Hijacking Emotion Is The Key To Engaging Your Audience The default to emotion is part of the human condition. To better appreciate the role of emotion and what it allows an audience to do, we need to take a brief detour into evolutionary biology. The human brain can be understood as three separate brains working in tandem, if not completely integrated with each other. The primitive brain and the limbic brain collectively make up the limbic system, which governs emotion. When faced with a stimulus, the amygdala turns our emotions on. The amygdala is the key to understanding an audience’s emotional response, and to connecting with an audience. I have become somewhat notorious in the programs I teach at NYU for the way I start each class. Five Strategies for Audience Engagement When leaders are speaking to audiences that are under stress--even if the audience is merely tired or distracted--the leader can take the amygdala into account in determining how the content is structured and how the audience is engaged. [Image: Flickr user Howie Le]
How to Travel the World on $35 a Day: 100 Resources for Broke Globetrotters Probably the best time for traveling the world is when you’re young. You’ve got little to no real responsibilities and you’re still spontaneous enough to try almost anything. The down side? You’re probably pretty broke. Pricey plane tickets, disadvantaged exchange rates, and museum passes can add up to a lot of cash very quickly. Transportation: Finding discount plane and train tickets isn’t as hard as you might think. Airwise.com: Check out this Web site to find pricing and booking information for flights, car rentals, and cruises anywhere in the world. Lodging: You’ve already accepted the fact that your traveling budget is tight, alas no Ritz hotel in Paris for you. Hostels.com: Book a hostel anywhere in the world. Food and Drink: Part of the joy of traveling the world is exposing yourself (and your palate) to new flavors and traditions in the local cuisine. The Trailside Cookbook: This site has tons of tasty recipes for backpackers on a budget.
15 Web Tools to Enhance Language Learning With the world becoming more culturally diverse everyday, it is becoming increasing important for everyone to learn a new language. Whether you are learning for your career, education, or just want to increase you knowledge of other languages, the Internet provides a wide variety of tools that can enhance your learning experience. Here is a list of 15 free language learning tools to explore today: Popling – Popling is free online web software that is great for practicing language vocabulary without any real effort. Radio Lingua Network – The Radio Linga Network offers free online podcasts that you can use to enhance listening comprehension and language learning skills for 20 different languages. Livemocha – Livemocha is a free community language learning tool with online interactive lessons, user created courses, and language partners that are ready to practice with you. Babbel – The Babbel site is a free online learning portal for Spanish, English, German, French, and Italian.
How to take a broke-ass road trip There’s a saying that goes, ‘The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco’. It’s credited to Mark Twain, but that’s a lie; nobody really knows who said it. I wish I had. You know what else I wish I had? A friggin’ car! 1. (I know I just complained about not having a car, but I’m actually tied to my desk right now, so just look at my car reference before as a metaphor for ‘the freedom to not be at my damn desk’.) 2. If you don’t have wheels but aren’t too keen on riding with random strangers, you can always rent a car. 3. Still on the car-less theme, if you use Zipcar or one of the countless smaller local versions of car sharing, you can take a vehicle for multiple days at a time. 4. Don’t wanna spend too much loot on food while traveling? 5. You read Lonely Planet, so you know the drill, but just in case you don’t, I’ll break it down for you. 6. If you wanna save money on a road trip, don’t go to Disneyland, or any other theme park for that matter. 7. 8.
Europe's great cities on the cheap Last updated 11:38 20/09/2012 TAKE THE PLUNGE: Europe's most popular cities are also among its most expensive, but it is possible to do them on the cheap. Europe's cities have a wealth of historical and cultural and riches-but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. London HOTELS: Tune hotels (www.tunehotels.com), the hotel arm of budget airline Air Asia X offers dirt-cheap London lodgings from £35 ($A54). FOOD: London can be an expensive place to eat. THINGS TO DO: London is blessed with a multitude of free museums, art galleries and attractions. GETTING AROUND: Invest in an Oyster card ( and a good map, and keep in mind that sometimes it may be quicker to walk between stations than pay for the Tube. Paris HOTELS: Finding a budget bed in Paris is hard work, and you don't always get what you pay for. FOOD: Paris is the land of pastries and picnics, which should sustain you through breakfast and dinner. Rome Venice Vienna - Sydney Morning Herald
Camping Products: 10 Innovative and Latest Camping Equipment Are you planning a family camping vacation? Are you planning to take the best camping products along with you when vacationing in the outdoors? Here are the 10 latest and most innovative camping products and equipment. 1. A revolutionary idea for mountain bikers who want to cut the stress of weekend missions in the wilds, Topeak’s Bikamper is a cyclist’s take on the caravan. With two ventilation windows that double as a skylight for staring at the stars at night and a waterproof fly, the design is both functional and aesthetic. The astronauts were onto something when they invented puffy suits to keep the extra-terrestrial elements at bay. Padded and shaped to the human form, this tent-cum-body bag can withstand negative temperatures and has layered inserts which act as a mattress on hard ground. 3. Hung from a tree or any other tall structure that crops up in the wild, the cocoon provides comfort and pleasure in the open air at the same time. [ via: Dre Wapenaar ] 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
How to Travel Around the World for $418. “I have to tell you sir, this is easily the most ridiculous itinerary I’ve ever put together,” said the American Airlines operator the other night as I finalized plans for a worldwide adventure that would make Marco Polo blush. “Welp, that makes two of us!” I replied. And just like that, I had committed myself to almost nine months of international travel. Yes, that picture above is my actual itinerary. Beginning this January, I’ll start an epic journey that will take me across four continents, through at least nine countries, and into more than fifteen cities. Oh, and all of these flights are costing me a grand total of $418.36. Warning: I’m totally going to geek out on travel-hacking with this post, so if you have no interest in learning how to travel the world and visit awesome places for dirt cheap, check back in on Monday. This post is also quite lengthy at over 2500 words: grab some coffee, get comfortable, and let me show you how deep the rabbit hole of travel hacking goes. -Steve
photo-essay-7-beautifully-bizarre-beaches from matadortrips.com Beach sand comes in all kinds of colors. Jason Wire explores the diversity. Ever played Falling Sand? There’s nothing so satisfying as creating a technicolor sand-sculpture masterpiece and blowing it to smithereens with some explosive mouse-clicking. Red sand, Kaihalulu, Maui, Hawaii When a a breach in the Earth's crust lets loose a geyser of magma, the volcanic ash and material has to go somewhere, and, quite often, forms a massive conical structure called a cinder cone. Green sand, Papakolea, Hawaii Likewise, at the nearby Papakolea Beach, another cinder cone rich in olivine minerals -- a common component of Hawaiian lava -- spills forth a surreal pasture of dark green sand. Purple sand, Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California This beach looks like it's been taken straight out of some Lisa Frank stationery. Black sand, Santorini, Greece Pink sand, Harbour Island, Bahamas Glass sand, Fort Bragg, California Bowling Ball Beach, Mendocino, California
fairytale-destinations from opentravel.com - StumbleUpon Is it a dream or is it for real? These places will make you wonder whether you step into the land of magic and fantasy or still firmly stand on the ground. With unearthly nature, unreal landscapes or fairy tale architecture, these destinations will take you far away from your humdrum reality. Picturesque Colmar in France, considered the most beautiful city in Europe, looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. As if being the wine capital was not enough, Colmar, with its pretty squares, fountains and canals, is also called the "little Venice" (la Petite Venise). The Lord of the Rings' scenery of Faroe Islands truly makes you believe the archipelago is inhabited by hobbits and elves. Saksun, Faroe Islands. Castle Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Germany in autumn. It is not a sugary Disneyland construction, although it looks like a fairy tale palace occupied by some capricious princess. If there was a fairy tale about the enchanted land of clay, its setting would look like Cappadocia.
Travel Rant: On the Importance of Gratitude I’m currently settled into the lovely city of Vientiane, Laos for the Christmas holidays. I love it here – everything from the colonial architecture, the garishly colored temples, the wonderful food and the lovely, friendly Laos people. It has been a bit of an adjustment coming from Japan where you rarely see a foreigner and people move very quickly to this place that is absolutely brimming with Western tourists and where everyone takes their time. Many of the tuk tuk drivers have hammocks installed in the back of their vehicles and in the hot afternoon sun, can be seen napping away the afternoon. After the 25th we’ll be heading out to more rural areas of the country, in an attempt to get away from the huge number of tourists. A few nights ago we were sitting outside at a beautiful beer and food garden enjoying some cold BeerLaos. Some people carry an energy with them that is immediately negative. “Is it going to be good? Eventually the poor waiter, scurried away (again – hurry up!
Backpack in Southeast Asia on $20 a Day | MintLife Blog | Personal Finance... - StumbleUpon Tell your friends you’re going backpacking in Southeast Asia and they may smirk at the suggestion you’re getting in touch with your spiritual side. But there’s another kind of inner peace you may discover, the kind that can only come from saving money while still having the time of your life. Southeast Asia is beautiful, culturally rich and a place where its easy to live off of $20 or less a day. You won’t even feel guilty eating greasy street food–the cheapest way to dine–because you’ll burn off all the calories on the trail. Go now and you’ll avoid the crowds that come in peak season but still benefit from the cooler weather. Your biggest expense will be the airfare—getting there can be pricey, but Cathay Pacific’s All Asia Pass gives you 21 days to fly to four destinations and starts at $1,199. Mae Hong Son This northwestern Thai mountain region draws fewer tourists than Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, but it still has everything a backpacker would need. Currency: baht Ho Chi Minh City
How I Saved $10,000 in 10 Months (at an Entry Level Job) Editor's note: This post was originally published in April, 2011. But it still remains one of the most popular on Vagabondish.com so we're flashing back to it today for a little travel savings inspiration. Enjoy! Over the course of 10 months, I was able to save $10,000, working an entry level job, in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. – Los Angeles. I saved over half of my measly $2,400 monthly income despite the inflated costs of living. I don’t say this to brag (entirely), but to remind everyone that anything is possible if you focus enough energy towards your goals. #1: I Tracked Every Expense I saved my receipts and entered them into a spreadsheet at the end of every day. Here are what my expenses from January ”˜08 looked like (rounded up to the nearest $): Rent: $485Utilities (gas/electric/water): $35Cable: $15Bus/Gas/Transportation: $53Food/Vitamins/Supplements: $265Eating Out: $41House Items/Toiletries: $11Entertainment/Beer/Gifts: $230Education/Business: $70 Total: $1,165