xocea

Via TH: Standard Disclaimer: We know, second homes are evil. But they are such wonderful demonstrations of the talent of young architects, and they so often demonstrate how much can be done with small spaces. They just as easily could be first homes, and some of them are gems. more…

From Dmiessler.com: Most guys know about the nice guy paradox. It’s where they’ve been told since they were young — both by women and by society in general — that women like “nice” guys. And because they’ve been told this over and over, most guys grow up trying this approach only to have reality pee in their faces.

This bothers guys. A lot. Why would women claim to want someone who will treat them nice, but then repeatedly turn down or mistreat those that give them exactly what they want? Well, I have the answer, and like most major truisms it’s pretty simple:

Women like when guys are nice to them, but only when they don’t have to be. more…

Via CNN: Gimme a break. This ‘burlesque’ stripper gets ‘legitimacy’ just because she’s personally obsessed with old burlesque and it happens to be trendy? Timeless glamor my arss. Like most attractive women in entertainment as we know it, she’s perceived as more of a sexual object than a person. I don’t get a sense of legitimacy at all. I’m sure many men sense their pants tightening as a result of her ‘art’ though. Call a spade a spade. How absurd we all are. I’m not saying you can’t have elements of art and style in erotica or anything else beauty-related, but it doesn’t change the root point. Who are we kidding? Titillation is titillation. link

From Digg and infidels.org: Maybe it should be titled, “Relaity Check”. more…

I do Hate My Thirties: “I Hate My 30’s” is an irreverent comedy about the unique dilemmas that come from leaving your twenties behind and facing the realities and responsibilities of the next phase of life. Making a Living vs. Living the Dream; Settling Down vs. Hooking Up; Raising Kids vs. Raising Hell – such are the timeless conflicts for thirty-something’s, and while the endless onslaught of pop psychology and hot technology is intended to make life easier, it’s actually adding to the confusion. Think of it as a shot of old fashioned advice on the rocks of validation… with an irony chaser. more…

From NOVA Science Now: Once nurture seemed clearly distinct from nature. Now it appears that our diets and lifestyles literally change the expression of our genes. How? By influencing a vast network of chemical switches inside our cells. Called collectively the epigenome, the switches turn genes on and off and may account for the fact that identical twins grow less identical as they age. This new understanding may give us potent new medical therapies and even cures, because many diseases now appear to stem from errors in the epigenome, and such epigenetic errors seem easier to correct than genetic ones. Epigenetic cancer therapy, for example, already seems to be yielding stunning results. more…

Via CNN: The shooting deaths of four mountain gorillas — three females and an alpha male silverback — are prompting a United Nations agency to send a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rangers made the gruesome find in the southern sector of Virunga National Park earlier this week, said Flora and Fauna International, an organization that acts to conserve threatened species and ecosystems. The group said it is unclear who shot the gorillas or why. more…

From Treehugger: I had the chance to meet Leila Conners Petersen, the co-founder and president of Tree Media Group. Leila, along with Nadia Conners, co-directed the soon-to-be-released documentary The 11th Hour which is narrated Leonardo DiCaprio. The 11th Hour examines the human relationship with earth from its earliest glimmers of innovation, to the challenges humanity faces in the present, to the possibilities of the future. The makers … more…

Via 43Folders: The video for the Inbox Zero talk I presented on Monday at Google is up and available for free (wow, that was fast!).

The problem with the self improvement industry is that, by becoming an industry, it’s become too narrow. When people think of self improvement, they think of self help books, motivational seminars, hypnosis tapes, and get-rich-quick scams. While some of these products have value, they represent a small fraction of self improvement opportunities.

PickTheBrain.com takes a broader approach to self improvement, including any and all experiences that contribute to a fuller life. This site will help you use the power of your own mind to create the life you deserve. more…