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Shopping In The 21st Century... Introducing the Educated Consumer
Copyright (c) 2005-2023 Bill Platt
Before I came online, I had a dream of a great wide world were I could learn about all of the things that ever struck my fancy.
When I came online, I found just such a world, and then so much more.
One of my favorite all-around learning sites is: http://www.howstuffworks.com/ . Just pick a topic, and chances are that they will teach you all that you would ever want to know on that topic.
Being a science and an astronomy buff, I thought seriously about buying a telescope this Christmas "for my kids" ;-) and to introduce them to the stars while they were still young. I have been long in thought on this subject.
So, a few weekends back, I went to the HowStuffWorks site to learn about telescopes so that I would know what kind of telescope I should buy. http://science.howstuffworks.com/telescope.htm
I learned enough about telescopes to know that I should not make a purchasing decision in a day. I learned that to get the telescope I really wanted, I might really need to open my wallet real wide.
What is the chance that I could have gone to a store to learn what I needed to learn to make a good buying decision on telescopes? Zip. Zero. Nada.
The really good news is that I can continue to go to see the awesome pictures from the Hubble Telescope at the NASA website: http://hubble.nasa.gov/index.php
So, the kids did not get a telescope this year. Maybe they will get one next year.
All is good though. They got really sweet gifts anyway. http://www.fisher-price.com/us/powerwheels/ Check out the Cadillac Escalade.
Now, it is time to find something for my wife.
And then, I begin the long and frustrating search. What do you get a woman who has everything she wants?
I know... There is no such thing as "a woman who has everything she wants." ;-) So, what do you buy a woman who won't tell you what she wants?
After a search for ideas late into the night one evening, I leaned back in my chair and it hit me. Hanging on the wall above my desk is a caricature that we had made for us when we were on our honeymoon. She loves that thing and shows it off anytime someone new comes to visit.
My big head in that caricature almost seems to be an accurate representation of my personality. ;-)
Of course, the internet offers me a possibility of getting a caricature done on the sly, so that my wife's Christmas present can still be a surprise to her.
I can send family photographs to the caricature artist, and we do not have to sit for a lengthy amount of time while an artist works his magic.
And in not having to sit while the artist works, we can avoid the stress that both my wife and I experienced our first time around.
I did mention that our first caricature was done while we were on our honeymoon. We took our honeymoon in Las Vegas, and we stayed at the Stratosphere Hotel for seven days. It was on our first trip to the top of the Stratosphere, and while we were 110 stories up, the fire alarms in the tower went off!
After having spent 30 minutes waiting in vain for an elevator to the ground floor, we decided to make the best of our time on high. Of course, we could have taken to the staircase, but that was a 110-flight escape route! And, we did not even know if there was really a fire or whether some jerk thought he was being funny and set the thing off for kicks.
We took a walk around, and then I spotted the caricature artist. I approached him to ask if we should be worried about the alarm going off. He indicated that it was not uncommon, and that he was not the least concerned. So, I stopped being concerned myself, so long as I did not see any other reason to be concerned.
So, the young man took to talking me into having our caricature done. I really had no interest in such a thing, but I did have some time to kill. I was actually a hard sell, but he stuck to it. He finally offered me a deal to sit, since his prospects were pretty slim at that moment. After all, there was my wife and I, and the other two-dozen people stuck at the 110th floor in a mild state of concern. And, there were not any new people coming upstairs of any kind, since the elevators seemed to not be running at all.
So, we took a sit and had our own caricature done on our honeymoon trip. I think he nailed me perfectly. And, I thought he missed my wife by a mile, but please don't tell her I said so. She liked it, which is what is really important.
For those in the learning mood, the first written history of "caricature" was made available in a series of articles that ran from February to December of 1875 in Harper's Monthly magazine. Archived copies of those articles can be read online here: http://www.boondocksnet.com/cartoons/cartoons_parton75.html . The author of this series was James Parton. He was known in his day as one of the pioneers of political caricature, and he was a respected scholar in this field.
In the first article, the author points out that a lot of early graffiti was a form of caricature. In specific, he pointed to an example of ancient graffiti found in the excavated ruins of Pompeii, Italy, which was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.
It was only in the past century that people began to commission caricatures of friends and family as gifts and to locate caricature artists at many tourist destinations. The internet has allowed the Average Joe to locate a caricature artist without having to travel to the artist.
After shopping around, I decided on http://www.giveaspecialgift.com . Let me tell you why.
I chose Give A Special Gift, because I found that they were not thoroughly stuck on the big head caricature. While I might have a big head about myself, I don't necessarily like the grossly exaggerated "big head" that most caricature artists take to the canvas. Of course, the nature of the caricature is to exaggerate the obvious, but that is not always what the client wants.
I wanted to do a more realistic, family portrait style caricature with my wife, my kids and myself in the artwork. My kids take solo pictures beautifully, but they can never sync for a family photo. So, to the artist, I sent a digital family photo and solo digital photographs of my children.
I have found the perfect gift for "the woman who has everything she wants." This year for Christmas, she will have a caricature of her family, using the best shots from all of us. And best of all, she will be able to hang her gift upon the wall and cherish it for the rest of her life. Now THAT is a Christmas gift worth giving.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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You can become a better writer, with the right training. If you are looking to improve your writing skills or learn how to better market your writing projects, visit Bill Platt's website to see how he can help you: http://PlattPublishing.com/ If you are looking to buy or sell writing services, check out Bill's Freelance Writer Marketplace at: http://FreelanceWritersReview.com/
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Top-Level Category: Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Bill Platt
Four Tips For Creating An Effective Authors' Resource Box
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-08-27 |
Word Count: 1669 |
Page Views: 8024
| Votes: 18 |
Rating: 2.50
In article marketing, there are many factors that will
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Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-08-24 |
Word Count: 1149 |
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Some people still believe that all they have to do is build
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Word Count: 439 |
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Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-08-01 |
Word Count: 1399 |
Page Views: 6549
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 1.80
Visit several marketing blogs or marketing forums, and you
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Top 10 Reasons Why Online Marketers Fail With Article Marketing
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-31 |
Word Count: 1025 |
Page Views: 7811
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.08
If you've been marketing products online for any length of
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Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-30 |
Word Count: 1229 |
Page Views: 5996
| Votes: 10 |
Rating: 1.40
The basic premise of article marketing is to present people
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Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-30 |
Word Count: 991 |
Page Views: 8420
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.43
The theory behind the Six Degrees of Separation is that all
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Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-29 |
Word Count: 1191 |
Page Views: 5937
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.55
Freelance writers fill a very important role in today's
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The Death and Resurrection of Quality Content
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-25 |
Word Count: 769 |
Page Views: 7578
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 1.85
No matter where you go online, you are bound to find someone
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When we want to find information that answers our questions
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Successful Article Marketers Help Readers Solve Problems
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2013-07-24 |
Word Count: 816 |
Page Views: 26030
| Votes: 34 |
Rating: 2.79
Every week, I have the opportunity to speak with people about the
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Distributed: 2010-01-20 |
Word Count: 595 |
Page Views: 4757
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 1.25
Ann Arbor, Michigan is the home of the University of Michigan, a
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Flowers Are The Perfect Gift For Father's Day
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Distributed: 2008-02-20 |
Word Count: 486 |
Page Views: 5926
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
Dads everywhere have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for getting
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Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 718 |
Page Views: 4395
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.64
If you want to experience adventure at every level of your next
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Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 563 |
Page Views: 5304
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.36
If you want to have a party that everyone will be talking about
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simple tips, and you are sure to have a fabulous DJ for your
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Building your Credit to get a Mortgage
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 840 |
Page Views: 5360
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
You are thinking about purchasing real estate. However, you are
not sure if your credit is good enough to get a mortgage. There
are things that you can do to build your credit so that it is
worthy of any mortgage that may interest you.
1569 Unique Ways To Get A Free Lunch
Written by: Steve Robichaud |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 3622
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Everywhere you turn - T.V., Radio, magazines, or the Internet,
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people, to use for whatever they want? Let's take a closer look:
Don't Wait to Start Your Marketing Strategy
Written by: Jo Fulkerson |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 3906
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Your novel is finished, you’ve had it edited by a professional Editor, and you’ve done the rewrites. What? You haven’t had an editor edit your work yet? This is a must. There are many editors advertising in Writer’s Digest.
NEVER Reply to an eGroup Post!
Written by: BIG Mike McDaniel |
Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 5157
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
eGroups are collections of people subscribed to a
common (discussion list) address. When one member
sends an eMail message to the eGroup address, it
is automatically sent to everyone else on the
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posts and replies. The attraction of eGroups is
the ability to join in at your convenience as
opposed to the confinement of live chat rooms.
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Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 4954
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
Pain between the shoulder blades, or any pain for that matter,
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There are a multitude of possible causes of pain between the
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Effective Managers Need To Coach
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Distributed: 2006-05-07 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 4434
| Votes: 4 |
Rating: 0.75
Bearing in mind the fast pace of business today and the
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Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 13808
| Votes: 3 |
Rating: 0.33
When did Americans stop taking responsibility for their own
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But he was quick to emphasize that although the sixties began
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High Thread Count Bed Sheets. How Many Threads Does A Bed Sheet Need?
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Word Count: 0 |
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High thread count bed sheets, often called percale, are much
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Word Count: 0 |
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During my twenty-three years in management, I dealt with
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Word Count: 0 |
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Women since time immemorial have always looked for ways to
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Word Count: 0 |
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You are very excited!! You have finally created your own
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Word Count: 0 |
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Nothing enables one to think and work better than a comfortable
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Flowers Are The Perfect Gift For Father's Day
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-02-20 |
Word Count: 486 |
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| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
Dads everywhere have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for getting
Father's Day started. In 1909, Sonora sat in a church in Spokane,
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of her mother.
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2004-05-03 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 5646
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 0.50
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
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marketplace.
Building your Credit to get a Mortgage
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 840 |
Page Views: 5360
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
You are thinking about purchasing real estate. However, you are
not sure if your credit is good enough to get a mortgage. There
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worthy of any mortgage that may interest you.
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Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 563 |
Page Views: 5304
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.36
If you want to have a party that everyone will be talking about
for days and years later, hire a good DJ to run your music and
light show. Hiring a DJ can actually be fun. Just follow these
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party.
Highest Ranked "" Articles
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Written by: Helen Bergstein |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 718 |
Page Views: 4395
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 2.64
If you want to experience adventure at every level of your next
trip, you need to go beyond the usual resorts and places to stay.
If you're like most travelers, personal safety remains a priority,
especially in today's world. A growing number of savvy travelers
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Written by: Patsi Krakoff |
Distributed: 2004-09-30 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 1099
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 2.57
Everyday decisions have become increasingly complex due to the
overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.
A trip to a typical supermarket reveals enormous choices such
as 85 different crackers, 285 types of cookies, 230 varieties
of canned soup, 80 different pain relievers, and 360 kinds of
shampoo. Does this improve the quality of our lives?
Building your Credit to get a Mortgage
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 840 |
Page Views: 5360
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
You are thinking about purchasing real estate. However, you are
not sure if your credit is good enough to get a mortgage. There
are things that you can do to build your credit so that it is
worthy of any mortgage that may interest you.
Flowers Are The Perfect Gift For Father's Day
Written by: Wesley Berry, AAF |
Distributed: 2008-02-20 |
Word Count: 486 |
Page Views: 5926
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 2.24
Dads everywhere have Sonora Smart Dodd to thank for getting
Father's Day started. In 1909, Sonora sat in a church in Spokane,
Washington listening to a sermon expounding on the virtues of
motherhood. But, as she sat there, she thought about how special
her own father was since it was he who raised her after the death
of her mother.
Testimonials and Reviews Increase Your Real Sales Potential
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2006-02-10 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 2930
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.00
The one essential ingredient for online success in
any endeavor is gaining your prospect's trust.
7 Tips to Hiring a Good DJ for your Party
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-05-11 |
Word Count: 563 |
Page Views: 5304
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 1.36
If you want to have a party that everyone will be talking about
for days and years later, hire a good DJ to run your music and
light show. Hiring a DJ can actually be fun. Just follow these
simple tips, and you are sure to have a fabulous DJ for your
party.
Ann Arbor, MI Offers A Lot Of Year-Around Family Fun
Written by: Jeb Maxwell |
Distributed: 2010-01-20 |
Word Count: 595 |
Page Views: 4757
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 1.25
Ann Arbor, Michigan is the home of the University of Michigan, a
leading institution of higher education. Ann Arbor is a wonderful
place to visit. The University is co-mingled with the city and
greatly expands the cultural places and events available in the
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How to Decorate Your Home on EBay
Written by: Pamela Cole Harris |
Distributed: 2005-09-14 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 2159
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 1.20
If you are on a budget (and who isn’t?), a wonderful place for
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The "Proprietary Blend" Nutritional Supplement
Written by: Will Brink |
Distributed: 2006-02-10 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 3511
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.60
In a nut shell, I went onto cover each of these common marketing
terms that are used to sell supplements to unwitting consumers
and explained each in detail as to what I view as their common
misuse within the market place.
Brink's Unified Theory of Nutrition
Written by: Will Brink |
Distributed: 2006-02-24 |
Word Count: 0 |
Page Views: 2323
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 0.60
Regardless of the topic, a unified theory, seeks to explain
seemingly incompatible aspects of various theories. In this
article I attempt to unify seemingly incompatible or opposing
views regarding nutrition, namely, what is probably the longest
running debate in the nutritional sciences: calories vs. macro
nutrients.
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