A devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on February 22, killing at least 65 people and collapsing buildings onto victims, some of whom used their cellphones to frantically call for help, officials said. Rescuers dug through the rubble overnight amid reports that many people were still trapped and the toll could rise much higher. A statement posted on the website of the Christchurch Police Department said the fatalities included "two buses crushed by falling buildings." It said that "the central city is currently being evacuated, as reports are received of widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. Multiple fatalities have been reported at several locations." Hours after the earthquake struck at 12:51 p.m., the tourist center of 400,000 residents resembled a war zone, a city without electricity or running water in many areas. The temblor, the second to hit the city since September, struck during the lunch hour as the city center teemed with pedestrians. Several people were reportedly in the tower of the Christchurch Cathedral as its spire toppled. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-new-zealand-quake-web-20110222,0,1629166.story

China’s Silk Road exhibit at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, but it's there now and will be on display until March 15. The full exhibit of trade routes that connected China with the west includes rare artifacts and mummies. Some items in the exhibit are over 3,800 years old. The unique thing about the mummies is that they have Caucasian features which prove western populations traveled east along the Silk Road. This fascinating exhibition located on Penn’s campus at 3260 South Street will run until March 28. If you wait until after the March 15 two of the mummies will be missing from the display. Penn Museum has even extended its hours to make sure everyone gets a chance to witness Secrets of the Silk Road. The museum will be opened from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/around-town/events/Explore-the-Silk-Road-Right-Here-in-Philly-116597823.html

pan•the•on (pănˈthē-ŏnˌ, -ən) noun
A circular temple in Rome, completed in 27 B.C. and dedicated to all the gods.
A temple dedicated to all gods.
All the gods of a people considered as a group: Jupiter is head of the Roman pantheon.
A public building commemorating and dedicated to the heroes and heroines of a nation.
A group of persons most highly regarded for contributions to a field or endeavor: the pantheon of modern physics.
Origin: Middle English Panteon, Pantheon, from Latin Panthēum, Panthēon, from Greek Pantheion, shrine of all the gods, from neuter sing. of pantheios, of all the gods : pan-, pan- + theos, god; see dhēs- in Indo-European roots.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/pantheon

The spire of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple soars over the skyline in Central Delhi. About 1.5 km due west of Connaught Place, this garish, modern, Orissan styled temple was erected by industrialist B.D.Birla in 1938 and was inaugrated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes especially untouchables would be allowed in. The temple enshrines almost all the deities of the Hindu Pantheon, the presiding deity being Narayan (Vishnu, the preserver in Hindu trinity) and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and good fortune. http://www.shubhyatra.com/delhi/lakshmi-narayan-temple.html

In 1755, the Marquis of Marigny commissioned architect Jacques- Germain Soufflot to design a new, great church. Construction of the imposing building started in 1757. In 1791, the Constituent Interior of the Panthéon Assembly of the Revolution decided by decree to transform the church into a temple to accommodate the remains of the great men of France. The building was adapted by architect Quatremère de Quincy to its new function as pantheon. In 1806 the building was turned into a church again, but since 1885 the Panthéon serves as a civic building. http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/pantheon.htm

The National Revival Pantheon in Rousse is a monument-ossuary honoring the struggle for Bulgarian liberation and paying tribute to all who gave their lives in the battles. Construction began in 1977 over the remains of a Christian church that was destroyed in 1975. The pantheon preserves the remains of 39 well-known Bulgarian revival period activists. You will find there the graves of Liuben Karavelov, Zahari Stoianov, Panaiot Hitov, Stefan Karadzha, Panaiot Volov, Angel Kunchev, Tonka Obretenova and many others. The pantheon was officially opened in 1978 to commemorate 100 years since Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule.
http://www.bulgariainside.eu/en/articles/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE/950/2

Certified is a marketing word A number of Southern towns and counties are hoping to attract retirees by making an unusual claim: They are certified. Some 83 towns and counties in five Southern states have been designated as Certified Retirement Communities by various state agencies, and more certifications are on the way. Local governments and businesses started pursuing certified status in the early 1990s as a way to attract retirees (and their wallets). The thinking: Retirees are an attractive growth alternative to the creation of new jobs. Texas guidelines call for festivals, entertainment events and "sports at all levels." In Mississippi, towns must describe intangibles such as "appearances or curb appeal" of the entrances and exits to downtown areas. Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, a nonprofit institute in San Francisco funded in part by Transamerica Life Insurance Co., cautions that interested adults need to look past the promotions and consider such things as the quality of local long-term care. John Migliaccio, director of research at the MetLife Mature Market Institute in Westport, Conn., says CRC efforts are "looking at retirees almost as a commodity. The marketing message is like a vacation ad." He advises spending more than a few days visiting a prospective new community, and perhaps in different seasons.
http://topics.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704865704575610664047097530.html

Some critics question the neutrality of the Good Housekeeping Institute's award of its coveted seal for products, because they are tied to companies that pay to advertise in the magazine. Additionally, many smaller companies that produce specialty products are not eligible to receive the seal because they do not have the necessary advertising budget to pay for space in the magazine.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5580071_good-housekeeping-magazine-history.html

Licensed is a word aimed at control. Control is usually good when it is aimed at education or training, but it could be a way to raise prices and keep out competition