Life Tips

It’s that time of year again! The months of November and December are extremely popular times for digital shopping. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday and all of the holiday deals afterwards, there is no shortage of online shopping during this time of year.

However, with a surge in online shopping comes a surge in potential cybersecurity issues as malicious individuals try to take advantages of shoppers during sales season.

If you want to avoid falling victim to these attacks, you need to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from them. To learn exactly what you need to do, keep reading. We have the top tips that you need to know while you’re perusing the sales this year.

1. Invest in Antivirus Software

If you don’t already have some kind of antivirus software on your computer, now is the time to get it. The great thing is that many companies are offering their software at discounted rates right now while all of these sales are going on.

Do some investigating and figure out where you can get the best deal on antivirus software.

Make sure to get this software downloaded before you start giving out sensitive information like your credit card number and shipping address. You should also run a malware screen before you start, just to make sure that your computer isn’t already compromised from prior activity.

You should also contact your current internet provider and check if they have any deals regarding antivirus software. Oftentimes, internet providers and antivirus companies will make deals with one another, allowing their respective customers to save money on their products.

2. Check the Website Security

As you’re searching through every single website that you’ve chosen to shop from, you need to make sure that they’re secure. If a website is not secure, you should not be shopping there.

There are two quick and easy ways to find out if a website is secure or not:

1. Look at the website’s address. A secure website will begin with “https” rather than “http.”
2. Look to the left of the website’s address. If there’s a lock symbol there, the website is secure.

These two signs tell you that you’re using a secure site that isn’t likely to leak the information that you put into their system. You should never share personal information on a website that doesn’t have these two things. In fact, you shouldn’t ever use websites that aren’t secure.

For an example of a secure website, you can look at www.lenovo.com. You should notice both signs of security while perusing their sales.

Whether you’re sharing personal information or not, you should avoid non-secure websites. You could be picking up malware and other computer viruses through these websites.

3. Update the Browser You’re Using

Surprisingly, updating the browser that you’re using can help protect your computer and the information that you’re sharing with the website. Having an older version of a browser can make having updated security difficult.

Hackers and other malicious users will try to use your browser loopholes against you. By updating your browser, you’ll close some of these loopholes and make it more difficult for these malicious individuals to get your information.

Most browsers update themselves, but this is usually only if you have automatic updates indicated in your settings. No matter what browser you use, you should be able to access updates through the settings.

However, if you can’t find it, a quick Google search can help you find out how to update your browser.

We also suggest that you use a browser that protects your information and takes pride in its security. There is a wide range of secure browsers for you to choose from.

Once you’ve updated your browser, you’ve shielded yourself from potential harm. You can rest easier that all of your information is safe and secure.

4. Read the Privacy Policy

Everyone knows that no one reads those long documents with tiny words that contain too much legal jargon. However, if you’re truly trying to protect yourself, you should take the time to read them.

If you’re worried about a company sharing your information, their privacy policy should tell you everything you need to know about what they do with your information.

For example, the company may collect the email address that you give them for correspondence purposes. They may save your shipping and payment information to make future purchases easier. They may even share your information with partner companies.

You can find out all of this information by reading carefully through the privacy policy.

If you don’t want to read through the privacy policy, you should remember that it is a legal document that binds you to its rules on your acceptance. Even if you don’t read it, you are still accepting its terms.

This is why we highly suggest you read all privacy policy documents. If you don’t want to waste the time, you can see if the company has a summarized document or simply skim through the longer document yourself.

5. Go Through Past Reviews

Reviews can tell you everything and nothing about a company. For the purposes of holiday shopping, we’re hoping that the existing reviews on a company will give you a great deal of insight into what kind of business they are and how they handle their customers.

As you’re perusing through reviews, you should consider the timing of the review and the overall consensus of the company’s reviews. Don’t hone in on one customer’s complaint. You should address everyone’s collective comments in order to craft your opinion of a company.

We suggest that you focus most of your attention on the most recent reviews of the company. There could be new management, a new distribution center, or some other great change that could have completely turned the company around, making past poor reviews now invalid.

You should also be careful in assuming that bad reviews are always right. An isolated situation does not reflect the company as a whole. In fact, sometimes the problem isn’t with the company.

If a company doesn’t have many reviews or has zero reviews, you should approach with caution. This is normal for new products but not for older collections. Approach with caution, and – if you do like something from a company with no reviews – see if you can find a similar product elsewhere that has great reviews.

6. Keep All of Your Receipts

To be safe, you need to keep track of your receipts. If a product gets lost in the mail or never gets shipped out in the first place, you need to have proof that you paid for that product.

In fact, if you try to contact customer support, they will most likely ask for that proof of purchase. Without it, you’ll end up losing your money.

Luckily, companies that you’re buying from should send your receipts directly to the email that you provide. You can keep these in your inbox until the products arrive. This gives you a running list of the things that you’re waiting for and allows you to have a reminder of them each time you check your email.

If you feel like your inbox will spiral out of control with all of those emails, you can make a folder to keep these receipts. Just make sure that you’re keeping up with what orders should be coming in. If you wait a few months to address a missing order, you’re not likely to get much sympathy from the company you ordered from.

7. Review the Return Policy

For an added layer of protection while shopping, you should review the return policy. This will tell you what your options are if you end up not liking the product or discover that you’ve ordered or received the wrong thing.

If the companies that you’re looking at have a “no returns” policy, you should reconsider buying from them. Without the ability to return or exchange items, you could be stuck with the wrong product. This is not to mention that you’ve wasted your money in the process.

A solid return policy will only protect you in the end. Don’t assume that you’re going to end up with the right product, because you could end up hurting yourself in the end.

If a product you really love belongs to a company with a “no returns” policy, you should try to find a similar product elsewhere. It’s better to find a knockoff or a similar product than getting stuck behind a policy that is only meant to hurt you and help the company you’re buying from.

Finish Your Digital Shopping

Now that you’re equipped with the best digital shopping tips and tricks for this holiday season, you’re ready to run head-first into every sale there is. If you follow these seven tips, you’ll be set to enjoy your time shopping rather than worrying about being taken advantage of.

Remember to think about your safety and privacy first while you’re searching for sales and placing orders. Happy shopping!

To read more on topics like this, check out the Life Tips category

Word search puzzles are among the most incredible fun activities that almost everyone remembers from their childhood. Just like jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku, they aren’t too hard, and are very satisfying to solve, and have exciting and entertaining themes.

Most adults prefer playing word puzzles in magazines and newspapers. However, to make this fun to the next level, you can create your word search puzzles and use them to challenge a family member or friend. Even better, if your friends also know how to do these puzzles, both of you can create them and have fun. Creating word puzzles isn’t too demanding: it’s simple.

Here are steps you can follow to create your word search puzzle.

1. Select a Theme

You can get inspiration from many places. The environment, animals, movies, states, or even countries can be used to source ideas. Let your motivations, preferences, and likes to guide you in selecting your best idea.

2. Decide on the Number of Hidden Words and Size of Your Grid

Just like selecting a theme offers you various choices, you can also be flexible with this. You only need to remember to make your puzzle a square and not too small because it may limit the number of words you’ll choose. If you intend to use long words, use a larger grid. The number of words you intend to use will also affect the size of the grid. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, you want to start by writing down the numbers first before making the grid.

3. Draw the Grid

To draw your grid, you’ll need a graph paper or any other kind of ruled paper and a pencil or pen. Once you’ve removed it, pick your theme words and start filling them in. You can fill these words in eight different ways through these four main options, which you can also invert. You can spell your words from left to right, top to bottom, diagonally right to left, and diagonally left to right. Also, you can spell them backward in all those directions. Jumble the words within your theme and start writing them in whichever way you like. Depending on your preferences, you can choose to overlap or not.

4. Determining Difficulty Levels and Filling in the Grid

Filling in the grid requires extra effort, and that’s why it shouldn’t be larger than 14 x 14. This work is pretty simple. You need to put a letter in all the blank spaces. You can use various options to fill in the grid and determine its difficulty level. For example, you can only fill in the letters present in the theme words or add other additional letters to give partial solutions or write the words ‘E-L-E’ in the puzzle to provide the players with hints of the information out for.

The Bottom-line

If you love playing word search puzzles, you can create your own word search in Google sheet and try to use it to challenge others. You can make playing more fun by asking your friends also to create puzzles which you can swap. These simple steps can help you create exciting word search puzzles.

Join the discussion on this topic with Voice Originals by visiting our contact page

Americans who are unable to work due to a medical condition may receive social security disability benefits. The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) funds and administers the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program which provides social security disability benefits payments to persons who cannot work due to a disability.

Under this program, you and members of your family who have met the requirements to receive social security disability payments may be eligible to get social security disability benefits paid each month. If you’re considering applying for social security disability, learn more about what is covered and the benefits you’re most likely to receive in this blog.

Are You Eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits?

At this point, you might be asking yourself, “I’m I eligible for social security disability benefits?” Before you proceed to fill out the application for these benefits, you should determine if you will have coverage.

If you are unable to work as a result of a medical condition that will last at least a year or have a medical condition that will result in death you have met one of the program requirements. You must also have a disability that meets the definition outlined by the SSA and not be older than the full retirement age.

You are not eligible for social security disability benefits if you have a partial or short-term disability.

It is beneficial to have assistance with this process as you will have to eventually undergo a SSD hearing before you are to receive social security disability benefits.

The Social Security Disability Benefits You Are Most Likely to Receive

If it is the case that you are entitled to receive social security disability benefits you need to understand what benefits you’re most likely to receive. Let’s get started with what many would consider is the most important question, “How much money will I receive?”

As of 2019, the average monthly disability benefit payout to all disabled workers is $1,234. This number may change every year. Monthly payment amounts will be adjusted every year to account for cost-of-living changes which change.

This payment is meant to make a difference in the lives of those who are disabled and unable to work. It helps to meet their basic needs as well as the needs of their family members.

Is Health Insurance Coverage Provided?

You may be wondering if you are eligible for health care coverage. Yes, you are. You will be eligible to receive Medicare two years after you have first started receiving social security disability benefits.

You’ll be automatically enrolled. All of the parts (A-D) of Medicare will be offered.

Obtaining Social Security Benefits

Now that you have read this guide about social security disability and the benefits offered, you can decide whether to apply. Social security benefits can help you and your family if you are unable to work due to a disability.

If you would like to read more about technology and life tips continue reading the blog.

Did you know chronic pain affects 20.4% of adults in the US? It’s one of the leading reasons that Americans seek medical attention. To treat their pain, many Americans indulge in using medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana is effective in controlling chronic pain. Many people use marijuana for recreational purposes, but marijuana may also introduce unwanted effects.

A great alternative for marijuana is smoking hemp. Are you trying hemp for the first time? In this article, we give you a guide to hemp smoking and some of its benefits.

What You Need to Know About Hemp

Hemp buds or flowers come from the hemp plant, which is part of the cannabis family. It contains enough CBD and only a bit of THC. Smoking hemp is a great option for people who want to experience the benefits but none of the other effects.

Cannabinoids in Hemp Flowers

The hemp plants have over 100 phytocannabinoids. These chemical compounds can offer great medicinal value. Here are some cannabinoids that you may find in the hemp flower.

CBD

Cannabidiol is the most well-known cannabinoid. CBD offers several benefits without giving its psychotropic effects.

THC

THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is a high-inducing compound. Despite its psychoactive effects, small amounts can give several benefits.

CBG

Hemp contains low amounts of cannabigerol. This compound can help reduce inflammation from inflammatory bowel disease.

CBC

Cannabichromene can help treat pain. Though it’s a lesser-known compound, the hemp flower contains solid amounts of CBC. When paired with THC, CBC can help alleviate chronic pain.

Before you purchase your first hemp pre rolls, here are some things you need to know.

The Entourage Effect

CBD products include oils and capsules. Many use these products to treat chronic pain and other issues but may not offer the same benefits as hemp. These products can only offer isolated CBD content.

When smoking hemp, you can enjoy more of the benefits of CBD. CBD in hemp combines with other plant compounds. The heightened experience from this is otherwise known as the entourage effect.

Faster Results

Hemp smoking can give you faster results than consuming edibles or hemp oils. Smoking hemp allows the cannabinoids to seep into the bloodstream faster. Edibles will only take effect after passing through the digestive tract.

Heat First

Before you smoke hemp, you need to heat the product. Heating it will activate the CBD and other cannabinoids. This allows your body to absorb them with ease.

Dosing Tips

Hemp buds may be a little trickier to dose than other CBD products. If you’re smoking hemp for the first time, start with a small amount. If you don’t experience any effects, you can build up to larger amounts.

The Right Way to Inhale

Slow and deep inhales are the best way to smoke hemp buds. Fill two-thirds of your lungs to absorb it well. Wait a few minutes before taking your next hit.

Benefits of Smoking Hemp

After learning how to smoke hemp, you can enjoy its benefits. Here are some of the benefits of smoking hemp.

No Psychoactive Effects

Hemp flowers offer high CBD counts and a low THC percentage. THC or tetrahydrocannabinol gives you a high sensation. There are some users who may be extra sensitive to THC.

If you want to avoid THC’s psychoactive effects, consider smoking hemp. Hemp gives you the same benefits of CBD while avoiding unwanted THC effects.

Benefits of the Entourage Effect

Hemp smokers can experience the entourage effect. In addition to CBD, smoking hemp can benefit you with other natural hemp compounds. Some of these compounds include aromatic terpenes.

Studies show that these terpenes can give distinctive flavors and some physiological effects. Some flavonoids are rich in antioxidant properties that enhance the effects of CBD. You can also get other effects from secondary cannabinoids like CBG and CBN.

More Customizability

More people are beginning to accept hemp smoking, especially in mainstream culture. This allows cultivators to breed and crossbreed to make new strains. You can find a variety of new dynamic hemp strains on the market.

This allows you to find hemp flowers that can give you your desired tastes or effect. As you continue to use hemp, you can change your CBD routine thanks to the variety. If you’re smoking hemp for the first time, you can find a strain that’s perfect for beginners.

Hemp Smoking in Parties

Smoking hemp is a great alternative for pre-drinking at parties. Smoking hemp will not intoxicate you, allowing you to enjoy the moment without zoning out. Some people smoke hemp to cope with social anxiety.

Smoking hemp is legal in most states. If you want to try and fun and new experience, smoking hemp is a great but responsible choice. Smoking hemp can be a great icebreaker for social events or any other recreational event.

Hemp as a Nicotine Alternative

Smoking hemp can be a great way to deal with nicotine addiction. If you quit smoking and are going through withdrawal, hemp can help you combat symptoms. Smoking hemp can serve as a healthier alternative for nicotine addicts.

CBD is a non-addictive substance. Smoking makes people dependent on cigarettes for nicotine. Smoking hemp can help you curb your addiction and transition to quitting.

A study shows that CBD reduced cigarette consumption by over 40% of tobacco smokers. Hemp can also reduce cravings from other drugs like heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines. If you’re looking to quit smoking or get rid of withdrawal symptoms, consider smoking hemp.

The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Smoking Hemp

The hemp flower contains many cannabinoids with medicinal benefits. With the right dosage, smoking hemp can relieve pain and anxiety. If you’re trying cannabis for the first time, hemp is a great way to start.

You can consume hemp flowers in the form of pre-rolls or cigarettes. You can also smoke hemp with a pipe and bong. CBD oil is a great alternative for non-smokers who want to enjoy the effects of hemp.

Any of these methods can offer you the same benefits as smoking hemp. To learn more about hemp and other life tips, check out some of our other blog posts!

Individuals who have a disability require a special type of legal representation. This can help prevent discrimination and ensure they get the accommodation they need from the appropriate party.

But, not everyone has as much of an understanding of disability law as they should. Fortunately, it’s not as complicated as it may seem at first.

So, what is disability law? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.

1. The Rights Disabled Persons Have

Initially, disability law was enacted to ensure that disabled persons were treated equally in the workplace. Today, however, disability law now extends into housing, public service, and education.

It aims to eliminate and prevent discrimination from occurring in these areas. For example, it is illegal for a company to discriminate against a person with a disability during the hiring process if they are able to perform the role as competently as their target applicant.

The same can be said regarding college admission, housing approval, etc.

2. How a Disability Is Defined

There are three major factors that contribute to the legal definition of a disability. These include:

1. On impairments on one’s mental or physical capabilities that inhibits major activities in their life, such as eating or getting dressed.
2. A person who has a history of physical or mental impairments that affect their life in this way.
3. A person who must be approached or accommodated in the same way as if they had a mental or physical impairment.

It’s also important to note that reproduction is considered a major activity in someone’s life when regarding women. There are also a large number of mental health conditions that could cause someone to be categorized as disabled.

You can visit this resource for more info.

3. How to Handle Infringements

Unfortunately, disabled persons who have their rights infringed upon often experience significant consequences. This could cause them to lose out on a job opportunity, be unable to find an accommodating area to live in, etc.

When this occurs, it’s important that you understand how to take appropriate action.

By hiring a dedicated attorney who specializes in disability law, you’ll be able to pinpoint all of the infringements that took place and then seek compensation as a result.

For instance, an IT engineer who was let go from his position shortly after becoming wheelchair-bound due to a car accident could likely seek compensation for this incident.

When searching for an attorney, it’s imperative that you look into what cases they’ve handled in the past. Ideally, you’ll want to work with someone who has a strong understanding of your situation.

This will give you the greatest chance of having the outcome be in your favor.

Understanding ‘What is Disability Law’ Can Seem Difficult

But it doesn’t have to be.

With the above information about ‘what is disability law’ in mind, you’ll be well on your way toward making the decision that’s best for your future.

Want to learn more life tips that can help you out in the future? Be sure to check out the rest of our blog.

Math has an unfortunate reputation for being difficult to understand. For those with math anxiety, the thought of tackling mathematical tasks can even cause serious panic.

But math anxiety doesn’t come from an inability to perform math. Rather, it’s a lack of self-belief. And a great way to overcome this fear and self-doubt is to recognize the importance of real life math.

The truth is, we use math every day. Whether we’re baking a cake, watching the news, or shopping for bargains, real world math comes into play. In fact, there are many ways we use real world math without being aware of how necessary skills like calculating ratios and understanding probabilities are in lots of everyday tasks.

Want to know some examples of math real world applications? Keep reading to find out!

1. Smart Shopping

By far the most common use of real world math is deciding how to spend our money at the store. Everything from considering the best deals, working out the cost per wear, and comparing nutrition facts labels all involve real math.

For example, that 3-for-2 special offer on peanut butter might seem tempting. But a quick glance at the price per unit will soon show you that it’s cheaper to buy one large jar at the regular price. Likewise, a pricey coat might feel like a big expense at the time. But if you wear it several times a week every winter, calculating the cost per wear makes it a much better deal than a cheap coat you wore a handful of times.

These are the kinds of real world math problems we face – and solve – every day. And often we don’t even consider how mathematics comes into the equation since most of the math problems we studied in school were abstract problems rather than real world examples.

2. Seeing Through the Stats

Every day we’re bombarded with news reports and claims full of real life percentages and statistical evidence in support of a certain view. But considering the real math behind these stats can help you understand, and even question, these reports.

For example, a politician might try to persuade you by quoting large numbers. Five million people sure sounds like a lot, but if you know how to calculate percentages you might see that these numbers aren’t very significant. That’s because percentages in real world comparisons often help you understand information better than raw numbers, and especially if you’re comparing large entities with small entities, such as the population of California with the population of Wyoming.

Or, what if a company is trying to sell you something? It might sound convincing that one in five people buy their product. But if the other four are all choosing a competitor’s product, that could be the better buy.

Here you can see that real world math doesn’t just help to improve our ability with numbers. Understanding the numbers better also helps to strengthen logical thinking and analysis. Math can help you see through the stats and question the information you receive. And as a result, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions.

3. Clever Cooking

You’ll find a lot more real math in the kitchen than anywhere else in the house. You could even say that recipes are nothing more than mathematical algorithms. After all, they work to apply math to the real world as a set of step-by-step operations.

And that’s before you even get into tricky applications such as converting metric measurements to US standard units or using ratios to make a bigger or smaller batch. For example, if the recipe makes enough food for four people but you’re cooking for six, you’ll have to use math to adjust each ingredient by the correct amount.

Now consider a cake recipe that calls for two cups of flour, 2/3 of a cup of sugar, one egg, and an 8-inch baking tin. How would you go about increasing the proportions to bake a cake large enough to fit your 12-inch baking tin? It’s these kinds of math applications that show how relevant math is in our everyday lives.

4. Managing Your Finances

Without math skills such as a basic understanding of real life percentages, you might not always make the right decisions when it comes to your finances.

Real world math will help you know how to calculate and compare interest rates. This will then serve you well for choosing the best credit card or bank account. And if you’re lucky enough to have some savings, you’ll need math to help you work out whether a certain savings account is such a good place to tie up your money for years.

Whether you choose to spend, save, or invest your money, math will come into play. If you’re saving up for something you’ll need math to help you budget. If you’ve got loans and bills to pay off, math knowledge will also come in useful when trying to understand options such as debt consolidation and monthly repayment plans.

5. Beating the Odds

If you like gambling, real math should be your best friend. Working out current form, understanding odds, or weighing up whether to spread your bets or not all take some serious mathematical reasoning.

If you’re heading to Vegas, math ability can give you the edge to win, much as it did for the MIT Blackjack Team in the 2008 movie 21. If you’re more into sports betting, analyzing the statistics and considering probabilities can help you get a better feel for who’ll win and how to bet on their chances.

Even if you like playing the lottery, taking the probability of drawing certain numbers into account can help increase your chances of winning.

Using Real Life Math Applications 

The uses for real life math in our daily lives range from deciding on which shampoo to buy to considering the best mortgage rate.

And these are just some of the examples of the many ways we use math. A good handle on mathematics is also important for many careers, as well as hobbies and interests such as dressmaking and carpentry.

For more interesting insights and life tips, be sure to check out our other blog posts!

We can help our children get through their school years, their first heartbreak, learning to drive and help them get to grips with getting older, but when they decide to head overseas and discover the world and a bit more about themselves, it’s normal for us parents to feel a little concerned.

It’s not always easy to support your children (no matter how old they may be) whilst they’re overseas or on the other side of the world. Heading abroad means potential language barriers, culture shock, independence and of course homesickness. All of these things are enough to keep any parent awake at night.

Thankfully, there are some ways parents can support their kids overseas. Read on to find out more.

Money

Sometimes unexpected money issues can arise when we’re overseas and being there to help them out of a sticky financial situation, or allow them to treat themselves can bring a lot of comfort to parents. Transferring money abroad can often be complicated and expensive, especially if you fail to compare transfer rates – for more information on how to send money to Australia from NZ, click the link.

Don’t get caught out by extortionate fees or unreliable providers. Always conduct plenty of research before you move your money.

Schedule a weekly time to catch up

Being able to catch up and see each others’ faces can bring great comfort and support to both of you. Especially if your child is feeling a little homesick. While it’s important to give your child space when they’re exploring the world and having their own adventures, there’s also an element of safety to consider. If you schedule a time to chat and catch up each week then you can take into account their plans and take comfort from the fact they’re clearly enjoying themselves.

Try not to project your own doubts onto them

It’s easy to say that you miss them greatly, it’s part of being a parent! However, telling your child that you miss them and you can’t stand them being away from you, how you’re worried they’re not coping or how you want them to be safe at home can cast doubt over their travel plans. It might not be intentional, but you could be knocking their confidence. Just let them know that you can’t wait to see them when they return!

Go through their budget with them

If this is the first time your child/young adult has had any kind of independence, they may need help with their budgeting. Money is spent incredibly quickly overseas, so helping them budget how much they’re going to need and how they can save money during their travels is a simple yet effective way to support them.

And finally, do you own research

Often, it’s the fear of the unknown that has us worried. And the idea of your child heading off to a foreign country you know nothing about can ring all kinds of alarm bells. The best way to combat this is to conduct your own research into their destination. Find out what’s so great about it and why it’s so popular with backpackers. Don’t be tempted to look into the negatives of their chosen destination, you’ll find those in any country!

To read more on topics like this, check out the Life Tips category

So you are planning to adorn a beautiful diamond engagement ring but are indecisive of the cut you should go for? Well, with so many choices around it sure can be a bit baffling to drill down to that one piece that seems just perfect. Let us share details about some popular diamond cuts to help you choose the most suitable one. So, let’s get started.

Marquise

This beautiful cut boasts of a unique design that adds to the appeal of a diamond. It also makes the finger and hand appear slender.

Radiant

This one is loved for its beautifully trimmed corners. The gemstone dazzles when it is molded this way and that is why it has been named radiant cut.

Round Brilliant

One of the most popular cuts, this one makes for a great choice for an engagement ring. It is known for its versatility and timeless beauty.

Princess

This is yet another popular choice when it comes to engagement rings. It has been in fashion since decades and continuous to be a hot favourite among the brides-to-be. You can choose between square and rectangular shapes when it comes to princess cut diamonds. Both these look equally brilliant. What makes this cut attractive is the fact that it reflects its distinct colour in every corner.

Emerald

This one is known for its beautiful optical appearance. It reflects the true beauty of a diamond.

Pear Shaped

This unique cut looks exceptionally beautiful owing to its unique shape. Just like the marquise cut, this one also makes the fingers appear longer.

Cushion

This beautiful diamond cut is known for its finely rounded corners and large facets. You will find this in square as well as rectangular shape. Both these shapes are known for their clarity and fineness.

Each of these has it’s own charm and looks amazing. You may browse through the wide range of diamond engagement rings Brisbane by top brands to pick the one that suits your style and adds to your overall all appearance. Don’t forget to tell us which one you opted for!

To read more on topics like this, check out the Life Tips category

The global supply chain and the ships, vessels, and people behind the scenes are truly impressive. Think about it: 2-million seafarers, millions more on the docks, in the warehouses, driving the trucks and the administrative staff behind it all – Victor Restis in among them. As President of Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A., he oversees nearly every aspect of his global shipping enterprise. I am in awe of people with this level of leadership and ability to see the minutia of every single touchpoint along a massive, global supply chain. Fred Smith of FedEx, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and other high-profile executives running seemingly impossible logistics are mind-boggling.

With the level of importance to the survival of people across the globe, international shipping doesn’t nearly get the credit it rightfully deserves. And to think of the thousands of touchpoints that could fail, causing clogs in the system sends shivers down my spine. Think of it, a mass disruption to the global supply chain would create havoc as we’ve never seen before. The article points out that the most valuable asset in a functioning supply chain is human resources. So, when COVID-19 sent many people home, closed down businesses, and made people sick, the threat to international shipping became extremely real. It’s the people behind the machines that make this system function.

The article discusses quick decision making that leads to further protections of shipping’s prized resource and allows the system to keep moving strong. I assume there was a “next man up” mentality where if somebody fell ill to COVID-19, there was another ready to jump in and take the helm. Or, more likely, is that others jumped in to not only do their jobs but to fill the gaps of others who were taken out by the virus. Either scenario is tough to consider, given the nature and physical requirements of the shipping industry. I don’t think this is a cushy job. It is physically and mentally demanding. Seafarers are always from their homes and families for extended periods and are out at sea for weeks (somebody has to save Tom Hanks).

I would love to have been a fly on the wall of the International Maritime Employer’s Council when COVID-19 hit the fan. It must have been a giant thinktank faced with an invisible enemy that was disrupted across the globe. Though people didn’t think about it, I bet the executives were concerned about how the world would react if food and supplies couldn’t be shipped, not just on time, but not at all.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Life Tips category

I spoke to my local vets at the All Creatures Veterinary Center last week as I am a little worried about the dog’s reaction to us going back to our normal lives following this lockdown. My main concern is separation anxiety, something which my dog had when we first got her but which subsided after a while, and now I am worried that it may come back. Even if your dog has not had separation anxiety before, it is likely that they will have become very used to the fact that you are around, and that could certainly cause an issue when you go back to work and they are once again alone.

Separation anxiety is not good for anyone, and here are the risks that it can present.

Damage to the Property

The first time around when our Yorkie had separation anxiety she would do all manner of damage to the flat, especially the doors. During that time I had to replace 4 door handles and three doors which she had relentlessly scratched, I suppose trying to get out, although I am not sure what her plan was beyond that. Another risk here is that the do the toilet in the property which of course is not something that you want and it sets a dangerous precedent for the future.

Damage to the Dog

During her days and weeks of jumping up and biting the door handle my little one ended up losing a tooth and cracking another one, and I believe that once she actually damaged her head, presumably because she fell after hanging off the door handle. It is not just the damage to your property which you should be worried about but also the damage which the dog can do to themselves. The get so determined when they are like this and when the adrenalin is pumping they don’t feel pain as they normally do. This of course is something which you do not want to happen and the thought of a dog injuring itself because of this is tough to bear.

What Can You Do ?

The key to helping your dog with separation anxiety is helping them get used to being alone, if you are able to do this then they will be a great deal calmer when you go. It is also important that you leaving and returning is not some grand event, this should be something very natural and in doing that your dog can get used to it. If you have tried things that haven’t worked then it is possible to give your dog some medication which will help them to stay calm. I would suggest however that you look to do this as a last case scenario because then you or your dog may get relevant on the medication for staying calm, and that of course is not something which you want to happen.

Keep an eye on your dog with regards to separation anxiety, especially in the coming weeks and months.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Life Tips category