Effective States

I heard Ashraf Ghani yesterday on the Global Business podcast from the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/worldbiz/). There’s an interesting conversation about mobile phones and micro-funding in Afghanistan, amongst others. He has a kind of Yunis approach to the Economic Hitman problem, and has set up the Institute for State Effectiveness (http://www.effectivestates.org), which in turn has some good ...

Oxytocin news

Telling people about oxytocin is a particular favourite of mine, since I think we should all be aware of the factors influencing our feelings, especially if we’re about to make life decisions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin An interesting update to this was sent to me today, about a study in rats: “… these results suggest that oxytocin release, ...

Internet timeline

http://www.dipity.com/user/tatercakes/timeline/Internet_Memes/embed_tl?fs=1

10 skills to succeed at almost anything

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-skills-you-need-to-succeed-at-almost-anything.html Very useful. Via The Daily Networker http://www.dailynetworker.co.uk/

Daft Hands

Best chat up line ever

“We’re probably not going to make love tonight.” It plants seeds, and hits every trigger for an indignant pursuit of that which is denied. UPDATE 7th August 2008: Someone pointed out that “Come on, let’s go and have a naughty evening” is probably far better, since it’s more positive, playful, and loaded with opportunity.

Important post-apocalypse skills #35

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning

Another good you tube moment

http://youtube.com/watch?v=k6YkmQaJvas

Just don't.

…turns out it’s not such a good phrase after all: http://nsgcd.org/resources/factsheets/fs007.pdf

Book, er, prize?

Here are the books I’ve read in the last few years which have changed my outlook on the world and deepened my emotional capacity: Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card http://www.amazon.co.uk/Enders-Game-Ender-Orson-Scott/dp/1904233023/ Taught empathy and emotional articulation. The Happiness Hypothesis, by Jonathan Haidt http://www.amazon.co.uk/Happiness-Hypothesis-Putting-Ancient-Science/dp/0099478897 An historically mindful, scientific and socio-psyhcological review of the information relating to ...

Sandra Jordan

Sandra Jordon, the reporter in the Dispatches: Killing Fields documentary (see last post) is my new heroine. http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/sandrajordan

Bloody hell, Israel

I’m a little late watching this, since it’s two years old, but it still applies. Dispatches: The Killing Zone — http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5RAxay3jg8 I strongly recommend you watch it, and then do all you can to restrain yourself sufficiently to direct you anger wisely. I’m… well.. fucking hell. I’m close to Godwin-ing.

Summit findings

After the inaugural Bowel Movement Alpine Summit it was concluded that 1) “Just do it” is about as good as it gets as a motto. (Well done Nike.) 2) That after that, very little needed saying.

Life is great. It really is.

These just bought a tear to my eye. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3578168772014330138 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6309668192149177108 @Jules: “Good old Yellow Pages” – right?

"Look how much bad shit there is going on."

I think the media have a great deal to answer for. Let me explain. There is a great deal of bad news to be reported, that is true. But there always has been, it’s just that we were not aware of it before. We can let the woes of the world hang heavy, or we ...

Read regularly and often

If you’re not subscribed to both of these, you really should be: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/analysis/default.stm http://www.globaldashboard.org

Solar power

Enough solar energy falls on the UK in 45 minutes to power its needs for a whole year.

debate

I’ve just listened to 4h of “42 days” debate courtesy of the marvellous BBC. Never truer has the statement been, “Everything has already been said, but not everyone has said it yet.” No one is changing their minds, because the proposers are not open to reason; instead they seem to be solely intent on absolving ...

Umbrella

It’s interesting to realise that neither of our two words for umbrella (umbrella and parasol) indicate that they’re actually to prevent a soaking from the rain. Umbra = shade in Latin so an umbrella is to provide shade. Similarly para (against) sol (sun). It’s only the french parapluie which reveals its true intent.