29 June 2007
No kidding Einstein
Just occasioanlly, research seems to confirm the blindingly obvious... ScienceDaily: Cigarette Taxes Do Reduce Smoking But Can Lead To Bootlegging, Study Says
Advertising works
... just not directly: but the ad industry's instinct for attitude modification through clever use of imagery in relation to oblique desires seems to be borne out by this piece of research. "Adolescents attending schools in neighborhoods where alcohol ads litter the landscape tend to want to drink more and, compared with other children, have more positive views of alcohol"
And it seemed to me that the research seems to hold out hope for those of us who think that good attitudes modelled and talked about (not lectured at, though) while growing up may have good effects, "Prior research has shown that adolescents' intentions and attitudes about alcohol generally predict their later behavior"
ScienceDaily: Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink:
And it seemed to me that the research seems to hold out hope for those of us who think that good attitudes modelled and talked about (not lectured at, though) while growing up may have good effects, "Prior research has shown that adolescents' intentions and attitudes about alcohol generally predict their later behavior"
ScienceDaily: Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink:
28 June 2007
The Duke of Plaza Toro
Gotta say that this pretty much sums up where I'd got to in my thinking about Christian leadership in post-secular late modernity. We need to move from (ie "transition" -as a verb)
"1. lighthouses to rafts (attracting to attaching)
2. diving boards to surfboards (restructuring to reimagining)
3. orchestras to jazz bands (orchestrating to improvising)
4. generals to gardeners (controlling to cultivating)
5. spiders to starfish (retaining to releasing)"
But boy! it's tough sometimes taking a congregation with you: within the referenced article, there's a good example of how the corporate management culture of people can radically affect their approach to 'church'. Reminds me of a former church of mine who have recently advertised for a new vicar, my successor having recently moved on also, and they have put in the advert a reference to my predecessor: clearly they still want the 'successful' command and control approach he instituted. So there's a failure of mine up for view: I failed to convince them that 'the times they are a changing' and a new kind of vision of church is needed, especially at the leadership level. But it's hard to argue against apparent success. It was one of the things that convinced me that I really need to be more involved with pioneering than maintaining.
And in case you are wondering about the title: it's a Gilbert and Sullivan reference: a skit on a general who led from the rear; his bravery in question. I'll leave you to decide on how to apply it -if at all!
Anglican Cell UK:
"1. lighthouses to rafts (attracting to attaching)
2. diving boards to surfboards (restructuring to reimagining)
3. orchestras to jazz bands (orchestrating to improvising)
4. generals to gardeners (controlling to cultivating)
5. spiders to starfish (retaining to releasing)"
But boy! it's tough sometimes taking a congregation with you: within the referenced article, there's a good example of how the corporate management culture of people can radically affect their approach to 'church'. Reminds me of a former church of mine who have recently advertised for a new vicar, my successor having recently moved on also, and they have put in the advert a reference to my predecessor: clearly they still want the 'successful' command and control approach he instituted. So there's a failure of mine up for view: I failed to convince them that 'the times they are a changing' and a new kind of vision of church is needed, especially at the leadership level. But it's hard to argue against apparent success. It was one of the things that convinced me that I really need to be more involved with pioneering than maintaining.
And in case you are wondering about the title: it's a Gilbert and Sullivan reference: a skit on a general who led from the rear; his bravery in question. I'll leave you to decide on how to apply it -if at all!
Anglican Cell UK:
Naming changes responses the brain
while this is from a psychology-based brain-imaging study, it seems to me to be significant for my ongoing thinking about theological linguistics. The research answers the question
It seems to indicated that 'naming' is important, but not any old naming, in this case; it's the labelling of emotions that has a therapeutic effect. There is omething to the old adage that a problem shared is a problem halved.
Then there is the link to mindfulness meditation. It seems that mindfulness has a similar effect in 'turning down' the amygdala responses. For me there is also a link to Christian (well, theistic) prayer: the labelling of our responses (ie telling God how we feel) before God, I would guess, is also likely to have a similar result (apparently journalling does too): "Take it to the Lord in Prayer". Should we be concerned at the apparent Budhistic bias of the research (and note how objectivity in science can be subverted in all sorts of little ways)?
It also seems to me to provide a potential insight into why assertiveness techniques may help defuse situations.
ScienceDaily: Putting Feelings Into Words Produces Therapeutic Effects In The Brain:
'does seeing an angry face and simply calling it an angry face change our brain response' The answer is yes, according to Matthew D. Lieberman, UCLA associate professor of psychology and a founder of social cognitive neuroscience. 'When you attach the word 'angry,' you see a decreased response in the amygdala,'
It seems to indicated that 'naming' is important, but not any old naming, in this case; it's the labelling of emotions that has a therapeutic effect. There is omething to the old adage that a problem shared is a problem halved.
Then there is the link to mindfulness meditation. It seems that mindfulness has a similar effect in 'turning down' the amygdala responses. For me there is also a link to Christian (well, theistic) prayer: the labelling of our responses (ie telling God how we feel) before God, I would guess, is also likely to have a similar result (apparently journalling does too): "Take it to the Lord in Prayer". Should we be concerned at the apparent Budhistic bias of the research (and note how objectivity in science can be subverted in all sorts of little ways)?
It also seems to me to provide a potential insight into why assertiveness techniques may help defuse situations.
ScienceDaily: Putting Feelings Into Words Produces Therapeutic Effects In The Brain:
Kremlin lays claim to chunk of North Pole
Yesterday "Russia signalled its intention ... to annex a vast 460,000 square mile chunk of the frozen and ice-encrusted Arctic."
Now why would they want to do that? In pursuit of their aim to become a hydrocarbons superpower. As the article says; "geologists returned with the "sensational news" that the Lomonosov ridge was linked to Russian Federation territory, boosting Russia's claim over the oil-and-gas rich triangle. The territory contained 10bn tonnes of gas and oil deposits.... The shelf was 200 metres deep and oil and gas would be easy to extract, especially with ice melting because of global warming."
However there is a fly in this ointment, as another Russian scientist pointed out, "Canada could make exactly the same claim. The Canadians could say that the Lomonosov ridge is part of the Canadian shelf, which means Russia should in fact belong to Canada, together with the whole of Eurasia."
It then devolves into a matter of UN administered maritime law and the USA's animosity to the UN may result in Russia getting its way.
Kremlin lays claim to huge chunk of oil-rich North Pole | Russia | Guardian Unlimited:
Now why would they want to do that? In pursuit of their aim to become a hydrocarbons superpower. As the article says; "geologists returned with the "sensational news" that the Lomonosov ridge was linked to Russian Federation territory, boosting Russia's claim over the oil-and-gas rich triangle. The territory contained 10bn tonnes of gas and oil deposits.... The shelf was 200 metres deep and oil and gas would be easy to extract, especially with ice melting because of global warming."
However there is a fly in this ointment, as another Russian scientist pointed out, "Canada could make exactly the same claim. The Canadians could say that the Lomonosov ridge is part of the Canadian shelf, which means Russia should in fact belong to Canada, together with the whole of Eurasia."
It then devolves into a matter of UN administered maritime law and the USA's animosity to the UN may result in Russia getting its way.
Kremlin lays claim to huge chunk of oil-rich North Pole | Russia | Guardian Unlimited:
27 June 2007
Meditate To Concentrate
Hmmm; makes me more determined to integrate this into pedagogy! "Researchers found that even for those new to the practice, meditation enhanced performance and the ability to focus attention."ScienceDaily: Meditate To Concentrate:
Salman Rushdie is not the problem. Muslims are -Times Online
And don't jump on me: that's a quote from Muslim Irshad Manji commenting on the latest displays of OTT offendedness. He also says something very significant, I think. "I am offended that so many other Muslims are not offended enough to demonstrate widely against God’s self-appointed ambassadors. We complain to the world that Islam is being exploited by fundamentalists, yet when reckoning with the opportunity to resist their clamour en masse, we fall curiously silent. In a battle between flaming fundamentalists and mute moderates, who do you think is going to win?"
He then goes on to show how the odd time when people have demonstrated in favour of more moderation, there have been good things come of it.
Salman Rushdie is not the problem. Muslims are -Times Online:
He then goes on to show how the odd time when people have demonstrated in favour of more moderation, there have been good things come of it.
Salman Rushdie is not the problem. Muslims are -Times Online:
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