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+ Can You Become a Creature of New Habits? The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — that anyone can do anything,” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book “This Year I Will...” and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters mediocrity. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.”

+ Bush Urges Myanmar to Let U.S. Help In France, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also expressed regret over Myanmar's policy on international aid, saying the country insists only on aid that the government would distribute itself and has spurned French as well as U.S. offers of personnel. Kouchner, co-founder of the French aid group Doctors Without Borders, said he had applied for a visa to travel to Myanmar to help coordinate but was highly doubtful it would be granted. / France has so far proposed $309,200 (€200,000) in aid. "It's not a lot, but we don't really trust the way the Burmese ministry would use the money," he said.

+ Aid for Myanmar Mobilizes, Mixed with Criticsm [NYT]... The Bush administration said Tuesday that it was offering $3 million in aid. But the American aid is to be funneled through a team from the Agency for International Development that had not been permitted to enter Myanmar as of late Tuesday.

In addition, Mr. Bush said he was prepared to use Navy warships and aircraft “to help find those who have lost their lives, to help find the missing, to help stabilize the situation.” Still, he added, “In order to do so, the military junta must allow our disaster assessment teams into the country.”

A Burmese political analyst called Mr. Bush’s condition “a cheap shot.” The analyst, Aung Nain Oo, who is based in Thailand, said: “The people are dying. This is no time for a political message to be aired. This is a time for relief. No one is asking for anything like this except the United States.”