Grey wall or blotchy ripening is a name that is indicative of the disorder where fruit do not ripen properly or ripen unevenly. Symptoms develop whilst the fruit is still green. This condition is only found on the fruit and not on the plant.

Symptoms

Affected green fruit, have large, greyish or yellowish hard blotches on the fruit. Only when the fruit is over-ripe do these areas ripen – if they ripen at all. Ripe fruit have brown or green areas on the inside of the fruit walls. The outer walls of the fruit tend to be the most affected, which is obvious once the fruit are cut.

Symptoms often develop in the midst of plants which are dense and have lots of foliage and also on plants which are growing in compacted soils. Stressed and unhealthy plants also add to the problem.

A higher incidence of this condition is found in cool, wet, cloudy conditions. Because of these conditions, the fruit do not ripen properly and “veins” develop on the inside walls of the fruit. It is these areas that always remain dark green and seldom ripen. Some people also believe that the incidence is affected by the nitrogen: potassium ratio of the fertilizer program, however this is not yet substantiated.

Control

Good growing conditions will help to prevent the problem. Ensure that plants receive adequate fertilizer and regular/even watering; and check that the soil is not compacted around the roots. Tomatoes should be grown where they receive full sun and are not heavily shaded.

There is no experience which equals the thrill of travelling. It means going to a new place, meeting new people and experiencing a whole different world that you were previously not aware off. When you travel you break out of the monotony of everyday and take a jump into the vast abyss of fun and adventure. It is a soul nourishing experience to go far off and lose yourself in deep valleys, majestic mountains and seldom ventured high terrains.

Everyone chooses to travel for their own reasons; some want a break from the daily rut, others who wish to tick off a place from their bucket list and some who just wish to experience a different view. Then there are those who like to travel alone, in other word the solo traveler. There are those who really enjoy the thrill of taking a journey only if they have no companion with them. It might sound odd or risqué to some but there is nothing more adventurous than exploring new places all on your own. There is something intensely personal about being a solo traveler, you can choose to go wherever you want, make and alter your itinerary at will and it is up to you to decide how long you wish to stay at a particular place. You can travel at your own pace and can connect to new people or just stay to yourself if you wish to alone. Though of course one can’t just pack their bags and head off to any location that they choose to, solo travelling has some perquisites that every traveler must keep in mind.

Decide Upon Your Destination: It is extremely important to have detailed knowledge of the place that you choose to solo travel through. Safety is a primary concern specially if you are a woman and then you must know about the basic culture and traditions of that place. Rubbing locals the wrong way can be bad as you would rely on their hospitality a lot if you are travelling alone. Another plus would be learning basic phrases that are used in that place as that can be useful to communicate. All in all choose a place which is safe, comfortable and has amiable locals.

Budget: Money is an important requirement of every journey. You would not want to take a trip that exceeds your budget and has you in a fix later on. It is important to save money and prepare a budget and choose a place that fits your requirement. Keep in mind other expenses such as accommodation and food too.

Keep Family In The Loop: You might choose to not bring your friends and family along but it is essential that you inform them of your travel plans in detail and always keep them in a loop. This could be beneficial to you in times of any problem or crisis and will also put their worries at ease.

According to a Harvard University – Massachusetts General Hospital study of children in Philadelphia and Baltimore schools, students who usually ate school breakfast had better math grades, higher standardized test scores, decreased absences and tardiness, reduced hyperactivity and improved social relations in comparison to children who seldom ate school breakfast.

The word “breakfast” literally means to break fast. As we know, fasting is the act of not eating over a period of time. We

may not think of it this way, but we virtually fast while we sleep — even if we dream about food. The act of eating breakfast is literally breaking the fast!

The National Weight Control Registry is a database of more than 3,000 people who have lost at least 60 pounds and kept it off for at least 6 years. Seventy eight percent of these people in the registry found that eating breakfast daily was an

excellent weight control strategy along with eating a low-fat diet and exercising for an hour or more every day.

Cereal is the number one food bought in supermarkets today. The first breakfast cereal was created in 1863 in New York by a vegetarian.

So What Is a Healthy Breakfast Anyway?

Is it pancakes slathered in maple syrup or green eggs and ham? Well, first and foremost, a healthy breakfast should be a

balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Fiber is also very important. The protein can come from meat, eggs, beans or soy

products. Fiber can be found in whole grain cereals, grains or in fruits. Sure, every once in a while you can treat yourself

to biscuits, pancakes or pastries for special occasions but on a daily basis, they should be avoided along with sugary

cereals and white breads. These foods will bring insanity to your blood sugar level, jolting you out of the Zone. Those

sorts of foods are digested quickly and will leave you hungry and tired in a just a couple of hours.

Research done by the Cardiff University School of Psychology, LED BY Professor Andrew Smith has shown that eating breakfast helps children function better in school than those who skip the first meal of the day. Dr. Smith says that it is

clear that starting the day with cereal enhances mental, cognitive and physical ability. The children are less emotionally distressed, less tired and less anxious. The study examined 213 children from 4 – 11 years old.

The results revealed children who start the day with cereal are:

9 percent more alert

11 percent less emotionally distressed

13 percent less tired

17 percent less anxious

10 percent less likely to suffer memory and attention span difficulties, than those that have no breakfast

33 percent less likely to suffer from stomach complaints.

There are various types of adhesive and industrial tapes available today. The use and significance of adhesive tapes have grown tremendously since the past several years. There are duct tapes, cello tapes and several other industrial tapes which can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

The Velcro tape is one of the most commonly used tapes which is also known as the hook and loop fasteners. It has been in use since the year 1948 and even today it is available in a huge assortment of lengths and colors. It has a wide range of benefits and uses.

Light Weight: It is a light weight material which is quite easy to use. It can be fixed onto clothes, shoes and other materials quite easily.

Washable and Durable: Another attractive feature of this material is that it is quite durable. It can be washed easily as most of these materials are made of nylon and polyester.

Versatile: It is used for a wide variety of purposes. It can be used on clothing, shoe closures, cuff tighteners and so forth. Moreover, it is quite strong and therefore it has the ability to support weight.

Space Suits: Velcro is one of the most widely used materials in space shuttles and aircraft. These tapes can anchor metal trays and other devices in space. It is also used on space suits.

Different Advantages:

Lower Maintenance: It requires low maintenance as it is quite durable. This tape can be sealed and ripped many times. It seldom requires replacements although it needs to be cleaned often.

Ease of Use: One of the most important benefits of these tapes is its ease of use. It can be used easily by ripping it off from the one another. It also adheres to the surfaces quite easily which explains the reason it is used for various projects in and around homes. It is often used on clothes for people with disabilities as it simplifies the process of wearing clothes.

Fastener: It is used as a fastener on carpets at homes and office spaces. It can also be used to place cushions on seats and chairs. It can be used on kitchen cabinets and other accessories.

Hang Objects: There is hardly any need to drill holes on walls as these tapes can be used to hang objects on the walls. It is one of the best and effective methods to hang small signs, greeting cards, key chains and so forth.

Bundle Items Together: It also finds application in bundling codes together. It is often included along with computer codes so that it can be folded together and kept in place. It can also be used outdoors to bundle garden hoses neatly.

Today, different types of Velcro tapes can be bought from online stores at affordable price rates. These tapes can be bought in bulks too at reasonable price rates. However, it is important to buy these products from trusted and reputed dealers so as to obtain authentic materials at reasonable price rates.

The latest statistics gives a figure that there are around 310 million active customers in Amazon and probably you may be one among them!!

We are quite acquainted with the boom of e-commerce and how massive impact it has made to our lifestyle. With the rise in ecommerce has also given a rise to the number of people who wants to start an online ecommerce business. I randomly asked my friends about what do they want to do in the future. And to my surprise, so many of them said they want to establish business of their own. Entrepreneurship is the gravitating career for most youngsters. But there is one constraint in starting a business all of a sudden. You need to have a good investment support. Capital is the most important investment for any business to start. What if you don’t need to spend any money for your business and still make profit?

DropShipping is not a new term or concept in ecommerce but seldom people know how to start a DropShipping business. More than being a business, it is a service. In a DropShipping business, you don’t need to do a lot of capital expenditure and even don’t need to setup a physical store. The internet does the job!

It is a retail fulfilment method where the seller doesn’t keep his products in a store or inventory. Basically, the seller sells his product from an online store and buyers simply buy them. But the main tasks of the business are actually done by a third party system. Among all the positive aspects of this model of ecommerce, the main perks of DropShipping are

Minimum capital investment required

No hurdle in setting up a store

Risk margin is lower

You can set your own price for the products you sell

Let us look at the essential steps you need to know before setting up a DropShipping store in 5 simple steps

The Drop-shipping

Concept

Find out about your interest

This is the first thing you need to find out for starting your business. Figure out what exactly do you want your business to do for you, what are the products you want to sell

Research on your customer base and see what are the products that can give you higher profits when invested upon

Figure out who are your competitors in this run and how they are dealing with the business to make profit

The first step is all your homework that you need to do before moving to the next step in the run.

Find a suitable Drop Shipping supplier

The drop shipping supplier is basically the hero behind the scene. Because the drop shipping supplier is the one who will deal with all the physical tasks of the business such as packing, shipping and delivering.

It is therefore essential to get in touch of a reliable supplier who can synchronise with the products you want to sell. Be sure to get the following things clear with the supplier…

How long it takes to ship the order

What kind of tracking systems they prefer

If they offer a warranty on their products. If yes, for how long

Get a sales tax ID

We all know what sales tax means. It is the tax levied on all sales of physical goods to consumers. Though having a sales tax ID for an eBay seller is not mandatory, there are certain suppliers who prefer sellers with a sales tax ID.

Well, getting a sales tax id is easy as well as cheap!

Just Google your “Country name”+ “sales tax ID” and you would be sorted!

Sort your Platform

Once you are done with the prerequisites given in the above steps, you need to figure out which platforms do you want to use for selling your products.

eBay is the most used and easy ecommerce platform for beginners to start off.

Amazon is the world’s largest ecommerce site for selling and buying products

Bonanza and Ruby Lane are also ecommerce stores that help in hoisting your product

If not any of these platforms, you can even design your own ecommerce store with platforms like Shopify

Market and Promote!

Imagine you got an awesome business idea and even setup an online store but no one knows about it! Nothing can be saddening than this. You need to bring out the savvy marketing analyst and start marketing your product

Start various campaigning on social media platforms

Use the power of emails and promote by sending bulk emails to target customers

Create discount coupons because discount fascinate people more than chocolates and ice creams

With these few basic information on how to start a DropShipping store, you are ready to fly high into the ecommerce sky!!

Each of us has desires to achieve something in life. Some of these desires are unique with each individual while some are common amongst us. Most of us like to be rich, hold an important position in society or want to have our dream-house / job /life partner.

When we have someone else who posses any of the items which we have in our wish list, we conclude that he/she is a successful person and envy him/her. But who is qualified to decide about achievements in the path of success? It is the person who has to experience this success and no one else. An outsider does not have enough knowledge about the real agenda/desires of a person (as these are personal and seldom made public), so any comment made on that is not really relevant.

If you hit a jackpot by chance, others may perceive you as a successful person. But, what’s about you? Do you feel the sense of achievement by hitting the jackpot?

A reward or prize is given by others as deemed fit by them or it is an expression of value they attach to you. It has nothing to do with your desire(s).

Success can only be measured /assessed in context with the desire(s) we have to achieve something. But most of the time desires are not focused and clarity is absent in spite of rich contents (of desires).

Each of us has a list or bag of desires where contents are dynamic (keeps on changing with time and situation/experience). These desires are responsible for pushing us into many directions or motivating for doing the required work.

Consciously or unconsciously, we keep working on our desires and convert them into goals to be achieved. Goals are refined desires with clarity and quantification. It is with respect of these goals one should gauge success.

If I set up a goal for me (whether declared to outside world or not) to run for 100 meters daily within 15 seconds, following are the example of clear failure on my part-

1. Running for 99.99 meters or less on any day.

2. Irregular running (not sticking to daily routine decided in the goal) even if it is for 1000 meters on some days.

3. Completing 100 meter run in 14.59 seconds on any day.

If you feel problem with achieving success consider following suggestions-

1. Each goal is unique and has to be dealt with context and meaning as perceived by you -‘the creator of that goal’.
2. The goal(s) are either achieved in totally or dropped altogether. Sometimes amending or modifying the goal(s) is OK in the light of changed reality or circumstances. But if you modify too much then its time to examine and improve on your belief system or faiths rather than feeling guilty.
3. Our list of goal(s) is dynamic not static. On one side you will be achieving your goals set by you on the other side new goals will be added due to desires. Enjoy the dynamics of this list and keep it lively.
4. Within our goal list, items have positions and priorities attached. This position and priority can be changed by you, the owner of that list. Be conscious and judicious in this process of change.
5. Be passionate about your goals. It’s your personal property. Examine and modify it needed. Why expect anyone else in the world to take interest in it?
6. As we judge and criticize others, occasionally judge and criticize yourself also. Evaluate your performance and plan for the schemes to do better next time.

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This may sound like the worst advice you will ever receive but it is reality: Job security is increased when your mindset is to eliminate your job.

How can that be?   Employees that are actively looking for ways to eliminate the need of their particular responsibilities find creative ways to get the job done quicker, easier, and more productively than previously accepted. They look for redundancies and unnecessary tasks and they seek to find the spot where a task or decision is best made.   This value-add seldom goes unnoticed by a talented supervisor. They see the creativity and positive work ethic geared toward a productive and profitable company.  

Bob House, now president of R G House Group in Acton, Massachusetts, taught this important lesson to me. He told me to always work myself out of a job. Admittedly it was scary at first to adopt a career path toward the unemployment line. Yet as I practiced the theory it soon proved successful. Each time I worked myself out of one job or project, another was waiting for me.  

According to Harvard Business Review, one in four manages at Fortune 500 Companies change roles each year. These are executive with well-rounded resumes touting a broad range of experiences. If their change is voluntary they are having the wonderful option of becoming more well-rounded leaders. However many changes are lateral or downward moves caused by failure to perform at acceptable levels or meet departmental goals.  

Managers that are trying to work themselves out of a job are also frequently changing positions to some degree. Their resume is one of success stories as they eliminate corporate waste.  

So what do you say? Can you figure out a way to work yourself out of a job?

A honeybee can simply be described as the insect that produces honey. It was brought to North America by early European settlers. Honeybees are naturally not aggressive insects. They will seldom sting unless if they are defending their beehive from intruders. They can also harm if provoked. These insects symbolize a very organized society where each caste of bees has special roles to play during their lifespan. In addition, their beehive is a permanent thing. In the winter season it remains inactive because the honeybees have to cluster together to feel warm. Studies show that clustering allows bees to maintain the temperature level, inside the beehive, at ninety-three degrees Fahrenheit.

A honey bee’s social structure

Honeybees consist of three social groups. The first one is the queen bee. There is always one queen in a beehive and she can live for three to five years. Her work is to reproduce and fill the beehive. She can lay up to two thousand eggs each day, after mating with a drone (a male bee) only once. All fertilized eggs become worker bees or female bees while unfertilized eggs become drones. When her fertility diminishes or her life ends, a new beehive queen is picked from the young larva.

It is fed a diet of royal jelly or bee milk for sixteen days. Without a queen bee your hive has no future. The worker bee makes up the next social group. She is a hardworking, infertile female bee. During the summer season, about eighty thousand worker bees are busy collecting pollen and nectar from plants. They live only for six weeks. During winter, about twenty to thirty thousand worker bees stay inactive inside a hive. They can therefore live for four to nine months. Their daily chores are difficult and tiring, including construction, nursing, undertaking, guarding and foraging.

If a worker bee stings a human being or another living thing once, her life comes to an end. Drone bees make up the third caste. The main role of a drone or a male bee is to mate with a virgin queen bee. He has a pointed reproductive organ which causes his death after mating with a young queen. A beehive naturally has about three hundred to three thousand drones. A drone bee lacks a stinger, and so he cannot defend the hive during winter months. They are actually dragged out of the hive during fall.

A honey bee’s end products

Worker bees have a full responsibility of maintaining a beehive. They produce a number of end products that are very useful to human beings and other bees. One of these is pollen, which refers to the male germ cells generated by flowering trees and flowers for fertilization purposes. A honeybee gathers pollen from the fields and eats it. Pollen is highly nutritious. It contains thirty-five percent protein, ten percent sugars, B complex vitamins, vitamin A, C, R and H, minerals, carbohydrates and enzymes. Because of eating pollen, worker bees are able to produce honey, beeswax, royal jelly, bee venom and propolis. All of these are safe for human consumption.

1. Will I go to jail? A first time DUI carries a maximum sentence of up to 6 months of jail, however this is seldom if ever imposed. Typically on a first time DUI, as long as there are no aggravating factors, you will not serve any additional jail time to what you have already served. Aggravating factors can be having children under 14 in the car during the offense, excessive speed enhancement, refusing chemical tests, injuring someone in an accident, etc. If your case is a typical, standard first time DUI, then you can probably expect no additional jail time with exceptions.

2. Will I lose my license? A first time DUI does carry a mandatory license suspension. There are two possible ways to this process. Your license can be suspended either after a DMV Hearing loss or a conviction of a DUI in court. This can range from a 30-day suspension, followed by a 5 months restricted license following a DMV Hearing loss to a 6 months restricted driver license following a DUI court conviction. The restricted license is only to, from and during the scope of your employment and to and from your mandatory alcohol classes.

3. How much are the fines? Typically, the total fines and fees that a person will pay on a first time DUI is $2,064.00. These fines may be paid in full, or paid off through a payment plan at the court collections office.

4. Will I have to take classes? A person must complete either a 3 or 9 month alcohol program. The level of program is typically based on the person’s blood alcohol concentration. If the person’s level is between.08% to.19%, that person will be required to complete the 3-month program, however if the person’s level is.20% or higher, they will be required to complete a 9-month program.

5. How long will this stay on my record? A DUI conviction will stay on your record for prosecution purposes for ten years from the date of offense. If you are convicted of one or more DUI’s within the next 10 years, then you will counted as a multiple offender and will be subject to higher fines, more jail, longer license suspension, etc. and if it is a fourth offense or more, will most likely be charged as a felony offense, which could land you in state prison.

Remember that all of the above answers are based upon what happens to the majority of average first time DUI cases, however each case is looked at differently and the outcomes could be greater than what is listed based upon circumstances of the individual cases.

I decided to share my thoughts in this article because every week I spend the day with Oprah and Super Soul Sunday. God I love that show! But very seldom do we get to take an up close and personal journey with someone as they reach for Oprah’s life experience. We always see the final product and maybe photos or videos of how they arrived there. But audiences should be able to experience the journey, as it happens! The beauty of watching her is that she is one of us… Fierce over 50! And make no mistake that IS the sort of success I’m going for! My personal challenge is, I would never have thought at age 58, I would have lost my home, marriage, business, not have a steady paycheck and returning to the dating scene!

Now, I realize this is just another part of our life journey. And being a child of show business I’ve chosen to call it ACT 2… Now What? My ACT 1 has been a wonderful journey (well… up until the whole no home, no husband and no business) and I’ve been blessed on many levels. I’ve performed on Broadway in hit shows one which was Smokey Joe’s Café for which I received a Tony Award Nomination. I’ve performed in CHICAGO on Broadway alongside wonderful co-stars like Rita Wilson, USHER, BeBe Neuwirth, Brian McKnight, Lisa Rinna and Patty LaBelle. But nothing really prepares you for this sort of turn in your life… over 50!

I’ve always wanted to be an example for women in their ACT 2 journey. There are millions of women going through the exact same thing. It’s nothing new but there are more and more women deciding to enter their ACT 2 by re-defining themselves. Not by “going gently into that goodnight” They just need a helping hand and a FIERCE pair of pumps… gotta have my pumps!!

So here I am entering ACT 2 in all my glory (and those days that make you say WHAT THE… ?!). But I feel if I share my ups and downs it just might make the journey for other women a little easier. I want our journey to be taken with grace, humor and fun! At least you know anything is possible and you’re not alone.

I sure know I have questions, thoughts, fears and new emotions (some of which change second by second) that I would love to share and get feedback.

My question of the day is, when did YOU realize your life had shifted into ACT 2? Was it so gradual that you didn’t feel it or was it as abrupt as hearing the equivalent of “they’ve decided to go younger!”.

A gradual shift into ACT 2 seems so humane. While hearing that “going younger” phrase, especially for an actress, is quite devastating! Especially since you just knew you were still ALL THAT! Now don’t get me wrong I still know I’m “all that” just in a different way!

On a good day I can still get all dolled up (takes a little longer but… ) go out with friends and have a great time! I can calmly tell myself “The Creator has not sent a loving partner to me yet because I have things to do to prepare myself for my “new life” That mindset usually works but there are days when nothing I can tell myself makes me feel better. There are emotions that come up that I can’t explain and then leave just as quickly and the words “hot flash” has several new meanings!

A bad day could include crying, depression, insecure feelings, feeling unattractive, loneliness, I’m ugly, I’m fat and the ever popular I’ll never have sex again! That last one is a whole other blog in itself. But all you can think is “please don’t make me get up take a shower, brush my teeth and get dressed unless there’s Butter Pecan or Cookies and Cream involved!

Anyhoo, I hope this journey we take together is mind blowing or at least a gentle place to land. In any case let’s…

Stay Fierce!