The rise of snack drama

If you're the kind of person who sends emails while waiting for the bus or if you are reading this article while eating your lunch, you already know that modern life is all about multi-tasking.

Producers of televised drama know it too and they have decided that the days of hour-long "appointment" TV, where you sit on your couch and do nothing but watch your chosen show, are limited. Hence the rise of "snack drama" - shows broken up into episodes of under four minutes intended to be viewed online or on your mobile phone.

The television industry's interest in snack drama is fuelled by the arrival of mobile television. General manager for products and services at 3 Mobile Mira Bashi says the demand for mobile entertainment is growing with customers spending an average of eight minutes accessing mobile TV services on the 3 network.


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In search of a perfect church - make yours caring, loving

A Columbian came to faith in Christ through reading the Bible and soon after his conversion immigrated to America.Here he began searching for a church where he could grow in his newfound faith but became confused by the number of churches from which to choose. Finally he settled on a test for choosing the church he would make his own. He would know he had found the right church, he said, when he sensed the kind of love between the members that he had read about in the Bible.This believing immigrant's test for finding the right church may not satisfy everyone, but I am challenged every time I remember his keen perception of the climate of love among those early believers following the resurrection. A return to that kind of affection for one another would bring new life to any congregation.Still, experience has taught me that there are people who could attend such an awakened, loving church and not be content.


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Healthy school

A positive and wholesome attitude among pupils and staff has led to Our Lady's Catholic Primary School in Barnstaple receiving a healthy accolade. It has gained a national Healthy School Award for all aspects of school life, from the good attitude of pupils to the hard work of staff and the many activities to promote physical and social wellbeing.The Government is hoping by that 2009, three quarters of UK schools will have earned the award.Our Lady's was assessed across management, ethos, learning and teaching, care and partnership - and achieved a rating of "good" throughout.The initiative focuses on almost every aspect of health, including nutrition and exercise, but also on developing the self-esteem of pupils, its place within the community and the relationships with its parents.Examiners found the pupils "are proud of their school" and that it "works hard to develop self-esteem, empathy and confidence for all members of the school community.""This is a testament to the hard work put in by staff, governors and parents to provide our children with a healthy environment in which to learn and develop," said Rob Meech, Healthy School Co-ordinator at Our Lady's."It is about creating healthy and happy children, who do better in learning and in life.



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Crowe keeps positive attitude

There was no sulking. No avoiding certain people. No hanging his head as he made his way into the familiar home clubhouse at Canal Park.

If Indians outfield prospect Trevor Crowe was unhappy to be preparing to start his second season with the Double-A Aeros this week, he wasn't letting on.

''I'm happy with where I'm at right now,'' said the Tribe's No. 1 pick (14th overall) in the 2005 draft out of the University of Arizona. ''I came out of spring training healthy and I had a very good camp. I feel like as long as you're not in the big leagues, it doesn't matter (where you are).''

Other players in similar situations would be wise to follow Crowe's example on how to handle the inevitable failure that seemingly awaits everyone at some point in life.


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Philip Hensher: Don't dismiss 'Heat'. It's a very superior product

Ask a sensible question, and, now and again, you might just get a sensible answer. If you asked a group of adults what their favourite reading was, self-consciousness would intervene, and, after a moment's thought, you would be given the name of a novel or a literary genre. If you ask a group of teenagers the same question, however, as the organisers of the National Year of Reading did last week, and you will get a much more realistic answer.

They liked reading their own blogs; they liked reading "online computer game cheats" (no, me neither – not a clue); they liked reading a few books, such as the diary of Anne Frank or the Harry Potter novels. Most of all, however, they said they like reading Heat magazine.

Heat coming out on top, as the favourite reading of teenagers, caused a certain amount of dismay in the outside world.


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Why Every Employee Needs a Global Mindset

Every employee should participate in the increasing globalization of a company. Cultivating a global mindset in a company's employees always adds to the value of a company, maintain Anil Gupta, Vijay Govindarajan and Haiyan Wang in this Globalist Bookshelf selection from their book, "The Quest for Global Dominance."

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Today’s Headlines

Spring Break for many kids might mean a lazy day in front of the television, playing video games, taking a trip to the mall or sleeping in. But for the 160 girls attending the week-long Let Us Play camp at the University of North Florida, they only had one thing on their agenda.

Let us play! the girls chanted in unison for several minutes following a series of track and field events at the campus track facility.

In its 13th year, the camp uses sports to motivate socially and economically challenged girls ages 12-15 to maintain good health, form a consistent work ethic and learn numerous life skills. The girls are from different United Way agencies, with almost 75 percent coming from the Communities in Schools program. The program is part of the nations largest dropout prevention program that develops relationships and provides mentoring with troubled youth.


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