Most of the talk in the American political world with regards to Mexico is about illegal immigration, a divisive and highly partisan issue. Democrats and Republicans should put politics aside for the time being and focus our national resources and attention on the highly volatile and ultra-violent situation in Mexico. Mass graves of the victims of barbaric cartels are being discovered almost daily in areas just south of our border, and there is evidence that the brutal violence and drug trade from the Mexican cartels is no longer unique to Mexico.

In 2010, with eight murders a day, the world’s most dangerous city was not located in the Middle East, South America or Africa; rather, it was located just miles from our border town El Paso, Texas in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The violence that the people of this city experience daily is almost incomprehensible: gang rapes, beheadings, dismemberment and brutal torture are a frequent reminder of the power of the cartel. Even more disturbing is the recent development that members of the notorious Los Zetas cartel are kidnapping men and forcing them to fight to the death in a forum similar to that of Ancient Rome.

American and global indifference toward the situation in Mexico is clearly evidenced by the 22 million tourists who visited Mexico in the past year. If the media was investing the kind of attention that this story truly deserves this number would be considerably less; it is a fallacy that the tourist areas are safe from the cruelty of the cartel. Acapulco is a prime example of a gorgeous Mexican resort city that has transformed into a battleground for the warring gangs. On January 9th, 2011 police in the Benito Juarez area of Acapulco discovered three bodies hanging from a bridge on Highway 95. Cancun and Cozumel are now a critical port of entry for the Mexican cartel’s global drug trade; Tijuana continues to be an incredibly dangerous tourist city in large part due to the power of the local Tijuana Cartel.

Luckily, up to this point, fears of spill-over violence into the United States have largely not come to fruition. However, in just recent weeks the influence of those involved in the Mexican drug trade has dramatically expanded. We have just learned that the Los Zetas cartel have expanded their drug operations to Guatemala and almost certainly will expand into the rest of Central America, if they have not already begun operations.

The Zetas are not alone in expanding their criminal enterprise; the Sinaloa gangs as well as the Zetas are actively involved in the transportation of cocaine from Columbia to a pseudo-headquarters in Mexico. Organized crime expanding into Central America is extremely unsettling because many of these countries already possess some of the highest rates of criminal activity in the world. This lawlessness undoubtedly breeds the kind of brash and brutal behavior that the cartel needs to employ in order to accomplish their economic motives.

The United States is not immune to the influence of the cartel; in late April Mexican authorities arrested ten El Paso residents in Ciudad Juarez in connection with drug trafficking. States such as New Mexico, Arizona and Texas have witnessed an influx of violent crime as a result of the cartel. Yet, it is not only these border states that face a threat from the Mexican drug menace. The Tijuana cartel has created a base of operations in Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska. Other cartels have a base in Buffalo, and Atlanta has become a major hub for cocaine trafficking. Thankfully, the extreme violence in Mexico has not extended into the United States, yet…

Our politicians and media outlets, with the exception of those in border states, have said virtually nothing of substance in regards to the danger that the cartels pose to the United States and our interests abroad. It is not to our advantage to have our neighbor to the south embroiled in a drug war that claims the lives of more than one thousand people each month. As Americans, we are justifiably outraged when we witness a totalitarian dictator murdering his own people in the streets. However, why does our collective anger rise only when citizens are murdered at the hands of their own governments?

A porous border, inadequate funding for law enforcement and a close proximity to extreme violence, is a sure recipe for a potentially devastating future clash with the cartels in our cities. I would argue that the cartel is so well-armed and funded, that with the exception of Al-Qaeda, they pose the greatest threat to our homeland since the end of the Cold War. It is my hope that we, as Americans, recognize the real danger that exists so very close to home before we have an organized and powerful cartel operating in nearly every major city in America.

Did you ever see the movie Amadeus? There’s a pretty funny scene in which Mozart is playing a piece for one of his noble patrons and a room full of courtiers and ladies. The patron is quite disturbed by Mozart’s rather manic playing and the tsunami of notes erupting from his harpsichord. The nobleman inquires of Mozart whether he doesn’t “have too many notes” in his composition, at which Mozart looks at the man as if he is insane, and assures him there are “exactly the right number of notes, not an extra one anywhere.”

Questions Authors Ask

I often think of this scene when meeting with authors who are thinking about publishing, because a common question I get at these meetings is, “How long should my book be?” If you love Mozart the way I do, you can’t imagine him removing even one note from the divine music he’s passed along to us. Not one! Books are very similar. You need “exactly the right number of words” to tell the story, and not an extra one. But how many is that?

Genre Dictates Length?

It’s true that in certain genres publishers give a lot of weight to book length as a function of their marketing plans. For instance, I’ve had business book publishers tell me that, regardless of how many words are in a book, it has to appear “to be a quick read,” because otherwise busy executives won’t buy it. And we squeeze until we get to their desired page length.

At the other end of the spectrum are some fiction publishers who want their books, again regardless of the length, to appear to be “big fat beach reads” no matter what, on the theory that otherwise book buyers will look for something more “meaty.” Invariably I advise these authors to tell their story and leave it to the book designer to create a book that will be appropriate for their niche, attractive to read, and deliver their work in the best possible way to their readers.

The Prince and the Potter

As an example, look at the two top-selling “children’s books” on Amazon, although neither of these is, strictly speaking, just a children’s book. At number 1 is Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince. This charming parable, which can be read by anyone no matter their age, is 96 pages and weighs a bare 7 ounces. At number 2 is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a book I certainly enjoyed. It runs 870 pages and weighs in at a hefty 1.5 pounds. But here’s the thing: each of these books is a completely satisfying reading experience in itself. Each tells a story adeptly, and you are carried along throughout the book to the end. In fact, when I’m reading a book I really love, I just don’t want it to end, even if it’s 870 pages!

So the only answer to the question of “How long should my book be” is the response, “How long will it take for you to tell your story in the best way you can?” Because that, in the end, is how long your book should be.

Takeaway: As an author your job is to keep your readers reading, anxious to find out “what comes next.” If you can do that, don’t worry or obsess about how long your book is, because it will be the right length.

Namastrategy (noun) is derived from the words Namaste (Sanskrit), and Strategy (Greek). It is a long term plan of action, and a method of winning, that is based on respect and recognition for the value of partners and clients, in acquisition, merger, expansion, and diversification.

– Namaste (noun) is an Indian greeting as well as a gesture, indicating deep respect, often intended as recognition of the common divinity within another person. The same hands folded gesture is made wordlessly upon departure.

– Strategy (noun) is a Greek work that derives from the words stratos (army) and ago (leading). It is a careful long term plan of action or method designed to achieve a particular goal, most often “winning”. Strategy is differentiated are used to make problems easier to understand and solve. Strategy is about choice, which affects outcomes.

How quickly trends change in global capitalism. For a decade the mantra was a concern about losing US technology jobs to overseas outsourcing. The debate centered primarily on the value to consumers for low cost timely services in exchange for the perceived loss of jobs in the US. The predominant argument was related to the loss of jobs for Americans, as enterprising corporations took advantage of the lower cost of personnel in other countries. The decline of the US currency has created an even playing field, and in some cases it is less expensive to hire US employees than to pay for the same expertise overseas. As currency and global exchange continue to move toward balance, the real driving force will be pure business. The global economy is adjusting and balancing itself at a much more rapid pace than ever before, and it is gaining speed.

Is this really a new trend, or is it just another highly publicized manifestation of trends that have existed for generations? Previously, a much publicized shift occurred in the 70’s and 80’s as automobile manufacturing plants grew in Japan, and closed in Detroit. The once dramatic battle for domestic manufacturing dominance made a u-turn when Toyota began manufacturing quality automobiles in Kentucky. The Mitsubishi Motors manufacturing plant is located in Illinois, and the Nissan motor manufacturing plant is located in Tennessee. These companies discovered the advantages of local just in time manufacturing, with local suppliers, to avoid the tremendous logistics costs of moving materials and automobiles between continents. The financing, marketing, distribution, and other business segments of the operations likewise took advantage of local geographic presence in the US, and in Europe.

Similar trends occurred with the transition of consumer electronics. The very names of the brands are a telling tale of the trend. The generation of RCA and Zenith, was replaced by the generation of Sony, Hitachi, and Toshiba. The subsequent generation of consumer electronics manufacturing did little to change the brand names, but the factories moved to China, Taiwan, Philippines, and Korea. Another generation is emerging, one that is even less sensitive to brand names, but even more aware of the global economy. Domestic borders have less consequence to consumer demand than cost, quality, and availability. Each subsequent generation of manufacturing is more fluid and responsive than the previous generation. Each generation is more aware of supply chain, environment, market fluctuations, and consumer trends.

Are we really that much different than the time of the Roman Empire? As the Roman empire expanded, it frequently met resistance from local tribes. Although the upper classes of the conquered areas usually adjusted to the Roman way of life, the majority of the conquered population continued to live as they did before the Romans came to power. As a result, a mixture of Roman and native cultures coexisted easily in many regions. As the empire advanced, it assimilated technologies and theologies from nearly every region. As the empire expanded, it introduced the accumulation of acquired technologies to the people of the conquered lands. Roads, arches, water and waste management were improved, but not without some sacrifice. Many generations later, as communication, transportation, and technology continue to evolve, global information, education, and interaction is advancing at incredibly accelerating speed, and without the assistance of invading legions.

Successful modern expansion also requires assimilation and integration. Even as global economics and capitalism create a common marketplace, by contrast, cultural individualism has become increasingly diverse. Groups, communities, and individualism are no longer restrained to domestic or geographic demographics. MySpace, iTunes, social media, and social networking have created powerful communities and amazing forms of individual expression. As manufacturing and logistics must cope with globalization, so sales and marketing must cope with fluid social diversity and individualism. The market is much more dynamic than ever before, and this is just the beginning of the trend.

So, who is advancing effectively? Surprisingly, the culture that is adapting to the universal diversity of individualism is one that has, for thousands of years, honored the spirit in you which is also within me. As defined by Mahatma Gandhi, in India, when people meet and part they often say, Namaste, which means, “I honor the place within you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place within you of love, light, truth, and peace. I honor the place within you, where, when you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one.” The Roman Empire assimilated portions of the local regional cultures, technologies, and trends, as it conquered and controlled new lands. Likewise, the culture of India is to acknowledge, embrace, and pay homage to the common divinity of each unique being. As India’s economy and business expands beyond it’s borders, it does not conquer, but rather embraces and enables partners and clients, respecting and protecting individual capabilities, while gently blending the strengths of each individual for the benefit of the collective good. In this example, the individual could be representative of a person, a region, a company, or an industry. Namastrategy pays homage to the divinity of the individual, organization, or region, even as it integrates diverse and dependent resources for collective benefit.

Bangalore based Wipro is evaluating several regions in the United Kingdom to employ 500 people, in addition to the 300 employed at the facility in Reading, England. This trend of hiring and expanding in local markets is sometimes referred to as ‘reverse off-shoring’, which would presume that the jobs would otherwise have been outsourced to another country. However, the move is really just another form of namastrategy. In exchange for bringing more local jobs to the United Kingdom, Wipro will enjoy government tax incentives linked to the jobs that they create, and they will have the added benefit of being an integral part of the local community. “We want a center where the general profile of the young girls and boys graduating there is of a nature where they would like to work in that area, they have family roots in that area, they come from a background which is comfortable in that area, and don’t necessarily want to migrate to the larger cities.” said Azim Premj, chairman of Wipro.

Consulting services represent just under 5% of Wipro’s $3.4 billion annual revenue, but the goal is to increase that amount to 15% of the annual revenue over the next five years. To accomplish this objective, Wipro is also committed to increase the number of local staff members in each region. Of the total 88,000 workforce, Wipro currently employs about 6,500 staff in Europe, including the United Kingdom. Wipro recently set up facilities to support US customers in Troy, Michigan and Atlanta, Georgia. When asked if onshore expansion and local recruitment at local western salary levels would increase cost and decrease the company profit margins, the chairman of Wipro was quick to point out that local billing would be commensurate for maintaining local employees. “The billing rates are completely different. They are much higher. So the profit per person you get from consultancy, if it’s well run, is higher than the profit per person which you get from the other businesses in the rest of Wipro Technologies.”

In many cases the global expansion is achieved by acquisition. In 2006, HTMT Global Solutions acquired AFFINA – The Customer Relations Company, a leading provider of inbound contact center services. HTMT is one of India’s premier customer solution providers, offering a wide range of contact center services, and business process outsourcing, to customized IT solutions. Based in Bangalore, HTMT is rated among the Top 5 Best Employers in the industry (Dataquest – IDC). How did HTMT demonstrate this reputation as Top 5 Best Employer when it acquired the Peoria, IL based AFFINA? Rather than redirect the calls to an offshore center, HTMT infused financial and personal interest to empower the Peoria based AFFINA operations. The astounding results can be measured in profound profit increases for both companies, enhanced capabilities, integrated expansion in US and overseas, and the inspired dedication of the workforce in all geographies. “AFFINA is a strategic fit into HTMT’s global vision. Through it’s experienced management team, diverse skills, and wide-spread network of delivery centers, HTMT is now poised to ramp up its operations in the growing American market. This will be a happy marriage of domain expertise, CRM capabilities and management skills,” said Mr. Partha Sarkar, CEO, HTMT.

In the last five years, Tata Group has expanded it’s influence from India into the global market by acquiring a diverse portfolio of businesses. In keeping with a proven trend, the Tata Group often maintains the prestigious brand name, brings resources to a beleaguered organization, embraces the existing employees, and invests in the local market for stunning success. Since 2003, the Tata Group has bought the truck unit of South Korea’s Daewoo Motors, a stake in one of Indonesia’s biggest coal mines, and steel mills in Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. By acquiring the Dutch-British steel giant, Corus Group, Tata Steel secured access to automakers across the US and Europe, immediately propelling the capacity fivefold, with mills in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The strategic acquisitions of Daewoo, steel mills in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, were all precursors to the announcement of Tata Group’s acquisition of Jaguar, and Land Rover. In a landmark deal worth $2.3 billion, the India steel and motor company has become a marquee name in luxury automobiles. With unparalleled infrastructure for steel and production, the company is poised to polish the slightly tarnished reputation of the proud brands. As many as 40,000 jobs in the United Kingdom, mainly suppliers, depend on the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, as well as 16,000 direct employees. Tata Motors executives have expressed commitments to preserve jobs, and grow the business. “We have sought to keep management in place after we acquire a company,” Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors said. “We pride ourselves on our ability to motivate management’s plans.”

In 2000, Tata Tea took over one of the United Kingdom’s biggest tea brands, Tetley Tea. To this day, no Tetley Tea directors or senior management have been asked to leave. On the contrary, Tata sent managers to work for Tetley in the UK, and to learn about tea buying, branding, and exporting into new markets. Tata has continued to invest in Tetley Tea, and enabled Tetley Tea to expand into new markets, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. “Experts say you have to slash, burn, cut, and we have not. People might say that it is foolish,” says R.K. Krishna Kumar, president and managing director of Tata Tea. “Sometimes acquisitions should have an equivalent impact on the acquiring company.”

How does Tata Group use this global expansion to fuel the development of economy and infrastructure in other regions of the world? In January, Tata Motors announced plans to build the Nano, a $2,500 “people’s car”. The inexpensive Nano was inspired by witnessing entire families being dangerously transported on motor scooters, a very common sight in developing countries. The goal is to introduce a vehicle so inexpensive that it will enable even economically challenged geographies to provide safe transportation for the entire family. The Nano resides at the absolute polar opposite end of the spectrum of luxury automobiles, but it may give some additional satisfaction to owners of Jaguars that, when they slip into an automobile that defines luxury, they are preserving jobs in the United Kingdom, and contributing to preserve lives in developing countries with safer modes of transportation.

Can it really be that good corporate citizenship is also good business? ZSL Inc certainly believes so. With headquarters in Chennai, India, and US headquarters in Edison, New Jersey, ZSL Inc has demonstrated phenomenal growth through expansion, acquisition, and diversification of the portfolio of offerings. However, the executives would tell you that the formula for success in much simpler than that. The executives would tell you that sustainable growth is achieved through loyalty, enabling clients, actively contributing to the community, and empowering partners. Growing the success of clients is the means of naturally growing success for ZSL. The current client base includes small and medium sized companies across a broad range of verticals, as well as respected leaders in Finance & Banking, Insurance, Life Sciences, Telecommunication, Retail, and Manufacturing.

ZSL ranked 275 for the year 2007 in the VAR Business 500, and was recognized as one of the 10 Fast Growth VARs to watch. Despite the accolades, the executives maintain a dedication to humility that is a reflection of the respect toward the divinity within every other person. To expand operations and support into the Consumer Electronics industry, the humble company recruited a volunteer advisory council of respected members from within the industry. The advisory council guides development of solutions that integrate the best practices from across all services. The role of the council is to provide leadership, guidance, and participate in design of architecture that unites multiple diverse systems through common platforms and applications. This approach enables each constituent to maintain the infrastructure and expertise of individual organizations, while simultaneously enabling each to communicate, update, perform, and report with valuable real time actionable data. ZSL openly respects the expertise of the diverse industry representatives and empowers them to lead the design of development, as ZSL take a supporting role to bring the vision to reality. Who benefits from these solutions? Everyone. “With our humble beginnings and modest approach, we are certain to make a difference for the good,” said Ananth Chaganty, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions of ZSL Inc.

______________________________________________________

Words of Wisdom

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean, if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

______________________________________________________

John Mehrmann is a freelance author and President of Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving business practices and developing human capital. John Mehrmann and Mitchell Simon are authors of The Trusted Advocate, the fundamental guide to achieving extraordinary sales and sustaining loyal customers. This revolutionary sales guide applies peak management techniques and leadership skills to the sales profession, showing you how to utilize authenticity and integrity in your sales to achieve maximum success.

You will have to look hard to find anyone who has a complaint about the craftsmanship of the Bowflex line of equipment. That is not to say that no one has ever had a problem just that they are few and far between.

The only issue it seems the Bowflex machines have had was back in 04 when there was some question about the bench and the lat tower. Seems both were prone to breaking or coming lose and falling, leaving users at risk for injury. Nautilus was quick to offer free upgrades for all units on the street and a recall of over 400,000 units. They quickly backed this up by doubling all existing warranties as well as the warranty on the new models. They did this to reassure the consumer of their commitment to excellence.

After extensive research on the subject, it appears that except for a few rare instances the Bowflex bows or power rods almost never break. They are made of a special composite material that Bowflex is so confident in they have offered free lifetime replacement warranty for broken or bent bows.

People who have had the rare issue of bow breakage all report that customer service was a breeze to work with and all warranties were upheld 100%. New rods were shipped immediately no questions asked.

When it comes to the safety and durability of their equipment, the makers of Bowflex do not mess around. Solid construction that is backed by a no nonsense warranty is hard to find these days, however Nautilus has nailed it with the Bow Flex line of equipment.

How long it should take to get a black belt is an interesting question in any martial art, let alone in the military.

In Karate or Kung Fu, we are talking four to five years.

Back in the forties it would take a year. Maybe less, maybe more. And this was for Karate, Japanese styles, and any other style that had a belt system.

Then Kenpo came along and they started selling black belts on what is referred to as ‘car contract’ sales approaches. That way they could keep students longer and make more money.

The actual contract was designed in Kenpo Karate by a dance instructor from Arthur Murray dance studios.

Which brings up the original point of this article, how long should it take to get a black belt when you are studying a military style, like MCMAP, or the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

Well, in a commercial school at the local McDojo strip mall school, at two hours a week you would put in 100 hours in a year, 400 hours in four years.

The marines, or the army or navy, in their basic training, have you 24 hours a day for up to four months. Four months would be 120 days. At one hour a day every day, using old standards before the car contract system came in, most people could earn a black belt in that time.

Of course they might have to do with a little less parade ground drilling, and look at training in how to survive with hand to hand on a battlefield, but it is definitely possible.

And, you would have to overcome certain considerations that the military might have.

For instance, they want you to take courses on leadership, and go up in the ranks before they teach you more martial arts. Which is sort of silly, because it’s like saying you shouldn’t learn how to survive hand to hand combat unless you have been around for a while.

And, they would have to revamp some of their training methods; put in more kicks, change the structure of their training so that empty hand fighting better aligned with weapons, and so on.

Most of all, they would have to consider that soldiers aren’t fodder, but that every soldier should have higher and higher training, that every soldier should have the highest possible chance of surviving on the battlefield.

All this done, wouldn’t it be wonderful if a recruit could go into basic training and come out, 120 days later, a bona fide and deadly black belt?

Yeast infections are never very nice and it is important to treat them as soon as you can in order to avoid future health problems that can be caused by untreated infections. Many women all over the world who suffer fro yeast infections use a topical cream that is rubbed onto the infected area which helps to clear the yeast infection up, but how long does yeast infection cream stay in the vagina?

Well, the cream itself will usually remain active inside the vagina until you next wash, so usually this is 24 hours or so. After which, you will need to reapply a fresh dose of cream to keep the treatment going.

Having the cream inside for 24 hours at a time is not a problem and it won’t cause any side-effects or anything like that inside. However, it may be a nuisance as it can sometimes cause some mild discomfort or if you put too much on then it can get a little messy throughout the day.

A better way to cure your yeast infection

Whilst topical creams are great, they only really provide relief from the symptoms and often will take a long time to actually destroy the yeast spores causing the infection.

A much better way to cure your yeast infection is to use a 100% all-natural cure. This cure is much cheaper than the creams and actually helps to boost your immune system at the same time to further help you fight the infection off.

It gets to work straight away at relieving the symptoms and it also gets to work at curing the underlying cause of the infection, removing the whole thing in just 12 hours flat, nothing else can beat this treatment for speed. It really is that good!

Caviar shelf life is something to be concerned about, especially if you get some of the more expensive varieties by the pound. It’s the time period that the best quality can be maintained without diminishing texture or flavor. Some caviar can be stored frozen for up to a year, and some others really should never be frozen at all, but should only be kept refrigerated. If you want to buy some caviar but are a little worried about caviar shelf life, here’s a list of the more popular varieties of caviar with their corresponding shelf life times…

This list assumes refrigerated storage in a temperature between 26-36 degrees F.

Beluga – 4-6 weeks

Osetra – 4-6 weeks

Sevruga (American) – 1 week

Sevruga (Russian) – 4-6 weeks

Transmontanus – 3 weeks

Sturgeon – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Paddlefish – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

American Black – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Bowfin – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Ikura (salmon roe) – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Trout – 1-2 weeks, can be frozen up to 3 months

Whitefish (black or golden) – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Golden Royal – 2-4 weeks, may be frozen

Tobiko (all types) – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Capelin roe (masago) – 1 week, can be frozen up to 1 year

Vegetarian (made from seaweed) – unopened, can be refrigerated indefinitely

Escargot – 3-4 months in unopened tins, 2-3 months if opened

Keeping these caviar shelf life times in mind, you can now know just how much caviar to order for how many people and for how long it will stay fresh. As expensive as some of this stuff can be, you definitely want to enjoy every bit of it to the fullest.

Since ages, women have resorted to a variety of hair removal techniques so that they can flash their smooth shiny skin. Hair-free skin is considered as a basic necessity for attractiveness. And even today girls use all sorts of hair removing technology to control or remove the hair growth over their arms and legs. Conventional methods like waxing and shaving have got out of fashion and people do not have the patience to endure these time-consuming and painstaking processes. Busy lifestyle and working hours have forced women to settle in for the fastest and quickest beauty tips and tricks. And conventional hair removing practices like waxing is not always possible at home. It requires the help of a specialist and probably a visit to the nearby beauty clinic.

Nowadays, the most acclaimed solution for unwanted hair growth is laser surgery or use of hair removal products. Laser surgeries are expensive and people are wary of the potential side effects they can cause. Hence, the application of hair removal creams has come to become the only convenient option available. And the best part about this method is that it can be done by anyone at their homes. These products come with all the necessary instructions and all one has to do is to follow them step by step. However, the method exposes our skin to maximum amount of chemicals. These creams contain strong chemicals that penetrate into our skin. They enter the hair follicles and dislodge the hairs attached therein. The hairs are fairly strongly rooted in these follicles. Try removing a strand of hair on your arm of leg and the pain it causes amply proves this fact. So, you can imagine how strong the chemicals have to be to remove these hairs by disbanding its attachment with the root.

Immediate side effects of these creams can cause rashes on your skin which might take hours or even days to heal. If the cream is left for longer duration it can surely cause inflammation. One should always follow the instructions given carefully. The manufactures have written them as they know the amount of damage their chemicals can cause. So do not take them lightly at any cost.

Hair removing creams are based on strong alkaline chemicals. It works by destroying the protein compounds in the hair. In this process it also affects the adjoining skin cells. It also removes the coating of essential oils from our skin and thus making it dry and parched. These oils are secreted by the skin in order to protect the underlying tissues, epidermis and dermis from various bacteria and germs. Constant depletion of these natural ingredients can cause early damage to the skin cells. It also hastens the aging and wrinkling process.

Even after extensive studies and surveys, authorities claim these products as almost only 90 percent safe. However, experiences show that almost 40 percent of the women who use such creams suffer from immediate or long-term side effects. Hence, it is always advisable to avoid or minimize their usage as far as possible.

One of the questions injured clients always ask a personal injury lawyer is “How long will my case take?” The truth is, that is a hard question to answer because there are so many variables. Here are some of the considerations.

Is it clear who caused the accident?

If there is no dispute about who to blame for the accident, and the only issue is how much you care is worth, that may speed up the process. If we have to prove the other driver was at fault, we will likely need to go through the fact gathering and discovery stages of the case.

Are your injuries stabilized?

Most Ontario lawyers will be reluctant to settle your case while you are still recovering from your injuries. The uncertainty of how well you will recover creates risk for you. If we settle based on an assumption that you will continue to improve, but you do not improve as well as you had hoped, your settlement may be too low.

Are you back to work?

Similarly, if you have not yet returned to your previous employment, or you are still working reduced hours, we will want to wait before settling until we know if you will be able to work or not, and if you can work, at what level?

Are there multiple parties in Your case?

When there are more than two sets of lawyers on a case, there can be delays as we schedule examinations for discovery and mediation. Finding dates that work for groups of lawyers can sometimes add months to the length of your case.

How much is your case worth?

Although this rules is not hard and fast, generally in an Ontario personal injury case, the higher the value of the case, the more time it will take to process. Sometimes this is because it takes longer for the insurance company to approve the value of the case. Sometimes it is because the insurance company wants to see if you are serious, are a good witness and / or hopes that you will improve with time.

Court delays

Right now in Ontario, there are delays getting personal injury car accidentcases to pretrial and trial. There were delays before the global pandemic. Those delays are longer now. So, if you have a case that needs the help of a judge to settle it at pretrial or if your case needs a trial for fair compensation, it may take longer to resolve.

Patience Pays Off

In most situations we tell clients they can have a fast settlement or a fair settlement, but most of the time they cannot have both. If you have significant injuries and losses, waiting until the time is right will be worth it.

1) How long does it take to get a Rhode Island divorce?

If all issues concerning divorce, child support, child custody, equitable division of assets, alimony, visitation and other issues are resolved between the parties, the earliest possible date for a nominal divorce in Rhode Island (a nominal divorce is a uncontested divorce in which everything is agreed to) is approximately sixty five to seventy days after the plaintiff files a complaint for divorce. If the matter is set down as uncontested, then an automatic court date, “the Nominal Divorce Hearing”, will be set by the clerk approximately sixty five to seventy days after filing.

In the event that one party does not want to go forward on that seventy day nominal divorce hearing date or if all issues are not resolved between the parties, then the case will not go forward on the nominal date and will be set for additional conferences and potentially the discovery process. The case may eventually culminate with a trial. Contested divorces typically resolve in 6 – 10 months but may take up to a year.

A divorce cannot become final until, at a minimum, ninety days after the parties attend the nominal court hearing. In other words final judgment of divorce in Rhode Island cannot enter until at least 90 days after the nominal divorce hearing. In the event that the parties do not go to court and resolve the matter at the nominal court date, then the divorce could take up to one year or potentially more. It is extremely rare for a divorce to take more then a year.

2) What does a “no fault” divorce mean in Rhode Island?

In some states it is necessary to prove fault grounds in order to obtain a divorce. In Rhode Island, it is not necessary to prove fault grounds in order to obtain an absolute divorce. All you need to do is prove irreconcilable differences in order to get a divorce. Irreconcilable differences can be anything from lack of communication, different goals and aspirations, affairs, domestic violence, arguing, fell out of love or actually anything. In other words, if either party wants to terminate the marriage, then that party can get a divorce in Rhode island so long as the other jurisdictional requirements in Rhode Island are met.

“No fault divorce” does not mean that fault is not significant! Fault can be extremely significant in Rhode Island. If a party can prove that the other party is at fault for the breakup of the marriage, then they can seek a disproportionate share of the marital assets. Fault can also be a factor to determine whether or not a party is entitled to alimony.The following types of behavior could be grounds to obtain more than fifty percent of the marital assets: alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, extramarital affairs (cheating), abusive behavior, gambling, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial mismanagement, criminal activity, abandonment, etc.

3) What is the residency requirement to obtain a Rhode Island divorce?

In order to file for divorce in Rhode Island you need to have been a domiciled inhabitant and resident of Rhode Island for one year prior to your filing of the complaint for divorce. If you have not been a domiciled inhabitant and resident of Rhode Island for one year prior to filing your complaint for divorce, you can file based on your husband’s / wife’s residency in Rhode Island for one year prior to the filing. It does not matter if you change your residency or move out of town the next day so long as you were a resident on the date of the divorce filing and for one year prior!

There are exceptions for people stationed in the military who maintain a residency in Rhode Island. Even if you move the day after filing, you still meet the residency requirements in Rhode Island. If you do not qualify to file for divorce in Rhode Island you should look for an attorney in other states that you might qualify to file a divorce. If you live in Rhode Island, but dont meet the residency requirements to file for divorce, there are other types of actions such as a complaint for separate maintenance without filing for divorce that you may be able to file which would allow you to deal with issues concerning property rights and child custody and support issues.

3a) What are the residency requirements at the nominal divorce hearings in order to obtain a Rhode Island divorce.

-It is sufficient, if both parties appear at the nominal court date and testify that at least one of the parties was a domiciled inhabitant and resident of Rhode Island for one year prior to the filing of the complaint for divorce. The Family Court will typically waive the requirement for additional witness if both husband and wife attend the nominal court date and testify that at least one party had the requisite residency as set forth above.

-If only one party attends the nominal court date then you need one of the following in order to obtain a divorce in Rhode Island (a) two additional witnesses in court to testify to the one year residency of the Plaintiff or Defendant (b) one witness in court to testify to the one year residency of the Plaintiff and an affidavit from a different witness attesting to the person’s residency. (This affidavit form can be easily obtained by the clerk of the Rhode Island Family Court.)

If you do not meet these requirements to prove residency in Rhode Island your divorce case may be dismissed or you may be given additional time to obtain the necessary witnesses or affidavit.

4) In Rhode Island family law, does it make a difference who files the divorce first?

It should make no difference which spouse files the divorce when the Family Court determines equitable division of the assets, child support, child custody, visitation, child custody, alimony, etc. However, in the event that a no contact order, restraining order or emergency motion is needed or filed, which party files first can be extremely significant! This is especially true if there is an emergency motion concerning child custody and/or child visitation concerning a child.

Rhode Island Attorneys legal Notice per RI Rules of Professional Responsibility:

The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.