SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 AND S8+

Samsung’s new S series flagship smartphones have finally been unveiled in Nigeria and it is entirely what the market expected it to be and much more. Samsung, thanks to its high-end smartphones like the Note series and the Galaxy S line has become a massive player in the smartphone space and why not? With every addition to its smartphone family comes new and exciting innovative add-ons putting Samsung far above the competition. The latest in its line-up, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, are definitely a continuation of the South Korean firm’s successes. The exquisite Galaxy S8 series builds on Samsung’s heritage of creating stunning designs and functional devices. Available in 5.8-inch for the Galaxy S8 and 6.2-inch for Galaxy S8+, the Infinity Display and bezel-less design form a smooth, continuous surface with no buttons or harsh angles. The result is a truly immersive viewing experience without distractions making multi-tasking more convenient. The compact design of the S8 series enables comfortable one-handed operation while the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and back makes for durability and a high-quality finish. Exquisite Design The corners of the smartphones have been rounded off leaving a powerful silhouette. The curves are harmoniously synchronized with the rounded edges to fit comfortably in a user’s hand. The obverse part of the phone is mostly just display with perfect symmetry, thereby virtually eliminating the bezel. The physical home button usually located in the front of the phone has been replaced with a digital home button, built into the glass. Both devices feature a rear mounted fingerprint reader, quite close to the camera lens. A change that got people wondering how comfortable it will be but it is definitely something that can easily be adapted. The always-on display makes a return, and now shows you the home button whenever the phone is locked – so you know where to press to wake it up again. Infinity Display-Do more with the bigger screen Samsung has always had some of the best smartphone screens in the business, and that trend continues with the Galaxy S8 series. The Super AMOLED display panel has an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 and a resolution of 2,960 x 1,440 resulting in a crisp display and a pixel density of 530 ppi. The AMOLED panel delivers deep, inky blacks and incredible contrast, making images and video really pop allowing users immerse themselves in the action. Whatever you are watching, the large AMOLED screen will bring the content to life with rich colors, intricate details, and stunning definition. Users can do more with their Galaxy S8 and S8+ whichever way the device is held. Movies will fill the display when watching in landscape mode for maximum immersion. Camera The Galaxy S8 and S8+’s 12 MP rear camera utilizes Dual Pixel technology for incredibly fast autofocus allowing users capture important moments. Thanks to the F1.7 lens, pictures appear bright and crisp even if taking in low-lit environments. Samsung did revamp the front-facing camera to an 8MP with auto focus. This will definitely excite selfie addicts as pictures come out sharp and vibrant. Another obvious addition is a new multi-frame image processor that takes three shots every single time a picture is taken, reducing blur and leaving users with a sharper shot. Full HDR The Samsung Galaxy S8 series are the first truly mobile HDR screen in the market. Samsung is partnering with Netflix and Amazon to offer HDR streaming to its phone, allowing users view HDR-enabled programming on a phone. This will definitely make a difference in terms of the brightness and clarity of the video, giving users a remarkable viewing experience. Smooth Multitasking The Galaxy S8 and S8+’s extended screen is perfect for multitasking. Users can multitask seamlessly while watching a video; just open your favorite IM app along with the video player using Multi Window and text with the full keyboard without having to hide the video playing. While the Multi Window resizes the whole app window, the Snap Window feature will display only the selected area so you can refer to it while you are doing any other task. This is absolutely a fun feature. Enhanced Security The Galaxy S8 and S8+ offer five types of security technologies: iris recognition (most secure biometric identification system available on a smartphone), face recognition, pattern, password, and PIN, users can easily choose their preferred method. Users can use the iris scanner to unlock their devices without having to swipe the phone. With the face recognition, users can instantly unlock their devices with a look. Without the PIN or pattern, simply look into the camera on the lock screen to unlock the device. Users can also use the Secure Folder app to save important files, images, videos, and apps. IP68 certification for dust and water resistance Similar to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are IP68 certified for dust and water. This feature protects the device from immersion in up to 1.5m of fresh water for 30 minutes. Users can use the Galaxy S8 and S8+ to capture memories at pool parties or out on the beach with loved ones. When wet, the device stops charging automatically to prevent short circuits. In Conclusion The Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones come with a plethora of features from the infinity display which gives an incredibly full screen experience to the absent bezels providing more space on the screen and a super sleek look and feel. The S8 and S8+ without sacrificing functionality on the altar of aesthetics are sure to give much more value than anticipated. ***prbxselfnetwork***

How KIDNAPPER EVANS WAS CAUGHT LIKE A CHICKEN

There was tumultuous ovation and excitement, yesterday, at the Force Headquarters, Kam Salem House, Abuja, and the Police Command, Ikeja, Lagos, after news filtered that the notorious and most dreaded kidnap kingpin in the country, Evans, has been arrested by the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, inside his bedroom, in the Magodo area of Lagos. Evans Evans, described as the most notorious, high profile kidnapper – and the richest in Nigeria – was,  at last, unmasked. Before yesterday’s arrest, the Police had placed a N30million bounty on his head. When Policemen broke into his room to arrest him, he was said to have sheepishly said, “I know this is the end,m I am finished”. His real name is Chukwudidumeme Onuamadike, aged 36, and hails from Umudim Village, Nnewi   North Local Government Area of Anambra State.The press has been made to understand that during preliminary questioning, Evans confessed to having been behind virtually all the high profile kidnap incidents in places including but not limited to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Aba. His exploits also  included the 2013 attempted kidnapping of the owner of The Young Shall Grow Motors.   He was said to have confessed that the kidnap job was brought to him by one Emeka. He also confessed that he has two properties in Ghana, one of which is where his wife and five children have reportedly moved into. Among many items recovered from him  yesterday  during his arrest were expensive phones, one of which is put at a cost of $6,000. His arrest yesterday, came just few weeks after many members of his gang, including his second and third in command, were rounded up at different locations in the country. Their arrest came few days after one of their victims,  Donatus Dunu,  a wealthy owner of a pharmaceutical company at Ilupeju, Lagos, escaped miraculously from the hideout where they kept him for months. He was abducted in front of his office in Ilupeju, on February 14, 2017, after he closed for the day, by gun-totting young men who blocked his car with their SUV and threw him into the booth of the car. Members of his family later paid about N150m to effect his release. But the kidnappers insisted on getting N500m.   They threatened to kill their victim if the full ransom was not paid. Luckily,   few weeks after the payment of the ransom and their consistent threat to kill their victim, Dunu miraculously escaped from their hideout at Igando, a suburb of Lagos. He, thereafter, alerted security agents who swung into action and started rounding up members of the gang. information made available to prbxselfnetwork by very dependable sources suggested that efforts of the police paid off on  Friday  night, after they were able to locate Evans’ where  about, using sophisticated communication gadgets provided by the Inspector-General of Police. Police sources hinted that while almost all police formations in the country were on red alert trying to locate the notorious kidnap kingpin, the Inspector-General of Police, who was visibly angry with the delay, sent three special teams attached to his office down to Lagos to complement the efforts of those on ground. It was further  gathered  that the teams came with new sophisticated communication gadgets for the operation. Intelligence reports had indicated that failure to arrest the Evans was not unconnected with his possession of some state of the art jamming device, which made it easy for him to serially knock off signals that would have enabled men of the force pin him down. The change in equipment, according to sources, paid off at last, after detectives were able to locate his where about late  Friday  night – even though his telephone sets were already switched off to avoid detection. He was reportedly traced to his palatial home in Magodo, Lagos, while he had already packed his bags and baggages, ready to fly to South Africa, the next day. It was gathered that after his arrest, the elated members of the IGP’s team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Philip, immediately alerted their leader, ACP Aba Kyari, who gave the Inspector-General the cheering news. In Lagos, officers and men of other formations, including civilians, rushed to catch a glimpse of the dare-devil kidnapper that gave them sleepless nights.    It was learned that people even came from far-away Festac and Amuwo-Odofin/Ojo axis where he held sway during his inglorious reign by abducting wealthy men and forcing them to pay not less than N500m before they were set free.    As at the time of going to press, detectives were yet to give access to the suspect but a police source said he may be paraded by the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, today.   His Exploits 1 Mbarikatta William Uboma, 35, kidnapped June 16th, 2012, at about  11am,  on his arrival from Hungary, while he was close to his house.  He was in the company of his brother, on their way from the airport, when another car emerged and blocked theirs. They grabbed Uboma, blindfolded him and forcefully abducted him – he was taken to an unknown destination. They later demanded a ransom of N10M. However, N2M was later paid while they collected other personal accessories. He was finally dropped at Okota on the third day.  2. Paul Cole, 34, from Ohafia in Abia State. A Director with Ocean Glory Commodities, Apapa, he was kidnapped on August 3rd, 2012, at Festac Town, together with his General Manager, Jude Ugoje, and another staff, Piriye Gogo, and taken to an unknown destination. They demanded for N10M. On August 6th, 2012, they collected N5M ransom at Maza-maza, before letting  their victim off the hook.  3. Mohammed Jamal, 22, a Lebanese, was kidnapped on August 19, 2012, at Ajah by three armed men, taken away and blindfolded. N7M ransom was later paid at Ojo Barracks.  4. Kingsley Nwokenta, 34, was kidnapped on September 19, 2012,  at Mile two under bridge,  after he left Lebanana Bar, in Festac. Later, he paid N1.5M ransom while they made away with his black Toyota Venza and other accessories. 5. Anthony Ozoanidobi, 41, was kidnapped on October 10th, 2012, along Marwa Road Satellite town. Ransom of N1.5M was paid after which he was released at Apple junction, Amuwo-Odofin  6. Leo Abraham 58, was Kidnapped on August 20, 2012.  He paid ransom of N5M and was later released along Badagry road, Lagos.  7. Ojukwu Cosmas, 45, sells Toyota parts at Aspanda Trade fair. He was kidnapped on January 21, 2016, at Festac town. It was not clear when and how he was released.  8. James Uduji was kidnapped close to his house at 7th Avenue, Festac Town, late last year. Held for 6 six weeks. He paid a ransom of $1M.  9. Chief Raymond Okoye – Odu-Na-Ichida. He was kidnapped in 2015. He also paid $1M as ransom, after being held captive for 2months  10. Uche Okoroafor, a trader at Alaba, was kidnapped in 2015, and held captive for three months.  He also parted with $1M.  11. Elias Ukachukwu was kidnapped in November 2015. He, too, paid $1M.  The date of his release could not be ascertained but it was gathered that his abductors were insisting on another $1M ransom, claiming family members were rude to them during negotiation.  12 Francis Umeh, also a spare parts dealer at Aspanda, was kidnapped in July 2016, at Raji Rasaki Estate. Released after two months in captivity. ***prbxselfnetwork***

WORKING YOUR WAY UP A COMPANY

Working your way up a company tends to be an effective way to become familiar with various facets of a company. Mastering a number of tasks and positions and getting recognized for your competence can be reaffirming of your value to the company. Climbing the corporate ladder requires goal definition, commitment, responsibility, and productivity. With a positive attitude and strong work ethic, you should be on your way to the top in no time! Method One of Four: Planning Goals for the Future 1 Define your corporate goal. Your ultimate goal may be to hold a top leadership position in a company or to manage a large department. Be specific about your career goals. Write your goals down and keep them in your desk so that you can remind yourself to stay motivated. 2 Ask veteran employees about their experiences. Ask them to explain to you how they worked their way up the corporate ladder. Their advancement paths and strategies might resonate with you and give you inspiration. However, remember that each person's path to success is unique. Approach your co-worker when they have free time. Tell them that you admire their work, and that you hope to increase your value to the company. Ask them: "How do you recommend pursuing a promotion here?" or "How did you work your way to your current position?". You could even praise them for a specific task that they recently completed, and ask them how they went about accomplishing it. 3 Remain motivated in your position. Understanding your role's value to the overall process and to the company will allow you to demonstrate the proper commitment. Maintain a positive attitude; you never know who is paying attention. 4 Understand the company structure. There may be multiple departments with various levels of management within each. Familiarize yourself with the company structure by studying its organizational chart and learning the important players in management.[1] Method Two of Four: Making Yourself Invaluable 1 Demonstrate your commitment. Show the higher-ups that your goals align with the goals of the company. Stuffing envelopes or filing paperwork may seem below your skill level, but remind yourself that your work is important and may lead to company sales. Bringing an executive their morning coffee may seem far removed from your goal of being an executive, but it will allow you to build interpersonal relationships and will help the executive to better perform daily tasks. 2 Network with co-workers. Build positive relationships with people at all levels of the company. One of your co-workers may become your boss some day. A colleague with whom you have a personality clash may wind up in a position to chime in about your suitability for a promotion. Treat everyone with respect and fairness, and they will be likely to pay you respect in return.[2] Show your appreciation for others. Acknowledge the contributions of colleagues who help you solve difficult problems. When leading others, let them know that you appreciate their individual strengths. Greet people warmly. Whether in an elevator with a top executive or standing in the company cafeteria line with an employee from another department, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and strike up conversation. 3 Attend company-wide social functions. It might be tempting to skip the company's holiday event, but attending such social gatherings will allow you to interact with a wide variety of company employees. It will also increase your visibility and your chances of being viewed as an integral member of the company. 4 Take on additional responsibilities. Lighten your boss' workload by offering to oversee a small project. Stay late to master new software, make sales calls, or organize paperwork. Make sure that the additional tasks that you pursue contribute to greater productivity without jeopardizing your relationships with colleagues.[3] Avoid stepping on other people's toes or crossing boundaries. Your goal is not to outdo your supervisor or to highlight the inadequacy of your colleagues, but rather to offer vital support. Method Three of Four: Broadening Your Skill Set 1 Enroll in classes to strengthen skills. Learn the information and skills that you need to progress to the next level in the company. If your goal is to work your way up from administrative assistant to project coordinator to project manager to department director, always prepare for the next job in the sequence of promotions.[4] Look for courses offered online, or skim your local newspaper for opportunities. Community college courses can also be a helpful and affordable option. Ask your co-workers or your boss if they have any recommendations for you. 2 Take courses offered by the company. Some companies offer training and development programs to help employees gain new skills. When given a choice, use these opportunities wisely by choosing classes that will prepare you for a future role. Your boss will be impressed that you are working to better yourself in order to become more of an asset to the company. 3 Learn a new language. Many companies will be more apt to promote someone who is knowledgeable in more than one language, since it gives them an edge over their competition and helps them to get their message across to a larger audience of consumers.[5] Find out whether your company has an office or market in a foreign country. You will have a better chance at career advancement if you learn the language in that particular country. If your company has an office in Berlin, for instance, it could help you to learn German. Or if your company does business in Madrid, you may want to become fluent in Spanish. Method Four of Four: Advancing Your Career 1 Apply to relevant job openings. Many companies tend to promote from within, since they value employees who wish to stay with their company for a long time. Ask your employer if there is an internal job postings site, as some opportunities might be shared within the company before they decide to outsource or open the role to new hires. Be sure that you possess the right qualifications and experience for any position to which you apply. Be realistic about your capabilities, and make logical progressions. 2 Ask for a promotion. If you have been working hard in your position for over a year, and feel that you are qualified for a higher position, it cannot hurt to inquire about opportunity for promotion. Apply for the job before approaching your boss. Be honest about your goals, and about why you think you would be a good fit for the new role.[6] Discussing a salary raise or the terms of your employment with your boss can be intimidating. Describe how you have positively contributed to the company thus far, and how you hope to assist the company in achieving its goals going forward. Create a presentation highlighting your skills and your job performance. Say, "I am the best candidate for the role because..." and then list your assets.[7] Have confidence in yourself, and remain open to the possibility that your boss may not be quite ready to promote you. Do not give up; instead, use this as motivation to work even harder so that your employer will realize your full potential. 3 Be patient. Plan to stay in each position for a reasonable amount of time. Although the right amount of time is largely dependent on the needs of the particular company, staying in a position for at least 1 year is a common expectation.[8] It often takes that long to master the responsibilities, to contribute value to your company, and to train others before being promoted. ***prbxselfnetwork***

CONNECT YOUR PC TO TV

Some early personal computers used TV sets as monitors because they came without monitors. The images displayed were simple and of low quality. Now, with the large quantity of video available on the Internet, as well as the introduction of high-definition television, it is possible to connect your PC to your TV and use them together as a digital media center. This wikiHow will teach you what you need to know. Method One of Three: Video Cable 1 Determine which video output port(s) your PC has. There are several possible types; your computer may have more than one. A VGA port is roughly rectangular with 15 pins in three rows of five. It's how most dedicated computer monitors are connected to PCs. It looks like something that would fit this: An S-video port is circular with either four, seven, or nine pins. It looks like something that would fit this: A composite video port is a circular jack, usually color-coded yellow. It looks like something that would fit this: A digital video interface (DVI) port is rectangular, with 24 pins in 3 rows of 8. It is designed for high-definition connections. It looks like something that would fit this: A high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port resembles a USB port but is longer and thinner. Available in PCs since 2008, it is also designed for high-definition connections. It looks like something that would fit this: 2 See which video input ports your TV has. This will largely depend on whether your TV is a standard-definition or high-definition TV. Newer, especially flat screen TVs, are likely to be high-definition, while older TVs are likely to be standard definition. Standard-definition TVs usually have composite video or S-video ports; however, the display will not be as sharp as through your PC's regular monitor. High-definition TVs may have VGA, DVI and/or HDMI ports. VGA connections provide an analog signal, while DVI and HDMI connections provide a digital signal of higher quality. 3 Get the right video cable to connect your PC to your TV. If your PC's output port is the same kind as your TV's input port, get a cable with the same kind of connector on each end. If your PC's output port and your TV's input port are different, you'll need an adapter cable. Adapters are available to convert DVI to HDMI or VGA to composite video. You can also get an adapter cable to connect your computer's USB port to your TV's HDMI port if your PC has no HDMI port. 4 Obtain an audio cable if necessary. Some computers and high-definition TVs can connect to the TV's audio and video with a single cable, while most require separate audio and video cables. If your PC is equipped with an HDMI port and an HDMI-enabled sound card, you don't need a separate audio cable; otherwise, you do. Your PC's audio output is a 3.5-mm jack, which is either color-coded green, marked with a headset icon or marked "line out". You can connect an audio cable from here to your TV's audio input if it has one or to external speakers if it doesn't. 5 Shut down your PC. 6 Disconnect the monitor. If you have a high-definition TV and your PC has an HDTV-compatible video card, you can ignore this step if your video card has multiple video outputs. 7 Position your PC next to your TV. Leave the mouse and keyboard attached. 8 Connect the video cable to your PC and TV's video ports. Remember to attach any adapters you may need in order to establish a connection from your PC to your TV. Since both PCs and TVs differ significantly across the board, there's no "typical" setup. But some setups you might see more often include: An HDMI to HDMI cable A VGA to VGA cable An S-video to RCA A DVI to VGA cable 9 Connect the audio cable from your PC's 3.5mm audio jack to the audio port on your TV. For most PCs, you can accomplish this by betting a 3.5 mm to 3 RCA AV video cable that supports audio. 10 Set your TV to the input coming from your computer. Consult your TV's user guide for instructions if necessary. 11 If your video cable does not support audio and you're using a separate audio cable, adjust the audio settings on your TV if sound isn't working. Make sure that your audio is not coming in from your HDMI, or other digital signal, if your cable does not support audio. Try changing the audio settings from digital to video if your audio up and working. 12 Turn your PC on. You should see your PC's startup screen on the TV. 13 Adjust the screen resolution if necessary. If you have connected to a high-definition TV, its 16:9 aspect ratio may cause the picture to be stretched. Use a screen resolution that matches this aspect ratio. If you don't see a recognizable image, you may have to disconnect your monitor temporarily and adjust your resolution before reconnecting your PC to your TV. Method Two of Three: Wi-Fi 1 Enable Wi-Fi mode on the TV. Usually you enable it by using the built-in controls on the TV. If you’re not sure, read the instruction manual that came with the TV. 2 Select the Wi-Fi input on the TV, just like selecting “Video 1,” “DVR,” or “PC.” This is done by also using the controls on the TV. 3 Have the PC connect to the same network the TV is connected to. You can do this by going into the PCs network menu. 4 Link the TV to your Wi-Fi network. You may need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. This is done by using the TV’s built-in controls. 5 Enter a network passcode. If your network is protected by a passcode, enter it so that the connection process may continue. 6 Go to the Control Panel of the PC. It can be found in the Start menu. 7 Look for the Display option. It will bring you to a window that shows different options on how you can view whatever is displayed on your TV or Monitor. 8 Select “Adjust screen resolution” or “Adjust resolution.” It can be found on the left side of the window. 9 Look for the “Detect” button and click on it. This will detect other displays in the immediate vicinity that are turned on. After clicking on “Detect”, another box beside the main box will appear. Click on it, and the TV will display what is on your monitor. 10 Click “Apply.” If prompted, click “Keep display settings.” Method Three of Three: HDMI 1 Know where your HDMI port or ports are at. 2 Note whether or not the HDMI is normal or is a 'mini-HDMI' connection. 3 Make sure that you have the appropriate HDMI cable. You can find them from 3 feet to 20 feet to possibly even longer. It's recommended to get the longer ones from online. If a store has them, they are pricy. 4 Connect the HDMI cable to both the computer and the TV. 5 Make any necessary adjustments (such as changing the Input) on your TV. 6 Change the video display to the appropriate display on your computer.***prbxselfnetwork***

WaTCHING CCTV

Security cameras are everywhere, it seems, but what are they looking at? How much of our comings and goings do they capture? If you have ever been curious about it, we will show you not only how to see through the eyes of a security camera, but also to zoom, pan, tilt, capture, and save images right from your computer. Here is a guide to watch security camera streams on the internet. Steps 1 Open up your web browser. This will be your portal into an entire world of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras wired to the internet. 2 Search one of the queries listed below under the "search queries" heading. This list is ever evolving so if one search query does not work, try another until you see results. 3 Investigate the results. After you Google one of these queries, you will see thousands of search results. Click on any one of them. If the link is still active you might see a page filled with thumbnails of security camera images. These images are usually click-able links. In other cases, you might just see the screen of a single camera. You may be asked for a password. If you are an authorized user, you will have it at hand. If not, you'll have to use your imagination. Keep in mind: If you have to break through an existing log in system, it's most likely illegal and certainly unethical. 4 Manipulate the camera. Depending on the type of camera that you have access to, you may be able to zoom, pan, and tilt the camera. 5 Be aware that you may be tracked while using the site. Do not repeatedly maintain connections to a feed for more than 30 minutes. ***prbxselfnetwork***

HOUSE WITH THE GOLDEN WINDOWS.

The little girl - Minny lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill - and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers. And although Minny loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.  When Minny got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn't wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill. As Minny dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict.So sad Minny didn't go any further and turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike... As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze herthere across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden... as the sun shone on her little home. Minny realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the "golden house". Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose! ***prbxselfnetwork***

ENJOY YOUR LIFE (short story)

Once a fisherman Mr. Sam was sitting near seashore smoking under the shadow of a tree. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and enquired as to why he was sitting under a tree smoking and not working. To this the poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day. Hearing this the rich man got angry and said: Why don't you catch more fishes instead of sitting in shadow wasting your time? Mr. Sam asked: What would I do by catching more fishes? Businessman: You could catch more fishes, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat. Mr. Sam : What would I do then? Businessman: You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fishes and earn even more money. Mr. Sam: What would I do then? Businessman: You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and earn even more money. Mr. Sam: What would I do then? Businessman: You could become a rich businessman like me. Mr. Sam: What would I do then? Businessman: You could then enjoy your life peacefully. Mr. Sam: What do you think I'm doing right now? MORAL : You don't need to wait for tomorrow to be happy and enjoy your life. You don't even need to be more rich, more powerful to enjoy life. LIFE is at this moment, enjoy it fully. As some great men have said "My riches consist not in extent of my possessions but in the fewness of my wants".***prbxselfnetwork***

DOCTOR'S RESPONSIBILITY

A doctor Mr. Sam entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call asap, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block. He found the boy's father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor. On seeing him, the dad yelled: "Why did U take all this time to come? Don't U know that my son's life is in danger? Don't you have any sense of responsibility?" ; The doctor smiled & said: "I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital & I came as fast as I could after receiving the call...... And now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work" "Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would U calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??" said the father angrily.The doctor smiled again & replied: "I will say what Job said in the Holy Book "From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name of God". Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go & intercede for your son, we will do our best by God's grace"  "Giving advises when we're not concerned is so easy" Murmured the father. The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy, "Thank goodness!, your son is saved!" And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running. "If you have any question, ask the nurse!!" "Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state" Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left. The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: "His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to finish his son's burial." Moral-Never judge anyone..... because you never know how their life is & what they're going through";***prbxselfnetwork***

ACHIEVING HAPPINESS WITH SELFISHNESS (short story)

There is this story of Mr. Sam who had a dream one night. He dreamed that he died and found himself immediately in a large room. In the room there was a huge banquet table filled with all sorts of delicious foods. Around the table people were seated who were hungry but the chairs were five feet from the edge of the table and people apparently could not get out of the chairs and their arms were not long enough to reach the food. In the dream there was a single large spoon, five feet long. Everyone was fighting, quarrelling, pushing each other, trying to grab hold of that spoon. Finally in that awful scene, one strong bully got hold of the spoon. He reached out, picked up some food, and turned it to feed himself. Only to find out that the spoon was so long that as he held it out he could not touch his mouth. The food fell off. Immediately someone else grabbed the spoon. Again, the person reached far enough to pick up the food, but could not feed himself. In the dream, Mr. Sam was observing it all said to his guide, this is hell-to have food and not be able to eat it.The guide replied, Where do you think you are? This is hell. But this is not ur place. Come with me. And they went into another room. In this room things were the same as the previous room. People were not able to reach food coz of the same reasons. Yet they had a satisfied, pleasant look on their faces. Only then Mr. Sam could see the reason why. Exactly as before, there was only one spoon. It, too, had a handle five feet long. Yet no one was fighting for it. In fact, one man, who held the handle, reached out, picked up the food, and put it into the mouth of someone else, which ate it and was satisfied. That person then took the spoon by the handle, reached for the food from the table, and put it back to the mouth of the man who had just given him something to eat. And the guide said, This is heaven. People who try to achieve happiness with selfishness end up it in a hell on earth. If you live by the laws of God and choose to look for people who have burdens, you might be able to help them. But if you look for your own happiness, ignoring the needs of those around you, you will lose out altogether***prbxselfnetwork***

WISE OLD OWL (short story)

There was an old owl that lived in an oak. Everyday he saw incidents happening around him. Yesterday he saw a boy helping an old man to carry a heavy basket. Today he saw a girl shouting at her mother. The more he saw the less he spoke. As he spoke less, he heard more. He heard people talking and telling stories. He heard a woman saying that an elephant jumped over a fence. He also heard a man saying that he had never made a mistake.The old owl had seen and heard about what happened to people. Some became better and some became worse. But the old owl had become wiser each and every day.Moral of the story.You should be observant, talk less but listen more. This will make you a wise person.***prbxselfnetwork***

MEN,ARE YOUR CHILDREN TRULLY YOURS??

Dear male readers of mine, how many children do you have? How long have you been married? What will happen after raising your children, and giving them the best things of life only to find out that they are not yours? Will your heart still be beating well? It is heartbreaking for a man to discover that his wife is sharing her body with every Tunde, Emeka and Haruna and adding the children of her lovers to the mix. While you keep beating your chest that the children are yours, she is laughing at you behind your back. As a matter of fact, you boast that once you touch her, pregnancy happens and your friends are hailing you for being a super stud. But one day, you suddenly discover that some or all of your children are not yours. You try to make sense out of the situation, but your poor heart is so shattered that you cannot think straight. Finding out you have been raising another man, child or children is a deadly blow most men never recover from. They are used to flaunting their many sexapades before their wives but can stand being treated the same way. I don;t know why men cant deal with this small thing. After all, you people go out and bring your children with other women home for your wives to start babysitting them, heaven has not fallen. For ages, women have been emotionally blackmailed by their husbands and matrimonial family members to raise their husbands children from other women and the world has not ended. Why is it so hard for men to do the same? If you treat your wife like a Queen, I doubt she will transfer another mans children to you for years while cooking your food and having sex with you without her conscience pricking her. If you think you are the head of the home by looking down on her, humiliating her and treating her like trash, she will stylishly get her satisfaction elsewhere and also transfer the seeds of her escapades to you. Recently, DNA started trending on Facebook. It started when a man sent a message to a group asking where he could get DNA test done on his children. He suspects his wife of many years is chopping and wiping her vagina while he was abroad doing God knows what. He begged the man not to publish the post on his group because his wife is a member and will catch the drift, so the man posted on his wall instead. But the man who sent in the post and the men who jumped on it to label all women loose and wicked didnt anticipate what happened next. Many women came for the man who sent in the post, calling him names and calling him a hypocrite. They asked the man to swear he doesnt have a wife abroad or fathered children elsewhere. But that was just the beginning. One woman who seemed pained by the whole thing opened a new Facebook account just to send a message to the man who posted the thread threatening to deal with him if anything happens to her marriage. She warned him to desist from encouraging men to do DNA test on their children and that if anything happens to her marriage, he will regret it. She added her husband was his ardent follower and anytime he starts behaving funny because of the posters DNA talk, sorry will be his surname. This woman was so angry that she threatened to kidnap him and deal with him for putting ideas into mens heads. She asked him if he thinks its easy to be chopping one penis day in, day out. She didnt stop there. She got her friends and supporters to report the posters group and Facebook banned the group. It was an eye opening moment for many Nigerian men who think they are the only one drilling their wives holes. These men were so surprised that their women would be bold to chop and clean mouth like they have been doing. Nigerian men, welcome to your reality. You people think you are smart but you have discovered that you are learners when it comes to cheating. Nigerian women have taken the reins from you. They are smiling at you, praying for you and speaking in tongues but cheating on you without condoms. You are now witnessing firsthand what lying and deceptive women can do. It is funny that some of these women who pretend to be virtuous and spend six days in church are passing off other mens children to their unsuspecting husbands. I pity men who run up and down claiming the head of the home without knowing what is truly happening in their homes. It is now clear that you are just assistant fathers. You pay for her hospital bills, spend sleepless nights taking care of another mans baby as well as paying heavy school fees. But you dont know you are probably feeding and clothing your neighbours or pastors child. This is your reality. See what your wife materials are doing to you people. When you look at your wives, you see a lamb but you dont know you have been sleeping with wolves for years. You people should not be in shock. Theres nothing new under the sun. Women have been cheating on their husbands for long and passing their lovers; children to them while acting submissive and virtuous. With what I have read from women who are kicking against their husbands carrying out DNA tests on their children, it is now clear that many woman have been in the business of playing away matches for so long. It is a huge reality check for Nigerian men. This false belief that cheating is the exclusive preserve of men has been shattered by women who dont have conscience. It has happened. You people should take heart. I have come to fear Nigerian women and their pretentious lifestyles. Their husbands will be cheating and they will be forming longsuffering, prayerful wives, meanwhile, they are chopping and cleaning vaginas without blinking. These women sit in front rows in church, lift hands during worship and speak in tongues but they know that two out of their three children dont belong to their husbands, yet they continue deceiving them. There are many women who have pretended to be good wives but have been cunningly passing off products of their many mountain climbing sessions on their husbands for years. These women are the products of our hypocritical society. They wont be bold like men who keep side chicks and even threaten to send their wives packing whenever they complain. These women silently enjoy their many side cocks while looking innocent. I dont have a problem with DNA test. I recommend it for men who are having doubts about the paternity of their children. The only problem here is the double standards being peddled by men who have dirty secrets too. You know you have children scattered almost everywhere and you are throwing tantrums about women doing the same. You are a hypocrite. It is not new that many women dont know what their husbands are up to until their burials when different women start creeping out clutching children looking like their dead fathers. Women in this part of the world do discover during the burials of their husbands that their model husbands have fathered children elsewhere. They do these while pretending to be model husbands and fathers to official madam and her children. The shock, betrayal and pain these women feel when they discover their children are not the only ones that bear their late fathers names is what most men will feel when they find out they have been nothing but money spending machines for other mens children. If your husband wants to carry out DNA tests on your children, allow him. Its his money that will be spent as long as your hands are clean, you have nothing to fear. But make sure that after the tests prove hes the father of your children that you insist he wills all his properties to your children. Dont be forming good wife while you leave the future of your children to chance. Let him share his properties among your children so that when any of his conquests appear during his burial like a lightening, you will have the last laugh. I have to tell my Igbo brothers who visit the village every December to pick random girls who appear holy and wife them without proper investigation to go and carry out DNA tests on their firstborns. Your first child could be the product of the last supper your darling wife material got from her heartbroken ex before you whisked her away to city paradise. As you are reading this, are you wondering why your second child looks like your former landlord? Are you recollecting the day you mentioned that your last child looks more like your pastor but your wife shut you up claiming you are sinning against God? Are you questioning yourself whether you are truly the father of your children? Calm down. If you have doubts, go for DNA test. It will cost you N100, 000 per child. But do you really want to go there? Do you truly want to erase all doubts about the paternity of your children? Can you stand the results if indeed one or none of your children are yours at the end of the day? Do you have the strength to deal with that kind of betrayal? If you can;t handle it, just let sleeping dogs lie. Discovering the truth might destroy your home forever. Men, if you find out some of your children are not yours, deal with it. Women have been dealing with your lies and deceit for centuries. Remember, marriage is for better or for worse and God hates divorce. You must not send your wife away if you discover you are not the father of your children. Fast and pray for her to repent. Allow God save her soul from the spirit of adultery. You have to forgive her for dumping other mens children on you. That is what a good Christian does. ***prbxselfnetwork***

CAMEROON UNDER HEAVY ATTACK BY SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM MEMBERS

Boko Haram bombers have reportedly struck in Cameroon within the past 24 hours - A bomber blew himself up without civilian casualties left one soldier dead - The bombing incident took place at the security perimeter of the Bir camp in Kolofata A bombing took place on Friday, June 9, in the vicinity of Bouvare (Kolofata) near the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The bombing which fortunately did not claim any civilian casualties but that of the bomber suggests that the Boko Haram insurgency is also affecting other countries. Sadly one soldier was killed and two sustained injuries. Prbxselfnetwork gathered that bomber managed to infiltrate the security perimeter of the bir camp in Kolofata and blew himself up. Boko Haram attacks Cameroon Oeil du Sahel, a Cameroonian newspaper, on its Facebook page also reported that this is the fourth bomber to be neutralized in the Mayo-Sava in 24 hours.; Gunshots erupted in the lately peaceful Borno state capital around 7 pm on Wednesday, June 7, after the terrorists allegedly attacked the Giwa military barracks located on the outskirts of Maiduguri. Residents in the Jidari and Polo areas of Maiduguri began to flee the city after hearing gunfire, a situation which caused confusion and a mass exodus of residents throughout the city. ***prbxselfnetwork***

SpaceX may launch its biggest rocket in 3 months

The Falcon Heavy may ferry two private citizens around the moon in 2018. Elon Musk has broken some tantalizing news about the biggest rocket ever built by his company SpaceX. If the tech mogul's plans hold, the new launch system, called Falcon Heavy, could lift off for the first time in just a few months. The new 230-foot-tall rocket would combine the power of three smaller Falcon 9 rockets, using all 27 rocket engines to generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. That's enough oomph to put about 119,000 pounds, or a fully loaded 737 jet, into orbit. The new rocket could also send a small spaceship, two passengers, and other gear to the moon, totaling about one-third the mass that NASA's Saturn V moon rocket could lug into space. In fact, a privately funded journey around the moon is exactly what Musk hopes to pull off before the end of 2018. Musk's response on Thursday to a Twitter user's question about the three-rocket system included the most specific and up-to-date timing yet for the Falcon Heavy's first launch: There's reason to be skeptical that Falcon Heavy will launch on time, however, since Musk has been known to miss deadlines and underestimate the difficulty of his endeavors. For example, Falcon Heavy was originally supposed to launch for the first time in March. But an explosion on a launchpad in September, followed by a monthslong investigation and a temporary stand-down on launches, pushed the giant rocket's inaugural launch back to the third quarter of 2017. But if SpaceX can pull off the launch, calling it a big advancement for spaceflight would be an understatement. A reusable beast After launch, the two side rockets would peel off and attempt to land themselves at Cape Canaveral, Florida, so they could be refurbished and reused for yet another launch. The central core would continue flying for a little while and then detach from an upper-stage rocket, which would blast a payload into orbit. The core would then fall back toward Earth, land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, and also be recovered for reuse. Nearly all rocket parts in history have fallen back to Earth as garbage. Musk hopes to break that expensive tradition by repeatedly launching, landing, and reusing his rocket parts. His hope is to reduce the enormous cost of launching things into space hundredfold and, later on, more than thousandfold. Musk is the first to admit his plans are highly ambitious. "We will probably fly something really silly on Falcon Heavy because it is quite a high-risk mission," Musk said in March after the successful launch of the unprecedented SES-10 mission, which was the first to reuse a Falcon 9 booster. The tech mogul hasn't said what that silly payload might be, but his company did once launch a big wheel of cheese into orbit.***prbxselfnetwork***

Silently expecting Apple TV

Apple is throwing its weight behind a more modern video standard, and it may pave the way for a 4K-enabled Apple TV box. Apple is throwing its weight behind a more modern video standard, and it may pave the way for significant upgrades to the next Apple TV box. At its annual developer conference this week, WWDC, Apple announced widespread support for High Efficiency Video Coding. The company says this is coming to the next versions of iOS and macOS, but its implementation on tvOS seems to lay the foundation for an Apple TV that supports 4K video streaming  one of the major areas where Apples current media streamer lags behind high-end, less expensive streamers from Roku, Amazon, and Google. HEVC, as its called, is a relatively new video compression standard that was designed with sharper, more pixel-dense 4K video in mind (among other advanced forms of video). Any company that deploys it has to pay a royalty fee, but various streaming players including Netflix, Amazon, and Roku have already lent their support. The idea is that, because 4K video eats up much more data and bandwidth than traditional HD, it needs a way to keeps file sizes manageable or compress those files without destroying the quality of the video itself. HEVC is one of those solutions. You can read this excellent CNET explainer for a look at how the whole thing works, but in short, using HEVC allows a video to keep similar picture quality. All of this can vary based on your internet connection, but ideally, this means you could stream a 4K video without it taking up unreasonably more space than a lower-resolution video. Alternatively, you could stream one of those lower-resolution (but more common) 1080p videos, and have it take up nearly half the space as it would otherwise. Still, given that HEVC is really built for those 4K (and higher) resolutions, it would make a whole lot of sense for Apple to introduce an Apple TV that takes full advantage of the spec. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the company was testing a new model that would do exactly that. In any case, any 4K device still has to deal with the relatively low amount of actual 4K content thats available to stream in the first place, and the fact that 4K doesnt provide much benefit unless you have a larger TV. The content side of things is improving, however. And with the Apple TV lagging behind its competitors in terms of sales, 4K (or HDR) support would allow the company to reach a level of feature parity that could better justify the price premium it has compared to Amazon's Fire TV, Roku's premium devices, and Google's Chromecast Ultra. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.***prbxselfnetwork***

HOW TO REACT WHEN YOU RUN INTO AN EX

No matter how things ended, you can't afford to not be civil to an ex. At least, for old times' sake. Love don’t last forever and affection fades out of many relationships at some point no matter how hard the partner fight for their love. Naturally the relationship fades off and the partners drift apart, becoming strangers once again after having exposed their hearts and souls to each other. Ending a relationship does not mean that partners will never again see each other. No matter how far you physically drift apart from someone because things did not work out between you and them, there is still a chance that you will run into each them at some point sooner or later. When that time comes, how will you react towards them?   We ask you our readers this question in an article published here on May 31, 2017, and the responses you have given us are quite interesting. Many of you [21.3%] say you will say hello but from a safe distance. Some [12.0%] say they will outrightly ignore that partner. A few very others [1.3%] say they’ll turn in the opposite direction and run away while some [4.0%] say they will engage their exes in angry exchange of words and trading of insults. Then there are the ones [63.1%] who admirably say they will stay civil with their exes and converse with them if they ever run into them, and frankly, this is the standard everyone needs to aspire to.   Yes, the circumstance of your breakup might be really acrimonious and nasty and all that stuff, but you need to remain dignified nonetheless. Saying hello like a civil person does not make you friends with that ex and really, you don’t even need to be friends with them if you don’t want to. But because they messed up or did you really dirty does not mean you have to lose common decency like them. It’s only a brief greeting, guys. It speaks volumes of your maturity and civility if you can pull this off when you see an ex, especially the one that messed up big time. Stay classy, guys, say hello to that ex when you run into him or her.***prbxselfnetwork***

LAZIO:SIMONE INZAGHI EXTENDS CLUB COACHING CONTRACT

Simone Inzaghi has signed a two-year contract extension tying him to Lazio until 2020, the Romans said on Wednesday. Simone Inzaghi has signed a two-year contract extension tying him to Lazio until 2020, the Romans said on Wednesday. The 41-year-old coach enjoyed a positive 2016/17 season, guiding Lazio to fifth in Serie A and the Italian Cup final, which they lost to Juventus, meaning they will play in next season's Europa League. Inzaghi, a former Italy international forward and brother of World Cup winning striker Pippo, took over first team duties at Lazio at the end of the 2015/16 season, having previously coached the youth team.***prbxselfnetwork***

IN A VILLAGE THERE WAS A FOOL (short story)

In a village there was a fool. He was very upset because no matter what he said people laughed at him. People had decided he was a blithering idiot. Even when he said something right people still laughed at him. He lived cowering, not daring even to speak. If he didn’t speak people laughed, if he spoke people laughed. If he did something people laughed, if he didn’t do anything people laughed. A monk came to the village. That night the fool fell at the monk’s feet and said, ”Give me some blessing. is my whole life to be spent shrinking and cowering like this? Will I die a blithering idiot? Is there no way I can become a little intelligent?” The monk said, ”There is a way. Follow this sutra: condemn everything.” He said, ”What will happen through condemning?” The monk said, ”You do it for seven days then come again to me.” The fool asked, ”How should I condemn? The monk said, ”Whatever anyone says make a negative statement. For instance if someone says look what a beautiful sun is coming out, you say what’s beautiful about it? Prove it. Where is the beauty? What beauty? It comes out everyday, it has been coming out for billions of years. It is a globe of fire – what beauty? Someone says, looking at a beautiful woman, what a beautiful woman. You say: what of it? So what if her nose is a little longer? So what if her skin is a little whiter? Lepers are white too. What beauty? Prove it. You demand proof from everyone and remember to always remain in the negative. Put them in the positive, you remain in the negative. Come to me after seven days.” After seven days when the idiot came, he did not come alone, many had become his disciples. They came on ahead. They had hung flower garlands around his neck. A band was playing. He said to the monk, ”The device worked. The whole village was forced to be silent. Wherever I went people lowered their heads. The news spread among the people that I am a great genius. No one could win against me. Now what should I do?” He said, ”Now don’t do anything, just remain with this. If you want to save your intellect never fall into the positive. If someone speaks of god then immediately bring in atheism. Whatever is said, always make a negative statement. No one will be able to defeat you because to disprove a negative statement is very difficult. To prove a positive statement is very difficult.” To affirm god great intelligence is needed, a very subtle sensitivity is needed. Total wakefulness of the heart is needed. A purified state of consciousness is needed. A little light is needed within. But to deny god nothing is needed. In denying god there is no commitment. This is why people in the world condemn. The psychology of condemnation is cheap psychology, an easy way out. Your genius will be proven by it. And there is no cost. ”Using neither turmeric nor alum the dye came out fine.” There is no cost at all. There is no need to go anywhere to learn. There is no need for satsang. This is why everyone is skillful at condemning***prbxselfnetwork***

BARS ARE OPENING EARLY ON THURSDAY TO WATCH EX-FBI DIRECTOR COMEY TESTIFY

Bars in Texas and Washington, DC are opening early to screen Comey's testimony, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday. If you want to have a drink while watching former FBI director James Comey testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, you're in luck. Three bars in Washington, DC, and one in Houston, Texas, are opening early on Thursday to screen Comey's testimony, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EST. "Come on... you know you want to watch the drama unfold this Thursday," Shaw's Tavern, which will be serving $5 Stoli vodka and "FBI" sandwiches, wrote on Facebook. "Grab your friends, grab a drink and let's COVFEFE!" Responses on social media ranged from excitement to eye-rolling: At Thursday's hearing, the ex-FBI director is expected to ake his first public comments since he was fired by President Trump, with no warning, in May. Here's the list of bars that are opening early for the highly-anticipated political "drama." ! Shaw's Tavern's " target="_blank"Comey Hearing Covfefe" in Washington, DC Duffy's Irish Pub's "James Comey Show" featuring the "Covfefe cocktail" in Washington, DC The Partisan's Comey Hearing viewing party in Washington, DC Axelrad Beer Garden's " target="_blank"SUPER BOWL of Washington" in Houston, Texas***prbxselfnetwork***

THE 'TWO PIZZA RULE' IS AMAZON CEO JEFF BEZOS' SECRET

Jeff Bezos thinks large meetings are unproductive. That's why he has a "two pizza" rule. Work meetings are a notorious waste of time. You've got to be smart to keep them from needlessly eating up your day. Those are precious minutes that you or your employees could be spending doing something useful. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos makes a point of steering clear of unnecessary meetings. When a meeting is absolutely unavoidable, though, he has one tip that boosts their productivity and usefulness. He calls it the "two pizza rule." It's simple. The more people you pack into the meeting, the less productive the meeting will likely be. The solution? Never have a meeting where two pizzas couldn't feed the entire group. Gathering together a massive squad for your meeting will just stifle creativity. In Fast Company, Rachel Gillett writes that "the idea of working within small teams is believed to help diminish various innovation killers like groupthink and social loafing." And as Business Insider's Rich Feloni reports, other ingredients for a solid meeting include appointing a strong moderator, setting firm ground rules, and ensuring the discussion is relevant to all attendees beforehand. What's more, writing for Psychology Today, Dr. Adrian Furnham, a professor of psychology at University College London, says that it always helps to manage expectations for meetings. "Always plan and circulate an agenda before the meetings," he writes. "Get everyone to agree beforehand what the outcomes of the meeting are to be. Take charge of the agenda and the outcomes. Be clear why some are, and are not, on it. Give some idea of the length of the meeting." While the gist of Bezos' rule is that less is more when it comes to meetings, you can also feel free to take his advice literally and bring two pizzas to your meetings every once and a while. Pizza makes everything better. ***prbxselfnetwork***

INDIAN POLICE ON HOT CHASE FOR 3 MEN WHO GANG RAPED WOMAN,MURDER INFANT DURING ACT

The indian rapists reportedly threw the woman's nine months old baby out of a moving vehicle leading to its death. A search has been launched to apprehend three unknown men who allegedly gang raped an Indian woman and killed her baby who was thrown off a moving tricycle in New Delhi. Sandeep Khirwar, a police chief confirmed today that the incident occurred in the suburb of Gurgaon in the vehicle where the suspects laid in wait. According to reports, the alleged rapists immediately harassed the 21-year-old woman soon as she boarded the tricycle. Khirwah in a chat with with DPA News said: “The suspects sexually assaulted the woman in the autorickshaw as it moved on deserted roads in the area. It is a very heinous incident. “We have formed a special investigative team and hope to arrest the three accused soon." The rape subject has been a major concern in India who was rated as the top four country with the high number of sexual assault on women according to statistics compiled by Wonder List.  Most prominent in the country's history is the brutal murder of Jyoti Singh Pandey, who was gang raped by six men and a minor on a moving bus in December 2012. This led to a series of protest in favour of Pandey who despite surviving the attack eventually kicked the bucket on her way for a treatment in Singapore.
***prbxselfnetwork***

25 diseases and medical conditions that can be cured by having sex

Sex often leads to deadly diseases and subsequent death if done wrongly, however, when a faithful couple engages in sex at the right time, in the right way, it is said to be a remedy for curing lot’s of diseases and medical conditions. Below are 25 known medical conditions researchers, doctors and scientists have discovered that sex can easily get rid of: 1. Depression: Without the help of researchers, just about anyone can agree that sex will make you feel good about yourself and just a bit more confident. But one researcher has said there’s a scientific explanation that goes a bit farther. Professor Gordon Gallop says that there’s an unknown chemical in semen that has an antidepressant effect on women. 2. Pregnancy: Sex is both the cause and the cure for pregnancy. Women who are ready to induce labor often have sex to speed up the process, and research backs up this method. Semen contains prostaglandins, which help the cervix prepare to open, and orgasms produce oxytocin, which will help cause contractions. 3. Headaches: Although sex can sometimes bring on a headache, it can cure them too. The tension release your body experiences during and after sex can ease restricted blood vessels in the brain. 4. Menstrual cramps: Sex acts as an analgetic to relieve menstrual pain, primarily because of the relaxation and endorphins sex brings. 5. Arthritis: In his book, “How to Treat Arthritis with Sex and Alcohol,” rheumatologist Carter V. Multz asserts that sex, as well as alcohol and other complementary treatments, can reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation associated with arthritis. 6. Common cold: Manfred Schedlovski, a Swiss researcher from Zurich, asserts that sex has a positive effect on phagocytes, which are a part of the immune system that goes after alien bodies, like cold germs, and kills them. Phagocytes are increased signficantly during sex, and will often double after orgasm. 7. Stress: Orgasms offer a great way to relax, and even nonorgasmic sex offers some relief. Dr. Joshua Golden asserts sex’s relaxation properties, as well as emotional benefits. 8. Tooth decay: Kissing, as well as oral sex, encourages saliva production. This increase in saliva helps to wash food particles from your teeth, prevents plaque buildup, and helps lower decay-causing acid. Additionally, seminal plasma has been shown to help prevent tooth decay. 9. Erectile dysfunction: By exercising your Kegel muscles with frequent sex and delaying ejaculation, men can help strengthen muscles enough to help with minor erection problems. 10. High blood pressure: Semen has been found to lower blood pressure in women. Specifically, swallowing semen can help ward off preeclampsia, which is a dangerously high blood pressure that sometimes occurs during pregnancy. 11. Insomnia: Many people find that the relaxation they experience after sex helps them go to sleep. 12. Prostate cancer: Men who ejaculate more frequently have been found to be at a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. 13. Hangovers: Sex may not save your liver, but it will help you shake off a funk. Having sex will help boost your endorphins and oxytocins, which stimulate muscle contraction and help you avoid aggressiveness. 14. Toxic system: Sex gets your blood pumping faster, which helps to rid the body of waste. 15. Heart disease: Studies have shown that if men have sex twice a week or more, they tend to have a lower risk of heart attack. For women, increased levels of estrogen caused by sex help to protect against heart disease. 16. Stubborn wounds: Studies have found that oxytocin, which is released during sex, can help wounds heal faster. 17. Low energy: Sex increases energy through exercise and emotional well-being. 18. Minor cognitive problems: Whenever you become sexually excited or have an orgasm, the hormone DHEA is released. DHEA has been found to improve cognition. 19. Skin irritations: The sweat released during sex will cleanse your pores, helping to relieve rashes, blemishes, and other skin problems. 20. Pain: Orgasm releases endorphins, which will alleviate pain for just about everything. 21. Obesity: Although few doctors are likely to prescribe a sex diet, the fact is that sex is a form of exercise. Performing the act of sex requires physical activity that will burn calories and strengthen your heart. It’s an especially great exercise for those who have little motivation to get to the gym. 22. Incontinence: Every time you have sex, you’re exercising your Kegel muscles, which are the same ones you use to stem the flow of urine. 23. Weak bones and muscles: Sex brings on a boost of testosterone, which helps to make your bones and muscles strong. 24. Semen allergy: Unfortunately, some women are allergic to their partner’s semen. However, along with other treatments, frequent sex has been found to work as an effective desensitization therapy for this allergy. 25. Death: That’s right, sex can help ward off death for men. Professor Stuart Brody reports that men who orgasm twice a week are half as likely to die as those who only orgasm once a month. ***prbxselfnetwork***

GROUP CARRIES WAR AGAINST MALARIA TO UNIZIK

Group carries war against Malaria to UNIZIK …Organises essay competition for students  In January, MIRAL Pharm Limited instituted Ravimal Essay Competition as part of its enlightenment programme to educate the public on the negative effects of malaria, as well as encourage pertinent research on the disease in the tertiary institution. Recently, the pharmaceutical company organised a prize presentation ceremony at the Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University where 27 students of the university won prizes according to their performances in the essay completion. The award ceremony attracted many dignitaries including the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) who doubles as the Consul-General of Pakistan to Nigeria, Ahmed Yakasai; the National Secretary of PSN, Gbolagade Iyiola; and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Charles Esimone. Three star prizes and 24 consolation prizes were presented with Aniagu Chukwuma Victor of the Department of Applied Biochemistry winning the first star prize of one year scholarship of N100,000 plus a factory visit to India. The second star prize of one year scholarship of N100,000 plus a laptop computer went to Asomba Chinonso of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering while the third star prize of one year scholarship of N100,000 went to Friday Chizurum of the Faculty of Medicine. Chairman on the occasion and Group Managing Director (GMD) of Krisoral Group of Companies, Chief Chris Oranu Chidume, admitted that Miral Pharm has taken a road that was less travelled by calling for essays. He commended the company for the new approach at uncovering executable ideas that would move Nigeria closer to victory in the war against malaria. Chief Chidume described Ravimal as best in class of products that is well positioned for the treatment of malaria. Managing Director of Miral Pharm Limited, Mr. Onyeka Onyeibor said the Ravimal ‘End malaria for good’ essay was a deliberate search for ideas, stressing that “ending malaria is an achievable and a worthwhile pursuit – saving 1000 lives daily.” Onyeibor also said the competition was organized in partnership with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University and targeted at promoting health literacy and research. The PSN National President, Yakasai who presented the award to the star prize winner, commended the efforts of Miral Pharm in the war against malaria and the drive to continue to support the development of youths and education in Nigeria. He disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved to work with Miral Pharm and Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at making the competition an annual national event with the aim of bringing out the best in Nigerian students. The Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Joseph Ahaneku, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Charles Esimone, thanked Miral Pharm for its ingenuity and interest in promoting health literacy and research among Nigerian students. The Project Coordinator, Ravimal “End malaria for good essay competition,” Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ugo-Amadi, explained that the essays were assessed based on their ingenuity, structure, insightfulness, content, language, style and creativity by Dr Jane Ifechelobi of Department of English and Dr Obinna Ifechelobi of Department of Clinical Pharmacy, both of NAU, Awka. Twenty-seven students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, won the maiden essay competition organized by Miral Pharm Limited. ***prbxselfnetwork***

THE US CAN SURVIVE A NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA-BUT A FIRST STRIKE COULD START WORLD WAR III

"The North Koreans having nukes is a bad thing, and we don't want it," a Defense Department official said. "But if we lose that one, we survive it." Despite President Donald Trump's bold proclamation that a North Korean nuclear missile capable of hitting the US "won't happen," Kim Jong Un appears to be on his way — faster than many had thought — to an intercontinental ballistic missile that could flatten Washington. But a nuclear-armed North Korea wouldn't be the end of the world, according to some senior military officials. "We can deter them," retired Adm. Dennis Blair, the former head of US Pacific Command, said of North Korea at a National Committee for US-China Relations event. "They may be developing 10 to 15 nuclear weapons. We have 2,000. They can do a lot of damage to the US, but there won't be any North Korea left in the event of a nuclear exchange. That's not a good regime survival strategy, and even Kim Jong Un would understand that.” The US has to live with the fact that Russia, the world's second-greatest nuclear power, openly opposes the US's foreign policy in nearly every dimension, and that Pakistan, a country rife with corruption and Islamist groups gaining traction within and around its borders, has nuclear weapons. A senior Defense Department official with expertise in nuclear strategy told Business Insider that while the US has said it cannot and will not accept a North Korea armed with a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile, that amounted more to an opening position in an ongoing negotiation than an intention to use military force to stop it. "You never undermine your official position going in," the official told Business Insider. "You're never going to voluntarily back away from that. You're going to actively work to make sure they don't get" an ICBM. "The North Koreans having nukes is a bad thing, and we don't want it," the official said. "But if we lose that one, we survive it." Despite bluster on both sides — whether posturing that the US may attack to cripple North Korea's nuclear program or that North Korea would use its nuclear weapons on the US or allies — the defense official and other experts Business Insider contacted said they found both cases extremely unlikely and undesirable. "But those experienced military leaders know. They've run the models. They've run the numbers," Hanham said. There's just no way to fight North Korea "without chaos and enormous death and damage to the world." Because US nuclear weapons would have to fly over China or Russia and most likely would spread deadly fallout in South Korea or as far as Japan, nuclear conflict with North Korea would be likely to bring about World War III — a great power war between nuclear states that the world has developed nuclear weapons to avoid. To an extent, the US already lives with and deters a nuclear North Korea daily. Hanham said that although it hadn't been verified, North Korea most likely had a deliverable nuclear weapon that could hit the 10 million civilians in Seoul or the 25,000 permanent US troops stationed in South Korea. So North Korea will continue on its path toward a nuclear weapon that could hit anywhere in the US — but like Russia, China, and Pakistan, it probably wouldn't use it.***prbxselfnetwork***

BITCOIN IS A BUBBLE:MARK CUBAN

Bitcoin is up 200% in 2017. Add billionaire Mark Cuban to those who are skeptical of bitcoin and the cryptocurrency universe. "I think it's in a bubble. I just don't know when or how much it corrects. When everyone is bragging about how easy they are making $=bubble," Cuban said in a tweetstorm on Tuesday. Cuban's tweetstorm comes on the heels of bitcoin's latest record high near $2,900 a coin. The cryptocurrency has gained in 33 of the past 38 sessions, tacking on 144% over that time. It's up 200% so far in 2017. ***prbxselfnetwork***

MANY MOUTHS TO FEED

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has revealed that he is still playing at the age of 36 because he still has 24 brothers and sisters to feed Evra, who currently plays for Ligue 1 side Marseille, was reunited with many of his former team-mates as a ;Manchester United 2008 XI took on an All-Stars team to mark Carricks 11 years at the club. I hope he will play for many years, he has to keep playing like me. I am still playing because I still have 24 brothers and sisters to feed so I cant stop, I have to run, he told ITV. ***prbxselfnetwork***

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY (short story)

Mr. Sam narrating his date with his mother after 21 yrs..... After 21 years of marriage, Mr. Sam's wife wanted him to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you." The other woman that Mr. Sam"s wife wanted me to visit was his MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night Mr. Sam called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What"s wrong, are you well?" she asked.Mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "Mr. Sam thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," he responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."That Friday after work, as Mr. Sam drove over to pick her up he was a bit nervous. When he arrived at her house, he noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel"s. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed, "she said, as she got into the car. "They can"t wait to hear about our meeting." We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. Mother took his arm. After they sat down, he had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, he lifted his eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at him. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it"s time that you relax and let me return the favor," he responded. During the dinner, they had an agreeable conversation " nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other"s life. They talked so much that we missed the movie. As they arrived at her house later, she said, "I"ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed."How was your dinner date?" asked Mr. Sam"s wife when he reached home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," he answered.A few days later, his mother died of a massive heart attack. Shocked so suddenly that he didn"t have a chance to do anything for her. Cry Some time later, he received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and he had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn"t sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates " one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."At that moment, Mr. Sam "understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. "Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till some other time. ***prbxselfnetwork***

ALLEDGED FRAUD

Ebenuwa Chinazo Jennifer and Onukaogu Joshua have been arraigned by the EFCC over fraudulent activities Esther allegedly input her name and two of her siblings (Jennifer and Joshua) into the IPPIS database as staff of Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Works - The offence is punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006 - The defendants however have pleaded not guilty to the charge The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 arraigned the trio of Onukaogu Onyinyechi Esther, Ebenuwa Chinazo Jennifer and Onukaogu Joshua before Justice A. S. Adepoju of the FCT High court sitting in Wuse, Abuja, on a 13-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence. Esther allegedly abused her office while being a staff of Soft Alliance, consultants to the office of the auditor general of the Federation on IPPIS between 2012 and 2013, to input her name and two of her siblings (Jennifer and Joshua) into the IPPIS database as staff of federal ministry of education and federal ministry of works respectively, for the purpose of receiving salaries from the federal government. The offence breaches Section 1 (1) (a) and is punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006 Esther and her co-defendants were said to have drawn salaries as ghost workers from their respective ministries for three years, to the tune of N9million before the law caught up with them. The offence breaches Section 1 (1) (a) and is punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006. Count six of the charge reads: ;That you Onukaogu Onyinyechi Esther and Onukaogu Joshua between January 2014 and December 2014, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intention to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,860,865.72 (One Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty Five naira, Seventy Two Kobo, only), from the Federal government of Nigeria, under the false pretence that Onukaogu Joshua is a civil servant working in the Federal Ministry of Education, which pretence you knew to be false The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge In view of their pleas, counsel to EFCC, Elizabeth Alabi, urged the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the suspects in prison custody. But, the defence counsel, M. M. Hirse, informed the court that he had pending applications for the bail of the defendants. Responding, Alabi urged the court to refuse the application adding that, ;they were once granted bail and they jumped it. However, Justice Adepoju opined that the purpose of bail is to secure the attendance of the defendants in court. It is their constitutional right to be granted bail." The judge, therefore, granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of N5million with one surety each in like sum. The sureties must be civil servants not below salary grade level ten. The matter has been adjourned to September 21, 2017 for hearing. Meanwhile, the defendants are to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions. ***prbxselfnetwork***

BELL THE CAT (short story)

There was a grocery shop in a town. Plenty of mice lived in that grocery shop. Food was in plenty for them. They ate everything and spoiled all the bags. They also wasted the bread, biscuits and fruits of the shop.The grocer Mr. Sam got really worried. So, he thought "I should buy a cat and let it stay at the grocery. Only then I can save my things."Mr. Sam bought a nice, big fat cat and let him stay there. The cat had a nice time hunting the mice and killing them. The mice could not move freely now. They were afraid that anytime the cat would eat them up.The mice wanted to do something. They held a meeting and all of them tweeted "We must get rid of the cat. Can someone give a suggestion"?All the mice sat and brooded. A smart looking mouse stood up and said, "The cat moves softly. That is the problem. If we can tie a bell around her neck, then things will be fine. We can know the movements of the cat". "Yes, that is answer," stated all the mice. An old mouse slowly stood up and asked, "Who would tie the bell?" After some moments there was no one there to answer this question. ***prbxselfnetwork***

THE ROSY AFFAIR

Many, many years ago, in a kingdom far, far away there lived a beautiful princess. She had long red hair and loved roses so much thateveryone called her Princes Minny. Every evening after dusk, Princes Minny wentout on the balcony and clapped her hands. A golden bird came flying out ofnowhere and alighted on her shoulder. Instantly, the princess's hair began toshine, ablaze with brilliant red light. When the bird started to warble an enchanting tune, PrincessMinny joined it in a song, and everyone in the kingdom fell asleep and hadsweet dreams till the break of dawn. Thus passed the years. Every evening Princess Minny, alongwith the little golden bird, sang a loving lullaby, so that all people fellasleep and had sweet dreams till the break of dawn. Until one day something terrible happened. A wicked witchlearned about Princess Minny and decided to curse her. "Abracadabra,Sim-Sala-Bim, may the Minny 's color dim!" the witch said, and Princess Minny's hair instantly turned as black as tar. That evening, too, Princess Minny went out on her balconyand clapped her hands. But when the golden bird appeared, her hair glowed blackinstead of red. The bird warbled its enchanting melody, and Princess Rose sangher lullaby. Everyone in the kingdom fell asleep, but that night theyonly had bad dreams and nightmares. On the following day, the saddened princess asked the bird,"Tell me, golden bird, how can I make my people's dreams so sweet againtill the break of dawn?" "Black hair in rose water," the bird chirped inreply. The princess wondered at this counsel, but abided by it,nevertheless.         She filled up a basin with water and sprinkled rose petalson its surface. Then, she dipped her hair into the rose water, and it instantlyturned red again. That evening, when the bird perched on her shoulder, theradiant red glow of her hair lit up the night sky once more. The Princess Minnysang her lullaby, and everyone in the kingdom fell asleep and had sweet dreamstill the break of dawn. The wicked witch was so very angry that her curse had beenbroken that she decided to cast it again. "Abracadabra, Sim-Sala-Bim, may the Minny 's colordim!" And the princess's hair turned as black as tar again. Only this time the witch also picked up all of the roseblooms in the entire kingdom. "Let's see how you'll break my curse now!" shesneered, filled with rage. Once again, the saddened princess asked the bird, "Tellme, golden bird, how can I make my people's dreams so sweet again till thebreak of dawn?"   "Black hair in rose water," the bird chirped inreply. "But where should I find a rose?" "Black hair in rose water," the bird chirped andflew away.   The princess didn't know what to do. So great was heranguish that her eyes filled with tears, one of them falling to the groundbelow. At that very moment, a young and handsome prince Minky, who had stoppedunder the balcony of the princess, took out a little box and a single red hairfrom within it.   Prince Minky bent down and placed the hair atop theprincess's tear. And then, a miracle happened. Suddenly, the red hair turnedinto a red rose.   The prince Minky picked the rose and took it up to theprincess. Upon seeing the rose, she immediately brushed off her tears and pluckedits petals to add to the water in the basin. Then, she dipped in her hair, andthe curse was broken. Everyone gasped in astonishment, and the King asked theprince, "Young man, where did you find that red hair?" "When the princess and I were both children, I picked asingle strand of hair from her head as a sign of my loyalty to her. And she didthe same to me, pulling out a strand of my own hair."   "It's true, father," the princess confirmed andtook out a little box. She opened it to reveal a single hair from the prince'shead inside. Everyone was delighted with this news. The prince andPrincess Rose got married on that very same day. Upon learning that her curse had been broken again, thewicked witch's evilness swelled so much that she exploded into a thousand tinypieces. Eventually, rose blooms sprang up in every garden in the kingdom onceagain. And so it went: each evening Princess Minny sang her loving lullaby, sothat all people fell asleep and had sweet dreams till the break of dawn

CAMOUFLAGED THWACK (short story)

The snowball bounces off my shoulder and lurches me forward. My hands clutch the grocery bag as the knit cap I'm wearing catapults into a snow bank. I push my glasses up with a mitten-covered thumb. Left hand on not-so-narrow hip, I survey the neighborhood but see no one. Sun breaks through hazy clouds, and I squint against the reflective glare as my teeth pound out Beethoven's Fifth. Cap retrieved, I walk on booted heels as fast as the slippery sidewalk allows. This trip to my parents' house has been one big pain: I've maxed out my credit card on the airline ticket, plus I seem to be wearing a bull's eye on my jacket. The worst part though is that I turn thirty tomorrow, and Brad didn't come with me to Boston. Head down, thoughts run amok as I walk onto the shoveled driveway where my father's car announces it's cool down with a ping-ping-ping. I catch a movement out of the corner of my eye. Rusty, the family dog, is airborne. Front paws make contact and knock me backward into the piled snow. Pinned to the ground, my cheek contorts with each swipe of his rough, wet tongue. "Yuck! Get off me, you mangy mutt!" I manage to push the big lug away and struggle upright. Nose to snout, I say, "Don't you know a cat lover when you see one?" Rusty, aware I adore him despite my reprimand, takes another swipe at my nose and bounds off. Fuzz-covered mongrel, I think as I stagger to my feet. Thoughts of Brad persist. I remember his hopeful expression when he told me his ex-wife called. Brad and Tommy were crushed when she left, so how could Brad still have feelings for her? Mom says he may just need more time to rid himself of the past and that I'll push him straight into Julie's arms if I let jealousy get to me. It's hard not to be jealous, though, when he's chosen to spend my birthday with her. Zing! A second snowball whizzes past my head and smashes against the porch rail. I throw caution to the wind and haul up the stairs, but not before the child in me shouts, "Ha! You missed!" When I walk into the house, the difference in temperature renders me sightless. I lean against the closed door and remove my glasses to wipe them. My father looks up from his newspaper. "Hi, Pumpkin. Did you see me drive past you a little bit ago?" "No, but I've been a sort of preoccupied lately." "Talk about your understatement! Is everything okay?" His face is so filled with concern that I feel guilty for making him worry. So I tell him everything's fine, plant a kiss on his cheek, and head to the kitchen where the aroma of cinnamon fills the air. Mom's talking on her cell phone: "So it's where I suggested, and you're keeping an eye on it? Perfect!" She smiles and hangs up. "Hi, Mom." She jerks and blinks in quick succession. "Sorry; I didn't mean to startle you." I place the groceries on the counter. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but who's keeping an eye on what?" "Um, that was Peggy, next door. She's dog-sitting." I frown. "Glad I asked." Mom ignores me and begins to slice an apple for the pie. I grab a piece, dip it in the cinnamon sugar and pop it in my mouth. "You know, dear," she says. "I've thought about how you said Brad looked when he told you Julie invited him and Tommy over." I push my glasses up. "And?" "Well, dear, what if that 'hopeful' expression you described was for a different reason than you assumed?" "What do you mean?" "You've said Tommy misses his mother, right? What if Brad only wants Julie to re-establish herself in their son's life?" Even a whisper of truth in my mother's words makes my heart flutter. "You said he gave you a birthday present, didn't you?" I nod and pull a gift-wrapped box from my pocket. I fluff the bow then shake the package for the umpteenth time. "May I see it?" Mom asks and promptly imitates my actions. "Hmm, it's so lightweight." "Feels empty, doesn't it?" "It does! I'm surprised you haven't opened it yet." I hang my jacket on the coat rack by the back door and sigh. "I've been dying to, but Brad asked me not to open it until my birthday. I promised I'd wait until midnight, if I can stay awake that long." "Oh, go ahead and open it," she says. "I'm sure he won't mind!" I tear into the package to find it holds nothing but a cryptic note. I read aloud, "You'll find your gift on the nose of a frosty old man." I look at Mom. "What the heck does that mean?" "The only frosty old man I know, dear, other than your father," she says with a wink, "is in the front yard. Maybe you should check the snowman." Brow furrowed, I look closely at Mom's face. "What's going on?" She goes back to slicing apples. I yank my jacket on and stride out the kitchen and through the living room to the front door. Once outside, I slip and almost fall. Rusty spies my movements; tongue lolling, ears flying, the dog bounds straight for me. Unfortunately for him, my focus on the snowman is intense. Rusty leaps, and I do a half-twist side step out of his way. I watch him sail into a low snowdrift, then back out and give his body a vigorous shake. Silly dog, I think, as I chuckle and pat his head. Then I round the snowman's ample behind. There on the tip of Frosty's carrot nose is the most exquisite diamond ring I've ever seen. I feel my eyebrows lift. Glancing up, I see the smiling faces of my parents framed in the doorway. Smack! A snowball barrels into my backside. I whip around to confront ... Brad? My mouth drops open as I watch him step from behind our tree, sporting a sheepish grin. He gives a thumbs-up to my parents, who respond in kind. In that instant, I realize I've carried proof in my pocket all along, proof that I'm the one Brad wants – not-so-narrow hips and all! Overwhelmed, I fly into his arms and shower him with kisses. He laughs, pulls me close, and whispers, "I take it that's a 'yes'?"***prbxselfnetwork***