The Convenience Of Working At Home

Working at home has been a lifelong dream. It seemed impossible just like most dreams. Perhaps to some, the job is nothing but a scam. People would often raised their eyebrows whenever I tell them that I am working at home with the use of my desktop computer and internet. If I am traveling, I just use my tablet or laptop and my portable WiFi router. Some who are unaware of what I do, think that I am just one of the losers who does nothing but eat and sleep. But instead of taking offense, I just smile about it. I cannot blame them. I did the same thing the first time I read about an article about people who works from home. 

Well, telecommuting, remote work, telework does exists! It all started in the early 70's but gained its popularity in 1996 as an answer to the Clean Air Act of 1970 Amendments which required the companies with more than 100 employees to promote the use of public transportation, remote working and any means that will help reduce air pollution. This act did not only help in the reduction of air pollution but it also opened the doors to all retirees, physically challenged, work at home moms or work at home dads, and people who are living in remote areas to get a full time and a part time job. Moreover, this had also reduce the business operating cost and other expenses of employers such as the cost of of electricity for working lamps or office lights, furniture and fixtures, maintenance of equipment and office supplies. 

Working at home is a perfect job.This is also a good way of putting your laptops, smartphones or tablets into good use. It also improved the lives of many and gave hope to those who had lost their jobs because of economic crises. Thanks to the person who invented the internet, computer and anyone who started it all. Now, I am among those individuals who are lucky to be working in the convenience of home.

Shopping Therapy

Do you love shopping? Are you one of those who are thrilled whenever the word shopping is mentioned? Do you find comfort every time you shop? If you are, then we are on the same boat. It is called shopping therapy or retail therapy. 

Such behavior developed a long time ago when my brother and I fought over who get to use the laptop first. As the older one, I let him have it. I really don't understand why I should but being the obedient child I always give in to his demands with a heavy heart. And every time I do, my mom and I would often go out shopping in the three store mall complex which is located just at 30 Mall Drive West in New Jersey, the Newport Center Mall. She would give me money and let me buy what I want as some sort of a consolation. But for me it was not just a consolation, it was power. Since then, Newport Center Mall serves as a Disneyland to me. The mere sight of the decorative light poles installed along the parkways going to the mall complex gives me a certain kind of high. 

Shopping therapy never bothered me at first but recently I received by credit card statements showing that I used 80% of my credit credit limit in all five of them. In spite of my addiction to shopping I always make sure that my financial obligations come first. It does not matter if I eat bread the whole month just as long as I pay all my bills first. But it mattered to my parents so I decided to seek advice from the experts and I was told that what I am going through is called Oniomania or Sushma Syndrome. The behavior is similar to alcoholism and drug abuse. According to my doctor, a patient of Oniomania may buy without shopping and/or shop without buying. Other than the prescribed medicine and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, it really takes a herculean effort not to shop. But with the support of those who are around me, I know I can pull it through.

Dan Brown's Inferno

I just recently finished reading one of Dan Brown's controversial but remarkable books, the Inferno. I have also read his other books such as Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and the Last Symbol. I am not a huge fan of his considering how he attacks the Christian religion, Roman Catholic to be specific. However for some reason I always look up for his books online and in the bookstores. Perhaps it is because of how he fuses facts with fiction. He makes you think, analyze and research. He brings you to interesting places of history and art such as Basilica Cistern also also known as the Sunken Palace in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. The underground chamber is supported by 336 gigantic marble columns which are illuminated with spot lights. He also mentioned Palazzo Vecchio and Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy.

Going back to his latest book, Inferno tackles issues of over population, poverty, and especially in the third world countries specifically the Philippines where he mentioned that the city of Manila is the most densely populated city on earth. The book also implied that the city is the most dirtiest and the most polluted. But as I checked the web, the most populated city of the world is Shanghai, China with its 17,836,133 population. Philippines has 98,066,000 population. The dirtiest city is Baku, Azerbaijan. He offended the Filipinos because of these wrong information especially when he implied that the city is the gates of hell. Because of these there is an impending persona non grata for him.

Perhaps his attack against Manila has something to do with the banning of the Da Vinci Code movie in the capital of the Philippines. It is known that most of the Philippine population are Roman Catholics. But then again, it is just my impression. But the truth of the matter is we are indeed in the brink of destruction. Overpopulation is hurting the world and unless someone address the issue then we will see the end of our species.

Advertising: The Key To Your Business' Success

 

While walking around downtown I often notice stores, shops, and building establishments with nice and catchy ads first compared to those establishments which do not even know the art of advertising. As a consumer, I would normally visit the the store with catchy ads and an attractive storefront which are brightened with RLM or Reflect Light Down lighting first, than those ads which are less appealing. When you are just starting in your business or planning to launch your product, it helps if you consult an advertising or marketing agency first to ensure that your business or products are promoted or are packaged in style and elegance such as Imagemakers Advertising, LCC. Otherwise, you will be just wasting your money and effort because it seldom happens that a certain product or company rises to the top without much help from the advertising and marketing experts.

Imagemakers Advertising, LCC, which is located in 140 South Beach Street, Suite 202, Daytona Beach, Florida, 32114, offers integrated marketing services which ensure that your products and your company stand out above the rest. These marketing services includes brand development, advertising, public relations, electronic media, collateral design, and research. They are experts when it comes to promoting your business. Moreover, they are also goal oriented which means you will get your money's worth.

Advertising is necessary in keeping your business and popular. It is like fuel to a car. Moreover, it should not be just popularity or publicity. It should always be good publicity. Bad publicity is the downfall of every company I know. Perhaps there are businesses which do not need advertising. But even a hotdog vendor or a newspaper boy has his own way of advertising his business no matter how small it is. As we all know, smart businessmen do not just employ a goal oriented or result oriented advertising agency but also the best.

Pros And Cons Of Online Shopping

In this day and age of modern technology, everything seems to go virtual. If you are one of those who does not like crowded places, falling in line and driving then you will definitely love online shopping. With online shopping, buying your needs was made easy with just a few clicks from your personal computer, smart-phones or tablets and the purchases you have made online will be delivered at your doorstep. To those who are fond of shopping during Black Friday, there will be no more stampede and traffic because of cyber Black Friday which is an online version of Black Friday. It is a good thing that there are a lot of shop owners who decided to make their products available online. However, if there are advantages of electronic shopping there are also disadvantages. 

Most online shoppers are victims of phishing and fraud. Phishing is a trick of acquiring your information such as your user-name and password, credit card details, pin codes, social security numbers and other personal information by making you believe that they are a trustworthy site. So before you type in your information make sure that you have an up-to-date antivirus and anti spyware program. It also helps if you activate your personal firewall. Do not forget to block spam emails and do not open emails which came from unknown sources. Before you start trusting the website, make sure that the address shows a padlock symbol and it should start with “https://”. Trusting the wrong website will result to identity theft and unauthorized access to your credit cards and other personal information. 

The web offers a convenient and easy way of shopping but there is nothing more fun than hitting the stores with your family and friends. There is something about the outdoor gooseneck lighting the signages that attracts and welcome people to come in and check the products in store. Nothing can be compared to the human touch. Remember there is life outside the virtual world.

Movies Of This Time

Night or nighttime used to be used to be feared by man because it does not only signify danger but evil as well. It is used to be an unwelcome period of time because of the different stories which were pass on from generation to generation by our elders about mythical and folkloric creatures of the night which only appears at night to attack and devour their unsuspecting innocent victims. Vampires, ghosts, witches, zombies and werewolves are the favorite characters of every movie which were produced up to this day. These mythical and folkloric creatures were usually used to either entertain kids and scare them so they will not go out in the streets at night. However, present films and TV dramas such as the infamous Twilight Saga, Warm Bodies, Hotel Transylvania, Teen Wolf, Tru Blood, Vampire Diaries and Beautiful Creatures shows the romance between supposed victims and these nocturnal creatures. In addition, nighttime is no longer feared as more commercial establishments such as the fast food chains, restaurants, and grocery stores operate 24 hours a day.

Man has learned how to conquer their fears by romanticizing the source of their fears and inventing something which will make these fears less formidable. One of these inventions, the artificial lighting, has paved the way to sociocultural evolution. It made the night more welcoming and fun. Las Vegas popularly known as the Sin City is famous not only for their adult entertainment such as gambling but because of the active nightlife, fine dining, shopping and building establishments which are aesthetically and intricately designed with commercial wall sconces and other lighting system along the Las Vegas Strip. Moreover, this is similar to how Walt Disney faced his fears by creating Mickey Mouse, the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company who looks funny and friendly.

Perhaps its not the vampires, wolves or any of the supernatural creatures that we should fear. We should be more afraid of man. In my opinion, these mythical and folkloric creatures were the many faces of man in his evil form.

Conquer Your Greatest Fear

Believe it or not, after eons of time of being a scardy cat, I decided to face my greatest fear-the fear of flying. I cannot recall when I started not taking the plane whenever I travel. All I know is that whenever I think about traveling by air, I grow anxious and start to sweat a lot. My doctor says my fear may have been rooted to a traumatizing event during my childhood. If it is then I have no recollection of it. All I can remember is that whenever my mom mentions about going away for a vacation, I start to think about a plane crashing, hijacking, or a lightning strike. No matter how many times they convince me that air travel is safe, I never budge. So the whole family has to travel by car instead.

What made me decide to follow my family's and friends' advice about facing my fear? I realize that my fear has been controlling my life and I want to change that. It was a difficult decision. But I know it was something that I should have done a long time ago. Years and months of visiting the shrink has finally paid off. Three days ago, I stepped inside the airport terminal for the first time. I know I was sweating a lot. My heart was beating fast and I felt like I am having a heart attack except that my heart was perfectly fine until I was inside the terminal. I could have accepted my best friends offer to accompany me but I bravely declined. I need to do this alone. I knew I was attracting the attention of other passengers including the little girl who was playing with her father while waiting for our evening flight to be called. It was embarrassing to be seen like that. So I pulled my self together and tried to remember all the tips my friends and family gave me. I started to relax and began breathing normally again I got even more anxious and jittery when we piled up to board the plane. I cannot think of anything but a plane crashing and I wanted to run. When I looked at the little girl who was unafraid I realize how shameful I am. I closed my eyes, breathe deep and began thinking of happy thoughts. I opened my eyes when I felt that the plane was moving along the well-lit runway and realized how beautiful the city looks at night with its architectural lighting designed buildings and a phalanx of gooseneck shaped street lights, floodlights, landscape lights, garden lights and all lighting fixtures which are proudly illuminating the night. I appreciated city lights more when we were already up in the sky.

If I haven't made a step in conquering my greatest fear I am probably a coward still. I know that this is not the only fear I need to face. But I am braver now.

Appreciating The Gift of Light

Lighting is beneficial to our day to day life. We use it to brighten our homes, streets, offices or any dark places. Business or commercial establishment owners utilize lighting not only to brighten their buildings but to highlight their products on display. They also use lighting such as the customized 4" w x 10" h - saucer vapor-tight wall light to ensure that their business is safe from burglars and thieves. It is also beneficial to cameramen, directors and anyone involve in the media group in order to produce viewable TV shows or movie which we can all appreciate watching otherwise it will be just another radio show. In the medical field, lighting is use to save lives. Barn owners and farmers use it to ensure that their livestock are kept warm and safe during the cold season. 

We learn to appreciate the things we see right now because of the gift of light. Perhaps some of us do not appreciate how useful natural lighting and artificial lighting yet. But just like what they say, you learn to value and acknowledge the importance of something or someone once they are gone. If you are one of the million people who participates every Earth Hour you will learn to appreciate it usefulness. Living in the world where light is not present is somewhat scary and unthinkable.

I have learned to appreciate the value of lighting when we went to visit a friend in the boondocks. The solar panel which they use to run the entire house malfunctioned which means we do not have any access to electricity. We were not able to charge our phones and laptops. We missed to watch our favorite television shows. And for two nights, we will be probably be living in entire darkness if not for the trusted emergency lamps. Somehow we manage to enjoy our short vacation by camping outside and enjoy watching the heavenly bodies for the first time considering the heavily polluted lighting in the city.

Have The Best Of The Best At A Reasonable Price

There are some things that you must take into account when you are giving the best home for your family. Actually, you don't need to buy expensive house or acquire the most expensive furniture and appliances for your home. Simple living will do for your family as long as you provide them with the comfort and security that they need. It is not really practical for you to buy top of the line appliances or accessories for your home, you just buy the things that you basically need in the kitchen, in the dining and living room. Other expensive things are just there for those who could really afford to buy or have a lot of savings and are willing to spend on the things they want. 

Well of course, who would not want to have the best of the best things in life, but it is only a matter of good planning that you can have the best of the best things in life at a very reasonable price. Yes, all you need to to is spend some time calling or visiting stores and survey for the most affordable accessories and appliances for your home. In the kitchen, you only need cooking utensils, stove and refrigerator. Some appliance like fruit juicer, blender or waffle maker are not that necessary you can live and survive everyday without those things.

Furniture and fixtures are also important. Just buy affordable furniture set. People usually buy furniture set once every seven to eight years so it is important that you buy furniture that will last that long. In buying one, just make sure that the frame of the furniture are very steady and will not sag as time passes buy. Choose brand like Harden, Coaster, Bush or Woodcrest, they have positive reviews and all you need to do is to compare their price list. 

Furthermore, take into account the lightnings of your home. Make sure that you have some gooseneck lights installed in your living room for quality and beautiful appearance. It is said that the moment you have the right lightnings in your home, it will be beautiful anytime of the day. Lighting is very important therefore, you also need to pout it in your list of priorities together with all the furniture and accessories you need.

Provide A Place Conducive For Learning For Your Children For Their Better Future

Are you aware that your kids cannot be as efficient as they use to be if you cannot give them the best study environment? Many students need to be in a place where they can study and do their homework effectively. Their rooms can be as conducive as their school library when as parents, you know just how to provide simple but the best place for studying. One that could provide them with the learning experience they need in order to become a better person later on.

You don't need to make some unnecessary expenditures like buying additional expensive furniture just to provide the comfort your children needs. All you have to do is to make sure that their room can be use for sleeping and studying at the same time. It is like hitting two birds with one stone. You just need to make sure that proper lighting is installed in their respective rooms. Just provide a table and chair and your children will instantly have the library that they need right into your very home. 

 

Well, lighting is important like what Thomas Edison was thinking while creating the first bulb. He knew that if he will be successful with his invention, it will be a life changing tool for mankind. And what he think happens indeed because people in every walks of life need lights in their everyday activities. In school, at work and in every household, lights plays a very significant role that makes everybody's daily routine easier. You can efficiently finish every task you have on time with less error.

Thus, your children also need lights so that they will be inspired to study and give their best. Education will be one of the best thing that you can offer to your children. It will help them be the best they can be in any career they choose later on. It is a sort of a lifetime investment. And like other financial investment that you get, making your home conducive for learning using some gooseneck lights will enable them to have a better foundation of their future later on.