Students Of Success

The rainy day made for a wonderful chance for the three of us to finally spend some quiet time together. Faith and Elissa climbed into my bed and snuggled up to me, at the same time taking all but a corner of my blanket from my prying hands. It was only 9:00, who wakes up this early, especially in the summer time? I slowly opened my eyes, and suddenly it hit me. My girls were here, here in my home. In our home! Finally, I had my babies, only they weren’t babies anymore.
My wife was no longer part of our lives. She had long since lost control of her life. Her drug addiction had seen to that. I pray for her every night, that she might surrender and seek help, but it was out of my control. If and when, she decides to ask for help, I will be the first one there for her.
So now, I was all my angels had, as far as someone to care for them, nurture them, and provide for them as they deserved.
A man could never understand how much time and energy goes into being a mother. I for one, never thought it to be such a big job, afterall I was the one out there everyday working a job I hated and putting the food on the table, as well as paying all the bills. That was how I thought before. I now a new respect for motherhood and it seemed to me at the time that I was way over my head.
At that time, the girls were preparing to start at a new school. Elissa was starting kindergarten and she needed uniforms for school. So off we went on our first shopping excursion. Three hours and 2 advils later, we finally made it back home.
It was getting close to dinner and I decided to take the easy way out and go thru the fast food window, which seemed to please them just fine. And then it started to get a little tricky. Do they take showers? Do they take baths. Do they bathe together.
As the weeks passed by, I began to understand their needs, as well as their schedules. I was on my way. I was beginning to make the journey towards motherhood. I cooked them dinner, dressed them for school, drove them to soccer practice, and yes, believe it or not, I even joined the p.t.a, along with the other mothers.
Two years have passed, the children have become little ladies. They are helping me in so many ways. I understand my role as a father and I have learned that i can never replace the special relationship a young girl has with her mother. I have no control over that and I accept it. I can only do what ever it takes to be the best parent possible for my girls. God knows, I love them more than life itself, and we shall all live happily ever after. God Bless our children.

About the Author

Jay Bartels Is a single work at home dad bringing up two lovely daughters, Faith, who is 11, and Elissa who is 7. The 3 of them live in Boca Raton, Florida and are quite inseperable.

Many comments have been made about the objectives of the opening
play and perhaps the best advice we’ve heard is the one about
being able to get to the middle game with a playable position.
This ideally means that you have your king safeguarded, your
pieces have decent mobility and scope, you also have sound pawn
structures, and you have opportunities to create real threats to
decisively win material or even cause a checkmate.

Most chess instructional books will list the following as
important opening concepts to achieve the above:-

- Controlling the Centre

- Develop your pieces

- Safeguarding your king, ideal defence, maintaining the
integrity of the castled king

- Hinder your opponent’s attempts to do any/all of the above

The player who can get the job done quicker will usually be
rewarded with a superior middle game position. Tempi is
therefore a very critical factor in the opening. Every move
counts towards securing key positions, getting another piece
orchestrated into the attack and/or keeping the king out of
harm’s way. Many less skilled players tend to overlook the
importance of this. So avoid making futile moves in the opening
or attacking too early without sufficient attacking pieces or
insufficient backup.

TEMPI is basically how to get there faster.

Some openings are deceptively passive and “quiet” favouring a
slow strategical battle and gradually building up tactical
opportunities which explodes later into the middle game. Some
others are aggressive and explosive very early in the game
abounding in tactical opportunities for both with lots of
threats and counter threats. And, yet others get very quickly
into the middle and the end game usually with a race for pawn
promotions determining the eventual winner.

Find an opening that suits your style of play and let it well.
Gambits and hypermodern openings are usually favoured by strong
tactical players as they often present many exciting tactical
opportunities. Always remember, different openings to suit
different style of play.

When loved ones pass away, you’ll want to make sure that they have the funeral they deserve. Here are the main aspects you need to consider when planning a funeral.

1. Viewing

When someone dies, family members and friend may wish to view the body of their loved one. Viewing can assist with the resolution of grief. It can help people accept that death has occurred. Each family member’s viewpoint on visitation or viewing may be different, and this is a very personal decision. The best option in most cases is to leave the option of visitation open to an individual’s own emotional needs. Before or shortly after death some people may be adamant that they do not wish to view the deceased, then change their mind a short time later. By presenting the option of visitation, all family members’ individual emotional needs can be met.

2. Flowers, notices and memorials

In many communities it is traditional that friends and family pay their respects by sending flowers or making a donation to charity. Your local funeral director can organise flowers for you. They can also collect, record and distribute donations to charity on your behalf.

The obituary notice in a local, national or other publication announces the death and funeral details and can also become a tribute to the person who has died, by perhaps containing a verse. Some people like to place acknowledgement notices in the newspaper after the funeral, thanking people who have supported them. Some people also like to compile a book of compliments, reflections and memories about the person who has died, written by family and friends attending the service or afterwards.

You don’t have to decide whether to put a memorial on the grave or on the site of the burial of ashes until after the funeral. The regulations about what kind of memorial can be put up, and when, vary considerably from place to place. Your funeral director can advise you on this and make any arrangements on your behalf.

3. Transport

You’ll need to decide on the size and makeup of the cortege (the hearse and the cars following it). Other questions to consider include:

Will it be a standard, motorbike or horse-drawn hearse?
How many cars will be needed?
Where will the cortege leave from?
Will it take a special route?
Will you require wheelchairs for elderly or disabled mourners?
Where will you return to afterwards?

4. Bearing the coffin

Some families decide that they would like to bear the coffin themselves at the ceremony, instead of the funeral director’s staff. Bearers may be friends, family members or colleagues of the person who has died.

5. Music

Many people now ask for specific pieces of music to be played at the service. Your Funeral Director will be able to advise you on this and make the appropriate arrangements for you.

6. Eulogies

A eulogy is when someone pays tribute to a person’s life by saying a few words that will help remember that person at the service. You can prepare a speech yourself for this, or you may prefer to read a favourite poem or passage.

7. Catering

You may wish to offer guests refreshments after the funeral. You will need to decide who will provide the catering and where it will be provided. You may prefer to offer refreshments at your home or at a location close to where the service has been held.

8. Burial or cremation?

If there is no grave in existence and a new grave is required, this can be arranged directly with the cemetery or through the funeral director. New graves are expensive and the costs can increase significantly in some areas if the deceased lived outside the cemetery authority’s boundary. The family organising the purchase of a new grave should know what costs are before finalising the funeral arrangements. Burials in churchyards are subject to rules and regulations of the church authority concerned. These rules are often very strict in relation to the type of headstone or memorial that can be placed on the grave following the funeral. The restrictions can also extend to what is written on the headstone. Those responsible for the funeral arrangements should be aware of what memorial restrictions are enforced before the interment takes place to avoid any unnecessary distress later on.

If you opt for cremation, this will take place shortly after the funeral committal service is over in the crematorium chapel. Each coffin is cremated individually and after each cremation the ashes are removed and kept separately so that each family receives the remains of their relative. If required these are usually available for collection the next working day and can be placed in the Garden of Remembrance at the crematorium. The ashes can also be kept by the relatives, interred in a new or existing family grave, or scattered in a place deemed as appropriate by the family or as requested by the deceased prior to death.

This is an option that will have been specified in someone’s Will or prepaid funeral plan.

So these are the usual options to consider. Other possibilities can be discussed with your funeral director or funeral plan provider.

Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. For more information on prepaid funeral plans, visit www.silverbirchsolutions.co.uk or contact Sharon at www.doublehdesign.com/

Submitted with Article Distributor.

How often you have used tools for your everyday living? The
advantage for having power tools, automotive tools or garden
tools in your house is really awesome. In an emergency
condition, you might need tools to repair your things. It’s
became better if you really know what should you do with it.

Why tools are so significant for you to have? Let’s check how
tools started to be used. Based on Britannica Encyclopedia, the
used of tools began perhaps a million years ago when man learned
to walk erect. His hands were then free to grasp objects of wood
and stone. He used these to kill animals for food, and they
became the first tools. The story of the development of tools is
the record of man’s slow, constant effort to help himself.

Great events in tool development took place when man became
dissatisfied. Currently you can find so many tremendous tools
which you never imagine before. All tools have vast advantage.
It’s really amazing how those tools helping people to do their
everyday life. You will be lured to own your set of tools too.

If so, here are some notes you may need to know:

• It’s important to do some research before you buy tools
because the equipment under each general and sub category has
many different applications and functions. You may find that
certain tools and equipment have multiple functions, so better
you buy one of them instead buying all. Thus, this will reduce
the amount of equipment you will have to buy and also save your
money.

• For garden tools, you have to be more prudent. You may know
that gardening is a favorite pastime for many and this activity
can be made more pleasurable through proper tools. . In the
garden, the better a tool works the easier the job. Using the
proper tool can cut down on time and effort. For gardeners,
tools are a matter of style, fit, and function.

• For power tools, there are certain familiarities. Power tools
can’t run without juice. For home improvement jobs in small
quarters or remote parts of the yard this can be a problem. So,
better you check on how to use power tools.

• The better a tool works, the less you’ll have to spend your
energy and effort to do your work. Maintenance your tools are
important. For your garden tools, tasks are easy to do and
typically are required only once a year. If the tasks are done
at end of the season, the tools are ready to use when the season
starts, and they are better protected from corrosion during
storage. Replace blades or sharpen tools that cut or dig,
lubricate moving parts and oil materials that tend to dry out.
When a repair is not a safe option, replace the broken parts.
Don’t attempt, for example, to glue or tape a broken wooden
handle; replace it.

Those notes above probably will help you a little bit before you
buy tools. The problem now, how can you find cheap tools with
high quality? As you may know, high quality tools are quite
expensive, as they are designed to be long-term investments.
Well, if you are facing that situation, better for you to wait
for a clearance tools sale at a major wholesale distributor.
Wholesalers typically have the best prices to begin with, so
when you catch that rare sale, you can be assured that there is
no better price out there.

Well, you need to do some searching though, but it’s worth it if
you really want to have good tools collection. Start searching
now, good luck!

A paintball gun is a device, or a replica of an actual firearm
used to mark an opposing player with paint in the popular game
of paintball. It uses different types of propellants such as
expanding gases to propel a paintball through a barrel with a
muzzle velocity of approximately 300 ft/s to break upon impact.

Firing Systems in Paintball Guns:

In the Electro-pneumatic firing system, electrical power from an
onboard battery is used to drive a motor that turns gears inside
the gun to compress and release a piston, which creates a blast
of air that propels the paintball. These guns are capable of
multiple firing modes, such as three-shot bursts, six-shot
bursts or fully automatic. Most of them are capable of firing
300 to 900 rounds per minute (RPM) and their muzzle velocities
range from 200 to 400 feet per second (FPS).

In mechanical or spring-powered firing system, the paintball
guns are mostly single-shot or spring-cocked devices the spring
has to be cocked by pulling back the slide or bolt before firing
each shot. In some devices, excess air not used to propel the
ball is then used to re-cock the hammer which is known as a
blowback system. Mechanical paintball guns are able to fire at a
rate of 200 to 275 FPS.

Gas-powered firing systems use pressurized gases like propane
and HFC134a refrigerant to propel paintballs. They are also
capable of using blowback mechanism, in which on-board or
magazine-stored gas storage system is used to propel the
paintballs and the same compressed air that propels the
paintball is used to pull back the slide. So they are also
capable of automatic or semi-automatic fire.

Types of paintball Guns:

There are various types of paintball guns which come in
different sizes, configurations, styles and designs. Pistols are
the smallest, running off of twelve gram CO2 cartridges. They
have to be reloaded after ten shoots. Since pistols are less
powerful with smaller paintball capacity, they are normally used
for back-ups.

With pump guns, the user has to manually load the paintballs
into the chamber, they cannot be automatic. They are much
cheaper, very accurate and powerful in comparison to other
paintball guns. Some of them come with a constant trigger so you
can hold the trigger down and just pump it to shoot.

Semi-automatic paintball guns are quite expensive and may even
cost you up to a $1000. They are capable of semi-automatic and
automatic fire. The trigger is considerably sensitive and most
models have shorter trigger pulls.

Specially configured paintball guns such as stock guns can only
hold about 10 paintballs, and must be parallel to the breech,
which requires tilting to load a paintball. A stock class
paintball gun is powered by a single 12 gram CO2 powerlet. The
knob that holds the powerlet has to be removed in order to
change it. They are mostly used for stock only games. Regular
pump paintball guns can also be modified to fit stock class
specifications.

The response to this query, in masses of cases, is yes. Places such as Costa del Sol nowdays seem expensive for average budgets even so, there are still stacks of deals to be had in masses of areas of Spain. Flats in the Costa Blanca are still on sale beginning at 100,000 euros, (£69,750) & villas beginning at near 190,000 euros, (£132,500). In Murcia & the Costa Almeria property prices are proportionally less expensive with renovation properties kicking off around 75,000E (£52,300) & villas beginning at near 160,000 euros, (£111,640). When someone buys off plan make sure that the worth of the property mounts as the the scheme progresses & nears completion. Folk buying early in the entire building process receive the tops deal & returns on investment.

Property located in Spain is still rising located in value and with by far the easiness of access from each and every EU airports it perseveres in being by far the most attractive place for each and every year sun. It might be a shrewd investment, with by far the further perk of fantastic vacations or a perfect place for full time homes.

There continue to be stunning regions in Spain that the day trippers & investors haven’t yet found. Just one example, the Alpujarras area in southern Spain is a stunning, mountained place that is a haven in hidden peace & incredible prices. The golden strands in Costa Tropical are not too far away & airport access is simple through Granada or Almeria.

Stretching south called your foot hills called your Sierra Nevada, your Alpujarras has your region’s capital city, your sea side community called Almeria, as its south-east border, with your sea side town called Motril in Granada making up your south western border. The locality contains a rich diversity in weather inside a limited area - you may be lazing at a sub-tropical beach merely twenty minutes called your house or skiing at your snows called your Sierra Nevada merely two hours away, depending at your mood and your time called year! You can get property in spain quite cheap still.

Property values there are now at impossibly great hights for roughly roughly Spain. A village home in the district of Valor requiring repairs for roughly roughly 26,000 euros (£18150). A 2 bedroom renovated home in the vicinity for roughly roughly 155,000E a hundred and eight thousand. A 3,000 metre square building site for roughly roughly 26,000E (£18150). New 2 bedroom apartments for approximately 85,000E £59,320. Cortijos requiring renovation for roughly roughly about 50,000 euros £34,000. Restored cortijos for roughly roughly about 100,000E 70,000 pounds. Have your own finca built for approximately 120,000E (£83,750) or procure a fully working industrial olive growing farm - 24 hectares for roughly roughly 495,000E (£345,450). There are options to buy hotels, restaurants or b & b firms to allow you a working income in this prospective locale much favored by the Spanish for roughly roughly their holidays - all at values the remainder of Spain has long forgotten about.

Investors would be advised to act quickly though. The news of this heretofore secluded area is creeping out. The prices are beginning to rise & so in the next two or three years the existing bargains here might well be a thing of the past.

Incredibly, from 1909 through 2004, over 400 billion pennies have been minted. Yes, that is over four hundred billion, as in billion with a “B”. That is roughly 1400 pennies per each US Citizen. If you have a jar, can, piggy bank, no doubt you have your share. More cents are produced than any other denomination. The lifespan of the Lincoln cent has spanned two world wars, several other wars, the first commercial jet flight, trips to the moon, Y2K and the invention of nearly everything we use today and take for granted. Yes, that little penny has been around for nearly 100 years and has seen a few changes such as changes in its design and changes in the metal content.

How did this design, the staple of our pocket change come about? Way back in 1908, Victor D Brenner began designing a medal of Theodore Roosevelt marking the construction of the Panama Canal. Brenner had earlier created a plaque of Lincoln using a February 9th, 1864 photograph as the model. When Roosevelt saw the plaque of Lincoln, he was impressed. Brenner confided to the president that he was a great admirer of Lincoln and suggested that a portrait of Lincoln should be put on a U.S. coin. Although George Washington and Lincoln had appeared on pattern issues of the 1860s, as of 1908 no American president, or real person, had ever appeared on a coin made for regular circulation. The timing was right as Roosevelt had previously commissioned Augustus Saint-Gaudens in 1907 to redesign all American coinage including the Indian Head penny which had been around for nearly 50 years. Unfortunately Saint-Gaudens died that summer. Thus Roosevelt was open to ideas from other artists and was intrigued by the idea of using Lincoln on the cent and also coincided with his desire to honor his fellow Republican (it was all politics back then also) and the 100 year anniversary of his birth and consequently asked Brenner to submit a design. Brenner choose the penny as the coin to honor Lincoln as he felt it was appropriate to honor the “people’s” president on the most common coin. Originally, the design for the reverse was the same pattern as a French two-franc coin and had “United States of America” across the top of the reverse with his name “BRENNER” in small letters across the bottom.

The design was immediately rejected by Mint officials as they did not like the use of a design identical to a French coin. They also did not like Brenner’s name being prominently displayed on the coin. They advised him to use only his initials as was common on other coins. Brenner redesigned the reverse with two stalks of wheat, the words ONE CENT over United States of America and his initials “VDB” on the bottom and the national motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM, which means “One out of Many” circling the top. Brenner’s design did not originally include the phrase “In God We Trust” despite the fact that the Congress passed the Act on March 3, 1865, authorizing the use of this expression on our coins during Lincoln’s tenure of office. William Taft succeeded Roosevelt as president before the penny went into production and refused to approve the design without it.

Even though no legislation was required for a new design, approval of the Treasury Secretary was necessary to make the change. Franklin MacVeagh gave his approval July 14, 1909 and it was announced to the public that a new one-cent coin would be available in the middle of the year to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. About three weeks later, on August 2nd, 1909, the new cent was released to the public with much controversy which will be covered in Part II

Keith Scott has been a collector for over 30 years and owns a small internet-based coin store at www.mountainviewcoins.com. Visit his website for a history of US coins, metal market updates and news about your favorite coins.

There is no such thing as free debt consolidation services. To
the contrary, the services that offer free debt consolidation
have hidden fees and interest rates attached to their schemes in
most instances. The lenders or debt services are sponsors of the
exact same people who you owe money. Therefore, the services in
most instances are paid by these creditors and are waiting to
make extra money off the person suffering.

Debt is a cruel and vicious cycle; and in most cases, people are
overcharged for products, services, and support. Many companies
are out to make money, instead of helping people survive. I
personally knew a company that charged four times the amount the
product was purchased for; and this company continues to grow,
leeching their customers’ surplus everyday.

Therefore, if you are in debt, don’t feel like you are a
failure; rather get up and fight for your rights. Free debt
consolidation service could mean free quotes, or else free
first-time sessions with counselors. The services guaranteed
will have a charge attached, unless you land with a company out
to help people get back on track without burying them deeper in
debt.

One of the better services for debt consolidation is United Way
and its affiliates, which include a number of Credit Unions.
Anyone affiliated with the government also will help in most
instances without jacking you for more money. If the services
are affiliated with the government, you better believe they will
be towing the line, since the government’s privacy is at stake.

Therefore, if you need free debt consolidation services, seek
out the companies that affiliate themselves with the government.
And if you’d rather go directly to the source-the government-you
can find more information about free debt consolidation on
various government websites on the Internet.

Get debt help online now at www.debt-free-america.com

When I found out I was going to become a mom, there were a lot
of things to consider. I had to think about whether or not I
wanted to immunize, who would be at my birth and what to name
the baby. I thought about whether I would quit working all
together or try to work from home, who to invite to the birth
and whether or not to give my newborn vitamin k. But there were
some things that were a given from the moment I stood in my
obgyn’s office and heard her tell me I was pregnant. I would
have a home birth, I would sleep with my baby and I would
breastfeed. Forever, if I could. So from the moment that sweet
little pea slid out of my body and latched on, I was as hooked
as she. I couldn’t really imagine that there would be folks who
would be offended by my tendency to whip ‘em out at any given
moment, sort of like how when I was growing up I couldn’t
imagine that there were really republicans and that I would ever
meet one. And so I approached public breastfeeding with an
almost “I dare you” sort of philosophy. I was a firm believer in
feeding on demand from the very beginning, and if my daughter
wanted to nurse right at the moment I happened to be standing in
the checkout line at the supermarket, then the formula feeding
mother of four behind me and the Harley Davidson rider in front
of me were just going to have to be privy to our not-so-private
moment. I could often be seen wheeling her stroller with one
hand as I walked down the beach cradling my suckling daughter at
my bosom. It doesn’t take long to learn how to use your two
hands as if they are four when you’re a breastfeeding mother.

There were certainly stares, and the occasional nudge to a
friend as strangers passed me and my breasts in public venues. I
let the obscene comment of a teenager or two roll off my
shoulders (only because they were teenagers), feeling sad that
seeing a breastfeeding woman as nature intended her was cause
enough to incite such nasty comments in the new millennium’s
generation of kids. I wondered what that said about our society.
If nothing else, it said that not enough women are either
breastfeeding at all, or comfortable enough doing it publicly to
normalize the experience for those around us. And sadly, this
directly affects our children. When we are uncomfortable
breastfeeding, we will turn more quickly to alternate forms of
nourishment, forsaking the ultimate nutritional and bonding
value of breast milk for bottles (even those who choose to pump
are robbing themselves and their children of the many other
benefits of breastfeeding).

As those of you who’ve breastfed children yourselves already
know, it takes a little time to really get the knack of it. So
in beginning, I must admit, my grace was suffering and often I
stumbled through the experience, unable to successfully lift one
side of my shirt without lifting the other, accidentally untying
the bow on my postpartum drawstring pants, not to mention
needing to expose the entire breast just to get my daughter to
the nipple. But these things happen, and with a little practice
we soon became an expert team. I could push the stroller, browse
the new releases at our local bookstore, carry on a cell phone
conversation and nurse the baby all at the same time. Most
mothers can.

With time, nursing became second nature to me, and I suppose
like every nursing mother these days I was confronted with a
certain facet of society who was “not-so-supportive” of public
breastfeeding. Like a true Sagittarian, I was ready to rumble. I
confess there was a part of me that almost couldn’t wait for the
man the in bank to call me a “f—ing rodent” as I sat on a sofa
quietly nursing my baby girl. I knew what to say to him, I had
it all rehearsed in my head. I almost wanted to get kicked out
of a restaurant, just so I could give the manager a piece of my
mind. I would defend my right to breastfeed with a patriotic
gusto, vehement in my pro-breastfeeding stand. When confronted
with such blatant disapproval, I knew exactly what to say and
stood on strong ground.

The problem came from a less likely place. I had anticipated the
angry passersby and disgusted store owners; what I had not
prepared for was the onslaught of subtle disapproval cleverly
disguised as support. I did not question my motives, my exposed
breast or my timing when openly harassed. It wasn’t until a
kindly woman asked me if I would like her to show me to a more
private corner that I began to feel ill-at-ease. Until then, it
hadn’t occurred to me that many rational people- people who
believed whole-heartedly in breastfeeding- expected that I would
prefer privacy. Her well-wishing concern gave me my first dose
of self-consciousness around the issue, as if someone had
suddenly pointed out that there was something to feel awkward
about where before there had been nothing. While it is words
like hers that led me to examine this very issue, I am hopeful
that one day our society as a whole can return to the place of
my previous naiveté.

When I was approached by an angry man one day who shouted
obscenities at me and my nursing daughter, onlookers were quick
to intercede on my behalf. I was not afraid, nor was I tempted
to give his accusations a second thought. When, however, an
employee later asked me how come I didn’t tell her I was going
to do “that” so she could have let me use a back office, I
quickly wondered if I should have. It was the well-wisher who
made me question my actions, and it is exactly this kind of
statement that reflects a society largely uncomfortable with the
idea that breasts are multi-functional. Most importantly they
are an instrument of sustenance and a means of nourishing our
young, although in the wake of their own revolution we seem to
have forsaken this foremost purpose for one purely sexual. We
witness breasts bared in nearly imagined bikini tops; we walk
around malls and are confronted with posters advertising women’s
lingerie, bathing suits, and blouses cut to accentuate the
cleavage. And hidden among these blatantly sexual depictions is
the lone maternity store, proudly displaying an enlarged
photograph of a sensibly dressed woman in a nursing shirt
cleverly designed to hide her breasts. As though now that they
are suddenly useful for something more than a wet t-shirt
contest we should forget we have them. Now don’t get me wrong; I
am a big fan of the breast. But I am a fan of the breast in all
its glory. There are many faces to each woman’s own, and I am as
proud of the ones I have now as I was of those I had ten years
prior. Please, don’t make me feel ashamed to put them to their
rightful use. As a mother I am expected to care for my child as
I best as I can, and yet I am bombarded with criticism for doing
exactly that.

It is seldom the ignorant and angry public who intimidate this
breastfeeding mom, but the kindly folk who think they are doing
a good thing by propagating the idea that breastfeeding should
be a private experience. Our breasts, in the end, have been so
sexualized that even those with the best intent cannot separate
their sexuality from their functionality. Even those of us who
choose to integrate ourselves into communities which embrace our
choice to breastfeed are hammered with advertisements for
clothing offering “discreet” access. The world around us is
telling us over and over again that they don’t want to see our
breasts (at least not until we are finished breastfeeding and
then only if they are still adequately perky), that we should
hide them, that breastfeeding is a public issue when in reality
it has as much to do with those who happen to be around you as
what you ate for breakfast. The only people who should be
concerned about how you breastfeed are your child and yourself,
and whether the concern of others’ manifests itself in an angry
or a “helpful” way, as breastfeeding women we should learn to
ignore it all. I’m tired of slings that allow you to breastfeed
with minimum breast exposure; I’m tired of being offered a
blanket or a jacket to “cover up” with; I’m tired of being asked
to pay an arm and a leg for clothing with slits on the chest
permitting one to breastfeed while their breasts remain covered.
I’m proud of my breasts and their ability to nourish my
daughter; I love the way she fondles and molds them as she
nurses, the way she stops every so often to say “hi, mama” and
smile or coo (thereby, god forbid, letting my entire breast hang
free for all who pass to see!). I don’t expect her to eat under
a blanket or slurp continuously until she is done, never pausing
for conversation. My daughter eats the same way I do (or at
least did, before I had a baby to care for!): slowly, socially
and savoring each bite. What she has for lunch is as much your
business and what you have for lunch is hers. Let us nurse in
peace, however and wherever we choose to do it.

The internet has changed our buying habits. Many people have found the convenience of online shopping to be a great experience. You can easily click and see the product. You have a fun time shopping, browsing, reading and getting informed about products. And you don’t have to take time out from your busy schedule to fight traffic, crowds and lines to buy the perfect gift for your recipient.

No wonder Internet business generated $301 billion in revenue last year, by a University of Texas estimate.

If you compare shopping online to offline you would think as far as security goes, it would favor offline shopping, right? Not really.

In the years past, shoppers were more reluctant to do their shopping online – now things have changed greatly. And that confidence in consumers directly reflects the enormous growth of online sales.

I have a friend who took his wife out for a romantic evening to a local restaurant. The last place you would expect credit card fraud to happen. By the time he noticed they had charged him double the amount for their dinner, it was too late to go back to the restaurant. He rang me and we concluded that it must be a mistake. It was later that we found out that the restaurant owner’s reputation was a bit shaky. Apparently he frequently overcharged customers in the hope they wouldn’t notice.

I don’t know. It’s a funny world we live in.

Does this mean the internet is safe? Relatively yes, but don’t forget, the Internet is an open field and there are some bad elements out there.

We have been shopping online for years. We never had a problem with credit card fraud on the Internet. But then again, we always take precautions. From this point forward, you will see 10 checkpoints online merchants have to pass to secure our business…

Will your credit card details be safe?

Reputable companies online know that one of the things preventing customers from placing orders with them is customers not been sure whether their credit card details will be safe. Responsible companies have taken this concern onboard and have set up their systems to provide the customer with maximum security.

How would you know if you are entering your payment details on a secure page?

You should see a picture of a lock on the bottom right hand side of your screen. This lock will appear on the page that you fill in when ordering and ensures that your name, address and credit card information is being sent to the online store through encrypted code. This encrypted code means that a hacker will not be able to steal your credit card information.

Does the online store value your privacy and confidentiality?

Prior to the internet days, when I used to order something from a mail order company, mysteriously I would be sent advertising from companies that I hadn’t done business with. Back then I didn’t know that companies sold your personal information for advertising purposes to other companies.

Receiving junk mail was annoying but because of the cost involved, it didn’t happen constantly. Imagine now if you do business online with a company that doesn’t respect your privacy and sells your email address.

Next time you open your email software, you are bombarded with emails ranging from a dozen to hundreds. Now that’s not annoying – it’s intolerable.

So moral of the story here, make sure your email address won’t be sold. Ensure the online store has a privacy statement which would state they will maintain your personal details in the strictest privacy and confidentiality.

Does the online store have contact details?

You may think, of course an online store would display their contact details on their website. You would be surprised. I was. No email address, nothing. This is a sure red flag.

Reputable companies will have contact details.

Do they have a refund policy?

Offline stores have a refund policy and you go into the store, physically select the product and are then allowed to return it for whatever reason. If a refund policy is important in offline stores, it’s twice as important for online stores.

The internet in convenience surpasses the offline world when it comes to shopping - but one thing it can’t match is that offline you can physically touch the product. Therefore a refund policy of 30 days is great, more is better. No refund policy and I would stay away.

Do they send you some sort of confirmation when you place your order?

When you place your order what you need is something to tell you they have receive it, a receipt if you like.

A reputable company will either issue you one via email or display a new page of their website where they thank you and tell you the order went through okay and your product is on its way.

When do they deliver?

What times do they deliver during the day? Do they deliver on the weekends? Can you choose a time to have your gift delivered? Will it be delivered personally to the recipient intended or will the courier leave it outside their door?

How will your gift arrive?

If its flowers, will it come with a vase or in a nice box or wrapped? Will your bouquet contain flower care instructions? How about flower food to make your flowers last longer?

If you’ve ordered another gift product, will they wrap it? In what kind of material will they deliver it? Do they tell you these things on their website?

How long have they been in business?

This may not mean too much. There are companies that start off and surpass all others. But perhaps for your peace of mind, you may want to use an online store that has been in business for some years. To check the history of the company is easy.

You can go to networksolutions.com and click on “whois” on the top bar. You will be taken to a page where you can enter the web address of the online store you want to check and you will receive the relevant information.

Is the online store’s site easy to use?

Is navigating easy? Is looking for products easy? Do their graphics download in a reasonable time? A sure sign of an amateur sight is if they have their website cluttered with information.

Have they gotten any bad reviews?

A reputable company isn’t necessary one that hasn’t any bad reviews to its name. It’s virtually impossible to please everyone.

There have been companies I have bought from and absolutely loved. So it surprises me sometimes when I stumble on a bad review about their products or even bad comments about them.

So when is a bad comment about a company worth considering? I take note of reviews where the writer complains of:

• not receiving the product
• not receiving a refund
• not having their emails answered

If you want to see what kind of reviews a company may have, click on alexa.com. When you get to the website, type in the address of the store you want to check out. This will also show you how long the company has been in business.

Online shopping is fun. Take a little care and make it an experience! Happy shopping!

Copyright © Gina Stathopoulos

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