News and ESL Blog

Foreign Aid: a Perfect Gift for Kleptocrats by Mark Cheney FROM Big Think

2012-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

"An audit of a 4-year $57 million Agricultural Exports and Rural Incomes project showed no marked improvement in rural incomes or job creation in Egypt."

Publisher Regrets Suggesting That Israel Assassinate Obama By Matt Negrin FROM ABC News

2012-01-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

"Order a hit [assassination] on a president in order to preserve Israel’s existence."

You can find a link to the original article at http://gawker.com/5877892/newspaper-editor-israel-should-consider-assassinating-obama?tag=assassination

Student Pens Letter of Rejection to Oxford By Alyssa Newcomb FROM ABC News

2012-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

“I realise you may be disappointed by this decision, but you were in competition with many fantastic universities and following your interview I am afraid you do not quite meet the standard of the universities I will be considering.”

Che Guevara video FROM Reason.TV

2012-01-24T05:41:00.000-08:00

Before you wear a Che Guevara t-shirt, watch this video:

Bigoted Brits ban thin people, others not politically correct by Garry Reed FROM The Examiner [Short, funny, but a little hard]

2012-01-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

"But why ban too-thin models? Aren't we in the midst of an obesity epidemic? Shouldn't too-fat people be banned instead? But wait. That would make both Too-Thin People and Too-Fat People offended by Just-Right People."

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart's take on Foxconn

2012-01-21T06:24:00.000-08:00

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Why it’s China’s turn to worry about manufacturing By Vivek Wadhwa FROM The Washington Post

2012-01-19T21:29:00.000-08:00

"As my colleague Neil Jacobstein, who co-chairs the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics program at Singularity University explains, there are three exponentially accelerating technologies—artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital manufacturing—that will reshape the competitive landscape for manufacturing."

Tale of Two Small Countries by Richard W. Rahn FROM The Cato Institute

2012-01-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

"Belize has a more investor-friendly tax system than the United States, but Cayman has no corporate or individual income taxes on noncitizens and citizens alike—advantage Cayman."

Math Vindicates S&P Debt Downgrade by Michael Pento FROM PrudentBear.com

2012-01-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

"In the year 2000, the debt as a percentage of revenue had grown to 280%. Today, it has skyrocketed to 700% of revenue…and if you think that is worth panicking over you are absolutely correct."

Michigan Bar Owners Bounce Lawmakers to Protest Smoking Ban By Judson Berger FROM FOX News

2012-01-15T03:36:00.000-08:00

"Sales of alcohol, food and lotto tickets all fell -- the drop-off in revenue was more pronounced among smaller establishments."

Floyd Mayweather: Too big to jail by Garry Reed FROM Libertarian News Examiner

2012-01-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

"Harris may have more interest in a monetary settlement than jail time for her attacker. How is she compensated by Mayweather sitting in a cage for several months?"

A U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance? by Jason Gots FROM Big Think [very short article]

2012-01-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

"Ferguson sees America’s current economic woes as part of a broader historical decline in values and characteristics that made the nation great."

Nipping burglary in the bud FROM The Economist

2012-01-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

"Dogs have an embarrassing habit of fawning on intruders."

It's a Man vs. Machine Recovery By David J. Lynch FROM Businessweek

2012-01-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

"The U.S. produces almost one-quarter more goods and services today than it did in 1999, while using almost precisely the same number of workers."

Maybe hard work is the key to a long life by Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D. FROM Psychology Today

2012-01-06T07:02:00.000-08:00

"But the longevity studies suggest that those people who take it easy - the ones who have rather carefree lives, without a lot of career and work commitments, are more prone to die early."

2012: The Alan Turing Year by Daniel Honan FROM Big Think

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

"He helped win World War II by cracking the German ENIGMA code but was persecuted by Great Britain for being gay."

Power Up Your Brain By Terri Needels, Ph.D., Toby Bilanow FROM Psychology Today [JUST page 2]

2012-01-05T02:52:00.000-08:00

"Many studies confirm the benefits of social interaction for mental vigor, including a landmark 10-year trial by Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, co-author of Keep Your Brain Young."

Violent Clashes Reported in China Over Mosque Demolition By EDWARD WONG FROM The NYT [Very short article, requires free registration]

2012-01-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

"Members of China’s other ethnic minorities, including Uighurs, Tibetans and Mongolians, have engaged in recent years in violent confrontations with ethnic Han."

Expert Chess Players Win by Tapping Into Intuitive Brain Circuits FROM Discover Magazine

2012-01-02T03:49:00.000-08:00

"The caudate nucleus is very well developed in rats and mice, while the cerebral cortex is very developed in primates … by becoming expert, shogi masters start to use all parts of the brain.”

Power Up Your Brain By Terri Needels, Ph.D. FROM Psychology Today [PAGE 1 ONLY!!!]

2011-12-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

"So patients who are better educated or more intellectually engaged seem better able to compensate for the disease, lending credence to the brain-reserve theory."

The Robot Hiring Boom Has Arrived Daniel Honan FROM Big Think

2011-12-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

"The use of industrial robot labor is spreading rapidly in China. Foxconn is an industry leader, and other manufacturers will have to follow suite."

The Car of Tomorrow Recognizes Your Butt By Chuck Squatriglia FROM Wired

2011-12-26T05:36:00.000-08:00

"The engineers behind the gadget say it was able to identify six different testers with 98 percent accuracy."

What is the Chinese language? FROM The Economist [very short article]

2011-12-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

‘Complexity’ Predicts Nations’ Future Growth By Josh Mitchell FROM The WSJ

2011-12-24T06:22:00.000-08:00

“It’s not years of schooling. It’s what are the products that you know how to make." -- Mr. Hausmann

Are guns or doctors more dangerous? [not sure of original source]

2011-12-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

PHYSICIANS

(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.

(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.

(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.

Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.

Now think about this:

GUNS
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million)

(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.

(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188.

Statistics courtesy of FBI

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.

Remember: 'Guns don't kill people; doctors do.'
FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN.

But almost everyone has at least one doctor.

This means you are over 900 times more likely to be killed by a doctor than by a gun owner!!!

The Law of Online Sharing By Paul Boutin FROM Big Think

2011-12-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

"He espouses a law of social sharing, which predicts that every year, for the foreseeable future, the amount of information you share on the Web will double."

This Video Will Keep You Out of Jail by Susan Herman President of the American Civil Liberties Union

2011-12-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

A very short talk. Just wait a few seconds for it to load.

Can creativity excuse evil deeds? by Dr. Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D FROM Psychology Today

2011-12-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

"There is some reason to believe that Polanski didn't feel, then or now, that he did anything wrong as a forty-something-year-old man having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl."

Bill of Rights Day: What's Left of Them? by Nat Hentoff The Cato Institute

2011-12-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

"Also, the new generation — and quite possibly others to follow — are recognizing that what they put about themselves on Facebook, Twitter and other newly quickening means of communication may be embedded in FBI and other government files."

The Higgs boson FROM The Economist

2011-12-16T00:29:00.000-08:00

"The purpose of the Higgs boson, however, is different. It is to inculcate mass into those particles which weigh something."

Shakespeare 'could help doctors become better' FROM The BBC

2011-12-15T02:21:00.000-08:00

"Shakespeare had an extraordinary insight into the psychology of human beings, extending to the emotional effects on the body."

It Pays to Be Stubborn: Conflict Resolution, Steven Pinker-Style by Megan Erickson FROM Big Think

2011-12-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

"Do stubborn people actually win? Maybe the reason they take such an aggressive approach every time is that it works, says Steven Pinker."

The Future of Solar Power By Bill Weir, C. Michael Kim & David Miller FROM Yahoo! News [very short article]

2011-12-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

"Inspired by the way trees spread their leaves to capture sunlight, MIT Engineering Professor Jeffery Grossman wondered how efficient a three-dimensional shape covered in solar cells could be."

Dan Gilbert asks, Why are we happy? FROM Ted Talk

2011-12-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

Germany’s debt brake FROM The Economist

2011-12-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

"Germany’s constitutional Schuldenbremse [German for debt brake] of 2009 is likely to be the model for the 15 euro-zone countries that do not yet have one."

Incidentally, the German word for debt, Schulden, is related to the German word for guilty, schuldig.

How Power Corrupts Leaders by Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D. FROM Psychology Today

2011-12-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

"A leader can use his or her power to benefit others, but can also gain personally (there are no poor former U.S. Presidents!)."

U.S. foreign arms sales reach $34.8 billion FROM The Baltimore Sun

2011-12-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

Biggest buyers and total spent:

1. Afghan Security Forces, $5.4 billion

2. Taiwan government, $4.9 billion

3. India, $4.5 billion

4. Australia, $3.9 billion

5. Saudi Arabia, $3.5 billion

6. Iraq, $2.0 billion

7. United Arab Emirates, $1.5 billion

8. Israel, $1.4 billion

9. Japan, $500 million

10.Sweden, $500 million ???????? I don't quite get this one.

Habituation from Thought: Thinking Can Enhance Self-Control—in Eating and Elsewhere by Maria Konnikova FROM Big Think

2011-12-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

"Just be careful: visualize precisely what it is you want to become habituated to, including the actions involved, and do it many times over. Then, you may find that when that holiday dinner rolls around, you’ve already consumed so much of it in your head that you end up consuming less in real life."

Voting for a Face, Not a Candidate by Maria Konnikova FROM Big Think

2011-12-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

"These types of biases are extraordinarily difficult to fight—especially so when we are bombarded with pictures and videos of candidates as often and early as we are."

7 Tips to Know If You're Boring Someone by Gretchen Rubin FROM Psychology Today

2011-12-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

"We are always bored by those whom we bore.” - La Rochefoucauld

Julian Treasure: Shh! Sound health in 8 steps FROM Ted Talk [8 minute video]

2011-12-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

There is an interactive transcript on the right side of the screen.

Gold rush FROM The Economist

2011-11-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

"In total, Venezuela plans to move 160 tonnes of the precious metal from those countries to the vaults of its own central bank, as well as transferring $6.3 billion in foreign-currency reserves from banks in the United States and Europe to Russia, China, Brazil and other emerging economies."

Steve Jobs another Thomas Edison or Henry Ford? Maybe not by Pete Spotts FROM The Christian Science Monitor

2011-11-29T03:34:00.000-08:00

"He leaves a vast army of Apple acolytes who may propel his ideas to heights beyond Jobs's own reach." -- Rick Newman

How Inequality Hurts the Economy By David J. Lynch FROM Businessweek

2011-11-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

"Ultimately, unbridled inequality threatens social stability as rich and poor nurse their mirror-image resentments."

Crave Don't try bribing these robot prison guards by Tim Hornyak

2011-11-28T01:08:00.000-08:00

"With its upcoming robot theme park, robot teachers, and robot machine guns, Korea is beginning to rival Japan as a robot powerhouse."

The Physical and Psychological Benefits of T’ai Chi Ch’uan by Michael J. Formica FROM Psychology Today

2011-11-27T05:50:00.000-08:00

"From a physiological standpoint, T'ai Chi, much like Yoga, cleanses and invigorates by increasing the flow of fluids through the body, as well as flushing the lymph nodes and lymphatic system. Its practice increases heart rate and blood flow, and also prompts the movement of joints through their full range of motion."

3D printing FROM The Economist

2011-11-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

"The scanning was a breeze, but printing the part took 33 hours."

The First Thanksgiving: Reclaiming Jamestown From the Dustbin of History Daniel Honan FROM Big Think

2011-11-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

"During the 'Starving Time' of 1609-1610 the colonists were subsisting on starch from their shirt collars and 'the meat of their dead fellows.' "

Gabe Zichermann: How [video] games make kids smarter FROM Ted Talk

2011-11-23T00:59:00.000-08:00

It's good to hear the pro-video game argument for a change.

Spanish in America FROM The Economist [short article]

2011-11-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

"The third generation is completely immersed and fluent in English, speaking little to no Spanish."

Are You Depressed, Or Just Human? by Dr. Andrew Weil FROM Huffington Post [Originally published in 2009]

2011-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Dr. Weil's out with another book, Spontaneous Happiness so here's his take on depression. Can't agree with cutting out coffee though, as more recent studies suggest it can fight depression.

"Medically, thousands of studies confirm that depression, particularly mild to moderate forms, can be alleviated by lifestyle changes."

Duping Delight?

2011-11-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

Duping Delight is the secret sense of satisfaction someone has in duping (i.e., deceiving) others.

The politics is not the point, but since none of my students were familiar with the OJ trial in the US, I have had to find a local example.
Here is a spokesman for former president Chen explaining the assassination attempt. I don't know the real meaning of his "mystery smile," but it might well be an example of duping delight.

You can see the "mystery smile" at around the 15 second mark.

The Top 10 Relationship Words That Aren't Translatable Into English by Pamela Haag FROM BigThink

2011-11-19T01:34:00.000-08:00

Here is one considered to be particularly difficult to translate:

"Ilunga (Bantu): A person who is willing to forgive abuse the first time; tolerate it the second time, but never a third time."

Prepare for class!

2011-11-18T22:47:00.000-08:00

One of my students typically copies some text from various articles and asks me about it during class. I would say it is helpful. If you have the time, I suggest you do something similar. Here is a sample of his pages:

Japanese Guts Are Made for Sushi by Lauren Schenkman FROM Science Now

2011-11-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

"Because gut bacteria can squeeze energy from carbohydrates that human enzymes can't break down, these adapted microbes might help Japanese who dine on seaweed get more nutrition from their meal than do North Americans, she says."

So Long, America by Andrew P. Napolitano FROM LewRockwell.com

2011-11-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

"President Obama has waged war in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Libya, in Pakistan, in Somalia, and in Uganda; all without a declaration of war. The last time Congress declared war was December 8th 1941"

Unfortunately the US hasn't declared peace either.

-

Why Legalizing Organ Sales Would Help to Save Lives, End Violence by Anthony Gregory FROM The Atlantic

2011-11-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

"Indeed, why are organ sales illegal? Donors of blood, semen, and eggs, and volunteers for medical trials, are often compensated."

Land of the wasted talent FROM The Economist

2011-11-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

"UNLIKE an earthquake, a demographic disaster does not strike without warning."

Clean Hands, Clean Minds: The Psychological Impact of Physical Cleanliness by Maria Konnikova

2011-11-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

"So, being clean has an important psychological impact not just on our judgment of ourselves, but on our perception of others."

Berlin Restaurant Caters to Modern Cavemen by Alison Kilian FROM Spiegel

2011-11-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

"The truly obsessed build an entire lifestyle around the concept, mimicking caveman-era exercise -- lifting boulders and running barefoot, with some even emulating the blood loss they believe Stone Age hunters might have experienced in pursuit of their dinner by donating blood every few months."

Do the Incompetent Rise to the Top? by Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D. FROM Psychology Today

2011-11-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

" The problem is that often the best performer in the interview is one of the least competent workers (they're so good in the interview because they get so much practice, because they are often fired!)."

Four Reasons for the Right to Embrace, not Fear, the Article V Movement by Ernest Hancock FROM Freedom's Phoenix

2011-11-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

"Article V of the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures the power to initiate constitutional amendments through a convention of the states. It was designed by the Founders to ensure that the states held the ultimate check on the federal government—the power to directly curtail its power through constitutional amendments."

Mark Zuckerberg's new challenge: Eating only what he kills By Patricia Sellers FROM Fortune

2011-11-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

"His first kill was a lobster, which he boiled alive."

Shōgi showdown for supercomputer By TOMOKO OTAKE FROM The Japan Times

2011-11-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

" 'My master plan is, if a shōgi computer triumphs over humans, I would start programming go, and when I'm done with go, I'd move on to mahjongg,' he said, noting that programming complexities rise in that order."

Why Violence Has Declined Book Review By Robert Epstein FROM Scientific American

2011-11-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

"The shift toward nonviolence, he says, has been driven by many factors, such as the spread of agriculture and the rise of feminism and democracy."

Stop Subjecting Your Baby To Mozart! (Give Her Drama Lessons Instead) by Daniel Honan FROM bigthink

2011-10-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

"The children who took drama lessons were better at understanding the mental states of others, and they were more socially adjusted."

Chinese buy their favourite Bordeaux by the vineyard By David Chazan FROM The BBC

2011-10-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

"Much to the astonishment of European experts, a wine made in China recently won a major international award in the Bordeaux category, beating its French rivals in a blind tasting"

The 6 Main Reasons Why Most Pro Athletes Go Broke FROM Cosmoloan

2011-10-29T03:51:00.000-07:00

"Similar to lottery winners, with no financial prowess or discipline, most pro athletes go completely broke in less than 10 years after retirement."

Forrester urges IT to support the Mac By Philip Elmer-DeWitt FROM Businessweek

2011-10-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

Forrester Research discovers that Mac users are more productive.

Why Harley Can't Rev Up in China By Liza Lin FROM Businessweek

2011-10-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

"Local laws treat motorcycles the same as scooters and motorized bicycles, even though some Harleys have bigger engines than cars and may cost more because of import duties that can add 30 percent to the sticker price even before China’s consumption and value-added taxes."

Pamela Meyer: How to spot a liar FROM Ted Talk

2011-10-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

Visual display of income inequality between high and low earners in various countries

2011-10-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

Least earnings disparity: Sweden
Greatest earnings disparity: Namibia

Pakistan may rank "better" than the U.S and Taiwan, but I still wouldn't want to live there.

Move Over, China: Why India May Be the Better Partner for Latin America by Tim Padgett FROM Time

2011-10-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

"Moreover, whereas Chinese companies often seek to impose Chinese managers and labor on their projects in developing regions like Africa and Latin America, Indian firms seem more sensitive to the need to hire locally."

Argentina files criminal charges against consulting firm for publishing inflation data FROM Merco Press

2011-10-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

"The criminal complaint, initiated by the Commerce Secretariat, is the harshest in a series of legal measures against economists."

Get Anyone to Do Anything by Jack Schafer, Ph.D. FROM Psychology Today

2011-10-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

"The trick is to get people to do what you want them to do because they want to not because they have to."

‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement brings Jewish ethos to demonstrations by danielle fleischman & dan klein FROM jWeekly

2011-10-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

"Some Jews in the New York protest said they’re trying to combat a minority strain of anti-Zionism and anti-Semit-ism running through the movement."

A lot of these words are probably unfamiliar, so I added a really simplified definition.

Yom Kippur [a Jewish fast day]
Shabbat challahs [a Jewish bread]
Kol Nidre [the opening prayer on the eve of Yom Kippur]
mitzvahs [commandments]
Shabbat [7^th day of Jewish week, a day of rest]
kibbutz [an organized community in Israel]
Yom Kippur [a holy day of atonement]
Kol Nidre [recited declaration]
ex-Chabadnik [member of an orthodox Jewish sect]
yeshiva [a Jewish educational center]
midrash [a particular way of interpreting the Bible]
bimah [is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue]
Halal [food prepared according to Jewish law]
shul [Jewish house of prayer]
yarmulkes [a tight-fitting hat worn by Jewish men]

We fabricated drug charges BY John Marzulli FROM Daily News

2011-10-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

"A former NYPD narcotics detective snared in a corruption scandal testified it was common practice to fabricate drug charges against innocent people to meet arrest quotas."

Notes on Sweden's welfare state Written by Sam Bowman FROM The Adam Smith Institute

2011-10-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

SHORT Article

"Yes, Sweden is a high tax, high welfare country, but it's also remarkably free market by most other measures."

Which is how they can afford the welfare state.

Despair and resignation in Greece as more pain looms By Peter Graff and Renee Maltezou FROM Rueters

2011-10-12T02:21:00.000-07:00

"Public sector layoffs, a headline part of the latest reforms, break a 100-year-old taboo in a country where the constitution guarantees state workers jobs for life."

Chinese call for war was aimed at oil: academic By Shih Hsiu-chuan FROM Taipei Times

2011-10-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

"The CCP-run Chinese-language edition of the Global Times on Sept. 29 published a piece saying China should wage a war against Vietnam and the Philippines, two countries that have been assertive in defending their claims over the islets in the region."

How Geniuses Think by Michael Michalko FROM Psychology Today

2011-10-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

LONG article. Perhaps just read one of the sections, such as "Geniuses Make Their Thoughts Visible" or whichever one catches your eye.

"Genius is not about scoring 1600 on the SATs, mastering fourteen languages at the age of seven, finishing Mensa exercises in record time, having an extraordinarily high I.Q., or even about being smart."

Particles faster than light: Revolution or mistake? By Brian Vastag FROM The Washington Post

2011-10-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

"The neutrinos may have taken a shortcut along a fifth dimension (beyond the three dimensions of space and one of time), as proposed by exotic theories."

When It's OK (Or Even Advisable) to Quit by Barbara Markway, Ph.D. FROM Psychology Today

2011-10-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

Of all the stratagems, to know when to quit is the best. - Chinese Proverb

2005 Stanford Commencement Address by Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, delivered on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

I would suggest reading Jobs' own words!

Steve Jobs Obituary FROM The Economist

2011-10-06T03:19:00.000-07:00

“[Bill Gates would be] a broader guy if he had dropped acid [do drugs such as LSD] once or gone off to an ashram [Indian spiritual place] when he was younger”. -- Steve Jobs

Web users warned of 'search engine poison' by Georgia Waters FROM Sidney Morning Herald

2011-10-05T02:04:00.000-07:00

"Mr Ducklin said a common technique often used by scammers was to hack into a website and essentially split it into three by modifying what it will look like depending on who the user is."

Difference between Prison and Jail FROM Criminal Law Lawyer Source

2011-10-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

"Since jails are within the county where the individual was arrested, the jail isn’t very far away."

Standing Desks Are on the Rise By JIM CARLTON FROM The WSJ

2011-10-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

" A 2010 study by the American Cancer Society found that women who sat more than six hours a day were 37% more likely to die prematurely than women who sat for less than three hours, while the early-death rate for men was 18% higher."

Armenia Introduces Chess As Mandatory School Subject Posted on Chess Daily News and Information

2011-09-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

I learned to play chess at a very early age. But except for winning at chess, I'm not sure it had any other positive benefits, though the article suggests it can improve one's concentration, memory and calculation, among other things.

"Gharibian says playing the game of chess helps children develop responsibility and accountability for their actions."

The House of Shelves By Gilbert Mohtes-Chan FROM Inman News [At least look at the photo]

2011-09-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

"Numerous tests and experiments were run on models to ensure the structural integrity and convince city planning officials to issue a building permit."

Photo courtesy of Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio (Japan)

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/house-of-shelves.html

Patient died during Calif. nurse labor dispute By JOHN S. MARSHALL FROM Santa Cruz Sentinel

2011-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

"Hospital officials disputed claims by the nurse's union that the replacement nurses were not qualified."

Yasheng Huang: Does democracy stifle economic growth? FROM Ted Talk

2011-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

"It must mean that the country [China] had something so advantageous to itself in terms of economic growth to overcome the negative effects of the Cultural Revolution. The advantage the country had was human capital --nothing else but human capital."

Republicans’ Letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke

2011-09-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Chairman Bernanke,

It is our understanding that the Board Members of the Federal Reserve will meet later this week to consider additional monetary stimulus proposals. We write to express our reservations about any such measures. Respectfully, we submit that the board should resist further extraordinary intervention in the U.S. economy, particularly without a clear articulation of the goals of such a policy, direction for success, ample data proving a case for economic action and quantifiable benefits to the American people.

It is not clear that the recent round of quantitative easing undertaken by the Federal Reserve has facilitated economic growth or reduced the unemployment rate. To the contrary, there has been significant concern expressed by Federal Reserve Board Members, academics, business leaders, Members of Congress and the public. Although the goal of quantitative easing was, in part, to stabilize the price level against deflationary fears, the Federal Reserve’s actions have likely led to more fluctuations and uncertainty in our already weak economy.

We have serious concerns that further intervention by the Federal Reserve could exacerbate current problems or further harm the U.S. economy. Such steps may erode the already weakened U.S. dollar or promote more borrowing by overleveraged consumers. To date, we have seen no evidence that further monetary stimulus will create jobs or provide a sustainable path towards economic recovery.

Ultimately, the American economy is driven by the confidence of consumers and investors and the innovations of its workers. The American people have reason to be skeptical of the Federal Reserve vastly increasing its role in the economy if measurable outcomes cannot be demonstrated.

We respectfully request that a copy of this letter be shared with each Member of the Board.

Sincerely,

Sen. Mitch McConnell, Rep. John Boehner, Sen. Jon Kyl, Rep. Eric Cantor

8 Easy Organizational Tips to Increase Your Productivity at Work by Sherrie Bourg Carter, Psy.D. FROM Psychology Today

2011-09-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

"Albright, a certified professional organizer and owner of All Bright Ideas, citing a survey by Brother International, reports that the average worker wastes close to two weeks a year searching for things she or he has lost or misplaced, resulting in thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars in business losses depending on the size of your business."

The reason loneliness could be bad for your health FROM The Economist

2011-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

"Where it goes wrong is when loneliness becomes chronic, and the inflammatory response becomes chronic at the same time."

Interview wih Ian Morris on Western dominance FROM The Economist

2011-09-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Morris is the Author of Why the West Rules--for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future

Abolish the Department of Homeland Security by David Rittgers FROM The Cato Institute

2011-09-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

".... [W]e buy an 80-camera surveillance system to monitor an Alaskan town too small for a streetlight."

The demise of guys? by Philip Zimbardo FROM TED Talk [includes interactive transcript]

2011-09-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

"Boys' brains are being digitally rewired in a totally new way for change, novelty, excitement and constant arousal. That means they're totally out of sync in traditional classes, which are analog, static, interactively passive."

The economics of good looks FROM The Economist

2011-09-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

"A Chinese study confirms that the husbands of unappealing women earn about 10% less than those of their dishier counterparts."

The Social Security 'Ponzi Scheme' by Chriss W. Street FROM Big Government

2011-09-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

"The Social Security taxes on her salary were $24.75; her initial monthly check was $22.54; and she lived to collect $22,888.92. Essentially, Ms. Fuller earned a spectacular 925% return on her investment."