Self Improvement :Living in Disconnection

By Kenlea R Barnes

It has been thirty days, I have read three different books, discovered TED talks, filled out countless scholarship applications, developed new friendships, and many other acts that I seemed to "never have time for." While this transition was something I was hesitant about, a month without social media has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I now take notice to the family out to eat all staring at their individual screens or the attempt to vent to a friend and she must continue to say "what did you say, I wasn't paying attention." While communication has drastically "increased" due to the rise of social media, the overall idea of communicating has morphed into one-sided conversations due to our inability to focus our attention on others.

I am not implying that I am any better because of this new found change I have decided to make. I am just as guilty. I am part of a generation that has become more consumed by the amount of "favorites" we receive on a picture compared to the people "favoring" them. We are overloaded with a constant stream of new information, new people, new posts, that we have forgotten the significance of the matters happening right in front of us. A few days ago, I was venting to my friend about how terrible of day I was having. I was driving, so I was not watching to see if she was listening. After I had finished, I looked over and she was scrolling down at her Twitter feed. I suppose that my silence had caught her attention, and she apologetically asked me to repeat what I had just said because she had not "heard" me. While my initial reaction was to get upset about the issue, I thought to myself how many times I had been just as guilty. A small study done in 2015 demonstrated how the human attention span has drastically decreased due to the rise of social media (Hays, 2015, para 3). Has our attention span decreased or is it simply the fact that we have lost the ability to listen? Our minds are now drawn to never-ending streams of post and videos, rather than the "boring" everyday people we see and social media sites are aware of this. Twitter's, "refresh" button is placed at the top of the page waiting to be pushed even when you have not finished with the information you are already reading. We have lost the ideal of connecting with people, which takes our time and our effort. We would rather click a refresh button to view what pleases us and interests us, than have to focus on others.

With our inability to pay full attention to any specific matter, a more egotistic society is developing. We no longer have to concentrate deeply in order for thoughts to spark. Instead of researching or listening to ideas, we go onto social media sites to compare ourselves to whoever has the most likes on a "selfie" or to watch the newest mannequin challenge. Anything that pertains to our specific selves is what we value above anything else. Our culture has become superficial about the ideas we choose to value ourselves on. What happened to the perfect simplicity of reading that amazing new book, and not on your phone? Where did the awe of stopping, and admiring a sunset go? Since social media, the beauty of deep thought has disappeared, our minds can no longer handle it (Ives, 2012, p. 35). Society has turned into a fast-paced place where if we do not have exactly what we need then and now we turn away and social media sites are part of the cause. For example, Twitter's character count for a post can only be a 140 character-count. Its reasoning for this is that users no longer "have the time" to read anything longer and they are exactly right. It is not that we do not have the time, it is that we choose not to. It is easier to post an insignificant picture of our dinner than to sit and talk to the person we are eating it with. Even without social media, there are times when I do not want to listen to my friend discus her scholarship applications for the 100th time because I am bored of it and I forget that all she needs is someone to talk about it with. Communication used to be about listening and empathizing with others, now it is something we passively go through as we look for ways we can mention ourselves.

A few days ago, I was talking with grandpa, and before you start to wonder what this has to do with anything, just stay with me. I started discussing with him my "social media cleanse" and how refreshing it had been. Before I even finished describing it, he went off on the usual "well back in my day" speech that our generation hears daily. While usually I smile and nod when I receive this lecture, this time I truly listened. He mentioned how he used to know everyone's phone numbers and at the dinner table he would talk to his parents about his day instead of posting about it like our generation does, but then the most interesting part was when he told me to look over at my sisters, cousins, and even my mother and aunt. All of them, in their snazzy Thanksgiving attire, were staring at their screens. Of course, there was the occasional "watch this video" or "Oh my look at their Thanksgiving meal," but for the most part it was each of them continually scrolling. He continued with the idea that we have all this "connection" and yet we are unable to even speak to one another. As this remark rambled on in my head, I realized how right he was. We can connect with millions of strangers with the click of a button, but are unable to communicate with the people right in front of us. The first thing you see on Twitter when you log in reads "share your thoughts." Why must we post our "thoughts" when there are people across or beside us that are just as willing to listen? Social media has given us a false idea of what conversation is. We post our meals, our outfits, our selfies, anything that will boost our own image, and in return we expect communication to be like the comment sections of social media sites.

Whenever my generation is attacked over the issue of face-to-face communication, we tend to relate it back to the idea that we are in an age where we are communicating more than ever before. While this concept is completely right, we are missing the one crucial element in that phrase, face-to-face. We communicate with one another, by 140-charcter sentences, 10-second snapshots, or sharing a link. Any of us can discuss what we saw on Twitter or how many followers we have, but what our society is losing is the ability to truly have conversation with one another. In the beginning, social media was designed to connect us and now we have created it into a safe-haven for our own narcissistic tendencies. On social media, we can present ourselves however we choose to. We do not have to discuss with our online friends the insecurities we have compared to our "real life friends" who can tell just by a look in our eyes how we are actually feeling.

Last summer, one of my school organizations went to Dallas, Texas right after the police shooting had taken place. For our transportation, we took the in-city train and I couldn't have been more thrilled. While my advisors were not excited about the idea, I made a goal that every day I would sit next to a complete stranger. I met the father of an up and coming boxer, the mother of a first-generation college graduate, recovering drug addicts, and plenty of "working girls" on the night train rides. I heard countless stories from people I would never see again. I saw the light in that mother's eyes when she talked about how proud she was of her son and the shame of reliving the past from a former addict. These stories could have just as easily been posted on social media, but the significance of them would have been lost. An emoji or an exclamation mark does not do justice to real human reactions. Society has thrown away our ability to listen to others and to learn. We are consumed with being perceived by others as perfect individuals with these amazing lives and have lost all vulnerability. We would rather be "interesting than be interested" because it is our norm (Russel, 2015, p.2).

We are living in an ever-changing society that is not going to slow down any time soon. While my thirty days, and counting, cleanse is something that I do recommend everyone to try, it does not solve the issues of our egotistic society. Rather you use social media or not, we are living in a world that has lost its ability to engage in true communication. We no longer want to be perceived as broken individuals because somewhere along the way we were told it was not acceptable, so we live out our lives thinking about the next thing that will benefit us. Face-to face-conversation is the last form of connectivity we have that does not require character-counts or restrictions and is our duty to take advantage of that.

Hays, B. (2015, May 15). Humans have a shorter attention span than a goldfish. Consumer Health. Retrieved from: http://upi.com

Ives, E. A. (2012, October) iGeneration: The Social Cognitive Effects of Digital Technology on Teenagers. (Master's Dissertation). 32-35. Available from:   https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED543278

Russel, J. (2015, June 25). Narcissism has killed the art of conversation. The Times.

Self Improvement :Taking Action: Does Someone Need To Feel Safe In Order To Take Action?

By Oliver JR Cooper

First there is the desire to do something and then there is what needs to be done for one to experience that which they desire. For this to happen one may just need to need to leave their house and to head out.

Ultimately, what they need to do is going to be defined by what it is that they want to experience. Naturally, if they don't do anything and just sit around, absolutely nothing is going to take place.

Another Need

Similarly, if one wanted to achieve something, they would also need to take action. When it comes to what they will need to do before they reach their goal, it can all depend on what it is that they want to achieve.

For example, if one wanted to completely transform their body, it is obviously not going to happen overnight. They will need to take consistent action; if they don't, they won't achieve their desired outcome.

The Main Part

It has been said that when it comes to achieving anything, turning up in the main thing. What this emphasises is how important it is to take action and not to stand on the sidelines watching life go by.

This saying also shows that while having ability helps, it is not going to be of use if someone doesn't do anything with what they have. Whereas someone can be in a position where they are not particularly gifted but they take action, meaning that they will do better even though they are not going to be as capable on paper.

A Big Demand

The self-help industry is full of books and courses that talk about the importance of taking action. This shows that there are a lot of people who need this kind of guidance; if this wasn't the case, there wouldn't as much material out there on this area.

What this means is that if someone does find it hard to take action and to 'go after their dreams', they don't need to stay this way. And, once they start taking action and build momentum, there can be no stopping them.

Black And White

Once they take action, it could then be said that they will be in touch with themselves and they will drive to fulfil their needs. The people around them can end up giving them positive feedback, seeing them as someone who has it all together.

However, what this would overlook is that while taking action can show that one has a good connection with themselves, it can also show that they are running away from themselves. Here, one will take action to change how they feel; their actions will then be a means to an end, stopping them from being able to enjoy the process.

Two Types of Action

On one side, then, there is inspired action, and this will take place when one is in tune with who they are and feel good about themselves. They will take action when it is necessary and this means that they won't have turned themselves into a machine.

On the other side of this will be someone who is out of tune with who they are and feels bad about themselves. Their whole life is then going be about doing and it won't be possible for them to just be; they will be more like a machine than a human being.

Two Approaches

So, if someone finds it hard to take action, they will need to develop the habit of taking action. This could take place by reading a book and then applying what they have learnt, or they could just taking small actions and work their way up to bigger things.

If one is constantly doing things, finding it hard to relax and to let go, they will need to look into what they are trying to avoid. Healing the pain that is within them may allow them to settle down.

Stuck

While someone's life may change after applying what they have learnt in a book or find that taking small steps allows them to take bigger steps, this might not work for them. Intellectually, they will know how important it is to take action and they could see that not taking action is having a negative effect on their life, but that won't be enough for them to get the ball moving, so to speak.

Along with this, the thought of taking action could be something that causes them to experience a lot of fear. For some reason, not taking action is going to be what feels safe.

Just do it

One thing that one could then do is to ignore how they feel and to take action; this will stop them from being controlled by fear. If they give into their fear, it will be harder for them to embrace life.

At the same time, this approach could end up causing them to feel overwhelmed. Not taking action is going to have a negative effect on them and taking action is also going to cause them problems.

Inner Conflict

This is going to stop them from being able to listen to their need and feelings. Perhaps they haven't been this way for very long, or maybe they have been this way for as long as they can remember.

What this can show is that they have had an experience, or a number of experiences that caused their system to be overwhelmed. This would have destroyed their sense of trust in the world, which would have eroded their sense of safety.

Awareness

If this goes back to what happened during the beginning of their life, it could show that they were abused and/or neglected. Their body and mind will be carrying trauma that needs to be resolved.

If someone can relate to this, and they want to change their life, they may need to reach out for external support. This can be provided by the assistance of a therapist or a healer.

Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand seven hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice.

To find out more go to - http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/

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Personal Growth :Pin the Tail on the Purpose

By Dan Langerock

My Early Life:
I grew up with epilepsy and blindness, among other things. Due to this, it took me a long time to find my niche and purpose in life. Like the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey, I was going in circles trying to find the right answers that would give me fulfillment. Maybe you have experienced this also? John F. Kennedy said, "Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction."

Trying to find my purpose:
My parents owned a poultry ranch and I helped on the egg routes, which helped me to learn salesmanship. But this was not my ultimate purpose, just a means to make a living until that destiny was found.

Rehabilitation tried to get me trained as an accountant, but that didn't work out because of my bad eyesight. I never was totally blind, but was considered partially sighted. I changed majors three times during my college years, but none of these were my purpose. Have you felt this degree of frustration in your life?

Not being able to expand my horizon:
The second problem that kept me from finding the right destiny was people not allowing me to try different things because of my disabilities. Yes, they were trying to keep me from disappointments and failures, but this delayed my maturity. The doctor had told my parents to treat me like a normal child, but this was not what happened.

Had to "fight" to be myself:
The final difficulty was those who tried to steer me into vocations I was not able to do. My Dad wanted me to be a school custodian and maintenance person. But, after he retired from this job, I could not continue doing it because I was never able to drive. As a result, there was always tension between us.

God gave me a wonderful purpose:
Finally, God showed me that he wanted me to be a minister. This was the perfect fit because I could more easily empathize with people because of what I had gone through. Additionally, I would be able to help people even though I had things "wrong" with me. God's purposes for me were not sidetracked. He could use me for his glory and praise despite my imperfections.

I became a hospital chaplain for 10 years until my first wife became too sick for me to leave her without someone there to help her. Since her death, I have remarried and worked at teaching Bible studies, ethics, grief classes, and volunteering in my community.

Everything came together from the past to help my future:
All those classes I took in college were not wasted. My purpose from God included the need for those subjects I learned in the past. Romans 8:28 in the Bible says, "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose."

He can use the good and the bad things in life to help us find his purpose for us. Besides, he knows us better than we know ourselves. He does not give us hope and purpose to harm us, but out of the abundance of his love.(Jeremiah 29:11)

What have you learned from this article?
To be more compassionate toward people with disadvantages to overcome?
To be a good listener?
Maybe be a mentor to someone who is struggling?
How will you put into practice what you have learned?

Many books, articles, and blogs have been written about finding your purpose. One notable book was written by Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life. I will be telling part of my own story about my quest to find purpose and meaning.

Personal Growth :Rumination: How Rehashing the Situation Can Ruin Your Mood

By Christina Fenske

Imagine the following scenario: You're at work, the day seems to be going smoothly, and you're looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. Then, with 15 minutes left your boss approaches you and informs you that you really messed something up. You apologize and try to explain what happened, but all your boss tells you is that you need to get your act together.

Everyone has to deal with situations like this at some point in their life and it can certainly put most people in a bad mood. You have two options in how to deal with this situation:

1) Go home and enjoy the evening, leaving work problems at work, or

2) Let the problem eat away at you, all evening and think about how unfair the world can be. Try to guess, which is the healthier response.

By letting the problem replay over and over in your mind, you are engaging in a process which is called "rumination." Rumination refers to the tendency to repetitively think about the causes, situational factors, and consequences of one's negative emotional experience.

Basically, rumination means that you continuously think about the various aspects of a situation that is upsetting. Think about your own tendencies. When something upsets you, do you tend to mull on it, and keep going over the problem again and again? If so, then you are probably ruminating.

What's so bad about rumination though, it's all about problem-solving right? While it's true that problem-solving and planning are essential to overcoming a difficult problem, people who ruminate tend to take these activities too far and for too long. They will often spend hours analyzing the situation, even after they've already developed a plan for dealing with the situation.

Sometimes people will ruminate about the problem so much, that they never even develop a solution to the problem. This is where rumination becomes really problematic. If the situation, has you in a bad mood, rumination will keep that bad mood alive, and you will feel upset for as long as you ruminate. If you ruminate on the problem for days, chances are you'll remain upset for days.

The research is extremely consistent. People who ruminate are much more likely to develop problems with the following:

Depression and anxiety, and those problems are hard to overcome for someone who fails to change ruminative thought patterns.

Rumination is also connected to many different forms of self-sabotage. For example, if you ruminate on something upsetting a friend did, it's going to take longer to forgive that friend and get back to enjoying time spent with him or her. If you hold a grudge and constantly ruminate on what that friend did, you might even destroy a good friendship. Or, in the boss scenario I mentioned above, if you ruminate you are more likely to have problems with that boss and harbor negative feelings. But, if you do what you can to make improvements, and resist getting caught up in how upsetting getting reprimanded was, then you're likely to improve your situation.

So how do you overcome rumination? Well have you ever heard the phrase, "get your mind off of the problem?" The answer is simple, to overcome rumination you need to engage in some kind of activity that fully occupies your mind and prevents your thoughts from drifting back to the problem. This is easier to say, than to do, because when something is upsetting, we want to solve the problem as quickly as possible. But sometimes we need days or longer to solve a problem and ruminating on the problem all that time, will just make us miserable. So we need something to "distract" us from rumination.

There are many activities that can be used to distract from rumination, and the best one to use is, one that is personal for you. For example, some good activities include reading a book, playing a game, exercising, talking to a friend (but not about the problem!), or watching a movie.

Of course you are only limited by your creativity and access to different activities. Importantly, you have to enjoy the behavior, for it to work. If you hate reading, you will get bored and start thinking about the problem again - so reading may not be the best choice.

Some of the activities that I often recommend are: cross-word puzzles and Sudoku puzzles. These are good because they require you to actively think about the puzzle, and not the problem.

Rumination is a bad habit, so you will need to work on using distracting activities. This works if it's done on a regular basis, if you want to break that habit; trying distraction once or twice, is not enough!

Remember, it's good to work on problem-solving and formulating a plan, for improving the situation. But once you've got the problem and plan figured out, you need to do something else, other than just keep thinking on it.

Do something fun, occupy your mind with something interesting, and give yourself a chance to calm down. You'll be amazed at how much better you'll handle the problem and with practice you will feel better too, on a regular basis!

Contact us today for more information at:  admin@ovcs.ca

Business :How to Choose the Right Manufacturer For Your Products

By Karina Popa

A company has a great product in mind and has probably designed a prototype. However, if producing it in bulk is too complicated and costly, it is probably about time to work with a manufacturer.

It can be a daunting task to choose the right manufacturer. Most of the manufacturers will probably turn down a company whose production requirements are not big enough to bother with. On the other hand, others may not provide the quality that a company needs. The following are tips on how to choose the best manufacturer to work with.

Search for manufacturers that is ideal for the company.

As a start, the company should decide on whether they want to work with a US-based manufacturer or outsource the job overseas like in China or other countries. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. In general, products made in the US have better quality, making them sell better to discerning customers, while products made overseas cost cheaper when it comes to labor and parts, though shipping fees can add up. The target audience should also be considered in determining whether quality or price is given more priority. Once a decision has been made, the company can go over the website of the manufacturer to know more about their criteria and qualifications. When it comes to overseas manufacturers, a company can visit an international sourcing site. They can check the references and images of products made by the manufacturer. This way, they can determine if the quality of the supplier meets their standards.

Be ready

If a company wants a manufacturer to take them seriously, they should do extensive research prior to meeting with them. It would be best to create their own prototype or hire someone to do it, but if it is quite complicated, they could ask the help of a product engineer, and ask whether the product can be mass-produced before making the prototype. They should have an estimated budget plus a business plan, which includes the product goals and manufacturing requirements. They should keep in mind that the company is not just deciding on a manufacturer, but the latter is also deciding on the company. When the manufacturer thinks that the company's idea is not feasible, there will be no meeting in the first place.

Inspect the facility

Prior to making a commitment or signing a contract with the manufacturer, the company should inspect their facility to check out their factory and showroom. This way, they can have an idea of the supplier's capabilities, plus how well they understand the company's product and needs. Before making a final decision, the company should visit a number of manufacturers. Since the quality of the product will ultimately depend on the chosen manufacturer, the company will want to make sure that this supplier can be trusted.

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Business :Deciding Between Domestic or Foreign Manufacturers

By Karina Popa

If a company wants their new product to be mass produced and sold to the public, they have to decide where and how to have it manufactured, since this is critical to the success of their business. They should consider several factors in deciding between US-based and overseas manufacturers.

Depending on the company's product and needs, they can make a decision based on the things offered by local or foreign manufacturers.

Domestic Sourcing

If the company has a specialized, in-demand product that has to be delivered right on schedule, it would be best to choose domestic sources. Products manufactured in the US have high standards in labor and manufacturing, making sure of a good work environment, safe employees and most importantly, a better quality product. This is critical as compared to the disasters that happen at overseas factories. This makes it a more ethically sound choice, and lets the company stay away from public relations disasters - like for example, a poor working conditions expose.

In addition, local manufacturers maintain strict intellectual property right protections, meaning, no one can copy or mass produce it. All Americans speak English, so there is no language barrier that will cause confusion in terms of communications.

Since there are no customs and shipping time, it will be faster to ship orders. In case there are any problems, it will be easy to meet with the manufacturer in person.

Lastly, choosing a domestic manufacturer lets a company use a valuable marketing tool such as the "Made in the US" stamp.

The disadvantage of choosing domestic sourcing has something to do with the costs involved. US labor laws require higher wages, plus better facilities, as compared to other countries, increasing the expenses on payroll and infrastructure.

Foreign Sourcing

Overseas manufacturers are a lot cheaper than domestic manufacturers. Labor costs could be reduced up to 80%. The money that can be saved can be channeled towards product marketing and development.

A number of countries have given incentives like lower taxes and less regulations/red tape to attract more companies. This will enable them to quickly begin operations and scale the business whenever necessary.

Also, there is a large number of workers who are willing to work for much lower wages. This minimizes production delays since employees are always readily available.

However, there are also a number of issues with foreign manufacturers. A lot of discerning consumers consider them inferior when in comes to quality, and some countries have few intellectual property protections, which pose a risk for businesses. Moreover, shipping can take weeks or months instead of days because of the long process of customs and importation.

Finally, the decision depends on a company's manufacturing requirements. Since there are several companies and different products, there is no right answer. Companies have their own unique needs and goals. Is the company selling a highly-specialized or a time-sensitive product which needs to be produced on a reliable timeframe?

There are many factors to take into consideration when making the best choice for a business, so companies should not choose the cheapest alternative, but rather the manufacturer that will give the most value in the long run.

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Business :Keep Logistics in Mind When Deciding on a Manufacturer

By Karina Popa

When businesses have a shortlist of potential manufacturers, they should consider the logistic aspect of things to come up with a factory that best fits them, and to get in touch with the manufacturers to ask some questions prior to requesting for a quotation. When sending an email to manufacturers to get additional information, the questions they can ask are as follows:

What are the kind of companies do you work with?

In general, businesses will go for a manufacturer that work with companies like theirs. For instance, if this is a big company that specializes in household appliances, it will choose a factory that works with big companies that concentrate in home appliances. When entrepreneurs create a new technical product, they will favor a factory that works with businesses that also create a similar product. They should see to it that it is ideal by considering the other companies the manufacturer has partnered with.

Are you willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)?

In other countries, intellectual property theft is widespread. When a factory does not want to sign an agreement like NDA, it should be removed from the potential partners list. However, an NDA does not necessarily guarantee that a product will not be leaked. To have some leverage against frauds, businesses should have a patent filed in their primary market.

What minimum order quantity (MOQ) do you require?

There is no strict number recommended, but it is crucial for businesses to take their profit margins into consideration. They have to pay for their order whether or not they sell all the units. Prices are usually reduced with higher volumes, therefore it is best to ask the volume that will prompt a price break.

What is your pricing for samples?

A lot of factories will give a sample of current products, provided that businesses are willing to pay shipping and customs fees. However, they should make sure they are agreeable with the sample pricing structure of the manufacturer before deciding on them. They should keep in mind that custom product pricing usually requires customers to pay 50 to 100% for tooling.

What is your turnaround time?

When a business is given a particular date to fulfill an order, they should be able to find a manufacturer that can meet the deadline. They should also consider shipping. If this is their first order of their new product working with new factory, they should give an allowance for their shipping date. Luckily, most of the time, a smaller shipment can be airfreighted earlier than a boat shipment to quickly deliver small orders/samples (if this is the case).

What are your terms of payment?

Before starting a production run, many factories ask for a down payment. This could be a 50% deposit for tooling, and the remaining 50% upon completion. You should stay away from factories who ask them to pay 100% up front.

How do you deal with delays?

It is ideal for a factory to be proactive in terms of preventing delays, and usually, the contract would have a penalty clause that businesses are comfortable with. However, this is harder to implement with vendors in foreign countries. In addition, if the MOQ is not too big, it can be hard to negotiate a penalty clause.

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Business Online : The Truth Behind E-Books VS Printed Books

By Maxi Williams

In a first, major publishers have reported a decline in their e-book sales this year after enjoying impressive sales growth for years. This has introduced new uncertainties about the potential of e-books in today's publishing industry. A Penguin executive has reportedly admitted recently that the e-book hype may have led to unwise investment, with the publishing house losing confidence in "the power of the word on the page."

Despite an increasing realization of the fact that print and digital can coexist in the market, the question whether the e-book will "kill" the printed book persists. Whether the intention is to predict or dismiss this possibility, one cannot overlook the potential disappearance of the book. Nor can one overrule what one's imagination says in this regard.

So why is this idea so powerful? Why do we ignore the evidence of peaceful coexistence between e-book and printed book and talk as if both are at loggerheads?

The answers to these questions lie beyond the realm of digital books and reveal a lot about the cocktail of fear and excitement we feel about change. Our research talks about how the concept of one medium "killing" another has often been a harbinger of novel technologies.

Much before the advent of digital technologies, experts had predicted the death of contemporary media. For instance, when television was invented, most thought radio would die. However, radio found new ways of survival and today people listen to it in commute and at work.

The curious case of the disappearing book is a myth, although an old one. Back in 1894, speculation was rife that the introduction of the phonograph, the modern-day audio books, would spell doomsday for the books.

History repeated - many a time. Movies, radio, TV, hyperlinks, and smartphones - all of these were accused of conspiring to "kill" the print book as "a source of culture and entertainment."

It is no coincidence, then, that every time a technological breakthrough happens, the idea that book will die surfaces. This narrative perfectly brings out the mixture of fears and hopes that characterize our reactions to technological change.

So why are these reactions so common? To understand this, one needs to consider the emotional bonds we create with media and how it becomes an integral part of our lives. Multiple studies have shown how people foster a close relationship with everyday objects, such as books, computers, and televisions.

We even humanize them, like giving our cars a name or yelling at our laptops when they refuse to work normally. It is evident by this behavior that the advent of new technology, like, say, e-readers, doesn't signal just economic and social change in the society but also causes us to align our relationship with things that have become an integral part of our daily life.

Guess what happens next. We find ourselves craving for things we had but no longer have. This is the sole reason behind the burgeoning industries developed around retro products and older technologies. For instance, when printing press started becoming prevalent in the 15th-century Europe, many went seeking out the original manuscripts.

Similarly, the switch from silent to sound movies in the 1920s triggered nostalgia for the older movie format. Ditto when the shift from analog to digital photography, from Vinyls to CDs, from black-and-white to color televisions happened. Not surprisingly, e-readers piqued a newfound appreciation for the material quality of "old books," including the unpleasant smell that was often disliked.

If you're still worried that the print books will vanish from the surface of the earth, rest assured: printed books have tided many a wave of technological revolution and are capable of surviving this one too.

That said, the myth of the disappearing medium will continue to entertain with an amusing story about the transformative power of technology and man's aversion to change. In fact, to understand the concept of change, we employ the "narrative patterns" that are available and familiar-for example, the narratives of death and ending. The story of the demise of media, one that's easy to remember and share, reflects our excitement about the future and our fear of losing parts of our intimate world and, eventually, of ourselves.

Please refer the link to know more http://www.amnet-systems.com/blog/

Food and Drink : 3 Grilling Myths and the Truth Behind Them

By Adrian T. Cheng

We've all heard about outrageous stories, tips, hacks and myths about grilling from "experts". These information are readily available on the internet and there's too much that we don't know which ones are true anymore. Unless you've tried and tested all of it, that's the only time you can prove their validity.

But considering science and popularity, here are 3 of the most common grilling myths and the truth behind them:

The more you check, the longer your food will cook on the grill

Surely you've read a tip about this - they usually advise against checking on your food too much because it lengthens cooking time. Some even say that you add 15 minutes of cooking time to long cooks (like beef brisket) every time you peek. The truth is, no matter how many times you check your food, it doesn't make much of an impact on the temperature, let alone the cooking time. According to Boston University's Professor Greg Blonder, a food scientist and physicist, opening the lid drastically makes little or no impact on the temperatures of the meat's surface and center, therefore not changing its cooking time.

Marinade longer to tenderize the meat

We've all heard of it - the longer you marinate your meat, the better it penetrates the meat for flavour and the more tender your meat will be. It's not entirely true, though. It may work for thin cuts of meat, but for usual cuts such as chicken breast or regular pork chops, marinades are just treatment for the surface. While salt can penetrate deep into the meat, other spices (like garlic and pepper) have huge molecules and can only penetrate up to 1/8 inch of the meat's surface even when marinated overnight.

To prevent food from sticking, oil your grill grates first

This is probably one of the most common tips you'll encounter when you first read about grilling. Honestly, it does work sometimes - but the chances that it won't are bigger. Oiling the grates below smoking point may work (doing so above smoking point will definitely make your food stick), but the better option is to oil your food, not the grates.

If you're not convinced, put these grilling myths to the test to find out if they are valid. When it comes to grilling, what works for someone does not mean it will work for you. Experience will let you know what's best!

Adrian T. Cheng is a food blogger and a BBQ expert. Through years of grill experience, reviewing various    grilling accessories and trying delicious and unique recipes, he is sharing his knowledge with everyone through his blog. For more grilling secrets, tips, recipes and more, head over to Adrian's website where he has other interesting    grill-related products and posts.

Kids And Teens : When Should You Send Your Out Of Control Teenager To a Residential Treatment Center?

By Mary Warren

The other day I received a letter from the parents of a teenage girl I placed in a residential treatment center. Kevin and Brenda 13 year old daughter was an angry, defiant, out of control teenage girl.

She expressed her anger by resisting authority. She was defiant and making suicidal threats. Her behavior caused the family absolute chaos for many years.

Haley was in juvenile detention and probation. When her parents called me they knew the only choice to help their daughter was drastic measures. They believed that beneath all the anger, there was a wonderful person and they desperately needed help.

After listening to Haley's story I wanted to help her parents rebuild their family.

I recently received a letter from Haley's parents with an update. I am so happy for them and the progress Haley has made. Her parents know without a doubt that their decision was the best thing they could do for their daughter. Their daughter is happier today than she ever was and thankful that her parents made this difficult choice for her.

Haley made great strides towards improvement. Her parents tell me that after seeing their child hit rock bottom, they are now feeling immense gladness that comes from watching her transform into the kind of person they always knew she could be.

During the last 13 months, she completed the 7th and 8th grades and lost 54 pounds by practicing healthy eating and exercise habits. And, her attitude and mindset have undergone a full transformation. It is stories like Haley's that inspire me every day to do what I do. I love this job and helping families.

If you are struggling with this decision and fearing the worst, read the excerpt from Haley's parents. Over the last twenty years, I've seen so many parents fear their child will hate them, or their family and friends will think the worst of them. Parent's feel like they've failed. The reality is that making this difficult crazy decision could be the difference between your child's having a productive future or not.

I do not advocate for therapeutic schools, I advocate for families. I work with extreme cases, teenagers that are defiant, angry, abusing drugs or alcohol, addicted to video games, failing or refusing to go to school. If you've lost control of what happens with your teen and your child is ruling your home, your teenage son or daughter no longer listens, respects you or themselves and refuses to follow the rules and boundaries you've set. Take the necessary steps to save your child and enroll them in a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center.

Below is an excerpt from her parents letter to me:

Haley was a 13-year-old teen with a lot of issues, and not just the typical problems every adolescent girl experiences. Her anger and defiance, a total resistance to authority meant that we dealt with endless yelling, fighting, cursing, disrespect, suicidal threats, and absolute chaos within our family for many years. The conflict peaked when she turned 13.

Her path of destruction led to her getting expelled from school, going to juvenile detention three times one-year and one-year probation. As parents, we felt completely powerless and utterly hopeless. We knew that only drastic measures could help our daughter whom we loved more than anything.

Finally, we enrolled Haley in a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens on April 1, 2016. Dropping our daughter off and leaving her with strangers over a thousand miles away was the hardest thing we have ever done as parents.

However, now we see that it was also the best decision we have ever made. Every visit, every report, and even physical signs showed huge growth in maturity, respect, kindness, self-worth and joy. If you're not a parent that has seen your teenage child hit rock bottom, you can't imagine the immense gladness that comes from watching her transform into the kind of person you always knew she could be.

Needless to say, it was a long road. As remarkable as Haley's improvement was, she needed a lot of time to fully "get it" and heal enough to be ready to come home. More time, in fact, than most other teens: it took her 13 months to finish the therapeutic program instead of the usual 10.

We will always be thankful that we took that leap, reached out, and got help when it looked like our family was falling apart. You can't always do it on your own, and admitting that is the first step on a journey that you will not regret.

Empower My Teen helps, guides and coaches parents through the legal, emotional and financial challenges associated with residential treatment program placement. We find placement for at-risk youth. We select schools and programs world-wide that help troubled teens heal and develop self-worth. Mary Warren is a renowned teen advocate, life coach and speaker who has dedicated her life to working with families of troubled teens. For more information visit: http://www.empowermyteen.com.

Relationships : Why Apologizing Could Be So Wrong If You Want to Get Her Back

By Jenni Jooste

If you think that the perfect solution, after a breakup, is just to apologize to the girl who got away, please think again. You will have a hard time understanding why it did not work and why it just makes her angrier than what she initially was. Apologizing is almost always the wrong answer. Here are just a few of the reasons why.

Apologizing could be seen as a Sign of Weakness

It is a sign of being on the weak end of the argument. That you give up and just want to avoid further conflict. You never want to be at the weaker position of the argument.

Apologies Come Across as Insincere

The chances are very good that you have apologized many times in the past. Perhaps, you have even apologized for the very same things she says are causing problems in your relationship. Actions speak louder than words.

Apologies aren't Specific Enough

Apologizing for "whatever you did to make your ex leave" isn't going to work. After all the final reason for her leaving was the cherry on top of the cake, as they say, in other words she has had enough. She needs to hear the specific reason why you're apologizing. She wants you to acknowledge that you have hurt, neglected, ignored, cheated, or whatever it is that you have done. She wants to know that you understand it's wrong. Problem is, she doesn't always tell you what you did. Which leads to the next reason it's a bad idea to apologize when your girlfriend leaves.

It's Too Easy to Apologize for the Wrong Thing

How many times have you heard stories? Where a guy apologizes for something he thinks his girl has found out about, and in actual fact it is the first time she is hearing about it. This is the last thing you want to do is add fuel to the fire, while failing to apologize to the thing that's really set her off. Talk about digging yourself into a deeper hole!

There are many more ways to get it wrong than there are to get it right. If you feel you must apologize, it's best to do it in writing and follow these simple rules.

1) Be specific.
2) Make your apology brief.
3) Keep it simple.

Putting it in writing may prevent a fight, gives her time to think it over and process the apology in a neutral setting.

Instead of a apologizing, maybe look for positive aspects of the relationship and attempt to capitalize on how good you were together rather than revisiting mistakes that were made along the way.

Looking for help and guidance after your break-up, Go see the Tips on what to do to get the love of your life back and with the Magic of Making Up you will get a Free Special Bonus on when you should and when you shouldn't apologize.
  https://tipsforreconnect.blogspot.com

Relationships : Your Friends Could Be Steering You Wrong

By Jenni Jooste

Your friends are your support system, you know that they have and always will be there for you, no matter what, they are your shoulder to cry on and there to listen to you pouring your broken heart out after your breakup.

You know deep down that they are the ones that will help you get through this very difficult and painful time and all they want to do is help ease this pain.

You love your friends dearly, but they could be steering you in the wrong direction because every friend has their own opinion of what you should do to get your guy back and if you really should take get him back.

They have given you time to break down, be depressed and drown in your sorrows for a while, which is a process you should go through.

Now they feel that it is time for you to get up and start putting your life back together slowly. At this point your mind is very clouded and you are not thinking straight. You don't want to offend any of them so you listen to them.

• They tell you not to worry, just wait, he will soon realize what he is missing and come crawling back to you
• They bad-mouth your ex, tell you that you were never really good together and it is time to move on to some-one better, which does not make you feel good at all.
• They say you should go out to clubs and parties to find some-one else and set you up with all these random people, who you would never really think twice about because they are not your type for one-night stands with lots of alcohol to take away the pain.

All this is not good for you or your reputation, this could only land up making you feel even worse.

When none of the above works they will talk some sense into you, tell you it as it is being straight forward with the hard truth which some of it you are not going to like and will cause you to fight with them, they will tell you what you did wrong in the relationship and what your ex did wrong and what you both need to do to move forward.

Which the first step is to cut off all contact with your ex for at least a month.

During this time you need to get your emotions under control, yes go out with your friends and have some fun but it doesn't have to include lots of alcohol and one night stands, take up a hobby or do something you love, something positive which will build your confidence, your ex will soon hear or see that you look and seem happier and become curious and will want to know more.

Looking for help and guidance after your break-up, Go see the Tips on what to do to get the love of your life back and learn so much more with the Magic of Making Up guide.
  https://tipsforreconnect.blogspot.com

Marketing : Importance Of Gift Giving In Business

By Vinod Vullikanti

In order to grow your business and increase sales, you need to always think of ways you can increase your customer base. Giving of gifts in organisation is one of the most effective ways to increase your customer base and increase sales. Showing your clients and business partners that you appreciate them for doing business with you is a smart way to secure loyal clients and business partners.

Many organisations have now imbibed gift giving because they know the importance of it. If as a owner you have not taken advantage of this smart way of increasing and growing your business, it is advisable to start right now because of its very great advantages and benefits.

Below are the importance of gift giving:

1. It is a smart way to advertise - Giving our gifts (particularly customized gifts), is a smart way to advertise and promote to more audience. When you give out gifts such as umbrellas, books, pens, e.t.c, that are customized with your brand name and logo, you are invariably marketing your brand to the public. This is an easy and cheaper way of marketing.

2. Creates relationship bond with clients and business partners - When you give out gifts to your clients and business partners, it creates a special feeling of trust and appreciation. Everyone loves to be appreciated and when they are appreciated they are more loyal. For giving your clients and partners gifts, you will not only succeed in creating a relationship but a long-lasting one.

3. Your business will be easily remembered by customers and business partners - Most customers and partners also transact businesses with other companies and this make them have lots of choices to choose from when they need goods and services. What can set you apart as a business and be easily remembered by your customers and business partners is the gifts you have given to them. They will easily remember your company or business when the need arises.

4. It increases sales and revenue - Let's assume you give a customer a gift as a business owner, there is a higher tendency for that customer to talk about your business with friends and say good things about your business. Those friends who were told about your business because of the gifts you gave out will also want to be a beneficiary of such gestures and this will make them want to patronize your business. This means more customers for your business which will lead to more sales and revenue.

5. People appreciate - Everyone loves to be given free gifts once in a while most especially during festive seasons. Giving out gifts to your customers during festive seasons or when they are celebration special events such as birthday's or anniversaries will surely make them appreciate your business the more. They will feel special by your kind gestures and this will create a sense of happiness in them. By doing this, you are not only making money from your business but you are also doing something positive in the lives of your customers.

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