Nook leads decline as Barnes & Noble Q3 2013 revenue down 8.8 percent to $2.2 billion

Currently the subject of many a rumor, Barnes & Noble just announced its quarterly results for Q3 2013 (its current fiscal quarter), showing what many expected: revenue is down almost 9 percent over last year to $2.2 billion, with gross earnings showing a precipitous 63 percent decline to $55.5 million. Despite well regarded (and priced) tablets, Nook business took one of the biggest hits, taking in only $316 million compared to $427 million over last year, a decline of nearly 26 percent. The company recently denied innuendo that it might be stepping away from Nook hardware altogether, but said in today's statement that it'll be "calibrating its business model" to look at reducing costs in the segment. However, with other expenses considered, the company has dropped $47 million so far this year, compared to a loss of only $11 million at the same time last year -- a trend which the Amazon competitor will need to put the brakes on, one way or the other.

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Source: Barnes & Noble

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Rosh Chodesh Society Conference Instructs and Inspires ...

Affiliates of the Rosh Chodesh Society (RCS, The women?s division of the?Rohr?Jewish Learning Institute) gathered from all?around the world?for a day of pedagogical training and inspiration. The second annual Rosh Chodesh Society Conference, held at the Jewish Children?s Museum, also offered RCS?s 130 affiliates the opportunity to bond and meet with fellow instructors who teach RCS?s professional curriculum in their communities.

Described by director Shaindy Jacobson as fueling a ?global spiritual revolution, one Jewish woman at a time,? each year?s Rosh Chodesh Society course is taught?for seven consecutive months throughout the year, on or during the week of Rosh Chodesh.

At the RCS Conference, experienced and novice?instructors alike expressed deep appreciation for the presentation by?veteran RCS instructor?Mrs. Rochel Holzkenner, an RCS affiliate in Las Olas, Florida, who focused on pedagogical tips and techniques for introducing guided discovery into their classrooms.

Mrs. Holzkenner is well-known among RCS affiliates for her masterful pre-recorded ?pilot? classes, which many affiliates use to help them prepare for their own classes. One of her central pieces of advice was to keep students on their toes, to?be a ?guide on the side? rather than a ?sage on the stage.?

?Sometimes our nature is to simply tell others information, to be the ?sage on the stage.?? said Mrs. Holzkenner. ?But if we allow our students to draw conclusions on their own, to have their own ?aha? moments rather than imposing information on them, that can have a much more powerful and lasting impact on how they absorb and internalize that information.?

Mrs. Rochel Flikshtein of Wilmington, Delaware, also addressed the conference, sharing her experience as a new affiliate, and expressing her gratitude for what Rosh Chodesh Society has helped her accomplish in her community through its professional curriculum, multimedia, marketing materials, and the online forum on which the affiliates support each other and share creative ideas for enhancing each lesson.

?I have to admit that I was hesitant to start teaching Rosh Chodesh Society. I wasn?t sure if the women would be interested in serious learning. But Rosh Chodesh society has exceeded my expectations. It?s had a lasting impact on the women in my community, whether by inspiring them to say brachos on food or to be more patient with their children. Through learning Torah with these women, I have been able to connect with them in a much deeper way. I have also become a better teacher and have expanded my reach in my community. It is a great?z?chus?to be a part of such an amazing group of women educators spreading light throughout the world,? said Mrs. Flikshtein.

Mrs. Carolyn Hessel, director of the Jewish Book Council and the most powerful woman in book publishing, made a?surprise guest appearance, sharing a brief message about her love of Jewish books and a new Jewish book club she has initiated.

As a surprise gift, each affiliate received a copy of the discourse Lehavin?Inyan Rosh Chodesh,?translated as?Feminine Faith?as?part of the?Chassidic Heritage Series published by Kehot Publication Society, which?discusses?the spiritual significance of?Rosh Chodesh and its relevance to women. The gift was sponsored in honor of the Rebbe?s shluchos.

The conference concluded on a (literal) high note with an inspirational, original song composed by Mrs. Jacobson. To listen to a [male] recording click on the play tab in the video below:

Source: http://crownheights.info/shlichus/375699/rosh-chodesh-society-conference-instructs-and-inspires/

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Nut-cracking monkeys use shapes to strategize their use of tools

Feb. 27, 2013 ? Bearded capuchin monkeys deliberately place palm nuts in a stable position on a surface before trying to crack them open, revealing their capacity to use tactile information to improve tool use. The results are published February 27 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Dorothy Fragaszy and colleagues from the University of Georgia.

The researchers analyzed the monkeys' tool-use skills by videotaping adult monkeys cracking palm nuts on a surface they used frequently for the purpose. They found that monkeys positioned the nuts flat side down more frequently than expected by random chance. When placing the nuts, the monkeys knocked the nuts on the surface a few times before releasing them, after which the nuts very rarely moved.

The researchers suggest that the monkeys may have learned to optimize this tool-use strategy by repeatedly knocking the nut to achieve the stable position prior to cracking it. They conclude that the monkeys' strategic placement of the nut reveals that the monkeys pay attention to the fit between the nut and the surface each time they place the nut, and adjust their actions accordingly.

In a parallel experiment, the scientists asked blindfolded people to perform the same action, positioning palm nuts on an anvil as if to crack them with a stone or hammer. Like the monkeys, the human participants also followed tactile cues to place the nut flat-side down on the anvil.

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1. Dorothy M. Fragaszy, Qing Liu, Barth W. Wright, Angellica Allen, Callie Welch Brown, Elisabetta Visalberghi. Wild Bearded Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) Strategically Place Nuts in a Stable Position during Nut-Cracking. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e56182 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056182

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/9aVopA3rbS4/130227183502.htm

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Why we don't eat horse meat: It's economics

John Carney , CNBC.com ? ? ? 18 hrs.

Why do we have such an aversion to horse meat?

The discovery of traces of horse meat in food products supposedly made of beef or pork has caused a scandal in Britain and, most recently, prompted Ikea to withdraw its Swedish meatballs from stores in 21 European countries.

Related: No horse in IKEA meatballs in the US, store says

The controversy is obviously about more than the mislabeling of food. The very idea of eating horse strikes many people in Britain and the U.S. as abhorrent ? despite the fact that horse is considered a proper food item in many parts of the world.

A new study from researchers at Oxford University says the roots of the taboo on horse meat are in the spread of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. But the real reason may be something more pedestrian: simple economics.

Although church authorities did attempt to root out the practice of eating horse in Northern Europe and the U.K. because of its perceived connection with paganism, there's no evidence that this was the decisive factor in turning popular sentiment against horse meat.

It seems far more likely that the aversion grew out of common sense home economics. Cows are just more efficient sources of food than horses.

Brian Palmer of Slate explains that in terms of caloric content, 3 ounces of cows give you more bang per pound:

A three-ounce serving of roast horse has 149 calories, 24 grams of protein, and five grams of fat. The same amount of beef tenderloin has 179 calories, 24 grams of protein, and nine grams of fat. Horse milk, which some Central Asians drink in fermented form, has one-third the fat of cow's milk.

To the contemporary eye, that may make it sound as if horse meat is healthier than beef. But that's only because we have ample sources of calories and fat available to us. For most of human history, that hasn't been true. Medieval residents of Northern Europe would have certainly appreciated the higher calorie, higher fat content of beef. Even without the scientific ways of discovering precise fat and caloric intakes, it would have been easy to notice that a serving of beef left you feeling more full than a serving of horse.

What's more, the different digestive systems of horses and cows mean that cows are more efficient eaters. A 2002 study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology found that horses eat 63 percent more than cattle. This isn't just a matter of bulk. Horses also eat more "digestible material" with actual nutritional content than cows, according to the study.

This is rooted in the differences between the digestive systems of the animals. Here's how Jessica Walling, a graduate student at Central Washington University, explains it at the Mustang Management blog:

[Cows and horses] diverged from common ancestors into two families known as Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla ? ruminant and cecal digesters. Fermentation in the cecum and the rumen is similar. However, horses are only 70% as efficient as cows at digestion. This is because cattle regurgitate and chew partially digested food as "cud," repeatedly. Food is ground into smaller particle sizes. Another reason cattle are more efficient is because the food they intake is digested by microbes before it enters the true stomach.

Given a choice between raising cows and horses for food, it makes far more sense to raise cows. To put it differently, people who preferred beef to horse meat would have been healthier, heartier and used available resources more efficiently. They would, in short, have been more prosperous and successful. Over time, the beef eaters would triumph over the horse eaters.

While early Christian leadership may have nudged some in Europe away from eating horse meat, it's very likely the more efficient culinary taste would have won out even without a papal edict.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/why-eating-horse-meat-taboo-its-economics-1C8565314

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How to create social media interaction for small business websites ...

February 26, 2013, 11:36 AM PST

Takeaway: Ryan Boudreaux shares some simple tips for social media sharing that will help you build relationships with customers, drive more traffic, and work on a small budget.

There are many ways to connect your website to social media networks, and it would be impracticable to cover them all in this article. So I have created this quick list of tips geared toward the small business website. In most cases small businesses have very limited resources for a chockablock marketing department or a generous advertising budget. These simple tips will help generate more traffic to your website and business and don?t require a big budget.

This article presupposes that you have already set up your business accounts with the various social media networks of your choice, such as Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Instagram, Pinterest, just to name a few.

1. Use images - People respond to images more than any other media type, so be sure to post at least one image per business day on your social media network accounts. Images can include business events, products, services, trade shows, conferences, business milestones, and any other activities related to your business.
2. Engage your customers - Be sure to get your customers engaged in your responsive social media. Reply, respond, re-tweet, and be sure to answer any questions or critiques that customers may post on your social media sites.
3. Build relationships - Don?t just hawk your products and services every day on the social media sites and don?t underestimate your customers and followers. Be sure to make interaction with your followers and customers the daily goal, and don?t create an expectation of getting sales directly from that interaction. You want to educate your following, provide information about your business, or maybe provide a Do- It Yourself type of tip that relates to your service or product ? something that gives your customers a sense that you are providing a personal experience.
4. Be creative and interesting - Sometimes you have to give the followers what they want or are interested in, and not just what you want them to get. This means being creative and funny on occasion. Think of a daily question or daily tip to post; make it funny or spirited. The more positive responses you have, the more exposure you will get.
5. Consistency - Be sure that all of your social media handles and profiles are the same. You want to maintain a consistent naming convention and interaction level among all your social media accounts and profiles. Having your Facebook account with a slightly different name than your Twitter account might confuse some followers, and could result in losing some customers or valuable interactions.
6. Timing - Start spending about thirty minutes to an hour a day on social media, and make a few posts typically in the morning, which is a good time to reach your followers; the hours between 8 am and 10 am are a good time frame.

This is a short list of tips that will get you on your way to starting a good social media interaction between your small business and your client customer following.

Do you have social media tips to share? Tell us about them below.

Source: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/webmaster/how-to-create-social-media-interaction-for-small-business-websites/2408

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HOW TO : Use Home Equity Loans to Pay Off Your First Mortgage (HD)

PERSONAL FINANCE. LOANS. HOME EQUITY LOANS.

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Learn All Those Complicated Laundry Instructions with This Handy Chart

Ever look on a clothing tag for laundry instructions only to find a bunch of hieroglyph-like symbols that you can't decipher? Primer Magazine has a simple chart that shows you what each one means.

Most of them are pretty easy to understand: a crossed out iron means "do not iron," a crossed out dryer means "do not dry," and so on. Other symbols are more confusing: a circle means "dry clean," a triangle means "bleach," and three dots means "high heat" inside of whatever other symbol is present. Click on the image below for a closer look.

Clothing Care Symbols | Primer Magazine via Reddit

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/G7p8YLp7XbU/learn-all-those-complicated-laundry-instructions-with-this-handy-chart

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Gunmen kill Pakistani officer escorting polio team

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? Gunmen shot and killed a police officer Tuesday who was protecting a team of polio workers during a U.N.-backed vaccination campaign in northwestern Pakistan.

It was the latest of several attacks on Pakistani efforts to eradicate the deadly disease, found in only three countries in the world. Militant extremists view the vaccination campaigns as Western-backed plots to gain intelligence in sensitive areas and have frequently targeted the medical staff and those protecting polio teams.

No polio workers were wounded in Tuesday's attack in the Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said police officer Fazal Wahid. At least two attackers were hiding in a field near a narrow road as the polio workers walked by on their way to visit houses in the area, said Mardan Police Chief Inam Jan.

"The polio workers were going door-to-door and one police officer was protecting them when the gunmen suddenly attacked them near an open area and fled," Jan said, adding that the police were searching for the attackers but that so far no one had been arrested.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and it wasn't immediately known whether the police officer was targeted because he was protecting the polio team or for some other reason.

Janbaz Afridi, a senior health official, said the polio vaccination campaign continued in various parts of the province Tuesday despite the killing. "We have taken best possible steps for the safety of polio teams," he said.

In 2012, humanitarian workers, including those working to prevent the polio spread, were repeatedly targeted. According to UN figures, 19 humanitarian workers were killed last year in Pakistan. Of those deaths, 11 were related to polio, including a rash of shootings in December when nine polio workers were killed across Pakistan.

In an effort to protect people administering the vaccine, the government has increasingly sent police officers into the field along with the vaccinator. But they have come under attack as well.

On Jan. 29, gunmen riding on a motorcycle shot and killed a police officer protecting polio workers in the Swabi district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Mazhar Nisar, a senior official working with the Prime Minister's polio monitoring cell, said at least 11 members of polio teams have been killed in various parts of Pakistan since December.

Some militant groups in Pakistan oppose the vaccination campaign, accusing health workers of acting as spies for the United States or the Pakistani government. They are also angered since it became known that a Pakistani doctor helped in the U.S. hunt for Osama bin Laden.

The physician, Shakil Afridi, ran a hepatitis vaccination campaign on behalf of the CIA to collect blood samples from bin Laden's family at a compound in northwestern city of Abbottabad, where U.S. commandos killed the al-Qaida leader in May 2011.

The samples were intended to help the U.S. match the family's DNA to verify bin Laden's presence there. In the recently released film about the search for bin Laden, "Zero Dark Thirty," a short scene shows a man going to vaccinate people at the compound where bin Laden was hiding.

The campaign however is portrayed in the movie as an anti-polio campaign, not anti-hepatitis.

The campaigns are made more complicated by the fact that many Pakistani residents are also suspicious of the repeated vaccination efforts going on across the country and fear the vaccines are intended to make Muslim children sterile.

Pakistan is one of the few remaining countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is rampant. As many as 56 polio cases were reported in Pakistan during 2012, down from 190 in 2011. Most of the new cases in Pakistan were in the northwest, where the presence of militants makes it difficult to reach children for vaccination.

The virus usually infects children living in unsanitary conditions. It attacks the nerves and can kill or paralyze.

__

Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-pakistani-officer-escorting-polio-team-100504002.html

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Omar tries to dispel fears over police bill (Lead)

Srinagar, Feb 26

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday sought to dispel fears expressed by civil society representatives that the proposed state police bill would give sweeping powers to the constabulary.

Abdullah clarified that the very intention of placing the draft of the proposed police bill in the public domain was to receive the public feedback which could then be incorporated in the draft bill before it is put to vote in the state legislature.

"Why this manufactured outrage regarding the draft police bill? It hasn't passed public scrutiny let alone been seen by me and the cabinet," he wrote on his micro-blogging site Twitter.

"Public feedback will be incorporated; Law Deptt will vet, I will clear it, cabinet will approve it, both legislative houses will vote on it. It will THEN go to Governor for his signature & FINALLY it is implemented so there is NO chance of bad legislation passing scrutiny," Abdullah said.

"This is why I ordered the Home Deptt to put this in public domain in the Ist instance so that feedback would lead to better legislation."

There has been a controversy in the civil society, especially in Kashmir, during the last few days with many arguing that instead of implementing its promise of having the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) revoked, the government was trying to bring in a legislation that would give sweeping powers to police.

But Principal Secretary, Home, Suresh Kumar said the draft Jammu and Kashmir Police Bill had to go through rigorous process of scrutiny like discussions and debate before it becomes a law.

"This is merely a draft bill, which could undergo changes after considerations of suggestions from public and other quarters," he said at a press conference in Jammu.

On the limited time given to public for suggestions, he said the time has been extended till March 1.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group, has called the proposed bill "a potential martial law" while opposition People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti has labelled it as another "draconian law".

The 76-page Jammu and Kashmir Police Bill, 2013, posted on the state home department's website Feb 15, allows the state to declare any area disturbed, proposing setting up "Special Security Zones (SSZs) where administrative and development measures are integrated with police response for problems of public order and security".

The bill proposes that police will be able to set up and arm village defence committees and recruit special police officers (SPOs).

Under the draft legislation, a police officer would be considered "always on duty" and the government as well as the complaints authority deputed to hear cases against him/her would have legal immunity regarding decisions taken by them "in good faith or intended to be done in pursuance of the provisions".

In comparison, immunity under the AFSPA is available only to the army and the central paramilitary forces in areas where the act is extended and not to the local police.

Source: http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a362638.html

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Insert Coin semifinalist: Snapzoom connects any scope to any smartphone

There are adapters out there that allow you to hook up your phone with a telescope or a pair of binoculars. Most of them, though, aren't universal. And we mean that on both sides of the equation -- they wont connect to all scopes or all phones. Snapzoom wants to be all things to those with a hankering for long distance photography, such as bird watchers or amateur astronomers. The solution is so simple that it actually stuns us that no one had thought of it before. That's not to say there isn't a lot of smart design involved, but ultimately the Snapzoom boils down to a set of adjustable clamps that provide an incredible amount of freedom. While image quality will rest largely on your choice of smartphone, there's no shortage of incredible shooters out there that you can slide into the mount.

Check out the full list of Insert Coin: New Challengers semifinalists here -- and don't forget to pick a winner!

Filed under: Peripherals

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Amazon Actresses & Actors In Hollywood: Who Stands The Tallest?

Amazon Actresses & Actors In Hollywood: Who Stands The Tallest?

We recently did a post on the most petite/short celebrities in Hollywood and are now following up with the tallest. It’s really difficult to judge an actress/actor’s height by watching them on television or in movies so we thought it’d be interesting to see which stars stand above the rest in Hollywood…literally! Charlize Theron South ...

Amazon Actresses & Actors In Hollywood: Who Stands The Tallest? Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/02/amazon-actresses-actors-in-hollywood-how-stands-the-tallest/

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Sex, power scandals to loom over Vatican pre-vote talks

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The sex and power scandals haunting the Catholic Church look set to play a big role in meetings before next month's papal election after two senior cardinals called on Tuesday for more internal debate about them.

A leading support group for victims of clerical sexual abuse also made what it called a "last-ditch plea" to Pope Benedict to use his authority before resigning on Thursday to discipline bishops who have protected predatory priests in their dioceses.

The abuse issue took on new urgency after Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, accused of improper behavior with young priests, quit as Edinburgh archbishop on Monday and pulled out of the Sistine Chapel conclave to elect a new pope.

A Scottish Catholic Media Office spokesman has said O'Brien was taking legal advice and contested the "anonymous and non specific" allegations against him.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, now the only British prelate due to attend pre-conclave talks among cardinals at the Vatican next week, said in London the sexual abuse of children was the most serious scandal in the Church.

"That will be one of the main things the cardinals will be discussing," said Murphy-O'Connor, who cannot vote because he is over 80 years old but can join the cardinal electors in their closed-door discussions about the challenges for the next pope.

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran said in a newspaper interview that the cardinal electors, who number 115 after O'Brien stepped down, should also be informed about a secret report on Vatican corruption prepared for Pope Benedict.

The retiring pontiff has decided to reserve the report for his successor, but the three cardinals over 80 years old who drew it up will be allowed to inform the cardinal electors about some of its findings during next week's consultations.

ASKING TO NAME NAMES

"The cardinal electors cannot decide to choose this or that name to vote for if they don't know the contents of this dossier," Tauran told La Repubblica newspaper.

"If it's necessary, I don't see why they should not ask for names," said Tauran, a former Vatican foreign minister who now heads its department for interreligious dialogue.

Italian newspapers have been speculating for days about conspiracies and alleged sexual scandals inside the Vatican that may have influenced Benedict to become the first pope in some six centuries to step down rather than die in office.

The Vatican has accused these newspapers of spreading "false and damaging" rumors in an attempt to influence the cardinals who are starting to arrive in Rome for the pope's farewell meeting with them on Thursday.

Two directors of the United States-based abuse victims' network SNAP arrived in Rome on Tuesday to draw attention to their demands for tougher Church policies.

"We're here to make a last ditch plea to Pope Benedict to use the remaining hours of his papacy to take decisive action to protect kids," said David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

He acknowledged that Benedict had met some abuse victims and made some strong statements condemning the molestation of minors by priests, but said he only acted under public pressure.

"We long for the day when Church officials announce that this cardinal or this bishop is being demoted because Church officials have found proof of wrongdoing and Church officials want to clean things up," he told journalists.

SNAP saw no papal candidates ready to fire bishops for shielding wrongdoers, he said, but added: "It's hard to believe there aren't some cardinals who are grabbing their colleagues by the lapels and saying 'We simply have to do better'."

CATHOLICS CRITICAL OF ABUSE HANDLING

Spanish Cardinal Julian Herranz, one of the three who drew up the secret report for Benedict, echoed the Vatican attack on the media in an interview on Monday with the daily El Pais.

"This wanting to see snake pits, warring mafias, internal hatreds - all this is absolutely false," he said.

Because conclaves are such secretive events, it is hard to see what effect the heightened public pressure over the abuse issue might have on the cardinals who will elect the next leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics around the globe.

Italian newspapers, which dedicate several pages a day to the papal story, have begun mentioning Cardinal Sean O'Malley as a possible "clean hands" candidate because he was sent to Boston to deal with abuse scandals that erupted there in 2002.

But other factors could lead them to choose a man whose main strengths lie elsewhere, such as an aptitude to promote its "new evangelization" drive, aimed at rekindling the faith in Europe and boost it in other regions.

Recent polls in two important national churches, in the United States and Germany, show that Catholics give their leaders low marks for their handling of the abuse crisis.

A Pew Forum poll last week showed U.S. Catholics have become increasingly critical, with those saying Benedict has done a poor job rising from 40 percent in 2008 to 63 percent now.

A survey in January for the weekly Die Zeit showed that only 28 percent of German Catholics polled believed the Church really wanted to clean up the mess the scandals have caused.

(Reporting By Tom Heneghan; Editing by Will Waterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sex-power-scandals-loom-over-vatican-pre-vote-174102534.html

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Smartphone DSLR Mount Makes Your Phone and Camera an Unstoppable Duo

Smartphones are slowly taking over the point and shoot camera market, but they're far from replacing DSLRs at this point. However, that doesn't mean the two still can't play nice together. The Look Lock lets your smartphone complement your DSLR, even if one is gunning for the other's job. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VWUfGLRXjps/smartphone-dslr-mount-makes-your-phone-and-camera-an-unstoppable-duo

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Second SpaceX space station resupply flight ready to go

Feb. 25, 2013 ? The second International Space Station Commercial Resupply Services flight by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is set for liftoff at 10:10 a.m. EST on March 1 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Carried by a Falcon 9 rocket, the Dragon spacecraft will ferry 1,268 pounds of supplies for the space station crew and for experiments being conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The Falcon 9 and Dragon were manufactured at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., and arrived at the Florida launch site by truck. The rocket, topped with the spacecraft, stands 157-feet tall.

The two-stage rocket uses nine engines to power the first stage, generating 855,000 pounds of thrust at sea level, rising to nearly 1,000,000 pounds of thrust as Falcon 9 climbs out of Earth's atmosphere. One engine powers the second stage to complete the climb to space. The 14.4-foot-tall Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying more than 7,000 pounds of cargo split between pressurized and unpressurized sections.

On March 2, Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford and Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn of NASA are scheduled use the station's robot arm to grapple Dragon following its rendezvous with the orbiting outpost. Ground commands will be sent to attach the spacecraft to the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony module where it will remain for a few weeks while astronauts unload cargo. The crew then will load more than 2,600 pounds of experiment samples and equipment for return to Earth.

Dragon is scheduled for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California on March 25.

This SpaceX flight is the second of at least 12 missions to the space station that the company will fly for NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services contract.

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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/u7TQ2ssxu5Y/130225185751.htm

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Is Homeschooling An Effective Educational Option? Look At These ...

Lots of people don't have the funds for for his or her children to visit individual colleges, nevertheless they would like them to get the best schooling possible. For them, home schooling is a great alternative. When you know the very best property-education strategies, you will see on it your children have the education they are entitled to. Please read on for some guidance which will help.

Routine is extremely important when you are home schooling. This can retain the family prepared and you will be able to ensure that you get every thing completed. Locate a schedule that really works for all. It might really just indicate targets to accomplish issues prior to establish periods.

While you are looking to teach your young ones, repetition is key. Because of this , countless teachers and training ideas recommend vocabularly lists, spelling exams, and descriptions worksheets. You can do this via rhymes, tracks and other resources, for example flash greeting cards.

Artwork needs to be used in studying record, British and even math concepts. Have your children do an art form project about every thing you find out about. Permit them to use their imagination to the full. They can sing, work, develop and much more! By pushing them to contemplate a topic in new methods, you may make sure that they are finding out how to the max magnitude probable.

Home schooling has a sizeable part of your time and efforts and might leave you feeling emphasized about other house work. The whole family must be responsible for maintaining the housework done, but you may also want to hire a maid assistance as needed.

Think about strategies to give your youngster the opportunity to make friends. You require to create different methods of doing points because they do not check out a standard school. Take a discipline getaway with other homeschool families. The kids can enjoy on the crew within the geographic area. Becoming a boy look or lady search is another technique for here your kids to get odds to make friends when studying beneficial skills.

List all the pros and cons you can think of about public institution, and then develop a list about home schooling. Utilize your list to draft your plans for home schooling, making sure that your kids receives the very best education achievable. It can become a useful listing of things you can do and steer clear of. Put this collection apart and reference it when building a fresh lesson.

Will not be shy concerning your commitment to homeschooling. A lot of people may possibly appear on you for homeschooling your young ones. Hear them, but don't be injured by what they say. Create a list of reasons why you picked homeschooling, and go over this list if judgments manufactured you are feeling poor about your determination. You can not be successful in home schooling should you enable you to ultimately be impacted by what other individuals say regarding this.

Since you have gained much more information about home schooling, you most likely know that it's something that you can do also. Furnished with good information, it is much more achievable than you might have thought. Just placed all you discovered using this post to good use so that you can give your kids the best trainer possible: oneself!

Source: http://colnotion.com/index.php?do=/blog/150004/is-homeschooling-an-effective-educational-option-look-at-these-guidelines/

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Use a Nut and Bolt Drawer to Store Loose Board Game Pieces

Board game pieces, especially from complicated role-playing games, can be tough to keep track of. A nut and bolt drawer is a great tool to keep everything in one place.

David Caolo at Unclutterer suggests keeping the drawer wherever you store your board games. The see-through bins are ideal for segmenting and identifying small pieces, and you won't risk different pieces from the same game getting mixed up like they might in the original box. You can even pull individual trays out to use as token holders while you play.

With this system in place, you could get rid of your game boxes entirely, and even use the boards as pieces of functional art. Hit up the source link below for more great board game storage ideas.

Store and Organize Board Games | Unclutterer

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/3j06bXI74wU/use-a-nut-and-bolt-drawer-to-store-loose-board-game-pieces

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OBAMA DEFINES WHAT YOU NEED: GOP ISN?T STARVING YOU

Obama is standing in front of the once great America and telling his audience that those successful people owe the government workers (union workers, entitlement collectors, guaranteed pensioners?, you know the group) their fair share. What is their fair share? Think about it, what is the fair tax rate limit? Why wasn?t that settled in January? What is the maximum premium for ObamaCare? How long before we ever have another budget? How many more of our taxpayer funded companies and their technology will be sold to China? You get the drift.

Society is always changing but today?s biggest deficit is the lack of responsibility. Last week there was a story about a 32yr old suing his parents for $200,000 because of his lack of success in life. He was living on the streets, never had a job, and blamed them for a variety of reasons. This guy is 32 years old. How many people today in their 40?s, 50?s, and 60?s are going to the government, in the same manner that this guy went after his parents, to cash in on entitlements? Obviously they are not filing in court, but bottom line what?s the difference? I do not recall the numbers but there are an enormous percentage of people in their 70?s, 80?s, and 90?s collecting unemployment.

What did the stimulus do other than fund unions which in turn funded Obama? Look at the new legislature being proposed in Missouri, state reps, libs, want to make it a felony for anyone representing the state to interfere with the collective bargaining powers of the unions. The same unions who have been granted waivers from ObamaCare.

Obama took to the airwaves today to reiterate the disastrous consequences of the GOP sequester. He continued with all of the people who would lose their jobs and the horrid effects it would have upon you. He refuses to admit the sequester was his idea. He continues to lie about the fact that the majority of the people he refers to as losing their jobs are employed by the state, not the federal government. He is so adroit at cherry picking the past to make his points yet says nothing about 1995 shutdown when all government employees who were laid off received all back pay when they returned.

Today?s education system is a brainwashing process, why is Obama so adamantly against anything other than public schools? What?s the purpose in libs sending their children there, they are already leftists, why not educate them properly? Students are taught mediocrity, what?s the reasoning behind the one paragraph synopsis of Reagan as opposed to the chapter(s) which focus on the liberal presidents? About five years ago my son?s high school book skimped on JFK.

Obama continues to define our needs, personal and corporate. Who the hell is Obama to tell me let alone a business what our needs are? Who is he to say who deserves what? He is doing just that through education. What is his role to tell anyone they have too much? What the hell is too much? I already asked what is the maximum premium for ObamaCare. There isn?t isn?t one! There is no maximum tax.

It all comes down to control and there is no maximum control. How many circuit court rulings has Obama ignored? Does he really respect our Constitution? Why do you want him on your side to move your country forward?

Growing up with parents I never liked was truly an advantage. There are always positives in everything. As soon as I could I was up at 5:00 on weekends hitchhiking to a big private golf course to caddy, earn my independence, and disassociate myself from their claws. I learned to make decisions and before I was 21 had started two companies. Obviously I wasn?t the only one but that?s the way it should be, people need to take a shot at success, that?s why immigrants came here.

Obama keeps pushing education, a college degree, the opportunity to get somewhere. I never wanted to go to college. I wanted a sum of money to not go and they wouldn?t agree. There are no jobs today. I would take the money and go into real estate, why have all of the debt and live with mommy and daddy? Have some pride, be independent, take your shot, be successful. My learning began when I made mistakes, I started ?Audio Files? in college, I was so bored, and learned how to service, inventory, payroll, hire in other cities, market?, nothing that made any sense in my econ classes.

Good luck in even putting something such as that together today, it?s hard to imagine how long it would take to even get started. Then there?s all of that union BS, ObamaCare crap, tax changes, equal opportunity?

Obama?s efforts to make as many friends as possible, he has boxed himself in, the regulations are hurting everyone. Where hasn?t the control not created higher prices or more unemployment? Obama owned the government his first two years in office and what has Reid put put on the floor that was passed in the House since? Obama?s solution to out of control gas prices, use less. Don?t ride your bike, there is new legislation for a bike tax. The payroll tax changes this year have WalMart restructuring their inventory and fast food lowering prices. The GOP isn?t starving you.

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Source: http://burstupdates.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/obama-defines-what-you-need-gop-isnt-starving-you/

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Chapman University to receive $10 million endowment

ORANGE -- Christine and Lon Cross visited Chapman University for the first time recently and were taken by the campus' beauty, the friendliness of faculty and staff, and students' devotion to learning.

That's when the couple decided to leave their legacy at the university: On Friday, the university announced the couple would commit $10 million to Chapman to fund need-based scholarships.

"We met many wonderful students who told us the effect scholarships had on their lives," said Christine Cross, 65. "A Chapman education is too important and too valuable to be available only to those who have the means to attend."

University President Jim Doti made the announcement during his annual State of the University address.

"Of all gifts that a donor can bestow upon a university, nothing has more impact on students than scholarships," Doti said. "We are immensely grateful to Christine for her generous commitment, which will open the door to a Chapman education to countless students in years to come."

Christine and Lon Cross, 67, live in Orange Park Acres. They are retired from the hospital-management business.

Doti shared during his speech how he met the couple two years ago while waiting for a valet at a function in Huntington Beach. Doti invited the couple for a tour of the campus. The couple had never been to the school even though they lived just a few miles away.

The $10 million gift will establish a permanent Christine and Lon Cross Endowed Scholarship Fund. The commitment is among the largest Chapman, a campus with 8,000 students, has ever received. In 2009, Chapman received an anonymous $25 million gift to build a new performing-arts center.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3773 or fleal@ocregister.com

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/50914031/ns/local_news-orange_county_ca/

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Iron Bow Technologies? President And CEO Rene LaVigne Honored As 2013 Minority Business Leader

Rene LaVigne, Iron Bow President and CEO

Washington Business Journal named Rene LaVigne, President and CEO of Iron Bow Technologies LLC, a 2013 Minority Business Leader. He was recognized as one of 25 outstanding business leaders from diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated company success within the last 12-18 months, as well as being a top level corporate executive who played a strong leadership role serving in industry associations or community organizations.

?I am honored to receive this recognition for my efforts throughout our communities and in the industry. It is due, in great part, to the support of the exceptional team at Iron Bow, that I am positioned to make the various contributions with my time and to have achieved the noted success with the company,? LaVigne said. ?I have a strong belief that contributing to the enhancement of one?s community, both personally and professionally, is an inherent responsibility of all of us.?

Honorees will be celebrated at the sixth annual awards ceremony on March 21, 2013, at The Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Source: http://www.washingtonexec.com/2013/02/iron-bow-technologies%E2%80%99-president-and-ceo-rene-lavigne-honored-as-2013-minority-business-leader/

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Garner, Fonda, Washington and Stewart to be Oscar presenters

Oscar statues are made ready as preparations are underway for the 85th Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on February 19, 2013. The Oscars will be presented Sunday February 24th. UPI/Phil McCarten?

License photo

Published: Feb. 22, 2013 at 9:38 AM

Source: http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2013/02/22/Garner-Fonda-Washington-and-Stewart-to-be-Oscar-presenters/UPI-79671361543934/

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Triple amputee shows his horrific injuries to George Osborne on the Chancellor?s visit to a military ward

A TRIPLE amputee shows his horrific injuries to George Osborne on the Chancellor?s visit to a military ward yesterday.

Scots Guardsman Dave Watson lost both legs and his right arm stepping on a Taliban bomb.

Docs did not expect him to survive ? and his heart stopped twice on the emergency flight home.

Mr Osborne wore a wristband and lapel badge to support The Sun backed charity Help For Heroes.

And Dave, of Lancs, told him at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham: ?With the wars ending there?s a danger military charities like Help For Heroes will get ignored ? but with so many lads having come back like me, the need is even greater than before.?

Dave, 26, back for more surgery, thanked him for the ?1million donated from Barclays bank fines to help grieving military families.

Dave then quipped: ?Now, any chance of a pay rise??

His mum Angela, 49, said: ?Bankers partly ruined the country, so it?s good they?re being made to give a lot back.?

Mr Osborne also toured a new ?6.1million building to house family visitors, part-funded by The Sun?s parent company News International.

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4808755/Triple-amputee-shows-his-horrific-injuries-to-George-Osborne-on-the-Chancellors-visit-to-a-military-ward.html

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New Pacific Provides Update for Acquisition of RZY Silver-Lead-Zinc Project in Qinghai Province, China

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Feb. 21, 2013) - New Pacific Metals Corp. ("New Pacific" or the "Company") (TSX:NUX) is pleased to announce that the TSX has conditionally approved the Company's acquisition of an interest in the RZY Silver-Lead-Zinc project as set out in the Company's news release dated December 21, 2012 (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition will involve the Company acquiring a majority interest in Silvercorp Metals Inc.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Fortress Mining Inc. ("FMI") pursuant to the terms of an agreement dated December 14, 2012 (the "Agreement"). The Acquisition is a related party transaction.

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company will pay US$3.5 million to acquire an 80% interest of FMI (the "Initial Payment"), with an option to acquire the remaining 20% within two years for an additional US$5 million (the "Second Payment").

The TSX has approved the Agreement subject to certain conditions including the following: (1) the TSX pre-clearing the information circular disclosure pertaining to the Agreement including the form of applicable shareholders' resolution approving the Second Payment; (2) the Second Payment being approved by the disinterested shareholders of the Company before it is paid since the sum of the Initial Payment and Second Payment is greater than 10% of the current market value of the Company's listed common shares.

The Company will seek disinterested shareholders' approval of the Second Payment at its next AGM which is planned to be held in November 2013.

About New Pacific

New Pacific is a Canadian gold and silver exploration and development company which owns the Tagish Lake gold project in Yukon, Canada.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategies", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "budgets", "schedules", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company's material properties; the sufficiency of the Company's capital to finance the Company's operations; estimates of the Company's revenues and capital expenditures; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company's operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company's properties.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licenses; title to properties; First Nations title claims and rights; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company's existing operations; competition; operations and political conditions; regulatory environment in Canada; environmental risks; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended June 30, 2012 under the heading "Risk Factors". Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information.

Source: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=1760018&sourceType=3

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Mayor Buckhorn to create Neighborhood University

Tampa, Florida--?Mayor Buckhorn announced that the city will create a Neighborhood University program to empower existing community leaders.

?Sustaining strong, vibrant neighborhoods requires neighborhood leaders who are prepared and well versed in the community. Neighborhood University will identify and develop the next generation of Tampa?s civic and community leaders,? said Mayor Bob Buckhorn. ?The program will nurture people who are already the eyes and ears in their neighborhoods, and give them a louder voice and their neighborhoods a brighter future.?

The Neighborhood University program will provide formal leadership training for the next generation of self-identified neighborhood and community leaders. It will be modeled after Leadership Tampa, and the idea is to educate future leaders about the City of Tampa and how it works as well as to connect them with other local stakeholders like nonprofits working within the city.

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Source: http://southtampa.wtsp.com/news/community-spirit/168259-mayor-buckhorn-create-neighborhood-university

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Creative Connections links kids worldwide through art

Nine-year-old Luise?s painting is about more than the wooly white sheep and verdant fields that distinguish her family?s farm in Latvia. It?s about patience and diligence.

And if the students in Connecticut who see her painting understand this, then Creative Connections has succeeded, says Alan Steckler, founder and CEO of the Norwalk, Conn.-based nonprofit organization.

Through ArtLink, Creative Connection?s main program, American students are partnered with children from one of nearly 50 other countries. The children are asked to draw or paint a picture of what they most value in their daily life or culture. After exchanging the artworks, the classes participate in a videoconference, which allows students to share ideas face-to-face in real time.

RECOMMENDED: Are you as well-read as a 10th grader? Take our quiz.

?The art opens a window into other cultures and gets the children talking about other things,? Mr. Steckler says from his office beneath the Stepping Stones Museum for Children. ?The students walk away thinking the children they ?meet? are real kids, and they are a lot like me. There are some special differences, but we are more alike than we thought.?

Recently, students from the Weston Middle School in Weston, Conn., participated in a videoconference with the Ahliyyah School for Girls in Amman, Jordan. Students discussed the meaning of freedom of choice during the hour-long session.

?It was a real mind opener. They were looking at a picture of the Statue of Liberty, and that led to a discussion about the choice to wear a head covering, or not, if you are Muslim in Jordan,? Steckler says. ?The art allowed the students to get into the values, and the issues, of a different culture.?

That?s an invaluable lesson for teachers like Amanda Quaintance, who teaches social studies at Weston Middle School.

?I?m always keeping my eyes open to connect my students with the lands they are studying in a modern way,? Ms. Quaintance says. ?I thought this was an ingenious idea. And when the students in Jordan got to see us holding their artwork, and we saw they were holding our artwork ? across the world ? it was just a magical moment.?

Steckler founded Creative Connections in 1992. More than 220 classrooms take part in ArtLink each year. This includes the classes participating in Rainforest ArtLink, which pairs US students with students in the rainforest regions of Latin America.

Steckler, an American, graduated from college in the United States, but got a job teaching in England, where he stayed for 11 years. Upon returning to the US, he says, he was surprised how insular his students seemed. After teaching at public and private US schools he studied for a master?s degree at Bank Street College in New York City.

But instead of teaching again, Steckler says, he wanted to develop a program where children around the world could meet as equals and have a real exchange.For him, art proved to be the great equalizer. This is important for US children, who may have more material wealth than a student in Guatemala or somewhere in Africa, he says.

The American students learn about a different kind of "richness of their lives that?s pretty neat,? he says.

Creative Connections now has more than 3,000 pieces of student art in its collection. Each piece is protected under plastic. A short biography, an explanation of the piece, and photo of the artist is taped to the back of each one.

?There is a great joy for all of us when the art comes in. It?s always so charming to read about [the children's] likes and dislikes, what they want to be when they grow up,? says Polly Loughran, Creative Connection?s program director.

While the international schools don?t pay a fee to participate in ArtLink, American schools pay between $600 and $700. Grants and donations help fund the program in underprivileged US schools. About 40 percent of the exchanges are fully or partially funded, Steckler says.

Creative Connections also sponsors the International Young Performers? Tour, which introduces American youths to dancers and musicians from other countries. In the past artists from Russia, China, India, Colombia, Ireland, and Cambodia have performed on area stages.

RECOMMENDED: Are you as well-read as a 10th grader? Take our quiz.

But it?s more than just a performance. The tour provides a look behind the curtain of what life is like for the visiting performers in their home country.

Abantu Mu Buntu, a Ugandan Children?s Music Troupe, will visit Connecticut and Westchester, N.Y., this April. After the performance students will watch videos about what school and home life is like for the dancers.

?We?re not an arts program,? Steckler says. ?We?re about changing attitudes and minds.?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/creative-connections-links-kids-worldwide-art-145448966.html

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TripAdvisor voters crown Italian beach as world's best

Belinda Goldsmith , Reuters ? ? ? 15 hrs.

LONDON -- A remote beach in Sicily, Italy, was named on Thursday as the best beach in the world by a survey of travellers, while a UK beach managed to sneak into the top 10.

Rabbit Beach came top in the first annual awards for the world's best beach based on millions of reviews and ratings by international tourists on the TripAdvisor website.

Rabbit Beach, on the island of Lampedusa off the south coast of Sicily, was described as an unspoiled nature reserve that can only be accessed by boat and one of the few places in the Mediterranean where loggerhead sea turtles go to lay their eggs.

Second place went Grace Bay, Providenciales, in the Turks and Caicos, while Australia's Whitehaven Beach in the state of Queensland came third.

"Rabbit Beach's is clearly a big hit with travellers and it's easy to see why with its stunning turquoise water and white sand," said TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma Shaw.

In recent years the southern Italian island of Lampedusa has been in the news as the landing point for tens of thousands of refugees and would-be migrants during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Thousands of migrants risking the dangerous voyage across the Mediterranean Sea in small overcrowded fishing boats died as a result of shipwreck, harsh conditions at sea or a lack of food and water, setting off a crisis that threatened to overwhelm the island.

Shaw said this award would be a boost for Sicily's tourism.

Beaches in Brazil, Spain, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and Aruba also featured in the top 10, praised for their white sands and swaying palm trees.

But one surprise in the list, coming 10th, was Rhossili Bay in Swansea, Wales, which beat beaches in Hawaii, the Caribbean and more exotic locations to make the top 10 list.

Rhossili Bay, on the Gower Peninsula, stretches for three miles (5 kms) and its vast expanse of sand backed by sand dunes and towering cliffs make it popular with surfers, paragliders and ramblers.

"We are delighted, but not surprised, that Rhossili Bay has been acknowledged ... We hope that many more visitors continue to enjoy its outstanding natural beauty," David Phillips, leader of the City and County of Swansea, said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for TripAdvisor said the best beach awards were based on the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings for beaches on the website gathered over a 12-month period. Following is TripAdvisor's list of the Top 10 beaches in the world:

1. Rabbit Beach, Sicily - Italy

2. Grace Bay, Providenciales - Turks and Caicos

3. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland - Australia

4. Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha - Brazil

5. Flamenco Beach (Playa Flamenco), Culebra - Puerto Rico

6. Playa de las Catedrales, Ribadeo - Spain

7. Lopes Mendes Beach, Ilha Grande - Brazil

8. Horseshoe Bay Beach, Southampton Parish - Bermuda

9. Eagle Beach - Aruba

10. Rhossili Bay, Rhossili, Swansea - Wales, UK

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/italian-beach-crowned-best-world-tripadvisor-voters-1C8476674

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