text: “People with low self-esteem are more likely to sabotage themselves when something good happens to them because they don’t feel deserving.” – Unknown
  This can begin a cycle of self-deprivation. It happens when we start believing that someone else’s happiness is more important then our own. That’s the biggest lie in the books because self deprivation doesn’t lead to fullness. There is no happiness to be found in living your life this way. Eventually, this kind of living creates a lie that convinces you that you really don’t deserve it anyway. It’s the lie we tell ourselves to ease the hurt, but ultimately the hurt only grows bigger.
  I don’t chase people anymore. I learned that I’m here, and I am important. I am not going to run after people to prove that I matter. – Unknown
  To embrace yourself wholeheartedly is the key to a happy life. Seeking happiness within rather than in another allows you to build a foundation that is rock solid. We aren’t often raised to put ourselves first so if coupled with low self-worth our relationships will start with a less than balanced approach. It’s never to late to start a new chapter; one where you decide what is right for you without fear of reproach from another. You don’t have to seek out approval from others…your approval is really all that matters. Set out on a quest to find true love within yourself because you are more than worth it.
  “One day I woke up and realized that I wasn’t made for anyone. I was made for me. I am my own.” – Unknown
  When you arrive in a place of self acceptance you will find a peace unrivaled by any other. Not many people can say that they arrive at this place within themselves. It takes patience, time and loads of deep soul-searching work. It means that forgiveness is present for both you and others. It will mean leaving the past behind and keeping your eyes on the prize which is of course, yourself. After all you will find that loving yourself is the greatest Revolution. Once you find this for yourself your relationships with others will transform. It is here that you will be ready to find a love that will move mountains.
  It’s so true isn’t it? In our world today we are constantly being dumbed down and the reason is very simple. We will buy more shit if we think it will make us feel better. So, we end up accumulating a lot of stuff that we don’t actually need. This is what our society is based on…we are a consumer society, period. I was raised in a home where retail therapy was a way of life so my skills were well honed as I grew up and started to spend my hard-earned money on trying to find a better me.
  This is how I learned to deal with my feelings of inadequacy and imperfection. I was taught that a new outfit or a pair of shoes was just what the doctor ordered. It was how I dealt with my pain. In fact, my entire career ended up encircling our massive consumer market. I not only was the consumer, but the supplier. I was hooked.
  It’s sadly understandable. Our media has a constant loop of over hyped “stories” on twenty-four hours a day. Magazines and T.V. commercials are packed with edited photos of imperfect women appearing to be perfect. If they look that good then we perhaps we will think that what they are selling must really work, right? God help us, for even when we are smart enough to know better we can still get sucked in.
  I happen to be a product junkie. I love beauty products and I am always looking for the best eye cream, lip gloss, hair volumizer, concealer, etc., etc., etc., I would like to say that I have no idea how it happened, but it’s all there right in front of me. I bought into the hype and for years I have tried in vain to make my long fine hair thicker, my skin more radiant, my nails stronger, my lips fuller….and the list goes on and on…
  Keep in mind that I approach my life from a holistic viewpoint. I really do believe that you get out what you put in. You are what you eat. Exercise, sleep, organic food, and meditation are all cornerstones to feeling the best you can.
  So, I question myself as to why I continue to buy into the hype of the marketing giants all around us pushing their goods on us like legal drug dealers. Is it that we are holding out hope for a quick fix or have we just become addicted to “the buy”?
  It’s a pretty vicious circle you know. We buy to feel better and then when it doesn’t fill our needs we feel upset that we spent money that we didn’t have on something that we really knew deep down wouldn’t fit the bill. Why do we do that? It’s all learned behavior my friends. Most of us have bought the ticket and drank the cool-aid that has been served up to us. We have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
  Now this is not something that I am just discovering about myself. It is firmly rooted in me and I am constantly waging war against it. I KNOW that natural remedies are the way to go. They may not come in slick packaging (I think that is what really does me in. I am a sucker for a pretty package) but they are cheap, readily at hand, and they work! One of my favorite’s is to mix a little baking soda in with my facial wash for a gentle exfoliate for my face. There are so many good ones that you can actually buy books about them…imagine that?!
  Ultimately, we are just being distracted by believing that we need to buy stuff to feel better about ourselves. I admit that I am working really hard to fight this in my life. It took me years to find my freedom and my voice in this world and I have decided that I am not going to hand over any of it over to companies who are trying to wholesale me self-worth. I am rebelling against the powers that be. I am standing tall and laying claim on myself.
  I am beautiful without having to spend a ton of money on designer products. I don’t need the newest facial scrub when I have a kitchen bursting with organic goods. We can do so much for ourselves without having to buy into the lie that we are being told. It’s so very true that in this world today, creating self-doubt in the consumers equals profit. Why do we want to continue to support these false ideas of beauty and wholeness. It’s simply false.
  In a society where self-doubt is profited from, liking yourself for who you are is an act of REBELLION. I think it’s time for all of us to stand up to the brainwashing and simply accept ourselves. All of us, that includes our assets and flaws. How empowering it is to take back control and a nice wad of cash from people who only want to see you consume more of their lack luster products?
  
  But an ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government, which has delayed the release of data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau, is making it hard to get a good read on the economy and could complicate policy decisions.
  The government partially shut on Dec. 22 amid demands by President Donald Trump that the U.S. Congress give him $5.7 billion this year to help build a wall on the country’s border with Mexico. The longest government shutdown in history has delayed the release of December retail sales and November business inventory data, which were scheduled for Wednesday.
  The publication of November construction spending and trade figures has also been delayed, and the December housing starts and building permits report due on Thursday is likely to be postponed. Economists estimate the shutdown is cutting at least two-tenths of a percentage point from quarterly gross domestic product growth every week.
  Last month, prices for imported fuels and lubricants fell 9.2 percent after tumbling 13.3 percent in November. Prices for imported petroleum declined 11.6 percent after decreasing 16.0 percent in November.
  Imported food prices edged up 0.1 percent in December after dropping 2.2 percent in the prior month. There were decreases in the cost of capital goods, but prices for motor vehicles and consumer goods eked out small gains.
  Excluding fuels and food, import prices were unchanged last month after slipping 0.1 percent in November. The so-called core import prices rose 0.6 percent in the 12 months through December. Core import price readings are being held down by the strong dollar, which gained about 7.5 percent last year against the currencies of the United States’ main trade partners.
  The cost of goods imported from China was unchanged last month. Prices for imported Chinese goods fell 0.2 percent in 2018 and have not increased on a calendar year basis since 2011.
  The report also showed export prices fell 0.6 percent in December after declining 0.8 percent in November. A 3.9 percent rise in prices of agricultural exports was offset by a 1.1 percent drop in prices of nonagricultural goods, which have a larger weighting.
  December’s increase in agricultural goods prices was the biggest since August 2012 and reflected gains in soybeans and nuts. Export prices increased 1.1 percent on a year-on-year basis in December after rising 1.8 percent in November. They increased 1.1 percent in 2018.
  
  We review the best noise cancelling headphones and earbuds that you can pick up right now, to kill the background chatter and distractions on your daily commute.
  Noise cancelling headphones are a double win in our books. For a start, they protect your ears by allowing you to listen more clearly to your music or podcasts at lower volumes, even in particularly noisy places. But they also enhance the aural experience by offering a muted backdrop, so you can take in every crisp, clear note.
  Here’s everything you need to know about noise cancelling headphones, including how they work and the best noise cancelling ‘phones and earbuds that you can buy in 2017.
  Head over to Trusted Reviews for their complete guide for the best headphones on the market right now.
  You can get basic passive ‘noise cancelling’ headphones for a cheap price these days, but their effectiveness is variable at best. These essentially just block out surrounding noise by creating a tight seal inside or around your ear, using special materials.
  Some passive noise cancelling headphones and earbuds are quite effective, but you’re always going to get leakage and in some cases it can be quite bad. And manufacturers will still bill them as noise cancelling, as if they include the smart active noise cancellation tech found in our pick of the best ‘phones below.
  Active noise cancelling headphones use external microphones to record any ambient noise around the wearer and then play the opposite sound wave to cancel that noise out. That’s a very simplistic way to describe the science genius at work here, of course. Take it from us, it’s very clever and often very effective.
  Active noise cancellation is now so well refined that it’s no longer reserved for the most expensive headphones. This tech can be operated by tiny chips too, so can even work in earphones in 2017.
  So, that’s the explanation out of the way. They sound great, right? They quite literally sound awesome when you’re using them too. Noise cancelling ‘phones and ‘buds are ideal for flight, trains, buses or even in a noisy home environment, for total immersion in your music, movies and gaming.
  The combination of engineering, design and technological innovation at play in Australian startup, Nura’s first product unquestionably impresses, and if you’re looking for some of the most capable headphones to straddle the worlds of consumer and audiophile, Nuraphones are one of your best options right now.
  Available for £349 direct from Nura, these pricey cans use an impressive new ‘Inova’ ear cup design that surrounds your ear to deliver bass response, whilst also piping mids and highs directly into your ear canal using an integrated bud. The combined effect is incredible sound reproduction whilst also offering some of the best passive noise cancellation we’ve ever experienced.
  The use of Tesla valves in each ear cup also feature to offer active cooling, whilst the soft silicon at play makes long periods of wear far more approachable than with some rival headphones. Nura’s technology also analyses a user’s unique hearing profile to edit audio output so that it sounds the best that it can for each individual listener.
  Bose offers its QuietComfort 35 noise cancelling headphones as its premium wireless over-ears choice. For good reason too, as Bose has worked really hard on noise-cancelling tech and created some of the very best out there. Even if you’re sat on a bus or a plane, these headphones will leave you feeling like you’re chilling alone in a silent room.
  Despite being wireless, the battery life of the QuietComforts is excellent at over 20 hours. Pairing over Bluetooth is simple too, thanks to NFC tap-to-pair friendliness. They might not be the best looking headphones out there, but when it comes to comfort and performance these earn every penny of their £290 asking price.
  On a tight budget? We’d heartily recommend the Damson Headspace as your next pair of noise cancelling headphones, then. That £90 UK asking price makes them one of the cheapest options here, yet you still get a premium experience throughout.
  That noise cancellation is as good as many of its more expensive rivals, cutting out annoying background racket wherever you roam. That’s helped in part of course by the thick padded cups, which enclose your ears and block out a good portion of the surrounding sound. You can activate or deactivate the active cancellation with a flick of a switch on the left cup.
  You’ll also find buttons for changing the volume, pausing and skipping tracks, over on the right cup. The overall build quality is strong, so you can generally abuse the Headspace without any signs of wear and tear. They’re super comfortable to wear for extended periods thanks to the generous padding and they’ll also fold away for easier storage when you’re done using them.
  At this price point we’d struggle to complain about any aspect of these ‘phones. Audio quality is great, with bass levels particularly impressing. If you want to drown out the world for under a hundred quid, you can’t go wrong.
  If sound quality is high on your list of must-haves then Sony’s MDR-1000X headphones could be for you. They pack in active noise cancellation but also work with a selection of high-res audio codecs including LDAC, AAC and aptX.
  Battery life is good for around 20 hours on a charge, while the NFC and wireless range factors are also appealing. They also impress at that £330 price point, as the quality can really be heard through those dynamic drivers.
  Quick Attention mode is another nice extra, which allows that active noise cancellation to be shut off so you can hear the world around you – ideal on long flights when it’s time to order another drink.
  Can’t quite stretch to the steep asking price of the MDR-1000X? No worries, the MDR-100ABN h.ear on Wireless headphones can be picked up for under £200 from the likes of Amazon and they offer many of the same benefits.
  The noise cancelling feature can be activated or deactivated with just a push of a button on the left cup. You get full volume and skip controls on the right cup too, for ease of use. The h.ear on Wireless ‘phones come in a bright range of colours and fold away easily for storage when not in use. NFC support, a built-in mic and roughly 20 hours of battery life per charge round off a superb noise cancelling headset.
  Despite a lower price at around £230, Plantronics’ BackBeat Pro 2 headphones still offer brilliant sound quality and impressive noise cancellation smarts.
  You get up to 24-hours of battery life, an attractive design with super comfy ear and head cushioning plus plenty of button controls. There’s even automatic pause when the headphones are removed and autoplay when you slip them back on your noggin. Audible battery alerts complement the LED light meter, so you don’t get caught without power.
  Sat at the pricier end of the noise cancelling headphones spectrum, where Sennheiser usually resides, are the PXC 550 ‘phones. For £330, these active noise cancelling headphones offer supremely comfortable cushioning in a well-fitted design. There’s also a variety of digital sound processing modes that’ll adapt the audio to suit what you’re doing, from music to gaming to movies.
  Controls are simple to use, thanks to a capacitive touchpad built into the outer ear section. Ideal for skipping tracks or taking and making calls via a connected phone. Bluetooth connections are simple too, thanks to NFC support, while the battery keeps churning out audio for a good 30 hours between charges.
  It’s hard to believe that these cans cram in so much tech for that sub-£100 price. You get a limited eight hours of battery life, but that includes active noise cancellation and Bluetooth wireless connectivity via NFC.
  As you’d imagine from the look and branding, these ‘phones are game console friendly too and can work via 3.5mm cable for those longer sessions that chew the power. Two 1.9-inch drivers deliver plenty of punch for whatever the situation. And you’ll have a job to lose these large red-accented beasts too.
  These are a really good looking minimalist set of headphones with metallic edging finish and crisp rounded finish. Despite that minimalist, lightweight design there’s plenty of cushioning for comfort and enough room for a battery that keeps going for a massive 30 hours on a single charge.
  That audio is also really impressive with Grammy award-winning AKG reference sound, especially considering that £200 price. These fold up for easy transport and can be plugged in on flights using an included adapter – a nice touch for where these noise cancelling headphones really come into their own.
  Despite being a budget-friendly £99, these Philips cans offer active noise-cancelling and a battery that will keep going for a good 16 hours on a charge. They also look good, offer plenty of comfy cushioning, boast lots of button controls plus impressive sound quality.
  The 32mm drivers offer super clear sound with quality that pushes way beyond what you’d think possible for the price – especially when it comes to vocals.
  
  Starting or acquiring a business is a rewarding experience, and your employees would likely agree. The reward they’re thinking of, however, is a steady paycheck.
  As an employer you shoulder a lot of responsibility, especially when it comes to employee compensation. Not only do you have to figure out the proper way to pay your people, you have to withhold the appropriate taxes, deposit them and report them to the government.
  Having a firm grasp on these responsibilities and why they are important will help you set up a payroll process that encourages accuracy and is easy to run.
  
  Older parents are given opportunity to stay in Australia for permanent basis by applying through subclass 804 of Aged Parent Visa. They must have a sponsor who is above 18, living in Australia and has either citizenship or permanent residence. It is possible that you are being sponsored by New Zealand’s citizen who has been staying in Australia for two years. If your sponsor is younger, guardian or relative of your child or spouse are able to sponsor parents if they meet eligibility criteria.
  Aged parent visa is permanent and offers certain benefits to applicants and their family members. They are eligible to live in Australia, study or work, lodge citizenship application, enroll for health care, sponsor other relatives and travel in and out Australia.
  It is significant that this visa category is applied by majority of applicants therefore limited visas are granted. It is possible that your application of visa may take 30 years to get approval. Instead of waiting for 30 years, the applicants should select contributory parent visa that takes less than 24 months to get approved.
  Contributory parent visa has two steps. At first stage, temporary contributory visa is applied and later on application is lodged for permanent visa. To apply for contributory visa, the applicants will pay more charges and assurance of support for longer time period
  The applicants for aged visa must have relevant documents at the time of submitting visa application. They have to fill Form for migration to Australia whereas their sponsor will fill sponsorship form. It is necessary to fill Form by the applicant to provide detail of dependent members and children.
  
  What’s better than getting something free after purchasing your favorite gum? You simply upload your Walmart receipt, including the purchase of Trident VIBES® gum, and wait for it to be validated and you’ll receive a $5 iTunes gift card. Trident VIBES® has this rebate offer running until 11/1!
  Now this is such a good deal for people who like gum and are always buying things on iTunes like me. I’ll definitely have to get behind this.
  I love Trident products and think this is a great deal. I had never heard of Trident Vibes until now, though.
  This offer sounds like every teenagers dream…gum and music. I haven’t tried Trident Vibes. Now might be a good time.
  I was just at Walmart the other day and saw this gum. I’m actually glad I didn’t buy it since I can score an iTunes card, so I’m glad I saw your post!
  Buying Trident Vibes Gum seems worth it, especially if it comes with an iTunes gift card. Thanks for the info!
  
  Set tomato in cut with green leaves and flowers. Collection vegetable still life for packing. Isolated on white background.
  
  The most viable Democratic candidate running right now is Hillary Clinton. She is going to win the nomination, and she will run in the general with little to no negative coverage from the press. This will put whoever the Republican candidate is at a disadvantage. However, that does not mean Hillary Clinton is the best that the Democratic Party can put forward by virtue of her net positives. She is simply the best they can put forward simply because she’s all they’ve got.
  Nick Kristof of the New York Times tried recently to sell Hillary as just freakin’ awesome, using PolitiFact and statistics to make it look that way. Here’s what he wrote:
  Whoa. Those are some awesome numbers in Hillary’s favor. Even when you take into account that PolitiFact is as horribly skewed to the Left as every other major media outlet, 95 percent true is a solid record for Hillary.
  Unfortunately, that is not even close to what PolitiFact said. The following appeared underneath Kristof’s column: