Human Trafficking – Today’s Slavery

January 11, 2023. Updated from the original post in July 2020

Human trafficking isn’t anything new. It has been around for decades. Lately, it has been in the news a bit more because of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Their involvement was in sex trafficking. Most human trafficking involves sex trafficking. And these slaves’ average age is 12- to 14-years old in the United States. Sex trafficking doesn’t start at age 12. There are victims out there who haven’t yet celebrated their first birthday. Think about that for a moment.

The remainder of victims are trafficked for labor. Examples include some domestic workers in homes, some factory workers, homeless people begging for money on street corners, employees in some massage parlors, and some farm laborers. All victims of human trafficking are slaves. They are not doing this by choice. There are more slaves in the world today, than at any time in history.

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Christmas Giving

Christmas Giving - wrapped present

Christmas giving is a normal part of most everyone’s Christmas. We generally give gifts to those we love. As you get older, that list might grow longer each year, as new family members are born. And sometimes it goes in the opposite direction when you lose family members or friends.

Who should you give gifts to? It really only matters if they are someone you love or care for. Your family should be part of this group. And possibly your friends. Even a neighbor or stranger would appreciate a gift. It will also depend on the money or time that you have available to give.

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4 Things Blogging has Taught Me

Blogging

When I started blogging, I didn’t expect to have as much enjoyment as I have had. Blogging has taught me things I didn’t expect. I also didn’t realize how absolutely frustrating it could be at times. And how many times I would feel like I should quit. But deep down, I think blogging has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Are you considering starting a blog? Read what I have learned and see if this will encourage or discourage you. I will say that there are people that are successful in blogging, who make me wonder what made them decide to start blogging. Maybe there are people out there that think the same thing about me.

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Should You be Eliminating Credit Cards?

Eliminating credit cards

After my husband’s wallet was stolen, we went through the nightmare of trying to figure out what cards he had in his wallet. We had already been notified by one of the credit card companies about possible unapproved use. I love that the credit card companies today are so quick to spot fraud. The downside of that is that they know more about our spending habits than maybe they should.

The person that took my husband’s wallet used two credit cards. We ended up canceling four credit cards since we weren’t sure which ones he was carrying. The thief spent over $90 filling up his gas tank and apparently a friend’s, using two separate cards, at the same gas station. $10.23 at Jack in the Box bought him some breakfast. The oddest thing to us was the $31.77, for running a background check on someone, that, fortunately, was not us. But I did have to call to make sure it wasn’t on us. He didn’t get much, but still, he wasn’t entitled to anything.

It was time to do something.

I had been thinking it was time to get rid of a few more credit cards before this happened. How about you? Do you have a large number of credit cards, some of which you could eliminate? Today may be a good day to start working on that, before they are stolen, whether physically or over the internet.

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Do You Have Too Much Stuff? How to Sell your Stuff On Facebook

How to Sell Your Stuff on Facebook

I remember after my father had died and my mom was getting ready to sell the house and remarry. My two sisters and I went through her cupboards with her, to declutter. We honestly didn’t get rid of enough stuff, but at the time I’m sure mom thought we had taken away too much. A lot was sold at a garage sale. Some items were donated and a lot went in the garbage. We girls went home with a bit of it ourselves. Everyone saves too much stuff. A lot of it has sentimental value only. While it meant something to my mom, I don’t think it will mean much to me after she dies, at least not more than looking at it and then deciding what to do with it next. The same applies to my stuff.

After realizing that I was building my own pile of too much stuff, I decided to start reducing it. Facebook sites became my new way of getting rid of stuff. Yes, I have donated certain items and trashed others, but I figured I could use the money to pay for my obsession of purchasing used books and toys for my grandchildren. So basically all those toys that my grandkids play with were free. And I hate putting on garage sales due to the work involved.

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