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Birmingham wishes it could ditch Brummie accent

“After decades where dialect diversity has been celebrated, the majority of Britons now aspire to received pronunciation and to share the sound of their voice not only with the Queen but with celebrities like Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant.”

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When It Comes To Marriage, Many More Say ‘I Don’t’

“The most dramatic statistics to me are when you look at the share of younger adults who are married now compared with in the past. That’s really been where you’ve seen the big decline,” Cohn says.

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Emerging Economies

Please watch the video below and answer the questions that follow.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyCPqyHRqbo

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The European Union

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1958. In the intervening years the EU has grown in size by the accession of new member states, and in power by the addition of policy areas to its remit. The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union under its current name in 1993. The latest amendment to the constitutional basis of the EU, the Treaty of Lisbon, came into force in 2009.

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Vaulting…with or without a horse?

Vaulting has been an equestrian act at the circus from its early days. It is open to both males and females. It is one of seven equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (Fédération équestre internationale or FEI), along with dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining and jumping (two of which are also paraequestrian disciplines). Therapeutic or Interactive vaulting is also used as an activity for children and adults who may have balance, attention, gross motor skill, or social deficits.

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The Hula Hoop! Is it for you?

The Hula Hoop and Hula HoopingA hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history. Hula hoops for children generally measure approximately 71 centimetres (28 in) in diameter, and those for adults around 1.02 metres (40 in). Traditional materials for hoops include willow, rattan (a flexible and strong vine), grapevines and stiff grasses. Today, they are usually made of plastic tubing.

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Seriously Salacious: The ‘Untrivial’ Gossip Tradition

Gossip is arguably one of humanity’s oldest pastimes. Frequently entertaining, occasionally helpful, sometimes salacious and often vicious — gossip can be all of those things — but it’s never trivial, says Joseph Epstein, author of Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit.

Epstein has already traced the history and practice of two other human weaknesses: snobbery and envy. In Gossip, he turns his eye on our deep desire to hear — and share — the secrets of others, even if we feel guilty about it.

Epstein talks with NPR’s Neal Conan about why we engage in gossip, what makes for a particularly juicy tidbit, and why he says the art of well-told gossip is being lost in our tell-all, celebrity-obsessed digital age.

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Being Left-Handed

Left-handers have been the subject of curiosity, stigma and even fear over the centuries. Researchers now, however, are recognizing the scientific importance of understanding why people use one hand or the other to write, eat or toss a ball.

Handedness, as the dominance of one hand over the other is called, provides a window into the way our brains are wired, experts say. And it may help shed light on disorders related to brain development, like dyslexia, schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, which are more common in left-handed people.

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World’s Population Reaches 7 Billion

Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and Asia. At the same time, low birth rates in Japan and many European nations
have raised concerns. There may not be enough people to fill jobs in the future.

Population experts at the United Nations estimate that the world’s population reached six billion in October 1999. They predict it will reach nine billion by 2050, and ten billion by the end of the century.

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Closing the deal

A lot of talented folks are unemployed or “in transition” these days, working full time in their efforts to land a new job.

When that goal is finally reached, when someone says, “we love you, please come to work for us,” the tendency will be to respond with “thank you, YES.” However, that immediate, knee-jerk reaction could be a mistake, as at that point you’re a desired candidate with options, while tomorrow you’ll be one of the staff – with little leverage at all.

When the moment of decision occurs, most Human Resource professionals would advise you to give the person who extended the offer a warm thank you, but then to take a little time for reflection on the particulars – the details. The higher up the food chain you are, the more moving parts will comprise your employment offer. No one is going to force you to decide right away, so don’t.

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