I appreciate your offer of a secretarial position at Island Lake Exports. The benefits and salary are among the best I've seen anywhere. However, as we discussed, the job would mean driving two hours a day to and from Island Lake. After careful thought, I have decided to take a position as a secretary at Haywood Manufacturing here in Cincinnati. Although this job is less attractive than the one with your firm, it's much closer to my home and family. I appreciate the time you spent with me. I know there are many good candidates who can fill the position.

Eating out with friends is fun. Unfortunately, it also makes us lose track of how much we eat. When you dine with other people, you tend to stay at the table for a longer period of time. The longer you spend at the table, the more you're going to eat. Studies have shown that group size is directly related to the amount people eat. For example, a couple who dines together will eat around 35% more than if they were dining alone. This increases to 75% with a group of four, and 96% when there are seven or more at the table. It therefore makes sense that close friends and family members tend to weigh about the same. If you frequently eat with others and spend more time with them at the table, it will be more difficult for you to lose weight.

Have you heard of returnment? This refers to the decision some older people make to find new jobs after having retired. There are several reasons for the recent increase in returnment rates. Many people do it for financial reasons. Because people are living longer on average these days, they sometimes find it necessary to get a job in order to continue supporting themselves in their old age. Others, however, choose returnment because they simply can't find happiness in retirement. They don't enjoy living a full-time life of leisure. Instead, they want to continue using their skills and benefiting their society. Studies suggest that returnment rates will keep rising in the years ahead as life expectancies increase and people find themselves with more and more retirement time.

Pets sometimes accidentally eat medication made for people or are given it by their owners. However, pet owners must understand that this is dangerous. Animals' bodies react very differently to medication, so taking medicine made for people can be harmful. For example, pain medicines such as acetaminophen are safe for kids but can poison pets. In fact, a single tablet of acetaminophen can damage a cat's red blood cells. The same medicine can cause liver failure in dogs. Therefore, it's important to keep all medications away from pets and to never give any medication to a pet without asking your veterinarian first.

In the majority of domestic violence cases, the male is violent towards the female. Unfortunately, in many relationships, the male is also responsible for earning money for the family. Therefore, putting him in j ail or sending him away harms the woman and her children financially. This is why the court should consider the financial circumstances of the family. Any victim who is left alone must receive financial help. The abuser should have to pay this money, or if this is impossible, the government should help the victim. This policy would make it easier for victims of domestic violence to report the crime, because they wouldn't have to worry about ruining their finances.

A decade ago, Italian scientists were dismayed to discover that animal rights activists had accessed their lab, stealing a large number of laboratory mice. It is believed they used stolen electronic key cards to get in. Although they apparently failed to steal as many animals as they had planned, approximately 100 mice were taken. While the activists may have had good intentions, it is likely that most of the mice died soon afterward, as they had weakened immune systems. In other words, their actions may have killed the animals they were trying to protect. There are many good reasons to oppose animal testing, but they should have taken the animals' needs into consideration rather than recklessly playing heroes. Hopefully, the activists learned a lesson and will think of better ways to help the animals they want to save in the future.

I recently learned a business lesson from my 10-year-old son. He asked if he could set up a lemonade stand in our front yard during the weekend, and I gave him permission. I assumed that he would only be selling lemonade. However, he soon informed me that he needed a bigger table in order to display his watercolor paintings. He also planned on baking cookies. When the weekend finally came, some neighbors and passers-by stopped to buy a cup of his homemade lemonade. But it turns out my son is a clever businessman. He wasn't satisfied with a single sale. Whenever someone bought some lemonade, he suggested they purchase a cookie or a painting as well. He realized that it is difficult to attract customers. Therefore, once you have a customer, you must maximize the amount of money he or she spends.

The teddy bear is a relatively recent invention. This childhood classic is younger than the electric light and the automobile. The story of the teddy bear began with an unsuccessful hunting trip that President Theodore Teddy Roosevelt took in 1902. During the trip, he failed to shoot a bear. So his hunting partners trapped and wounded a bear, and then tied it to a tree, thinking that Roosevelt could shoot it easily. However, when Roosevelt saw what his friends had done to the bear, he felt sympathetic toward it and refused to shoot it. When the news got out, a cartoonist drew the event. He showed Roosevelt refusing to kill a lovable little bear. This cartoon inspired the teddy bear, which emerged simultaneously in the United States and Germany.

Because you as a human being are a social creature, you are most successful when you can connect with other people in productive and satisfying ways. The best way to ensure that this happens is by developing not only your interpersonal skills but also your intrapersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are what you use when you work together with others. Intrapersonal skills, on the other hand, assist you in identifying your own strengths and weaknesses. Intrapersonal skills are required to have consistently good interpersonal skills. This is because you need to understand yourself before you can understand others. Basically, intrapersonal skills make you more self-aware, which improves both your interpersonal skills and the interactions you have with others. Together, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills speed up your personal growth and form the emotional intelligence that can help you succeed both personally and professionally.

Flood waters can be far more dangerous than an ordinary river or a calm sea, as they often move with a lot of force. In a flood, large volumes of water may collect in one area while there is hardly any water in another area. Because water is quite heavy, it moves very quickly to find its own level. As it does, it carries with it enough power to knock things over. Nearly half of all flood deaths result from people attempting to drive their cars through rushing flood water, underestimating the danger. Although rivers may be deeper than flood water, they don't knock people over because their water is evenly distributed.

In the past, people were regarded as old when they reached the age of 60 or 70, and rarely did they live beyond 80. Now, however, with more and more people living to 100 or more, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pay for state pensions and care that old people regard as their natural right. What is more, many older people are now demanding the right to go on working until they are 70, or even older, rather than being forced to retire at 55 or 60. This means that many younger people are blocked from being promoted because older colleagues above them are holding on to their jobs instead of giving them up

You have probably heard that honeybee populations are decreasing all around the world. If bees went extinct, it would clearly have an adverse effect on the environment. However, what you might not realize is that it would also seriously damage the world's economy. This is because the agriculture industry depends on bees, especially nut growers. In fact, more than half of the honeybees in the United States are owned by companies that grow almonds. Cashews are another nut that depends on bees for pollination. Some cashew growers have found ways to pollinate their crops without bees. But it had been shown that using bees leads to a 200% increase in the amount of nuts produced when compared to artificially pollinating nuts. For these reasons, environmentalists and corporations should be working together to find ways to save the bees.

The potoo, a species of bird native to Central and South America, is difficult to see. This is because its feathers are the same color as tree bark, making an unmoving bird resemble a broken branch. The potoo is only active at night, when it feeds on insects such as moths and fireflies. It stays together with a single partner for life, and females only lay one egg at a time. Although rarely seen, the potoo can often be heard making a bo-ou, bo-ou sound that is easily recognized. The best way to actually observe a potoo is by shining a flashlight into the trees at night ― a potoo's large, orange eyes will be clearly visible as they reflect the light. The potoo is not considered to be an endangered species, but it is still necessary to take steps to protect this unique bird.

Retinoblastoma is a rare type of cancer that grows in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue inside of the eye. A genetic mutation causes retina cell tissue to grow into a tumor. The disease usually only occurs in one eye but can affect both. It can be treated with drugs, radiation therapy, or surgery depending on the tumor's size and location. Retinoblastoma causes a visible whiteness in the pupil called leukocoria or cat's eye reflex. The phenomenon is clearly evident when bright light shines into the eye. Other symptoms of retinoblastoma include eye pain, redness, irritation, and poor vision. It also tends to run in families. About 40% of patients have a family history of the disease, though doctors don't yet understand why their genes have mutated.

In many European countries, people who are imprisoned lose their right to vote in political elections. For example, anyone who is sentenced to jail in the Czech Republic, Hungary, or the U.K. is automatically banned from voting. This punishment is not required for French and German prisoners, but the courts can decide whether or not to apply it. Conversely, there are 18 European nations where no official prohibition on prisoners voting exists. However, even under these systems it can be difficult for inmates to exercise their right to vote. In Ireland, prisoners are legally permitted to vote, but they are not allowed to vote by mail or to leave the jail on election day to cast their ballot.

Television is often criticized for encouraging viewers to commit acts of violence. Indeed, research suggests that people who watch violent shows are more likely to commit violent crimes than those who don't. This finding might imply that TV shows are causing viewers to commit violent crimes. However, studies do not actually support this assumption. Rather, it seems likely that people who are frustrated and angry, and therefore more likely to be violent, are drawn to TV shows in which characters release their anger through violence. So it's not that TV shows make the viewers violent; instead, it's that violent people watch these kinds of programs.

According to advertisements, antibacterial hand soap helps kill germs and prevent illness. However, recent studies have found something disturbing about these soaps. Because they are used so frequently, many germs are reacting to them by becoming stronger and harder to kill. These super germs are making more and more people sick. In addition, antibacterial hand soaps are damaging the environment. Every time we wash our hands with them, their chemicals travel into the water supply. As a result, lakes, streams, and rivers are becoming polluted with these chemicals. Researchers recommend that we decrease our use of antibacterial hand soaps, which will benefit both our health and that of the environment. They say frequent washing with regular soap is enough to remove germs from people's hands.

The Philippine island of Cebu has traditionally attracted tourists with its stunning beaches and beautiful climate. Yet, lately, an unlikely attraction has been drawing visitors: the provincial jail. The prison became famous a few years ago when a clip of a prisoner exercise routine, which involved dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller, appeared on YouTube. It was an instant sensation and has drawn approximately 50 million online visitors. Now audiences are lining up to see the show live. People surrounding the jail's exercise grounds cheer as though it were a rock concert. Audience members can even have their pictures taken with prisoners after the performance. According to the jail director, the dance routines have been a way of improving the prisoners' attitude.

In 2006, grey mud began flowing from a gas exploration site in East Java, Indonesia. The site is now referred to as the Lusi mud volcano. Years have passed since the mud volcano first started erupting, but thousands of people who lost their homes are still living in temporary shelters. And there is no sign that the flow of mud is going to stop any time soon. It is flowing at a rate of more than 100,000 cubic meters per day. More than 50,000 people have had to leave the area and schools and factories have been covered in mud. According to scientists, this disaster was caused by the gas drilling operation. It will probably continue to affect the local environment for many years.

These days, we never seem to have enough time to finish everything we need to do. That's why the idea of multitasking is so appealing. There are some people who are effective multitaskers, and they can get a lot done in a short time. But for the rest of us, multitasking isn't as helpful as we think. Research shows that our brains can only do one thing at a time. So multitasking causes the brain to constantly switch back and forth between tasks. This isn't nearly as efficient as focusing on a single task. I believe in completing one task at a time, doing each one as well as possible before moving on to the next. It is tempting to multitask during busy times, but most of us are better off keeping things simple.

El Dia de los Muertos is a holiday in Latin America. It is a day on which the living remember relatives who have died. The festivities last for two days. In general, November 1 is a day reserved for honoring children who have died. Consequently, it is known as Dia de los Angelitos, or Day of the Little Angels. November 2 is the day when people remember deceased adults, so it is referred to as Dia de los Difuntos, which literally means Day of the Dead. According to popular belief, the souls of the deceased come to visit their living relatives on that day. Families create altars and cover them with flowers, alcoholic beverages, and the deceased's favorite foods.

Ferruccio Lamborghini, a tractor manufacturer, was having problems with the clutch in his Ferrari and went to complain to Enzo Ferrari, the carmaker. Instead of dealing with the issue, Ferrari insulted Lamborghini and suggested the driver was at fault, not the clutch. After this encounter, Lamborghini returned home and took apart the clutch in his Ferrari. He was surprised to discover that the vehicle's parts were similar in many ways to those he used in his tractors. The technology used was also familiar to the tractor manufacturer. This inspired Lamborghini to develop his own car to compete with Ferrari. The very next year, Lamborghini introduced his new vehicle, the 350 GT.

It was by chance that Beppe Grillo became a comedian, after he made up a monologue during an audition. As his popularity grew in the 1980s, his performances began to include political satire, which insulted and offended numerous Italian politicians. Eventually, he was banned from Italian television. These days, Grillo performs to large audiences in theaters both in Italy and abroad. Common themes in his performances include energy usage, corruption in politics and the business world, and free speech. He also keeps a blog that he updates daily. It is ranked as one of the 10 most visited blogs in the world. On September 8, 2007, Grillo helped promote the so-called V-Day in cities across Italy, calling for the removal of Italian Parliament members who have committed crimes in the past.

Snakes are often considered to be cold, solitary animals, but a recent study suggests otherwise. In the study, ten snakes were placed in an enclosed area with four plastic boxes. These boxes were the only places the snakes could hide and find refuge, so the snakes gathered together in groups inside them. Next, the scientists removed the snakes and cleaned the enclosure to eliminate all traces of them. The snakes were then returned to the enclosure in different locations. Despite the changes, the snakes stubbornly went back to their original groups. Based on the results, the scientists concluded that the snakes had formed social bonds within their groups and then had chosen to spend their time with certain companions.

Scientists can now transplant genes from one organism to another: from plant to animal and vice versa. They have successfully transplanted foreign genes into the DNA of bacteria. The transplanted genes are accepted by the bacteria. They even reproduce in following generations. In other words, scientists are now able to create new life forms. However, no one knows how such new life forms might react to an environment outside the laboratory. They could consume valuable chemicals, destroy the soil, harm the environment, or even create new diseases for which there is no cure.

In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the best way to evaluate the performance of teachers. There are now government proposals that suggest using checklists and the ratings of external evaluators to do so. However, it would be impossible to create a formula that effectively measures the characteristics required of effective teachers, such as compassion and creativity. Although people sometimes refer to these sorts of evaluations as being businesslike, successful businesses don't use large-scale rating systems as a substitute for human judgment. Instead, they allow their managers to put together effective teams, and then they hold those managers responsible for the teams' performance. In a school setting, principals could play this same role. They should be given the power to make hiring and firing decisions and then be considered responsible for both the successes and failures of their schools.

The above chart shows the percentage of New Zealand's working population employed in skilled IT occupations, broken down by gender and ethnic group. People who identify as New Zealand Europeans are twice more likely to work in IT than people who identify as Pacific Islanders. Compared to the other ethnicities shown in the graph, people of Asian descent have the highest percentage of IT workers. Maori men and women are employed in IT occupations at approximately the same rate. Combined, the percentages of Maori men and women in IT occupations are equal to the percentage of European men from New Zealand. Among people who did not specify an ethnicity, men are almost twice as likely to be employed in IT occupations as women.