By Jim Selman | BioAs we watch the devastation in Haiti on
television, the world recoils at the horror and the suffering,
mobilizes its resources and tries to clean up the mess and help the
survivors. The media forages, looking for who to blame (usually corrupt
or incompetent politicians). We’ve witnessed this scene following
earthquakes countless times: in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake 2008 when
69,000 died in China; in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake when 230,000
died in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand; in the 2005 Kashmir
earthquake where 86,000 died in Pakistan; in the 1923 Great Kanto
earthquake when 142,800 died in Japan; and even in 1908’s Messina
earthquake when 100,000 died in Italy. If we think about the
hurricanes, volcanoes, fires, tsunamis and famine, it seems the “Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse” are doing a fabulous business these days.
The fact is[Read More]
Loneliness is curable. Here are some easy steps to help get you engaged:
Reconnect with family and friends.
Let go of any resentments or regrets you have. Reach out to people you
haven't spoken with in a long time and do whatever it takes to rekindle
the relationship. Spend time with them and communicate using whatever
methods work.
Surround yourself with upbeat people. Choose your friends carefully. Happiness is just as contagious as loneliness.
Loneliness has been linked to numerous health hazards, including: high blood pressure, obesity, sleep
dysfunction, depression, compromised immunity and Alzheimer's disease and increased risk for cancer. A study published in the 2009 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
found that loneliness, like happiness, can spread through our social networks. The
study, which followed more than 5,000 participants of the famous
Framingham Heart Study for three decades, reported that loneliness and
feelings of social isolation can travel from person to person
throughout a social network up to three degrees of separation.
Researchers mapped out
Nobel Laureate Martti Ahtisaari has joined The Elders, replacing Muhammud Yunus who has stepped down due to the demands of his work. According to Mr. Ahtisaari, "Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and it is
intolerable that violent conflicts defy resolution for decades, causing
immeasurable human suffering. Martti
Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2008 for his
efforts on several continents
By Lauren Selman | Bio“Sarah…just saw Avatar, it was great!” “Mark…wants you to see Avatar!”
The facebook status updates of my friends keep pouring in. Not
interested in another blockbuster blow-em-up movie, I looked to my
various communities to see what people think and sure enough the
reviews are there too. Young and old, Democrat or Republican,
Eco-Conscious and Eco-Hating, the status updates had a clear message,
to see Avatar. Okay, fine! I’ll see it. I had been told it was an “environmental
justice” movie while other friends described the movie as a work of
“art,” so I didn’t know what I was in for.[Read More]
Enjoy this 18-minute TED talk with Devdutt Pattanaik on understanding how our different viewpoints of life and the world contribute to the clash of civilizations and have us misunderstand each other. [Read More]
By Jim Selman | BioMoods ‘color’ our experience of living. They
are all encompassing interpretations of the world—especially the
future—and tend to determine the quality of our lives. When we are in a
positive mood, the world is bright and we ‘feel’ great. When we are in
a negative mood, we typically want to withdraw from or strike out at
everyone around us. One of the most useful things we can learn as we
grow up (at any age) is that moods aren’t personal. First of all, they are involuntary. No one I know decides they will be
in a bad mood (although there are a few who more or less equate their
mood with ‘the way I am’, which can[Read More]
It's easy to get involved in the fight against climate change. You can
start by measuring your climate impact and then managing your
environmental footprint. Brighter Planet
allows you to watch your carbon footprint with an online tool
assessment that prompts you to answer questions, and a sophisticated
emissions model tells you what your footprint is. You can watch it
change over time as you learn to live a more carbon-free life. The site
also offers energy conservation tips and emission-reducing strategies
and lets visitors share their ideas and experiences. [Read More]
By Jim Selman | Bio
By Lauren Selman | 
By Shae Hadden 
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