Little Touches Mean So Much

MIND: Evidence That Little Touches Do Mean So Much

New research analyzed physical contact to see whether a rich
vocabulary of supportive touch is in fact related to performance.

“Psychologists have long studied …nonverbal communication

momentary touches, they say — whether an exuberant high five, a warm hand on the shoulder…

Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not, studies have found. A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long…

To see whether a rich vocabulary of supportive touch is in fact related to performance, scientists at Berkeley recently analyzed …professional basketball. Michael W. Kraus led a research team that coded every bump, hug and high five…

with a few exceptions, good teams tended to be touchier than bad ones.

The same was true, more or less, for players…“Within 600 milliseconds of shooting a free throw, Garnett has reached out and touched four guys

The same is certainly true of partnerships, and especially the romantic kind.”

http://s.nyt.com/u/zfH

Cheap flights Sites That Do Your Fare Digging

PRACTICAL TRAVELER: Sites That Do Your Fare Digging

Meta-search sites — among them, Kayak.com and Fly.com — search
hundreds of travel sites at once in a quest to identify the best rates.

http://s.nyt.com/u/B8a

meta-search sites — among them, Kayak.com,Fly.com and Momondo.com

Bing Travel next... had its own nifty feature, the Price Predictor, which uses algorithms to determine whether a fare is likely to rise or fall during the next seven days

Fly.com that found the best bargain

Fly.com also pulls fares from international consolidators, like Vayama.comand Airfare.com, which negotiate contracts with the airlines to sell tickets below the lowest published price.

A whopping 34% increase in Health Insurance premiums.

In California, Exhibit A in Debate on Insurance

With the health care debate stalled, the White House has seized on
fury about an insurer's planned rate increases.

http://s.nyt.com/u/Blh

As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividends

How do you give girls better chances of a good education, a better job, and less chance of becoming obese? Read on. HEALTH | February 15, 2010 Well: As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividends By TARA PARKER-POPE Two new studies found that girls' involvement in team sports can mean lifelong improvements in educational, work and health prospects.

NYTimes.com: A Viagra Alternative to Serve by Candlelight

DINING & WINE | February 10, 2010 A Viagra Alternative to Serve by Candlelight By SARAH KERSHAW Chefs and academics have been rethinking the list of alleged edible aphrodisiacs. "...chocolate’s reputation as an aphrodisiac is highly exaggerated, food researchers say." …male sexual response was heightened by the scent of doughnuts only if it was combined with licorice, not exactly a standard pairing. (The only combination of fragrances the study found to be more potent is perhaps even less common: lavender and pumpkin pie.) For women, most arousing was a tie between baby powder and the combination of Good & Plenty candy with cucumber. Coming in second was a combination of Good & Plenty and banana nut bread. The study, conducted by the Smell and Taste Research Foundation in Chicago, also found that the aroma of cherries caused a sharp drop in excitation among women, as did the smell of meat cooked over charcoal. The nostalgic recall triggered by odors, known as the Proustian Effect, has been embraced by some chefs who believe that eating should be a full-sensory experience, involving taste, smell and even sound.

A Mediocre Criminal, but an Unmatched Jailhouse Lawyer

"I didn't want prison to be my destiny. When your life gets tipped over and spilled out, you have to make some changes." "His gratitude for the quality of his life," the professor said, "is that of someone who has come back from a near-death experience." US | February 09, 2010 Sidebar: A Mediocre Criminal, but an Unmatched Jailhouse Lawyer By ADAM LIPTAK While in prison, a former bank robber transformed himself into an accomplished Supreme Court practitioner.

Vancouver Restaurant Recommendations

Vancouver restaurant recommendations - they all sound so appetizing. DINING & WINE | February 03, 2010 Critic: If Meals Won Medals By SAM SIFTON Where to eat in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is among the best food towns in the history of the Winter Games Richmond's Chen's Shanghai "charmless-looking little soup-dumpling shop in the middle of a mini-mall. But it serves terrific cold seaweed, thin, soft strips of kelp dressed in soy and black vinegar, with smashed garlic, and addictive cold steamed shrimp, spicy and sweet in their bright pink flesh." Richmond's Shanghai River "black vinegar spare ribs with pine nuts are reason to swoon: addictive jet-black nuggets of fried sweet and sour porkiness that can float a fellow into the city on a cloud of happiness." Kitsilano's Refuel (burgers, chicken) "A dish of crisp ling cod with Swiss chard, pearl onions and bacon nods with real affection to the restaurant’s past." Kitsilano's Maenam (Thai) "excellent house-made Thai sausage and a dreamy-good green papaya salad." Downtown's Sun Sui Wah restaurant (seafood and dim sum - crowded) Vij eccentric, no reservations,"graceful, deeply efficient service" CHEN’S SHANGHAI RESTAURANT 8095 Park Road (No. 3 Road), Richmond; (604) 304-8288. GUU WITH GARLIC 1698 Robson Street (Bidwell Street), Vancouver; (604) 685-8678. MAENAM 1938 West Fourth Avenue (Cypress Street), Vancouver; (604) 730-5579. MARKET BY JEAN-GEORGES at the Shangri-La Hotel, 1128 West Georgia Street (Thurlow Street), Vancouver; (604) 689 1120. THE POURHOUSE 162 Water Street (Cambie Street), Vancouver; (604) 568-7022. REFUEL NEIGHBOURHOOD RESTAURANT & BAR 1944 West Fourth Avenue (Cypress Street), Vancouver; (604) 288-7905. SHANGHAI RIVER 110-7831 Westminster Highway (No. 3 Road), Richmond; (604) 233-8885. SUN SUI WAH SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 3888 Main Street (23rd Avenue), Vancouver; (604) 872-8822. TOJO’S 1133 West Broadway (Willow Street), Vancouver; (604) 872-8050. VIJ’S 1480 West 11th Avenue (Granville Street), Vancouver; (604) 736-6664.

NYTimes.com: Journal Retracts 1998 Paper Linking Autism to Vaccines

Aha! No link after all between vaccination and autism. Ulterior motives were driving this researcher's results - research was funded by a group suing for vaccine damages. Very shady. HEALTH / RESEARCH | February 03, 2010 Journal Retracts 1998 Paper Linking Autism to Vaccines By GARDINER HARRIS The paper in The Lancet, which was retracted after years of reassessment, caused a sharp decline in vaccinations in Britain after its publication.

NYTimes.com: Rules Worth Following, for Everyone's Sake

Epigramatic pointers on where we've gone wrong with food in this country: “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” Feel free to use the gas-station restroom, but never “get your fuel from the same place your car does” “There is nothing wrong with special occasion foods, as long as every day is not a special occasion.” Those who sell the most healthful foods — vegetables, fruits and whole grains — rarely have a budget to support national advertising. “Cooking for yourself,” he writes, “is the only sure way to take back control of your diet from the food scientists and food processors.” “…eating at a table, not at a desk, while working, watching television or driving. If you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating, you’re likely to eat more than you realize.” “Stop eating before you’re full” “No snacks, no seconds, no sweets — except on days that begin with the letter S.” HEALTH | February 02, 2010 Personal Health: Rules Worth Following, for Everyone's Sake By JANE E. BRODY Michael Pollan's new book, "Food Rules," is an easy-to-digest guide to health and eating that could do almost anybody good.