-rePost–Seth's Blog: How big is your world?

I’ll pretend I have readers!hehe!
Guys let’s all try to help Jacqueline Novogratz and Acumen Fund in thier work!

My friend Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, is at the forefront of making the world smaller. She has the unique ability to combine the financial and the spiritual in a way that does justice to both.
Her new book, The Blue Sweater, publishes in the United States this week. It’s the work of a passionate amateur, an honest memoir of someone who has lived a life most of us can only dream of. When you read of Jacqueline’s experiences as a naive banker newly arrived in Africa, or her extraordinary efforts to connect people of similar spirit but different cultures, you can’t help but become emotionally involved in the positive energy that’s spreading everywhere.
It may seem like this book has little to do with what I write about all day, or what you focus on in your work, but nothing could be further from the truth. No matter what you do, the smaller world is coming to your doorstep. No matter how you spend your day, the living, breathing, interacting big world is going to touch your private one.
An anonymous donor has put up $75,000 in a matching grant–if you buy the book this week, $15 will be donated to Acumen (for each of the first 5,000 copies sold). I hope you’ll take advantage and order a copy today. Thanks.
Seth’s Blog: How big is your world?.

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One Word Mood Changer Of The Day

Map of nations using English as an official la...
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A Thank You To Kottke here:
Mamihlapinatapai, a most succinct word.

It describes a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start. This could perhaps be translated more succinctly as “eye-contact implying ‘after you…'”. A more literal approximation is “ending up mutually at a loss as to what to do about each other”.

Heartbreaking. I wish we had an English word for that feeling. (via cyn-c)

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rePost: Better Press Corp Please:Chris Blattman's Blog: Heroes are born, not made

Heroes (TV series)
Image via Wikipedia

in the spirit of Brad Delong‘s Why Oh Why Can’t We Have A Better Press Corp!
The article is partly confusing or badly written.
the key paragraph to understand the way the writer tried to sensationalise this is

He said the research could lead to new training programmes – mental therapies or “push-ups” or medications to make others just as good at dealing with extreme stress.
“So much so we’re now getting to the point where we might be able to train people to do better under high stress and there might be ways to augment their hormonal system, mental health push ups might help to better deal with that stress.”
He said that it was not that the “heroes” were not scared but they just did not exhibit signs of panic.

and from the title

Heroes are born not made, scientists claim

Heroes are born not made, a study claims after it found some people just naturally have more grace under fire.

<Emphasis and underline mine>
They should have posted the actual statements of the study. for all we know  Dr Aikins may be claiming this but from my reading of the article he was just saying some people are biologically well suited to handle stress! Maybe i am wrong but I believe i am closer to the truth here!
read the telegraph article here:

Heroes are born, not made
Professor Deane Aikins, a psychiatrist at Yale University, said a small minority of individuals remain cool even in the most stressful circumstances.
His findings, based on research with the military, found that some individuals did not panic because their body naturally protected them.
Unlike the majority of people who were flooded with a stress hormone, they had much lower levels and also showed signs of another hormone that actually calmed them down.
Chris Blattman’s Blog: Heroes are born, not made.

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The song I've been listening to most for the past 3 months!

John Mayer performing at the Crossroads Guitar...
Image via Wikipedia

from here:
Title: In Repair
Album: Continuum
Artist: John Mayer
John Mayer Too many shadows in my room
Too many hours in this midnight
Too many corners in my mind
So much to do to set my heart right
Oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
Oh but if i take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unsteady
I am in repair, i am in repair

Stood on the corner for a while
To wait for the wind to blow down on me
Hoping it takes with it my old ways
And brings some brand new look upon me
Oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
Oh but if i take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unsteady
I am in repair, i am in repair

And now i’m walking in a park
All of the birds they dance below me
Maybe when things turn green again
It will be good to say you know me

Oh it’s taking so long i could be wrong, i could be ready
Oh but if i take my heart’s advice
I should assume it’s still unready
Oh i’m never really ready, i’m never really ready
I’m in repair, i’m not together but i’m getting there
I’m in repair, i’m not together but i’m getting there

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