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The history of coffee dates back thousands of years, spans several continents, and had several different uses. Have you ever wondered where coffee came from? Most people think coffee was introduced to the world through South American countries. Its origins are however, from the other side of the World.

Coffee got its grounds in the Horn of Africa, in the country of Ethiopia. One of the stories behind the discovery of coffee states that an Arab traveling through Ethiopia noticed a flock of sheep that was unusually vigorous and alert. He noticed that the sheep were eating some sort of berries. Curious, he decided to try a couple of berries as well. After eating the berries, he too felt the same level of alertness as the sheep he observed.

There are a couple of other myths as to how coffee came about, but one thing remains constant. They all revolve around the nation of Ethiopia.

From Ethiopia, coffee made its way into the Muslim world. It was exported from Ethiopia, where it was discovered, to Yemen. From there the Muslims began experimenting and later exporting it to other countries.

Coffee was made into a brew in the Muslim world. Prior to that, it was mainly used as food. Even though Muslims are responsible for the dissemination of coffee to the world, it was met with protest. For a few years, coffee was actually banned by Muslim courts. Eventually, the popularity of the drink caused those courts to overturn the ban.

From Yemen, coffee was imported to Italy. It was marketed to wealthy Italians, and with steep prices. Again, coffee was met with protest from officials. But due to the popularity of the drink, it eventually found its way into the mainstream.

Continuing through the 15^{th century, coffee found its way into England. The English had a lucrative trade market with India. It was from there that England got its first imports of coffee.}

The next country to dabble in the coffee trade was France. France received a lot of goods such as sugar, chocolate, and tea from the Muslim world. By the End of the 15th century, Coffee was a staple in French cosine.

Fast-forward to the 16th century, and coffee finally found its way into the Americas. European settlers brought sprouts to the Caribbean. The climate was perfect for the growth of coffee trees and those sprouts began to produce a large number of coffee fruit bearing trees. Where as Muslims are credited with spreading coffee around much of the world, it was the French who introduced coffee to the Americas.

Coffee took a long and prosperous journey around the World. As it spread, so did new energy and vitality…

Feeling tired and sluggish? Are you depressed for no apparent reason? Is the stress in your life out of control? If you answered yes to these questions, you may benefit from quantum biofeedback.

What is quantum biofeedback? Quantum biofeedback is a system that consists of over ninety different state of the art programs. This system was designed by William Nelson, a NASA scientist and medical professor. It combines quantum physics with biology or “quantum biology”. The system has been studied, tested and researched for over 20 years.

There are many advantages to using quantum biofeedback. Some of these advantages include: gaining more energy, gaining a higher level of vitality, boosting your immune system, relief of pain, improving your memory, and reducing the level of stress in your life. It can even help you look younger!

In understanding health, it is important to note that a lot of the processes the body undergoes are electrical in nature. Think about your nervous system. Your backbone is the backbone of your body. It is surrounded by thousands and thousands of nerves that are constantly firing with each movement. Your brain works by firing little impulses that are equivalent to electrical impulses. This system simply makes the electrical impulses work in harmony the way they should work.

The more pressure that is put on the body the less efficient it works. This is especially important in relation to your immune system. The more stress your immune system has on it, the less able it is to fight diseases. Symptoms include fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, and depression just to name a few.

Quantum feedback works through a machine. The machine is connected to the person’s body by a headband, wristband, and ankle band. This procedure is very comfortable and non evasive. The machine is calibrated and then used to send little electromagnetic signals to the body.

Quantum biofeedback might be a brand new concept for you, but it is something you should consider if you are looking for a way to get your body back in balance. The thought of being hooked up to machines with electricity being shot through your body might sound like a torture device used in medieval times, but it is a great feeling rejuvenating device that is full of benefits for it’s users. With over 20 years of research, the quantum biofeedback system can improve the functionality of your entire body.

As business owners and HR managers we have to be extremely careful of who we hire.  We have a “duty” to protect our employees and clients, and the courts punish negligence by imposing huge fines.  Look at some of the examples below:

• A jury awarded the relatives of a teen-aged girl $6,500,000 against a pizza chain after a delivery driver raped her.
• A jury issued a $26.5 million dollar verdict against a health care facility.  A disgruntled employee killed two of his patients.  The man was an ex-felon (Ward, et al. vs. Trusted Health Resources, Inc).
• A Washington grocery store was found guilty in a case where an employee with a criminal history assaulted a customer while making a delivery.

According to the EEOC, you cannot refuse employment to someone based solely on a criminal record.  If you do, you can be suited by the applicant for large sums of money.  On the other hand, if you hire a person with a criminal record and he/she commits a crime while performing his/her job duties, your company can be held liable for damages ranging to the millions.  Your company lies in the hands of your applicants.  It is important to understand the implications of making an incorrect decision when you learn of your applicants’ criminal past.

The case examples sited above have a commonality with nearly all other negligent hiring cases brought before a judge.  The companies failed to do a background check before hiring workers.  Most companies that neglect to do background checks, do so because they are afraid they will find a criminal past and be held liable if that employee commits a crime on the job.  This is the wrong outlook.  It’s not what we know or don’t know about our employees, it’s what we SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.  It is your responsibility as business owners to know who you are hiring.  The Office of Homeland Security recommends background checks be done by all businesses for all positions being filled.

One in seven applicants has a criminal record.  It is only a matter of time before you find yourself in the position to make a decision based on the criminal information you have on an applicant.  It may be someone you really want to hire.  It may be someone with a criminal past that makes you fear for your life when the two of you are in a room alone.  Your hiring or not hiring that person must be in accordance with the EEOC and the rules it has brought forth.

The EEOC has made it clear denying some one based solely on criminal past without showing a business necessity is unethical.  The key term in the language of the EEOC is “business necessity”.  The following is the definition of a business necessity given by the EEOC:

“The employer must show that it considered these three factors to determine whether its decision was justified by business necessity:

•  The nature and gravity of the offense
• The time that has passed since the conviction and/or completion of the sentence
• The nature of the job held or sought”

This language prevents employers from advertising their job openings with terminology that states criminals should not apply for the position.  We live in a society where people make mistakes, sometimes illegal mistakes.  Once a person has completed his/her sentence, that person has, in essence, paid the penalty for that crime.  That person now has the right to become a productive member of society.   That does not mean every person is right for every position.  That is why you need to apply the definition of “business necessity” when making your decision.

Take a look at the three elements of the definition.  Each element has its own meaning.  We will expand deeper into each element to give you direction on applying these in your hiring decisions.

The nature and gravity of the offense.

The nature of the offense basically means the distinctive traits the offense carried with it.  Shoplifting, classified as theft, would have traits of theft and dishonesty.  Armed robbery would also have traits of dishonesty and theft, but violence would also be a distinctive trait.

The gravity of the offense refers to the seriousness of the crime.  Armed robbery is a very serious offense.  It carries with it a degree of violence.  A person who commits armed robbery is likely to be an aggressive, violent person.  On the other hand, theft has a very lower degree of gravity.  A person who steals is a dishonest person, but there is no violence portrayed in the crime.

The time that has passed since the conviction and/or completion of the sentence.

A criminal record search of an applicant should only be done for the past seven years.  As time passes from the time of the conviction it becomes more likely the person has changed and less likely he/she will commit the crime again.  A person that has one theft conviction from four years ago is probably a changed person.  A person released from his/her armed robbery sentence eight years ago, with no priors, has likely changed their ways.  This is where you would rely on past job references to better determine the habits of the applicants.

The nature of the job held or sought.

The nature of the job refers to the position and the tasks that are involved to perform the duties of that position.  Can the applicant perform his/her duties without causing harm to the company, employees, and clients?  This is an important element to consider when hiring for certain positions.  A person with a past conviction for child molestation would not be a good candidate for a part time Santa position.  A person with a conviction of rape or sexual assault would not be a good candidate for a car salesman.  He/she would be test-driving vehicles with females off company property with no supervision.  A person with DUI convictions would be unsuitable for a position that requires the applicant to make deliveries.  The list is endless.

In your business, you have either knowingly or unknowingly hired employees with criminal records. The ones you don’t know about are the ones that could potentially destroy you and your business. Start applying safe hiring practices to protect yourself, your business and your community.