Apple TV Ad - Your Verse

 (Thanks, Brandon)

Teen to government: Change your typeface, save millions

Baby wakes up dancing, thanks to Bruno Mars

Thanks for showing us all how to start the day off right, little guy! Read more at TODAY. (Thanks, Ann)

HBR Daily Stat: Could You Come Up with $2,000 in 30 Days?

A substantial fraction of seemingly middle-class Americans are “financially fragile” in the sense that they’d be unable to come up with $2,000—the cost of a major car repair or legal or medical expense—within 30 days, says a team led by Annamaria Lusardi of George Washington University. Specifically, nearly half of Americans surveyed in 2009 reported that they “probably” would be unable to come up with that sum, and one-quarter of the total were “certain” they couldn’t. Those in the “probably” group would seek to raise funds by doing such things as tapping family and friends, increasing their work hours, or selling their possessions.

Makes me think about why the work Moneythink is doing is critically important for young people.

TED Talk // Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?

Reminds me of this CK Louis talk.

 (Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava)

Conscious Uncoupling

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin announced their split today, through one of the loveliest possible separation letters, considering the circumstances.

Slate agreed, and had their own take on the letter.

The 41 Best Resume Templates Ever

Some of these are INCREDIBLE. Read more in the Muse. (Thanks, +Kathryn Minshew)

Inside The Barista Class

Great article on the life of a Barista in the service industry in America. It's long, but has so many good reflections in it. Read more in the AWL. (Thanks, +Brandon Kearse)

Uninsured People Don't Like or Understand Obamacare

The people the law was designed to help are far more confused about it than those who are already insured, a new study finds. Read more in the Atlantic. (Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava)

Duke as American foreign policy

Surprisingly true -- an excerpt:

This national consensus is fascinating, in that it seems utterly blind to what the rest of the planet knows deeply and profoundly: In world politics, we're Duke. Americans like to think they are Butler, the scrappy unheralded Midwestern underdogs one shot away from a miracle. But let's be real. The United States is a global superpower, since 1990 the unipolar hegemon atop the global order. In the Middle East it is the imperial hub, a status quo power with deep security and military alliances with almost every regime and global sanctions against the few remaining "rogues." When the world looks at the United States, it doesn't see Butler. It sees Duke.

Read more in Foreign Policy.

Thanks, +Samantha Pearlman 

Teaching Children to Calm Themselves

Learning these skills are among the most important in our lives. For some, trauma starts early:

When Luke gets angry, he tries to remember to look at his bracelet. It reminds him of what he can do to calm himself: stop, take a deep breath, count to four, give yourself a hug and, if necessary, ask an adult for help. 

Luke is 5 and he has been practicing these steps for half a year at school and at home, thanks to a program called Head Start Trauma Smart that currently serves some 3,300 children annually in 26 counties in Kansas and Missouri. “We used to have to do these steps four or five times a day,” said Connie, his grandmother (who requested that I change her grandson’s name and omit her surname). “Now we’re down to four or five times a week.”

Read more about the Head Start program in the Opinion Pages. So good for all of us to incorporate these skills day to day.

Great find, +Julia Chou

Starbucks CEO announces $30 million gift for U.S. troops

“I say this with respect, more often than not, the government does a very — a much better job of sending people to war than they do bringing them home” – Starbucks Chair Howard Schultz, on why he is giving $30 million to help troops acclimate once back home.

Cuff: personal security without sacrificing style

Cuff pairs to an iPhone, and one press will alert loved ones when you need them. Check out the Cuff website. And the PureWow story on the company.

TED Talks // Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud

(Thanks, +Sam Solie)

Career rocket fuel: Whether you're a millennal or eyeing retirement, here's what you really need to get right about work

Ogilvy One's Brian Fetherstonhaugh spends a lot of time thinking and talking about careers. Here, he offers a detailed plan for each stage of work life, designed with long-term success in mind. A surprising excerpt:

3. What percentage of your personal wealth do you accumulate after your 40th birthday?
Most people guess about 60%. Young people tend to guess smaller percentages like 40%. The real answer is 90%. The vast majority of personal wealth occurs after the age of 40.

And the ways to think about your career stages:

Career rocket fuel comes in three forms. And to take full advantage of Stage 1, you should accumulate all three types of fuel:
(1) Transportable Skills
(2) Meaningful Experiences, and
(3) Enduring Relationships

Read more on Fast Co Create. (Thanks, +Brandon Kearse)

That said -- all my 20-something friends, we should still continue to max out our 401(k)s and IRAs if possible. It's all about having assets that grow.

Woman With Cancer Moved to Tears When Her Friends Shave Their Heads

There will be tears. Read more in Mashable. (Thanks, +Samantha Pearlman)

Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chávez on 'Bossy,' the Other B-word

Confident girls are often called the other B-word, and it can keep them from reaching their full potential, write Sheryl Sandberg and Anna Maria Chávez. Read more in the WSJ -- and check out the video. It's worth the 12 minutes.

#BanBossy also published a fun 1-minute ad on YouTube.

Thanks, +Alexandra Davis 

I'm Kathryn Minshew, CEO of The Muse, and This Is How I Work

Woot woot, +Kathryn Minshew! Congrats on the Lifehacker post. Lots of great tips in there.

The Man Working to Cure His Own Cancer

"How one college student turned his struggle with chordoma into a successful research foundation."

Woohoo +Josh Sommer! Congrats on the Atlantic article. 

Thanks, +Julia Chou

Becoming Emotionally Self-Reliant

So important. Read more from Leo in ZenHabits.

Stock Market Surge Bypasses Most Americans, Poll Shows

"Wealthier Americans have a greater share of their assets invested in the stock market, while middle-income households have more of their wealth tied up in their homes."

Read more in Bloomberg. (Thanks, Tom)

What happens to our bodies when we exercise

Motivating! Read more in the FastCompany. (Thanks, +Claire Packer)

Ellen, Katy Perry, And A Hockey Player Walk Into An Ad And Shatter A Ridiculous Argument

Kinda cheesy, but a fun afternoon pick-me-up. (Thanks, Cassie)

For Everyone Under 90 -- The Secret To Connection

Read more in HuffPo by Larry Crandell.

+Katherine Stiner, shared the article and mentioned it reminded her of this quote from the Little Prince. It's one of my favorites:

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. 

I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, close at hand. And that hasn’t much improved my opinion of them. 

Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?” Instead, they demand: “How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?” Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.

The Katherine Woods version is my favorite translation of the book.

A Word of Advice ... on Advice

Americans are addicted to advice. Joe Queenan asks: So why are we still so screwed up?

Read more in the WSJ. (Thanks, +Sam Solie)

Woman Photoshops Present-Day Self into Childhood Photos

See more in My Modern Met. Talk about connecting with your inner child! The pictures are stunning.

Can We Learn About Privacy From Porn Stars?

Stoya writes an insightful article in the NYT. Also mentions the 'Duke porn-star' recent coverage.

(Thanks, L)

Six Ways America Is Like a Third-World Country

Depressing and puts a lot of things in perspective. Read more in the Rolling Stone. (Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava)

Reminds me of this Daily Show clip. Some of the interviews are cringe-worthy.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

(Thanks, Bobby)

A Letter From Ray Jasper, Who Is About to Be Executed

Read more in Gawker. (Thanks, +Julia Chou)

30 Nice Things

Here are 30 pictures that have been going viral on the internet, and they all have one awesome thing in common: they will restore your faith and hope in humanity and this world of ours.

See all of them in Viral Nova. (Thanks, +Julia Chou)

What to say when someone is being a jerk

This is brilliant -- and it works in so many situations. I want to sear it into my mind so I can use this every time instead of getting defensive. Read more here.

Thanks, +Samantha Pearlman

Most Shocking Second a Day Video

Seth Rogen Opening Statement (C-SPAN)

Fracking Boom Leaves Texans Under a Toxic Cloud

Disturbing; read more in Bloomberg. (Thanks, John)

Matthew McConaughey's Best Actor Speech at Oscars 2014

Delivered with such grace and strong messages: (1)The reciprocity of gratitude (2). Respect yourself so that you are better able to respect others (3) Find something to look up to, look forward to, and to chase.

"Male Executives Don’t Feel Guilt, See Work-Life Balance as a Women's Problem"

A couple excerpts:

The first difference between male and female execs is in the way they frame work-life conflicts. The men tend to choose work without regret when conflicts arise, because they frame their family role as “breadwinner.” This seems to alleviate any guilt. One interviewee says he doesn't regret his divorce because he was always a good provider and was able to achieve his goals, and now he spends more time with his kids on weekends. Another says: 

“The 10 minutes I give my kids at night is one million times greater than spending that 10 minutes at work.” 

As the authors point out, most women would not brag about only spending 10 minutes a day with their children. 

See more in Slate for commentary, and read HBR for the actual study. (Thanks, +Brandon Kearse)

U.S. Hopes Boom in Natural Gas Can Curb Putin

The Obama administration is seeking to deploy the vast new supply of natural gas in the United States as a weapon to undercut the influence of President Vladimir V. Putin. Read more in the NYT.

Unfortunately, think this almost single-handedly killed any hopes of finally address the undeniable environmental impact this energy revolution has had in the US.

Advice convicts would give their younger selves

Read more in FastCompany. (Thanks, +Claire Packer)

“Inside, we’re all seventeen, with red lips.”

Roger Angell writes a about getting older. It's so beautifully written -- and he is 93 years old -- on love, grief, happiness, and loss.

He writes: "Getting old is the second-biggest surprise of my life, but the first, by a mile, is our unceasing need for deep attachment and intimate love."

Read more in the New Yorker. (Thanks, +Julia Chou)

College, the Great Unleveler

Suzanne Mettler writes about some of the perils of for-profit education -- as opposed to non-profits and public education.

(Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava)

The Downside of Inciting Envy

Arthur Brooks writes an OpEd about how envy is kept at bay (or is it?) in American culture.

Reminded me of another favorite one, Alex Petri's article about the secret to success.

(Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava)

"My biggest challenge now is managing my energy, not time"

In a world where we are on 24/7, the best leaders have found a way to manage their physical, emotional and mental energies. How do they do it? Check out this article on energy management for entrepreneurs (and business people).

Thanks, +Sam Solie 

A Glut of Antidepressants

Stunning: "One in 10 Americans now takes an antidepressant medication; among women in their 40s and 50s, the figure is one in four."

Read more in the NYT. (Thanks, +Lucas Chapin)

HBR Daily Stat: High-Status People Perform Poorly After Being Humbled

On external validation:

When high-status people suffer a humbling loss, their performance tends to decline dramatically, because they’ve become dependent on their rank to maintain a positive view of themselves, say Jennifer Carson Marr of Georgia Institute of Technology and Stefan Thau of London Business School. For example, a study of Major League baseball players shows that in the 58% of salary arbitrations where players lost, the higher a player’s status, the greater the fall-off in performance the following year. If you’re a high-status person, sometimes the best way to cope with a work-related humiliation is to get a job with a new employer where you feel respected, say the researchers, whose study appears in the Academy of Management Journal.

Read more in HBR.

Oscar Winner Lupita Nyong'o's Speech On Beauty That Left An Entire Audience Speechless

Read more in Upworthy. (Thanks, +Julia Chou)

Durham Academy Weather Announcement

Yeah DA!! #NorthCarolinaPride.

Here's The Best Advice From A Single Guy Who Spent A Year Interviewing Couples

There's such great insight in here. Feel like many of us learn (are learning?) these lessons the hard way, and Nate beat us to the punch:

This was actually one of the most surprising things I learned on the journey. 

Self Love: The happiest couples always consisted of two (sometimes more) emotionally healthy and independently happy individuals. These people practiced self-love. They treated themselves with the same type of care that they treated their partner… or at least they tried to.
Emotionally healthy people know how to forgive, they are able to acknowledge their part in any disagreement or conflict and take responsibility for it. They are self-aware enough to be assertive, to pull their weight, and to give love when it’s most difficult. 

Commitment: After that emotional health came an unquestioning level of commitment. The happiest couples knew that if shit got real, their significant other wasn’t going to walk out on them. They knew that even if things got hard – no, especially if things got hard — they were better off together. The sum of the parts is greater than the whole. 

Trust: Happy couples trust each other… and they have earned each others’ trust. They don’t worry about the other person trying to undermine them or sabotage them, because they’ve proven over and over again that they are each other’s biggest advocate. That trust is built through actions, not words. It’s day after day after day of fidelity, service, emotional security, reliability. 

Establish that foundation, and you’re in good shape. 

Intentionality: This is the icing on the cake. There’s a difference between the couple who drives through the rainstorm and the couple who pulls their car to the side of the road to make out in the rain. (Yes, that’s a true story.) There’s a difference between the couple who kisses for 10 seconds or longer when they say goodbye to each other rather than just giving each other a peck… or nothing at all. There’s a difference between the couples who encourage each other to pursue their personal goals at the expense of their own discomfort or inconvenience… even if it means their partner has to stage kiss another woman. 

The couples who try on a daily basis to experience some sort of meaningful connection, or create a fun memory are the couples who shattered my perception of what was possible in a loving relationship.

Read more (surprisingly) in BusinessInsider. (Great find, Lucy)

Empathy in Creativity and Design Thinking

Read more in the Creativity Post. And check out the video! (Thanks, Cassie)

This is Your Brain on Yoga

An excerpt:

The anterior part of the frontal lobe, the prefrontal cortex, is the most evolved part of the brain and is responsible for positive capacities like concentration, happiness, creativity, and rational thinking. Studies using EEG have shown that meditation strengthens communication between the prefrontal cortex and other areas of the brain... 

...Neurological disorders are often the result of a neurotransmitter snafu—for instance, low levels of a neuro-transmitter known as GABA are linked to depression and anxiety. Recent studies show an association between regular asana practice and increased GABA levels...

Read more in Yoga International. (Thanks, +Kendall Dabaghi)

TED Talk // Roger Stein: A bold new way to fund drug research

What if this was one of the products you could put in your 401k portfolio? (Thanks, Xaiolu)

Life and Death in Assisted Living: A FrontLine Special

Read more in DW. And check out the full-length PBS documentary. This is going to affect more and more of us as we (and our parents) live longer with better technologies. There are definite benefits and challenges with extending end of life and how to provide the best care for our loved ones.

(Thanks, +Samantha Pearlman)

GASLAND Part II Documentary on HBO

Our shale revolution will touch all Americans in some way or another -- through work, energy consumption, relationship with foreign bodies, environmental and health impacts.

There are lots of arguments and perspectives on this new technology, and it's important to understand what drives all of of those perspectives (pro and against) to get to a strategy that is the most beneficial for all. The new Gasland documentary is going to be a big voice in that discussion.

There are difficult, but important,  trade-offs in this industry, and in order to make the best decisions, all sides will need to come together and have those tough, transparent, fact-based discussions.

Go Sam!!

Woot woot. Dukie pride + inspiration.

+Sam Solie, impressive way to be courageous, open yourself to a huge audience, and walk the talk for them to do the same.