BusinessOnline :Mastering the Art of Responding to Different Types of Customer Reviews

By Tanuj Rastogi

Customer feedback is an inevitable aspect of online brand reputation management. If you run a business online, you would definitely get reviews from customers about your products and services.

It is important to note that customer reviews wouldn't always be in favour of your business. At some point, almost every retailer would receive negative feedback.

The good news is both positive and negative reviews serve as opportunities to improve your brand reputation and strengthen the sense of business integrity and credibility.

To help you leverage those opportunities to the fullest, we have put together common types of reviews retailers can expect to receive and how you should deal with them.

TYPE 1: "YOU ARE AWESOME"

This is the category of reviews that come from customers who are actually your fans. They love your products and services and keep coming back for more while leaving positive reviews on your website.

So here, you don't need to do anything except feeling good about yourself and basking in the glory of positive customer vibes around your brand, right?

Wrong.

If utilised mindfully, positive reviews can help you further enhance your reputation and attract more prospects and drive conversions.

How to respond;

Thank the customer. Respond to each and every review in a personalised way to show customers gratitude and let them know you care about their business.

Mention your brand name in your reply. This will help your business rank higher in SERPs.

Promote your products/services in the comment. Many of your prospects would be reading your responses to assess your accountability and responsibility. Give them a reason to try your offerings by stating something interesting about the product or mentioning your upcoming range in response to your existing customer reviews.

TYPE 2: "I ORDERED SOMETHING AND GOT SOMETHING ELSE"

This is where you (the seller) messed up. You shipped the wrong item or the wrong size. Maybe, the item got damaged on the transit. The product got delivered late.

Slip-ups like these can happen when you are selling online and there's nothing wrong in it. What's wrong is not taking responsibility of your mistakes and not responding to such reviews and addressing the issue, which frustrates the customer even more.

How to respond:

Admit it. You know it's you who messed up, so own up to your mistake and apologise. Sometimes, even a simple apology does most of the reputation repair work.

Do not shift the blame on to others (the shipping company or the bad weather) even if technically it wasn't your fault. This will make you look even more irresponsible and will hurt your business accountability and integrity.

Emphasise that this isn't usual. Your prospects must be reading those not-so-good reviews. So, do let the concerned customer and potential customers know in your reply that this isn't how things generally work in your business.

Offer a quick fix. Address the issue promptly and offer a favourable solution to let the customer know that you care.

TYPE 3: HEY THERE, I AM HERE TO DESTROY YOUR REPUTATION

These are illegitimate reviews that crop up with the sole objective of attacking your business reputation. Fake, dishonest reviews may come from unethical competitors, disgruntled customers or from individuals having personal grudges against the business owner or anyone at the company.

How to respond:

Do not delete the comment or review. This will make it look like you are concealing something while making people more suspicious of your business and offerings.

Submit a removal request. Provide the review platform the evidence to prove that the review is not genuine and legitimate in order to have it deleted safely by the platform itself.

Don't be a victim of online reviews, take control of your reputation

Even if you deliver the best product in the market and are the preferred choice for most local buyers, negative reviews can occur to your business. They may be based on an outright lie resulting from the frustration of one of your competitors or may be the result of a misunderstanding.

Whatever the source of review or underlying reason, a negative review is going to do the damage it is supposed to, anyway. Instead of sitting back and wondering why this just happened to you when you were only selling the best quality, take action to control your falling reputation.

Besides following the recommendations above, you can consider hiring a professional reputation management company to deal with customer reviews efficiently while maintaining a positive presence online.

Tanuj Rastogi is the founder of Reputation Circle, a leading reputation management firm in Australia. He combines his expertise in online brand reputation management with a passion for helping entrepreneurs and businesspersons alike to build a strong online presence. When not working on his client's reputation projects, he loves to share industry knowledge with his blog readers through informative articles and how-to guides.

BusinessOnline :10 Tell-Tale Signs Of A Quality Website

By Renuka Sharma

Websites are launched by a gazillion website development companies every second. However, you visit only those that appeal to you functionally and aesthetically. Now, this preference is a function of several parameters, of which 10 are listed below.

1. The website resonates with you - the target audience

A quality website speaks to you in your language. The most successful websites stay away from corporate gobbledygook, and eliminate the fluff like it was plague.

2. It communicates a compelling value proposition

When you arrive on a website, its homepage should compel you to stick around. It's the best place that a business can make an impression on you with its value proposition so that you don't ditch it for its competitor's website. All web design companies should take note of this.

3. Optimised for mobile devices

User centered design is not just a buzzword. It is meant to be practiced. And if you are someone from a web application development agency reading this article, make it a point to constantly remind your team members from here on that almost every Internet user accesses the web from a mobile phone. (there are currently close to 730 million mobile phone users). Moreover, there shouldn't be 'flashy' objects like flash banners, animations, pop-ups or overly complicated elements that obtrude browsing. Less or no dependency on flash objects is a sign of good design thinking.

4. It has clearly defined calls-to-action

The purpose of each page in a website is to get you to navigate through the website and move you further down the funnel. The most usable websites use primary and secondary calls-to-action to direct you to the next logical step. CTAs tell you what to do next so that you don't get overwhelmed or lost. Which is why writers in    UX/UI agencies spend time in crafting the most effective CTAs.

5. Answers 'Who I am', 'What I do', 'What can you (the visitor) do here'

A well-known brand or company can get away with not having to describe who it is and what it does. This is solid branding identification. But the reality is that most businesses need to answer these questions so that visitors know that they are in the right place. In his book, Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krugg clearly states that if visitors can't identify what a business does within seconds, they won't stick around long.

6. Comes with a clear identity

Pay close attention the next time you're surfing the Internet. Watch for sites with logos or titles that are obscure, or a design so cluttered with ads and banners that the pertinent information gets lost. A good website always keeps its identity visible. And it's also brief and concise with its text.

7. Has good navigation

What is GPS to mobile phones, navigation is to a website. Just as homes are easier to find with a good map, web content is easier to find with good navigation. If a website doesn't have it, its competition likely will.

8. Hosts only good content

Good not only means interesting, but also accurate, fresh and well-communicated. Remember, you like everyone else have a short attention span. Hence, a quality website will keep its content clear and succinct, use proper grammar, spell words correctly, will be accurate, relevant, and up-to-date. A good website will also have an up-to-date blog and social media handles - a good go to market strategy.

9. Is secure

A robust website will urge you to use strong passwords for your accounts. Also, if the site is built on a platform like WordPress or Magento, timely updates will help it function better. These periodic updates often address security issues found by other users and developers.

10. It has testimonials

A sincere website will always establish its credibility with the help of testimonials. In today's social world, shoppers increasingly rely on the feedback of others, even if they've never met them. Testimonials from a client or customer feel more genuine than sales copy written by the website owner.

Website development is the most important and the best way to uplift your business on Google thereby creating awareness among your target audiences. Therefore you need not look further dy is there for uplifting your business.

BusinessOnline :Make Money Online With Your Own Internet Business

By Eugene Barber

The Make Money Farce
You have seen them and probably received thousands of them since you have begun internet marketing. They come out the wood works, don't they? Opportunities promising that you too can make money online with little to no effort. You then invest your money into the opportunity only to find out there aren't any pies in the sky... only the cold hard reality that you just spent some of your rent money on someone's new car.

Yes, this is the reality many internet marketers face. I have been there. I started in this business with my father and let me tell you... we have seen every scam under the sun. Why? Because we were those people who had a dream and wanted to help other people through success only to find out there ain't no free lunch in business. The cold hard truth is that "business is business". Period. There are a million work from home opportunities contrived each year. There are many more gullible individuals who buy into the dream. In the end, they are left like me and my dad... a few thousand dollars shorter.

But, It's Online And It Has To Be TRUE
Here is a revelation. People who scam lie. They don't just lie a little, its more like lie a lot. They want you to trust them, and to believe their story. But when it comes to delivering... well. You know. You've been there a thousand and one times. You've spent your money on the magic potions of the internet only to realize that you are out of money and now have a rash (the legendary rash of discouragement).

I'm not here to sell you a pie in the sky. I am here to be your jolt of reality. Sleeper, it's time to wake up! The internet is not some new invention that defies the laws of business. It is business on steroids. Imagine the business rules you know and then multiply them by the sheer volume of variables now introduced by the online component. The internet can allow you to become very wealthy or very broke.

So... Can I Make Money Online Or Not?!
You can young Jedi. I know some of the things I've said may be a little cheeky but I am serious. There is no money like "internet business" online money. The thing is you have to see it for what it is. Your internet business is just that... a business. Do not enter the online business field with any other mindset than "I am going to run MY business".

There is nothing more rewarding and satisfying professionally then running your own business. And if ran right, your internet business can feed you and your family. You may be looking for quick ways to make money. Once you setup your business depending upon the model you use the money can come quick. It all comes down to you and your imagination. Add hustle, grind, and grit and you got something.

Nowhere to start? If you would like to skip the line click here for the proven method to get your internet business up and running quickly (which means more money).

I am serious about home business, and thankful for the time you have taken to read this article. If you are serious about beginning an online business then I recommend my Internet Business Quick Start Guide. Get your kit here now.

BusinessOnline :Online Jobs Versus Online Businesses

By Eugene Barber

It's Your Online Business, Not Your Online Hobby
An online business versus an online job has a different mentality for the individual. A job is something you do for someone else. It's something that dominates your day and your time with a prearranged schedule.

The job is your master, not the other way around. You work for someone else. Even if this is online the truth remains the same... you are still an employee. You have heard that you can make money online through working online for a company or a third party (this is not as an affiliate or a salesperson). You do jobs for someone else and complete a W4.

This to me is literally the lifestyle I intended to avoid when I got into online business. This model could not and would not do.

I know you see the ads. "We are looking to give stay at home mom jobs", but you may find that some of these places not only do not offer you a good job but will stick you with a horrible schedule. Not all of them are like this, though some are.

Why I like the online business model
For me it's about control. I like to control my day. If I want to work in the morning, I can do this. If I want to work late into the wee hours of the night... it's my right. Why? Because I decide how successful (or unsuccessful) my business is and this is through my effort.

It can be the highest paid hard work I ever done or the easiest, lowest paid work I have ever done. This lies squarely on my shoulders. You see the problem with a lot of online companies you may work for is stability.

Many of them catch people unawares stating grandiose claims making things look easy. For example, you may read something like "Earn Money Online Today, $55-$65 hour, no experience required".

What happens is that unsuspecting folks who trust these people invest time, money, and effort into a business that might not last the rest of the year. I have seen this with my own eyes. I always advocate starting your own online business. Why you ask? Who can you trust better than you? I will tell you, if I am going to invest in anything it will be me, period.

You Won't Let You Down
When you succeed those you love succeed. Those you care about succeed. It's about grabbing your dream and never letting it go. Working for someone else is helping them promote their dream through your effort. Working for yourself helps you to bring your dreams to fruition.

I know where the difficulty comes in. It is at the point of the beginning. How do you get started? Where do you start? Can I startup my online business quickly and with a minimal amount of investment?

Well, I can help you there. I recommend checking out my Internet Business Quick Start Guide by clicking here. It will help you to launch into the deep and get started making money online quickly.

I am serious about home business, and thankful for the time you have taken to read this article. If you are serious about beginning an online business then I recommend my Internet Business Quick Start Guide.

Entrepreneurialism :Tips on Starting a New Business

By Mary Wills

You have been putting in the extended hours of time as an employee and you need to work for yourself rather or perhaps you as of now function as a self-employed entity and it is simply time to formally set up the legitimate stuff to secure and enhance what you have made. So how would you begin a business? That is a great inquiry that we need to investigate in more detail and as the primary request of business (play on words proposed) is to choose what kind of lawful structure we should use to secure ourselves.

Numerous options are accessible to the new business in regards to the authoritative document it should take. Moreover, a current business may think that it's attractive to change forms.

There are plus points and drawbacks to any business form that are excessively numerous. In any case, in looking at organizations the reader ought to have no less than a general idea of the options. The accompanying discussion isn't an intensive discourse of the tax or business parts of the business writes specified. Just the general "widely inclusive" ideas of each will be addressed.

Sole Proprietors

Sole proprietorship are the least complex business form since they are not separate tax or lawful elements yet rather, expansions of the individual taxpayer that claims them. The business has no presence separated from the proprietor. Its liabilities are the proprietor's close to personal liabilities.

Every advantage in a sole-proprietorship is dealt with separately for tax purposes, instead of as a feature of one general ownership interest. For instance, a sole proprietor offering a whole business as a going concern figures gain or loss independently on every asset.

There is no exceptional return to file for the sole proprietorship. The proprietor reports all transactions of the business all alone individual pay tax return (i.e., Schedule C, Form 1040).

A sole proprietor is viewed as independently employed. If a taxpayer is a sole proprietor, there is no tax impact if they remove cash from the business, or exchange cash to or from the business.

Advantages

The advantages of a sole proprietorship are:

(1) Organizational costs should be low;

(2) Legal, accounting, and administrative fees are lower;

(3) State and federal income taxes may be lower; and

(4) Administration is less complicated.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of a sole proprietorship are:

(1) Personal liability,

(2) Inability to income split,

(3) Limited fringe benefits, and

(4) Self-employment tax.

Self Employment Tax

In the event that a    taxpayer is a sole proprietor, they should pay self-employment tax (�1401). The self-employed tax is the non-worker part of the Social Security tax raising system. In 2017, independent work tax takes 15.3% of pay (12.4% for social security [OASDI] and 2.9% for Medicare [HI]) from self-employment. Deductible things like home loan interest, land taxes, state wage tax, Keogh plan or IRA deductions, and so forth don't diminish self-employment tax. Nonetheless, since 1990, business deductions, in addition to a sum equivalent to the self-employed tax on half of self-employment income, are permissible in diminishing the self-employed income.

In 2017, the social security tax is forced on the main $127,200 of self work income and the Medicare tax is forced on all self-employment income.

If you want to be financially empowered, at that point finding out about how to maintain your business is super vital. When you pick your form to work together, you should pay your employees as you become bigger, or possibly simply pay yourself.

We here at   https://online-paystub.com are glad to help answer inquiries regarding your finance and furthermore about different business questions!

Business :Successful Entrepreneurship - Cracking the Code

By Victor Fong

We've heard stories of penniless immigrants who came to Canada with nothing but a dream, but within a single generation accumulate a lot of wealth. How do they do it?

This is a mystery to the typical person who graduates with a post-secondary education and goes on to work in the labour force as an employee (i.e., most people!). This is because our educational system specifically trains its students to become employees rather than entrepreneurs.

So when we hear about these rags to riches stories, we ask ourselves - "how did they do it?" As someone who grew up in an entrepreneurial household, here is my take on Cracking the Code to Successful Entrepreneurship:

1. In most cases, one will never become truly financially independent working as an employee. Whether you are an entry-level bookkeeper or the CEO of a large organization, you can be unexpectedly fired at a whim by whoever you report to. You are therefore susceptible to financial catastrophe.

2. Therefore, the only way to achieve financial independence is to build and maintain a successful business.

3. There is a "magic formula" that will allow to evaluate a businesses' odds of success:

[(Sale price of product - Variable cost of product) x Units sold] - Fixed Overhead Costs = Profit

This formula will be very familiar to accountants - it's called the Contribution Margin Ratio.

Let's demonstrate this formula using a Bubble Tea business. Wonder why there are so many Bubble Tea shops in Toronto? Because they make a heck of a lot of money with little risk:

� Price per bubble tea drink - $4.00

� Cost to make per drink (water, powder, sugar) - $0.50

� Drink sales per month assuming 100 sold per day - 3,000

� Monthly rent for shop - $3,000

� Assume no labour costs - in the early years, the owners will work the shop themselves

� [($4.00 - $0.50) x 3,000 ] = $10,500 in sales

� Profit after paying rent: $10,500 - $3,000 = $7,500

Once you apply this formula to the multinational soft drink companies to analyze their beverage businesses, you can begin to understand why soft-drinks companies have grown from humble beginnings to global companies they are today.

You can also use this formula to evaluate almost any small business you might be thinking of getting into: restaurant, nail salon, hair salon. You should quickly realize that it's best to choose businesses with a high profit margin (i.e., high selling price for produce/service and low cost of supplying the product/service) and high customer traffic (i.e., units sold, people serviced).

Seeing the Future - Cash Flow Projection

You want to know if you'll be making a profit before going any further. If you skip this step, your chances of failing increase significantly.

Investigate your costs to start up and run your business. The most common are:

� Rent - how much will it cost to rent at the location where you want to set up?

� Wages and payroll tax - will you need employees or can your run the business yourself? How much do you need to pay yourself to meet your personal living costs?

� Advertising costs - what types of advertising will you use - TV, radio, internet - and what is their cost versus their potential return on investment?

� Cost of inventory or raw materials - will these be imported? If yes, you'll need to factor in the impact of exchange rates on your profitability.

� Purchase of equipment - general office equipment like a phone system, computers and IT network, and furniture, as well as specialized equipment for your specific line of business like restaurant equipment (if you're opening up a restaurant).

� Business liability insurance - to protect yourself from liability if someone is inadvertently harmed by your product or service, or if someone is injured on your premises.

� Pricing - how much will you be able to sell your product or service so that's it's competitive with others in your line of business

Once you've figured out your monthly costs (i.e., your overhead) and pricing, you're now in the position to determine how many unit sales you need to make to breakeven - remember the Contribution Margin Ratio that we looked at. Use a spreadsheet to build a cash-flow projection model.

Protecting Yourself - Creditor Proofing

If things don't work out for your business you could be financially ruined. Therefore, consider the following techniques to protect your personal assets from your business creditors.

1. Incorporate the business. This will provide you with a level of creditor protection - most of a corporation's obligations are limited to its assets so this structure can provide protection for personal assets. This structure also has income tax benefits, which will not be discussed here.

2. Always pay statutory debt on time, specifically:

� Payroll source deductions;

� Federal and provincial sales tax collected; and

� Employee wages and vacation payable.

Corporate directors can be personally responsible for these debts, notwithstanding that the business is incorporated. In many incorporated small businesses, the shareholder (i.e., the business owner) and director are the same person.

3. If you can, avoid giving personal guarantees of your corporation's business obligations (e.g., landlord, suppliers) unless it is absolutely necessary.

You will need a financial expert on your team to deal with the issues raised in this article. Therefore, I would strongly advise that you contact a CPA who can help you further.

For all you aspiring entrepreneurs out there, I hope that I've helped take out some of the "mystery" behind successful entrepreneurship. Use this tool wisely and never stop dreaming!

About the Author

The author is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with degrees in Economics and Commerce. He is a currently a Chartered Professional Accountant and Licensed Insolvency Trustee practising in Toronto, Canada.

He specializes in consumer insolvency, specifically consumer proposals and personal bankruptcy.

Victor Fong is a licensed trustee in bankruptcy with the firm of Fong and Partners Inc., a Licensed Insolvency Trustee. Fong and Partners Inc. offers personal bankruptcy and consumer proposal services in Toronto, Canada.

Victor can be reached at  victor@fongpartners.com. You can also visit the firm's website at http://www.startingovertoronto.com

Pain Management :How To Help With Tennis Elbow

By Keith Bender

Tennis Elbow is a common condition that can affect anyone of us at some point in our lives. Medically, it is called a Lateral Humeral Epicondylitis which to those who are not familiar with such jargon is not a blind bit of help. Even the more recognized term, Tennis Elbow means very little.

You do not have to play tennis to experience this problem, although many players of this popular sport have been disabled by it. Before there were power tools, some jobs e.g. screw-driving could cause this to happen. When using a screw driver or for that matter, a tennis racket, the very act of gripping and twisting with strength for hours on end is tantamount to what is commonly referred as a repetitive strain injury (RSI).

Having established why it can happen, the 64 million dollar question is what can be done to alleviate and ultimately cure it? In order to provide an effective non-surgical treatment, it is important to understand what physical structures have been hurt and to know precisely where exactly they are.

For most folk the medical term Lateral Humeral Epicondylitis is double-dutch but it does define the location. The elbow is the visible joint between the lower and upper parts of the arm. The long bone between the shoulder and elbow is called the Humerus and on this bone there are various lumps and bumps which have names. At the bottom end of the Humerus there are two prominent bumps which are given the name Condyle; so an epicondyle is a round point upon the condyle (epi- means upon). To define the origin further the word lateral is used which simply means to the side of the bone away from the middle of it.

So we now know the site of injury but epicondyle has had -it is added to it, which means inflammation, so words like tendonitis and neuritis means those bits of your body are that are inflamed. Hence a Lateral Humeral Epicondylitis is nothing more than an inflammation of the bony prominence at the side at the bottom end of the long bone of the arm.

This is not quite the full story because if it is simply a bit of the arm bone being inflamed, what about the soreness and sometimes quite disabling pain we feel in the forearm itself, in particular the muscles that are involved with gripping and twisting.

Having had the opportunity to treat several top professional tennis players, it is impossible not to notice how incredibly developed the muscles of the forearm are as compared with the opposite arm not being used. It reminds me of the cartoon character Popeye whose forearm muscles used to grow massive after swallowing a can of spinach. In some cases the muscles can be easily be twice as bulky.

Fundamentally, that is the clue to the cause of the inflammation. It has to do with the fact that there are five muscles that have a common tendon that anchors them to the lateral epicondyle. I often like to think of the idea of five guy ropes that are securing a structure, in this case the forearm, all attached to the ground by a single pin. Normally, this tendon which all muscles have at either end, is usually pretty happy. However, as you can imagine if you continuously use the forearm day in and day out, as tennis players do, this leads to a thickening and tightening of these five muscles.

Eventually, what can happen is that the stress put on the actual point of attachment of the tendon on the epicondyle bone becomes more irritable and vulnerable, especially if the forces involved are sudden and violent. This leads to a strain and injury at the point of attachment which in turn leads to loss of support of those associated muscles involved in supporting those gripping and twisting actions.

An obvious way of helping this injury is simply to rest it. In mild cases, the patient is often willing to wait until there is a form of spontaneous recovery but many folk are not so accepting especially if the symptoms last for two years or more! When it comes to top professional tennis players, pain and loss of function is totally unacceptable.

The one and only time that I personally became acquainted with Tennis Elbow was as a student, when a guy in the year above challenged me to an arm wrestling match. In spite of my arm being longer than his, he beat me pretty convincingly, not so much to do with strength but because of his shorter lever. It was in the final bout of three that I felt something go ping in my forearm and knew immediately from the loss of grip that I had started Tennis elbow. My victor cheerfully told me not to worry and that he would have it fixed for me within a week. So said, so done.

It is the treatment that I have used on every Tennis elbow since I qualified. What it requires is very deep penetrating soft tissue massage on the muscles of the forearm, which in the vast majority of cases are very tight and often quite nodular and lumpy. Truthfully, I would be lying to you all if I did not tell that it can be excruciatingly painful. Many a grown man have succumbed to tears and asked whether this treatment approach is necessary.

In my experience, this condition can be slow in responding. In order to speed up and facilitate the body's natural healing abilities, it is important to work on the strained tissue specifically to breakdown adhesions and nodules that can build up as a consequence of injury. In doing so, the act of massage drains the tissue getting rid of cellular breakdown products, improving the blood flow which provides all the necessary healing nutrients.

After the treatment, the muscles can feel sore, so I encourage the patient to apply ice packs for 10-15 minutes at a time which reduces the inflammation and again stimulates the blood flow. Naturally, the actions that provoked the condition in the first place need to be modified or stopped altogether until the normal status quo has returned.

The use of a strap around the forearm placed just below the elbow can be helpful in supporting the actions that we take so much for granted, which can help reduce the strain on the muscles affected.

So far I have focused on non-surgical intervention. Briefly, there is the use of hydro-cortisone injections to nullify the local inflammation. This must be delivered precisely to the sore spot. This is not easy to do and can require several injections before there is resolution. I know that many folk have little appetite for these injections. Ultimately, there is an operation that can be performed. I am not an orthopaedic surgeon so I shall not venture down that road.

Finally, prevention is much easier than the cure. Just be careful when involving that part of your body in a forceful stressful fashion, especially when gripping and twisting hard. Muscles are not machines and are not able to perform endlessly and tirelessly, even if they are well conditioned as with athletes, who are just as susceptible to injury.

Gifts :What's So Great About Pink Himalayan Salt?

By Claire Riding

What Made Me Decide To Buy A Himalayan Salt Lamp?

Over the last few years, probably since turning 34/35, I started taking notice of social media posts about natural remedies and such like. I'd never seen Himalayan salt lamps before (although I was using pink salt for cooking) and found them stunning, as well as unique, quirky even, but I was also very interested in the health benefits side of using a Himalayan salt lamp in your home. (Living room and bedroom in my home)

... And so, I first bought a large Himalayan Salt Lamp for the living room and aside from its stunning and unique look, plus a talking feature because everyone that has visited since the time I got the salt lamp, it is always noticed and they really like it.

That's even when it is not switched on! The actual benefits / health that a salt lamp is known to offer; is good for our home; is that it reduces the amount of dust, so that is a bonus for whoever is assigned household chore of dusting!

But not just that, the 'knock-on' effect is that salt lamps could; I say 'could' only because no actual scientific studies have been done. However, many believe, as do I very much so, that this wonderful looking piece from the Himalaya, does effectively 'clean the air' of what is called 'Electromagnetic Radiation', as well as reducing dust particles and any other unnoticeable 'bits' of whatever are floating about in the air, which are NOT good for us or our respiratory airways.

Therefore, if you are a sufferer of asthma or any other ailment that is affecting your breathing, then I absolutely URGE you; (I'm sorry, I just have to use capital letters for the word urge... I'm that passionate about this wonderful natural product)... so I do really recommend salt lamps to anyone and everyone that I ever meet and somehow find I'm having a relevant topic of conversation! I also always recommend using Pink Himalayan Salt in place of table salt..(Although, most of my friends / associates are pretty up on this too already!).

Pink Himalayan Salt For Cooking and Serving?

Another plus to HS is when it comes in the form of blocks. Square, round etc and it can both be heated up to high temperatures as well as put in the freezer, for use when serving up something cold like a salad.

Pulling a block of natural pink Himalayan salt, which is hot hot and presenting this at the dinner table with friends, will definitely be a talking point. You can then all sit together chatting, whilst cooking your pieces of meat or fish for example.. how cool is that?

Pink Himalayan Salt For Using As A Facial Scrub?

Only in the last couple of weeks did I decide to do my own experiment using pink Himalayan salt to exfoliate the skin on my face, instead of the usual manufactured, shop bought stuff.

Obviously there's no results yet, although it always feels fantastically smooth and lovely after having massaged it into my skin. I get a small tub and do a gentle, circular massage around my face 3 x a week, whilst in the bath and I use rapeseed carrier oil, as well as a couple of drops of essential oil (100% pure only).

I am making an educated guess or assumption, that the fact that Himalayan salt contains up to 84 trace minerals, exact to what our own bodies require, then surely it can only be beneficial to use on the skin.

There are other talking points about Himalayan salt, but I feel that's for another day. So what IS so great about Pink Himalayan Salt Lamps... I'd say plenty. Salt Lamps don't just look good! Salt lamps are a superb gift idea for that friend or family member that suffers with breathing and then sleeping is another health benefit the lamps are said to provide.

There is quite a bit more I'd love to 'discuss' about this magical natural product from Mother Earth, so I'll wrap it up now and save the rest for another article day!

To Your Health, Claire

You can see my stunning collection of Himalayan Salt Lamps, Himalayan Salt Candle Holders at   https://lovely-gifts.co.uk/himalayan-salt-lamps-c-6_379/ and Pink Salt Cooking Plates at   https://lovely-gifts.co.uk.

You are assured that they are ethically fair traded and the highest quality. lovely-gifts.co.UK is Owned & Managed by myself; Claire Riding and I am Committed To Ethical Fair Trading & Quality, Value For Money Gifts and Pieces.

News :A Raving Thought

By Abrar Ahmad

There is nothing that I can call my own. Nothing. All that I have is these empty words and phrases that I have gathered from somewhere else. Through trial and error they have taught me everything. Even this language in which I am jotting down is a conventional product. I am taught how to space the notes between two words and thus a language. All that is there in me is this educational, cultural, societal and religious input. At times I feel like a walking robot. That particular robot is the product of 'input' and 'output'. Whereas I am the product of 'stimulus' and 'response'. Any effort on my part to separate myself from that 'stimulus' and 'response' via meditation or by any other psychedelic means is highly artificial. All I want is what they(world around me) want me to want. I reckon I am coming to the terms that there is no definite definition and purpose of the life, we devise one. And the moment we devise one, our whole existence becomes a reflection of it. Our every action gets molded by that particular purpose, in one way or another.

This depiction of life at times makes me frightened and out of that 'fear' (which they say is the oldest emotion, a protective mechanism) a 'hope' gets created. A hope that one day the reality or the ultimate reality will dawn on me but at the very same moment I maintain that we live and die in that hope. But having said that I guess on an individual level one can spend his life independent of culture, society and traditions etc just like Christopher McCandless (Into the wild). But eventually there is no point in doing so. I think one has to realize that there is no separate entity called 'luck' or 'destiny but either only the haphazard incidents or the decisions that one makes in his or her existence, as a matter of fact only decisions.

So eventually I think I have to come to the terms that thought, evolved knowledge and conventional norms have a functional value in the society. And moreover society itself wants to be contributed to maintain its status quo. Whether it is The Communist society, The Capitalist Society, The Fascist, The Hindu, The Muhammadan all societies want to be contributed by the individuals. And if you want to live a sane and intelligent life you have to contribute within the possible framework of your contribution. You then walk with the system in harmony. Because you are supposed to walk with the system that is around you, the system will not walk with you. And when you accept the world on the basis of sheer knowledge, the evolved knowledge, you literally begin to realize the importance of everything.

Every living creature becomes priceless and comparison less for you, even a single ant. Because you realize that you can travel millions and billions of light years from this planet in any of the given directions but you won't find another match of that tiny creature. In simple words you begin to live in harmony with the nature and the system around you. And I think that is the only mutual good that we can achieve on this little blue planet called 'Earth'.

Abrar Ahmad

Student of BS International Relations

National Defense University Islamabad.

News :How Many Is Enough? Blood Is on Their Hands

By Ralphy V

For Many Years now Republicans have been catering to the Gun Lobby (NRA) while children keep massacring other children at our schools. 90% of The American People Overwhelmingly supports Bill Legislation for Background Checks as well as other measures meant to alleviate the issue of Gun Control.

But The SENATE time and again has been reluctant to say the least, "Failed" to pass Four Bills for Background Checks. SENATE REPUBLICANS have managed to DELAY, DILUTE, POSTPONE or simply IGNORED any efforts to talk about Gun Control or advance the issue.

Ask yourself this question. How is it that the Law Strictly Prohibits an under-aged teenager from buying liquor, but makes it Legal for that same under-aged Teenager to buy any kind of Gun, and as Much Ammunition, as he can buy?

We are not talking about a toy or a video game here, but a Lethal, Serious Life Threatening piece of Life Ending tool that at the end of the day, in the wrong hands will have and has shown to contribute to the lost of many a Precious Life. There is something Shamefully Wrong with this system.

Latest Mass Shooting events are a great testament to the fact that Gun Control legislation is needed and extremely necessary if we are to protect our children, or at the very least, to help reduce, control some of the more lethal weapons from ever entering into the mainstream market falling on the hands of someone with ulterior motives regardless of mental condition.

Trump and the Republican majority continue to take out of context The Second Amendment of the United State Constitution just to help The NRA, help the Gun Lobby: The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: A Well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to bear arms, shall not be infringed.

That's what the National Guard in every state was created for. That's what The Second Amendment of the United State Constitution meant. Nowhere there it reads and or implies that "each individual" should have the right to bear Arms, it solely refers to "A Well regulated Militia", plural.

Trump and the majority of Republicans by supporting the NRA in their quest to flow the market with arms that do nothing to contribute to one's hunting experience (you do not need an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to hunt, these type of weapons are better left to the Military because of their lethality, not to mention that, it takes away the fundamental reason for hunting), constitute a constant threat to all average citizen not only students, if not taken off the market.

It helps those with a grudge, mental instability or illegal enterprises easy access to a weapon meant to kill as many and in the shorter amount of time.

If the latest Mach for our Lives movement in Washington D.C. and across the Nation against the lack of Gun Legislation is not a good indication that serious measures and legislation should be taken by the Republican majority regarding Gun Control then they should brace themselves, they should expect a Democratic majority put in place by all those that feel affected and ignored, but no more.

Talk about Gun Control is over. We need Real Legislation to address a serious Problem; anyone that Do Not sees the need for such is and would just be as guilty of (God forbid), any future Mass Shooting, as the one pulling the trigger, BLOOD, will be ON THEIR HANDS.

For more heat seeking targeted Post voice of the little guy: http://www.amanamerican.com or http://www.ralphyv.blog

News :For Sale - Trump-Senate-House Republicans

By Ralphy V

Do we have a Gun Problem? Does Trump blaming Democrats and Barack Obama for gun control legislation holds water? Let's find out.

Democrats tried to enact various types of legislation, only to be filibustered or outright blocked by Republicans each time. Trump Repealed Obama-Era rule to prevent 75,000 mentally ill people from being able to purchase a gun. But it's the Narrative of choice and the one Trump and majority of Republicans use after each shooting. "Bump stocks", which helped the Las Vegas shooter hit over 500 people in 10 minutes, and turned a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic, still remain perfectly legal. Each time there is a Mass Shooting Republicans respond with: Heartfelt Condolences and... Just as fast, go back to their narrative of; it is Too Early to talk Gun Control.

Did you see a pattern? Republicans have shown No empathy let along concern for the children of your community with their blocking, delaying tactics (hoping you will forget soon after Mass Shootings occur), diluting and just simply ignoring calls for any Gun Legislation, all the while swelling their pockets and reaping Millions for their re election coffers from the Gun Lobby.

Sandy Hook: 20 Elementary School Children will never get to grow up and see the light of day. Columbine: 12 students will never experience Life. That Mass Shooting happened back in April 20 1999, too early to talk Gun Control? According to: Center for Responsive Politics

NRA, spent over $30 Millions so Trump would get elected. Trump has spoken glowingly to and about the NRA. The biggest recipients of NRA (in Millions): $7,740,521 - JOHN McCAIN - Senate $6.99M - RICHARD BURR (R-NC) Senate $4,551,146 ROY BLUNT (R-MO) Senate $4,418,012 TOM TILLIS (R-NC) Senate $3.3M - MARCO RUBIO (R-FL) Senate, an A + From NRA to Marco Rubio - friendly legislative position.

$3,124,273 - JONNI ERNST (R-IA) Senate $3,879,064 - CORY GARDNER (R-CO) Senate $3,061,941 - ROB PORTMAN (R-OH) Senate $2,896,732 - TOD YOUNG (R-IN) Senate $2,861,047 - BILL CASSIDY (R-LA) Senate $9,900 - CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA) Senate $9,900 - BRUCE POLIQUIN (R-ME) House $3,00 - DEVIN NUNES (R-CA) House Source: Center for Responsive Politics.

Among the top 100 House recipients of the NRA, 95 are Republican (New York Times-Opinion- Center for Responsive Politics). Dollar figures are career totals going all the way back to 1989.

In a nutshell Trump and majority of Senate and House Republicans have been bought and paid for by the NRA so they owe the NRA Big, your children... Not so Much! So next time you hear that it's too early for "Gun Control", maybe Republicans should listen to the voices of the Next Generation of Voters (in three-four years):

"They say that tougher gun laws do not decrease gun violence. We call BS!

They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun. We call BS!

They say guns are just tools like knives and are as dangerous as cars. We call BS!" (Emma Gonzalez)

America Has a Gun Problem, it's called Trump-Republicans, the Republican Party. Easily solved next elections, that will be, what make the difference if change is to happen!

For more heat seeking targeted Posts Voice of the little guy: http://www.amanamerican.com or http://www.ralphyv.blog

News :Elected Republicans Aiding and Abetting "Bad Seed" in the White House

By Ralphy V

Trump has accumulated a significant amount of possible Impeachable offenses, any of which would of had landed a Democrat in Hot water immediately, with soon to follow on-going investigations left and right and at the very least with calls for on the spot resignation by Republicans, yet, the Republican House and Senate has gone totally MUM, Brain Dead when it comes to Trump.

Republicans have put their self interests and that of their lobbyists front and center, never mind that they were elected, sent to both the House and Senate to represent the interests and will of the people that elected them, as well as the interests of all Americans. After all, no party or affiliation lives on a bubble, what they do for one, will affect the others.

But Republicans, Irrespective of the facts that Polls after Polls on important issues that affect the vast majority of American have been highlighted, amplified, brought forth, for they to take the necessary steps toward resolving such or at the very least start addressing those issues, things most Americans agree on, had turned a blind eye, gone "dormant" instead aiding and abating offenses that could render Trump, impeachable.

They took an Oath to Protect and uphold the Constitution of the United State, (that means you and the country you live in), most everything that affect you in a Constitutional Basis, and that may affect you currently and into the future.

They have basically thus far managed to trampled on the Oath they took upon taking office, to Protect and uphold the Constitution of the United State.

Take a look:

The Oath to Uphold the Constitution

Article VI clause 3 of the United States Constitution requires that all who hold office in the United States take an oath to uphold the United States Constitution:

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution... "

In compliance with this requirement, as they enter office, Members of Congress take the

Following oath of office:

"I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Article II Section 1 of the United States Constitution defines and requires the President of the United States to take a specific oath as he assumes that office:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." (United States Constitution Article II, Section 1, emphasis added). So help me God.

*According to Scott Bradley. An oath is defined in Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary as:

"A solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. The appeal to God in an oath, implies that the person imprecates his vengeance and renounces his favor if the declaration is false, or if the declaration is a promise, the person invokes the vengeance of God if he should fail to fulfill it. A false oath is called perjury."

*Bradley was the Constitution Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2016 election, sharing the ticket with Darrell Castle. Wikipedia

So far Trump has fail to live up to his obligations to "Protect", giving the Russians a pass at every turn (only recently taking some actions against the Russians) well into his presidency while criticizing alienating those that could help him achieve his goals of "Protecting" this country, US allies.

But, you should pay particular attention to that part of the Oath "So help me God", and on the definition: "the vengeance of God if he should fail to fulfill it".

Guess these Republican are not a very religious nor God fearing lot (regardless of what they led you to believe constantly highlighted on the news praying and or invoking God), more often than not Trump and the Legislative majority much rather be dancing with the devil as they're constantly violating, trampling on the Oath they took. Do you think, Trump should be impeached?

For more heat seeking targeted Posts Voice of the little guy: http://www.amanamerican.com or http://www.ralphyv.blog