You’ve decided that going to the office five days a week is not for you. You also understand that working from home means you may often have to work in the evenings, sometimes late into the night, and, at first anyway, you may have to give up relaxing on public holidays and weekends. Legit Work From Home Jobs In South Africa

Knowing that it takes hard work, even bravery, to give up a secure job to begin working from home is a good start, for without determination to succeed, rather stick with your day job. However, don’t let the daunting prospect of finding that first online freelance job put you off trying to do it. If you go about it correctly, it won’t be that difficult, and you’ll soon be enjoying the advantages of doing freelance work, such as being more available for your children, saving on the cost of transport to work and back, and even watching a movie in the middle of the day if you feel like it and your work is relatively up to date!

There are many websites that offer freelance opportunities. Browse through a few of them before deciding on which one suits you best. Many offer a variety of categories and you are sure to find something that suits you. It is best to start with joining just one, familiarizing yourself with it, and actually doing some work through it, before entertaining the thought of joining more sites like it. As a freelancer, you don’t want to disappoint the people who hire you by taking too long to complete a particular job, or rushing through the assignment and delivering below standard work, just because you’re busy running around the Internet looking for more opportunities.

You find a site that suits you, and you join, doing the bare minimum to prepare your profile. You’re so excited to have found a site that suits you that you can’t wait to start applying for jobs. A week later, after applying for thirty jobs, you’re in tears because you don’t yet have work. How could this happen? You have good skills, you wrote about them when applying for all the jobs you knew you could do, and your bids were the lowest. Why doesn’t anyone want to hire you? You’ve already left your daytime job and this was supposed to work!

Relax. Be patient. And start again.

Spend more time on creating the perfect profile before applying for even one job. Sometimes there are thousands of freelancers on a site and you need to make your profile stand out from the rest as much as possible. View other profiles to get a better idea of how yours should look. Even if it takes you as long as two weeks, get your profile up to scratch!

Read through all the frequently asked questions on the site, and totally familiarize yourself with the site, so that when you apply for that first job, you can do so with confidence, knowing that you’re doing everything correctly. Legit Work From Home Jobs In South Africa

Then apply for jobs! Don’t go for the highest paying ones at first. Choose smaller jobs to gradually get you into the process. Employers are also more likely to choose a first time provider if the job is quite small and easy to do. Once you have established yourself as a good worker, through receiving favorable comments from your employer once the assignment has ended, you can start going after the bigger fish.

Carefully read the job description. Can you really do everything required? Refer to the content in the job description when writing your application letter. An employer isn’t interested in “I can do this work. Please visit my profile.” An employer wants to see that you understand the job description, and also that you’ve read it and are not just leaving the same message for all jobs you apply for. Be honest in your application. Don’t say you can do the work in seven days just to get the job, but knowing that it will probably take you three weeks. Taking longer than you should will result in a bad comment from the employer at the end of the assignment, making it more difficult for you to find more work. Of course, not being honest in an application can also result in the buyer not paying you, and who can blame them if the work they hired you to do is not being done exactly as they requested?

Be careful of bidding too low. A low bid seems like you are just desperate to get a job. This may be true, but a low bid may also indicate that you are not fully qualified to do the job perfectly. At the same time, for your first few job applications, don’t bid too high. Keep this for when you have a better work history on your profile.

Check your grammar, punctuation and spelling. If you write a really good application and it’s very similar to another application letter the buyer receives, the buyer will most likely choose the person who wrote the one with the least errors in it.

Don’t apply for just one job and sit back and wait for a response. Accept that there will be many jobs you don’t get. Don’t waste time waiting to hear about one before applying for another. Apply for many. If you happen to be lucky enough to get four or five jobs at the same time, but know that you can manage only two of them in the time allocated, choose your favorite two, and apologize to the other buyers, being totally honest, and as polite as possible. Honesty and good manners are remembered, and the buyer may hire you at a later stage.

Don’t always wait for an email from the site informing you of the latest jobs available. Check the site regularly for new posts. Sometimes many service providers will apply for a job and you want to be in the first few on the list. If you were a buyer faced with sifting through forty or more applications, it’s most likely you aren’t going to go through them all. If you find exactly what you’re looking for in a service provider within the first few on the list, you’re not going to view the rest of the applications.

Stick to the rules of the site, be honest and polite, and always do your best work. Good luck! Legit Work From Home Jobs In South Africa

To apply for Canadian citizenship, a permanent resident must have been in the country for 3 out of 4 years and have a clean criminal record. It is advisable that you keep records of all trips you have made outside of Canada during this time. Once you have completed a total of 1095 days of physical presence in Canada, you can submit an application to CIC to apply for Canadian citizenship.

To obtain Canadian citizenship, you must submit an application form along with two photos and other documents. The approval of your application can take anywhere from 5 months to several years depending on various factors. Once CIC approves your application, you will be given a notice on when to take your citizenship exam. Once you pass your exam, you will be able to attend a citizenship ceremony where you will become a Canadian citizen. From that moment on, you will have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of every Canadian citizen.

What are the benefits a naturalized Canadian citizen receives? The main difference between a Canadian permanent residence and a Canadian citizen is the right to hold a Canadian passport and the right to vote. Also, for those immigrants who wish to work for the federal government or run for political office, becoming a Canadian citizen enables you to do so. But more importantly, becoming a Canadian citizen is an important symbolic step. It shows to the community that one has embraced the values of the country and is committed to its future.

For more information read at :- www.immigroup.com

Capital One Bank in Wake Village, Texas
COF, or Capital One Financial Corp. (NYSE:COF) is a McLean, Virginia-based U.S. bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking, and savings products. A member of the Fortune 500, the company helped pioneer the mass marketing of credit cards in the early 1990s, and it is now the fourth largest customer of the United States Postal Service and has the 8th largest deposit portfolio in the United States.
Capital One was founded in 1988 by Richard Fairbank and Nigel Morris as a spin-off of Richmond, Virginia-based Signet Banking Corp (which was subsequently acquired in 1997 by First Union Corp.).
Capital One entered the retail banking market with its acquisition of New Orleans, Louisiana-based Hibernia National Bank in 2005 and Melville, New York-based North Fork Bancorporation in 2006. North Fork Bank and Superior Savings of New England, both subsidiaries of North Fork Bancorporation, began using the branding of Capital One Bank on March 10, 2008.. On December 4, 2008, Capital One announced it would purchase Chevy Chase Bank for $520 million.
Capital One responded to the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis by jettisoning its mortgage platform, GreenPoint Mortgage, due in part to investor pressures.
On November 14, 2008, Capital One Financial Corporation was the recipient of $3,555,199,000.00 of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act Federal bail-out in the form of a preferred stock purchase.
Capital One Bank (USA), N.A. and Capital One, N.A. are nationally chartered institutions, regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury.

Divisions
Capital One Auto Finance
Capital One Financial Corporation is the parent company of [Capital One Auto Finance], or COAF, based in Plano, Texas. After buying PeopleFirst, it became the largest Internet auto lender, as well as one of the top US auto lenders overall.
The company, which previously sold auto loans only through direct mail and auto dealerships, lets auto owners refinance existing auto loans and shoppers apply for new auto loans online. A decision usually comes within 15 minutes, after which the buyer receives a “blank check” for up to the approved auto loan amount, which the buyer uses to purchase a car. To the dealership, it is as if the buyer were paying cash. The checks can be used to purchase a new or used vehicle, or to refinance an existing auto loan with another lender.
COAF originates auto loans across the credit spectrum.
International operations
Capital One commenced operations in Canada in 1996. Its head office is located in Toronto, Ontario. Unlike its diversified American parent, the Canadian business does not currently operate outside of the credit card market. Similar to the US Parent, Capital One Canada is Canada Post’s second largest customer. In October 2008, Capital One Canada was named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.
The UK headquarters of Capital One is in Nottingham, England.
The company was once active in Spain, France and South Africa, but has since withdrawn from these markets.
Unusual growth
Unlike other diversified financial services firms, Capital One began as consumer lending “monoline” — a company that only does consumer lending. Remaining a monoline is precarious because of the often-cyclical nature of consumer lending; it can be very profitable industry in good times and markedly unprofitable in bad, such that a monoline company — which lacks other sources of revenue — will go out of business or be acquired fairly cheaply during hard times. Most consumer lending monolines in the past 20 years have either gone out of business (e.g. The Money Store, NextCard, Royal Acceptance) or have been acquired (e.g. MBNA, Beneficial, First USA); Capital One is notable for having experienced neither.
Prior to this the company experienced tremendous growth as a monoline which…(and so on) To get More information , you can visit some products about Wood Music Box, Design Speaker Box, . The Kiddy Blacklead Pencil products should be show more here! 

For those who have not yet experienced the world of online dating or those who are searching for a fresh change, KissCafe is the place to be for your entire internet dating service needs. Many people who have met their special person online have experienced love, friendship and even marriage. We all understand how difficult it is in these times financially and KissCafe is 100% free. Not only is it free, it enables a wide range of choices to meet others throughout the world, those of whom one would not normally meet in a local bar or other type of general meeting place for adults. KissCafe also offers much more than online dating, it also offers personals and a singles network.

One very important online dating tip, among others, with all internet dating services, is the level of privacy. Never freely give out your address or any type of identifying information which could cause harm to yourself or others. Always speak in a polite and kind manner, never portraying any kind of “put down” within your communications with your desired match. Eureka provides opinions from other KissCafe members which is a great benefit, especially if you are new to the world of internet dating services. Limiting who views your information is available as well as limiting the view of any pictures you choose to post. Privacy is not limited only to your profile, but it is also incorporated to your computer as well with KissCafe’s advanced filters for spam.

Many times an email is just not personal enough. KissCafe offers Video Instant Messenger so real-time conversations actually being face to face can be accomplished. This is another very important factor when considering the type of communication. When writing, a person can be “more liberal” and may write something he or she may never have verbally stated. Be kind, be respectful and above all remember that not all people are compatible so don’t feel bad! If one person does not “click” with your needs, another might. Keep in mind that rejection is sometimes very devastating for someone, however when you find that ultimate match, your heart will be filled with joy!

If you have certain interests, then use KissCafe’s Interest Search. Are you looking for someone to join you hiking or camping? Are you searching for someone that enjoys being indoors or outdoors? All the choices are there, it is all a matter of searching, communicating and being honest.

What is life without love, friendship and compassion? KissCafe is a unique, free internet dating service and now international. Give it a chance, you have nothing to lose!

When you post your personal ad on a quality site like KissCafe, you are taking a big safety step. The dating site checks out the members. They only allow quality people to be on their dating website, and remove anyone who is being inappropriate. With your personal ad you get your own profile page, it is your choice how much personal information you allow to be public. You can search thousands of profiles for the man or woman of your dreams. Plus the dating website takes the info from your personal ad and the personal ads of other members and notifies you of matches based on common interests, political views and religious preferences among other information from your profile.

Another reason that online dating and posting personal ad online is a safe way to meet a date is that by meeting online you can spend as long as you like chatting and getting to know other people before actually meeting them face to face. If you should decide that you don’t like a person, you can simply block them from viewing your profile. No worries of retaliation, because it you were smart you did not give them your adress or other personal information.

Even though posting your personal ad online is a safe way to date, there are other safety precautions you need to take. You should make sure that you are completely comfortable with your match before agreeing to meet in person. When you do feel comfortable enough to meet in person, meet in a very public place. Your first meeting may be more comfortable for both of you if you both have a few friends come along. Remember there is safety in numbers. Also when it is time to go home, go home alone. Do not give your address out until you have been on enough dates to really know the other person and know they are safe. Have a couple of friends or close co-workers meet your match and get their input, what kind of vibes did they feel about your match? Have fun with personal ad and your online dating experience, but please do use common sense and be safe.

Looking at such demand most of the time traveling destinations and the tourism sectors operating there are offering enough lucrative services for the tourists. These sectors are exactly trying to draw more and more numbers of visitors for their purpose so that more revenue can be generated. Well, this time when you are exactly opting for the far destinations you need to have a complete search as well research about the facilities that you can avail once you are landing at the desired place. Planning all these things beforehand you start the journey will surely add more good values for your family or private tour!

In this regard it’s the Charlottes Shore that seems to be the ideal place for your tour! Like other Canadian destinations, this place has also managed to draw enormous response from the traveling world due to the offering of stunning sights and amazing lands. This part of the world is also having a great way back history that a traveler should explore while moving on a tour. Charlottes Shore has also been named as the South Shore. This name has been assigned for the Charlottes Shore due to its geographical location. This place is located between the Charlottetown and the Summerside. As a visitor for this place you will watch the Charlottes Shore from the height of 60 meters. The Confederation Bridge that was built during the year 1997 is located here and joining the New Brunswick with PEI.

Charlottes Shore ahs also managed to draw more popularity because it has been announced as the political and economical hub for the Prince Edward Island. While moving for the PEI, first you will come across this island. At this place you are going to have a great look at the great sight produced by the red cliffs. In this part of the world the gently rolling farmlands are another attraction points, which you will require to discover during the tour. You can make a halt there as your journey break and can fill your touring time with new motivations. These farmlands have always dragged the attention from the tourist community due to their scenic and stunning views.

At the Charlottes Shore you can also find out the architectural view of the 1860 based theme and this view has been successfully managed to preserve by the Visitor Information Center locates the PEI. Here you can explore the official Island gift shop that is all set to bring in some amazing gifts that are having a great relationship with the culture and traditions that native people of Charlottes Shore region use to follow. The park located at the Gateway Village, which is also situated at the foot of the Confederation Bridge, can make you feel really thrilled about your vacation time.

The Chelton Bridge Provincial Park, which is located just up the road, is a dune beach that is exactly producing some clear chance for the visitors to take part in the swimming like activities at the Northumberland Strait’s. The warm water will make you feel warm and at the same time the white sandy beach will produce a great chance for you to have a camping session at night.

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Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, political and social concepts referring to guarantees of freedom, justice, and equality that a state may make to its citizens. Although the terms have no precise meaning in law and are sometimes used interchangeably, distinctions may be made. Civil rights is used to imply that the state has a positive role in ensuring all citizens equal protection under law and equal opportunity to exercise the privileges of citizenship and otherwise to participate fully in national life, regardless of race, religion, sex, or other characteristics unrelated to the worth of the individual. Civil liberties is used to refer to guarantees of freedom of speech, press, or religion; to due process of law; and to other limitations on the power of the state to restrain or dictate the actions of individuals. The two concepts of equality and liberty are overlapping and interacting; equality implies the ordering of liberty within society so that the freedom of one person does not infringe on the rights of others, just as liberty implies the right to act in ways permitted to others.

II  HISTORY

Wartime Discrimination in Canada Canadian naval officers at Esquimalt, British Columbia, confiscate a Japanese Canadian fisherman’s boat in 1941. During World War II the Canadian government confined thousands of Japanese Canadians and seized their assets.  
 
The concept that human beings have inalienable rights and liberties that cannot justly be violated by others or by the state is linked to the history of democracy. It was first expressed by the philosophers of ancient Greece. Socrates, for example, chose to die rather than renounce the right to speak his mind in the search for wisdom. Somewhat later the Stoic philosophers formulated explicitly the doctrine of the rights of the individual (see Stoicism). Traces of libertarian doctrine appear in the Bible and in the writings of the Roman statesman Marcus Cicero and the Greek essayist Plutarch. Such ideas, however, did not gain a permanent place in the political structure of the Roman Empire and all but disappeared during medieval times.

A  Early Development

Bill of Rights Because the Constitution of the United States granted the federal government so much power, as compared with the earlier Articles of Confederation, several states demanded a list of amendments to guarantee individual rights against intrusion by the federal government. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, embody libertarian ideas in the United States. The amendments protect such rights as freedom of speech (First Amendment), right against unlawful search and seizure (Fourth Amendment), and the right to a public criminal trial by jury (Sixth Amendment). 
 
Individual freedom can survive only under a system of law by which both the sovereign and the governed are bound. Such a system of fundamental laws, whether written or embodied in tradition, is known as a constitution. The idea of government limited by law received effective expression for the first time in the Magna Carta (1215), which checked the power of the English king. The Magna Carta did not stem from democratic or egalitarian beliefs; rather, it was a treaty between king and nobility that defined their relationship and laid the basis for the concept that the ruler was subject to the law rather than above it. The development of constitutional government was slowed by the persistence of the ideas of absolutism, the belief that all political power should be in the hands of one individual, and divine right, which held that kings derived their power from—and were accountable only to—God. These beliefs were widely held throughout Europe until the 18th century. The notion that the people have the right to be asked to consent to acts of government did not arrive without a protracted struggle. The reigns of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs in England were marked by fierce conflicts between the Crown and Parliament.

On the European continent the struggle between authoritarian and libertarian principles developed around religious rather than secular issues. During the Reformation, freedom of religious belief and practice was a primary concern. Tolerance was rare; as late as 1612, for instance, members of the Unitarian sect were burned as heretics in England (see Unitarianism). Not until the end of the 18th century did the ideals of religious toleration become firmly established in Western civilization.

Boston Massacre Revolutionary wars in France, England, and the United States led to the incorporation of libertarian principles in the governments of each of these countries. Among these principles was the idea that people should have a voice in their country’s government. Before any of these principles could be written into the constitutions of these countries, however, each was ravaged by terrible wars. The Boston Massacre, as depicted in this print, was one of the smaller battles in the American Revolution. The event was not actually a massacre, but a street fight between a mob and a squad of British soldiers that ended with the death of five colonists. 
As a result of the English, American, and French revolutions, libertarian ideals were embodied in the structure of national governments. In England, the struggle between Parliament and the absolutist Stuart monarchs culminated in the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688. King James II was expelled, and the new king, William III, gave royal assent (1689) to the Declaration of Rights (English Bill of Rights), which guaranteed constitutional government. Subsequently, the monarch’s prerogatives were limited by statute and custom. The idea of a constitutional system is described in the writings of the English philosopher John Locke, which profoundly influenced the leaders of the American colonies.

The 17th century was marked also by the growth of individual freedom in Great Britain. In the common law courts, for example, the judges became more concerned for the rights of those accused of crime, and procedural safeguards were established.

B  Spread of Civil Liberties

British colonists brought the concepts of limited government and individual freedom to the New World. The early laws of Virginia, Massachusetts, and other colonies reflected interest in the reform of criminal procedure that was emerging in Great Britain. A notable event in the history of civil liberties was the successful defense (1735) in New York by the Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Hamilton of the printer John Peter Zenger, who had been charged with seditious libel for criticisms of the colonial government in his publication the New York Weekly Journal. Hamilton established the principle that the government may not punish truthful publications of matters of public concern. See The Trial of John Peter Zenger.

The events leading to the American and French revolutions inspired writings that laid the foundations for modern ideas of civil liberties by such authors as the French philosophers Voltaire and Jean Jacques Rousseau, the British reformer John Wilkes and the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the Anglo-American writer Thomas Paine, and the American statesmen Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in France and the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States formally established libertarian principles as a foundation of modern democracy.

Although civil liberties are often considered an integral part of democratic government, the principles of limited government and personal freedom were developed in England at a time when political power was held by an aristocratic upper class. Similarly, in the American colonies, many founding fathers did not favor democracy in the modern sense. Indeed, the framers of the U.S. Constitution provided a method of electing the nation’s president that avoids a direct popular vote. Conversely, history offers numerous examples of countries in which political power is formally vested in representative assemblies, but enforcement of law is arbitrary or despotic, and minorities have few safeguards against the tyranny of majorities.

III  CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES IN THE UNITED STATES

The civil rights and liberties of U.S. citizens are largely embodied in the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution) and in similar provisions in state constitutions. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religious exercise as well as separation of church and state (see Speech, Freedom of; Press, Freedom of the; Religious Liberty). The Fourth Amendment protects the privacy and security of the home and personal effects and prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fifth through Eighth amendments protect persons accused of crime; they guarantee, for example, the right to trial by jury, the right to confront hostile witnesses and to have legal counsel, and the privilege of not testifying against oneself. The Fifth Amendment also contains the general guarantee that no one shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law (see Due Process of Law). Originally these amendments were binding only on the federal government. However, decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States have established that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment (ratified in 1868) applies many of the guarantees in the Bill of Rights to actions by state and local governments.

The players in eRepublik – also known as citizens – come from all corners of the world and number over one million at last count. And it is the citizens that control every single aspect of the game, from the policies and goals of each nation to the wars and revolutions that are constantly occurring. Events like these cause the world of eRepublik to be constantly evolving, and the political and military landscape can change on a daily basis.

For example, at the time of this writing, France has been all but conquered by Spain and Poland (hardly surprising); England has just managed to kick Canada off its shores; and China is organizing a rebellion to retake a province that was previously invaded by Russia. There are also plenty of global alliances with countries helping each other in military campaigns.

The basic mechanics of eRepublik are very very simple. Every day, a citizen can perform a work action at his job and earn in-game currency. He can also train to improve his military ability. He also has to make sure he buys enough food to keep from starving. And that’s basically it! As the game keeps emphasizing, eRepublik is a social strategy game. Without embracing the social aspects of the game, you will find the mechanics and the game itself really boring.

The social aspects of the game are what makes it shine, and involve working with your fellow citizens toward the prosperity and success of your country. Every country in eRepublik has its own community outside of the game. They have forums and IRC channels where fellow citizens can connect and discuss various aspects of the game and how to make their country stronger.

There are many roles you can play in the game depending on your personal preferences. If you are interested in politics and think you can do better than real-life politicians, you could try your hand at running your country in the game. You could join a political party that shares your ideologies and visions for the country. You could run for congress and help decide how the country is run. You could even run for president and decide the direction and political alliances of your country. Elections are held every month, making the game very dynamic with things changing all the time.

If you are more interested in smashing things and beating the enemy, you could consider becoming a part of the military. Train to be a super soldier and fight for your country and her allies. Become a resistance fighter and help liberate territories from invading nations. Or become a part of your country’s military leadership and decide how to defend your country and which battles to send your troops to. (Thankfully, there are no weapons of mass destruction in this game.)

If you are more inclined towards the business side of things, you could buy and run a corporation in the game. Help your country by making sure it has enough raw materials, manufactured goods, food, infrastructure and weapons for your troops. Or take advantage of neighboring countries that are at war or have under-developed industries by selling them essential goods at inflated prices. You could also run a media company and become a propaganda or recruitment machine for your country.

There are plenty of roles to play in eRepublik depending on your preferences and limited only by your imagination. Admittedly, due to the nature of such an online community, there is a bit of “epeening” and “trolling” on the various forums. If you look beyond that though, and are willing to immerse yourself in the social aspect of the game, eRepublik is a real gem that will provide you with a truly original and engaging gaming experience.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

You can read more about eRepublik at http://www.game-tycoon.com/erepublik.html

While diamond production and mining has become far safer and more politically-correct in the past few years, one way to be absolutely sure that no wrong has been done by producing the diamond you buy is to seek out a Canadian diamond. Canadian diamonds account for only 15% of all the diamonds in the marketplace, but they account for 80% of all Excellent and Ideal cut diamonds.

Other diamond miners and producers have caught on to the popularity of Canadian diamonds, and have tried to mislead consumers by marketing their diamonds (mined in places other than Canada) as Canadian diamonds, so there is a little confusion in the diamond marketplace about how to recognize a Canadian diamond. There are only two ways to be sure.

One way to be sure is the GNWT Certificate of Authenticity. The GNWT (Government of the Northwest Territories) certification system tracks the diamond all the way from extraction from the ground to its velvet cushion at the jeweler’s. This is important, because some diamonds mined in Canada are still sent to Asia or Africa for cutting and polishing – which gets you back into the sticky questionable human rights territory. GNWT-certified diamonds guarantee the diamond in question was mined in Canada, and handled ethically (most likely in Canada the whole time) all throughout the process.

The certificate bears the GNWT’s polar bear insignia and includes a Gemprint of the diamond. A Gemprint is just what it sounds like – it is a “fingerprint” of the diamond: a digital scan of the landscape of the diamond so you can be sure the diamond you’ve bought is actually the diamond that is certified.

To take the precautions one step further, each Canadian diamond that is mined, cut, and polished in the Northwest Territories of Canada come laser-imprinted with a unique serial number. The number can only be seen with a microscope, so no worries about staring into your pretty gem and seeing somebody’s serial number. The number is etched into the girdle of the diamond (which is the “rim between the flatter top and the pointed bottom”) and is proof-positive that the diamond is legitimately a Canadian diamond.

Again, while diamond mining and production practices have improved a great amount in past years, the extra piece of mind obtained from buying a Canadian diamond can make all the difference for someone who still has questions or concerns about typical diamonds that are mined in the usual places and could potentially be in league with those who have questionable business practices. Additionally, Canadian diamonds are some of the cleanest, brightest, most perfect diamonds on the market. Isn’t your special someone worth the extra effort?

Good news for us since there’s now concern of a second worldwide dip into recession Canada might again be able to duck. According to The Guardian Weekly, too few nations have chosen the conservative borrowing rules-especially regarding buying a new home-that has been the backbone of the Canadian banking system. Be that as it may, the facts also show that Canadians are still carrying a lot of debt-about $41,000 for every person in this country-more than any other developed nation. Good news, though, is that we have re-leveraged less of our mortgages into cash to upgrade our lifestyles than in other countries. What does this mean for the average Canadian?

One thing that might spring to mind is that, although there were a number of layoffs two years ago, particularly in the world of the big three car manufacturers, the unemployment rate in Canada has remained fairly stable at just a hair over 8%–whereas the Americans are flirting dangerously with double digit rates. Employment rates have actually climbed in many provinces in recent months, which means your job may be more stable, and your dollar can buy a lot of goods because of its international currency rating. That means things from abroad-say your favorite olives-won’t cost more, and may even cost less than they did last year. Better yet, if you’re planning a vacation in the USA this summer, your Canadian dollars will go a lot further than they may have in the past. (Just be sure you buy your dollars at your bank, and don’t try and spend Canadian currency in the USA where it’s not often accepted at local outlets.)

The strong economic outlook for Canada in terms of climbing employment, a strong dollar, and still-low mortgage rates means that you can expect your money to work harder for you this year and buy you more. That means you can lower your debts faster, save more, and buy more than you have in the past. It may also mean it’s a great time to re-finance or consolidate outstanding loans you may have. Just don’t forget-debts always have to be repaid, no matter how good the terms of the loan may be.