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Fire blazing, @phemmiie @chappierichy we are back!!!

check out this mind blowing freestyle

https://youtu.be/rf_sLUND7fM

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“The oil boom in Nigeria has meant a doom for the Niger Delta…the doom is now beginning to burst in blood.” -Ibiwari Ikiriko (1999)
I am an aborigine of the Niger delta, where our roads are rivers, decorated with lush mangrove (Angala) vegetation that house thousands of biodiversity. We don’t need those iron houses that people pull around these days, we have our boats and canoes. We are not hunters, we are fishermen, the only tools we use are nets. We only hear about guns, I have not actually seen one, except the one some village craftsmen construct. Our meals are always sandwiched with our sea friends from who we receive protein that sustain us, and even more enthusiasm to harvest them from their habitat.
My name is Alali but most people refer to me as Ala. I was five years old when they came, introducing to our king, the Amayanabo, the concept of the black gold. They brought machines that awed him and modernized drawings of how our village would look if they found this black gold where we dwell. He was enticed by their sugar coated words, because he did not refuse them, even after several warnings from the chiefs of the nine clans. They promised to give our youths jobs, jobs they claimed were not as stressful as our net drawing while fishing. This news came as fresh palm wine on the tongues of many lazy fishermen. They whispered the news to many, to get as much people as they could to buy the idea, to them it was a business of networking. Our young women paraded themselves as a new criterion had added to the list of “tall, handsome and God fearing men” as eligible husbands. It was now “He must be a multinational driller.”
My mother was a trader, a fish seller to be precise. Sometimes when papa had a very good catch, I helped her dry, roast and sell some fishes. My mother’s name was Iyingima which means “my mother” in my dialect. When I had first learned to understand and later speak my dialect, I asked her why everyone called her their mother, I was about the age of four then. She had thrown her head back and laughed really hard, like she was about to choke. I feared she would have a heart attack, as I watched her chest dance in rhythmic upheaves.
“They call me that because it is my name.”
“Can I call you that too?” I had asked innocently.
“Of course, I am your mother, your very own Iyingima.” She replied.
My father was a fisherman, just like most of the village men. He was a culture fanatic and so I was not surprised when I heard he was one of the men who opposed the idea of digging up our soils, in search of gold that was black.
“This foolishness must not continue, how can gold be black? We do not have enough lands to build and farm on, yet they seek to reduce the available ones to a searching ground.” I overheard him say to Iyingima the other day.
I did not have siblings, either because Iyingima and papa were too busy working that they didn’t have time to make babies, or because our lives changed when those multinationals discovered the black gold, in our village.
It was Sunday, the 16th of January 1956. A group of the multinationals discovered the black gold on one of the surveyed lands close to the river. The town crier, Iyaye went round the village announcing the news. The Amayanabo declared the week as the ‘Delta carnival’, he said we were to celebrate how rich our village would become.
The next day, the president of our country visited our village. There were so many reporters, tourists and some other strangers. Everyone seemed excited with the discovery of the black gold in our village, they said it would bring great wealth not only to our village, but to our country as well. Only the men in our village were allowed outside, women and children stayed home to receive any news when the men came home. Papa did not go out like the other men to meet with the president and possibly see what this black gold looked like. He said all the men who had gone out were people who could sell their souls to the devil.
The old-new news that crude oil, as they called it, had been found in the Delta was all people talked about for weeks. The phrase “crude oil” seemed to be sugar to every lip that could speak, and for every ear that heard, it was an entertaining news.
Our fantasies and excitement was short-lived when Kalayingi, a young woman who grew crops by the river went to weed her farm. Her scream filled the village and forced a meeting. There was black gold spills that had killed her crops. There were black gold spills everywhere. Many people complained about their dying crops, others feared it might destroy our lands and the fishermen screamed that the multinationals were emptying their wastes into the rivers, so fishes had moved and to get a good catch, if there was any catch at all, one needed to row deep into the river. Others complained that very few people were selected to work at the well stations. The Amayanabo listened as everyone stated their complaints, each voice trying to subdue the other. Then he waved his hand, signalling for silence.
“I have heard you, we shall choose nine men from the nine clans as emissaries to these multinationals.” He said slowly. “They will state our complaints and give them the ultimatum: to do things right or leave our land!”
There were several ‘Yeses’ and ‘Mmns’ after the Amayanabo spoke.
Papa was one of the men who was chosen as emissaries. He told Iyingima and I that he would not rest until our Delta regained its lost glory.
The multinationals and the emissaries reached an agreement which stated that the multinationals would lay-off some indigenes who worked for them, stating that they needed “skills”, which was why they did things wrongly. The emissaries agreed, ‘if that would bring our Delta back’.
Two months later, there was yet another shriek that filled the village as everyone ran out to find Ibiye, a young fisherman in flames. Many things were done to stop the fire, but when the fire was out, he had already burned to death.  He had tried to ‘take’ crude oil from the pipes that flowed. Someone offered to tell the story  which we were all keen to hear. He was one of the workers the multinationals decided to lay-off, He was part of those lazy youths who did not want to fish. He decided to steal crude and start his own business. It was a sorry story. Papa was very upset when he heard the story.
“These people have destroyed us, they will not leave us until we are wiped off. That is why the gold is black, it is death’s gold. They have squeezed everything we once loved that we no longer pursue our goals but theirs.” He spat, pointing towards the charred corpse.
“Look away.” Iyingima ordered as I followed papa’s finger, but it was too late. I had seen and heard enough. Our Delta was sick and we did not know what medicine could heal it.
That week most of the villagers stayed at home, there were a lot of snoopy reporters everywhere, like vultures waiting on a carcass. They wanted to know Ibiye’s story, but no villager was ready to tell.
Months passed and things got even worse. Slowly, I watched our once plenteous biodiversity diminish. There were no soils left to grow crops on, there was crude oil litters everywhere. Even the Angala looked like it did not receive enough water, its leaves began to fall like it was dry season. Nobody went to the rivers to bathe or have a drink, the water was considered poison. Our fishes choked to death and you could see their bodies adrift the water, our youths became blood thirsty people who stopped at nothing to obtain this gold or at least get the supposed promise.
Papa left home about two months ago. Iyingima and I have not heard from him since then. We have been told he joined the new “men revolution” to protect our Delta’s interests. Two weeks before papa left, he had stopped going to the river to check his nets. He would come home really late, when the only noise outside were the crick-crick sound the crickets made. When he was at home, he had these visitors whom only spoke in whispers. Once I had peeked and saw one of them handing papa a metal object that looked just like the ones the carvers made, I suspected that it was a gun. I did not tell Iyingima because she worried a lot, but I kept wondering why papa had need for a gun.
Iyingima and I had gone to the market to sell the fish she had bought from some fishermen early this morning, when some men ran through the market shooting. People ran helter-skelter, some packing their wares first, and others who seemed to value their lives more ran to find shelter. Soldiers invaded our village and brutally closed down all the markets, physically abusing anyone who tried to oppose them. A lot of people were killed during the massacre. We later learned that some of the women were kidnapped by the shooters, people the news called militants, angry youths of the Delta.
Our village became a jungle, the shootings continued for weeks. Whenever we were away from our homes, we had to raise our hands while we were thoroughly searched by troops of soldiers for any suspicious equipment. My village became a silent den, if one whispered in their homes it could be heard miles away. Everyone grew quiet, even the birds chirped quietly, like they understood the need for silence. Iyingima grew from the once jovial person I knew to a very quiet and timid person. There were a lot of things we did not talk about at home, a lot of things we were silent about, until the silence became deafening. Things like why papa left and if he would ever return, things like how we had to buy fish before we could sell, unlike when papa provided the fish, the shootings in the village and the fear that was our strength, the fear that protected us and kept us alive each day, so when Iyingima asked if I still thought of papa, I was surprised.
“No, Iyingima you are double parent enough.” I replied, meaning every word.
There was no light in the room, save little flickers that flashed through the window from our neighbour’s coal lamp, but I could see that Iyingima’s eyes held water.
“You know he is a good man? He will come back home.” She said more to herself than me, “He will come back home.” she repeated, assured.
I was only ten but I knew that even if it was what mama wanted the most, papa was not coming back, I did not want him to come back either. Sometimes his fanaticism with culture made him mistreat Iyingima. These months he was gone, she had put on weight and looked healthier.
“Iyingima, there are mangoes growing on our tree.” I said enthusiastically, hoping to shift Iyingima’s mind from papa. It seemed to work as her countenance brightened.
“I noticed yesterday, but you can’t pluck them, it isn’t our tree, it belongs to someone else. We only use it as shade when roasting the fishes your father catches.”
The next day, Iyingima and I were having lunch when some men knocked at our house fiercely thundering “wari e?” Iyingima asked me to hide in the kitchen as she asked who they were “tubo e?” They did not reply, everywhere was silent until I heard the banging sound the door made as it hit the floor.
“She’s his wife.” I heard a man’s voice and I peeked to see them drag Iyingima by the hair out of the house.
I did not hear from them or Iyingima again.
I was by the river checking some of papa’s nets the other day when I heard some women talking.
“Poor ereminitoku” the older one said, pushing her lips towards me as she dragged her net out of a canoe. The other one shook her head.
“Some say her mother is dead, that the men killed her because her father is part of the people opposing them.”
“Hush!!” the older woman warned. “She might hear you.”
It had been two weeks since I last saw Iyingima, since those men dragged her out of our house, but I had never felt her absence as much as I did now. Tears stood at the corners of my eyes, threatening to drop. Iyingima had always told me that crying solved problems most times, but I felt crying wasn’t enough at times like this. I blinked really hard to push the tears back in, gathered the fishes the net had caught and ran as fast as I could to our tree. I didn’t mind that Iyingima had said it wasn’t ours, to me it always will be. It gave me warmth and assurance that Iyingima was always with me. I stared at the very ripe mangoes and for once I thought I could disobey Iyingima, I stretched my hands and plucked one of the closest to me… It was as tasty as it looked. I made the fire and started roasting my fishes.
A lot of things had changed since Iyingima was taken. Apart from the troops of armed soldiers that still filled the village, the shootings had reduced. Our villagers had regained their lost voices. I now lived with Iyingima’s sister, aunt Boma.
We had been told that the women who were taken captives had been released and we could go to the river to wait if we had any captive relations. I was very excited. I sang loudly as I had my bath that morning, I hardly sang, but I was so excited that I forgot breakfast and hurried to the river to see Iyingima.
We were so many waiting for our loved ones. We waited until the sun began to sleep, until many people gave up and went home. I was determined to see Iyingima, something told me she would come back to me, and so I ignored the rumbles my stomach made for hunger and the stabbing pain in my head.
Just as the stars began to shine, I saw some men rowing furiously towards the shore. Everyone had gone home except me. Then they stopped just before the shore and began hauling several ‘things’ into the river. I came closer to the bank of the oil stained river and watched the many lifeless bodies litter the river. I sighted Iyingima’s body, as it floated to the shore. I saw the men strap themselves to their boats and continue their journey, like nothing had happened, like I had not watched them roll my mother’s body out the boat and unto the water. I turned back to walk home, my eyes were too heavy with pain to cry, or maybe I feared that my tears would be the colour of the river, greenish-black as the oil that was spilled in it. I did not know who to be angry at, the government who had said there were laws to protect our interests, the Amayanabo, who had sold us out, the multinationals who had destroyed the delta or the blood thirsty asemini awo (youths) who they now tagged militants, the same people that had killed Iyingima. They were aborigines just like me, but they had lost who they were, their identity, just like our Delta has.

PS: Tales by Irene has always and will always be a strictly inspirational blog. This story was shared to give hope to the Niger Deltans of Nigeria in Africa. This entirely fictional story was created by the author’s imagination… Any resemblances to existing individuals are mere coincidences.
Irene I. Ikiriko ©2016


VISIT: https://inspireneyou.wordpress.com/   for more of Tales by Irene

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But don’t want any of my children to marry more than a wife – Chief Simon Odo

Chief Simon Odo alias Onuwa, a herbalist, is based in Aji village, Enugu-Ezike, Igboeze North Local Government Area, Enugu State. In this exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, Onuwa, who boasts of 150 grand children, says he will not count the number of his children until he stops procreating. Excerpts:
How do you describe yourself?
My name is Simon Odo alias Onuwa in Aji, Enugu-Ezike. My nickname is King of Satan. If you go to my cars, you will see the inscription: King of Satan. Why do you answer King of Satan as your nickname name?
King of Satan means that I am a traditionalist. I’m not a Christian anymore. I was baptised as a Christian in 1956. And I was a mass server between 1959 and 1960 and the evil and wicked people who didn’t want me to live, poisoned me with ukwaranta (whooping cough) which I suffered for five years. Thereafter, somebody kept poison for me and I marched on it. Consequently, my right thigh (he pulls his trousers for the reporter to see the deep scar on his lap) got lacerated for five years and I was taken to another place for medicine. So I decided to embrace the traditional way of life and I survived the sickness. When the enemy wanted to terminate my life, I was still single. So I survived the king of Satan. What I don’t do is bad medicine. I don’t go near human blood at all. That’s why I married 57 wives. My grandchildren are 150 in number. Did you say 150?
Yes, I said 150. Did you pay bride prices before you married your 57 wives?
Ok. I’m coming. (He enters the inner room and reappears with a book containing names of his wives and children). You know our community has taboos, if you go into fornication or adultery in our place, your children will be condemned or you may go mad. Here are the names of my children and my wives. The names of my wives covered two pages of the notebook – Igbo women are there, Yoruba women are there, Awka in Anambra, every tribe is there. Now, coming to your question, I paid the bride price on the head of all my wives as tradition demands. Above that, there are some of my in-laws, I bought cars for and also built comfortable houses for them. Some of my mothers- in-law I built a bungalow for. The wife that is next to my junior wife, I dashed her mother Peugeot 406 car. I spend as from N300,000 upward whenever I’m going to marry. I don’t marry from big (rich) families. I marry from the poorest families so that I can help them. If I want to marry a woman and she tells me that she is from a well-to-do family, I won’t marry her again. I suffered a lot in this life. As you hear the story of Job in the Bible, I suffered like Job. This snuff I am taking now, I started taking it in the year 1960 when I was in Standard Three. The cough poison which the evil people inflicted me made me to drop out of school at Standard Three. I hope you know that Standard Three is not Elementary Three? Whatever I’m telling you is the truth because you came all the way from Enugu, which is a very far distance, to come and interview me and so I will not like to tell you lies. People say that your wives live like sisters from the same mother. What’s the secret?
It’s not just that they live like sisters from the same womb but they eat from the same plate. They cook in the same pot. My wives don’t fight, they don’t quarrel. If any of them fights, I sack her without wasting time. And when I sack the person, I wouldn’t go asking for the things I spent on her head as bride price. Has any woman left you under such circumstance?
If I sack my wife, I remarry. About seven have misbehaved and I sacked them. But if the wife I sacked should repent and beg for forgiveness, I remarry her. How do you fend for a large family of over one hundred members?
Whatever question you want to ask me, don’t shy away from such question, and I’ll answer you. Don’t ask me indirect question. The way I take care of my large family is simple. Thankfully, those I saved their souls, helped to solve their numerous spiritual problems, usually come to do thanksgiving here. And they help me a lot. If you look round the compound, you will see vehicles parked inside which they dashed me after I had solved their problems. It is my destiny to help people. And it’s God that solves their problems, using me as an intermediary. How many children do you have?
I don’t know the exact number of my children. I don’t want to count them until I stop procreation. Are all of them going to school or do you train them in other skills?
All of them go to school. I encourage them to go to school, except if they don’t have the brain for that. Yet, you must have a skill in my family. If you don’t have a skill, that means you don’t want to be useful and I will chase you out of my family. Of course, nobody steals here. You can’t be in my house and decide to steal. Stealing is forbidden in my family. That’s why no matter the size of my family, you can’t see any member of this family stealing. If anybody from this family steals, the person knows the punishment I will give him or her-I will kill the person. Do any of your children want to become herbalist?
None of them is showing such interest. They are not showing interest in my kind of occupation. All I need to do is to bless them so that God will help them in whatever they do. But I emphasise to them, never steal anybody’s thing. If you steal, I will denounce you as my child. Isn’t it surprising that none of your many children, either male or female, is showing interest in what you are doing?
In the first place, I did not learn this occupation. It’s my God’s gift to me. Many of my children are pastors in The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Church. Many of my children are Christians. But I used to tell them that whatever anybody is doing, don’t allow abomination to come into it. Don’t use it to perpetrate injustice or falsehood or impunity. Who are your patronisers?
Those I help are many. When politicians who are aspiring to positions come to me for help, I usually pray for them. But I must emphasise to them that if God helps them to get to the positions, they must govern well and they should not misbehave with the public offices entrusted in their care. But where the person gets into office and begins to misbehave, I am not to blame, I only prayed for him, I am not God who gives position, I‘m not God who controls the affairs of men. How many bags of rice are consumed daily or weekly or monthly in your house?
Truly speaking, some of my wives are well to do, they are established and they are helping to carter for the family. But when I want to go an extra mile, I provide them with bags of rice two times or three times in a week. I am living with the young ones, I’m almost 70 years. I trained the old ones who, in turn, help to train their younger ones. Most people outside there don’t know the trick: they think I am the only person catering for the entire large family. When you were in your 40s, for instance, how did you feed them, especially in providing source of protein to the family?
I killed three, four, five cows every month to provide meat which is a good source of protein for the family every month. If you are in doubt, I can take you to the place I kept the skull of the cows I have killed over the years, so that you see them. Any of your sons a polygamist like you?
No, I don’t want to encourage them to marry more than one wife. They must all marry one wife each because there is no land to occupy more people. I built 15 different storey buildings to accommodate members of my large family. As my child, if you grow up, you go out and build your own house and thank God. You married over 50 wives…?
(Cuts in) I married over 57 wives. How old are you this year?
I was born in the year 1947, almost 68 years now. And you decided to produce a whole community…don’t you think you are causing population problems for the country?
No. The truth is that my father was the only son of his parents, Papa bu ofu nwa. And he vowed that in his next coming (reincarnation), he was going to have large family full of his many children. And what he wished came to pass or don’t you know there’s power in the tongue, in the spoken words? Do you have regret marrying many wives?
No. There is no regret. Assuming any of your sons should marry more than one wife, how would you view such act?
If any of my sons marries more than one wife, contrary to my instruction, he should go and buy his own land and build his own house elsewhere. But as for staying in my compound with more than one wife, it won’t work. How old is your oldest wife?
My oldest wife was 56 years old before she died. What about the youngest? How old is she and how do you manage to…?
(Cuts in) Are you talking of the last one? She is 15 years. Should I call her for you so that you see her? (He goes out to call the youngest wife, Chidinmma. After this reporter has photographed her, he asked her to leave) Very good of you to have asked that question-the way I used to behave when I was young is the way I behave now. I know where you are going to. I know the question you want to ask. The vigour I used to have when I was young is still in me now. I don’t have female friends! I don’t have concubines. I don’t go after other men’s wives. I face my wives only. How do you feel marrying 15 year-old- girl who is young enough to be your grandchild?
I am as healthy as I was when I was young because I don’t bother myself with troubles of this world. I am not an enemy of progress. I don’t envy anybody. I don’t begrudge anyone. I try to go about my own way and mind my business. Sometimes I drive myself to Lagos. What I’m doing is just a gift from God. If you come here in the next 10 years, I will still remain youthful as I’m today. What is the secret of your youthful look?
I don’t eat the kind of food you people eat these days. I eat the type our fathers ate. I eat our natural food. I don’t drink alcohol and I don’t smoke. You have never taken alcohol since you were born?
I stopped drinking alcohol in 1998. I used to drink a lot. Why did you stop drinking?
Alcohol destroys man’s sperm. I am careful about my life and that’s why I am alive today. I don’t eat a lot. Sometimes, I eat once or twice in a day. One of the causes of sudden deaths these days is: somebody will eat one chicken, drink a bottle of big stout, or Gulder, Star and palm wine. Such eating and drinking habit can kill early. But if you can avoid too much consumption of all these stuffs and live the way God has created you, hardly can you have health problems. Do you go to hospital?
I do go to hospital. I go to see the doctor for check-up because I have many wives. I don’t joke with my health. People say you use juju to control all your wives so that they will be obedient to you. Is it true?
No. There is nothing like using medicine or juju to control them. A woman is like a dog that bites. Is there any juju you can use to control a dog that bites? Tell me the name of such medicine, please, if you know of any. It is just the gift and wisdom God gave that I use in controlling them. I don’t use charms or juju to control them. One of your young wives, Ndidi, gave birth to a set of twins. Has God blessed you with twins before?
I have been blessed with sets of twins, from different wives, almost six times. Should I call the latest set of twins and their mother, Ndidi, so that you see them? Ndidi Agada gave birth to twins – Ebele Odo and Ngozi Odo on October 19, 2014. What will you tell young men who want to marry?
I have always told my sons never to marry more than one wife because if you marry more than one wife, how to feed them may become a big problem. I will not live in the world forever. If your father is a man who has a limited company, it doesn’t imply that the son must have few accomplices. What lesson would you like your children or other people to learn from you?
Whatever you enjoy doing develop it and use it to help people. If your gift is to trade, you face trading, if your gift is in public service, you face it and use it to help people. If your gift is to be a pastor, then you face it and spread the word of God. Some of my children have money but when you are rich, you try and help your fellow men. Some of my children are abroad. Normally, when you go to some large families, you will likely see some deformed people – imbecile, insane people, deaf and dumb and things like that. But in my own case, God has blessed my family in such a manner that such deformity does not exist in my large family.. How do villagers see you?
They love me essentially because I’m not a liar. I don’t offend people. I stay here and people visit me. My vehicles, at times, may stay here up to six months without me driving any. I recall when one Reverend Father and Reverend Sister visited me and asked me why is it that I’m answering King of Satan regardless of the fact that I’m doing good by helping people? I explained it from the Bible.They said, please, Onuwa, leave us to rest and discuss the reason for which we are here. But I insisted they must listen to me. If anybody is answering King of God, let him answer but as for me, I will answer King of Satan. How many people did I dash cars? How many people did I dash motorcycles? I bought 96 machines which I dashed out to people and 10 vehicles which I gave out to help people. Have you seen anybody I gave motorcycle got involved in an accident with it? Or have you seen anyone I gave a vehicle and he got involved in an accident with it? The priest was nodding his head. What advice do you have for the government and those in leadership positions?
If you are a governor, govern well. Do not use your position to suppress people, especially the innocent, poor people because if any leader decides to oppress the poor, whenever such leader leaves this planet, others will oppress his own children. People in leadership positions should not encourage nepotism. I told the vigilante people in our community that if you arrest any of my children who is doing evil, just deal with him, don’t say because he is the son of a prominent person, Onuwa, you can let him go while you punish an innocent poor person who didn’t commit any offence. Don’t use your high position to snatch somebody’s wife or land or shed innocent blood so that God’s anger will not come upon you because there is something called the law of karma which still exists.


Source: dailytrust

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TA staircase is one of the best workout equipments in existence. The best part about it is that we can have free access to a set of stairs. Have you ever noticed that your heart rate increases every time you climb the stairs? That is because stair climbing is considered a “vigorous” exercise by many scientific studies. We burn a large amount of calories climbing the stairs in either direction.

Using the stairs is especially effective on the backside as this motion targets the glutes and hamstrings. This combination of cardiovascular and toning exercises is a good way to create and maintain a lifted and firm look in our bums.

Now imagine adding some of the best butt workouts to speed up the fat burning and shaping results that we achieve using the stairs. In this workout video, we feature a great, full-body workout that everyone can do. All you need are stairs, and you can modify this entire workout on a step bench or on the floor. In addition to squats and lunges, we have burpees, pushups, and mountain climbers to target the arms and abs. So roll out of bed, put your sneakers on, and get a quick-yet-effective, 4 minute workout before you start your day!

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Thanks to the internet, the number of jobs you can do from home has grown exponentially.
Here are 5 great ones:
Teacher – This is a very common home-based job. You can run a crèche or even a day care centre from your own garage.
There’s always a high demand for education, specifically for young first-time business owners.
Source: Huffington Post
Medical consultant – After years of community service in hospitals, you can run your own general practice from home.
This arrangement is also economically viable as it saves you petrol and rent money for an office space, which would have been outside your home.
Source: amednews.com
Web search evaluator - This job entails improvement of search engine results on an internet browser.
You can do this for major companies such as Google and Yahoo! and earn decent cash.
Source: Huffington Post
Freelance writer - You can contribute content to an established online or print publication from home. This is great for those wanting to have a flexible schedule.
Source: Survey compare
Music Producer – With the necessary software and hardware, nothing can stop you from making beats and demos for artists in the comfort of your own home.
You can also sell beats and instrumentals to various artists. This can be a very lucrative business.
Source: Studio lights

- Women24

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Issue skin? No thought why? You may be getting the nuts and bolts off-base.

Obviously we all need gleaming compositions like Noni Gasa and Beyoncé. However, awesome skin is definitely not simple to acquire. It sort of relies on upon regardless of whether you've won the hereditary lottery it appears.

Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do to guarantee your shots of skin achievement.

1. Verify you know your skin sort

Knowing your skin sort

is crucial. Is it sleek, blend, dry or typical?

•  Normal skin: normally inconspicuous and smooth (you are honored on the off chance that you have this "simple" skin sort)

•  Combination skin: normally sleek in the t-zone and ordinary in different zones of the face

•  Dry skin: will show slight chipping and redness in spots – it needs loads of lotion

•  Oily skin: typically bigger pores and a somewhat of a sparkle – particularly in the t-zone

Picture: Instagram

2. Put resources into the right items for your skin sort

Once you've made sense of your skin sort, make sure to utilize a chemical and lotion that suit your skin sort and its needs.

On the off chance that you have exceptionally sensitive, dry skin, attempt a rich chemical that won't further dry out your skin. As indicated by Glamor, salicylic corrosive cleaning agents and cleans are again better for sleek skin with bigger pores.

In the event of grown-up skin break out, make certain to counsel your dermatologist for guidance.

3. Uproot make-up appropriately

Regardless of how tired you are during the evening, evacuate that make-up immediately! There is nothing more terrible than laying down with your make-up on, it stops up the pores (zits!) and can even prompt skin unfavorable susceptibilities and rashes.

On the off chance that you are truly excessively languid, making it impossible to uproot make-up appropriately, i.e. make-up remover, chemical, toner, cream; at any rate utilize a wet wipe and take after with some night cream.

4. Sunscreen

Make sure to apply sunscreen every day. Numerous individuals observe that it stops up their pores and prompts an increment in pimples; if this is the situation, utilize a day cream with an implicit sun hinder as this is normally much lighter on your skin.

Verify its higher than SPF 30.

5. Hydrate, eat strongly, practice and rest

Yes, this is somewhat a given, yet its maybe the most critical point.

For getting healthy, the kind of food you eat is everything, rest and do. To enhance the nature of your skin, make sure to drink bunches of water, take after an adjusted eating routine, do consistent activity to sweat out every one of those poisons and open up the pores; and sufficiently rest to maintain a strategic distance from having a dull skin

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The possession and use of cannabis is illegal in Nigeria, but despite this it is still one of the commonest illicit drugs abused in the country.  Its use can lead to multiple health and psychiatric complications.
“Although cannabis is viewed as an innocent herb by many, there is increasing concern about adverse health consequences,” says Dr Lize Weich, senior psychiatrist and lecturer at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Many users become dependent on cannabis, it is estimated that about one in nine cannabis users will become dependent, while those who start using it in their teens have a one in six chance to become dependent. It is also linked to other medical complications, including heart attacks (one study found a nearly five-fold increased risk for this in the hour after use), as well as arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and strokes.
Smoking is the most common route of delivery of cannabis, so it is not surprising that lung problems, like chest infections, chronic bronchitis and emphysema are common among cannabis users.
Cannabis smoke also contains carcinogens (cancer causing agents) similar to that found in tobacco smoke and that may predispose an individual to lung cancer.
Cannabis use impairs driving ability and users are at a higher risk of car accidents.
Its use in pregnancy has been linked with neuro-behavioural problems in children.
“Furthermore, cannabis intoxication can lead to multiple psychiatric complications, like panic, anxiety, depression or psychotic symptoms,” Weich explains. Heavy cannabis use has been linked to reduced pro-social goal-directed behaviour (when individuals select actions based on their predicted consequences), apathy and diminished drive, referred to by some as the “amotivational syndrome”.
Long-term cannabis use can also affect memory and the ability to process information.
The developing adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis use. “It is the most common illicit drug used by this group and has been linked with poor educational attainment, dropping out of school, later unemployment and lower life satisfaction and even with a decline in IQ,” says Weich.
Adolescent onset cannabis use has also been linked to various psychiatric problems in this age group, including an increased risk of developing schizophrenia and an increased risk of developing – a brain disorder which affects the way a person behaves, thinks and sees the world.
Although the cannabis plant contains in excess of 400 compounds, the most potent agent is delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC acts by activating the endocannabinoid receptor system, a delicate system that modulates the balance in other neurotransmitter systems, thereby ensuring optimal functioning of multiple biological functions including learning, memory, stress, appetite, movement and pain perception.
There is some potential medicinal benefit
Weich emphasizes that although there are some early studies that suggest potential medicinal benefit from cannabis use, including relief of neuropathic pain, increasing appetite and treating glaucoma, there is not yet sufficient evidence to support its efficacy and rule out harms and human trials in this regard is still largely lacking.
She says there is concern about the popular belief that cannabis is “medicinal” and thus “harmless and safe”, especially among children and adolescents. Studies have shown that this vulnerable population’s risk of use is influenced by how safely they perceive a drug to be.
“It is clear that legalising cannabis for medicinal use is an important topic that needs careful consideration. Much more research is required to establish efficacy along with a clear public message highlighting risks, especially among the youth,” says Weich. 

- Health24

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Modern Muse gives our Muslim readers some great tips and tricks on how to look radiant during Ramadaan.
Don’t panic, this month I can help you with a few easy tips on how to make you look and feel good by enhancing your natural beauty.
One of the main reasons we stay clear of makeup during this holy month is not to attract the opposite sex. However, it is permissible to wear kohl, because this is on the outline of your eyes.  Also, by eating a healthy meal, sufficient sleep and trying these natural beauty regimes are important to maintain a gorgeous skin, inside and out.
Your face
Exfoliate your face twice a week, Bharti Vyas suggests her gentle facial exfoliator recipe:
2 heaped teaspoons fine oatmeal
2 teaspoons double cream
Mix ingredients and apply to your skin, gently massage it with the balls of your fingers in light circular movements, then rinse off with water. For a deep cleansing and radiance boost, fill a bowl with boiling water and add the juice of half a lemon and a dash of rosewater. For a lovely treat add rose petals. Hold your face about 20-30 cm above the bowl and place a towel over your head to trap vapours. Steam your face for three minutes. This technique will help open pores and is a great cleanser for your skin leaving it radiant and soft.
Your eyes
Treat your eyes by soaking two cotton wool pads in cold camomile tea, leave on for 10 min and relax, it has a cooling and soothing effect.
Your body and feet
Make your own body scrub by mixing a handful of oatmeal and bran with rose water. Use a loofah and massage into damp skin, moving in small circular motions, this improves circulation for a healthier body.  By exfoliating at least twice a week your skin will look smoother and will have a healthy glow. For a special foot treat, soak your feet in a bowl of luke warm water; add a few drops of peppermint, chamomile and lavender essential oils. A foot pamper helps relax your mind, it’s one of the most loved beauty indulgence.
Your lips
By not wearing lipstick, lipgloss or lipbalm during the Ramadaan, your lips feel dry and might even be chapping.  At night try and slick on a coat of Vaseline or lipbalm to keep your lips hydrated.
General tips
To maintain a healthy skin, try and drink at least two litres of water each day, I know this is sometimes not possible during Ramadaan but try to drink at least two glasses in the morning and two glasses at night.  A cup of boiling water and a few drops of lemon juice can flush out any impurities that may have built up in your system overnight.
During the fast you might not have much time to prepare a well-balanced and nutritious meal, have a look at your local pharmacy to find the best natural source of vitamins and minerals for your daily intake. Having a banana and apple at suhoor/ sehri is a rich source of potassium, an essential mineral that helps balance your body‘s PH and body fluids, it also help maintain your normal blood pressure.

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You know when people use the word “literally” when they mean “figuratively” and then you get all snooty and tell them they literally don’t know what literally means?
Well the joke’s on you, ma’am.
Since the incorrect usage of “literally” was so widespread, The Oxford English Dictionary officially changed the meaning of literally to include both definitions. In 2011 already. So while literally still means in a literal sense as in: “Advanced Ebola symptoms include literally bleeding from the eyes” it also officially means in a figurative sense as in: “The last Game of Thrones episode literally made my eyes bleed.”
So literally can literally mean figuratively these days.
While this might be an acrid pill to swallow for the staunch upholders of English grammar, I actually think it’s pretty cool. Languages evolve through time and usage and the only languages that do not change are the dead ones. Besides, there are many other words that we use daily that didn’t originally mean what they mean in today’s usage.
“Awesome” is a great example. It used to mean inspiring awe or terror. A natural disaster or a god would be awesome. Not a night out with friends, or getting to leave work early on a Friday.  
“Amazing” is another one. It’s supposed to mean "to cause great wonder or astonishment". Yet, no one will blink an eye, or more pertinently, ask you what happened if you tell them you had an amazing chicken salad for lunch.
This is all good and well if everyone knows the new meanings and uses the words in the same way of course. Which brings me to my point this week…
These days I’m a big believer in building human relationships, mending rifts between the sexes and striving for harmony in general. Which is why I want to make a public service announcement right here in black on white:
“FINE” IS NOT A COMPLIMENT. AND YOU SHOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO USE IT AS SUCH.
It is all very well that the word originally meant satisfactory or pleasing, but any woman can tell you that saying “Fine” in response to “How do I look?” is a deeply and incredibly stupid thing to do.
No one wants to look fine. Unless it’s with a long “I”. As in “damn, girl, you fiiiiiiiiiiiiine”.
There are literally dozens of other adjectives you can use that can denote a wide, nuanced variety of positivity in your response.
Fine is not one of them.
And while I’m at it, when you ask her how she is, hours later after the dragon fire has died down, and she says “I’m fine”, that’s probably not meant positively either.

- Women24

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I find it so interesting how we can see repeated patterns in our girlfriends but not in ourselves. Right now my best friend forever is going through a difficult time.
All of her relationships have been difficult and ended disastrously. And her current partner, who has a dreadful history with women, is behaving like a real bastard.
She’s in turmoil. I spend hours listening to her, nodding my head, rubbing her shoulders, making her tea and passing her tissues. 
What I really want to do is scream and shake her, yell at her to dump him,  plot the murder, tell her to quit the games, the lies, the drama and move on.
But I bite my tongue. Because she knows what she should be doing; she just can’t do it.  And really, she just wants someone to listen to her. Which I do, gladly and patiently.
Maybe not always patiently, because I do sometimes roll my eyes and I do sometimes actually shake her.
But, I listen because I am her friend. I also support her because she is my friend, but it kills me that she has sleepless nights over this guy.
It kills me that he makes her unhappy.
It kills me that I know she has no future with him.
But it kills her a lot more than it kills me. She’s in it and it should be easy for her to get out of. But it isn’t. These things are always complicated. And I know this because I have been in it too. 
Or I am in it too. And right now there is probably someone writing a story about me and my obsession with this guy and a relationship that is going nowhere. Yet I too cannot see my way out of it.
We all repeat patterns.
We all get stuck.
We can all say what someone else should do, but we don’t do it ourselves.
Is it because we thrive on the drama?  Is it because we are scared of the alternative?  Or is it because secretly we hope that something is going to shift and we really love the guy so think it’s worth putting up with a lot of bad for a little bit of good?
Of course it isn’t worth putting up with the bad. Goodness, girls, we deserve much better than that. We just get stuck and we somehow need to learn how to unstick ourselves.
We need to stop being scared. We need to be ready for change.
We all need to learn to move on when it’s time to move on.

- Women24

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My intention for Ramadan is to accept what is in my heart and soul, rather than be on the edge of my emotions. I refuse to allow feelings and negatives to trick me into myopia and forgetfulness.
I am the Almighty’s creation! I want this month to imprint something on me and in my life which has been missing. 
During this month, every sinner makes an intention to emerge a better person. I begin with sacrifice, to worship, to take my heart and engulf it in the blessings which this month holds for us, to lay my soul bare, so that it will be cleansed.
I have a feeling of euphoria about this sacred time, being able to try again for the 43rd time. Who knows if I will see the 44th?
I want change to happen from within. I want to look outward without my vision of life altered with an omnipresent layer of dirt, shift the grime and help my heart and soul flourish.
I see how people treat each other, how materialistic the world has become. How people hurt each other for the love of money and status.
Assisting a person comes with conditions. Most of us are wandering around lost, searching for peace and happiness yet we lack compassion and empathy. The thing which stands between us and that search is our Ego. 
I need to conquer my ego, I need to realise that I have made errors and bad judgement calls. I need to start from the bottom and shed the ton of unnecessary baggage weighing me down.
I need to take responsibility for everything that has gone wrong. Holding myself, and my decisions/choices accountable for everything that has happened.
We can’t change the course of events. Everything is written out for us, but earnest prayer can change our circumstances.
We all suffer through various challenges, we rejoice at the blessings we received, we learn to have a grateful heart when we go through testing times, we learn humility when we meet those who have nothing. 
Our Creator doesn’t give us more than we can bear. We see his endless mercy if we learn to look close enough, even in the most trying of times.
Though it won't be easy, I pray that I will:
- Learn to accept the things I cannot change and not allow them to make me bitter or resentful. 
- Find the good in everything, no matter how hard it may seem.
- Live my life in a state of gratitude instead of shame or guilt, for the blessings the Almighty has bestowed on me.
We as humans have been given amazing bounties in life, and we forget the true source of these bounties. This is the time when one remembers who actually made this all possible, with gratitude and humility. Fasting instills in us consciousness of the Almighty. 
The month of Ramadan is about purifying the soul, teaching discipline, feeding the hungry, and communing with God. It’s about abstaining from bad habits, whether they be profanity or gossip. 
It’s not just about one's stomach, its every part of your body. Everything in one has to fast. Though you are starving your body, you are feeding your soul.
For me, I want this month to revive and resuscitate me, and the first step is to be honest with myself, and at the end of this I will rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

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The Earth has entered a new period of extinction, a study by three US universities has concluded, and humans could be among the first casualties.

The report, led by the universities of Stanford, Princeton and Berkeley, said vertebrates were disappearing at a rate 114 times faster than normal.
The findings echo those in a report published by Duke University last year.
One of the new study's authors said: "We are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event."
The last such event was 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs were wiped out, in all likelihood by a large meteor hitting Earth.
"If it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover and our species itself would likely disappear early on," said the lead author, Gerardo Ceballos.

Pollination by bees could disappear within three generations, the report warns

The scientists looked at historic rates of extinction for vertebrates - animals with backbones - by assessing fossil records.
They found that the current extinction rate was more than 100 times higher than in periods when Earth was not going through a mass extinction event.
Since 1900, the report says, more than 400 more vertebrates had disappeared.
Such a loss would normally be seen over a period of up to 10,000 years, the scientists say.
The study - published in the Science Advances journal - cites causes such as climate change, pollution and deforestation.
Given the knock-on effect of ecosystems being destroyed, the report says benefits such as pollination by bees could be lost within three human generations.

Extinction may be more gradual than when the dinosaurs died, the report says

Stanford University professor Paul Ehrlich said: "There are examples of species all over the world that are essentially the walking dead.
"We are sawing off the limb that we are sitting on."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says at least 50 animals move closer to extinction every year.
Around 41% of all amphibians and 25% of mammals are threatened with extinction, it says.

Most at risk: the lemur

According to the IUCN, the lemur faces a real struggle to avoid extinction in the wild in the coming years.
The group says that 94% of all lemurs are under threat, with more than a fifth of all lemur species classed as "critically endangered".
As well as seeing their habitat in Madagascar destroyed by illegal logging, lemurs are also regularly hunted for their meat, the IUCN says.
What were the five mass extinction events?

Last year, a report by Stuart Pimm, a biologist and extinction expert at Duke University in North Carolina, also warned mankind was entering a sixth mass extinction event.
But Mr Pimm's report said the current rate of extinction was more than 1,000 times faster than in the past, not 114, as the new report claims.
The new report's authors said it was still possible to avoid a "dramatic decay of biodiversity" through intensive conservation, but that rapid action was needed.

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When I was first dating my boyfriend, he texted me one night saying he was going for a drink with my friend Lisa. They had bumped into each other at a work event. I immediately had a sick feeling in my stomach. Lisa is attractive and charming (most men I know like her or have slept with her). I didn’t say anything about my feelings at the time, but recently he got a text from Lisa and I got upset. I know we have a good relationship and I am probably overreacting, but I am wondering where these feelings are coming from and if I should listen to them. I trust my boyfriend, but these interactions with Lisa bother me a lot. What can I do?
It doesn’t seem as if you trust your boyfriend much. If you did, he should be able to hang out with the goddess Aphrodite and that would be OK. Maybe your jealousy is entirely unfounded, but I happen to think that the strong feelings you describe are there for a reason. It could be the result of past experiences that you’re bringing to this relationship – but if something feels wrong, that voice is worth listening to.
Every relationship has different rules and expectations that are best established at the beginning, rather than building on a foundation of distrust and resentment. Since Lisa is your friend (not an old friend of his), it doesn’t seem entirely appropriate for her to text your boyfriend and set up impromptu drinks meetings on a regular basis. Let your boyfriend know you don’t feel comfortable with it, and why, and come to an agreement about what is and isn’t OK with both of you. He might have some requests of his own with which you might not totally agree, but having a healthy relationship requires some compromises for the sake of your partner’s feelings, and that should be the priority here.
As far as Lisa goes, she should know better. There are some women who tirelessly take on the femme fatale role, unsatisfied until they’re sure they have the attention of every man, whether or not he is taken. Maybe she’s one of these types, maybe not, but let’s just say that if she makes a habit of texting your boyfriend without including you – unless she’s advising him what to get you for your birthday or anniversary – I’d definitely lose darling Lisa.

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A genuine smile may help you form a new friendship or romantic partnership, a new study suggests.
Drawn to positive feelings
That's because people seem to respond much better to positive emotions when forming new personal bonds than to negative vibes such as sadness, anger or contempt, according to the researchers.
However, don't try to fake a smile to win someone over, because people can easily identify whether a smile is sincere.
In one experiment, the researchers found that dating couples could accurately track their partners' positive emotions. A second experiment found that participants tended to feel closer to strangers who displayed positive emotions, and were drawn to positive feelings almost instinctively.
The investigators also found that people display positive emotions with a so-called Duchenne smile, which involves simultaneous movement of two facial muscles around the eyes and cheeks and primarily occurs when people are sincere and happy.
Others see this type of smile as sincere and it helps with social bonding. People are highly aware of this type of smile and are good at "reading" a fake smile," according to study leader Belinda Campos of the University of California, Irvine.
The study was published recently in the journal Motivation and Emotion.
"Our findings provide new evidence of the significance of positive emotions in social settings and highlight the role that positive emotions display in the development of new social connections. People are highly attuned to the positive emotions of others and can be more attuned to others' positive emotions than negative emotions," Campos said in a journal news release.

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Let's face it, we all love a good manicure.
It doesn't even have to be perfect or done in a salon, it must just look fancy...
We recently spotted the wonderful nail work done by Chi Chi at Topshop's launch of Kylie and Kendall Jenner's fashion range for Topshop. She is a South African nail artist who is insanely creative - trust us, just check out her Instagram account.
So, inspired by her out-there, beautiful graphic nail creations, we give you a few manicure ideas to try on those cold, pajamas-weather days when you are kind of bored, but not bored enough to actually go outside and do something: 
Army nails! Do it with Essie.

Go a bit psychedelic with these dreamy colours.
The negative space mani is so easy and looks unique and beautiful.
Do the classic French mani, but with a black and metallic twist.
The pinstriped monochrome mani.
Colour bonanza.
This might be a bit more tricky to master, but using an eyebrow brush can work wonders to create this effect. The look was inspired by the Kendall and Kylie Jenner collection for Topshop. 
Grey nails are huge at the moment! Mix things up and try it with one nail in a different colour - gold or silver always work fantastically.

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Make gravity work for you
Every woman should know how to drape her body to its best advantage. Plump girls know they look great draped horizontally across tumbled sheets. Skinny girls look wickedly sexy sitting back on their heels. You know your angle – so use it. Worried about your tummy? Lie on your back! Small boobs? Don’t lie on your back! And so on.

You don’t have to be beautiful to be erotic
Sexy is not to be confused with pretty. In fact, the opposite is often true. Now is not the time to worry about your hair or make-up. Sweaty, dishevelled, flushed, wicked, desperate… now that works.
Just because you’re not standing doesn’t make it less urgent or less sexy
I know so many women who are unhappy because they wish they were thin enough to wrap their legs around their partners and have crazy stand-up sex. Some things, like comedy and cooking work better standing. Sex isn’t one of them, so just let it go.
You don’t HAVE to face each other
If you’re feeling and looking a little worse for the wear in the morning, don’t fret. Just turn around. Spoon sex is great and you don’t have to worry about your wrinkles in the harsh light of day or your less than minty fresh breath.
On the chubby side?
Being overweight doesn’t mean that your sex life has to suffer. There ARE ways – and positions – that will help you achieve maximum pleasure.
Don’t believe me? Check out this full-bodied sex position that will leave you wanting to rip your clothes off in no time!
Try positions that focus on sensitivity rather than capability
Let’s be honest. Some positions are best suited for endurance freaks who probably missed their gruelling gym session and now, overwhelmed with guilt, want to punish themselves by performing moves that will make even Arnie feel a bit embarrassed.
Instead of attempting the bizarre and some downright stupid sex positions, try something slow and sensual that guarantees clitoral stimulation.

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