Friday, March 27, 2009

Do Not Sell Your Timeshare Until You Have Read This!

Owing to the current economic situation, my investments had not protected my income, and I was in need of releasing equity.

First on the list was our Club La Costa Vacation Points, it was after all a luxury and the prospect of a holiday on the horizon looked very distant.

Following a research into how to sell timeshare points, I had registerd my interest with a company called 'Travel and Leisure Group' who stated on their website, that they were one of the largest and respected Timeshare Resale Brokers, being members of the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (O.T.E.). Vacation Owners Coalition in Europe, Resale Broker Alliance and Timeshare Consumer Guide!

So with those creditials, I decided to let them advertise my Vacation Points. A marketing fee of £154 was paid, which covered advertising in the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express and inflight publications from British Airways and B.M.I.

This fee covered 6 months worth of advertising.

After 6 months, I had received nothing, no interest, no updates and more importantly no money. I contacted Travel and Leisure, who stated that the paid advertising was over and my points were just registered on their database, with no active marketing. However, if I wanted to take up a very special offer being made, because they were disappointed that my points had not sold, I could purchase another 6 months advertising for a 50% reduction on the normal cost!

Despite their very 'generous' offer I declined, the agent stated that I would not find any one else who could sell my timeshare points. I reminded the agent, that Travel and Leisure had not been successful in selling my points, why would I want to pour more money into their account!

Disillusioned with the whole experience, I looked at other avenues to raise equity.

In October 2008, I received a phone call from Europen Timeshare Owners Organisation (E.T.O.O.), who stated that if I was still selling my Vacation Points, they had a corporate buyer waiting for them. Obviously, this was a much needed cash injection my bank accounts needed. I was informed that the whole transaction would take between 1 - 2 months and following their generous estimated selling price for my points. I thought the wait would be worth it.

More research conducted, and the company appeared in major newspapers, T.V. ads and the website gave links to accredited organisations. What could possibly go wrong!

Contracts were emailed and duly signed, another admin fee (yes I know!) paid, fully refundable upon money being paid by the buyer, so no fees to pay by the seller!

After a couple of weeks, I had not heard anything and just wanted an update on the progress of the sale. I contacted their customer support and spoke to a representative of ETOO. I was informed that the points had been advertised in the Daily Express, with some interest shown in them!

Hold on, where was the corporate buyer?

The Rep, informed me that they liked to cover all options. Perhaps the agent dealing with my sale would be better to explain the progress, would I like him to call me? Yes Please!

As I write this article, the agent has still not managed to contact me, but he is very busy, because everytime I call he is not available owing to a meeting or other calls!

Something did not feel right with this, my missus was certainly getting suspicious with the company, especially as she had never been requested to sign the contract, despite the points being in both names!

My fears were finally confirmed, when following an investigation into Timeshare Resale, guess which company gets top of the bill, ETOO! Brilliant, what a stroke of luck, of all the companies I picked from this vast list on the internet, I picked ETOO.

BBC's Watchdog team followed a couple who had used ETOO to sell their timeshare points. Having been told that a corporate buyer was waiting to purchase them, they had to attend a meeting in Spain to seal the deal. Upon arrival, the corporate buyer, was a Rep from Club Class Concierge.

The Rep informed the couple that the points were worthless and if they paid him a fee of nearly £5,000 to join Club Class Concierge, he would take the points off his hands!

The couple are now taking legal action against ETOO, for misleading them. Rulings have also been made by Advertising Standards Authority, stating that their adverts were misleading and only 8% of sales are ever made!

If you find yourselve in this situation, having parted with any money, advice can be obtained from:

BBC Watchdog
Consumer Direct

I do hope this info has been useful. Lets make a difference and stand up to these criminals!

Steve Thornton

http://www.lobbythornton.com

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Dorm Room Cooking at Colleges and Universities Will Never Be the Same

It's been almost 25 years since I stepped out of college. All the memories that I have retained ranges from acing exams and partying until the end of time. But one of the things that I remember fondly was how I just got by on what little money I had. What made it fun was seeing how far you could go on the food situation. Oh the days of cooking in the dorm!

I can remember always coming back to the dorm either after long session in class of just late night blasting going for the mini-fridge and struggling to make something out of what I had left. In most cases, I would have half of everything but but could never make anything. Unfortunately I also had to throw away most of the food because it went bad which turned into me spending more money and so on... wasted money.

Fast forward to today and it seems that food shows is a major cog in the entertainment wheel. If there's anything that can be cooked in 50 different ways, there's a show about it. Well, I came across one such show but only on the internet and I have to say how I wish that it was around when I was in college.

So yesterday I get an email from a friend in the catering business. He said, "If I only thought if this I could have been rich" Normally I would have just deleted it but the name really stood out so I had to check it out.

I watched some of the videos on a viral site and within 15 seconds I was into it. The titles of the cooking segments are real catchy like Sticky Booty Burger, Heart Attach Ramen, Garbage Omelet and The Stoner Banger made with a hot dog, grape jelly, mustard and honey dijon chips. Yep, he actually cooks-down the jelly and the mustard in a sauce pot.

The guy in the videos is kind of funny as he really looks like a college student just whipping it up. So far his recipes are real interesting and they don't go out of the reach of what you would find in a typical dorm kitchen. But one thing that makes this interesting is that her really seems to be a chef at heart lightly dropping cooking terms as he rattles off his concoctions.

Infused with these odd recipes is a real stoney sense of humor. Teh chef in the video has a quirky personality with an east coast kind of draw to his speaking. As well his appearance is in tune with what I think is today's hyper cool laid back college cruiser.

Other recipes in the video segments are The Stick Booty Burger is an infused peanut butter burger with jelly topping and a small dose of spices. The Garbage Omelet is just that; everything left in your vegi-box and in this case, wasabe peas. The Heart Attack Omelet is really just Top Ramen but not with the mixed in flavors that come with the package but a home made pepper jack cheese sauce with fresh jalape?os.

I have to say, after watching these videos I found the chef and the content very interesting and creative in an entertainment sense. I don't know that I'm going to run out and actually try these recipes but I will say one thing, I'll bet kids in college are going to get a kick out of this!

Giano Beninate
http://www.keyofgeebz.com
Dorm Cooking Videos - http://www.youtube.com/user/PunkAssChef
Aloha!!

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Apple Blossom Festival - An Awesome Event

The 2008 Apple Blossom Festival went on as planned despite several threats of rain. People were everywhere for the weekend in Winchester, Virginia on the first weekend of May this year. It is hard to figure the actual attendance because there is no gate to this downtown Winchester event. But there were as many people as there always is at this awesome celebration.

There was a carnival open three days before the actual Apple Fest. Powers Great American Midway was the host carnival. It was located about three miles from downtown the host of the main venue. The Circus provided by the Clyde Beatty - Cole Bros Circus was at the Apple Blossom Mall around two miles from downtown. Both of these extra attractions drew large crowds as well. The rides were always turning at the carnival lot. The people packed in elbow to elbow on Friday and Saturday night at both the Circus and the carnival lots.

The patrons were spending money as always. They just did not support the games for sure. Some of the games workers complained of not getting many players. The people seemed disinterested in the games as a whole. The Water Races and quarter pitches did better than usual. The balloon games did well as normal. But several other games took a huge hit in overall grosses. Some of these games were down over 50% in gross. That is an abnormal decrease in sales for any event in a one year period. It was terrible for the games concessionaires and workers.

It was said that there were a few more games on the streets spots than normal. Some estimated up to 10-12 games were added. There were certainly a bunch of games on the streets. They were covering footage in 5 different blocks. If there were more games in Winchester this year that would account for some of the loss in revenue by the games people. One concessionaire stated that although he did not have more games this year he had twice as much help. So the spot was not as far off for him as most this year.

The food sold as always because people have to eat no matter what. People will often buy a certain food at every event they attend. Well in Winchester it is the apples that are going. Several people enjoyed theirs via candy apples. Man those candy apple vendors had to have made a bundle.They were selling them no matter what.

The Firefighters put on a huge parade every year at the Apple Blossom Fest. The parade is long and has many nice floats. It normally takes 2 hours or longer to run through. The Festival has fireworks on two nights. This display is nice and bright and lasts around 15-20 minutes. There are bands to listen to and many other fun activities at this annual festival.

The first day, Tuesday, at the carnival lot things were slower than normal years. The attendance was down and some blamed it on the weather. It was somewhat chilly that day with a little wind to make matters worse. Wednesday was twice as good and basically back to normal crowd size. Thursday was slightly better and was just a scantling off of the Friday crowd. Saturday was by far the best day for all the vendors locations. Weather the location was on the carnival lot or downtown or at the circus lot. Saturday was the finale and the people came out in droves supporting this long time Apple Festival.

I created the web site http://uscarnys.com
UScarnys.com The web site was first published for use on the internet on February 4, 2008. Already USCarnys.com boasts arguably the best free listing of bonafide fairs and festivals on the internet. USCarnys.com has 48 pages of fairs and festivals which you can find all the pages on the home page in a drop down menu. There is a merchandise page with several vendors, a carnivals page with nearly 80 links to different carnivals web sites, a contact page, an employment page, and the home page to go with the 48 pages of fairs and festivals listings. You will find this site truly informative and a very helpful tool for anyone who does anything in the outdoor amusements. Come check out USCarnys.com now!

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Thursday, August 14, 2008

Tips to Help You Get a Great Tattoo Design Online



Getting a great tattoo design online has become harder and harder. The web is getting overloaded with so much generic artwork that it can be close to impossible to find the truly superb designs you want. This makes most people "settle" on something much less than what they were really after. Well, here are quick tips to help you uncover a great tattoo design online and the tons of good galleries that have them.

It's not that men and women want to settle on something that they don't truly like. It's just that there are many obstacles in the way. The biggest obstacle is our obsession with instant gratification. We want everything "right now". This is a very bad trait to have when you are looking for a tattoo design online. Too many people are rushing into their decision and settling on the first half way decent tattoos they find. Why would you want to make an impulse decision on something that is going to be on your body for the rest of your life? It doesn't make much sense.

Search engines don't make it any easier. When you sue them to find a tattoo design online, you will come up with a sea of low end galleries that have nothing but a ton of generic, cookie cutter images to look through. This is also one of the main reasons people end up "settling" on generic artwork. It takes that forever just to find something that looks sort of good and they run to get it inked.

Since search engines are not doing us any favors when looking for a tattoo design online, an alternative method of searching is needed. This alternative happens to be internet forums, which can work wonders for you. Not only will they help you find the perfect tattoo design online, but you will be able to uncover tons of the great galleries that you just can't seem to pull u pin search engine results. Forums are fantastic for this because the bigger ones are always packed with topics revolving around tattoos. These topics always have people sharing links to the superb galleries they have found. You can find one great tattoo design online after another by using this method.

Finding the right tattoo design online for your particular tastes should be a fun experience and this can help you on the journey to locate great tattoos.

Here are the 3 largest, most original websites to find the perfect Tattoo Design Online...

Adam Woodham is the author of this article and runs the blog Tattoo Art Design, which features the 3 top websites, with the absolute largest gallery of tattoos you can imagine. Finding good tattoo designs has never been easier.



Thursday, July 31, 2008

Documentary Review - The Universe

By Paul Herdman
The quality of a tv documentary depends on a number of factors, namely the balance between information and entertainment. I have noticed many documentaries of late have went through a process of "dumbing" down and the educational merit of such documentaries is questionable. on the other hand a tedious or boring documentary will normally result in loss of interest or the viewer simply changing the channel. In order to strike the balance between information and entertainment a documentary must emphasize the most interesting points in greater detail not retort to unrelated commentaries or visual anecdotes. One documentary that gets the balance right and one which I highly recommend is the universe series on the history channel

If you are interested in documentaries of a cosmological nature then the universe complete season one would be a highly recommended purchase. The universe series airs on the history channel and I personally find it very informative and interesting and believe that anyone even someone who normally would not have an interest in programs of this nature would also find this program interesting and informative. For an enthusiast such as myself this series does not disappoint on any level.

The series provides a comprehensive and easy to understand presentation of a multitude of astronomical ideas and subjects. And it is presented with commentary by some of the most brilliant physicists and astronomy experts on the planet. The final bonus episode "Beyond the Big Bang" is worth the price of this set in itself. And the entire presentation is up to date, accounting for the Mars rovers, the demotion of Pluto to dwarf planet status, and the recent discovery of water (and potential life) on Enceladus and Europa.

You can find useful links and information at http://documentarydvds.blogspot.com/

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Types of Perfumes

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of types of perfumes in today`s market. The high demand for various types of perfumes makes it easily available to find them from inexpensive to moderate expensive to very expensive types of perfumes for all tastes and pockets. One does not have to go very far in order to find major brands available.

The most common way to describe a perfume is perhaps considering its concentration level, where it has been originated from, and the notes of the scent. The most common scent is floral with ingredients such as carnation, jasmine, violet, orange blossoms, lilies, orchids, just to name a few. All perfumes and colognes are different and they are meant to associate the personality and skin type of users.

In order to classify a perfume or cologne, one interesting aspect to consider would be the percentage of concentration by volume of perfume oil:

Perfume usually has in its content, 15 to 25% of perfumed oil.
Eau de Perfume usually has in its content 8 to 15% of perfumed oil.
Eau de Toilette usually has in its content 4 to 10% of perfumed oil.
Eau de Cologne usually has in it content 2 to 5% of perfumed oil.

Nowadays with modern technology of perfume manufacturing, new categories have been formed, the most common of them being described as: Bright Floral - the most popular of them all, meant for almost everyone and for any occasion. Earthy or Woody - it evokes the environment of the forest, with a very refreshing smell. This fragrance has a strong appeal to the older generation. Green - it is considered to be a lighter fragrance and is meant for casual wear. Oceanic - it is very popular with the younger generation. Spicy Fruit - it is a good choice for tropical weather. Oriental - it is composed of spicy scents, meant for special occasions.

Plants are the largest source of fragrant compounds used in the perfume industry. Fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit are also used. Some seeds and woods are very important in providing the base notes to a perfume.

Most modern perfumes and colognes are made using the fragrance oils that the fragrances houses develop using essential oils and aromatic chemicals. The fragrance oils are then blended with ethyl alcohol and water and then aged in thanks for a certain time and filtered through processing equipment to remove any particles before the solution can be considered ready to go into the perfume bottles.

Most fragrances with the names of well known designers are constantly improving in order to produce top quality perfumes. Due to the high demand that major brands experience, it suggests that the perfume industry will keep on a fast mode for quite some time in the future.

Finally, it is a good idea to keep in mind that different people have different tastes and the choice or preference for a particular fragrance is a very personal one and may vary dramatically from one person to another, suggesting that it is better to try it before you buy.

Roberto Sedycias
IT Consultant

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the News Article section of page PoloMercantil Roberto Sedycias has a bachelor degree in Business Administration and over 20 years experience in systems analysis and computer programming. Currently working as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Diet for Babies

When your baby can sit with support, hold his head steady, and can take food off with his mouth from the spoon and swallow it easily, this is the right time to move to the next diet stage. This usually occurs when baby is 4 to 6 months old.

The first food your baby can eat is baby cereals. After baby cereals, you can give your baby rice, then oatmeal. Later on, when he knows how to drink from a babies small cup, you can give him a freshly squeeze fruit juice for his vitamin C supplement.

Once your baby reached 6 to 8 months old, he can now hold and grab onto things. He can sit without support and he can begin to chew foods. The best foods that you can give him on his stage are pureed, mashed, and strained foods. You can try to boil a potato or a carrot and then mashed it. You can also give soft fruits for him to eat.

Later on, you can give him strained meat; cooked and mashed dry beans, and boned and cooked fish.

At the age of 8 to 10 months old, your baby can take a full bite of foods. He can pick up small pieces and he can feed himself. You can move to the next food level, which are cooked and mashed egg yolks, and Cottage cheese and yogurt. You can also give him crackers, small pieces of cooked vegetables and peeled soft fruits.

When your baby reaches age 10 to 12 months old, he can now chew and swallow mash food. You can give him soft foods that the rest of the family can eat like crackers, cereals, cooked meat, peas and lentils, and cooked egg yolks.

It is best to offer your baby 3 small amounts of foods everyday. Older babies can eat larger amount of solid foods in a day. It is best to allow your baby to choose how much he will eat. Never force nor encourage your baby to eat more than he wishes to eat.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Baby Clothes: A Perfect Baby Shower Gift?

Shopping for baby clothes and accessories can be so much fun, especially when you are shopping for a baby shower gift for someone you love! Baby clothes make great gifts for new parents.

Baby clothing from boutiques are very popular gifts. Many even have gift registries for expectant parents. Most larger towns and cities have these specialty boutiques, but these can also be found in quaint smaller towns, too. The nice thing about boutique clothing as a baby shower gift is that the parents might not want to spend the extra money on clothing for the baby with all the other expenses they will have. Try to pick out something unique. Most parents get plenty of onesies and sleepers!

When in doubt as to what to buy or what size, stick with dresses for girls and overalls for boys. Because I had big babies, most newborn clothing didn't fit my children. I suggest buying size 3 or 6 months, keeping in mind many children wear the next size up from their age. For example, a 3 month old might wear a size 6 months. Remember to think about what season it will be when purchasing bigger sizes. A nice long sleeved outfit won't be used if it would fit the baby in the summer.

Shopping online for baby clothes can get you some really good deals without the frustrations of being at the mall. You're also more likely to get a unique gift online. Shop around for special promotions and free shipping. I like to use Ebates whenever I shop online and get a rebate on every purchase.

Internet shopping is perfect if you can't attend the shower. Most stores with registries make ordering simple. They can, in just a few clicks, have your order shipped directly to the new parents' house.
Baby sleepers and gowns are the most popular baby shower gifts. While necessary, try pairing them with another more unique gift like an embroidered burp cloth, blanket or diaper bag.

Tiny baby slippers always get oooh's and aaah's at a shower. To make a more substantial gift, add a cute little hat and some socks. Infant clothing is almost always a gift parents will get lots of use out of. When possible, always include a gift receipt just in case there was a duplicate gift or if the baby's gender turns out to be different than expected!

Baby clothing can be expensive and fancy or simple and inexpensive. Either way, parents will appreciate the thoughtful and useful gift for their little one.
--
Susan Whitehead is the proud mom to 4 children! She has hosted many baby showers and enjoys the fun of planning these special events. Her baby shower idea site is filled with fun tips to make baby showers a breeze! Visit http://www.BabyShowerIdeaCenter.com to get some great tips!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Here she is!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Gone for a While

I know I haven't been posting here lately, but I do have good reasons.

I am currently studying for my LSAT's, which I will take on December 3rd. Yes---it's true---another lawyer is in the making. Just what the world needs, right? In addition to that, I have been working on some writing for publication and that has been zapping all of my creative juices.

But....the pregnancy is still progressing wonderfully, and I will post again after I bomb the LSAT's.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Word Sickness

Is it possible for words to actually cause morning sickness?

I swear every time I hear or read the words "Brangelina," "Tomkat," or "Dashmi" I want to toss my cookies into the nearest waste receptacle.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Real Life 101

I think I am starting to figure out why we have such a high divorce rate in this country. We have ridiculous romantic expectations of what it means to be married.

Yesterday I was reading one of the hundreds of pregnancy websites I read on a daily basis and stumbled upon a forum about husbands who refuse to be in the delivery room with their wives. Hundreds of men had posted comments saying they "had a weak stomache" or "couldn't stand to see their wife in pain" or, and this is my favorite, "didn't think they would be able to have sex with her again after seeing all of that gross stuff down there." And lots of women posted too, saying that they would rather be alone for the birth of their child then ruin their sex lives.

Are you fucking serious? Exactly what did these people think they were getting themselves into when they got married? I know people like this from college--people whose parents sheltered them from every possible bad thing in life. These are the same kids, who now that they are working, get terribly upset when their boss doesn't shower them with praise and promote them after a month. They expect their married lives to be a cross between "Leave it to Beaver" and a porn flick, where no one poops, no one vomits, no one bleeds, no one gets fat, no one dies, and everyone has perfectly shaven legs and bikini lines at all times. Each night they come home to their beautiful spouse and have a gourmet dinner before putting their honor student kids to bed and having a night of kinky porn star sex. Oh yeah, and they're fabulously wealthy.

Real life is not clean and sexy. My husband (who will DEFINITELY be present for the birth of our child) and I WORK at our marriage. That's what it's all about. Loving someone means that you are there for them no matter what, ESPECIALLY when things get bloody and gross--and they inevitably will. How do these people expect to deal with baby poop and vomit and seeing a loved one slowly die from a terminal illness?

My solution? I have decided that every person in America should be forced to take a class in high school called Real Life 101. This class would teach them about real life finances (i.e. how to live within your means and not run up massive credit card debt) real life marriage and all the difficulties that come with it, real life parenting, and real life work.

I think many Americans would probably flunk.....

Friday, October 07, 2005

My Little Peanut

Okay, I know it's been a really long time since I've posted here. But that's because I've been busy doing this----making that little peanut up there.

Today we had our first ultrasound. I can't really describe how amazing it was seeing that little guy move around and hearing its heartbeat. It finally feels real. I finally feel pregnant instead of just sick.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Evacuation Vacation

We are finally back from our surprise evacuation vacation. We hit some traffic on the way out (though not as bad as most people) and on the way back, but all in all, it turned out to be a nice little excuse to visit the family in Arkansas. After all, I don't usually get three days of free vacation. We returned to find our house completely intact except for a few branches in the backyard. So Rita turned out to be all bark and no bite.

In other news, I am FINALLY starting to feel better. The nausea is now only coming occasionally rather than daily and I feel like I just ran a 10K rather than a marathon. So hopefully, this will mean that I can once again gather together some intelligent thoughts to post on this site.

This weekend (at only 8 weeks) I was forced to buy my first pair of maternity pants as NOTHING in my closet fits me anymore. They have an elastic waist band.....yuck.

Will post a gratuitous big belly shot soon...

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Karma......what Karma?

So......after Houstonians selflessly opened up our city to the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.......after we volunteered and gave as much as we could...........it seems that we are finally being rewarded.........with a hurricane of our own. So much for Karma.

Hurricane Rita is now headed directly for the Texas coastline. Our local forecasters are predicting that power could be out for as long as a week or two. Schools have already closed, and my office will definitely be closed on Friday if not sooner. Yay.

So....seeing as how I am pregnant and feeling miserable 99% of the time (which is why I haven't been posting more frequently) we will probably be heading north in the next couple of days.

Wish us luck....

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Sexual Chocolate

On the way to work this morning I passed an interesting billboard. It was black and white and had one word written on it in large, somber letters—DIGNITY. It was for a funeral home.

I began to ponder the concept of dignity. “Dignity” is a word that has been thrown around a lot lately. News reporters have blathered on about the dead in New Orleans being “robbed of their dignity” by the failure of the guard to collect the bodies. During the Terry Schiavo fiasco, pundits around the country screamed about the right to “die with dignity.”

We all know that dignity is something we deserve as human beings, but what does dignity actually mean? It’s a difficult word to define.

My mother was a very modest, well-mannered woman. Throughout her entire life, I never once saw her fart in front of my father. She always said that it was out of respect for her husband. “If you respect and love someone,” she said, “you don’t subject them to that.” At the end of my mother’s life, she lamented to me that the thing she hated the most was the loss of dignity that comes with chronic terminal illness. In the end she vomited a lot. She had problems with her digestive system and often had accidents. She ended up moving into the other bedroom so that my father wouldn’t see her that way. To the very end, no matter how sick she became, she always went to great lengths to preserve the few shreds of her modesty that remained. She felt that being unable to control her bodily functions robbed her of her dignity.

I think this is what I am most afraid of with this pregnancy. Already, I can’t control the nausea. And I know that during the birth, some VERY gross things are going to happen. I know that I will be basically naked throughout the whole thing. I’ll be sweating. I might vomit. There’s a chance I’ll have a catheter. Needless to say, I won’t exactly look my best. There’s a pretty good chance I’ll poop on the birthing table. Most women do. The entire experience is one that, in theory, is NOT DIGNIFIED. I will be at my most animalistic. It might sound silly, but this is what I am most terrified of. I’m not afraid of actually giving birth, but I’m terrified of other people seeing me like that. I’m scared of the embarrassment.

But is that really what dignity is? Is dignity merely the ability to be modest and control one’s bodily functions? Or is there more to it then that? My dictionary gave two different definitions of dignity. The first is, “the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect.” The second is, “stateliness and formality in manner and appearance.”

I’m trying really hard to adopt the first definition, even though I was raised by the second. After all---I know that no matter how supposedly “undignified” my mother’s condition was, she was still worthy of esteem and respect. And I know that no matter what gross thing I do during delivery, no one’s opinion of me, especially my husband’s, will change.

I guess maybe Whitney Houston was right.

“No matter what they take from me, they can’t take away my dignity.”
---Whitney Houston

Sexual Chocolate, ladies and gentlemen, sexual chocolate....