Do You Like This Log Cabin House?

A friend of mine works as an architect. He told me that it's a very competitive market if he is only specializing in homes because home owners could easily build their homes by buying a house plan from various companies. With a website like House Plans And More, it is a whole lot easier for homeowners shop for their house plans even if they want something rare like English Cottage House Plans.

If you visit the website, you can see that they have so many different home designs available that you can just buy it as it is or make slight modifications and then buy the design that fits your requirements exactly. Purchasing such a house plan is so easy you can view the floor plans from the website.

Even if you are looking for Small Ranch House Plans to build your Southern style ranch, you can find it here. Didn't I tell you that they carry just about any house design you can find?

The screenshot that you see above was taken from one of the many Log Cabin House Plans available for purchase at the site. Do you like it?

Eh... Where's My THREE?

Some of you may know that my WebStore has been enjoying a Page Rank of three for a long time now. I don't know what happened that it has lost it and is not UNRANKED. What can I do? Nothing I guess! Is it because of the links that I have on the side? I think that with Google Adsense there, it would receive good favour from the big G but it looks like that does not make a difference at all. Even the sites that do not have any paid links on them are totally down to unranked as well.

Hmmm maybe there are green or is it red eyes on the look out for my sites. Damn them all!

Which Island Now?

Do you know that if you are planning a trip to Hawaii, one of your biggest concerns is which island to go to first??? This happened to my sister and to all my friends who have been to Hawaii before. The "state" is made up of a few islands which are all very exotic and it's not easy to make up your mind which to visit first especially if you are on a tight budget.

When reading the Kona Travel Blog, I was introduced to so many different aspects of Hawaiian life, culture, tradition and the people that I would love to take a month off work and just explore the islands

Let me tell you, the Kona vacation rentals that I get to see on the website of Hawaiian Beach Rentals are simply breathtaking! Hawaii is just such a lovely place to spend a family vacation in and I feel that those who managed to get a break in Hawaii are just so lucky!

If Kona vacation rentals are not what you are looking for, perhaps you may want to try Kauai Vacation Rentals. These are lovely properties as well.

Planning A Hawaiian Getaway?

My sister told me that she may, after all, go ahead with her vacation plans. She said that financially, she could manage it. Turns out that the vacation rental that she made a booking for is a Hawaii beach house that is too beautiful and cheap to turn down.

According to my sister, and I think that she has become such an experienced travel bug, she managed to read up more on Kauai Travel Info which she did not previously know of.

She told me that she has already bookmarked this Hawaii Travel Blog as she intends to show it to her colleagues so that should they plan a vacation to Hawaii, they will know how to go about it!

I also read that blog upon her recommendation. I think that everyone who wants to go to Hawaii, no matter for the first or the tenth time, would find the blog informative. The more I read the blog, the more I would like to get away right now!

A Buyer's Concern

I had a chat with a friend this morning and she told me that the reason she doe snot buy lingerie online is that she is concerned that she is not able to get a good fit. yes, i do understand her concerns so that is why I rarely sell bras. The thing is, guys are more comfortable in buying lingerie online because most of them are too shy to buy in a retail store and they buy without really caring if it fits. Perhaps it's not them who are wearing these and get pinched. Haha!

Well, if they are buying online from a company that also has a brick-n-mortar store, they could get an exchange easily too. In my case, I sell whatever I can even though I do understand my buyers' concerns. Heck, I am concerned about the same things as well, if I were the buyer.

However, those who have bought from me before would understand the workings of my store and the products that I carry. They have become quite the expert when it comes to online shopping for lingerie that fits.

Confusing

My colleagues are confusing me once again. just a couple of weeks ago, they said that they are going to make reservations for one of the Hawaii home rentals, so I said, fine, let me know in advance so that I can make plans to join them if possible.

Then one week later, they say that perhaps going to the Virgin Islands would be better BUT after reading the Kauai Travel Blog, they are now favoring a Hawaiian trip. I don't know why is it so difficult for them to just make a decision.

Even though they may have agreed to take a Hawaiian vacation on principal, they still cannot decide which island to go to. Will it be Oahu which they read a lot on Oahu Vacation Info and would like to experience it themselves, or would it be Kauai or Lanikai?

I am going to try to be patient and wait for their FINAL decision. I think that i will only start to plan my trip once they have made reservations for accommodation and flights!

Kauai Vacation Indecision

My sister told me that she really wants to go to Hawaii for a long awaited break. If you remember, she thought of canceling her trip at first due to all the medical bills that she has to take care of. I don't know, if she can manage it, then by all means pack her bags and GO! She has, after all, booked one of the most beautiful Kauai vacation rentals. That was what she told me, anyway.

This vacation rental is so beautiful that it was featured in a Kauai Travel Blog. How I wish that I could go to but it's a long way from Hawaii!

My sister has read up all about What to Do in Kauai and shared them with me, as if I am the one going instead of her! Anyway, I hope that she will get what she wants. She deserves a break.

What I dream of is that one day, she and I would get to go on a Hawaiian vacation TOGETHER! It has been a long time!!

Plan Your Vacation Early

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed from my statistics tracker that someone was looking for Orlando Hotel Discounts and landed on my blog. It must be all the holidays I was talking about.

I was told that to get cheap Orlando hotels, one has to make early reservations especially to popular places like Disney World. Of course, it is also important to plan the whole trip before boarding the plane so as not to waste half of the holiday waiting in queues. Every minute of the holiday counts especially if it's an international trip.

One of the best places to book you Orlando, Florida holiday would be through Orlandovacation.com, which has some of the best accommodation deals. And if you book before the holiday season starts, you will be able to enjoy even better rates than in-season bookings.

I think that people who could plan their vacation this early are very lucky. Me, I always end up with last minute bookings!

New Things Coming To eBay Malaysia

I've got wind that new things are being developed in eBay Malaysia. As at now, it is being tested by a handful of eBay Malaysia Sellers. And right now, it is still free to sell on eBay Malaysia. I am not sure how long this will last. Once the new platform has been thoroughly tested and released to the public, things may change.

However, as far as I know, it is still free to sell on eBay Singapore and eBay Philippines, both which were launched earlier than their Malaysian auction platform.

I am thinking that should eBay Malaysia start charging us for listing and final value, it should logically be after a fee structure has been implemented in both eBay Singapore and Philippines.

And then there is the SEA Rewards Program which I shall write about later. Great things coming our way, surely, no longer the neglected child of eBay USA!

Where To Get Quick Loan Deals

Buying a home for the first time can be intimidating. Like the time my sister was shopping for a home loan, her gastric acted up. Hah! That was because, I think, she did not check out loans that were available to her from the internet. It is way easier to compare and shop for them online, I think.

This morning, I was introduced to SpotLoans.co.uk where we can request for a quotation for various loans like home loan, bad credit loan, business loan, personal loan, debt consolidation loan and secured loan.

Spot Loans, which has a website at http://spotloans.co.uk/, will match us with lenders who could meet our requirements and for free too. This is because they will be paid by lenders if we accept their offer.

Spot Loans is able to help people who are seeking loans from GBP5,000 to GBP25,000 or those who have bad credit history and unable to seek credit lines elsewhere. And what I like about Spot Loans is that they try their best to match us with the best rates and this will help us save money and time in repayments in the long run.

Another issue that loan seekers would be relieved to know is that Spot Loans will usually get back to you within 24 hours and this is certainly good news for people looking for quick cash. As always, do check out the fine print first before committing to a loan.

30 Cases of Phishing Attempts

Did you read bout the case where more than thirty eBay UK members were duped into disclosing their personal eBay particulars, and possibly sensitive financial information, to phishers?

I wonder why some people do not read.

The other day, a friend told me that he received a phishing email and he reported it to Gmail. Gmail has this feature but I do not know how effective it is. Anyway, just as a friendly reminder, I told him that whenever he receives such an email, whether it is a legitimate message or an phishing mail, just delete it and log into the official website directly from the browser and not by clicking on links found in the email.

If a message is really from PayPal, a message will pop up when we log into the account. If it is a real message from eBay, then this message will be in our Message Center.

As Seen On TV

While blog hopping the other day, I saw a blog whose sidebar has an advertisement which says "as seen on tv". I know it's some sort of advertisement but I am not sure how she managed to get this company to advertise on her site. I even saw her writing posts for this company as well.

Anyway, I am not sure what company this is. In Malaysia, there are also companies that sell household products on TV and we could just shop for their items by dialing the number that flashes on our screen.

I sometimes wonder if there will be people buying this way. America is a huge land mass and people don't really want to go out of the way to shop for something they saw on TV but in Malaysia, these companies are just in the mall. It's so close that maybe placing an order through the phone would cost half the price of gas hahah!

Grow Your Money In Real Estate

I talked to my friend about the fastest way to make our money grow and he told me that it's investing into real estate. I am not sure that t would be exactly "fast" since real estate investments don't grow that fast, at least we do not get to see the rewards that fast.

I know of people who had to tie up their money in real estate and there would not be any returns until the next generation or maybe the one after that. However, once property prices start to move, the move swiftly and the returns are many fold. It really is not easy to determine the percentage of profit even.

However, to invest into real estate, even though we may not be able to earn anything from it yet, we would still have to pay for our annual arrears and property tax. That's more money flowing out before it flows in.

What do you think of real estate investment? How many Donald Trumps can there be, anyway?

Shoppers Getting Smarter

A friend of mine who works in a hypermarket, told me that shoppers are getting smarter and smarter nowadays because they are more web savvy. They do their checking online for everything they buy, especially big-priced items like home electrical appliances. Heck, I do my shopping like that as well.

I check for user reviews, shop ratings, specifications and compare prices for Bosch Washing Machines, dryers, plasma TVs and refrigerators. I even do it for other electronic items like cameras, computer parts and mobile devices, for example.

When I was looking for a washing machine, my friend told me to read user reviews from Krillion.com. Although I would not be able to use the feature of locating for one in my neighborhood, I would still be able to get honest feedback from users and obtain an approximate “good deal” prize.

I think that is this what we all should do no matter if we are buying an expensive item or one that is cheaper.

How Much Can Surveys Make?

As you may have read, I got paid US$5 recently for participating in some surveys. I don't even know which survey company that was for, what survey in particular or even if it was payment for one survey or an accumulation of surveys over a period of time.

The fact is, I earned from participating in surveys. I am sure we have heard of many companies that never paid or never even invite us to participate in any surveys.

The question is, can people earn much from surveys? I have read that there are people earning a few thousand dollars per month just participating in surveys and getting their opinion heard, which I think is a good thing if you are paid for your honest feedback.

As for me, US$5 is great but it surely cannot even pay for my internet bill for one month and we do need an internet connection to participate in such online surveys or focus groups. Maybe it is because I am sidelined due to my location *sigh*

Live The American Dream

Have you heard about the new Donald Trump book, Wealth Building 101, that was recently launched? In this book, he shares with us his secrets in wealth building, developing a wealthy mindset and working towards building this wealth, creating multiple income streams, profiting from bonds and stocks and investing in real estate and retire in prosperity. If you have read the about Donald Trump, you will understand why he is the master of this game.

I read that if we want to achieve something, we first have to envision it in our mind's eye and stay focused to work towards this goal. I also think that we have to look at things in a new way and see how we can profit or benefit from a situation at every given opportunity. I think this is called "wealth mindset" but I can't be sure until I read Wealth Building 101.

For a limited time, Donald Trump is giving away $300 worth of bonuses with every purchase of his book either via Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com and these bonuses, valued at more than $300, include the following:

- 201 Secrets Of A Rich Mindset – A Detailed Special Report
- How To Become Totally Debt Free In 3 To 7 Years
- The 7 Levels Of Investor
- Performance Magazine – A Full One Year Subscription for Free
- The Trump Way To Wealth – 7 Hours of Downloadable Training from Trump and His Team
- Do This. Get Rich. – Another Great Report
- What Makes Real Estate The World's Best Investment. – An Insiders Report
- Rental Property Management Secrets For Landlords – A Tell All Report

If you ever had one thought of being a successful entrepreneur, sacking your boss and quit having to worry where to find that extra money to meet your ever growing commitments, then take advantage of this limited time offer. If you want to learn wealth building, then Donald Trump is the man to learn it from. He is the epitome of the American Dream. I believe that anyone can live this dream too if we know the key to success.

Anything For Sale By Owner

Have you heard of the new online marketplace which just launched on 25th October, 2007? It is touted to give eBay and Craigslist a run for their money. I just went over to have a look. It's so quiet there and they are giving Sellers a chance to win an iPhone on top of free listing. I don't know when this promotion will last because one would have to register as a member to get the details but after this launch period, this site will be charging a flat fee of $1 for each item that is listed.

$1 is kinda high in my opinion, if we are selling low-cost item but the owners are justifying it as a form of scam control and they consider it cheap because they are not going to impose any further fee or final value fees in the event that an item is sold.

However, I think that $1 is a small price to pay for scammers who are looking to bait victims. They will consider $1 per listing as an "investment". This is just like other get rich quick schemes where people will pay for advertisements, for hosting a website or printing flyers, for example.

Anyway, let's see how far they can grow with their new concept of a flat fee of $1. I wonder, if I were not satisfied with the complex fee structure of eBay, would I pay $1 to list my items here when I know of other free alternatives?

Advanced Bathroom Scales

I accompanied my friend to a store that sells weighing scales because I went there before to buy my digital scale for my ebusiness. However, we could not find one that he liked.

The other day, I showed him a advanced range of bathroom scales that not only shows the weight of the person, percentage of body fat and also percentage of water in the body.

This friend is trying to lose weight so he was thinking that he needs a bathroom scale like this to help him be focused and finally lose the fat! He said that with a bathroom scale that is this detailed, he would force himself to be more disciplined.

Since this kind of bathroom scales are not sold locally, I told him to better get it from an online store, Scales Etc., which I originally saw them from! Talk about going one cycle!

Pissed Off

So, I wrote the post about somebody checking out of my store with the freebies. And guess what? The person really paid me the 'shipping charge" or RM3. Hah! Does he think that he could get Victoria's Secret beauty products for RM3 only? Fat hopes!

The problem is when he is the SECOND person to actually check out with Freebies only AND paid for them. I wonder how many more people will do that too. I swear that the next time this happens I will not be returning the money to them.

I told this guy to reply within three days or his money will be forfeited. So let's see if he wants back his RM3 or would he think that he has done charity by not claiming it back?

Seriously, if I had wanted to let go of my items for free, he would not even be able to get them as I would have done so long ago. I just wanted something to cheer my Buyers up but it looks like these jokers would rather have my freebies totally free or in this case, for RM3. Pah!

Interesting Shipping Policy

As you know, I surf the internet a lot looking for ideas and inspiration. Yesterday, a friend told me to check out a site that specializes in tonneau covers. Although I do not know the real weight of a tonneau cover because there are many sizes and made from different material, hence their weight vary, I was particularly interested in their shipping policy.

According to BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com, shipping for orders above $100 is free within continental USA. It is $5 for orders with a value between $50.00 and $99.99 and it is $10 for orders from $1.00 to $49.99.

This means that BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com does not ship according to weight unless the item is over-sized and the higher the value of the order, the lower shipping is. I think this is a very good policy. I may even adopt it to provide better value to my buyers.

What do you think? Do you prefer to be charged by weight or progressively lower as the value of your order increases?

Data Recovery New York and America

As a person who runs an online business, you can be sure that I use the computer and internet a lot. I have had my share of computer woes. My hard disk crashed, I get attacked by viruses and Trojans and a hundred and one other things could happen that cause my computer to be inoperable and wipe off my data.

I have a lot of data on my hard disk and I try my best to back it up as often as I could but time is what I could not afford so my data is always at risk of being lost!

Today, however, I read that should we lose data, it is not always doom and gloom. A data recovery New York company is said to be very successful in helping their clients recover important data from their hard disk and other disks and memory card for digital cameras, handheld or mobile devices.

DataHotline is a very reputable company and they only bill their customers who successfully recovered their loss data. By the way, this company also offers Raid data recovery service.

I think that it is great news to know that there is a company like this which we can rely on in the event that something unfortunate happens. Of course, I personally hope that I will never require their services!

Business IS Competitive

There is a hawker stall that I sometimes buy my supper from and they are really busy especially on weekend nights. So after going there for quite a few times, the lady "boss" told me that the next time I want to buy from them, I could just give them a call so that they can get my order ready and I need not wait. The queue can be horrendous, like I said.

You see, business is so competitive, she is afraid that I would go to another stall because I could not wait that long or something and she would lose my business, even if it is "only" MYR3 each time.

Not all stall holders would want people to place an order like that, especially if it is an order for food or other perishable goods because if I did not collect it due to unforeseen circumstances, then the order would have been wasted and it would incur a loss.

But she is going to take the risk for MYR3. And of course, IF I do place an order over the phone, I am going to make pretty damn sure I will be able to pick it up.

Peace Of Mind Car Transports

I was surfing the internet when I came across this website of AAA Anywhere, a company which offers professional services in Car transports. There is a list of DOs and DON'Ts on their site which I find very interesting for people who would are thinking of shipping their vehicle.

Although I have no use for Car transports at the moment because I don't even own a car, I too found it an interesting read.

I remember that my friend had to ship his car from one state to another in America when he relocated and he was unable to drive the car himself so he hired a company that specializes in shipping vehicles; he told me that he thought it would be a worrisome and troublesome process but the company was smooth in their task and were real experts in getting his car packed, shipped and delivered safely.

If I were him, I too would be worried if I had hired a company new in this procedure but if I have engaged the services of an expert company, I would not waste time worry over it! That's why it is so important to look for a company with good reputation, reliable and backed with solid track record!

Easy-To-Use Shopping Cart

I have been running an online store for two years now and shopping online for just as long. One thing I know is that what makes a good ecommerce store is not only the design and product but a reliable shopping cart. With my store, I wanted a seamless shopping cart that is easy to use for the customer and also at the back end of my store for easy administration.

Many people have asked me why I don't change to their shopping cart software. Well, I have been using my shopping cart for two years without any problem and do not have time to learn to use another ecommerce software.

However, I did try out Ashop's shopping cart. I like it but I still have a subscription with my current shopping cart software so I can't change it yet. I am happy to note that Ashop software is very easy to use too and I would like to point out that people who run ecommerce stores are business people and should not be inundated with technical stuff like complex software. So software makers need to remember this factor when writing those codes!

Playing Casino Games Online

There are some of my friends who frequent casino online. While I am busy blogging, they are busy gambling. They do win money and I wonder how they do it. Perhaps I could find some pocket money this way too.

They, however, say it is not as easy as it looks. For one, they have already spent lots of time looking for the best online casinos, compared and researched before playing at the handful of leading online casinos.

I told them that I do not have to spend that much time thanks to Pro360 which has a very comprehensive list of online casinos and published reviews for each and every one of them. This, like I said, saves me lots of time and I do not have to go all over the internet checking the terms of each casino and reading the fine print.

Pro360 also has very good information on beginner's guide to online gambling and this would be most useful to me as I start out initially. Hopefully, I can be on par with my friends soon!

NBC’s Home Shopping Online Store

Did you know that the American television network called NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) also has an online home shopping store? It is called ShopNBC which you can find at http://www.shopnbc.com.

ShopNBC is seriously like a real mall what with their vast range of products from household items to jewelry, watches, apparel, accessories, health and beauty products, popular electronic products and many more items that you can find at your local mall. Perhaps you can also find exclusive Kyle Lauderdale merchandise here if you are lucky!

As you know, I love shopping online because of the many discounts that I could get, more than shopping from a local retailer. ShopNBC has new clearance items added to their online store daily which gives us savings of up to 70% PLUS free shipping within Continental USA.

ShopNBC also has a daily special where you can buy an item for a special price and this price is only good for one day. Check the store daily so as not to miss out on a good deal.

On top of these discount deals, you may also look for ShopNBC coupon codes for more savings. I found quite a few when I was looking for coupon codes now that Christmas is just round the corner and it's time to splurge on shopping. But still, a little savings here and there are always welcome!

Solving Bad Credit

Many people I know have bad credit. This is not a new problem but if it could cause them difficulty in getting new lines of credit due to their reputation.

However, all is not lost as there will always still be financial institutions who would be happy to extend credit to such people. However, if you have bad credit and received bad credit offers, you will need to check and compare to see which one offers you the best terms.

This is where Bad Credit Offers come in. From this resourceful site, you would be able to read all about the different bad credit offers for credit cards, home loans, car loans and personal loans. It is very important to compare, read and understand before committing to one. By checking Bad Credit Offers, you actually get all the information you need in one portal instead of wasting time checking various sites all over the internet.

Once you have taken out a bad credit offer and if you do not default on your payment, you can then start rebuilding your credit rating and reputation. This is the chance for you to redeem your credit score!

Phishing For "Visa" Information

Tell me my computer does not have spyware! After writing so many posts on Visa Electron Card, I received the following email which was sent from Visa with the Subject line: Notification from Visa Credit Cards

Notification from Visa U.S.A.
VISA Credit Cards Online, Department Notice

You have received this E-mail because you or someone else had used your Account from different locations. For security purposes, we required to open an investigation on this matter.
In order to safeguard your Account , we require you to change your VISA Password and confirm you Banking Details.
To help speeding up this process , please access the fallowing link so we can complete verification form Online.

To get started, please click the link below:


http://61.19.35.154/visa/us/personal/en/X/secure/update/index.htm

------------------
Please note:
If we do not receive the appropriate Account Verification within 48 hours , we will assume this VISA Credit Card Account is fraudulent and it will be suspended. The purpose of this Verification is to ensure that your VISA has not been fraudulently used and to combat fraud from our Community.

VISA Security Team

I edited the link above so that people will not accidentally click on it.

Firstly, I DO NOT have a VISA credit card but it did give me a scare for a second there until I read the email carefully and found that the English isn't "right". Also, I will never click on a URL that starts with numbers especially for financial sites.

The email did not address me by name and did not even have my email address because it was sent to a mailing list, I bet. Phishers need to try harder because internet users are more careful now especially with sensitive financial information.

Learning From The Best Marketer

Whoever say that being an online entrepreneur is easy has grossly mistaken. As an netpreneur for the past two years now, I find that the effort I put into my online business is even more than real life.

I do a lot of research and try to learn from the best marketers, online or offline. There are also many self-help books that I read to try to overcome stumbling blocks that I place on myself.

October is a very interesting month as Bob MacDonald has just launched his new book, Beat The System. If you do not know who is Bob MacDonald, then I figure you are not in business but if you are and yet not heard of him at least, then you are losing out!

By reading Bob MacDonald's Beat The System and man other bestsellers, you can learn Bob’s secrets to business and entrepreneurial success. I believe that when you want to pick up a skill, you have to learn from the best and Bob MacDonald is one of the best marketers there is today.

PayPal - A Step Backwards Revisited

Just when everyone was cheering about the ability to finally withdraw their PayPal funds, albeit to a Visa-brand credit card, debit card or prepaid debit card only, today, I logged into my PayPal account to be greeted with this message:

I do not know why there has to be a delay when PayPal has always had our transactions instantly reflected in our only statement. As a user, I find it very troublesome not to be able to track my transactions instantly. It certainly does not help that the balance will reflect the true amount, though. This means that the account will not be in sync.

Can you imagine receiving an email alert of payment made into your account, and then going to your account to make sure if the funds are really in there only to be greeted with an old statement?

Worse of all, PayPal did not stipulate the time difference to expect the statement to be updated. Shall I check back an hour later or a day later? Meanwhile, there would be other on-going transactions that are not recorded in my statement in real time.

How confusing can that get?

The Many Health Benefits of Sauna

If you want to purchase something at a low price, you have to purchase it directly from the manufacturer. This is the concept held by Sauna King, the sauna manufacturer whose website is at http://www.saunakingproducts.com/. By buying sauna from Sauna King, you can get them at "factory price" without going through a retailer.

It used to be that we only get to enjoy sauna and take advantage of their health benefits in spas but now, we can install these at home and enjoy the Health Benefits of Sauna in the comfort and privacy of our home.

Before I browsed through the website of Sauna King, a sauna is just a sauna to me but after checking this site only do I realize that there are so many different kinds of sauna apart from traditional sauna, like far infra-red sauna and portable sauna and saunas that are made from carbon fibre or ceramic.

If you do not know yet, the sauna offers many health benefits by the simple system of forcing us to "sweat it out". The heat places a demand on our heart to work hard pumping and this in turn improves our blood circulation. An improved blood circulation removes toxin from our body. Other health benefits include an improve skin condition due to the sweat that naturally cleans our pores from impurities, effectively clears cellulite and takes out the kinks of daily stress from our body.

I think that the portable sauna is very suitable for people who do not have space to spare in their home. Portable saunas are great because they are very easy to assemble and could be repacked after use, thus saving space.

I personally think that it is very affordable too, and can be bought from $130 - $200, depending on the design. If you have always wanted improved health, do check out Sauna King for their range of sauna products that will meet your needs and suit your budget.

Huge Price Difference

A friend of mine bought a Swiss Army brand watch recently from KLCC and he told me that the retail price was about RM1800. He bargained with the shop owner and managed to get the price down to RM1400. To me, that is still expensive but I kept my opinion to myself or he would think that I am controlling his spending. Who am I to control him? Haha but to me, I never will spend that amount on a watch! For Heaven's sake, there are so many more things that I could do with that RM1400 than spend it on a watch!

What do you think? Would you spend so much on a watch? According o my friend, a watch is what a father gives to his son just like how mothers give jewelry to the daughters. That was why he had no qualms about buying such an expensive watch because he plans to give this to his son, if he has one later.

Can you imagine that my friend would pay an extra RM400 for nothing if he did not bargain? Items in KLCC are just over-priced and they are meant for tourists!!

It's So Quiet

It's funny that now PayPal has opened up their withdrawal services to Malaysia, the forums and discussion boards that used to be a think tank for people to discuss how to get their hands on their PayPal funds now seem so quiet.

Of course, after almost a month, the excitement has died down and some of us, including myself, have already gotten our funds successfully and so the debate has ended.

Even so, some people have gotten their PayPal account limited and have to send in documents for verification. I don’t know why, perhaps their card is very new. Mine, on the other hand, has been on record since the days I enrolled in their expanded use program.

All I can say is, if you are not sure if the card you have is workable or not, just keep trying but don't try with MasterCard as it is not supported!

It's Cheaper To Print Online

Just when I thought I have to hit the internet to look for another company that could print my promotional material because the one who did my last one screwed up my order and now it is lost in transit, I received a message from a friend that she has received her business cards and magnets that she printed online.

I am so happy to hear that she is satisfied with this company that I am going with them as well. I simply cannot spare the time to go searching everywhere.

If you are wondering why I go for online printing and not get the job done with a local printer, well, it is way cheaper printing online despite the shipping and handling charges. Somehow online printers can offer me cheaper rates for the kind of promotional material that I want for my Store.

Granted, I would be able to get my hands on my items if I were to print from a local printer but I do not mind the little bit of extra waiting time if I could save some money!

Hawaiian Trip On Hold

I mentioned that my sister has to cancel her Hawaiian vacation to cut down on expenses after forking out a huge sum of money to settle her medical bill. She told me that she managed to transfer her reservation for a Maui Condo to her friend who also planned to go to Hawaii for a holiday.

My sister said that the next time she plans a Hawaii trip, mot probably next year, she will be exploring new accommodation options. One of the sites that she knows of is Gebhart Properties which has a wide range of Hawaii and Colorado vacation rental properties for holiday makers to select from.

I just came from checking the site upon the recommendation of my sister and if you are planning a Hawaiian vacation, you may want to start searching for your accommodation from here. I guess most probably your search will end here too.

Sale Of Replica/Imitation Products

Although many people complain that there are too many imitation products in the auction place, I think that as long as there is a demand, these imitations will continue to flood the market.

If a person is selling imitation products, then he should be up-front about it and describe the item as best as he could and bold the words that the item is only a replica and not the real deal.

From what I see the experiences of my colleagues who are dealing in replicas, most of the time problems arise when the Buyer alleges that he does not know that the item is a replica. OR when something is wrong with the product, they make lots of noise. Eh, it's a replica, what do they expect, right?

But no, they want cheap and they want good. This is not to say that replicas are not good but it means that replica CAN NEVER match the real deal. People pay a higher price for a reason. Brand name, reputation and a certain standard of quality all come with a price tag.

The 0% Mint Credit Cards

Credit cards can be an expensive affair. That is why it is best to shop for one that comes with 0% benefits. Mint Credit Cards are one of the few cards that are currently offering 0% on balance transfers, 0% on purchases and 0% bonus offer on balance transfers.

All these conditional offers are time sensitive and have their specific terms and if you would like to get the most out of them, check out the website of Mint. This is the best time for credit card consolidation, if you ask me!

With Mint credit cards, you will also be able to apply for a subsidiary card for your spouse, partner or even friend. You can also access your account online. But what I like the most is that there is no annual fee!

This Is Ridiculous!!!

I just received news that a couple of Malaysian eBayers were banned from eBay and apparently, they were banned just because they are selling on Lelong as well. It is not that I do not believe that they have been banned on eBay but it is totally ridiculous to me that the reason they have been banned is because they are selling on two very different marketplaces with different target market.

Does eBay have the right to monopolize their members like that? I don't think so. And if this was truly the reason then I think all eBayers would have been banned for using other services like Craig's list or something. Also, why would eBay consider Lelong as a threat when Lelong caters to local buyers who prefer to shop locally where they have the option to do face to face trading?

If this is the case that eBay only wants their traders to trade exclusively on eBay only, then I don't think they will have any Sellers left. It is a free market and everyone should have the freedom to Buy AND Sell wherever they like.

e-Contracts The Way To Go

Last year, our company signed an agreement with our Australian counterpart and what we did was to draft out an agreement, email to them the read it, make amendments and email back to us. Once we agreed to the terms, we signed it, return to them via email after scanning the document. When they received it, the other party also signed the agreement and faxed it to us followed by courier of the "original" copy.

As the person who oversaw the signing of this very important agreement from start to finish, I can say that it was extremely tedious and I wished that I could do everything online instead of bringing out the scanner and fax machine too!

Agreements like these that are signed without two parties being in the same room are called e-contracts and they are very popular now with the rise of global trade and you can find people from all corners of the world doing business and trading with each other without even meeting in person at all in some cases.

If I have known of SnapContract which has a website at http://www.snapcontract.com/ back then, I would not have to go through so much paperwork and the hassle if transmitting pages of the agreement to the other party and making sure that they received every sheet of it and that clarity is maintained during transmission.

SnapContract, on the other hand, is a web-based professional Contract builder which allows a company to draft a contract from scratch or from a saved template and once that is done, an email will be sent to the different parties of the contract and they can all access the draft to read and later sign. Not only does this cut down on transaction time SnapContract also provides measure that adheres to ESIGN's standards which means that contracts signed this way are legally binding according to law.

Registration with SnapContract is free so if you have a Contract to sign with your foreign counterpart, why not give this service a try?

Teak Wood Furniture For The Garden

I was as usual looking at some online stores seeing how they are set up and if there are any new features that I could implement on my own store when one link led me to another and I stumbled upon Teak Wood Patio Furniture.

Each time I come to a store that sells something heavy, I wonder if there would be people willing to pay for shipping but thankfully, this store offers free shipping across Continental America on purchase of their products.

Have you seen a house with teak garden furniture? I have and let me tell you, the effect is beautiful. A friend of mine who has a Pattaya Lounger told me that it was the best thing she ever bought! I have to believe her because I found myself admiring it when I was over at her house a few months ago.

Teak Wood Patio Furniture also has a Pattaya Lounger, apart from teak tables and benches. Teak Wood Patio Furniture is selling the Pattaya Lounger at $626.99, a discount of $40 off regular price.

People whose house is large enough to have a patio should get teak benches too. Heck, I think that anyone who could afford it should buy teak furniture ONLY for their garden! Take a look at this store and you will know what I mean!

Found Cheap Brochure Printing

I told my sister that after two years spending time, energy and money on my store, I would love to have it known by a lot more people! I plan to market and promote my store online and offline. Online marketing, in fact, has been on-going since day one but frankly, it is time to do something about offline marketing!

A friend suggested that I give out promotional gifts, t-shirts, brochures, cards and magnets. I got the cards and magnets except for t-shirts and brochures. I thought that Brochure Printing would be very expensive but surprisingly, I went to check out the price at PSPrint and seriously, the quote I received is affordable. I can’t expect too cheap when I am seeking 4 color Brochure Printing, you know?

I am currently waiting for a friend to help me with the design. I am looking for something bold and striking that would make people take a second look. The thing about brochures and other printed mattered meant for offline promotions is that the links are not clickable and that means we need to put in extra effort to make people type in the URL into their browser!

I hope that my new promotional strategy would bear fruit soon!

Need To Work On That SEO!

I was checking the stats tracker of CyberPartyGal's WebStore when I noticed that someone was referred to me by a website called www.A9.com. I have not heard of this site before so I went to check it out. Oh, it is a book and product search engine of Amazon.com.

You see, this person was looking for MESH Knickers and I am ranked a lowly 34 on Windows Live search engine. Yes, A9 is using Windows Live as their default search engine.

So I am ranked 34 for this key phrase and it is telling me that I have got to work harder on those lingerie related key words and phrases so that I would be ranked higher and bring in those potential buyers!

The Best Way To Buy Printer Ink!

I mentioned in a previous post that I bought a printer a few months ago. This printer is cheap and very good but it is an ink drinker, unfortunately. I guess there is no "perfect" printer. I print a lot of things due to my home-based business and the printer ink is so expensive that it is throwing me off my budget,

I was told to check out this website, CartridgeFinder.com where I could find cheap printer ink from various merchants.

It is like a search engine for printer cartridges only. I think that with thousands of models and the different ink cartridges that are available for each model, it is high time someone thought of such a website!

I selected Epson for my printer brand and my model Stylus CX3800. I was then told to enter my zip code so that the search engine could search for vendors that are carrying this ink and also to give a more accurate price estimate inclusive of tax and shipping.

I think this is a great way to shop for printer ink!

CartridgeFinder.com has an easy to use interface that makes it simple to figure out which cartridges are required for more than 10,000 different models of printer, copier, and fax machines.

The site also checks PriceGrabber.com's merchant listings to find you the best price on the product you need.

eBay's Neighborhood

I've got news that eBay will soon be launching a social network site called Neighborhood in a bid to keep eBayers within eBay and stop them from seeking alternative sources for consumer products.

Seriously, I am no fan of social network sites because I keep telling myself that these are not my real friends. That's why they don't work well for me. So I don't think I will be using Neighborhood

According to this news report, there were 559.1 million items listed on eBay USA from April to June, 2007. That is a whole lot of items if you ask me and it is no wonder that people cannot find what they are looking for. One thing is of course the huge volume of items and the other is the gaming of keywords that throws the search engine off.

Do you think eBay's Neighborhood will appeal to you.

Seek Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer

After writing my post just now on plane crash and Truck Accident Lawyers, I think that I would like to elaborate a little more.

In America, I was told that people like to sue one another and there is a reason for that. Sometimes they MST do so to be able to get their hands on some insurance money. I am not sure how true this is but it did happen to someone I know who was a minor when a case of negligence happened and his aunt, acting as the guardian, helped him to initiate a lawsuit.

In the case of a truck accident and if it happened in California, for example, the victim is best advised to engage the services of Truck Accident Lawyers California. These people are experts and they know best how to go about doing a thorough investigation on the accident, on the truck company and how best to get the most damages from the trucking company!

By using expert lawyers from large law firms who have the manpower and experience, I believe that victims of truck accidents would be able to get their rightful amount of compensation. There is no use to get the help of lawyers who are not experts in this field. They may not do such a thorough job!

I Think I Changed My Mind

Sometime back, I thought of opening a savings account with Public Bank to link to my debit card. Well, I think I changed my mind. I would not want to link my card with an online account of a website and then risk the money that I have in my savings account UNLESS I make sure that my savings account is empty and then that would cause me lots of hassle to transfer the money from one account to another.

And then I would have to keep remember if I have funds there or not when I want to charge my card. I don't know. I am sill so uncertain! I would have to see what options I have.

Hope We Never Need Plane Crash Attorneys Los Angeles!

Recently, I watched a documentary program on Astro about plane crashes and their investigations. It is a pity that there are so many victims that died like that. I chatted with my friend about it . In fact, he was the one who told me to watch that program because he likes it. Anyway, he told me that in some cases, victims of plane crashes and their families could file for wrongful death and seek damages and claim compensation. The amount of compensation could even run into millions of dollars. I think that this will depend on the occupation of the crash victim and the size of the pay check that he was drawing!

Of course, when a plane crash lie that happens in Los Angeles, one would have to look for the best Plane Crash Attorneys Los Angeles to get the biggest compensation. The family of the crash victim would welcome that money since the breadwinner is no longer around.

If it is a case of truck accidents, the same principal applies. There are Truck Accident Attorneys Los Angeles to help with investigating the accident thoroughly and then file a claim against the truck company and the driver.

Of course, this is not what people usually want to think about but it is good to know of our options if something this unfortunate happens.

Hannah Montana Tickets On eBay

I am so out of touch I did not even know who Hannah Montana is until I read that she was one of the top ticket sellers in a Houston Rodeo Drive event. I Googled for her information and found that she is a young singer but I don't know why she has such a huge following.

I also found out that Hannah Montana tickets are so hard to get that there are people who are auctioning them on eBay. Can you believe that there are people who would pay a four-figure dollar amount just to watch her in concert?

I guess that is what we call "star attraction" and that is what Hannah Montana has but that is not working on me! Haha!

Which Works And Which Doesn't?

It is interesting to follow reports on people's experiment with different credit and debit cards in PayPal withdrawal.

Of course, I tried with my Public Bank Visa Electron Debit Card and it worked. The only thing I need to find out now is if there will be a charge when I withdraw it and also see if there is an interest if I keep my cash in the card.

The thing is, some people may want to wait for other people's experiment and see if the card works or not. I think that there is only so much waiting we can do. Once you have narrowed down the possible workable cards, just make a decision, get a card and GO FOR IT!

I have read posts that say that Public Bank needs to improve on their customer service. From my own experience, my email was replied to promptly but if I were to get things done physically at the branch near to my house, then I have to be prepared to wait.

I think that whether you are satisfied with over the counter customer service very much depends on which branch you go to. Mine is one of the busier branches so I cannot expect prompt attendance.

The Voice Over Talent Called Don Capone

Don Capone, if you do not know yet, is a very creative and artistic voice over talent. I first heard of him a few months ago when I was surfing the internet and stumbled upon his website. I was curious about what kind of work a voice talent does and checked out his website and also listened to his audio files, which are previews of his previous work. I was impressed of course, and I am hoping that I would come across his work on TV or radio but those are not available here.

What I am particularly interested is how he could project his voice to put life into a short advertisement and within this few minutes, try to catch our attention and hopefully, we are interested enough to check the product out at the store.

Some companies like to make their advertisements look busy but I think that if it is too crowded, we would lose interest too and may not be able to catch the message that the advertisement is supposed to bring.

From the few audio files found on Don Capone, I would like to say that he has successfully carried out his job of bringing across the message that the advertiser wanted. I heard that Don Capone is very affordable, despite his talent! Want to try??

Going On A Budget Orlando Vacation

I mentioned before that my sister has a trip to Orlando, Florida all planned out. Well, bad news. She suddenly had to spend $1000 on medical fees recently and that means no holiday for her at the end of the year.

However, she told me that next year, she will go on a budget vacation to Orlando. According to her, she has done some comparisons and Orlando.com seems to the company that offers one of the lowest rates for hotels orlando fl, car rental, flights and really affordable Orlando vacation packages. I am not really familiar with the prices of a Orlando vacation but I trust my sister has done her research well since she has been there quite a few times.

Talking about Orlando, Disney World comes to mine and I remember that my friend still owes me a pair of Mickey and Minnie that he promised to get for me!

Fashion in Medical Scrubs

I first found out about fashionable Medical Scrubs back in July when I was checking out the online stores. I think that we surely do need some fashion and color in hospitals and medical laboratories. Having spent long hours in hospitals and clinics myself, I think that these medical and Nursing Scrubs would surely cheer the patients and visitors up. I wonder why no one thought of this earlier, though!

Peaches has a new collection of medical scrubs out in the line called Katherine Heigl Scrubs. If you would like to check them out, there is only one place to go to and that is Scrubs & Beyond. This is the only store that is carrying this line for the time being, as far as I know.

This new collection is as always, striking and bold. They come in a few colors, pink being one of them and I have enclosed a picture here of a contrast trim empire-waist top. This item is selling from $21.99 and comes in black and grey also.

Visit Scrubs & Beyond to check out the full collection.

Maybank2U Increases Fund Transfer Limit

Here's good news to all of us. Maybank2u has finally increased its limit for fund transfer from RM3000 to RM5000. This amount, of course, cannot compare with what online@HSBC is offering; a whooping RM40,000, if my memory serves me right! Despite that high limit, I only requested for my limit to be raised to RM5000. I think this is sufficient.

Last month, I had to transfer slightly more than RM3000 to a friend via Maybank2U and I actually had to do it twice over two days despite holding TWO Maybank savings account but since both are sharing ONE Maybank2U account, a RM3000 is the limit of my transfer, as opposed to a RM3000 X 2 if I had different Maybank2U accounts.

Anyway, check this screenshot and see the features. A transfer of a maximum amount of RM5000 would also save us from paying extra RM2 per transfer. In my case last month, since I did a transfer two times, I had to pay RM2 X 2. This will come up to a considerable amount if a person does numerous online fund transfers like this.

Check Into Cash

Recently, I wrote quite a few posts on cash or Payday Advance that friends thought that I am in financial trouble. No, I am not but I WAS so I do know of many options to get our hands on some quick cash.

BUT cash advance may not be suitable for everyone because it takes a lot of discipline to repay the advance from our pay check.

Check Into Cash is a company that offers cash advance but with a slight twist. You are supposed to write a post dated check and they will pay you cash for your loan from $100 to up to $1000.

Actually I have used such a service before, though NOT with Check Into Cash and it is for a very short term financial turning. It works but like I said, you need to be sure to repay the loan according to the terms of the advance.

If you are in need of such a service legally, you may want to check out in depth how much you will be getting in exchange for your check and what are the repayment terms. Defaulting in repayment could cause you serious financial hardships, though!

La Senza: Be Firm With Your Body Spa Getaway Contest

As you know, I am on the mailing list of La Senza and I get the occasional email, about once every two weeks updating me of in-store and online store promotions. This time, they informed me of a contest where we stand to win a spa getaway for two. Unfortunately, this contest is only open to Canadians.

If you read my freebies blog, you know what I think about contests that are exclusively for a certain group of people. I am all for international contests so I hope that La Senza, especially if they are running a contest from their online store as well would have a contest where the world could participate in. We won't mind gift cards *ahem*

Anyway, if you are Canadian and would love to stand a chance to win a spa getaway, you may want to check out La Senza's website for further information.

3CX Windows-based Phone System for Small Businesses

It is very important for a business entity to be as cost effective as possible and keep overhead low. Although some people say that this is only necessary for small businesses, I think that small or big companies should follow the same principle.

A couple of months ago, I was introduced to 3CX Small Business Phone System. This is a windows based telephony system that is fuss-free and cable-less and yet comes with all the telephone features that we have come to expect from PABX telephone systems.

3CX currently has four packages that would suit any company with their telephony needs and fir their budgets. There is even a free edition but it does not come with Support. I believe that this is good for companies which prefer to give the system a trial run first.

To understand how this system works, check out the screen shots!

3CX Small Business Phone System provides Economical Enterprise Telephony on Windows

3CX today released version 3.1 of its Small Business Phone System. 3CX Phone System is a Windows-based IP PBX that completely replaces a proprietary PABX. Its based on the open SIP standard and interoperates with a wide range of popular SIP phones, VOIP Gateways and SIP-based providers. Although it includes enterprise telephony features such as Call Queuing, Voice Mail and Auto attendant, its targeted at the SMB market - 3CX Phone System is easy to install, manage and its low cost.

“The release of 3CX Phone System is set to accelerate the massive change occurring in the Telephony market space. With 3CX Phone System, advanced features such as Call Queuing can now be obtained for a fraction of the price of traditional Enterprise PBXs. What’s more, advanced features such as integration with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 unified messaging are not even available on today’s proprietary PBXs,” said Nick Galea, 3CX CEO.

Key features of 3CX Small Business Phone System:

* Complete phone system - provides call switching, routing & queuing
* Eliminates phone wiring & patching of extensions to a particular network point
* Makes teleworking easy because employees can answer extension from home
* Purchase cost dramatically lower than a traditional hardware PBX
* Scalable - Unlimited extensions and phone lines. No proprietary expansion modules needed!
* Web-based configuration & status indication - Easy phone system management!
* Unified messaging - Receive voice mail via e-mail
* Auto attendant (e.g. 1 for sales, 2 for support etc.)
* Reduces long distance and inter office call costs using VOIP providers.
* Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging integration
* Call Queues
* Certified for Windows 2003

Four available editions: Small Business, Pro, Enterprise and Free
3CX Phone System for Windows is available in 4 editions: The Small Business Edition supports up to 25 extensions, the Pro edition supports an unlimited number of extensions. The Enterprise edition includes advanced features such as Exchange 2007 integration and Call Queuing. Pricing is competitive: Small Business costs $350, the Pro runs at $895 and Enterprise costs $1250.

3CX Phone System Free edition
A free edition, supporting an unlimited number of extensions, is also available. The main difference with Pro and Small Business is that it’s not possible to buy a support package for the free edition, nor does it include the advanced features of 3CX Call Assistant. Not withstanding, the Free Edition does more than most commercial PBXs do; including an auto attendant, voice mail and even user-to-user support via the 3CX moderated product forums at http://www.3cx.com/forums/. The free edition can be downloaded from http://www.3cx.com/ip-pbx/index.html.

About 3CX
3CX is a privately held company with a management team backed by years of experience in developing and selling network infrastructure software. It maintains a global presence with offices in 6 countries and localized information available in German (www.3cx.de), Spanish (www.3cx.es), French (www.3cx.fr), Portuguese (www.3cx.com.br), Japanese (www.3cx.jp), Traditional Chinese (www.3cx.hk), Simplified Chinese (www.3cx.cn), Vietnamese (www.3cx.vn) and Korean (www.3cx.co.kr).

On ClickBank

After we have an option to withdraw our PayPal funds, I went to ClickBank to check if Malaysians are finally included in the marketplace. How disappointing! We are still left out of the game. I really don't see why they have taken this stance to exclude Malaysia when other lesser developed countries are included.

I remember a long time ago, there was a hoo-haa that Malaysia has been included at last but I swear I never saw it in the drop down menu and without that, we are unable to even register with them.

Seriously, I don't know why I am even concerned about ClickBank but it is good to know that if it is opened to Malaysians, at least we have another option to create another income stream online. I know there are currently Malaysians doing it even now but then I would prefer to do it the legal way.

So right now, all we can do is wait it out like how we did with PayPal.

Rewarded, Courtesy of Coutts

I mentioned before that the credit card that is the best to me is a card that gives me cash back or reward points that enables me to redeem money or other services.

I read that recently, even Coutts, the international private bank of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is also joining other credit cards in giving out reward points. Frankly speaking, I believe NONE of the holders of Courtesy of Coutts as their credit card is known as, needs the reward points. Sure, they can lead their jet setting lifestyle cheaper but a couple of points here and there do not make a difference to them.

Therefore, Coutts is giving card holders the option to donate their reward points from Courtesy of Coutts to three charitable organizations.

I remember that a local reward points card company also organized a gift giving opportunity for us during Christmas one year and an orphanage was picked as the lucky recipient of our hard earned points. Using an accumulation of our points, the orphans were able to redeem plenty of products from the catalog for the home and for themselves. Although to us, the points were also just as valuable, seeing the smiles on the faces of the little orphans was well worth it.

I think that it is commendable for Coutts to offer this opportunity for their affluent clients to bring cheer to the less fortunate and I hope that holders of Courtesy of Coutts would make full use of their reward points this way!

Driving Business To Public Bank

When I first registered for a PayPal account when it was opened to Malaysians, I did a lot of research on which card to verify it with. I checked with many people who have different credit and debit cards and asked and compared which worked and which did not.

In the end, I decided against using a credit card and opted for a debit card. That narrowed down my choices considerably. I opted for Public Bank because they are a reputable bank with great customer service PLUS I love it that they offer cash back even though it is only 0.05%.

After successfully verifying my PayPal account with my Public Bank Visa Electron Debit Card, I recommended it to all my friends who needed a card to verify their PayPal account. I could easily walk them through the procedure too.

Now, with my successful withdrawal of Paypal funds to my Public Bank Visa Electron Debit Card where PayPal only supports Visa and America Express Cards, all the more I am pleased with my decision to go with Public Bank and I am glad that I recommended the right card to my friends.

In Need Of A Personal Injury Attorney

I am not sure if I mentioned it before but just last month, a worker of my friend got injured on his way to work. He had to look for a personal injury attorney. Although we have to be realistic and know that he would not be compensated with millions of dollars, any money that he could win and claim from his personal injury lawsuit that is rightfully his would come in handy. Naturally, since he is injured and is not able to work.

My friend had to help him look for a personal injury attorney but it was not an easy task to do compared to looking for one through An Attorney For You where we just have to provide our zip code and the attorneys that are in our locality would contact us and we could then see if they are able to meet our legal needs!

With the convenience of a website like that, no longer do we have to look for a personal injury attorney blindly. Contacts of attorneys would be taken care of and all we need to do is to present our case for free consultation in most cases as well!

It is true that getting a good or a not so reliable personal injury attorney can make a huge difference to a personal injury lawsuit. Knowing this, my friend is trying his best to get one of the best personal injury attorneys for his worker!

Colloidal Silver - The Cure All Remedy?

Have you heard of colloidal silver? If you haven't, where have you been? I have written quite a number of posts on colloidal silver these past months because I have read much about it and heard from friends who have tried it. They tell me that it makes a good supplement and it is said that colloidal silver could cure various ailments that we suffer from now and then.

According to my friends who have taken this, they told me that colloidal silver is a clear liquid that does not have a specific taste. I take that to mean that it tastes like water! Also, the cautioned that if I were to try it out, to only by the purest colloidal silver. This is the only effective colloidal silver because it is pure and undiluted.

If you read my posts sometime back, my sister hasn't been feeling too good lately. I recommended this to her and hope that it would cure her of her ailment, whatever mysterious sickness that she has currently! Colloidal silver is said to cure flu easily. What about what my sister is suffering from currently?

Wal-Mart Coming To Malaysia

I heard the news that Wal-Mart will be coming to Malaysia soon. I have no idea when exactly. Actually this is not a big news because last year there were talks that Wal-Mart would take over Makro but in the end Tesco was the one who took over Makro.

Well, I think it's about time Wal-Mart came. We love cheap things and Wal-Mart would be able to give us that! But I am not sure when they will invade Ipoh. Perhaps in 2009 or 2010. That's like a lifetime of waiting.

Some people may think, "Ah... not another cheap place to shop?" But I say, bring them on!!! The more the merrier. I love it when retailers compete against each other and the ones to benefit would be consumers. Smart consumers, that is!

Where Is My Bluetooth Headset??

Since I bought my mobile device in mid-June, I have wanted to buy a Bluetooth headset. It would be so much more convenient. However, my friend told me that he has a spare one which he is going to give me so that I won't have to buy unnecessarily.

He said he would come to Ipoh to pass it to me. Wah it is already October and he still have yet to manage to find time to come!!

At first he planned to come n July, and then something came up and the trip as postponed. After a few other postponements, it is hard to believe that a few months have passed by!

I hope that I can get his Bluetooth as soon as possible or I would run out of patience and buy one from the store!

Checking Out Stereo Cabinets

My cousin brother, who is the manager of an AV company in Kuala Lumpur came to visit me earlier this week. He told me that he is looking for stereo cabinets for his store. I asked him why come to Ipoh to buy because I don't think that we have nice stereo cabinets since we are so outback!

He told me that since he is looking to buy quite a few for his store, he came here because prices are cheaper, even with transport covered. He said that if he could find them cheap, he would also take orders from his customers who would like to get them for their home after buying AV equipment from my cousin's company.

I think this is an excellent idea to buy in bulk so that they could share their transportation cost. If I could find the time I'll accompany him to look for them over the weekend when he comes by again. It's a great opportunity for me to visit some furniture factory and stores too!

Selamat Hari Raya!!!!

It's the time of the year again to celebrate the New Year for my Muslim fans and friends! And look what I have for you! This picture was taken with my Nokia E61i a couple of days ago in Ipoh Parade's concourse.

It shows a kampung house and I think it looks very real. Credit goes to the artists. I know how hard they have to work to come up with all sorts of ideas through out the year to celebrate all kinds of festivities. My cousin was also an artist with a shopping mall a long time ago.

This year, like the last, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you Selamat Hari Raya. Do take care on the roads when you balik kampung, OK?

And for all non-Muslims, Happy Holidays!!! I am looking forward to it as well!

Bringing Out The Christmas Lights

It's Christmas in slightly more than two months' time but I know of people whoa re already decorating their homes and Christmas tree. Even those who are not as enthusiastic about Christmas are already doing their Christmas shopping because they do not want to be caught by the Christmas shopping crowd.

I was checking my Christmas lights and ornaments the other day and thinking of decorating my home nearer to Christmas but my friend told me that he already has the lights up! I was surprised and asked him if he is not afraid of the electricity bill that he would be running! He said that no, he is not afraid because he is using the new technology of LED Christmas lights.

I have heard of led lights and their energy saving properties but I did not know that there are LED Christmas lights. Now that I know, I am thinking of ditching my conventional Christmas lights for new ones.

With LED Christmas lights, which will last longer than normal bulbs, we could put the lights up earlier and longer. It would be very pretty with the blinking lights in the night. I just hope my neighbors would not think that I am a little crazy to hang up my Christmas lights in October!

Very Cute Gund Stuffed Plush Animals

The gift-giving holiday season is here soon. I am scared!!! I have to think of gifts to buy for the family and friends, especially the young kids who are expecting something that would make them go, "WAH!!!"

So far, for the kids, I can only think of stuffed plush gund animals. They are so cute even I would like to get one for myself!!

The smallest (and cheapest) Gund animals should be about US$4.99 and the large ones could go up to $40. I have been told that these animals will not shed their fur and is great for kids, unlike low quality stuff toys that keep shedding and cause young children to suffer from asthma!

See first lah! The Jungle Store is offering free shipping on orders about $75. I think it's a good deal and may take advantage of it!

Official Notice

I received an official notice from NameCheap, my domain name registrar and they gave me their new pricing. Current pricing for new domain registration, transfer and renewals is US$8.88. New pricing from 14th October, 2007 onwards shall be $9.29.

If you have only one or two domains, it should not make much difference because you can always cover the slight increment with a coupon code. On the other hand, I renewed my three domains for five and six years a could of days ago and I saved about US$65. But if you think about it, who knows what the currency exchange rate will be five years from now, right?

SO there really is not much to worry about. But still, if you have a domain that is about to expire soon, it's wise to just renew for one year and save $1.34 per domain per year.

Third Party Opinion

Last weekend, my friend and I were arguing which hair loss product is better than the other. Well, I mentioned a product and my friend was backing another product. Although I personally have not used any hair loss product before, I have seen the results on a person close to me who used it. And I was impressed. My friend though, has tried numerous products and he says that he knows better than me.

To solve our conflicting opinion, we went on the internet to look for an impartial third party opinion. We came to a site called Trust Source where users of these products write reviews, share the experience and rank the products from one to five so that other users will benefit from their experience.

Well, guess what? On Trust Source, the hair loss products that received a 100% rating are Thymusil and Advecia while Provillus received 94%. Procerin received only 75%. I guess that solved our problem because both our products are not listed there! Haha!

Cost-Saving Metal Buildings

Recently, there has been a huge demand for Metal Buildings. I am not sure why but it is a fact that metal buildings are way cheaper to build than other kinds of buildings. Moreover, these are easily built to suit the requirements of buyer in terms of shape, size and color.

Many of my guy friends think that having a metal building at home is cool. They would like it to be their own private playground and not let the rest of the family enter. My dad is thinking of setting up an office with the metal building in the garden. Last time he thought that it would be good to use a cabin but now he changed his mind because Metal Buildings are cheaper and more spacious. Heck, he could even park his car inside his office, if he wants.

On the other hand, my female friends think that having a metal building in the compound would spoil their home! It's funny how men and women look at the same thing differently. I heard that one of my friends is thinking of having on set up at the back of his house because he is in the midst of building a home but has been facing opposition from his mother hahaha! Although I am no big fan of metal buildings, I hope my friend will get what he wants.

NameCheap October Discount Code

For those of you who have domain names to renew through NameCheap, the discount code that is currently active is USFESTIVAL1982. This code is valid until 14th October, 2007 and I have been told that after this date, registration and renewal will no longer bne US$8.88. There will be an increase of 7% or so, I have been told but this is unconfirmed.

The other day, I used this NameCheap promo code USFESTIVAL1982 to renew three of my domain names for five and six years each and managed to save quite a bit of money. Happy!

So if you do have domain names, it is better to renew them all right now using this Name Cheap coupon code USFESTIVAL1982 before 14th October, 2007.

Looking For Debt Consolidation Services and Credit Card Debt Elimination Solution

I mentioned before in a previous post that a friend of mine is heavily in debt and yet he refused to eek professional help in managing his finances and debts. I think that it is a pity that he does not acknowledge that he has a problem and I think that he is putting stumbling blocks in his own path to financial health recovery and clearing his debts. There are of course many solutions and some may work for some people, some may work for others. The first step in clearing our debts is to realize that we need help.

A problem with my friend is that he carries too many credit cads which he uses like nobody's business. If he thinks that credit cards are a symbol of wealth then I feel sorry for him. However, I mentioned time and again that he should seek the help of a professional company that offers Debt Consolidation Services. He does need the help of an impartial third party, me thinks but as a friend, I can only advise, right?

In his case, what he needs to do is take the first step towards Credit Card Debt Elimination and one of the solutions is debt consolidation. Instead of managing small debts here and there, it would be better to just clump them all into one debt. This is easier to manage and it may also raise his credit score.

I personally think that he should go all out to clear himself of debts.

25 Times of Bra Wash

Haha! I am so amused I just have to write this. A reliable source told me that he got his hands on a bra survey conducted by a leading lingerie manufacturer and it seems that a bra is only washed an average of twenty five times during its life.

All together now: OH MY GOD!

I hope that the survey participants just simply provided answers to the questionnaire like I always do just so that they can get the questionnaire over and done with so that they could get the $5 or a freebie.

I am stumped how it is even possible to wash bra for 25 times only. I think it is more like a "mission impossible". I read that an average bra worn normally will last about six months. And if a bra is only washed 25 times and according to the survey, washed only after multiple wears, then I think I would need at least 15 bras. That is a lot and would make me look like a bra fetish, which I am not, OK!?!

If somebody would just help me calculate how a bra can only be washed 25 times within a 6 - 9 month period, I would greatly appreciate it!

Saving Cost With Used POS Equipment

I think that local companies are too rich that they can spend money on new POS equipment. You know, I have been to quite a few departments or companies that use POS equipment big time and at first they are very happy with their equipment but then they end up with POS equipment that is out of order and these need up in a corner of the office collecting dust.

Therefore, the smarter companies would rather invest into used point of sale. If you think that refurbished equipment are not reliable and will break down, then you have not seen used Fujitsu Point of Sale equipment.

Vision POS also has a wide range of refurbished POS equipment. If Fujitsu is not what you are looking for, then how bout IBM pos equipment? Rest assure, refurbished POS equipment from Vision Point of Sale are very reliable and beat their competition offering the same products thanks to lower cost and better service.

Vision Point of Sale actually takes care of all the refurbished pos right up to giving it a proper disposal when it is completely dead.

Fake Discount

Do you know what a 'Fake Discount' is? It's a discount that the retailer or shop keeper gives you, usually about 10% off your item price. I am sure you are happy with that. I, on the other hand, prefer to get the item at a price that is not marked up, rather than marked up about 30% and then deduct 10% just to please me.

I don't like to play the psychological game with retailers who think that we are so grateful to them for the discount even though it is not during a sale. Hah! We KNOW! Even after a 10% discount, they would still have a profit of 20% or more.

I have a friend who runs a sundry shop and you know sundry in Malaysia, many things are under a government price control. So he used to tell me, "We only profit five sen for a bottle of oil as large as this (2kg)." And I said to myself, if it's so hard to profit then why are you still in the business, right? Who are you trying to fool?

Should I Engage A Website Optimization Firm?

Last evening, I went to a gathering of ecommerce entrepreneurs like I usually do once a month. One of the things we discussed about was on getting higher search rankings on the major search engines. Some of us engaged the services of a website optimization firm to tweak our commercial sites, some of us give reciprocal links to similar stores. I, on the other hand, link up all my sites and hope for the best. Haha! I know that is nor very effective, though compared to the results and sales volume of my "colleagues".

They are advising me to go with the flow and just seek professional help. Do you think I should pay a website optimization firm to help me tweak my store? I have read that getting a site optimized is so much more than just getting the META tags tweaked. Well, you know me, I am such a noob even though I have my own store and have had it for two years now!

I think that it is better for me to engage a professional company to do the "dirty" work for me rather than get a headache trying to learn from scratch how to optimize my store and implement it. I don't have the patience for that!