Items tagged self defense

How To Date an Online Mate: Five Simple Steps to First Date Safety

Grown tired of running into Mr. Wrong and are contemplating online dating; Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared!

Here are a few safety tips to safeguard yourself for the “first date” with an individual you met online:

1. Keep a record of any pertinent information you have on the individual. Screenshot the profile of the person you are meeting, carbon copy friend or family member on any text or email confirming the meeting location.
2. Choose a well lit, public place for the first date. Restaurants, coffee shops, pottery painting places and lounges provide security and ample volumes for intimate conversation in a controlled environment. We recommend driving your personal vehicle to ensure yourself the option of leaving when ready.
3. Take a pictures and forward to a friend. Quick snaps of the license plate and/or a “selfie” with the individual, can easily be forwarded to a confidant. Should anything go awry, these simple photos can serve as a matter of life or death.
4. Keep friends informed of next steps and update your location constantly and consistently. Giving up-to-date information and progress can lessen a potential problem should the need for help arise. This is imperative to any potential future investigations.
5. Is your residence easy to camouflage? If you live in an apartment or community, meet the person in a community area like the mailboxes or close to street. Never let a first date pick you up at your door. If giving an address for GPS purposes, give a neighbors or crossroads.

Feel free to download a “Free Guide to Online Dating” from WeLoveDates.com

Don’t Be A Target: How To Protect Your Credit Card During The Holidays

Black Friday data breach will make a very UN-Merry Christmas for over 40 million customers as discount retailer TARGET becomes a target for credit card thieves.

Over 40 million TARGET customers were targeted in a major hacking that compromised accounts from all major credit card companies. Media giant, CNN, reported that cards used in Target’s brick-and-mortar stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, may have been impacted. Although, this is nearly impossible to protect yourself from these kinds of attacks; consistent monitoring of your bank and credit card accounts can alert you of unauthorized purchases.

Incorporating a few practices into your daily routine can help keep your cards and account numbers safe. For example, keep a record of your account numbers, their expiration dates and the phone number to report fraud for each company in a secure place. Don’t lend your card to anyone — even your kids or roommates — and don’t leave your cards, receipts, or statements around your home or office. When you no longer need them, shred them before throwing them away.

Other fraud protection practices include:

1. Don’t give your account number to anyone on the phone unless you’ve made the call to a company you know to be reputable. If you’ve never done business with them before, do an online search first for reviews or complaints.

2. Don’t give your account number to anyone on the phone unless you’ve made the call to a company you know to be reputable. If you’ve never done business with them before, do an online search first for reviews or complaints.

3. Carry your cards separately from your wallet. It can minimize your losses if someone steals your wallet or purse. And carry only the card you need for that outing.

4. During a transaction, keep your eye on your card. Make sure you get it back before you walk away.

5. Never sign a blank receipt. Draw a line through any blank spaces above the total.

6. Save your receipts to compare with your statement.

7. When using public ATMs and paying at gas pumps, make sure to “shake” the card reader before inserting card. Thieves often make mock readers and place them over ATM and gas pumps to “steal” credit card numbers and PINs. If the reader jiggles or is not secure, DO NOT insert your card! Alert store or bank if possible.

8. Open your bills promptly — or check them online often — and reconcile them with the purchases you’ve made.

9. Report any questionable charges to the card issuer.

10. Notify your card issuer if your address changes or if you will be traveling.

11. Don’t write your account number on the outside of an envelope.

For more information regarding credit card protection, please read “Protecting Against Credit Card Fraud” by U.S. Federal Trade Commission at http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0216-protecting-against-credit-card-fraud

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. This is a time for us to come together as a community to promote awareness of Domestic Violence. This is not a problem for one woman but for many women in our communities. Domestic Violence does not discriminate but affects every socioeconomic status and culture and is the leading cause of injury for women. Take this opportunity to stand up for those that have lost their lives in preventing Domestic Violence from happening to others. Here are a few ways that you can join the movement and take a stand.

1. Empower yourself. Empower yourself and your loved ones with the facts about Domestic Violence and how they can help. Click here for more information.

2. Participate in local Domestic Violence Awareness events. Check local listings for Domestic Violence Awareness events in your area and volunteer for these events.

3. Purple ribbon campaign. The purple ribbon is the recognized ribbon for Domestic Violence. Wear and distribute purple ribbons to friends, family and leaders in your community.

4. Purple Purse Campaign. Join AllState and YWCA Purple Purse Campaign.

5. Conduct a cell phone drive. Join Verizon by joining their HopeLine campaign. Donate your no longer used phone to a Verizon Wireless Store or through the mail. Click here to learn more.

6. Donate. Donate monetary gifts, gift cards or hygiene items to a local Domestic Violence shelters in your area. Many victims of domestic violence leave their homes without proper funding, hygiene and clothes for their family.

Divas in Defense on the Fantastic Voyage

In celebration of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, Divas in Defense had the opportunity to attend the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise. We met many women from all across the nation sharing their stories and promoting the need to discuss issues of sexual assault and violence against women. We had the opportunity to instruct 3 self defense classes to the women in attendance and loved every minute of it.

The fun didn’t stop there. Our COO, Cole Parker, was a panelist for the Health and Wellness Seminar sponsored by Wal-Mart. He shared the stage with Dr. Ro, award winning health journalist and nutrition coach, Dr. Robin Smith New York Times best-selling author and comedian Myra J. This seminar focused on living a healthier life by keeping stress down and eating healthier.

We had a great time and want to thank the entire Tom Joyner Staff for supporting us and providing us the opportunity to help save someone’s life.

Real Women/Real Sexy: Divas In Defense

Superhero: a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also : an exceptionally skillful or successful person

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superhero

I love superheroes! Being a mom of two boys, superheroes are a big part of my everyday conversations with them. I want to share with you one of my favorite superhero stories. This story, however, is not about a fictional character, but a mother who did an extraordinary thing in a frightening circumstance.

When I lived in San Francisco in the mid 90’s there was a news story that caught my attention and has stuck with me all these years.
A young mother parked her car on the street while she did some shopping. She returned to her car, unlocked her steering wheel lock (The Club), put her child in the back seat and started her car. She still had the club in her hand as she was coming around the car from the passenger’s side, where she had placed her shopping bags, when a man jumped behind the wheel and slammed the car door in her face so he could drive off, stealing her car and the frightened child in the back seat. The mother, without a moments hesitation, wrapped her hand around the door inside the car (the window was down) and as the driver drug her down the street she proceeded to hit him with all her might with The Club she still gripped in her hand. In the process she broke his jaw, crushed his cheekbone and fractured his left arm! The driver stopped the car, crawled out onto the street and begged her to stop! He lay there in the street bleeding and broken until police arrived.
That, my friends, is what I call a superhero!!

I’ve always hoped that in a circumstance where I might find myself or those I love in danger I too would be able to “Fight Like A Girl” and kick some ass if I had to.

There are some frightening statistics out there about crime and violence against women and children that speak to why all of us should be prepared to defend or protect ourselves if we ever needed to.

In 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate partner. That’s an average of three women every day. Of all the women murdered in the U.S., about one-third were killed by an intimate partner.

4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes every year.

232,960 women in the U.S. were raped or sexually assaulted in 2006.

Every 2 minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.

Statistics taken from http://www.now.org/issues/violence/stats.html

These are staggering and scary statistics! Every woman should be skilled in a few basic techniques that would give her a fighting chance, or if nothing else the opportunity to flee a life threatening situation.
Let me introduce you to the man that can show you how to be Fierce and Fabulous!

Cole Parker is the co-founder of Divas In Defense, a self defense system that is geared toward women and girls. In this episode we were invited by our friend, musical artist, Zoe Myers to attend a Divas In Defense class with Cole and learn how to Fight Like A Girl!

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Post courtesy of Angel Maynard. Original post can be found here.

Tagged as: self defense

Grown tired of running into Mr. Wrong and are contemplating online dating; Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared!

Black Friday data breach will make a very UN-Merry Christmas for over 40 million customers as discount retailer TARGET becomes a target for credit card thieves.