INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It can be very dangerous to put anything in your ear canal even something as seemingly harmless as olive oil or garlic unless a doctor has examined your ear canal and made sure there is no damage. Some risks include permanently damaging your hearing if the membrane is ruptured, likelihood of changing the local micro-biome, and possibility of causing additional inflammation. There are some natural remedies that may help to relieve ear pain, but as with any kind of complementary medicine, you should check with your doctor first. Keep in mind that ear oils should not be used on a ruptured eardrum which you likely will be unable to identify without seeing a doctor first. Ear oils can also make it harder for your doctor to examine your ear. Some natural remedies may end up causing irritation of the canal and therefore more pain/discomfort. Olive oil may help to relieve ear pain and treat an ear infection. Try putting a few drops of olive oil into your ear using a medicine dropper. Repeat the dosage a few times per day. If you do not have an ear dropper, then you can soak a cotton ball in some olive oil, squeeze out the excess oil, and then place the cotton ball into your ear. You can also infuse olive oil with different herbs to make this treatment more effective. Garlic. Garlic has antifungal properties. Mince a few cloves of garlic and allow it to sit in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 15 minutes. Then, pour the oil through a sieve to strain it before using. Ginger. Ginger has pain relieving properties. Mince about a teaspoon of fresh ginger and allow it to sit in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 15 minutes. Then, pour the oil through a sieve to strain out the ginger pieces before using. Applying an onion compress to your ear may also help to relieve ear pain caused by an ear infection. To make an onion compress, chop up a half of an onion and then fry it in some olive oil until the onion is soft. Then remove the onion from the heat and allow it to cool down to room temperature. When the onion is cool, place the onion in a cheese cloth or thin cotton towel. Secure the cloth or towel so that the onion is gathered in one spot and so that it will not fall out. Then, place the onion compress over your ear for about 10-15 minutes and allow the juices from the onion to run into your ear. Honey may also help to treat ear pain when used as an ear drop. Try using an ear dropper to put a few drops of honey into your ear a few times per day. If you are not comfortable creating your own ear oil or using kitchen items as natural ear drops, then you may want to consider purchasing a commercially produced natural ear oil. You can buy products that are already infused with herbs and that may help relieve your ear pain.

SUMMARY: See your doctor before attempting any of these remedies. Use olive oil. Make an onion compress. Put a few drops of honey in your ear. Try a commercial ear oil product.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Honeysuckle vines can grow quickly and spread out quite a bit during the blooming season. After the season is over, re-shape the plant to a more manageable size. During the first few years of growing a honeysuckle vine, refrain from cutting more than 1/3 of the stems. Cutting too many stems off of the plant can cause it to die. Disinfect pruning shears with rubbing alcohol or bleach to reduce the spread of pests and diseases. Use your hands or pruning scissors to remove any remaining brown leaves or flowers from the vine before you begin to shape it. This will give you a better idea of the size and shape of your vine and can draw your attention to areas where the vine needs more water, sunlight, or airflow. If one area has a lot of dead leaves, prune around the area with your scissors to increase light and air flow to that part of the vine. The top portion of the vine tends to be more tangled than the bottom, and cutting off stems here promotes growth later in the season. Cut only the tangled stems, and work slowly at the bottom of the vine. If you want to redirect the vine, trim more off of one side of the plant to encourage growth in the opposite direction. Avoid trimming any stems from the bottom of younger plants, as this "old growth" tends to support the plant. Without it, the vine might die. Leaf nodes are the part of a stem where the leaf begins to form from a "parent stem." Hold your scissors at a 45-degree angle at the node, and make a clean cut all the way across the stem. No matter where you're cutting, use this technique to prevent diseases and pests from overtaking the vine.

SUMMARY: Prune the vine lightly in the late summer to shape it. Pull off or trim any dead stems and wilted flowers before pruning. Remove tangled stems at the top of the vine. Use a pair of sharp pruning scissors to cut just above a leaf node.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: By providing support services to your employees, you can increase their happiness and help them be more satisfied members of your team. Support services can include psychological, social, medical, or other services. Consider: Providing superior compensation to what you currently offer. Providing your employees with health insurance that covers mental health. Allowing employees personal leave, time off, or adequate vacation. Appointing a manager or human resource officer whose job it is to hear workplace grievances and to deal with problems before they get out of control. Sometimes employees will make requests that may help to prevent them from becoming disgruntled. If you can accommodate an employee's wishes without compromising policies or profits of the company, then you may want to consider it. Make sure that you are honest with your employees about what types of accommodations are possible and what types are not. You should periodically review your employees' daily workload in order to make sure that their responsibilities are manageable. By making sure that your employees have manageable tasks, you'll take an important step in preventing your workforce from becoming disgruntled. Make sure some employees are not carrying the responsibilities of other employees. If they are, this could cause them to become unhappy. Make sure that your employees' daily obligations are not unreasonable or outside the scope of what is possible for them to complete. Consider increasing compensation if demands on the employee have increased and it is within the budget to do so. Showing appreciation for employees is another good way to prevent them from becoming disgruntled. Establish a mentor program for new or junior employees. Team them with more established employees that they can look to for guidance. Reward all employees when they meet a goal as a team. Always be positive to employees and encourage them to be positive to each other. If you think the employee will benefit, excel, or contribute to the organization in a different position, offer one to them. In the end, your employee may just be dissatisfied or feel unchallenged by their job. If you've determined the employee has a lot more potential and could improve the organization, promote them. Provide additional training for other positions within the company. If you think the employee is in the wrong division or department, transfer them to one in which they could excel. Always ask the employee their opinion before transferring or promoting them.

SUMMARY:
Provide support services. Try to accommodate your employees' wishes if possible. Give employees manageable tasks. Make sure every employee is appreciated. Promote and transfer intra-organization.