Contrary to what some people think, bullying isn’t a normal part of childhood. Here are some other realities about this harmful behavior that need to be acknowledged.

1. Kids don’t grow out of bullying
Unless children face meaningful consequences and learn that bullying is unacceptable, this behavior is likely to persist through adolescence and into adulthood. It can also evolve into dating violence, workplace harassment, and domestic abuse.

2. Fighting back makes bullying worse

While children should be encouraged to stand up to bullies, retaliating with violence, insults or other aggressive behavior can lead to more persistent and severe bullying. Assertive responses and reporting bullying to an adult are more effective strategies.

3. Peers can stop bullying in seconds
Most bullying incidents happen when peers are watching, and their reaction plays a major role in reinforcing or stopping the behavior. In fact, research shows that when peers intervene, more than half of the time the bullying stops within 10 seconds.

4. Bullying can cause serious harm
Bullied children are more likely to experience headaches, stomach aches, anxiety, and depression. They’re also at greater risk of long-term mental health problems and suicide. Additionally, children who bully are more likely to use drugs and engage in criminal activity.

It’s only by dispelling myths about bullying and teaching children to develop healthy relationships that the issue can be properly addressed and bullying eradicated for good.

From lapses in memory to joint pain and hair loss, a wide range of symptoms is often chalked up to getting old. But which changes are really considered a normal part of the aging process? Here’s some of what you can expect as you get older.

A different experience for everyone
Aging is a complex process that affects every system in the body. But while all people age, not everyone does so at the same rate. This means that people of the same age can look and feel very different as they get older. In other words, their chronological ages are identical, but their biological ages don’t match.

Noticeable signs of normal aging

It’s important to note that normal age-related changes happen gradually and aren’t the result of an underlying medical condition. Nevertheless, aging does eventually have noticeable effects on the body, including:

• Weakened vision (presbyopia)
• Gradual loss of hearing (presbycusis)
• Slight decrease in memory and learning skills
• Loss of muscular endurance and strength
• Diminished sensations such as hunger and thirst
• Increase in percentage of body fat

Tips for healthy aging
The best way to delay the effects of aging is to maintain healthy lifestyle habits. Among other things, you should avoid smoking, limit your alcohol consumption, exercise daily, get enough sleep, keep in touch with loved ones, and challenge your mind with puzzles, reading, and strategy games.

Finally, be sure to schedule regular appointments with your family doctor, optometrist, audiologist, and other health-care professionals. This increases the likelihood of medical issues being detected and treated early.

After an injury, workers who receive higher prescription doses of an opioid are at increased risk of longer-term use, according to researchers at the Workers Compensation Institute. Research focused on workers from 33 states who were injured in 2016.

The study found that among workers who received a 15-day to a 30-day supply of opioids within 90 days of an injury, about 9 percent had longer-term opioid needs. In the same group, among those who received a three-day supply or less, just 5 percent had a longer-term dosing need.

Those workers who were prescribed a dose of 500 milligrams or more were more likely to need opioids longer. About 10 percent fell into that category. Only 7 to 8 percent of workers prescribed small doses had longer-term dispensing.

Other factors contribute to longer-term opioid use and possible dependence. Among those was taking an opioid along with central nervous system depressants.

Which workers most likely to be prescribed opioids?

If you are from a small town, work in a small company, or work in the mining or construction industry, you are most likely to be prescribed opioids after an injury.

Injured workers at organizations with smaller payrolls (from 1 million to 4 million) were prescribed opioids 54 percent of the time. Those from larger companies were prescribed about 47 percent of the time.

Small-town workers with injuries were prescribed opioids 68 percent of the time, compared with larger metro areas where opioids were prescribed 54 percent of the time.

In mining, injured workers were prescribed opioids 62 percent of the time. In construction, the rate was 55 percent.

The study was conducted by the Workers Compensation Institute.

Gold sells for an oz. at $1,836…one ingot (2.2 lbs.) for $62, 383.

Once gold went for $30 an oz if you bought twelve ingots now worth $748,596 and more. Why is this? Predictions are that within 20 years all the available gold will be mined. There will be no more huge deposits to be exploited at this moment.

For thousands of years, gold has had particular magic of its own, being the most sought after of earth’s metals. It commands respect, can be made into coins or easily put into attractive adornments. People have gone to extremes to locate it to fuel wars while leveling mountains and forests. India has a huge gold market buying ¼ of all that is mined. Brides need gold jewelry to bring to their marriages. In Chennai, the low caste of the population sweeps the streets behind jewelry factories trying to recover maybe a gram to help feed their families. On some Indonesian islands, farmers have abandoned sown crops to work in the mercury laden pits to make 5 dollars a day. This is an instant leap from poverty in these areas. All gold finds a market, legal and otherwise; after India, China is the 2nd largest buyer of gold articles.

“It is just a shiny, yellow substance we dig out of the ground, but we have such a deep-seated romantic relationship with gold that most of us believe it could never be a realistic investment option for us mere mortals. But with fears over the security of everything from cash to commodities and housing, could gold really give you the security you want? Or is this mystical metal subject to the global economic downturn? As with any other investment, gold can go down as well as up in value; at $1,030.80 an ounce in March, it is now trading close to the $1800 mark.

However, while even the biggest banks can go bust, not even ambitious City traders can destroy gold. Gold will always be worth something.” (comments from Wall Street) “Ophir was the famous gold-producing region prominent in the Old Testament. It is believed to have been located in southwest Arabia in what is now known as Yemen. It may have included a part of the adjacent African seaboard. Yemen was famous for its gold mines, which are known to have still existed in the ninth century B.C.

Ophir was visited by the trading fleet of Solomon and the Phoenicians. Solomon’s navy was fitted out at Ezion-Geber, then traveled to Ophir, taking “four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there” <1 Kings 9:26-28; 22:48; 2 Chr. 8:17-18; 9:10>. At the northern end of the Gulf of Aqabah, Ezion-Geber (modern Tell el Keleifeh) was excavated by Nelson Glueck. Solomon used the copper of the Arabah, smelted at Ezion-Geber, as a stock-in-trade. His Tarshish or “refinery” fleet sailed down the Red Sea and spent part of three years to make the trip, explainable by long hauls in excessively hot weather. In exchange for copper, Solomon’s refinery fleet brought back not only the fine gold of Ophir <1 Kings 10:22>. Gold of Ophir garnished Solomon’s armor, throne, Temple, and the house of the forest of Lebanon <10:14-19>.” (Unger‘s Dictionary)

… And the main street was pure transparent gold, like glass. (read Revelation.21:19—)

A sump pump is a device that can be installed in a basement, either beneath or above the floor. It’s designed to pump out the water collected in a sump basin and discharge it to the outdoors. Consequently, your home is kept safe from the damage that can occur as a result of flooding.

If your basement is at risk of flooding, you should consider buying a sump pump, especially if you live somewhere with a high water table. If possible, select a submersible rather than a pedestal pump, as they’re less noisy when covered with a lid. You should also opt for a model with an iron core since it’s more durable than the plastic alternative. Plus, you should think about getting a pump with an alarm that alerts you if the water in the basin reaches a dangerous level.

In addition, you may want to install a secondary sump pump next to the first one, especially if you have a finished basement. This way, if your primary pump fails or becomes overtaxed, the secondary pump will automatically take over.

A battery backup pump can also be installed. In the event of a power outage, this type of pump will continue to work for up to two days.

To install a sump pump in your home, speak with a qualified plumber in your area.

As one of the key components of most weddings, decisions about the cake shouldn’t be left until the last minute. Here are five factors to consider before you order yours.

1. The number of guests
You want to make sure there’s plenty to go around. However, it would be a shame to waste your money on an excessively large cake and have to throw some out.

2. The wedding theme

The cake is as much a part of the decor as the flowers. Don’t hesitate to bring a copy of the invitation, color samples, and pictures of the decorations to guide the baker.

3. The design
In addition to choosing the shape of the cake and the number of tiers, consider what decorative elements you’d like to incorporate. Fresh flowers, edible gold leaves, and chocolate lace are just some many choices.

4. The flavor
From praline mouse to passion fruit, you might be surprised by how many options are available. Fortunately, most cake shops offer tastings to help you make your choice.

5. The ingredients
If you have a limited budget, determine if you favor high-quality ingredients over a refined look. You should also consider if any of your guests have allergies.

Contact cake shops in your area to schedule a consultation and make sure your cake checks all the boxes.