We’re Not Ready for a Flu(flo͞o) Pandemic(panˈdemik)

By Michaiel T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker

The influenza(ˌinflo͞oˈenzə) season is just getting started in the United States, and it already promises(ˈpräməs) to be more severe(səˈvi(ə)r) than usual(ˈyo͞oZHo͞oəl). Hospital emergency(iˈmərjənsē) rooms are filling up with flu sufferers(ˈsəfər), and pharmacies(ˈfärməsē) have reported medicine(ˈmedisən) shortages(ˈSHôrtij). Twelve children had died as of last month(mənTH). To make matters worse, in Australia(ôˈstrālyə,əˈstrāl-), which experienced(ikˈspi(ə)rēənst) its flu season four to six months ago, the current vaccine(vakˈsēn) appeared(əˈpi(ə)r) to be only about 10 percent effective(iˈfektiv) against this year’s dominant(ˈdämənənt) strain(strān).

Yet as bad as this winter’s epidemic(ˌepiˈdemik) is, it won’t compare with the flu pandemic that is almost certainly(ˈsərtnlē) on the horizon(həˈrīzən) if we don’t dedicate(ˈdediˌkāt) energy(ˈenərjē) and resources(riˈsôrs,riˈzôrs,ˈrēˈzôrs,ˈrēˌsôrs) to a universal(ˌyo͞onəˈvərsəl) vaccine(vakˈsēn).

Influenza pandemics occur(əˈkər) when a novel(ˈnävəl) animal(ˈanəməl) flu virus(ˈvīrəs) acquires(əˈkwī(ə)r) the ability to infect(inˈfekt) humans and they, in turn, transmit it to other humans. The 1918-19 Spanish(ˈspaniSH) flu epidemic(ˌepiˈdemik) (which despite(diˈspīt) the name may have originated(əˈrijəˌnāt) in the American Midwest(ˈmidˈwest)) killed 50 million to 100 million around the globe(glōb). Accounts at the time described people falling ill(il) in the morning and dying that night.

Given the century(ˈsenCH(ə)rē) of medical progress since then, one might conclude(kənˈklo͞od) that we are far better prepared today to deal with such a worldwide(ˈwərldˈwīd) catastrophe(kəˈtastrəfē). Unfortunately(ˌənˈfôrCHənətlē), the opposite(ˈäpəzit) is true.

The world has about four times the number of inhabitants(inˈhabitnt) it did in 1918, including hundreds of millions of people, poultry(ˈpōltrē) and pigs living close together. This provides a potent(ˈpōtnt) biologic(ˌbīōˈläjik) mixing bowl(bōl) and natural(ˈnaCHərəl) influenza(ˌinflo͞oˈenzə) virus(ˈvīrəs) mutation(myo͞oˈtāSHən) factory. What’s more, nearly any point on the planet(ˈplanit) is accessible(akˈsesəbəl) to any other point within hours, and there are more than a billion international border crossings each year. The virus will spread(spred) rapidly(ˈrapid).

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/opinion/flu-pandemic-universal-vaccine.html

The Secret to Interpersonal(ˌintərˈpərsənəl) Happiness

By Leo Babauta

As much as we desire(dəˈzī(ə)r) being connected to others — good friendships, a wonderful romantic relationship, close family members — this connection always comes at a cost.

We get frustrated(ˈfrəsˌtrātid) by other people.

You know it’s true(tro͞o). You might be really(ˈrē(ə)lē) good friends with someone, but then they get angry(ˈaNGgrē) at you for some reason(ˈrēzən), or they behave without consideration(kənˌsidəˈrāSHən), and all of a sudden(ˈsədn), your mood is much darker. You’re not happy with them, maybe they’re not happy with you. Things can go sour(ˈsou(ə)r) very quickly.

This is such a difficult problem that you could devote(diˈvōt) entire(enˈtīr) books to ways of working out these kinds of conflicts and frustrations(frəˈstrāSHən). But I have one technique that, if applied(əˈplīd) consistently(kənˈsistənt), will lead(led,lēd) to a lot more happiness.

The secret: always take the good-hearted view of other people.

That takes some explaining, so let’s take a look at two ways of looking at other people:

The ill-intentioned(inˈtenCHən) view. When someone does something rude(ro͞od), you think, “Why do they have to be so inconsiderate(ˌinkənˈsidərit)?” or “Who does that?” Basically(ˈbāsik(ə)lē), you see their actions in the worst possible(ˈpäsəbəl) light, without putting yourself in their shoes. Most of us do this regularly(ˈreg(ə)lər,ˈregyələr) without realizing it. Anytime you’re mad(mad) or frustrated with someone, this is what you’re doing.

The good-hearted(härt) view. When someone does something inconsiderate — and I’m not saying their actions are justified(ˈjəstəˌfīd) — you can try to think of those actions in a good-hearted way. For example, maybe they’re having a bad day and are grumpy(ˈgrəmpē) — that doesn’t excuse their actions, but you can understand the feeling of being grumpy. Or maybe they were hurt by something you did (which you might not realize(ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz)) and they are lashing(ˈlaSHiNG) out because of that hurt. That’s not a nice way to react, of course, but we can all relate(riˈlāt) to feeling hurt and lashing out. So the good-hearted view is that this is someone you care about who is hurting. Forget the personal offense(əˈfens), think about their pain(pān), and be compassionate(kəmˈpaSHənət) towards that pain.

…
https://zenhabits.net/interpersonal/

Tide(tīd): About Us

Introduction

For over 70 years Tide has been changing the way we do laundry(ˈlän-,ˌlôndrē) and continually(kənˈtinyo͞oəlē) helping deliver(diˈlivər) the cleanest clothes(klō(T͟H)z) you can get.

Product X

The story began in the 1930s. David(ˈdāvid) “Dick” Byerly was a P&G scientist(ˈsīəntist) who was determined(diˈtərmind) to develop the world’s first heavy(ˈhevē) duty(ˈd(y)o͞otē) detergent(diˈtərjənt) which would allow for a clean better than any other product available. After 7 years of experimenting the project was cancelled but he kept working on it in his spare(spe(ə)r) time. After 14 years he finally created a prototype(ˈprōtəˌtīp) product that was quickly named Tide. Tide launched in 1946 and was called The Washday(ˈwäSHˌdā,ˈwôSH-) Miracle(ˈmirikəl). Since 1949, Tide has been the leading(ˈlediNG,ˈlēdiNG) laundry detergent in the US.

Top Load Washing Machines

The 1950s saw affordable(əˈfôrdəbəl) top loading washing machines(məˈSHēn) become available, providing households a chance to experience the benefits of a better wash. A box of Tide came packed inside each new washing machine to show the power of the two working together.

…

Liquid(ˈlikwid) Tide

1984 saw another huge((h)yo͞oj) laundry innovation(ˌinəˈvāSHən): Liquid Tide… A new self-draining(drān) cap meant consumers no longer had to deal with drips(drip).

Tide with Bleach(blēCH)

Just 4 years later, Tide with Bleach was the first detergent with full strength(streNG(k)TH,strenTH) color safe bleach. Now consumer’s colors could get the same quality stain(stān) removal(riˈmo͞ovəl) and deep clean as their whites((h)wīt).

…

Tide Cold(kōld) Water

2005 saw the revolutionary(ˌrevəˈlo͞oSHəˌnerē) Tide Cold Water introduced(ˌintrəˈd(y)o͞os). Formulated(ˈfôrmyəˌlāt) with special ingredients(iNG-,inˈgrēdēənt) and designed(dəˈzīn) to give a powerful clean with less heat(hēt), it allowed consumers to wash at a lower temperature(-ˌCHo͝or,ˈtemp(ə)rəCHər), saving them money.

Tide to Go

But it was 2005’s other invention(inˈvenSHən) that set pulses(pəls) racing(ˈrāsiNG). The Tide to Go Stain(stān) Releaser(riˈlēs) Pen allowed consumers to touch(təCH) up stains anywhere and in any situation on-the-go.

…

Tide PODS®

Tide PODS® was launched in 2012. Now consumers don’t need to worry about dosing(dōs): one little pac(pak) is all that’s needed. A single pac can clean, fight(fīt) stains and brighten(ˈbrītn) with no pouring(pôr) or spills(spil).

https://tide.com/en-us/about-tide/about-us

For Doctors(ˈdäktər), Age May Be More Than a Number

By Haider(hēdər) Javed(həvēdə) Warraich

When I went on Terry(təri) Gross’s(grōs) radio(ˈrādēˌō) show last year, the very first question(ˈkwesCHən) she asked me was one I get asked during my work as a doctor all the time:

“Can I ask how old you are?”

“Twenty-nine.”

“So when family members or loved ones see you,” she went on, “do they ever look at you and go, ‘You’re so young, how can I trust(trəst) you?’”

In many professions(prəˈfeSHən), a premium(ˈprēmēəm) is placed(plās) on experience(ikˈspi(ə)rēəns), with age often(ˈäf-,ˈôf(t)ən) a surrogate(-ˌgāt,ˈsərəgit) for expertise(-ˈtēs,ˌekspərˈtēz) — but probably(ˈpräblē,ˈpräbəblē) no profession places more primacy(ˈprīməsē) on age than medicine(ˈmedisən). Nothing is more reassuring(ˌrēəˈSHo͝or) to patients(ˈpāSHənt) than seeing a silver(ˈsilvər)-haired(he(ə)r) doctor walk up to their bedside. To this day, medicine is largely(ˈlärjlē) an apprenticeship(əˈprentisˌSHip), with young physicians(fiˈziSHən) huddling(ˈhədl) around older physicians, straining(strān) to catch every word, so as to not lose(lo͞oz) a nugget(ˈnəgət) of wisdom(ˈwizdəm). Experience(ikˈspi(ə)rēəns) is even written(rātən) into our dress(dres) codes: Students in many medical(ˈmedikəl) schools cannot wear long white coats, unlike their seniors(ˈsēnyər); in some, even medical residents(ˈrez(ə)dənt,ˈrezəˌdent) can’t have coats that extend(ikˈstend) much below the waist(wāst).

Yet, as the field(fēld) evolves(iˈvälv) into one where data(ˈdatə,ˈdātə) and evidence(ˈevədəns) are beginning(biˈginiNG) to outweigh(ˌoutˈwā) anecdotes(ˈanikˌdōt) and opinions(əˈpinyən), one thing is becoming increasingly(iNG-,inˈkrēsiNGlē) clear: In medicine, a lack(lak) of experience may not actually be a bad thing.

A paper published last year by researchers at Harvard showed something very striking(ˈstrīkiNG) — patients being taken care of by younger doctors were less likely to die. Younger, less experienced physicians are also less likely to order unnecessary(ˌənˈnesəˌserē) tests in both men and women, to face disciplinary(ˈdisəpləˌnerē) action from state medical boards(bôrd) or be cited(sīt) for improper(imˈpräpər) prescription(priˈskripSHən) of opioid(ˈōpēˌoid) painkillers(ˈpānˌkilər) and other controlled(kənˈtrōl) substances(ˈsəbstəns). These findings are far from isolated(ˈīsəˌlātid): The majority(-ˈjär-,məˈjôrətē) of research shows a consistent(kənˈsistənt), positive(ˈpäztiv,ˈpäzətiv) relationship between lack of experience and better quality(ˈkwälətē) of clinical(ˈklinikəl) care.

…
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/opinion/sunday/for-doctors-age-may-be-more-than-a-number.html

Repeatedly(riˈpētidlē) follow-up to show you care

By Derek Sivers

I knew a music publicist(ˈpəbləsist) in New York City when she was at the peak(pēk) of her success. A few of her clients had hits, so everyone wanted to work with her. She was flooded(fləd) with new music.

Here’s how she dealt(dēl) with the flood:

Whenever someone would send their music, it would go into an inbox(ˈinˌbäks). That inbox was completely(kəmˈplētlē) ignored(igˈnôr).

Whenever someone would contact her to follow-up the first time, to ask if she’d received it, she would take their music out of that first inbox, and put it in a second inbox. That second inbox was also ignored.

Then if they followed-up with her a second time, asking again if she’d had the chance to listen, she would take their music out of the second inbox, and put it in a third inbox. That third inbox would get a listen if she had some spare(spe(ə)r) time.

Finally, if they followed-up a third time, she would take their music out of the third inbox, and make it a priority(prīˈôrətē) to give it a real listen.

She saw the shocked(SHäk) look on my face, as she described(diˈskrīb) this system. So she explained(ikˈsplān): “If someone doesn’t care enough to follow-up a few times, I don’t want to work with them.”

It wasn’t ego(ˈēgō). It was just a practical(ˈpraktikəl) way to deal with a flood, and a pretty(ˈpritē) good filter(ˈfiltər) for choosing new clients.

Maybe nobody else has an official(əˈfiSHəl) system like this. But un-officially(əˈfiSHəlē), they do. Overwhelmed(ˌōvərˈ(h)welm) people don’t have time for all the random first-contacts. Patience(ˈpāSHəns) and persistence(pərˈsistəns) separates(ˈsep(ə)rət) you from the rest(rest), and shows how much you care.

https://sivers.org/3in

Change(CHānj)

CHANGE

EXT: A STREET CORNER

RAY(rā), a man in his mid-fifties, is standing near an intersection

RAY

(To various(ˈve(ə)rēəs) passersby)

Excuse(ɪkˈskjus) me, miss(mis), do you have any spare(spe(ə)r) change? Anything at all, even the smallest penny(ˈpenē). Okay, well, you have a good day, ma’am(mam), God bless(bles) you, okay?

Any spare change, mister? I’m trying to get enough to take the bus downtown to—you have a good day, sir! God bless you!

Excuse me, miss, do you have any…well, thank you, may the Lord(lôrd) bless and keep you for your kindness. I’m trying to get enough to take the bus downtown to stay at the shelter(ˈSHeltər). I have $1.62(ˈdälər sent) right now and it’s $2.50 for the bus one way you know, so I only need 88 cents, ma’am, yes, if you’ve got it. Oh, yes, no, a dollar is great ma’am, because I had $1.62 and the bus is $2.50 and so now I have an extra(ˈekstrə) 12(twelv) cents to go toward a coffee. It sure does get cold here, but that’s never going to change, now is it? And I am blessed to have what I do, yes ma’am, I am.

Well, you have yourself a wonderful day, ma’am. God bless you for your kindness and you have a good day.

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Change

ABOUT KERING(kering)

We empower(emˈpou(-ə)r) imagination(iˌmajəˈnāSHən)

Imagination — the ability to conceive(kənˈsēv) something that does not yet exist — is what drives(drīv) us at Kering. It fuels(ˈfyo͞oəl) the creativity of our brands(brand) and makes us more resourceful(-ˈzôrs-,riˈsôrsfəl) as a business(ˈbiznis).

Our approach(əˈprōCH) to empowering imagination takes many forms. It means providing back-end services to our brands, so that they are free to focus on product design(dəˈzīn) and innovation(ˌinəˈvāSHən).
It means nurturing(ˈnərCHər) talent(ˈtalənt) and raising(rāz) the bar for sustainable(səˈstānəbəl) industry(ˈindəstrē) practices. It also means speaking out and supporting women’s rights in the Americas(əˈmerikə), Europe(ˈyo͝orəp) and Asia(ˈāZHə).

We believe sustainability is a business opportunity

For Kering, sustainable business is smart business. Smart business does not respect convention(kənˈvenCHən), it respects innovation, pioneering(ˌpīəˈniriNG) business models and outside-the-box-thinking. As our world closes in on its limited resources, new challenges(ˈCHalənj) will continue to arise(əˈrīz) for our Group, our industry and beyond.

Driven by this conviction(kənˈvikSHən), we propel(prəˈpel) our brands to lead with business practices that contribute(-byət,kənˈtribyo͞ot) to a better world economically(ˌekəˈnämik(ə)lē,ˌēkə-), environmentally(-ˌvī(ə)rn-,enˌvīrənˈmen(t)l) and socially(ˈsōSHəl). We believe that the payoffs(ˈpāˌôf) of becoming a more sustainable business to create positive(ˈpäztiv,ˈpäzətiv) value for our people and our planet(ˈplanit), make the endeavours(enˈdevər) not only worthwhile but also essential(iˈsenCHəl).
In light of this, we developed the Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L); a pioneering management tool that measures(ˈmeZHər) and monetises(ˈmɑnəˌtaɪz) the environmental impacts of our activities. Led by the insights of our EP&L, we focus our priority(prīˈôrətē) actions on sourcing practices, production processes and supplier(səˈplaɪ(ə)r) performance.

…
http://www.kering.com/en/group/about-kering

How to Get Your Mind to Read

By Daniel(ˈdanyəl) T. Willingham

Americans are not good readers. Many blame(blām) the ubiquity of digital(ˈdijitl) media. We’re too busy on Snapchat(snap) to read, or perhaps internet skimming(skim) has made us incapable(inˈkāpəbəl) of reading serious(ˈsi(ə)rēəs) prose(prōz). But Americans’ trouble with reading predates(priˈdāt,prēˈdāt) digital technologies. The problem is not bad reading habits engendered(enˈjendər) by smartphones, but bad education habits engendered by a misunderstanding of how the mind reads.

Just how bad is our reading problem? The last National(ˈnaSHənəl) Assessment(əˈsesmənt) of Adult(əˈdəlt,ˈadˌəlt) Literacy(ˈlitrə-,ˈlitərəsē) from 2003 is a bit dated, but it offers a picture of Americans’ ability to read in everyday situations: using an almanac(ˈal-,ˈôlməˌnak) to find a particular(pə(r)ˈtikyələr) fact, for example, or explaining(ikˈsplān) the meaning of a metaphor(-fər,ˈmetəˌfôr) used in a story. Of those who finished high school but did not continue their education, 13 percent could not perform simple tasks like these. When things got more complex — in comparing two newspaper editorials(ˌediˈtôrēəl) with different interpretations(inˌtərpriˈtāSHən) of scientific(ˌsīənˈtifik) evidence(ˈevədəns) or examining(igˈzamən) a table to evaluate(iˈvalyo͞oˌāt) credit(ˈkredit) card offers — 95 percent failed.

There’s no reason to think things have gotten better. Scores for high school seniors(ˈsēnyər) on the National Assessment of Education Progress reading test haven’t improved in 30 years.

Many of these poor readers can sound out words from print, so in that sense(sens), they can read. Yet they are functionally illiterate(i(l)ˈlitərit) — they comprehend(ˌkämpriˈhend) very little of what they can sound out. So what does comprehension(ˌkämpriˈhenCHən) require? Broad(brôd) vocabulary(vi-,vōˈkabyəˌlerē), obviously(ˈäbvēəslē). Equally(ˈēkwəlē) important, but more subtle(ˈsətl), is the role played by factual(ˈfakCHo͞oəl) knowledge.

All prose(prōz) has factual gaps that must be filled by the reader. Consider “I promised(ˈpräməs) not to play with it, but Mom still wouldn’t let me bring my Rubik’s Cube(kyo͞ob) to the library.” The author has omitted(ōˈmit) three facts vital(ˈvītl) to comprehension: you must be quiet(ˈkwīət) in a library; Rubik’s Cubes make noise(noiz); kids don’t resist(riˈzist) tempting(ˈtem(p)tiNG) toys very well. If you don’t know these facts, you might understand the literal(ˈlitrəl,ˈlitərəl) meaning of the sentence(ˈsentns), but you’ll miss why Mom forbade the toy in the library(-brərē,ˈlīˌbrerē).

…
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/25/opinion/sunday/how-to-get-your-mind-to-read.html

Three Powerful Techniques(tekˈnēk) to Get Better at Habits

By Leo Babauta

For many who started the year with great aspirations(ˌaspəˈrāSHən) and goals of creating new habits … it’s coming to the time of year when lots of people start to falter on their new habits.

That’s completely(kəmˈplētlē) normal, but we can do better.

We can figure(ˈfigyər) out how to overcome the difficulties that often plague(plāg) our habit-changing attempts:

We delay(diˈlā) starting on the habit.

Our minds start to rebel(rabəl) from the tediousness(ˈtēdēəs) of sticking(stik) to a plan(plan).

We rationalize(ˈraSHnəˌlīz,ˈraSHənlˌīz) not doing the habit.

With those very common obstacles(ˈäbstəkəl) in mind, I’m going to share(SHe(ə)r) three powerful techniques for overcoming them. They take effort to implement, but you got this!

Here are the techniques:

Focus on just starting. Set a trigger(ˈtrigər) when you’re going to do the habit each day — let’s say you’re going to meditate(ˈmedəˌtāt) when you wake up, or work out when you get home, or read during your lunch break(brāk). When the time comes to do the habit (the trigger happens), just launch into doing the habit, without delay. Focus on getting good at this skill of starting. …

Be completely with the habit. When you do start the habit, it’s very common to focus on getting through the habit, trying to complete the task. This is a mindset that most of us have all day long — we are just rushing through our tasks, trying to finish(ˈfiniSH) each one. But actually this is not helpful for habits. We want to be completely present with the habit, really feel the texture(ˈteksCHər) of the experience, and imagine(iˈmajən) there is no end, that this moment is all there is and ever will be. It can transform the habit, turning it into a mindfulness practice, and we can even find gratitude(ˈgratəˌt(y)o͞od) for being able to do it. We don’t have to do it, we get to do it. …

Pause(pôz) when you start to rationalize(ˈraSHnəˌlīz,ˈraSHənlˌīz). The problem with rationalizing not doing the habit is that we don’t often notice we’re doing it. We just start moving away from doing the habit. We just think, “It’s OK, I’ll do it later,” or “Screw(skro͞o) it, I don’t really need to do this,” or “Just this one time won’t hurt.” These are not helpful thoughts(THôt). Instead, we should learn to pause. Sit still, take a breath(breTH), and remind yourself of why you’re committed(kəˈmitid) to this habit….

I offer these three techniques to you, and I hope you’ll give them a full-hearted effort.

https://zenhabits.net/three/

PERSPECTIVE(pərˈspektiv)

PERSPECTIVE

INT: A DINING(dīn) ROOM.

Claire and her family are sitting around the table. Claire’s plate(plāt) of chicken is sitting untouched(ˌənˈtəCHt) in front of her.

CLAIRE

I’m not trying to be difficult, Dad. Mom makes great chicken. I’m not saying…okay, look. This isn’t just a decision(diˈsiZHən) I made up to get out of eating dinner. Do you know how stupid(ˈst(y)o͞opid) that sounds? Ugh, I’m not calling you stupid. I’m just saying…

Okay. Did you know that Americans eat eight billion chickens a year? That’s so many chickens! When I read that I thought of that Joseph(-səf,ˈjōzəf) Stalin(ə) quote(kwōt)? The one that goes, “One death is a tragedy(ˈtrajidē); a million deaths is a statistic(stəˈtistik)”? And I thought, “Why am I thinking about Joseph Stalin when I’m reading about chickens?” And I realized that it’s because we are causing a genocide(ˈjenəˌsīd). But not even a genocide. We’re not trying to wipe(wīp) out chickens. We’re breeding(ˈbrēdiNG) them so they can lead miserable(ˈmiz(ə)rəbəl), hormone(ˈhôrˌmōn)-injected lives inside filthy(ˈfilTHē) cages(kāj) and never see the sun. Then we slaughter(ˈslôtər) them and eat them or even just let them go to waste(wāst). That isn’t right. There’s no way that that is a moral(ˈmär-,ˈmôrəl) thing to do.

It’s not like you can tell me that chickens don’t feel pain(pān). I know they’re not smart, but neither are babies. That’s kind of not the point, right? They don’t think much, but they can be afraid and it hurts when you chop off their stupid heads! And, like, if we were killing kittens(ˈkitn) then people would be freaking(-kiNG,ˈfrēkən) out, but we’re not, even though kittens would probably taste(tāst) just as good as this stupid chicken!

Sorry, Mom. Don’t…don’t be mad at me! No, don’t cry, your chicken doesn’t taste like kittens…I assume. Look, ughhhh, just listen to me, okay? I’m just trying to give you some perspective!

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Perspective