Important Checks To Make To Your Health As You Get Older

My blog focuses on Health/Wellness. Our bodies change as we age as do our health considerations. Likewise, it is important to know what things you should look out for. The following contributed post is entitled, Important Checks To Make To Your Health As You Get Older.

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As you get older, your body is not getting any younger in its performance. We all don’t quite realize the impact age can have when it comes to our bodies. However, it’s important to remember that age is just a number and it doesn’t mean you should stop doing what you love doing once you hit a certain milestone.

However, there are some important checks to be mindful of as you get older to make sure you’re looking after your body. Preventative efforts are best made to ensure your health is at its best, especially as you get older. Let’s take a look at what some of those important checks should be.

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Cardiovascular and metabolic health

It’s important to keep an eye on your blood pressure, as this should be checked regularly to ensure it’s at an appropriate level. High blood pressure can often be symptomless, but it increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Regular tests to check LDL, HDL, and triglycerides are useful to help prevent atherosclerosis, as well as heart problems. Blood sugar is something to be mindful of, especially as the risk of Type 2 diabetes can be present in those of an older age.

Of course, a heart health check in the way of an ECG is important to check for arrhythmias or heart disease.

Organ and musculoskeletal function

Your organs and musculoskeletal functions are also important to monitor. Bone density scans are highly recommended for women post-menopause and men who are over 65 to help detect osteoporosis and also fracture risk.

Blood panels can help assess kidney and liver functions to see how well they’re performing. A thyroid function test is useful to do, as an underactive or overactive thyroid can result in fatigue and weight gain, which is common with age, too.

As well as all that, musculoskeletal assessments are good to do to test joint flexibility and muscle strength.

Cancer screenings

The big C word that no one wants to hear. Cancer screenings are a crucial part of checking up on your health, especially as you get older, and particularly in the case where there’s a family history of it.

From bowel cancer screenings to breast, prostate, and skin cancer checks. It’s good to be proactive and get booked in for any screenings you’re eligible for.

Sensory and cognitive health

Sensory and cognitive health is important to be mindful of, too, especially as you get older. A cognitive test helps spot the early signs of dementia or memory issues in general. Eye examinations are great for detecting glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

A hearing test is also useful to get done routinely to manage any age-related hearing loss and to ensure quality of life is maintained, too.

Preventive and general health

Preventative health is always important to lead with, and so getting any vaccinations regularly is helpful. Dental checkups help to prevent gum disease and tooth decay. Medication reviews are helpful to check for any side effects and interactions to ensure your medications are still required where applicable.

Prioritize your health now more than ever, especially as you start to climb the ladder of age.

The Importance Of Niche Marketing For Your Business

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Marketing is arguably the most important part of any business. As such you must plan for it and work out all the fine details. The following contributed post is entitled, The Importance Of Niche Marketing For Your Business.

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Niche marketing is important, especially when the business market and promoting yourself online have become incredibly competitive.

By utilizing niche marketing, you’re publicizing yourself to a smaller demographic, and therefore you’ve got a bit less in the way of competition and noise to contend with.

Let’s take a look at why niche marketing is so important for your business and how to embrace it for your own company this year.

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Why is niche marketing essential?

So what makes niche marketing so essential? Why embrace it as part of your overall marketing strategy?

By narrowing in on your focus, you move yourself away from a crowded and generalized market. You can become a dominant player instead by moving into a specialized, niche area. If you have the right niche, you could be one of only a few that you’re competing with, which means potentially more leads to convert to paying customers.

Targeting a niche often allows you to develop a deeper understanding and meet specific customer needs. This results in higher satisfaction and stronger loyalty to your brand as a result.

The use of specialized, expert, and targeted products is often perceived as being more valuable and, therefore, allows you to charge higher and more profitable rates as a result.

With specific niche marketing, like audiologist marketing, you’re reaching out to a specific group, which allows for a more focused and effective approach with marketing. It saves you money on broader, less targeted campaigns as a result.

Focusing on a niche allows your business to build deep knowledge and reputation as a leader, especially within that specific sector.

What are the benefits of niche marketing?

You’ve got some great benefits to niche marketing that can be effective to implement into your marketing strategy moving forward.

By addressing a very specific and often underserved need, it’s likely that your audience is more likely to convert as a result.

A tight focus will make it easier for others to understand what it is you do, and that can often result in better and more targeted referrals.

By having a narrow focus on marketing, you can simplify your operations and make business planning in general a lot more manageable.

Of course, it’s important to think about the risks that come with niche marketing. By having a smaller total addressable market, you may be limiting yourself by just relying on this type of marketing alone. You also run the risk of being vulnerable to niche-specific market shifts.

However, in order to achieve success, it requires deep market knowledge and ensuring that your niche is large enough to sustain this type of marketing effort, too. It’s a good idea to trial niche marketing, but also continue with campaigns that are more generic in their target audience.

Marketing is a powerful tool to take advantage of, regardless, so make use of niche marketing for your business this year.

Ear Infections: Signs And Symptoms To Watch Out For

My blog focuses on Health/Wellness. Our ears are critical organs to our quality of life. There are times when we will experience ear infections. The following contributed post is entitled, Ear Infections: Signs And Symptoms To Watch Out For.

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There’s a lot you can do to take care of your ears. Keep them clean, make sure you don’t stick q-tips into them, exercise and diet, and make sure you keep the noise down. All of these elements will help you to maintain a good level of hearing health over the years.

But ears can get infected, just like any other part of the body. The tricky thing about ears, however, is that an ear infection can be very sneaky. You might not even know you have one until you’re in desperate need of some antibiotics.

As such, it’s good to know the signs and symptoms of ear infections. A one-off case of them here and there is fine, but if you regularly deal with issues like these, you may need to get your ears checked out.

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Your Ears are Itchy

Itchy ears can be caused by a variety of things. A bit of sweat has rolled in, there’s a misplaced hair tickling something, or you’ve just randomly got an itch – all of these things happen!

But chronic itchy ears are a surefire sign something is a bit wrong. Get your ears checked out by a doctor to see if you’re also dealing with symptoms like excess ear wax or even discharge.

You’re Feeling Unbalanced

If you feel a bit dizzy when you stand up, or you feel a bit like you’re spinning when you move your head from side to side, it might not just be how tired you are or the fact that you’re a bit dehydrated.

Of course, make sure you drink enough water and get enough sleep, that’s always important. But you could also be dealing with an inner ear infection that’s affecting how well balanced you feel.

See an audiologist when you’re next available to, as you could be in need of balance disorder treatment here. Infections aside, if the crystals in your ear have become displaced, you could be dealing with this kind of vertigo for a long time to come.

Feeling Like Your Ears are Blocked

Ear blockages don’t necessarily feel like you’ve got something in there. Indeed, they don’t just happen during swimming or showering! They can feel a bit like your ears are heavy, or the area around your ears feel a bit stretched or swollen.

Even if you can’t see any physical signs, there could be an infection within the ear that’s to blame. And if you haven’t gotten any water trapped in your ears in the past 24 hours, it’s very unlikely that a dip in the pool or your regular morning shower is the culprit!

When you’ve got an ear infection, you might not know about it. Your ears might just be a bit itchy, or you feel like the wax is moving and you just need to wipe it out. In both cases, make sure you see a doctor if the problem keeps going on. Chronic itchiness and pressure should be taken seriously.

Clearing Space to Change How You WFH

My blog focuses on Career and Workplace Discussions. Some professionals still have the ability to work from home (WFH). Part of your effectiveness in WFH, is the proper usage of your space. The following contributed post is entitled, Clearing Space to Change How You WFH.

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Working from home can be a productive method for you if you treat it in a certain way and make some changes. For instance, you need a routine and a suitable space to get your job done. But how can you ensure the space is up to scratch? From making use of the vertical space in your office to digital workspaces, here are some productivity tips that some people swear by.

Purge Unnecessary Items

Getting rid of everything that doesn’t need to be there is a great start to clearing a space for improved productivity when working from home. Most people begin by deciding what to trash, donate, sell, and keep. If there is stuff you want to sell later on, then short term furniture storage provides a safe space for later access. Between now and then, it is also a good idea to remove anything that doesn’t actively contribute to how well you can do your job at home.

Optimize Vertical Space

Most people would argue that they already don’t have enough floor space, and working from home can impact the limits of a room. However, it may not be suitable to work at a cramped corner, and you definitely don’t want to work at the kitchen table or on the living room couch. But if space is limited after sorting it out, you can always use vertical space. This is space on the walls and doors that can hold what you need, such as organisers, calendars, and screens.

Change How You WFH with Cable Management

Cable management doesn’t just help a space look tidier; it is a safety issue, too. In the UK alone, over 3,000 electrical fires are directly related to messy cables. They can also use more power when not managed, but good management can help you be more sustainable with your tech habits moving forward. Cable ties, underdesk adhesives, and desk racks are common and can help bunch cables together so you never have to worry about tripping over them again.

Go Paperless with Digital

The paperless office concept isn’t anything new and has been around since the 1980s. However, even today, most people still rely on traditional office methods, such as printed materials. But there really isn’t a need for these today, and they can get in the way when space is limited. You can request digital-only materials from contacts such as suppliers, service providers, and even your boss, reducing the amount of clutter that builds up at your workspace.

Reset the Space at Day’s End

Being your own boss with remote work is only as rewarding as you make it, and you must develop healthy habits for working from home. If you don’t, it will impact your personal wellness, work ethic, and ultimately, the quality of what you do. Even something as simple as resetting your workspace at the end of the day gets you into a responsible pattern. Removing paper, setting accessory positions, and wiping surfaces helps keep the workspace more inviting.

Summary

Purging unnecessary items from a workspace or office will help change how you WFH for the better. However, addressing cables helps keep the place tidy and safe, while something as simple as an end-of-day reset keeps your workspace more inviting and comfortable.

Breaking Free: Overcoming the Most Common Vices

My blog focuses on Health/Wellness. A major key to success in life is controlling and freeing yourself from your addictions and vices. The following contributed post is entitled, Breaking Free: Overcoming the Most Common Vices.

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Human nature is complex and also fascinating, and people around the globe face their own set of personal struggles. One such vice that often hampers growth, health, and relationships is procrastination or unhealthy indulgences. In this blog, we will look at some of the most common vices with an eye toward how breaking free from them can be worth your while.

Image by Elias from Pixabay

Procrastination: The Productivity Killer

Procrastination is the silent killer of productivity. What may start off as “just five more minutes” can quickly turn into hours wasted and tasks unfinished. Procrastination thrives on instant gratification as people choose leisure over responsibility. Its negative consequences impact not only your work and personal goals but also create anxiety, guilt, and stress over unmet deadlines. To break this habit requires cultivating discipline, setting realistic goals, and using tools such as time-blocking for focus. Conquering procrastination is less about working harder and more about working smarter.

Overindulgence in Food and Alcohol

Overeating and excessive alcohol consumption are both serious vices that negatively affect your physical health and mental well-being. Fast food, sugary treats, and binge drinking may temporarily lift your spirits but often lead to obesity, diabetes, and liver complications in the long term. This urge often stems from stress, social pressures, or emotional coping mechanisms. The solutions include adopting healthier nutritional habits while looking for healthier methods of stress management, such as yoga, meditation, or hobbies.

Smoking: A Persistent Obstacle

Despite years of awareness campaigns to curb smoking rates, millions still struggle with giving up this addiction that impacts their physical and financial well-being. Nicotine addiction makes quitting hard. However, quitting will significantly decrease chronic disease risks, improve your lung function, and boost your quality of life. Options such as nicotine replacement therapy or support groups can provide the needed boosts toward quitting for good.

Gambling: Risking It All

What may initially seem harmless can quickly turn into a destructive vice, with its thrill of winning and fear of loss creating an addictive cycle that leads to financial stress and strained relationships. There are various methods on how to stop gambling, such as counseling sessions, joining groups like Gamblers Anonymous, or using apps that block tempting websites. Turning this destructive habit into responsible financial behavior will serve your long-term goals better.

Screen Addiction

Life is full of screens, from smartphones to streaming platforms, and many unknowingly fall into the habit of overusing them. Spending hours scrolling social media feeds or binge-watching series leads to sleep deprivation, reduced productivity, mental exhaustion, loneliness, and inadequacy. To combat these effects, it begins by setting boundaries such as “tech-free zones” and replacing screen time with activities such as reading books or spending time outdoors.

Conclusion

Overcoming vices requires awareness, effort, and resilience, and these three traits are important for long-term success. But breaking away from them doesn’t just involve ending bad habits. It means making space for healthier and more fulfilling living experiences. Small, consistent steps taken with support can turn the pursuit of change into an immensely fulfilling journey. The ultimate victory lies within.

How To Put Breakdowns On The Back Burner In Your Warehouse

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re running a warehouse, one of your costs will be the operations of your machinery and vehicles. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Put Breakdowns On The Back Burner In Your Warehouse.

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In business, we often talk about the steep costs of downtime, but we tend to do so by thinking solely about our online systems. That makes a lot of sense considering that cybersecurity risks are one of the main reasons why businesses find themselves unable to function, but it pays to remember that downtime can also impact other operational areas, such as your warehouse. And this tends to be every bit as expensive as finding yourself offline.

In fact, with hidden warehouse downtime costs including everything from lost labor to supply chain disruptions, this is an issue that could quite literally stop production in its tracks. As such, while downtime-related customer losses might not be as obvious this way, you can guarantee they’ll come, on top of high-cost issues like the need for equipment repair.

That’s an obvious issue, but remember that preventing downtime in your warehouse isn’t as easy as installing antivirus software and strengthening website functions. Instead, you’ll need to get proactive about putting breakdowns on the warehouse back burner in these key ways.

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1 – Always Monitor and Maintain Equipment

As a manager who likely spends most of your time in the office, it’s all too easy to forget about what’s happening in your warehouse. But, guess what? Forgotten equipment is far more likely to malfunction, leaving both warehouse employees and general production at risk.

As such, your first step towards avoiding costly downtime is to simply prioritize equipment monitoring and maintenance, which should ideally include daily basic checks as well as more detailed oversight and maintenance precautions each month. These checks should include simply looking for obvious wear, and replacing damaged parts, as well as conducting thorough test-runs, fuel checks, and anything else that’s likely to keep that piece of equipment ticking over.

2 – Understand Voltage Requirements

While there are various reasons for warehouse downtime, issues like overheated or overloaded equipment tend to be right up there as a leading cause. At the very least, equipment that’s working under electrical strain will need time to cool down before it works again, while these issues can often lead to total breakdowns and the dreaded need for equipment replacements.

This is why it’s worth taking the time to calculate the voltage requirements of each piece of equipment in your warehouse with the help of a trained electrician, who can guide you towards additions, including AC/DC power supplies, surge protectors, and circuit breakers that can each help reduce the risks of expensive overloads.

3 – Put Precautions in Place

As mentioned, precautions like surge protectors can help with the functioning of individual pieces of equipment, but broader precautions are another important element of business. Having a backup generator in place and testing it regularly to ensure functionality can make a big difference if your power supplies ever fail you.

Further precautions might also include choosing equipment based on the unique environment of your warehouse (humidity, cold temperatures, etc.). This makes it more likely that your equipment will survive, and that your warehouse will, therefore, thrive!

Why Leveraging Tech Heavily Reduces The Administrative Burden In Healthcare

My blog focuses on Technology. Technology is impacting all sectors of business and society. With the healthcare sector historically highly administrative, technology is a real game changer. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Leveraging Tech Heavily Reduces The Administrative Burden In Healthcare.

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Most modern businesses come with a heavy administrative load, and the healthcare business world is no different. Jobs like billing, scheduling, and documentation can consume many hours and a lot of energy. By leveraging technology strategically, healthcare providers can automate tasks and improve communication across every department. Staff members are then free to focus on patients and more pressing matters. Here, we’re going to talk about how leveraging technology heavily reduces the administrative burden:

Automated Scheduling

With digital scheduling platforms, clinics can easily manage appointments and cancellations. Patients will receive automated notifications and confirmations. This significantly reduces no-shows and enhances the experience for everyone involved. Staff members won’t have to worry about these tasks, which means they can focus on more pressing issues throughout the year. Patient information becomes accessible in real time when electronic health record systems are working well. Duplication and errors are reduced, and staff members can get a complete view of patient interactions. Scheduling issues are fairly common in the healthcare world; automated systems can flag these conflicts and resolve any kind of awkward scheduling situation. Automated scheduling tools reduce the stress and burden many staff members feel, which means everyone will be able to operate at their best.

Billing And Claims Issues

When it comes to time-consuming and aeroplane tasks, managing insurance claims is right up there with the most frustrating jobs. Delays and rejected submissions are common. With digital billing systems, you are able to automate submissions and flag inconsistencies quickly. Avoidable mistakes no longer happen, and staff do not have to chase paperwork. Automated platforms can also generate reports for financial analysis. This means administrators can optimize operations and forecast cash flow with a higher degree of accuracy. With a few human beings having to do these jobs, human error is significantly decreased, ensuring accurate billing. Streamlining these processes means clinics automatically have better financial management and can achieve faster reimbursements. Staff members all over can focus mainly on patients and not on frustrating formalities.

Centralized Records And Tools

Electronic health record systems consolidate many different pieces into one accessible platform. The likes of patient data and treatment histories do not have to be accessed in different places. Modern healthcare companies benefit immensely from the systems, as a unified software will ensure that treatment notes and consultations are captured comfortably. When providers are able to see the whole picture in one area, decisions will become more accurate, and everyone across departments will become more organised.

It’s not just records that become easier to deal with. Effective technology supports learning across entire teams, too. The right tech will do so by helping clinicians to stay up-to-date with certain treatments. For instance, immersive training solutions built by those at Infuse Med will provide teams with three visualisations and scenario-based learning. Errors are heavily reduced, and confidence grows. By integrating records with training systems, clinics can easily support higher levels of care. Staff can focus on patient outcomes and not on chasing information or updating systems.

How to Make the Most of Your Land

My blog focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The agricultural sector is a cornerstone of our economy and societies. Land management is an important part of this sector. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Make the Most of Your Land.

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If you are somebody who has a lot of land to manage, then you may start to wonder exactly what you should be doing with it. You may have bought a property that came with a lot of land, or you may have inherited it. Either way, you may be wondering how you can make the most of it. After all, it is quite a blessing to have a lot of land to work with, but you still need to be able to use it in the right way.

1. Keep it Well-Maintained

The first thing that you need to do here when you are keen on making the most out of the land that you have, is to ensure that it is well kept. One thing about land is that it can very much continue to grow even if we aren’t watching it. Before you know it, it may be overgrown and unusable. So, regardless of what your intentions are, it’s really important that you can look after it well.

2. Clear it Out

However, it may be the case that the sheer size of the land makes it quite hard for you to manage yourself, or it may have become overgrown. When this is the case, you may benefit from procuring brush clearing services to help you. That way, you can clear out the land and ensure that it is then ready to use.

3. Use It

Once your land is clear, or if it is in good shape from the beginning, you can then think about using it. It may be the case that you want to start your own garden and landscape it. Maybe you want to use it as a working farm or to grow your own crops and vegetables. Either way, using the land that you have can be one of the best ways to make the most out of it.

4. Build on It

However, if you are not keen on the idea of using the land and turning it into some kind of garden or working farm, you may also like the idea of building on it. Of course, for this, it is really important that you get the right permits and authorisation from the local authorities. However, it may be the case that you want to add an additional dwelling on your property for family members or add things like a barn or commercial outbuildings. Of course, you could also build a property on the land to sell to another buyer.

5. Sell Section of It

Finally, you could also look to sell some of your land, too. If you know that you have such a vast amount of land, you may be a little bit overwhelmed by it. It could be the case that there’s just too much for you to keep on top of, particularly if you don’t have a working farm. You may find that you’re actually spending more money to maintain it and keep it in good shape, or that some of it is getting damaged. When that’s the case, looking to sell it off to your local town council or even to any interested developers could be more suitable for you.

How Black History Has Shaped Our World

My blog focuses on General Education and Black History. Many ethnic groups have made contributions to society. Black History has been a key component of the world as we know it. The following contributed post is entitled, How Black History Has Shaped Our World.

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Black history is not a side note in the story of society. It is woven into the foundations of law, culture, politics, business, and everyday life. Too often, though, it gets reduced to a handful of famous names or a single month on the calendar. The truth is far richer and far more complex. It is a history shaped by struggle, courage, innovation, leadership, and an ongoing push for fairness and equality.

When you look at history through a legal lens, you begin to see just how much has changed over time. Laws that once excluded and discriminated have been challenged and overturned. Courtrooms that once denied opportunity have slowly opened their doors wider. None of that progress happened by accident. It happened because individuals and communities demanded justice, stood firm in the face of resistance, and worked tirelessly to reshape the systems around them.

Milestones in Black history are not just symbolic moments. They represent real shifts in power, access, and representation. Each breakthrough builds on the ones that came before it, creating momentum that carries forward into future generations.

This infographic highlights key moments and achievements that reflect that journey. By laying them out clearly and visually, it helps connect the dots between past and present. Take a moment to explore it below and see how these defining moments continue to shape the world we live in today.


Infographic by the Winder Law Firm

Is Your Business Still Not Visible Enough?

My blog focuses on Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what your product or sector is, potential customers and leads have to know about it. Thus it in large part always goes back to marketing. The following contributed post is entitled, Is Your Business Still Not Visible Enough?

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Is your business still not visible enough on the market? Do you feel as though you have tried pretty much everything that you can, but you’re still not seeing the results that you need? We know that this is annoying, and we know that there are going to be times where you want to give up because it’s just not going your way, but you need to keep pushing forward.

In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should try if this is the case because we know it’s hard, but we also know it’s doable. So, let’s look into it.

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Signage

The first thing that we’re going to be looking at is signage for your company. If you don’t have the right signage for your company, this is going to be a huge issue because nobody is going to know who you are, or if they do, they’re not going to like what they see. For example, if your signs look like they are super old, not taken care of, and generally run down, this isn’t going to work out well for you. It gives a poor first impression, which is not what you need.

So, ideally, you need to be looking into finding a sign company that can create the perfect sign for outside of your business building, to attract people. It needs to be on brand with the rest of your company, and it needs to stand out.

SEO

For some reason, there are people out there who don’t think that SEO is important for business, and that’s exactly why they are not as visible as they would like to be. The SERPs are hugely important to visibility, so you need to take this seriously.

Working with a professional is probably the best way to go about this, but you can also take the time to learn about the different types of SEO yourself. The more that you learn, the easier it will be for you to understand what is going on, but working with a professional will give you that extra edge.

Improved Website

The final thing that we’re going to recommend is that you work on improving your website. Your website is one of the most important elements of your business, and you need to make sure that it’s up to standard. If it isn’t, you will have a massive bounce rate and a low conversion rate.

As such, hiring a web design professional will ensure that you have a functional, and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. This is what you need, and if this is not the case for your site right now, your professional will help you make sure that it is going forward.

Hopefully you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be trying if your business isn’t visible enough. It’s not always going to be an easy process, but one that you can get through.