‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ Becomes Focus of Anti-Obesity Campaign

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Anti-Obesity Campaign takes on a new shape.

On March 20, the first day of spring, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” the legendary children’s book written by Eric Carle in 1969, will be sent for free to more than 17,500 pediatricians’ offices around the country in order to promote the “Eating Healthy. Growing Strong.” campaign, a movement designed to combat childhood obesity. Created by the anti-obesity campaign, The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the books will be sent with growth charts and reading guide handouts in order to encourage both parents and doctors to have discussions about healthy eating habits, including nutrition and portion control, with the younger generation.

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The Salton Sea: A ‘Dead’ Sea Ready to Rise?

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Half a century ago, the Salton Sea was called the “French Riviera of California” — and that claim really held water as celebrities and many others seeking a spectacular getaway escaped to the “mini-ocean” just past Palm Springs.

But today, the abandoned remains of this former tourist hot spot represent an eerie aftermath: a virtual ghost town where once the rich came to play.
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Apple Changes In-App Purchase Policy to Protect Parents’ Credit Cards

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Children may be raiding their parents credit cards.

Apple has changed its policy for in-app purchases to prevent users, especially children, from accidentally purchasing virtual goods.

Previously, consumers have been able to make an unlimited number of purchases without entering a password for 15 minutes after a change was made using a password. Parents complained that this policy made it easy for their children to incur huge iTunes charges without understanding that they were spending money or asking for parental permission…

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‘Tweet Viewer’ Virus Spreads On Twitter

TWITTER VIRUS screen-shot-2011-03-05-at-12-05-34-pmThis Twitter virus is a quick one.

There is something amazing about how desperately humans want to see who has viewed their online profiles. This desire has been taken advantage of (again) by Twitter spammers as tweets like “WOW! You can see WHO VISITS your TWITTER profile. That’s cool! 🙂 – http://bit.ly/tweetviewer” and “I just viewed my TOP20 Profile STALKERS. I can’t believe my EX is still checking me every day” are proliferating this morning, at about 159 tweets a minute.

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Kenyan Villagers Turn Invasive Plant into Moneymaker

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Reviewing the options with Kenya’s Lake Victoria.

The rapid growth of invasive water hyacinths has taken a serious toll on Kenya’s Lake Victoria, creating inhospitable conditions for the fish local people depend on, while sheltering other unwelcome guests: disease-carrying snails and deadly snakes. But with a little help from a U.S.-based organization, villagers living near the lake are turning this environmental crisis into an economic opportunity.

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California Libraries Targeted for Takeover by Private Equity Firms

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Public libraries in Camarillo, Santa Clarita and Ventura have all been targeted for a takeover by Library Systems and Services (LSSI), a private company headquartered in Maryland and majority-owned by the private equity firm Islington Capital Partners. Privatizing public libraries means libraries will be de-professionalized and residents will pay more and receive less, while LSSI makes a profit for its investors and shareholders. Instead of listening to residents, the City Council created a ‘Citizen’s Advisory Committee’ to review Santa Clarita’s library system and its needs and make recommendations for moving forward with LSSI. The committee had no decision-making power, and was widely criticized as a thinly veiled attempt to silence critics.

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WikiLeaks Is Up for a Nobel Peace Prize

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WikiLeaks could win a Nobel Peace Prize this year.

WikiLeaks is among the 241 Nobel Peace Prize nominees this year. The nominees come from 53 organizations and are greater in number than in any previous year.

Other nominees include the European Union, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, Russian rights group Memorial, Afghan rights advocate Sima Samar and the Internet. That’s right — the Internet as a whole has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize…

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World’s Hairiest Girl Celebrates Newfound Fame

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Supatra Sasuphan, an 11-year-old from Bangkok, Thailand, has been named
“Hairiest Girl in the World” by Guinness World Records

Supatra Sasuphan doesn’t mind being called the “World’s Hairiest Girl.” She and her family even sought the title from Guinness World Records.

The 11-year-old from Bangkok is likely to become a future Guinness star. She has a condition known as hypertrichosis, otherwise known as “Werewolf Syndrome.”

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Europe Proposes Seven New Chemical Substances of Very High Concern

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Some chemicals are more detrimental than others.

This week Europe proposed to add seven more chemicals to the list of substances of very high concern (SVHC). The addition of a chemical to the SVHC list enables European regulators to ban the chemical from the market unless it is proven that the risks are adequately controlled, or there is not a feasible substitute and the socio-economic benefits justify the risk. The proposal contains more of the usual suspects such as phthalates, glycol ethers, and a chromate (the “Erin Brockovich chemical”), as well as some potentially difficult to replace chemicals like a widely used reducing agent and a common universal solvent…

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Why Are America’s Largest Corporations Paying No Tax?

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Who pays taxes if the corporations don’t?

Inspired by the UK Uncut movement, Americans are taking to the street, asking why they’re being asked to tighten their belts when the largest corporations in the country are paying no tax at all…

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