We teach our collegians well about the period known as the dark ages but do we thoroughly explain what brought on this horrible period across the globe? With little fanfare the answer to that question is an unequivocal no.

Let’s do the math here. The marriage of civil and ecclesiastical power is without dispute the singular cause of the horrors of the dark ages. When the authority of the state and the church are wed, people suffer. The equation goes like this. If I am a Muslim, Christian, Catholic or Jew I may practice my religion without fear of persecution, reprisal or rejection. I still must obey civil law but the judicial body won’t besiege me with charges for the beliefs I hold about God and faith.

When any particular religion becomes the state sanctioned religion then I can be prosecuted for my lack of compliance. Once Catholicism was the state sanctioned religion and for one thousand years the Pope ruled across the globe, with an iron hand. Some say the reformation ended that and some like to call it the recovery, that is, the recovering of the simple gospel message and the abandoning of the burgeoning religious rules and mandates of the church. Is Islam bringing this kind of terror into civilization again?

In America the idea of the separation of church and state is all that stands between us and that kind of tyranny. Of course the separation of church and state is mostly a perception and not actually a law. The law in America simply states that the congress will not make any laws governing religion. This is a law we can live with in the most literal sense of the word. In Islamically ruled nations not believing in the state sponsored religion can and does cost lives.

News agencies have reported that an Iranian man, Mr. Issa Motamdi has been arrested and charged with apostasy. His crime was giving his son a Christian name. Even before his trial which is not likely to be any more than a travesty there is talk of execution.

In the Central Sulawesi area of Indonesia it is reported by the BBC News that three girls were attacked on their way to school. The three who traversed through a cocoa plantation on their way to a Christian school were beheaded. Dozens of Christians have been brutally murdered in this region since 2001 as militant Muslims seek to set up another Islamic state there.

Most people in what still might be referred to as a civilized world take exception to this kind of brutality in the name of any religion. With all her faults, excesses and problems America could be counted upon to deal seriously with this kind of brutality especially toward children. No religious preference would keep the perpetrators of such crimes from being prosecuted and most likely jailed for life or executed.

To the Christian it is sad thing when someone turns to another religion or another God and misses the salvation that comes only from the Saviour of the world. Yet, no where in scripture are they called upon to execute any form of summary judgment against those who choose not to believe. Jesus Christ may have been many things but he is never any less than civilized, perhaps we could say he is a gentleman.

The constitution of the United States could also be said to be a gentleman if it had human attributes. It provides the security to believe the dictates of our conscience without fear of tyranny.

Most of the presidents in our history have been protestant and in the last twenty five years Protestants have met and surpassed the number of practicing Catholics in America. It would be hard to imagine the absurdity of making Protestantism America’s state religion. We would then be very busy prosecuting Catholics and those in other religions. We can only thank God that something this absurd has never been found appealing to even the most confused factions of our body politic.

Rev Bresciani is the author of two Christian books and columnist for several political news sites online. Visit http://www.americanprophet.org

Rev Bresciani is the author of two books and has hundreds of articles both online and in print. Over a quarter of a million people have enjoyed his articles on faith, inspiration, practical living, politics, current events and much more. Please visit his website at http://americanprophet.org

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

With modern communication technology comes the popularity of information-based marketing, which is one of the oldest and most effective techniques in getting targeted prospects to sites and converting them into buyers. This is why article writing, submissions and publications are also getting popular.

There are already many tools that people can use to make the process of distributing their articles more easily. Though this is invaluable in getting the contents more exposure, which is only half of the story.

Let us take a look first at the common mistakes that some people make before submitting their contents to article directories:

1. Confusing the reason to promote the articles with the reason to write them.

In article writing, there are three key benefits why you are promoting them; branding, lead generation and promotion, which are all part of your optimization efforts.
But there is only one reason why you write an article, and that is to inform your audience.

If the article is not focused on this primary and most important purpose, it will fail to achieve the three promotion benefits because no one will be interested in reading them.

You need to figure out first how to get people to read what is in your article, then make them click on your resource box. You can achieve this by producing better contents.

2. Failing to maximize the promotional opportunities of article marketing.

You may know already that your articles can help you generate additional links back to your site. But do you know that you can get more visitors and better search engine results from that same articles?

Mention keywords at strategic places. Just be sure not to overdo them. Some are even using anchor texts which is also an effective method. But it is important to know that majority of the directories are not able to support this.

Remember that is not only about the links back to your site.

Part of doing well in your article marketing is getting picked up by publishers with a large number of audiences and gaining the ability of leveraging other brands because of the quality of your work. Better search engine results also are great benefits. But these things do not put much money in your pocket.

There are other factors that can turn your article marketing efforts into an opportunity that can boost your earnings. Not just increase the number of visitors to your site.

Start out with a plan and see to it that your article will serve the function that you intended it to have.

3. Publishing content that does not help your readers.

Maybe in the process of writing articles, you are thinking that all that is you wanted is links back to your site. And any visitors it can generate are fine.

Guess what? Not all article banks and directories are going to accept your content automatically. Oftentimes, they have some guidelines and specifications on the articles that they are accepting.

You can double the number of sites you can submit to by writing articles that the directories want to share with other people. All it takes is one publisher with a hundred thousand readers to increase your potential audience overnight.

Write the articles that publishers want in their publications if you want your article marketing to work the most effective way for you. This also means you have to obey the standard guidelines, spell checks, researching on a good topic and even hiring a writer to produce a good content on your behalf.

In the end, it is all really a matter of choice on your part. You can start getting a little exposure from increased links back but on a very basic level. Or enjoy massive exposure from a little extra time making quality contents.

It will be your choice. You may not be aware of the fact that an article submitted on directories is not meant to have the same level of exposure as highly-targeted content ones geared on a narrow group of people.

Learn the difference between these two and it will surely help you know what kinds of articles to write and to submit.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about submitting to the article directories. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

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Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

Caring Leaders Create Stars
(c) Copyright 2006 by Gerald Czarnecki - All Rights reserved

A panel of leaders was brought together from three cities to
discuss leadership in a forum organized by Fast Company
magazine. The topics included the best and worst aspects of
having power, leadership in times of crisis, and what makes
them successful as leaders. One recurring theme was that it
is important to truly value your associates and the
strengths that each individual brings to the team. Heidi
Schneider, executive vice president of Neuberger Berman,
said that the old model of the boss is no longer effective
as a leader.

“The model of CEO is going to change. In the ’90s, very
smart, very efficient men ran their companies like tight
ships, but they were often not very nice people. These days,
employees are really looking at their bosses as
disingenuous. Employees think their bosses don’t really care
about them as people; they only care about the bottom line.

People are starting to see through that and say, “Hey, wait
a minute. I don’t mind commuting for two hours if my boss
appreciates that I’m there.” So the people who are going to
be effective leaders are going to really value the unique
contributions that people make — and will tell them so.”
http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2001/11/neuberger.html

Great leaders truly care about their associates and they
show it with sensitive, compassionate behavior as well as by
setting high expectations and helping associates to develop
their skills and proficiencies. It is critical for leaders
to acknowledge and reward an associate’s success; following
that the leaders needs to find appropriate ways to challenge
and develop their associates so that they continue to
improve and excel. When one truly cares, then it is not
enough to accept a good performance. Caring leaders help
associates to develop so that the good performers become
stars.

Gerry Czarnecki promotes excellence in leadership through
activities as an author, public speaker & consultant. He
also trains boards of directors in corporate governance best
practices. For leadership books & programs go to
www.the-czar.com; for his business consulting & governance
training visit www.deltennium.com

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

You can earn a college degree online from the comfort of your own home. Now
earning your degree is easier than ever before. You don’t have to spend your
days on a college campus; instead you can keep your current job and take classes
from home. Most courses are similar to on-campus courses, except you do all the
work from home. These convenient varieties of pursuing a college degree are also
available for individuals working towards certain graduate school degrees.

Schools That Offer On-Line Programs

There are two main types of colleges that offer degrees you can complete from
home. Regular universities and on-line universities usually offer a variety of
on-line programs. Both programs are extremely flexible and available at a very
inexpensive price. Because students are requesting a more flexible schedule many
schools are adapting their regular curriculum.

Many campus school courses are now available in both the on-campus and online
forms. So students who cannot attend a regular campus version of the class can
still take it through the on-line form. Campus programs have had to add degrees
online in order to keep up with the changing needs of their students.

The other main type of school that offers low cost on line degrees is a distance
education college. These colleges specialize in a variety of different distance
education courses. They usually offer teleconferences, virtual classrooms, and
online courses. Many of these colleges have locations in major cities across the
country. Students can then choose to attend classes at the physical school
location or online.

Cost

Online universities do not usually charge more than a regular four-year school.
In fact, many online universities are cheap compared to the high price of
four-year schools. Both types of school offer assistance through federal
financial aid, which can make college possible for low-income families.

Because of the financial aid and grants that are available to students, online
degree programs are an
affordable online college degree option. Most students who want to attend
either type of university can apply for financial aid from the federal
government. Some forms of financial aid are need based and some forms are given
to all individuals who request it.

Busy Schedules

With the busy schedule that many individuals have today an online educational
program is a great way to get the degree that is needed in order to move ahead
in their current position. Most people who attend an online degree program will
complete their bachelor’s degree in a similar amount of time as students who go
to regular class meetings.

Online programs are a great alternative to the regular four-year university.
Students need a variety in their education and can benefit from the degrees
offered through on-line programs. Not all degrees can be offered through on-line
training, but many programs can easily transfer from an on-campus course to an
on-line course.

Before settling for an on-campus degree program, consider looking into online
programs that might fit your busy schedule better.

About the author:

An

affordable online college degree is not a myth! For help finding an
inexpensive, convenient and quality higher education option that is right for
you please visit us at
Affordable Online College Degree

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

Regardless of how you feel about his politics, George W. Bush is a symbol for America as a whole. He embodies much of what is both best and worst about us as a people. As Pagans and Wiccans, we know that as a symbol, the influences that affect him personally will tend to affect the Nation as well. ‘As is above, so is below’. So, with his 60th birthday just past, and his popularity at an all time low, I decided to see what his Numerology Reading showed for the coming year.

As a Numerologist, if I want to look at a person’s future there are (3) main values that I check: their Life Cycles, their Letters of Transit, and their Personal Year. These values give me a general idea of what might be looming in their future; albeit requiring some interpretation.

===> His Life Cycle

George Bush entered his third and final Life Cycle to date in 2003, corresponding with his re-election campaign. The cycle holds opportunities to work with other people in teams or large groups (very fitting). He will be very sensitive to the opinions of other people in this cycle.

His cycle challenge is a reluctance to enjoy life, or to do something just for fun. He will also have extra difficulties in expressing himself in this Life cycle.

===> His Transit Letters

Transit letters are calculated from a person’s full birth name and are the most detailed predictor of events unique to an individual. George Bush’s current Transit Letters are ‘RKU’. They begin on his birthday in 2005 and will change on his birthday next year in 2007.

The letter ‘K’ indicates times of spiritual inspiration and unusual events in the president’s life. It marks a time when his marriage will grow stronger. It can also mark a time of health troubles. ‘K’ as a Transit letter that will last for (2) years, so it’s effects should be felt in the next 12 months.

If reflected on our nation, might this indicate spiritual inspiration and systemic health problems for our people as a whole? Will we see surprises and difficulties call us together to strengthen our relationships?

The letter ‘R’ indicates a time of creative energy and frustrating delays in the President’s plans. It’s a time for ambition, powerful feelings and the inner turmoil, which goes with them. ‘R’ as a Transit letter that lasts for (9) years, the longest time possible. We’re only 3 years into this ‘R’ period, so it will last through his presidency.

Again, on a national scale, could this indicator of ambition and frustrating delays reflect on us and our feelings about the war and other policies of our government? If so, I don’t see this ending during the Bush presidency.

The Letter ‘U’ indicates a time of creativity, but also a time of poor financial success. The president will need his confidence bolstered during these years. ‘U’ as a Transit Letter that lasts for (3) years; it’s influence started in 2004 and will end next year.

As a nation, this might be a foreteller of continued economic woes through the next 12 months. We too are experiencing doubts in our current direction. The best news I see here is that this will pass in July of next year.

===> His Personal Year

2006 is a Personal Year (3) for President Bush. In seeming contradiction, this indicates a time of happiness and joy. This is a year of optimism and perceived benefits for him. It’s also a year in which important decisions should be put off. Bush should wait until 2007 to make any major policy decisions.

With the mid-term election coming up in November, I expect that the president and the nation will hold off on any major changes in the status quo. Expect any changes in the troop levels in Iraq to wait until next year.

I also believe that as a nation, we too will be filled with optimism for the rest of 2006. Whither this is a function of upcoming opportunity for change or a rally of the national spirit to our problems, the optimism is definitely there.

Finally, although the relationship is imperfect, there appears to be a definite link between the aspects of George W. Bush’s Numerology and that of the nation as a whole. As a strong believer in the power of symbolic magic, I would be shocked if it were otherwise.

About the author:

Keith Abbott is the developer and owner of ‘Numerology 4 You’ where you can view George W. Bush’s complete
Numerology Profile
, along with those of over 600 celebrities. Order your own Numerology Reading today at
http://www.numerology4you.com

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

by Edward Gause

Want to get thousands of new subscribers for your ezine
without spending a cent on advertising and you’ve tried all
the methods above but you still want more?

Viral marketing is the way to go! Writing viral ebooks that
get passed around

Writing viral books is nothing new, but it’s still a great
way to get your newsletter noticed.

There are a few methods you can use when creating viral
ebooks.

You can either create them as a free product, or charge for
them and give people the reprint rights to the product so
they in turn can give your product away while making some
money in the process.

I prefer the reprint right route. The key here is though,
once the momentum of the first book wears out, write
another and another and another and another! All in the
same method, all with reprint rights and all with your
newsletter subscribe from plastered in them.

The goal really isn’t to make money from the sales of the
book, it’s to get more subscribers.

So again, find a group of publishers in your markets, let
them know you created a new ebook with sales letter that
they can use and plug straight into their website and give
them a mailing promotion to use and tell them they can have
the book for free and that they can either sell the book or
the book and the reprint rights to their customers.

This is easy money for them and more subscribers for you!

Doing audio interviews with experts in your field also is a
great idea to get more subscribers. I’m not going to get
into how to create audio products as that’s a whole other
book, but interviewing experts over the phone and recording
it on mp3 will get your newsletter splashed all over the
Internet, especially in fields other then Internet
marketing where people don’t expect to get this much
quality information for free

When you take marketing tactics from the Internet marketing
field and apply them into other niche markets where they
have never been seen before, you will get noticed more.
Everything has been done in the Internet marketing field,
we are all immune to even the most brilliant marketing
tactics as we see them almost everyday, but other niche
markets eat these things up.

Creating audio interviews isn’t hard at all equipment wise
and finding experts to interview is a piece of cake.

Do you know how I find experts in any field almost
instantly?

Well most FAQ pages at FAQS.Org/faq/ have who its written
by and an email address for them. These guys are obviously
knowledgeable in their fields, and they would make great
experts to interview.

Tell them you want to interview them because you’ve read
information they’ve written and it was great and you think
your subscribers would appreciate the information.

Most will do this without charging you a cent if you are
outside the marketing field, they will just get a thrill
out of being interviewed.

Once you have these interviews, tell all the publishers
you’ve been in contact with recently that you have this
great set of mp3’s just completed and you want to offer
them for free to their lists.

Setup a section on your website with the download link to
these mp3’s and also put a subscribe form near them for
your newsletter and you will be surprised how many people
will sign up AFTER they listen to your mp3s.

Don’t make is so these people have to sign up for your
newsletter before they get the mp3s.

This was one of “37 Of The Best List Building Secrets
Exposed!” To get the other 36 tips, grab yourself a copy
of “37 Of The Best List Building Secrets Exposed!” at:
http://follow4more.info/?i=68591/tip4

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

The process of applying for a business loan is a stringent one as compared to the standard procedures in obtaining a home mortgage loan or a personal loan. This is probably due to the fact that business loans contain a greater risk element as compared to other loans. Therefore, lenders need to exercise greater caution and emphasis when evaluating business loan applications in order to minimize their risk exposure.

With that, lenders evaluate their applicants based on the information that are provided as well as their judgment of the viability and profitability of the business being financed. Thus, business loan applicants will be required to submit a loan proposal along with their applications with the purpose of creating a positive impression upon the lender.

The first element of a loan proposal is an executive summary, providing short descriptions of the type of business and the industry, the purpose and usage of the loan, the proposed repayment conditions as well as the intended loan period. After that, the company information is provided, enriching the reader with the nature of the business, the location of the business, company history, the products or services provided, key differentiation factors of the company or the product, the general growth of the industry, competitive information, growth potential and target customers.

It would help if you could include your company marketing strategy, detailed product information, historical information as well as projected growth plans for the company. Apart from that, if you plan to incorporate product or service extensions in the future, you should provide these descriptions within your loan proposal. If possible, geographical expansion plans will help in the proposal.

The next area that needs to be showcased in the proposal would be the credentials and experience of each member of the management team. Impressive credentials will provide assurance to the lender that the company is managed by individuals who are responsible and capable. This is important as having the wrong people managing the company could be detrimental for the business.

In any loan application, historical records are essential to be used in evaluating the performance of a company. As new companies do not yet have these records, the financial records of the owners will be used as the basis of evaluation. Income tax returns forms are also required by lenders. All of these records provided should be the latest copies less than 90 days old, with the exception of the income tax returns form.

If the loan is applied for an existing company in active operations, company financial statements, including profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and the net worth reconciliation record should be included in the loan proposal. Again, all of this information should also be the latest and less than 90 days old. Additionally, a listing of accounts receivables and other short term and long term debt should be attached.

On the other hand, if the loan application is submitted for a new business, a pro-forma balance sheet and profit and loss account should be provided. Apart from that, a cash flow projection for the upcoming year is drafted to indicate the possibility of recovering the debt. This also means that projected revenue, profits, costs incurred and expenditure should be listed out with definite explanations provided as well as a list of assumptions.

If you possess assets that you wish to use as collateral for your loan, details for this should be provided to the lender as well. It is often common for lenders to request for dual sources of repayment in the event that one source is defaulted. This means that if the business owner defaults on his repayments, the collateral can be sold in order to recover debt.

Finally, other documents normally required for a loan application would be items like the article of incorporation, lease agreements, partnership agreements, license, references, etc. As the list of required documentation, information and attachments differs between lenders, it is best to check with the individual lender on their specific information and documents required to be attached with the loan proposal.

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

In the mid 1990’s we have seen an upward trend in the traditional advertising agencies, marketing agencies, PR firms and branding firms.
And to face a stiff competition, it is crucial to make certain your brand has a really good marketing message that co-exists amongst all marketing and advertising media…with one common goal….converting prospects into buying customers.
How could this be possible?
By a compelling marketing message, analysing and creating a compelling marketing environment, across all platforms of marketing, advertising and branding.
This marketing communication increases closing ration, reduces time spent, and maximizes return on investment. And sales are generated.
These new Marketing Communications brought new age thinking, creative services, web strategies, cutting edge graphic design and web design and creative and persuasive copywriting.
Accordingly, so many marketing communications agencies are there in the UK to simplify the purchasing requirements of marketing professionals, businesses and organizations.

These Graphic design agencies compass all the traditional forms of promotion including advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, publicity, public relations and direct marketing.

But they aim to be broader than this. They include all points of contact between the organization and other parties

They set up strategy in which a company coordinates advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, and publicity in order to present a single consistent image for the product and the company.

They can be called as Branding agencies or Direct marketing agency also. Their prime objective is to initiate sales ultimately by way of promotions, Corporate literature design, concept development & design, print and production, exhibition and location marketing, direct mailing, marketing and web marketing.

So, why wait?

Just grab the opportunity to produce corporate image by those Marketing Communications.

Henry Dylan is a freelance Writer who diagnoses every article with full consideration of its reach to the target audience and for more information regarding the Graphic design UK, Marketing Communications, Integrated Marketing Communications and Corporate literature production he advocates this site http://www.blazecommunication.com/pages.php3 .

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com