many hours inside, their eyes fail to grow correctly and the distance between the lens and retina becomes too long, causing far-away objects to look blurry"

Champion of Character - Michael Jasper | WBBJTV West Tennessee's News Channel | Sports

2011-05-14T02:10:00.000-04:00

Champion of Character - Michael Jasper | WBBJTV West Tennessee's News Channel | Sports:

"Questions were raised about his weight, speed and that he couldn't make it in the NFL. Just more motivation for Michael.

'Every time I read an article talk about how big I am I lose 10 pounds, Jasper said. 'Every time they say I'm slow I add 10 tenths to my 40-time. I love Naysayers they make me better.

From 440 pounds to 375, hes in the best shape of his life and ready to begin a new chapter in his story. And prove he can make it."

JAMA Study: Tai Chi Benefits Health of Heart Failure Patients - ABC News

2011-04-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

JAMA Study: Tai Chi Benefits Health of Heart Failure Patients - ABC News:

"At the end of the study -- published in today's Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals -- the Tai Chi practitioners felt better, were more confident about their ability to perform everyday tasks and led far more active lifestyles than a similar group who attended twice-weekly health education classes.

Virtually every time I am in NYC I run by the group of people the article talks about. Interesting stuff!

Will Smith: motivational speaker. I had no idea. But very good!

2011-04-06T10:54:00.000-04:00

Where Do Bad Moods Come From? | Wired Science | Wired.com

2011-03-30T00:40:00.000-04:00

Where Do Bad Moods Come From? | Wired Science | Wired.com:

"The standard theory of bad moods is rooted in a psychological quirk known as ego depletion. Pioneered by Roy Baumeister and Mark Muraven in the 1990s, the basic idea behind ego depletion is that self-control and willpower are limited cognitive resources. As a result, when we overexert ourselves in one domain – say, when we’re on a strict diet, or focused on a difficult task for hours at work – we have fewer resources left over to exert self-control in other domains. This helps explain why, after a long day at the office, we’re more likely to indulge in a pint of ice cream, or eat one too many slices of pizza. A tired brain, preoccupied with its problems, is going to struggle to resist what it wants, even when what it wants isn’t what we need.

A bad mood is no different. When we push our mind too hard, asking it to refrain from carbs and cigarettes, we struggle to avoid the negative thoughts and emotions that lead to sour moods

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

YouTube - Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better

2011-03-28T00:34:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better: "Tony Robbins discusses the 'invisible forces' that motivate everyone's actions

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

YouTube - The Fountainhead - Howard Roark Speech (Ayn Rand)

2011-03-27T23:59:00.000-04:00

Anxiously awaiting the release of the Atlas Shrugged Movie, but in the mean time it is probably worth watching this. I have never seen the Fountainhead movie. Here is an clip:

YouTube - The Fountainhead - Howard Roark Speech (Ayn Rand): "From The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Gary Cooper as Howard Roark delivers the memorable courtroom speech in self-defense for dynamiting Courtland."

YouTube - Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

2011-03-15T00:33:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005: "Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

BBC - Earth News - Chernobyl birds are small brained

2011-02-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

BBC - Earth News - Chernobyl birds are small brained:

"Birds living around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear accident have 5% smaller brains, an effect directly linked to lingering background radiation."

Bird brained even for birds.

Simoleon Sense » Blog Archive » Why loneliness is hazardous to your health

2011-01-26T10:54:00.000-05:00

Simoleon Sense » Blog Archive » Why loneliness is hazardous to your health:

"..scores of studies have found that people who lack social support are more prone to a variety of ailments. An analysis of 148 of these studies, published in the July 2010 issue of PLoS Medicine, suggests that social isolation increases the risk of death about as much as smoking cigarettes and more than either physical inactivity or obesity…loneliness is a health risk on its own, apart from conditions such as depression or stress that are common fellow travelers. More specifically, it seems to be the subjective experience of loneliness that’s important for people’s well-being rather than any objective measure of social connectivity (the number of close contacts someone has, for example)."

Interesting article via Simoleon Sense

Rare and Unusual Photos and Images From the Burns Archive - Newsweek

2011-01-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

Rare and Unusual Photos and Images From the Burns Archive - Newsweek: "-"

Group IQ - The Boston Globe

2011-01-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Group IQ - The Boston Globe:

"The new work is part of a growing body of research that focuses on understanding collective behavior and intelligence — an increasingly relevant topic of research in an age where everything from scientific progress to entrepreneurial success hinges on collaboration. Embedded in a century’s worth of Broadway shows, the interactions of online communities, or the path a ball travels between soccer players, researchers are finding hints about how individual people contribute to make a group creative and successful."

Fascinating stuff!

BBC News - Is there a genius in all of us?

2011-01-14T00:51:00.000-05:00

BBC News - Is there a genius in all of us?:

"Carol Dweck from Stanford University in the US, has demonstrated that students who understand intelligence is malleable rather than fixed are much more intellectually ambitious and successful.

The same dynamic applies to talent.... would be folly to suggest that anyone can literally do or become anything. But the new science tells us that it's equally foolish to think that mediocrity is built into most of us, or that any of us can know our true limits before we've applied enormous resources and invested vast amounts of time.
Our abilities are not set in genetic stone. They are soft and sculptable, far into adulthood. With humility, with hope, and with extraordinary determination, greatness is something to which any kid - of any age - can aspire."

The Unexpected Return of 'Duck and Cover' - Glenn Harlan Reynolds - National - The Atlantic

2011-01-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

The Unexpected Return of 'Duck and Cover' - Glenn Harlan Reynolds - National - The Atlantic:

"A terrorist bomb is likely to be relatively small -- possibly only a fraction of the Hiroshima bomb's explosive power -- and likely exploded at ground level. This means that the area totally destroyed by the explosion is likely to be much smaller than the area exposed to lesser damage or to fallout radiation (this nuclear weapons effects calculator from the Federation of Atomic Scientists will let you see the effect of different sized bombs burst at different heights). Because of this, Homeland Security people in the Obama Administration have been encouraging a duck-and-cover approach, followed by advice to 'shelter in place' against fallout rather than trying to evacuate the area."

HT to Chris Mackowski

Our Brains Are Shrinking. Are We Getting Dumber? : NPR

2011-01-06T01:45:00.000-05:00

Our Brains Are Shrinking. Are We Getting Dumber? : NPR:

"...not all researchers are so pessimistic. Brian Hare, an anthropologist at the Duke University Institute for Brain Sciences, thinks the decrease in brain size is actually an evolutionary advantage.....

Hare says when a population selects against aggression, they can be considered to be domesticated. And for a variety of domesticated animals like apes, dogs or turkeys, you can see certain physical characteristics emerge. Among these traits are a lighter and more slender skeleton, a flattened forehead — and decreased brain size."

mmm...or we can specialize more...or we don't need to remember as much since the advent of writing...???

Nancy Folbre: Tree-conomics - NYTimes.com

2011-01-05T14:42:00.000-05:00

Nancy Folbre: Tree-conomics - NYTimes.com:

"The difference between private and public benefits explains why some local communities regulate tree management. But more profoundly, it drives a hardwood wedge between individual and social outcomes, with disturbing implications. Deforestation is contributing to global warming.

Why are rational economic actors having such a hard time responding to this problem? Partly because it can’t be reduced to individual choices. It requires coordinated actions that involve collective conflict, coalition-building and strategic maneuver.

The urge to sidestep such difficulties helps explain efforts to find market-based solution..."

To Beat Back Poverty, Pay the Poor - NYTimes.com

2011-01-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

To Beat Back Poverty, Pay the Poor - NYTimes.com:

"The program, called Bolsa Familia (Family Grant) in Brazil, goes by different names in different places. In Mexico, where it first began on a national scale and has been equally successful at reducing poverty, it is Oportunidades. The generic term for the program is conditional cash transfers. The idea is to give regular payments to poor families, in the form of cash or electronic transfers into their bank accounts, if they meet certain requirements. The requirements vary, but many countries employ those used by Mexico: families must keep their children in school and go for regular medical checkups, and mom must attend workshops on subjects like nutrition or disease prevention. The payments almost always go to women, as they are the most likely to spend the money on their families. The elegant idea behind conditional cash transfers is to combat poverty today while breaking the cycle of poverty for tomorrow."

Steps to New Year's Resolution Success - WSJ.com

2011-01-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Steps to New Year's Resolution Success - WSJ.com:

"Dr. Shiv recommends a carrot-and-stick approach to a resolution: Focus most of the time on the emotional rewards you will reap for changing your behavior. If you want to lose weight, visualize yourself feeling the benefits, thinking, 'If I work hard, I will look so good, and feel so good,' he says. As a stick to help you get started on your new habits, evoke the emotional consequences of failing to change. 'Visualize yourself feeling fat, and think, 'If I don't work out, I will look like a heavy thing,' ' and be less satisfied with yourself and your social life. Over time, your resolution 'is going to get tagged with those emotions,' which will kick in automatically even when the cognitive parts of your brain are worn out, he says."

Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks | Video on TED.com

2010-12-28T05:50:00.000-05:00

Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks | Video on TED.com: "We're all embedded in vast social networks of friends, family, co-workers and more. Nicholas Christakis tracks how a wide variety of traits -- from happiness to obesity -- can spread from person to person, showing how your location in the network might impact your life in ways you don't even know...."

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

This 'Placebo' Could Be The Drug For You : NPR

2010-12-28T01:29:00.000-05:00

This 'Placebo' Could Be The Drug For You : NPR:

"...researchers from Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. They conducted a study among people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. It showed that placebos, essentially sugar pills with no active ingredients, fooled plenty.

Here's the catch - the researchers actually told patients they were taking placebos. Despite that, according to the study, they showed symptom relief, quote, 'to a degree roughly equivalent to the effects of the most powerful IBS medications.' Scientists aren't sure what to make of the findings, but suspect that the ritual of getting a pill, even a useless one, sometimes does the trick..."

African Farmers Losing Land to Investors - NYTimes.com

2010-12-22T00:32:00.000-05:00

African Farmers Losing Land to Investors - NYTimes.com:

"Across Africa and the developing world, a new global land rush is gobbling up large expanses of arable land. Despite their ageless traditions, stunned villagers are discovering that African governments typically own their land and have been leasing it, often at bargain prices, to private investors and foreign governments for decades to come.

Organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank say the practice, if done equitably, could help feed the growing global population by introducing large-scale commercial farming to places without it.

But others condemn the deals as neocolonial land grabs that destroy villages, uproot tens of thousands of farmers and create a volatile mass of landless poor..."

Cool video but listen to the numbers--conservation not doing enough

2010-12-21T11:50:00.000-05:00

World Trade Center Site

2010-12-19T11:15:00.002-05:00

YouTube - I'm Training for an Ironman

2010-12-16T16:34:00.001-05:00

YouTube - I'm Training for an Ironman: Rick sent this one along....with apologies for the wearing it is hilarious.

"A conversation between someone training for an Ironman, and someone not training for an Ironman."

The Genius of Play | Psychology Today

2010-12-16T00:47:00.000-05:00

The Genius of Play | Psychology Today:

"...how do hobbies and imagination help foster professional breakthroughs? 'One possibility is that people are geniuses because they are polymaths and have a huge range of talents,' says Robert Root-Bernstein. 'There's not much the rest of us can learn from that. But another possibility is that an avocation helps you learn skills.'

In the Root-Bernsteins' book Sparks of Genius they amass evidence of 13 cognitive tools, including imagining, abstracting and, yes, playing, that may contribute to creativity by helping people synthesize knowledge across domains."

Why a Happy Brain Performs Better - HBR IdeaCast - Harvard Business Review

2010-12-03T00:37:00.000-05:00

Why a Happy Brain Performs Better - HBR IdeaCast - Harvard Business Review:

"Featured Guest: Shawn Achor, CEO of Aspirant and author of The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work.

Download this podcast

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Al Gore Mea Culpa: Support for Corn-Based Ethanol Was a Mistake

2010-11-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

Al Gore Mea Culpa: Support for Corn-Based Ethanol Was a Mistake:

"On reflection, Gore said the energy conversion ratios -- how much energy is produced in the process -- 'are at best very small.' 'One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee,' he said, 'and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president.'"

How didn't this make bigger news?

Word Cloud: English Words of Arabic Origin

2010-11-26T08:34:00.001-05:00

Word Cloud: English Words of Arabic Origin
Originally uploaded by Mourad Diouri

I had no idea on most of these words.

Aron Ralston describes the amputation

2010-11-26T01:22:00.000-05:00

I am speechless. This is the story that 127 hours is based on.

YouTube - Aron Ralston describes the amputation:

"Aron Ralston describes amputating his own arm that was caught under a boulder."

YouTube - Katy Perry - Firework

2010-11-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Katy Perry - Firework:

Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin, crack and Ecstasy' | Mail Online

2010-11-01T08:35:00.000-04:00

Alcohol 'more harmful than heroin, crack and Ecstasy' | Mail Online:

"Scientists have found that alcohol is the most harmful drug overall and three times as harmful as cocaine and tobacco, according to a new scale of drug harm that rates the damage to both users and to wider society."

- Sent using Google Toolbar"Given the number of people's lives I have seen totally ruined by alcohol I totally agree. Now that said, the number of users is so high that this is not a really valid comparison, but nonetheless it is worthy of note if nothing else than a good reminder of the dangers.

Asian Neanderthals, Humans Mated : Discovery News

2010-10-29T09:18:00.000-04:00

Asian Neanderthals, Humans Mated : Discovery News:

"Early modern humans mated with Neanderthals and possibly other archaic hominid species from Asia at least 100,000 years ago, according to a new study that describes human remains from that period in South China.

The remains are the oldest modern human fossils in East Asia and predate, by over 60,000 years, the oldest previously known modern human remains in the region....."Of more interest than who had sex with whom is the fact that modern humans had spread across southern Eurasia by 100,000 years ago, and yet archaic humans remained across the more northern areas, and even displaced the modern humans in Southwest Asia for an additional 50,000-70,000 years," added Trinkaus, a professor of physical anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Runners Learn to Realize Their Training Limits - WSJ.com

2010-09-08T10:13:00.000-04:00

Runners Learn to Realize Their Training Limits - WSJ.com:

"The body responds beautifully to the right schedule of training stresses,' Lynn Bjorklund, who in 1981 set the still-standing female course record for the Pikes Peak Marathon, wrote in an email. 'However, too much stress and not enough nutrition or recovery pushes your body toward injury and illness. You need to stay in that zone of just enough, and that takes a very high tuned and honest appraisal of yourself.'

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

YouTube - Nervous young Johnny Cash ~ Rare footage on Kinzua Indians

2010-08-31T02:37:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Nervous young Johnny Cash ~ Rare footage on Kinzua Indians: "Johnny Cash sings a song written about the Seneca Indians over the flooding of the Kinzua dam.

Seems relevant again with taxation issues taking front stage again.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Your Brain on Computers - Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime - NYTimes.com

2010-08-27T09:57:00.000-04:00

Your Brain on Computers - Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime - NYTimes.com:

"But scientists point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas.

Ms. Bates, for example, might be clearer-headed if she went for a run outside, away from her devices, research suggests.

At the University of California, San Francisco, scientists have found that when rats have a new experience, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new patterns of activity. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns in a way that seems to create a persistent memory of the experience."

HT to @nateolay

Ignatius' Ghost

2010-08-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

Ignatius' Ghost: Cool blog, I just finished ristening to the book. :

"The main character of Confederacy is Ignatius J. Reilly who truly believes that dunces everywhere are in confederacy against him.

I've gone through Confederacy and noted every location in which Toole mentions. In August 2008, I visited New Orleans and chronicled every location I could find. Where applicable, I tried to give you a little history of the sites, as well as a couple photos.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Another reason to hate fall and winter!

2010-08-13T01:05:00.000-04:00

Temperature Drops Put the Squeeze on Heart Attack Risk: Scientific American:

"Bhaskaran and his colleagues estimated that for every 1 degree C drop in the mean temperatures in the U.K. over a 24-hour period—where about 11,600 heart attacks occur each month—an additional 200 heart attacks are likely to occur."

The Man Behind the Liverpool Bid - DealBook Blog - NYTimes.com

2010-08-11T10:56:00.000-04:00

The Man Behind the Liverpool Bid - DealBook Blog - NYTimes.com:

"“If there’s an opportunity, we’ll do it, but only for the learning process,” Mr. Huang said during the interview in Shanghai in March. “The N.F.L. is the most profitable league. The management, the intellectual property, the ownership structure is the best.”

Friends say Mr. Huang made a fortune working on Wall Street and helping clients invest in Chinese initial public stock offerings. Now, they say, he is pushing China to overhaul its sports system and develop its own professional sports leagues with corporate sponsors — a challenge in a country where the government retains tight control of sports programs."

Running Barefoot: Training Tips

2010-08-04T14:53:00.000-04:00

Running Barefoot: Training Tips:

"Recap

* Land gently on your forefoot and gradually let the heel come down
* Transition slowly
* Stretch your calves and Achilles tendon
* Don’t do anything that causes pain
* Listen to your body and run totally barefoot to learn good form
* Buy minimal shoes that lack high heels and stiff soles
* Consult a doctor

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Deep Underground, Miles of Hidden Wildfires Rage - TIME

2010-07-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

Deep Underground, Miles of Hidden Wildfires Rage - TIME:

"According to a review by the Department of Interior's Office of Surface Mining Enforcement and Reclamation, more than 100 fires are burning beneath nine states, most of them in Colorado, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Utah and West Virginia. But geologists say many fires go unreported, driving the actual number of them closer to 200 across 21 states. Most have burned for years, if not decades. Pennsylvania's three dozen underground fires include America's most notorious subterranean blaze, a 48-year-old fire in Centralia, whose noxious emissions sickened residents and eventually prompted the federal government in the late 1980s and early '90s to evict homeowners and pay them a collective $40 million for what is now a virtual ghost town.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

At 80, the 'Iron Nun' Prepares for Her Next Triathlon - Healthy Living on Shine

2010-07-24T00:27:00.000-04:00

At 80, the 'Iron Nun' Prepares for Her Next Triathlon - Healthy Living on Shine

Lead on:

"...on July 24, Sister Madonna will celebrate her 80th birthday. Then, just over a month later, she'll compete in the Ironman Canada, and should she finish it, she'll break her own record as the oldest woman to complete an Ironman — one she initially set in 2005, as triathlons try to keep up with her by opening up new age groups."

Brain fitness program study reveals visual memory improvement in older adults

2010-07-17T01:37:00.001-04:00

Brain fitness program study reveals visual memory improvement in older adults:

"The research is being published in the journal PLoS One on July 14, 2010.

'This confirms our understanding that the brains of older adults, like those of young people, are 'plastic' - the brain can change in response to focused training,' said Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at UCSF and senior author of the research paper. Gazzaley is associate professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry at UCSF.

'The study shows that perceptual improvements with simple discrimination training can transfer to improved working memory in older adults, and it also shows that this increase in memory accuracy is linked to changes at the neural level.'"

Op-Ed Columnist - The Medium Is the Medium - NYTimes.com

2010-07-10T09:42:00.000-04:00

Op-Ed Columnist - The Medium Is the Medium - NYTimes.com:

"What matters is the way people think about themselves while engaged in the two activities. A person who becomes a citizen of the literary world enters a hierarchical universe. There are classic works of literature at the top and beach reading at the bottom.

A person enters this world as a novice, and slowly studies the works of great writers and scholars. Readers immerse themselves in deep, alternative worlds and hope to gain some lasting wisdom. Respect is paid to the writers who transmit that wisdom.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Boys & Girls Club Hoping for Money from Lebron James Announcement|ABC 13

2010-07-08T20:49:00.000-04:00

Boys & Girls Club Hoping for Money from Lebron James Announcement|ABC 13:

"The Boys and Girls Club’s national headquarters will make millions from Thursday’s announcement that will come from James’ announcement show on ESPN.

The hoops superstar made it clear that all proceeds raised from the ads sold in the one hour show, will support operation of Boys and Girls Clubs

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

If you happen to find yourself in a bad mood, watch this

2010-07-07T02:29:00.000-04:00

It's a Wonderful Life (the ending).

While a Christmas movie, I felt like watching it now.

Floyd Landis, Lance Armstrong and Doping Allegations - WSJ.com

2010-07-06T02:06:00.000-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Floyd Landis, Lance Armstrong and Doping Allegations - WSJ.com:

"During this conversation, Mr. Landis said, Mr. Bruyneel also told him that before the Tour, Mr. Landis would have some blood extracted—blood that would then be put back in his body during the race. That process would boost his blood's ability to carry oxygen to his muscles.

Both testosterone patches and blood transfusions are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees drug testing in many international sports. If evidence of their use is found in the blood or urine of a cyclist, it usually results in a two-year suspension.

Mr. Landis said the conversation with Mr. Bruyneel didn't come as a surprise, and that he agreed without hesitation. He said he was motivated by the prospect of making more money as a racer, and was happy he was being introduced to doping by somebody he trusted.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

When equilibrium's off, doping cyclists come forward - latimes.com

2010-07-05T20:54:00.000-04:00

When equilibrium's off, doping cyclists come forward - latimes.com:

"According to Landis, the performance-enhancing drugs of choice are recombinant erythropoietin to artificially stimulate the production of oxygen carrying red blood cells; steroids and human growth hormone for recovery and the development of lean muscle mass; and blood boosting, the withdrawing of your own blood early in the season and then re-injecting it during the tour to boost your red blood cell count. After the scandals of the last dozen years, most people — reluctantly, me included — believe that many, if not most, professional cyclists dope. The deeper question is why? And why did Landis come clean after all these years of vociferous denials?

The answer comes from game theory and something called the Nash equilibrium, conceived by the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash (of 'A Beautiful Mind' fame), in which two or more players reach an equilibrium when none has anything to gain by unilaterally changing his or her strategy, as long as the other players do not change their strategies.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

A Very Scary Fireworks Show: Exploding H-Bombs In Space : NPR

2010-07-04T08:38:00.000-04:00

A Very Scary Fireworks Show: Exploding H-Bombs In Space : NPR:

"Back in the summer of 1962, the U.S. blew up a hydrogen bomb in outer space, some 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean. It was a weapons test, but one that created a man-made light show that has never been equaled — and hopefully never will. Here it is:

nuclear bomb

The Oscar Schindler Story

2010-07-01T17:34:00.000-04:00

The Oscar Schindler Story:

"To more than 1200 Jews Oscar Schindler was all that stood between them and death at the hands of the Nazis. A man full of flaws like the rest of us - the unlikeliest of all role models who started by earning millions as a war profiteer and ended by spending his last pfennig and risking his life to save his Jews. An ordinary man who even in the worst of circumstances did extraordinary things, matched by no one. He remained true to his Jews, the workers he referred to as my children. In the shadow of Auschwitz he kept the SS out and everyone alive.

Oscar Schindler and his wife Emilie Schindler were inspiring evidence of courage and human decency during the Holocaust. Emilie was not only a strong woman working alongside her husband but a heroine in her own right. She worked indefatigably to save the Schindler-Jews - a story to bear witness to goodness, love and compassion.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Switching off your lights has a bigger impact than you might think, says new study

2010-07-01T01:10:00.000-04:00

Switching off your lights has a bigger impact than you might think, says new study:

"Switching off lights, turning the television off at the mains and using cooler washing cycles could have a much bigger impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power stations than previously thought, according to a new study published this month in the journal Energy Policy. The study shows that the figure used by government advisors to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide saved by reducing people's electricity consumption is up to 60 percent too low."

The Importance of the Mets Being Fast - WSJ.com

2010-06-28T12:09:00.000-04:00

The Importance of the Mets Being Fast - WSJ.com:

"...according to research performed by Fangraphs.com, there has been minimal correlation over the last 30 years between the number of bases a team steals and the team's winning percentage.

On a scale where zero means there is no correlation between two variables, a team's stolen-base total and its winning percentage score a factor of just 0.12. Put simply, how many bases a team steals says very little about how often it wins."

I would say that speed is probably more important at Citi field than elsewhere.

The Science of Aging Brains - Newsweek

2010-06-24T16:03:00.002-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Good article!

The Science of Aging Brains - Newsweek:

"...in real life, rather than in psych labs, people rely on mental abilities that stand up very well to age and discover work-arounds for the mental skills that do fade. The second is that some mental abilities actually improve with age, and one of them may be the inchoate thing called wisdom, which is not a bad thing to have when running a company. Little of the gloom-and-doom conventional wisdom about what happens to the brain as we age, says Salt-house, 'is based on well-established empirical evidence.' Instead, he says, much of it seems to be 'influenced as much by the authors' preconceptions and attitudes as by systematic evaluation' of solid data...Some of the earlier bad-news findings are being questioned as scientists discover that the differences between today’s 20-year-old brains and 80-year-old brains reflect something other than simple age, and instead have to do with how people live their lives.."

North Koreans Still Waiting to Hear About Glorious World Cup Victory -- Daily Intel

2010-06-24T12:05:00.000-04:00

North Koreans Still Waiting to Hear About Glorious World Cup Victory -- Daily Intel:

"North Korea succumbed 7-0, and the result does not appear to have been reported in the North Korean press. No sign of it in North Korea’s main newspaper — accessible by a Japan-based portal — and, so far, the official North Korean news agency has not yet gotten to the story."

Cyclist Raising Money For Cancer Dies - Albuquerque News Story - KOAT Albuquerque

2010-06-24T01:20:00.000-04:00

Cyclist Raising Money For Cancer Dies - Albuquerque News Story - KOAT Albuquerque:

"A bicyclist struck by a car this week has died. The cyclist and his friends were cycling across the country raising money for breast cancer.

Friends said John Anczarski came up with the idea to ride bikes from Pennsylvania to California to raise money for breast cancer.

....On Monday, the group was bicycling on the Laguna Pueblo when they said a man driving a red SUV going 55 mph struck Anczarski. Friends said they question how that driver didn't see him."We were wearing yellow jerseys. We had blinking LED lights on our bikes," Bereskie said"

Landon Donovan's Game-Winning World Cup Goal May Have Set Internet Traffic Record | Popular Science

2010-06-23T20:38:00.000-04:00

Landon Donovan's Game-Winning World Cup Goal May Have Set Internet Traffic Record | Popular Science:

"Just how breathtakingly, heart-stoppingly awesome was Landon Donovan’s 91st-minute goal in today’s win-or-go-home U.S.-Algeria World Cup game? It was definitely significant enough to temporarily overwhelm Twitter. And it just might have been the single biggest driver of Internet traffic ever."

Sword-Wielding Osama-Hunter Looking in the Right Place? | Danger Room | Wired.com

2010-06-15T13:16:00.000-04:00

Crazy story.

Sword-Wielding Osama-Hunter Looking in the Right Place? | Danger Room | Wired.com:

"As for Faulkner himself, it’s difficult to decide whether he’s a campy hero, a loon, or just incredibly stupid. He’s probably all three. Especially given the difficulties the U.S. has had in tracking down Osama bin Laden—super-high resolution imagery of the border region, now on Google Earth, hasn’t shown us where he’s hiding—maybe Faulkner is onto something? Special Forces have a hard enough time finding any Taliban inside Afghanistan, to say nothing of Northwest Pakistan. Maybe Faulkner was our best shot at locating the man behind Al Qaeda."

Your Brain on Computers - Attached to Technology and Paying a Price - NYTimes.com

2010-06-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

Your Brain on Computers - Attached to Technology and Paying a Price - NYTimes.com:

"The resulting distractions can have deadly consequences, as when cellphone-wielding drivers and train engineers cause wrecks. And for millions of people like Mr. Campbell, these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life.

While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.

And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Does the Internet Make You Smarter? - WSJ.com

2010-06-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

Very interesting article:

Does the Internet Make You Smarter? - WSJ.com:

"It is tempting to want PatientsLikeMe without the dumb videos, just as we might want scientific journals without the erotic novels, but that's not how media works. Increased freedom to create means increased freedom to create throwaway material, as well as freedom to indulge in the experimentation that eventually makes the good new stuff possible.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Best ways to have ton of energy - CNN.com

2010-05-31T16:15:00.000-04:00

Best ways to have ton of energy - CNN.com:

"If you didn't know better, you might think that all the energy necessary to get through the ups and downs of an average day could be found in a powder, a pill, or a suspiciously small can. If only! But here's the good news: getting -- and, more important, keeping -- your energy level high is a breeze. Just take a look at these expert tips and tricks.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

A Civil Rights Watershed in Biloxi, Mississippi | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

2010-04-21T11:30:00.000-04:00

A Civil Rights Watershed in Biloxi, Mississippi | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine

Wow. So hard to believe that stuff like this happened in US in past half century. Sad.

Read the article, it is good.

"The waters beside Biloxi, Mississippi, were tranquil on April 24, 1960. But Bishop James Black’s account of how the harrowing hours later dubbed “Bloody Sunday” unfolded for African-American residents sounds eerily like preparations taken for a menacing, fast-approaching storm. “I remember so well being told to shut our home lights off,” said Black, a teenager at the time. “Get down on the floor, get away from the windows.”

It wasn’t a rainstorm that residents battened down for, but mob reprisals. Hours earlier Black and 125 other African-Americans had congregated at the beach, playing games and soaking sunrays near the circuit of advancing and retreating tides. This signified no simple act of beach leisure, but group dissent. At the time, the city’s entire 26-mile-long shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico was segregated."

Inspiring 87-year-old gives valuable advice for longevity

2010-04-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

Inspiring 87-year-old gives valuable advice for longevity

"Our golden years can be filled with energy and vitality, according to Deborah Szekely, co-founder of Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. At 87 years of age, Deborah trains three days a week with a Navy Seal and three days with a Pilates instructor. She can do 10 push-ups in less than a minute without breaking a sweat. Deborah Szekely exudes inspiration."

Pretty impressive. Read her list.

A Carry-on Bag Fee Tax Won't Fly - BusinessWeek

2010-04-18T01:34:00.000-04:00

A Carry-on Bag Fee Tax Won't Fly - BusinessWeek

"The more interesting questions are whether such fees rob Uncle Sam his due in the form of taxes, and whether this latest ding will spur Congress to pursue a piece of the action. Airfares are subject to a 7.5% excise tax; baggage fees are not, as American learned last September in a legal opinion it sought from the Internal Revenue Service. But the Spirit bag fee has some politicians, most notably Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., looking to shut what they call a tax loophole by extending the excise tax as a way to raise federal revenues and to discourage such fees"

Airline fees: Where will they pop up next? - CNN.com

2010-04-08T10:11:00.001-04:00

Airline fees: Where will they pop up next? - CNN.com:

"Discount carrier Spirit Airlines announced Tuesday that it would charge passengers for carry-on luggage stowed in overhead bins. European low-cost airline Ryanair has generated buzz with an article in its in-flight magazine outlining a toilet fee on flights of an hour or less, a proposal introduced last year that many industry watchers considered a clever public relations stunt.

Passengers don't seem to be amused,"

and later:

"Consumers shouldn't be too quick to dismiss the carry-on fee, said Anne Banas, editor of consumer travel site SmarterTravel.com.

Spirit Airlines led the way in charging for checked bags, and the legacy airlines followed. "

YouTube - WikiLeaks video 'shows US attack'

2010-04-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

YouTube - WikiLeaks video 'shows US attack': "WikiLeaks, a website that publishes anonymously sourced documents, has released video footage of what it says"

WOw...Sad. Horrible.

99-year-old graduate fights against Africa brain drain - CNN.com

2010-04-02T23:13:00.000-04:00

99-year-old graduate fights against Africa brain drain - CNN.com:

"A former teacher has just graduated from university in Ghana -- aged 99.

World War Two veteran Akasease Kofi Boakye Yiadom enrolled at Presbyterian University College's business school aged 96.

'Education has no end,' he told CNN. 'As far as your brain can work alright, your eyes can see alright, and your ears can hear alright, if you go to school you can learn.'"

Infographic of the Day: What the Census Said About Us...in 1870 | Design & Innovation | Fast Company

2010-03-21T00:43:00.000-04:00

Infographic of the Day: What the Census Said About Us...in 1870 | Design & Innovation | Fast Company:
VERY cool...from Fast Company

"Radical Cartography recently dug up dozens of maps from the 1870 Census Atlas. They're gorgeous--and they reveal much about what set the country on its path to greatness--and what created our modern government.....As you can guess, the country was overwhelmingly young, comprised of children and working adults. This graph shows age distribution by state. Young are at the bottom of each graph; old at the top; left is male, right is female, and the shading tells you which is larger:"

Click through...it really is worth it!

Tough day for runners

2010-03-16T23:34:00.002-04:00

two deaths while running:

First a wolf

"Wolves in Alaska are suspected of killing a teacher in an isolated village while she was out jogging." (from BBC)

Then a plane!

"A Georgia man was running and listening to his iPod on the beach on Hilton Head Island when he was struck and killed by an airplane that made an emergency landing Monday near Palmetto Dunes, the Beaufort County Coroner's Office said Tuesday." (from McClathcey)

BBC News - Baldness 'could be good for your health' say scientists

2010-03-16T23:31:00.000-04:00

BBC News - Baldness 'could be good for your health' say scientists:

"A receding hairline can be a good thing, according to US scientists, who say men who go bald by 30 appear to be less likely to develop prostate cancer."

At Xavier, Nun Works Out Players’ Academic Side - NYTimes.com

2010-03-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

At Xavier, Nun Works Out Players’ Academic Side - NYTimes.com:

"By some measures, the success of the Xavier men’s basketball team rests not with a sharpshooting guard or a ball-hawking forward. Rather, it rests largely with a 5-foot-4, white-haired 77-year-old nun not afraid to rap on dormitory doors or to call players before dawn to ask about missed classes or late assignments."

History: DaVinci Perfected World's Largest Horse Statue : Video : Discovery News

2010-03-04T22:44:00.000-05:00

History: DaVinci Perfected World's Largest Horse Statue : Video : Discovery News:

"Leonardo DaVinci conceived, but never finished, the world's largest equine statue. This project failure has puzzled scholars ever since. Kasey-Dee Gardner finds out why this project came to a grinding halt."

As donations pour in for Haiti, charitable organizations take stock | Stars and Stripes

2010-02-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

As donations pour in for Haiti, charitable organizations take stock | Stars and Stripes:

"For Haiti, the Red Cross has raised more than $250 million and has plans for some $80 million of that so far, said Red Cross spokesman Jonathan Aiken....which spends about 10 percent of its budget on administrative and fundraising work, according to Charity Navigator, has deployed 100 workers to Haiti and provided supplies, including blankets, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and kitchen sets to 130,000 people, provided 3 million prepackaged meals to the United Nations World Food Programme, and money to feed another million people for a month."

Seemingly the best at spending the money so far? Food For the Poor. One of the groups the money we helped raise at the BootDrive went to.

Not so good at least yet:

"Musician Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti said it has spent about $928,000 so far on deliveries of food and water, as well as 500 shelter packages — tents, water purification tablets, canteens, blankets, gloves and personal items — to people in Jacmel. The group has raised a total of more than $8.6 million,"

Leadership & President’s Day | N2Growth Blog

2010-02-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

Good look at The leadership of Washington and Lincol

"Abraham Lincoln is one of the most inspirational case studies in examining the leadership traits of persistence, commitment, determination, passion, conviction, and overcoming failure. There is perhaps no greater lesson the world can offer in overcoming failures and understanding the value of persistence than what can be learned from looking at the life of Abraham Lincoln. Born into poverty, Mr. Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout most of his life. He twice failed in business, lost eight different elections and suffered a nervous breakdown."

Matters of the Heart: Risking it All for the Marathon | Active.com

2010-02-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

Matters of the Heart: Risking it All for the Marathon | Active.com:

"It has become a known fact that family history and dietary habits play as critical a role--if not a greater role--in heart health than exercise.....

A recent study showed that while regular exercise does indeed benefit the heart, some experienced marathoners past the age of 50 had significant calcium deposits in their arteries, thus increasing their likelihood of suffering a heart attack. The recent heart trauma suffered by 1980s marathon star Alberto Salazar has been well documented, and highlights how even those with a history of elite fitness can be vulnerable."

How Many More Are Innocent? - Reason Magazine

2010-02-10T02:12:00.000-05:00

How Many More Are Innocent? - Reason Magazine: "

Calculating the percentage of innocents now in prison is a tricky and controversial process. The numerator itself is difficult enough to figure out. The certainty of DNA testing means we can be positive the 250 cases listed in the Innocence Project report didn't commit the crimes for which they were convicted, and that number also continues to rise. But there are hundreds of other cases in which convictions have been overturned due to a lack of evidence, recantation of eyewitness testimony, or police or prosecutorial misconduct, but for which there was no DNA evidence to establish definitive guilt or innocence. Those were wrongful convictions in that there wasn't sufficient evidence to establish reasonable doubt, but we can't be sure all the accused were factually innocent."

Never Before Seen Photos of World Trade Center - ABC News

2010-02-09T12:47:00.000-05:00

Never Before Seen Photos of World Trade Center - ABC News:

"Looking at these images never gets any easier. The photos that follow depict the horrible images of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the aftermath of the recovery efforts where some 2800 innocent people died, including those aboard hijacked flights American 11 and United 175. ABC News recently obtained these images after filing a Freedom of Information Act request in 2009 with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which had collected as part of an investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center. (Det. Greg Semendinger/NYC Police Aviation Unit)"

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If you happen to find yourself in a bad mood, watch this

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The Oscar Schindler Story