Home And Family USA

I operate a lot of retail websites from my home. This means that I end up with a lot of documents containing sensitive customer information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and credit card numbers. It is of course my responsibility to dispose of these records in as safe a manner as possible. That’s why I make sure to run everything through a cross cut paper shredder before putting it in the trash.

A cross cut paper shredder reduces documents to confetti-sized pieces that are nearly impossible for anyone (short of a forensic scientist, I suppose) to recreate the original or gather any data from the debris. This is about as thorough as it gets when it comes to disposing of highly sensitive materials. Although my customers wouldn’t know if I used a cross cut paper shredder or a regular one, I feel I owe it to them to safeguard their personal information as diligently as if it were my own.

I have been so impressed with my cross cut paper shredder that I’ve even started recommending it to other people. I think this kind of product can benefit almost anyone, not necessarily just business owners. For example, there’s been a lot of news in recent years about “identity theft,” where criminals get hold of enough personal information about someone in order to sign up for credit cards or access bank accounts. There’s a misconception that identity theft only occurs online and that as long as you don’t transmit personal data over the Internet, you’ll be safe. Well, I’ve heard of numerous incidents of identity theft that stemmed from crooks going through garbage cans on trash day and picking out fully legible documents. That’s why it’s important for even average people to use a cross cut paper shredder at home.

Whenever I recommend the purchase of a cross cut paper shredder, I’m invariably asked if it’s really necessary to spend “all that money” in order to ensure that disposed of documents remain private. I am always quick to point out that a cross cut paper shredder doesn’t cost as much as they think, and that it’s not that much more expensive than single-cut models. After ordering online from a discount office supplies website and getting free shipping to boot, my cross cut paper shredder was just slightly more expensive than the basic one being sold at one of the office supply chains. I figured that the peace of mind a cross cut paper shredder gives me is well worth the few extra dollars I had to pay for it.

So if you’re looking for a fast and easy way to completely destroy sensitive documents, I suggest purchasing a cross cut paper shredder. Unless you’ve got someone from the cast of “CSI” living next door to you, you’ll never have to worry about personal data being harvested from your own trash can again!

The fact that identification is so important in our world today, puts extra pressure on us to make sure we always have available a certified copy of birth certificate. It can be hard to get things like identification from the local DMV without a certified copy of birth certificate, even when renewing an identification card and it usually does not require a certified copy of birth certificate. I know from personal experience! It is a funny story now, but quite embarrassing at the time. When first moving to Las Vegas, I went to get a state identification card. I already had an ID card from the state I previously lived in, Washington. So a certified copy of birth certificate was not necessary. I simply waited in line until my number was called (which take hours by the way, and I am sure you know the feeling) and then went up to the desk, paid my twelve dollars, got my picture taken, received my new identification card, and was on my way.

I lived in Las Vegas for four years, at which time I never needed my certified copy of birth certificate. So in time, I found that I had actually lost this vital piece of paper, although I didn’t know just how vital it would prove to be. Due to work, I ended up moving away from Las Vegas and moving to Oregon. It was time to get an Oregon identification card. I went through the same hurrah as I did in Las Vegas in regard to taking a number and waiting my turn, but this time when I got to the counter, something strange was going on. I gave my Las Vegas ID card to the person who intended to help me obtain an Oregon Driver’s license, and I waited while she kept looking back and forth from the Las Vegas ID card to me.

After awhile, she says “I’m sorry but we are not able to issue you an identification card in Oregon that says you are female if you are not.” I was simply shocked. Of course, I am a woman! I have been since the day I was born. So I inquired as to what in heaven’s name she meant. She had advised me that my Las Vegas ID card indicated I was a male! How I missed this for four years, I will never know. It turned out that she wanted my certified copy of birth certificate as proof that I really was a female and as luck would have it, I of course didn’t have it. In the end, I happened to have my son’s certified copy of birth certificate which worked as proof that I must be a woman. I tell you, I will never walk out of a DMV again without making sure I’m a woman!