A study at Oxford University shows that exercising together appears to increase the level of the feel-good endorphin hormones naturally released during physical exertion. An unexpected result perhaps, though it reinforces the notion that team work is more productive than individual performance. We know that teams can be synergistic, that is 1 + 1 = …
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Author:astraea
From nothing to 43 marathons in 51 days. You can do it.
A less than athletic comedian has completed 43 marathons in 51 days in a run for charity. Wow! If he can do it, so can you and I. I guess it’s simply getting our of bed that’s the challenge … BBC: If he can do it… Eddie Izzard’s run 43 marathons in a row. How …
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Crisis: lessons not learned!
It is no surprise that headlines a year after the collapse of Lehman Bros declare that the lessons of the financial crisis have not been learned and there is no sytstemic improvement in the financial system. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says the rapid return to the City’s bonus culture shows real reform …
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$ 10 trillion and rising. Does it mean anything.
Another perspective released today is that everyone has spent $10,ooo each on the bailout of economies. $ 10 trillion is a lot of value, but may not mean much to anyone. It’s enough to buy a country, or two. We are were we are. The money is gone. The question remains about whether or not …
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Education – Kurt Hahn
From Kurt Hahn and the Aims of Education by Thomas James Kurt Hahn was suspicious of presumed excellence; he paid scant attention to the glories of unsurpassed individual performance, whether it be on the playing fields at Eton or the examination ordeal of the German gymnasium. He understood, as few educators have so well, the …
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“No morals at all” – has anything changed?
The story of Eileen Loiacono, a mortgage underwriter – deciding who her firm should lend to – at the height of the subprime lending bonanza, is a sad tale of fear and greed. She finally left the industry which had “no morals at all”. Has anything changed? Have those people suddenly gained integrity? What are …
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Will the new Japan stop barbaric imprisonment and death?
There are 100 people on death row in Japan. Many of them are elderly and have spent decades in near isolation. Conditions are primitive. The new government will be able to abolish the death penalty. Will Japanese people call for it? Will they allow it? It would be a healthy step towards cultural maturity if …
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DNA of potato blight reveals fearsome mold!
Scientists have decoded the DNA secrets of the notorious pathogen phytophthora infestans, or “potato blight”, which still costs the industry more than € 3 billion a year due to crop failures. When comparing P. infestans with similar organisms in the same genus, stretches of the genome stood out as being highly variable, unusually large and …
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Doing Business 2010
If you are considering international expansion, or relocation this report might help you understand the playing field. The ranking offers a quick reference point and the report outlines the areas of business regulation in most countries. It is often beneficial to have a local partner when entering a new market and may facilitate the regulatory …
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You can’t teach an old dog new tricks: Greenspan
Yes, Alan Greenspan is still around. He tells us that he predicted that there would be a crash and that there will be another. If he predicted it then he should have done a lot more to manage it, otherwise, given his position, his “prediction” is facile. Saying there will be another is as helpful …
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