A major road crash involving a Truck, a Tanker and a Luxury
bus occurred at about 1:00 p.m. on Friday, today at Ugboguii Village on
the Benin-Ore express road, the Federal Road Safety Corps is reporting.
No
fewer than 110 people died yesterday in multiple accidents on
Benin-Lagos expressway and Onitsha-Owerri expressway. This is coming
barely one week after 18 persons perished in an auto crash on
Lokoja-Abuja road. In the Benin-Lagos expressway accident, over 80
persons were roasted to death in multiple accidents involving a trailer,
tanker, luxury bus and other vehicles, while in the Onitsha-Owerri road
accident about 30 people lost their lives when a trailer collided with
two mini-buses at Ihiala.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Rescuers from disaster agency continue to search wreckage of seven-storey block in India’s financial district
The
death toll from a collapsed building in India’s financial centre Mumbai
has risen to 72, as an injured woman trapped for 36 hours was freed
from the rubble.
The
death toll from a collapsed building in India’s financial centre Mumbai
has risen to 72, as an injured woman trapped for 36 hours was freed
from the rubble.
About 100 rescue
workers from the national disaster relief agency continue to search
through the wreck of the seven-storey building, using cranes, bulldozers
and jackhammers to cut through the twisted metal and concrete.
Why did it end? We all ask that question when a relationship is falling apart. eHarmony notes the 10 Biggest Reasons You Get Dumped (Ouch!). Watch out for these six as big red flags that could lead to heartbreak.
Three Things You Cannot Change
1. Differences in religion
“It doesn’t matter, until it matters,” says eHarmony. Even some relatively secular people realize how important religion can become to them when marriage and children enter the picture.
2. You want marriage, he/she doesn’t
Whether this is your first or fifth marriage, if your partner is not on the same page, the relationship should not be continued. Even if you are in love, trying to convince someone to marry is not the way to a happy relationship.
3. You (or he) have met someone else
Don’t try to bargain the relationship back. Three’s a crowd, as they say, and it’s time to move on.
Three Behaviors That Can be Managed
1. Secrets
Unless you or your partner are involved in serious addictions or illegal behavior, open up and communicate about your lives.
2. Jealousy
Subtly or not, if you are threatened by your partner’s friends, family, and co-workers it will become apparent. Either trust in him or move on. If your partner is displaying jealous behavior, don’t ignore it.
3. Spending issues
Financial difficulties can fall into the secrecy area of a relationship. Being honest about your money situation can help the relationship grow free of any waiting landmines. Never lie about money.
Visit www.facebook.com/spackinwebs to like our fan page.
Three Things You Cannot Change
1. Differences in religion
“It doesn’t matter, until it matters,” says eHarmony. Even some relatively secular people realize how important religion can become to them when marriage and children enter the picture.
2. You want marriage, he/she doesn’t
Whether this is your first or fifth marriage, if your partner is not on the same page, the relationship should not be continued. Even if you are in love, trying to convince someone to marry is not the way to a happy relationship.
3. You (or he) have met someone else
Don’t try to bargain the relationship back. Three’s a crowd, as they say, and it’s time to move on.
Three Behaviors That Can be Managed
1. Secrets
Unless you or your partner are involved in serious addictions or illegal behavior, open up and communicate about your lives.
2. Jealousy
Subtly or not, if you are threatened by your partner’s friends, family, and co-workers it will become apparent. Either trust in him or move on. If your partner is displaying jealous behavior, don’t ignore it.
3. Spending issues
Financial difficulties can fall into the secrecy area of a relationship. Being honest about your money situation can help the relationship grow free of any waiting landmines. Never lie about money.
Visit www.facebook.com/spackinwebs to like our fan page.
The re-enactment of the passion of Jesus Christ draws thousands of tourists to the Pampanga region, 80 km (50 miles) north of the capital, to watch barefoot penitents flagellate themselves and a series of crucifixions on an artificial hill.
Obama's decision grew out of a desire to share in the sacrifice that government employees are making, a White House official said Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of workers could be forced to take unpaid leave – known as furloughs – if Congress does not reach an agreement soon to undo the cuts.
Hours later, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said North Korea had moved what appeared to be a mid-range Musudan missile to its east coast. It was not clear if the North planned to fire the rocket or was just putting it on display as a show of force, one South Korean government source was quoted as saying.
The passenger, Mr. Apampa Adeshina, who was to board an Emirates Airlines plane to Dubai, was arrested for failing to declare the actual amount with him, a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mrs. Thelma Williams, said
The Customs spokesperson said the passenger also failed to disclose to relevant government agencies of the source of the money he was travelling with.
Nigeria’s National Health Bill (NHB) – seen by many as urgent and necessary to rejuvenate the country’s ailing health sector – has been a long-time coming. It was first presented to the National Assembly in 2006 and, having made its way through various bureaucratic bottlenecks, was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate in May 2011.
No fewer than 110 people died yesterday in multiple accidents on Benin-Lagos expressway and Onitsha-Owerri expressway. This is coming barely one week after 18 persons perished in an auto crash on Lokoja-Abuja road. In the Benin-Lagos expressway accident, over 80 persons were roasted to death in multiple accidents involving a trailer, tanker, luxury bus and other vehicles, while in the Onitsha-Owerri road accident about 30 people lost their lives when a trailer collided with two mini-buses at Ihiala.
Friday, 5 April 2013
It is no secret that regular sex enhances the human body mentally and physically.
Regular sex also brings about some loss of weight as sex is the only calories burning act I know that gives you ecstasy.
However did you know that the shape and size of a woman as well as the size of the man’s joystick can go a long way in determining her sexual gratification?
Experts say certain positions may be suggested for different types of women which would go a long way in enhancing her response and sexual pleasure
Ex-militants, yesterday, besieged the
National Assembly demanding that the Federal Government include them in
the amnesty programme or they would resume hostilities in the Niger
Delta.
The ex-militants in their hundreds, had arrived the fourth entry point of NASS as early as 6.30am chanting war songs, displaying placards depicting various messages.
This action was, however, in the full glare of Police backed by men of NSCDC and plain clothed officers of Department of State Security, DSS. The aggrieved ex-militants, under the aegis of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters, also barricaded the main gate to NASS.
Apparently unaware that the Federal Lawmakers are currently on Easter recess, the placard carrying ex-militants, led by ‘General’ Para Ekiyes, threatened to return to the creeks to resume hostilities, if the Federal Government failed to accede to their demand. Ekiyes, also known as ‘General Gun Boat’, said the group wanted the Federal Government to facilitate the immediate actualization of the third phase of the amnesty programme currently on going in the Niger Delta and which also accommodated them.
Lamenting their ordeal and what he called cavalier activities of members of the Task Force since the commencement of the phased programme under the supervision of Kingsley Kuku, Ekiyes said the group disarmed in 2011, and had since been waiting to no avail.
The ex-militants in their hundreds, had arrived the fourth entry point of NASS as early as 6.30am chanting war songs, displaying placards depicting various messages.
This action was, however, in the full glare of Police backed by men of NSCDC and plain clothed officers of Department of State Security, DSS. The aggrieved ex-militants, under the aegis of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters, also barricaded the main gate to NASS.
Apparently unaware that the Federal Lawmakers are currently on Easter recess, the placard carrying ex-militants, led by ‘General’ Para Ekiyes, threatened to return to the creeks to resume hostilities, if the Federal Government failed to accede to their demand. Ekiyes, also known as ‘General Gun Boat’, said the group wanted the Federal Government to facilitate the immediate actualization of the third phase of the amnesty programme currently on going in the Niger Delta and which also accommodated them.
Lamenting their ordeal and what he called cavalier activities of members of the Task Force since the commencement of the phased programme under the supervision of Kingsley Kuku, Ekiyes said the group disarmed in 2011, and had since been waiting to no avail.
A Chief Magistrate in Ondo State, Mrs
Charity Adeyanju, yesterday, ordered that the Police Constable, Alonge
Abdul, who allegedly killed a pregnant woman, Mrs Segi Olajiga, in
Akure, Ondo State be remanded in prison custody for murder.
This
came as the Association of Women Lawyers, yesterday, petitioned the
Ondo State Police Command, saying the dismissal of the killer cop will
be grossly inadequate.
They called for his prosecution pleading with the police authorities not to sweep the case under the carpet.
The accused person was arraigned before an Akure Chief Magistrate Court and was accompanied by a detachment of policemen.
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They called for his prosecution pleading with the police authorities not to sweep the case under the carpet.
The accused person was arraigned before an Akure Chief Magistrate Court and was accompanied by a detachment of policemen.
Northern leaders on Thursday said they were not supporting the violence being perpetrated by Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
The
leaders, who spoke under the auspices of pan northern socio-political
organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, said their call for amnesty and
dialogue for the sect members did not mean that they were sympathetic to
their actions.
ACF National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, stated this in Kaduna on Thursday while addressing a five-man delegation, led by the acting American Ambassador to Nigeria, Jeffery Hawkins.
Sani, who said violence had never solved terrorism problem across the globe, noted however that after applying force on members of the sect without success, it was imperative for the government to look for another way of bringing them under control.
 |
ACF National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, stated this in Kaduna on Thursday while addressing a five-man delegation, led by the acting American Ambassador to Nigeria, Jeffery Hawkins.
Sani, who said violence had never solved terrorism problem across the globe, noted however that after applying force on members of the sect without success, it was imperative for the government to look for another way of bringing them under control.
A new plan by President Goodluck
Jonathan to grant amnesty to members of the violent Boko Haram sect has
upset Nigeria’s military chiefs.
Sources at the Presidential Villa, where the military brass met with the President for several hours today, said they tried in vain to convince Mr. Jonathan not to fall into the trap that has been set for him by prominent northern leaders on the issue.
They were said to have told him the security implications of the action and that it could also be interpreted to mean that the President is not a man of his word. Mr. Jonathan has flip-flopped on federal policy against Boko Haram since he took office in 2010.
Sources at the Presidential Villa, where the military brass met with the President for several hours today, said they tried in vain to convince Mr. Jonathan not to fall into the trap that has been set for him by prominent northern leaders on the issue.
They were said to have told him the security implications of the action and that it could also be interpreted to mean that the President is not a man of his word. Mr. Jonathan has flip-flopped on federal policy against Boko Haram since he took office in 2010.
The American journalist, film critic
and screenwriter, who was once described by Forbes as "the most powerful
pundit in America" died April 4th at the age of 70 after an 11-year
battle with cancer.
Ebert
underwent surgery in 2006 to remove cancerous tissue near his right
jaw, which included removing a section of his lower jaw. The surgery
took his ability to talk, eat or drink, but never stopped him from
writing or reviewing movies.
Ebert began working as the Chicago Sun-Times film critic in 1967, and became a household name after winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 and hosting several movie-review TV shows.
Ebert was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, and the first to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. May his soul rest in peace... Amen.
 |
Ebert began working as the Chicago Sun-Times film critic in 1967, and became a household name after winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 and hosting several movie-review TV shows.
Ebert was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, and the first to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. May his soul rest in peace... Amen.
The labour crisis rocking
Aerocontractors Airlines is far from over as the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority has restricted the embattled carrier to operating only three
out of its nine operational aircraft.
Aero has about 14 aircraft in its fleet but only nine are currently in operation.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that rather operating all the nine functional planes in its fleet, the crisis-ridden airline had been operating only three aircraft since its resumed operations about six days ago.
Findings revealed that the aviation industry regulator, NCAA, directed Aero to operate only three aircraft after its audit of the airline’s operation showed that it had capacity to operate only three planes following the resumption of operations.
 |
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that rather operating all the nine functional planes in its fleet, the crisis-ridden airline had been operating only three aircraft since its resumed operations about six days ago.
Findings revealed that the aviation industry regulator, NCAA, directed Aero to operate only three aircraft after its audit of the airline’s operation showed that it had capacity to operate only three planes following the resumption of operations.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Facebook
today announced a family of apps you can install called Facebook Home,
featuring full screen photos, status updates, and notifications piped
into your homescreen. It won’t require a forked Android operating
system, as Facebook wants it to be available to a wide audience: “We
want to bring the experience of having a home, of having everything you
need right around you… to your phone.”
After
Home launches on April 12th, if you have the most recent Facebook App
and Messenger on your Android phone you’ll see a banner alert to
download Home from the Google Play store. When you launch it the first
time, you can decide to “try once”, or choose “always” to swap in Home
for you homescreen from then on. Facebook will try to make Home
available on tablets within a few months, and it’s supposed to be a
great experience there. Every month, Facebook will release a Home update
to add new features and make it accessible to new devices.
According to Shanghai Style File, the toddler’s parents thought it was pretty funny.
The Chinese toddler and his mum were spotted on Easter Sunday in a Shanghai park where she handed her tot a cigarette and then lit it for him. She smiled on as he smoked it… then laughed as he rolled on the ground when he felt sick.
See photos below;
The Chinese toddler and his mum were spotted on Easter Sunday in a Shanghai park where she handed her tot a cigarette and then lit it for him. She smiled on as he smoked it… then laughed as he rolled on the ground when he felt sick.
See photos below;
How about marijuana chicken rolls with hashish quenelles and a marijuana coulis, followed by a dessert of raspberry-marijuana bombe coated in hashish chocolate with morning glory and magic truffles? Then wash it down with a savoury cappuccino of bali kratom, hashish and baby woodrose.
The new Baked cookbook blends haute cuisine with the best of Amsterdam's street-legal drugs, according to a release emailed to The Huffington Post.
Chef Misha Sukyas created the buzz with the Arnold Amsterdam ad agency and Stussy menswear to help clothing retailer FreshCotton promote its spring collection in a combination recipe-lookbook.
If you lost all comprehension after "hashish chocolate," we get it. Just remember that many of the active ingredients in "Baked" are illegal.
The Hisba Board of the northern state
of Kano has discovered 20 HIV positive and five pregnant among the 1,000
women to be married in the third batch of mass wedding on Sunday.
The Commander General of the board, Sheik Aminu Daurawa, disclosed this in an interview.
He said the affected women were detected during the medical screening conducted on the prospective brides by the board across the 44 local government areas of the state.
Aminu said that 20 prospective couples were also found to be HIV positive during the mandatory medical check-ups.
He said that each of the 44 councils would hold the wedding prayer session for 21 couples while the session for the remaining 76 couples would be conducted in the state capital.
The commander general said the board had set aside N10 million to be paid as dowries to the brides in addition to providing other essential items for the couples.
Aminu said that the renowned Kano-based businessman, Alhaji Isiyaka Rabi’u and the Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi had donated N2 million and N1 million respectively toward the success of the programme.
‘’A chieftain of the PDP and traditional title holder of Dan-Saran Kano in the state, Alhaji Gambo Danpass has also donated 200 bundles of lace to the brides’’
‘’In addition GLO Mobile Telecommunication company has donated 2,000 SIM cards for distribution free to the couples’’, Aminu said.
NAN recalls that traders at the popular Kantin Kwari Textile Market had last month donated N5 million toward the success of the mass wedding.
The Commander General of the board, Sheik Aminu Daurawa, disclosed this in an interview.
He said the affected women were detected during the medical screening conducted on the prospective brides by the board across the 44 local government areas of the state.
Aminu said that 20 prospective couples were also found to be HIV positive during the mandatory medical check-ups.
He said that each of the 44 councils would hold the wedding prayer session for 21 couples while the session for the remaining 76 couples would be conducted in the state capital.
The commander general said the board had set aside N10 million to be paid as dowries to the brides in addition to providing other essential items for the couples.
Aminu said that the renowned Kano-based businessman, Alhaji Isiyaka Rabi’u and the Governor of the Central Bank (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi had donated N2 million and N1 million respectively toward the success of the programme.
‘’A chieftain of the PDP and traditional title holder of Dan-Saran Kano in the state, Alhaji Gambo Danpass has also donated 200 bundles of lace to the brides’’
‘’In addition GLO Mobile Telecommunication company has donated 2,000 SIM cards for distribution free to the couples’’, Aminu said.
NAN recalls that traders at the popular Kantin Kwari Textile Market had last month donated N5 million toward the success of the mass wedding.
Men
going thin on top may be more likely to have heart problems than their
friends with a full head of hair, according to researchers in Japan.Their study of nearly 37,000 people,published in the online journal BMJ Open, said balding men were 32% more likely to have coronary heart disease.
However, the researchers said the risks were less than for smoking or obesity.
The British Heart Foundation said men should focus on their waistline, not their hairline.
Most people would agree that some
drugs are worse than others: heroin is probably considered to be more
dangerous than marijuana, for instance.
Because governments formulate criminal and social policies based upon classifications of harm, a new study published by the Lancet makes interesting reading.
Researchers led by Professor David Nutt, a former chief drugs adviser to the British government, asked drug-harm experts to rank 20 drugs (legal and illegal) on 16 measures of harm to the user and to wider society, such as damage to health, drug dependency, economic costs and crime.
Because governments formulate criminal and social policies based upon classifications of harm, a new study published by the Lancet makes interesting reading.
Researchers led by Professor David Nutt, a former chief drugs adviser to the British government, asked drug-harm experts to rank 20 drugs (legal and illegal) on 16 measures of harm to the user and to wider society, such as damage to health, drug dependency, economic costs and crime.
Pope Francis stressed the "fundamental" importance of women in
the Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, a message hailed as a
significant shift from the position of his predecessor Benedict.
Supporters of liberal reform of the Church have called on it to give a greater voice to women and recognize their importance to the largest religious denomination in the world, and some groups call for women to be ordained as priests.
The head of the Women's Ordination Conference, which calls for women to be treated equally in the Church and to be allowed to become priests and bishops, said Francis's words were the most encouraging she had heard in her lifetime, but did not go far enough.
"While the pope was trying to be positive about women's role, where he's actually wrong is that women were actually disciples, like Mary Magdalene," WOC Executive Director Erin Saiz Hanna said.
"He said women are able to communicate Christ's words, but actually women can't preach so that's a false statement."
The Vatican says woman cannot be priests as Jesus Christ willingly chose only men as his apostles. Advocates of a female priesthood reject this position, saying Jesus was merely conforming to the customs of his times.
Francis, elected last month as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, said women had always had a special mission in the Church as "first witnesses" of Christ's resurrection, and because they pass belief onto their children and grandchildren.
"In the Church, and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord," Francis told thousands of pilgrims at his weekly audience in S. Peter's Square.
He said that in the Bible, women were not recorded as witnesses to Christ's resurrection because of the Jewish Law of the time that did not deem women or children to be reliable witnesses.
"In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. The evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria," Francis said.
Reform
The address was the second time Francis had spoken of women's role as witnesses to the resurrection of Christ, a subject of bedrock importance to the Catholic faith.
His Easter Vigil address on Saturday made prominent mention of women and urged believers not to fear change.
Francis's decision a week ago to include women in a traditional foot-washing ritual drew ire from traditionalists, who see the custom as a re-enactment of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles and said it should therefore be limited to men.
Marinella Perroni, a theologian and leading member of the Association of Italian Women Theologians, which promotes female experts on religion and their visibility in the Church, said the pope's words marked a significant shift from the previous pope.
"The fact that the Pope acknowledges that the progressive removal of female figures from the tradition of the resurrection is due to human judgments, distant from those of God introduces a decidedly new element compared to the previous papacy."
The election of Francis, an Argentinian, last month came in the wake of another break with tradition when predecessor Pope Benedict became one of the few pontiffs in history to resign.
His 76-year old successor has set a new tone for the papacy, earning a reputation for simplicity by shunning some ornate items of traditional dress, using informal language in his addresses, and so far choosing to live in a simple residence rather than the regal papal apartments.
Sources inside the Vatican have said Francis could reform the Vatican's bureaucracy and restructure or even close down the Vatican's bank after a series of scandals at the heart of the Holy See that damaged the Church's reputation.
Supporters of liberal reform of the Church have called on it to give a greater voice to women and recognize their importance to the largest religious denomination in the world, and some groups call for women to be ordained as priests.
The head of the Women's Ordination Conference, which calls for women to be treated equally in the Church and to be allowed to become priests and bishops, said Francis's words were the most encouraging she had heard in her lifetime, but did not go far enough.
"While the pope was trying to be positive about women's role, where he's actually wrong is that women were actually disciples, like Mary Magdalene," WOC Executive Director Erin Saiz Hanna said.
"He said women are able to communicate Christ's words, but actually women can't preach so that's a false statement."
The Vatican says woman cannot be priests as Jesus Christ willingly chose only men as his apostles. Advocates of a female priesthood reject this position, saying Jesus was merely conforming to the customs of his times.
Francis, elected last month as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, said women had always had a special mission in the Church as "first witnesses" of Christ's resurrection, and because they pass belief onto their children and grandchildren.
"In the Church, and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord," Francis told thousands of pilgrims at his weekly audience in S. Peter's Square.
He said that in the Bible, women were not recorded as witnesses to Christ's resurrection because of the Jewish Law of the time that did not deem women or children to be reliable witnesses.
"In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role. The evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria," Francis said.
Reform
The address was the second time Francis had spoken of women's role as witnesses to the resurrection of Christ, a subject of bedrock importance to the Catholic faith.
His Easter Vigil address on Saturday made prominent mention of women and urged believers not to fear change.
Francis's decision a week ago to include women in a traditional foot-washing ritual drew ire from traditionalists, who see the custom as a re-enactment of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles and said it should therefore be limited to men.
Marinella Perroni, a theologian and leading member of the Association of Italian Women Theologians, which promotes female experts on religion and their visibility in the Church, said the pope's words marked a significant shift from the previous pope.
"The fact that the Pope acknowledges that the progressive removal of female figures from the tradition of the resurrection is due to human judgments, distant from those of God introduces a decidedly new element compared to the previous papacy."
The election of Francis, an Argentinian, last month came in the wake of another break with tradition when predecessor Pope Benedict became one of the few pontiffs in history to resign.
His 76-year old successor has set a new tone for the papacy, earning a reputation for simplicity by shunning some ornate items of traditional dress, using informal language in his addresses, and so far choosing to live in a simple residence rather than the regal papal apartments.
Sources inside the Vatican have said Francis could reform the Vatican's bureaucracy and restructure or even close down the Vatican's bank after a series of scandals at the heart of the Holy See that damaged the Church's reputation.
Respected Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi has
sensationally asserted that Jesus Christ did not die on the cross and
there was therefore no basis for Christians to celebrate Easter.
According to Gumi, Jesus was only comatose. Gumi made this postulation on his facebook page on a post titled 'Easter Musings'.
Read below;
EASTER MUSINGS!
We thank Allah the Benevolent the Merciful, for passing us through the Easter season without any significant insecurity issue more especially against the Christian. We are happy for that and we applaud all for the peace-calling speeches we heard from all quarters.
Since Easter is meant to be a period of spiritual contemplation, the best gift we can offer our Christian fellows is another prism to see through and re-contemplate.
According to Gumi, Jesus was only comatose. Gumi made this postulation on his facebook page on a post titled 'Easter Musings'.
Read below;
EASTER MUSINGS!
We thank Allah the Benevolent the Merciful, for passing us through the Easter season without any significant insecurity issue more especially against the Christian. We are happy for that and we applaud all for the peace-calling speeches we heard from all quarters.
Since Easter is meant to be a period of spiritual contemplation, the best gift we can offer our Christian fellows is another prism to see through and re-contemplate.
Wednesday, 3 April 2013
A mother-of-two stabbed her 'smitten' young lover 24 times just moments after texting her ex-boyfriend saying she wished she had never let him go, a murder trial jury was told.
Michelle Mills, 31, stabbed Edward Miller, 20, with such ferocity that the handle of the knife she used broke away from the blade, the court heard.
Mr Miller bled to death on the living room floor of their rented cottage in Scalford, in Leicestershire, after he was stabbed in the chest, abdomen and back.
On the night of the alleged attack, the couple were seen acting affectionately during a Bonfire Night party at the King's Arms pub where Mills worked part-time.
But hours later when both were drunk they argued and Mills texted Trevor Stuckey, the father of her eldest child, saying: 'I still love you and always have. I'm sorry. xx.'
In a second text she wrote 'I wish I’d never let you go. xx.'
Moments later she armed herself with a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Eddie Miller leaving him bleeding to death on the living room floor, the court heard.
The mother denies murder.
After the incident, she dialled 999 but despite the efforts of paramedics her boyfriend was pronounced dead after being taken to the Queens Medical Centre at Nottingham.
Mr Miller was just 18 when he began the relationship with Mills who was 29 at the time.
He was still living at home with his mother at the time and soon afterwards got his first proper job working at nearby Scalford Hall, a hotel and wedding venue.
From January 2012 they began living together at his mother's home before saving up the deposit and renting a cottage in Scalfold. They moved in just two months before Mr Miller was stabbed to death.
Yvonne Coen QC, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court 'Michelle Mills was considerably older than her boyfriend and obviously had a good deal more life experience.
'She had two young children from earlier relationships. He would have been 18 years old when he met Ms Mills.
'She was Eddie Miller’s first serious girlfriend. It seemed to outside observers they appeared to be completely smitten with each other.
'They were coming to this relationship from very different positions.This was his first ever grown up relationship with a woman.
'She was an older woman and a mother of two.'
Miss Coen said there were problems with the relationship which led to arguments and they had split up on at least one occasion.
She told the jury: 'There were rows long into the night usually culminating in noisy make-up sessions.
'Michelle Mills told a neighbour that she and her boyfriend rowed and were noisy but despite this they loved each other.'
The jury heard that the argument on Bonfire Night ended in the stabbing.
When Mills was arrested she told police: 'I grabbed the knife and I went mental. I don’t know how many times I stabbed him.'
Miss Coen said: 'There is no dispute that Ms Mills stabbed Eddie Miller and that she caused his death. She accepts she is guilty of causing his death.
'The prosecution suggests that Ms Mills became aggressive and lost her temper with her boyfriend.
'All he wanted to do, it seems, was to sit having a drink. It would seem that she wasn’t going to leave it there.
'She wasn’t going to let him ignore her so she took it to the next level by taking a knife to him repeatedly perhaps to punish this young man for what may have happened between them before but clearly to hurt him very severely and during the course of it she actually broke the knife.
'If that is right this is a plain case of murder.'
Mills denies murder on 6 November last year. The trial continues.
Michelle Mills, 31, stabbed Edward Miller, 20, with such ferocity that the handle of the knife she used broke away from the blade, the court heard.
Mr Miller bled to death on the living room floor of their rented cottage in Scalford, in Leicestershire, after he was stabbed in the chest, abdomen and back.
On the night of the alleged attack, the couple were seen acting affectionately during a Bonfire Night party at the King's Arms pub where Mills worked part-time.
But hours later when both were drunk they argued and Mills texted Trevor Stuckey, the father of her eldest child, saying: 'I still love you and always have. I'm sorry. xx.'
In a second text she wrote 'I wish I’d never let you go. xx.'
Moments later she armed herself with a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Eddie Miller leaving him bleeding to death on the living room floor, the court heard.
The mother denies murder.
After the incident, she dialled 999 but despite the efforts of paramedics her boyfriend was pronounced dead after being taken to the Queens Medical Centre at Nottingham.
Mr Miller was just 18 when he began the relationship with Mills who was 29 at the time.
He was still living at home with his mother at the time and soon afterwards got his first proper job working at nearby Scalford Hall, a hotel and wedding venue.
From January 2012 they began living together at his mother's home before saving up the deposit and renting a cottage in Scalfold. They moved in just two months before Mr Miller was stabbed to death.
Yvonne Coen QC, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court 'Michelle Mills was considerably older than her boyfriend and obviously had a good deal more life experience.
'She had two young children from earlier relationships. He would have been 18 years old when he met Ms Mills.
'She was Eddie Miller’s first serious girlfriend. It seemed to outside observers they appeared to be completely smitten with each other.
'They were coming to this relationship from very different positions.This was his first ever grown up relationship with a woman.
'She was an older woman and a mother of two.'
Miss Coen said there were problems with the relationship which led to arguments and they had split up on at least one occasion.
She told the jury: 'There were rows long into the night usually culminating in noisy make-up sessions.
'Michelle Mills told a neighbour that she and her boyfriend rowed and were noisy but despite this they loved each other.'
The jury heard that the argument on Bonfire Night ended in the stabbing.
When Mills was arrested she told police: 'I grabbed the knife and I went mental. I don’t know how many times I stabbed him.'
Miss Coen said: 'There is no dispute that Ms Mills stabbed Eddie Miller and that she caused his death. She accepts she is guilty of causing his death.
'The prosecution suggests that Ms Mills became aggressive and lost her temper with her boyfriend.
'All he wanted to do, it seems, was to sit having a drink. It would seem that she wasn’t going to leave it there.
'She wasn’t going to let him ignore her so she took it to the next level by taking a knife to him repeatedly perhaps to punish this young man for what may have happened between them before but clearly to hurt him very severely and during the course of it she actually broke the knife.
'If that is right this is a plain case of murder.'
Mills denies murder on 6 November last year. The trial continues.
A mother-of-two stabbed her 'smitten'
young lover 24 times just moments after texting her ex-boyfriend saying
she wished she had never let him go, a murder trial jury was told.
Michelle Mills, 31, stabbed Edward Miller, 20, with such ferocity that the handle of the knife she used broke away from the blade, the court heard.
Mr Miller bled to death on the living room floor of their rented cottage in Scalford, in Leicestershire, after he was stabbed in the chest, abdomen and back.
On the night of the alleged attack, the couple were seen acting affectionately during a Bonfire Night party at the King's Arms pub where Mills worked part-time.
But hours later when both were drunk they argued and Mills texted Trevor Stuckey, the father of her eldest child, saying: 'I still love you and always have. I'm sorry. xx.'
In a second text she wrote 'I wish I’d never let you go. xx.'
Moments later she armed herself with a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Eddie Miller leaving him bleeding to death on the living room floor, the court heard.
The mother denies murder.
After the incident, she dialled 999 but despite the efforts of paramedics her boyfriend was pronounced dead after being taken to the Queens Medical Centre at Nottingham.
Mr Miller was just 18 when he began the relationship with Mills who was 29 at the time.
He was still living at home with his mother at the time and soon afterwards got his first proper job working at nearby Scalford Hall, a hotel and wedding venue.
From January 2012 they began living together at his mother's home before saving up the deposit and renting a cottage in Scalfold. They moved in just two months before Mr Miller was stabbed to death.
Yvonne Coen QC, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court 'Michelle Mills was considerably older than her boyfriend and obviously had a good deal more life experience.
'She had two young children from earlier relationships. He would have been 18 years old when he met Ms Mills.
'She was Eddie Miller’s first serious girlfriend. It seemed to outside observers they appeared to be completely smitten with each other.
'They were coming to this relationship from very different positions.This was his first ever grown up relationship with a woman.
'She was an older woman and a mother of two.'
Miss Coen said there were problems with the relationship which led to arguments and they had split up on at least one occasion.
She told the jury: 'There were rows long into the night usually culminating in noisy make-up sessions.
'Michelle Mills told a neighbour that she and her boyfriend rowed and were noisy but despite this they loved each other.'
The jury heard that the argument on Bonfire Night ended in the stabbing.
When Mills was arrested she told police: 'I grabbed the knife and I went mental. I don’t know how many times I stabbed him.'
Miss Coen said: 'There is no dispute that Ms Mills stabbed Eddie Miller and that she caused his death. She accepts she is guilty of causing his death.
'The prosecution suggests that Ms Mills became aggressive and lost her temper with her boyfriend.
'All he wanted to do, it seems, was to sit having a drink. It would seem that she wasn’t going to leave it there.
'She wasn’t going to let him ignore her so she took it to the next level by taking a knife to him repeatedly perhaps to punish this young man for what may have happened between them before but clearly to hurt him very severely and during the course of it she actually broke the knife.
'If that is right this is a plain case of murder.'
Mills denies murder on 6 November last year. The trial continues.
Michelle Mills, 31, stabbed Edward Miller, 20, with such ferocity that the handle of the knife she used broke away from the blade, the court heard.
Mr Miller bled to death on the living room floor of their rented cottage in Scalford, in Leicestershire, after he was stabbed in the chest, abdomen and back.
On the night of the alleged attack, the couple were seen acting affectionately during a Bonfire Night party at the King's Arms pub where Mills worked part-time.
But hours later when both were drunk they argued and Mills texted Trevor Stuckey, the father of her eldest child, saying: 'I still love you and always have. I'm sorry. xx.'
In a second text she wrote 'I wish I’d never let you go. xx.'
Moments later she armed herself with a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed Eddie Miller leaving him bleeding to death on the living room floor, the court heard.
The mother denies murder.
After the incident, she dialled 999 but despite the efforts of paramedics her boyfriend was pronounced dead after being taken to the Queens Medical Centre at Nottingham.
Mr Miller was just 18 when he began the relationship with Mills who was 29 at the time.
He was still living at home with his mother at the time and soon afterwards got his first proper job working at nearby Scalford Hall, a hotel and wedding venue.
From January 2012 they began living together at his mother's home before saving up the deposit and renting a cottage in Scalfold. They moved in just two months before Mr Miller was stabbed to death.
Yvonne Coen QC, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court 'Michelle Mills was considerably older than her boyfriend and obviously had a good deal more life experience.
'She had two young children from earlier relationships. He would have been 18 years old when he met Ms Mills.
'She was Eddie Miller’s first serious girlfriend. It seemed to outside observers they appeared to be completely smitten with each other.
'They were coming to this relationship from very different positions.This was his first ever grown up relationship with a woman.
'She was an older woman and a mother of two.'
Miss Coen said there were problems with the relationship which led to arguments and they had split up on at least one occasion.
She told the jury: 'There were rows long into the night usually culminating in noisy make-up sessions.
'Michelle Mills told a neighbour that she and her boyfriend rowed and were noisy but despite this they loved each other.'
The jury heard that the argument on Bonfire Night ended in the stabbing.
When Mills was arrested she told police: 'I grabbed the knife and I went mental. I don’t know how many times I stabbed him.'
Miss Coen said: 'There is no dispute that Ms Mills stabbed Eddie Miller and that she caused his death. She accepts she is guilty of causing his death.
'The prosecution suggests that Ms Mills became aggressive and lost her temper with her boyfriend.
'All he wanted to do, it seems, was to sit having a drink. It would seem that she wasn’t going to leave it there.
'She wasn’t going to let him ignore her so she took it to the next level by taking a knife to him repeatedly perhaps to punish this young man for what may have happened between them before but clearly to hurt him very severely and during the course of it she actually broke the knife.
'If that is right this is a plain case of murder.'
Mills denies murder on 6 November last year. The trial continues.
Could marijuana solve crack hard-core drugs problem?
That's the hope of city officials in Bogota, Colombia, who are contemplating a novel solution to a dangerous drug epidemic.
The city is planning a system of "controlled consumption centers," where addicts could be weaned off more hard-core drugs, such as heroin or crack, and slowly introduced to pot.
Although Colombia has successfully cracked down on its drug export business, many native Colombians are addicted to drugs, including the highly addictive cocaine derivative known as basuco, Agence France-Presse previously reported.
Basuco is smokable cocaine that is easily accessible and often gives users a euphoric high. It can also cause serious damage to vital organs.
Because of its continued prevalence, as well as its toxicity, basuco will be one of the drugs targeted by Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro's planned treatment centers.
The treatment centers are part of a larger movement in Colombia to classify drug addiction as an issue of public health rather than crime.
"We're in the process of looking for alternatives to a policy that, over 30 years, has caused deaths, has caused problems and has caused economic and public health difficulties and social problems in Colombia," Rubén Ramírez, director of the Center for Study and Analysis in Coexistence and Public Safety said.
"And among the ideas is one to do a pilot study on the substitution of marijuana for cocaine.
The initiative could be implemented within two months and would be used to study the effectiveness of marijuana on reducing and alleviating withdrawal symptoms in addicts who want to kick their cocaine or heroine habits.
In the United States, several studies have shown that moderate marijuana use has helped cocaine and opioid addicts stay in treatment.
However, this type of treatment isn't likely to gain steam in the U.S. soon.
"Unfortunately, universities rely on grants from the federal government for research, so most of what they do is what the feds want done," Amanda Reiman, a policy manager with the Drug Policy Alliance said.
"As you can probably guess, the feds are not too interested in beneficial uses for marijuana, and even less interested in how to help people who are addicted to substances, so most of the research in this area occurs outside the U.S. or through private funding."
That's the hope of city officials in Bogota, Colombia, who are contemplating a novel solution to a dangerous drug epidemic.
The city is planning a system of "controlled consumption centers," where addicts could be weaned off more hard-core drugs, such as heroin or crack, and slowly introduced to pot.
Although Colombia has successfully cracked down on its drug export business, many native Colombians are addicted to drugs, including the highly addictive cocaine derivative known as basuco, Agence France-Presse previously reported.
Basuco is smokable cocaine that is easily accessible and often gives users a euphoric high. It can also cause serious damage to vital organs.
Because of its continued prevalence, as well as its toxicity, basuco will be one of the drugs targeted by Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro's planned treatment centers.
The treatment centers are part of a larger movement in Colombia to classify drug addiction as an issue of public health rather than crime.
"We're in the process of looking for alternatives to a policy that, over 30 years, has caused deaths, has caused problems and has caused economic and public health difficulties and social problems in Colombia," Rubén Ramírez, director of the Center for Study and Analysis in Coexistence and Public Safety said.
"And among the ideas is one to do a pilot study on the substitution of marijuana for cocaine.
The initiative could be implemented within two months and would be used to study the effectiveness of marijuana on reducing and alleviating withdrawal symptoms in addicts who want to kick their cocaine or heroine habits.
In the United States, several studies have shown that moderate marijuana use has helped cocaine and opioid addicts stay in treatment.
However, this type of treatment isn't likely to gain steam in the U.S. soon.
"Unfortunately, universities rely on grants from the federal government for research, so most of what they do is what the feds want done," Amanda Reiman, a policy manager with the Drug Policy Alliance said.
"As you can probably guess, the feds are not too interested in beneficial uses for marijuana, and even less interested in how to help people who are addicted to substances, so most of the research in this area occurs outside the U.S. or through private funding."
If it were possible to take a trip to
the land of the dead and summon their son back to life, the
grief-stricken parents of Sule would have paid any amount for the
journey. Sule was electrocuted while repairing an air-conditioning unit
for a client.
The tragedy recently occurred in Ekoro area of Abule-Egba in Lagos. Sule’s parents had earlier lost two other sons, who reportedly drowned in a river at Ayetoro in Ogun State. Daily Sun learnt that the deceased and his master were at the client’s place to repair an air-conditioning unit. Sule’s boss, it was gathered, soon left his apprentice to continue the repairs while he went for some other assignment. He promised to return soon.
There wasn’t electricity supply at the time they started the repair but the job didn’t really need electricity. When the man got back to the place, he got a rude shock, as the lifeless body of his apprentice stared him in the face. The young man had been electrocuted when public power was suddenly supplied to the area. He lay lifeless on his back even as his right hand held one of his tools while the left was folded.
“Sule had only been with me for two years. And he had known almost all he came to learn. He was such a very gentle, easy-going, careful and brilliant apprentice. I can’t believe this has happened to him. He was never a carefree learner,” the man said even as he fought back tears.”
The client that Sule and his master were working for could hardly believe what had just happened. “This is joy turned sorrow for me,” he stated.
“How could this happen at a time that I am about to get married? My wedding is just a few days from today.”
“It’s so painful that Sule had neither a wife nor a child before this tragedy befell him. He was such a fine young man with a promising future. See how cruel fate terminated his dreams,” Mama Adija, one of the residents of the area, who claimed to be close to the deceased, lamented even as people in the area wailed.
The police at the Abbatoir Police Station at Abule-Egba were promptly informed about Sule’s death on the same day and his remains were taken to his bereaved family in Ayetoro community in Ogun State. A close friend to the deceased, who identified himself simply as Farouk and who also lives in the area, told the reporter that what happened to Sule would increase his parents’ grief.
Sule’s elderly parents, he informed, just lost two of their children to drowning late last year.
“What happened to Sule would cause more pain for his parents. This is because late last year, two of his siblings got drowned in their village river. They were three that fell into the river in a mysterious way but one of them just managed to survive it.
“The family is still grieving from the tragedy when this occurred. It will add more to their sorrow. It is such a cruel world,” Farouk stated.
The tragedy recently occurred in Ekoro area of Abule-Egba in Lagos. Sule’s parents had earlier lost two other sons, who reportedly drowned in a river at Ayetoro in Ogun State. Daily Sun learnt that the deceased and his master were at the client’s place to repair an air-conditioning unit. Sule’s boss, it was gathered, soon left his apprentice to continue the repairs while he went for some other assignment. He promised to return soon.
There wasn’t electricity supply at the time they started the repair but the job didn’t really need electricity. When the man got back to the place, he got a rude shock, as the lifeless body of his apprentice stared him in the face. The young man had been electrocuted when public power was suddenly supplied to the area. He lay lifeless on his back even as his right hand held one of his tools while the left was folded.
“Sule had only been with me for two years. And he had known almost all he came to learn. He was such a very gentle, easy-going, careful and brilliant apprentice. I can’t believe this has happened to him. He was never a carefree learner,” the man said even as he fought back tears.”
The client that Sule and his master were working for could hardly believe what had just happened. “This is joy turned sorrow for me,” he stated.
“How could this happen at a time that I am about to get married? My wedding is just a few days from today.”
“It’s so painful that Sule had neither a wife nor a child before this tragedy befell him. He was such a fine young man with a promising future. See how cruel fate terminated his dreams,” Mama Adija, one of the residents of the area, who claimed to be close to the deceased, lamented even as people in the area wailed.
The police at the Abbatoir Police Station at Abule-Egba were promptly informed about Sule’s death on the same day and his remains were taken to his bereaved family in Ayetoro community in Ogun State. A close friend to the deceased, who identified himself simply as Farouk and who also lives in the area, told the reporter that what happened to Sule would increase his parents’ grief.
Sule’s elderly parents, he informed, just lost two of their children to drowning late last year.
“What happened to Sule would cause more pain for his parents. This is because late last year, two of his siblings got drowned in their village river. They were three that fell into the river in a mysterious way but one of them just managed to survive it.
“The family is still grieving from the tragedy when this occurred. It will add more to their sorrow. It is such a cruel world,” Farouk stated.
A Japanese woman who lived with her
brother's mummified body for years tried to dispose of his corpse with
household rubbish when she finally realised he was dead, police and
reports said Wednesday.
The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.
It was not known how many years Tadano, who would have been 48 at the time, had been dead, but it was long enough for his body to have become skeletonised, the officer said.
Tadano lived with his two sisters in an old house in northern Hokkaido, but confined himself to his room and had not communicated with his family for many years, the Sankei daily reported.
His dismembered body was discovered by demolition workers in a number of plastic bags that had been left with household rubbish when the family moved out, police and the paper reported.
The woman, whose case was sent straight to prosecutors without her being arrested, told police she "did not want to be criticised and thought it would be gotten rid of in the trash", the Sankei said, quoting an investigator.
The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.
It was not known how many years Tadano, who would have been 48 at the time, had been dead, but it was long enough for his body to have become skeletonised, the officer said.
Tadano lived with his two sisters in an old house in northern Hokkaido, but confined himself to his room and had not communicated with his family for many years, the Sankei daily reported.
His dismembered body was discovered by demolition workers in a number of plastic bags that had been left with household rubbish when the family moved out, police and the paper reported.
The woman, whose case was sent straight to prosecutors without her being arrested, told police she "did not want to be criticised and thought it would be gotten rid of in the trash", the Sankei said, quoting an investigator.
A Japanese woman who lived with her
brother's mummified body for years tried to dispose of his corpse with
household rubbish when she finally realised he was dead, police and
reports said Wednesday.
The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.
It was not known how many years Tadano, who would have been 48 at the time, had been dead, but it was long enough for his body to have become skeletonised, the officer said.
Tadano lived with his two sisters in an old house in northern Hokkaido, but confined himself to his room and had not communicated with his family for many years, the Sankei daily reported.
His dismembered body was discovered by demolition workers in a number of plastic bags that had been left with household rubbish when the family moved out, police and the paper reported.
The woman, whose case was sent straight to prosecutors without her being arrested, told police she "did not want to be criticised and thought it would be gotten rid of in the trash", the Sankei said, quoting an investigator.
The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.
It was not known how many years Tadano, who would have been 48 at the time, had been dead, but it was long enough for his body to have become skeletonised, the officer said.
Tadano lived with his two sisters in an old house in northern Hokkaido, but confined himself to his room and had not communicated with his family for many years, the Sankei daily reported.
His dismembered body was discovered by demolition workers in a number of plastic bags that had been left with household rubbish when the family moved out, police and the paper reported.
The woman, whose case was sent straight to prosecutors without her being arrested, told police she "did not want to be criticised and thought it would be gotten rid of in the trash", the Sankei said, quoting an investigator.
A Japanese woman who lived with her
brother's mummified body for years tried to dispose of his corpse with
household rubbish when she finally realised he was dead, police and
reports said Wednesday.
The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.
It was not known how many years Tadano, who would have been 48 at the time, had been dead, but it was long enough for his body to have become skeletonised, the officer said.
Tadano lived with his two sisters in an old house in northern Hokkaido, but confined himself to his room and had not communicated with his family for many years, the Sankei daily reported.
His dismembered body was discovered by demolition workers in a number of plastic bags that had been left with household rubbish when the family moved out, police and the paper reported.
The woman, whose case was sent straight to prosecutors without her being arrested, told police she "did not want to be criticised and thought it would be gotten rid of in the trash", the Sankei said, quoting an investigator.
The woman, 49, said she discovered the desiccated cadaver of Masao Tadano as she and another sister tried to move house last November, a police officer said.
It was not known how many years Tadano, who would have been 48 at the time, had been dead, but it was long enough for his body to have become skeletonised, the officer said.
Tadano lived with his two sisters in an old house in northern Hokkaido, but confined himself to his room and had not communicated with his family for many years, the Sankei daily reported.
His dismembered body was discovered by demolition workers in a number of plastic bags that had been left with household rubbish when the family moved out, police and the paper reported.
The woman, whose case was sent straight to prosecutors without her being arrested, told police she "did not want to be criticised and thought it would be gotten rid of in the trash", the Sankei said, quoting an investigator.
A Russian billionaire has unveiled
plans to make humans immortal by converting them into "Terminator-style"
cyborgs - a creature that's part human and part machine - within the
next three decades.
Thirty two-year-old mogul, Dmitry Itskov has been pushing the project forward since 2011 when he founded the 2045 Initiative.
His ultimate goal is to transfer a person's mind or consciousness from a living brain into a machine with that its personality and memories intact.
The so called "Cyborg" will have no physical form, and exist in a network similar to the Internet and be able to travel at the speed of light all over the Earth, or even into the space.
Itskov's first highly ambitious goal, called Avatar A, involves a person controlling a robotic human replica through a brain-machine interface (BMI), a technology that already exists.
The deadline for this first stage is set for 2020. The Avatar B, due in 2025, would involve transplanting a human brain into an artificial body "at the end of one's life."
Next in line is the Avatar C, that rolls around in 2035, that would also involve a human-machine brain transplant, but with all personality intact.
Itskov hopes the Initiative will have learned enough about the human mind to free it completely from physical form finally, by 2045.
According to the report, from the Internet-like hive mind, individual personalities could manifest themselves as holograms when they need to interact with their environment.
"We believe that it is possible and necessary to eliminate ageing and even death, and to overcome the fundamental limits of the physical and mental capabilities currently set by the restrictions of the physical body," the project website says.
Itskov is recruiting scientists and authoring an open letter to the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, asking him to support to push society's transition to "neo-humanity."
Thirty two-year-old mogul, Dmitry Itskov has been pushing the project forward since 2011 when he founded the 2045 Initiative.
His ultimate goal is to transfer a person's mind or consciousness from a living brain into a machine with that its personality and memories intact.
The so called "Cyborg" will have no physical form, and exist in a network similar to the Internet and be able to travel at the speed of light all over the Earth, or even into the space.
Itskov's first highly ambitious goal, called Avatar A, involves a person controlling a robotic human replica through a brain-machine interface (BMI), a technology that already exists.
The deadline for this first stage is set for 2020. The Avatar B, due in 2025, would involve transplanting a human brain into an artificial body "at the end of one's life."
Next in line is the Avatar C, that rolls around in 2035, that would also involve a human-machine brain transplant, but with all personality intact.
Itskov hopes the Initiative will have learned enough about the human mind to free it completely from physical form finally, by 2045.
According to the report, from the Internet-like hive mind, individual personalities could manifest themselves as holograms when they need to interact with their environment.
"We believe that it is possible and necessary to eliminate ageing and even death, and to overcome the fundamental limits of the physical and mental capabilities currently set by the restrictions of the physical body," the project website says.
Itskov is recruiting scientists and authoring an open letter to the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, asking him to support to push society's transition to "neo-humanity."
In the wake of increasing sexual
violence against women in India, a group of engineering students has
developed 'anti-rape' underwear.
The garment sends an electric shock to the attacker, as well as alerts police of an attack via text message with the wearer's GPS location.
Dubbed SHE, for Society Harnessing Equipment, the 'anti-rape' undergarments were created by Manisha Mohan, Rimpi Tripathi and Neeladri Basu Pal, three engineering students from Sri Ramaswamy Memorial University in Chennai, India.
"The lingerie, laced with modules of global positioning system (GPS), global system for mobile communications (GSM) and also pressure sensors, is capable of sending shock waves of 3,800 kV as well as alerts to the girl's parents and police," Mohan told The Indian Express.
"A person trying to molest a girl will get the shock of his life the moment pressure sensors get activated, and the GPS and GSM modules would send a SMS on emergency number 100, as well as to parents of the girl."
The students' research found that women are often first attacked in the breast area, which is where the electric shock circuit board for the device is placed. The underwear can send as many as 82 shock waves to a would-be rapist.
Reaction on social media was mixed, and while many praised the device's goal, others pointed out there are other ways to prevent sexual violence against women.
The garment is nominated for the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award 2013, and is reportedly set to begin selling later in April.
The garment sends an electric shock to the attacker, as well as alerts police of an attack via text message with the wearer's GPS location.
Dubbed SHE, for Society Harnessing Equipment, the 'anti-rape' undergarments were created by Manisha Mohan, Rimpi Tripathi and Neeladri Basu Pal, three engineering students from Sri Ramaswamy Memorial University in Chennai, India.
"The lingerie, laced with modules of global positioning system (GPS), global system for mobile communications (GSM) and also pressure sensors, is capable of sending shock waves of 3,800 kV as well as alerts to the girl's parents and police," Mohan told The Indian Express.
"A person trying to molest a girl will get the shock of his life the moment pressure sensors get activated, and the GPS and GSM modules would send a SMS on emergency number 100, as well as to parents of the girl."
The students' research found that women are often first attacked in the breast area, which is where the electric shock circuit board for the device is placed. The underwear can send as many as 82 shock waves to a would-be rapist.
Reaction on social media was mixed, and while many praised the device's goal, others pointed out there are other ways to prevent sexual violence against women.
The garment is nominated for the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award 2013, and is reportedly set to begin selling later in April.
About one in four Americans suspect that President Barack Obama might be the antichrist, more than a third believe that global warming is a hoax and more than half suspect that a secretive global elite is trying to set up a New World Order, according to a poll released on Tuesday.
The survey, which was conducted by Public Policy Polling, asked a sample of American voters about a number of conspiracy theories, phrasing the questions in eye-catching language that will have the country's educators banging their heads on their desks.
The study revealed that 13% of respondents thought Obama was "the antichrist", while another 13% were "not sure" – and so were at least appeared to be open to the possibility that he might be. Some 73% of people were able to say outright that they did not think Obama was "the antichrist".
The survey also showed that 37% of Americans thought that global warming was a hoax, while 12% were not sure and a slim majority – 51% – agreed with the overwhelming majority view of the scientific establishment and thought that it was not.
The survey also revealed that 28% of people believed in a sinister global New World Order conspiracy, aimed at ruling the whole world through authoritarian government. Another 25% were "not sure" and only a minority of American voters – 46% – thought such a conspiracy theory was not true.
At least some of the insane theories suggested by the poll were dismissed by large majorities. For example, only 7% of Americans in the survey believed the moon landing was faked, 14% believed in Bigfoot and 4% accepted that "shape-shifting alien reptilian people control our world by taking on human form".
(Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is the name given to an ape-like creature that some people believe inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid)
The survey was carried out in order to explore how voters' political beliefs impact on their willingness to embrace conspiracy theories – it did indeed find that the partisan divide that is blamed for many problems in Washington DC also extends to the world of paranoia, aliens and Sasquatch.
For example, when it comes to thinking global warming is a hoax some 58% of Republicans agreed and 77% of Democrats disagreed. While 20% of Republicans believed Obama is the antichrist heralding the End Times, only 13% of independents did and just 6% of Democrats.
"Even crazy conspiracy theories are subject to partisan polarization, especially when there are political overtones involved. But most Americans reject the wackier ideas out there about fake moon landings and shape-shifting lizards," said PPP president Dean Debnam.
Women – Multiple processor
Women’s brains designed to concentrate on multiple task at a time.
Women can Watch a TV and Talk over phone and cook.
Men – Single Processor
Men’s brains designed to concentrate only on one work at a time. Men can not watch TV and talk over the phone at the same time. they stop the TV while Talking. They can either watch TV or talk over the phone or cook. I
2. LANGUAGE
Women can easily learn many languages. But can not find solutions to problems. Men can not easily learn languages, they can easily solve problems. That’s why in average a 3 years old girl has three times higher vocabulary than a 3 year old boy.
3. ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Men’s brains has a lot of space for handling the analytical process. They can analyze and find the solution for a process and design a map of a building easily. But If a complex map is viewed by women, they can not understand it. Women can not understand the details of a map easily, For them it is just a dump of lines on a paper.
4. CAR DRIVING.
While driving a car, man’s analytical spaces are used in his brain. He can drive a car fastly. If he sees an object at long distance, immediately his brain classifies the object (bus or van or car) direction and speed of the object and he drives accordingly. Where woman take a long time to recognize the object direction/ speed. Man’s single process mind stops the audio in the car (if any), then concentrates only on driving.
5. LYING
When men lie to women face to face, they get caught easily. Woman’s super natural brain observes facial expression 70%, body language 20% and words coming from the mouth 10%. Men’s brain does not have this. Women easily lie to men face to face.
6. PROBLEMS SOLVING
If a man have a lot of problems, his brain clearly classifies the problems and puts them in individual rooms in the brain and then finds the solution one by one. You can see many guys looking at the sky for a long time. If a woman has a lot of problems, her brain can not classify the problems. she wants some one to hear that. After telling everything to a person she goes happily to bed. She does not worry about the problems being solved or not.
7. WHAT THEY WANT
Men want status, success, solutions, power etc… But Women want relationships, friends, family, etc…
8. UNHAPPINESS
If women are unhappy with their relations, they can not concentrate on their work. If men are unhappy with their work, they can not concentrate on the relations.
9. SPEECH
Women use indirect language in speech. But Men use direct language.
10. HANDLING EMOTION
Women talk a lot without thinking. Men act a lot without thinking.
Have you ever fallen in love before?
Yes I have.
And still in love?
(laughing) let’s just say I have fallen in love before. Eh, everyone has fallen in love before. Love is a beautiful thing. When I was in love it was like Heaven and I wished the feeling never went away. It was good while it lasted. It’s an experience everyone should have.
So, your heart was broken?
Oh, broken, scattered, shattered, ironed and everything. It was actually my broken heart that led me to success. After I fell out of love I was so heartbroken that I could not get my mind off it. So, to get my mind off it, I decided to do something else and that led me into forming my own company to start event management business but I don’t want to talk about it.
What’s your idea of sex generally and of premarital sex?
Well, it doesn’t matter what my views are on the subject, those who want to do it would still do it. As for me, if you feel it is the right time to do it go ahead. It’s a free world. You don’t want to live your life thinking of what the next person thinks of you.
Sex is very good. It calms your nerves. If you feel the time is right for you, go ahead, just make sure it is with the right person.
Yes, sêx is not the only way to achieve intimacy, but it is one of the main and most important ways to achieve intimacy between a man and a woman. Not making sêx a priority can cause your relationship to deteriorate. The passion dies out.
2) Women can go to their girlfriends, a counselor, a guy friend, a mother, father, relative, aunt, to connect and talk to people. Men don’t generally do this.
I’m not saying there aren’t men who DO call their guy friends up for a long chat about their feelings, problems and sêx life, but this is not common.
Sêx is one of the major and most important ways through which a man gets his needs of connection/love met. Men aren’t just asking for sêx because it feels good (although that’s part of it too).
If a man loves his woman, he wants to have sêx with her because he loves her and wants her to be open to him. This is one of the main ways in which a man expresses his love, and it is one of the major ways in which a woman can show and prove her love for her man (although by no means the ONLY way).
For a lot of men, his woman is the only place he can go to for connection and love. His woman is often the only source he has. Men have many challenges in the world – and it’s important that he has a woman who understands his needs. Of course – understanding a man’s needs is not about just giving him sêx. Men have many other needs, too. But the issue of sêx is one that many women struggle with.
And, the modern western world has been affected by the feminist movement which has given women the idea that they shouldn’t prioritize a man’s needs, and that includes not wanting to meet his sêxual needs regularly. However, the man is still expected to meet her needs!
Your man’s needs are just as important as the needs of your children or the needs of your friends! At the end of it all – your man is the one you’re going to be left with. Children will grow up and leave. Friends will have their own lives. A sêxless marriage or a sêxless relationship can cause a man to become dejected and resentful, as with every rejection the negative association (with his wife or girlfriend) becomes stronger.
3) Let’s talk about masculine and feminine energy, which relates very, very closely to sêx. The masculine energy is about releasing. The feminine energy is about filling up. I’ll say that again. The masculine energy wants to release and the feminine energy wants to fill up.Filling up is also very much about the emotional aspect of things.
The feminine energy has many ways to fill up – shopping, having sêx, talking to girlfriends, connecting with pets, talking, listening, and much more. The masculine energy has many ways in which they can release, too – but men don’t generally think the way women do.
4) It feeds a man’s needs for love from his woman. I know a lot of women will want to lash out at me for saying this – but if two people are in a relationship, and the woman denies her man of sêx, puts the children/career/girlfriends/other family first, then over time, this starts to build up negative associations within the man in relation to the woman, and makes him feel less like a man, less loved, less accepted – and this can (NOT always!) lead to cheating.
Sêx with a woman whom he loves fulfills a very deep need for love and acceptance within a man. If you’re not attracted to him enough in order to want to have sex with him, over time, he may start to feel less of a man – more like you don’t accept him as a man and that you’re not attracted to him. This is a painful thing to feel.
This is also one reason why men cheat. A lot of their emotional needs are met through sêx!!
In The Truth about Cheating: Why Men Stray and What You Can Do to Prevent It- licensed family counselor M. Gary Neuman studied hundreds of men who had cheated on their wives, in order to find out why they did.
His results show clearly that the main reason why men did cheat on their women was for emotional reasons. When asked what led to their cheating, the answers given by the men showed up as follows:
48% – primarily emotional dissatisfaction
32% – equal emotional and sexual dissatisfaction
8% – primarily sexual dissatisfaction
This doesn’t mean women should be pressured in to having sêx. Women and men (equally) need to work on creating passion, love and excitement with their spouse so that lack of sêx will not be a problem, but rather – lack of free time space or opportunity for it – a much healthier problem!!
5) I’ll be as frank as I can.
Never expect to just be loved and adored for who you are without having to put any effort and sweat in to anything. We are all enough – but you can never, ever - expect to have and keep the man of your dreams or to have a passionate lifelong, loving relationship where you’re worshipped and adored by your man for life if you do not give to him. It’s all about the standards you have for yourself.
And, it’s important to remember that women (and men) must give to their spouse in a way that their spouse can receive it! If you just give or express love to them in the way YOU think is best – but the other person doesn’t perceive love in this, then it’s very easy for that relationship to break down.
If you’re always thinking of yourself, and constantly quantifying what you get and give in your relationship (like that terrible, TERRIBLE saying – Give-and-take) you will never have and experience that amazing relationship that everyone dreams of and which everybody wants.
In fact, it is a dream of every normal man in this world. The right woman is a woman who can make you grow into a better man.
Many men experience failure in relationships because they are too quick to choose, too easily attracted and fall in love with a woman without thinking whether she is worthy or not (of course mistakes committed by ourselves can cause failures too). Below are 10 characteristics of a good woman to be your girlfriend:
1. Supportive
She is a figure who always support you in your life as well as your career and always by your side when the whole world walks out. As we know, our society tend to require a man to be a strong man and not a fragile person, but sadness and stress that come repeatedly will destroy you if you don’t vent your feelings. Thus, a good woman can be the best listener by providing support and comfort for you. She also gives you freedom to develop yourself as you want.
2. Independent
This characteristic is important because it means she can manage and take care of herself. It will be very annoying when you have to be her ‘babysitter’ all the time, right? She can go home by herself when you can’t pick her up, she can go shopping by herself when you can’t accompany her, and she can rely on herself when you can’t help her. Independent woman is a woman who can stand by her own feet and walk alone when you can’t be there (of course she still respects you as the leader).
3. Beautiful inside and out
From the outside, she is not a woman like Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton, Megan Fox, or Jessica Alba, but she looks beautiful and attractive in her own way, her simplicity and friendliness. From the inside, you notice that she is a person who has an extraordinary and inspiring personality.
4. Confident
She loves her imperfection, perfectly. She doesn’t hurt herself or dying to be famous and beautiful like a movie actress. She doesn’t try to be someone else, she is confident of herself and (of course) proud to have you by her side.
5. Respects you
You are the leader and she, as your partner, has respect for you and the decisions you make. She doesn’t make you afraid of her and look like a loser. But of course, you have to respect her too by not humiliating and treating her like a slave.
6. Know when to speak and keep quiet
She knows which stories that can be told to her friends and which ones don’t. She doesn’t like to gossip about your bad things and your relationship. She knows when to speak and listen to your words. She also can speak tenderly (without yelling) when she expresses her opinion to you.
7. Loyal
Someone who’s in normal or happy circumstances tend to be a kind person. Don’t immediately assume she has a good character when she is in such conditions, just wait until you have some problems. Then you will know her true character and who she really is. Women who are not loyal will turn around and leave you when you face problems, either minor or major ones. While women who are loyal will remain by your side to face the problems together. That’s why you need time to evaluate your partner before moving to the next stage of your relationship.
8. Doesn’t fall in love with your wealth and social status
In this modern era, money is something that has tremendous appeal. Money can buy positions, power, authorities, even ‘love’. Of course they love the money not the person. Although money remains an important thing to think about (you can’t eat and shop without money, right?), but a good woman won’t put her love on your wealth because she already has something more valuable than money… You. Think about this… Love of money is only temporary because wherever the money goes, that’s where her heart is… But love that comes and grows from her heart to you will last for a lifetime. Why? Because wherever you go, that’s where her heart is. Do you notice the difference?
9. Simple and down to earth
There was a joke that said, “The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think.” It’s funny but also true. Women are good market of beauty products by various companies. In fact, MOST of their body parts are good market.. Their hair, face, ears, eyes, hands, fingers, toenails, and so on. Don’t be trapped by a high maintenance woman if you can’t afford her needs. It’s better to choose a simple woman who still looks good with what she got, without requiring too much maintenance. In addition, she is modest and humble in everyday life, she doesn’t demand a lot of facilities to indulge herself.
10. Gets into your life
And the last thing is she knows and gets along well with your friends. She also knows your family well, helps your mom to prepare meals, travels with your family, and most importantly she enjoys it all sincerely. When she knows your life well and has a good relationship with your family, then you have a good chance to move into the next relationship stage.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
At 31, Adam Grant is the youngest tenured professor at Wharton and a
leader in the field of organizational psychology. He regularly consults
with companies like Google, Merck
and Goldman Sachs on how to make their workers more productive. He has
built his career in part on a surprising proposition: that the most
productive, high-achieving people are also the people who are the most
giving and altruistic.
In his new book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success (Viking, $28), he does a convincing job of proving that givers can achieve much more than cautious, self-protective takers who “believe the world is a competitive, dog-eat-dog place,” where they need to put themselves first, for fear someone else will elbow them aside. He identifies a third category, called matchers, who try to balance what they give with what they get. A giver himself, Grant shows how the aphorism “nice guys finish last,” while sometimes true, can also be completely wrong.
Among Grant’s intriguing findings: Though a number of studies show that givers consistently come out on the bottom, those same studies reveal that while takers and matchers occupy the middle ground, givers are also at the top of the success scale. Grant ran a study of salespeople in North Carolina where he put together a “giver score” that calculated to what extent each person focused on helping others, rather than on promoting themselves. The least productive salespeople all had giver scores that were 25% higher than average performers. They were so concerned about what was best for their customers, they didn’t sell aggressively enough. But he found a surprise among the top performers: They were givers too, and averaged 50% more in annual revenue than the takers and the matchers.
Throughout the book Grant offers examples that illustrate his point about how excessive giving can land people at the top of their profession. Like David Hornik, a quirky (he collects Alice in Wonderland comic books) Silicon Valley venture capitalist. At his daughter’s soccer
match one day, Hornik meets Danny Shader, an intense entrepreneur who
asks Hornik to consider Shader’s idea for a new company that offers a
way for low-income people to buy things online without using their
credit or debit cards. Instead of the usual VC tactic of making Shader
an offer with a tight deadline, which would cut off his ability to shop
his idea to other investors, Hornik tells him he should take all the
time he needs. Thinking that Hornik is too nice and won’t challenge him
to do his best, Shader chooses an investor who fits the taker profile.
But after he makes the decision, Shader has second thoughts and realizes he misses Hornik’s generous input. Though he has to sell more of the company than he had planned, he invites Hornik to invest. Hornik winds up offering lots of new ideas and pushing Shader to expand in ways Shader hadn’t considered. Shader lands partnerships with companies like 7-Eleven and Greyhound and his business takes off. Hornik puts Shader on his list of references and Shader refers more clients to Hornik, with glowing recommendations. (Forbes wrote about Shader’s business, PayNearMe, back in 2010.)
Hornik has broken other rules in the VC business. In 2004 he became the first in his profession to start a blog about his ideas. His colleagues and competitors thought he was nuts to divulge secrets about the deals he was doing but Hornik cared more about sharing with his community. He also put together a conference called The Lobby, where he invited VCs from rival firms and invested $400,000 of his own money to get it off the ground. Again colleagues thought he was crazy to set up a situation where other VCs could network and benefit from his connections. But the conference thrived and most importantly to Hornik, he was able to share ideas with others in his profession. Of course he got some new ideas of his own.
Hornik’s unconventional generosity has paid off. While most VCs have a signing rate of 50%, in 11 years in the business, writes Grant, Hornik offered 28 term sheets and got 25 acceptances.
How is it that some givers, like Hornik, land on top, while other givers wind up on the bottom, as pushovers and doormats, failing to advance their own interests? Grant picks apart the differences between the two groups. The most important thing givers must do: Find a way to advance their own interests while they are giving to others. Hornik does this by funding and closing deals and taking advantage of the returns his good will brings him to advance his own business.
I’ll break down Grant’s advice into seven ways that givers can find success:
1. Don’t be completely selfless. It’s great to give away as much of your talent and share as many of your connections as possible. But it’s also important to care about whether you are getting ahead at the same time. As Grant puts it, “self-interest and other-interest are completely independent motivations: You can have both at the same time.”
2. Find a way to see the impact your job is making. Grant tells the story of a 24-year-old Teach For America worker, Conrey Callahan, who quickly gets burned out by putting in impossibly long days at a failing Philadelphia high school. Instead of cutting back on her hours, on the weekends she volunteers as a TFA mentor, and she starts a chapter of a nonprofit that helps high-achieving low-income students get into college. Unlike her teaching job, her volunteer work has tangible results: her mentees advance and the kids she coaches get into college. Seeing good things come from her volunteer work gives Callahan the energy she needs to keep teaching.
To further make this point, Grant cites a study of Israeli radiologists, where 53% improved their CT scan diagnoses and 28% did worse. It turns out the radiologists who improved their performance saw photos of their patients just before their final scans, while the 28% of poor performers saw no photo. Seeing the people they were impacting helped the doctors better their performance.
3. Shift the focus of your giving. Though Callahan was giving her all in her teaching job, she had trouble seeing the results of her efforts as her students continued to struggle. Once she focused on her volunteer work, she felt more motivated and gratified.
4. “Chunk” your giving. Grant cites a study of people who performed five random acts of kindness every week for six weeks. Those who concentrated their giving into a single day each week felt much happier at the end of the experiment than did those who dispersed their giving throughout the week. Grant calls this “chunking” as opposed to “sprinkling.” One reason Callahan felt rewarded by her volunteer work is she did it in intense periods on the weekends.
5. Volunteer at least 100 hours a year. Several studies have shown that doing roughly two hours of volunteer work a week makes people happier than volunteering fewer hours than that. One study of more than 2,000 Australians in their mid-sixties showed that those who volunteered at least 100 hours a year were happier and more satisfied than those who volunteered less. In another study, Americans who volunteered at least 100 hours in 1998 were more likely to be alive in 2000 than those who did no volunteer work.
6. Volunteer to do something that’s meaningful to you. Volunteering for the sake of volunteering is not going to make you happy or more productive, writes Grant. Psychologists Netta Weinstein and Richard Ryan have run studies that show that when people give because they feel obligated rather than giving to a cause or program that is meaningful to them, they feel no boost of energy and happiness. But when they give out of a sense of enjoyment and purpose, they feel much more invigorated.
7. Ask for help from colleagues. People like Callahan, who work around the clock in a giving profession and then volunteer on the weekends, need to feel supported by colleagues. Grant points to work by UCLA psychologist Shelley Taylor who has discovered that many people who are under stress tend to come together with coworkers to give. Callahan’s volunteer work earned her the respect and support of her mentees and strengthened her sense that she was making a difference.
The New York Times Magazine ran a wonderfully written profile of Grant yesterday. You can read it here. It seems Grant is a compulsive giver, but that he doesn’t lose sight of how giving propels his own career forward. That seems to be a recipe for success.
In his new book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success (Viking, $28), he does a convincing job of proving that givers can achieve much more than cautious, self-protective takers who “believe the world is a competitive, dog-eat-dog place,” where they need to put themselves first, for fear someone else will elbow them aside. He identifies a third category, called matchers, who try to balance what they give with what they get. A giver himself, Grant shows how the aphorism “nice guys finish last,” while sometimes true, can also be completely wrong.
Among Grant’s intriguing findings: Though a number of studies show that givers consistently come out on the bottom, those same studies reveal that while takers and matchers occupy the middle ground, givers are also at the top of the success scale. Grant ran a study of salespeople in North Carolina where he put together a “giver score” that calculated to what extent each person focused on helping others, rather than on promoting themselves. The least productive salespeople all had giver scores that were 25% higher than average performers. They were so concerned about what was best for their customers, they didn’t sell aggressively enough. But he found a surprise among the top performers: They were givers too, and averaged 50% more in annual revenue than the takers and the matchers.
Throughout the book Grant offers examples that illustrate his point about how excessive giving can land people at the top of their profession. Like David Hornik, a quirky (he collects Alice in Wonderland comic books) Silicon Valley venture capitalist. At his daughter’s soccer
But after he makes the decision, Shader has second thoughts and realizes he misses Hornik’s generous input. Though he has to sell more of the company than he had planned, he invites Hornik to invest. Hornik winds up offering lots of new ideas and pushing Shader to expand in ways Shader hadn’t considered. Shader lands partnerships with companies like 7-Eleven and Greyhound and his business takes off. Hornik puts Shader on his list of references and Shader refers more clients to Hornik, with glowing recommendations. (Forbes wrote about Shader’s business, PayNearMe, back in 2010.)
Hornik has broken other rules in the VC business. In 2004 he became the first in his profession to start a blog about his ideas. His colleagues and competitors thought he was nuts to divulge secrets about the deals he was doing but Hornik cared more about sharing with his community. He also put together a conference called The Lobby, where he invited VCs from rival firms and invested $400,000 of his own money to get it off the ground. Again colleagues thought he was crazy to set up a situation where other VCs could network and benefit from his connections. But the conference thrived and most importantly to Hornik, he was able to share ideas with others in his profession. Of course he got some new ideas of his own.
Hornik’s unconventional generosity has paid off. While most VCs have a signing rate of 50%, in 11 years in the business, writes Grant, Hornik offered 28 term sheets and got 25 acceptances.
How is it that some givers, like Hornik, land on top, while other givers wind up on the bottom, as pushovers and doormats, failing to advance their own interests? Grant picks apart the differences between the two groups. The most important thing givers must do: Find a way to advance their own interests while they are giving to others. Hornik does this by funding and closing deals and taking advantage of the returns his good will brings him to advance his own business.
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
1. Don’t be completely selfless. It’s great to give away as much of your talent and share as many of your connections as possible. But it’s also important to care about whether you are getting ahead at the same time. As Grant puts it, “self-interest and other-interest are completely independent motivations: You can have both at the same time.”
2. Find a way to see the impact your job is making. Grant tells the story of a 24-year-old Teach For America worker, Conrey Callahan, who quickly gets burned out by putting in impossibly long days at a failing Philadelphia high school. Instead of cutting back on her hours, on the weekends she volunteers as a TFA mentor, and she starts a chapter of a nonprofit that helps high-achieving low-income students get into college. Unlike her teaching job, her volunteer work has tangible results: her mentees advance and the kids she coaches get into college. Seeing good things come from her volunteer work gives Callahan the energy she needs to keep teaching.
To further make this point, Grant cites a study of Israeli radiologists, where 53% improved their CT scan diagnoses and 28% did worse. It turns out the radiologists who improved their performance saw photos of their patients just before their final scans, while the 28% of poor performers saw no photo. Seeing the people they were impacting helped the doctors better their performance.
3. Shift the focus of your giving. Though Callahan was giving her all in her teaching job, she had trouble seeing the results of her efforts as her students continued to struggle. Once she focused on her volunteer work, she felt more motivated and gratified.
4. “Chunk” your giving. Grant cites a study of people who performed five random acts of kindness every week for six weeks. Those who concentrated their giving into a single day each week felt much happier at the end of the experiment than did those who dispersed their giving throughout the week. Grant calls this “chunking” as opposed to “sprinkling.” One reason Callahan felt rewarded by her volunteer work is she did it in intense periods on the weekends.
5. Volunteer at least 100 hours a year. Several studies have shown that doing roughly two hours of volunteer work a week makes people happier than volunteering fewer hours than that. One study of more than 2,000 Australians in their mid-sixties showed that those who volunteered at least 100 hours a year were happier and more satisfied than those who volunteered less. In another study, Americans who volunteered at least 100 hours in 1998 were more likely to be alive in 2000 than those who did no volunteer work.
6. Volunteer to do something that’s meaningful to you. Volunteering for the sake of volunteering is not going to make you happy or more productive, writes Grant. Psychologists Netta Weinstein and Richard Ryan have run studies that show that when people give because they feel obligated rather than giving to a cause or program that is meaningful to them, they feel no boost of energy and happiness. But when they give out of a sense of enjoyment and purpose, they feel much more invigorated.
7. Ask for help from colleagues. People like Callahan, who work around the clock in a giving profession and then volunteer on the weekends, need to feel supported by colleagues. Grant points to work by UCLA psychologist Shelley Taylor who has discovered that many people who are under stress tend to come together with coworkers to give. Callahan’s volunteer work earned her the respect and support of her mentees and strengthened her sense that she was making a difference.
The New York Times Magazine ran a wonderfully written profile of Grant yesterday. You can read it here. It seems Grant is a compulsive giver, but that he doesn’t lose sight of how giving propels his own career forward. That seems to be a recipe for success.
Several years ago, I started a job that, for all intents and
purposes, was my dream job. At least, it’s what I spent four years of
college and two years of internships preparing for. This was my big
break, and I was not going to squander it.
I’m of the mindset that while I may not be the smartest or most talented person in the room, I’ll earn my spot at the table with my impressive work ethic. So, I got in early to my office job, stayed late, worked weekends—all the while obsessively worrying about my performance and my future.
Looking back, it’s obvious that my lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. But back then, I wore my workaholism like a badge of honor. The way I saw it, I had an awesome job and would work as hard as it took to do well.
RELATED: 9 Ways You’re Being Too Nice at Work
As time went by, any semblance of a balanced life went out the window. I had no energy or desire to hang out with my friends, I was neglecting my health and I had become disillusioned with my work. There wasn’t one single catalyst—it wasn’t that I stopped liking the kind of work I did, generally speaking.
Instead, it was a classic case of burnout: multiple, chronic stressors over an extended period of time left me totally drained and no longer performing at my best. In a few short years, I went from bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to seriously burnt out. Here are signs you could be headed down the same path.
What Exactly Is Burnout?
As it turns out, my story isn’t uncommon; many millennial women are experiencing job burnout before they even turn 30. The American Psychological Association’s David Ballard, PsyD describes job burnout as “an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their job performance.”
“A lot of burnout really has to do with experiencing chronic stress,” says Dr. Ballard, who is the head of the APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program. “In those situations, the demands being placed on you exceed the resources you have available to deal with the stressors.”
Left unchecked, burnout can wreak havoc on your health, happiness, relationships and job performance. In order to catch burnout and combat it early, it’s important to know what to look out for.
Dr. Ballard let us in on 10 signs you may be experiencing burnout:
1. Exhaustion
A clear sign of burnout is when you feel tired all the time. Exhaustion can be emotional, mental or physical. It’s the sense of not having any energy, of being completely spent.
2. Lack of Motivation
When you don’t feel enthusiastic about anything anymore or you no longer have that internal motivation for your work, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing burnout. Other ways this manifests? It may be harder to get going in the morning and more difficult to drag yourself into work every day.
3. Frustration, Cynicism and Other Negative Emotions
You may feel like what you’re doing doesn’t matter that much anymore, or you may be disillusioned with everything. You might notice that you feel more generally pessimistic than you used to. While everybody experiences some negative emotions from time to time, it’s important to know when these are becoming unusual for you.
RELATED: Quiz: Would You Make a Better Boss Than Your Boss?
4. Cognitive Problems
Burnout and chronic stress may interfere with your ability to pay attention or concentrate. When we’re stressed, our attention narrows to focus on the negative element that we perceive as a threat. In the short term, this helps us deal with the problem at hand, Dr. Ballard says, “but our bodies and brains are designed to handle this in short bursts and then return to normal functioning. When stress becomes chronic, this narrow focus continues for a long time and we have difficulty paying attention to other things.”
This “fight or flight” tunnel vision can negatively affect your ability to solve problems or make decisions. You might find that you’re more forgetful and have a harder time remembering things.
5. Slipping Job Performance
Not sure whether you’re burnt out? Compare your job performance now to your performance in previous years. Because burnout tends to happen over an extended period of time, taking this long-term view might reveal whether you’re in a temporary slump or experiencing more chronic burnout.
RELATED: 10 Reasons You’re Not Getting a Raise
6. Interpersonal Problems at Home and at Work
This tends to play out in one of two ways: (a) You’re having more conflicts with other people, such as getting into arguments, or (b) you withdraw, talking to your coworkers and family members less. You might find that even when you’re physically there, you’re tuned out.
7. Not Taking Care of Yourself
When suffering from burnout, some people engage in unhealthy coping strategies like drinking too much, smoking, being too sedentary, eating too much junk food, not eating enough or not getting enough sleep. Self-medication is another issue and could include relying on sleeping pills to sleep, drinking more alcohol at the end of the day to de-stress or even drinking more coffee to summon up the energy to drag yourself into work in the morning.
8. Being Preoccupied With Work … When You’re Not at Work
Even though you might not be working at a given moment, if you’re expending mental energy mulling over your job, then your work is interfering with your ability to recover from the stresses of your day. In order to recover, you need time to yourself after the actual task stops … and time when you stop thinking about that task altogether.
9. Generally Decreased Satisfaction
This is the tendency to feel less happy and satisfied with your career and with your home life. You might feel dissatisfied or even stuck when it comes to whatever is going on at home, in the community or with your social activities, Dr. Ballard says.
10. Health Problems
Over a long period of time, serious chronic stress can create real health problems like digestive issues, heart disease, depression and obesity.
And If You Are Experiencing Burnout?
Dr. Ballard let us in on what to do if you recognize the above symptoms in yourself.
Take Relaxation Seriously
I’m of the mindset that while I may not be the smartest or most talented person in the room, I’ll earn my spot at the table with my impressive work ethic. So, I got in early to my office job, stayed late, worked weekends—all the while obsessively worrying about my performance and my future.
Looking back, it’s obvious that my lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. But back then, I wore my workaholism like a badge of honor. The way I saw it, I had an awesome job and would work as hard as it took to do well.
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As time went by, any semblance of a balanced life went out the window. I had no energy or desire to hang out with my friends, I was neglecting my health and I had become disillusioned with my work. There wasn’t one single catalyst—it wasn’t that I stopped liking the kind of work I did, generally speaking.
Instead, it was a classic case of burnout: multiple, chronic stressors over an extended period of time left me totally drained and no longer performing at my best. In a few short years, I went from bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to seriously burnt out. Here are signs you could be headed down the same path.
What Exactly Is Burnout?
As it turns out, my story isn’t uncommon; many millennial women are experiencing job burnout before they even turn 30. The American Psychological Association’s David Ballard, PsyD describes job burnout as “an extended period of time where someone experiences exhaustion and a lack of interest in things, resulting in a decline in their job performance.”
“A lot of burnout really has to do with experiencing chronic stress,” says Dr. Ballard, who is the head of the APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program. “In those situations, the demands being placed on you exceed the resources you have available to deal with the stressors.”
Left unchecked, burnout can wreak havoc on your health, happiness, relationships and job performance. In order to catch burnout and combat it early, it’s important to know what to look out for.
Dr. Ballard let us in on 10 signs you may be experiencing burnout:
1. Exhaustion
A clear sign of burnout is when you feel tired all the time. Exhaustion can be emotional, mental or physical. It’s the sense of not having any energy, of being completely spent.
2. Lack of Motivation
When you don’t feel enthusiastic about anything anymore or you no longer have that internal motivation for your work, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing burnout. Other ways this manifests? It may be harder to get going in the morning and more difficult to drag yourself into work every day.
3. Frustration, Cynicism and Other Negative Emotions
You may feel like what you’re doing doesn’t matter that much anymore, or you may be disillusioned with everything. You might notice that you feel more generally pessimistic than you used to. While everybody experiences some negative emotions from time to time, it’s important to know when these are becoming unusual for you.
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4. Cognitive Problems
Burnout and chronic stress may interfere with your ability to pay attention or concentrate. When we’re stressed, our attention narrows to focus on the negative element that we perceive as a threat. In the short term, this helps us deal with the problem at hand, Dr. Ballard says, “but our bodies and brains are designed to handle this in short bursts and then return to normal functioning. When stress becomes chronic, this narrow focus continues for a long time and we have difficulty paying attention to other things.”
This “fight or flight” tunnel vision can negatively affect your ability to solve problems or make decisions. You might find that you’re more forgetful and have a harder time remembering things.
5. Slipping Job Performance
Not sure whether you’re burnt out? Compare your job performance now to your performance in previous years. Because burnout tends to happen over an extended period of time, taking this long-term view might reveal whether you’re in a temporary slump or experiencing more chronic burnout.
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6. Interpersonal Problems at Home and at Work
This tends to play out in one of two ways: (a) You’re having more conflicts with other people, such as getting into arguments, or (b) you withdraw, talking to your coworkers and family members less. You might find that even when you’re physically there, you’re tuned out.
7. Not Taking Care of Yourself
When suffering from burnout, some people engage in unhealthy coping strategies like drinking too much, smoking, being too sedentary, eating too much junk food, not eating enough or not getting enough sleep. Self-medication is another issue and could include relying on sleeping pills to sleep, drinking more alcohol at the end of the day to de-stress or even drinking more coffee to summon up the energy to drag yourself into work in the morning.
8. Being Preoccupied With Work … When You’re Not at Work
Even though you might not be working at a given moment, if you’re expending mental energy mulling over your job, then your work is interfering with your ability to recover from the stresses of your day. In order to recover, you need time to yourself after the actual task stops … and time when you stop thinking about that task altogether.
9. Generally Decreased Satisfaction
This is the tendency to feel less happy and satisfied with your career and with your home life. You might feel dissatisfied or even stuck when it comes to whatever is going on at home, in the community or with your social activities, Dr. Ballard says.
10. Health Problems
Over a long period of time, serious chronic stress can create real health problems like digestive issues, heart disease, depression and obesity.
And If You Are Experiencing Burnout?
Dr. Ballard let us in on what to do if you recognize the above symptoms in yourself.
Take Relaxation Seriously
Whether you take up meditation, listening to music, reading a book,
taking a walk or visiting with friends and family, truly think about
what you’ll do to relax, and designate time for it.
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Cultivate a Rich Non-Work LifeRELATED: Savoring: The Key to Stretching Your Dollar
Find something outside of work that you are passionate about that’s
challenging, engaging and really gets you going—whether a hobby, sports
or fitness activities or volunteering in the community (along with other
items we mention here, like relaxation, being able to “turn off” and
participating in rewarding non-work activities).
Unplug
While communication technology can promote productivity, it can also
allow work stressors seep into family time, vacation and social
activities. Set boundaries by turning off cell phones at dinner and
delegating certain times to check email.
Get Enough Sleep
Get Enough Sleep
Research suggests that having fewer than six hours of sleep per
night is a major risk factor for burnout, not least because poor sleep
can have negative effects on your job performance and productivity. It
can lead to fatigue, decrease your motivation, make you more sensitive
to stressful events, impair your mental function, leave you more
susceptible to errors and make it harder to juggle competing demands.
The reverse is true, too: We’ve seen that sleep can actually improve your memory.
Recovering from chronic stress and burnout requires removing or reducing the demands on you and replenishing your resources. Sleep is one strategy for replenishing those resources. For inspiration, check out our tips to get better sleep.
Get Organized
Consider talking to your manager or HR about EAP services, mental health benefits or stress management training—or at least about how to improve communication and create a better, more positive work environment. Angle the conversation about how those cultural shifts will enable you to continue to serve the company and become an even better employee.
“I do think there are times when, no matter what you try to do, the organization is unable or unwilling to make those changes,” Dr. Ballard says, “and in those cases, it is just time to move on.”
Recovering from chronic stress and burnout requires removing or reducing the demands on you and replenishing your resources. Sleep is one strategy for replenishing those resources. For inspiration, check out our tips to get better sleep.
Get Organized
Often, when people are burnt out, they spend a lot of time worrying
that they’ll forget to do something or that something important is going
to slip through the cracks. Get organized, clear your head, put
together a to-do list (or an electronic task list) then prioritize. That
way, you don’t have to keep thinking about those things because you’ll
have systems in place to remind you.
Stay Attuned
It’s important to tune into the precursors of those conditions,
physical signs that you might be under too much stress: more headaches,
tight shoulders, a stiff neck or more frequent stomach upset. In terms
of mental health, burnout affects depression, and if you’re depressed,
that can also affect your level of burnout—it goes both ways. So, if the
issues you’re struggling with are really serious and getting worse, you
may need to seek professional help. Talk to a psychologist to get help
beyond support from just your friends and family members.
Know When It’s You, and When It’s Them
Burnout is sometimes motivated by internal factors, Dr. Ballard
says, and sometimes it really is a symptom of external ones. In the
first case, you’ll need to ask yourself, “Where is this coming from?” so
you can figure out what’s stressing you out, and how to maintain your
internal resources to keep yourself motivated, doing your best work and
functioning well.
Some burnout really is the fault of work. “In a survey we did in 2011, more than two-thirds of respondents said that their employers had taken steps to cut costs as a result of the recession,” like hiring freezes, layoffs, cutting work hours, rolling back benefits, requiring unpaid days off, increasing hours, etc. All that increases demands on workers,” he says. “Those are the two components that play into burnout: There are more demands and fewer resources.” To find out whether it’s time to move on, figure out whether your position is a “mismatch between your needs and what you’re getting working for that particular organization.”
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Figure Out When Enough Is EnoughSome burnout really is the fault of work. “In a survey we did in 2011, more than two-thirds of respondents said that their employers had taken steps to cut costs as a result of the recession,” like hiring freezes, layoffs, cutting work hours, rolling back benefits, requiring unpaid days off, increasing hours, etc. All that increases demands on workers,” he says. “Those are the two components that play into burnout: There are more demands and fewer resources.” To find out whether it’s time to move on, figure out whether your position is a “mismatch between your needs and what you’re getting working for that particular organization.”
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Consider talking to your manager or HR about EAP services, mental health benefits or stress management training—or at least about how to improve communication and create a better, more positive work environment. Angle the conversation about how those cultural shifts will enable you to continue to serve the company and become an even better employee.
“I do think there are times when, no matter what you try to do, the organization is unable or unwilling to make those changes,” Dr. Ballard says, “and in those cases, it is just time to move on.”
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