The Market Outfit

Since the beginning of time, Governments seemed bent on curbing the enthusiasm of the people they ruled. As soon as they noticed people enjoying themselves, it was let’s hasten to the House of Commons and see what we can do about it. Most particularly, they seemed to be for ever meddling with the matters of the heart, wanting to tell people how old they should be before they got married, what place they should select in getting married, and sometimes even what spouse they should choose in order to get married.

In the case of England and Wales of 250 years ago, they insisted that young people wait till they were 21 before the idea of marriage entered their heads. To ensure that everything was on the up and up, the upcoming marriage also had to be made public some weeks before so that anyone knowing of some hidden spouse could make this fact known. And lastly, the only place that the actual marriage could take place was the church, with a properly appointed minister inside it.

Not to seem too heavy-handed, the powers that be did suggest that if you simply couldn’t wait till you turned 21 you could seek your parent’s permission. And as for the rest, if you had the money to buy a special licence which would cost you an arm and a leg, you could get around some of the other points of law.

To the 18 year old 21 seemed as far away as the next century. And as for parental consent, forget it. Ever conservative, a parent never saw anything but practical common sense in the whole legal arrangement.

Across the border of England to the north, lived the good people of Scotland who saw and felt for the plight of the lovers. Themselves refusing to be bound by the idiosyncrasies of the English law, they continued to allow civil marriages which required nothing more than the couples declaring before witnesses their wish to be married.

So the chant of all couples in a hurry to be married was, ‘Let’s to Scotland’. And since Gretna Green was right on the border of Scotland and England, Gretna Green became the town you drove to when marriage was on your mind and you didn’t want to wait to satisfy all the rules and regulations of the English legal system.

Since at Greta Green any venue would do, the local blacksmith who was usually on hand to see to the horses and the coach from which the passengers alighted, was usually only too willing, and always able, to help out. A bit of a showman, as the couples finished their vows, he would strike the anvil with his hammer and would call out something in Scottish dialect which may or may not have been, ‘By the strike of this anvil you are wed’.

It would be pleasant to think that these happy events have survived right to our day. But, in fact, such is not the case. Sure you can go to the romantic Gretna Green to make your vows to each other. But law and order has a long reach, and it has as much of a stronghold in Scotland now, as it has everywhere else.

Vlady Peters is an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant authorised to perform marriages in Australia. She also perform general ceremonies such as Baby Naming, Renewal of Vows and Commitment Ceremonies. To learn more about her as a celebrant and an author visit vlady at http://www.weddings-celebrant.com

Temporary health insurance, also known as short-term health insurance plans or short-term medical insurance, is an insurance policy valid only for a limited period of time. Health insurance is defined as a type of insurance plan whereby the insurer covers the medical expenses of the insured when he/she becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents.

Temporary health insurance provides ideal protection for persons who are in-between jobs, employed part-time, waiting for permanent health insurance to commence, attending school or recently graduated, and temporarily without health insurance for any reason.

Temporary plans provide a person the freedom of selecting any doctor or hospital. They also have a deductible scheme for the individual as well as the family. A person under 65 years of age and children under 19 or 25 (if a full-time student) are eligible to apply for temporary health insurance. The insurer may be a government organization or a private agency. Normally, the temporary health insurance can be purchased for periods as short as 30 days or up to 360 days.

The important point to remember when considering this type of insurance plan is that the insurance should not be seen as an alternative for standard, long-term health insurance. The plan is only intended to provide treatment for unforeseen illness or injury. Temporary health insurance is also exempt from Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which means that the plan does not have any guarantees. Once the limited time frame of the insurance ends, the insured may or may not be able to purchase extra health insurance, depending on his health at that occasion.

Temporary health insurance plan is a good option for those to whom a full insurance plan is not available. There are also low-cost health insurance plans, which are affordable plans designed for healthy people who are temporarily without health insurance.

Survivor the show that started the reality TV craze is back with its latest installment, Survivor Season 11 the Maya Empire. CBS will be keeping with its tested and proven formula of abandoning contestants in remote locations where they will live, work, and compete together for 39 days to win the 1 million dollar prize.

For this season contestants will be sent to Yaxh-Nakum-Naranjo National Park in the jungles of Guatemala. The site is an ancient Maya city complete with Mayan pyramids. Contestants will be split into two tribes the named Nakum and Yaxha who will compete against each other in weekly challenges. Producer Mark Burnett and SEG Entertainment will be returning along with popular host Jeff Probst. They have promised to keep the show interesting this season with not just one surprise but two.

The choice of the shows location was not without some controversy, originally set to be filmed in the South Pacific producers had to change the venue after the tsunami at the end of 2004. The producers eventually decided the offer from Guatemala was the best. The Guatemalan government and board of tourism are hoping for a boost in travel to for the country as result of the show.

Recently there has been a trend among reality TV shows to find ways to cast famous or popular celebrities, and Survivor is trying this as well. The most well known of all the contestants is ex Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Gary Hogeboom. Many fans wonder if his notoriety will work against him on the show. Another popular contestant is sports radio talk show host Danni Boatwright. In addition to being a broadcaster Ms. Boatwright is the ex-wife of Country Music Star Wade Hayes and was Miss USA Contestant and was Miss Kansas in 1996. Many longtime fans of the show are concerned that the shows popularity has attracted aspiring actors, actresses, and models to the cast who the show as way to help their careers.

About The Author

Gary Mitchell

To help you keep up with all the tribal council meetings, immunity idol winners, and latest news from Survivor Guatemala be sure to visit http://www.SurvivorScoop.com. This article was written by Gary Mitchell who runs SurvivorScoop and several other entertainment based websites.

NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end).

So you’ve done everything you can to keep your buyers happy - but still someone’s left you negative feedback! You don’t think it’s fair, either because you fixed the buyer’s problem, or they never gave you a fair chance to fix it. What can you do?

Communicate.

Tell the buyer that you don’t think that feedback was fair, and give them a list of the things you’ll do in exchange for them withdrawing it. You can offer refunds, replacements, or even to ‘compensate them for their time’ (that means bribe them), depending on how desperate you are. If they agree, you can go through the mutual withdrawal process detailed below.

Respond.

Leave a comment under the negative feedback explaining what happened - this at least minimises the damage it will do to your reputation if anyone looks at it. Remember that you can more-or-less write whatever you want, as there is no facility for the buyer to respond to your response - and anything you write will show up on their ‘Feedback Left for Others’ page! If you’re a little devious, you can make them look very bad.

Retaliate.

However much you’re not supposed to do it, you really shouldn’t let a buyer leave you negative feedback without leaving them a negative in return. Be polite and factual, saying something like “buyer did not give me a fair opportunity to fix their complaint” (note that this is one of the reasons why you should always leave feedback second, or not at all). This might not be the ‘nicest’ way to do business on eBay, but it’s the only realistic way to protect your flawless reputation.

Don’t be worried: retaliatory feedback is not against eBay’s rules, however much it should be. Anyway, you’re not just doing this for revenge - it’s essential for the next step.

Try for a Mutual Withdrawal.

Since the buyer probably won’t want a negative response or feedback comment on their record, you can do a simple “I’ll take away my negative if you take away yours” deal. This is called mutual feedback withdrawal, and the process can be started at this page: http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MFWRequest.

This will cause eBay’s system to send an email to your buyer, asking them if they agree to withdraw their feedback in exchange for you withdrawing yours. You should get them to agree before you press the button, though, because you can only use it once per transaction.

Use Dispute Resolution.

You and the buyer can take your feedback dispute to SquareTrade, where you can both give your side and they will cancel feedback that they feel is unfair - they are far more responsive than eBay. Be aware that this costs about $20, but it has the advantage that if the buyer doesn’t respond to the process then their feedback will be removed automatically.

Of course, at some point you might find yourself with an even worse buyer than one that just leaves negative feedback - they might refuse to pay, or harass your other buyers. Our next email will tell you how to get in touch with eBay’s ‘Safe Harbor’ team, and what they can do for you.

Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.