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  • Am I Ordained To Marry?

    Am I Ordained To Marry?

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    One common question people ask us during counseling is whether they are ordained to marry or not. Few weeks ago, a sister walked up to me to ask if she was ordained to marry or not. I asked why she thought so. She said, her pastor taught them that it is written in Matthew 19:12 that some people were made to be eunuchs and therefore, not everyone is expected to marry. And now she was worried because of the series of disappointments she had experienced in her relationships. When I asked her whether they were equally taught how to differentiate between both groups she said that was why she came to ask me. I said she should have gone to her pastor to ask but she said she would not because they were more interested in how many souls they had won to Christ than their marital plans.

    Her vehement refusal to go to her pastor for counsel was a clear indication that she had gone through some elements of frustration. I don’t know how many people are in the same situation today. All I know is that someone will be free from this bondage today.

    Before I address the core issue, let me tell you that Christianity is a balanced relationship. The same God that says he that wins a soul is wise also says marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral, (Hebrew 13:4 NIV). The practice of holding back mature adults in church from marriage because you don’t want to lose them to other churches or distract them from actively engaging in church growth is unbalanced and unhealthy for the growth you desire. Marriage is an honor before God. It brings glory to God. Anyone that desires to marry should be encouraged before they begin to defy themselves right under your pulpit.

    My counsel is that while encouraging them to continue winning souls they should also be counseled on the right way to find the right kind of spouse and the right way to marry. Teach them to let their marriage become a plus to the church instead of minus. If you alone could chase one thousand souls, let you and your spouse join in marriage to chase after ten thousand souls.

    Matthew 19:12 says: ” For there are some eunuchs, who were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, who were made eunuchs of men; and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it let him receive it.”

    The above scripture clearly defines the three categories of eunuchs. Our point of emphasis here shall be on those born eunuchs from their mothers’ womb. The other two are those forced into it and those that became so by their choice.

    When God created man in His image and likeness, He decreed that he should go into the world and multiply. That declaration is for you and me. The only approved way to achieve this multiplication is to marry legally and keep the matrimonial bed holy. You don’t need an angel to whisper into your ears that it is time to marry. The rules are there in the bible. That is not our focus for today anyway.

    Take example from Abraham, the father of faith. He didn’t need any prophecy to discern whether his son Isaac, needed a wife or not. All he needed was simple wisdom drawn from the Word of God. God told him during his call that through him the earth shall be populated with His new generation of children. He settled it in his mind to get a wife for Isaac to make that calling and purpose come to fruition. At the appointed time, he sent his servant, Eleazar to go to his kindred to get a wife for Isaac. You know the rest of the story in Genesis chapter twenty-four.

    God designed man with all the features required to perform all that He wants him to do on earth in the same way a manufacturer will not put his products in the market place without the inbuilt features to function. Signs of puberty, sexual emotions and strong attraction towards the opposite sex are some indicators that you are ordained to marry. When His due season is near, He begins to impress His desires in your spirit for onward transmission to these dormant sexual potentials in you and suddenly you will awaken to certain pressure in that direction. The bible says, ” it is God who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure”, Philippians 2:13. Marriage is one of the good things that bring pleasure to God. When you start feeling the urge or willingness to get married just know God has begun this good work in you. Anybody that has this urge or desire to marry is one of those God has ordained to marry. Period!

    To become a eunuch or to marry is your choice. God has given you the free will to decide it. He will not choose or impose any one on you. Apostle Paul chose not to marry because he wanted to use his life to serve God and not because God said he should not. His case should not become a doctrine to dissuade people from fulfilling God’s purpose for their lives. He even admonished anyone that is unable to bear it to marry instead of burning in lust. If you choose to live a life of celibacy or choose to marry as you have desired, God is pleased with you. Do not allow previous disappointments dissuade you or make you start thinking that it might be that you are among the chosen eunuchs. You are ordained! If things are not working well, find out what you have not been doing right, keep correcting and working on yourself so God can connect you with the right kind of spouse.

    However, it does not mean you should rush into anyone because God has willed it so for you. There is period to find the right kind of spouse and there is time for preparation. My stake here is to let you know that these signs put you in the category God has ordained to marry. You do belong to the group of those made eunuchs from their mother’s womb.

    Parents should watch out for these signs in their children and wards. When these signs begin to show up, it is a signal to parents to start preparing their children or wards for the next phase of their lives. Unfortunately, many parents and guardians around these children do not always prepare them on time, and sometimes they misdirect them through wrong information. We owe the upcoming generation this responsibility as guardians. Those who fail at this level of parenting always regret it because late stitches steal real good time.

    Those made eunuchs from their mother’s womb do not have and will never have the urge to get married because they do not have the features in them. I do not mean those incapacitated by sickness, diseases and infirmities like down syndromes, depression or paralysis. These are healthy and virile folks who are repugnant to the site of the opposite sex. They never have any amorous feelings towards the opposite sex even when they are both nude in a secret room.

    Whether we choose to marry, remain single or born incapacitated, it does not make us sinners or better before God. He loves all of us equally, but it will please Him to see us fulfill His desires for us. I have cleared the obstacles before you. The onus is now on you to decide what you want. Apostle Paul chose not to marry because it was his choice. Apostle Peter did not divorce his wife because of God’s work, yet God accepted them all. Decide your case by yourself.

    Remain Blessed!

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    Source by Christopher UI Ogholoh

    Views: 0

  • How Online Entrepreneurs Can Make Money Online With a Website

    How Online Entrepreneurs Can Make Money Online With a Website

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    Starting an online business can be freeing if the entrepreneur knows what they are doing. But what does a new entrepreneur do if they are not experience in online business? The key to an online business is to leverage how to make money online with a website.

    The online business website is the heart of any Internet-based business and all detailed pertaining to the website need to be handled with care. Therefore, online business owners should take special care to create a website in a profitable market (also known as a niche), market the website properly using traffic generating techniques and have calls for action so that consumers will follow through with purchases.

    Read on for a break down of the previous steps for more detail.

    Selling products using your website

    Online entrepreneurs have millions of online products that can be marketed that will translate into paid commissions. Companies like Amazon, Wal-Mart and Target use affiliate marketers to help promote their products and drive Internet traffic to their web pages. It is common for online entrepreneurs to earn commissions If a purchase is made, because a consumer clicked through to the Amazon page through the entrepreneurs marketing web page.

    Decide on a market or niche

    Now it is time to decide what type of products the online entrepreneur would like to market in. The online marketer will decide what specific market they are going to operate in. For this article, let’s say the online entrepreneur chooses helping coaches find the right baseball gear for their teams. Many of the major retails deal in baseball gear and have affiliate marketing programs that online entrepreneurs can take advantage of.

    Create a website

    At this point the online entrepreneur will create a website that will be used to market various baseball products through affiliate links to the retailers’ home site. The website should be clean and be in a layout that is suited for the consumer to find information easily.

    Drive traffic to the website

    Here is where the online entrepreneur would need to decide. Should organic traffic techniques be utilized through SEO optimization? Or should traffic be sent to the marketing website using pay-per-click technique. The pay-per-click would be the fastest way to get traffic to the website. The problem with pay=per-click is that sending traffic to the website can be expensive. Most online entrepreneurs choose the route of getting free traffic using SEO Optimization. Building traffic through SEO takes time.

    Convert traffic to purchases

    Now that the online entrepreneur has traffic, it is time to convert that traffic in to purchases. This is where the vendor weblinks come into play. The goal is to tweak your SEO Optimization so that most visitors are wanting to buy. Work on the SEO content to get your purchase-to-traffic conversion rate to 20%. That is the low end of what a conversion rate should be for a niche webpage. Try to get higher if possible.

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    Source by Douglas Quinn

    Views: 0

  • Here Is Your Affiliate Marketing Check List

    Here Is Your Affiliate Marketing Check List

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    Affiliate marketing is a way for a merchant to partner with independent marketers and pay them commissions for promoting his/her products or services.

    When you sign up for an Affiliate Program, normally they cost nothing to join, you will be allocated

    a special link (That is your Affiliate Link) for that product or service. This is a link or code that will help you and the merchant track the number of clicks and purchases and of course it tells the merchant who should be paid commissions.

    To set up and start an affiliate marketing business you will have to decide what will be suitable for you as a way to promote.

    Is it via a website,a blog,social networks or perhaps You Tube?

    My recommendation is either a website or blog. On your blog or your site you can write permanent posts and pages that contain affiliate links.

    On your blog or website you will be describing,reviewing,recommending and making clear the advantages of buying the product or services that you are promoting. Whatever you write,somewhere within the text needs to be your affiliate link so that when anybody thinking of making a purchase clicks on that link and buys it is your affiliate details that are provided to the merchant thereby enabling your commission payment.

    You now need to get people to read what you have written on your website or blog, you get traffic to the site, attract visitors.

    A lot of people when they are first starting do not know what to say to secure an audience.

    If you write content in a way that gives useful information to your readers and that describes the products in an appealing way they are more likely to want to buy them. The more specific and reliable content that you are able to produce the more interest you are creating.

    Interest builds you a following and that often converts to buyers then before you know it, you’re earning money for every visitor that clicks on your affiliate link and buys a product or a service that you promote.

    You will be wise to build yourself an email list so that you use e-mail marketing to further connect with your audience and inform them of your new content and offers.

    Building your email list is yet another subject and there are many strategies that need to be explored in detail.

    Advice on this can be found all across the internet.

    Get started with your Affiliate marketing business today, good luck but remember, never give up!

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    Source by Brian Potter

    Views: 0

  • How To Write An Excellent Sales Letter In Two Hours

    How To Write An Excellent Sales Letter In Two Hours

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    You wish to have the ability to write a fantastic sales letter. If you’re able to write excellent copy, then you’re ready to make more money and develop your client base. You are snowballing that by short-term success into long-term success.

    That is not sufficient for you, however. You do not only wish to have the ability to compose outstanding sales copy. You want to have the ability to produce an excellent sales copy in a brief moment. The simple truth is that you respect individuals who will very fast knock copy that converts.

    What is the secret to writing exceptional backup? Is it possible to write an excellent copy in just two hours? Can you compose a superb backup is much less than two weeks? You indeed can.

    I’m likely to let you know the specific method you’re able to follow along with getting things completed. But first, let us discuss why you will have the ability to earn this happen and how it’s potential.

    When most men and women sit down to compose backup — mainly if they are not copywriters’ — there is a certain quantity of anxiety and intimidation that from the beginning. They assume it is likely to be a complex and lengthy procedure.

    There is also the simple fact it may take a while to understand the intricacies of writing backup. You can not escape from the simple fact that it is both an art and a science. There is a particular something there which makes the backup convert not.

    Thus, you begin with this anxiety and this feeling that perhaps you are in over your mind. You are attempting to recall all of the bits which you have discovered, whether you have written copy earlier or not.

    Many individuals can also be highly ineffective. Even if they understand how to write copy and also have done so many times, it is most likely the case that the correct procedure is inefficient.

    Whether you have never written copy before or you have written heaps of sales letters previously, it may be taking you weeks to compose a bit of text which should only take a couple of hours.

    If you would like to write a copy in only two weeks, then you need to streamline your procedure. You are likely to reduce the fluff in regards to writing copy. You will focus just on the bits of writing copy that issue. You will stick to a structure (or create your own) which permits you to hit the most vital elements of this backup.

    You are going to be after a template. When I say’ template,’ that does not mean that your copy will be dull or dry or look formulaic, even though you’ll technically be after a formulation. The frame, or procedure, you operate from will permit you to open your imagination. Talk to your audience when making sure that you hit all of the’replicate’ things you want to hit.

    The simple fact is there are particular copy components we all know work once it has to do with writing sales letters. These are demonstrated to convert again and again– they are what we call ‘time-examined.’ That means you will utilize these time tested components on your copy for a matter of course while being inventive and enthused with the way you phrase the letter into your viewers.

    To Assist the Reader, You Need to Understand that the Reader

    If you are going to compose a letter for two hours and assist your reader, then you need to comprehend your reader. Here is something which you can do inside a couple of hours. However right, comprehensive comprehension is something that will take place over time.

    Become part of this conversation online forums, social media, and site comment locations.

    Read what they must write. Pay attention to comments become heated and excited. Pay careful focus on breaking the things which are most important for this crowd.

    Notice what the individuals of the audience are keen on purchasing — and why. What exactly is the driving force behind that? What are the most critical problems?

    You need to understand their most pressing issues — the things which are on their thoughts all of the time. Know their pain points and the lengths they are prepared to go to fix those pain points.

    You ought to be aware of how they have reacted to other goods available on the industry.

    You ought to have your finger on the pulse of what is happening and feel like you understand your crowd, such as the back of your hands.

    Try this a bit daily.

    If you sit down to write a sales letter, then imagine your audience is one individual on the mind. Compose a letter for this individual. Write a fervent letter made to emphasize their difficulty, the journey you have been on your own, which relates to their problem. The precise, perfect answer you are offering them with an offer that they can not pass up as it is so remarkable.

    At this time you know this individual, and it is a personable correspondence, which means that your conversions will be through the roof?

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    Source by Jean Taylor

    Views: 0

  • 5 Reasons to Schedule DFW On Site Drug Testing

    5 Reasons to Schedule DFW On Site Drug Testing

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    Scheduling DFW on site drug testing may seem like a lot of work to go through. However, it has a variety of benefits. Knowing why you should schedule this will make it easier for you to spend the money and enjoy the convenience.

    Not Everyone has Reliable Transportation

    You want to make sure you eliminate as many excuses as possible as to why someone couldn't conduct their test on time. Unfortunately, not everyone has reliable transportation and therefore it may be too much for you to ask for people to go to a lab. The moment you ask people to do things on their own time, you will start to see diminished participation.

    The better solution is to offer on-site drug testing where people are already on premises. You can simply send them in to be drug tested when they have been randomly selected.

    Ensure Full Compliance

    You need to be sure you are in full compliance with all rules and regulations. Particularly with the DOT, on-site drug testing is preferred simply because it rules out various issues. You can have an MRO conducting the tests and maintaining full confidentiality with the records. It also means that the tests pass through fewer hands, which makes it easier for you to track the tests throughout the entire process.

    Eliminate Tampering

    You know who your employees are, and therefore you don't have to worry about any kind of tampering. If they are on your premises, you know that they are where they are supposed to be. If you don't offer on-site testing, you can never be too sure whether it's your employees going in for the drug test or if they have someone else do it for them. Additionally, you don't know how legitimate the drug testing site may be – and you need to eliminate any potential tampering issues.

    Appear More Professional

    You are going to appear more professional when your drug testing is on-site. It keeps your employees happier because they don't have to go anywhere besides your facility. They also don't have to do anything on their own personal time.

    When the drug testing is conducted on-site, you also get to stay more organized in terms of the results and all of the employee records.

    Faster Results

    On-site testing is also known to be much faster than if you were to use a third-party lab. Faster results are of the utmost importance because you don't want to keep your candidates waiting nor do you want to run the risk of employees being out on the roads when they have tested positive for drug use.

    There are plenty of reasons why you should be scheduling DFW on-site drug testing. It doesn't have to be any more complicated than you make it out to be. You will be able to save time, money, and be more professional when you have the tests conducted on-site. Additionally, you stay compliant and get faster results.

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    Source by Jeff Weigang

    Views: 0

  • Shop Smart & Save Money 2019

    Shop Smart & Save Money 2019

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    In this eCommerce era, it has become possible to find the best deals using a smartphone or a laptop, and get it shipped to your doorstep. It also became possible to score deals in stores, online and through apps.

    There are 3 ways to shop smart and save money in 2019, before buying, while buying and after purchase.

    1-How to save money before buying an item?

    When I find a product I want or need, the first step is to decide whether to purchase it online or in store. Then what store or online platform offers the best quality to price ratio. I also look at some elements that I believe to be very important before making any purchase:

    -Shipping Policy: It’s important to know if a price tag online comes with free shipping or if the customer is responsible for this cost.

    -Return Policy: It’s also important to find out if a seller or a shopping platform offers free returns or not. With a free return policy in place, the seller will pay for the return shipping cost if the customer doesn’t like the item received.

    -Location: Where is the item you are purchasing being shipped from? The items origin location will determine how long it should take for your item to arrive. However there are a lot of online sellers that use the drop shipping method. When the consumer purchases, the seller (who doesn’t have the item on hand) then has the manufacturer or a 3rd party entity ship the item to the customer. These items are usually being shipped from overseas from countries like China, which will take a lot longer for the for the item to arrive. If you are OK waiting that long for shipping it makes no sense to go through a drop shipper, you could pay less by going directly to Alibabba or ALiexpress websites.

    Following are some ways I use to score some good deals

    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

    Shop & Save Money

    -Goodwill Outlet Store

    Goodwill Outlet is a good example of a store that I never visited before 2018. Now I can go there and buy as many items as I want for very cheap, and if I’m lucky enough that day, I can find some brand name items, to keep or resell online. I can pay up to $1.49 for a pound of clothes (prices vary depending upon location). The Goodwill outlet in my opinion is not only for someone who resells online. I encourage you to visit the Goodwill outlet store in your area, it’s an experience that you will enjoy if you like finding deals, and it’s for a good cause. If you decide to go after reading this article or if you have been there, please share with us your experience in the comments area for everyone to learn from

    -eBay Auctions

    eBay is another platform where you are most likely to score a deal. It’s in my list of smart ways to shop online in 2019 for 3 reasons:

    1. Huge inventory with a possibility to make an offer, which gives you some control over the price to are willing to pay for an item. If the seller accepts you have a deal.

    2. HUGE number of auctions you can win for cheap if you know what you are doing. I usually score a great deal quickly by bidding on auctions that are ending soon with no bidders. I found out that winning auctions is a great way to save money and shop smart.

    3. Rare finds in all categories

    eBay has been around for a while and has a strong brand that offers a good buyer protection policy and has trust from around the world.The eBay platform is another smart way to shop, and also get rid of unwanted items around the house. I sell on eBay and keep a Top Rated seller status with a 100% customer feedback, just by keeping my prices low, accepting reasonable offers, and trying to give the best customer service possible. You can still get a good feedback even if the item isn’t brand new, as long as you are honest and mention any scratches or blemishes in the description. You can find my store on eBay here. I will appreciate it if you check it out.

    -Poshmark

    I love the poshmark app because It’s easy to use, and it’s a great way to find some good deals in the clothing category. As a posher, you can make offers on items you like and use the power of negotiation to your advantage to ask poshers to lower their prices. You can also follow the sellers you like and join parties based on brands or item categories you’re interested in.The Poshmark App made it to my list of smart ways to shop in 2019 because it allows it’s members to be buyers and sellers at the same time. It’s a great way to clean up your closet and get rid of the clothes you don’t use anymore.If you don’t have a Poshmark account, you can receive a free $5 bonus when you sign up with my code SARADRETAIL.

    Disclaimer: If you use my code to sign up to poshmark for free, you will receive a $5 credit and I will receive a $5 credit after you make your first purchase. Please leave me a comment below to follow your closet, you can check out my closet here.

    -ThredUP:

    ThredUP is another website that makes buying brand name preowned clothing and accessories affordable.Their customer service is great, their shipping is quick, and their prices are some of the best in the market. Every purchase I make in the thredUP website is a deal. Check it out here if you are looking for some high ticket items for a really good price. Some of the brands available on thredUP: GUCCI, BURBERRY, GIORGIO ARMANI, MAX MARA, J.CREW, THEORY, COACH, VINCE, MICHAEL KORS…

    2-HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHILE BUYING AN ITEM?

    There are a couple of different ways to save money while buying products. When you are buying online, depending upon your platform (ie. eBay, amazon, poshmark, craigslist, letgo, offerup, etc.) you may have the power of negotiating your price. Haggling over price is still used in many cultures all over the world, but ultimatley as a buyer we haggle to get the best price we can. Many platforms now have a way to haggle through “Best offer” or “Make an Offer” options. Of course the seller ultimately gets to decide to accept, counter or decline the offer. As long as you offer a reasonable price and don’t low ball in most cases you can expect to pay a lower price than originally was being asked.

    Another way to save money online is through coupons, ecoupons, and promo codes. You may be thinking did I just read coupons, aren’t those the things my mom cuts out of the Sunday paper. Well they aren’t just for in store purchases any more. Everything is online now-a-days and that includes discount coupons. There are websites that offer online discounts and printable coupons for almost any item, any store and any retailer at the click of button. These discount codes can be entered at checkout to get anywhere from 10-70% off your total purchase. Plus on many platforms if you bundle (purchase more than 1 item from the same seller) your purchase you can save even more.

    Coupons have been used at grocery retailers for over a hundred years. With technology retailers are now able to offer their customers direct mail and email coupons, they can put coupons on their website and customers can even save them on their phone. There are coupons available for any item, any discount and any retailer. Its just a matter of finding the best coupon to use for your purchase.

    Here you can check out Coupons.com for some good deals.

    Shop Smart In 2019

    3-How to Save money after purchase?

    3-How to Save money after purchase?

    You may be wondering what I mean by saving money after you have made a purchase. It doesn’t make sense that you can save money after you have already purchased an item. Well in actuality I mean cash back rewards. Cash back rewards allow you to earn cash back on any item you have purchased, in turn allowing you to save off the purchase of that product.

    We are in the age of apps. We have become glued to our phones, never letting them out of our site, using them to not only make phone calls but browse the internet, purchase products, watch tv, read a book, etc. Apps have become a normal part of our phones anatomy. And there are some apps which allow you to make cash back by doing your normal everyday shopping. These apps include Ibotta, Shopkick, Receipt Hog, FetchRewards, etc. The basic premise of these apps is once you make a purchase you upload your receipt and based upon the items purchased and total spent, you will receive a point value. The points equal a dollar amount and once you reach a certain points total you get that dollar amount either through paypal or through gift cards, etc. Each app has its own unique additions such as getting points just to walk into a store, or scanning certain products. Its nice to know that you can get rewarded for doing normal everyday things such as shopping.

    These are the apps I use. If you sign up under me you will get starting bonus:

    Ibotta: gyrrrvo

    Shopkick: SAVE219356 – get 250 kicks for signing up

    Fetch Rewards: YF8AD – get 3000 points for signing up

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    Source by Sarah Labdar

    Views: 0

  • What You Need To Know About Dating Apps

    What You Need To Know About Dating Apps

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    If you are single and looking to meet someone one of the best places to meet people is online. Decades ago, you had to register with the dating site you were interested in, but this isn’t the case as there are plenty of dating apps you can use.

    Dating apps come with many benefits that include:

    Convenience: When you register with your preferred dating site and entered the necessary information, you have to rush home every day to check whether someone has contacted you. This is usually bothersome and can sometimes result in you losing an interesting person as you often don’t reply in time. A dating app checks your dating activity and if there is any alert, it lets you know immediately on your phone. This allows you to respond in time.

    Since you install the app on your phone, you travel with it everywhere. This is highly convenient as you don’t need to rush home in the evening to check your activity. The app is also easy to use. When you are looking to meet a person, you only need to scroll right or left depending on whether you like the person or not. In the event both of you like each other, you get a notification and you can start chatting.

    Time-saving: In addition to convenience, they are also time-saving. Since you can check your activity on the go, you don’t have to set a specific time to do it. If traveling, you can check your updates and respond to the messages without wasting any more time.

    The apps are easy to set up: If you have signed up to a dating site you know that the process is usually long and boring. In most cases, you have to fill up a lengthy questionnaire that could be annoying. With dating apps, you only need to download the app and install it on your device. You should then enter your email address, password, and progress to fill your preferences and you are good to go. The easy to set up feature allows you to start meeting people as soon as possible.

    Tips on how to work with dating apps

    For the dating apps to work for you, you need to consider a few tips. While there are many popular dating apps you can go for, not all are right for you. Nowadays, there are apps for almost any dating category. There are dating apps for Christians, seniors, and so on. To be successful with the apps you should use the right ones. For example, if you are a senior, go for senior dating apps. This way you will easily find a dating partner than when you use a general app.

    Just like with dating sites, safety is a major issue. When interacting with people, be cautious as there are some that might try ripping you off. To be on the safe side, stay away from any person who sounds or looks suspicious.

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    Source by Sue Yvie

    Views: 0

  • Pompeii by Marry Beard

    Pompeii by Marry Beard

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    Marry Beard’s Pompeii succeeds in several quite different and sometimes surprising ways. This is a guidebook, a history, a survey of social relations, a description of culture and religion, a catalogue and analysis of art, and an archaeological record. It is also an excellent read, highly informative, enlighteningly descriptive and scrupulously accurate.

    Pompeii is a complicated site. At first glance, it may appear to be very simple. One day in 79 AD a coastal town in modern-day Campania, near Naples, which was then at the heart of a Greco-Roman culture, was buried under volcanic ash that spread from the eruption of the nearby Mount Vesuvius. The town was completely destroyed, smothered under metres of ash. The disaster progressed quickly giving the town’s inhabitants little chance of escape, let alone a chance to gather their possessions. This naive description might thus suggest that all archaeologists need to do is uncover what the ash buried, and first century life in a Roman town will be revealed.

    The reality, however, is somewhat different. The volcano did erupt and did bring about the end of Pompeii. But the town had previously in AD 62 suffered an earthquake, which had damaged many buildings, some of which was still not repaired in AD79. And Pompeii has been excavated many times. Some digs a couple of centuries ago extracted treasures for the titillation of monarchs, before volcanic ash, original construction materials and much of the historical and other material was randomly piled back to fill the holes. On the other hand, some areas have never been excavated and others still wait to be uncovered, but possibly not for the first time. Much work in previous centuries was undocumented, so who would know? Only the finds, and only some of those, were lodged in museums, and the provenance of many of those remains unclear.

    Such a complicated history presents tremendous difficulties for modern archaeologists. There are many layers of possible interpretation, many potential complications. A great strength of Mary Beard’s book is that she always acknowledges these difficulties and, where simplistic, convenient or fashionable positions might create more attractive copy, consistently she is cautious with her assertions and considered in her conclusions. Refreshingly, where evidence is lacking, contradictory or merely open to interpretation, she usually leaves the matter open, thus allowing the reader to appreciate how hard it is to be definitive about the unknown.

    Descriptions of everyday life in the first century AD are in many ways reassuringly familiar, with one significant exception. The modern reader may be rather shocked by how much daily life seems seemed to revolve around sex. But Mary beard does point out several times that this may be an overstatement. One is tempted to imagine how a modern town might be seen, if, once buried and uncovered, all that could be identified were advertising hoardings along a street where the only shop not to be obliterated sold sex toys. Our contemporary lack of knowledge about Pompeii’s inhabitants is illustrated by our inability to decide what might have been stored in the terracotta jars that were built into many of the town’s shop fronts. Mary Beard points out that theories they might have contained wine or oil are undermined by the simple fact that terracotta is porous, so it is more likely they contained dry goods. In one shop, a jar may have been a till, because it was found to contain a stash of small coins. But who knows whether the shop’s owner, frightened by a sudden eruption, merely tipped a box of small coins into the jar in a vain attempt to fill the box with more valuable possessions that might be carried?

    The area of life that was clearly different in first century AD was that of religion and beliefs. There seemed to be a market in gods, as well as one in goods, and most buildings seem to have paintings or altars dedicated to a panoply of deities, drawn from several different traditions. Whether people did pick and choose, or whether people’s origins or ethnicity dictated allegiance, we simply do not know.

    Pompeii clearly did have its own version of mass entertainment, both in theatre and amphitheatre. There was even a famous riot after a disputed contest, where supporters from a nearby town fought with locals. It made regional news. There was also a local language that was not Latin, but we have precious little of its literature.

    A concept such a slavery, which in the modern mind is inextricably linked with the trade of recent colonial powers, is yet another aspect of ancient Roman life that is more complicated than contemporary assumptions allow. Mary Beard regularly refers to the complexity of these relationships throughout the text and long before then end we feel we really have learned something about a culture that quite suddenly feels much more distant than a mere couple of millennia.

    Mary Beard’s Pompeii is a brilliant book that is worth reading in itself. But anyone who has visited or plans to visit the site will find it brings the experience or memory completely to life. It is a comprehensive description of the site and its culture, but makes clear that there are still stones to be turned. Unusually, however, readers who previously might have thought they were well-informed on the history, culture and archaeology of Pompei might just find, after reading this book, that they knew rather less than they thought.

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    Source by Philip Spires

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  • What Is Affiliate Marketing In A Nutshell?

    What Is Affiliate Marketing In A Nutshell?

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    Affiliate marketing in a nutshell is you promoting other people's products and services in exchange of a share of commissions.

    It can be digital products such as e-learning programs – which comprised of e-books in PDF, video courses, software tools and website templates – and physical goods as in things that people like you and me buy everyday from shops for consumer and entertainment purposes.

    To sign up as affiliate is very simple. Simply do a Google search for affiliate programs and you will find dozens in the result listings. But from my 10 years of internet marketing experience, Amazon, ClickBank, Market Health and JVZoo are by far the most popular. While Amazon deals with consumer products, ClickBank and JVZoo specialize in digital ones I just mentioned above. Market Health – as its name implies – mainly focuses on healthcare products. Besides these, you can also promote services as well like autoresponder, domains registration and web hosting that most marketers need as their online tools to start their own online businesses.

    While those companies focuses on rewarding you with commissions for every sale you generated for them, there are others who paid you for every lead you get for them whether or not that prospect buys. This comes under the term of Cost Per Action or CPA marketing. Never Blue and Peerfly are 2 most popular networks that stand out while you can also scout for others via Offer Vault and O'Digger CPA search platforms.

    Upon signing up, you will be given a choice of whether you want to receive your commissions via checks or direct bank deposit depending on where you live. For ClickBank, you need to generate at least 5 sales before being issued a check and option of whether you want to continue receiving checks or direct deposits. For Amazon, you need to generate at least $ 100 in commissions before receiving a check if you are living outside US or have those same 2 options if you are American.

    Once you are approved, you can start promoting their products and services. Because most of my 10 years has been spent on promoting Amazon and ClickBank, I will touch upon them. Now as much as it is important to learn and earn, you need to focus on who your target prospects are and how you can help them with their needs and wants. For Amazon, the answers are very obvious. I normally look for the best sellers, hot releases and products with at least 4-5 star ratings. But for ClickBank, I will look for those who pay commissions of at least $ 30 and with high gravity as in most affiliates promoting before I considered whether I should do the same as well.

    Upon deciding on what to promote, I simply placed ads first through classified websites like Adlandpro, Adpost, Backpage, Craigslist and Gumtree for quick cash for a start. Then I focused on creating content for long-term passive income such as writing articles, blogging, e-books, press releases and videos.

    For information products, I normally link them to my squeeze page and over time once they become my subscribers, I followed up with them on not just email promotions but content and links to my blog posts.

    For physical products, that will be my affiliate sites I am sending my visitors to. But I do my best not to make my site look like an affiliate site but a really professional-looking e-commerce site using WordPress, Ink Themes and WooCommerce. So far I have promoted air purifiers, digital cameras, guitars, kindles, robot toys and seasonal gifts like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

    Now with emergence of Facebook as an all-in-one social media and marketing platform, I now channeled my time and efforts towrds it. Such as fanpages, groups and ads which enable me to target my ideal prospects on based on their age, gender, interests and earning potential based on their occupations.

    On the whole, affiliate marketing is like referral marketing but done mostly online and can still earn you a great long-term passive income if you know how and what to do correctly and regularly. It is not a get rich quick scheme but a plan that helps you to earn long-term passively.

    Even without meeting and even talking to people as compared to traditional marketing like direct sales and telemarketing.

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    Source by Amuro Wesley

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  • Dislocations – When There Is No Doctor

    Dislocations – When There Is No Doctor

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    The bones that form a joint are normally congruous and in apposition to each other. When this relationship is altered due to injury, it leads to a separation of these bones, called a dislocation.

    What you shouldn’t do is as important as what you should when someone has suffered a dislocation. Let’s discuss how to recognize when bones have gone astray, and the correct way to handle such an emergency.

    A fracture is often mistaken for a dislocation especially if it occurs near a joint, such as the upper end of the thighbone (femur) which is near the hip joint, or the upper end of the arm bone (humerus) which is near the shoulder joint. What distinguishes the two is that a fracture is a break in the continuity of any one bone.

    The elderly are more susceptible to dislocations because, with age, the muscles and ligaments that form the support system around the joints lose their tone, weakening their hold over the joints.

    Other susceptible groups, especially for shoulder dislocation, are those involved in active sports like gymnastics and cricket (bowling and fielding).

    SHOULDER DISLOCATION

    This is the commonest site of dislocation because the socket of the shoulder joint is shallow compared to the other ball-and-socket joint – the hip, which is deeper and hence more stable. The cause is usually an injury, typically when, during a fall, the person lands on his outstretched hand (thus throwing his entire body weight on it) and the rest of his body is thrown backwards.

    Symptoms:

    • When the two shoulders are compared, the affected one will appear flatter (the normal shoulder has a rounded outline) because the ball has shifted out its place.
    • There will be pain and swelling around the area, and the person will be unable to move the affected arm.

    First Aid:

    DO NOT

    • attempt to click the joint into place, especially if you are not trained in this, and the dislocation has occurred for the first time. In fact, do not even move the arm; let the person hold it in the position he finds most comfortable.
    • give anything by way of mouth, including a pain-killer (even if the person is yelling for it), in case anaesthesia is to be later administered at the hospital.

    WHAT TO DO:

    Your priority should be to transport the person to a hospital urgently. Sometimes if the circumflex nerve at the shoulder joint is injured, it could lead to paralysis of the deltoid muscles (of the shoulder), leading to an inability to raise the arm.

    If time permits (while transport is being arranged) the affected hand could be supported by a cuff-and-collar sling, i.e. a bandage gauze going around the neck and the wrist, or by a triangular sling.

    (At the hospital after an x-ray is taken, the bone will be set into position, very often under general anaesthesia.)

    Recurrent dislocations of the shoulder, in which the shoulder keeps getting dislocated as a result of trivial injury or even an action which involves raising the arm above the shoulder are common. The reason is a tear in the tissue surrounding the joint which becomes a weak area through which the bone comes out easily.

    As the frequency of such dislocations increases, the pain reduces to the point, where the person learns to click hi shoulder back into place without much ado.

    HIP DISLOCATIONS

    The hip joint has a deeper socket compared to the shoulder joint and has the body’s strongest ligaments surrounding it, which is why it is inherently a very stable joint. But it may dislocate as a result of a high-velocity vehicular accident. If a person sits in the front seat of a vehicle with his legs crossed at the knee, when the dashboard hits against the knee, the force is transmitted from the knee along the thighbone to the hip joint which usually dislocates the hip joint.

    Symptoms:

    • Severe pain in the area; the person will not be able to stand on the affected leg.
    • The leg will appear flexed (bent) at the knee and hip.
    • The limb may also appear shortened.

    First Aid:

    DO NOT:

    • attempt to click the joint into place or to move the leg in any way.
    • give the person anything to eat or drink in case he is required to be given anaesthesia later.

    WHAT TO DO:

    Immediately arrange to transport the person, lying on his back and preferably in an ambulance. If treatment is delayed and the surrounding blood vessels are disrupted, the blood supply to the ball of the hip joint may be permanently cut off, leading to early wear-and-tear of the hip joint and arthritis of the hip. If the dislocation is associated with an injury to the sciatic nerve which is in close proximity to the hip it could lead to a paralysis of the foot muscles or a foot-drop. (At the hospital, under general anaesthesia, the hip will be manipulated into position or surgery may be required.)

    Usually a hip dislocation is non-recurrent except in the case of an associated fracture of the socket. (In this case, to prevent re-dislocation, the fractured socket has to be reconstructed by surgery.)

    SPINAL DISLOCATIONS

    As a result of injury, the spine could dislocate either at the cervix (back of the neck) or in the dorso-lumbar area (the junction of the middle and lower back). It may or may not be associated with neurological deficit (paralysis).

    Symptoms:

    • Severe pain in the area.
    • If there is paralysis, there may be reduced sensation or a lack of sensation below the point of injury.
    • If the body is paralysed below the level of injury there will be a loss of bladder and bowel movement.

    First Aid:

    DO NOT

    • delay transportation in any way.
    • impart any movement to the spine.

    WHAT TO DO

    As soon as possible, rush the person to the hospital in the position that he is lying, as a change of position could worsen his condition. In the event of paralysis below the point of injury, early treatment plays a crucial role in ultimate recovery.

    OTHER DISLOCATIONS

    Other superficial dislocations include those of the elbow joint, finger joints and ankle joints.

    Symptoms:

    Pain, swelling and an inability to move the affected joints.

    First Aid:

    DO NOT

    • attempt to click the joint into place, however easy it may seem, as an injury to a nearby nerve or blood vessel during the process could bring on long-lasting complications or could produce a fracture of a nearby bone which was not initially present.

    WHAT TO DO

    The elbow joint may be placed in a triangular sling to provide support to it till the person can be taken to hospital.

    In case of an ankle dislocation, the victim should not be made to walk or to exert any pressure on the affected leg. He should be carried to the transport and, later, from the vehicle to the hospital.

    Finger joint dislocations may appear minor but they too need the attention of an orthopaedic surgeon who will usually click them into place under local anaesthesia. However, if there are complications involved, surgery may be required.

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    Source by Andy G

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