Archive for Blogging

How to Watch Oprah Winfrey Network(OWN) Without Cable

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The Oprah Winfrey Network(OWN) is a basic cable channel owned partly by Discovery Inc. and Harpo Studios. The network is run by the popular talk show host and author of the bestselling books, Oprah Winfrey. The channel is targeted towards the African American community.?

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If you are interested in this channel but do not have cable or don’t want to pay for the upgrade, make sure you read this post till the end. I am not going to add illegal free streaming sites to my list.

Here are the best ways to watch the Oprah Winfrey Network(OWN) without cable 

1) AT&T TV NOW

You can still watch OWN without having to pay for additional cable connection. All you need is a smart TV and a good internet connection.?

AT&T TV NOW is a monthly subscription service that lets you access hundreds of TV channels on all your devices. The best thing about AT&T TV NOW is, you don’t need to lock yourself in for a year. Subscribe when you wish to watch TV, enjoy for a month and quit without being asked a single question. AT&T TV NOW screens the OWN channel in it’s $65/month plan.

2) OWN App

Before moving further, if you are interested only in the OWN channel and not don’t want to waste your money buying an entire package, check out OWN’s mobile app for Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast. To watch most of the episodes, you will need to log in with the credentials provided by your TV service. But, you can also enjoy some free content without the credentials.

3) YouTube TV

Everyone loves YouTube, but most people are still not aware of the fact that YouTube has started it’s paid TV streaming service too. That too for just $50 a year. No need for a cable or a set-top box. Just connect your smart TV to the internet and you are good to go. By the way, OWN is also included in it’s $50/month plan.

4) fuboTV

fuboTV is a New York-based over-the-top internet television service popular amongst sports enthusiasts all over the nation. Whether you like American football or soccer, you must definitely have heard about fuboTV. You will be glad to know that fuboTV also screens channels other than sports–includes OWN, CBS, Fox, NBC, and Telemundo.

5) Philo

You can watch OWN TV absolutely free for 7 days. Just subscribe with your phone number and watch your favorite shows on OWN TV for the entire week. Once your trial period is done, you use your family members or friend’s mobile number to continue watching OWN for free. Furthermore, Philo is a streaming service with 50+ channels for a mere $20/month fee. So, you may think of using the paid version in the future.

Conclusion

There are not many TV channels dedicated to the African American community. OWN, along with BET, Bounce TV, Cleo TV, and TV One is helping the Black community stay entertained and informed. The TV streaming services listened in this post are one of the best ways to watch these TV shows without worrying about cable. 

5 Things to Do Before Adopting a Child

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There is a lot to consider when deciding whether or not adoption is the right choice for you Most people who are interested in adoption are usually hoping for a baby, so that is the main (but not sole) focus of this article. We are hoping to give you a simple, unofficial guide to help you prepare for the adoption process.

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Consider the Different Types of Adoption

There are varying levels of birth mother or parent involvement in adoptions. How much and how little you want them involved depends upon your wishes and can be stipulated in the adoption agreement. This allows you maximum privacy if you have the desire to keep everything anonymous. There are a few different types of adoption to consider, and you?ll find them to be the same at most any Texas Adoption Agency. Here are the main options:

Open

Open adoption allows you to meet the mother many times before she even gives birth. This allows you to discuss family history, as well as perhaps have a more personal conversation with each other to get an idea of what kind of family or background she has, as well as letting her see the wonderful home the baby will have.

Semi-Open

Semi-open adoptions are similar to open adoptions, but on a more limited scale. There may be only one meeting. Any questions, answers, and paperwork may be handled through mediators and/or attorneys.

Closed

This is a completely confidential and anonymous process. The birth mother will not know the identity of the adopted parents nor have any parental rights in the future. The adoptive parents will never know the identity of the mother. It is as private as it gets.

Decide What Kind of Parent You Want to Be

The next step is to figure out which type of parenting style best fits your personality and temperament. Are you patient? Are you strict? Are you liberal or conservative with your child?s freedoms? Understanding this before going in will help you to raise your baby from the very start the way that you feel would give them the best opportunity to be happy and successful in adulthood.

Reexamine Your Living Situation

There are a lot of things to think about when getting your life ready for such a monumental new addition. Look around the area in which you live and think about whether it is kid-friendly and the kind of place where you think your child would be happy and do well. Here are just a few to start with:

Schools

This should probably be at the top of the list in your head as well. If you plan on raising your child in the location in which you currently live, then making sure that they have a good school system (from pre-k to high school, if you really plan on staying there) is something that you need to get right on.

Neighborhood

Are there other kids and families around you? Or is it geared more toward singles and couples with no children? This might be something else to think about if you want your child to have other kids their age to play with locally as they develop their social and interpersonal skills.

Current Home

You will also need to baby-proof your home. Yes, you will have some time to do it between bringing the baby home and when they start crawling around but believe us, it will happen quicker than you think it will.

Choose an Agency

The last step is to do some serious research and give a few agencies a call to set up a consultation. From there you can ask any questions that you might have about the process, as well as receive a lot of helpful information.

Tips and Tricks: Creating a Budget for Online Casino

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Playing games is all about excitement and thrill, and playing casino games is no exemption.

Widely considered a pastime activity just as any other, online gambling is most scrutinized and frowned upon as it can create addiction and do more harm than good if you are not careful.

In order to keep it within the boundaries of an enjoyable experience one needs to practice self-discipline when it comes to determining the budget ? and more importantly ? keeping to it. Playing on a budget can be wrongly misconceiving as penny-pinching but it?s actually the first step towards making sure your online gambling experience remains a responsible one.

First and Foremost ? Create a Budget for Playing Online

Determining the exact amount of money ? on daily, weekly or monthly basis ? you wish to spend on online casinos is an absolute imperative. There isn?t a single amount to go for as it is individual and will depend on one?s income and lifestyle costs.

There is a general rule to comply to, however. Never have online casino budget exceeding the amount that would limit your ability to cover your life costs or hamper your daily activities. Once you manage to find the amount that will both keep you entertained and financially stable, you know you made it through the first step of playing on a budget.

Play for Free!

Before we delve in any further on how to create a sane budget for playing online casinos, there is a solution for all of those with reasonable fears of whether they will be able to keep it within the economic boundaries.

It?s quite a simple solution actually. Maintaining the fun element without disrupting the financial fragility of one?s mind is best achieved through playing for free. There are a number of online gaming venues where you can play online slots ? as the arguably most popular type of casino games ? absolutely for free. Not only will you maintain the entertainment factor of playing online but you will also made sure that your budget is intact ? at least until you?ve learned how to control it.

Customise Wager Levels

Those ready to start playing with real money will do themselves a huge favour by paying close attention to choosing how much they want to spend on certain games. We will stick to slots in detailing that adjusting the bet per line ? and subsequently per spin ? is a great way to play on a budget.

It?s a great way of having a cheap online fun, guaranteed to keep the adrenaline rushing high while also keeping your budget safe from draining fast.

Different types of games tend to have a wide variation level when it comes to available wagers and you are advised to keep a close eye on the pre-determined amounts before you hit the spin button. Maxing out on a single spin or two is never a good idea as it is bound to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Calculate Losses and Think Long-Term

Gambling online is not supposed to be means of income as making money on games of chance will most likely ? as you?d guess ? rely on chance and luck instead of skill. Online casino games never exceed the profitability level as it would mean casinos would take heavy losses if all players would win all the time.

A wise and self-assured online gambler will always calculate the loss and head into the online casino adventure with a basic premise their budget is there to be spent and not used to make money off of it.

Coming to terms with losses even before you have started playing will help you determine the budget, whereas the next step is to never let winning ? or even worse ? losing streaks derail you and force you into breaching the pre-determined amounts. It?s quite simple, actually, think long-term and make sure to stick to your game plan.

With enough time under your belt the experience will come naturally ? wisdom as well ? helping you make advances towards deeper waters.

Use Winnings Wisely

The way one uses their gambling winnings will say a lot about their character. It?s that split second of seeing a large amount being transferred to your online casino account that shows whether you have what it takes to be a steady, individually-responsible gamer.

Winnings should first be used to cover your previous gambling losses. Breaking even and drawing a line under your pre-determined budget will help you boost confidence ahead of future gambling endeavors and, at the very best, boost your budget over a certain period of time.

The easiest thing to do would be funneling it all out on a single spin ? thinking that luck streak must continue and that gambling gods have graced you with their divine strength ? but it will be an ill-advised move.

After all, you are not a type of player who?d do such a thing, are you?

Starting A Blog? Things to Consider

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starting a blogI can?t remember where I saw the statistic, but there is something like two or three blogs started every minute. I?ll let you do the math, but suffice it to say, there are a lot of blogs out there. When I started my first site a little over two years ago I had no idea what went into starting a blog, just that it sounded like something I?d enjoy. Fast forward two years;?I’ve bought one blog and started another to add to my portfolio.

Depending on what goals you have for your blog, there can be a variety of things to consider. If you?re thinking about starting a blog hopefully these tips help.

Nothing Happens Overnight

If you think?you can start a blog and wait for money to?start falling from the heavens allow me to let you in on a secret ? it?s not going to happen. It takes time to build traffic, not to mention the fact there are millions of other blogs out there competing for the same eyeballs as you are. Understand that and it?ll help keep you in touch with reality. 🙂

With that out of the way, my first tip for starting a blog is determine what your goal is. Are you writing?a digital journal? Are you wanting to interact with other like-minded individuals online? Are you trying?to help others as you share your personal journey? There are many other things you can focus on as well, the point is to determine the purpose of your blog and why it exists. Combine that with developing your voice and you?ll have a good foundation.

Pick A Domain Name

It used to be that a great domain name was incredibly important. That?s not as much of a case anymore. Of course, if it?s a good name then it can help you stand out. Once you find a good domain name, there are a variety of sites where you can register your domain name?for relatively cheap. Regardless of the name you come up with, the point is that it?s not the most important thing when starting a blog. While it can tell readers a little about what your site is about, don?t vex over a site name.

Do Your Own Thing

With so many blogs on the internet it’s easy to get caught in the trap of comparing yourself to others. I get it, we all go through a peer pressure;?heck, I?do it myself at times. While comparison can be good to motivate you or even challenge you, make sure to stay true to your goals.

This is where the goals you have for your site become important. If it?s to grow your site then you?ll want to market yourself through things like commenting on other sites and being active on social media. Beyond that, you?ll want to focus primarily on content as that?ll be what brings readers back. Be yourself in your writing and let that come out. If you do that the rest will come in due time. Most importantly, remember that blogging is what you make of it ? so don’t forget to have fun!

 

 

Photo courtesy of: Owen W Brown

How to Make Money Online

Make Money Online

Make Money OnlineThe internet can be a land of opportunity, and it seems that everyone has at least some method that they use to try and make money online. Whether you want to just make a few extra bucks here and there, or you want to make your living online, there are quite a few possibilities to consider.

When thinking about how you can make money on the web, consider what you have to offer, and whether or not there are people out there willing to spend money on it. If the answer is yes, you might be able to start bringing in a new stream of income. The big key to remember in trying to make money online though is that it takes time and a lot of work to see decent progress.

Start Slow in trying to?Make Money Online

Don?t make the mistake that so many others before you have already made – thinking it will be easy to make money on the internet. Making money online is just like making money in the real world… it?s hard, if not more so. You will face tons of competition and find that many people may have more experience than you. That doesn?t mean you shouldn?t try, it just means that you should keep your expectations in check and not think that you are going to be a millionaire overnight.

Be Wary of Schemes

Have you found ?courses? or books online that promise to teach you how to make money online? Be skeptical of such products. Think about it this way, if they have figured out how to make so much money, why don?t they just do it themselves?

Most likely, it?s because their ?system? is bogus and won?t make you any money at all. In fact, the way they’re making money is selling some system to you! ?With that in mind, stick with things that you can do for free at first, because there are plenty of legitimate options that don?t cost you a dime.

While there are far more possibilities for ways to make money online than I could fit in this article, here are a few ideas ?

  • Sell items at auction. One of the easiest ways to get started is by having a ?virtual? garage sale. Look around your home for things you don?t want anymore, and sell them on Craigslist or Ebay. This won?t be a long-term money making strategy unless you decide to start buying products to sell, but it can get you started and put a little extra cash in your pocket.
  • Offer to do work. Do you enjoy writing? Maybe you have some specific computer-related skill such as a programming language that you know, or graphic design experience that you have? Put it to use by doing small projects for website owners and other businesses online. There are many freelance work sites where you can find and bid on jobs to start your side business. This is how my wife and I were able to build our business out. We already had a good base of local clients, but moved to also getting clients online. Yes it does take time but it can be quite profitable if you find the right niche.
  • Start your own website. If you are passionate about a specific topic, or have in-depth knowledge on it, you can start your own website and try to attract traffic to your site. Once you have traffic, you can monetize the site by placing ads, selling products, adding affiliate links, and much more. Again, this is going to take considerable time and effort. While it is possible to make money by starting a website or blog you need to have your expectations in the right place, otherwise it’s highly likely you will be disappointed in the long run. Just make sure that if you do plan on starting your own blog, that you have a good hosting provider?secured in order to make sure you don’t have to deal with the headaches of your site being down on a regular basis.

The best way to make money online is the one that works for you and fits your skill set. There is simply no shortcut past some initial trial and error to find out what you are good at, what you like to do, etc. By having a realistic expectation of the time and work needed it is possible to make money online as long as you’re up to the effort.

 

What are some things you do in order to make money online? If you’re a blogger, what are some overlooked ways that people miss out on making money online?

 

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