When The Clerk Came To Work - A Prison Ghost Story


By Ricky Taylor

"It really happened, Taylor," Kellogg said. He sat behind his desk in the Facility Three Yard program office of the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. He wore the bravo class uniform of a correctional sergeant, khaki shirt with three stripes on each arm, depicting his rank, and a black uniform ballcap to cover his brown, thinning hair. I sat across from him, leaning back in a chair, one booted foot on the desk. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I was there. I saw him with my own eyes."

It was first watch, the graveyard shift. The inmates were locked up for the night, and the prison was staffed by a skeleton crew. What better time was there to tell ghost stories?

Prisons are replete with tales of supernatural apparitions, purported to be the spirits of murdered inmates, or officers who spend their lives after death eternally haunting the halls of their former places of employment. During my academy training as a correctional officer cadet, I worked a short time at Old Folsom, the second oldest prison in the state. The stories there revolved around the spirits of inmates hanged for murder. A warehouse stands now where the gallows used to be. Officers on first watch were required to conduct security checks of the facility. New officers often reported they heard men weeping and wailing in the old warehouse. Experienced officers either stopped reporting the sounds or stopped entering the warehouse altogether. Another tale at Old Folsom prison had to do with a certain housing unit. Officers routinely counted inmates and grew accustomed to the idea that, in that housing unit, they were never alone during count. They felt the presence of an unseen officer walking the tiers with them, and even heard the jingling of his keys.

"I don't know, Kellogg," I said. "I'm not calling you a liar, but this place can do funny things to a man's senses. And you did say you were sleeping."

"Yeah, I was sleeping, "Kellogg said, "but I was awake when I saw him. He was there, as real as you are, standing on the second tier, looking down at the dayroom floor."

"What did he look like?"

"He looked like an inmate. He was a white guy, covered in tattoos. Even on his face. He was wearing his blues. I thought he had gotten out of his cell somehow. I'm just glad I didn't think to notify central control. They would've thought I was crazy."

As the story went, it happened when Kellogg was still an officer, working overtime in the control booth of housing unit thirteen on Facility Four. The control booth was a large room in the second story of the housing unit, with thick, unbreakable windows. The control booth officer provided gun coverage for the yard from his back window, and coverage for the officers inside the housing unit through slots in his front windows. He also controlled the opening and closing of the housing unit and cell doors from a panel on his desk. During the day, it was a busy job, but at night, when the inmates were locked in their cells, it was one of the easiest jobs in the prison. And an officer, especially an officer on overtime, could find himself struggling to stay awake. Kellogg had succumbed to the struggle that night, and was fast asleep.

"Something woke me up," Kellogg said, "I felt like someone was up in the control booth with me. I didn't see anyone, but I felt it. I got up and looked around, but no one was there. I looked out at the dayroom, and there he was, clear as day, leaning against the second tier railing, just staring down at the dayroom floor. I shouted at him, but he ignored me. I called down to the officers, but they were sleeping in their office. They wouldn't wake up. The inmate started walking toward cell 216, and I started shouting at him again. He never even looked at me. He got to the cell door, but didn't stop walking. Taylor, man, I'm telling you, he walked right through the cell door like it wasn't even there. I don't know what to think of it, but I know it happened."

"And you don't think it was a dream?" I said.

"No dream," Kellogg said. "When my shift was over in the morning, I left the control booth and went to cell 216. There were two inmates locked up in there. I talked to them."

"What did they say?"

"That's the thing," Kellogg said. "At first they didn't want to talk to me. They thought I would think they were crazy. When they did talk, they told me they woke up and saw an inmate, the same inmate, standing in their cell, staring out their back window. And, just like that, he was gone. He was there one second, and gone the next."

I took Sergeant Kellogg's story with the proverbial grain of salt. I did not dismiss it outright. Who am I, after all, to judge another man's ghost story. But to say I believed it would not be entirely true. I had witnessed many unexplainable events in my life, and tried to keep my mind open to possibilities, but I also nurtured a healthy cynicism.

Another strange event happened in the prison infirmary. I wasn't a witness to it, but I talked to the doctor and nurses involved, who swore to me that it happened. Inmates with severe medical issues were kept in cells that were basically hospital rooms, equipped with medical beds and televisions. A man convicted of serial rape was dying. He was a belligerent old inmate, rude and caustic, especially to the female staff members. He was in the last few minutes of life, and was still conscious. He looked up at the television from where he was lying in bed, and cried out in fear. Scrolling on the bottom of the screen were the words, YOU ARE GOING TO HELL. The Doctor was in the room with two nurses. They changed the channel, but the words remained on the bottom of the screen. YOU ARE GOING TO HELL. The inmate took his final breath, staring up at the television screen. Perhaps the story was true. Perhaps not. I kept an open mind.

It wasn't until I had an experience of my own that I decided Sergeant Kellogg may have really seen a ghost. It happened to me. It happened when the clerk came to work.

There were many jobs in prison for inmates. Inmates were cooks, they worked in the laundry, as porters in the housing units and a variety of other positions. Being an inmate clerk required intelligence. To be the lieutenant's clerk required even greater intelligence. The lieutenant's clerk had to be knowledgeable of yard procedures, and had to be able to read and write well. When a yard discovered an inmate with these capabilities they held on to them. Most lieutenant's clerks had long sentences, and many held the same job for ten years or more. The Facility One lieutenant's clerk, Inmate Jensen, had been the clerk for at least fifteen years. He was an older man with gray hair, a pale complexion and bifocals. He was quiet and unobtrusive, never out of line with the officers, but was always professional and courteous. He became part of the furniture, so to speak, his presence so common in the program office that he often went unnoticed. He had been convicted at the age of thirty for murdering his wife's lover after catching them together in his bed. He was in his sixties, and had spent more time in prison than he had lived outside prison. His life inside the wall was routine. He got up every morning, put on a clean, pressed inmate uniform, waited for the control booth officer to open his cell, then headed to the program office. Five days a week, every week for more than fifteen years. He never talked about paroling. Like many lifers, I am sure he hoped to one day be free. But Inmate Jenkins would spend the rest of his life in prison.

The rest of his life. And one more day.

It was early on a Monday morning. I entered the Facility One Program office. I was scheduled to work as one of the yard officers, and grabbed my equipment, baton, pepper spray, radio, keys, from the equipment locker. I barely noticed when Inmate Jenkins entered. He looked around, and seemed a bit confused. I was too busy donning my equipment to pay much attention. He headed back to his work station, an alcove just down the hallway with an electric typewriter on a large wooden desk. I finished cinching up my duty belt and keying the microphone on my radio to make sure the battery was charged. Inmate Jenkins left his work area, the same look of vague confusion on his pale face. He walked to the front door of the program, which was propped open for the officers to come and go, and stepped out onto the yard. I checked the schedule of duties, which was posted to the wall, to see what extra duties I had to perform.

I heard shouting from one of the first watch officers at the back of the program.

"No freaking way!" he yelled.

I stepped out into the hallway to see what was going on. The officer, a middle-aged Hispanic man, was staring from where he stood at the end of the hallway, out through the open door. His eyes were wide with surprise, and not a little fear. I followed his gaze to the empty yard.

"What's happening?" I said.

"Jenkins, man. I just saw Jenkins!"

"Doing what?" I said. I looked out at the yard, but did not see inmate Jenkins.

"You don't get it! He's not supposed to be doing anything."

I scanned the yard again. No inmate Jenkins. Where could he have gone?

"I don't see him at all," I said.

"Taylor," the officer said, exasperated, "Jenkins is dead. He died at the infirmary last night!"

I looked at the officer, sure he was messing with me. I grinned.

"Okay," I said, "Jenkins is dead. Go on. I just saw him a minute ago."

The officer stepped out onto the yard, looking around. He shook his head.

"I don't get it, man," he said. "They told me he was dead."

"Well," I said, "they told you wrong. Maybe it was another Jenkins."

He thought about it, looking at the empty yard. He nodded to himself.

"Yeah. I guess so. That has to be it... "

"Here," I said, "come with me."

I entered the program office and he followed. Sitting down at the computer, I put in my password and logged onto SOMS, the information system for officers. I searched for Inmate Jenkins on Facility One. His information flashed on my screen, his housing unit and photo identification. I checked his status. It showed he had discharged from prison the day before. I looked up at the officer, who stared over my shoulder at the computer screen. His mouth was open. His eyes were wide. There, directly under Inmate Jenkin's photo were the following words: Status- Discharged. Cause- Death. Location- Office of the Coroner, San Diego County. Inmate Jenkins was not only dead, he was discharged to the San Diego County Coroner's Office.

His body was in the morgue.

Occasionally, I read articles in the newspaper or watch news stories about people convicted of heinous crimes. Some are sentenced to life, some to life plus fifty years. I worked with inmates who were sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. We all assumed they would leave the prison when their first life sentence was over. After all, a man has only one life to give. But now I wonder whether that is entirely true. How many inmates served their sentences of life, only to find they had a lot more time to do?

Compulsory Military Service


By Arvind Mohan

COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE FOR GOVERNMENT JOBS

This is one of the most atrocious and stupid proposals I have come across. This is based on the presumption that anyone and everyone is suitable to serve as a soldier. The first and foremost is the physical fitness and stamina. It is foolish to think that everyone can match up to the standards. In case those joining Government services are given relaxations in various standards while serving in military then the list of such relaxations is going to be very long and the main purpose of this whole exercise is defeated. For officers' cadre it is even tougher as in military there are leaders and not administrators, and these leaders lead by personal example. How many potential Government officers will fit the bill?

In case these persons are going to be there in military just to be eligible for Government job their priority will never be military and they won't contribute anything towards it. They will be simply a burden on defence forces and a big liability. In any case they can't be used in active operations or anything military. They will only spoil the military culture and bring down the standards as well as create confusion and chaos in rank and file.

However if the nation is serious about good governance and effective administration the politicians aspiring to become MPs, MLAs MLCs, Corporaters etc should be made to serve in military for at least 3 years. Naturally, as mentioned above, all of them will not be able to meet the standards and therefore can be screened out at this early stage itself. The country will be highly benefited by getting right kind of leaders to lead the nation and getting riddance of nincompoops.

The compulsory military service for aspiring politicians will not only be a crucible for finding out the potential leaders but will also provide an excellent training platform for imbibing personal and social values and unadulterated patriotism which will enable them to grow into right kind of nationalist leaders. These leaders will always have nation first and will most likely be incorruptible and honest. Through military training they may develop a good habit of remaining physically fit and mentally alert which will be a great asset for improved efficiency. It is high time that a serious thought is given to this proposal and implement it earliest even if amendment in constitution is needed.

Are Created Diamonds Going to Overtake the Real Deal?


By Vahan Avagyan

"Diamonds are forever," and "Diamonds are a girl's best friend," are old sayings that sprung from one of the world's most popular gemstones: the diamond.

Diamonds do not last forever. Diamonds degrade to graphite, because graphite is a lower-energy configuration under typical conditions. They are (the stuff in wedding rings) and graphite (the stuff in pencils) are both crystalline forms of pure carbon.

All of this would change in 1867 when massive deposits were discovered in South Africa. The world's diamond production increased more than tenfold in the following decade.

But since the 1970s, a new competitor is threatening the natural diamond's place on the gemstone pecking order: the grown ones.

To grow diamonds, manufacturers use one of two approaches: 1) they simulate the crush of the earth by applying high temperatures and pressure to carbon, creating a diamond seed. 2) They use a 3D printing-like approach, layering carbon inside a vacuum chamber.

Scientists have been growing diamonds in lab settings since the 1950s for industrial uses, but by the 70s and 80s, these man-made jewels have increased in quality so much so that even expert gemologists    cannot tell the difference between diamonds created by humans and those mined by humans.

Manufactured diamonds are usually 30% less expensive than naturally mined diamonds, and are more environmentally friendly than mined diamonds. Mined diamonds can create serious environmental damage, including leaching chemicals into water sources and destroying the habitats of threatened animal species. With laboratory-produced diamonds, however, there is no air or water pollution, nor are substantial hazardous chemicals used during the process.

Of course, mining companies claim that grown diamonds are inauthentic, and although grown diamonds are cheaper than their natural counterparts, there are drawbacks of purchasing a grown diamond as opposed to a natural diamond. For one, grown ones are still far more expensive than other proven created ones, like cubic zirconia. For another, buyers may not be able to resell manufactured, as there currently is no secondary market for them.

Just like no two couples are alike, no two diamonds are alike. This is true for both lab-grown diamonds and organic diamonds. When considering the differences and similarities between lab-created diamonds and "nature grown diamonds," you won't find many that are visible to the unaided eye, unless you're actually a gemologist.

Still, manufactured diamonds are nearly indistinguishable from, and cheaper than, naturally mined ones. And for some, that is good enough.

So can manufactured ones fulfill consumers' jewelry needs as well as mined? Ultimately, it's up to you to decide.

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Probiotics for Psoriasis: Does It Work? Bacteria Is Your Friend


By Jenny K Leslie

The semi-good news for all of us who suffer from psoriasis is that you are not alone, since it affects around 7.5 million of us here in the USA. The bad news is that even though psoriasis is commonly considered to be little more than an irritating skin affliction, research shows us that it can lead to psoriatic arthritis, heart disease, Crohn's disease, and cancer, so it is not something to be taken lightly.

Not to mention that it's deemed to be incurable. And don't even get us started on all the cures that are meant to get rid of psoriasis. It seems, after all, that many psoriasis treatments involve dubious ingredients of like steroids, petroleum jelly, or some sort of pharmaceutical nonsense which you don't know whether to blindly trust, or just take to the toxic waste dump and be rid of.

But you do need something to at least alleviate the symptoms of pesky psoriasis - and preferably something natural that won't go on to cause a list of other side effects.

Enter probiotics, which can not only help you clear up your condition, but also comes with a bevy of other health benefits - rather than unpleasant side effects. Better yet, these beneficial bacteria are natural, and are essential not only in reducing the inflammation which causes psoriasis, but for digestion, healthy hormone balance, and overall bodily health.

How Probiotics Help Psoriasis

As many of us already know, probiotics are the beneficial bacteria which live in us, on us, and around us, and without them, we couldn't so much as digest our food, or have a healthy immune system.

However, our modern lifestyle has us deficient in these crucial microorganisms. This is due to most of us not living in environments such as farms or ranches where contact with friendly microbes is more common than in urban areas, and there is also our overuse of sanitizers, disinfectants, and antibiotics.

One of the many problems with this deficiency is, since probiotics help control inflammation-causing bacteria by stimulating our immune-regulating T-cells, chronic inflammation can be the result. Since psoriasis is caused by inflammation, low levels of gut bacteria can leave us vulnerable to it.

Plus, probiotics play a role in other aspects of skin health, such as warding off acne, healing wounds, skin rejuvenation and strengthening the skin's (and body's) overall immune health. This is due not only to probiotic's abilities to help reduce inflammation, but in controlling other, less desirable bacteria which can take over in the absence of probiotics.

But Which Probiotic Strain Should I use for Psoriasis?

There are trillions of strains of bacteria forming ecosystems inside of us, and each of us has our own body chemistry which may support different varieties of microorganisms. In fact, it has been noted that the types of bacteria in us may be likened to a fingerprint, in that no two are identical.

However, different bacteria also affect different conditions, such as studies showing that Lactobacillus, B. bifudum, and L. Acidophilus are effective in treating acne.

And, while using just any probiotic to improve your gut flora may be better than nothing, some strains do better with skin conditions like psoriasis than others, including:

Bifidobacterium bifidum. Perhaps the most commonly known probiotic strain, B. bifidum is essential for skin health, since it plays a key role in maintaining a strong immune system. B. bifidum works to control unwelcome bacteria varieties in the gut, which not only helps digestion, but boosts the body's immune response against inflammation and allergies.

Lactobacillus plantarum. L. plantarum helps the body produce L. lysine, which is an amino acid which supports calcium absorption and hormone production, and is also key in supporting a positive immune response to guard against inflammation. This not only protects us against psoriasis, but has anti-aging, digestive, and immune health benefits as well.

Lactobacillus acidophilus. Also one of the more well-known probiotics due to its long association with digestive health-particularly for those who have trouble digesting dairy products. L. acidophilus is also an immune booster, which helps produce a healthy response to inflammation and associated skin conditions.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus. L. rhamnosus gets antibodies to ward off infection and inflammation. This helps it boost the immune system, as well as guard against inflammation.

How to Take Probiotics for Psoriasis?

To start taking probiotics for psoriasis, you don't necessarily need to add another supplement to your stash.

Instead, you could go the more pleasurable route of adding another dish to the table. Cultured foods can be a simple - and tasty - way to add bacteria to your diet. Try some yogurt, raw sauerkraut, kefir or kimchi, although be sure to buy non-pasteurized, cold-processed products, since heat kills bacteria.

Some manufacturers, i.e. yogurt, also list strains of bacteria on their packaging, which helps in assuring you that the product does contain live bacteria. However, even if it doesn't, you should be able to identify a sour smell and taste in most cultured products, which also indicates that the bacteria are alive.

You can also go out and play in the dirt for your probiotics, which may not be too practical for most of us city-dwellers. However, if you have a garden, you are in luck, since soil can also be a rich source of probiotics, and there are few more satisfying ways to get them. Lower your grocery bill, beat psoriasis, AND fresh veggies to enjoy? Done!

Finally, taking a daily probiotic capsule is the easiest - and most consistent - way for us to get our microbes. When looking for a good probiotic, remember to look for a variety of strains, including some bifida and some lactobacillus.

You may need to try a few different companies and products before finding which one works best for you overall, but look for a product with at least 6-billion count. You should also only buy a product which is perishable. Look for a time stamp or use-by date, which helps to ensure the product is fully potent and live. Finally, look for a dark glass container, since light can also kill bacteria.

Last Notes on Probiotics for Psoriasis

Lay off the cleaning supplies, they're making you unhealthy! Seriously, most of us do a little more sanitizing than we really need to, which is only understandable, since we want to keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe.

However, by over-using hand sanitizers, counter disinfectants, and other anti-bacterial products, we aren't just killing off the bad guys, but the good guys as well. Plus, many sanitizers are endocrine disruptors that can cause such conditions as rashes and eczema - hmmm, could this have anything to do with your psoriasis?

But, even if sanitizing agents aren't what are causing your psoriasis, they are likely getting in the way of healthy probiotic populations, so stick with soap and water - it really is the best way to clean. Better yet, stick to a natural soap that's good for psoriasis.

So rather than trying a "cure" for your psoriasis which may only lead to further health problems, why not give probiotics a try? After all, you may find that they are not only good for alleviating your psoriasis, but can improve your digestion, immune health, and mental wellbeing too.

  https://solongpsoriasis.com/

Enviromental Problems in Nigeria: A Discource


By Newman Chintuwa Enyioko

Introduction

Nigeria has a total land area of 983,213 square Kilometers of which 773,783sq kilometers are in the savanna zones 75,707sq kilometers are in the derived savanna zones and 133,717 square kilometers are in the forest zone. Nigerian population is more than 150 million yielding an average density of more than 150 persons per square kilometer. Although this density may vary from one region to another, it is obvious that Nigeria is already experiencing high population density. The manifestation of these impacts includes; urbanization, deforestation, desertification, overpopulation and all kinds of pollution. These impacts have both negative and positive effects on the natural environment. It is the negative impacts of man's interaction with the environment that is emphasized in this study.

The unwise use of the natural environment due to ignorance, poverty, overpopulation and greed amongst others has led to the degradation of the environment. The charges (degradation) occur as Nigerians attempt to adjust their seemingly endless wants and desires for food, shelter, recreation, infrastructural facilities, and so on to the land and other resources available to them. This study examines the nature of environmental problems in Nigeria.

Conceptual Framework

The concept of environment has been viewed from diverse perspectives and defined in various ways. The variety of definitions and conceptions of environment is closely linked to the fact that the study of environment is mufti-disciplinary, and thus each discipline tended to develop and adopt definition(s) in line with its interest. This multiplicity of definitions, concepts and usage of the term in various disciplines.The multiplicity of the usage and concept of the term environment have resulted in a variety of adjectival forms which include; social environment, molar environment, physical environment, home environment, psychological environment, behavioral environment geographical environment.

The word environment is such an ambiguous term which is difficult both to identify and to restrict its scope, because it could be used to encompass anything from the whole biosphere to the habitat of the smallest creature or organism. In the broad sense, dictionary definitions of the term 'environment' range from - the totality of physical, economic, cultural, aesthetic, and social circumstances and factors which surround and affect the desirability and value of property or which also affects the quality of people's lives, to the conditions under which any person or thing lives or is developed; the subtotal of influences which modify and determine the development of life or character. This is the broad meaning by which the concept 'environment embraces everything within and around man that may have effect on or be affected by man; in other words, human environment as contrasted with physical environment. The broad meaning will subsume historical, cultural, technological, natural, economic, political factors, influences and milieus within the concept of environment.

Similarly, the Environmental Impact Assessment Decree of Nigeria defines the term 'environment' as including:- a) land, water and air, including all layers of the atmosphere; b) all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms and, c) the interacting natural systems that include components referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b)

Environmental Law

Environmental Law in Nigeria is a body of rules and regulations which have as their object or effect the protection of the environment from pollution and the wasteful depletion of natural resources and ensure sustainable development. Further, the structure of the Judicial system (with its emphasis on adversarial and backward-looking two-party litigation and with its procedural rules which are not user-friendly to those wishing to bring environmental cases and which fail to give the public interest a separate voice) is not particularly well-suited to consideration of environmental disputes, because typically they have multiple causes; give rise to complex scientific arguments; involve a complex interplay between public, private and criminal law; and require the balancing of difficult political or policy questions. One of the Characteristics of the law and policy of environmental protection is that it evolves, constantly reflecting the various values and priorities which we place upon different aspects of environmental issues. This means that in recent years as environmental issues have gained in importance, we have seen a period of unprecedented rapid change. In a subject area such as this where activities have to be planned reasonably far in advance, it is always helpful to know what is likely to happen in the future as well as what is the law at the time. In this sense environmental law is forward-looking law.

Environmental Problems are harmful aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement that started in the 1960s, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism, current problems faced by the environment.

Environmental Policy

An environmental policy can be an instrument of power to solve some perceived problems in the environment. The formulation of this policy attracts many actors from different levels of government- international, national and local. To understand the concept of environmental policy, the knowledge of framing, implementation and actors involved must be a prerequisite. Environmental Policy is further defined as planned actions to be followed by institutions with the objective of achieving a target. Based on this definition, environmental policy is action to foster and improve the quality of the environment, with the thrust of balancing economic and social issues. In achieving the thrust of economic and social balance, many actors' interests will be represented. This actors could be internal or external- each pushing for its own interest without minding the consequences to the other. Policy is located in political and bureaucratic settings, and should involve political processes Major Environmental Problems in Nigeria

i. Urbanization

Urbanization is caused by high population growth rate and rural- urban migration. Urbanization in Nigeria is characterized by city slums with serious environmental consequences. The problem has been described as acute and exemplifies the inability of development measures to keep pace with the rate of population growth. The problem of the disposal of savage and refuse is quite serious because of the rapid rate of generation of non-biodegradable materials such as plastics.

ii. Overpopulation

Population is a major factor in all environmental- related problems. Overpopulation causes stress on the environment. Environmental problems such as overpopulation, degradation, erosion, desertification, etc. are caused by man's misuse of environmental resources. Until very recently, Nigerians regard their large population size as a symbol of greatness, power and prestige and tend to resist attempts to reduce it drastically.

iii. Deforestation

Forest are large area of land with trees and are noticeable in area with sub equatorial and monsoon types of climates. They act as sanctuary for rare and/or endangered animals. Forests act as storm breaks, thereby protecting the towns and villages from destruction. They provide useful products such as wood and char-coal for fuel, fibre for study and textiles, medicine from the back and leaves of some plant, breeding ground for animals, check erosion, and supply of food and materials for building houses.

iv. Desertification

Desserts are barren lands, waterless and treeless and often sand covered such as Sahara desert which spread across Africa continent. Desertification is therefore the encroachment of the desert on land that was once fertile. Desertification can be induce either by natural process or by the action of man. Natural hazards such as drought and sand deposit by winds are prime factors in the desertification process. Desertification is more pronounced in the northern part of the country where the Saharah desert has eaten deep into the once fertile land.

v. Pollution

Environmental pollution can be categorized into three groups. These are air or atmospheric pollution, aquatic or water pollution and land or surface area pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines air pollution as limited to situation in which the outer ambient atmosphere contains materials in concentrations which are harmful to man and his environment. Man's activities on the earth surface have largely degraded the quality of the lower atmosphere. The growth and development of industries and Urbanization has contributed greatly to the excess carbon monoxide produced by combustion and other human activities.

vi. Flooding and Erosion

Most of Nigeria's 853km coastline is prone to coastal erosion. This is of grave ecological concern because a large part of Nigeria's population and economic activities are located within the coastal zone. Nigeria has an estimated population of over 25 million located in its coastal areas with economic activities which include oil and gas exploitation, agriculture, fishing, aquaculture, shipping, industries, and tourism. Over fifty highly vulnerable sites have been identified along the Nigerian coastline and all the eight coastal states are affected by erosion problems.

vii. Sanitation

Sanitary facilities like sewers, sewage treatment facilities, septic tanks and toilets for home are known to be grossly inadequate in Nigeria and have worsened over the years due to rapid rate of urbanization in the country. Indeed, disposal of waste is perhaps the most serious environmental problem in Nigerian cities. The increasing accumulation of refuse in cities forms breeding grounds for various diseases.

Sources and Effects of Environmental Problems in Nigeria

The prevalent environmental problems identified in this study to be associated with human activities which constitute serious threat to sustainable development in Nigeria are as indicated below:

Slums and Squatter Developments: Rapid urbanization due to rural-urban migration and natural population increase; inadequate housing and infrastructure; legal dualism in land administration and control. Lack of proper monitoring of physical development activities in urban areas Enhances rapid deterioration of physical environment and provide breeding ground for prostitutes, criminals and social miscreants. They constitute affront for human dignity with associated adverse health implications on residents, and thus negate the goal of environmental sustainability.

Urban Sprawl: Absence of updated master plans; uncoordinated spatial urban growth; decay of inner cities; land speculation and rapidly growing urban population Depletion of green areas and open spaces resulting in the loss of biodiversity, air pollution and traffic congestion due to increasing use of private automobiles. There is also the issue of incompatible land use due to lack of planning and haphazard developments. Pollution (land, air water): Inefficient waste management systems, emissions from automobiles, industrial plant and power generating sets; gas flaring Pollution general poses health risks to humans, terrestrial and aquatic lives. Land pollution through indiscriminate disposal of solid wastes provides breeding grounds; bush and refuse burning; solid and liquid minerals extraction activities and agrochemicals.

Weak institutional and regulatory framework for enforcing appropriate legislation for infectious disease vectors, while air pollution results in acid rains which destroy buildings and infrastructure. Oil spillage is a threat to the livelihood of oil producing communities. While air pollution contributes to global warming by depleting the ozone layer Urban Flooding: Absence of efficient storm water discharge system; ocean surge due to rise in sea level, extensive use of hard landscape elements; reclamation of swamps and natural storm water swales for building construction. Physical development on natural flood plains and non adherence to physical development regulations result to flooding in low lying cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt Destruction of human lives, properties and means of livelihood as well as public infrastructure, leading economic losses. Destroys plants and animal lives, and thus leading to destabilization of the ecosystem which comes with adverse consequences. Erosion Indiscriminate destruction of vegetation for fuel and construction materials. Construction, installation of infrastructure, agriculture and mining activities Threat to human lives, means of livelihoods and infrastructure as well as loss of land areas and reduction in biodiversity.

Role of Environmental Law in Regulating Land Use and Protection of the Environment in Nigeria

In order to examine the role of environmental law in regulating land use and environmental protection in Nigeria, this part of the paper seeks to:

(1) identify land use problems in Nigeria that lead to land degradation; and

(2) examine key environmental legislation that aim at regulating land use in order to protect the environment from gross abuse. Key environmental legislation on land use regulation and environmental protection

The freedom to use and enjoy land in particular, and private property in general is guaranteed by our laws in Nigeria, but it is trite that the rights cannot be absolute. They have to be regulated in the interest of the generality of the populace and in the protection of the rights of others in society. To minimize and control the above mentioned problems of land use and their negative impact on land resources, Nigerian government has put in place a number of legislative measures locally. One of the most important is the land Use Act, the objectives of which, among others, is to ensure that there is a sound land and environmental development and that the ecological and aesthetic values of the nation are preserved and enhanced.

Since the Land Use Act deals primarily with the acquisition, use and enjoyment of land, in accomplishing these objectives, the activities of an individual, government or organisation either private or public, is likely to create environmental problems. For example, where permission was given for land to be used for mining purpose or for industrial purpose or for a town and country planning purpose or for any other commercial or public work or convenience, environmental problems are surely going to crop up in the land use enjoyment of any of these services or purposes.

Essentially, the Land Use Act is not strictly an Act for environmental protection. However, environmental protection is one of those considerations which a holder of certificate of occupancy has to observe, though it is not explicitly provided for in any of the provisions of the Act. If the Act is read without such importation, the result is bound to be absurd and environmentally unsound. Policy Measures to Environmental Problems in Nigeria

Due to the environmental problems existing in Nigeria, laws and acts relating to environmental protection were made. These laws/acts were promulgated to address specific and identified problems. They were narrow in scope and spatially restricted. But Decree No 58 of 1988 as amended by Decree 59 of 1992, gave birth to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency FEPA (Now Ministry of Environment) it empowers the ministry to have control over all problems relating to Nigerian environment, resources, exploitation and management. But the success recorded by the Ministry is nothing to write home about. Problems of urbanization, desertification, pollution and deforestation continued due to the Government's Top-down approach, inconsistencies of government policies, neglect of indigenous knowledge, and use of inappropriate technology, sectoral approach, inadequate funding, and inadequate awareness.

Conclusions

Nigeria has a total land area of 983, 213 km2 occupied by more than 167 million people. The interaction of these millions of people with their environment has left indelible mark on the landscape. Attempts by these Nigerians to adjust their seemingly endless wants and desire for food, shelter, recreation and infrastructure facilities to mention but a few have resulted in deforestation, desertification, urbanization, over population and all kinds of pollution. Although, these land-use activities contribute to over all development of the country, they equally produce negative impacts in the environment.

Recommendations

This study has been able to explore the nature of environmental problems in Nigeria. It also explores some relevant laws / legislations on the environment. Therefore, for the purpose of overcoming the hurdles reminiscent in environmental problems and ensuring effective implementation of environmental laws, the following recommendations have been made:

1. The current environmental problems should be visited and reviewed as they are too old. During the reviewing processes, the public participation and consultation should be embraced, and all the necessary actors should be allowed to involve. Based on this full participatory process all interests will be included and an enforceable policy tool will be designed.

2. The government should increase the budgetary allocation for environmental institutions and their programme. Adequate funding will encourage capacity building of the human resources in the environmental institutions through trainings both at the local level and international level; this will exposed the agents of the institutions into the latest knowledge on environmental governance and diplomacy.

3. The Nigerian government should explicitly share the responsibilities on environmental matters to the different institutions involved. So every institution will know its own jurisdiction and responsibility and where it should not venture to. This will help solve the problem of overlapping responsibility and power tussling among the institutions.

4. The government should encourage and enforce regular reporting and audit on the state of the Nigerian environment and such reports and audits should be made available to the public via internet and books in the public library.

Newman Chintuwa Enyioko (MNIM, MBA. M.Sc. B.Sc, PhD Research Scholar.)

Email:  newmanenyioko@yhoo.com.

Affiliation: Medonice Management Consulting and Research Institute, Port

Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Hindu Code Bill


By Sneha Singh

A female is constructed more by the society than nature itself. She is already burdened by stringent notions of gender. To unburden her, Ambedkar envisaged the Hindu Code Bill to restore dignity and basic rights to her. He himself came from a background where he had faced every inequality and thus knew the importance of equal rights. The Hindu Code Bill was the means through which he tried to give women a certain kind of equality in that highly unequal society.

The bill sought to change the system of inheritance to "Dayabhaga" in which inheritance is by blood relationship to the decreased rather than cognatic relationship. This provision allowed widows, daughters and widows of a pre-deceased son the right to inherit. Daughters were also to be given half the property in her father's share. Ambedkar knew the dynamics of power and financial independence and thus wanted to empower the burdened or disadvantaged women by giving them the Right to Property and to inherit equally as men.

To reinforce equality in absolute terms, the Bill changed the law of women's estate from limited estate to an absolute estate which was the prerogative exclusive to men earlier according to the Hindu law. The bill also provided for the treatment of dowry as a "trust property" the exercise of which would be done by the woman and she would be entitled to claim it. This would discourage the husband or his relatives to have any interest in that property and torment her for it. The provisions of the Bill shows Ambedkar's deep understanding of Hinduism which was dominated by upper-caste brahmanical order. The bill sought to identify the problems within Hinduism and tried to give a solution. Ambedkar had understood the basic features of Hinduism, those which should remain sacrosanct at all times, thus without altering those he modified only those features which brought any inequality or disadvantage to women. The Bill while encapsulating the changes kept the basic features of Hinduism intact.

While keeping the provisions of "sacramental marriage" unaltered, the Bill validated "civil marriage" to break the barriers of caste in which the marriage will be valid irrespective of the caste of the partners entering into the sacred alliance. The new law mandated monogamy. Also, it changed the nature of marriage from indissoluble to dissoluble. This provision shows Ambedkar's progressive attitude and an urge to attain equality for women. Women never had the right to divorce and thus were unwillingly tied to marriage bearing all tortures and torments while men could leave his wife or even remarry. This provision gave equality to women in marriage. The grounds of divorce were however fixed and not ambiguous that could disrupt the status-quo of the society.

The Bill embodied the rules of adoption, giving equal say to married man and woman in the case of adoption. The bill however, shows regressive character when it mandates the adoption by widow upon the positive instructions of the deceased husband asking her to adopt. The evidence of such instruction must be in form of a registered deed or by a provision in the will. The regressive nature of the will in this context is obscure. While each provision of the Hindu Code Bill is highly progressive, this provision seems to take the bill a step back reinforcing the dependence of women on men even when he is no more. It comes contrary to Ambedkar's reformative nature which coerce us to debate the probable reasons in his mind when he drafted this provision.

In this compilation of Ambedkar's speech, one could easily see the reflection of Ambedkar's experiences of inequality that he had faced and seen around him. The piece shows Ambedkar's belief in equality in society. He knew women if given equal rights can contribute the progress of the country. Through his experiences he learnt that society cannot be transformed by mere ideals or beliefs of equality unless they are legally enforced on people by state.

Ten Dragon Songs That Please Your Ears


By Doug Poe

We were watching the news program showing on the television in the waiting room, when the anchor man read a list of celebrities who had birthdays coming up toward the end of the month. One of them was Tommy James, which the guy seated across from me admitted he had never heard of.

Even though James with the Shondells has many hits, the first that came to mind was "Draggin' the Line." The gentleman obviously mistook my pronunciation of that particular title, thinking I had mentioned two animals in it.

He remarked that he had heard "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" but he knew of no song name that mentioned a dragon. An awkward silence ensued until I came up with another title, "Crimson and Clover", which he said he recognized.

On the way home, though, I myself was thinking about song titles using the word dragon, and here is the list I came up with.

Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Paul and Mary

Whether or not this hit is about a certain plant or a fictional pet creature matters not, since it continues to be one of the folk trio's most beloved.

Dragon Attack by Queen

Its meaning remains a mystery, as does the reason why this track was so overshadowed by "Another One Bites The Dust" and the other hits from The Game.

St. George and the Dragon by Toto

Mythology is set to music on this fine number from the group's second album, Hydra.

Red Dragon Tattoo by Fountains of Wayne

As the title suggests, the power pop quartet plans to get inked on this catchy track from their second album, Utopia Parkway.

The Beast and the Dragon, Admired by Spoon

Brit Daniel addresses the title creatures in the opening song from Gimme Fiction.

Battle of the Dragon by Stevie Nicks

This tune is part of a record called Miscellaneous, an assortment of non-album tracks like "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" with Tom Petty.

Dragon Lady by Blue Oyster Cult

Highlighting an album called The Revolution By Night, this tune is much more indicative of the band's sound than "Don't Fear the Reaper."

As The Dragonfly Flies by Icicle Works

Their self-titled debut came out on just before similar sounding Tears For Fears released, and topped the charts, with Songs From the Big Chair.

The Dragon Hunters by the Cure

Robert Smith and his new wave band included this one on their self-titled debut.

The Dragon Song by Bonnie Prince Billie

If you want to see fire breathing beasts go deep into the woods, the song suggests, but the singer admits he is too chicken to go with you.

Catholic Faith Met Its Waterloo in India


By Madan G Singh

Background

The British ruled India for close to 200 years. Generally, it is accepted that the Battle of Plessey (1757) under Robert Clive which the British won, marks the start of British rule. By a policy of divide and rule, the British became the paramount power in the subcontinent. This continued till 1947 when the British had to leave India very reluctantly. The retreat from the subcontinent was brought about by Adolf Hitler who severely weakened England that it just could not hold on to its colonies. In short, the victory in the Second World War was a Pyrrhic victory.

British Rule and Missionaries

During the almost 200 years of British rule, a lot of good took place as the British laid the framework of a modern nation. This also fuelled a nationalism which went beyond caste and religious lines. Gandhi and Bose successfully channelized this nationalism as well as instituted a sense of pride in the culture of the subcontinent which was dominated by a vast Hindu population and minority Muslim believers.

The British being the paramount power also allowed Christian missionaries to come to India. Their purpose was to civilize the people of the sub-continent and convert them to Christianity. A lot of impetus was given by the Pope who made unlimited funds available for the missionaries to facilitate the conversion of the Hindus and Muslims to Christianity.

The Role of the Missionaries

The missionaries spread out in the hinterland of India concentrating on tribal areas and poor Hindu and Muslim residents. These were given ample gifts and were told that these were sent by Jesus Christ and as they should convert to Christianity. This inducement by the church marked the hallmark of the thrust under guidance from Rome to convert as many as possible to the Christian faith. I will add that the main thrust was from the Catholics from Rome and in comparison, the Protestants were not that zealous in their attempt to convert Indians to Christianity.

Failure of the Missionaries

Despite unlimited funds and food aid, the missionaries made little headway in the sub continent. They did do some good also as they set up schools and hospitals, but the overall framework was to spread the gospel. In this, they felt anything including inducements was justified. Fr the missionaries the end justified the means. But despite a vigorous thrust for 2 centuries, the missionaries could barely convert 2% of the population to the Christian faith. The reason is not far to seek as Christianity came face to face with Muslim and Hindu religion and the missionaries just could not, despite all the inducements counter the appeal of Hinduism and to a lesser extent Islam.

Reasons for Failure

One of the reasons which I think stand out now is that all the missionaries were whites and these appeared to the people as Alien. The Christian god Jesus was thus associated with white race and most people in the subcontinent were averse to being ruled by whites. Another reason was that despite the concerted attack on Hindu ideals and philosophy the people felt that Christianity as a religion lacked the deep spiritualism of the Hindu faith. This was a major reason as despite preaching the gospel along with inducements, the locals never converted to Christianity. In fact there were cases of missionaries being attacked and many were killed. Many people felt that if the Church was sincere, why it was not advocating freedom from British rule.

This was a major flaw and like in America a where the church condoned and supported slavery, the church in India also never advocated an end of British rule. With the protection of the state they penetrated deep into India but the result was an abysmal failure.

Last Word

One other reason for the failure of Christianity is that the rulers were Protestants and they looked at the actions of the missionaries with askance. Most Protestants were keen to revive Indian culture and many studied Hindu philosophy, but Protestants made no concerted attempt to convert the local people to Christianity.

The failure of the Church and Catholic faith to convert Hindus and Muslims to Christianity will remain a discussion point. It will not be wrong to say that Christianity, in particular, the Catholic faith met its Waterloo in India.

The Law of Attraction and Letting Go of Your Limiting Beliefs


By Estra Roell

We are vibrational beings. With every thought we have we transmit a vibration to the Universe. When we place our focus of attention on a particular thought, we strengthen the vibration of that thought. The Universe responds to our vibration by giving us what we are placing our energy and attention on.When we repeatedly hold a thought, it becomes a belief. Our beliefs determine what shows up in our lives. If, for example, a person believes he or she is not deserving of success, then despite all efforts, there will be some way in which she sabotages her success.

Most of our beliefs come from the ideas we picked up in childhood. Unfortunately, many of those beliefs are not true. Think about your self-talk. How often is it encouraging and positive? For most people, the majority of their thoughts are negative and habitual. No wonder so many people struggle to reach their goals and dreams!

Our beliefs, attitudes and values are stored in our subconscious mind. You may not even realize some of the beliefs you hold subconsciously. Our beliefs become the lens through which we see the world and affect how we behave. If you want to know what beliefs you hold, simply look at your life and ask, "What would someone have to believe in order to have created this?"

Perhaps you recognize some of these commonly held beliefs:

No matter what I do or how hard I try, it's never good enough.

I blame others for my problems.

My opinion doesn't matter.

What I do isn't really important.

If people knew the real me they wouldn't like me.

I shouldn't try anything new or risky because I'll probably screw it up.

I don't deserve to be happy (be successful, have love, etc.)

Mistakes and failure are bad.

The way to consciously deactivate a thought is to replace it with a different thought. When you first give your attention to a new thought, the vibration isn't very strong. But with practice, you begin to shift your limiting dominant thought to the new one. You actually create new neural pathways in the brain, so the new thought is now your default thought. Now you will be transmitting a vibration in alignment with what you want to create in your life.

Think about how you feel when you have a negative thought. Not so good, right? That feeling of contraction is your indicator you are off track from creating what you want. Your Source knows you are deserving and capable of bringing into being everything you want to be, do and have. When you think a negative thought you are out of alignment with what is actually true about you. So, use your feelings as your internal guidance system to tell if you are in alignment with your desires or keeping them away from you.

Some ways to practice shifting to positive thoughts:

Start paying more attention to your self-talk. When you notice a negative thought, gently replace it with a thought that feels better. Practice the new thought as an affirmation. You can start the new thought with the words "I've decided" or "I chose." Ex: I choose to know that I am deserving of success" or "I've decided I am deserving of success."

Scripting is another great way to practice new thinking and raise your vibration. Simply write a story about how you want your life to look, as if it was already accomplished. Use sentence starters like, "I love knowing that... " and "It's so exciting when... " Read your script frequently to raise your vibration-and make sure it is something that feels great to read!

Vision boards and "mind movies" are great if you are a visual person. There are many resources online that will help you with ideas for creating a vision board or create a video version of a vision board.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, also called "tapping") or PSYCH-K are two modalities that work to help you shift limiting subconscious beliefs quickly.

Estra Roell is a certified Law of Attraction Life Coach, certified Life Purpose Coach, Advanced PSYCH-K� facilitator and Happiness Generator Facilitator. She's known as America's Life Purpose Coach™. Estra helps clients get in touch with their passions and purpose and assists them to uncover and remove any blockages or old patterns that may be holding them back from living a life of joy, purpose and abundance. Estra is also a co-author of the books "101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career" and "How to Create a Rich, Successful and Fulfilling Life." Go to    https://www.LovingMondayMorning.com/free-report to receive her free report on Visioning Your Purpose and Heading Toward it Today. Join her Facebook Group at    https://www.facebook.com/groups/discoveryourlifepurpose/

How To Properly Use An RFP For Event Planning: 5 Steps


By Richard Brody

Planning, producing, and putting forth, the best possible event, is both an art, as well as a science! While many fail to consider it so, the event coordinator, planner, or chairman, should be a quality, effective, productive, skilled leader, who has developed the skills, abilities, and practical perception, to know, what's needed, necessary and relevant, and proceed accordingly, One achieves the best possible results, when the process begins with producing a meaningful, Request for Proposal, or RFP, and using it, to its best avail. With that in mind, this article will attempt to consider, review, and discuss, which, after more than four decades of professional planning several hundred events, the 5 steps, which I suggest, in order to get the best possible, potential results.

1. Analyze; know needs: Begin by fully evaluating, considering, and understanding the needs, and why they must be addressed. Your analysis must be an objective one, which considers, both, the strengths and weaknesses, from the past, as well as how the particular group, may have evolved, and factors, such as specific, heritage - related, or mission - sensitive considerations, as well as competitive forces, and financial challenges.

2. What is the purpose?: What is the purpose of the specific production, and what do you hope to achieve? Why do you believe you will, and what do you consider the challenges and obstacles? How will you focus on these specifics? Why do you believe, potential attendees, will be attracted, by this particular perspective, etc?

3. What are the priorities?: Understand, know, and focus on priorities, goals and perceptions! Go beyond merely knowing them, but take the time, and make a real, concerted, thorough effort, to evaluate each, and rank them, from those which are absolute musts, down to things you want, but you can still be successful, without them. Know, both the revenues (and the sources), including the competition, etc, as well as the costs/ expenditures. Every step along the way. re - focus on the goals, etc!

4. What type of venue do you seek/ need?: Every type of event takes place, in some type of venue, etc. Are you choosing this, based on what's been done, in the past, or thinking, outside - the - box, and evaluating present needs, and what is best suited, for present needs? Never let any emotional attachment, direct you, to one, specific, site, but, rather, use a well - defined, fully formulated, RFP, to create a competitive scenario, where you will have the best opportunity, to achieve, the best, bang - for - the - buck!

5. Create and use your RFP: Once you've thoroughly considered, and familiarized, yourself, with your specific needs, and financial considerations, carefully craft, this Request for Proposal, and make certain, the responses, become an addendum to, the final contract. This must not be a mere exercise, but, rather, an essential tool, to get the best results.

Understand, even addressing, and utilizing these steps, does not guarantee, you will have the success, you seek. It must be a starting point, which puts the best terms, in place, and must be followed - up, with a personal touch, making attendees feel welcome, and carefully overseeing, and proactively, addressing, what needs to be done and achieved!

Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands of leaders, and conducted personal development seminars, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. His company, PLAN2LEAD, LLC has an informative website http://plan2lead.net and Plan2lead can also be followed on Facebook http://facebook.com/Plan2lead

Give Your Team an Excellent Customer Experience for Profitability


By Wayne Elsey

Every month, about 500,000 begin a new business and many entrepreneurs do not realize how the customer experience not only relates to consumers but also their teams. In fact, an exceptional customer experience means increased profitability, and your team has a significant part to play in the business.

One of the most critical things you can do for your business is to get the right people working with you in whatever capacity. Perhaps you'll have people working with you who are consultants or hourly employees that focus on some of the nitty-gritty, which allows you to grow and develop customers and maximize revenue. Regardless of who makes up your "team," it's always important to remember that the people who are involved in your business have a lot to do with your success.

So, treat them as you would your customers and give them an excellent customer experience!

Valued Employee

Some time ago, a manager on my team in one of my businesses wanted to brainstorm some ideas to retain a valued team member. The issue was that this person what a great asset to our company, but within the business itself and that department, there as no opportunity for advancement at that time. We had a sense that the employee was putting out feelers and the manager and I found ourselves brainstorming ideas for retention. Ultimately, the manager had an off-site conversation, and we found a perfect job for this person in another area of one of my other businesses.

I asked my manager to have a conversation with the team member off-site. I asked the manager to treat the employee as he would a customer and get an understanding of this person's thoughts and ideas for their career in the short and long term, and also with our company. It made the difference for us, and we were able to retain this person. We created a win-win situation because we made sure to let the team member know we were listening and valued them.

Your Team is Your First Customer

You should consider everyone who works with you as a customer. And, as the leader and entrepreneur, it's your task to give them not only everything they need to ensure that they do their jobs well but, also so your team have the opportunity to develop with you--especially if they are talented, committed and a great worker.

If you think that your business is to make a profit, you would be correct. But, to get to profitability, you need to have a crew that's rowing with you in the same direction and at the same pace. The way you develop that team is by being a leader and serving them and their needs and interests. You have to make sure your team feels valued for their thoughts, energy and work ethic. When your team understands that you care and appreciate them, guess what happens? They're more committed to your company, and they're productivity increases.

Your Team and Profit Margin

Today's customers are demanding. More than likely, by the time they're calling you on the telephone or sending you an email, they've already done their research on you. They know what an acceptable price is for your product or service and they're also looking for a customer experience that will be integral for them to maintaining a relationship with you.

Although it would be nice, you're not going to communicate with every customer personally. It's simply impossible. Therefore, you have to create an environment that will provide customer excellence, and your team members will deliver it. Not only will the people in the sales team be responsible for providing an excellent customer experience, but so will your marketing team, finance people, and others. Every area ultimately is working toward the same goal, profitability, and success. And, everyone is contributing toward the customer experience. If you model an excellent team experience for your employees, they will see that this is an essential aspect of the company's core values. With excellent service comes a higher profit margin.

Starting a business is a great learning experience, and it's something I recommend doing if you're inclined. But with the business planning, finances, marketing, operations, sales, customers, management, leadership and all of the other issues you have to deal with as a business owner, the one you don't want to forget is your team. Being a leader that looks to provide them excellence will create an essential "customer experience" within your company. Show your team every day what it means to go above and beyond. If you create a business environment that's always looking to meet their needs, in turn, your team will turn around and seek to ensure that your customer's needs are met as well.

Author of "Not Your Father's Charity: Grip & Rip Leadership for Social Impact" (Free Digital Download available at http://notyourfatherscharity.com/free-resources/ )

� 2018 Wayne Elsey and Not Your Father's Charity. All Rights Reserved.

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