₦airaland Forum

A billionaire businessman with no political experience, virtually no serious policy proposals, and a surreal campaign built upon the ugliest elements of human nature has won the nation’s highest office.

So what happens now?

One immediate effect is a drastic shock to the world’s financial system. Even earlier in the night, when Trump appeared to have momentum but was nowhere near to securing the presidency, American futures markets and international stock markets were crashing, as was the value of the U.S. dollar.

This is entirely in line with experts’ predictions: For months the prospect of a Trump presidency has represented volatility, and his stated economic views are widely seen as disastrous for not only the American but the global economy. A Trump presidency would “likely cause the stock market to crash and plunge the world into recession,” Simon Johnson, an MIT economist, predicted, The New York Times reported.

Many have compared a Trump victory to Brexit—the surprise decision of the United Kingdom to separate from the European Union—which also had global economic consequences. Only Trump’s victory was much more unexpected, and likely much more consequential, considering the size of the American economy.

What about the first days of a Trump presidency? What will it look like?

In his first 100 days in office, Trump has pledged to build his famous border wall, renegotiate or withdraw from NAFTA, appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton, repeal Obamacare, and initiate mass deportations of undocumented citizens, among other things.

But can he actually do any of this?

To some extent, yes. Even without the support of the congress, Trump can lean heavily on executive orders, particularly to repeal executive orders issued by President Obama. And analysts have predicted he will.

“He’s going to try to start with a bang by taking as much of Obama off the books with a stroke of his pen as he possibly can,” William Galston, with the Brookings Institute, told CNBC.

In particular, Trump has repeatedly vowed to get rid of Obamacare on “Day One,” promising to have Congress convene a special session. But even with a Republican House and Senate, any repeal of the law would be complicated and likely take months, experts say.

Swift presidential actions are often much harder in reality than in theory. “I’d be careful what you target first,” Susan Dudley, who served in the George W. Bush administration, told CNN. “I think there could be large reforms, especially working with Congress, but recognize that that will take years, not 100 days.”

And many of Trump’s promises, of course, are utterly implausible. Mexico will not be paying for a wall, for example.

What about foreign affairs?

It’s ugly. The only question is how ugly.

Ian Bremmer, a global research professor at NYU, predicted in an analysis for Politico Magazine that one immediate effect of a Trump win would be an immediate turn on the global stage away from the U.S. and towards other powers, particularly China. “Allies in Asia will hedge their bets on American staying power with a stronger China,” he said.

There could be even more dramatic and dangerous events ahead. Because of Trump’s extreme anti-Muslim rhetoric, his "presidency would make the United States, its citizens, and its assets the single most attractive target for Al Qaeda, ISIL, and other Islamic militant groups,” Bremmer said.

Meanwhile, throughout Trump’s candidacy, white nationalist and other extremist movements flourished, emboldened by the businessman’s tacit and explicit encouragement. Back in August, Buzzfeed reported that the chair of the American Nazi Party, Rocky Suhayda, called a Trump victory “a real opportunity for people like white nationalists.” Now that he’s the president-elect, these forces will likely continue to grow, no matter what he does in office.


Source: https://www.quora.com/What-do-we-do-now-that-Trump-has-won

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“It’s not as cool as New York”

“It’s not as pretty as Paris”

“Are those men holding hands/kissing?”

“Is that a black man in a suit?”

“Where is Liesestershur square?”

“With that long hair, I can’t tell if he’s a man or a girl”

“Why do you guys drive on the wrong side of the road?”

“This beer tastes wrong and is too warm”

“What is a saveloy?”

“It kinda smells like weed round here”

“Why can’t I stand on the left?”

“… with fries, please”

“Supersize me!”

“You’d be ruled by Germany if the USA didn’t save your ass”

“My cousin lives in Edinborrow. Do you know him? He’s called Jock”

“That Tony Blair/Margaret Thatcher was the coolest”

“I prefer American cars”

“Isn’t Harrod’s great?”

“That Nigel Farage guy is your new leader, isn’t he?”

“You guys have a lot to learn…”

“How come you drink so much?”

“You guys have bad teeth”

“Why do you call “soccer”, “football”?”

“Cricket is kind of dull, no?”

“Is the water safe to drink?”

“Where are the no-go areas?”

“Let Jesus into your heart!”

“I prefer American/European chocolate”

“I can open the door myself, thank you”

“A gay?! Are you serious?”

“How come you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving/Independence Day/Quatorze Juillet?”

“People are way friendlier at home”

“It’s not what I expected from watching Notting Hill”

“Can we meet the actual Queen?”

“7–7 was nowhere near as bad as 9–11”

“Everyone is so quiet”

“We’ve just arrived for a two week holiday. We are here for three days, seeing the UK and then we are off to see the rest of Europe”

“How come you can’t tell the difference between American and Canadian accents?”

“I love British comedy. Monty Python was the best” [45 years ago]

“We have parks in New York. We have Central Park!”

“Oxford Street is great!”

“I don’t understand that subway map”

“Do you have change for a £50 note?”

“Do you accept Euros here?”

“We hired a car to get around London”

“Your houses are really small”

“Are you a cockney?”

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-shouldnt-I-say-in-London

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These ideas are good if the company is making good profits only. If not, even the boss won't be happy.


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When I was young, especially during my teenage years, I loved Chinese movies so much. Talk about Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and others.

The way they fought, the film tricks and effects, all fascinated me – even till my late 20s.

Now I hate Chinese movies. Why?

I’ve grown older and have had many experiences in life. I know that those movies are often full of things that aren’t realistic. They can’t happen like that in real life. Why should I waste my time watching only fantasies?

Now, I’ve many logical and rational things to do with my life and for the benefits of others; and definitely, Chinese movies aren’t one of them.

Another thing is: Chinese movies plots sound like rubbish to me now. Senseless fights. Fights that have no meanings. In reality, can one strong man beat and subdue 100 dangerous thugs?

Two persons meet each other on a road and one say: “I’m stronger than you.” The other person replies: “No, I’m stronger than you.” And they both start fighting. Do you see any sense in that? These used to intrigue me as a young person, but that’s no longer true.

That’s part of the reasons why I don’t like Chinese movies anymore. Movies that portray rationality, logic, and realities make more sense to me now.


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You know who a Father Christmas is.

People wrongly think Father Christmas gives free gifts. Most importantly, they refer to him when they want to talk about giving things free – giving things for nothing.

A boss may tell his employees: “What have you produced this month, to warrant salaries? Do you think I’m a Father Christmas?”

Someone may say: “Don’t expect me give you something for nothing. I’m not a Father Christmas.”

Clearly, people think of a Father Christmas when mentioning someone who gives gifts to people free. They can’t be more wrong!

Look, Father Christmas doesn’t give free gifts! Not in Nigeria. Have you ever seen one of them giving gifts to people indiscriminately, who’ve not contributed anything before? When you want to see a Father Christmas, you would pay a fee, and it’s from that the gifts you receive come from.

What your Children get as gifts aren’t free, and you know that. These people are making money from you. They collect N2000 to give you things that are worth only N1000 or N1500. They’re doing business. They make money from you.

Christmas itself is business. People use that opportunity to swindle others, to hike price unfairly and wickedly, putting more burden on people, in the name of Christmas. People run a rat race and make life difficult for themselves.

So, if you want to talk about free gifts, you can use another metaphor. Please don’t mention Father Christmas; he doesn’t give free gifts. He’s a businessman – or an employee of a businessman. He may even be an atheist or an infidel who doesn’t go to church. It doesn’t matter.

The masses has a gross misconception about Father Christmas. Father Christmas doesn’t give free gifts: he gives people less then what he collects from them.


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If an aeroplane window could be opened, what would happen if you stick your head out of it when flying?

Well there has been one incident that happened on British Airways Flight 5390, a BAC 1–11.

On this flight from England to Spain, the maintenance had used the wrong screws to fix the cockpit windshield, as you see, they screwed up (pun intended.)

At 17, 400 ft, the windshield blew off, sucking the captain out of the cockpit.

Luckily, the flight attendants reacted just in time to hold him back, the captain was also clinging on to the yoke with his feet pushing the plane down.

Amazingly, the co pilot was able to make an emergency landing in Southampton, with no loss of life and no injury. The only injury was the captain.

Now to answer your question: What would happen if you stuck your head out of the window during flight? First you would get sucked out, and like the captain, you would get bruises, frostbite, and shock, maybe even worse. He also got many fractures as well. The flight attendant who held him in got a dislocated shoulder as well as frostbite.

Source: https://www.quora.com/If-an-aeroplane-window-could-be-opened-what-would-happen-if-you-stick-your-head-out-of-it-when-flying

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YOUNG PEOPLE ASK

“Growing up, one of the most difficult things I had to deal with was my attraction to others of the same sex. I used to think it was just a phase, but those feelings plague me still.”—David, 23.

David is a Christian who wants to please God. Can he do that while feeling attracted to those of the same sex? How does God really feel about homosexuality?

What does the Bible say?
Does that mean . . . ?
But what if . . . ?
What does the Bible say?

Attitudes about homosexuality may vary from one culture to the next or from one time period to another. But Christians aren’t governed by popular opinion or “carried here and there by every wind of teaching.” (Ephesians 4:14) Instead, they base their view of homosexual conduct (and any other kind of conduct, for that matter) on the standards set forth in the Bible.

The Bible’s standard regarding homosexual acts is clear. God’s Word says:

“You must not lie down with a male in the same way that you lie down with a woman.”—Leviticus 18:22.
“God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, . . . gave them over to uncontrolled sexual passion, for their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature.”—Romans 1:24, 26.
“Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom.”—1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.
In reality, God’s standards apply to all people, whether they have homosexual desires or heterosexual desires. The fact is, everyone must exercise self-restraint when it comes to urges to engage in conduct that displeases God.—Colossians 3:5.

Does that mean . . . ?

Does that mean the Bible promotes hatred of gays?

No. In fact, the Bible doesn’t promote hatred of anyone—gay or straight. Rather, it tells us to “pursue peace with all people,” regardless of their lifestyle. (Hebrews 12:14) So it’s wrong to engage in bullying, hate crimes, or any other type of mistreatment of homosexuals.

Does that mean that Christians should oppose laws that allow same-sex marriage?

The Bible shows that God’s standard for marriage calls for the union of one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:4-6) However, discussions of human laws on same-sex marriage relate to a political issue, not a moral one. The Bible tells Christians to remain politically neutral. (John 18:36) Therefore, they neither advocate nor oppose governmental laws involving same-sex marriage or homosexual conduct.

But what if . . . ?

But what if someone currently practices homosexuality? Can that person change?

Yes. In fact, some in the first century did so! After stating that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit God’s Kingdom, the Bible says: “That is what some of you were.”—1 Corinthians 6:11.

Does that mean those who stopped practicing homosexuality no longer felt any inclination toward their former lifestyle? No. The Bible says: “Clothe yourselves with the new personality, which through accurate knowledge is being made new.” (Colossians 3:10) Change is an ongoing process.

But what if someone who wants to follow God’s standard still has homosexual urges?

As with any urge, a person can choose not to nurture or act on those urges. How? The Bible says: “Keep walking by spirit and you will carry out no fleshly desire at all.”—Galatians 5:16.

Notice that the verse doesn’t say that the person will have no fleshly desire. Instead, armed with a good spiritual routine of Bible study and prayer, he or she will have the strength to resist those desires.

David, mentioned at the outset, found that to be true—especially after he confided in his Christian parents about his struggle. “It was a tremendous burden off my shoulders,” he says, “and I probably would have enjoyed my teen years a lot more if I had talked to them sooner.”

In the end, we are happier when we conform to Jehovah’s standards. We are convinced that they “are righteous, causing the heart to rejoice,” and that “in keeping them, there is a large reward.”—Psalm 19:8, 11.



Source: https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/teenagers/ask/is-homosexuality-wrong/

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During the war in Bosnia I once saw a soldier sitting all by himself in the chow hall. He didn’t talk to anybody, didn’t touch his food and I saw that one of his ears was missing. Later on, one of my comrades told me his story:

This Croatian soldier was fighting in a dense forest when a bullet hit his leg. Separated from his unit he was captured by the enemy. Although wounded and bleeding he was severely beaten up. Then the enemy dragged him to the next Serb city where a mob of civilians was already waiting for him. They wanted to burn him alive and just when they got a big fire started and were ready to throw him into it, the military police showed up and saved our man.

He was then put on the back of a truck and brought to Banja Luka, which was the capitol of the Bosnian Serbs. During the drive more prisoners of war were uploaded and at every stop they were all beaten with rifle butts and iron rods. When the truck finally arrived at its destination half of the prisoners had died.

The captured soldier then came to a military prison where the beating went on. The Serbs mistakenly thought that he was a brigade commander, so he got interrogated and beaten even more. Finally they realized that he wasn’t the big fish they expected him to be and he was somehow treated a little better, but he still got beaten up at least once a day.

The Croats negotiated his release and after a couple of months and after paying a 30,000 dollar “fee for his lawyers” he was released. Being a tall guy and a former boxer he was down to only 45 kilos and had lost one ear and all his teeth.

Later on I met more guys who were prisoners of war. One of them was taking 5 showers a day and was washing his hands every 5 minutes. During his time as a POW he had never been allowed to clean himself up and was now overcompensating for it.

Near the end of the war I found myself in a POW camp in central Bosnia, not as a prisoner of war, but as a espionage suspect, which didn’t make things any better. Luckily I got cleared after a month and a half, but it was still a very bad experience.

I also received my fair share of SERE (Survival, Resistance, Evasion and Escape) training during my time as a paratrooper in the German army. Based on this training and what I saw in Bosnia and later in Kosovo, here are some general observations about what to do when getting captured:

Prepare yourself. First of all, during a combat mission, don’t carry anything on you that might harm you when getting caught. This means not only military information, but family pictures, home addresses and everything else that makes you vulnerable.
Tattoos that are depicting unit emblems, political or religious symbols might also get you in a lot of trouble. “Semper Fi”, “Kill them all- let’s god sort them out” or “I love Jesus” might not go down so well with the Taliban. These tattoos might even haunt you years later. A lot of Croats who live in Bosnia still have to cover up their “Ustasa” tattoos when travelling across the country, even years after the war. A Swedish volunteer who served with me in Bosnia got stabbed by some Bosnian refugees in his Swedish home town after they found out that he was fighting against their people.

The first hours after being taken POW are critical. This is the most dangerous time as you are often in the hands of trigger happy combat soldiers pumped with adrenaline. They might just kill you for one false move.

These first hours are also the best opportunity for you to escape! Combat units are not trained to guard POWs and often they don’t have enough soldiers to spare to properly secure their prisoners. Later on you will have to deal with military police or specialized units which will make an escape much harder. Further, if you decide to escape from a military prison or an insurgent camp your enemy will retaliate and kill your comrades that you have left there.

Don’t expect a special POW status. In modern conflicts which are often counterinsurgencies, the Geneva conventions for the treatment of prisoners of war do not exist. You might be banged up with common criminals or civilian hostages.

Therefore:
Most of the “informal” prison rules are also valid for POWs. For example: Mind your own business. Avoid eye contact with other prisoners and guards,but especially:
Don’t trust anybody. You might have some cell mates you don’t know. They might be spies to hear you out or simply try to take advantage of you for their own survival.

During interrogations don’t think that you can outsmart your opponent. And don’t play dumb! Most of today’s regular and irregular armies have sophisticated intelligence organizations. You will deal with professionals who know what they are doing. As there is probably not much what they don’t know already there is also no reason to play the hero: Spill the beans and tell them what they want to know. Forget the “Name, Rank and Unit” thing.

Even after having provided them with information you might get beaten up, raped and tortured just for the pleasure of your captors. They enjoy hearing you scream in pain. There isn’t much that you can do, but some POWs succeeded in pretending that they had passed out. Then the torturers usually gave the victims a break to recover.

After the torture and interrogations there will be extended periods of boredom and isolation. Try to keep your mind busy by remembering events, books and movies, songs or prayers.

Never give up hope! You might be saved much sooner than you expect.
Try to take care of your body! Most probably you won’t have enough calories in your food to allow you to do much sport, but try at least to keep your body flexible with some stretching.

Use every opportunity there is to clean yourself, especially your teeth, your feet and your behind.

You might get sentenced to death or to a long prison term for “war crimes”. This is most often a bluff and serves to destroy your morale. If your captors have kept you alive for that long you will probably have more value for them alive than dead.

The main problem will be to stay mentally healthy. There isn’t much you can do against the physical torture anyway.

What you do after your release is also very important. Don’t hesitate to ask for psychological help. Often the family of a former POW plays an important role in his recovery. It’s important to have somebody to listen to your story.

Don’t think you can shake this off easily. Aside from being killed, being a POW is the worst thing that can happen to you in a war. You might feel mentally strong after your release, but the problems will come sooner or later, sometimes after months or years.

Having been a Prisoner of War will change a person completely. Accept that you are not the person you were used to be, but somebody different and explain this to your loved ones.

Good luck!


Source: https://www.quora.com/How-should-soldiers-behave-when-they-are-captured

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Soldiers usually do not fear to become prisoners of war, Special Forces are no exception. When you go to war, there is only one big fear that overshadows everything: You might die in combat. All the other fears, like getting wounded, becoming crazy or getting captured have to take a number and wait in line.

Additionally, Special Forces soldiers usually have enemy contact only for a very short, but intensive time in complicated missions. They are too busy trying not to screw up, there is not much time to think about any possible negative outcomes of their mission.

A few words about the SERE(Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) training, that combat soldiers, Special Operations Forces personnel and pilots go through:

SERE training has its limits. In modern conflicts, especially in counterinsurgencies, the enemy uses a multitude of different ways to (mis)treat their POWs and it’s impossible to prepare a soldier for all these possibilities.

Like hand-to-hand combat or NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) warfare training, SERE teaches you the basics, for the very slim chance that you might need them one day. Its main purpose is to keep a soldier’s mind at ease when he or she deploys to a combat zone.

To survive a POW camp mainly depends on your mental strength and much less on physical endurance or technical skills. Special Forces soldiers go through a number of courses which bring them to their limits, mentally and physically. This is why they are relatively better prepared to survive the hardships of imprisonment.

The short answer: No, elite soldiers don’t fear capture, because they are much too busy and there are worse things to be afraid of.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Do-elite-soldiers-fear-becoming-prisoners-of-war

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Na true talk jare. Even if that job is lost, the woman would go away.



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What are some of the most ridiculous things anybody has been sued for?

This was epic.

On December 23 1985, 20 year old James Vance and 18 year old Raymond Belknap, after a night of heavy drinking and drug usage, decided to enter into a suicide pact. They took a sawed off 12 guage shotgun to a park, placed it under their chins and pulled the trigger. Belknap died instantly but Vance survived for a time, erasing only his face.

Three years later Vance died as well, from what may or may not have been an intentional overdose. Before he died, he stated the suicide pact was the result of a subliminal message in the song “Better By You, Better Than Me”, by the English heavy metal rock band Judas Priest, telling them to “do it”.

The trial, which lasted over a month, was laughable, as experts in various fields debated the legitimacy of the claim.

In August of 1990, the 6.2 million dollar lawsuit against the band was dismissed after determining the subliminal message was nothing more than lead singer Rob Halford exhaling.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-most-ridiculous-things-anybody-has-been-sued-for

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Day Traders Confuse Retiring Baseball Player for Bank of Japan's Governor

There was momentary alarm on Japanese social media overnight after a well-known day trader tweeted news of a press conference announcing the resignation of Kuroda. Some day traders jumped to the conclusion that Haruhiko Kuroda, governor of the Bank of Japan, was suddenly poised to step down.

Fortunately, before momentum could build in the yen it became clear that the Kuroda in question was actually Hiroki Kuroda, a pitcher for the Hiroshima Carp baseball team.

The tweet by @okasanman, who has over 77,000 followers, was prosaic enough. It simply cited an "emergency press conference on Kuroda's resignation" — without properly identifying the Kuroda in question. But it was retweeted over 150 times within half an hour by notable Twitter handles, including that of Mika Murata, a prominent day trader.

Soon enough, @okasanman sought to clarify some bewildered followers with a tongue-in-cheek tweet of the baseball player in question.

While the difference between Kuroda, the 41-year old baseball player, and Kuroda, the 72-year old central banker — who is not retiring anytime soon — quickly became clear, the development underscores the waves of misinformation flowing on social media, and the challenge for day traders surfing Twitter for market guidance.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-04/day-traders-confuse-retiring-baseball-player-for-bank-of-japan-s-governor?utm_content=bufferedf39&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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I wonder why, though I’m not a Catholic. I’ve some Catholics as friends, who’re worthy of emulation.

Nigeria is one of the strongholds of Catholicism in the world.

Since 1998, when I was a teenager, no Pope has come to Nigeria. And there are millions of Catholics here.

They generate huge revenues. They got devout and faithful members. Pope goes around the world, even in countries where he’s not very welcome, yet Nigeria isn’t in their agenda.

Pope is even going to the turbulent South Sudan soon – a country that’s 10 times more dangerous than Nigeria. I sense some kinda possible discrimination. Do they hate us?

When Pope came last, people worshipped him. They made him feel at home. Nigerians are good at welcoming visitors. They’re hospitable. They’re faithful to their religious leaders. Yet, Pope doesn’t come.

I can bet that Nigeria would be the best nation in treating Pope like a god when he comes. Yet, he doesn’t come.

Why hasn’t pope visited Nigeria since 1998?

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A helmet doesn’t protect well from commonly used combat rifle rounds.

Helmets are heavy.

They cannot be easily packed away when not needed.

They don’t protect from any shot in the face or the back of the neck.

About the only thing they are good for is protection from shrapnel, falling debris and some hits on the head from above by a blunt object. If the soldier is targeted by a sniper wielding a .50 BMG or .338 Lapua Magnum rifle no helmet will make a difference.

I once interviewed a French Foreign Legion war dog who was fighting in Bosnia. He told me he never wears a helmet or flak jacket (bulletproof vest) because it slows him down and hinders his movement. He said that the best protection from being shot is to be constantly on the move.


Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-modern-soldiers-wear-hats-instead-of-helmets

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What one sentence can change a life?

One sentence did change my life -and eventually, the lives of many others.

My friend -at 18- was getting married and asked me to be her maid of honor. She was from a good family, her mom was mortified because I was a "bad girl”. “Bad” because I dropped out of high school, not that I told anybody why. I'd left home at 16 taking my 15 year old sister with me tl;dr but I winged a year of high school while working 3rd shift to support us before giving up on high school. But anyway, by the time of my friend’s nuptials, I was living in a rented travel trailer with my cat, working 3rd shift at Frito-Lay where I shoveled rotting corn out of the in plant sewers and driving a fork lift. I was looking forward to a life where my greatest aspiration was to move into a 2 bedroom single wide. And I'm not kidding. I'd planned it all out down to the powder blue carpet I was going to have installed in my sister’s bedroom. It wasn't much of a life, I think I was already waiting to die and I was only 18.

But anyway, the bridesmaids gowns had to be made and I said I'd make my own; I'd been sewing since I was 5 (yes, really) not that I told anybody since only poor people sewed in those days and not as tho anyone would ever mistake me for anything but that, but I had my pride to defend. My friend's mom wasn't convinced and began nagging me until I finished it. And then, she insisted on seeing it. That was nearly insulting. But whatever, I took it over and she showed me the bridesmaids dresses she made for the other girls before she looked at mine -in hindsight, I realize she was trying to take me down easy but I thought the dresses looked awful; she'd hand tacked the neckline binding to the bodice and you could see the stitches (albeit tiny ones), that's not what the instructions called for. So she looks at my dress and I swear, her jaw dropped, literally, the only time I've seen that happen in real life. She was speechless.

Then she said, “this dress is better than the ones I made” which was true and not that I'd be so rude as to point that out and then she said —-life changing sentence —— “you should be a pattern maker”. And that's when the heavens opened and the angels started singing. I had no idea there was such a thing. I had never wondered how sewing patterns came to be and that it would be someone's job to make them but as soon as I heard it, I knew that being a pattern maker was the only thing I wanted to be. It turns out, my friend’s mom was a home ec teacher. In an instant, I had an all consuming aspiration - so I asked her how I could do that and she said there was a college downtown where they taught that. Well I couldn't go to college because I hadn't finished high school but she said I should go talk to them anyway.

So I went down the very next day, right after I got off work, not realizing there was dried corn stuck in my hair but I couldn’t get there fast enough. As it turns out, the state of Texas where I was living has some interesting laws. One is that any institution of higher learning that accepts state funding must reserve 5% of their enrollment for people who don't qualify for admission for whatever reason, hard luck and all. The college can impose testing on these back door applicants to prove you can do the work even if you don't have the paper. So that's what I did. I spent most of the day taking tests. At the end of it, the dean, Ruby Herd, took me aside and personally took me around to get me signed up (classes had already started that week). Being new at this whole college thing, I didn’t know how unusual it was; I think now that she felt sorry for me.

I cried when she shook my hand and asked me to make her proud. She gave me an acceptance letter from the college, a half sheet of blue paper with her signature on it. It became my most prized possession. She sent me a letter every semester (because I did not fail to make the deans list) and those letters joined the acceptance letter. Same half sheet of blue bond paper With her signature in blue ball point pen, “"Ruby Herd”, with a flourish, the paper indented from the pressure of her pen. Sounds hokey now but it meant everything to me.

I had the hardest time believing I was a real college student, a situation I had not dared to aspire to. I didn't even have anyone in my social circle who had gone to college (and ended up losing all those friends). Many days, it did not seem real. It was a difficult adjustment, the other students were so happy and carefree, some already had degrees but they all had good families. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized that other parents liked their kids, loved them even, and did nice things for them. Until college, I thought other people were lying about their families if they said their parents were nice to them. People at college were a whole world away from anything I knew, from people I knew. I had nightmares about college for years. In my dreams, I saw myself walking the halls at college and a man (always a man) would come out of nowhere to grab my elbow and yell at me that I didn’t belong here, his spittle hitting me in the face.

Then he’d start yelling to everyone walking by “I’ve caught her! She doesn’t belong here! Come and get her!” And when he’d start dragging me out of the building, I’d wake up crying. Somehow I got through it. I later ended up going to the University of Texas to study economics because I wanted to improve people’s lives. Problem is, although I have good math sense, I had debilitating math anxiety. I took 2 semesters of accounting to get over it. I had dreams about that too, for years. I was awfully insecure for too long and became a straight A student with only 1 B (93.5; a 94 was the A) in my college career.

But I digress. Yes one sentence can change a life. And yes, “you’re pregnant”, “marry me” and all that can change a life but one sentence changed my entire destiny. I am proud of my job. I don’t care if it is deprecated by other people or they think I’m stupid… being a pattern maker was the finest thing I could ever have imagined becoming. I’m proud of being a good tradesman. And I am grateful. Today, my company does a lot of pro bono work to help disadvantaged people (mostly we make coats to donate to needy kids) and the focus of my business is empowering entrepreneurs to start and run sustainable businesses that will create good, well paying jobs. I think I’m the luckiest person I know.

To address common questions:

No, my friend’s mom doesn’t know the positive effect she’s had on my life. I lost contact with my friend but someone has said they may be able to help us reconnect. If we do, I’ll update this.

My sister died of cirrhosis in 2014; previously a brother died when he was 19 (suspected suicide). Of we five siblings, only 2 of us went on to become productive citizens. None of us graduated from high school; I was the only one to attend college.

I’m glad many enjoyed this but I do not plan on writing my life story. I do quite a bit of technical writing, specifically, nearly all the content on Fashion-Incubatorfashion-incubator.com. It is a well respected site in the garment industry. I also wrote a technical book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing. Currently, I’m writing a sure-to-be crowd pleasing book on Cut Order Planning after which reviewers the world over, will lobby for my Pulitzer.

If I may impose upon you, we host apparel manufacturing boot camps at my sewing factory with two goals in mind. First is to help rebuild good, fair trade factories here in the US. Second, we make products that we donate to needy kids here in New Mexico. The training is free although we must collect a small fee to buy fabric for the products we donate. You can find out more about this project by visiting the Albuquerque Fashion Incubator.

Anyone is encouraged to try it (we have lots of home sewers come). However, even tho you may never have heard of it, it is very popular so sign up sooner rather than later. We only have 2 openings left for the event being held next March 2017. We have a waiting list for the camp scheduled for Labor Day 2017.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-one-sentence-can-change-a-life

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Gratitude

Showing gratitude has so many proven benefits—physical, mental, and emotional—that everyone should make it part of their daily life.

How is gratitude good for your well-being?

WHAT MEDICAL SCIENCE SAYS
According to an article in the Harvard Mental Health Letter, “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
The Bible encourages us to cultivate a spirit of gratitude. “Show yourselves thankful,” wrote the apostle Paul, who set a fine example himself. For instance, he ‘thanked God unceasingly’ for the positive response of others toward the message he shared with them. (Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:13) Lasting happiness comes not from merely saying thank you occasionally but from having a grateful disposition. That, in turn, protects us from feelings of entitlement, envy, and resentment, which would alienate people from us and rob us of joy in life.

Our Creator himself has set a fine example in showing appreciation—even to mere humans! Hebrews 6:10 states: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name.” Yes, our Creator considers it unrighteous, or unjust, to show a lack of gratitude.

“Always be rejoicing. Give thanks for everything.”—1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18.

How does gratitude improve our relationships with others?

WHAT EXPERIENCE TELLS YOU
When we express sincere gratitude—whether for a gift, a kind word, or practical help—we make the giver feel valued and appreciated. Even strangers respond warmly to people who sincerely thank them for doing a kind deed, such as holding a door open.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“Practice giving,” said Jesus Christ, “and people will give to you. They will pour into your laps a fine measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing.” (Luke 6:38) Consider the experience of Rose, a deaf girl in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific.

Rose attended the Christian meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses but got little benefit from them, since neither she nor anyone else in the congregation knew sign language. When a couple who were proficient sign-language interpreters visited the congregation and saw the problem, they started a sign-language class. Rose was deeply grateful. “I am happy to have so many friends who love me,” she said. Seeing her gratitude and watching her now participate in the meetings is more than enough reward for the couple who helped her. Rose also deeply appreciates the efforts that others made to learn sign language in order to communicate with her.—Acts 20:35.

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies [God].”—Psalm 50:23.

How can you cultivate a grateful spirit?

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Our feelings are closely linked to our thoughts. The Bible writer David said in prayer to God: “I meditate on all your activity; I eagerly ponder over the work of your hands.” (Psalm 143:5) Yes, David was not a distracted, superficial person. His thankful spirit stemmed from his regular contemplation of God’s ways, a practice he cultivated all his life.—Psalm 71:5, 17.

The Bible gives us this excellent advice: ‘Whatever things are true, lovable, well-spoken-of, virtuous, and praiseworthy—continue thinking about these things.’ (Philippians 4:8, footnote) The words “continue thinking about” point yet again to our need to have a thoughtful disposition, which is a prerequisite for a grateful spirit.

“The meditation of my heart will show understanding.”—Psalm 49:3.

Source: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/awake-no5-2016-october/bible-say-about-gratitude/

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The menacingly beautiful blue coral snake preys on other fast moving, venomous snakes. To immobilize its prey, this reptile employs a particularly nasty venom—one that makes the last moments of the victim’s life a living hell.

One quick look at this reptile and it’s clear this thing means business. Found in southeast Asia, the blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus) features a striking neon red head and tail, and electric blue stripes that run down the length of its body. In a new paper published in the science journal Toxins, researchers from the University of Queensland and several other institutions describe this creature’s unique and deadly venom—a poison that delivers a massive shock to a prey animal’s physiological system.

Almost immediately after being bitten, the victim enters into an agonizing catatonic state, with its muscles stuck at full flex. The venom causes all nerves in the body to fire simultaneously, triggering full body spasms. Paralyzed and helpless, the animal is eventually put out of its misery by the killer snake.

It’s nasty business, but evolution has equipped the blue coral snake with this particularly powerful venom for a reason. This highly specialized predator likes to hunt other venomous snakes, which are typically very fast and also exceptionally dangerous. The venom is produced and stored in a gland that extends for one quarter of the snake’s body length.

Scientists have seen this kind of toxin before, but never in a snake, let alone any other vertebrate species. Some animals, like some scorpions and spiders, have evolved similar toxins. The cone snail, for example, injects a similar kind of toxin into fish, causing them to go into an instant paralysis, where they fully tense their muscles in a tetanus-like spasm.

The blue coral snake’s venom does practically the same thing, and scientists say it’s a good example of convergent evolution (where a similar trait emerges independently in different species). Once administered into the body, the toxin causes all the nerves within an animal’s body to switch on simultaneously, causing the prey animal to enter into a frozen state. The researchers refer to this state as spastic paralysis, as opposed to the flaccid paralysis induced by other snake venom. The compounds within the venom prevent the nerves from turning off their sodium channels, which results in the nerve firing continuously. It’s like pressing the nerve’s accelerator pedal to the floor, and then cutting off the brakes.

Ironically enough, this venom—dubbed Calliotoxin—could be used in pharmacology to develop new medicines. Scientists are now particularly interested in its ability to act as a painkiller in humans.

The Snake’s picture is here: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29Rx5z/:6K2rL8bf:SFr+EltC/gizmodo.com/the-venom-from-this-snake-will-make-your-life-a-living-1788400721


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Who was responsible for World War One?

Gavrilo Princip

Gavrilo Princip (Serbian Cyrillic: Гаврило Принцип, pronounced [ɡǎʋrilo prǐntsip]; 25 July [O.S. 1
3 July] 1894 – 28 April 1918) was a Yugoslav who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.

Princip and his accomplices were arrested and implicated several members of the Serbian military, leading Austria-Hungary to issue a démarche to Serbia known as the July Ultimatum.

This was used as pretext for Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia, which then led to World War I.

Princip was a Yugoslav nationalist associated with the movement Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia) which predominantly consisted of Serbs, but also Bosniaks and Croats.[5] During his trial he stated "I am a Yugoslav nationalist, aiming for the unification of all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state, but it must be freed from Austria."[6]

Please read his complete story here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip

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When I was 19 years old I was in an elevator in a high rise building at night on my way to the 50th floor.

At the 5th floor the elevator stopped and a man got in and pressed the ground floor button. The doors shut and he suddenly grabbed my purse! I stood there, looking at him as he franticly started pressing the first floor button. I told him the car would go all the way up first, he kept pressing the button.

We slowly went up. Old elevator in an old building. No cameras (that I know of). About halfway up I asked if he could take the cash out and leave me the purse so I would not lose my pictures and identification. He said sure, took the cash, handed me the purse. I mumbled thanks.

Then when we got to the top, he said “please stay in the elevator until I get off”. I stood there, we went all the way down to the first floor, he got out and then I went back up to the top floor. He got about $60.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-strangest-experience-you-ever-had-in-an-elevator

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They simply want to micromanage people.



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Which individual in all of history killed the most people?

The person which killed the most people, with his own hands. He didn’t order, or make someone kill the person for him. Who was he?

Single-handedly? That title would have to belong to Simo Häyhä a.k.a the white death (yes, that was his nickname). He was a Finnish sniper during WWII who became a legend(he is widely considered to be the most skilled/deadly sniper that has ever lived). The Russians feared him so much that they've put a bounty on his head. After all he had over 500 confirmed kills. One man, responsible for the death of that many Russian soldiers, that was something that they couldn't let slide.

This is what he looked like: (after a Russian soldier shot an explosive bullet into his jaw, literally half of his face was missing upon impact, but somehow he managed to survive that attack).

See his picture here: https://www.quora.com/Which-individual-in-all-of-history-killed-the-most-people


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“If the election is rigged, I would not be surprised,” he told The Washington Post in an interview Tuesday afternoon. “The voter ID situation has turned out to be a very unfair development. We may have people vote 10 times.”

When I was a young struggling actor in New York City in the late 1960’s, there was an informal group of us who would hang out together (several of that group went on to be well-known performers).

One girl who passed through that group suffered, as Donald Trump suffers, from the mental illness of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She was convinced, in her own mind, that she was the greatest singer/dancer/actress on Broadway and believed that producers and directors should just be giving her major roles in Broadway shows without her having to audition.

Prior to going to any audition, she would prepare herself by coming up with every possible reason that the audition might be rigged against her - because, in her mind, if the audition was not rigged, she would get the job. If some other actress got the job, it was never that the other actress was better than she was - it was always because the audition was “rigged”.

(Her usual fall-back excuse why she didn’t get the role - the actress who did get the role was sleeping with the director or one of the producers or the songwriter or the choreographer - or all of them at the same time)

Donald Trump is just like that actress. If he doesn't win every time, he has convinced himself that the reason is that things are rigged against him.



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I wonder why women think they’re doing men a favor by giving them their body.

Now, men lose their money, blood, and energy whenever they sleep with a woman. Yes, they lose money because 99% of women don’t open their legs for men free (housewives being exceptions).

It’s common for men to beg women for sex. Many a woman like to hold men to ransom when it comes to sex. Even when they agree to sex, they do so as if doing men a favor.

Women also enjoy sex. They even enjoy it more than men in some cases. As a man heaves and strains on a woman, he experiences only suffering, till the time he releases.

That act of release is only a fleeting pleasure. And that’s the end. The man would start wondering why he’s burdening himself over a woman while all he stands to gain is the sex he now regrets.

Are the men who’re supposed to be giving money to women for sex or are the women who are supposed to be giving men money for sex?

The truth is, women love sex. They enjoy it. But they will demand for money and pretend as if doing men a special favor.

Why are women doing this?


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Why Today Is The Day You Have To Reinvent Yourself

It’s going to be a shitstorm and I hope I have my umbrella.

Incomes are getting lower every year. This will never stop.

Since 1993. Income for people ages 18-35 have gone from $36,000 to $33,000. This seems like a small amount.

It’s not. It’s the first time ever that income has gone down over such a long period (more than a year).

This means: relying on a college, job, promotion, security, stability, retirement pension, retirement income == thing of the past.

It’s the death of the salaried employee…and here’s my solution.

Because everything that used to be safe…

It doesn’t exist anymore.

Meanwhile debt has gone straight up. Student loan debt, credit card debt, housing debt.

Even worse: asset values have gone up (houses, stocks, educations, etc). So prices for things you want to buy have gone up but incomes and job satisfaction have gone down.

Of course a key to survival that I’ve written about many times is: don’t buy a house, don’t go to college, don’t contribute to 401Ks that rob your money, and either don’t get credit cards OR stop paying back your debt.

But there’s a more serious problem:

A) Demand has gone down:

Because of outsourcing and automation, the basic equation of all economics throughout history has been reversed.

Supply is almost infinite (it costs nothing now to make an iPhone in China.)

Demand has gone down. I haven’t upgraded a computer or phone in years. They’ve stopped improving for 99% of the features I used to buy for.

For me, personally, I’ve thrown out everything I own.

Many people are, correctly (I have to admit), not going to that extreme but they are realizing the basic equation:

EXPERIENCES > MATERIAL GOODS.



B) Rich are getting richer for a reason…

This is not a political post. Or a revolutionary one. Or a socialist one. Or a whatever. It’s just facts. Every year, the Forbes 400 of billionaires gets wealthier.

Three reasons the rich are getting richer.

1) The bailouts saved the economy. But at a cost.

I won’t get into the technical details. But in 2009, the US Central Bank printed up a few extra trillion dollars.

The theory is that that money would spread throughout the economy. Poor and rich.

It didn’t.

Banks got bailed out. Bonuses went up. And a rich person puts the extra dollar in the bank and a poor person pays the rent.

So the money went into the banks, which then stopped lending money out to “high-risk” people because the Federal Reserve also started paying interest to banks on any excess reserves.

In other words, the Fed gave banks money, then gave incentives not to lend to avoid any lending catastrophes. But it backfired.



2) Some of the extra money went to infrastructure projects that the government did.

This is great.

Doing research to increase the supply of food and the supply of technology is great.

But see above: supply increases without demand increasing. Equals deflation, less jobs, less happy jobs, lower income.



3) Asset prices are going up while incomes are going down.

Rich people make their money off of assets (they buy and sell companies and other assets). They do not make their money from incomes.

This is why often the richest people (Warren Buffett, George Soros, etc) want higher income taxes.

Because they don’t pay income taxes. They pay capital gains taxes, which are significantly lower (20%) than income taxes (39%).

Again, this is not an article about economics. Or about government. Or revolution. Or “the top 1%”.

This is about why I am scared and what I am doing about it.



Here is what I am doing:

A) I can’t rely on any government, bank, or educational institution.

Any institution that makes money when I borrow money.

They will advertise, “improve yourself” and try to lend me money.

They are primarily designed to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.

I do not say this in a political way. I have ZERO interest in political issues. This is simply what is happening. This is what the data is showing.

They will want you to succumb to their pressures:

go to school and get into debt with the government with no guarantee of a job.
borrow money from the banks that got their money from the central bank so you can buy a house where the price will go up slower than your ability to maintain the house.
take a job working for the rich shareholders of massive corporations so you can get paid less while increasing supply for the few who can have access to expensive cancer drugs, driverless cars, robots, etc.
While you are at your job, they want you to put a good portion of your salary into mutual funds or 401Ks that get managed by bankers and you aren’t allowed to touch for decades.

Good luck with that strategy while your income is going down or job satisfaction is going down.



B) Choose Yourself.

Which, of course, I write about. But let’s take it a step further.

I always say it first has to come from within.
Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual health.

The change you want in the world around you has to start with the world inside of you.

i.e. write down ten ideas a day. Be around good people. Be grateful, etc.

But you also have to really look at an important data point: the IRS says the average multi-millionaire has seven different sources of income.

When you have one source of income (Me, Inc.) – for instance, a single job – you are falling into the trap. You will be one of the masses instead of one of the people who will survive.

There is a tiny circle in society made up of people who have corporate and traditional jobs.

Then there is a much larger circle of people who are no longer civilians. Who have stepped outside the comfort zone and are making money from all of the alternatives.

So you constantly have to be on the lookout for the other sources of income I write about repeatedly.

You have to remove yourself from the civilian (i.e. single corporate job) population.



C) Reinvent yourself

The world is changing quickly. A few years ago we didn’t have tablets or smartphones. Now a billion+ people have it.

A few years ago we didn’t have search engines. Now everyone has all the knowledge in the world at their fingertips.

The greatest artists: Picasso is a good example, reinvented themselves every five years. Mozart reinvented himself every five years. Warhol reinvented himself every five years.

The best careers (Steve Jobs is a great example. Elon Musk another. Richard Branson another), reinvented themselves every few years.

Branson is a great example. He started in the music magazine business. Now he builds space ships.

Five years and you need to start learning new skills, practicing new efforts, trying on new careers for size.

Everyone I’ve ever had on my podcast, 200 successful artists, billionaires, astronauts, athletes, writers, entrepreneurs, inventors, have reinvented themselves over and over.

There is NOT A SINGLE EXCEPTION of the 200 I have interviewed.


Read more lifesaving facts here: http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2016/09/financial-fridays-today-reinvent-yourself/?utm_source=activecampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_term=reinvent-yourself&utm_content=&utm_campaign=investing

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I had a pet bird— her name was Lucy.


I’ve written this story before, but it’s so appropriate.

Lucy was 23 when we adopted her. She’d spent the past 19 years at a vet’s office after her first owner died.

She was an asshole.

She was brilliant at mimicry— I would often come running into the room to check on my whining puppy or meowing cat just to find Lucy sitting there with her smug little bird face.

“Meow.”

“Bleep off, Lucy.”

And so it went.

Like I said, 19 years at a vet’s office meant she was good at animal sounds. She could whistle and purr and growl and bark. Her barking sounded just like a terrier— it was impressive.

She could talk. Not much, but she could.

If you’ve ever seen The Shining, her voice sounded just like the kid’s “redrum” voice— gravelly and weird and unnerving.

Lucy would only talk when no one was in the room.

At night, she would wait until the lights were off, then she’d start, quietly at first but growing louder:

“I’m right here I’m right here I’m right here what do you want.”

In that creepy redrum voice.

The first time it happened, my mom came sprinting into the room and flicking on all the lights.

Just to see that stupid, smug bird face.

“Woof.”

“Lucy, I hate you.”

“Meow.”

“Good night, Lucy.”

“I’m right—”

“GO TO BED.”

And so it went.

It was terrifying the first few times.

After awhile, it was:

“I’m right here.”

“Yep. We see you, Lucy.”

“I’m right here.”

“Gotcha. Lucy— right there. Got it.”

“I’m ri—”

“YEP.”

What a bird. We ended up adopting her out to a local animal enthusiast, but our time with her was something else.

Never a dull moment.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-creepiest-thing-your-pet-has-ever-done

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Do you feel it has benefited you as an adult?

I used to joke that the best advice my mother ever gave me was to never do my deep-fat frying in the nude. But joking aside, I think the very best advice I ever got from anyone, mother included, was simply that you cannot change other people, you can only change your REACTION to other people. This advice is put to use by me on an almost daily basis, as I encounter one situation after another wherein I would do something completely different or choose a radically different option than what I see others take. What is the best advice you were ever given and in what ways has it added to your success in life?

Originally Answered: What's the best advice your mom ever gave you?
"You don't marry a man, you marry a lifestyle."

Who you marry has the largest impact not just on your emotional life, but also on your lifestyle.

Both the large and small things in your daily life and long term plans will be impacted by your significant other's likes, dislikes, habits, schedule, health, personality, moods, job stresses, financial security, family, and situation.

For instance, how often will you go on vacations, and where will you go? What type of food will you eat, and who will cook it? Where will you live, and how clean will the house be? What TV shows and movies will you watch, and how often? When the toothpaste or toilet paper runs out will your partner get more or expect you to? How much sleep will you get? How many children will you have and how will they be raised? How many cars will you have, and will you lease or buy? Will you be in debt or have a large savings?

Lucky for me, I married my best friend and someone who fits my lifestyle. Jay Wacker, who loves to travel, cook, watch Game of Thrones, take pictures and who can be silly and serious.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-advice-your-mother-ever-gave-you-1


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Many innocent and poor lives have been lost in Nigerian prisons. What makes this scoundrel's life more important than others?


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You may have read or heard about the study debunking the five-second rule. It said that no matter how fast you pick up food that falls on the floor, you will pick up bacteria with it.

Our continued focus on this threat has long baffled me. Why are we so worried about the floor? So many other things are more dangerous than that.

I first became interested in the five-second rule years ago, when I was a co-author of a book on medical myths. We cited a number of studies showing that food that touched household surfaces — even for brief periods of time — could pick up bacteria or other harmful substances.

This most recent study was similar in that it tested a variety of foods, a variety of substances, for various periods. And, like those other studies, this one found that food touching the floor, even for a very short amount of time, could pick up bacteria.

There’s no magic period of time that prevents transmission. But even though I know bacteria can accumulate in less than five seconds, I will still eat food that has fallen on my kitchen floor. Why? Because my kitchen floor isn’t really that dirty.

Our metric shouldn’t be whether there are more than zero bacteria on the floor. It should be how many bacteria are on the floor compared with other household surfaces. And in that respect, there are so many places in your house that pose more of a concern than the floor.

Perhaps no one in the United States has spent more time investigating the occurrence of bacteria on public surfaces than Charles Gerba. He’s a professor of microbiology and environmental sciences at the University of Arizona, and he has published many papers on the subject.

In 1998, he and his colleagues investigated how well cleaning products could reduce coliform bacteria counts on household surfaces. As part of that research, they measured various locations in the house before any cleaning.

They found that the kitchen floor was likely to harbor, on average, about three colonies per square inch of coliform bacteria (2.75 to be exact). So there are some. But here’s the thing — that’s cleaner than both the refrigerator handle (5.37 colonies per square inch) and the kitchen counter (5.75 colonies per square inch).

We spend so much time worrying about what food might have picked up from the floor, but we don’t worry about touching the refrigerator. We also don’t seem as worried about food that touches the counter. But the counter is just as dirty, if not dirtier.

The same thing happens in the bathroom. I know a lot of people who are worried about the toilet seat, but it’s cleaner than all the things in the kitchen I just mentioned (0.68 colonies per square inch). What’s dirtier in the bathroom? Almost everything. The flush handle (34.65 colonies per square inch), the sink faucet (15.84 colonies per square inch) and the counter (1.32 colonies per square inch).

Things get dirty when lots of hands touch them and when we don’t think about it. We worry about the floor and the toilet seat, so we clean them more. We don’t think about the refrigerator handle or the faucet handle as much.

If we carry this logic out further, there are things we handle a lot and never really clean. One study, for instance, found that about 95 percent of mobile phones carried by health care workers were contaminated with nosocomial bacteria. Of those contaminated with staph aureus, more than half were contaminated with methicillin resistant bacteria (MRSA).

Think about how many people have handled the money in your wallet. A study of one-dollar bills found that 94 percent were colonized by bacteria, 7 percent of which were pathogenic to healthy people and 87 percent of which were pathogenic to people who were hospitalized or who had compromised immune systems. Where do you keep your money? In a wallet or purse? When did you last clean it? It’s probably filthy.

I see people pay for food every day and then eat what they’re handed with no concern that the food might have been contaminated. And the money and the hands that just held it could be much dirtier than the floor.

There are so many studies out there showing that things we touch every day are so, so dirty. Gas pump handles. A.T.M. buttons. Remote controls. Light switches. Computer keyboards.

The dirtiest thing in your kitchen, by far, is likely to be the sponge you keep near the sink. Most people almost never wash or disinfect those sponges. Mr. Gerba found they had, on average, more than 20 million colonies per square inch.

All of this should remind you that it’s always a good idea to wash your hands before you eat. Hand-washing is still one of the best ways to prevent illness.

People react to news like this in one of two ways. One is to become paranoid about everything. Such people start to clean compulsively, worry about all the things they’re touching, and use hand sanitizer obsessively.

The alternative is to realize that for most of us, our immune systems are pretty hardy. We’ve all been touching this dirty stuff for a long time, without knowing it, and doing just fine.

I clearly fall into the latter group. If I drop food on the floor, I still eat it. I do that because the harm I might get from the floor is not worth my concern compared with many, many other things. You may feel differently. Either way, make an informed judgment based on relative risks, not on any arbitrary span of time that one thing has been touching another.

Source: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29JYtG/:y0oj7Q29:Y+z63ymi/www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/upshot/im-a-doctor-if-i-drop-food-on-the-kitchen-floor-i-still-eat-it.html

Neteller here: www..com.ng

Masturbating into the Nile river.

This was both a cultural and religious practice.

Ancient Egyptians considered masturbation to be extremely important and many of them thought that when a God masturbates, it is some kind of…magic? Some even thought that the Nile river was created that way. Why the Nile river? Well, you have to look at God Atum. Many thought that he created the Nile river by masturbating and the flow of the river represented the frequency of his ejaculations. That’s why the Pharaohs had to ceremonially masturbate into the Nile.

Well, that was extremely weird to write. Now I know that Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks were equally weird.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-bizarre-cultural-traditions-of-ancient-Egypt

Neteller here: www..com.ng

Can some APC members vote for PDP in coming elections?

In order words, can one party member vote secretly for another political party?

PDP failed Nigeria and APC promised to fix things, and as a result of this, they won the last general elections.

However, things have really got worse…

APC didn’t tell Nigerians that they would find excuses for not fixing things. They should’ve noted that money would be a serious issue when they got to government.

Now, all we have are excuses and blame games. No money to do this. No money to do that.

I don’t blame APC. I don’t blame Buhari. They’re not responsible for the problems in Nigeria, but they can’t fix them either (contrary to the expectations of Nigerians).

Some APC members are even disillusioned with their own party. Simply put, they’re not getting what they expect. Some even suggest that, in the next elections, neither APC nor PDP should be voted for, but a brand new political party.

That’s another topic for another day.

But is it possible for one party member to vote secretly for another party in an election?

Neteller here: www..com.ng

One of the lessons mother cats teach their kittens is how to recognize when someone is dangerous. The mother toys with a small animal, large insect, or one of the kittens, while the kittens watch. Then the mother turns her back to the prey, and just sits with her back to it, perhaps washing her paws. The kittens are watching, waiting to see what will happen. As long as the mother cat's back is turned to the prey, the prey is safe. Then she turns around to face the prey, and the battle is on again. The kittens have learned that a turned back means no attack.

I've seen my cats turn their back on other cats, on a vulture, and on a deer. It means no attack. "I will not attack you, so you have no reason to attack me." Turning their back is a way to communicate no attack.

I have used this to communicate with skittish stray cats-- I sit on the ground with my back to them, and they understand that I will not attack them. Then they feel safer with me and gradually approach.

Perhaps ignoring a cat is like turning your back to them; in fact it may include turning your back to them. Perhaps that communicates the no attack message. There will be no fight; you are not dangerous.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-cats-like-people-who-ignore-them

Neteller here: www..com.ng