After the whole Catholic Church was rocked by surprise with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, it rejoiced soon after when Pope Francis I was elected on the second day of the conclave.  The change of guard in the Catholic Church is expected to bring changes in the church that has been facing problems related to scandals involving priests.  This is the very first in modern times when a previous Pope still lives while a new one has been elected.

The Resignation

It all started with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI due to his failing health.  The issue about his health has been known for quite some time and was somewhat expected considering his advanced age.  The Vatican denies the question of external pressure, explaining that the Pope had the right as well as the duty to resign if he feels he can no longer perform the duties expected of him.  He stepped down last February 28 to make way for the election of the new Pope.

The Election

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th Pope of the roman Catholic Church on the second day of the Conclave.  Taking the name of Pope Francis I, he comes with many firsts including being the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pope coming from the Southern Hemisphere.  He was born in Argentina but is of Italian descent. It is to be noted that he was the closest competitor during Pope Benedict XVI’s election before he reportedly bowed out of the election.

The Two Popes

Pope Francis I is the official Pope of the Catholic Church while Pope Benedict XVI takes the title of Pope Emeritus.  Although the latter will still be given all the honor befitting a Pope, he is expected to be away from the limelight to allow the current Pope to perform all his official functions accordingly.  One of the first things that Pope Francis I did was to visit his predecessor.  The meeting of the two Popes is considered a historical event.  Both Popes continue to wear white.

The New Direction

Many are in the belief that Pope Francis I’s papacy will be more or less an extension of his predecessor’s especially with regards to the basic Catholic doctrines.  However, there is reason to believe that the Catholic Church will be headed towards a new direction because of a sensed difference in approach that goes beyond papal vestments.  At this time, the change of guard in the Catholic Church brings new hope to its followers.

Teresa is a researcher-writer who covers a wide range of topics in search of useful information.

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There is an easier way of getting one’s news online.  This is through subscribing to online newspapers.  Although there are still some which offer their contents for free, most bigger named newspapers now require subscription.

E-newspapers that have printed versions look exactly like their counterparts except that that former is accessed through the computer as compared to the latter which is physically delivered through carrier or same-day mail.  E-newspapers provide instant accessibility to news.  Subscription can be paid for the e-newspaper alone although they are typically bundled for free with the printed version.

There are three main advantages of an e-newspaper over a traditional newspaper. One is the ability to check the links outside the newspaper environment.  In traditional newspapers, this is not at all possible.  The reader either has to find back issues or find other sources to verify certain information.  The text-to-speech option is also available for e-newspapers to provide the option to convert the news into audio format.  Videos when available are also embedded into news articles making the news reading a complete experience.

E-newspapers can either be read directly online or downloaded for reading a t a later time.  Subscription is usually paid through credit card.  The gift subscription option is also available so that the opportunity of reading e-newspapers can also be given to another.  Subscription accounts are easily managed online and does not present any inconvenience to the subscriber.  It can also be easily stopped when the subscriber goes on vacation and resumed upon coming back.  The electronic edition of newspapers is easily subscribed to by international readers in contrast to printed newspapers subscription which are rarely offered  outside their place of publication.

About the Author:

Teresa is a researcher-writer who covers a wide range of topics in search of useful information.

Image: techwire.in

Even in this age of widespread information, there are still many myths about cruising that keep many people from experiencing its wonders. Today, we set the records straight by debunking the top cruise myths.

Myth #1: Cruises are expensive

There was a time when cruising was exorbitant, but that’s no longer the case today. In fact, cruises have become quite cheap. At Cruises.com.au alone, you can look for a staggering number of options worth below $500 with some going as low as $260, which is way cheaper than the iPad you’re going gaga over.

Myth #2: Cruises are only for Seniors

Not true. While some cruises are known to cater specifically for older people, there are actually many different types of cruises and, there is actually a good distribution of ages among passengers. Case in point: the age groups of P&O Cruises passengers is as follows: 31 per cent are aged 0 to 29, 49 per cent are 30 to 59, and only 20 per cent are over 60.

Myth #3: Cruises are boring

This is highly unlikely since you might not even have enough time. You can go ice skating, rock climbing, play mini golf, attend fitness classes, jog around the top deck, swim in the pool, take a splash in the water slide, read in the library, eat in all the restaurants, watch an evening show, relax at the spa, explore the ship, or take a nap. We’re not even talking about the ports of call yet.

Myth #4: The dress code is too formal

While there are cruises with formal dress codes, these are mostly limited to the main dining room during dinner. Still, cruises are mainly laid-back and informal. Formal nights happen more frequently in expensive cruises, but budget cruises are much more casual and relaxed.

Myth #5: I’ll be forced to follow a rigid schedule

Your ship will strictly follow its itinerary, but this has nothing to do with what you want to do during the cruise. For instance, if you’ve visited the port previously, you can stay on the ship and relax there. If you want to take a tour, that’s also up to you. You even have the option to sightsee by yourself. As for all the activities mentioned above, you can do those anytime as well.

Myth #6: I’ll put on weight during the cruise

Cruise ships have many healthy dining choices. You can even request to have your meals cooked a certain way so that you can stick to your dietary restrictions. And if you get carried away with the food, you can always work those off in the gym.

Myth #7: Passengers get the norovirus in most cruises

Oddly, people associate the norovirus with cruise ships or other sea vessels; this is incorrect. The virus has been linked with cruises because health officials need to monitor infirmities on ships, not at resorts or hotels. Yes, outbreaks occur in cruises, but the likelihood of this happening in your average seven-day cruise is less than one per cent—not in “most cruises”.

Myth #8: The ship feels confining

Au contraire, cruise ships provide a great sense of space. High ceilings, huge windows, pale colours and other design techniques give ships an expansive feel. Granted, if you get an inside cabin (which has no window), it feels somewhat cramped; but with so much stuff to do on a sprawling ship, the only time you’ll stay in your room is when you sleep.

Myth #9: I’ll get seasick

Very few passengers actually get seasick, thanks to new-fangled features like ship stabilisers (i.e. fins placed under the ship’s waterline to reduce the ship’s side-to-side motion) and computerised equipment to minimise the up and down movement. If you’re prone to motion sickness, the ship doctor can prescribe medications to keep the symptoms at bay.

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The stories we read on newspapers follow a standard formula in form and content.  Those thinking about contributing stories for newspaper use should be aware that there are certain requirements in order for stories to appear as newspaper-worthy.  These requirements are summed-up with the value and the presentation of the story.

Writing news stories is based on the five “W” and one “H”.  These of course refers to the question of Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.  A story must be able to answer these questions to be considered a story that is written in true news style.  In arranging the facts to be included in the story, it is necessary to put the most important ones in the first paragraph for two main reasons.  First is to catch the attention of readers since all the elements that can more or less provide a complete story are found immediately by the readers.  Second is the possibility that an article will be cut short due to space limitations as what usually happens in the news room.  If this happens, then at least a “complete” story has also been provided.

In choosing the topic, stories must either contain current events, stories that appeal to human emotions and interests, or novel ideas.  Because of the limited space, news stories cannot accommodate flowery words that only serve to lengthen the text but does not give out additional information.  News stories are supposed to be factual and not based on personal views and opinions.  There is a separate page for that in a newspaper.

Since the same news stories are expected to be printed in all newspapers, writers should develop a slant, which is essentially giving a fresh view of the news at a specific angle.  Quoting personalities is an interesting way of giving a new twist to a story.  With practice and perseverance, anyone can write a newspaper story.

About the Author:

Teresa is a professional web content writer.

The home is perhaps one of the most important material possessions any person can ever have. To many, the home is where one can be safe and secure. Where one can retreat from their daily activities of work and play into a place where they can be perfectly comfortable and at ease. The home also keeps its residents within safely protected from the elements, so it’s no wonder why a lot of people actually put a lot of money into making sure that their home is covered through home insurance.

Any homeowner who values their property eventually comes around to checking out home insurance. It is of course, the logical step to wanting to keep your property safe.  Insurance  may be a rather costly matter, however, and of course everyone would prefer to get the most out of their homeowners insurance rates. Which is why we’ve put together this list of things you can do  to stay on top of your home insurance costs.

Image via Everything Simple

Exhaust All Your Options

This is rather tedious, but could save you the most money. Ask around for the best insurance rates and list down all your options. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers  for home insurance experience, and check out consumer reviews.

Sync Your Insurance Policies

Try to get the same company for most – if not all – of your insurance policies.  Not only will this be more convenient to manage, but most companies would also give discounts this way.

Build A Sturdier Home

Ask your potential insurance company about what you can do to make your home more secure and disaster resistant as these minor additions may help lower your premiums.

Keep Your Credit Record Up

Maintaining a healthy credit record can also help lower your insurance costs. To do this, make sure you always pay your bills on time and to try and keep your credit balance as low as possible to help you out with your home insurance claims.

Loyalty Counts

Most insurance companies also reward their loyal customers by providing discounts based on how long you’ve had them as your insurance provider.

About The Author

Franco is a professional blogger that writes on a variety of topics including home insurance.

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Newspapers can be categorized according to their geographical scope in relation to distribution and contents.  Contents will have to be adjusted to their target market to ensure that they will enjoy readership.  Providing contents that are of no particular interest to the people in a specific geographical scope may prove to be just a waste of time.

A local newspaper is intended to serve a particular region that may be a city or a part of it.  The news contained in this type of newspaper has a local flavour or that which pertains to happenings in the area.  It is expected to find stories about local people, events, and promotions.

A national newspaper has a wider scope than a local newspaper since it is expected to be fit for reading by people of a particular country.  Being national in scope, this type of newspaper must be able to cater to the varying needs and taste for information of people in a country.

International newspapers are simply what their name implies.  They are expected to provide a wider focus in presenting news and stories because of the international market.  It is very seldom that a small story makes it to this level since they tend to be omitted.

International newspapers will have to use the so-called universal language, English to cater to more individuals and groups.  Non-English newspapers are limited by language barrier and thus may be more fitting as a local or national newspaper.  Many newspapers are being printed in various languages to accommodate ethnic

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Everyone is familiar with newspapers but not everyone will know how it first came about.  Most people see it as a printed material containing news, feature articles, entertainment, advertisements, announcements, and editorials.  Newspapers can be published for local, national, or international consumption.

The first versions of newspapers were quite heavy since metal or stone carved with announcements was used as issued by the government of Ancient Rome.  China’s earliest newspapers were much lighter but was equally labor- intensive since announcements were handwritten on silk and read to the people by government officials.

Europe’s earliest newspaper versions were also handwritten.  They contained news about politics, military, and the economy to fill in the need for information.  All the early versions hardly resembled the newspapers we have now but it served a similar purpose during the time they were used.

The recognized very first printed newspaper is that of Johann Carolus of Germany, named Relation aller Fumemmem und gedenkwurdigen Historien.  It came out in 1605 and was followed by a Dutch publication in 1618.  The first newspaper in the English language came out in 1620.  Many countries such as France, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Poland published their own soon after.

The Daily Courant which was first published in 1702 became the first successful English daily.  The Americans produced their first continuously published newspaper in 1704.  America claims however to a publication in 1690 by Benjamin Harris as its first newspaper although only one edition was published because it was not allowed by the government then.

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An online newspaper is differentiated from the physical newspaper because it is simply found in the web.  Although there are newspapers that are still found in newsstands and the Internet, a good number of them simply choose to concentrate on online readers. It has certainly found its niche.

Recent studies show that online newspaper readers now outnumber those that read physical  newspapers.  This is probably due to convenience especially for those who have to sit behind a computer anyway.  The latest stories and news are readily seen on the computer upon opening even without any effort .  This then calls the attention of readers to the news and leads to online newspapers if more facts are desired.

Online newspapers carry news from all over like actual newspapers.  They have the great advantage of literally being at the very fingertips of the readers.  They are free, easy to access, and current.

There is no question as to the currency of online news since  many update theirs by the hour or at least several times during the day.  Compared to traditional newspapers which will bring the next update the following day since they still have to be printed, online newspapers fill in the void for the reading public’s sustained interest in a topic.  Here lies the great attraction of online news.

It isn’t quite clear yet if online newspapers will have the power to annihilate traditional newspapers.  Many still hold on to the traditional way saying that holding a physical newspaper is part of the reading experience.  As of today, the two newspapers happily co-exist.

These days, it’s normal to see lottery wins of $50,000 or even $1 million. But have you ever wondered how much were the largest jackpot prizes ever won? Wonder no longer—below are some of the biggest lotto and Powerball wins in history.

$656 million

The largest lottery jackpot in history (so far, at least), was from the U.S., and is worth $656 million. Aside from its staggering size, the win was also controversial because of the drama surrounding the identity of the real ticketholders. There was a woman who claimed to own one of the winning tickets, but she also bought a syndicate ticket for her co-workers and insists that the winner was purchased separately. The suspense lasted a week, but the three winners eventually claimed their windfall.

$390 million

This 2007 MegaMillions jackpot had two winning tickets: one was owned by truck driver Eddie Nabors in Dalton, Georgia, and the other by contractor Harold Messner. All in all, the cash pay-out for this jackpot was worth $233.1 million, which is said to be the third largest in the history of U.S. lottery.

$380 million

One of the largest wins in lottery history was worth a massive $380 million, which was split between two ticketholders, with each getting $190 million (before taxes). One ticket was owned by Jim and Carolyn McCullar, a couple from Ephrata, Washington. The other was Holly Lahti of Rathdrum, Idaho. Unfortunately, Lahti’s troubled past came up when she went into hiding.

$365 million

In February 2006, eight employees of a ConAgra meat-packing plant in Nebraska won the largest Powerball jackpot in history. Seven men and one woman won $365 million in all. Immediately after winning, three quit their jobs. All eight winners decided to claim their prize in lump sum, worth $15.5 million after taxes.

$340 million

Back in 2005, the West and Chaney families of Jacksonville, Oregon won the $340 million Powerball jackpot. The winners chose to get the prize in lump sum, which was worth $110 million after taxes. They then established the Robert & Frances Chaney Family Foundation and West Family Foundation to aid non-profits that help poor families in Southern Oregon.

$314.9 million

Even after a decade, businessman Jack Whittaker’s $314.9 million Powerball win in 2002 is still the largest jackpot for a single ticket. Like most winners, Whittaker chose to get his prize in cash, which was worth $170 million or $113.9 million after taxes. Before winning in Powerball, Whittaker was already rich and had a net worth of $17 million.

£161 million

The largest jackpot in British history, worth £161 million, was won by Colin and Chris Weir from Largs, Scotland. But because the couple went public with their win, a deluge of begging letters steadily arrived at their home, causing the Weirs to go into hiding in Spain. The couple, however, went on a string of generous donations, including paying for the operation of a child with cerebral palsy.

AU$106 million

In Australia, the largest-ever jackpot win was the AU$106 million Oz Lotto draw back in June 2009. Two winners shared the prize: a couple living in Gold Coast, Queensland and a blue collar worker from South Australia. Interestingly, the Queensland couple still went to work after winning their AU$53 million share.

Image: flickr

Why do newspapers regularly feature stories of human interest?  Simple, because these stories draw the attention of readers and encourages them to read more.  Convincing a reader to know the whole story through the newspaper is what every editor hopes to accomplish with eye-catching titles and emotionally appealing stories.

Journalism defines human interest stories as feature stories that attack the article in an emotional way.  Beyond providing information, a human interest story presents the subject person or people, in relation to their existing problems or achievements which will make them particularly interesting to newspaper readers or viewers.

Human interest stories are the stories behind the headlines.  In a story of tragedy brought upon by a natural disaster, the headline story will be about the death toll and the amount of damages while a human interest story may be a story of how a survivor copes with the loss of either his property or his family or how he saved himself in spite of the mass destruction.  Human interest stories are very personal that is why its effect on readers can be very personal as well.

There are certain criticisms on how some human interest stories are being used to manipulate reactions of readers.  It is seen as an effective strategy to persuade readers to perform a particular course of action.  In a similar situation about a tragedy caused by natural disasters, human interest stories can be used to encourage more donations.  Other human interest stories simply aim to entertain and are often used as fillers in newspapers, magazines, or other reading materials.