Art: whether you love it or hate it, the purpose is to elicit a response

To ask what art is good for is not exactly the same as asking what its purpose is. Art does not have to have a purpose - it
does not exist in order to teach, to urge a moral point, to entertain, to distract, to amuse, to serve beauty, to support a
revolution, to disgust, to challenge, to stimulate or to cheer; it exists chiefly for its own sake. It is the artist, not art as
such, that may have an aim in mind, and his aim may be to do any of the things just listed. But equally, an artist may
just make art because he feels compelled to. Because the work is its own justification, no further aim or goal is
necessarily required to explain or, still less, to justify its existence.
But to say that art does not have to serve an aim beyond itself, even though it may sometimes do so, is not to say that it
is good for nothing. On the contrary, as one of the greatest goods of human experience, it is good for many things. The
distinction here lies between things that are instrumental and things that are ends in themselves. An instrument exists for
something beyond itself - namely, for what it can be used to do. An end in itself is its own justification for existing.
Even though art can sometimes be instrumental, that fact is not essential to its nature. What art is "good for" arises from
its being an end in itself, or more accurately, the embodiment of many different things that are valuable for their own
sakes.
The word "art" does duty here for painting, sculpture, music, literature, dance and theatre performance, and whatever
else (to quote Andy Warhol) anyone can get away with in calling it "art". But the generalisation that art, whatever else it
is, is always an end in itself, applies to them all. This can be shown as follows.
Art is one major form of response to the world. It is often an attempt to capture an aspect of the world, to draw attention
to something about it, to comment on it, to present a surprising or fresh angle on it, to represent it for the sake of
exploring something about it, or enjoying or celebrating it - for example, the colors or shapes of an object, its
eccentricity or typicality, the interest or repugnance it provokes.
For a loose comparison, think of laughing at a joke. We do not laugh so that we can achieve a further goal - in order to
be healthy or relaxed, say, even if we thereby succeed in being healthier or more relaxed - but simply because the joke
has elicited (drawn) that reaction. But although it is merely a reaction, laughing is, in fact, good for something
nevertheless; it does make people feel better. Art is a reaction in the same way. Cezanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire
repeatedly because he was fascinated by it, not because he thought that painting it would say something about politics or
society or human hopes. Being fascinated by something, attracted to it, repelled by it, keen to reveal an unusual aspect
of it, are all responses to that thing; the making of art is one outstanding way of expressing such responses.
But art is a response not only to things in the world but to experience of the world, which lies inside the artist himself.
And it is also often an expression of what presses from within the artist without being elicited by externals. Music is a
prime example. A symphony, unless it has a programme and is devised to represent bird song, rain, battle and the like,
is an abstract expression of a composer's conception.
The impulse to make art, as with poetry, can result in the artist imparting (revealing) a message, but the art lies not in
the message but in the way it is conveyed. An interest in materials and techniques without any explicit content, as in
abstract painting or contemporary dance, leads to a form of distinctively modern art that switches the focus of attention,
as when people look at a frame rather than the picture within. It is still art, still an expression of a response to something
within or without.
When artists get to work responding and expressing, whether or not also to urge a point, entertain, distract, support a
revolution and the rest, they are producing something that someone else will react to in some way. And that is what art
is chiefly good for: namely, that by its relationship with its audience it can make something move in the realm of
thought and emotion, where such movement is life.

Advantages and disadvantages of big companies vs. small companies

A mid-career changer who has worked for government or a large corporation has worked in a completely different
environment from that of someone who has spent his working life in small business. Let us highlight some of the major
differences between them so you can judge for yourself if the solution to your career problems should include a move
from one to the other.

Advantages of Working for a Giant

A company the size of IBM has many advantages. For example, if you are in finance at IBM, you have access to the top
CPAs in the country. If you need legal advice, you have lawyers on staff who can help. If you want to go to Disneyland,
you can get employee discount coupons.
Large companies have a greater degree of security than small companies do. Size gives you a chance to move within the
company. Many times when you read about a large layoff planned for a giant company, the newspapers print only half
the story. The company may plan a reduction of three thousand employees, but most of those employees have the
chance to find jobs in other divisions. One company had a layoff of two thousand employees that resulted in only five
hundred people actually losing their jobs. That's not to say that five hundred people isn't a lot, but three-fourths of those
originally laid off found jobs within the company's other divisions.
Giants offer career growth and income that cannot be matched by small companies. Very few small companies can give
their executives huge amounts of compensation.
The time and dollars put into the training programs of many large companies are unmatched anywhere. If you want to
change careers and get on-the-job training, the best available is through some of the large corporations. IBM, Xerox,
and Hewlett-Packard offer some of the best sales training found in the United States. Bank of America is the Harvard
for bankers. General Electric can turn you into the best technical services representative in the country. Moore Business
Forms can train you to be an expert in forms design and sales. Small companies cannot afford to put an employee
through six months or a year of training during which time they receive little or no return on work performed. Large
companies feel they cannot afford not to train employees to meet a high standard of excellence.
Large companies generally offer a greater opportunity to travel and relocate to other parts of the country or even outside
the United States. Small firms do not have the multiple divisions and branch offices which make such moves possible.
Finally, large companies almost always offer the best benefits package. Size gives them the power to negotiate good
deals for themselves and their employees. A large employee pool means that the cost of benefits is shared by more
people.

Advantages of Working for a Smaller Company

Jon is an example of the difference between a large and a small company employee. He is the chief financial officer for
a $35-million-a-year company. His prior position was a division controller for a $5 billion company. He feels his
greatest advantage in working for a smaller company is his ability to make decisions. There is less bureaucracy and
fewer managers, and each one has more responsibility. There is greater risk, too. If he decides to make an equipment
investment of several million dollars and the equipment does not work out well, he could put his company into a tough
financial position. If it works out well, he has the reward of knowing his decision made a difference. At his old
company, he would not have had the chance to make the decision at all.
A number of the managers that were interviewed for a research study thought a smaller company offers the opportunity
to see how all parts of the business – finance, sales, engineering – interrelate. You get to really learn what makes a
business tick.
Small companies offer flexibility. Often a new problem or situation means new solutions need to be found. There will
not be a policy to cover it. Instead, the employee gets the challenge to create a solution.
A small company may be your ticket to financial independence. Many of them have given stock options to employees
starting out with the company, making the employees millionaires when it grew into a big-time corporation.

Disadvantages of Giants
"When you're riding an elephant, you don't worry about the ants," a corporate chief once said about his company. While
this is true, it is also impossible to change the direction of a charging elephant.
Big companies are usually very slow to act. It can take years to get a new idea accepted. Spin-off companies are often
created
by someone who developed a product idea at a large corporation only to have them sit on it.
Big companies can be too layered with management. You can find yourself ten layers removed from the president, thus
being in
the dark about the strategy and direction of the company.
Finally, large companies can be too structured. They don't like to be told this, but many of them operate the same as a
government bureaucracy. Many companies have policy manuals that cover everything from how to hire an employee to
how to change a light bulb. Too many people in the company become obsessed with doing everything by the book. This
makes for a company that is entrenched and lacks creativity and spontaneity. In some cases, this actually leads to a loss
of market share.

Disadvantages of a Small Company

Lack of support is the most common complaint with small companies. Resources cost money and small companies need
to make every penny count. Small companies buy paper by the box instead of by the case. Legal advice for a small
company comes from an attorney on retainer, rather than from its own legal department. Small companies start a new
department by asking someone to "spend a few hours a week taking care of this."
Small companies can impede (obstruct/hinder) the growth of your career. There is usually little room at the top of the
ladder. Advancement often means moving to a larger firm with more opportunities and higher income potential.

In Summary
In this article the differences between working for the public and private sectors of the economy and between large and
small businesses have been discussed.
Keep several points in mind when making a decision to move from one to the other. Large public employers and large
companies have many similarities. As a rule (In general), the many departments, divisions, field offices, and general
diversity required of a large employer mean more opportunities for career advancement within the organization.
But many people feel that the stability offered by such bureaucracy (excessively complicated administrative procedure)
also stifles the individual. These people prefer smaller employers where the individual can make a difference in the
success or failure of the business.
Each of these areas – public agency, private sector, large corporation, small company – has definite advantages and
disadvantages. When making your decision, keep in mind what you really want out of your mid-career change. You
have spent years working in one of these areas. What type of working environment do you think you will enjoy the
most? You have to decide the answer for yourself.

Pros and cons of online shopping

Online shopping is one of the most popular ways to make purchases, but it's not something that everyone is comfortable
doing. As with most things, there are positives and negatives associated with this approach to shopping. Consider the
advantages and disadvantages carefully so you can make an informed decision about what's best for you.
Four Benefits of Online Shopping
Shopping on the internet comes with a number of positives.
1. Convenience: There is no doubt that shopping online can be very convenient for busy people. You can shop from
your home or office - or any other location where you have access to a computer, tablet device or smartphone and
Internet access. You can browse and make purchases any time of the day or night from any location that is convenient
for you rather than having to take time out of your day or evening to go to local stores in person during their hours of
operation.
2. Ease of Comparison Shopping: When you shop online, you can compare offerings and pricing at different stores
with the simple click of a button rather than having to get in your car and spend your precious time and hard-earned gas
money running from one store to another to see what stores carry what product lines and how much each one is
charging.
With the help of shopping comparison sites like NexTag.com, you can go to a central place to narrow down to the
online retailers (persons or businesses selling items for use) that are likely to have the best deal on the items you want
without even having to run key words through search engines to find out where to look.
3. Extensive Product Mix Availability: When you shop online, you might find that there are more options available to
you than if you focused your product search only on items available in your local areas. That's because store buyers
have to make decisions about what items to carry in their physical stores, and those decisions are impacted by local
market demand, past purchasing success and failures and shelf-space constraints. For example, if you live in an area
where snow is rare, you won't find a variety of skiing equipment in your local stores. However, if you're planning a ski
vacation, you may have a real need for such items. You'll surely find a better selection online than in your home town.
The same is true if you live in a landlocked area but want to decorate a room in your home in a beach theme. Your local
stores are not likely to have an extensive selection of beachy decor, but you're sure to find a great variety online.

4. Identify Unique Solutions: When you start shopping for a product to address a specific need, it's possible that there's
a solution you don't even know about, or that isn't available locally. Sometimes special purchase deals and highly
specialized items are only available for online purchase - even from companies that operate physical stores.  Walmart,
for example, has items that are only available for purchase via the retail giant's website.

It's also possible that there is an ideal solution for your shopping need that has just been introduced to the market. It
often takes innovations a while to make it to the shelves of traditional retail stores - especially in small to medium-size
markets, but they tend to become available online very quickly. Without spending some time shopping online, you
wouldn't have an opportunity to find out about these types of opportunities.
Four Drawbacks of Online Shopping
Naturally, there are also downsides to shopping on the web too.
1. Lose the Tactile Experience
When you shop online, you don't have an opportunity to touch and feel items you are considering purchasing. With
some products - like books and electronic equipment - this isn't an important consideration. However, with clothing,
bedding, pillows, furniture, rugs and other textile-based merchandise, it can be hard to gauge quality without hands-on
contact. Fit is also a concern with any kind of apparel.
2. Shipping Adds to the Cost
What looks like a bargain might not be such a good deal when the shipping and handling charges are tallied and added
to the total. Make sure that you look closely at exactly how much you are likely to need to pay to have your
merchandise (product) delivered to your door - or to the person you are purchasing it for - before finalizing your
purchase decision.
3. Returns Can Be Costly
It's essential to be aware of the return policy for any e-commerce retailer you are considering doing business with. The
majority of sites do not pay return shipping if you have to send something back, so it often costs you more money than
you planned to spend if you need to exchange an item.
Returning merchandise for a refund can also be costly. Most online retailers do not refund shipping costs - not the cost
of return postage or the original shipping charge. This can mean that, for relatively low-dollar items, it can cost you
nearly as much to return an item as it does to just keep the merchandise.
4. Dealing with an Unknown Vendor
When you are shopping online, unless you are purchasing from a well-known e-tailer like Amazon or Zappos or the
online arm of a department store like Kohl's or JC Penney, you really don't know who you are doing business with.
Anybody can open an online store - especially with products that are easy to access through a drop-shopping company -
but not everyone is honest and reputable.
When you are shopping with an online store that you don't know anything about, it can be difficult to feel confident that
they'll still be there if a problem arises with your order and to feel that the personal information you are required to
share when making a purchase will really be protected. Online security concerns can certainly be an important
consideration when selecting an e-tailer.
Is Shopping Online Right for You?
In the end, it's up to you to decide if shopping online is in your best interests. It's likely that - for some types of
purchases - shopping online makes more sense than purchasing locally, but that the opposite is true for others.
The fact that online shopping is widely available simply means that consumers today have more choices available to
them than in decades past. Consider your options carefully so you can be sure that you're making wise, informed
purchasing decisions that meet your needs and that you feel comfortable with.

Why do we need marketing?

For anyone who runs a business of any kind, you’ll know that the true question is not whether we need marketing, but
how much do we need? A store owner can have the best products available on the market, and a top-notch (excellent)
staff, and they will still flounder (struggle) financially if no one is able to find their product. Even word of mouth is a
form of marketing. It’s impossible to simply put out a great product and expect to get financial rewards. As with any
business, it takes money to make money. An investment in marketing is equally, if not more important than, the
investments you make inventory and staff.
So what does marketing do to help make money for a business? That’s simple – it exposes people to your product and
your brand. How many songs do you know just because you heard them on a Mac commercial? How many times have
you found yourself craving a new food you just saw in a Pizza Hut ad? Marketing is an almost subliminal way for
businesses to make customers aware of them. There’s a fine line between marketing and spamming, but a cleverly run
campaign can make you a household name, sometimes even overnight.
Marketing can also have much less dramatic, but far deeper results than just those in the hit-or-miss channel of viral
marketing. SEM or Search Engine Marketing is a proven method of creating a long term marketing campaign that will
bring in exponentially bigger results as the campaign ages. Search engine marketing is generally accomplished through
use of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. The basic goal of SEO is to make sure that when someone searches for the
product you offer, it’s your site they find.
SEO is far from easy. In fact, it is a very complicated discipline that can take years of study to master. If you are just
starting out or you have all you can handle in running your business, it’s best to let an SEO company do all the detailed
work for you. SEO can be incredibly tedious (monotonous), and for most people, the time spent on SEO marketing is
better used for other things.  A great SEO Company can make certain that your targeted audience sees your site, clicks
through to visit your site and ultimately converts, either by purchasing a product, filling in a form, calling you or
subscribing to something; whatever the goal of your website actually is.
What happens when you don’t market effectively? When businesses find themselves in financial trouble, they often cut
back on their marketing budgets. This hurts any business, because while you’re not marketing, your competition is. That
means that fewer and fewer people are finding your product, and instead, they’re becoming loyal customers of your
competitor. When you don’t market, the ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ rule applies. You will lose brand visibility, and even
clients you had in the past may forget about you. A steady marketing strategy is important if you want to stay relevant,
and if you want your customers to have confidence in your brand.
We need marketing to be seen, to be found, to create an interaction that will lead to the ultimate desired goal.  Anyone
with a product or service cannot expect that “if I build it they will come.”  This may have worked in a movie but it
won’t work online or offline.  Of course, online marketing including website optimization like SEO and the Social
Media provide marketers the opportunity to be found at the exact moment in time that the online buyer is actually ready
to buy.

Factors affecting employee performance

Faced with decreasing performance levels of employees, some questions that are likely to occupy a manager’s mind
would be – What training can I give them to increase their productivity and performance? How can I motivate them so
that they perform to the best of their abilities?
However, before deciding on a training program, the manager needs to identify the factors that affect the productivity
and performance of employees. Unless you know the causes, you will not be able to find the solutions. The causes for
dwindling productivity of employees could be any of the following factors:
Skills & knowledge: If employees do not have the necessary capability, skill or knowledge to do the job, their
performance suffers.
Clarity about role: Employees need to know their responsibilities and have a clear understanding about what they need
to accomplish at the end of the day. Ambiguity about roles could be another reason for a drop in their performance.
Work environment and culture: Unhealthy work environment is another factor that affects the performance of
employees. A positive workplace culture boosts employee morale, creates a work environment that is enjoyable and
contributes to increased productivity.
Employee attitude: If employees do not have the enthusiasm to work and are disinterested in the job, it would have an
impact on their performance.
Right tools and resources: You need to have right tools, equipment and resources in order to perform well. Absence of
these resources also could contribute to a dip in performance levels.
Once the manager identifies the reasons for reduced productivity in his organization, he can take corrective action. In
cases where productivity suffers due to lack of right tools and resources, he will have to consider upgrading his setup.
Training will be an option when it has been firmly established that inadequate knowledge or skill set is impairing
(damaging/weakening) employees’ performance. In such a scenario, employees need to upgrade their skills or
knowledge using either traditional instructor-led programs, blended learning or e-learning. E-learning programs have a
quick development time and can be launched across the organization within a short duration. They can be customized to
suit the specific requirements of their employees. E-learning courses also offer employees the flexibility to upgrade their
knowledge and skills at a time that is convenient to them.
However, it is important to identify the factors that are affecting the performance of employees before choosing the best
training options.

14 pros and cons for starting a business with family members

One all-too-common piece of "business advice" is to warn first-time entrepreneurs not to start a business with friends or
family members. And indeed, if you have the opportunity to start a business with family members — or join an existing
family-owned business — then you need to think long and hard about your decision.

So let's say you're considering the idea of going into business with a spouse, sibling, parent or other relative.

You may share a house, you might have regular meals together, and you probably spend a lot of memorable moments
and family events together as a tight-knit group. You know what it takes to make each other smile and what triggers the
other to freak out. Family makes up some of the people who matter most to you, and you’d bet your last penny they'll
get your back in a bad situation no matter what. But is it smart to run a business with these people?

It depends.
Deciding whether or not it's smart to start a business with family members is not as crystal-clear as your affection for
the people who make up your family. And as in many families, disagreements arise even among experts on whether it’s
wise for family members to start and operate a business together.

Even the Experts Disagree

Two distinguished professors from equally prestigious universities maintain polar opposite positions on the topic of
starting a business with family.

Joachim Schwass, who serves as Director of the Global Family Business Center at Lausanne-based International
Institute for Management Development (IMD), cited numerous studies that show family-controlled and quoted
companies create more wealth and outperform public corporations on many metrics including total returns and cash
flow.

In addition to that, he concluded that family-owned businesses have a greater incentive when it comes to prudent (far-
sighted) management, given (considering/taking into account) the common aspiration to pass on a healthy business to
the next generation.

In contrast, John Van Reenen, a unit director at the London School of Economics believes that family-controlled
corporations seriously lack meritocracy in that the choice of chief executives and key leaders is usually limited to family
members. Moreover, this arrangement lowers the drive of next-generation leaders to excel, tending instead to slacken
off given the certainty of gaining a profitable position within the company. As a result, many family-controlled
companies trend downward over time in terms of growth and innovation. 

And both experts have a point. On the one hand, the list of successful family-owned and controlled companies is
impressive. With names like Foxconn, Nike, Volkswagen, Samsung Electronics and Wal-Mart gracing the top spots on
the list of family-owned businesses, a powerful case could certainly be made for the viability of starting a business with
family.

But the downside is equally convincing. Think of all the high-profile failures, violent acquisitions, bitter feuds, and
broken relationships arising from conflicting interests in family-owned businesses.

As reported in the Harvard Business Review, 70% of family-owned businesses fail or get acquired before the second
generation takes the helm.

Meanwhile, here are just a few high-profile family arguments that negatively affected multi-million dollar businesses:

 Gucci, the luxury clothing and apparel company, was founded in the 15th century and remains one of the
world's most well-known brands in high-end leather goods industry. The company fared well for centuries but
bitter infighting among the Gucci clan led to the company’s lagging performance and eventual acquisition in
1999 by the French multinational conglomerate Kering.
 Top chef Gordon Ramsay and his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson were business partners. But Ramsay fired
Hutcheson over an alleged money theft and in retaliation, Hutcheson sued his son-in-law for unpaid salaries and
unfair dismissal. Their bitter disagreement led to an out-of-court settlement and what's undoubtedly a
permanently scarred relationship.

 As the second largest privately owned company in America employing more than 100,000 personnel,  Koch
Industries operates as a privately-held energy conglomerate in the U.S. A bitter struggle over money between
the Koch brothers and cousins led to lawsuits and a cash-out of $1.1 billion in the 1990's.

Weighing the Factors for Starting a Business with Family

Now that we've covered some examples of what can happen when you start a business with family from both
perspectives, let's examine some of the pros and cons so that you can make the decision for yourself.

Drawing on (using) personal experience, the experiences of entrepreneurs I know, and from the advice of the world's
top business leaders, here are 7 pros and 7 cons to starting a business with family members.
7 Pros of Starting a Business with Family

1. You’re in the zone when it comes to internal relationships and collaboration. You've spent plenty of time with
your family, you know and understand their interaction style and you're less likely to be caught off-guard by
unforeseen character flaws that could spell disaster for a company.
2. Your co-workers are more than just peers or business partners. They’re friends you count on and family
members who genuinely care for you, so business relationships with family members are likely to be much
more empathetic.
3. Key people are also stakeholders in more than just the success of the business. They're united by a common
goal and likely willing to make great sacrifices for the success of the company.
4. The mood in the workplace is more relaxing because you’re comfortable with people around you and there's no
need for small talk.
5. Because all of the family members know each other well, there is typically less pressure when it comes to
financial performance and more flexibility on the period within which to realize returns on your investment. 
6. Family-owned businesses often deploy brands that have a stronger market appeal because they convey tradition,
hard work, and craftsmanship. Think Levi’s, Gucci, Beretta, Ford, Nike, Hasbro, and Mars. Part of the success
of these companies can be tied back to their family appeal.
7. It’s easier to get the ball rolling if you’re launching a company fast because you won't have to bother with
interviewing potential partners, checking backgrounds or following up on the certifications and qualifications
you've been told.

7 Cons of Starting a Business With Family

1. Things can become too comfortable, which tends to slow down the growth of the business in the long run,
reduce the drive for excellence, and undermine professionalism in the workplace. 
2. Conflicts in the workplace may carry over to your personal life, creating serious rifts between family members
if the disagreements are momentous enough. Some conflicts persist and sometimes extend to court litigation,
permanently damaging relationships between siblings, parents, children, and relatives. 
3. Fresh ideas may be harder to come by, as outsiders and non-family members within the business may find it
more difficult to join the closed loop of family decision makers.
4. Unfair business practices, such as having little-to-no system of meritocracy
(a system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement in place), tends to emerge in
family-owned businesses where the succession of the company is all but guaranteed to the next family member
in line. This can seriously turn off (affect with displeasure and boredom) highly talented candidates and
employees that would otherwise be motivated to excel and move up within the organization. Moreover,
unqualified or ill-equipped family members can still become leaders, which results in mediocre business
performance.   
5. Leadership succession may become a source of serious conflict if clear guidelines have not been established
well in advance. Squabbles between siblings and other key members in the company can create permanent rifts
in family relationships.
6. Too much family tradition and common upbringing may promote closed-mindedness, intensify the resistance to
change, and impede both creativity and outside-the-box thinking. Family-owned businesses are less likely to
innovate unless they bring in outside help to stir up the environment.
7. Leaders may encounter reluctance in making important decisions that negatively impact a family member. If a
family member who's an employee or partner isn't pulling their weight, isn't delivering on the promises they've
made for the company or otherwise, it'll be a tough conversation when it comes down to addressing a potential
change in position for that person.

The Bottom Line

Clearly, family-owned and managed businesses have significant risks as well as benefits. If you’re planning to start a
business with family, whether it be with your parents, siblings, or other relatives, think it through very carefully. Don’t
consider a family-owned enterprise as an automatic win-win situation for everyone — but neither should you dismiss
the advantages of a family business out-of-hand.

To be safe, scout the terrain, know what to expect, and be prepared for surprises.
6 Characteristics of Innovative Employees

When the word ‘innovation’ is mentioned, most people automatically think of names such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and
Thomas Edison. However, many don’t realize that they can also be innovators in their own right, even as employees.
Being innovative basically means doing things by taking a new approach, and thus producing different results.

1. Risk Taking

Most people in the workplace are afraid of making mistakes. As a result, they avoid everything which involves any level
of risk. However, innovative employees are bold and are not afraid of messing up. They have learned that failing, does
not make them a failure. They are therefore willing to explore new ideas which could add value to the company. When
they fail, they learn their lesson, get up, and work smarter.

2. Confidence

Innovative employees believe in themselves as well as their products or services. They don’t allow criticism from others
to discourage them from pursuing their dreams. Though they may be anxious to step into unchartered territories, they
don’t allow their fears to stop them from venturing out (taking risks). They are confident in their own abilities to
succeed, in spite of obstacles that are before them. Their belief in the product or service keeps them going, even when
they are surrounded by naysayers (who habitually expresses negative or pessimistic views).

3. Problem Solving

The workplace is full of all kinds of problems. Instead of complaining about the problems around them, innovative
employees find ways of solving them. Their ability to identify and address problems early, allows companies to save
precious time and money. For example, they can listen to customer complaints about a product and find ways of
improving it, thus enhancing sales.

4. Inner Motivation

Innovative employees don’t depend on outward stimuli (plural of stimulus) in order to do things. Instead, they are self-
driven, allowing them to accomplish great things, even without external motivation. They don’t do things just to be
rewarded with money or praise. What they desire, is to change the world around them through their efforts.

5. Curiosity

People, who are innovative, look at things differently and are always thinking outside the box (think from a new
perspective). Their curiosity causes them to question things, which an average person doesn’t think twice about. They
are not satisfied with the status quo and are constantly asking the question ‘Why’. Because of their curiosity, innovators
are able to come up with better ways of doing things, and thus making a difference.

6. Persistence

The journey of an innovator is not easy. First, you might have to try and fail several times before you are able to
actualize your ideas. In addition, your boss, colleagues or customers might not be very receptive (accepting) to new
things. As a result, you might find yourself facing opposition instead of getting support. However, innovative
employees don’t give up easily. They are able to weather the storms and stay focused until they achieve their goal.    

By cultivating the qualities above, you can also stand out as an innovator in your workplace.

Motivate and dominate – 5 motivation strategies to increase productivity

A great indication of a successful manager is one who has employees who are motivated to perform their jobs at a high
level. It is easy to see that higher employee motivation leads to more productivity and therefore more profitable business
growth. Therefore, it is important for a manager to understand motivation and how to garner it from their employees.
Motivation, and what triggers it, has been studied for decades and workplace leaders have used assessments to
determine an employee’s personality and better anticipate their behaviors. But assessment scores alone will not show
you all you need to know, it is important for managers to get to know their staff and learn how to be more specific in
their approach to motivating them and understanding their goals and aspirations.
As great as it would be, there is no one method to motivate your employees. Your employees are all very different from
one another, so different factors affect their motivation. Some people are motivated by money, others by rewards, some
prefer recognition, and some people just motivate themselves to achieve. Supervisors and managers need to utilize a
number of different strategies and techniques to increase their employee’s motivation and productivity.
We have compiled a list of motivational strategies for managers to apply in order to harness the most productivity and
results from their staff, and to provide a happy, thriving working environment.
Motivator 1 – Trust

This is one of the most important aspects in any organisation and it is a two way street. Employees want to know that
their manager is looking out for their best interests, which motivates them to succeed. In turn, leaders also want to know
that they can trust their staff to do their jobs properly. It is up to the manager to ensure this trust is built with their
employees and to be able to communicate effectively with each individual and foster (promote) positive relationships.

Motivator 2 – Reward System

Incentives are a great way to promote motivation. Employers can use many types of incentives or reward programs to
increase productivity and motivation among staff. Incentives can come in many forms, whether it be bonuses, paid time
off, travel perks, or vouchers. It offers employees something to strive for and gives them a bit of healthy competition.
Motivator 3 – Recognition

The simple of act of letting an employee know they are doing a great job and recognising their efforts can do wonders
for their motivation. As humans, we like to hear when what we are doing is appreciated and it creates a sense of
accomplishment. In turn, this motivates us to keep achieving and keep receiving recognition. Of course, there is no need
to recognise everything someone does, but make sure you take the time to congratulate a job well done.
Motivator 4 – Career Advancement

Employees are much more likely to achieve if it means that a career advancement lies ahead of them. As a manager, you
can sustain this motivation by ensuring there are avenues and opportunities for your employees to advance in their
positions. You can also provide them with opportunities for further qualifications or on-the-job workshops (a meeting in
which a group of people engage in intensive discussion on a matter). It lets them know they are valued and makes them
more committed to (enthusiastic about) their positions. In fact, LMA’s L.E.A.D Survey 2013 showed that 79% of
employees said that opportunities for training and development is ‘Quite’ or ‘Very Important’ to their decision to stay in
their current organisations. Visit LMA’s Principles of Learning to establish the best direction for implementing learning
in your organization.

Motivator 5 – Happiness

At the end of the day, if employees are happy in their jobs they are more motivated to do the best job they can. As a
manager, you need to be aware of whether your employees are satisfied or not. Don’t assume that simply having a
conversation with them regarding their happiness will be enough, they may smile and say yes if they think it is what you
want to hear or if they are worried their job is on the line. The process to happiness and job satisfaction can be
influenced by ensuring the previous factors are evident in your company and letting happiness be an organic process.
As a manager, it is important that you are focused on ways to continuously improve your business and staff. Finding
ways to keep your staff motivated to perform at their best is a key part of any managerial role. If managers can
understand the factors that lead to employees performing at higher levels, they can increase the performance of entire
departments.

Can you identify ways that you can implement some of these motivational techniques for higher productivity in your
business?

Main reasons people get in credit card debt

Not everyone who racks up credit card debt does so with irresponsible spending. Some people see card balances balloon
by not understanding their credit terms or tracking their payments and interest rates. Others run into financial problems
that necessitate increased use of plastic. Understanding factors that can cause your debt to rise will help you avoid these
potential pitfalls.

No Budget
If you make more than you spend, it’s easy to think you can live without a budget. A budget isn’t only a method for
setting spending limits -- it’s the critical tool for planning and tracking what you spend, which can help you spot
problems before they get out of control. Without tracking your spending on discretionary items such as dining out,
entertainment, hair, nails, music purchases, furniture and electronics, you can quickly add thousands of dollars to your
card each year. Just spending an extra $10 per week on lunch adds more than $500 to you card each year. Do this with
four other spending habits, such as coffee or movies, and a couple will put more than $5,000 worth of annual purchases
and interest on their combined cards.
Misuse or Misunderstanding of Credit
If you don’t pay your bills of time or completely miss payments, you can trigger a sharp increase in your interest rates,
generate penalties and lower your credit score, which can lead to higher interest rates or denial of credit in the future.
For example, you miss a payment on a card with a no-interest balance transfer rate on which you have a $5,000 balance.
Going from 0 percent interest to 22 percent interest on that balance, you’ll generate more than $1,000 in interest
payments per year.
Loss of Income
When people lose their jobs, they often have to run up or max out their cards. There may be no avoiding this for some
people, but once you’re back on your feet, you’ll need to start attacking that debt, or the interest can keep you buried for
years. This means that after you get a new job, you might need to forget about that attractive 401(k) match your
employer offers and use that money to reduce your card balances.
Emergencies and Unforeseen Expenses
Medical bills, divorce, underemployment and gambling are four of the top 10 reasons for credit card debt, reports Steve
Bucci on Bankrate.com. This is why many people create an emergency fund that helps them through times of unplanned
financial stress. Purchasing a disability income insurance policy can help you keep cash coming in to pay your bills in
the event you aren’t able to work.
Irresponsibility
The reality of high credit card debt for many people is that they spent money they didn’t have and couldn’t pay back.
Thinking that $2,000 flat-screen TV only costs you only $20 per month in payments is dangerous, especially when you
factor in your other spending and the interest on that spending. If you can’t pay cash for something, think about whether
or not you should be making that purchase.

What is the most important factor in product price setting?

The price of a product not only has to cover the costs necessary to manufacture the product but also the company’s other
costs -- such as administrative overhead and office expenses -- and generate a profit. If the price of the product is set too
high, sales may decline as customers find a similar product elsewhere for a lower price. Too low of a price means you
forgo potential profits. The most important factor in product price setting is choosing a price low enough that customers
perceive they are getting a good value relative to what your competitors are offering and the prices they are charging --
but yet high enough to generate a profit.

Cost of Goods Sold

The cost of goods sold is the direct expense of manufacturing the product, including direct labor and materials.
Lowering the cost of goods sold allows you to increase the profit from each sale or to lower the price if necessary and
still maintain profitability. The business will not survive if the price of the product consistently barely covers the cost of
goods sold. Sometimes, companies lower the price for a new product introduction below cost temporarily to entice new
customers. According to Forbes, it's been rumored that Amazon originally priced its Kindle electronic reading device
below cost when it debuted in 2011 in order to sell digital books and to beat out the competition. Other examples would
include products that require refills, such as inkjet printers. The product may be sold at near cost, with the profit made
on the ink cartridges.
Competition's Pricing

Your competition has an impact on your pricing. Customers will be hesitant to buy what they consider a very similar
product for a higher price. Convincing the customer that your product is a more effective solution to his problem allows
you to have a higher price. Value-oriented customers may prefer a lower price. If sales increase because of the lower
price, the profit potential could remain about the same. For example if you sell 1,000 gizmos at $2 each, revenues will
be $2,000. Lower the price to $1.75 and you would have to sell 1,142 gizmos to reach $2,000 in total sales. But it is
possible the lower price will stimulate more than 1,142 unit sales -- and profits will increase.
Customer Expectations

Customers expect to pay a certain price for merchandise. For example, a luxury car may cost upward of $50,000, while
an economy car costs around $20,000. Pricing significantly above or below the expected price could result in lost sales.
The luxury customer may wonder why a product is so much less than other similar products on the market and conclude
that there must be something inferior about the lower-priced product. An economy-car customer may not see the value
in a higher-priced model.
Wholesale or Retail

A key factor in pricing is whether the product will be sold on a wholesale basis or retail. Products sold wholesale are
priced at about half of the retail price. The product is then marked up 100 percent by the retailer. For example, if a
gizmo costs you $1.25 to manufacture, you might sell it wholesale at $2.50. The retailer will then price the product at
$5.

Price is the most important factor for consumers

You can go anywhere in the world yet still discover, that for many consumers, price is the main factor that determines
where and when shop. However promotional offers, customer service, the retailer’s reliability, choice and convenience
are other factors that  consumers take into consideration. A US study conducted in 2012 by The NPD Group reported
that for 85% of consumers price needs to be right before they decide where to shop. In an Internet Retailing blog using
data from a global study by online retail marketplace Rakuten they reported that price, the retailer’s reliability, and
choice are all important factors that shoppers around the world consider before they buy.
Previously, issues such as payment and delivery options were long-perceived by retailers to be key issues for
consumers. The Rakuten study asked online shoppers in 12 countries and found that overall, 61% of global shoppers
said price was the most important issue for them when shopping over the internet. Some 49% said the retailer’s
reliability was paramount (more important than anything else), and 40% said choice was the next most important
feature.
These surveys demonstrate how much retail has changed and how much power the consumer has over retailers. It goes
without saying that retailers don’t just take global trends to determine the strategies they should use. In the UK, for
example more than two-thirds of shoppers indicated price as an important factor, while 44% of shoppers said that choice
was the most critical feature in an online store. In Germany, 58% cited price, while 57% named choice. In Japan, 29%
of shoppers valued on-site rewards. And even though price is important, shoppers are increasingly looking for more
than that online. They want brands they can rely on, that deliver entertaining and secure shopping experiences.
Because price isn’t the only consideration for astute consumers, retailers need to have good quality information so that
they can see what their customers see when they are researching and shopping online, giving them an advantage, not
only in terms of knowledge, but also in terms of time. And with this level of sound data analysis, retailers can make
highly responsive decisions, maximising their benefit to the needs of their customers. Of course, consumers will
inevitably continue to compare prices across the Internet using mobile devices and computers to find the best deals.
However, to lower abandonment rates, increase sales and revenue, and build a strong reputation with online shoppers,
retailers should consider the value of using price intelligence.
PROFIT AS AN INDICATOR OF SUCCESS

In recent years “profit” has become something of a dirty word and corporations have been encouraged to seek wider
social goals following an agenda of so-called “social responsibility”. I would like to start by saying a word or two in
defence of “profit”. As the pope has just been here, I am going to start by referring to Catholic social teaching – and
then I will not refer to it again explicitly. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church describes
profit as an ‘indicator’ that a business is performing well and that the productive factors have been properly employed.
This is true – profit is a signal that important ends are being achieved by a business.
In economic terms, profit is the return from entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship, in turn, involves the discovery of forms
of economic activity that lead to the fulfillment of a hitherto unfulfilled need or that fulfill existing needs more
effectively. The mobile phone, artificial hip and so on are all products of entrepreneurship. Profit is an indicator to the
entrepreneur that he has been successful in creating something of value to others. Even an individual who had no
material desires whatsoever, who wanted to give to charity all his profits, may wish to consider a vocation of
entrepreneurship which involves industrious attempts to make profits because the profits would be an indicator that he
was producing something of value to others.
Profit-making businesses are ‘social’
This is a justification, of course, for the pursuit of profit maximization. Profit-making businesses are inherently social –
they do not have to be made so. Those who make profits use their intelligence and initiative to be of service to others. If
they were not of service to others, they would not make profits. I hope when I have left that you do not bring up the
banks as a counter example. Insofar as they are underwritten by the state, they do not form part of the market economy.
Entrepreneurship is an intrinsically social activity in just the same way that people often see teaching, nursing or
working for charities as intrinsically social activities. Any business needs to be “other regarding” if it is to make a profit
because profits can only be made by selling things of value to others. Serving others is not the objective of those
running the business but it is an indirect result.
People complain that profit-motivated businesses are motivated by greed and selfishness. Professor Ken Starkey of
Nottingham University is one of many who has written about the problems of business schools teaching that “greed is
good”. However, this analysis is wide of the mark. Markets generally harness self interest – a motive quite different
from that of greed and selfishness with which the term is often conflated – to good use. In diligently pursuing my own
objectives in business, I can only generally succeed if I fulfill the needs of others.
Not all profits are morally acceptable
This does not, of course, mean that all activities that lead to profit are morally acceptable. There are many different
ways in which gravely immoral acts might be performed in the pursuit of profits. For example, businesses can, in
particular circumstances, use their power to ride roughshod over the property rights of others. Mining companies may
bulldoze houses ignoring the wishes of the owners; some businesses may destroy forest areas without providing
appropriate compensation to inhabitants; and so on. In fact, it is one of the first responsibilities of government to protect
property rights. But, if governments do not enforce property rights, businesses have a moral responsibility towards the
property rights of others. Sometimes, sadly, business will be in league with the very governments that should be
protecting private property and, together, business and governments ride roughshod over property rights. This cannot be
morally justified. Businesses should behave in accord with the natural moral law.
Businesses should be subject to moral restraint but they should not have explicitly social aims. We should be aware that
there are many types of corporations – not all businesses are corporations and not all corporations are businesses. The
purpose of a profit-making business is to enrich its owners whilst serving its customers. Non-business corporations
(universities, charities, NGOs and so on) may have different aims. That is fine, but we should be happy to accept the
different aims of different types of corporations and not try to make businesses more like charities. Secondly, there is an
issue of stewardship. The owners of businesses ultimately are persons – many, if not most, of whom are potential
pensioners, not all of them particularly well off. When we ask corporations to pursue multiple aims we are asking
management to make judgements about which aims to pursue in which situations and making corporate governance that
much more difficult. I am in favour of corporations acting ethically – as I have already made clear. I am against a
general and subjective interpretation of some notion of social responsibility by management in what is often an ethics-
free moral relativist zone. Anybody who disagrees with this might want to consider that the Royal Bank of Scotland and
Enron had impeccable CSR policies.
I have also been asked to discuss what I think about the future for mutuals, cooperatives, enterprises that do not
maximise profit and so on. Firstly, let me say that I hope the future is bright. For all sorts of reasons, the market
economy is a better place if it is made up of a rich tapestry of different types of enterprise. I am encouraged by the
development of such enterprises in many fields. I think the financial sector would be better if it were more diverse.
However, I would make two points to quell the excitement. In the financial field in particular, these institutions
originally arose in the nineteenth century in a climate – to which I would like to return but which is not on the horizon
(imminent; approaching) – of very limited financial regulation. They arose to signal to consumers certain attributes that
consumers valued. Modern, detailed financial regulation makes the climate that much more difficult for non-standard
companies in many ways.
These issues may not apply to other sectors of the economy. But, though I would like a free economy to have a rich
tapestry of varied institutions, I would like to say a word or two in defence of traditional shareholder-owned
corporations.
Mutuals and worker co-operatives can be problematic from the point of view of corporate governance and corporate
finance. They have a history of accumulating rather than distributing profits. Some people like that, but every pound of
profits that is retained benefits the top managers and can be at the expense of the worker-owners. Also, if workers own
the companies they work for, in the event of insolvency, they lose their jobs and their capital at the same time. Finally,
individuals, especially those of modest means, need to save using securities markets so they can diversify their
investments effectively. This is done via unit trusts, insurance companies and pension funds, of course. The limited,
shareholder-owned company is a particularly effective vehicle for mobilising capital and providing returns to long-term
savers.
In summary, let us defend profit-making corporations. Let us ensure that they behave in an objectively ethical manner
under the rule of law. Let us celebrate the rich variety of forms of business organisation, but not forget the significant
benefits of the shareholder-owned company.

Aid in reverse: how poor countries develop rich countries

We have long been told a compelling story about the relationship between rich countries and poor countries. The story
holds that the rich nations of the OECD give generously of their wealth to the poorer nations of the global south, to help
them eradicate poverty and push them up the development ladder. Yes, during colonialism western powers may have
enriched themselves by extracting resources and slave labour from their colonies – but that’s all in the past. These days,
they give more than $125bn (£102bn) in aid each year – solid evidence of their benevolent goodwill.

This story is so widely propagated by the aid industry and the governments of the rich world that we have come to take
it for granted. But it may not be as simple as it appears.

The US-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI) and the Centre for Applied Research at the Norwegian School of
Economics recently published some fascinating data. They tallied up all of the financial resources that get transferred
between rich countries and poor countries each year: not just aid, foreign investment and trade flows (as  previous
studies have done) but also non-financial transfers such as debt cancellation, unrequited transfers like workers’
remittances (money sent home by migrants), and unrecorded capital flight (more of this later). As far as I am aware, it is
the most comprehensive assessment of resource transfers ever undertaken.

What they discovered is that the flow of money from rich countries to poor countries pales in comparison to the flow
that runs in the other direction.

In 2012, the last year of recorded data, developing countries received a total of $1.3tn, including all aid, investment, and
income from abroad. But that same year some $3.3tn flowed out of them. In other words, developing countries sent $2tn
more to the rest of the world than they received. If we look at all years since 1980, these net outflows add up to an eye-
popping total of $16.3tn – that’s how much money has been drained out of the global south over the past few decades.
To get a sense for the scale of this, $16.3tn is roughly the GDP of the United States

What this means is that the usual development narrative has it backwards. Aid is effectively flowing in reverse. Rich
countries aren’t developing poor countries; poor countries are developing rich ones.

What do these large outflows consist of? Well, some of it is payments on debt. Developing countries have forked out
over $4.2tn in interest payments alone since 1980 – a direct cash transfer to big banks in New York and London, on a
scale that dwarfs the aid that they received during the same period. Another big contributor is the income that foreigners
make on their investments in developing countries and then repatriate back home. Think of all the profits that BP
extracts from Nigeria’s oil reserves, for example, or that Anglo-American pulls out of South Africa’s gold mines.

But by far the biggest chunk of outflows has to do with unrecorded – and usually illicit (illegal) – capital flight. GFI
calculates that developing countries have lost a total of $13.4tn through unrecorded capital flight since 1980.

Most of these unrecorded outflows take place through the international trade system. Basically, corporations – foreign
and domestic alike – report false prices on their trade invoices in order to spirit money out of developing countries
directly into tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions, a practice known as “ trade misinvoicing”. Usually the goal is to evade
taxes, but sometimes this practice is used to launder money or circumvent capital controls. In 2012, developing
countries lost $700bn through trade misinvoicing, which outstripped aid receipts that year by a factor of five.

Multinational companies also steal money from developing countries through “same-invoice faking”, shifting profits
illegally between their own subsidiaries by mutually faking trade invoice prices on both sides. For example, a subsidiary
in Nigeria might dodge local taxes by shifting money to a related subsidiary in the British Virgin Islands, where the tax
rate is effectively zero and where stolen funds can’t be traced.
GFI doesn’t include same-invoice faking in its headline figures because it is very difficult to detect, but they estimate
that it amounts to another $700bn per year. And these figures only cover theft through trade in goods. If we add theft
through trade in services to the mix, it brings total net resource outflows to about $3tn per year.

That’s 24 times more than the aid budget. In other words, for every $1 of aid that developing countries receive, they
lose $24 in net outflows. These outflows strip developing countries of an important source of revenue and finance for
development. The GFI report finds that increasingly large net outflows have caused economic growth rates in
developing countries to decline, and are directly responsible for falling living standards.

Who is to blame for this disaster? Since illegal capital flight is such a big chunk of the problem, that’s a good place to
start. Companies that lie on their trade invoices are clearly at fault; but why is it so easy for them to get away with it? In
the past, customs officials could hold up transactions that looked dodgy, making it nearly impossible for anyone to
cheat. But the World Trade Organisation claimed that this made trade inefficient, and since 1994 customs officials have
been required to accept invoiced prices at face value except in very suspicious circumstances, making it difficult for
them to seize illicit outflows.

Still, illegal capital flight wouldn’t be possible without the tax havens. And when it comes to tax havens, the culprits are
not hard to identify: there are more than 60 in the world, and the vast majority of them are controlled by a handful of
western countries. There are European tax havens such as Luxembourg and Belgium, and US tax havens like Delaware
and Manhattan. But by far the biggest network of tax havens is centered around the City of London, which controls
secrecy jurisdictions throughout the British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

In other words, some of the very countries that so love to tout their foreign aid contributions are the ones enabling mass
theft from developing countries.

The aid narrative begins to seem a bit naive when we take these reverse flows into account. It becomes clear that aid
does little but mask the maldistribution of resources around the world. It makes the takers seem like givers, granting
them a kind of moral high ground while preventing those of us who care about global poverty from understanding how
the system really works.

Poor countries don’t need charity. They need justice. And justice is not difficult to deliver. We could write off the
excess debts of poor countries, freeing them up to spend their money on development instead of interest payments on
old loans; we could close down the secrecy jurisdictions, and slap penalties on bankers and accountants who facilitate
illicit outflows; and we could impose a global minimum tax on corporate income to eliminate the incentive for
corporations to secretly shift their money around the world.

We know how to fix the problem. But doing so would run up against the interests of powerful banks and corporations
that extract significant material benefit from the existing system. The question is, do we have the courage?

Some people think that it is better for a country’s economy for people to spend money while others believe that it
would be better for people to save money.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Money has been considered as the prime resource in this materialistic world. Some people believe that it should be
saved for the future usage in tough times while others assume it is better to increase the consumption for the stronger
economic growth of the country. I presume the balance of these both views is beneficial to save both the country as a
whole and individuals. Following paragraphs would represent the impact of both the views.

There is a ground for the belief that the spending is vital for the growth of the nations. The stability of the economy is
measured by means of Gross Domestic Product which is called GDP in short. Consumption is required to increase this
factor as increased usage by people increases the demand which in turn give a rise in production which means higher
GDP. For instance, if the demand for the product or the service increases, it's manufacturing increases which give
employment to many which again increases the spending giving rise in demand. This is a full circle and a break in one
stage could harm this process and eventually the community. On the contrary, if this spending is fueled by the credit
more than the income, then consumers would be brought under the mountain of the debt. A prime example is the
American citizens who are under higher debits owing to their extravagant nature of spending more than earning. Thus,
expenditure according to the income is crucial.
On the other hand, the value of saving is important for both the industry and the individual to fight with the catastrophic
situations. Firstly, the corporate saving would save the company in time of the crises when it does not get the loan from
the bank. Secondly, if the mass population would deposit money in the bank, then it can be used for a loan to the
corporate for capital gains. Thirdly, domestic conservation can save the family at the time of calamities like natural
disasters and recession. In contrast, if more and more folks start savings at the cost of the consumption, the cycle of the
demand-supply will be breached which can harm the development of the society. For instance, fewer requirements mean
less production this causes higher cost which again lessens the demand and finally the industry. Thus, it is imperative
for citizens to save enough to cope up with unwanted situations but not at the limit which affects the GDP.

To conclude, it is quite essential that judiciary equilibrium be maintained between the spending and savings for the
health financial state of the provenance.

The pros and cons of telecommuting

Telecommuting, or working from home or another place other than the regular office, is becoming more prevalent
these days. A study by the Consumer Electronics Associationfound 37 percent of employed adults in the U.S. work
from home at least one day a month, and a large number of them are planning to spend a good chunk of change on
technology products to make it easier to telecommute. Here are some other facts and figures to show how things stand:

 In 1980, only 2.3 percent of workers telecommuted.

 Today, estimates put the number of Americans calling home their permanent office at over three million.
 The next few years will see telecommuting numbers grow by 63% according to Telework Research Network.
 The average telecommuter nowadays is a 40-year-old professional male with a university degree and not a
work-from-home mom.
 Current research reveals more companies are offering telecommuting than any other new benefit.

Why People Prefer to Telecommute and Why Companies Allow It

The progress of technology has helped accommodate the telework option. Wireless devices, web applications, and
collaboration tools, such as online meeting software, make it easier to interact with managers and colleagues when
you're not in the office.

People would rather work from home than in an office because:

 They can focus better on their tasks with fewer disruptions.

 They avoid a long commute, which is more environmentally friendly and saves valuable personal time.
 They save on fuel or transit costs.

Companies allow telecommuting for the following reasons:

 To promote work/life balance

 To save on real estate, office supplies, and other overhead costs
 To encourage productivity and reduce expenses associated with lost time due to disruptions

 To foster a "green" workplace culture

Drawbacks of Telecommuting

Remote work isn’t without its downsides, and employers have their apprehensions. Causes of concern include:

 Less face time with managers and peers can be a major communication roadblock. Moreover, the benefits of
brainstorming and innovation through on-site collaboration diminish.
 Employers can’t control how workers use their time. This leads to worries about lost productivity. And when
employees are on hourly contracts, there’s no guarantee that paid time is spent on work-related activities. Yahoo
banned the arrangement in 2013 because of abuse of the remote work system.
  When this benefit is available to selected staff only, jealousy and resentment can cause an adverse working
environment and can affect morale.

When Telecommuting is Not Ideal

There are instances when it doesn’t make sense to have IT staff working from home. Companies must consider the
individual's role and the needs of the departments that he or she interacts with the most. Certain problems are impossible
to troubleshoot remotely. Security issues and compliance with regulatory requirements limit access to development
tools, software, and other applications.

In these cases, workers can’t carry out their duties off-site.

When Telecommuting Works

If you have an IT job where you work independently most of the time, working from home could be possible.
A software developer, for example, is a good candidate for teleworking. If you're in a phone tech support role with no
requirement to go to the user's desk, telecommuting may work for you too.

How to Make Telecommuting Work for You

Here’s how you can optimize the arrangement:

 Make sure you go to the office once in a while. If you work from home full-time, it's a good idea to interact
with colleagues in person to keep the lines of communication open and maintain relationships. Attend regular
face-to-face meetings.
 Discuss expectations with your employer. Know when you're expected to be on-site, and make sure you're
familiar with the company's telework policy.

 Establish communication protocols. Make sure people know how to reach you during work hours, no matter
where you are.
 Use a schedule for tracking progress. This will help both you and your employer gage how productive you are
when working from home.

Conclusion

Both employers and employees should consider the effects of telework on business performance. What’s ideal for one
company or person isn’t the same for another. Workers don’t always operate well in isolation, and extroverts often
prefer being in an office environment. To avoid negative impacts from telecommuting, companies must set out clear
guidelines and policies on productivity, security, and workers’ compensation.
Is intelligence acquired (learned) or inherited (innate/inborn)?

The definition of intelligence is controversial.[5] Some groups of psychologists have suggested the following

definitions:
From "Mainstream Science on Intelligence" (1994), an op-ed statement in the Wall Street Journal signed by fifty-two
researchers (out of 131 total invited to sign):[6]
A very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think
abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. It is not merely book learning, a narrow
academic skill, or test-taking smarts. Rather, it reflects a broader and deeper capability for comprehending our
surroundings—"catching on," "making sense" of things, or "figuring out" what to do.[7]
From "Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns" (1995), a report published by the Board of Scientific Affairs of
the American Psychological Association:
Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment,
to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles by taking thought. Although
these individual differences can be substantial, they are never entirely consistent: a given person's intellectual
performance will vary on different occasions, in different domains, as judged by different criteria. Concepts of
"intelligence" are attempts to clarify and organize this complex set of phenomena. Although considerable clarity has
been achieved in some areas, no such conceptualization has yet answered all the important questions, and none
commands universal assent. Indeed, when two dozen prominent theorists were recently asked to define intelligence,
they gave two dozen, somewhat different, definitions.[8]
Psychologists have shown that the definition of human intelligence is unique to the culture that one is studying. Robert
Sternberg is among the researchers who have discussed how one's culture affects the person's interpretation of
intelligence, and he further believes that to define intelligence in only one way without considering different meanings
in cultural contexts may cast an investigative and unintentionally egocentric view on the world. To negate this,
psychologists offer the following definitions of intelligence;

1. Successful intelligence is the skills and knowledge needed for success in life, according to one's own definition
of success, within one's sociocultural context.
2. Analytical intelligence is the result of intelligence's components applied to fairly abstract but familiar kinds of
problems.
3. Creative intelligence is the result of intelligence's components applied to relatively novel tasks and situations.
4. Practical intelligence is the result of intelligence's components applied to experience for purposes of adaption,
shaping and selection.[78]

Although typically identified by its western definition, multiple studies support the idea that human intelligence carries
different meanings across cultures around the world. In many Eastern cultures, intelligence is mainly related with one's
social roles and responsibilities. A Chinese conception of intelligence would define it as the ability to empathize with
and understand others — although this is by no means the only way that intelligence is defined in China. In several
African communities, intelligence is shown similarly through a social lens. However, rather than through social roles, as
in many Eastern cultures, it is exemplified through social responsibilities. For example, in the language of Chi-Chewa,
which is spoken by some ten million people across central Africa, the equivalent term for intelligence implies not only
cleverness but also the ability to take on responsibility. Furthermore, within American culture there are a variety of
interpretations of intelligence present as well. One of the most common views on intelligence within American societies
defines it as a combination of problem-solving skills, deductive reasoning skills, and Intelligence quotient (IQ), while
other American societies point out that intelligent people should have a social conscience, accept others for who they
are, and be able to give advice or wisdom.[79]

Is personality genetic or acquired?

The genetic makeup of a child is a stronger influence on personality than child rearing, according to the first study to
examine identical twins reared (brought up) in different families. The findings shatter a widespread belief among
experts and laymen alike in the primacy of family influence and are sure to engender fierce debate.
The findings are the first major results to emerge from a long-term project at the University of Minnesota in which,
since 1979, more than 350 pairs of twins have gone through six days of extensive testing that has included analysis of
blood, brain waves, intelligence and allergies.
The results on personality are being reviewed for publication by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Although there has been wide press coverage of pairs of twins reared apart who met for the first time in the course of
(during) the study, the personality results are the first significant scientific data to be announced.
For most of the traits (characters) measured, more than half the variation was found to be due to heredity
(inheritance/genetics), leaving less than half determined by the influence of parents, home environment and other
experiences in life.
The Minnesota findings stand in sharp contradiction to standard wisdom on nature versus nurture in forming adult
personality. Virtually all major theories since Freud have given far more importance to environment, or nurture, than to
genes, or nature.
Even though the findings point to the strong influence of heredity, the family still shapes the broad suggestion of
personality offered by heredity; for example, a family might tend to make an innately timid child either more timid or
less so. But the inference from this study is that the family would be unlikely to make the child brave.
The 350 pairs of twins studied included some who were raised apart. Among these separately reared twins were 44 pairs
of identical twins and 21 pairs of fraternal twins. Comparing twins raised separately with those raised in the same home
allows researchers to determine the relative importance of heredity and of environment in their development. Although
some twins go out of their way to emphasize differences between them, in general identical twins are very much alike in
personality.
But what accounts for that similarity? If environment were the major influence in personality, then identical twins raised
in the same home would be expected to show more similarity than would the twins reared apart. But the study of 11
personality traits found differences between the kinds of twins were far smaller than had been assumed.
''If in fact twins reared apart are that similar, this study is extremely important for understanding how personality is
shaped,'' commented Jerome Kagan, a developmental psychologist at Harvard University. ''It implies that some aspects
of personality are under a great degree of genetic control.''
The traits were measured using a personality questionnaire developed by Auke Tellegen, a psychologist at the
University of Minnesota who was one of the principal researchers. The questionnaire assesses many major aspects of
personality, including aggressiveness, striving for achievement, and the need for personal intimacy.
For example, agreement with the statement ''When I work with others, I like to take charge'' is an indication of the trait
called social potency, or leadership, while agreement with the sentence ''I often keep working on a problem, even if I am
very tired'' indicates the need for achievement.
Among traits found most strongly determined by heredity were leadership and, surprisingly, traditionalism or obedience
to authority. ''One would not expect the tendency to believe in traditional values and the strict enforcement of rules to be
more an inherited than learned trait,'' said David Lykken, a psychologist in the Minnesota project. ''But we found that, in
some mysterious way, it is one of traits with the strongest genetic influence.''
Other traits that the study concludes were more than 50 percent determined by heredity included a sense of well-being
and zest for life; alienation; vulnerability or resistance to stress, and fearfulness or risk-seeking. Another highly
inherited trait, though one not commonly thought of as part of personality, was the capacity for becoming rapt in an
aesthetic experience, such as a concert.
Vulnerability to stress, as measured on the Tellegen test, reflects what is commonly thought of as ''neuroticism,''
according to Dr. Lykken. ''People high in this trait are nervous and jumpy, easily irritated, highly sensitive to stimuli,
and generally dissatisfied with themselves, while those low on the trait are resilient and see themselves in a positive
light,'' he said. ''Therapy may help vulnerable people to some extent, but they seem to have a built-in susceptibility that
may mean, in general, they would be more content with a life low in stress.''
The need to achieve, including ambition and an inclination to work hard toward goals, also was found to be genetically
influenced, but more than half of this trait seemed determined by life experience. The same lower degree of hereditary
influence was found for impulsiveness and its opposite, caution.
The need for personal intimacy appeared the least determined by heredity among the traits tested; about two-thirds of
that tendency was found to depend on experience. People high in this trait have a strong desire for emotionally intense
relationships; those low in the trait tend to be loners who keep their troubles to themselves.
''This is one trait that can be greatly strengthened by the quality of interactions in a family,'' Dr. Lykken said. ''The more
physical and emotional intimacy, the more likely this trait will be developed in children, and those children with the
strongest inherited tendency will have the greatest need for social closeness as adults.''
No single gene is believed responsible for any one of these traits. Instead, each trait, the Minnesota researchers propose,
is determined by a great number of genes in combination, so that the pattern of inheritance is complex and indirect.
No one believes, for instance, that there is a single gene for timidity but rather a host of genetic influences. That may
explain, they say, why previous studies have found little connection between the personality traits of parents and their
children. Whereas identical twins would share with each other the whole constellation of genes that might be
responsible for a particular trait, children might share only some part of that constellation with each parent.
That is why, just as a short parent may have a tall child, an achievement-oriented parent might have a child with little
ambition.
The Minnesota findings are sure to stir debate. Though most social scientists accept the careful study of twins,
particularly when it includes identical twins reared apart, as the best method of assessing the degree to which a trait is
inherited, some object to using these methods for assessing the genetic component of complex behavior patterns or
question the conclusions that are drawn from it.
Further, some researchers consider paper-and-pencil tests of personality less reliable than observations of how people
act, since people's own reports of their behavior can be biased. ''The level of heritability they found is surprisingly high,
considering that questionnaires are not the most sensitive index of personality,'' said Dr. Kagan. ''There is often a poor
relationship between how people respond on a questionnaire and what they actually do.''
''Years ago, when the field was dominated by a psychodynamic view, you could not publish a study like this,'' Dr.
Kagan added. ''Now the field is shifting to a greater acceptance of genetic determinants, and there is the danger of being
too uncritical of such results.''
Seymour Epstein, a personality psychologist at the University of Massachusetts, said he was skeptical of precise
estimates of heritability. ''The study compared people from a relatively narrow range of cultures and environments,'' he
said. ''If the range had been much greater - say Pygmies and Eskimos as well as middle-class Americans - then
environment would certainly contribute more to personality. The results might have shown environment to be a far
more powerful influence than heredity,'' he said.
Dr. Tellegen himself said: ''Even though the differences between families do not account for much of the unique
attributes of their children, a family still exercises important influence. In cases of extreme deprivation or abuse, for
instance, the family would have a much larger impact -though a negative one - than any found in the study. Although
the twins studied came from widely different environments, there were no extremely deprived families.''
Gardner Lindzey, director of the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences in Palo Alto, Calif., said the
Minnesota findings would ''no doubt produce empassioned rejoinders.''
''They do not in and of themselves say what makes a given character trait emerge,'' he said, ''and they can be disputed
and argued about, as have similar studies of intelligence.''
For parents, the study points to the importance of treating each child in accord with his innate temperament.
''The message for parents is not that it does not matter how they treat their children, but that it is a big mistake to treat all
kids the same,'' said Dr. Lykken. ''To guide and shape a child you have to respect his individuality, adapt to it and
cultivate those qualities that will help him in life.
''If there are two brothers in the same family, one fearless and the other timid, a good parent will help the timid one
become less so by giving him experiences of doing well at risk-taking, and let the other develop his fearlessness
tempered with some intelligent caution. But if the parent shelters the one who is naturally timid, he will likely become
more so.''
The Minnesota results lend weight and precision to earlier work that pointed to the importance of a child's temperament
in development. For instance, the New York Longitudinal Study, conducted by Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess,
psychiatrists at New York University Medical Center, identified three basic temperaments in children, each of which
could lead to behavioral problems if not handled well.
''Good parenting now must be seen in terms of meeting the special needs of a child's temperament, including dealing
with whatever conflicts it creates,'' said Stanley Grossman, a staff member of the medical center's Psychoanalytic
Institute.
Innate Leadership or Learned Leadership?
Is leadership innate or learned? Clients ask me this a lot and my answer is that leadership is both innate and learned.

Now, that may not be what you expected to hear from me and maybe an ambiguous answer but here is what I have
learned

There are some people who are born with a willingness to go out and conquer and take control and do things in front of
others and for those people I would say that they have some leadership skills innate or there is a desire to be out in front
and so that would be a leadership trait that would be innate.

However, typically all of the nuances of being a fantastic leader are learned and I used to make the assumption way
back years ago in my early 20’s when I was in first leadership that the best leaders were loud and proud and demanded
control and take charge and would conquer all and lead everybody to the golden cup. In fact, what I realized and learned
throughout my career was that there are nuances of leadership that when learned can bring more people along with you.
So there are certain people that would resonate or be attracted to the command and control and follow the leader style of
leadership but there is a larger segment of people who would not be attracted to that.

There are many components of learning to be a fantastic leader. Some of the components of being a leader are
understanding strategy, understanding personality types, understanding the different perspectives of the people on your
team, execution of plan, project planning and timelines. There are so many different components of being a fantastic
leader that in my experience and in my research those things needs to be learned.

For me the best leaders I have seen have a combination of both innate ability and learned skills. They have some
instinctual traits that are of high leadership value. So you could be a quiet person and be a phenomenal leader because
you have developed all of the leadership attributes that I described earlier. You can be a phenomenal leader who is more
social and outgoing but you have had to learn and develop perhaps the tactics, the strategies, and the implementation.

So my answer, is leadership innate or learned? It is both, and I challenge all of you to learn and grow and stretch your
knowledge in order to be a more fantastic leader.

We're safer than ever before, and it's all thanks to technology
For decades, politicians have been perpetuating two big myths about crime. Those on the right have argued that only
ever-tougher prison terms will deter would-be wrong-doers. Those on the left have argued that crime will only fall when
we reform society and reduce poverty and inequality. In fact, crime has fallen dramatically over the past 20 years, not
due to reforms traditionally advocated by politicians, but due to the technological change which has made it harder to
commit crime.
In many developed countries, crime has halved overall, with precise drops varying from country to country. Some crime
types have fallen particularly rapidly: car crime, for example, has more than halved across developed countries, and in
the UK, is at one-sixth of early 90s levels. Much of this shift is a result of the slow spread of central locking and
electronic immobilisers - with countries that forced manufacturers to deploy these technologies soonest experiencing the
quickest and most dramatic crime drops.
Credit- and debit-card fraud has not dropped in absolute terms (without comparing it with anything else) - but in terms
of the amounts stolen as a proportion of total card spend it has fallen dramatically in many countries. Here, falls have
been greatest where chip-and-PIN technology is widely used.
Murder rates have fallen by over a third in the US and, at first glance, it is hard to think that technology might be
involved in the shift. A study led by University of Massachusetts professor Anthony Harris found that US murder rates
might have been three times higher today were it not for advances in communication and medical technologies.

Other technologies have allowed us to protect ourselves from crime. Assaults by unlicensed, unmonitored taxi drivers
have receded as consumers have become habituated to companies such as Uber and Lyft, which use databases to
increase taxi availability and reduce driver anonymity. And police are harnessing technology to improve their
effectiveness - both by using DNA analysis and other investigative tools to detect crimes, and by finding ways of
preventing it.
"Predictive policing", the use of data and analytic tools to predict where crimes might occur, has ensured fewer officers
are randomly patrolling the streets to no effect and more are in locations where they might actually make a difference.
Early trials of body-worn cameras suggest that they might be preventing the escalation of conflict around police
searches and arrests, because they moderate the behaviour of both the police and those they are dealing with.
Too few people acknowledge the fact that technology has helped us become safer. Some segments of the media deny
that we are even getting safer, knowing that fear sells. Those selling security online, meanwhile, highlight the threats of
new, technology-enabled crimes. Of course, there are genuine concerns. Online pornography outlets can shepherd
viewers towards illegal images they might never have previously encountered. Scammers use a single attack to target,
yet force impunity in their jurisdictions. 3D printing can indeed create usable firearms, though I'm not aware of any
having been used to kill anyone.
And there are now cheap, basic devices that can easily overcome car-security measures in some cars, though they are
rarely used. There is reason for optimism - as long as we are not complacent. The average criminal has never been
particularly sophisticated or determined, which is why using technology to minimise easy opportunities for crime has
had such a powerful effect. Those most able to deploy advanced technologies are generally well educated and enjoyed
stable upbringings, a reason why even imprisoned hackers tend to end up working in places such as Silicon Valley.
When the most talented and committed generally work for good, not ill, they can address new vulnerabilities.
Steps are being taken to manage new risks. The Internet Watch Foundation is using so-called PhotoDNA to create
unique identifiers of child exploitation images, which are in turn helping authorities to target websites that are actually
fuelling new abuses, rather than redistributing images. Consumers are realising that they should not send their bank
details to Nigeria to secure their "lottery winnings". And governments are finding ways of stopping the sale of car-
unlocking technologies that could only have dubious uses. Innovation in law enforcement abounds. Singapore is
trialling technology which analyses CCTV footage in real time to anticipate crime and public disorder. Lloydminster in
Canada is one of several cities to use drones to detect traffic offences. And in London, the Metropolitan Police is even
trialling data analytics to predict who among those arrested is likely to re-offend.
The question is therefore not whether technology can reduce crime. It already has. Rather, the question is how we
harness technology best, and what roles should individuals, businesses and governments play in this worthwhile
collective endeavour.
Juvenile/Youth Crime/Delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is the act of committing a crime at a very young age. A juvenile delinquent is a young person,
particularly a teenager under the age of eighteen, who breaks a state or federal law by committing a crime.
Teens are still immature and do not think like adults, therefore they are prone to making mistakes or committing crimes
that are not fully in their control. Teens can break laws for various reasons, and there are a number of factors that can
lead them to juvenile delinquency.
In this article, we have listed down some of the reasons why teens become juvenile delinquents and what causes them to
commit crimes. Let’s have a look at them:
Broken Family
A teen adopts moral and ethical values from his parents and other family members. It goes without saying that family
plays a vital role in shaping a teen’s behavior and grooming his/her personality. However, teens become violent or show
signs of juvenile delinquency only when they’re facing disturbance at home. Broken or disturbed families with bad
relations can cause teens to go astray and become violent. Single parents are often busy working, therefore they’re not
able to spend quality time with their children. This causes teens to seek attention from others, especially their peers.
Lack of Communication
Often lack of discourse (discussion) in the family can lead children to find solace (comfort or consolation in a time of
great distress) other than homes. When they are not having any communication with their parents or family members at
home, they may lose unity, trust, and understanding, which can eventually lower their self-esteem or self-confidence.
Once they feel they’re losing their individuality, they tend to do things they shouldn’t do to boost their self-confidence.
They blindly follow their peers and adopt their unhealthy lifestyles. They shoplift and consume drugs to look cool in the
eyes of their peers.
Lack of Finances
Young or adult, may lead to a wrong path to improve their financial conditions. Teens become juvenile delinquents due
to lack of finances. When they experience poor economic conditions, they start engaging in the wrong activities. They
may start selling drugs or steal things to improve their economic conditions.
Lack of Social and Moral Training
Teens who have not given any social or moral training often lead to juvenile delinquency. It is the parent’s duty to teach
moral and ethical values to their children. They should teach them the difference between right and wrong behavior.
Lack of social and moral values can lead children to poor interaction with others and make them less confident. They
may become selfish and arrogant. They would not know how to respect the laws of the state. Parents often neglect their
children and pay more focus on working hard to earn money for them. However, while doing so, they forget the
importance of spending quality time with their children. In their absence, children tend to spend time with someone who
pays attention to them. They may also fall into wrong hands or get involved in a bad company while seeking attention
from someone other than their parents. 

Should juveniles receive adult punishments?

Early this month, the world woke up to a story of the murder of a 39-year-old British citizen called Angela Wrightson.
The murder wouldn’t necessarily have been front page news if her killers were not two teenage girls aged 13 and 14 and
the fact that they excitedly used the photo sharing and messaging application; Snapchat, to update their friends about
their brutality.

The world was in shock but what we all had to remember was the fact that these two teenagers would be punished but
the punishment would not fit the crime since they are below 18. Annoying, right? Well, today we are debating, should
juveniles be tried in courts of law as adults? This is a controversial topic based on the fact that most teenagers are driven
into some crimes by peer pressure. I say yes, depending on the gravity of the crime, juveniles should be tried as adults if
the crimes that they have committed are adult.

Every day, murder, rape, and other heinous crimes are committed by youths below 18. Why should they be accorded
preferential treatment?

I understand that as a teenager, one is bound to make mistakes. I am not saying that if a teenage boy or girl enters a mall
and shoplifts, try him and sentence him to a year in jail. Perhaps not.

However, no matter how old one is, murder or rape are not crimes that are committed without the culprit putting thought
into it. Any teenager who tortures and kills a human being or commits rape should not be treated as a child and should
not be allowed to get away with it. By letting them get away with it, we continue to encourage the rot that is slowly but
surely eroding the world.
There should be no excuse. Youths who commit crimes are criminals and we should not let their age continue to allow
them to be on our streets, living as our neighbors, and in many instances, committing more crimes.
I believe that teens should be held accountable for their actions and tried as adults. If you are worried about the
punishment, simply don’t commit the crime. Period.

I would like to believe that there’s a reason as to why adolescents are referred to as juveniles and why the entire legal
system, probably the world over, instituted juvenile detention centres. These are minors who, according to most legal
systems, are below the legal alcohol consumption age, can’t drive or get married until they are of a certain age.

As thus, they are treated differently from adults because adults are believed to be of sound mind and capable of making
sound decisions. This is the same reason why laws don’t have exceptions such as “because this election is important,
let’s give children voting cards,” or “this war is important, let’s dress kids in camouflage, give them guns and send them
to war”.

All this is put in place because children are considered weak, both mentally and physically, and this is the same reason
why they are tried as juveniles and not adults. By having children tried and treated as adults, they’ll most probably be
sent to an adult facility which they are mentally not able to handle and this could further damage them.

Sometimes, juveniles commit crimes out of ignorance or peer pressure (a feeling that one must do the same things as
other people of one's age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them) and trying and treating them as
adults could damage their future because they’ll have criminal records. Juvenile records are usually not treated with the
same weight as those of adults, however having them as adult criminal records, regardless of the fact that the crime was
committed when they were juveniles, will follow them throughout life.

Let’s not forget that there are higher chances of adopting new and dangerous crimes because they are put together with
adults who are highly dangerous. In addition, they might be physically and sexually assaulted because they are too weak
to defend themselves. And what message are we giving to these young people?

We are telling them that there’s no hope for the future and that their life will never amount to anything but that of a
criminal and a convict. In the long run, this will only damage society and the juvenile’s life when they could have
turned their misfortunes around.
Instead, why don’t we focus on rehabilitating the young people and keep them from committing such crimes again?
This can be done by coming together as a community and help them build trust with the community, police and legal
system. However, if we prosecute (conduct legal proceedings against) them, they’ll most likely stay violent or worse;
become the most dangerous criminals once they are released.

Five ways to reduce crime

1. Use and expand drug courts. Drug courts, which combine judicial supervision with substance abuse treatment, are
rapidly gaining popularity as a tool to combat crime and drug use. Based on a five-year study, we found that people who
took part in drug courts had lower relapse rates and committed fewer additional crimes, such as selling drugs and
driving while intoxicated. Forty-nine percent of drug court participants reported committing new crimes, compared with
64 percent of non-participants.

2. Make use of DNA evidence. By vastly improving our ability to identify and arrest suspects, DNA evidence has the
potential to be a powerful crime-fighting resource. Our research shows that the use of DNA evidence in burglary cases
leads to the identification and arrest of twice as many suspects as traditional investigation tactics. DNA also helps serve
justice: we found that DNA testing can provide evidence to support the exoneration of as many as 15 percent of
convicted sex offenders.

3. Help ex-offenders find secure living-wage employment. Securing a well-paying job can help returning prisoners
remain crime-free once they go back to their communities. Our studies found that the more they earned during the first
two months following their release, the lower their chances of returning to prison. Those who earned over $10 an hour,
for example, were half as likely to return to prison as those whose hourly wages were less than $7.

4. Monitor public surveillance cameras. The recent events in Boston have demonstrated the crucial role public cameras
can play in investigations of high-profile criminal acts. Our research found that cameras can also be a cost-effective
means of preventing crime. In Chicago, every dollar spent on cameras yielded over $4 in savings in court costs,
incarceration, and pain and suffering associated with prevented crimes. Cameras are most effective when there are a
sufficient number of them and they are monitored by trained staff.

5. Connect returning prisoners to stable housing. Access to stable housing can dramatically reduce crime committed by
former prisoners. Our evaluation of the Returning Home-Ohio (RHO) program found that released prisoners who were
connected to housing services were 60 percent less likely to return to prison. These individuals also spent more time in
the community before being re-arrested.

Some of these strategies, like drug courts and public surveillance cameras, are in widespread usage and have already
helped reduce crime. Others have not yet been widely implemented. However, empirical evidence shows that they all
effectively lower crime and reduce the costs associated with it.

5 reasons women should be banned from working as police officers

Here at Return of Kings, we aren’t exactly the biggest fans of the great flood of women entering the workforce. Every
female who takes a relatively well-paid full-time job is accordingly denying another man a reliable income in an era
where “jobs for all” is long gone, and yet undeniable truths of the sexual marketplace have not (and will not) ever
change.

A man is always going to be willing to date, marry, and have a family with a reasonably attractive woman who is by
every definition “unemployed” and almost penniless, but a reasonably attractive woman (and therefore a woman with
options) will not date, marry, and have a family with an unemployed or broke man.

Nonetheless, if women must be in the workforce for the sake of requiring dual incomes, the least they can do is enter a
profession where they are just as fully capable as men in performance standards, and where they are close to guaranteed
to be coming home safely to their boyfriend, husband, and/or children every night.

Being a police officer is not one of those professions. Now for the sake of on-the-job competency, the safety of the
public, and offering a greater number of men a (pun intended) shot at employment, this article will elaborate on five
reasons why women all over the world should be banned from being cops.

1. They Are Weak And Go Down Too Easily

I have touched upon this topic (which in an intelligent world should be relegated to just basic observational and factual
science) in several previous articles like “Anything Women Can Do, Men Can Do Better” and “It Doesn’t Matter If
Women Win Gold Medals At The Rio Olympics“. Women are, without any Marxist drivel or ‘girl power’
rebuttal, substantially weaker than men and cannot absorb nearly as much physical punishment or brute force.

2. They Are Lazy, Slow, And Incompetent

There is a reason why you don’t see many women in comparatively highly paid professions like petroleum engineering,
Alaskan crab fishing, or mining. It’s because most women, those who are even just slightly in touch with their natural
feminine imperative, are not at all attracted to outdoorsy and physically intensive jobs with no guarantee of perfect
weather.

They are naturally inclined to seek out temperature-regulated and comfortable-seating office jobs where gossip,
Instagram, and Facebook can occupy half of the “work day” in their mostly vanity (ie. non-essential) employment
industry. Accordingly, this natural inclination for inherently lazy and slow-paced work means that being a police officer
is not a suitable working environment for women either.

3. They Are Too Soft And Easily Scared

A video of not one, not two, but three female Swedish police officers, failing to subdue a single medium-build hooligan,
made the rounds around the world and (for a while) turned the leftist fantasy land into a laughingstock. While seemingly
implausible, it actually makes perfect sense.
Women by nature are far more easily frightened and repulsed in the face of danger (hence you see all three quote-on-
quote “police officers” backing away from the suspect after he lands a hard punch or two) and they are often too soft to
put up any sustained resistance.

Raising young children is a profession which best utilizes a woman’s softer, delicate, and more nurturing strengths. The
OPPOSITE is trying to subdue hostile adult men from an equally hostile culture.

4. They Are Too Dependent On Male Officers

A female cops radio dispatcher might as well just be called their “white knight” call box. They are by and large
(generally), for any length of time, utterly incapable of doing their job properly without male assistance.

Smaller, weaker, slower, and often just plain lazy, they have to phone in an instant dose of testosterone (competent male
cops) in order to see to the end even the most asinine of iffy situations. Like a defiant urban “dindu nuffin” who is not
going to put up with getting a citation for riding his bike on the sidewalk.

By proxy, this makes female police officers a huge waste on police resources and their overall efficiency. For every far
more capable male officer who has to assist an affirmative-action (female) hire, that is one more male officer who is
temporarily taken out of availability in case a far more serious crime actually needs attention.

5. Lives Depend Upon Fully Capable Police Officers – Which Women Are Not

The preceding clip from the 1976 film “The Enforcer” (part of the ‘Dirty Harry’ canon) accurately portrays just what
can go wrong when feminist and affirmative action hiring practices infect police departments. An unimposing female
law enforcement officer with no field experience is being considered for the role of an Inspector, while male officers
with 10 or 15 years of real experience are clearly being passed up on the opportunity.

When completely unsuitable women (due to physical weakness, softness, incompetency, too easily scared, lack of
experience, etc) are considered for selection for all the wrong reasons (gender quotas & feminist fapping), they will
inevitably put the lives of the public and their colleagues at risk.

Alcohol-related crimes
Alcohol plays a large role in criminal activities and violence. Excessive drinking has the ability to lower inhibitions,
impair (damage) a person’s judgment and increase the risk of aggressive behaviors. Because of this, alcohol-related
violence and crime rates are on the rise throughout the country.
Over the past several decades, researchers have examined the relationship between alcohol, drugs and crime. Data
suggests that engaging in prolonged drinking or binge drinking significantly increases your risk of committing violent
offenses. Giving in to the harmful effects of alcohol can change your life in an instant. Not only are you jeopardizing
your future, you are also putting others in danger. Criminal activities come with severe consequences such as time in
jail, legal fees and other court-ordered penalties.
A number of individuals that serve time in jail have committed alcohol-related crimes. Offenses range from minor to
serious and include property crime, public-order offenses, driving while intoxicated, assault and homicide. On average,
roughly 40 percent of inmates who are incarcerated for violent offenses were under the influence of alcohol during the
time of their crime. Many of these criminals had an estimated blood alcohol content (BAC) level of more than three
times the legal limit at the time of their arrest.

Types of Crimes Associated with Alcohol

Some of the most common alcohol-related crimes involve cases of drinking and driving. However, there are a variety of
other offenses that can result from alcohol abuse.
Several examples of criminal activities associated with excessive alcohol use are:

Robbery
Many cities across the United States have seen a steady increase in robberies and property-related crime. A number of
these robberies – roughly 15 percent – have been linked to alcohol use. Alcohol can intensify a robber’s feelings of
desperation and cause them to steal someone’s money or property. While some robbers desire a better lifestyle or want
to make a quick buck, others can turn into repeat offenders. The consequences of robbing someone are harsh and may
entail time in jail, criminal charges on your record, fines and other legal troubles.

Sexual assault
A sexual assault is a forced sexual act and may involve touching, kissing and intercourse. An estimated 37 percent of
sexual assaults and rapes are committed by offenders who were under the influence of alcohol. For perpetrators,
drinking may intensify their aggressive behavior. This can make them become more forceful when someone tries to
resist them. Sexual assault can occur when there is a lack of consent, as well as when the victim is unable to give
consent due to intoxication or mental state.

Aggravated assault
A common warning sign of alcohol abuse is irritability and extreme mood swings. Because of this, some individuals
turn violent after an episode of heavy drinking. Poor decisions and impaired judgment, combined with aggression and
hostility, can quickly become dangerous. If violent thoughts and feelings are acted on, it can lead to an aggravated
assault charge. About 27 percent of aggravated assaults are committed by individuals who have used alcohol.
Aggravated assault means causing serious injury, such as bodily harm to another person. Criminal charges are much
stricter if a weapon is involved.

Intimate partner violence

Alcohol can play a dangerous role in intimate partner violence, leading to aggression, intimidation, forced sexual
activity and other forms of controlling behavior. Intimate partner violence happens when a romantic partner causes
physical, psychological or sexual harm to their significant other. An estimated two-thirds of victims suffering from
violence by a current or former spouse or partner report that the perpetrator had been drinking, compared to less than
one-third of stranger victimizations. Having a partner who is a heavy drinker can cause significant hardships, including
financial difficulties, child care problems, infidelity, as well as other challenges.

Child abuse
Stress, money trouble, professional instability and a host of other factors can influence the amount of alcohol a person
consumes. However, alcoholism not only affects an individual, it impacts family members and friends – including
children. Research studies have shown a link between parents who abuse alcohol and the risk of child neglect and abuse.
Roughly four in ten child abusers have admitted to being under the influence of alcohol during the time of the offense.
Children who are victimized at a young age have an increased risk of developing behavioral and physical problems as
they get older.

Homicide
Alcohol is involved in more homicides across the United States compared to other substances, like heroin and cocaine.
In fact, about 40 percent of convicted murderers had used alcohol before or during the crime. Excessive drinking can
lead to more severe forms of violence that can quickly escalate to extremely dangerous situations. The short- and long-
term effects of alcohol blur a person’s mental state, contributing to an increased risk of committing violent crimes.
There are strict legal punishments in place for homicide convictions and can land you in jail for many years, or even the
rest of your life.

Is the death penalty a deterrent?

Capital punishment is such a costly, controversial, and divisive issue that, unless it succeeds in saving lives, it clearly
should be abolished – as it already has been in the European Union and in 101 countries around the world. But does the
death penalty save lives? Let’s consider the relevant factors and the evidence.

Some feel the question of whether the death penalty deters can be argued as a matter of theory: capital punishment is
worse than other penalties therefore it must lead to fewer killings. This contention (argument) misses much of the
complexity of the modern death penalty. First, theory can’t tell us whether the spectacle of state-sanctioned killings
operates to unhinge marginal minds into thinking that their own grievances merit similar forms of retribution (revenge)
that they then try to inflict on their own. Even if some other criminals were deterred by the death penalty, one must ask
whether these avoided crimes would be more than offset by the possible brutalisation effect.

Second, operating a death penalty regime – at least in the United States – has been incredibly costly, as each case
resulting in a death sentence will spend years in various types of legal appeals, eating up the valuable time of judges,
prosecutors, and defence lawyers, overwhelmingly at government expense.
The best research on the issue suggests that life imprisonment is a less costly penalty, since locking someone up is far
less expensive than both locking them up and paying a team of lawyers for many years – often decades – to debate
whether a sentence of death should be imposed. In California, for example, execution is only the third leading cause of
death for those on death row (behind old age and suicide).

Some might contend that the lengthy appeals are a needless burden that should be jettisoned so that the penalty is
administered more cheaply and quickly, but the large number of exonerations (releases/exemptions) of those on death
row (155 including 21 by DNA evidence at last count) underscores the danger of any effort to short circuit the judicial
process. Killing a few innocent defendants is an unavoidable consequence of having a capital regime – so unless there is
some clear evidence of deterrence, it is hard to argue positively for the death penalty.

Lack of evidence

So what is the evidence on deterrence? Here the answer is clear: there is not the slightest credible statistical evidence
that capital punishment reduces the rate of homicide. Whether one compares the similar movements of homicide in
Canada and the US when only the latter restored the death penalty, or in American states that have abolished it versus
those that retain it, or in Hong Kong and Singapore (the first abolishing the death penalty in the mid-1990s and the
second greatly increasing its usage at the same), there is no detectable effect of capital punishment on crime. The best
econometric studies reach the same conclusion.

A number of studies – all of which, unfortunately, are only available via subscripton – purported (claimed) to find
deterrent effects but all of these studies collapse after errors in coding, measuring statistical significance, or in
establishing causal relationships are corrected. A panel of the National Academy of Sciences addressed the deterrence
question directly in 2012 and unanimously concluded that there was no credible evidence that the death penalty deters
homicides.

The report went on to say that the issue of deterrence should be removed from any discussion of the death penalty given
this lack of credible evidence. But if the deterrence argument disappears, so does the case for the death penalty.

Those familiar with criminal justice issues are not surprised by the lack of deterrence. To get the death penalty in the
United States one has to commit an extraordinarily heinous crime, as evidenced by the fact that last year roughly 14,000
murders were committed but only 35 executions took place.

Since murderers typically expose themselves to far greater immediate risks, the likelihood is incredibly remote that
some small chance of execution many years after committing a crime will influence the behaviour of a sociopathic
deviant who would otherwise be willing to kill if his only penalty were life imprisonment.

Any criminal who actually thought he would be caught would find the prospect of life without parole to be a
monumental penalty. Any criminal who didn’t think he would be caught would be untroubled by any sanction.

Wasted resources

A better way to address the problem of homicide is to take the resources that would otherwise be wasted in operating a
death penalty regime and use them on strategies that are known to reduce crime, such as hiring and properly training
police officers and solving crimes.

Over the past three decades there has been a downward trend in the number of murders that lead to arrest and conviction
to the point that only about half of all murders are now punished.

Far better for both justice and deterrence if the resources saved by scrapping the death penalty could be used to increase
the chance that killers would be caught and punished – and taken off the streets.

To give a sense of the burden of capital punishment, note that over the past 35 years the state of California spent
roughly $4 billion to execute 13 individuals. The $4 billion would have been enough to hire roughly 80,000 police
officers who, if appropriately assigned, would be expected to prevent 466 murders (and much other crime) in California
– far more than any of the most optimistic (albeit discredited) views of the possible benefits of capital punishment.
In other words, since the death penalty is a costly and inefficient system, its use will waste resources that could be
expended on crime-fighting measures that are known to be effective. It is not surprising that last summer a federal judge
ruled that California’s capital regime is unconstitutional on the grounds that it serves no legitimate penological interest.

With zero evidence that the death penalty provides any tangible benefits and very clear indications of its monetary,
human, and social costs, this is one programme about which there can be little debate that its costs undeniably outweigh
any possible benefits.

Cyber crime in the financial sector

There is no disputing that cyber crime is at an all-time high. It seems not a day goes by without an organisation
suffering a security breach or customers of a major bank having money stolen from their accounts.

In fact, PwC’s Global Economic Crime Survey 2016, revealed that cyber crime has now jumped to the second most
reported crime globally and that 54% of organisations have been hit with cyber crime in the last two years. This
highlights just how big a business hacking has become.

However, some organisations are more of a target than others. One of the main targets for cyber crime is without a
doubt banks. In the last year, banks from all over the world have been hit by hackers. This includes attacks against
Tesco bank, where hackers stole over £2 million from customer accounts, DDoS attacks bring banks like HSBC to a
standstill, as well as phishing scams targeting the customers of all major banks in the UK.

So why are banks such a lucrative (rewarding) target for cyber crime? The answer is simple, cyber criminals go where
the money is, and banks have more money than most other organisations. Here, Spencer Young, RVP of EMEA at
cyber security firm Imperva, discusses the key threats banks and bank customers are faced with today, and how he
expects banks will aim to overcome them in the future. What are the major threats banks are faced with today? While
there are numerous threats aimed at bank systems and their customers, one of the biggest threats, and often one of the
hardest to detect, is that of malicious, careless and compromised users. These employees, contractors and partners are
already inside the banks secure perimeter and have legitimate access to its sensitive data and IT systems.

When these insiders abuse their privileged access or are compromised by external attackers, the valuable data is easily
exposed. As banks continue to expand online and mobile access, they also expand the attack surface. As such, they must
be vigilant against DDoS attacks and web application attacks such as credential stuffing. We have seen numerous high-
profile breaches against major financial services institutions in the last year, and the volume and complexity of the
attacks are on the rise. Criminals can send phishing emails or set up fake websites that dupe consumers into giving away
sensitive financial data. They can also leverage (exploit) information from social media sites to socially engineer their
way into accounts via customer service. For example, while it’s unclear of the exact nature of the recent Tesco attacks,
one theory is that the hackers got their hands on customers’ debit card information, and then proceeded to use it in an
automated attack which resulted in £2.5 million being taken from around 9,000 account holders.

Why is cyber crime still such a success? As financial institutions shift to digital channels like online banking and mobile
transactions, the attack surface grows, and there is more to protect. Combine this with the fact that successful attacks on
banks and financial services firms provide a quick way to monetise the data, and you can see why banks and financial
institutions are such popular targets.

Given the number of hackers attempting to breach these institutions, it’s a matter of when, not if, financial institutions
will be breached. Clearly, it’s critical that they protect the data that the criminals are after. Is secure banking an
unrealistic goal? Even though banks are a popular target for hackers, they also are among the most sophisticated
enterprises in the world from a security perspective. This is largely because security and online banking go hand-in-
hand. Consumers want the confidence that their financial information will be protected, regardless of how it’s accessed.
The banks have reputation, brand and highly sensitive personal data to protect, and in the main, they take that very
seriously. What we don’t hear about are the numerous attempts to breach banking systems that are successfully
prevented. This is down to the investments that the banks have made in systems and processes to defend their
customer’s personal data.

We have strong business relationships with some of the world’s largest banks, and they are constantly reviewing and
updating their defence systems, sometimes in response to new attack threats and types, sometimes pro-actively in
evolving their systems to be the most secure they can be. How will banks combat cyber crime in the future?Compared
to today, the secure bank of the future will use more machine-learning technology and systems to proactively prevent
potential breaches and data loss. In other words, we will see more ‘attack as the best form of defence.’ They will also
defend the sensitive data they hold at every potential access point, regardless of whether that is a mobile device, internal
network, connected internet of things device, through a website, through an app etc. And of vital importance, they will
all then add more protection to the databases themselves that hold the key to the information the criminals are after. So,
we will see proactive prevention, and more unique layers of defence to protect what the banks value the most.

Tertiary education

Everyone says tertiary education is important. But what’s all the fuss about? Here follow some thoughts on the matter
and why it may be good for you.

‘Hard work never killed anyone’, so the saying goes. Whether you believe this or not – that is a different story. With
hard work come learning curves and eventually you will need to educate yourself in whichever field you find yourself
in. You cannot forever fake it till you make it, someone may eventually catch you out! Therefore, it is particularly
important to remember why and how tertiary education can contribute to your life.

“Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.” – Will Durrant

Everyone has different opinions on the matter, but essentially it all comes down to the same point. No matter what age
you are, it is a privilege to feed your brain with new knowledge and no one should ever stop doing this. Knowledge is
the key to new ideas, can bring about change in the world and open new doors filled with opportunity.

Naturally, to get a tertiary education means you can study at various institutions, at a university or a college – the
options are endless. Ultimately it is solely your decision to figure out where you want to find yourself and what works
best for you. Don’t jump into studying just for the sake of studying. Jump in with the intention of gaining skills and
gaining knowledge. Jump in knowing you will come out on the other side with an endless pool of new wisdom and
confidence.

So why is tertiary education so important? Here are some reasons why:

1. You gain Factual Knowledge

When you leave high school you gain the fundamental knowledge to advance onwards in your life. To progress towards
your ideal career choice and field means you might need factual knowledge and skills to get your foot in the door. This
is often easier said than done, especially in countries where job opportunities are rare and competition is common on a
day to day basis. Knowing your field in depth and delving deeper into theoretical and practical concepts will strengthen
your abilities, and may even give you a better chance of finding a job.

2. You learn how to deal with other People and solve Problems

One of the best ways to learn about life is to expose yourself to different settings, new information and world issues that
need solving. Tertiary education opens your eyes to interesting new ideas about the world and broadens your opinions
on different matters. You learn how to communicate with other people, whether it be in groups or individually. To top it
off you also gain a better sense of understanding in whatever it is you are studying to use it efficiently in your specified
field, or just for life in general.

3. You stand out from the Crowd

By setting yourself apart from others, you ultimately increase your opportunities and increase your earning potential. If
you know what you want, know the knowledge you want to gain and are inspired to put in the hours and work, acquire
tertiary education. You could well be on your way to holding that piece of paper, which spells success, in your hands.

6 Disadvantages of Traditional Paper-based Course Evaluations

The value of paper-based course evaluations versus online assessments has often been debated. Many studies have been
conducted on both methods with the pros and cons of each explored.* What is the overwhelming conclusion you ask?
Simply put, the benefits of using online course evaluations far outweigh the benefits of using traditional paper
evaluations. In prior posts we directly address the multitude of benefits that online assessments afford, so be sure to
check those out. This post looks closely at paper-based evaluations and outlines six main disadvantages of utilizing
them in your institution.

1) Inaccessibility: Administering paper-based evaluations in-class may exclude certain students from participating.
Students who are absent from class, or who have impairments, may not be able to access or complete the evaluation.
The inability to accommodate all students in the process can lead to incomplete, skewed feedback with a very narrow
view-point.

2) Lower Quality Data: Many factors can affect the quality of data retrieved through in-class paper evaluations.
Students may feel that their responses are not anonymous and worry that instructors can trace the feedback to them.
They may feel their anonymity is compromised due to their writing or by the comments they divulge. This causes
students to be less open and honest on their assessments. Other issues such as peer pressure and in-class evaluation time
limits can also negatively affect the quality of the data collected.

3) Limited Flexibility: Using traditional paper-based assessments often does not allow for the customization of
questions. The questions used may be standard, university set queries without instructors being able to add tailored
course-specific questions. Using a paper-based process also doesn’t afford much flexibility in terms of the reports that
can be generated for instructors and faculty. Standard reports are often used without the ability to present results
differently, whether showing results over time or across multiple courses.

4) Lengthy Process: The process of administering paper-based assessments is a lengthy one. It can take several
months to complete the cycle from administering the forms to collecting and analyzing the results, to sharing reports
and acting on the feedback obtained. As instructors do not receive results quickly, valuable time is lost in responding to
student concerns and implementing possible course changes.

5) High Cost: A major disadvantage of using paper assessments is the high cost associated with the process. The
number of personnel involved as well as the printing, distributing, scanning, rekeying, filing and archiving is very
costly. When institutions move to an online system these significant costs can often be reduced by at least 50 percent.

6) Non Eco-Friendly: A lot of paper is needlessly wasted in the traditional evaluation process. Wasting such a
valuable environmental resource often goes against the institution’s ‘green’ initiatives and university-wide goals.

Six ways human activity is changing the planet

Wired Science outlined six ways in which humans are already geoengineering the Earth, arguing that the world has
moved from the Holocene to Anthropocene era. “From diverting a third of Earth’s available fresh water to planting and
grazing two-fifths of its land surface, humankind has fiddled with the knobs of the Holocene, that 10,000-year period of
climate stability that birthed civilization. The consequences of our interventions into Earth’s geophysical processes are
yet to be determined, but scientists say they’re so fundamental that the Holocene no longer exists. We now live in the
Anthropocene, a geological age of mankind’s making.”

According to Wired Science, there are six forms of human-caused geoengineering already having an impact worldwide.
We’ve further expanded their discussion of these impacts:

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

The human activity most widely viewed as changing the planet is the burning of fossil fuels. In order to produce the
energy that drives the world’s economy, countries rely on carbon-rich fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. By burning
these materials, humans have added nearly 400 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere between 1870 and
2013. Right now, atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide are higher than at any point in human history; the last time they
were this high was 800,000 years ago. Carbon dioxide is a heat-trapping gas, and as a result of these atmospheric
changes, average temperatures on the planet are rising and global weather patterns are changing. 2015 is expected to be
the hottest year on record, following record high in 2014. Some of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbed into
oceans, increasing their acidity by 30 percent over the past 100 years. This change has far-reaching effects on oceanic
ecosystems and the food chains that support underwater plant and animal life.

Draining Rivers

Life depends heavily on the supply of fresh water that exists in rivers, lakes, and aquifers. According to Wired Science,
it’s estimated that one fourth of Earth’s river basins run dry before ever reaching the ocean. This is the result of reduced
rainfall caused by deforestation and the construction of man-made dams that divert water flow in inefficient ways. Less
water flowing through river basins has also altered local weather patterns.

The Aral Sea, located on the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan border, was once the fourth largest lake, but has now shrunk by 75
percent (see image above). The Aral Sea was once fed by two major rivers which now, due to human activity, run dry
before they reach the lake. In the early 1960’s, the Soviet Union diverted water from the in-flowing rivers to irrigate rice
and cotton crops in Central Asia. The reduced water flow caused salt concentrations to increase, rendering it
uninhabitable for the fish species that once lived there. The Aral Sea used to absorb heat during the summer and keep
the temperature mild during the winters, but now that it’s drying up, the local climate is changing: in surrounding areas,
summers are now longer and hotter and the winters are colder.

Black Carbon

For centuries, humans have engaged in activities that produce black carbon particles. Black carbon particles are released
into the atmosphere in the form of smoke that is produced by cooking with solid animal fuels, burning trees, and
spewing diesel exhaust. When black carbon particles reach the atmosphere, they form a heat-absorbing layer that causes
temperatures to rise. Raindrops tend to form around black carbon particles in the atmosphere, and when they fall to the
ground, they absorb heat there too, thus magnifying their warming effect.

According to Science Daily, scientists estimate that 25 to 35 percent of black carbon in the global atmosphere was
emitted by China and India from the burning of wood and cow dung in household cooking and coal to heat homes.
Nations that rely heavily on diesel fuel for transportation also contribute large amounts.

Wired Science reported that over the last century, Arctic temperatures have risen by an estimated 3.4-degree-Fahrenheit,
and scientists estimate that half of this rise can be attributed to black-carbon pollution. It’s likely that black carbon has
altered weather patterns in a way that’s reduced rainfall over South Asia and West Africa. Also, scientists believe that
black carbon has played a role in causing Himalayan glaciers to melt, threatening water supplies for hundreds of
millions of people.

Industrial Agriculture

As the world’s population continues to grow, so does the amount of farmland needed to provide sufficient food.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 40 percent of Earth’s surface is now comprised of
agricultural lands, and a large portion of these lands were once covered by forests. Much of Europe, for example, was
once covered with dense temperate forests but over time population growth-driven deforestation has led to more farm
land.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, three billion tons of CO2 enters the atmosphere every year from
deforestation. That destruction amounts to 13 million hectares destroyed annually, much of which occurring in the
Amazon rain forest. Here, the regional cycle of evaporation and condensation has been disrupted, raising the possibility
of the remaining forest becoming a savannah. Furthermore, because the rain forest is shrinking, its carbon-dioxide
absorbing capacities are being diminished, which in turn means more of the heat-trapping gas is reaching the upper
atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise.

Fertilizers used in farming have had far-reaching effects. Their use has injected vast amounts of nitrogen and
phosphorous into regional ecosystems. Wired Science reports that 120 million tons of nitrogen are removed from the
atmosphere each year and 20 million tons of phosphorous is mined from the ground in order to produce fertilizer to be
used for farming. These practices add a tremendous amount of nitrogen and phosphorus to the biosphere than would
occur naturally. Runoff from farmland often carries large amounts of fertilizer into rivers and streams that eventually
drain into the sea. All of this fertilizer runoff creates rapidly-expanding marine dead zones.
Reef Destruction

Ocean reefs make up the foundation of some of the world’s richest marine ecosystems. Their demise is disturbing the
flow of nutrients and energy that support animal and plant life in our oceans. As a result of water pollution, ocean
acidification, overfishing, and climate change, experts estimate that one-fifth of global reefs are now dead and one-
quarter of reef species may be extinct by 2050. Furthermore, the livelihood of some 500 million people worldwide are
dependent on reefs, as these are where many fish and other species start their lives.

Scientists believe northwest Mediterranean once supported a vibrant array of reefs, which provided home to plant and
animal species. Today, however, the stripped-down ecosystem is dominated by bacteria and jellyfish, which exhibit a
reduced capacity to regulate flows of nutrients and energy.

Plastic Production

Technological development has led to the invention of new materials, such as plastics , that were previously unknown to
the planet. Many of these new materials are made up of chemical compounds that can remain active in the environment
for thousands of years and have lasting impacts on the delicate regulatory cycles and ecosystems. Today, the world
produces approximately 300 million tons of plastics each year. About 20-40 percent of that ends up in landfills, and
another 10-20 million tons makes its way to the oceans, disrupting sea life. According to the World Watch Institute, “a
recent study conservatively estimated that 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing a total of 268,940 tons are currently
floating in the world’s oceans.”

At high concentrations, these chemicals can disrupt animal endocrine systems, alter reproduction patterns, and cause
cancer. Organic pollutants and plastic-derived endocrine disruptors have been discovered in low concentrations all over
the world, even in areas where they’ve never been used, such as Antarctica and at the bottom of the oceans. While the
effects of low doses of these chemicals are less understood, they are widespread stresses that ultimately change
ecosystems. The damage to marine ecosystems is estimated to be around $13 billion a year.

3 reasons why you should protect wildlife

There are a lot of wonders in the world and among them are wildlife species, such as bears, mountain goats, wolves, elk,
and deer. Most people think that there is an abundance of wildlife species in the world, but the truth is, their numbers
are dwindling and if nothing is done about it, these species might become endangered and extinct. Animals become
endangered all the time and people are not aware of it. Thankfully, more and more preservation programs have been
established to ensure that these animals are protected, bred, and well-taken care of. These preservation programs
motivate and raise public awareness of the proper management of natural resources.

What Is Wildlife Conservation?

Wildlife conservation is the attempt to protect endangered animal and plant species, along with their natural habitat. The
main objective of this practice is to make sure that their habitats will be preserved so that the future generations of both
wildlife and human can enjoy it. Additionally, wildlife conservation aims to raise awareness regarding the importance
of wildlife and wilderness.

Today, there are now government bureaus and organizations that help promote different wildlife conservation areas.
The government also aims to implement certain policies that are specifically created to protect the animals.

It is essential to take actions to protect wildlife from extinction. By doing so, we ensure not only their survival, but also
the diversity of the ecosystem. As a result, it will help improve the ecological health of the earth. Listed below are some
of the reasons why wildlife protection is essential.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is essential for a healthy and functional ecosystem. If wildlife is extracted from its natural habitat, the
delicate balance of the ecosystem will be disturbed which will then lead to disastrous results. For instance, there is a
wide diversity of species living in a tropical rain forest. If any species should become extinct, the food chain will be
disrupted affecting all the species. For this reason, promoting biodiversity is one of the main reasons why we should
protect wildlife.
Beneficial For Humans

One can learn a lot from animals which can benefit the human race. For instance, a lot of medicines have been derived
from the chemicals produced by animals. These medicines are then used to help cure various health conditions, such as
heart diseases, disorders, and other illnesses. In fact, based on the statistics provided by the U.S Fish and Wildlife
Service, more than 25% of the medicinal prescriptions given every year contain chemicals from animals. For instance,
there are scientists who are studying venom from the pit viper to cure the symptoms of Melanoma, and the venom from
a tarantula can help fight neurological disorders.

Wildlife protection is essential because if the animal is gone, it will be impossible to study and learn from them.
Unfortunately, a lot of wildlife has disappeared from earth due to human activities, such as the Bali tiger, Mexican
grizzly bear, and the Japanese wolf.

Conservation of Natural Habitat

When we conserve and protect the natural habitat of wildlife species, we enrich our planet. To do so, we must keep the
animals in their natural place. Conservation of natural habitats will also be beneficial for humans since it helps keep the
essential watersheds intact and ensuring clean, fresh water.

Today, there are now wildlife preservation programs wherein they allow the animals to roam freely in their natural
habitat. Some of these programs also allow the animals to interact with humans. This is beneficial since it educates the
people and raises awareness of the importance of protecting these wildlife species.

These are just some of the reasons why everyone should work together to protect the different species of wildlife.
Thankfully, there are now national parks that provide the best natural habitats for various species.

5 Alternatives to fossil fuels

Every day, we produce tons of carbon and add it into the atmosphere as we move on with our daily lives. We’ve been
using – rather abusing – fossil fuels as a source of energy since the industrial revolution, and have done considerable
damage to the globe. Our carbon footprints will remain in the atmosphere for at least another hundred years.

There are several problems associated with using fossil fuels as a source of energy. It took millions of years for plant
and animal matter to decay, compress and turn into fossil fuels beneath the surface of the earth. It cannot be regenerated
at the same rate at which we use them. Sooner or later, we are bound to run out of it.

The consequences of using fossil fuels as a source of energy have been devastating. Scientists have linked greenhouse
gas emission to global warming, and climate change, which lead to more serious repercussions
(consequences/ramifications) such as depletion of natural resources, melting of polar ice caps, rising of sea levels,
changes in vegetation habitat and extinction of wild animals around the world.

With the advancement of science and technology, we have come to realize that we don’t need to burn fossil fuels any
more to power our houses, automobiles and factories. We have sources that are sustainable and renewable. Here are five
alternative energy sources that are infinite and green.

1) Solar Power

Solar panels of today are cheaper, more energy efficient and easy to install, than ever before. Over the next decade, solar
panels are expected to improve even more. Currently, solar cells are using common salt instead of silicon, which is
making them inexpensive and flexible. Current photoelectric cells are very promising and have a lot of room for
improvement.

2) Wind

Wind power is another sector which is making steady progress. It’s a clean and renewable source of energy that is
available throughout the world. The only problem with wind was that historically we had to set up huge towers in order
to mount our turbines. However, with the latest innovations, it’s no longer needed. There are wind turbines being
developed that can be mounted up without any towers. There are also devices being developed that can stay low and
catch low winds, or mounted on a balloon.

3) Power from tides

Ocean currents and tides are also a common phenomenon around the world, which can be used to generate renewable
energy. Generating power from tides or ocean currents use a similar technology as the wind turbines do. There are
floating devices and submerged turbines that rotate and move up and down with ocean current. This kinetic energy is
then converted to electrical energy with the help of dynamos. Tides are constant and do not have limitations similar to
wind or the sun. The only problem is you need to be close to a coastal area in order to harness energy from the ocean.

4) Geothermal energy

There is heat beneath the surface of the earth and can reach up to 4000 °C near the core-mantle . This energy naturally
comes out via hot water springs or we can drill near the edges of tectonic plates where thermal resources are nearer to
the surface of the earth. This energy can easily be used to heat homes, heat water and even turn water to steam, which
would then be used to generate electricity. Geothermal energy is already being used in many parts of the world to power
simple to complex power stations.

5) Human power

Tiny electronic devices such as your mobile phone, tablet PCs or watches are being developed and designed today to
draw energy from human movement. These tiny electronics can draw energy from human movements or body heat and
generate their own energy to run.

Using fossil fuels may seem cheap right now because it doesn’t require us to develop new technology or do more
research. However, it could become an expensive commodity for us in the long run. Today, you might be able to buy
cheap gas at the gas station, but think of the external costs of fossil fuels: costs associated with irreversible damage to
the atmosphere, devastating climatic events and its effects on health.

Deforestation and Its Extreme Effect on Global Warming

By most accounts, deforestation in tropical rainforests adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than the sum total of
cars and trucks on the world’s roads. According to the World Carfree Network (WCN), cars and trucks account for
about 14 percent of global carbon emissions, while most analysts attribute upwards of 15 percent to deforestation.

The reason that logging is so bad for the climate is that when trees are felled they release the carbon they are storing into
the atmosphere, where it mingles with greenhouse gases from other sources and contributes to global warming
accordingly. The upshot is that we should be doing as much to prevent deforestation as we are to increase fuel
efficiency and reduce automobile usage.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading green group, 32 million acres of tropical rainforest
were cut down each year between 2000 and 2009—and the pace of deforestation is only increasing. “Unless we change
the present system that rewards forest destruction, forest clearing will put another 200 billion tons of carbon into the
atmosphere in coming decades…,” says EDF.

“Any realistic plan to reduce global warming pollution sufficiently—and in time—to avoid dangerous consequences
must rely in part on preserving tropical forests,” reports EDF. But it’s hard to convince the poor residents of the
Amazon basin and other tropical regions of the world to stop cutting down trees when the forests are still worth more
dead than alive. “Conservation costs money, while profits from timber, charcoal, pasture and cropland drive people to
cut down forests,” adds EDF. Exacerbating global warming isn’t the only negative impact of tropical deforestation. It
also wipes out biodiversity: More than half of the world’s plant and animal species live in tropical rainforests.

One way some tropical countries are reducing deforestation is through participation in the United Nations’ Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) program. REDD essentially works to establish
incentives for the people who care for the forest to manage it sustainably while still being able to benefit economically.
Examples include using less land (and therefore cutting fewer trees) for activities such as coffee growing and meat and
milk production. Participating nations can then accrue and sell carbon pollution credits when they can prove they have
lowered deforestation below a baseline. The REDD program has channeled over $117 million in direct financial aid and
educational support into national deforestation reduction efforts in 44 developing countries across Africa, Asia and
Latin America since its 2008 inception.

Brazil is among the countries embracing REDD among other efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Thanks to the program,
Brazil has slowed deforestation within its borders by 40 percent since 2008 and is on track to achieve an 80 percent
reduction by 2020. Environmentalists are optimistic that the initial success of REDD in Brazil bodes well for reducing
deforestation in other parts of the tropics as well.

What is Urban Sprawl?

Urban sprawl is basically another word for urbanization. It refers to the migration of a population from populated towns
and cities to low density residential development over more and more rural land. The end result is the spreading of a
city and its suburbs over more and more rural land. In other words, urban sprawl is defined as low density residential
and commercial development on undeveloped land. Most of the time, people will move from these areas to try to find
better areas to live. This has been the way of the world since the beginning.

Migration and urban sprawl isn’t something that is just now becoming popular, as it has been around for quite some
time. Cities and their suburbs are now becoming overcrowded because of this, but now it is time to look at the causes
and the effects of the urban sprawl, so that you can gain a better understanding of it.

Causes of Urban Sprawl

Urban sprawl can be caused by a variety of different things. These causes will mainly include:

Lower Land Rates: Lower cost land and houses in the outer suburbs of the cities, because the centers of urban
development have really made people want to stop settling in these areas and want to venture further out.

Improved Infrastructure: There is increased spending on certain types of infrastructures, including roads and
electricity. This is something that hasn’t always been available, and there are still some areas that don’t have these
luxuries. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t working on it.

Rise in Standard of Living: There are also increases in standards of living and average family incomes, which means
that people have the ability to pay more to travel and commute longer distances to work and back home.

Lack of Urban Planning: People love to find areas that are less trafficked and more calm, which leads them to sprawl
out to other sections of the town. Unprecedented development, cutting of trees, loss of green cover, long traffic jams,
poor infrastructure force people to move out to new areas.

Lower House Tax Rates: Cities will usually have high property taxes, and you can usually avoid these taxes by living
in the outer suburbs because the taxes are usually lower than they would be in other situations.

Rise in Population Growth: Another factor that contributes towards urban sprawl is rise in population growth. As the
number of people in a city grows beyond capacity, the local communities continues to spread farther and farther from
city centers.

Consumer Preferences: People in high income groups have stronger preferences towards larger homes, more
bedrooms, bigger balconies and bigger lawns. This also causes urban sprawl as this option is not available in crowded
cities. People generally look out for low-density residential areas where they can get home according to their preference.

Effects of Urban Sprawl

Now, we will take a look at the effects of urban sprawl, now that we have taken a closer look at the causes of it. Some
of the effects include:
Increase in Public Expenditure: They can actually play a part in the increases of public costs, because these changes
in infrastructures and building must actually be paid for by someone- and it is usually the tax payers money that pays for
it.

Increased Traffic: Populations will begin to use their cars more often, which means that there is more traffic on the
roads, and there is also more air pollution and more auto accidents that you have to worry with.

Health Issues: When people use their vehicles, even to go to a very short distance, people are going to be more
overweight and are also going to have to deal with ailments such as high blood pressure and other diseases that come
about with obesity.

Environmental Issues: Sprawls can also cause certain environmental issues that you may want to be aware of. In fact,
when you think about going out to develop these lands you will have to worry about the wildlife that lives in these
lands. You will be displacing them, and it can really cause a ripple in the environment.

Impact on Social Lives: When people move further out, they also have an impact on their social lives. They don’t have
neighbors that live as close, which means that they won’t really stay as social as they should. This isn’t always the case,
but it is something that should be taken note of.

As you can see, urban sprawl is something that will continue to occur as long as we live here on earth. It isn’t
something that is going to change, but over time the more rural areas are going to become more populated because of
development and change. This can be considered a good thing at times, but others view it as a bad thing. You also have
to consider the fact that it will actually play a part in having to cut down more trees and tear up the environment, and in
this aspect it is not a good thing.
On a positive note, it may lead to less overcrowding- but it won’t happen overnight. Its clear that urban sprawl is
something that people will consider to be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on their own beliefs systems. You
may find it to be something that is ideal, while others may want to steer clear of it. It is the inevitable, that’s for sure,
but that doesn’t mean that it has to be rushed into, and it should happen naturally.

Causes of Climate Change

The greenhouse effect: natural and enhanced

The ‘natural’ greenhouse effect makes life as we know it possible on Earth. Without this effect, the average temperature
would be about – 18°C (well below the freezing point of water), rather than its current 14°C.

Earth’s surface temperature is determined by the radiative balance, the net difference between the energy gained from
incoming sunlight and the amount lost into space as infrared radiation. The Earth’s atmosphere acts like a transparent
blanket, letting in light but trapping some of the heat it generates. Without an atmosphere, all of this energy would be
lost to space.

This natural effect relies on ‘greenhouse’ gases in our atmosphere allowing sunlight to pass through, and trapping some
of the resulting heat energy that radiates back up from the Earth’s surface.

The human-induced build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is known as the 'enhanced' greenhouse effect or
'anthropogenic climate change'.

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution in about 1750, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, including
coal and oil, have dramatically increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. As a result, the rate
of heat-loss from the Earth has slowed, creating a warming effect. More than 85 per cent of the additional heat in our
atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans.

The enhanced greenhouse effect is expected to change many of the basic weather patterns that make up our climate,
including wind and rainfall patterns and the incidence and intensity of storms.

Every aspect of our lives is in some way influenced by the climate. For example, we depend on water supplies that exist
only under certain climatic conditions, and our agriculture requires particular ranges of temperature and rainfall.
Greenhouse gases

The most important greenhouse gases are water vapour and carbon dioxide (CO2). Both are present at very small
concentrations in the atmosphere. Water vapour varies considerably in space and time because it has a short ‘lifetime’ in
the atmosphere.

The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are nitrogen (comprising 78 per cent of the dry atmosphere) and oxygen
(21 per cent), but they have almost no greenhouse effects.

Increases in greenhouse gases due to human activities

Carbon dioxide is being added to the atmosphere faster than it can be removed by other parts of the carbon cycle.

Since the Industrial Revolution there has been a large increase in human activities such as fossil fuel burning, land
clearing and agriculture, which affect the release and uptake of carbon dioxide.

According to the most recent Emissions Overview, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are produced in NSW by
the following activities or sources:

• stationary energy sources, such as coal-fired power stations (47 per cent)
• transport (18 per cent)
• coal mines (12 per cent)
• agriculture (11 per cent)
• land use (7 per cent)
• land change (3 per cent)
• waste (2 per cent).

Consequences of Climate Change

Eight degrees Fahrenheit - It may not sound like much—perhaps the difference between wearing a sweater and not
wearing one on an early-spring day. But for the world in which we live, which climate experts project will be at least
eight degrees warmer by 2100 should global emissions continue on their current path, this small rise will have grave
consequences, ones that are already becoming apparent, for every ecosystem and living thing—including us.

According to the National Climate Assessment, human influences are the number one cause of global warming,
especially the carbon pollution we cause by burning fossil fuels and the pollution-capturing we prevent by destroying
forests. The carbon dioxide, methane, soot, and other pollutants we release into the atmosphere act like a blanket,
trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to warm. Evidence shows that 2000 to 2009 was hotter than any other
decade in at least the past 1,300 years. This warming is altering the earth's climate system, including its land,
atmosphere, oceans, and ice, in far-reaching ways.

More frequent and severe weather

Higher temperatures are worsening many types of disasters, including storms, heat waves, floods, and droughts. A
warmer climate creates an atmosphere that can collect, retain, and drop more water, changing weather patterns in such a
way that wet areas become wetter and dry areas drier. "Extreme weather events are costing more and more," says Aliya
Haq, deputy director of NRDC's Clean Power Plan initiative. "The number of billion-dollar weather disasters is
expected to rise."

The increasing number of droughts, intense storms, and floods we're seeing as our warming atmosphere holds—and
then dumps—more moisture poses risks to public health and safety, too. Prolonged dry spells mean more than just
scorched lawns. Drought conditions jeopardize access to clean drinking water, fuel out-of-control wildfires, and result in
dust storms, extreme heat events, and flash flooding in the States. Elsewhere around the world, lack of water is a leading
cause of death and serious disease. At the opposite end of the spectrum, heavier rains cause streams, rivers, and lakes to
overflow, which damages life and property, contaminates drinking water, creates hazardous-material spills, and
promotes mold infestation and unhealthy air. A warmer, wetter world is also a boon for food-borne and waterborne
illnesses and disease-carrying insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.

Higher death rates

Today's scientists point to climate change as "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century." It's a threat that
impacts all of us—especially children, the elderly, low-income communities, and minorities—and in a variety of direct
and indirect ways. As temperatures spike, so does the incidence of illness, emergency room visits, and death.

"There are more hot days in places where people aren't used to it," Haq says. "They don't have air-conditioning or can't
afford it. One or two days isn't a big deal. But four days straight where temperatures don't go down, even at night, leads
to severe health consequences." In the United States, hundreds of heat-related deaths occur each year due to direct
impacts and the indirect effects of heat-exacerbated, life-threatening illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and
cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Indeed, extreme heat kills more Americans each year, on average, than hurricanes,
tornadoes, floods, and lightning combined.

Dirtier air

Rising temperatures also worsen air pollution by increasing ground level ozone, which is created when pollution from
cars, factories, and other sources react to sunlight and heat. Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog, and the
hotter things get, the more of it we have. Dirtier air is linked to higher hospital admission rates and higher death rates
for asthmatics. It worsens the health of people suffering from cardiac or pulmonary disease. And warmer temperatures
also significantly increase airborne pollen, which is bad news for those who suffer from hay fever and other allergies.

Higher wildlife extinction rates

As humans, we face a host of challenges, but we're certainly not the only ones catching heat. As land and sea undergo
rapid changes, the animals that inhabit them are doomed to disappear if they don't adapt quickly enough. Some will
make it, and some won't. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2014 assessment, many land,
freshwater, and ocean species are shifting their geographic ranges to cooler climes or higher altitudes, in an attempt to
escape warming. They're changing seasonal behaviors and traditional migration patterns, too. And yet many still face
"increased extinction risk due to climate change." Indeed, a 2015 study showed that vertebrate species—animals with
backbones, like fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles—are disappearing 114 times faster than they should be,
a phenomenon that has been linked to climate change, pollution, and deforestation.

More acidic oceans

The earth's marine ecosystems are under pressure as a result of climate change. Oceans are becoming more acidic, due
in large part to their absorption of some of our excess emissions. As this acidification accelerates, it poses a serious
threat to underwater life, particularly creatures with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, including mollusks, crabs,
and corals. This can have a huge impact on shellfisheries. Indeed, as of 2015, acidification is believed to have cost the
Pacific Northwest oyster industry nearly $110 million. Coastal communities in 15 states that depend on the $1 billion
nationwide annual harvest of oysters, clams, and other shelled mollusks face similar long-term economic risks.

Higher sea levels

The polar regions are particularly vulnerable to a warming atmosphere. Average temperatures in the Arctic are rising
twice as fast as they are elsewhere on earth, and the world's ice sheets are melting fast. This not only has grave
consequences for the region's people, wildlife, and plants; its most serious impact may be on rising sea levels. By 2100,
it's estimated our oceans will be one to four feet higher, threatening coastal systems and low-lying areas, including
entire island nations and the world's largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Miami as well as Mumbai,
Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro.

There's no question: Climate change promises a frightening future, and it's too late to turn back the clock. We've already
taken care of that by pumping a century's worth of pollution into the air nearly unchecked. "Even if we stopped all
carbon dioxide emissions tomorrow, we'd still see some effects," Haq says. That, of course, is the bad news. But there's
also good news. By aggressively reducing our global emissions now, "we can avoid a lot of the severe consequences
that climate change would otherwise bring," says Haq.
How can we Prevent Climate Change?
There are many ways to prevent climate change at the governmental, community, and individual level.  For example,
governments can establish policies and regulations to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.  Businesses can install
renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases they produce.  Families can
bike or walk to work or school.
For all mitigation strategies, there is a common theme of lowering greenhouse gas emissions.  Additionally, many
emission reduction efforts will also improve health.  Several broad strategies to prevent climate change are discussed
below.
Improving energy efficiency
Improving energy efficiency in our homes and office buildings can successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with
the additional benefit of reducing the risk of heat-related illness.  Buildings that are older, poorly insulated, or made of
materials that retain heat require more energy to regulate temperature.  Improving a building's insulation and utilizing
innovative building techniques, such as putting gardens or vegetation on the roofs of buildings, can lower a building's
capacity to retain heat.  This in turn decreases energy use, leading to deceased greenhouse gas emissions. 
In the event of a heat wave, these "cool" buildings also provide a place for people to cool off, reducing their risk of heat-
related illness. Additionally, cool buildings can decrease the heat island effect, which will reduce people's susceptibility
to heat-related illness.1
Integrating transportation and land use policies
Better integration of transportation and land use policies can reduce greenhouse gases and improve our health at the
same time.  In places with greater distances between homes, workplaces, and everyday destinations, commuters drive
more and produce more automobile emissions.  By developing communities where our everyday destinations - schools,
places of work, daycare centers, post offices - are closer together and linked by accessible transit services, the number of
cars on the road can be reduced.  Less driving means reduced car exhaust, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and
improved air quality. 
In addition, the development of neighborhoods with accessible destinations close by can lead to increased physical
activity within a community, with more people choosing to walk to work or to run an errand.  This can reduce motor
vehicle collisions, improve air quality, and increase physical fitness.
Air pollution
Pollutants in the air aren't always visible and come from many different sources.

Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air pollution. But there are different kinds of
pollution—some visible, some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any substance that people
introduce into the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air
pollution.

THE LEADING POLLUTANT

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the main pollutant that is warming Earth. Though living things emit carbon dioxide
when they breathe, carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power
plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas. In the past
150 years, such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they
have been for hundreds of thousands of years.

OTHER GREENHOUSE GASSES

Other greenhouse gases include methane—which comes from such sources as swamps and gas emitted by livestock—
and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants until they were banned
because of their deteriorating effect on Earth's ozone layer.

Another pollutant associated with climate change is sulfur dioxide, a component of smog. Sulfur dioxide and closely
related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain. But they also reflect light when released in the
atmosphere, which keeps sunlight out and causes Earth to cool. Volcanic eruptions can spew massive amounts of sulfur
dioxide into the atmosphere, sometimes causing cooling that lasts for years. In fact, volcanoes used to be the main
source of atmospheric sulfur dioxide; today people are.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Industrialized countries have worked to reduce levels of sulfur dioxide, smog, and smoke in order to improve people's
health. But a result, not predicted until recently, is that the lower sulfur dioxide levels may actually make global
warming worse. Just as sulfur dioxide from volcanoes can cool the planet by blocking sunlight, cutting the amount of
the compound in the atmosphere lets more sunlight through, warming the Earth. This effect is exaggerated when
elevated levels of other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap the additional heat.

Most people agree that to curb global warming, a variety of measures need to be taken. On a personal level, driving and
flying less, recycling, and conservation reduces a person’s "carbon footprint"—the amount of carbon dioxide a person is
responsible for putting into the atmosphere.

On a larger scale, governments are taking measures to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
The Paris Agreement, a voluntary agreement among 118 nations ratified on November 4, 2016, is one effort being
enacted on a global scale to combat climate change. As a part of the agreement, each country agreed to take measures to
combat climate change, with the ultimate goal of keeping the post-industrial global temperature rise below two degrees
Celcius. Another method is to put taxes on carbon emissions or higher taxes on gasoline, so that individuals and
companies will have greater incentives to conserve energy and pollute less.

Why Do Animals Become Endangered?

Humans are largely responsible when animals become extinct, endangered or threatened. Here are some reasons why
animals become endangered:

Destruction of Habitat
Humans destroy precious habitat--the natural environment of a living thing--when they fill swamps and marshes, dam
rivers and cut down trees to build homes, roads and other developments.

Pollution
Oil spills, acid rain and water pollution have been devastating for many species of fish and birds.

Hunting and Fishing

Many animals are over-hunted because their meat, fur and other parts are very valuable.

Exotic Species
When animals or plants arrive into a new habitat from a foreign place they sometimes introduce diseases that the native
species can't fight. These "exotic" species can also prey on the native species.

7 Things You Can Do To Save Endangered Species

Today, there are a number of plant and animal species that have been pushed onto the endangered species list.
Biodiversity is under enormous threat, and the extinction of many species is happening at an alarming rate. The problem
seems insurmountable and many people feel overwhelmed. You may feel that there is nothing you can do to help the
situation, and so you do nothing.

There are a number of ways that every person can help to save endangered species. If everyone plays his or her part, the
impact will be felt. Small actions practiced every day by everybody add up. Empower and educate yourself to become
part of the solution.

The following seven things can be implemented immediately:

1) Learn about the natural environment and endangered species

The first action one can take is to learn about the natural environment. By learning about the wonder of nature and its
delicate ecosystems, you can begin to understand the value of the system and develop a personal interest in protecting it.

Many people feel removed from nature. Most have become urban or city dwellers, with little connection to the natural
environment. Teach your children about nature. If you live in a city, spend time in open spaces. Look for volunteer
opportunities with organisations that are committed to defending endangered species.

2) Make your home wildlife friendly

There are many ways you can make your home wildlife friendly; ways that will encourage wildlife in the area, and not
pose a threat to the animals. Make sure that your bins can be locked or are secured out of reach of wildlife. If your bin is
easily accessible you will create a situation where wildlife, domestic pets and people come into conflict.

Feed your pets indoors, and lock them in the house at night. This will keep both your pets and wildlife safe. Many a
domestic cat has been lost to a caracal at night, or a dog has lost an eye due to a confrontation with a porcupine.
Place decals on your windows so that birds are aware there is glass. This will prevent many accidents and deaths.

3) Plant an indigenous garden

There are many advantages to an indigenous garden. Firstly indigenous plants use less water than exotic plants. This is
good for the surrounding plant and wildlife. Indigenous plants attract local birds and insects to your garden. Remove
invasive species from your garden and surroundings. Invasive species threaten local species and can lead to their
extinction.

4) Recycle and only buy from sustainable sources

Recycling has the potential to reduce the production and consumption of natural resources. If everyone conscientiously
recycles and only uses sustainable sources, this would greatly reduce the pressure on eco-systems. You may think that
your small contribution to recycling makes little difference. It can and it will but it requires that everyone play their part.

5) Slow down when driving

When taking a road trip, take note of how many dead animals you come across, victims of speeding cars. Often these
animals are protected species or are endangered: tortoises, frogs, honey badgers, and riverine rabbits. More careful
driving can reduce these numbers. Again, if every person took more responsibility to drive slower and keep a careful
watch for wildlife, it would make a difference.

6) Never purchase goods made from endangered species

Before buying souvenirs educate yourself on what you are buying. You could be buying products made from animals
that are protected or endangered. This includes artifacts made from things like ivory, tortoiseshell and coral. Products
you buy may be made from the fur of endangered animals such as tigers or otters. Medicinal products can contain
animal parts such as rhino horn.
It is also not uncommon to be offered animals for sale, such as monkeys, tortoises, snakes or lizards. A number of plants
are also endangered or protected, such as cycads. Wildflowers are not to be picked. A good rule of thumb to use when it
comes to nature is to only leave footprints, and only take pictures.

7) Protect Wildlife Habitats

Support wildlife habitats in your area. Pay attention to proposals for development in your neighbourhood. Be a
responsible and active citizen and lend your support to organisations that are protecting open spaces and natural
habitats. Once these areas are gone, they cannot be retrieved. The cumulative consequences for the world could also be
disastrous.

There are things that every individual can do to make a difference to endangered species. Lead by example in your
community. The actions of a few individuals have the potential to start a snowball effect. Never believe that what you
do does not matter.

Nuclear energy: pros and cons

Before we get further into the pros and cons list, what exactly is nuclear energy? The basic gist is this: By separating an
atom into two lighter atoms, there is a net loss of mass. This mass is not exactly lost, but rather transformed into
massive amounts of energy. This is what is referred to as nuclear fission. By controlling these reactions we can harness
the energy.

Advantages of Nuclear Energy

1. Relatively Low Costs

The initial construction costs of nuclear power plants are large. On top of this, when the power plants first have been
built, we are left with the costs to enrich and process the nuclear fuel (e.g. uranium), control and get rid of nuclear
waste, as well as the maintenance of the plant. The reason this is under advantages is that nuclear energy is cost-
competitive. Generating electricity in nuclear reactors is cheaper than electricity generating from oil, gas and coal, not to
speak of the renewable energy sources!

2. Base Load Energy

Nuclear power plants provide a stable base load of energy. This can work synergistic with renewable energy sources
such as wind and solar. The electricity production from the plants can be lowered when good wind and solar resources
are available and cranked up when the demand is high.

3. Low Pollution

It is in most cases more beneficial, in terms of the climate crisis, to replace other energy harnessing methods we use
today with nuclear power. The environmental effects of nuclear power are relatively light compared to those. However,
nuclear waste is potentially harmful for both humans and the environment.

4. Thorium

Reports show that with the yearly fuel consumption of today’s nuclear power plants, we have enough uranium for 80
years. It is possible to fuel nuclear power plants with other fuel types than uranium. Thorium, which also is a greener
alternative, has lately been given an increased amount of attention. China, Russia and India have already plans to start
using thorium to fuel their reactors in the near future.

It looks like nuclear fuel is of good availability if we combine the reserves of the different types together. In other
words, hopefully enough time for us to find cost-competitive greener ways of harnessing energy.

5. Sustainable?

Is nuclear energy renewable or non-renewable? This is a good question. By definition, nuclear energy is not a renewable
energy source. As I mentioned above, there is a limited amount of fuel for nuclear power available. On the other hand,
you could argue that nuclear energy is potentially sustainable by the use of breeder reactors and fusion reactors. Nuclear
fusion is the holy grail of harnessing energy. If we can learn to control atomic fusion, the same reactions as those that
fuel the sun, we have practically unlimited energy. At the moment, these two methods both have serious challenges that
need to be dealt with if we are to start using them on a larger scale.

6. High Energy Density

It is estimated the amount of energy released in a nuclear fission reaction is ten million times greater than the amount
released in burning a fossil fuel atom (e.g. oil and gas). Therefore, the amount of fuel required in a nuclear power plant
is much smaller compared to those of other types of power plants.

Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

While the advantages of using nuclear energy seem to be many, there are also plenty of negative effects of nuclear
energy. The following are the most important ones:

1. Accidents Happen

The radioactive waste can pose a threat to the environment and is dangerous for humans. We all remember the
Chernobyl accident, where the harmful effects of nuclear radiation on humans can even be witnessed today. Estimates
conclude that somewhere between 15 000 and 30 000 people lost their lives in the Chernobyl aftermath and more than
2.5 million Ukrainians are still struggling with health problems related to nuclear waste.

Just last year, on March 18, a major nuclear crisis happened again in Japan. While the casualties were not as high as
with the Chernobyl accident, the environmental effects were disastrous.

History shows that we can never really protect us 100% against these disasters. Accidents do happen.

2. Radioactive Waste

Does nuclear power cause air pollution? The nuclear power plants emit negligible amounts, if any, carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere. However, the processes in the nuclear fuel chain such as mining, enrichment and waste management
does.

Air pollution by air travel

The environmental impact of aviation occurs because aircraft engines emit heat, noise, particulates, and gases which
contribute to climate change and global dimming. Airplanes emit particles and gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2),
water vapor, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, lead, and black carbon which interact
among themselves and with the atmosphere.
Despite emission reductions from automobiles and more fuel-efficient and less polluting turbofan and turboprop
engines, the rapid growth of air travel in recent years contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation.
From 1992 to 2005, passenger kilometers increased 5.2% per year. And in the European Union, greenhouse gas
emissions from aviation increased by 87% between 1990 and 2006.

Comprehensive research shows that despite anticipated efficiency innovations to airframes, engines, aerodynamics and
flight operations, there is no end in sight, even many decades out, to rapid growth in CO2 emissions from air travel and
air freight, due to projected continual growth in air travel. This is because international aviation emissions have escaped
international regulation up to the ICAO triennial conference in October 2016 agreed on the CORSIA offset scheme,
[citation needed] and because of the lack of taxes on aviation fuel worldwide, lower fares become more frequent than
otherwise, which gives a competitive advantage over other transportation modes. Unless market constraints are put in
place, this growth in aviation's emissions will result in the sector's emissions amounting to all or nearly all of the annual
global CO2 emissions budget by mid-century, if climate change is to be held to a temperature increase of 2 °C or less.
[10]

There is an ongoing debate about possible taxation of air travel and the inclusion of aviation in an emissions trading
scheme, with a view to ensuring that the total external costs of aviation are taken into account.

GM foods: pros and cons

With all of the controversy around genetically modified (GM) foods, sorting through huge volumes of information can
seem like a daunting task. Many members of the public are asking questions about GM foods and they are also raising
concerns about the effects these foods may have on their health or the environment. There are different advantages and
disadvantages of GM foods, although to what extent they can help or harm humans and the environment is a debatable
aspect of this technology.

Benefits Of GM Foods
A proposed benefit of GM foods is that they can potentially produce higher crop yields, which could help by feeding
more people in developing countries. They are also cited as more economical, despite the initial higher cost of the seeds.
The rationale is that they reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides as well as reducing the manpower needed to
successfully grow the crops, which should translate into improved financial gains.

Improved food quality is another benefit associated with GM foods. A tomato, for instance, can be engineered to stay
fresher for longer, thereby extending its shelf life in the supermarket.

Yet another benefit that is believed to occur from GM technology is that crops can be engineered to withstand weather
fluctuations and extremes. This means that they can provide sufficient yields and quality despite a severe, poor weather
season.

Another benefit is that GM foods can be engineered to have a high content of a specific nutrient that is lacking in the
diet of a local population group. The vitamin A rich 'golden rice' is one example of a GM food that has been engineered
to have high levels of a nutrient.

Issues with GM foods

A worrisome issue in GM foods is the ability of a food to trigger an allergy in humans. Some of the genes used in GM
technology might be taken from a food that causes allergies in some people. Inserting that gene into another organism
could cause the host organism to express that allergen as a trait. Alternately, a new allergen could be produced when
genes are mixed across different species.

Another potential downside to GM technology is that other organisms in the ecosystem could be harmed, which would
lead to a lower level of biodiversity. By removing one pest that harms the crop, you could be removing a food source
for an animal. Also, GM crops could prove toxic to an organism in the environment, leading to reduced numbers or
extinction of that organism.
Given that some GM foods are modified using bacteria and viruses, there is a fear that we will see the emergence of
new diseases. The threat to human health is a worrisome aspect of GM technology and one that has received a great deal
of debate.

Using The Fact Sheet To Make An Informed Choice

There are many other potential benefits and risks to GM foods, which you will likely learn about as you investigate the
topic further and decide whether or not you want to support or avoid GM foods and related technology.

Reading a brief fact sheet is a good way to familiarise yourself with the purported benefits and issues related to GM
foods. In this way, you can equip yourself with an overview of the knowledge needed to make an informed decision
about GM foods and how they will affect your life.

How TV affects children

Seeing Violence

The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. Many violent acts are caused by
the "good guys," whom kids are taught to admire. In fact, in video games the hero often succeeds by fighting with or
killing the enemy.

This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong. Young kids are
particularly frightened by scary and violent images. Simply telling kids that those images aren't real won't make them
feel better, because they can't yet tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Behavior problems, nightmares, and
difficulty sleeping may follow exposure to such violence.

Older kids can be frightened by violent images too. Reasoning with kids this age will help them, so it's important to
provide reassuring and honest information to help ease fears. But it's even better to not let your kids view programs or
play games that they find frightening.

Watching Risky Behaviors

TV and video games are full of content that depicts risky behaviors (such as drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking
cigarettes, and having sex at a young age) as cool, fun, and exciting.

Studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or
participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don't watch sexually explicit shows.

While cigarette and e-cigarette ads are banned on television, kids can still see plenty of people smoking in TV shows.
This makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable and might lead to substance abuse problems.

The Obesity Link

Health experts have long linked too much screen time to obesity — a significant health problem today. When they're
staring at screens, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They're also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat
unhealthy foods like potato chips and drink empty-calorie soft drinks that often become favorite snack foods.

Studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index
(BMI). Replacing video game time with outdoor game time is another good way to help kids maintain a healthy weight.

Understanding Commercials

Most kids under the age of 8 don't understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and younger
can't tell the difference between a TV show and an ad, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product.
Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.
Of course, it's nearly impossible to remove all exposure to marketing messages. You can turn off the TV or at least limit
kids' watching time, but they'll still see and hear plenty of ads for the latest must-haves.

When your kids ask for the products advertised, explain that commercials and other ads are designed to make people
want things they don't necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us
happier somehow.

Try to limit kids' exposure to TV commercials by:

having them watch public television stations (some of their programs are sponsored — or "brought to you" — by
various companies, although the products they sell are rarely shown)

recording programs without the commercials

muting the TV during commercial time to ask your child questions about the program

streaming their favorite programs, or buying or renting DVDs

By setting healthy limits on screen time and knowing what your child is watching and playing, you can help make the
most of your child's media use.

Too Much Academic Pressure on Kids

As a parent, there are few pleasures greater than your child succeeding at school. However, if you are putting too much
pressure on your children to do well academically, it can backfire severely and end up affecting them negatively in a
number of different ways.

Worry, Worry, Worry

By having a parent lay pressure on them to succeed, a child can feel less inspired and more threatened. They’ll be so
paralyzed by fear of not doing well, that they won’t actually learn and succeed like they otherwise would. Plus, if they
have feelings of anxiety, they are less likely to know what the culprit is. It is possible that they will pl ace further blame
for their bad feelings on themselves for not being smart enough, therefore causing more stress and anxiety. If your child
expresses any worrisome signs of stress pertaining to schoolwork, you need to speak with them about how they’re
feeling and help them to feel better through reassurance.

“I’m Not Good Enough”

If you are adamant about your child matching the expectations you have set for them in school, then they are likely to
have a difficult time coping, even if they miss the mark by just a little bit. They will believe that success is based on
perfection and if they can’t accomplish that, they might as well just give up. If your child feels inadequate due to not
achieving a certain grade, let them know that you’re there for them and that a grade doesn’t determine whether or not
they’re a good person.

Bad Behavior

Too much pressure to do well in school can cause kids to do unethical things. For instance, a child who has been told
that they must get all A’s on their report card could feel pressured to cheat on an exam or assignment in order to fulfill
that obligation. They might also turn to drugs and/or alcohol to deal with the stress. Keep a close eye on your child if
they are showing any signs of seeming especially stressed out by school and talk to them if you have any questions or
concerns.

Be There For Your Kids

If you want to help your children do well in school, you need to encourage, rather than pressure them. By offering
encouragement through means such as assisting with schoolwork and discussing different ideas and concepts, you can
help spark inspiration in your child. If you believe you might be putting too much pressure on your child to succeed
academically, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, just take a moment to speak to your children openly about how they don’t
need to stress themselves out about school. You want them to succeed, which is why you put pressure on them in the
first place. However, if you put too much pressure on them, then they won’t have the success you were looking for.

Role of parents and teachers in a child’s life

School, teachers and parents play vital role in holistic (full) development of the child. Parents are the first mentor of the
child and the teacher is the second. Both have an immense contribution and responsibility in shaping child’s personality.

Role of parents: Parents are the child’s first role model. Children behave, react and imitate same as their parents. Parents
play important role in encouraging and motivating their kids to learn. Good parental support helps child to be positive,
healthy and good life long learner. Children acquire skills at the very early stage of their life if the parents are
responsive and understanding.

Role of Teachers: Major challenges for teachers are to nurture children’s learning and give him various experiences to
face this challenging world. She molds the child to be a responsible and independent learner. Teacher is the first person
from whom child learns his social skills in school. Teachers make him comfortable and guide him the early concepts
and developmental skills of life. Open minded, well balanced and a planned teacher has a great power to bring a positive
change in the child’s development. As the child grows and develops mastery in different skills, teacher becomes a real
guide in nurturing his interest and learning to make him more independent.

Teacher-Parent Relationship– Trust and mutual understanding between parent and teacher is a real secret of child’s
happy learning. Support and Cooperativeness from parents towards teacher helps a lot to connect, understand and work
towards child. Remarkable positive change is seen in a child if the parents and teacher understand and work hand in
hand. A good parent teacher relationship leads child to be positive towards attending school.

Working parents are spending less time with their children

A recent survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) revealed that around 56% of educators believe
working parents are spending less time with their children today compared with 20 years ago. More than 90% of
respondents attribute this change to the rise in demands of work on family life, with a similar percentage stating their
belief that the distraction of technology is in part to blame.

Have we lost the work: life balance?

It sometimes feels like we never had it but, looking back, I can remember a time when life wasn’t all about work.
Maybe this is an age/career thing, but I’m not so sure. Living costs are always on the rise, but in the last two decades the
cost of living has rocketed beyond the reach of many ordinary single salaries. This has placed increasing pressure on
both parents to work just to pay the bills, taking both Mum and Dad away from the home for extended periods of time
each day.

Out of hours care and education

It is not uncommon for even young children to be placed in childcare facilities from 8am until 6pm outside of school
hours. This rise in the use of pre and post school care facilities is primarily the result of a need to accommodate parental
working hours. It is perhaps the increasing visibility of children in these environments that has driven the survey
respondents to express their views.

And yet the value of extra-curricular school care is not to be overlooked – it can provide opportunities for youngsters to
engage in sports and creative activities that may otherwise not fit in with the family’s busy schedule. In addition, some
39% of those participating in the survey noted that many children use this post-school-pre-home time to complete
homework and gain valuable study support. At the other end of the day 19% of respondents flagged the importance of
pre-school clubs in ensuring that children have the time and space to enjoy a proper breakfast.
The effects on our children

Working parents are spending less time with their children. Every child is different, but a number of ATL members
were moved to comment that young children in particular don’t always cope too well with such long days out of the
home. Some teachers described some primary kids as walking around like ghosts, and expressed concerns over
youngsters that simply fall asleep in lessons because they are so fatigued.

Even those children who seem unaffected by tiredness may be losing out on valuable family time. A balance of
interactions is healthy for children, and the value of time spent with parents, siblings and friends should not be
underestimated.

Several respondents went further and flagged the differences between the UK and some other European countries,
where children start school later and attended for fewer hours. Cynics may say this is just a teacher’s way of attempting
to reduce their own workload, but evidence does suggest that boys in particular are often not ready to start school at the
age or 4 or 5, due to underdeveloped fine motor skills at this age.

Where do we go from here?

The survey is interesting in the light of possible government proposals to extend the UK school day to 10 or 12 hours
for all pupils. Where is the time for a Work:Life balance in that model? And what does it teach our children about the
value of life outside work?

The harsh reality of life often means that parents simply have no choice but to place their children in childcare for
extended periods outside of school hours. For other parents this is an active choice. There are no absolutes here, and
what works for one family may not suit another.

For me, the important message from this survey is that we need to acknowledge and recognise the fact that work
demands are creating a societal shift towards less family time. If we don’t like it then only we as a society can change it.
Easy to say, not so easy to do when you feel trapped in a cycle of work-to-live. Taking a step back can help – it is often
possible to make a change to your life, to live on less (provided you are not already on the poverty line), and to reassess
your priorities.

We are so often bombarded with media images and messages about how our lives could/should be, and in the face of
that it’s easy to forget what we actually want. Life is often about compromise, and a simpler, less material life may be
the answer to achieving more quality family time. What do you think?

Pros and cons of nuclear family

The individual nuclear family is a universal social phenomenon. Duncan Mitchell in his ‘Dictionary of sociology has
defined nuclear family as ‘A small group composed of husband and wife and immature children which constitutes a unit
apart from the rest of the community.”

In simple words a nuclear family is one which consists of the husband, wife and their unmarried children. Soon after
marriage, the children leave their parental home and establish their separate household. Hence a nuclear family is an
autonomous unit free from the control of the elders. Since there is physical distance between parents and their married
children, there is minimum interdependence between them. Thus a nuclear family is mostly independent. Modern
family is a typical example of nuclear family.

Advantage of Nuclear Family:

(1) Development of Personality:

Nuclear family plays an important role in the development of personality of individuals. Children are closer to the
parents and can have more free and frank discussion about their problems with parents which helps for the better
development of their personality.

(2) Better Condition of Women:

In nuclear families the condition of woman is better than joint families. She gets enough time to look after her children.
She also gets time to plan and manage her house according to her own idea. There is no interference of elders. Her
husband can also devote more attention to the wife.

(3) Less number of children:

Family planning programme becomes successful in nuclear families. The members of nuclear family have to plan and
limit their family as they have to bear all the responsibilities and expenses themselves to rear (bring up/raise/nurture)
their children. The children also are benefited in the long run as they inherit directly property from their parents.

(4) Peace and Harmony:

Peace and harmony are very much essential for a pleasant family life. In nuclear families there is no misunderstanding
and they enjoy a harmonious atmosphere by living together.

(5) Individual Responsibilities:

In nuclear family there is no shifting of responsibility like in a joint family. The parents are bound to take responsibility
of their children by themselves. The head of family has to work hard to take care of his family.

(6) Problem Free Unit:

There is no chance of in-laws conflict. Financial problem does not arise in nuclear family. Money can be saved for
future achievement and to face uncertain crisis of family. All enjoy independent life and can be engaged in any
economic activities to supplement family income. The will and desires of children are considered and are given proper
weight. All members of nuclear family are emotionally secured. No superiority complex is felt by anybody. All are
given equal weightage.

Disadvantages:

(1) Economic disadvantage:

The property of the family is divided among the brothers and each live separately. The land being subdivided does not
yield much production resulting the land as an uneconomic holding. On the other hand one has to employ other labours
to achieve the desired goal due to limited size of family. In this way the economic loss is more in nuclear family by
paying remuneration to the labourers.

(2) Insecurity of Children:

In nuclear family both husband and wife adopt profession outside the family, then children are neglected and looked
after by the servants. They feel lonely and emotionally insecure. They develop more anxiety. If the bread winner dies or
becomes incapable to work, there is no one to support the family. Even in time of emergency like sickness, accident or
during pregnancy family members are very much neglected and there is no one to take care of them.

(3) Agency to Develop Bad Qualities of Inmates:

As it is an autonomous unit, it is free from the social control of elders. So the children develop all sorts of bad qualities
like theft, her and lead their lifestyle in indiscipline way. They become unsocial as they do not get opportunity to mix
with other members of the family.

(4) Loneliness:

Feeling of loneliness is one of important drawbacks in nuclear family. After completion of household task, the
housewife becomes alone at home. At the time of emergency one can get any help and support from any other.

(5) Insecure For Old, Widow and Divorce:

In nuclear family widowed, old and divorce fare very much neglected. No one in the family bothers to take care of
them. Physically and psychologically they feel insecure. Above all in nuclear family children are socially, emotionally
and educational maladjusted. There is a chance of family breakage in case of conflict between the compel. Still then
everybody wants to go for a nuclear family in the modern society because of its advantages which certainly outnumber
the disadvantages.

Childless by choice

While considerable media attention has focused on the world’s population reaching the milestone of 7 billion, another
demographic phenomenon receives little notice: the rise in number of people who choose not to have children. Against a
birthrate of less than two children per woman in nearly all Western countries and a growing number of developing
countries – a rate that assures a decline in population – rising voluntary childlessness will have consequences for
government programs for the aged, undesirable implications for the elderly and other repercussions, including smaller
cohorts of children, increased population aging and demographic imbalances among educational groups.

When early marriage is close to universal and birth control is practiced little, less than 3 percent of women remain
childless by the time they reach their late 40s. Until the early 1960s and the introduction of reliable family planning
methods – namely, the oral contraceptive pill – childlessness within marriage was almost entirely involuntary.

The modern era provided more education opportunities for women, leading to later marriage, careers, lower proportions
marrying, greater use of contraception and abortion, and changes in women’s role and status. As a result, the
proportions of childless women in developed countries and many developing countries are well above 3 percent.

Increasing numbers of women attend schools and universities, pursuing employment, career development and self-
enrichment. Consequently, women start childbearing (childbirth) later in life than they did in the past. Among OECD
countries, for example, between 1970 and 2008 the average age at which women had their first child increased from 24
to 28 years. In Germany, Italy and Switzerland, the average age of first childbirth of women is higher, approaching 30
years. As a result of delayed childbearing, older women may find it difficult to become pregnant.

Childlessness rates are strongly connected to women’s educational levels. Women with university education, for
example, are more likely to be childless than those with secondary education. In addition, young women who are highly
educated are more likely to choose employment and postpone family building. Another contributing factor to higher
rates of childlessness among highly educated women is their reluctance to marry a less educated man.

By and large (generally), women, especially those highly educated and seeking gender equality, have more to lose in
terms of employment, careers and related opportunity costs than men when they become parents.

In most of the less developed countries the percentage of childless women in their late 40s is typically under 10 percent.
And in some populous nations, such India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey, the proportion of women
remaining childless by their late 40s is below 5 percent. In contrast, in the majority of developed countries childlessness
among women at the end of their reproductive careers is above 10 percent. In some countries, such as England,
Germany, the Netherlands and the United States, the proportions are substantial, with approximately one in five women
in their late 40s remaining childless. Higher proportions are observed in Italy and Switzerland, where one in four
women in their late 40s is childless. (See graph)

In Australia, Germany, Italy and the US, the proportion of childlessness among women in their late 40s has doubled
over the past three decades.
Government policies can influence the childbearing rate. Maternity and paternity leave, childcare, part-time
employment, job security, cash allowances, tax credits and other financial incentives are among the measures to
encourage childbearing. Punitive (punishing) polices are also tried like prohibiting abortion or contraception and
restricting girls’ education and women’s employment.
Providing tangible support to couples is an especially critical factor influencing childbearing decisions. For example, in
France, where the childlessness rate is around 10 percent, government policies and programs, including
maternity/paternity leave, nurseries, afterschool programs and child allowances, facilitate family building and women’s
participation in the workforce.
With a childless level similar to France, but a lower birth rate, Russia is considering pronatalist policies, such as
financial support to families with three or more children and free land plots, raising student scholarships and reducing
real estate costs. More desperate measures to encourage childbearing are also proposed, including reinstating (restoring)
a childless tax that existed in the Soviet Union between 1941 and 1992, whereby childless men aged 25 to 50 and
women aged 20 to 45 paid an extra 6 percent of their monthly salaries to the government. Other low-fertility countries,
such as the Ukraine and Germany, also debate a special tax on men and women who remain childless by choice.
Childlessness is often not a clear lifestyle choice – that is, women deliberately pursuing individual satisfaction and
rejecting childrearing responsibilities. Most remain childless after a series of childbearing postponements, including
higher education, employment, absence of a suitable partner, separation or divorce. In the US, young single, childless
women now earn more than male counterparts, attributable to the higher education attainment, and this may account for
women’s difficulties in finding a suitable partner. 
Men and women, especially in more developed countries, are also becoming more realistic about their expectations of
family building, recognizing that many marriages end in separation and divorce. The cultural pressures to marry and
have children are considerably less than they were in the past, while remaining childless is increasingly viewed as a
viable lifestyle option.
Historically, childlessness was a rare occurrence and had limited demographic consequences at a time when most
families were large. Today, with smaller families, the demographic impact of childlessness is more consequential. 
In the US, for example, the percentage of women in their 40s with three or more children fell from 59 percent in 1976 to
29 percent in 2010. In Italy, a nation with a tradition of large families, the percentage of women in their 40s with four or
more children dropped from around 17 percent in the early 1980s to less than 5 today.
Voluntary childlessness contributes to keeping fertility below the replacement level – on average about two children per
woman – which reduces the size of the future labor force, boosts the proportions of elderly and thereby increases old-
age dependency ratios. In turn, this can lead to more program support for the elderly, less support for education funding
and other community programs for children. These demographic changes have far-reaching implications, especially
with regard to the domestic labor force, immigration levels, voting patterns, taxation, pension expenditures, education
funding and health-care costs.
Recent evidence suggests that aged childless couples, especially women, are likely to be disproportionately affected. In
Italy, studies have found that older non-parents lacked the health care and social support that adult children and
professional caregivers could provide. Similarly, in the US, based on the experiences of several states, childless older
adults were likely to have higher medical costs and more complex health-care needs than older couples with children. 
The population of childless aged couples, especially women, is expected to grow rapidly. In Italy and the US, for
example, the population of childless women aged 65 or older is expected to nearly quadruple over the next four decades.
These projections raise questions about the provision of care for childless women and men upon reaching advanced
ages.
With the decline in large families and upswing in childlessness, the low fertility rates in many developed countries are
unlikely to rebound to replacement levels anytime soon, especially given relatively high levels of youth unemployment,
the continuing economic recession and gloomy prospects for a rapid, painless recovery.
The current severe budget deficits facing many developed countries and acrimonious negotiations on the future of the
welfare state will likely result in reduced government entitlements, especially for older persons. A vivid example was
the recent axing of the newly approved US long-term insurance program even before it was implemented.
Given the anticipated substantial cutbacks in entitlements –already underway in European nations – it’s doubtful that
governments can provide sufficient financial and human resources to care for the growing numbers of elderly without
children.

How GM crops can help us to feed a fast-growing world

The United Nations forecasts global population to rise to more than 9 billion people by 2050. Climate change may mean
that the crops we depend on now may no longer be suited to the areas where they are currently cultivated and may
increasingly be threatened by droughts, floods and the spread of plant diseases due to altered weather patterns. So
feeding everyone in the coming decades will be a challenge – can genetically modified crops help us achieve this?
Two groups of genetically modified crops are widely grown. The first are altered so that they are not affected by the
herbicide glyphosate, which means that farmers can eliminate weeds (unwanted wild plants) without harming their crop.
Glyphosate-resistant crops can increase farming efficiency but, while helping to get rid of weeds, herbicide resistance
has no direct effect on the quantity of food produced, so their contribution to food security is likely to be limited.
The second type produce a natural insecticide inside the parts of the plant that pests (a destructive insect or other animal
that attacks crops, food, livestock) eat. This protects the yields of these crops against insect infestation, which is
arguably more environmentally friendly than using sprays that could be toxic to other organisms. Crops of this type are
likely to be useful, but we should increase the number of insecticide genes that we employ to prevent evolution of
resistant pests.
Farmers have always faced crop diseases – think of the Irish potato famine of the 19th century – and some scientists
predict that climate change may allow previously contained infections to spread into new areas and become more
damaging. It may already have contributed to the devastating appearance of a fungal infection called wheat blast in
Bangladesh, a disease that can cause nearly complete loss of this critical crop in infected fields.
Disease resistance
Genetic modification can certainly be used in the fight to make crops more disease resistant. Many plants are vulnerable
to an infection because they cannot detect the invading organism. However, the proteins that identify an infection and
activate a plant’s defences can be moved between varieties or even species using genetic modification. This will enable
previously vulnerable crops to turn on resistance mechanisms.
It is also becoming possible to rewrite the genes for these gatekeeper proteins so that they  work for different diseases. A
powerful and rapid method for editing genes called CRISPR-Cas9 has recently been developed and it is already being
harnessed to produce genetically modified crops. For example, genes that make wheat vulnerable to powdery mildew
have been changed to produce a resistant variety.
Nor is gene editing limited to improving disease resistance. Tomatoes have been tweaked to be insensitive to changes in
the number of hours of sunlight in a day. This causes them to produce fruit more quickly because they aren’t waiting for
the right time of year to start flowering.
Improving nutrition
Crops are not just being genetically modified to improve their quantity but also their nutritional quality . The most
prominent of these is “golden rice”. Vitamin A deficiency causes 250,000 deaths per year and is common in populations
whose diet is heavily dependent on rice. Golden rice is golden because it produces large quantities of yellow dietary
carotenoids that our bodies can convert into vitamin A.
Many people – and countries – are still skeptical about GM food. But people and animals have now been consuming
GM crops for more than 20 years without apparent harm to their health. On the other hand, there is no question that
starvation kills and that food insecurity is a major global threat. There are challenging times ahead. Can we afford to
close the door on these powerful ways to protect our food supply?
What Is Childhood Obesity?

Children who have a body mass index (BMI) at the same level or higher than 95 percent of their peers are considered to
be obese. BMI is a tool used to determine your “weight status.” BMI is calculated using your height and weight. Your
BMI percentile (where your BMI value falls in relation to other people) is then determined using your gender and age.

Childhood obesity is a serious health threat to children. Kids in the obese category have surpassed simply being
overweight and are at risk for a number of chronic health conditions. Poor health stemming from childhood obesity can
continue into adulthood.

Childhood obesity doesn’t just affect physical health. Children and teens who are overweight or obese can become
depressed and have poor self-image and self-esteem.

Causes of Childhood Obesity

Family history, psychological factors, and lifestyle all play a role in childhood obesity. Children whose parents or other
family members are overweight or obese are more likely to follow suit. But the main cause of childhood obesity is a
combination of eating too much and exercising too little.

A poor diet containing high levels of fat or sugar and few nutrients can cause kids to gain weight quickly. Fast food,
candy, and soft drinks are common culprits. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) reports that 32
percent of adolescent girls and 52 percent of adolescent boys in the United States drink 24 ounces of soda — or more —
per day.

Convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, salty snacks, and canned pastas, can also contribute to unhealthy weight
gain. Some children become obese because their parents don’t know how to choose or prepare healthy foods. Other
families may not be able to easily afford fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.

Not enough physical activity can be another cause of childhood obesity. People of all ages tend to gain weight when
they’re less active. Exercise burns calories and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Children who aren’t encouraged to
be active may be less likely to burn extra calories through sports, time on the playground, or other forms of physical
activity.

Psychological issues may also lead to obesity in some children. Kids and teens who are bored, stressed, or depressed
may eat more to cope with negative emotions.
List of Pros of Fast Food

1. It Is Fast.
From the name “fast food”, meals you can buy from these chains are served quickly unlike what restaurants offer. This
makes such food convenient for people who are always in a hurry and do not have the luxury of time to prepare and
cook food for themselves or for their loved ones. So, when parents are rushing to get the kids to school and make their
way to their office, buying fast food saves them a lot of time and effort. All they need to do is to get to a drive-thru or
order by phone.
2. It Is Cheap.
Another trademark of fast food is its price. Meals are sold at relatively cheap prices because they do not take a lot of
time to prepare or cook. So, if for parents who are in a hurry and do not want to spend a lot on food, fast food is the best
solution. Although cooking meals at home with simple ingredients can be a lot cheaper, time is what many people do
not have to do so.
3. It Is Convenient.
Fast food chains are everywhere. Just a quick drive to a nearby store will already make the whole family full. Aside
from that, there are plenty of options when it comes to fast food. Aside from all-American favorites, like pizza, pasta,
burgers and French fries, there are other varieties to choose from, including Asian, Mexican, Indian and Middle-Eastern.
4. Most People Are Accustomed.
Fast food has been a part of many American homes. This means that many people have been accustomed to eating it.
This also means that parents won’t have a hard time making their children it since they’re all used to it. Plus, people just
can’t resist the taste of a juicy burger, a cheesy pizza or a crispy fries. What’s more, fast food can satisfy hunger really
fast.
5. Same Taste Across the Board.
Wherever you are in the country or even abroad, you will always know what you are getting when you order food from
a fast food chain. This is especially true if you are in a place where you don’t exactly know where to eat. You can
always choose to dine in at a fast food store whenever you are doubtful of what a restaurant or diner serves.
6. It Not Offers Healthy Options.
A lot of fast food chains now offer salads or vegetarian food choices to cater for (serve) those who are health conscious.
This means that you can eat healthy food even when you’re in a hurry to get to school or the office.

List of Cons of Fast Food

1. Packed with Calories.
Yes, there is a certain required amount of calorie intake, but consuming too much sugar, carbohydrates and fats exceeds
that requirement and is bad for the health. Some of the effects of unhealthy fast food include obesity, cardiovascular
disease, hypertension and diabetes.
2. Physical Health Sacrifices Are Made.
Aside from that, mass produced food like those offered in fast food chains, sacrifices certain health and sanitary
practices, especially when it comes processing meat. There are also high amounts of preservatives and chemicals that
are not meant to be consumed on a regular basis.
3. Mystery Ingredients.
Suppliers for these chains of stores are not always revealed to the public. This means that there is no guarantee that the
meat and other materials used in fast food chains were processed in a clean and humane manner. There are also
unknown ingredients that may be harmful to human health. Chicken nuggets and hotdogs, for example, are not always
made from real chicken.
4. No Guarantee for Food Quality.
Most fast food chains use cheap ingredients that do not meet the standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration. You also can’t be too sure that meals served at these restaurant chains are prepared and cooked in
sanitary conditions.
5. Takes Away Quality Time with Family.
Because fast food meals are often taken in a hurry or outside the home, families do not get to bond or spend quality time
at mealtimes.
It is true that fast food offers many benefits. It is convenient and cheap, making it the perfect meal for those who do not
have the time to prepare and cook food for themselves or their families. It is also tasty, which means that parents won’t
have a hard time making their kids eat it. But there is also a downside, which should be a concern for consumers. For
one, it can pose a risk to people’s health. With all these in mind, it is important to consume fast food in moderation.
Eating pizza, pasta, hotdogs, burgers and fries won’t harm people’s health, as long as it is combined with lots of
physical activity on a daily basis. After all, a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy food are the ingredients to fatal health
problems.
Can becoming a vegetarian protect you against major diseases?
Maybe. Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians tend to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol and more vitamins C
and E, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals), such as carotenoids and
flavonoids. As a result, they're likely to have lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower
body mass index (BMI), all of which are associated with longevity and a reduced risk for many chronic diseases.
But there still aren't enough data to say exactly how a vegetarian diet influences long-term health. It's difficult to tease
out the influence of vegetarianism from other practices that vegetarians are more likely to follow, such as not smoking,
not drinking excessively, and getting adequate exercise. But here's what some of the research has shown so far:
Heart disease. There's some evidence that vegetarians have a lower risk for cardiac events (such as a heart attack) and
death from cardiac causes. In one of the largest studies — a combined analysis of data from five prospective studies
involving more than 76,000 participants published several years ago — vegetarians were, on average, 25% less likely to
die of heart disease. This result confirmed earlier findings from studies comparing vegetarian and nonvegetarian
Seventh-day Adventists (members of this religious group avoid caffeine and don't drink or smoke; about 40% are
vegetarians). In another study involving 65,000 people in the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford), researchers found a 19% lower risk of death from heart disease among
vegetarians. However, there were few deaths in either group, so the observed differences may have been due to chance.
For heart protection, it's best to choose high-fiber whole grains and legumes, which are digested slowly and have a low
glycemic index — that is, they help keep blood sugar levels steady. Soluble fiber also helps reduce cholesterol levels.
Refined carbohydrates and starches like potatoes, white rice, and white-flour products cause a rapid rise in blood sugar,
which increases the risk of heart attack and diabetes (a risk factor for heart disease).
Nuts are also heart-protective. They have a low glycemic index and contain many antioxidants, vegetable protein, fiber,
minerals, and healthy fatty acids. The downside: nuts pack a lot of calories, so restrict your daily intake to a small
handful (about an ounce). The upside: because of their fat content, even a small amount of nuts can satisfy the appetite.
Walnuts, in particular, are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits. Even so, fish are the
best source of omega-3s, and it's not clear whether plant-derived omega-3s are an adequate substitute for fish in the diet.
One study suggests that omega-3s from walnuts and fish both work to lower heart disease risk, but by different routes.
Walnut omega-3s (alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA) help reduce total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while omega-
3s from fish (eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA) lower triglycerides and raise HDL
(good) cholesterol levels.
Cancer. Hundreds of studies suggest that eating lots of fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of developing certain
cancers, and there's evidence that vegetarians have a lower incidence of cancer than non-vegetarians do. But the
differences aren't large. A vegetarian diet can make it easier to get the recommended minimum of five daily servings of
fruits and vegetables, but a purely vegetarian diet is not necessarily better than a plant-based diet that also includes fish
or poultry. For example, in a pooled analysis of data from the Oxford Vegetarian Study and EPIC-Oxford, fish-eaters
had a lower risk of certain cancers than vegetarians.
If you stop eating red meat (whether or not you become a vegetarian), you'll eliminate a risk factor for colon cancer. It's
not clear whether avoiding all animal products reduces the risk further. Vegetarians usually have lower levels of
potentially carcinogenic substances in their colons, but studies comparing cancer rates in vegetarians and
nonvegetarians have shown inconsistent results.
Type 2 diabetes. Research suggests that a predominantly plant-based diet can reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. In
studies of Seventh-day Adventists, vegetarians' risk of developing diabetes was half that of nonvegetarians, even after
taking BMI into account. The Harvard-based Women's Health Study found a similar correlation between eating red
meat (especially processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs) and diabetes risk, after adjusting for BMI, total calorie
intake, and exercise.

Processed food: pros and cons

As a registered dietitian, I encourage my clients to eat less processed foods and more whole foods. “Choose your foods
in the form closest to the ground,” I tell them. But truth be told, in this society where working moms are constantly on
the go, they inevitably turn to some processed food. Is this good or bad? Favorable or unfavorable?

Food processing is a set of methods and techniques that change a food and/or its ingredients before we eat it. Some
common methods include cooking, freezing, drying, canning, salting, fortifying and preserving. Other forms of food
processing include methods used to make ready-to-eat meals, such as frozen dinners and frozen pizzas which are
reheated before eaten.
There is a lot of debate lately on the “good” and “bad” of processed foods. Some of the negatives include: added
unhealthy ingredients, loss of nutrients and high calorie content. Ingredients added to processed foods that pose a
potential health risk include sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, fat, artificial colors and flavors. These ingredients are
added often as preservatives or to improve taste, texture and appearance of foods. Loss of nutrients can vary between 5
and 20 percent of most nutrients. Dietary fiber is lost when processing whole grains into refined grains. Oftentimes
processed foods have a high caloric content with very little nutrients, which leads to weight-gain and obesity.

There are two sides to every story, so it’s only fair we go over some of the advantages of food processing. These
advantages include safety of food, extended shelf-life and seasonal availability. Fresh produce, raw meats, eggs, and
foods that come directly from the local farmer can contain microorganisms that cause illnesses and death . Food
processing reduces incidences of foodborne illnesses. Processed foods have longer shelf life which is convenient for
many individuals and reduces food waste. Food processing also enables transportation of perishable foods, making them
more available to areas further from where they are originally grown. In addition, food processing allows the consumer
to have foods throughout the year that would normally only be around in certain seasons. Canned and frozen fruits and
vegetables which are picked and processed at the time of ripeness are always available year round.

All processed foods are not equal to each other. It’s important to take the advantages and negatives into account and
learn to choose the processed foods that optimize your health, and not harm your health. What do I mean? As
mentioned, while I encourage clients to choose foods in their whole form, in some cases you may need to choose some
processed food as a matter of convenience. If this is the case, I recommended you start with “less processed” or
“minimally processed foods” such as bagged salad, whole grain bread, and cut-up vegetable sticks. Did you know that
pasteurized milk is considered processed, albeit minimally processed, but still processed? Would you ever consider
drinking unpasteurized milk? I think not. Foods a little more processed include frozen and canned fruit and vegetables,
dried fruit, cereals, pasta, rice, crackers, cheese and yogurt. More processed foods which should be seriously limited and
most times avoided include frozen dinners, frozen convenience foods, canned soups, chips and soda, to name a few.

So the next time you are shopping and find yourself in the frozen food aisle, think twice and head to the fresh fruit and
vegetable aisle.

Governments and the arts

Artists create not in a vacuum, but as integral members of a society. Their work, therefore, often expresses viewpoints
about society, including its politics and government. From the Italian Renaissance to modern-day America, art has
played a prominent role in politics, and the two have had an often complex relationship. Although government
authorities have provided support for the arts, politics and the arts often have an adversarial relationship. This is
especially true of modern times, as many artists express political and social views through their work.

Patronage in History
Historically, political authorities have been a source of patronage for artists. During the Middle Ages, the Roman
Catholic Church, a political power in its own right, commissioned religious-themed paintings and sculptures. Arts
patronage increased during the Renaissance, as politically powerful families, such as the Medici in Florence, Italy,
supported prominent painters, sculptors and musicians.

Modern Patronage
Although today’s artists, from painters and sculptors to musicians and filmmakers, rely less on government as a source
of support, patronage lives on in state arts organizations and federal agencies such as the National Endowment for the
Arts (NEA). Congress created the NEA in 1965 as an independent agency to support and promote artistic endeavors.
The endowment provides grants to museums, theater groups and other arts projects and entities.

Art as Politics
As artists derived more of their livelihood from the sale, exhibition and performance of their work, they grew less
reliant on government and political authorities for patronage. As time passed, the visual and performing arts became
more politically provocative, with artists using their work to make statements or highlight certain issues. Pablo
Picasso’s famous painting “Guernica” stands as one example. Painted in the 1930s, “Guernica” highlights the
inhumanity of the Spanish Civil War, which brought dictator Francisco Franco to power in Spain.
Political Backlash (a strong negative reaction by a large number of people, especially to a social or political
development)

The growing outspokenness of the arts sometimes provokes political backlash. During the 1950s, a congressional
committee investigated leading Hollywood actors and filmmakers suspected of communist affiliations. In the 1980s and
1990s, some members of Congress sought to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts after complaints by
religious conservative organizations about some NEA-funded projects the groups deemed offensive.

Expert Insight
Artist Mark Vallen contends all art is political. Although commercial forces, rather than political ones, determine most
artistic successes, the political factors in a market capitalist system make the arts automatically a part of the political
process, Vallen wrote in a 2004 essay. Artists and their works have played significant roles in many social and political
events. Popular music, for example, provided a virtual soundtrack for the political and social unrest of the 1960s and
1970s, such as the protests against the Vietnam War. In addition, some prominent performing artists, such as U2
vocalist Bono, have successfully used their celebrity to call world leaders’ attention to such issues as global poverty and
AIDS in Africa.

Government can play important role in obesity epidemic, expert argues

"Americans consume many more calories than needed, and the excess is leading to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
premature mortality. Since the 1970s, caloric intake has increased by some 200 to 600 calories per person per day.
Although it is unclear how important changes in physical activity are to the surge in obesity prevalence, it is quite clear
that this increase in calorie consumption is the major cause of the obesity epidemic—an epidemic that each year is
responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 Americans and accounts for nearly $150 billion in health care costs,"
writes Dr. Farley.

Many foods contribute to excess calorie intake, Dr. Farley adds, but sugary drinks have drawn particular blame because
of the near-tripling of consumption since the 1970s and their association in epidemiologic studies with obesity, weight
gain, diabetes, and markers of cardiovascular disease. Also, the size of sugary drinks sold has increased substantially
from a standard 6.5- or 8-ounce size in the 1960s to 20, 32, and even 64 ounces today. "The increase in portion sizes of
these beverages is important because studies consistently show that when people are offered larger portions they simply
consume more without recognizing it and without compensating for the increased consumption by decreasing intake
later."

Dr. Farley writes that the food industry is effective at marketing foods with a high-profit margin. "How should
government address the health problems caused by this successful marketing of food? To do nothing is to invite even
higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and related mortality."

He suggests one option is to encourage food companies to voluntarily alter their products or marketing to reduce health
risks. "Food companies understand how customers respond to their products and marketing better than anyone and
could make many changes that would promote health. Food companies have indeed been responding to the obesity
crisis by marketing products that have lower calorie contents by substitution (as with 'diet' beverages) and more recently
by offering smaller portions. However, as publicly traded companies responsive to the interests of their shareholders,
food companies cannot make decisions that will lower profits, and larger portion sizes are more profitable because most
costs of delivering food items to consumers are fixed."

"The balanced and most effective approach is for governments to regulate food products that harm the most people,
simultaneously encourage food companies to voluntarily produce and market healthful products, and then provide
information to consumers in ways that facilitate their choosing healthful products."

Dr. Farley cites a number of initiatives taken by New York City to improve public health, including requiring
restaurants to eliminate artificial trans fat, working with food companies to voluntarily lower sodium levels in
packaged/processed foods, and providing information to consumers by requiring that chain restaurants post calorie
counts on their menus and menu boards. These actions followed similar steps to address smoking, which have led to a
35 percent reduction in smoking rates in the city in the past 10 years.
Dr. Farley describes steps taken by the city to address what many believe is the greatest single contributor to the obesity
epidemic—sugary drinks. Among the initiatives, New York City supported a 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugary
drinks; the city also supported a change in policy on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would have
prohibited the use of program benefits to purchase sugary drinks; and the city's Health Department proposed a cap on
the portion size of sugary drinks served at restaurants. "… the portion-size studies strongly suggest that, with a smaller
default portion size, most consumers will consume fewer calories. This change will not by itself reverse the obesity
epidemic, but it can have a substantial effect on it."

"Although the idea of government action to prevent obesity by regulating portion size is new, this action is easily
justifiable, is manageable by the dynamic food industry, and will be effective in preventing needless deaths," Dr. Farley
concludes.

Preventive Medicine: Prevention vs. Treatment

What is preventive medicine?

According to the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), preventive medicine focuses on the health of
individuals, communities, and defined populations. The goal of preventive medicine is to protect, promote, and maintain
health and well-being and to prevent disease, disability, and death.

Preventive medicine has three specialty areas: aerospace medicine, occupational medicine, and public health and
general preventive medicine.

Occupational medicine, along with public health and general preventive medicine, are the areas that apply to most
people.

Occupational medicine focuses on the health of workers, including the ability to perform work; the physical, chemical,
biological, and social environments of the workplace; and the health outcomes of environmental exposures.

Public health and general preventive medicine focuses on promoting health, preventing disease, and managing the
health of communities and defined populations.

In all areas of preventive medicine, the emphasis is on prevention rather than treatment. Examples of preventive health
practices include exercise and nutrition.

Maintaining good health and getting the best health care means making smart decisions about preventive services.
Preventive services, such as screening tests, counseling services, and preventive medicines, are tests or treatments that
healthcare providers offer to prevent illnesses before they cause you symptoms or problems.

In order to help healthcare providers and patients decide on preventive choices, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
develops recommendations based on a review of high-quality scientific evidence.

Physical activity in school

An Institute of Medicine report out today makes some ambitious recommendations for physical education requirements
in schools, including at least 30 minutes a day of movement during school hours.

In the report, the Institute estimates that just half of school-age children get 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous
activity. They suggest that schools make physical education a core subject and add the movement time through physical
education classes, recess breaks, classroom exercises and commutes to and from classes.

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, 44 percent of school administrators have reported cutting
significant time from "phys ed" classes and recess to devote more time to reading and mathematics in the classroom,
according to the Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit that provides public policy research and recommendations.
As the report suggests, giving kids more physical activity seems like a no-brainer to help lower the prevalence of
obesity rates in elementary school kids, with the percentage of children ages 6 to 11 years old in the United States who
were obese to nearly 18 percent in 2010 from 7 percent in 1980.

Childhood Obesity: Is 7 Too Young to Diet?

But there was very little proof until Wednesday that increasing activity has an effect on childhood obesity.

A study published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Health Economics provided the first evidence that
increasing physical education in kindergarten through fifth-grade does, indeed, reduce the chance of obesity, at least for
boys.

The Cornell University researchers looked at data from a national registry, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, and
from states that require minutes spent in physical education to determine whether more gym time translates into lower
obesity rates. They found that each additional 60 minutes of physical education time lowered the probability of obesity
in fifth-grade boys by 4.8 percent and did so without cutting into academics or harming test scores.

Traditional medicine vs modern medicine

Traditional medicine vs. modern medicine: which one is better? Modern medicine has been around for decades.
Although it has provided incredible effects, the traditional way of healing has been assisting individuals with their
diseases and ailments for thousands of years.

But choosing whether to pursue a traditional approach or modern method of healing in dealing with health conditions is
just a personal decision.

If you’re still wondering about which one to choose, you should only decide after having a solid understanding of the
differences between the two healing methods.

What is a traditional medicine?

It’s one of the oldest healing methods.

China practices it for thousands of years. The traditional healing has grown a lot as several practitioners made use of
plants, animals and mineral substances found in their own region to treat diseases and illnesses.

Traditional medicine is non-invasive. It’s a natural way to address the malfunctions in the body.

What is modern medicine?

It’s been around for more than 100 years. But it has already eradicated crippling and deadly diseases, like whooping
cough, smallpox, and several others.

Unlike traditional medicine, modern medicine is based entirely on a scientific approach. It heals by creating synthesized
drugs in treating disease.

This healing approach involves invasive surgical procedures in addressing several conditions.

Which is better?

The implementation of science isn’t perfect. Some modern medicines come with adverse side effects.

For example, surgical procedures don’t work in every case. During the 1980s, some people started to drift away from
embracing modern medicine to traditional medicine.

Even if some of us are still focusing on either modern or traditional medicine, no one can’t deny the fact that we’re in a
world of blended medicine.
It’s an approach that uses both conventional and modern healing methods in treating different illnesses.

For several years, modern doctors censured traditional practitioners and vice versa. But both sides are going toward a
blended medical environment.

The best doctors teach their patients

From the time they enter medical school to begin an apprenticeship (a system of training a new generation of
practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training) that will take them through a career of constant learning,
physicians (doctors) join an unbroken chain of professional and volunteer educators dating back to Hippocrates.
Whether they are in the anatomy lab, the operating room, on the wards or in the clinics, practitioners senior to them,
perhaps by only a year or maybe an entire career, are involved in one-to-one teaching. The entire profession is built on
the premise; videre unum, noli unum, docent; see one, do one, teach one.

Every physician participates continuously in this process. The fourth year medical student teaches the third, the senior
resident the intern, the attending the fellow and the most senior practicing doctor often takes time to teach the most
junior nurse. Moreover, in an anti-hierarchical way, knowledge flows both up and down this path as the energy and
innocence of youth combine with the wisdom of the old, to open new areas of learning and discovery.

Physicians teach everywhere and by every means. From small seminars to great lectures, from mentoring one to
guiding many, from articles to books, in the hospital, clinic or office and most recently from single emails to blast blogs
and websites that span the Internet. Physicians are trained and nurtured by this process and in turn train and nurture
those that follow.

The best doctors remember that their calling is not only to teach practitioners of the health sciences; it is their duty to
teach their patients. Every patient can identify physicians whom have the patience and skill to explain the complex in
clear language, allowing the patient to make better decisions and have better control of life. Knowledge is to fear, as
water is to fire or as oil spread on a turbulent sea, brings calm. Patients are the greatest benefactors of a deep
educational culture connecting the centuries and ending at individual bedsides.
Should I rent or buy – which one puts you on top of the property ladder?
With growing concern over housing affordability plaguing would be first home buyers, the issue of whether to rent or
buy is more hotly debated now than it has ever been.
As property prices continue to rise, many young Gen Y’s are concerned that they may have missed their opportunity to
get onto the property ladder altogether.
At the same time some commentators insist that Australian housing markets are just too expensive so it makes more
financial sense to rent.
So what is the best way to go?

DO YOU RENT OR BUY?

The truth is there are pros and cons for both options and ultimately, it’s up to you to work out whether renting or buying
a home suits your personal and financial situation best.
The most obvious advantage to renting is flexibility; as a tenant you can freely relocate from home to home and area to
area once your lease expires.
But because of the costs associated with buying and selling property, as a home owner you have less flexibility when it
comes to moving house.
It costs about 4% of the sale price of your home to sell (agents fees, advertising, etc) and about 6% of the purchase cost
to buy (stamp duty, government fees, loan establishment fees, etc).
Secondly, renting can often be a cheaper alternative to buying…
Particularly if like many young professionals you prefer the lifestyle and career opportunities that inner and near city
locations provide.
Many young people can’t afford to buy in these locations, but can afford to rent there.
Even though rents are rising, more often than not your monthly rental payments will be less than what your mortgage
repayments would be if you were to buy a comparable property.

FINALLY…
One of the big bonuses to renting is that you avoid costly maintenance, repair, rates and insurance bills that go hand in
hand with home ownership.  
As a tenant, it’s your landlord who is responsible for taking care of such ongoing expenses.
On the other hand, renting has many disadvantages:
The most obvious being uncertainty as to whether you will be able to remain in a home you have grown fond of.
Tenants have very little say in how long they occupy a rental property.
Ultimately this is up to the landlord, who can ask you to move once your lease expires and can also terminate your lease
early for a number of reasons.
Essentially the home is never really yours.
For instance when you rent, your property manager and landlord can come into your property at any time, as long as
they provide sufficient notice and have good reason, such as regular inspections which can happen as frequently as
every two or three months.
You also cannot make any changes to the property to improve your living space or even put pictures up on the wall
without the landlord’s permission.
The other consideration as a tenant is the rising cost of renting. 
Even though renting may currently be the cheaper option, rents will always continue to rise in line with the increasing
values of properties.
Further, you never stop paying rent, whereas most people will pay off their mortgage within 25 to 30 years.
When you buy a home however, you have a certain sense of stability.
You choose how long you wish to live there (as long as you make your repayments!) and can make improvements to
your living space and potentially add value while doing so; creating a wonderful thing called equity (the value of your
home minus the amount you owe the banks = your equity).

CONSIDER BECOMING A RENTING INVESTOR

Over the years I’ve noticed a growing trend amongst young buyers who choose to get into the property market by
continuing to live in rental accommodation and purchasing an investment property before buying a home. 
They do this for a number of reasons: 
–       Home ownership in the lifestyle suburbs they desire is too expensive, so they rent in beachside or inner suburbs
where there’s a café culture, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, recreational facilities and easy access to work and
instead buy an investment property where they can afford to.
–       They’re living at home rent free with their parents, enabling them to save and get a foot in the door of the real
estate market.
–       Their lifestyles are still transient, they’re still planning to travel or they’re not sure where they’ll settle, so it
doesn’t make sense to plant their roots in property yet.
–       They don’t see the burden of a large, non tax-deductible mortgage on their home as the best use of their money.

ISN’T RENT MONEY DEAD MONEY?

Not necessarily.
I can see a good financial argument for continuing to rent and buying an investment property first.
Imagine you and I live in the same street, next to each other in similar homes each worth $500,000.
We both pay our home mortgages, rates, insurance, maintenance bills and so forth out of our after tax dollars.

Why we need trees in our cities

Visual Appeal

Few things can compare with the aesthetic impact and seasonal interest that trees offer the urban setting. They
provide huge visual appeal to any area and can significantly enhance the design of a streetscape. 

Air Quality

For every 10% increase in urban tree canopy, ozone is reduced by 3-7%. 

Trees are also proven to remove carbon from the air, getting absorbed and stored as cellulose in their trunks, branches,
and leaves (a process known as sequestration). Planting trees remains one of the most cost-effective ways of drawing
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A single mature tree can absorb CO2 at a rate of 21.6 KG/year and release enough
oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 humans - those are numbers to be paid attention to. 
Research has also shown a 60% reduction in particulates from car exhaust fumes on streets lined with trees. 

Health & Well-Being

Trees have also been proven to have a positive impact on skin cancer, asthma, hypertension, and other stress related
illness by filtering out polluted air, reducing smog formation, providing shade from solar radiation, and providing an
attractive, calming setting for recreation. 

Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates, carbon monoxide, cadmium, nickel, and lead are all pollutants that
trees work constantly to remove from the air. 

Trees also form an effective sound absorbing barrier to help reduce unwanted urban noise pollution. 

The biodiversity of trees in providing natural habitats for birds, squirrels, and other fauna are considered to some as
incalculable. 

Cost Savings

For every $1 spent on trees, a return of $2.70 in benefits is received; according to the United States Forest Service.  A
similar study performed in the U.K. byNatural England calculated that every £1 spent on tree planting yielded £7
savings, or a potential £2.1 billion if taken nationally. 

Managing Stormwater

For every 5% of tree cover in a community, stormwater runoff is reduced by 2%. Trees prevent stormwater runoff from
reaching water courses with harmful chemicals collected from roads and sidewalks. 

Property Values

Independent studies have shown a consistent 5-15% increase in property values on tree lined streets, proving that trees
increase commercial and residential real estate values. 

Crime Reduction

Researchers have discovered reductions in both violent and petty crime, including domestic violence through the
therapeutic, calming influence of mature tree planting. 

Cooling Effects

Trees reduce temperatures by shade and transpiring water. This helps reduce air conditioning bills and energy use.
Studies have even proven that one mature tree can produce the same cooling effect as 10 room-sized air conditioners.
This becomes an effective tool in reducing urban heat islands and hot spots in cities. 

Trees can also save up to 10% of local energy consumption through their moderation of the local climate. 

Adverse Wind Speed

Buildings increase wind speed as wind is forced to travel further around them. Trees significantly reduce wind speed up
to a distance of 10 times their height. 
What are advantages & disadvantages of an open-plan office space?

An open-plan office space layout has pros and cons both for a firm’s personnel and its bottom line. In an open-plan
work environment, there are no distinct rooms or fully enclosed spaces. Instead, workstations are positioned together --
sometimes separated by short screens or panels -- within one exposed floor plan. The openness may improve
communication and collaboration among your workers, but it also may reduce concentration and productivity.

Staff Advantages
A lack of walls or other physical barriers in open-plan office spaces makes it easier for employees to interact with each
other on a regular basis. The constant intermingling not only generates a sense of camaraderie among personnel, it also
enhances the flow of information and teamwork. Colleagues can turn to each other for advice or assistance without
having to knock on doors or schedule a formal meeting. Interactions in an open-plan office space generally are more
frequent and informal than in closed environments where everyone has a separate office space.

Business Advantages

The increased collaboration resulting from an open-plan work space can lead to business innovation and advancement.
At the same time, an open-plan layout can benefit the business economically by reducing costs tied to construction,
utilities and office equipment. For example, fewer walls mean less time and materials required to create the office space.
Having a single work space also may reduce heating/cooling and electricity expenses thanks to improved flow of air and
light. Businesses can save on equipment investment as well, since communal spaces promote shared use of resources,
such as printers, copiers and staplers. An open-plan space also provides greater flexibility to accommodate evolving
personnel needs.

Staff Disadvantages

On the downside, the high level of everyday interaction that takes place in an undivided work space may lead to noise
and distractions that make it difficult for employees to focus on their work and conduct business. Lack of privacy is
another potential problem with open-plan office spaces, where computer screens are easily visible by those walking by
and telephone conversations are likely to be overheard. Open-plan layouts also facilitate the spread of disease, so if a
colleague comes to work with a cold, it can affect the health of the entire staff.

Business Disadvantages

Most of the factors that are disadvantages for personnel also are detrimental to the business as a whole. For example, the
distractions caused by frequent interactions among staff members and high levels of noise can result in decreased
productivity. Business output also may be reduced by the higher rate of absenteeism associated with open-plan
environments in which disease spreads more easily. In addition, the lack of privacy inherent in open-plan designs may
give rise to legal or ethical issues stemming from compromised confidentiality in regard to clients or colleagues.

Is culture important in language learning?

The relationship between language and culture is a complex one and it is always quite challenging to fully understand
people’s cognitive processes when they communicate. Language competence does not only include the knowledge of
grammatical principles and sentence construction, but also knowledge of the norms that link language to social and
cognitive context. Many teachers and students seem to lose sight of the fact that knowledge of grammatical systems has
to be complemented with culture-specific meanings. It is therefore essential for language teachers to approach language
learning with this in mind, as the understanding of this relationship is central to the acquisition of linguistic and cultural
competency. 

The structure of a language can determine the way in which speakers of that language view the world. The meanings of
a particular language can also represent the culture of a particular social group. It is impossible to understand a culture
without having some form of understanding of its language. The two are always connected. When people learn another
language, it helps them to learn about the world. Learning a language is therefore learning the behaviour of a given
society and its cultural customs. Language is a product of the thoughts and behaviour of a society. 

Word for word translation is often impossible unless the material is technical in nature. Phrases, words, syntactic forms
and concepts are sometimes impossible to translate, as they sometimes don’t even exist in some languages. Differences
in language between cultures are evident when you compare how some countries have different meanings for certain
phrases.  For example, in many European cultures, the term “a good day” implies a sunny day, whereas in many African
cultures, it implies “a rainy day”. The term “good” is interpreted differently by these two cultures. In English, when
people make requests, they tend to make them indirectly. They generally avoid imperatives, like “Tell me the time”, in
preference for indirect requests like “Can you tell me the time”.

In any communicative encounter in which there is a cultural difference, there is bound to be some cultural induced
language conflict arising from different attitudes towards certain norms. Cultural misunderstandings can occur when a
word, gesture, object or social context, has different meanings in different cultures. How politeness is expressed in
particular situations, is one area in which culturally induced conflict can occur. Different languages and cultures have
different levels of politeness. For example, when communicating with Swedish people, it is important to keep a
reasonable personal distance between you and never touch them when you talk to them. Much like Scandinavian people,
Germans tend to be reserved and polite. Ensure that handshakes with Germans are firm, and always address them with
“Mr” and “Mrs” followed by their surname. Argentinians like to lean in close when they speak to you, and touch you
often during conversation. Pulling away is considered rude and cold. To prevent cultural misunderstandings, it is
important to promote cultural understanding. 

People often use gestures, glances, changes in tone and voice to alter or emphasise what they want to say. They learn
these culturally specific techniques over many years, largely by observing and imitating others. Some gestures can pose
the same meaning throughout several cultures worldwide, for example, a smile or a laugh. Yet, others may be
completely different. For example, spitting on another person is a sign of disrespect in most Westernised countries, yet
in certain African countries like Kenya, it can be seen as an affection blessing if done in a certain way by a certain tribe.
In many countries such as Japan, younger people do not stare at older people. If and when they do, they must be the first
to lower their eyes; otherwise they will be frowned upon and considered disrespectful. There are also cross-cultural
differences in the normal baseline volume of speech; for example, Asians and Europeans speak at lower volumes than
the North Americans and Africans. 

Culture can also have a huge influence on how we communicate and manipulate time. For example, in North America,
if you have a business meeting scheduled, the time you should arrive depends largely on the status of the person you are
meeting. People who are of a lower status are expected to arrive on time, if not early. Higher status individuals can
expect that others will wait for them if they are late.  

Since cultures themselves have undergone centuries of transition, it is only natural that languages have also undergone
such transitions. Over time, languages have borrowed sounds, grammar and vocabulary from one another. Languages
like English are now standardised, but the way English is spoken and used in different parts of the world, is a reflection
of the effects of culture. 

While there is no definitive conclusion to exactly how language and culture are related, it is evident that a relationship
exists. In any given culture, people have a shared set of specific cultural norms. As a result, in any cross-cultural
communication, there is always a potential for cultural-induced language conflicts. It is therefore of utmost importance
that in order to achieve successful communication, one must be aware of the potential conflicts that may occur due to
cultural differences. The teaching of culture should become an integral part of foreign language instruction.
The importance of hobbies for happiness and stress relief

How many times have you wished you had time to pick up a new hobby or skill? Often, we pine for the time and
resources to learn to play a new instrument, write a book, plant a garden, etc. The common reason many people never
pursue these activities is that they feel they just don’t have a time.
The Benefits of Hobbies
However, people with stressful jobs, family responsibilities, and busy schedules need hobbies just as much, if not more,
than the person with less on their plate. Hobbies are extremely beneficial in relieving our stress and promoting our
health and happiness.
Hobbies provide a number of important benefits. They provide us a break from responsibilities and work, and give us an
outlet to use our free time to do something we love or care about. Many hobbies, such as group sports, book clubs, or
other social pastimes give us an opportunity to expand our social circles and have a social life outside of our families
and co-workers (which any busy parent can tell you is important to do once in a while).
Psychologically, performing an activity that gives you pleasure, such as playing music or golfing, gives you a boost and
brings joy to your life. If you want more happiness and less stress, hobbies are a valuable tool in achieving that. In
addition, hobbies help to rejuvenate our senses and keep stress overload at bay. If your job is overwhelmingly busy on a
regular basis, a few hours a week recharging through a favorite pastime is extremely valuable.
At Core Products, we strive to promote health and pain-free lives, and hobbies can help us with that too. We’ve recently
been talking about how much stress plays a factor in contributing to pain – chronic stress, with no relief, can exacerbate
neck and back pain. Stress also breaks down our resistance to pain, so that aches and injuries we receive can actually
feel worse than they should. Hobbies relieve stress, which can lead to less pain – so we’re all for them!
Making Time for Pastimes
So we’ve covered why hobbies are important, but as we know, it’s so easy for them to fall by the wayside in the face of
our time-consuming obligations, like work, school, or taking care of family. How can we make time?
First, determine what you can cut back on and prioritize. Chances are, you don’t want to skip doing the laundry or
helping your kids with homework – but how much time do you spend watching TV? Do you ever have downtime on the
weekends you spend on the couch? Identify any times you could be spending on recreation – chances are, there’s more
of it than you think.
Next, schedule a regular time to spend with this hobby. It may not sound relaxing for your pastime to be on a schedule,
but you’ll be glad you set aside time for your hobby once you’re on a regular schedule – otherwise, it’s too easy to put it
off. Make sure you let others (family members, friends) that you will be unavailable during this time (or invite them
along if it’s a group activity).
Finally, get up and do it! Much of the battle when doing anything is just getting started. Even if you don’t feel like it, or
you have other things to do, get up and use the time you’ve scheduled. If your hobby is something you’re passionate
about, it won’t be long before you settle into the groove and find yourself actually having fun!
Good luck, and get out there!
We hope you’re inspired to give yourself a little “me” time. Whether you love to golf, paint, play music, or go hiking,
It’s important to your happiness and stress level to get out there and do it! You won’t be doing your career, family, or
schoolwork any good if your stress level is cranked to 11 all day long. In fact, you’ll be due for a meltdown. Do your
body, and your mind, some good and relax with something you love to do. You’ll thank yourself later!
Why sports sponsorship?
Why sports sponsorship? We have heard a lot about influencer marketing in 2016, there is certainly a big overlap
between sports sponsorship and influencer marketing. But, sports sponsorship offers more benefits, more variety and  is
just a more powerful form of marketing! Here are our 7 reasons why sports sponsorship should be used in a brand
marketing strategy.
1. Build brand awareness
A brand can leverage marketing benefits from a sports team, athlete or event. These sponsorship opportunities are
highly visible, offering exposure to millions of consumers. Brands can drive marketing by getting the brand name, logo
and mission in fans when most engaged in sports. How and Why sports sponsorship?
E.g. a sports sponsorship deal with MLB team – New York Mets  having the benefit of brand logo and tagline displayed
on signage inside the stadium.
 
2. Drive excitement around the brand, its products and services
Sports excites consumers, so pile onto the excitement by partnering with the athlete, team or event to put the brand and
mission in the heart of the exciting conversation. How and why sports sponsorship?
E.g. a sports sponsorship deal with an athlete like NFL and New York Giants player Rashad Jennings with the benefit of
him mentioning the brand on social media just before or after their big game.
 
3. Increase product or service sales
Sport teams. stadiums, sports events and athletes all directly drive sales, by giving the brand the benefit of having a
concession stand in the stadium, a booth at an event, or using athletes to promote a Kickstarter / Indiegogo / Amazon /
E-commerce campaigns. How and why sports sponsorship?
E.g. a sports sponsorship deal with a sports property like the league, American Ultimate Disc League to sell products to
their 100,000’s of followers, and 1000’s of members through stands at their games, email marketing campaigns to their
members and social media mentions to their followers.
 
4. Market an expansion to a new geography

When expanding into a new geography, what better way to announce a brand’s arrival and generate a marketing buzz,
then through a partnership with a minor or major league team, a local sports event or a local athlete. Field marketing
teams love the ability to use athletes on a local level. How and why sports sponsorship?
E.g. a sports sponsorship deal with a NBA player from the Boston Celtics Al Horford to promote a new store opening in
Boston using social media or having Al Horford attend the store launch and interactingwith customers, employees and
press.
 
5. Market a launch of a new product
When launching a new product, brand’s need to drive excitement and awareness through multiple marketing channels to
get as much attention and sales as possible. How and why sports sponsorship?
E.g. having a surfer like US star Yadin Nicol test out a new product made for water activity, and provide a product
testimonial or quote to include in a press release, thus increasing the interest in the press release and its eventual
circulation.
 
6. Drive more website views
Get back-links from athlete, team and event websites to a company website via logo placement on their websites.
Include company website link in an athlete, team or event social media profile, pinned post or feed. Generate interesting
content from the athlete, team or event to include in the company blog. How and why sports sponsorship?
E.g. UFC fighter Matt Brown contributing to the company blog with an article like A UFC fighter’s top tips for keeping
healthy in the workplace, and then Matt Brown promoting this blog post on his social media channels even LinkedIn.
 
7. Sell to a new, highly appealing target audience
Athletes spend a lot of money on gadgets, services, fashion and luxury goods. What better way to break into this elite
community then getting exposure to a few of them using a sponsorship deal. Word of mouth marketing is huge among
athletes, locker room chats on new products, athletes seeing what the other is wearing and using. How and why sports
sponsorship?
E.g. Sign LPGA golfer Lexi Thompson as a brand ambassador and get awareness and sales to all her LPGA
companions, as well as selling into pro and amateur golf shops who want to carry products that the pros are using

Ban all advertising aimed at young children? I say yes

How on earth did we come to this? We protect our children obsessively from every harm, we vet every carer, teacher or
medic with whom they come into contact, we fret about their education, their development. Yet despite all this, one
group, which in no way has their best interests at heart, has almost unfettered access.

We seem to take it for granted that advertisers and marketers are allowed to groom even the youngest children. Before
children have even developed a proper sense of their own identity, or learned to handle money, they are encouraged to
associate status and self-worth with stuff, and to look to external things such as fame and wealth for validation. We're
turning out legions of little consumers rather than young citizens who will value themselves for what they contribute to
the society in which they live. If you inculcate the values of the consumer society from childhood then it's no wonder
that those of the "big society" fail to take root. The one surely precludes the other.

We've reached this point so gradually that many of us have never questioned it. It's crept up on us in the 60 years since
advertisers started to target the young and found that they could recruit them to a commercial assault on their parents.
We've come to know it as pester power.

Like so many aspects of parenthood we only grasp the full reality when we experience it first-hand, in my case when my
son, now six, mastered the TV remote. When he'd watched only the BBC's CBeebies he was largely shielded from the
effects of advertising. Once he'd found the commercial channels, it was like watching the consumerist equivalent of
crack take hold. The adverts would come on. A minute later there would invariably be a demand for something that had
just been advertised – anything, so long as it wasn't pink and didn't involve fairies. Then there would be the tantrum
when I said no; this from a boy who had never been prone to tantrums.

Many psychologists, child development experts and educators point to research suggesting that this emerging cradle-to-
grave consumerism is contributing to growing rates of low self-esteem, depression and other forms of mental illness.
Not all psychologists agree. There are plenty working hand in glove with a £12bn-a-year industry that has turned the
manipulation of adult emotions and desires into an artform – often literally. It's also one that's forever developing new
ways to persuade our children to desire the material morsels dangled before them, and because of advertising's viral
effect they only need to infect a few to reach the many.

I do have friends whose children are largely free from the pressures of advertising, but they live in a mobile home on a
smallholding in a remote corner of Ireland. For the rest of us, ads are ubiquitous (widely available; found everywhere).

Should we ban all advertising aimed at young children, full stop? I say yes.

Of course, there will be plenty of objections to an outright ban on advertising to the under-11s. There will be those who
argue that would be a breach of freedom of speech and infringes the rights of corporations to brainwash little children
into demanding their tat.

There's the "it's technically impossible" objection, though the same software that helps online advertisers stalk us can
filter out groups such as children too. Other countries, including Norway, Sweden, Greece as well as the Canadian
province of Quebec, already have bans, particularly on TV ads.
Then there are those who will claim it would drive some businesses under. That's both an admission that pester power
works and ignores the counter-argument that a business that has to bypass parents in order to sell its stuff really needs to
raise its game. Target me, not my six-year-old. I'm the one with the money. If you can't persuade me your product is
worth getting, it probably isn't, so make something better. Or businesses that rely on ad revenue will have to rely on
other models, such as subscriptions.

Most parents hate what advertising does to their children. We have the power to end it and let our children grow up free
from many of the pressures of consumerism until they're old enough to make their own decisions. And though
advertising is only part of an all-pervasive marketing culture we need to make a start somewhere. Let's ban all
advertising targeting children of primary school age and younger now.

6 Pros and Cons of Consumerism

There is some truth to the saying ‘money makes the world go round’, and under consumerist ideology, that may very
well be true. Consumerism in economics is an idea that encourages consumers to acquire and purchase products and
services in greater and greater amounts. This is said to fuel trade and to keep economies alive, but it has also been said
to reap negative effects on society. Learn more about the pros and cons of consumerism by reading through this short
list.

List of Pros of Consumerism

1. Low Cost of Living 
If the whole world operated on the idea of consumerism, we would see cost of living in different countries decline. This
is because manufacturers and companies would price their products at lower costs to encourage consumers to act and
purchase in order to increase the consumption of goods and services.
2. More Jobs 
For companies to increase their output and production, they would need more staff, workers, and employees to answer
for the greater consumer demand. This would generate more work opportunities and thus reduce the extent of
unemployment.
3. Better for Business
Whichever way you look at it, consumerism will always benefit business owners and companies. Even if they place
their goods and services at the lowest possible costs, they can be sure to make a profit as long as increased consumption
is encouraged.

List of Cons of Consumerism

1. Low Quality Products
The problem with consumerism is that it will force manufacturers to use low end materials to create more goods. This
also helps them to drive down costs, but ultimately reduces the quality of products and services leading to widespread
consumer dissatisfaction.
2. Moral Implications
When society is encouraged and driven to make purchases in larger and larger amounts, they might be driven to faulty
moral reasoning. People become more inclined to think that material possessions are more important and are essential to
true happiness, rather than intrinsic motivators.
3. Poor Work Environments and Terms 
Because companies would be forced to hire more, produce more, and sell more for less the cost, they ultimately spend
more. The one group of individuals who will take the brunt will have to be the workers, who will be compensated
poorly and who will have to work in poor employment environments and under unreasonable terms. This also helps
businesses to cut back on costs, but in the end, causes workers to feel overworked and underpaid.
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order and ideology that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-
increasing amounts. With the industrial revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to
an economic crisis: there was overproduction — the supply of goods would grow beyond consumer demand, and so
manufacturers turned to planned obsolescence and advertising to increase consumer spending. An early criticism of
consumerism is Thorstein Veblen's best known book, The Theory of the Leisure Class from 1899, which critically
examined newly widespread values and economic institutions emerging along with newly widespread "leisure time," at
the turn of the 20th century. In it Veblen "views the activities and spending habits of this leisure class in terms of
conspicuous and vicarious consumption and waste. Both are related to the display of status and not to functionality or
usefulness."
In economics, "consumerism" may refer to economic policies which emphasise consumption. In an abstract sense, it is
the consideration that the free choice of consumers should strongly orient the choice by manufacturers of what is
produced and how, and therefore orient the economic organization of a society (compare producerism, especially in the
British sense of the term). In this sense, consumerism expresses the idea not of "one man, one voice", but of "one dollar,
one voice", which may or may not reflect the contribution of people to society.
Are radio stations losing popularity?
Throughout the years, the radio has developed into a large aspect of entertainment around the world because of how
many things it has offered to the general public.

Dating back to the 1800s, people discovered the possibility of wireless telegraphy leading up to the further development
of it throughout years after.

Before, the radio served as a form of communication for armies and navies, later it was a source people went to for talk
shows, news, and hearing sports games. Now it’s place is to usually play music for listeners while they are on the go to
places in their cars.

The radio’s role in life today is slowly becoming more and more diminished as time goes on due to the fact that most
people listen to the radio for the music. Although nowadays, many people can hook up their own music to play in the
car and don’t need to deal with all of the problems radio stations offer.

Junior Kaitlyn Burke said, “I think the radio isn’t as popular as it once used to be because they play so many
commercials and usually just play pop songs. A lot of people can connect their own music to the car so they can
specifically listen to what they want instead of shuffling through the radio station to find a station playing a good song.”

With popular radio stations such as 94.9, 99.7, 92.7, 106.1, 105.3, and many more, people are all around different types
of pop music on the radio.

Some radio stations have different genres they specifically promote within pop music such as hip hop and rap or
alternative. These create some of the diversity available on the radio, however many people don’t want to wait around
for their favorite song to be played or for commercials to end.

Junior Victoria Poslavsky said, “I really like alternative music so I listen to 105.3 in the car a lot. I think a pretty small
amount of music is played out of the wide selection of music a lot of people listen to, but then again the radio is
supposed to be catered to a large amount of people, so I understand why there’s so much pop music.”

“I personally like the radio and the songs they play since I enjoy pop, but it annoys me when they just keep playing the
same few songs over and over again. I think the radio is still popular, people just don’t like the fact that some songs are
so overplayed,” said junior Andrew Wach.

In the end, radios will still go on as a form of entertainment, but people’s new ways of listening to their own music
wherever they are seem to be diminishing the role of the need for a radio.

Do celebrities have a right to privacy?

There are constant outcries and complaints from celebrities about not having enough privacy. I'm really put off by such
comment.
Celebrities should not be entitled to the privacy enjoyed by the public because they are constantly in the spotlight and
virtually everything they do is in the public domain.
It is perfectly reasonable for the press and the paparazzi to go after their personal lives. Public figures and movie stars
trade their freedom and privacy for fame, adulation (adoration) and the accompanying riches.
I'm not suggesting we all poke our noses into the lives of others. Nothing appalls me more than tabloid newspapers and
I think those who are interested in every tiny detail about a celebrity should get a life of their own.
However, celebrities should expect their behaviour to be the focus of attention.
If they can't deal with the pressure they shouldn't have got into the business in the first place.
Celebrities enjoy great fame and recognition and what they do has an impact on society. The press scrutinises their
behaviour to ensure that they don't do anything wrong.
Stars have things we wouldn't even dream of owning. I think it's only fair that they give up privacy in return.
Stars have their private information on display for the world to see. Yet most of the time, snippets of their lives get
distorted and repackaged by tabloids to generate sales.
Everything the rich and famous do is under scrutiny and if they happen to be caught appearing to do something slightly
scandalous, it's on tomorrow's headlines. Why should celebrities be subject to such a shocking lack of privacy? Aren't
they just humans with the same rights as other citizens?
Everyone has a basic right to privacy under the law, and that includes celebrities. They shouldn't have their personal and
intimate details splattered across magazine pages every time they go out.
Celebrities may deliberately leak personal details to generate publicity, but that's their own choice. It doesn't justify
spying.
Most celebrities should and do know what they're getting into when they choose their occupation. But that doesn't make
it right to invade their lives and broadcast them to all.
Celebrities have every inch of their lives examined, talked about, and criticised. Some can't even order a meal at a
restaurant without the paparazzi pointing their cameras.
We live in a society that's supposed to be governed by law and order. Everyone is entitled to protection under the law,
even publicity-seeking celebrities.

Why we love bad news?

We have a negativity bias, which is the tendency to give far more information to negative details than positive ones and
the confirmation bias, which is our tendency to selectively look at information or see information that confirms our
preexisting notions, which is fine except that our preexisting notions are typically negative and therefore, we’re
reconfirming our negative expectations. 

So ultimately we are kept in this negative state of mind and when the amygdala goes on high alert because much of the
dangers around us today are probabilistic dangers, a pandemic might strike, an asteroid might hit, we end up in a
situation that our amygdala is always on high alert and it’s screening out the positive news and allowing in the negative
news. 

Ebooks are losing popularity, and here’s why

Ebooks are losing popularity, and have been for the last couple years. Publishing professionals have speculated on
several possible reasons, including the types of books that are popular. But it comes down to this: people need a break
from their electronics.
Printed Books Outperform Ebooks
To be fair, printed books never stopped outperforming ebooks. However, ebooks were gaining ground on their printed
counterparts—at least, until recently.
This past March, Sian Cain of The Guardian examined the trend in her article “Ebook Sales Continue to Fall as Younger
Generations Drive Appetite for Print.” The book market did well in the UK last year, with 2% more books sold than the
year before. But ebooks didn’t benefit from this increase the same way as print books:
While sales through shops increased 7% in 2016, ebook sales declined by 4%. It is the second year in a row that ebook
sales have fallen, and only the second time that annual ebook sales have done so since industry bodies began monitoring
sales a decade ago.
Why? Cain acknowledges that some of the recently popular books simply come across better in print form than
digital. The adult coloring books that became popular in 2015 are one obvious example of these, but certain types of
lifestyle and cooking-related books also perform better in print.
Still, genre trends don’t seem to be the main reason, Cain writes. A Nielsen Book Research UK survey points “to
children’s fiction and to younger generations preferring physical books to e-readers.” Children’s fiction is most clearly
dominated by printed books: only 4% of children’s fiction sales are digital. But young adults contribute heavily to print
sales as well. Of those surveyed, 62% of sixteen- to twenty-four-year-olds prefer print.
Young Readers Drive the Trend Away from Ebooks
Why the preference for print among young people? The research director at Nielsen Book Research UK, Steve Bohme,
says that they need the break from the screen: “We are seeing that books are a respite, particularly for young people who
are so busy digitally.”
Bohme is far from the first person to notice this. A Publisher’s Weekly article from last June, “As E-book Sales Decline,
Digital Fatigue Grows,” agrees with this reasoning. In this article, Jim Milliot draws from Codex Group’s April 2016
survey, which displays the percentage of book buyers in 6 age groups who want to spend less time on digital devices.
Thirty-seven percent of eighteen- to twenty-four-year-olds wish to escape their devices more often—as opposed to only
fifteen percent of book buyers in the sixty-five-and-over age group.
Millet relates two reasons Codex president Peter Hildick-Smith says that digital book sales haven’t continued to
increase:
First, electronic devices are optional for reading books, . . . and the current range of e-book reading devices—including
smartphones, tablets, and dedicated e-readers—has not delivered the quality long-form reading experience needed to
supplant print, even with e-books’ major price and convenience advantages. Second, Hildick-Smith said, a new
consumer phenomenon, “digital fatigue,” is beginning to emerge.
The “digital fatigue” comment mirrors what Bohme of Nielsen Book Research UK says above. The matter of reading
experience, however, is also noteworthy. There have been holdouts since the beginning—diehard print-book lovers who
wax poetic about the smell and feel of books. But it seems that even those who were willing to give ebooks a chance
now miss the print experience.
Ebooks Are Far from Dead
This doesn’t mean that ebooks are out of style, though, as Cain writes in her Guardianarticle: “Bohme said it was
important to remember that the figures were still higher than they were five years ago, holding a 25% share in 2016,
compared with 26% in 2015 and 18% in 2012.” A quarter of book sales is certainly a significant amount.
So, what does this mean for authors? Not too much yet, even if your target audience includes primarily younger readers.
Yes, ebooks are losing popularity, but the change doesn’t appear too drastic. And, despite the hype, they were never
more popular than print books. The change in trends simply reminds us not to dismiss the importance of printed books,
especially when targeting the younger generations.
Reading at a young age makes you smarter

Children who can read well by the age of seven are more intelligent in later years, scientists have found.

Youngsters who have a good reading ability at primary school perform better in their teens in IQ tests for abstract
thinking, general cognition and pattern finding, according to a new study.

The results suggest that learning to read at an early age has ramifications far beyond simple literacy.

Psychologist Dr Stuart Ritchie, of the University of Edinburgh, said: ‘We found that those who are better at reading tend
to be smarter later in their development.

‘Even at the age of seven you can already see the effect.

‘It is perhaps not a shock to learn that better readers develop higher levels of verbal reasoning.

‘But what is perhaps more surprising is that children who have a better ability to read do better in non-verbal tests.’

Scientists at Edinburgh and King’s College London tracked 1,890 pairs of identical twins over nine years.

The children underwent a series of IQ tests at seven, then again aged nine, ten, 12 and 16.

The results revealed that those children who were better at reading had higher general intelligence and were more adept
at (good at; skilled in) spotting patterns, observing trends and completing pictures.

Because identical twins share all of their genes and grow up in the same home, researchers were able to set aside genetic
and environmental factors - and accurately isolate the statistical impact of the children’s reading ability on their general
intelligence.
They found that even between pairs of twins, a sibling who was a better reader would go on to have higher intelligence.

Dr Ritchie said: ‘You cannot get a better statistical control than identical twins.
‘It means that the differences in intelligence tests cannot be down to genes, they cannot be down to socio-economic
factors and they cannot be down to environmental differences.

‘This technique meant we could accurately test to see if one twin was a little bit better than the other at reading, would
that reading advantage impact their general intelligence? And the conclusion was yes it does.’

Pinpointing the cause of the difference reading ability between twins was almost impossible, the scientists found.

It could be caused by a particularly good teacher, one twin simply enjoying reading more than the other, or a myriad of
(a whole lot of) other aspects.

‘It is probably down to luck,’ Dr Ritchie said.

The study, published today, in the Child Development journal, suggests that reading teaches young children how to use
their imagination, something that also helps them think abstractly and rationally in fields of mathematics, science and
logic.

The authors write: ‘Better reading ability may improve knowledge of specific facts, but it may also allow abstract
thinking skills to be gained via the process of taking on the perspectives of fictional or historical characters, or
imagining other worlds, times, and scenarios.’

Dr Ritchie said: ‘We are not sure exactly why we have the results we have - more work is needed to establish causation.

‘But if I am speculating, it may be that reading teaches you to exercise the capacity to think in different ways.

‘Even if you are reading a non-fiction book, you have to use your imagination to envisage (foresee) what you are
reading.

‘On the other hand, it may also simply be that being better at reading makes you better at sitting down with printed
paper and concentrating on it.

‘But whatever the reason for the results, we can certainly say the lesson from this is that teaching a child to read at an
early age certainly does them no harm.’

Should print books give way to e-books?

Many people read books online. However, a lot of people still choose to read books printed on paper, arguing that e-
books don’t feel the same as “real” books. But given the negative impact the printing industry has on the environment,
and the fact that e-books grant a lot of people the ability to access more information, people should strongly consider
switching to e-books.
The printing of books consumes a significant amount of energy and carbon, and is contributing to climate change .
Producing books means cutting down millions of trees for paper. If not done sustainably, this results in mass
deforestation and the loss of a vital carbon sink source – something that can take away some of the carbon dioxide we
pump into the atmosphere. The industrial processes of printing require a great deal of energy to produce the books that
we enjoy reading too. This further contributes to climate change because of the greenhouse gases that is expelled during
the process. Switching to e-books will significantly reduce our consumption of energy and natural resources. We would
still be able to enjoy our favourite titles, it just wouldn’t be at the expense of the environment.
Additionally, e-books are much more convenient and help allow people to access information more easily. E-books can
be stored and retrieved from massive digital libraries that hold way more books that a traditional bookstore or library
can. Not only are there a greater variety of books available online, these books will are much more accessible, because
people can instantly find and read their books on an e-reader. This makes accessing the world’s wealth of information
much easier for everyone, and can give people more opportunities to learn.
I think people should strongly consider reading more books online. It’s much more convenient, but more importantly it
will also help to conserve our world’s natural resources and help to reverse global climate change.

10 reasons why some women choose to remain single

In the last decade or so, we are seeing more and more urban women opting to remain single. This is contrary to the
earlier trend of women viewing marriage as a 'must have'.

For many, it is a straightforward decision - to marry or not, but there are some who find themselves conflicted.

Now let us look at the various situations when women do not tie the knot (get married) and opt to remain single.

1. Fear of Losing Freedom

Girls who witness domination of women by the men in her own homes, or who see the men having the final word on
every issue, often grow up to become fiercely protective of their own freedom. Freedom is something that they might
achieve through their education, careers and thus financial independence. With girls having equal opportunities and
abilities in every sphere of life, the percentage of girls choosing to value and defend their freedom is steadily on the rise.

2. In Search of 'Mr. Right'

Girls with good looks and great careers are often aware of their 'assets' and keep delaying the decision of getting
married for their want of the very 'best' proposal. Very often their expectations are higher than what they are getting,
and so they keep looking for the mythical and elusive 'Mr. Right'.

3. Family Obligations

Many working girls, particularly when they are the only earning members of the family, cannot think of marriage when
there are unmarried elder sisters and/or unsettled brothers at home. This makes them keep postponing their plans of
getting married, and very often such girls remain unmarried forever.

4. Resistance to Conventions

Some girls hate 'girlie' play and work and find the role-model of their mothers as a dutiful housewife unacceptable.
'Womanly' chores and interests disgust them. Careers chosen by them are also traditionally those that are more often
chosen by men. This unconventional streak could also make them choose to defy (openly resist or refuse to obey)
convention in marriage as 'man and wife', as they cannot see themselves in the conventional role of the 'wife'.

5. Traumatic Heartbreak

After a long intimate relationship, when it culminates in a breakup due to betrayal or parental disapproval, girls find it
difficult to open their heart to another intimate relationship, thus opting to remain single.

6. Responsibility of Aging Parents

For many single daughters, their ageing single parent becomes a major hurdle in the way of getting married. The
thought of leaving the lone old parent unsupported back home fills many girls with tremendous guilt, thus compelling
them to stay unmarried.

7. Sexual Abuse Victims

Some women who have been victims of sexual abuse might choose to keep away from men, sex, and thus marriage.

8. Cynicism and Distrust

When a girl observes significant women in her life having dysfunctional and abusive marriages she might start
associating 'marriage' with pain, agony and betrayal. Bad marriages in her social circle, could make her cynical
(distrustful of human sincerity), and lose trust in the institution of marriage.

9. 'Spiritual' or Commitment-Phobic?
There are some spiritual cults that propagate that "Marriage cripples individuals, killing all possibilities of love,
creativity and spiritual growth". Such cults welcome and encourage singlehood and discourage marriage. However,
often under the garb of so-called spiritual understanding, many women and men who are 'commitment-phobic', avoid
marriage.

10. Sexual Orientation

Those girls who have clearly identified their exclusive same-sex preference, refrain from getting into heterosexual
matrimony (marriage).
Whatever the reason might be - healthy or unhealthy, rational or irrational - for women choosing to remain single, the
bottom line is that it is a 'way of life' chosen consciously. And the criteria to assess whether it is the right choice or not
is to see if it enhances the quality of life or deteriorates the quality of their life. Whether single or married, how 'happy'
are you - that is the question!
What are the best ways of helping homeless people?

1. Alert the professionals

Shoppers and commuters pass by homeless people day after day but many may feel they do not know how to help. One
of the simplest ways is to tell a professional. Street Link is a government-funded service which allows people to alert
local authorities in England and Wales about rough sleepers in need of support in their area.

"With the public's help, in the last 12 months we have put almost 11,000 people in touch with the support they needed to
escape rough sleeping," says director Matt Harrison.

"We hope to have an even greater impact in 2017."

You can pick up the phone or use Street Link's website or app to enter details of the location, time and date you saw the
person and any other information you have. The service will contact professionals who will try to find them and help
them access things like shelter and food.
2. Give time, not money

When someone on the street asks for money some give instinctively, while others struggle with what it might be spent
on. For Rik James, who previously slept rough, money is not the answer.

"If they ask for money it's for one of two things - drugs or alcohol," says Mr James, who runs Birmingham Homeless
Outreach.

"Offer them food and if they don't take it they don't need it."

It's his view that if a homeless person spends money on drugs then the person who gave them the cash is party to the
substance abuse.

"Just come out with food and hot drinks," he adds. "Give them five minutes of your time, talk to them.

"I go out seven days a week with clothes and bedding. If you give them sleeping bags they just sell them."
3. Or give small things

If you choose not to give money to homeless people there are others things you can give to make a difference to their
day.

"A lot of people doing a little is better than a few people doing a lot", is the motto of former armed serviceman Ian
Northcott.

He founded Socks&Chocs in 2010 to collect warm and dry socks and chocolate for people on the streets of
Birmingham.
When Mr Northcott was a soldier he often spent days in the field, tired, cold and wet. The Army insisted he put on a
pair of clean, dry socks each day.

Mr Northcott says he did not realise the importance at first, but the simple pleasure of a warm pair of socks made a great
deal of difference.

His charity aims to give the same feeling to homeless people struggling in the cold, along with chocolate to give them a
boost.

This year the charity has given out 6,274 pairs of socks and 4,713 boxes of chocolate.

Other gift ideas which could make a difference include hand warmers, gloves, hats and books.
4. Remember furry friends

A four-legged friend can be some rough sleepers' only companion - and both owner and pet may be grateful of a kind
gesture.

"If people want to help [a homeless person] with a dog by buying them some dog food, then we're sure it would always
be appreciated," says Clare Kivlehan, head of outreach projects at The Dog's Trust.

She says the public could also put rough sleepers in touch with the charity's Hope Project, which provides free and
subsidised veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are homeless or in housing crisis.

The project also works with hostels and housing providers to encourage them to accept clients with dogs.

Ms Kivlehan adds: "Each year [the Hope Project] funds around 1,800 veterinary treatments to help dogs remain with
their devoted owners... There are now over 150 dog friendly hostels nationwide."
5. Remember the 'hidden homeless'

When rough sleepers line the streets, their plight (dangerous or difficult situation) is painfully visible. But Roger
Harding, campaign director at homeless charity Shelter, says there are many, many more people whose struggles are
hidden.

"This Christmas, 120,000 children in Britain will be homeless," says Mr Harding. "Hidden away in hostels; sharing
kitchens and bathrooms with strangers. Sharing a bedroom with the rest of their family."

He says people could encourage those at risk of losing their homes to call their helpline, which is open 365 days a year
for advice and support.
The disappearance of traditional culture

Since the beginning of globalization, interconnectedness between peoples of different cultures, backgrounds, ideologies
and morals have exchanged and melded together altering thereafter thinking. Justin Velgus is a reporter who interviews
a professor of Akita International University, who acknowledges the occurrence of the disappearance of culture within
the Japanese society. Culture, as professor Darren Ashmore understands, is a “mix of traditions and customs…customs
have a practical use and a fairly evident purpose,” but “traditions once had a practical use and purpose, but today no
longer applies – yet the ritual continues.” Japanese culture playing the submissive role integrates western society where
its culture is overcome by the western values. The depletion of culture and rituals be seen from past stories and customs
such as removing shoes before entering a house, because the house is seen as pure and the outdoor world is unclean.
Relating to a spiritual way of thinking, Namahage, or gods dressed as demons, descend down from the mountains and
terrorize families and children. They burst into homes yelling for the children to be judged and if a child were to be lazy
or did not listen to their parents, they would be taken away. These traditions are all but disappearing, because the
cultural practicality of the western society either depletes or assimilates its own ideals and culture. “The introduction of
technology, the reducing population, the lack of interest or perceived importance, or the lack of practicality tradition has
today” are all pushing factors disintegrating the Japanese culture and many other passive cultures today.
Globally, internalization has led to the loss of culture and traditions, because the economic market supports that of the
western market for its popularized economic value. Representations of media in television and advertisements show a
perceived desire to be more like the western social standard. We have seen youths leave for bigger cities and pop culture
clashing with traditional culture, but we need to equally understand global competency and evaluate the best methods to
counteract the threats the culture. If we do not fight these oppressive cultures, then traditions will just end up
disappearing as nothing more than history. When we hold onto a tradition that has no practicality in society as it had, it
ultimately is lost through age. But if traditions were to manifest themselves in a new light that preserves it as well as
modern society recognizes it, then it has the chance to live on while sustaining traditional values. The problem is
foreboded when the idea of western society completely dominating the socio-economic market assimilates entire
societies into the ideal image or homogenization. Homogenization is not only the identical perspective of lifestyle,
culture and tradition, but it can be physically seen today where a mall in the United States can be copy and pasted in a
developing country like Bangkok, Thailand. Personally, I choose this topic to manifest thought in developed world,
because we are constantly eroding traditional culture in developing countries and it may not mean much, but have you
ever put yourself in someone else’s shoes and saw from their perspective? Soon enough if traditional culture continues
to erode, then you will not have to anymore, because we will live in homogenized world.

Why history is important?

1. UNDERSTAND SOCIETY

Of all of the reasons to study history, this one might be the most important. How can we being to understand society
today without understand what created it? The events and people that shaped who we are today are incredibly important.

2. UNDERSTAND CHANGE

Going along with understanding society, studying history allows us a look into what causes change. The events leading
up to both World Wars help us understand how a small event can set off a large series of changes. History gives us the
opportunity to see how daily life has changed over the years, and what goes into the fostering that change.

3. PROVIDES SENSE OF IDENTITY

It is no wonder that websites like Ancestry.com are so popular. People are intrigued to know where they came from.
What blood runs in their veins? Is there any interesting family history? Knowing the history of your family is very
important to some people in finding a sense of identity.

4. PRESERVES STORIES

It is important we hear the stories of those before us. I find talking to my grandmother fascinating because she tells me
so many stories of what it was like growing up in her time. I think it is important to hear what those before us have to
say. We need to hear their stories, preserve them, and pass them down to those after us.

5. INSPIRE US

Hearing the stories of those before us can inspire us to take action in our own lives. Knowing that my ancestors came to
this country and worked their hardest for a better life, inspires me to work my hardest of provide for my future family.
Our past can have a huge impact on our future and we need that inspiration to teach us that.

6. TEACH US WARNING SIGNS

In the Jewish community, we pray that another Holocaust will never happen to any group of people every again. But
because of our suffering, we have learned the warning signs leading up to such a horror. Society has been able to take
these warning signs and fight against them when they see them in the present day. Knowing what events led up to a
large occasion helps up better predict and influence our future.

7. HELP US BE BETTER PEOPLE

Some people view history as a boring and unimportant subject, but one of the most important reasons to study history is
that it will make you a better person. You will have a better understanding of the world and what shaped it into the
world it is today. You will understand the suffering, joy, and chaos that were necessary for the present day to happen.

Some people think history is very boring, and I never understood those people. It is a giant story that leads up to you. It
tells you about the lives of people who lived hundreds of years before you. And it can help you understand and mold the
world around you. What did you think of my reasons to study history? What are some reasons you think it is important
to study history? Did you enjoy studying history in school?

7 reasons why music is important

Every culture in the world has its own form of music that is enjoyed by all ages on every continent. Although each
culture is different, music unifies all races and has been used throughout history for different occasions and for
enjoyment purposes. To learn why music is important to world cultures and continues to be created over the decades,
there are a few important facts to understand.

1. It Makes it Easy to Celebrate

Music is played at every type of celebration, which includes weddings, graduations, and birthday parties. It’s considered
to be a way to have fun and let out joy or excitement that you may be experiencing in the moment.

2. Music is a Form of Expression

Musicians are known to express themselves through song and melody to convey how they’re feeling in life, which
allows listeners to relate and find comfort in the music.

3. It Allows Us to Dance

Music prompts people in every culture around the world to dance and express how they feel with movement.

4. It Continues to Evolve

Music is never stagnant and continues to change and transform in each time period. New artists who earn an online
masters of music education often learn various melodies and sounds from historic music and alter it to make it
contemporary.

5. It’s an Art Form

Those who are creative and need an outlet can create different types of music, which allows them to put art out into the
world and share it with other individuals. It’s something to be shared that is unifying because people can relate to the
songs and feel inspired by it.

6. Music is Intimate

Music is incredibly intimate and allows artists to convey a message or emotion that they may not be able to
communicate with their words and reveals a deeper part of who they are.

7. It’s a Form of Communication

Many people struggle with communicating with others but can say how they feel with a song that they write or have
heard, making it easier to express themselves without having fear or intimidation.

Although most people have their own preference on the type of music that they enjoy listening to, each culture can
agree that the tunes are an important part of life with expressing ourselves as human beings. By appreciating the art
form, it makes it easy to unite and relate to others who are different than ourselves.
Negative consequences of urban sprawl

Proponents of urban sprawl argue that living in suburban areas outside of major cities is a matter of personal choice and
freedom. Additionally, they may present the various benefits of urban sprawl, such as the short-term economic and
employment boost caused by new construction. However, urban sprawl is a growing concern in all of America. When
choosing your next residence, consider the negative effects of urban sprawl, and their impact on you, your community
and the environment.

Increased Air Pollution

Longer and more frequent commutes are a major concern associated with urban sprawl. The average American spends
the equivalent of eight 55-hour work weeks behind the steering wheel of a car annually, according to the Sierra Club.
More driving leads to more air pollution, which can contribute to poor health and smog problems.

Water Over-consumption

Spreading out development creates water distribution problems and can lead to water overconsumption. A typical low-
density or suburban community uses more water than a high-density city community. Landscaping is the primary culprit
for this excessive use of water. According to the EPA, 30 percent of the water used daily in the United States is devoted
to outdoor use.

Loss of Wildlife Habitat

The San Francisco Bay Area, with over 400,000 acres of natural landscape, is one of the nation’s six hotspots for
biological diversity, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The region has a wide variety of plant and animal
species; unfortunately, 90 of them, including the California tiger salamander, are listed as endangered or threatened.
Rapid development can negatively affect wildlife by tearing down, clearing, or building over its habitat, potentially
threatening survival. This is not only a problem in the San Francisco Bay Area; it’s a problem in all of America.

Increased Racial and Economic Disparity (inequality)

Urban sprawl leads to inner-city community problems. When residents relocate outside of a city’s core, they take their
tax dollars with them. Often, it’s the city’s poorest residents that are left behind. This creates economic disparity and
stratification based upon location. It also creates funding problems for the core, which directly affects the money
available for education, crime prevention, and maintenance and upkeep. Urban sprawl can also lead to economic “white
flight.” According to “Urban Sprawl: A Reference Guide,” urban sprawl leads to racial segregation as minorities are
often left behind in the poorest parts of a region. This problem may not be as widespread as it has been in the past, but
it's present nonetheless.

Increased Risk of Obesity

Urban sprawl is linked to the growing obesity epidemic. People living in suburban areas are more likely to be obese
than people living in urban areas, according to the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the American Planning
Association. Both studies show that people living in suburban areas tend to rely on their vehicles more often--even for
short trips--instead of walking or cycling. This lower level of activity increases the risk of obesity, which can lead to
other health problems such as heart disease, high-blood pressure and diabetes.

The importance of keeping old city buildings around

Most cities try to move forward with the times, but keeping true to its past is another challenge altogether. There is also
the debate, whenever a city wants to build new, exciting buildings that transform its skyline or business community, of
what existing buildings should be torn down or kept.

Some advocate for tearing down dilapidating historic buildings, while others call for the destruction of only ugly, non-
important structures. But when it comes down to it, a city should preserve old buildings if these old buildings serve a
very important purpose; these buildings should be kept if they are historically significant, aesthetically appealing and
make up a considerable portion of a city’s skyline, and kept if these structures can be repurposed to house working
organizations, businesses, and government offices.

Historical Buildings Help People Remember the Past

To begin with, cities should preserve old buildings of historical significance because seeing these buildings help
modern-day people remember the past – as to not repeat it, or to be mindful of how a city or nation came to be, its
heroes or armies that make sacrifices to create or keep a territory. For example, St. John’s Church still exists today in
the Church Hill neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. It is where Patrick Henry, speaking to the House of Burgesses,
gave his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech – which would convince the leaders of British America to
wage war against the oppressive British crown. The rest is history, of course: the colony became its own republic, its
own nation. But this 270-plus-year-old church could have been torn down ages ago – but it was rather preserved to
remind people today how the American nation was established, and what efforts our founding fathers went through, the
risks they took, to birth a nation. Cities all around the globe should do the same in preserving old buildings that are
culturally or historically important.

Cities should also preserve old buildings if these structures are beautiful, aesthetically important and attractive to
tourists; also buildings that make up a considerable portion of a city’s skyline should be preserved. As our society gets
into the future, technology will be king – which means art and beauty will fall to the wayside. So it’s crucial to preserve
old buildings that contain an undeniable amount of timeless beauty. People do not flock to a city to see the offices of
new business; tourists come to cities to see beautifully sublime (owe-inspiring) buildings – ones that may be old, of
course. Also, if a structure – like Austin’s state capital building – has become an iconic part of a city’s identity or
skyline, it should be preserved. New York City is not itself without the Empire State Building, just like Paris is not Paris
without the Eiffel Tower. Buildings are more than just existing structures; they are the image of a city – and some, if
beautiful and culturally important, should be preserved.

Making Old Buildings Serve Modern Purposes

Lastly, if old buildings in cities – if law-abiding and often renovated to maximize safety and usability – can be
repurposed, then a housing city should make incredible efforts to preserve them. Many buildings in cities can be used as
government buildings, business, and organizational offices. And if the buildings serve a modern-day purpose, and if
they meet strict safety codes, they should be preserved for as long as possible. This is especially relevant to the older
cities of the world, and even some of the more modern ones, too. If a building doesn’t need to be torn down, even if it
could make room for a multi-billion-dollar business, a city should give extensive consideration in preserving it. It could
not only save money for a municipality; preserving old buildings and turning them into new offices could also be
enticing to a business looking to start over.

To conclude, some cities around the globe are growing at an astounding (amazing) rate, with an influx (arrival; flow) of
newcomers and tourists alike. This is especially true with some American cities – like Austin, Texas, one of the fastest-
growing cities in the country, who knows, maybe even the world – that want to make room for new businesses and large
populations of people. It makes sense to tear down old buildings so new ones can be created. But when this happens in a
particular area, a committee of good-minded people should be assembled to decide whether an existing – perhaps “old”
–building should go or not, and they should go by the aforementioned points when doing so.

Why we should continue space exploration (by NASA)

Human Space Exploration

Humanity's interest in the heavens has been universal and enduring. Humans are driven to explore the unknown,
discover new worlds, push the boundaries of our scientific and technical limits, and then push further. The intangible
desire to explore and challenge the boundaries of what we know and where we have been has provided benefits to our
society for centuries.
Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our
solar system. Through addressing the challenges related to human space exploration we expand technology, create new
industries, and help to foster a peaceful connection with other nations. Curiosity and exploration are vital to the human
spirit and accepting the challenge of going deeper into space will invite the citizens of the world today and the
generations of tomorrow to join NASA on this exciting journey.

A Flexible Path

This is the beginning of a new era in space exploration in which NASA has been challenged to develop systems and
capabilities required to explore beyond low-Earth orbit, including destinations such as translunar space, near-Earth
asteroids and eventually Mars.

NASA will use the International Space Station as a test-bed and stepping stone for the challenging journey ahead. By
building upon what we learn there we will prepare astronauts for the challenges of long-duration flight and the
permanent expansion of human exploration beyond where we have been before. Explorers may visit near-Earth
asteroids where we may get answers to the questions humans have always asked. Visiting an asteroid will provide
valuable mission experience and prepare us for the next steps–possibly for the first humans to step on Mars.

Robotic exploration continues to deliver profound answers about our Universe by visiting far-off destinations, providing
reconnaissance and collecting scientific data. When combining both human and robotic exploration methods we will use
technology and our senses to increase our ability to observe, adapt, and uncover new knowledge.

Why the International Space Station?

The first step in embarking on a long and challenging journey involves laying solid groundwork for a successful
endeavor. The International Space Station serves as a national laboratory for human health, biological, and materials
research, as a technology test-bed, and as a stepping stone for going further into the solar system. On the International
Space Station we will improve and learn new ways to ensure astronauts are safe, healthy and productive while
exploring, and we will continue expand our knowledge about how materials and biological systems behave outside of
the influence of gravity.

NASA will continue its unprecedented work with the commercial industry and expand an entire industry as private
companies develop and operate safe, reliable and affordable commercial systems to transport crew and cargo to and
from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit.

Why Translunar Space?

Translunar space is vast expanse surrounding the Earth-moon system, extending far beyond the moon’s orbit and
dominated by the two bodies’ gravity fields. Exploring in translunar space, beyond the protection of the Earth’s
geomagnetic field, will provide unprecedented experience in deep-space operations. Operating in translunar space,
NASA can research galactic cosmic radiation–potentially the most threatening element to humans exploring deep
space–and develop mitigation strategies that may also lead to medical advancements on Earth.

The Lagrange points–places in cislunar space where the gravitational influences of the Earth and moon cancel each
other out–are advantageous areas for exploration and research in which almost no propulsion is required to keep an
object or spacecraft stationary. The Lagrange point on the far side of the Earth-Moon system, called L2, also provides a
“radio silence” zone for astronomical observations.

Missions to translunar space will give NASA and its partners the opportunity to develop tools and operational
techniques to support decades of future exploration, while remaining in relative proximity to Earth.
Why Asteroids?

Asteroids are believed to have formed early in our solar system's history–about 4.5 billion years ago–when a cloud of
gas and dust called the solar nebula collapsed and formed our sun and the planets. By visiting these near Earth objects to
study the material that came from the solar nebula, we can look for answers to some of humankind's most compelling
questions, such as: how did the solar system form and where did the Earth's water and other organic materials such as
carbon come from?

In addition to unlocking clues about our solar system, asteroids may provide clues about our Earth. By understanding
more about asteroids we may learn more about past Earth impacts and possibly find ways to reduce the threat of future
impacts.

Future robotic missions to asteroids will prepare humans for long-duration space travel and the eventual journey to
Mars. Robotic missions will provide reconnaissance information about asteroid orbits, surface composition, and even
return samples to Earth for further evaluation. These robotic missions are a critical step in preparing humans to visit
asteroids where we will learn about the valuable resources available in space, and further develop ways to use them in
our quest for more efficient and affordable exploration.

Why Mars?

Mars has always been a source of inspiration for explorers and scientists. Robotic missions have found evidence of
water, but if life exists beyond Earth still remains a mystery. Robotic and scientific robotic missions have shown that
Mars has characteristics and a history similar to Earth's, but we know that there are striking differences that we have yet
to begin to understand. Humans can build upon this knowledge and look for signs of life and investigate Mars'
geological evolution, resulting in research and methods that could be applied here on Earth.

A mission to our nearest planetary neighbor provides the best opportunity to demonstrate that humans can live for
extended, even permanent, stays beyond low Earth orbit. The technology and space systems required to transport and
sustain explorers will drive innovation and encourage creative ways to address challenges. As previous space endeavors
have demonstrated, the resulting ingenuity and technologies will have long lasting benefits and applications.

The challenge of traveling to Mars and learning how to live there will encourage nations around the world to work
together to achieve such an ambitious undertaking. The International Space station has shown that opportunities for
collaboration will highlight our common interests and provide a global sense of community. 

Are extreme sports dangerous?

Some athletes take things to the next level, though. Rather than playing traditional sports as part of a team, they strike
out on their own to engage in sports that provide a satisfying rush of adrenaline. No, we're not talking about bowling or
jogging. We're talking about extreme sports!

There's no set definition of what makes a sport extreme. For the most part, though, extreme sports are individual athletic
activities that are inherently dangerous in some way. Most extreme sports also provide athletes with what drives many
of them to take the risk of participation: a rush of adrenaline that makes them feel more alive than they've ever been.

Although not a comprehensive list, here are several examples of the types of activities most people consider to be
extreme sports: skateboarding, surfing, bungee jumping, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, mountain climbing, ice
climbing, BASE jumping, heli-skiing, BMX biking, bull riding, cliff diving, mountain biking, cave diving, ski jumping,
speed skiing, and street luging.
Just thinking about many of those activities is enough to give most people goose bumps. That very feeling
of fear and danger is what drives many extreme sports athletes to test themselves in all sorts of death-defying pursuits.

Inherent risks and danger are what make these sports extreme. Watching extreme sports is fascinating, and their
popularity has soared in recent years due to frequent exposure on television and social media.

Many extreme sports and their best athletes have become so popular that they have received lucrative sponsorships from
a wide variety of companies that want to associate their brands with these cutting-edge thrill seekers. Some
sponsorships allow extreme sports athletes to compete in these sports professionally, rather than as merely a hobby.

The best extreme sports athletes can have long and profitable careers, as long as they are true masters of their sport.
Unfortunately, when it comes to extreme sports, even the smallest mistakes can have catastrophic — even lethal —
effects.
Sports and teaching teamwork for kids
Kids need at least one hour of physical activity every day for optimal health, according to medical recommendations.
Running and playing outdoors is one way to reach this physical activity goal. Playing sports is another effective way for
kids to get exercise. Playing on a sports team has both physical benefits and other advantages for youngsters. When
children participate in sports, they can receive educational, social, and emotional boosts as well.

Active kids often have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight, and they may have less body fat thanks to their
regular exercise. Studies indicate that people who are physically active on a regular basis often avoid chronic diseases,
and kids are no different. When children participate in an active sport, they can maintain healthier muscles, joints, and
bones. Participating in a childhood sport is often a predictor for ongoing sports participation into adulthood. Instilling a
love of sports and participation in this type of activity makes it more likely that kids will continue to enjoy sports and
remain active after becoming adults.

A number of educational benefits have strong ties with sports participation. Children may have improved cognitive
skills when they play on a sports team. Kids often perform better academically when they play sports, getting higher
grades and scoring higher on standardized tests. Better concentration, classroom behavior, and attention levels also have
a correlation with sports participation.

Advantages and disadvantages of sporting events

International sporting events are organised by many nations for various reasons. Some of these events take place every
years and many of them are held every four years such as the Olympics. There are several drawbacks of organising
these sports events for the host countries; nevertheless advantages are also numerous . Let’s examine both pros and cons
of these.
On the one hand, the host countries have to spend a huge deal of money to plan these events. The money is expended in
the form of construction of the infrastructure of the country to cater the needs of the athletes or sportspeople. These
apart , in order to build arenas and stadiums governments have to invest millions of dollars which can be better spent on
other more significant sectors such as healthcare and education which incur prosperity for the host country. In addition
to this, the host governments compromise with facility to be provided to its citizens. On many occasion, these nations
have to face financial insolvency due to huge expenditures on sports events. Apparently, these arrangements entail a
number of concerns.
On the other hand, these types of events bring a wide array of positives too. The first and foremost advantage of hosting
international events is that the host country becomes the centre of attention and these events bring prestige and honor to
the country. Secondly, although these events consumes too much money to be organized, the host countries ,in fact, can
generate their revenue by opening tourist visas for sports lovers which can engender government income by the means
of tourism. These apart, the infrastructure that is improved to cater for sports people would also contribute to that
nation’s prosperity. Therefore, the advantages are immense.
To conclude, it is evident that there are both advantages and disadvantages in hosting sports events. However, the
advantages largely outweigh the demerits.

5 reasons why you need to exercise during work hours

1) YOU CAN PREVENT INJURIES
Movements, even gentle ones, increase blood flow throughout your body which warms muscles, tendons, and joint
lubricating synovial fluid. This helps relieve stiffness that can lead to inefficient movement patterns and, ultimately,
injuries.
2) YOUR PRODUCTIVITY WILL IMPROVE
The increase in blood flow that occurs when you stand translates to better oxygenation for your brain. Work-related
mental tasks and problem solving will be easier after a physical reset.

3) YOU CAN STAND UP TO STRESS.

A few deep breaths, a posture re-alignment, increased blood flow through your body and stretching tight muscles can
render the calmness and clarity you need to handle a moment of work-related stress. It can also prevent stress hormones
from building in your system and causing health problems like hypertension, insomnia and other issues.

4) YOU CAN AVOID TECH NECK

Getting up and moving during your work day gives you the opportunity to realign your spine and avoid tech neck that
results from too much time spent leaning forward looking at a computer screen, phone or another device in front of you.

5) IT CAN HELP YOU MEET THE WEEKLY AMOUNT OF EXERCISE SUGGESTED BY EXPERTS
The American College of Sports Medicine suggests adults get 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week to
maintain general fitness. Fortunately, these minutes can be divided into bouts as small as 10 minutes. If you get up a
few times during your workday, you can count it in your tally!

Why do athletes make good role models?

To stay on top of their game, athletes have to engage in regular, vigorous activity. In a relatively sedentary culture
where much of life revolves around TV shows and video games, athletes model the benefits of physical activity to
children and adolescents in a very real way. Athletes make a living from being fit, healthy and strong. Just by hitting the
field or the court, athletes give children the opportunity to see that physical activity has the ability to pay off.

Confidence

One of the reasons girls should play sports is for the boost in confidence they receive, according to the Teens Health
website. You can see this confidence in action when watching professional athletes. On the field and off the field,
athletes embody a sense of confidence in themselves and their team. This sense of confidence is one of the reasons that
athletes make good role models -- they show youth how important it is to believe in themselves and those around them.

Work Ethic

Athletes have to work hard to stay on top of their game. The time baseball players dedicate to the sport goes well
beyond the two or three hour daily practice. They spend time stretching, watching tape and working on their swing.
Then they hit the gym and lift weights or hit the field to work on their speed. They may spend six-to-eight hours a day
just on baseball, plus the time traveling on buses and playing in doubleheaders on the weekends. Adolescents who see
athletes as role models learn to mimic the work ethic that it takes to become a top athlete.

Education

Athletes learn early that if they want to play the game, they have to make the grades. Even as early as middle school
athletics, a failing grade will prevent an athlete from being allowed to play. When youth look to high school, college or
professional athletes as role models, they understand that those athletes had to make a commitment both on and off the
field to excellence. High school athletes won't play if they don't make the grades. Colleges will only recruit athletes that
can get accepted into their school, then athletes can only play if they pass their classes. And while some professional
athletes get drafted straight out of high school, most still have to prove themselves as college athletes to get a look. It's a
chain that requires at least some dedication to academics to succeed as a money-making athlete.

Violent sports should be banned’

To start with, Sports is basically an activity done for pleasure, which needs physical effort and skill. Some people, who
dedicate themselves to this activity, consider it as a passion to compete against others in their skill, ability and spirit.
Sports also help in inculcating a certain discipline as well as the spirit of brotherhood or the ‘team spirit’ in the sports
persons.
Sports ideally are not meant to do anything with violence. Sports for some is a mode of attaining fame, for some it is
their job. Some do it as their hunger to compete and win, while the others take it as an enjoyment to watch.
But, in today’s scenario, the sports that include aggressive activities are gaining more popularity, as they present much a
way of entertainment to the spectators. Since the youth are more volatile (hot-blooded) by nature they enjoy these
‘violent sports’ such as boxing, kick boxing, wrestling, etc. Today’s Young generation does not make an effort to know
the grave dangers that these sports put.
The dangers that these sports cause are susceptibility to major accidents that may even prove to be even worse than
fatal. The injuries which may be for lifetime may be a cause of greater torture and helplessness than death itself. Certain
instances in the past, such as the accident of Fred Guirrero and ‘Umaga’ because of accidents during the match have
resulted in their death in the arena themselves. Also, these violent sports are responsible for major injuries to the
sportspersons, such as rupture of the spine, brain haemorrhage, excessive blood loss, irregular clotting etc.
Not only the sportspersons are affected by these kinds of sports, but also, the viewers get an indirect impact on them.
Young children as well as adults, try to imitate the actions that take place in these sports. Statistics say that almost
15000 deaths take place annually in the USA because of people imitating the sportspersons of boxing, wrestling, sword
fighting etc. Repeated watching of such sports unconsciously affects the very psyche of the young which ultimately
reflect in their behaviour in their social environment. One of the major causes of ‘road rage’, shooting spree by
teenagers in their own schools and colleges, acts of suicide, involvement in murders, loots etc, are the consequences of
being in constant influence these ‘violent sports’ and other such activities.
What is the logic behind sportspersons indulging themselves in such inhuman activities and the viewers watching blood
smeared sportsmen in the ring with broken limbs? It seems greed of money is prompting certain people to participate in
such type of violent activity. Also, it is very contradictory to the spirit of sports that they spread violence and suffering
instead of providing pleasure and joy.

So in my opinion I strongly refute the proposition (proposal) of those who argue in support of the continuation of such
‘violent sports’. They should be allowed neither to continue on human as well as moral grounds.
Pros and Cons of Automation in Manufacturing

Machine automation is a hot topic these days. The conversation is not without advocates both for and against making
the transition toward automated machines, AI, and robotics and away from a real, human workforce. Without picking
sides, we compiled some of the strongest pros and cons of automation in manufacturing. Take a look and let us know
what you think in the comments section.

PROS

A SOLUTION TO THE LABOR SHORTAGE

Automation mitigates (alleviate) the effects of labor shortages. In the skilled trades, this pro is especially powerful
because we are dealing with a deficit of skilled workers able to perform the roles required in our factories, plants, and
sites.

ELIMINATE MINDLESS TASKS

There’s a worthy argument that automation merely eliminates the mindless, manual, clerical tasks that are routine and
boring. Of course, this argument only serves as a ‘pro’ of automation if we are to both ‘eliminate’ these mindless tasks
AND create MORE meaningful, challenging tasks that require critical thinking. The argument is that we are ultimately
improving the general level of working conditions.

INCREASED WORKER SAFETY

If your transfer your workforce from active, hands-on positions, to supervisory roles, you’ve increased the overall
safety. This is a pretty major selling point (attractive feature) for automation, with large organizations like OSHA that
have such a strong say in the skilled trades.
IMPROVED PRODUCT QUALITY, ACCURACY, REPEATABILITY, AND LESS HUMAN ERROR

Experts argue that when a machine is programmed to perform a repeated task, the accuracy and repeatability of the
work is much greater than work of human hands. The potential for human error is greatly decreased.

HIGHER VOLUME OF PRODUCTION

Automated equipment is capable of producing much larger production volumes than a largely human workforce.

LESS EMPLOYEE COSTS

With a smaller human workforce, employers will be able to skirt numerous costs like payroll, benefits, health care, sick
days, etc.

CONS

DISPLACEMENT OF MIDDLE-CLASS JOBS

Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have the capability to, in Stephen Hawking’s words, ‘decimate the middle-
class jobs’ and displace the working class. The fear, as Business Insider puts it, is that the necessary trade-off of radical
increases in efficiency in industry will be a loss of human jobs to machines.

LESS VERSATILITY

An employee can perform a flexible variety of tasks, whereas a machine is limited to what it’s been programmed to do.

MORE POLLUTION

Your standard automated machine will run on a motor, producing more pollution than a human worker.

BIG CAPITAL INVESTMENT

Utilizing automated machinery in a manufacturing plant requires a large, sunken operational cost. Making the transition
cost between thousands and millions of dollars, depending on the type of manufacturing plant. Vista-Industrial points
out that if your plant is a small operation with low production quantities, this sunken cost may not pay off. But a larger
facility with lots of employees on the shop floor will likely make a better case for automation.

UNPREDICTABLE OR UNKNOWN COSTS

Automation in manufacturing hasn’t become widely implemented until very recently. There is a world of unpredictable
or unknown costs that come with new technology. Maintenance, repair, supervision, training, etc
HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

The displacement of shop floor workers as a result of automation results in higher unemployment rates for your region
or state. If you are a staple employer in your area, this higher unemployment rate could jeopardize your relationship
with your local or state government. Specifically, if you lean on any kind of government support, programs, or
assistance (workforce development programs, for instance)

Technology helps and hurts productivity

We’re moving into the next decade of micro-computers, smartphones, PDAs and other tech gear intended to boost
productivity. However, the deeper we get into business tech, the more we discover that technology can be a double-
edged sword. There’s an upside and a downside to tech in the workplace.
Here are some everyday examples, showing how you can focus on the positives and mitigate the negatives.
The Internet
In business, we use it, we love it, we connect with it, we lower postage costs, we target market segments with greater
specificity, delivering the right message to the right prospect at just the right time.
The Internet has cut research time down to nothing. If you want the population of Ulan Bator, just Google it. You have
your answer in seconds, not hours or days looking in books from library shelves. Answers are delivered to you.
The Internet puts more control in the hands of small business by providing the same sales platform large businesses use.
Search engines are rigorously revised to eliminate search bias, so your website may show up above a national company
that spends millions on advertising. Small business has a level playing field.
The Internet has changed the way we do just about everything, from push advertising to smartphone users to cloud
storage for easy online collaboration. However, it is also a distraction. How many times do employees log on to (sign in
to) their Facebook pages during the workday when they should be working? How many of your team are playing
computer games on the office computer right now?
Dangers of Tech in the Workplace

Money Talks News* recently reported on the downside of workplace tech – and there are some “falling-off-the-cliff”
downsides.
When technology becomes a distraction:
• Quality of work is compromised.
• Morale suffers because other employees have to cover for co-workers trying to reach the next level of their favorite
computer-based games.
• Intra-office communication suffers because instead of talking to each other, we send texts or email.
• Work assignments are delivered late and deadlines are missed.
• Personal and workplace activity are co-mingled, with employees using their own smartphones to conduct company
business. This practice is actually promoted and referred to as BYOD – bring your own device – because employees are
most familiar with their own smartphones – and they’re always within arm’s reach.
• Security of company data is lessened as more access points are added. Opening a single infected email can spread a
virus across the office network. Files may be corrupted and critical data stolen.

Fridges and washing machines liberated women, study suggests

The advent of modern appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators had a profound impact on 20th Century
society, according to a new Université de Montréal study. Plug-in conveniences transformed women's lives and enabled
them to enter the workforce, says Professor Emanuela Cardia, from the Department of Economics.

Within a short time-span, household technology became accessible to the majority. In the late 1910s, a refrigerator sold
for $1,600 and 26 years later such appliances could be purchased for $170. Access to electric stoves, washing machines
and vacuum cleaners was also generalized.

"These innovations changed the lives of women," says Professor Cardia. "Although it wasn't a revolution per se, the
arrival of this technology in households had an important impact on the workforce and the economy."
Professor Cardia based her research on more than 3,000 censuses (official counts) conducted between 1940 and 1950,
from thousands of American households, across urban and rural areas. "We calculated that women who loaded their
stove with coal saved 30 minutes everyday with an electric stove," says Cardia. "The result is that women flooded the
workforce. In 1900, five percent of married women had jobs. In 1980, that number jumped to 51 percent."

In 1913, the vacuum cleaner became available, in 1916 it was the washing machine, in 1918 it was the refrigerator, in
1947 the freezer, and in 1973 the microwave was on the market. All of these technologies had an impact on home life,
but none had a stronger impact than running water.

"We often forget that running water is a century-old innovation in North America, and it is even more recent in Europe.
Of all innovations, it's the one with the most important impact," says Cardia.

In 1890, 25 percent of American households had running water and eight percent had electricity. In 1950, 83 percent
had running water and 94% had electricity. According to Cardia, in 1900, a woman spent 58 hours per week on
household chores. In 1975, it was 18 hours.

While there have been several studies on the industrial revolution and different aspects of technology, says Cardia, very
few investigations have focused on the household revolution. "Yet, women play a very important role in the economy
whether they hold a job or work at home."

The study is entitled, "Household Technology: Was it the Engine of Liberation?"

Benefits of tourism

Employment

This is perhaps the biggest benefits of tourism to any host community. It will definitely create skilled and unskilled
employment. Souvenir sellers, food vendors and retailers will naturally spring up within the community because they
are aware tourists will need their services.

Increased standard of living

There will be nothing like capital flight because tourists are spending in the host community and of course, the money
made will be injected into the economy of the host community thus improving the standard of living.

Opportunity to preserve culture

In addition to earning revenue, there are also cultural advantages to tourism. It can be a source of pride for local
communities, and allows them to look at their history, and cultural heritage and develop their own community identity.
This helps the local residents to maintain their traditions and culture, while also showcasing (displaying) it for all the
visitors.

Improved infrastructure

The additional revenue that comes into a community also benefits the government. It means more money will be
available to give these destinations much-needed facelift. This means the infrastructure improves, with new roads being
built, parks developed and public spaces improved. The better facilities bring in (attract) more visitors.
Develop other income streams

In addition to improving the economy of the host community, it also allows an economy to develop a new form of
income. This acts as an insurance policy in case of hard times because the additional monies coming in can help support
traditional industries in case they come under financial pressure.

Negative impacts of tourism on local culture

Tourism can cause change or loss of local identity and values, brought about by several closely related influences:

Commodification
Tourism can turn local cultures into commodities when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are
reduced and sanitized to conform to tourist expectations, resulting in what has been called “reconstructed
ethnicity.” Once a destination is sold as a tourism product, and the tourism demand for souvenirs, arts,
entertainment and other commodities begins to exert influence, basic changes in human values may occur.
Sacred sites and objects may not be respected when they are perceived as goods to trade.

Standardization
Destinations risk standardization in the process of satisfying tourists’ desires for familiar facilities . While
landscape, accommodation, food and drinks, etc., must meet the tourists’ desire for the new and unfamiliar, they
must at the same time not be too new or strange because few tourists are actually looking for completely new
things. Tourists often look for recognizable facilities in an unfamiliar environment, like well-known fast-food
restaurants and hotel chains.

Adaptation to tourist demands

Tourists want souvenirs, arts, crafts, and cultural manifestations, and in many tourist destinations, craftsmen
have responded to the growing demand, and have made changes in design of their products to bring them more
in line with the new customers’ tastes. While the interest shown by tourists also contributes to the sense of self-
worth of the artists, and helps conserve a cultural tradition, cultural erosion may occur due to the
commodification of cultural goods.

Irritation due to tourist behavior

Tourists often, out of ignorance or carelessness, fail to respect local customs and moral values. When they do,
they can bring about irritation and stereotyping. They take a quick snapshot and are gone, and by so acting
invade the local peoples’ lives.

How to solve traffic jams

Traffic congestion is the bane of every motorist’s life behind the wheel. It means we have to get out of bed earlier, stay
at work later and reluctantly hotfoot it out of social engagements prematurely just so we can beat the rush.

Or we face the prospect of sitting in long, slow moving queues, which means more time staring blankly at the car in
front of us, and less time doing what we want.

What’s more, the problem is set to worsen. Currently, 54% of the world’s population lives in urban cities. By 2050, this
figure is expected to swell to 70% – more people, more cars, more congestion.
In this piece, we take a look at what’s been done to address this escalating problem.

From ‘A to fee’

A number of congestion hotspots around the world have implemented/trialed motoring charges, which have seen some
success. In London, for example, the congestion charge around the city centre adds up to £50 per week for drivers using
the busiest roads every day.

Unsurprisingly, the number of cars on the road dropped significantly within the first five years of the scheme, while the
number of buses, taxis and cycle lanes increased.

Meanwhile, Stockholm’s congestion charge, which was first introduced in 2006, has seen traffic on the city’s
roads fall by 30% over a five-year period, while Singapore’s innovative road pricing system resulted in 45% less traffic
on the roads.

Fewer cars do not necessarily mean less congestion

But fees and penalties don’t get to the root of the issue. As studies have shown, in some cases, fewer cars have simply
freed up space for drivers who used to take alternative routes. Plus, traffic jams aren’t always caused by traffic. Road
works, poor urban planning and driver error are also to blame, so fewer cars do not necessarily mean less congestion. 

Connected communication

To tackle traffic congestion, cities need to get smarter as they grow. Just as the productivity and efficiency of a
workplace depends on joined-up thinking between departments, a city’s transport infrastructure needs communication
on all levels – from systems such as red lights and speed limit zones right down to the individuals who want to get from
one destination to another.

Scientists, researchers and engineers are already hard at work shaping these smart cities,  developing innovative
technologies that will cut congestion and some of the hassle involved in motoring without relying on traditional taxes
and often-ignored traffic awareness campaigns.

We’re already edging closer to ‘smart city, smart travel’ world

We’re already edging closer to ‘smart city, smart travel’ world. Nowadays, a raft of smartphone applications and
connected sat-navs will help get you to your destination in the quickest and easiest manner possible thanks to real-time
data and communication from a host of sources.

This is the same type of technology that helps to power ride-sharing schemes, which also help eliminate traffic.
Previously, individuals would request a car and driver via a smartphone app, hop in and make their journey alone. Now,
though, companies are increasingly offering ride-pooling as standard, where you can share your journey with others
going in the same direction for a more affordable price while negating the need for additional cars on the road.

The problem with parking

Curiously enough, it’s not always the actual journey that causes traffic problems. Studies have suggested that, on
average, 30% of cars caught up in traffic were looking for a parking space. Sometimes it seems that looking for
somewhere to park is more frustrating than battling through the traffic to get there in the first place. This is why smart
parking is a hot topic for city planners and mobility pioneers.

Already gaining traction in cities in the US, smart parking sees low-power sensors embedded in the tarmac to track the
occupancy of parking spaces. Using information from the sensors, drivers are able to log onto an app which tells them
where they have a higher chance of finding a space, meaning less time looking for one and therefore less time clogging
up the roads. Other apps allow individuals to alert drivers in the area to an empty spot, or one that they’re about to
leave, in return for a modest incentive.
Motoring ahead

Such technology is still in its early stages, but futurists are already looking even further ahead. Fully autonomous cars
will almost certainly be a reality within the next few decades – if not sooner – and, as  the Atlantic reported in 2015,
should help keep congestion to a minimum.

Without the need for human input (and therefore human error), traffic will move freely as cars ‘liaise’ with one another,
helping speeds to increase, routes to become optimised and manoeuvres at junctions and roundabouts to become a great
deal more efficient.

Moreover, the impact goes beyond cutting traffic, as the same article from the Atlantic noted: “The unsticking of the
urban roads is one of the side effects of autonomous cars that will, in turn, change the landscape of cities – essentially
eliminating one of the enduring symbols of urban life, the traffic jam full of honking cars and fuming passengers. It will
also redefine how we use land in the city, unleashing trillions of dollars of real estate to be used for more than storing
cars.”

Smart solutions to a longstanding problem

Traffic congestion is a problem born of growth and development, but it is growth and development that is working to
ease traffic congestion. If smart communication and connectivity takes centre stage in future urban expansion, we’ll no
longer have to race to beat the rush-hour traffic jams because there won’t be any traffic jams to beat.

You need to pass a driving test every five years

Getting behind the wheel of a car should be made a lot tougher with motor safety experts calling on compulsory license
tests every five years to help curb the growing carnage (manslaughter) on NSW roads.

They say motorists also need to vastly improve their skills by undertaking refresher courses to stamp out "bad driving
habits" and learn new road rules.
Leading road-safety campaigner and founder of the national driver safety program, CARMA, Russell White, said NSW
drivers tended to use road rules as a guideline rather than the law.
"The care factor is just not there," Mr White said. "Road rules are probably one of the biggest things that people don't
bother re-focusing on.
"We need to re-intensify the focus on the outcomes - whether it is an online refresher course every few years or sending
out more messages about new changes to road rules via email, something needs to be done."
Mr White said a mandatory theory test every five years would ensure road rules were at the forefront of every motorist's
mind.
NRMA's head of Safer Driving, Evan Bromiley, said a refresher training course for state license holders would be
beneficial in ensuring better safety on our roads.
"A lot of drivers tend to get into bad habits over a period of time," he said.
"We think people should obey the road rules and we would certainly encourage the government to do all they can to
ensure people are aware of the current rules and any changes which take place."
Currently, there is no follow-up driving assessment for fully licensed drivers until they reach the age of 85, when they
must complete a test every two years.
An annual medical assessment is compulsory for NSW licence holders once they turn 75 years.
The validity of the driving test was called into question this week after The Sunday Telegraph arranged for three drivers
to re-sit their practical exam and two failed.
Grace Louey, an instructor with 1st Class Driving School, tested three drivers aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s in Bronte
on Thursday and said it didn't surprise her that only one passed. "NSW drivers do not know the road rules and they are
also quite aggressive on the road," Ms Louey said.
"When I take people for driving lessons, they will get themselves in 10 to 15 dangerous situations."
Ms Louey, who has more than 15 years experience as an instructor, said all three drivers didn't know basic rules like
checking for blind spots, leaving

Paris’s first attempt at car-free day brings big drop in air and noise pollution
Paris’s “day without cars” last week led to such a dramatic drop in both air and noise pollution that the mayor’s office is
now planning more vehicle-free days in the French capital.

Airparif, which measures city pollution levels, said levels of nitrogen dioxide dropped by up to 40% in parts of the city
on Sunday 27 September.

There was almost one-third less nitrogen dioxide pollution on the busy Champs Elyées than on a similar Sunday.

Along the Seine in the city centre, levels were down by about 40%. At the busy Place de l’Opera, levels were 20%
lower.

Bruitparif, which measures noise, said sound levels dropped by half in the city centre.

Officials and environmentalists hailed the event as a success despite disappointment that police had refused to allow the
ban to cover the whole city. The official intervention meant only 30% of Paris was off limits to vehicles.

City mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has made reducing Paris’s worryingly high pollution levels a top priority, said she
hoped to introduce a regular citywide vehicle ban.

“We might envisage days without cars more often … perhaps even once a month,” she wrote on Twitter.

In March, a spike in air contaminants briefly turned Paris into the world’s most polluted city. The noxious smog was so
dense it almost obscured the French capital’s totemic landmark, the Eiffel Tower.

In a few weeks, world leaders will fly to Paris for what has been billed as the world’s biggest ever climate change
conference.

COP21 will seek an international agreement on dramatic measures to keep global warming below 2C.

In his speech to the United Nations last week, French president François Hollandesaid it was the “last chance” for
climate change and said the international community had an “obligation to succeed”.

French environment minister Ségolène Royal said France has a “particular responsibility to be exemplary to encourage
other countries for climate regulations”.

Unfortunately, in terms of pollution, Paris is far from exemplary.

Poor infrastructure is key obstacle to development in Africa

African countries need to promote industrial development to spur economic progress and reduce poverty, according to a
recent report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Africa's share of global manufacturing is drastically disproportionate to its population. While 15 percent of the world's
population lives in Africa, only about one percent of global manufacturing takes place there.

That is largely due to poor transport, communications and energy infrastructures, says UNCTAD's latest Economic
Development in Africa Report.

The main infrastructure problems

The poor state of Africa's infrastructure becomes obvious when traveling 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) by train from
Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. Disused wagons are a common sight and the train makes
several unexplained stops.

Tanzania-Zambia Railways (Tazara), one of the region's biggest post-independence infrastructure projects, is still
plagued by derailments and breakdowns after almost four decades in operation.
Less than two percent of the rail line's cargo capacity is being used, according to a Tazara regional director who spoke
to the Zambian daily Lusaka Times. Heavy goods have to be transported by other, more expensive means.

Still, transport infrastructure is not even the region's biggest problem, keeping the lights on is.

"The majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa still experience regular power-outages, which of course contribute to a
low productivity of many firms," said German Development Cooperation economist Matthias Grossmann.

Power is Africa's biggest infrastructure weak point, with as many as 30 countries facing regular power outages,
according to a 2010 report by the World Bank and France's development agency.

Companies operating in most African countries where power supply is unreliable have resorted to purchasing diesel-
operated power generators, which increases operating costs drastically, said Jens Schleuniger, Africa Portfolio Manager
at VCH Asset Management in Frankfurt.

Experts estimate electricity produced by diesel can cost twice as much as energy from coal or hydropower-based power
systems.

High energy costs combined with other infrastructure deficits, such as rail and road problems, have lowered
productivity rates at African companies by as much as 40 percent, according to UN estimates.

"It is an entry barrier for others because you know that you face these huge infrastructure barriers," Schleuniger told
Deutsche Welle.

Last year, foreign direct investment to Africa fell by nine percent from 2009 to $55 billion, according to UNCTAD.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Rural-Urban Migration

A hundred years ago, only 20 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas, but the 20th century saw a dramatic
shift that marks a turning point in history. Today, more people live in cities than in rural areas, and urbanization
continues to grow around the world. According to the World Bank, city living is much more efficient in a variety of
ways. It's easier to provide services when people live closer together. However, cities also change the way that humans
interact with each other and the environment, often causing multiple problems.

Health and Human Services

When families move into urban areas, they automatically place themselves in closer proximity to basic services such as
hospitals and schools -- urbanization often brings health care and educational opportunities to those who might not have
had access to them in rural areas. Cities also offer public transportation, government run sanitation services and social
programs such as libraries, health clinics and children's programs. For many people, especially in developing countries,
access to these services offers many advantages in terms of creating opportunities.

Job Opportunities
As large-scale agriculture displaces many traditional farmers from the rural lifestyle, the tremendous growth of modern
industry in large urban areas attracts people with the promise of employment. In general, urban wages are significantly
higher, so moving to the city is an opportunity to earn that was impossible in rural areas. However, the wage difference
is often offset (cancelled out / counterbalanced) by the higher cost of living and absence of self-produced goods,
including subsistence farming.

Inequality, Crime and Poverty

Those who move from rural areas to urban ones sometimes find themselves living in shanty towns or slum areas. These
new city residents are faced with problems that do not exist in the countryside: street crime, including gangs, as well as
social inequality and discrimination. The urban poor struggle to make a living, even if they do earn more than they did
in rural areas, because the cost of city life is significantly higher and the opportunities to produce their own food and
other basic necessities is greatly reduced.

Pollution and Contamination

Traffic congestion and industrial manufacturing, prominent features of the urban landscape, also take their toll on the
natural environment and those who depend on it. Lack of clean water is a major problem among the urban poor in major
cities around the world, as is air pollution from both cars and factory emissions. In fact, according to an article in the
"British Medical Journal," almost 10 percent of the world's disease burden is now caused by pollution and
contamination, and the number is significantly higher among the poor in developing countries. For many, and especially
those who moved to urban areas for opportunity, city living proves deadly in ways not known in the countryside.

What’s more important: Qualifications or experience?

With the rise of university placements comes the rise of qualifications, and it soon started to seem like the only way to
get your foot in the door was by having a string of letters after your name.
But this wasn’t always the case, and with the rising cost of education making some think twice about pursuing higher
learning, plus grumblings from some quarters that university graduates aren’t prepared for the workplace is it time that
work experience becomes the preferred attribute for employers, or do qualifications still highlight the best candidate?
We spoke with two experts to discover the advantages of each. But don’t be shy, we want to hear your opinions too. Is
experience the only way to measure a candidate or should qualifications be a fast-track to career progression?

Qualifications are more important

Andrew Main is an associate dean at Bournemouth University. He thinks qualifications reveal much more about a
person than just their academic prowess (skills or expertise in a field).

“Firstly, I would like to say that a degree is not just about getting a job/career. The benefits affect all parts of life;
intellectual, social, sporting, personal, artistic, ethical, and so much more.

Recruiters often write job advertisements that specify that a degree is needed for the job, thus the market decides on this
point, and it values degrees. Additionally, there are more jobs today than there were 50 years ago that involve working
with your brain and fewer jobs involving manual skills.

A degree is a start in working life, after all. Then experience, to give it its due place, will increasingly provide
opportunities for further development of the person.

Let us compare like with like, say a 21-year-old graduate compared with a 21-year-old with industry experience, both of
equal intelligence. Let me give due credit to experience: it does not switch intelligence off (the way a few academics
talk, one might think that they suppose the opposite).

However, education changes you. Given the same elapsed (pass / go by) time, a course of education will bring a greater
depth of understanding than experience can provide.

Thus experience may teach you that ‘doing it that way does not work’, but education gives you the theoretical
knowledge and analytical skill to show why it does not work. Education develops your speed of learning and ability to
learn at depth.

Thus the experienced learn new ideas processes or technologies, but the educated learn them faster and more deeply.

The graduates who are best at delivering high graduate value come from ‘sandwich’ courses with a year in industry.
They have a great combination of theory and rigour, with a strong understanding of application of knowledge.

The courses I work on educate students for two years, place them in industry for a year and bring them back to complete
a final year of education. They are outstanding. They gain jobs very easily and prove themselves quickly. The majority
have very enviable careers”.

Work experience is more important

Matt Hackett, manager of digital & marketing recruitment team at Orchard, sees the value of experience in the
workplace.

“Nowadays everyone seems to have or wants to have a degree, and there is still a tendency to jump straight into starting
one as soon as possible. But is it the right way to go?
Is a 21-year-old with 3 years solid experience who has completed some relevant industry qualifications during this time
a more, or less, valuable resource that a newly qualified university graduate who has barely stepped foot in an office
environment before?
Putting yourself in that position, do you think you would be stronger placed having spent 3 years starting a career and
having earned at least £30,000 during that time, or having learnt about a subject with limited practical experience and
potentially built up large debts? If it’s the former, do employers need to re-evaluate who they are taking on in their entry
level positions?

A degree qualification used to be a major deciding factor in who got the job, but I think as more and more people have
gained degrees, especially over recent years, employers have become less impressed on the whole, and focused more on
experience.

If you asked most employers if they would select a raw graduate with 3 years in education but no tangible experience, or
a college leaver with 3 years relevant experience, I would expect the vast majority would favour the latter.

Most job specs I receive stating reference to any required educational and qualifications are usually mentioned at being
‘ideal’ or ‘beneficial’ rather than essential.

When reviewing CVs, both personally and alongside employers, experience is reviewed before education in most cases,
apart from entry/junior level positions.

A 3-year study-only degree doesn’t really work, so apprenticeships are starting to become much more commonplace
within this sector, along with other workplace learnings.

Obviously this differs in some vocations where a certain level of education is required to progress beyond a certain
point, i.e. law, accountancy, engineering etc.

The ideal is a good combination of both theoretical knowledge and practical understanding, and I believe this is better.
However, from what I see on a day to day basis, the comfort blanket of seeing an individual with the exact match of
experience to a vacancy swings an employer in most circumstances”.

How important are first impressions at the job interviews?

The answer: Very! And in today’s increasingly competitive job market, candidates are constantly trying to make
themselves stand out as being the best of the bunch. Considering the challenge in answering interview questions well,
it’s easy for a candidate to forget about the impression that he or she makes during the first few minutes of small talk
with the interviewer. However, this seemingly idle chat might have more of an effect on employment decisions than
one might think.

In a recent study, Barrick, Swider, and Stewart (2010) examine whether the first impressions that interviewers get while
exchanging pleasantries with candidates have any relationship with the likelihood of being called back to a second
interview or later receiving a job offer.

The researchers found that interviewers’ initial impressions of candidate competence, perceived similarity to the
candidate, and the degree to which they find the candidate likable are predictive of future employment outcomes. As
likability and similarity may not be job-related, it is clear that factors other than competence weigh into whether a
candidate gets called back for a second interview — or even gets a job offer.

With this information in mind, should interviewers be barred from chatting with job candidates about life, the weather,
and yesterday’s big game? No, according to the researchers.

First impressions could potentially predict performance in jobs with high levels of social interaction, and in settings
such as job fairs, where the selection ratio is extremely low – Initial impressions are useful in ruling out which
candidates are not desirable. While the factors that cause impressions to be formed need to be investigated, candidates
should be warned–make sure you make a good first impression with your interviewer!

Job satisfaction: necessity or luxury?

When unemployment rates are uncomfortably high and profit levels flat, businesses may inappropriately reason that
surveying employees about their job satisfaction is a luxury that only mega-corporations can afford. However, research
tells us that job satisfaction is correlated with greater customer loyalty, better safety, lower absenteeism, and lower
turnover rates. And while some employers understand the far-reaching implications of job satisfaction and consider the
measurement of job satisfaction a priority, it is more common for businesses to believe that looking into job satisfaction
is a luxury or – worse yet – only an opportunity to allow employees to complain.

Measuring employees’ job satisfaction is the quickest and most cost-efficient way to gain insight about retention issues,
managerial problems, safety concerns, and overall happiness of employees at work.

What do employees want?

A 2009 survey the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) looked at 24 factors that are regularly thought to
relate to employee satisfaction. The study found that employees identified these five factors as most important:
 Job security,
 Benefits (especially health care) with the importance of retirement benefits rising with the age of the employee,
 Compensation/pay,
 Opportunities to use skills and abilities, and
 Feeling safe in the work environment

This information clarifies the priorities of management. The factors above can be easily transformed into employee
questions – questions management needs to address:

 Will I continue to have this job in the future?

 Will my organization continue to provide medical and retirement benefits?
 Is my compensation fair and equitable?
 Are my skills being used to benefit the company?
 Does my employer make every effort to provide a physically safe work environment?
How can employers address these concerns? First, start regularly assessing employee satisfaction. Second,
communicate how the organization is constantly working to alleviate employee concerns. The unknown creates fear,
and fear reduces productivity. A constant stream of information that highlights the progress of the organization, and
what it’s doing to help customers and employees, eliminates fear. Third, repeat.

Mega-organizations like Apple, Nike and Starbucks use information garnered from employee satisfaction surveys to
become better at what they do every day because they realize it’s a necessity, not a luxury.

5 secrets to achieving and maintaining work-life balance

In a world where more and more people find themselves working in roles that could be considered “always on” jobs,
how do people achieve and maintain work-life balance and how do companies and leaders promote this way of life? It is
a challenge to say the least (implying the reality is more extreme, usually worse).

Every day millions of people wrestle with these questions. At the same time, leaders wrestle with the solutions. It is a
hard issue to reconcile because the answers vary.

As a manager and member of the leadership team at home-improvement network Porch.com, helping people find work-
life balance is something important to me. It is something I didn't always possess or believe in.

There were times when I was the poster child (a person who is an example of something) for bad-balance behavior. I
once had a sign in my office that read “never leave for tomorrow what you can get done today.” I was king of the 3 a.m.
emails and I wore my 20 hour days, seven days a week work ethic as a badge of honor. Then a funny thing happened. I
realized that I could be a much better leader, employee, manager, husband and friend when I took the time to focus on
achieving balance. I found that I was living a happier, healthier, and more productive Life. And my output wasn’t
comprised.

To help entrepreneurs, managers, and employees strike the right balance, here are five ways to achieve and maintain
life-work balance. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but hopefully, these tips will lead to productive discussions for
managers and employees.
1. Be open about your needs. I believe that the first thing people need to do is identify what truly matters to them and
communicate it. Don’t hide it and don’t expect others to guess what makes you feel balanced and fulfilled.

Do you need to leave work at 5 p.m. so you can have dinner with your family? Do you need to step away at 12 p.m. to
attend a yoga class? Whatever your sweet spot is you need to find it and be transparent about it. Employees need to have
an open dialogue with their managers and managers need to understand what works and what is possible. Different jobs
require different approaches, but everyone can benefit from having an open and honest conversation about what balance
means.
2. Respect boundaries. You cannot achieve your balance if you don’t respect the boundaries you have put in place. It
will be hard in the beginning but you need to stick with it so you develop a routine and drive a culture and lifestyle of
predictability. You will find that there is also something else you can do. There is always another email to reply to or a
problem to work, but you need to PERSONALLY respect your boundaries. If you don’t then you can't expect others to
respect them.

3. Understand what really matters. Over the years I have seen too many people spend too much time working on
things that don’t really matter. Time is the most valuable commodity in life: it is the one thing you cannot buy more of.
So, don’t waste time. Focus on what really matters. What really moves the needle for the business? Are you working on
priorities that drive the overall goals of the business or are you just making noise? Really scrutinize (analyze) your day
and max it out every hour, minute and second to focus on the most important outputs. For some this may require a high
degree of planning and structure.

4. Embrace the off button. Pretty much every piece of technology has an off button, so use it. It is not easy and for
many people this is the hardest thing to do. To get started, do it in phases. Don’t bring your cellphone to the dinner
table. When you are on vacation, be on vacation. Don’t bring your tablet to the beach. Once you have done it a few
times, it is easier to push the boundaries. When you unplug and step back you will start to experience one of life’s
greatest treasures -- perspective. You will think about problems you are wrestling with greater clarity. You allow
yourself the freedom to be more analytical and less emotional when you step away and think vs. just diving in and
responding in the moment.
5. Pace yourself. To have a long, healthy, productive, and happy life and career you need to understand the value of
pace. There are times when you need to throttle up and there are times when you can throttle down. Self-awareness is
crucial. Doing so will help you enjoy the journey as much as the destination.  

Why do we pay celebrities so much money?

A morning show host saves no lives. They teach no kids, build no homes. The work they do is frivolous (unimportant)
really. Why on earth do we give them so much money?
Every industry that produces celebrities is the same. Look at sportspeople, rock stars or TV hosts and you find a group
of folks who get paid millions of dollars a year to do - not much work.
It is not always because their work is especially important, it's because their work can reach millions of people at once.
You only need a few people to cater to millions of customers.
These industries are different to jobs that help people directly. If you are a lawyer, a carpenter or a teacher you can
really only help a few people at a time. Lots of people can make money doing that kind of work. That's different to
working in a winner-takes-all industry, where the top few employees make an absolute killing.
Getting paid the big bucks in a winner-takes-all industry is not about just being good. It's about being better than the
competition. If you're one per cent better, you don't earn one per cent more. You might earn as much as 1000 per cent
more. The trade-off is, there's not much space at the top.
According to the Australian Taxation Office, there are about 600 television announcers in Australia. A few get paid the
big bucks. But lots are struggling along, hoping if they backstab the right person at the right moment they can get their
big break. (The same winner-takes-all dynamic in acting is probably why a guy like Harvey Weinstein can get away
with what he did for so long.)
Too many people try to get jobs in winner-takes-all markets. It's like buying a ticket in a lottery. The small chance of
big pay is attractive but most people end up earning not very much. You hear about starving artists and struggling actors
but not so much about starving bricklayers and struggling plumbers.
One way to look at pay inequality in an industry is to compare the average to the median. If a small number of people
are getting paid a lot, the average will be much higher than the median. Here are the top few jobs in Australia where we
can see a small number of people getting paid a lot more than the rest - as you can see, a lot of them are sportspeople
and artistic types.
Getting into a one-to-one industry is less likely to make you millions but way more reliable. Australia has more than
900 orthopaedic surgeons. All of them are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Pros and cons of having a part-time job
PROS
Spice up your resume: Working part-time provides you with valuable work experience even before you start your first
full-time job. Not only does this look good on paper, it provides you with the opportunity to well acquaint yourself with
work environments especially if you're working in a field similar to your career goal. 
Makes you more disciplined: This happens as you adjust to the job demands of meeting deadlines, managing time
efficiently and being more punctual. Moreover, you automatically start developing schedules to juggle your academic
and work life together, further providing yourself with a routined lifestyle. 
Money: There's something about that sweet feeling of earning your first salary that makes all the efforts worthwhile. It
also provides you with a sense of duty as you learn to start managing your finances in the form of saving up, and
allocating where to spend efficiently. 
Networking: Part-time jobs help you brush up your interpersonal skills as you socialize with more people and make
connections. There's also the possibility of getting a boost to start up your career, be it in the form of glowing
recommendations, as a reward of all that networking.
CONS
Hampering academic life: This may happen if you have more work load than you can take – either because the job is
too demanding or because you have too many courses to study for. Whatever the reason may be, if you feel like your
academics are getting affected, then it's best to not get associated with it. 
Dislike towards work: Working part-time may sometimes leave a negative impression of work life on you. This often
results from not having enough free-time or having too much to do. As a result, it is wiser to get a job in an area you
love or are relatively interested in rather than something that you are indifferent towards.
Takes up time: Even though the jobs are “part-time”, it still does take up a substantial amount of your day, be it in
preparing for your job the night before or the commute to and from your workplace. Even if you get a job online, the
time you put into working also counts as time you could otherwise spend studying or even relaxing. 
On the whole, working part-time is feasible if you simply manage your time efficiently and take on just the right load of
work that you can handle. Moreover, if it gets problematic, you can always take up summer jobs or do school ECA's to
gain experience elsewhere.

4 reasons you can have a better career in a big city

There are so many people out there that struggle in their career. No matter how hard they try, they just can’t unlock their
potential. I find that often the reason for this is that they’re restricting themselves geographically. If you’re living in a
small town, your chances of work aren’t as great as someone living in a big city.
So, that brings us onto the question, should you move to a big city to find work? I think you should, and here’s why:
Fresh start
Moving to a new city is a great chance for you to have a fresh start. You can say goodbye to your old life, and reinvent
yourself in this big new city. When you live in a small town, there’s a big chance that everybody knows each other.
When applying for jobs, you may have to work for people you knew as a kid. They could still have opinions on you that
were formed years and years ago. If you move, no one in this new city has opinions of you. You can create new first
impressions, and set yourself up for a great career.
Higher concentration of jobs
Big cities have the benefit of having a large population. This often means there are more businesses in a large city.
Think of places like New York and Miami with their large business districts. You see loads of big companies setting up
shop in big and popular cities around the country. Then, you have smaller businesses also looking to get in on the act.
What does this mean? It means there’s a higher concentration of jobs in big cities. So, there are more jobs available, and
more opportunities for you. Experts are also claiming that job growth is back  in big cities. Again, this just means there
are even more jobs for you to apply for.
More networking opportunities
Climbing the career ladder is hard when you don’t know anybody. Finding work in a small town could be easy, but,
your networking opportunities are limited. In a big city, you have so many chances to create a big network of contacts.
Again, this goes back to my point about the plethora of jobs available. With so many businesses all in one place, it’s
easy for you to form professional relationships. Stepping out for a coffee at lunch can end up with you bumping into
people from other companies. You start networking, and these contacts can come in handy when you want to reach new
heights.
Potentially higher salaries
The thing with big cities is that they have more resources than smaller towns. They’re also more popular, meaning more
people visit there throughout the year. What this means is that their local economy tends to be very strong. In turn, this
can lead to higher salaries for workers in the city. London is dominating the UK for that, and Sydney and Melbourne are
doing the same in Australia. Recent reports of the highest-paid cities in the US have big cities dominating the list. So, if
you make a move, it could mean you get a better salary.
As you can see, moving to a big city has many career benefits. If your career is stalling, maybe it’s time you moved
somewhere new?

Why moving abroad can be great for your career

Jetting off to live and work abroad can seem like a daunting (seeming difficult to deal with in prospect) prospect for a
new graduate. If you have already found a job at home, you are likely to be warned that giving it up could be a big
mistake - and that you could miss out on (fail to use an opportunity) promotion opportunities. However, there are also
exciting gains to be made by taking the plunge. Moving to another country can offer plenty of opportunities to boost
your career, by building new skills and international links which will pay dividends in the future.

Traveling will also develop your self-reliance and adaptability, and your foreign work experience will look great on
your CV. Another point to bear in mind is that it is much easier to make the break and travel abroad early in your career
than it will be later on when you are likely to be tied down by family commitments.

Young people from many countries are becoming increasingly mobile in our global economy. Around 10,000 people
from Britain, many of whom have recently left university, are currently emigrating to New Zealand alone every year.
Meanwhile, a recent survey of new graduates from Sweden’s Linköping University found that more than 75% were
prepared to consider seeking jobs abroad.

Financial Incentives

At present, many graduates are deciding to work abroad for a time because the job market is difficult in their own
country. This means that seeking work elsewhere seems a good option rather than being unemployed, or having to take
a job which may be of little help to their career prospects in the longer term, like bar work or stacking shelves.

It is important to be aware that job markets have been hit by the economic downturn in many different countries, and so
there is no guarantee that moving abroad will mean you can immediately find well-paid work. However, many expats
do say money is an incentive and that they find they have a better standard of living abroad than they would in their
home country. A survey by a British bank found that more than 80% of UK nationals living in Spain said the cost of
living was lower there than at home, while a similar number claimed the quality of life was higher.

Language Skills

When moving abroad, one skill you already have is your mother tongue. There can often be opportunities to get work in
language schools – which will be a valuable experience if you later decide to go into teaching in your home country.
English teachers are especially in demand, with job opportunities ranging from private language schools in Turkey to
summer camps in Finland. If you have this type of work in mind, it is a good idea to do at least a short course leading to
a qualification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) before setting off.

As well as teaching your own language, living and working abroad gives the best possible opportunity to become fluent
in another tongue. You can only really become an expert in a language by speaking it constantly, and living in a
different country gives a great opportunity to do just this, immersing yourself in another culture.

Work Programmes and Volunteering

If you want to enlarge your skills by working abroad, there are many programmes for students and young people,
including volunteer projects. Work like this gives the opportunity to help a good cause at the same time as gaining
valuable experience. The best-known schemes include those run by international development organisations like
Voluntary Service Overseas and Raleigh International, but there are also many smaller specialist agencies geared to
particular countries.

Being Prepared

Taking out suitable travel insurance is vital for anybody who is going to spend time abroad, whether on holiday,
studying or working, and it is important to get unbiased advice on this. Fortunately, by visiting a specialist website, you
can compare the cover which is available from more than 35 insurance providers in order to find the best deal for you. It
is possible to do this by filling in a single form, saving a great deal of time and trouble. Another important preparation is
to check whether you need visas and work permits in order to seek employment in a foreign country. It is essential to
get full information well in advance - for a better overview, you can also look at our checklist of things to consider
when moving abroad.

Opportunity Awaits

New graduates should not be afraid to try working abroad, because, even in the difficult economic climate of the 21st
century, there are many opportunities. You could well find that spending some time living in another culture is the
making of your career, helping you to build contacts which will stand you in good stead later and also boost your
confidence, independence and language skills. Volunteer work could also provide the chance to try working in a
different field and discover whether it is something you want to pursue further. Whether you later return home or even
decide that you want to live abroad permanently, your experience will prove to be invaluable.

Why Equal Pay Is Good Business

When I was fundraising for my company 15 years ago, I was told to never say the words “social responsibility” and
“business” in the same sentence. Thankfully, in the ensuing years, corporate foundations and social responsibility have
become a given for innovative companies. But astoundingly, 54 years after the United States passed the Equal Pay
Act, women still do not have pay parity with men, especially women of color.

Recently, the current U.S. Administration halted the equal pay data collection rule, which aimed to help close the wage
gap by having large companies report what they pay employees by race and gender. The White House argued that this
would put too large a burden on businesses. Whether you agree or not, it’s clear something must be done, and we should
not wait for the government to take the lead. The private sector has a fundamental responsibility to address this issue.
We can, and should, look at our pay structures and ensure that they are equitable for all people.

Equal pay is a human right; it should be a given, not a favor. This should be reason enough to make it happen, but equal
pay is also good business. Countless studies have shown that equal pay for women would add billions of dollars to the
American economy. Studies have also proven that companies that have women in leadership positions outperform those
that do not; and equal pay could cut poverty rates in half, helping the most vulnerable.

Every business needs to take a hard look at their compensation levels and, if there are wage discrepancies, take action.
We also need to get more women into executive positions. Be aware of how cultural differences also play into (support)
the disparity (a great difference). Women are less likely to ask for promotions or raises, which must be taken into
account so that compensation levels do not become even more skewed in favor of men.

Additionally, we must acknowledge — and shatter — the antiquated stereotypes that impact women’s equality. Let’s
start with the stereotype that feminists hate men. We don’t. We detest inequality. Equality makes the world a better
place — for men and women.

Women also need to challenge the behaviors in themselves that have contributed to holding them back. This year, our
Foundation launched a global campaign encouraging women to Embrace Ambition. To this day, ambition is often
celebrated in a man and disdained in a woman. As a result, many women go to great lengths to hide theirs. Women must
be able to express their ambition and not be judged as aggressive or “not team players.”

In short, it’s going to take hard work and commitment on behalf of businesses to ensure that their employees are paid
and treated equally. We cannot be complacent on this issue, because there are so many contributing factors to pay
inequality that it necessitates constant reassessment. If businesses want to realize their full potential as corporate
citizens, this is a necessary step forward for everyone.

How Do Employees Get Motivated by Promotions?

Keeping employees motivated is a task that managers can resolve in a number of ways. Promotions to positions that
include more responsibility or authority are among the tools managers have to motivate workers. The possibility of a job
promotion can motivate an employee by appealing to career anchors, which are the major career and personal priorities
that workers may hold.

Compensation
One way that promotions motivate employees is by providing an opportunity for increased compensation. This factor
appeals to the lifestyle career anchor. It includes not only the increased wages that workers make when they earn
promotions, but also benefits such as paid time off, expense accounts, company cars and health insurance. All of these
forms of compensation contribute to a more comfortable lifestyle, which makes promotions appealing motivational
goals for a wide range of workers.
Improved Job Experience
Another way that employees get motivated by promotions is by recognizing the opportunity for an improved on-the-job
experience. Career anchors such as security and stability lead some employees to work toward promotions in order to
cement their positions within their organizations. To do so, an employee must produce consistent, high-quality work and
receive recognition or acquire a reputation among peers. Additional job perks, such as larger offices, also help
promotions motivate employees.
Ambition
Promotions motivate employees by appealing to their sense of ambition. This affects workers whose career anchors
include the desire for autonomy, independence, authority and managerial competence. Employees who see these as
attainable goals via promotions will work to demonstrate their supervisory and leadership skills. They will also take on
positive traits that reflect positions of authority, such as accountability and a willingness to cooperate with colleagues.
Employer Promotion Policies
Even when an employer understands the motivating effects of promotions, it must still establish a policy for
administering promotions and managing job advancement. This may include discussing opportunities for advancement
during employee performance evaluations or allowing all workers with a given level of experience to apply for
executive position openings. In some cases, it may be necessary to recruit from outside the company, but a consistent
policy for considering internal candidates can ensure that promotions keep their motivational value.

The pros and cons of hiring foreign workers

As business becomes increasingly global, many companies turn toward relocating their own employees to new foreign
offices rather than try to hire local workers. This could be for a variety of reasons, but the practice comes with both
benefits and trade-offs.
In an article from Human Resources IQ, Martin Laird relied on his own experience to discuss both the pros and cons of
utilizing expatriates to facilitate international growth. Some of the highlights:

Local workers simply are not familiar with your existing corporate culture and ways of work. The growing pains of a
local worker learning the ropes can be mitigated with an expat (expatriate: a person living abroad) employee from
home.

A limited local talent pool, particularly in your industry, can make local hiring as expensive as relocating an employee.
If the pool is shallow, good workers are naturally more expensive.
The local standards in your field might not be acceptable to the standards you employ at the home office. In that case, an
expat brings those higher standards with them.
There are obviously some cons to using expats, but some of them can be mitigated through forethought and training.

Of course, there is considerable expense involved in using expat employees. Moving expenses, visa issues, tax
considerations, and language/cultural training all bare costs that hiring a local worker would not.
Aside from the moving costs, the right preparation can make the other challenges cheaper. Training in particular can be
offered through a blended learning environment that is more flexible and affordable than in-person training.
Expats are more likely to burn out. Laird says up to a quarter of foreign workers return home early. Early preparation
can help reduce this rate, but the risk will probably always remain.
Compliance issues vary from country to country. Visa and regulatory issues can bring fines, suspensions of operations,
or even prison time for the employee.
Exposure to these risks and benefits can vary based on your situation. Forethought and preparation are your biggest
allies in making your expat program a success.

12 factors to look for in a job other than a paycheck

“Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy. If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself, you’ll have inner
peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you’ll have more success than you could possibly have
imagined.” —Roger Caras

Minimalism has many benefits. It gives freedom, time, and reduces stress. Minimalism also reduces the amount of
money required for life.
As a result, it provides opportunity to choose work based on a number of factors—not just the size of the paycheck
(salary, wage, or income). Once we learn contentment with less, we are free to weigh any number of factors in choosing
work. Embrace minimalism. It opens up countless opportunities in life and work.
To help you enjoy waking up in the morning, consider these 12 factors in a job other than a paycheck.
1. It makes a positive difference. Choose a job that adds value to our world, leaves it better than you found it, and
genuinely helps other people.

2. You enjoy your co-workers. Given the fact that you will spend a large percentage of your day at work, be sure you
enjoy the people around you. It is comforting to know that they support you, cheer for you, and work together as a team.

3. You feel appreciated and valued. A paycheck is nice, but that goes straight to the bank. On the other hand,
appreciation is something you carry in your soul every day. This appreciation can be communicated through respect,
unexpected gifts, or just an old-fashioned “thank-you.”

4. You are trusted. It’s nice to know that somebody isn’t always looking over your shoulder. And when you are given a
task, you are given the freedom to complete it.

5. It is something you love to do. The old adage is completely true, “Find a job that you love and you’ll never have to
work a day in your life.” Look for a job that keeps you motivated by its very nature, not solely by the paycheck –
because that wears off real fast.

6. It fits your personality. Anyone who has ever taken a personality test knows we all have unique personalities that
thrive in certain environments. Some enjoy working with people, others enjoy completing tasks. Some like making the
decisions, others don’t. Find a job that fits your sweet spot. And by the way, if you keep getting this one wrong, there
are people who can help you.

7. It challenges you to grow. Look for a job that will make you better. Whether through challenging assignments,
educational opportunities, demanding excellence or informal mentors, a job that forces you to grow beyond your current
skill set will make you a better person.

8. The company’s values align with yours. At the end of the day, your integrity is what matters most. Don’t compromise
it every time you walk into the workplace. If you are at a job that requires you to suspend your personal convictions,
you don’t need to be—nor should you be.
9. A flexible, results-oriented culture. A culture of flexibility suggests a results-driven focus—one that is more
interested in you successfully completing your job with excellence than clocking in a set amount of work hours during a
specified time of the day.

10. It values family. You value your family. Your job should too.

11. It brings balance to life. Work is not so bad when you love it. But if you are not allowed to explore other endeavors
(play/hobbies/family) because of its demands, it is not healthy for your soul, life, or body. Find a job that allows you to
enjoy your life outside of work too.

12. It brings you satisfaction. The ability to look back at your day, your year, or your life with satisfaction is more
valuable than any number of digits in the bank.

***

Parents are too permissive with their children nowadays

Few people would defend the Victorian attitude to children, but if you were a parent in those days, at least you knew
where you stood: children were to be seen and not heard. Freud and company did away with all that and parents have
been bewildered ever since. The child's happiness is all-important, the psychologists say, but what about the parents'
happiness? Parents suffer constantly from fear and guilt while their children merrily romp about pulling the place apart.
A good old-fashioned spank ing is out of question: no modem child-rearing manual would permit such barbarity. The
trouble is you are not allowed even to shout. Who knows what deep psychological wounds you might inflict? The poor
child may never recover from the dreadful traumatic experience. So it is that parents bend over backwards to avoid
giving their children complexes which a hundred years ago hadn't even been heard of. Certainly a child needs love, and
a lot of it. But excessive permissiveness of modem parents is surely doing more harm than good.

Psychologists have succeeded in undermining parents' confidence in their own authority. And it hasn't taken children
long to get wind of the fact. In addition to the great modem classics on child care, there are countless articles in
magazines and newspapers. With so much unsolicited advice flying about, mum and dad just don't know what to do any
more. In the end, they do nothing at all. So, from early child hood, the kids are in charge and parents' lives are regulated
according to the needs of their offspring. When the little dears develop into teenagers, they take complete control. Lax
authority over the years makes adolescent rebellion against parents all the more violent. If the young people are going to
have a party, for instance, parents are asked to leave the house. Their presence merely spoils the fun. What else can the
poor parents do but obey?

Children are hardy creatures (far harder than the psychologists would have us believe) and most of them survive the
harmful influence of extreme permissiveness which is the normal condition in the modem household. But a great many
do not. The spread of juvenile delinquency in our own age is largely due to parental laxity. Mother believing that little
Johnny can look after himself, is not at home when he re turns from school, so little Johnny roams the streets. The
dividing-line between permissiveness and sheer negligence is very fine indeed.

The psychologists have much to answer for. They should keep their mouths shut and let parents get on with the job.
And if children are knocked about a little bit in the process, it may not really matter too much. At least this will help
them to develop vigorous views of their own and give them something positive to react against. Per haps there's some
truth in the Idea that children who've had a surfeit of happiness in their childhood emerge like stodgy puddings and fail
to make a success of life.

Television is doing irreparable harm

Yes. but what did we use to do before there was television? How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't
been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted
the one eyed monster into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized
pleasure. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to
go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and
listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the
'goggle box'. We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that program. We have even given up
sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will
do anything. providing it doesn't interfere with the program. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and
attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a program. he is quickly silenced.

Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Food is left uneaten homework undone and sleep is lost. The
telly is a universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living
room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials and spectacles of
sadism and violence - so long as they are quiet.

There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day, television consumes vast quantities of
creative work. That Is why most of the programs are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain
high standards as well. When millions watch the same programs, the whole world becomes a village, and society is
reduced to the conditions which obtain in pre-liter ate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most
primitive media of communication: picture and the spoken word.

Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our
arm-chairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we
choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world Itself. Television may
be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become
aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away
from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly dis cover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King
Telly.

Advertisers perform a useful service to the community

Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they're always coming in for criticism. Their critics seem to resent
them because they have a flair for self-promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. 'It's
iniquitous,' they say, 'that this entirely unproductive industry (if we can call it that) should absorb mil lions of pounds
each year. It only goes to show how much profit the big companies are making. Why don't they stop advertising and
reduce the price of their goods? After all, it's the consumer who pays. . . '

The door old consumer! He'd have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn't create mass markets for products. It is
precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the
only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the
knowledge we have about household goods derives largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce
us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a
washing-machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an
advertisement.

Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible
not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper
would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading railway bye-laws while
waiting for a train? Would you like to read only closely printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty
advertisement makes such a difference to a drab wall or a newspaper full of the daily ration of calamities.

We must not forget, either, that advertisement makes a positive contribution to our pockets. Newspapers, commercial
radio and television companies could not subsist without this source of revenue. The fact that we pay so little for our
daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmes is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think
what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price.

Another thing we mustn't forget is the 'small ads’, which are in virtually every newspaper and magazine. What a
tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these
columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be
called the 'hatch, match and dispatch' columns; but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or 'agony' column.
No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such deep insight into human nature. It's the
best advertisement for advertising there is!

Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents

From the health point of view, we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most
dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern rugs and surgery. It is almost
certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has
increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy fife is greater than ever before, every day
we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car! It is a never-
ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly mutilated each year and we
are quietly sitting back and letting it hap pen.

It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his
personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's very worst qualities. People who are normally
quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering wheel. They swear, they are ill-
mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and
jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.

The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything
is done for his convenience. Cities are al lowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are
made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes
nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgot ten.

It is high time of a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the
laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally
accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the
things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all drivers
should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle
should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest
amount of alcohol in the blood can Impair a person's driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they
exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads.
Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers. as has been done in the USA. All advertising
stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately harsh, but surely nothing
should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human
beings, not motor-cars.

Would governments should conduct serious campaigns against smoking

If you smoke and you still don't believe that there's a define link between smoking and bronchial troubles. heart disease
and lung cancer. then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you
are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking. This needn't make you too uncomfortable because you are in good
company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no
evil and smell no evil. Admittedly. a few governments have taken timid measures. In Britain, for instance, cigarette
advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to
puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.

You don't have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm. The
answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It's almost like a tax on our daily bread. In tax
revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So
while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking may, conceivably, be harmful, it doesn't do to shout too
loudly about it.
This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one
hand, it Is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on
efforts to cure people suffering from the disease. Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that
everybody would be much better-off if smoking were banned altogether.

Of course, we are not ready for such drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about
the welfare of their peoples, you'd think they'd conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco
industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising. Its advertising is as insidious as It Is dishonest. We are
never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The
advertisements always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it Is manly to smoke, even positively
healthy! Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter
nonsense!

For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking
should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform
young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning-say, a picture of a death's
head-should be included in every pocket of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals we are certainly weak, but if
governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves.

Pop stars certainly earn their money

Pop stars today enjoy a style of living which was once the prerogative only of Royalty. Wherever they go, people tum
out in their thousands to greet them. The crowds do wild trying to catch a brief glimpse of their smiling, colourfully-
dressed idols. The stars are transported in their chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royces, private helicopters or executive aero
planes. They are surrounded by a permanent entourage of managers, press-agents and body-guards. Photographs of
them appear regularly in the press and all their comings and goings are reported, for, like Royalty, pop stars are news. If
they enjoy many of the privileges of Royalty, they certainly share many of inconveniences as well. It is dangerous for
them to make unscheduled appearances in public. They must be constantly shielded from the adoring crowds which
idolize them. They are no longer private individuals, but public property. The financial rewards they receive for this
sacrifice cannot be calculated, for their rates of pay are astronomical.

And why not? Society has rewarded its top entertainers lavishly. The great days of Hollywood have become legendary:
famous stars enjoyed fame, wealth and adulation on an unprecedented scale. By today's standards, the excesses of
Hollywood do not seem quite so spectacular. A single gramophone record nowadays may earn much more in royalties
than the films of the past ever did. The competition for the title 'Top of the Pops' is fierce, but the rewards are truly
colossal.

It is only right that the stars should be paid in this way. Don't the top men in industry earn enormous salaries for the
services they perform to their companies and their countries? Pop stars earn vast sums in foreign currency-often more
than large industrial concerns-and the taxman can only be grateful for their massive annual contributions to the
exchequer. So who would begrudge them their rewards? It's all very well for people in humdrum jobs to moan about the
successes and re wards of others. People who make envious remarks should remember that the most famous star, there
are hundreds of other struggling to earn a living. A man working in a steady job and looking forward to a pension at the
end of it has no right to expect very high rewards. He has chosen security and peace of mind, so there will always a
limit to what he can earn. But a man who attempts to become a star is taking enormous risks. He knows at the outset
that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top. He knows that years of concentrated effort may be the
rewards with complete failure. But he knows, too, that the rewards are very high indeed: they are the recompense for the
huge risks involved and if he achieves them, he has certainly earned them. That's the essence of private enterprise.

Any form of education other than co-education is simply unthinkable

Imagine being asked to spend twelve or so years of your life in a society with consisted only members of your own sex.
How would you react? Unless there was something differently wrong with you, you wouldn't be too happy about it, to
say the least. It is all surprising therefore that so many parents in the world choose to impose such abnormal conditions
on their children-conditions which they themselves wouldn't put up with for one minute!

Any discussion of this topic is bound to question the aim of education. Stuffing children's heads full of knowledge is far
from being foremost among them. One of the chief aims of education is to equip future citizens with all they require to
take their place in adult society. Now adult society is made up of men and women, so how can a segregated school
possibly otter the right sort of preparation for it? Anyone entering adult society after years of segregation can only be in
for a shock.

A co-education school offers children nothing less than a true version of society in miniature. Boys and girls are given
the opportunity to know each other, to learn to live together from their earliest years. They are put in a position where
they can compare themselves with each other in terms of academic ability. achievement and many of the extra-
curricular activities which are part of school life. What a practical advantage it is (to give just a small example) to be
able to put on a school play in which the male parts will be taken by boys and the female parts by girls! What nonsense
co-education makes of the argument that boys are cleverer than girls or vice versa. When segregated. boys and girls are
made to feel that they are a race apart. Rivalry between the sexes is fostered. In a co-educational school. everything
falls into its proper place.

But perhaps the greatest contribution of co-education is the healthy attitude to life it encourages. Boys don't grow up
believing that women are mysterious creatures airy goddesses, more like book-illustrations to a fairy-tale, than human
beings. Girls don't grow up Imagining that men are romantic heroes. Years of living together at school dispel illusions
of this kind. There are no goddesses with freckles, pigtails, piercing voices and inky fingers. There are no romantic
heroes knobbly knees, dirty fingernails and unkempt hair. The awkward stage of adolescence brings into sharp focus
some of the physical and emotional problems involved in growing up. These can better be overcome in a co-educational
environment. Segregated schools some-times provide the right conditions for sexual deviation. This is hardly possible
under a co-educational system. When the time comes for the pupils to leave school, they are fully prepared to enter
society as well-adjusted adults. They have already had years of experience in coping with many of the problems that
face men and women.

Capital punishment is the only to deter criminals

Perhaps all criminals should be required to carry cards which read: Fragile: Handle with Care. It will never do, these
days, to go around referring to criminals as violent thugs. You must refer to them politely as "social misfits". The
profession al killer who wouldn't think twice about using his cosh or crowbar to batter some harmless old lady to death
in order to rob her of her meager life-savings must never be given a dose of his own medicine. He is in need of
"hospital treatment".

According to his misguided defenders, society is to blame. A wicked society breeds evil-or so the argument goes When
you listen to this kind of talk, it makes you wonder why we aren't all criminals. We have done away with the absurdly
harsh laws of the nineteenth century and this is only right. But surely enough is enough. The most senseless piece of
criminal legislation in Britain and a number of other countries has been the suspension of capital punishment.

The violent criminal has become a kind of hero-figure in our time. He is glorified on the screen; he is pursued by the
press and paid vast sums of money for his "memoirs”. Newspapers which specialize in crime-reporting enjoy enormous
circulations and the publisher of trashy cops and robbers stories or " murder mysteries" have never had it so good. When
you read about the achievements of the great train robbers, it makes you wonder whether you are reading about some
glorious resistance movement. The hardened criminal is cuddled and cosseted by the sociologists on the one hand and
adored as a hero by the masses on the other. It's no wonder he is a privileged person who expects and receives V IP
treatment wherever he goes.

Capital punishment used to be a major deterrent. It made the violent robber think twice before pulling the trigger. It
gave the cold-blooded poisoner something to ponder about while he was shaking up or serving his arsenic cocktail. It
prevented un armed policemen from being mowed down while pursuing their duty by killers armed with automatic
weapons. Above all, it protected the most vulnerable members of society, young children, from brutal sex-maniacs. It is
horrifying to think that the criminal can literally get away with murder. We all know that " life sentence" does not mean
what it says. After ten years or so of " good conduct" the most desperate villain is free to return to society where he will
live very comfortably, thank you, on the proceeds of his crime, or he will go on committing offences until he is caught
again.

people are always willing to hold liberal views at the defender of the under-dog, so long as you, personally, remain
unaffected. Did the defenders of crime, one wonders, in their desire for fair-play, consult the victims before they
suspended capital punishment'? Hardly. You see, they couldn't because all the victims were dead.

Only a madman would choose to live in a large modem city

"Avoid the rush-hour" must be the slogan of large cities the over world. If it is, ifs a slogan no one takes the least notice
of. Twice a day, with predictable regularity, the pot boils over. Wherever you look, it's people, people, people. The
trains which leave or arrive every few minutes are packed: an endless procession of human sardine tins. The streets are
so crowed, there Is hardly room to move on the pavements. The queues for buses reach staggering proportions. It takes
ages for a bus to get to you because the traffic on the roads has virtually come to a standstill. Even when a bus does at
last arrive, it's so full, it can't take any more passengers. This whole crazy system of commuting stretches man's
resources to the utmost. The smallest unforeseen event can bring about conditions of utter chaos. A power-cut, for
instance. an exceptionally heavy snowfall or a minor derailment must always make city-dwellers realize how precarious
the balance is. The extraordinary thing is not that people put up with these conditions. but that they actually choose
them in preference to anything else.

Large modem cities are too big to control. They impose their own living conditions on the people who inhabit them.
City dwellers are obliged by their environment to adopt a wholly unnatural way of life. They lose touch with the land
and rhythm of nature. It Is possible to live such an air-conditioned existence in a large city that you are barely conscious
of the seasons. A few flowers in a public park (if you have the time to visit it) may remind you that it is spring or
summer. A few leaves clinging to the pavement may remind you that it is autumn. Beyond that, what is going on in
nature seems totally irrelevant. All the simple, good things of life like sunshine and fresh air are at a premium. Tall
buildings blot out the sun. Traffic fumes pollute the atmosphere. Even the distinction between day and night is lost. The
flow of traffic goes on unceasingly and the noise never stops.

The funny thing about it all is that you pay dearly for the " privilege" of living in a city. The demand for accommodation
is so great that it Is often impossible for ordinary people to buy a house of their own. Exorbitant rents must be paid for
tiny flats which even country hens would disdain to live in. Accommodation apart, the cost of living is very high. Just
about everything you buy is likely to be more expensive than it would be in the country.

In addition to all this, city-dwellers live under constant threat. The crime rate in most cities Is very high. Houses are
burgled with alarming frequency. Cities breed crime and violence and are full of places you would be afraid to visit at
night. If you think about it. they're not really fit to live in at all. Can anyone really doubt that the country ls what man
was born tor and where he truly belongs?