Learn to Make Tasty, Balanced Lunches with the Bento 101 Course

Bentos are multi-course meals packed into a decorative or compartmentalized box. Making bento could jazz up your lunch and make it more nutritionally balanced. Just Bento has a new free course on getting started with practical, everyday bento.

The first lesson in this series of weekly articles covers the essential rules of bento: It should be tasty, reasonably healthy and nutritionally balanced, look neat and appetizing, quick and easy to prepare, and inexpensive. Sounds like a perfect homemade lunch, right?

There's also an assignment to list bento-friendly foods for each food category (a template is provided), which should make assembling your lunches easier and ensure you've got enough variety.

Although bento comes from Japan, your lunch bento doesn't have to be Japanese. And while some people go all out cutting foods into crazy shapes and configurations, bento doesn't have to be fussy or complicated.

Hit up the link below for more details on getting into the bento-making habit.

Bento 101 (Getting Into the Bento Making Habit): Part 1: What can I eat? | Just Bento

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With conciliatory tone, Cantor seeks to rebrand Republican Party

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eric Cantor, the often combative second-ranking Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, sought on Tuesday to rebrand himself and his party, voicing hope that they can work with President Barack Obama for the sake of all Americans.

While not wavering from his conservative principles and desire to tame the record U.S. debt, Cantor expressed a new eagerness to help the needy in such areas as education, healthcare, immigration and moving up the economic ladder.

"Over the next two years, the House (Republican) majority will pursue an agenda based on a shared vision of creating the conditions for health, happiness and prosperity for more Americans and their families," Cantor said in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

Some Democrats mocked Cantor's bid to "rebrand" his party, with House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer noting that it was at least Cantor's fourth time to do so.

But Charles Schumer, the Senate's No. 3 Democrat, hailed the House Republican leader's tone and message.

"If House Republicans can adapt their agenda to match Leader Cantor's words, this Congress could surprise people with how productive it can be," Schumer said.

The House Republican leader did not endorse immigration reforms backed by Obama but voiced an openness on the matter.

Cantor said he favored providing "an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children and who know no other home."

That appeared to represent a reversal for Cantor, who in 2010 voted against the Dream Act, which would have cleared the way for such young people to remain in the United States.

Cantor gave little ground on any of the other differences between House Republicans and Obama in his speech, which his office billed as a major policy address. But he offered a marked change in tone and a new willingness to get things done on a number of fronts important to voters.

Republicans were hammered in the 2012 election, which saw Obama win a second term and Democrats gain seats in the House and Senate. The Republican Party was labeled by some critics as "The Party of No," one that preferred gridlock to compromise.

A Washington Post-ABC News/Washington poll last month found that 67 percent of Americans say that Republicans are doing "too little" to work with Obama.

The survey gave Republicans in Congress an approval rating of 24 percent, compared to a 37 percent rating for Democrats. Obama's approval recently hit a four-year high of 60 percent.

To be sure, differences remain.

As Cantor spoke, Republicans and Obama exchanged barbs in their latest standoff over deficit reduction, one likely to lead to $85 billion in damaging across-the-board budget cuts in March.

FOCUS ON 'WHAT LIES BEYOND'

Cantor made only passing reference to the bitter fights with Obama over "cliffs, debt ceilings and budgets" in which he has played such a visible role.

It is time, he said, to focus on "what lies beyond" them, including education, jobs, healthcare and innovation.

"It is my hope that I can stand before you in two years and report back that our side, as well as the president's, found within us the ability to set differences aside, to provide relief to so many millions of Americans who simply want their lives to work again," Cantor said.

Cantor, 49, from Virginia is widely seen as a possible successor to Ohio's John Boehner, 63, as House Speaker, the chamber's top job.

While the two insist that they have a close working relationship, at times they have offered competing visions. On Tuesday, however, Boehner said they were on the same page.

Speaking with reporters after a meeting with House Republicans, Boehner said, "As I told the members, Eric's giving a very important speech."

"If we're going to connect with the American people, it's important that they see, not only that we're serious about solving our debt problem, but we're serious about addressing issues like energy, like education, to show really the breadth of the effort that we're involved in," Boehner said.

During the past two years, the White House has tried to make Cantor the face of the unpopular Republican House, and has made it clear that Obama prefers working with Boehner.

In an apparent effort to present a softer personal image, Cantor punctuated his speech with references to a long lineup of people, including his wife and three children, his father, a Baltimore nurse and a police officer from his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.

He spoke of visiting an inner-city school this week and introduced a student from the school and his father to illustrate his interest in finding new solutions in education.

(Editing by Fred Barbash, Eric Walsh and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conciliatory-tone-cantor-seeks-rebrand-republican-party-000438595--business.html

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Minnesota: Ground Zero for Democrats? Gun Confiscation Efforts? (Powerlineblog)

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Ex-Navy SEAL died pursuing his passion

In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book ?American Sniper?, Chris Kyle poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book ?American Sniper?, Chris Kyle poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

This photo provided by the Erath County Sheriff?s Office shows Eddie Ray Routh. He was charged with murder in connection with a shooting at a central Texas gun range that killed former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/ Erath County Sheriff's Office)

In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book ?American Sniper? poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Chris Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

Map showns path of texas gunman following a double shooting

View of buildings on the property of Rough Creek Lodge photographed Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield were found murdered at the gun range on the property. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Richard W. Rodriguez)

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) ? The former top Navy SEAL sniper who authorities say was killed at a Texas shooting range was devoted to maintaining camaraderie and helping his fellow veterans find their way after leaving active duty.

Chris Kyle, author of the best-selling book "American Sniper," and his friend Chad Littlefield apparently were doing just that Saturday when, officials say, they were shot and killed by former Marine Eddie Ray Routh.

Kyle, 38, had left the Navy in 2009 after four tours of duty in Iraq, where he earned a reputation as one of the military's most lethal snipers. But he quickly found a way to maintain contact with his fellow veterans and pass on what had helped him work through his own struggles. By late 2011, he filed the paperwork to establish the nonprofit FITCO Cares, which received its nonprofit status the following spring, said FITCO director Travis Cox.

"Chris struggled with some things," Cox said. "He'd been through a lot and he handled it with grace, but yeah he did struggle with some things. And he found a healthy outlet and was proactive in his approach to deal with those issues and wanted to help spread his healing, what worked for him, to others. And that's what he died doing."

For Kyle that healthy outlet was exercise. At the heart of FITCO was giving in-home fitness equipment to physically and emotionally wounded veterans, as well as families who had lost a veteran, Cox said.

Littlefield, a 35-year-old friend and neighbor, was Kyle's "workout buddy," and also volunteered his time to work with veterans, Cox said. He was married and had children as well.

"He's a very gentle, sweet-hearted man, just a great man, kind of quiet," Cox said of Littlefield. "He just really cared. ... He wanted to do whatever he could to help veterans and help see that vision of serving others that Chris had. He shared that vision with all of us. He was a great man."

Cox said he understood that Kyle and Littlefield were helping Routh work through his own PTSD, but that he did not know how they came into contact. He said it was not a FITCO session.

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant on Sunday offered a similar description of the situation.

"It's my understanding that the suspect may have been suffering from some type of mental illness from being in the military himself," he said of Routh.

He said Routh's mother may have reached out to Kyle for help with her son.

"We kind of have an idea that maybe that's why they were at the range for some type of therapy that Mr. Kyle assists people with," Bryant said.

Bryant didn't know whether Routh was on any medication or whether he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Authorities say the three men arrived at the Rough Creek Lodge southwest of Fort Worth around 3:15 p.m. Saturday. A hunting guide discovered the bodies of Kyle and Littlefield around 5 p.m. and called 911.

Routh allegedly left in Kyle's pickup and went to his sister's in Midlothian. He told what he had done and left. She called police and Routh was eventually found at his home in Lancaster. After a short pursuit he was arrested.

Routh was being held on $3 million bail in the Erath County Jail. Authorities said they believed he had requested a court-appointed attorney. Calls to his home were not answered Sunday.

Kyle was also president of a security training firm Craft International. Craft had scheduled a $2,950-per-person civilian training event at Rough Creek Lodge called the "Rough Creek Shoot Out!" for March 1-3. The price included lodging, meals and shooting instruction. Kyle was scheduled to teach the first class, called "precision rifle."

But the work with veterans through FITCO was Kyle's passion, Cox said.

FITCO Cares offered life coaching for veterans, a daily support group and weekly group counseling. Sometimes veterans in other states would video conference in to counseling sessions, Cox said.

Kyle was always recognized at events, but would deflect attention to other veterans, quickly introducing and praising those around him.

"That camaraderie is usually missed once the veteran gets out of the military," said Cox, himself a former Marine sniper. "The authentic relationships that you develop in the military, especially overseas and in combat are some of the most meaningful, authentic relationships that one can have and it's missed. And so we tried to create a means through this group of veterans that can gather and talk about things that they're dealing with."

"He (Kyle) didn't have any fear at all as far as working with an extreme case," Cox said. "Just like in combat he would take it on head on and do whatever he could to give these guys assistance. There was no fear in helping anyone that may have an extreme case. He was willing to help anyone in need."

__

Christopher Sherman contributed reporting from McAllen, Texas.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-04-US-Sniper%20Author-Shooting/id-5541e2f407c54adba138d501bfd7d377

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Today on New Scientist: 4 February 2013

Lefty nonsense: When progressives wage war on reason

Conservatives rightly get a bad rap for anti-science policies. But progressives can be just as bad, say Alex Berezow and Hank Campbell

Leicester's winter made glorious by Richard III

The announcement that King Richard III's remains have been identified will not end debate over their significance, says an archaeologist

Sleep and dreaming: The how, where and why

Where your mind goes every night, how to get more of the good stuff - and why do we do it anyway?

Doubts remain that the Leicester body is Richard III

Mitochondrial DNA is not especially good for pinpointing identity, so how sure can we be that the "car-park skeleton" is that of Richard III?

Ballerina bird video reveals novel shape-shifting view

Watch the first movie of a unique bird-of-paradise mating dance from the female's point of view

Evoking fear in the fearless reveals new ways to panic

People who don't experience fear due to a genetic disorder have been made to feel it for the first time, revealing new pathways involved in the response

Bug protects itself by turning its environment to gold

A bacterium survives close to gold deposits by making a protein that converts toxic gold ions into nanoparticles of the metal

Sneaky ninja robot silently stalks its prey

Robots that know how much noise they are making and use other sounds to mask their progress are better-equipped to sneak up on animals to film them

Two worms, same brains - but one eats the other

Two species of worm have the exact same set of neurons, but extensive rewiring allows them to lead completely different lifestyles

Data waves keep your wearable tech in tune

A new wireless technique could be the perfect way of transmitting large amounts of data between your wearable gadgets

3D printer reveals mathematical beauty - and surprise

From ancient Greek technology to shadows of the fourth dimension, 3D printing can make otherwise tough concepts in mathematics seem intuitive

Astrophile: A scorched world with snow black and smoky

It often snows on hot Jupiters - worlds like our Jupiter, but orbiting close to their sun - just don't expect a gorgeous white wonderland

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5 great onscreen football moments

By Courtney Hazlett, NBC News

Football might have its biggest day of the year on Super Bowl Sunday, but thanks to the magic of movie- and television-making, the sport lives on in mythic proportions all year long. Here's a look at some of football's best onscreen moments:

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose," was a phrase that generated?headlines during the 2012 presidential election, but it was actually made famous on the TV series "Friday Night Lights." The phrase was part of one of Coach Taylor's (Kyle Chandler) pep talks. Below, a mash-up of some of Coach's greatest phrases from the show.

Speaking of pep talks, Al Pacino's inspirational speech in "Any Given Sunday" could be to blame for the discomfort found in listening to "real" coaches give their halftime talks. Pacino is passionate, convincing and motivating. If at the end you aren't ready to "fight for every inch," well, maybe inspirational speeches just aren't for you. (Beware, there's some locker-room language in this one).

Less intense and far more amusing is the football scene in "The Wedding Crashers." The highlight is Bradley Cooper (who really became a household name thanks to the film) as Sack Lodge, a slightly creepy, overly competitive boyfriend who puts all his creepy, overly competitive qualities on display in what should be a friendly game of backyard touch football.

Turn back the clock for another backyard football game gone wrong. All Marcia Brady wanted to do on TV classic "The Brady Bunch" was tell the boys dinner was ready, and think about her dreamy date set for Saturday night. But ... OH, MY NOSE!

And since it's Super Bowl weekend, a weekend that's as much about football as it is the economic boost that comes from the big game, it seems fitting to end by saying, "Show me the money!"?

Do you have some great football scenes from film and television that you especially love? Take the discussion on over to Facebook and share them with us.

Related content:

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/01/16792126-ready-for-some-football-start-with-5-great-onscreen-moments?lite

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There Is No Harvard Cheating Scandal

Should college students be allowed more collaboration in their test-taking?

Photo by Jack Hollingsworth/Photodisc/Thinkstock.

Harvard announced Friday that up to 60 students have been forced to withdraw "for a time" as a result of a cheating scandal. Farhad Manjoo argued in September 2012 that the students should be rewarded, not disciplined. The article is reprinted below.

Last week, Harvard announced that it was investigating more than 100 students for cheating on the final exam of a course called ?Introduction to Congress.? The class had a reputation for being easy, but many students found last spring?s open-book, take-home exam to be close to impossible. As a consequence, the kids apparently began to break the rules. Some students now face the possibility of being forced to take a one-year leave of absence from Harvard. A university official has called the case ?unprecedented in anyone?s living memory.?

Certain students? conduct does seem to have been indefensible?according to the Crimson, the exam-related malfeasance included plagiarism. But many of the accused did not copy their material. Instead, they merely worked with fellow students and their instructors to make sense of the tricky exam questions. What they did?work together to find an answer?should be encouraged. But too often in higher education, such collaboration is either given short shrift or actively penalized. Students are instead forced to find the answers on their own, in marked contrast to how they?ll be expected to behave once they graduate.

Students who spoke to the New York Times said that collaboration was widely thought to be allowed in the course. The class?s teaching fellows?graduate students who graded the exams and ran weekly discussion sessions?varied widely in how they prepared students for the exams, so it was common for students in different sections to share lecture notes and reading materials. The course?s instructor?Matthew B. Platt, an assistant professor of government?and the teaching fellows sometimes encouraged collaboration. During the final exam, some fellows even worked with students to define unfamiliar terms and help them figure out what, exactly, certain test questions were asking.

The test?s rules, though, explicitly prohibited such sharing. ?The exam is completely open book, open note, open Internet, etc. However, in all other regards, this should fall under similar guidelines that apply to in-class exams,? the rules stated. ?More specifically, students may not discuss the exam with others?this includes resident tutors, writing centers, etc.?

What?s the point of prohibiting students from working together? If the students in ?Introduction to Congress? act as these test rules demand when they move into the workforce, they?ll be fired. Outside of academia, teamwork is the rule. Collaboration is widely hailed as a primary factor in creativity and problem solving. It?s the reason Pixar?s offices are designed to foster, in Steve Jobs? words, ?forced collisions of people? from different departments.

In this case, it?s the test?s design, rather than the students? conduct, that we should criticize. In allowing students to consult a wide variety of sources, the Harvard exam was looking to assess something deeper than how well they could memorize and recall facts. Judging from some leaked questions, the test seemed to be designed to measure how students could think about some of the contradictions inherent in American government. (An essay question began, ?Do interest groups make Congress more or less representative as an institution??) But if you want to determine how well students think, why force them to think alone?

Outside of Harvard, these students won?t face many situations in which they?ll be prohibited from consulting with other people. Instead, they?ll have to act exactly as the alleged ?cheaters? did in this case. Here, students who had poor teaching fellows sought help from peers who had better instructors. When they found exam questions that asked about material that hadn?t been covered in the course, they worked together to figure out how to answer them. (Some of them may have had no other choice, as Platt canceled his own office hours during the final exam.) Rather than punishing these students, shouldn?t we be praising them for solving these problems the only way they could?

Sure, the students? collaborative work does make it difficult to assess individual performance?because many people?s answers sounded similar, instructors couldn?t determine who really understood the work and who was merely free-riding. Universities certainly still have an interest in measuring each student?s grasp of class material, and there are plenty of exam formats?in-class tests, timed essays, in-class discussions?that can do so. Open-book exams like the one for ?Introduction to Congress,? though, are useful tools only when they?re collaborative. After all, the test allowed students to consult the Web, a medium that is built on teamwork. If students looked up stuff on Wikipedia or Quora, they would have been effectively discussing the exam with others. And yet online collaboration would have been kosher under the test?s rules, even though you?d be labeled a cheater if you posed the same question to your friend Laura rather than Quora. That distinction makes no sense.

I suspect this arbitrary distinction reflects universities? discomfort with collaboration. Talking about an exam with your friends feels like cheating. But it?s time we realized it?s not, and that teaching people how to work together is a critical skill. Today, in most areas of life?the government, the military, science, the corporate world?real breakthroughs occur in groups. It?s time our universities prized group work, too.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=1549626c15c90e05a25867c3675eff0f

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