21-Day Negativity Fast - who's with me?

[Miss Critter]

Kindness Breeds More Kindness, Study Shows

In findings sure to gladden the heart of anyone who?s ever wondered whether tiny acts of kindness have larger consequences, researchers have shown that generosity is contagious. ​

Goodness spurs goodness, they found: A single act can influence dozens more.​

In a game where selfishness made more sense than cooperation, acts of giving were ?tripled over the course of the experiment by other subjects who are directly or indirectly influenced to contribute more,? wrote political scientist James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego, and medical sociologist Nicholas Christakis of Harvard University.​

Their findings, published March 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are the latest in a series of studies the pair have conducted on the spread of behaviors through social networks.
In other papers, they?ve described the spread of obesity, loneliness, happiness and smoking. But there was no way to know whether those apparent behavioral contagions were actually just correlations. People who are overweight, for example, might simply tend to befriend other overweight people, or live in an area where high-fat, low-nutrient diets are the norm.​

The latest research was designed to identify cause-and-effect links. In it, Fowler and Christakis analyze the results of a so-called public-goods game, in which people were divided into groups of four, given 20 credits each, and asked to secretly decide what to keep for themselves and what to contribute to a common fund. That fund would be multiplied by two-fifths, then divided equally among the group. The best payoff would come if everyone gave all their money ? but without knowing what others were doing, it always made sense to keep one?s money and skim from the generosity of others.​

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/kindness-spreads#ixzz0hzLIldAU​

 

[Susan Horn]

DL, I absolutely love blue herons and this morning one was waiting on the pond's edge where I bring my dogs out each morning. Of course, my lab chased him, causing him to fly - loudly- to the bank across the pond. Did you know that they are considered a good omen and symbol of wisdom?

Susan, please post your salmon burger recipe. It sound delish. And I, too, will pray for your boys' safe arrival.

Hope you enjoy this song:

Blessed by Martina McBride Music Video on Yahoo! Music

That's cool about the herons. I didn't know about the wisdom/good omen thing, but I always FELT like there was something exceedingly special beyond mere beauty when I was blessed with a flyover or be near to them.

Salmon burgers are embarrassingly fast and easy. I bought frozen wild-caught patties from FTHOI. Put a little oil in iron skillet (I used coconut oil today) and heat it up. Put your frozen or slightly thawed patties in there and sear a few minutes on each side. When almost done, take the patties out of the pan and put in a LOT of fresh spinach, then put the patties back on top of the spinach. In no time the spinach will have cooked down and it's time to serve.

I added all the seasonings at serving -- a light sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt and fresh black pepper, plus a LOT of dill and generous squeezes of lemon. That's all I ate, but it would be nice to have a side of quinoa (my current favorite grain) or rice, or some sort of lovely bread...

 

[Susan Horn]

Miss Critter,

Thanks for the song. It reminds me of when the boys were little, and we lived at what is now the South Walton Montessori Academy, and at that time we had intentionally left the grounds almost entirely wild. Lots of scrub and vines and shelter for critters. The lightning bugs LOVED it, and every year when they came out, the whole place was like a magical fairyland with hundreds if not thousands of tiny, blinking, moving lights. We would go out and hang with the lightning bugs every evening. I've never in my life seen so many at any one time, except there.

Thanks.

 

[Miss Critter]

Susan, thanks for the recipe. I'll pick up some patties when I'm at FTHOI today. I've been looking for high-protein, gluten-free, egg-free breakfasts for Jr. Critter - challenging, to say the least. But we just discovered that we all like quinoa. Yay!

Thanks also for the memories of lightning bugs. Believe it or not, we had tons of them, too, in New Orleans, of all places. Of course, I grew up on the West Bank in what was a fairly newly-developed area back then. My sister and I would catch them in a jar, with holes punched in the lid, of course, and let them go after a few minutes. But they were so magical! It saddens me that overspraying has relegated them to a memory that this generation will never enjoy.

 

[Gidget]

The idea!!!!!!!!!!

I NEED this as I am right in the middle of moving - may not be on here posting but I'll be thinking about this as we make our move to Blue Mtn.

THANKS for the idea -and I'll catch up reading the posts soon.

Love and peace and goodwill to all SoWalers (or is it SoWallers?)
Gidget

 

[Susan Horn]

Susan, thanks for the recipe. I'll pick up some patties when I'm at FTHOI today. I've been looking for high-protein, gluten-free, egg-free breakfasts for Jr. Critter - challenging, to say the least. But we just discovered that we all like quinoa. Yay!

Thanks also for the memories of lightning bugs. Believe it or not, we had tons of them, too, in New Orleans, of all places. Of course, I grew up on the West Bank in what was a fairly newly-developed area back then. My sister and I would catch them in a jar, with holes punched in the lid, of course, and let them go after a few minutes. But they were so magical! It saddens me that overspraying has relegated them to a memory that this generation will never enjoy.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that we had a no-spray sign so we'd be free from SWMCD's spraying. No mosquito problem at all, because I sprayed with a garlic product that kept them away for months.

I somehow managed to convince SWMCD to test a similar (not same brand) product that many municipal departments around the country are using. For some reason, SWMCD's results showed that the stuff didn't work. I don't understand. Maybe it's the kind of thing that needs to be sprayed all around the yard and bushes, not just along the street which is how their trucks are set up to do? We sprayed all the bushes and vines and weeds and everything, and were free to wander without getting bothered....

 

[Susan Horn]

The idea!!!!!!!!!!

I NEED this as I am right in the middle of moving - may not be on here posting but I'll be thinking about this as we make our move to Blue Mtn.

THANKS for the idea -and I'll catch up reading the posts soon.

Love and peace and goodwill to all SoWalers (or is it SoWallers?)
Gidget

Happy Housewarming, Gidget!

 

[GoodWitch58]

Yeah, I forgot to mention that we had a no-spray sign so we'd be free from SWMCD's spraying. No mosquito problem at all, because I sprayed with a garlic product that kept them away for months.

I somehow managed to convince SWMCD to test a similar (not same brand) product that many municipal departments around the country are using. For some reason, SWMCD's results showed that the stuff didn't work. I don't understand. Maybe it's the kind of thing that needs to be sprayed all around the yard and bushes, not just along the street which is how their trucks are set up to do? We sprayed all the bushes and vines and weeds and everything, and were free to wander without getting bothered....

Susan can you give me the name of that product and where to purchase it? Thanks.

 

[scooterbug44]

Susan can you give me the name of that product and where to purchase it? Thanks.

Does it smell like garlic?

 

[GoodWitch58]

Great idea MC. She is one of my favorite writers/speakers too.

I love Blue Herons too. One day I was driving down Chat Holley going to pick up my granddaughter, it was the middle of the morning and not any other cars around...suddenly off to the side of the road just in the trees I saw a big Blue Heron, so I slowed the car and finally stopped just to watch him.

As I sat there in my car, he began to walk across the street in front of me--I was enthralled and didn't want to breathe for fear I would scare him away...as I sat there watching he crossed the street to the other side of road, walked slowly toward the trees, and then, stopped, turned and looked right at me as if to say, "have a good morning" and then, in one glorious sweep, he flew up and away toward the Gulf.

It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.