C.M. Rubin's Blog, page 2

András Simonyi: 'Nordic Cool Power in Wasington': What the Nordics Teach About Nation Branding

Clearly, what is unique about the Nordics is not just their cultural appeal, but also their successful 'nation branding' efforts underpinned by strong attention to both soft and hard power.
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Michael Hogan: Oscar Pool: 5 Upset Picks That Could Help You Win On Sunday Night

After five months of speculation both outlandish ("The Master" for Best Picture!) and not so outlandish ("Argo" for Best Picture!), the Oscars are one day away. All that's left is the tired cliche about the shouting. We've made our Oscar predictions already, so now it's time to help those loyal readers who find themselves participating in Oscar pools on Sunday night. (Print your ballot here.) Ahead, five left-field picks that could help you secure glory in the living room and the office.
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Allen Hershkowitz: Backstage at the Oscars: The Environmental Advisor Speaks

When a culturally influential organization like the Academy Awards adopts greener practices, the benefits are threefold.
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Miguel Ruiz, Jr.: A Walking Away Point

Stress can make us press forward without recognizing the wall, but the quality of the work suffers because we no longer see the project with clarity. The "walking away point" is the moment we become aware of this wall and we make a choice to shift our attention, in order to detach from the stress, onto something that allows us to relax and open up our perception of what we are doing.
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Susanna Bair: Your Life Is Great! 5 Steps to Celebrating Instead of Complaining

The attitude of celebrating your life is healthy, both physically and emotionally. Not only that, but upbeat people attract other upbeat people, so by changing your attitude, you can set in motion positive reinforcement for a new and improved outlook. How great is your life already?
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Juliana Stock: Tips When Facing Fear and Stress

What I've come to understand is that courage isn't the absence of fear at all. It's taking an action or risk, making a move or decision in spite of it, and here are some of the tools that I found were handy.
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Cheapflights: 10 Oscar-Winning Movies About Travel

With Denzel Washington nominated in the best actor category for his role in Flight, Naomi Watts up for best actress in The Impossible and Life of Pi on the nominee list for best picture, movies that feature travel are in the running.
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Alana Horowitz: Disney Princess Half Marathon Playlist (LISTEN)

One year ago, I'd hadn't run so much as a mile since the presidential fitness test in high school. I've never had a weight problem, and I'd always assumed that since I live in a city and walk everywhere, working out wasn't necessary. But then I started my first job and began sitting. A lot. Like, eight or nine hours a day. I felt tired and restless. So, I decided to sign up for a 5k and get in shape.

It wasn't easy, but music carried me through it. A playlist full of my favorite songs helped distract me from the monotony of running. Truth be told, Rihanna got me through the first mile I ever did without stopping to walk. It wasn't long before I could run the 3.1 miles with ease and confidence.

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Tani Brown: On the Examination of Love

When I was in college, I was madly in love with love. I saw a glimpse of both my best and my worst self, driven by the thrilling vulnerability of meeting someone that could love both the good and bad parts of me.
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Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points -- So What Would You Cut Instead?

All week long, administration officials have been making a strong case that if the sequester happens, there will indeed be consequences that the country will face, and so far they've been doing an excellent job at making that case.
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