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Decision-making skills are key for productivity and growth. Your decisions take you on different paths depending upon the decisions you choose not to make as well as the actual decisions you make. Do not underestimate that even the smallest decision could change your life forever. (Read Andy Stanley’s book, The Principle of the Path for additional information on how to get from where you are to where you want to be.)
Decisions are made daily, often without even realizing

Let’s agree to agree: chocolate is delicious, and it’s also good for you. But, like all great love stories, this one has a twist: in order to reap any health benefits, the chocolate you eat should be dark, dark, dark.
Here are some Real Facts paired with some Julie Facts about dark chocolate.
-Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and helps to lower blood

In a remarkable victory over racial bias in the death penalty, Marcus Robinson will not be executed by the State of North Carolina but will instead spend the rest of his life in prison after a judge ruled today that his death sentence was tainted by racial discrimination in jury selection. The central dispute in Robinson’s case, the first test under North Carolina’s new Racial Justice Act, boiled down to a fundamental question: is it fair to use statistical evidence to show racial bias in capital jury selection?
In Robinson’s case, powerful statistical evidence of racial bias in jury selection was introduced, including a study from Michigan State University finding that North Carolina prosecutors were twice as likely to remove qualified Black jurors from jury service as other jurors, even after the researchers controlled for alternative explanations such as criminal background or reservations about imposing a death sentence.
The state offered no meaningful rebuttal to the statistical evidence. No statistical expert testified for the state that race did not play a role in jury

The appeal of Kate Middleton’s style is lost on me. It’s always felt just a little too… safe? Yes, she’s refreshingly down-to-earth and sure, her ability to incorporate mass retailers like Zara is relatable to many. But iconic?

Each time the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” presents a new movie I marvel at their choices. For each time they select a story that is uplifting to the audience and wonderfully entertaining as well. Their latest presentation is Firelight and it is another solid and uplifting movie. It is time for America to tune in to these shows, as more indifference on its part might cause us to lose this sacred venue.
Firelight is based on the life of Dwayne Johnson, known as DJ in the

extra extra read all about it
I rock the mike ain’t no doubt about it
because I’m extra I’m feeling extra I’m gonna bless ya
what? huh!
So chants Shea Rose in the song “Extraordinary Girl,” from her kickass 2011 mixtape Little Warrior. Rose is having quite the year (and it’s only April!), and looks forward to this Saturday, April 21, where she’ll be opening the show for Australian artist Sam Sparro at New York City’s Highline Ballroom. A recent graduate of the Berklee College of Music, she won raves as the Red Bull Soundstage featured artist at SXSW just a few weeks ago. She also garnered the SESAC National Performance Activity Award for her collaboration on Terri Lynne Carrington’s Best Jazz Vocal Grammy winning album The Mosaic Project.
Last fall Rose was awarded R&B/Soul/Urban Contemporary Artist of the Year after tearing the house down with her amazing set at the Boston Music

A Conversation with Jason Mraz
Mike Ragogna: How are you doing, Jason?
Jason Mraz: I’m good, Mike!
MR: Nice. Your new album is called Love Is a Four Letter Word, and it does seem that every song on this project has something to do with an angle that brings you back to the bigger point, which is about love.
JM: Absolutely, absolutely. You got it. Thank you for hearing that in the

The “war” between working moms and stay-at-home moms is a farce. It was manufactured by politicians and hyped by the media. Moms are moms. We are all challenged with the ominous responsibility of birthing and nurturing

After landing in Baku, I discovered one thing straight away: Azerbaijan is an incredibly hospitable country. This realization put a bounce in my step as I considered the days of discovery ahead.
Azerbaijan is surrounded by a diverse range of countries, from Iran in the South to Russia in the North, and has been shaped by a huge history of cultural heterogeneity. A reborn country again thanks to the breakup of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan prides itself on progress. Baku, the capital sits overlooking the gorgeous Caspian Sea, which the locals proudly call the largest lake in the world, facing the rising sun.
Though Azerbaijan is a predominantly Islamic country, natives are free to practice any religion they choose and their seems to be a genuine pride taken in the respect disperate faction give each others’ beliefs and

When you book a vacation, you may not realize that the rate on the phone may not cover your entire stay. Everything from room service to resort activities can tack on additional costs to your stay — and we dug up some hidden fees to watch out for on your next trip.
Biggest Resort Fee: Ritz Carlton St. Thomas at $55/day
For $55 per day, we’d expect all the stops to be pulled out for our stay, and the Ritz does a justifiably good job at doing

One of history’s most celebrated generals, Alexander the Great has captured the world’s imagination for thousands of years. Studied by historians, admired by rulers both ancient and modern and still the subject of stories in the lands through which he marched, Alexander’s name reaches out through history like no other.
Yet over 2,300 years after his death, it is still possible to not only trace the journey of Alexander, but to follow it. You can discover things along this path that put you at the very heart of Alexander’s story — just a heartbeat away from the places he stood, the cities he conquered and even the very people he knew and loved.
In fact, the list of sites relating to the life of Alexander the Great is remarkably large. So here at Historvius, we thought we’d put together a selection of some of the best sites from Alexander’s journey to have survived the ages.
Pella, Greece
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Where else could you start your journey of exploration other than at the ruins of ancient Pella where Alexander was born in

As a newly certified scuba diver, I was looking for a getaway where I could try out my new skills — then kick back on a rope hammock and watch the boats go by. Mexico? Hawaii? My choices seemed endless, but then a diver friend told me about Belize.
My first thought? Way too far. Still, his enthusiasm spurred me to check the map and the flight schedules … and that was when I realized that Belize was only a four-hour flight from Newark or two short hours from Houston.
I was on a plane quicker than you could say “Mask and fins.”
The hardest thing about heading to Belize was deciding just where in this small country I wanted to dive (and where I wanted to relax on the two days before my flight when I couldn’t swim with the

“If you look closely, you’ll see kiwi fuzz,” I tried to explain and apologize to the TSA official all at once.
It was a hot summer weekend and my family and I had ventured to a water park to cool off for a bit and have some fun. We had a wonderful day full of sun, waves and snacks. The next morning, as I was rushing off to work, I forgot to check my purse before heading to the airport.
Thinking I would breeze through the employee security line, I was surprised when I was suddenly stopped by TSA. The official politely looked through my purse and at the bottom he found the small knife that I had used to cut kiwi fruit during the previous day’s

Looking to become more environmentally conscious this year? Why not start by celebrating Earth Day 2012. The hotel price comparison site www.trivago.com has put together a list of the most exquisite, less-traveled national parks around the world to celebrate the hidden beauty our planet.
What better way to spend Earth Day 2012 than by taking a trip to one of the world’s relatively undiscovered national parks? Travelers can visit and observe the unspoiled nature of these protected areas across the globe. To help with tips on where to start your journey, trivago has selected the top 10 most spectacular nature reserves, out of the hundreds located around the world.
From deserted islands and coral reefs close to the Venezuelan coast to mountain villages in Liguria and carnivorous plants in the Irish moorlands, get away from the more famous national parks to untouched regions which offer visitors a picture-perfect experience.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile (ltima Esperanza)
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In the spectacular landscape of the Chilean Torres del Paine National Park, visitors can experience a combination of mountains, emerald-green lakes and icy glaziers. The top attraction in the national park are the three tower-like rock formations “Torres del Paine,” the blue

There’s a quirky new microbrew in Seattle: Churchkey Can Company produces a pilsner in a flat-top can, which requires an old-fashioned “church-key” opener to drink it. A beer blog promptly declared it the “most hipster beer in the world”–which may or may not be a compliment.
It’s no wonder that pilsner originated in Seattle, where a local taste for the retro, artsy, and wee-bit ironic boosted it to the top of America’s best cities for hipsters, according to Travel + Leisure readers who voted in the annual America’s Favorite Cities survey. They ranked 35 metropolitan areas on culturally relevant features like live music, coffee bars, and independent boutiques. To zero in on the biggest hipster crowds, we also factored in the results for the best microbrews and the most offbeat and tech-savvy locals.
It’s our take on the debated term hipster, which can inspire eye rolls or

Clybourne Park first appeared on America’s literary map in 1959 in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun as the lily-white enclave in Chicago in which Lena Younger buys a house. In his boisterous new play Clybourne Park, Bruce Norris conducts a then-and-now tour of the old neighborhood that is as unsettling as it is provocative and finds rabid racism still rages beneath a veneer of bonhomie.
In two acts set 50 years apart, Norris first gives us a glimpse of the community at the time the Youngers became the first black family to move there. Half a century later, Clybourne Park has gone through a cycle of turmoil and decline, and a white couple is negotiating to buy the now dilapidated house, raze it, and build one 15-feet taller on the site as the first whites to gentrify what had become a solidly black district.
The play opens in the 1959 living room of Russ and Bev, longtime Clybourne Park

This is the first installment in our new series “Gen: Change,” in partnership with Youth Service America, featuring stories from the 25 most influential and powerful young people in the world.
It was on the beach, a couple streets away from our house, that my father and I would battle my everyday concerns about my life. I owe my personal drive to the thoughts we exchanged every weekend. He often told me, “Don’t ever think you’re not good

Youth changing the world. Some may recognize that youth are always at the center of social change. Others may still think this is a radical idea.
But consider this: Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both started their careers in the family garage as

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Source:espn.go.com

Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 3, Episode 19 of The CW’s “The Vampire Diaries,” entitled, “Heart of Darkness.”
Holy make out, Batman! After three seasons of major sexual tension — and frustration — Damon and Elena finally gave into temptation and had a full-on make out in a hotel. Ironically, this was all Stefan’s idea.
After Elena confessed her feelings for Damon to Stefan in the last episode, he decided to send them on a road trip together. If Elena is confused about her feelings for Damon, then he’s going to force her to finally make a decision.
So Damon and Elena hit the road to see Jeremy — they need him to connect with Rose in the afterlife because he can see dead people and stuff — but when they find him, he says that he’s on his way to meet “a friend.”
Of course, we all know that Jeremy doesn’t make friends so easily. His “friend” happens to be

Over ten years ago, when facilitating a diversity training session, I used as an example of racial socialization how black parents caution their sons not to wear hoods when walking in white neighborhoods. This example was questioned by white members of the audience and even considered by some as being overly sensitive. Since the tragic death of Trayvon Martin we have seen the picture of Trayvon in a hoodie in every visual media. Thousands have marched in solidarity with t-shirts that identify them as being Trayvon

Unsurprisingly, many black media outlets are abuzz with anticipation for the release of Think Like a Man, the film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s self-help book of a similar name. Though I have sometimes chafed at Harvey’s ideas through the years, it cannot be denied that he has worked very hard to build a brand and deliver consistently engaging entertainment to his core audience. Along with Harvey, the film’s cast deserves some of this shine: Regina Hall is seriously funny, Michael Ealy is clearly leading man beautiful, and because I saw Meagan Good in Eve’s Bayou as a teenager, no amount of bad roles can convince me that she is anything less than capable of revealing much nuance and color in her performances.
I also believe that there must be diversity in the images of African Americans in the cinematic arts and across all forms of

Source:Associated Press
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MIAMI — The earliest Miami and Chicago could meet again is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.Good thing. The tempers could use a little time to cool down. And after a game filled with shoves and takedowns, the race for the No. 1 seed in the East is still going strong.LeBron James had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and Miami tightened up the race in the East by beating the Bulls 83-72 in a scuffle-filled matchup on Thursday night.
Heat Reaction
For a quick take after each game, check the Heat Reaction.
• Heat Index | Daily Dime
Mario Chalmers scored 16 points and Udonis Haslem grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, which held the Bulls to a season-low point total and moved within 1½ games of Chicago.John Lucas scored 16 points for Chicago, again without reigning MVP Derrick Rose because of injuries. Joakim Noah scored 15 points, Luol Deng added 11 and Carlos Boozer had 10 for the Bulls, who split four games with Miami this season.The teams combined for four technicals, two flagrant fouls and Miami reserve James Jones was ejected.But above all else, Miami decided this one with defense. The Bulls went up 21-20 on a layup by Deng with 3:36 left in the first quarter, making them 10 of 14 from the field at that point. They shot 15 for 56 — 27 percent — the rest of the way.Chicago (47-16) has games with Dallas, Indiana and Cleveland left, while Miami (45-17) still has matchups with Washington (twice), Houston and Boston.In case anyone forgot that the Heat and Bulls don’t particularly care for one another, the refresher courses came often in this one.The first real salvo came with 6:05 left in the first half, when Jones was ejected after being assessed a flagrant-2 for excessive contact against Noah while trying for a rebound. Jones stretched out both arms to move Noah out of the way, making contact around the head.By the end of the game, that play seemed like a love tap.Wade and Chicago guard Richard Hamilton — rivals for years — raised the level of angst a few more notches early in the third quarter.Hamilton led with his elbow and shoulder to create some space, and Wade took exception — so he delivered an elbow and shoulder back, sending the Bulls’ guard sprawling to the court. The jousting then turned verbal, enough to merit a technical foul for each, plus a flagrant-1 on Wade.And then things really got hot a few minutes later, not long after James was pulled down under the basket. James set a screen and was run into by Lucas, who gives up 9 inches and 85 pounds to the two-time NBA MVP. Predictably, Lucas went flying. Even more predictably, Lucas — who was leapfrogged for a dunk by James in Chicago’s first trip to Miami this season — got angry.After Deng fouled Chalmers to stop the play, and reopened a cut over his own left eye in the process, Lucas ran at James and the other eight players on the court at the time quickly converged on the area. It took referees about 5 minutes to sort out the mess, which only resulted in a personal foul on Deng and technicals on Lucas and James (who, upon hearing his name announced, shouted, “For what?).James shrugged off the next hit, a hard foul by Chicago’s Omer Asik about a half-minute later, converting a three-point play in the process.”A physical Eastern Conference game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the third quarter in a televised interview. “It’s an emotional game, a passionate game.”Game notes The Bulls were 2 for 16 from 3-point range, meaning Miami’s last two opponents have gone a combined 3 for 32 from beyond the arc. … James made his first five shots, making him 23 of 27 over a span of parts of three games, starting late in the third quarter of Monday’s game at New Jersey (6-7) followed by Wednesday’s win over Toronto (12-15). … Neither team led by more than three points in the final 10:54 of the first half. … Jones’ ejection was the first of his nine-year career, according to STATS LLC.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The

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Source:espn.go.com

The killing of Trayvon Martin is a national tragedy and his death has captured the attention of millions. Last week we learned that George Zimmerman will be charged with second degree murder in Trayvon’s killing.
It’s no time to rejoice.
Anytime an unarmed child or young adult is killed, we are rightly outraged in our