Power Tools for Power Struggles

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you prepare for the day, nothing seems to go the right way? Your day-to-day power struggles with your child or client never seem to get easier and you have given it your blood, sweat, and tears. Where’s the relief and satisfaction in feeling like you have done a great job as a parent, teacher, or clinician? Good news! There is hope! The focus of this blog post is to provide “easy to use” evidenced-based antecedent intervention tools (power tools) to ease those daily power struggles. These power tools are proactive measures to help increase desired behaviors as well as decrease the likelihood of undesired behaviors.

What are these proactive measures? I bet you are sitting there and asking yourself, “Okay, really? What are these ‘proactive measures’ and are they really going to help?” Let’s talk about it! Proactive measures are antecedent interventions that take place right before a behavior happens. An Antecedent is an environmental condition or stimulus change that occurs immediately before a behavior. There are many countless examples of environmental conditions or stimulus changes, for example, having a clean or cluttered home, an unexpected situation that comes up, a change in routine, lights flashing, scratchy clothes, hearing a loud noise, textured food, etc. A good way to look at it is that a stimuli is an energy change that affects any of your five senses: touch, taste, hear, see, and smell. This change in energy increases or decreases the likelihood of a behavior to happen.

Again, you say, “So, what are they?” These 4 tools are preference/choice, priming, timers, and pairing. This blog will go into detail for each “power tool” and how to apply these strategies with your child or client. Your day-to-day activities with your child or client will become more enjoyable with the hopes to decrease those power struggles.

Preferences/Choices Adults or children with any comorbidities that inhibit their day to day lives should still be allowed to voice their opinions, preferences, and feelings as their abilities allow, whether it is a simple preference or a complex decision. The number one commitment as a parent, teacher, or clinician is to keep your child safe. The decisions that are made come from the idea that you always “know what’s best” for your child and naturally, it overrules your child’s choice and preference. Start to think about what areas can you compromise in? How can the environment be manipulated to provide not only options but preferred options requested by your child? What’s feasible? The choices provided should be preferred options that your child enjoys. Here are some examples that you might be able to relate to.

  1. Change Is OK

We have grown to adapt to schedule changes on a daily basis. Sometimes our days change for the better and sometimes our days change for the worse. It’s the same for your child. Allow your child to choose different activities that they would like to do throughout the day. Visual schedules are highly recommended to help them stay on track but it is not always necessary depending on your child’s needs. It’s OKAY to switch up a daily schedule, especially if it is in favor of your child and it is safe and feasible to do. It is also OKAY to follow through with important events throughout the day such as appointments that can’t be rescheduled. Find a healthy balance between which events are truly important and which events can be flexible.

  1. Provide Prefered Options

Sometimes going from one hard activity to the next can decrease motivation, so providing preferred options gives your child the opportunity to have a voice as well as nourishes independence. Parents who are responsible for making decisions for their children end up making decisions based on their own interests of time, money, protectiveness, and preference instead of the child’s preferences. Including your child in decision making is equally as important as thinking about your child’s best interest, safety, and pursuit of happiness.

  1. Reinforcement!!!

You would like your child to put his/her clothes on within a reasonable time. Before placing the demand to clean the room, motivate him/her by providing 2 to 3 options for preferred reinforcement when the task is complete. Following through with this will establish behaviors over time as well. Stay strong! If your child does not complete the task, provide less preferred activities, and limit access to those highly preferred options.

  1. Set Boundaries and Provide Alternatives

When an activity is not available such as playing baseball in the house, instead of taking away their toys, change the environment to a safer area such as outside or a nearby park. Another great example is when your child wants to color on a chair. Instead of taking away the markers, set boundaries and options as to where he can color (kitchen table, outside, on the tile floor with newspaper underneath). Providing these options can begin to ease power struggles and increase appropriate behaviors.

In conclusion, provide simple, PREFERRED options (no more than 2-3) to accommodate your child’s needs. Allow your child to have a voice in his/her day to day activities. Motivate your child to complete difficult tasks by providing highly preferred activities or choices once the activity is complete. Establish boundaries and provide options BEFORE a behavior. Manipulate the environment to increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior to happen.

Priming What’s That? The book, Effective Practices for Children with Autism, defines priming as a type of antecedent intervention in which the target behavior is practiced immediately before being performed, and priming sessions consist of verbal modeling and instruction to perform a behavior, followed by reinforcement of that behavior. In other words, Priming is a verbal or modeling action to show your child how to do something, to explain what is expected, or to express what will happen before the behavior or event takes place. Think of priming as a warning or a reminder of what is going to happen. Some examples are shown below.

  1. Modeling and verbal communication through priming

Being able to effectively communicate with your child through modeling and verbal communication is crucial to your child’s growth. One important factor in priming through modeling and verbal communication is to make sure your physical actions are not only the desired actions you want your child to imitate but that these actions are presented BEFORE your child engages in the activity as well as having clear and direct verbal communication. For example, you can tell your child, “When it is time to clean your dishes, I want you to do it like this,” and then show your child the correct way to clean the dishes.

  1. What’s expected?

Prime your child by letting him/her know what is expected. An example of this is saying, “Remember to walk in the street,” before your child begins to walk in the street. Priming can promote safety and awareness for your child. Additionally, reinforcing this behavior will increase independence in which you will be able to fade your priming prompts out. Another great example of priming is reminding your child to keep safe hands and body, especially around their peers. This simple reminder can create positive interactions with your child and other peers. Simple reminders of what is expected and setting boundaries with your child is a great way to decrease those power struggles.

  1. What will happen?

Prime your child by letting him/her know what is going to happen. For example, you can tell your child, “In about 2 minutes we are going to turn the t.v. off and eat dinner.” Being able to explain what is going to happen before it happens allows your child to prepare for a change within the environment. Another example is alerting your child for any immediate or future change in plans. Giving your child time to process a changing environmental factor and being able to help your child go through that process before the change happens, will reduce anxiety in both the parent and the child.

In conclusion, The way you can prime your child is through verbal communication as well as modeling desired behaviors. Priming is a way of warning or reminding your child before an event or behavior is going to happen. It can be utilized to explain to your child what behaviors are expected. Most importantly, don’t forget to reinforce those positive behaviors when your child adapts to big or small changes that happen.

Timers are the easiest tools to utilize, yet the hardest tools to remember. It is a great visual tool (keyword being VISUAL) to help your child stay on task, the transition from a preferred activity to a non-preferred activity, or warn your child when it’s time to give up or share a preferred item. Just like priming, prompting your child ahead of time by utilizing a visual timer, can decrease those power struggles.

  1. How to use a timer

Verbally telling your child how much time is left to complete a task, transitioning to a different task, or giving up a preferred item will help your child adapt to his/her environment more smoothly. For example, set a timer for 30 minutes to eat dinner (the set time can always vary). Prime your child by letting him/her know that they have 30 minutes to eat dinner. Periodically remind your child how much time is left “You have 20 minutes left, 10 minutes left, 5 minutes left, 2 minutes left, 30 seconds, 3,2,1 all done.” During this time it is recommended that the visual timer is displayed within eyesight but out of reach. They can then not only hear the warning prompts but be able to visually see it as well. You are presenting information in which your child is receiving through 2 different senses (seeing and hearing). Since every child reacts differently to visual displays and verbal prompts, don’t be afraid to experiment on how to use a timer. Figure out what works best for your child.

  1. Honoring more time

Is there enough time to honor more time? Is the next activity or task going to be easy or hard for your child? Will honoring more time disrupt others? How many times do you allow more time? These are some questions that can guide you on whether you should allow more time for your child to continue playing. Consider if honoring more time with an activity or item will impede on the next task or event. If it is appropriate and feasible, allow an extra minute or two with an activity or item. Honoring more time can be very effective in decreasing those power struggles. Only allow more time with a preferred activity or item on up 1 or 2 opportunities. If requests continue to persist from your child, provide other options.

  1. Following through

After you allow your child to have more time with an activity or item, make sure to follow through with the removal of activity or item, or mentioned above provide other options. Following through sets boundaries and what is expected of your child. As a parent, you do not want to be pushed around by your child and taken advantage of, but you also want to avoid those power struggles. Find a healthy balance between honoring more time and following through when it is time.

  1. Picking your battles

Have you ever heard your child tell you “NO!” when it is time to turn the tv off? All they want to do is keep watching and you are standing there thinking “Oh boy, here comes a power struggle.” It is painful to go through and it usually ends in tears. Pick your battles. Use your priming tools, timers, and follow through to set those boundaries. How can you manipulate the environment in which the battles you pick do not become detrimental to growth and understanding? For example, your timer goes off to get ready for bed. At this point you set the timer, honored more time, and you are ready to follow through. It’s a battle you have to pick. How can you reduce the effort in getting ready for bed? Maybe bring the clothes to your child. Motivate your child to engage in getting ready. When you pick your battles, ease the pain for both the parent and the child.

In conclusion, utilize a visual timer. Provide prompts while the timer is counting down. Honor more time if time allows. Follow through after you honor more time. Pick your battles. Choose your power struggles wisely and reduce the effort to complete tasks.

Pairing- A.K.A. Having Fun! “What is pairing?” you ask. A parent who is the source through which reinforcers are received can become a conditioned reinforcer as a result of the ongoing pairing with other reinforcers. There are highly motivating items and activities that your child loves to engage in. If you engage in those items and activities, there is a chance you become just as reinforcing. This is an opportunity to be able to have fun with your child. The best part, this fun creates instructional control. Instructional control is defined as dealing with the likelihood that presented instructions will lead to the desired behavior. You can finally have relief that playing and engaging with your child will ultimately help your child follow through with certain demands and requests that are placed. Below is an outline of effective ways to establish instructional control.

  1. Enjoy activities they prefer

Your child has certain preferences and fixations. During times you intend to pair, engage in those preferences. It may seem uncomfortable or socially unacceptable, but these are the moments you must cherish most. You do not have to allow it all of the time, but a bit a day goes a long way. Remember, these activities and preferences are your child’s. As mentioned above, it is easy for parents to influence their interests and preferences, but keep in mind your child’s preferences as well.

  1. Remove feasible demands

This is a time where placing demands should only be acceptable when direct and indirect safety is a concern for himself/herself or others. As mentioned before, pick your battles and provide other options when necessary. Experiment within the environment on how you can keep your child safe such as adding or removing hazardous items around. This limits certain demands. Some examples are “Don’t touch the outlet (cover the outlet), turn the water off (have a timer on outside water), leave your sibling alone (remove the sibling).” These simple adjustments within the environment help eliminate verbal demands on your child.

  1. Take a deep breath and allow your child to explore in a safe environment.

Take a deep breath. As a parent, you have earned to relax and feel proud. Your love and a continuous search to help improve your child’s quality of life is so appreciated and respected. This is a time to allow your child to explore the way you have explored to improve their journey. Limiting restrictions in their independent play will allow them to search and manipulate their surroundings. Always keep your child safe, but allow exploration and independence (of course with guidance) into your child’s life and you will see improvements day by day.

In conclusion, pair with your child by enjoying activities they prefer, remove feasible demands, and take a deep breath and allow your child to explore in a safe environment. Pairing with your child and building positive rapport will allow instructional control in the future in which your child will follow easy and sometimes difficult demands that are placed. Pair throughout the day when possible. Don’t forget to take a deep breath and stay positive because you rock as a parent!

To Wrap it All Up

An antecedent is an environmental condition or stimulus change that occurs prior to a behavior. Antecedent interventions are strategies that are implemented before a behavior happens. This can influence (increase or decrease) the likelihood of a specific behavior. These antecedents are environmental factors in which your 5 senses have the ability to take in.

Ease your mind and know that these power tools are here to help with the day-to-day power struggles with your child. Preference/choice, priming, timers, and pairing are tools for you to utilize to decrease those power struggles. Experiment with these tools by integrating them simultaneously. For example, providing choices when your timer runs out, prime to warn your child when the time has expired, honor extra time, and always follow through. Most importantly, Don’t forget to pair (play) with your child whenever you can. There isn’t a one size fits all. Figure out what works best for your child while applying these simple tools.

Alexandra Hakeem Is a Denver based BCBA. In her free time, Alexandra enjoys snowboarding, volunteer work, and hanging out with her nieces and nephews.


Immune Boosting Tea

Today I worked with a client whose immune system was compromised by stress. Serious Stress. We are taking an 8 on a 1 to 10 scale. As I was putting her protocol together I realized that many people think of the immune system as the first line of defense against invasive critters like bacteria and viruses. This is true; your immune system is the number one factor that keeps you healthy when everyone around you is getting sick.
What many people don’t know, are the many factors that can affect the immune system adversely and how the immune system affects the rest of the body. So, before we get to this fabulous Immune Boosting Tea recipe I created for her, let’s take a look at what you can do to optimize the conditions for your immune system to thrive.

Factors Affecting the Immune System

The health of your immune system is in direct proportion to what you put into your mouth. A diet rich in whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, animal proteins and quality fats are key to maintaining the health of your immune system. Eating processed food, sugar, fast food, and other man made or synthetic foods are nutrient depleting, and leave the body without the nutrients it needs to heal itself.
If you are suffering from chronic or long term stress you are at risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive problems, autoimmune conditions, and a weekend immune system. Stress increases cortisol in your body, which suppresses inflammation during a response to stress. However, if it is present in your blood for prolonged periods of time, your body develops a resistance to cortisol and doesn’t respond to it properly. Instead, it can ramp up production of substances that actually promote inflammation. These pro-inflammation substances are associated with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crones disease, Irritable bowel, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Get rid of as much stress in your life as possible and offset the stress you do have with plenty or rest, relaxation, and meditation.
Sleep Deprivation
Failing to get enough sleep decreases your body’s production of important T cells. A T cells is a lymphocyte that actively participates in the immune response. In simple terms, sleep deprivation suppresses immune system function. The more 60 hour work weeks you pull with limited sleep and recovery time, the more likely you are to decrease your body’s ability to respond to colds or bacterial infections. Support your immune system by getting plenty of rest and prioritizing sleep.
Physical Inactivity
Exercise increases circulation and removes toxins from your body. It also helps flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness. Exercise can also increase the production of antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. When you don’t move, fluids and toxins stagnate, creating the perfect environment for disease. Find an enjoyable way to move vigorously daily.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D is essential to your body's immune system because it helps immune cells make new antibodies. It’s absolutely incredible how fast adequate levels of vitamin D can be restored by sunlight. The human skin produces approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D in response to 10-30 minutes of summer sun exposure. That’s more than 16 times your daily requirement for vitamin D. Even better, six days of 10-30 minutes of sunlight exposure, without sunscreen, can make up for forty-nine days of no sunlight exposure. As your skin gets darker, it produces less vitamin D and you can stay out longer without burning. Sunning yourself for 10-30 minutes is generally recognized as a safe way to obtain more than adequate amounts of vitamin D.
Gut Health
The microorganisms inside your body and intestinal tract make up what is called your Microbiome. You depend on a vast army of microbes to protect you against germs, break down your food, and produce vitamins. Gut health is directly linked to your immune system. Things that can destroy your gut's natural balance and lower immune system function are:

  • An unhealthy diet (fast foods, processed foods, sugar, pesticides, and genetically modified foods)
  • Taking antibiotics
  • Stress

Taking probiotics daily can have a significant healthy impact on your Microbiome.
Certain immune boosting herbal teas can also help support and improve your immune systems ability to deal.

Herbal Immune Boosting Tea

Now, on to this fabulous recipe!
The ingredients used in this recipe are combined synergistically, supporting, enhancing and working together for maximum immune benefit. This immune boosting tea recipe can support and strengthen your immune system and empower your immune system to stay strong in the face of any encounter.
1 part elderberries
1 part echinacea herb
1 part eleuthero root
1 part astragalus root
1 part peppermint leaf
1 part rose hips
½ part cats claw
½ part nettle leaf
½ part hibiscus flowers
Measure and purchase the parts of each of the herbs listed by volume not weight. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Store in a glass jar with tight fitting lid and store in a cool dry location. Will keep in a cool, dark place for approximately 6-8 months.
To Brew
Using a tea ball, use 1 teaspoon of Immune Boosting Tea per 1 cup of hot water and steep for at least 20 minutes or overnight for a more potent herbal infusion. Loose tea may be brewed using a French press. For larger batches or iced tea, combine loose tea in a large pot of boiling water. Turn off heat and steep for 30 minutes or longer for a stronger infusion. Cool then refrigerate for iced tea.
Where to Find the Ingredients
Echinacea purpurea herb:
Eleuthero root:
Astragalus root:
Peppermint leaf:
Rose hips:
Cats claw:
Nettle leaf:
Hibiscus flowers:
More About These Herbs
Elderberries – These are very efficient at inhibiting influenza, herpes, and bacterial infections. Elderberries are known for their outstanding ability to ward off and cure the common cold and/or flu virus and are perfect for this immune boosting tea recipe. Elderberries are rich in antioxidants and have proven to be more effective at fighting the flu than Tamiflu. In one study published in the Journal of International Medical Research, 90% of Norwegian influenza patients who took the elderberry extract were free of the flu virus within three days, compared to six days for the control group who took placebos.
Echinacea – Native American populations have used Echinacea for generations as a powerful natural antibiotic and immune booster. Echinacea helps speed up healing and is naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal.
Eleuthero root – A powerful adaptogen and tonic herb, eleuthero helps the body properly respond to stress. This is a great herb to support the immune system. It is also known as Siberian Ginseng. Eleuthero is a gentle, yet powerful herb, which is why research suggests it’s the safest and most efficient immune-stimulant available for children and is perfect for any immune boosting tea recipe.
Astragalus Root – Boosts and supports healthy immune function and offers protection against viral infections. Astragalus is considered an immune boosting “super herb” that aids in adrenal gland function and strengthens the digestive system. Studies in the US have shown Astragalus to boost cancer patient’s immune system during and after radiation therapy.
Peppermint Leaf – Due to its powerful antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral agents, peppermint oil is commonly used for those with low immune systems and immune disorders. Peppermint also enhances the flavor of this immune boosting tea, making it more enjoyable and easy to ingest.
Rosehips – A rich source of vitamin C and bioflavonoids, rosehips help the body by boosting the immune system and shortening the duration of an illness. Rosehips also give a yummy flavor to any immune boosting tea blend.
Cats Claw – Boosts Immune Health. Animal and human studies suggest that, in addition to exhibiting powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, cat's claw naturally boosts the immune system, strengthening its defenses against the multitude of pathogens encountered each day in the air, water, and environment.
Nettle leaf – Nettle is a nutritive herb rich in vitamins and minerals and is great for nourishing and supporting the immune system during times of stress. Nettle stimulates the lymph system to help the body stay hydrated, boost the immune system, and remove toxins.
Hibiscus flowers –The high amount of vitamin C in hibiscus tea is considered a great immune system booster, and it can help prevent against colds and the flu and enhances the flavor of any tea blend.
*Always check with your physician before using any herbal tea to stimulate your immune system.

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Home>Questions>Why is the expense ratio of direct funds lower?

Why is the expense ratio of direct funds lower?

In the same mutual fund scheme, the expense ratio is lower in case of the direct scheme. What makes the regular scheme's expense ratio more?

Mridul Agrawal

Mutual fund schemes are usually categorized into - Direct and Regular Plans.

Both these plans are exactly same, as in they are run by the same fund managers. The funds in both the plans are invested in the same stocks and bonds, making the portfolio essentially the same.

The difference lies in the fact that direct mutual funds charge no broker/distributor commission and other charges.

On the other hand, regular mutual fund schemes charge broker or intermediary fees or commission. This is because usually mutual funds have been sold through brokers and intermediaries.

This commission is added to the expense ratio of the fund making it more expensive than the direct plan.

The commission usually amounts to 1% – 1.25% per year.The difference can be observed in the NAV and returns of the 2 plans.

It must be noted that expense ratio of a fund contains expenses like the fund management fees (mostly, fund managers salary) which is present in both direct and regular plans. Over this, regular plans also charge broker fees.

Therefore, all things remaining same, it is safe to say that in a direct plan, investors gain higher returns vis-à-vis regular plan, due to lower expense ratio. You can read more here.

Harsh Jain

The expense ratio of any mutual fund consists of these broad categories: distribution charges, securities transaction fees, management fee, investors transaction fees and fund services charges.

In case of direct mutual funds, the expense ratio does not include the distributions charges. This results in the expense ratio being much lower.

For example, the expense ratio of SBI Bluechip Fund (Regular) is 1.97%. But for SBI Bluechip Fund (Direct), the expense ratio is only 1.15%.

This can result in big differences in returns over a long period of time.

The returns received from direct plans will always be higher than the returns received from the regular plan of the same mutual fund.

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Phillip Patrick

The end goal is always a motivator, but if you don’t enjoy the journey, don’t bother as the climb will encompass infinitely more of your time than reaching the peak.

Phillip Patrick is an aspiring technology entrepreneur and 2012 graduate from the University of South Carolina. He has spent the past 5 years attaining the highest honors awarded as a President’s Club member at Fortune 1000 (#653) technology distributor, ScanSource, Inc. He began developing Emerge Inc in the summer of 2016 after initially starting it during his final year of school with the help of co-founder Sean Strub. The pair went on to vet and become graduates of the 2nd Greenville, South Carolina cohort of the renowned international entrepreneurial incubator, Founder Institute, a 4-month facilitator designed to build profitable and enduring companies of various types.

Where did the idea for Emerge Inc. come from?

Emerge truly started as an idea from the exposure (or lack thereof) of my own recruiting process throughout high school. I had originally committed to play collegiate soccer at Wofford but was forced to pivot in the very late stages after becoming an early enrollee. From that point, there was no real solution to in a short timeframe, expose myself in a way that would truly help me further my soccer career. I went on to play for two years at Spartanburg Methodist College, a junior college power while planning my next moves. As I “burned out” somewhat on my sport at that point, I transitioned into the University of South Carolina (Columbia) where the “pool” of people I met and talent grew infinitely larger from being a state flagship school. Hearing the stories of players who I befriended and their missed opportunities or lack thereof cause me to begin investigating the holes that seemed to litter the recruiting process.

A typical day for myself, especially at this stage, is a true “work day” following the 8-5 type of mold. In developing a company, there is never a shortage of things to do, so the first portion of my day is usually around planning in order for us to operate at a high level and not “get lost in the weeds” if you will. It becomes the balance of polish versus progress.

How do you bring ideas to life?

The only way to bring anything to life is through action and structure. The greatest inhibitor of most people executing their dreams typically is themselves. As Antoine De Saint-Expuery said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” The world is never short on brilliance or great ideas, but few ever proceed to give themselves the structure or planning to move them forward.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I personally am very interested and very captivated by all things AI presently. MIT announcing their 1-Billion-dollar investment into an AI university only will propel this growing trend and its uses from day to day to commercial in the coming future. If you have not had the opportunity to work or train AI, even if in a very limited capacity, I encourage you to find a member who could let you tinker so to speak. From projections to dialogue to suggestive selling to data management, the possibilities are only limited to what a person can think to teach it. How people will continue to weave its functionality into the IOT should prove for an extremely interesting next couple of years on the technology front.

READ! Or listen to audio books. It is so easy to get lost in the day to day life presented to many of us now. The entrepreneurial spirit is based around innovation. Things that haven’t been done. Something you would have to explain or teach to another person. Just because a person becomes a “teacher” in something, doesn’t mean they ever should stop learning. Books are our greatest teacher. Someone else’s words, thoughts, experiences that you personally have never seen as they are unique to another. Part of separation or “escalation” if that is your concern in the world, is having a better understanding of it. You can’t teach who you don’t know and you can’t grow if you are concerned with only teaching. My greatest habit isn’t anything unique to me. It isn’t something that makes me special. I just still want to read. To learn. To grow.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would advise my younger self and my current self to remember to have patience in progress. I am wired so that I prefer to do things, do them now, and do them well. Simple enough. Realistically, now is not always feasible, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t progressing. They say patience is a virtue and one that I still need to continue polishing as I age. Freight trucks don’t turn on a dime. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And ultimately, successful companies are not built overnight. The end goal is always a motivator, but if you don’t enjoy the journey, don’t bother as the climb will encompass infinitely more of your time than reaching the peak.

You are better off compartmentalizing out tasks at a time rather than multitasking. While I personally pride myself as a strong multitasker, I have quickly learned that spreading yourself thin amongst tasks caused the product to suffer and anxiety to rise.

Remind yourself of why you started. It is easy to get lost inside tasks, motivations, and thoughts on your journey of developing a company. One of the better phrases I was ever told was that “if your why matters enough, how will never matter.” The impossible becomes possible. The difficult becomes feasible. Dreams become reality and progress is ultimately made.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Horde talent. That is something that we have been able to do in spades when we began assembling our core team. One of our greatest strengths is the diversification in skillsets available to us. From marketing gurus to business savvy negotiators, to highly spoken of veterans of the industry, to developers, to financial analysts. We have piecemealed and incredibly eclectic group, but due to our diversification, we are lethal in being able to handle most situations without relying on third parties. I always believed that if you are the smartest person in the room (or even feel that way), it is time to find a new room. Fortunately, at Emerge, we actively poach some of the top talent available and protect it to make us a very disruptive and dangerous up-and-comer in the space.

When Sean and myself originally started Emerge, we were thrusting ourselves as, in the eyes of corporate America, two youths attempting to break into a multi-billion dollar industry. Needless to say, skepticism reigns supreme until you truly are able to display your merit, a tall ask in a startup company. We really first encountered such when we decided to run the concept through famed incubator the Founder Institute ( For those unfamiliar, think of a high-level MBA program centered around developing an entrepreneurial idea and validating the concept. While they took us under their wing, our initial presentations in the eyes of high-level minds we were not prepared for the “big time stage” quite yet. To have different styles of thinking tear up the idea in places that you had thoroughly believed in was incredibly tough. It became a lesson in managing expectations, stomaching pride, broadening horizons, accepting critical feedback and embracing the need at times to pivot slightly. All of which became lessons that we carried right through “graduation” as part of the second cohort to be hosted out of Greenville, South Carolina.

Since everyone is on the recurring revenue train of thought these days, I will throw a penny into that bucket. Presently, for the large metropolitan cities (New York City, Chicago, etc). Approach the respective city to purchase their legacy and existing phone booths. These are a dead technology that many will be quick to part with as their “value” is seen as a spot for marketing at best. I encourage you to buy a batch of them and then proceed to install a wireless access point of your choice (Ubiquiti is the most affordable commercial at a consumer price) underneath the booth itself. This allows you to purchase an indoor rated access point as it is secured and protected by the overhang of the booth. The phone booths themselves are already wired from their legacy job as a true phone so no infrastructure needs to be laid down. From there, you can “plug them in” and sell the wireless network given off for public use back to the respective city, ultimately paying yourself off relatively quickly with future recurring revenue ahead.

This one is tied a little more to taking advantage of a scenario. Once upon a time prior to a craze, there was a currency being developed called Bitcoin. While the craze took the nation by storm, early enough in the game, I threw just over 100 dollars into it. From there I was fortunate enough to watch the craze and demand unfold as the value multiplied and partially began helping fund Emerge.

I will confess, I am a big fan of Grammarly. For those of you who don’t know, it is a program purchased (premium version) that is embedded on your device and runs in the background. It serves as the ultimate grammatical corrective and instructive tool. Not only does it assist in polishing anything you work within (browsers, programs, outlook, etc), but the AI takes it a step further with a suggestive measure to take such as, “this was spoken passively and may ultimately detract from your message through a lack of confidence. Consider ____”. While not everything is ideal, for those who “live” within their email, it is fabulous as it allows at times for the emotional reader/responder to be monitored somewhat and allow for that second opinion on whether something is truly beneficial to send or not.

I encourage everyone to read “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kyosaki. While there are numerous lessons to be learned from this book ranging from understanding choices in life to reinforcing the education doesn’t end at school, one of the greatest things an entrepreneur can pick up is the art of mastering your emotions when you are dealing with money. People are as prideful, possessive, interested and defensive of their money as anything in this world. This book allows you to begin to analyze different solutions rather than let the emotions that stem from your financial situation drive you. I believe this to be an important lesson for any up and comer or entrepreneur as money management in the infant stages of any company is absolutely critical. It is tough to make a million dollars overnight, but you can certainly set yourself back a million dollars.

What is your favorite quote?

Key Learnings:

  • It will never be overstated enough, but patience is a virtue.
  • Even after school, you never stop or should seek to stop being a “student”.
  • If you don’t enjoy the process, then stop now. You reap what you sew, but many people don’t enjoy the sewing process. 90% of the company will be in the “building” stages so you cannot afford to dislike that portion.
  • Compartmentalize tasks, for increased efficiencies.
  • Never forget your “why”.


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Blockchain – the biggest thing since the internet?

Distributed ledger technology, or blockchain, is best known as the technology which underpins Bitcoin, the world's most successful cryptocurrency to date. Initially treated with some scepticism as a niche application, it is fast becoming viewed as the most disruptive technology in decades. Beyond its obvious applications in financial services, government services, smart contracts and cybersecurity, it could fundamentally change the way society operates. No wonder that governments are desperate to get ahead of the curve and, quite literally, harness its potential.

March 2016

What is blockchain?

The terms 'block chain', 'blockchain' and 'distributed ledger technology' (DLT), are used more or less interchangeably. The technology provides a way of creating a shared ledger or database which can record and track transactions and assets. Each participant sees the identical copy of the ledger in close to real time.

The rules built into the system determine what constitutes a transaction. Transactions are passed around nodes. Records of transactions are aggregated into blocks by 'miners' once the transactions have been verified by using computational power to assure all members of the network that the transaction has taken place according to the system's rules. The purpose of mining is to allow nodes to reach a consensus about the validity of the transaction. In theory, anyone with a computer can become a miner by installing some software but the processing power required to crack the code in order to add a new block to the chain is enormous. Small- time miners will often pool together but some miners take the form of large data centres. Incentive to become a miner is usually provided; Bitcoin rewards its miners with (unsurprisingly) Bitcoins.

Once a consensus has been reached about the transactions in a block, it can be linked to another block by a 'chain' using a cryptographic signature. A new block can only be added to the chain once the transactions are authenticated and the cryptographic puzzle in the previous block has been solved in order to link the new block to it.

Resilience to fraud is one of the technology's main features. Anyone attempting to alter a ledger would have to redo all the calculations carried out to add the transaction in question to the blockchain. They would also have to redo all the calculations for the blocks which followed and then be the first to crack the newest block and have it accepted into the chain. For the moment, at least, this is thought to be impossible. To alter the Bitcoin system, for example, it is estimated you would need to control 51% of the computing power of the miners of the system. Having said that, Bitcoin miners are already reportedly suffering from cyberattacks which are putting pressure on current systems.

Distributed ledgers are shared but no single user controls them. Participants in the ledger keep it up to date and can only amend it according to the pre-programmed rules of the system and with the consensus of at least some of its other users. This means that the ledgers can be both public and secure. A distributed ledger can be permissioned which means a single or a select group owns it and verification is carried out by a limited pool of consensus providers. It is also possible to create hybrid ledgers so you could have a blockchain ledger as an underlying database with top layers of permissions for different types of users. Alternatively, the ledger can be unpermissioned like the Bitcoin ledger. It is open source, anyone can contribute to it and nobody can prevent a block being added once consensus has been reached.

The distinction between permissioned and unpermissioned ledgers is likely to be a crucial one in the development and practical application of blockchain technology. The key strengths of blockchain are that its ledgers are a shared but secure record of transactions and ownership which updates more or less in real time and which shows a complete history. The Bitcoin ledger, for example, shows every single Bitcoin transaction which has ever taken place.

The capacity to do away with the need for intermediaries is one of the greatest attractions of distributed ledgers. Because all transactions are verified before they are added to the chain, there is far less need for a central trusted third party or a central bureaucracy to facilitate operations. In addition, other information beyond the details of the transaction can be added so that, for example, it is not merely an event which is recorded but details of ownership or other personal records. With permissioned ledgers, all participants start off as trusted users which reduces the need for sophisticated mining.

The decentralised control of unpermissioned ledgers makes them particularly resilient to cyber attack and the potential for pseudonymisation (if not anonymisation) of players provides inbuilt data protection. Both these aspects can be strengthened or weakened depending on the nature of the ledger and its permissions. One of the benefits of blockchain technology, especially when combined with other database technology, is the high degree of control it offers users. For example, an individual could give data to HMRC and various other government agencies but the individual could control which data could be seen by which agency and would also be able to track access to and use of that data. For more on data protection and cybersecurity issues, see our article.

Finance - The most obvious applications are in the world of financial services (which we discuss in more detail in our article. The appeal of a ledger which cannot be manipulated or unlawfully altered to record financial transactions is easy to see and the reduced administrative cost associated with genuinely digitised banking is proving very attractive to banks. Leading banks are collaborating in R3 CEV, a joint venture aimed at developing standardised private ledgers to be used in the banking industry and trials have already started.

Government - Government is looking at a range of applications for blockchain technology, particularly with a view to reducing bureaucracy. The means for government agencies to securely share information across departments is enticing. Welfare distribution, healthcare, tax collection, contract management, property ownership, reduction of fraud, protection of critical infrastructure and distribution and control of international aid, are all highlighted by the UK government as areas which would benefit from the use of distributed ledgers. In addition, they offer the potential for a more inclusive form of government, whereby individuals could vote more frequently or give voting instructions to local MPs in an easily transmittable and recordable manner.

Smart contracts - It is not just in government that the use of so-called 'smart contracts' is being explored. Blockchain technology offers the possibility of using smart contracts across the whole range of businesses. Ethereum, for example, is a start up whose distributed ledger can carry more data than the Bitcoin one. It allows users to create relatively sophisticated smart contracts, for example, invoices which pay themselves when a product arrives, or share certificates which distribute dividends to shareholders automatically when profits reach a certain level.

Asset tracking - While blockchain technology started off with a somewhat shady reputation, with Bitcoin viewed as a payment mechanism for criminal activities, blockchain technology actually provides huge potential to reduce fraud and track provenance. Assets like art and jewellery are traditionally tracked manually with paper documents used to prove origin. Both the artefacts and the records are open to forgery. Blockchain offers the means for higher forms of verification and tracking. Everledger is a leading example of using blockchain technology to track assets, in this case, diamonds. It creates an electronic identify for each diamond, assigns it a digital passport and then attaches that data to the transaction records held in the blockchain. Asset tracking and sharing is also potentially useful for tracking and managing the internet of things with the particular benefit that doing so in a distributed ledger, rather than through centralised databases, is likely to protect from hacking and surveillance.

Notwithstanding the exciting potential of blockchain, there are some considerable deficiencies in the blockchain technology at the moment which include the fact that it relies on huge processing power and can only cope with a limited number of transactions per hour (seven Bitcoin transactions per second, compared with 1736 transactions processed by Visa America per second). As with any technology, there is the risk that it could be expensive to implement and that it could quickly become obsolete or incompatible with other technologies, especially if there is no agreement over which standards to use. If a standard is agreed or becomes the front runner, the controller of the standard could wield a vast amount of power. Another concern is what happens if consensus breaks down, particularly with unpermissioned ledgers. The controllers of Bitcoin are reportedly already in disagreement about how to reach consensus.

An overriding issue is how to regulate the use of blockchain. Governments see a threat in unpermissioned distributed ledgers which are not centrally controlled and are trying to work out how to control their use without stifling innovation (see our article for more information). In the UK government's recent report "Distributed Ledger Technology: beyond blockchain", an entire section is dedicated to the disruptive potential of the technology: "DLTs pose a threat to any hierarchical structure through an ability to connect and operate in a distributed network, without trusted or necessary intermediaries, by replacing top-down control with consensus. Hierarchies can have significant disadvantages…but do offer advantages wherever a neutral broker is needed; and, for example, in representative democracy…The challenge will be to ensure that DLT and its associated innovations are directed towards a connected productive society within a supportive infrastructure."

At the moment, democracies create their rules through a legislative process. These rules are interpreted and enforced by people. Blockchain technology allows for people to be replaced by programming. For the foreseeable future, the programming will still need to be carried out by people but not necessarily by elected representatives. Bitcoin, for example, is controlled by a handful of people who developed the technology and the product. Governments are looking not only to harness the potential of the technology but also to control it without stifling it. For libertarians, a world in which control is taken away from centralised power structures is a thrilling one, but others are worried by the vision of a future in which ever more sophisticated computer programmes have the final say.

Much will depend on getting the balance between control and openness right, with permissioned ledgers likely to be favoured by many. Despite some significant shortcomings including the processing power needed for blockchain ledgers and the current, relatively slow transaction rate, there can be no doubting the potential of this technology across financial services, business and government. Perhaps though, at the very heart of the matter is a philosophical debate about how society should function. Who makes the rules? Who controls the infrastructure? Who can play the system? While distrust of central government is prevalent across the world, whether in developed or developing nations, and a lot of people would cheer the demise of bankers and lawyers as intermediaries, perhaps what the debate actually boils down to is: who do you trust more - Man or Machine?

If you have any questions on this article please contact us.

Blockchain – the biggest thing since the internet?
Adam Rendle

Debbie looks at the disruptive potential of blockchain technology.

"At the very heart of the matter is a philosophical debate about how society should function. Who makes the rules? Who controls the infrastructure? Perhaps what the debate actually boils down to is: who do you trust more - Man or Machine?"


Question: Does Everyone Have A Genetic Mutation?

What is the difference between a nonsense and a silent mutation?

Nonsense mutations produce truncated and frequently nonfunctional proteins..

Are mutations always bad?

A mutation is a change in the genetic material of an organism. … Mutations are rarely harmful though. Indeed, most mutations go unnoticed, as the body has mechanisms to stop a cell copying itself when a mutation occurs. Sometimes mutations can even benefit organisms and promote diversity in a species.

What percentage of the population has a genetic disorder?

What are 3 causes of mutations?

How common are genetic mutations?

What are some genetic mutations?

What happens if mutations are not corrected?

Which mutation is not hereditary?

Somatic mutation Somatic mutations are not inherited by an organism’s offspring because they do not affect the germline. However, they are passed down to all the progeny of a mutated cell within the same organism during mitosis.

What is the most common genetic mutation?

What are the 2 main types of mutations?

Two major categories of mutations are germline mutations and somatic mutations.Germline mutations occur in gametes. These mutations are especially significant because they can be transmitted to offspring and every cell in the offspring will have the mutation.Somatic mutations occur in other cells of the body.

Does stress change your DNA?

Our studies and those of many other researchers around the world have shown that early life stress alters how DNA is packaged, which makes cells function differently than their original mandate.

Are all mutations genetic?

How do you identify DNA mutations?

Single base pair mutations can be identified by any of the following methods: Direct sequencing, which involves identifying each individual base pair, in sequence, and comparing the sequence to that of the normal gene.

What are the 4 types of mutation?


Simulating Electroplating using CFD-ACE+

by Abraham Meganathan on 23 Apr 2014
Electroplating is the oldest industrial application of electrochemical reactions where metals or alloys from metallic ions in electrolytes are deposited on a substrate. Plating enables engineers to tailor a deposit’s mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties and resistance to corrosion. Electroplating has significant applications in present day industry, ranging from microelectronics to metallurgy. Global competitive pressure has caused the microelectronic manufacturers to develop high yield cost effective devices using electrochemical processes. Electrochemical methods are used to create thin- and thick-film-patterned microstructure.


Vaginal steam contraindications. Are vaginal steams safe?

Vaginal steam contraindications - Sayoni Care

Different approaches and point of views are everywhere. Let us see what Ayurveda has to say about his subject. Are there any Vaginal steam contraindications?

This beautiful ancient practice is safe when respecting below important points:

1- If you carry any contraceptive device in place or IUD

It is a fact that the steam opens the channels. This leads to the possibility that the device could move a bit out of its place, which can create discomfort afterward. The warmth can heat it up creating a burning sensation in case of metals or what it’s worse, creating a chemical reaction which will be absorbed by the walls of your uterus. If you have decided to use this method please do not risk it.

2- During pregnancy or if there is any possibility of pregnancy

During pregnancy, any kind of cleansing therapy is contraindicated. This is due to vaginal steam practices are supporting the detox process from your reproductive system. The body needs rich nourishment, and rejuvenation so the baby can get the most of the nutrients at the body temperature. You do not want to interfere with the fetus development.

pregnant belly vaginal steams-safe-contraindications Sayoni Care

3- In case of any open cuts/ wounds/stitches or during a herpes outbreak

Give your body a sweet little break and time to heal, fresh wounds and stitches can easily break or open with the warmth. In the case of post-partum, certain preparations are suitable, wait at least for 9 to 10 days or until your midwife gives you the green card. Ayurveda has a whole protocol for this period, after abhyanga (external oleation) for three days, warm herbal decoctions are given with Vata pacifying herbs, which can be applied on the abdomen and genitals. Another option is a prolonged tub bath. After these 3 days, considering the season and constitution, Nadi svedana or Pinda Sweda could be recommended. From 2 weeks to 45 days if possible. After the steaming (svedana) or bathing, they practice fumigation.

4- During the heavy bleeding days of the period

The warmth makes the blood more liquid in texture, speeding up the flow. If you are already bleeding enough there is no need to speed up the natural process which might lead to stressing the body and a possible hemorrhage. The heavy days you should rest, let the body do their job. When the obstruction is there this practice is recommended at least twice a month, during the ovulation phase and just before your period start, in order to assist the body.

5- If you are dealing with Pitta dosha imbalances especially during summer

Ayurveda recognizes 3 types of constitutions (dosha imbalances, Vata, Pitta, Kapha) that when are mixed between them, create a total of seven different types. In order to make your life a bit easier and understand better these concepts, we have created a section called Ayurveda which can help you to identify the attributes in which your constitution can fit in. It will give you also more insight into how the elements place a role in our body. Our current dosha, might varies from time to time, since we are in constant change and influenced by the food that we ingest, the climate, the season, the age, etc. Pitta is governed by the fire and water element.

Ayurveda considers that any kind of Svedana therapy (sweating) like steaming is not recommended for pitta constitutions with imbalances especially during the hottest months of the year. Does it make sense? What happens when we add fire to more fire? In a holistic approach, we should consider the interrelationships between the unique individual characteristics and all the surroundings. These women (along the rest of the year) should avoid very high temperatures since the fire element is very present in them. A bit more cooling herbs in a gentle way, using mild temperature for yoni steam practice, during coldest months is much more suitable and beneficial for Pitta when they are not out of balance. In case of imbalance, they can wash with cold decoctions or herbal infusions, with herbs that support their restoration.

6- In case of concrete healthy issue, double check it

Consult a health practitioner before using herbals steams. In the case of pre-existing medical conditions or contraindications with other medications, please make sure to follow your health practitioner advice.

Following this points, this practice is very safe. We hope that you feel confident to try them out and get the best out of all the amazing benefits behind. It is always good to get informed well before we start.

Check our vaginal steam recipes here!

Big long hug to all the sister in the globe!

Sayoni Care

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The state and regional coronavirus guidelines are designed to keep public spaces empty and help residents self-isolate.

James Martin/CNET

The project of reopening the economy has begun. The surge of COVID-19 infections has begun to slow in many parts of the country, prompting state and local governments to loosen lockdown restrictions and allow businesses to gradually reopen, as long as they continue to take steps to check the spread of the disease. Which businesses open and when may vary significantly depending on where you live, but one truism everywhere in the world is that lockdown restrictions aren’t lifting all at once.

As the curve of daily cases begins to flatten in some parts of the country, government and public health officials are working on plans for how to return society and the US economy to “normal”, all of which take a multiphased approach to relaxing some rules while keeping others — particularly the use of face masks — intact. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines this week on reopening schools, factories and other businesses. The recommendations reinforce the path set out by the White House and Johns Hopkins University.

The purpose of reopening society slowly is to keep from triggering a second wave of the coronavirus, which some experts say could still come. Here’s what all the phases mean for you and your city.

Read more: Where you can buy a face mask online right now

Phase 1: Slow the coronavirus spread

In many parts of the US, this is the phase many residents are now coming out of, with social distancing and stay-at-home orders keeping most people indoors except for essential trips to the store and recreational walks.

In this first phase, nonessential businesses and activities such shopping malls, theaters, sporting events, hair salons, barber shops and casinos have been shut down. Businesses that provide essential health and safety services have stayed open, including grocery and hardware stores, pharmacies, hospitals, medical centers, banks and gas stations.

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Coronavirus lockdown: Why social distancing saves lives

Restaurants — as well as pubs and bars in states such as New Jersey — are considered essential, but require you to pick up your order or have it delivered instead of sitting down to eat.

While outdoors, residents are required to avoid large groups, practice social distancing and, in some regions, are mandated to wear protective face masks.

Phase 2: Lockdown begins to lift

This is the phase many states are transitioning into. The US government, working with public health advisers, suggests that quarantine restrictions can begin to ease after:

  • The number of daily cases steadily drops for at least two weeks.
  • Hospitals and medical centers can operate outside of crisis mode to care for all COVID-19 patients.
  • Coronavirus testing becomes widely available for at-risk healthcare workers.

California has loosened restrictions on construction and certain DMV operations and reopened parking lots for state parks. The state is also looking at how professional sports events can return this summer.

Some states — including New York — could wait for more safeguards, such as widespread testing for anyone with symptoms, to fall into place. Contact tracing could be another big component for some states, to quickly find people who have come into contact with an infected person, and self-isolate.

States in Phase 2 are starting to open businesses that are considered low-risk for spread of the virus, such as garden supply stores, construction sites and manufacturing locations. To return to work and school, expect social distancing requirements indoors (for example, keeping desks six feet apart) and potentially temperature checks as part of the condition of entering a building or classroom.

The most vulnerable people, including older people and those with underlying conditions, may still be required or encouraged to shelter in place.

Phase 3: Open more businesses and activities

With dwindling daily cases and more widespread testing, state leaders will seek to reopen higher-risk businesses where customers and workers are in close contact for longer periods of time, such as nail shops and hair salons. Gyms, movie theaters and churches may also open in this phase. Some states, such as Georgia, are already moving to this phase.

As states carefully relax restrictions, contact tracing will play an increasingly important role in monitoring the spread of the virus. Contact tracing is a long-accepted tool used by public health officials to identify infected individuals and anyone who may have come in close proximity with the person who tested positive for the disease. To help identify possible new COVID-19 cases, health officials are looking to our mobile phones to build a list of contacts.

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Phase 4: Herd immunity or a vaccine will help restore normalcy

The goal of the first three phases is to get us to a point of community-wide resistance to the coronavirus. One way to achieve that is called herd immunity, which means that 60% or more of the population has been exposed to the coronavirus and have gained some degree of immunity from it. The other approach is through a vaccine, which is still thought to be a year or more away. Once we do have a safe and effective vaccine and antiviral medicine to protect and treat the population, authorities will be able to fully lift social-distancing orders and bring on a new normalcy.

What about travel bans and restrictions?

Reopening public transit and other methods of mass transportation such as airline and train travel for nonessential trips is an important but potentially higher-risk stage, because passengers are often in close contact for extended periods of time. Domestic airline travel already comes with a set of restrictions, but international vacations aren’t currently encouraged. And in some cases they aren’t even possible, as airlines have cut routes.

States will also look to relaxing interstate travel: Some states, including Hawaii and Rhode Island, require anyone who arrives in the state — resident, visitor or tourist — to self-quarantine for 14 days.

As your state opens up, you’ll still want to take steps to make sure you stay safe. Here’s how to keep the virus out of your home, how to avoid misinformation about the virus and what you need to know about coronavirus treatment. If your state or region is easing its coronavirus restrictions, let us know in a comment.


Life will test you

“In life there will be people, life tests, health challenges and much more that will always try to knock you down. If it doesn’t knock you down the wind against you will push you back further and further more. No matter how strong the wind is going against you and no matter how many times you will get hit in such a way it’ll make you feel weak. During all of those troubled times and hard obstacles that is where you will find strength. If you feel like you’re stuck, lost in the fog, being poured on with rain, feeling drained and tired because there is too many clouds over you. That is when you MUST keep going. You’re the vehicle to your own destiny and god is your fuel.” ~Victortheinspiration


Manish Nai, Form and Void: Richard Taittinger Gallery, 154 Ludlow St, New York, NY

16 January - 28 February 2021

In collaboration with Richard Taittinger Gallery, Kavi Gupta is pleased to present Form and Void, a solo exhibition of works by the acclaimed Mumbai artist Manish Nai. Featuring examples from several diverse facets of Nai’s trans-disciplinary practice, this exhibition seeks to explore the formal and conceptual balance between absence and presence in Nai’s unique aesthetic position.

Nai’s minimalist sensibilities find balance between form and void, gravity and levity, the highly personal and the truly universal. His substances are distinctly Indian, both past and present, but the forms they take have the abstract logic of geometry. Jute and indigo relate back to the history of India’s occupation by the British empire, cash crops cultivated at the expense of farmers who desperately needed to be producing food to combat famine. The clothes speak to cultural moments, a grandmother’s patterned shawl so reminiscent of one generation in India, a child’s t-shirt so clearly speaking to another, bundled together like laundry of multiple generations living together under a common roof. Stacks of books layered like sedimentary rock forming a timeline of cultural production. Mosquito nets ubiquitous throughout the tropics, found in homes around the world, both for safety and for comfort. Even the act of compression, used in his making, relates to the notion of social, historical, and economic pressures. Despite all these distinct cultural narratives embedded in the work, there is an aspirational, transcendent universality to the work’s disciplined minimalism.

Perfect geometry inspires the boundaries of each work’s formation. Point, line, plane, and form interplay their abstract logic with the limitless potential of the organic materials that form them. The artist’s gestures’ totalities extend beyond the objects to include specific absences around them, negative space implicitly tethered to the positive object. A jute ring highlights an empty wall, the total volume described by the piece consisting more of empty space than of the jute itself. Leaning pillars of compressed fabric cast shadows on the gap they create, delicately balanced as an interstitial between floor and wall. Mosquito nets catch pale stains of paint that mostly passes through them, visually elusive and physically transient. Every object is riddled with gaps and fissures, and the nature of their installation in space always necessitates some negotiation with the emptiness around it. This emptiness is not just a coincidence, nor a consequence of scale, but an apparatus inborn to the work itself, absence loaded with possibility, void where form can come to have purpose. Composer Claude Debussy famously observed that music is not just the notes, but the silence between them; Nai’s work serves as reminder that sculpture too is not just its own substance, but the shadow it casts, and the space it takes ownership of outside its physical boundaries.

Manish Nai was born in 1980 in Gujarat. He has held solo exhibitions at Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke in Mumbai, Galerie Karsten Greve in Paris, St. Moritz and Cologne, and Galerie Gebr. Lehmann in Berlin. In 2017, the Fondation Fernet Branca presented a comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s paintings, murals, sculptures and photographs in St. Louis, France. The exhibition traveled to the Het Noordbrabants Museum in The Netherlands in 2018.

Nai has participated in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014) and the Shanghai Biennale (2012). He has recently completed a 60’ long sculpture as a permanent installation in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex. His works have recently shown at The Sculpture Park at Madhavendra Palace, Rajasthan, India (2017-18), Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India (2019), and at the Smart Museum of Art in Chicago as part of their permanent collection. Nai’s work is held in numerous private and public collections throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. The artist lives and works in Mumbai.


By: Ellaine Kryss Hubilla

Kokedama, which translates to “koke” which means moss and “dama” which means ball, is a century-old Japanese garden art that involves taking the root ball of a plant and attaching it to a mud ball, which is then coated with green moss.

Kokedama is also known as the ‘string garden’ and ‘poor man’s bonsai’—basically because plants can still strive even if they’re hung.

Tetchie Palaganas’ demonstrating how to create your own kokedama.

You can take care of your kokedama just like any other ornamental plant; it also needs sunlight, air, and water. However, the difference in watering is that it must be soaked in water for 30 mins per day so that water can reach the soil and the root inside. After soaking, gently press the moss ball to drain excess water.

It can be hung in the air with the plant growing out from the sphere or simply put it in the place you prefer as long as it will receive enough sunlight. Kokedama also serves as a distinctive display piece and also functions as a living planter.

Garden enthusiast Tetchie Palaganas offers instructions on how to create your own moss ball:

– Plant of your choice: use an easy-to-care plant, so it can easily adjust to the conditions of the ball soil

-Soil mix: use a combination of 50% garden soil, 30% pumice, and 20% clay.

-Moss: enough amount that can cover the ball soil

-Strings: yarn for knitting or thread

  1. Create a mixture using 50% garden soil, 30% pumice, and 20% clay. Add enough water to hold your soil mix together but not too many that the mixture will be too soft.
  2. Lay the moss flat on a surface then moisten it with water and leave it for a while.
  3. Press the mixture firmly to form a ball of soil. Make it big enough to accommodate the size of the roots of your chosen plant. If the roots are still long enough to fit the ball soil, trim it but make sure that baby roots will remain.
  4. Remove your selected plant from the container. Dust off excess soil then carefully break apart the root ball, this will allow the roots to absorb water and soil nutrients better.
  5. Using your hands, divide the ball of soil into two parts at the center. Put the roots of the plant between the two divided parts then press it again to re-form the soil into a ball.
  6. When the plant is already attached to the balled soil, cover the ball with the moss until all surfaces are covered.
  7. Attach the moss onto the ball using yarn or thread. Since thread is thinner than yarn, when using it, double the wrap by at least two passes around the surface.
  8. Cut the excess string. Your kokedama is ready. You can attach the ball into a piece of wood, put it in a pot if you prefer, or place it in an appropriately lighted area.

From Tetchie Palaganas’ Kokedama Workshop, which was part of the Stuck On You Pre-Valentine event of the National Cactus and Succulent Organization of the Philippines, Inc.


Gregotti Associati. Lombarda Headquarters' bank.
Brescia, Italy. 2004

Gregotti Associati,

Banks, Offices,

Glass, Cement, Steel,

A cube measuring 55 metres on each side, two wings, a public courtyard and a truncated pyramid make up the new Banca Lombarda headquarters in Brescia, a construction with simple lines and complex form designed by Gregotti Associati and built in the "Brescia 2" urban expansion zone.

Gregotti Associati. Lombarda Headquarters' bank.<br /> Brescia, Italy. 2004 The project was built on a 14 thousand square metre lot, offering an alternative to the vertically oriented tower system typically used for office buildings.
The most expressive element in this geometric game is the pyramid-shaped volume containing two large meeting rooms: one with 500 seats and another with 150. These halls may be used for public events and have their own separate entrances. The floors containing the bank's offices are supported by three sets of large metal trusses, placed on two levels to correspond with the north stairway. The building has 12 levels with a total height of about 55 metres.
Basement levels add to the amount of space available: two under the building and three outside its perimeter. The area around the building is organised like a public piazza.
Four stairway towers covered with marble cladding mark the building's four corners, clearly defining its "perimeter" and plan. Reinforced concrete is the dominant material in most of the complex, with the exception of the suspended walkway, which is designed to be a bridge on multiple levels. Its 36 metre span is underlined with steel, which plays a key role in this part of the building, giving it greater transparency and lightness.

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. Certain orders may not go out within one working day after their order. . A small percentage of orders can take more than 3 working days to be dispatched depending on the products ordered.
. There is a significant reduction in passenger flights worldwide, the freight space available to the shipping companies we work with has decreased, increasing the shipping costs.
Why are we saying this:
. We always offer FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING, no matter where you are in the world. . In order to keep costs low, we use economical international delivery. We have considered offering priority delivery at an additional cost, but that would defeat our mission to keep costs low for our valued customers.
 We are very grateful for your patience and your confidence as we went through this difficult time. We are delighted that so many people are turning to cycling, but we certainly wish it was in happier circumstances.
We also appreciate your patience and will do whatever is necessary to get your order delivered. But please note that in most cases your order will take between 30 and 40 days.
Stay safe and healthy,
The Gearlando team


Character Narrators

by Boswell

Question: If I'm writing a story in which the narrator is actually not the protagonist, just a close friend/flatmate/love interest/etc (think Sherlock Holmes, except not about mysteries), would that change how I write it, or would it be pretty much the same, just not from the protagonists POV?

Answer: It depends who the main character is. And by that, I mean who's decision at the climax determines the outcome?

You can have a character narrator who is fairly uninvolved in the story and simply reports it. In that case, the main character may still be the protagonist and the narrator must convey the protagonist's point of view, including his internal conflict and the decision/action he takes at the crisis.

On the other hand, you can have a character narrator who is the main character. In this case, the character narrator will be wrestling with his/her own internal conflict. The narrator will have to make a decision at the climax of the story whether to change or stay the same, and that decision may determine the outcome of the story.

For instance, in the recent British TV series, Sherlock (a 21st century retelling of Sherlock Holmes), Holmes is the impact character and Watson is the main character. Yet, if you watch the first episode, Holmes is also the protagonist pursuing the story goal of catching the murderer.

At the climax, Holmes confronts the murderer - a man who talks people into swallowing poison. For a moment, we are not sure who will win the conflict. It looks as though the murderer might talk Holmes into commiting suicide.

But Watson, an ex-soldier who hates civilian life, makes an important decision. He shoots the murderer and thereby chooses to become a man of action again. The resolution of his internal conflict also determines the outcome of the external story.

So you have to decide how interested you are in your narrator. How important will his internal conflict be? Who is the real main character? That will affect how you tell the story.

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Norway proposes CO2 tax hike to increase funds for climate mitigation

From Yale Environment 360

Norway has announced plans to nearly double its carbon tax on the nation’s offshore petroleum sector to create a £1 billion fund  to help combat the effects of climate change, including in developing nations.

In a draft budget released this week, government officials proposed a climate program that would increase the tax on oil companies from about £24 per ton of carbon dioxide to £45 (Nkr410) per ton.

The plan would allocate about £1 billion (Nkr10 billion or about $.129 billion U.S. dollars are current exchange rates) to promote green energy initiatives, reduce carbon emissions, and improve food security in developing countries.

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In California

Protecting crops from diseases requires an effective mitigation plan that begins the moment the soil is prepared and continues until the harvest. Our full line of plant disease products offers growers multiple approaches for treating the water, the soil and the crop itself.

What Is Crop Disease Management?

In the simplest terms, plant disease management means protecting plants from conditions and contaminants that can lead to problems. This frequently involves killing, removing or blocking pathogens such as mold, mildew and bacteria. However, pathogens can attack from multiple vectors and may be airborne, waterborne or live in the dirt. In order for a plan to be truly effective, it must address all possibilities and focus on the most likely sources of trouble. In many cases, crop treatments to be applied directly to the plants. In other instances, they must be added to the water used to irrigate the plants or the ground in which they grow.

Integrated plant disease management is extremely important for a number of reasons. Farmers need to be able to prevent the spread of pathogens throughout their fields to ensure the highest yields and quality. Without an effective strategy for contaminated land remediation, they run the risk of growing crops that don’t reproduce in the proper manner, fail to thrive or fall short of the expected yield. Any of these conditions can reduce a farm’s productivity and have a devastating effect on its profitability.

Why Choose Meras Water Solutions?

With a wide variety of products used for powdery mildew management and other types of plant disease control, no one offers more solutions for crop disease management in California than Meras Water Solutions. We have a complete line of agricultural plant disease products, including a contaminated soil treatment, that can be applied to the plant, soil and water for full protection. Our in-house expertise means we can develop a solution that meets your precise requirements, no matter what they might be. We’re dedicated to providing our customers in the agriculture sector with the most advanced and effective answers to their needs.

With our services at your disposal, you can rest easier knowing your crops will have a much lower chance of developing diseases that can hurt your yield and your operation. Our products include:

Foliar Treatment

Our active ingredients work immediately on contact with your ornamentals, bedding plants, vegetable plants, flowering plants, shrubs and trees.

Micro Irrigation Treatment

We offer a variety of soil remediation technologies that help you treat your irrigation water and protect your valuable crops.

Soil Treatment

Use a direct soil treatment periodically throughout the plant’s life up to the day of harvest.

SoilSolv chemistry converts water and soil scale into nutrition.


Experimental Study on the Reaction of ScCO2 and Organic Matter in Coal and Its Pore Structure Response

Author:Wang Tian

Supervisor:sang shu xun

Degree Year:2018

CO2 geological sequestration and enhanced coalbed methane recovery technology combines win-win effect of greenhouse gas emission reduction and new energy development,which has attracted worldwide attention.Deep unmineable coal seams are the potential geological body for CO2 geological sequestration,however,under the influence of formation water,temperature and pressure in deep coal reservoir,CO2,especially for supercritical CO2（ScCO2）,can produce geochemical reaction with the organic matter of coals and rocks,resulting in the changes of coal physical and chemical structure.Based on the“ScCO2/H2O simulation system and coal/rock geochemical reaction device”,five coal samples with different ranks were chosen to conduct simulated experiments of coal/rock-ScCO2-H2O geochemical reaction under three buried depths.Based on various analytical approaches of X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,mercury injection porosimetry,low temperature liquid nitrogen adsorption,CO2 adsorption and field emission scanning electron microscope,the effects of coal/rock-ScCO2-H2O interaction on the organic matter and pore-fracture structure of coal reservoir were investigated.The influences of coal rank,temperature and pressure conditions on the geochemical reaction of coal/rock were also studied.Further,the mechanism of ScCO2 and organic matter in coal and its control actions on coal pore structure were discussed.The main research achievements are concluded as follows:（1）The coal/rock-ScCO2-H2O reaction significantly influences the crystal structure,carbon order degree and aromatic ring condensation of organic matter in coalsThe coal/rock-ScCO2-H2O reaction destroys the chemical bonds and crystal structural integrity and changes the macromolecular structure of coals,and which effect mainly depends on the coal rank,i.e.,for low rank coals,the lamellae spacing decreases,the degree of parallel orientation increases,the aromaticity and aromatic ring condensation increases;while for medium-high rank coals,the disordered structure and lamellae spacing of the coal microcrystalline structure increases,the crystal size decreases and reduces the carbon order degree of coals,resulting in a reduction in the aromaticity and aromatic ring condensation.In addition,the influence of temperature and pressure on coal macromolecular structure is not significant in when simulate actual coal seam depth in this paper.（2）The effect of coal/rock-ScCO2-H2O reaction on the pore structure in coals is significant,and the reaction mainly affects the pore structure of coals via changing that of mineral and organic matter structureAfter reaction,the brittleness,porosity and macropore volume of coals increases,the micropore volume and specific surface area of low rank coals decreases,which are contrary for medium-high rank coals increase.Despite coal/rock-ScCO2-H2O reaction does not change the pore size distribution of coals,it produces a large number of<100nm and>30μm pores.Specifically,the pore volume with diameter<3 nm and>30μm in medium-high rank coals considerably increases.The ScCO2-H2O reaction increases the non-effectively interconnected pores in coals,indicating that ScCO2 is dispensable in improving pore connectivity.The change of pore structure in coals is mainly controlled by coal rank,the influence of temperature and pressure on pore structure change is relatively weak,and porosity increases with the increase of temperature and pressure.After ScCO2-H2O reaction,the variation characteristics of pore structure are influenced by the mineral content,type and organic structure of coals.Mineral mainly affects macropore and mesopore with larger pore diameter,while the effect of organic matter on pores is concentrated in the<10 nm pore size range.（3）Simplified models of low rank and medium-high rank coal structure were constructed,the mechanism of ScCO2-H2O acting on organic matter in coals was ascertained,and coal rank mainly controlling the changes of organic matter structure was proposedThe ScCO2-H2O system mainly affects the organic matter structure through the chemical reaction:swelling effect,addition reaction,substitution reaction,bond dissociation reaction,etc.The structure changes of different rank coals are influenced by various chemical reactions,and can be related to the characteristics of the aromatic structures,categories of main organic groups and essences of cross-links.Low rank coals possess a low condensation degree of its aromatic structure,and its aromatic nuclei can facilitate addition reactions.Swelling effect primarily break cross-links between aromatic nuclei in the same aromatic layer.These characteristics favor the polymerization addition of aliphatic side chains of aromatic nuclei and promote the orientation rearrangement of molecular structure at the same layer,which makes the coal structure in a lower energy and more stable state,causing an increase in the aromaticity and aromatic ring condensation.Medium-high rank coals have a high condensation degree of their aromatic structures,and the aromatic favor substitution reactions.Swelling primarily break cross-links connecting different aromatic layer,and bond dissociation reactions are more significant for high rank coals,the force between aromatic layer is abate,crosslinking degree is reduced.These characteristic cause an increase in the lamellae spacing and decreases in the aromaticity and aromatic ring condensation in medium-high rank coal.（4）The mode that changes of organic structure influence small pore structure of coals was established,and the control mechanism of the organic structure changes for intermolecular pores and lamellae spacing pores in coals are clarifiedCoal/rock-ScCO2-H2O reaction has“increasing pore”and“shrinkage/expansion pore”effects on small pores in coals,and its influence depends on the organic structure of coals.The“increasing pore”effect is mainly lamellae spacing level pores,formed from aromatic layers stacked.Their pore diameter is about 0.4 nm,which is affected by the swelling effect,addition reactions and polymerization reactions in aromatic layer,and only a small part increase in the low rank coals with loose structure.The“shrinkage/expansion pore”effect is exhibited in the intermolecular pores and lamellae spacing pores,which affects the aperture<10 nm.This effect is caused by the changes of lamellae spacing and aromatic ring condensation,affected by swelling between layers,substitution reactions and bond dissociation reactions.The effect of temperature and pressure conditions on small pores is weak in this paper,indicating that the temperature and pressure range studied in this paper is insufficient to induce substantial changes on the organic structure of coals.


Why Is Myopia Management Important?

Published April 23, 2020

While myopia is common vision problem that makes eyewear a new necessity, it can also cause serious eye diseases later in life.

Myopia occurs when the light entering the eye is focused in front of the retina, rather than directly on the retina. Myopia develops when the eye grows too long from front to back (axial length), and generally worsens over time until the eye is fully developed— usually around the age of 20.

While distance-only glasses and contact lenses are the traditional method of vision correction for myopia, these lenses focus light in a way that can actually increase the axial length of the eye— ultimately causing myopia to worsen.

A child with myopia has an increased risk for developing vision threatening eye diseases in the future, such as:

Is there a way to prevent my child’s myopia from worsening?

A number of recent studies suggest that it may be possible to control myopia by totally stopping, or at least slowing down, its progression during childhood and teenage years.

Myopia management is a treatment program aimed at controlling myopia, keeping the level of myopia as low as possible, in order to reduce your child’s risk of developing vision threatening eye diseases later in life.

Myopia management has shown to decrease myopia progression by up to 78 percent.

Myopia management can involve the use of eyeglasses, contact lenses, and eye drops— all scientifically proven to aid in the control of myopia progression.

A closer look at myopia management

Eyeglasses are a popular choice for children with myopia, as they enable vision acuity for distant images. Many times, reduced focusing skills can contribute to the development of myopia— these children may need a bifocal or multifocal lens to support the child’s focusing skills.

Bifocal and multifocal lenses contain different lens powers throughout the lens, and enable clear vision at all distances. The specific power for the child’s near vision reduces the stress on the eyes, and possibly the progression of myopia.

Contact lenses

Contact lenses provide clear vision at all distances, with a wider field of view as compared to eyeglasses. A multifocal contact lens works similar to eyeglasses to improve distance vision acuity while simultaneously reducing the stress on the eyes for reading and other near vision tasks. This can consequently reduce myopia progression.

Atropine eye drops

These medicated eye drops can be used to dilate the eye’s pupils during an eye exam, but have also been proven to reduce myopia progression. A very low dose of this eye drop is placed in the child’s lower eyelid every day.

This method is effective for children between the ages of 8 and 15, it only requires a single drop into the child’s eye once per day. Side effects may include blurry near vision or light sensitivity. Children will still need to wear their regular glasses or contacts during the day, but the eye drops can assist in slowing down the worsening myopia.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-k)/ Corneal refractive therapy (CRT)

Ortho-k reduces myopia progression through the use of specialized rigid contact lenses that reshape the cornea, the front outer surface of the eye. The contacts work to flatten the cornea, thereby changing the way light is focused on the retina at the back of the eye.

The contact lenses are inserted before bedtime, and are generally only worn while your child sleeps. Ortho-k provides clear vision for the whole day, thereby eliminating the need for wearing glasses or contacts during the day.

Ortho-k has been proven to reduce the rate of myopia  progression in children by up to 50 percent.

Can vision therapy control myopia progression?

Vision therapy is an appropriate and effective treatment for children who have acquired myopia as a result of reduced eye focusing skills. Vision therapy involves a personalized program that trains the child’s visual system, including the eye-brain connection, to work more efficiently— thereby improving focusing abilities. Children who have reduced focusing skills, have a greater risk of developing progressive myopia.

When should my child start myopia management?

It is best to begin Myopia management as soon as possible to increase optimal results. Myopia generally worsens through the teenage years, and stabilizes as the child reaches adulthood, so these years are the optimal time to seek Myopia management options for your child.

There are now excellent myopia management options to help your child. An eye doctor with experience in myopia management will be able advise which treatment option is most effective for your child.


RHAPSODY is a word in English with its meaning.

A disconnected series of sentences or statements composed
under excitement, and without dependence or natural connection;
rambling composition.

Words for further learning

Hiligaynon: sugyot
English: disinheritance
English: climbing
English: atonable
English: microcosmic
English: polymorphic
English: whisking
Cebuano: birnis
English: copse
Hiligaynon: pakilooy
English: dachshund
English: hull
English: renitent
English: adnascent
Hiligaynon: sanggit
English: wapp
English: fico
English: unlawed
Cebuano: banay
English: frank