Recovering Debts Professionally

As you probably already know, the American economy isn't all that healthy anymore. Gas prices have risen drastically. My sister told me that gas price rose double in the past few years compared to when she first stepped foot in American soil.

Anyway, because of all these external negative economic forces, my sister's employer had to downsize. While this is not good, it is a practical move and it is better than some companies which had to shut down entirely. More and more companies are getting into debts and creditors are no longer giving as much time to collect these debts as they used to.

If your company is owed money, it is never a wrong time to chase for what is owed to you but I understand that many companies have no experience in their role as creditors. That's why when it comes to collecting debts, it's best to hire a professional collection agency so that you can concentrate on your field of expertise: to do business.

American Profit Recovery which has a website at http://www.americanprofit.net is just such a collection agency. However, unlike other agents, American Profit Recovery provides such a service throughout the country and charges only one low flat rate.

While being in debt and being owed money are parts and parcel of being in business, the time required to recover the money could be used on other more constructive projects. Don’t you think so?

Summer Chic

I was surfing Victoria's Secret website for their range of backpacks when I chanced upon their summer clothes. Crops and Capris are IN this summer by the looks of it. I love it that these clothes look so casual yet stylish and really, these models should be sued for looking so damn good! GGGrrrr

The average price of these pants is US$25 and this is a Special! I'd say that this is slightly more affordable to us Malaysians now that the USD has fallen so much. I spotted a pair of pants that is being sold at US$11 only, and it is marked Clearance. Do you know, CLEARANCE is my favourite word! When you buy Clearance items though, you have to check their condition thoroughly!

Only Experienced Movers

You probably read somewhere on one of my other blogs that I am decluttering and clearing out junk that I have accumulated for more than ten years or more. My mother told me that I have so much junk because we never moved away before so we never had the chance to throw out things.

Well, although I vowed to throw and throw, there are some things that I will never discard though to some people, these items are "useless". They are my "treasures" that if I were to really move, I would only want trusted movers to handle these personal effects. Now, I am not moving away, just that at the rate I am clearing up, it LOOKS like I'm moving.

I recall my friend telling me about his experience in dealing with movers and he said that when it comes to moving, although it may seem like a pretty simple procedure, you would only want an experienced company to do it for you. For example, the Boston movers by the name of Humboldt is the most experienced company in the area. It's companies like these that you want to deal with to ensure that your items arrive on time and in good condition as well!

Check out Humboldt at their website http://www.humboldt.com/ to read more about this storage and moving company in Boston, Massachusetts.

ClickBank Finally Opens To Malaysia

A few days ago, I received news that ClickBank has finally opened its doors to Malaysia and a few other countries that it has previously banned. Why Malaysia and these countries have been banned, I do not know. Maybe we have a high fraud index or something but suffice to say, I am glad that we Malaysians finally have another avenue to make money online.

I have heard that some people are pretty successful with making money online via digital products from ClickBank. I am eager to try but am not sure I want to spend money buying AdWords for this. OK, I admit I am cheap and want sales without any further investments except time, whatever I still have of it after doing my regular work!

Anyway, I was going through my Archives and remember writing about ClickBank a year and a half ago. Check out my old posts to read the developments of ClickBank for Malaysians.

14th December, 2006 - ClickBank Also Rejects Malaysia
16th October, 2007 - On ClickBank

Birthday and Mother's Day

It's always difficult to think of a perfect birthday gift for my mother. Not because she is fussy, but it’s because her birthday and Mother’s Day are only three weeks apart and I can’t get her the same things for both occasions, right?

If you have read my earlier post, my sister suggested that I get a gift basket for her birthday. Well, I did not. I gave her cash instead and took her out to dinner. Cash, although not as meaningful, is the most practical gift.

On Mother’s Day, though, I plan to buy a gourmet gift basket. There are many kinds of gourmet gift baskets so I will have to check out the most suitable one for her. If you are familiar with gourmet gift baskets, can you please help me decide on the most appropriate gift basket to get my mom for Mother’s Day?

Doctors Go Mobile

As a follow up to my post "Going Mobile", I believe that all business people should start to equip themselves with mobile devices so that they could access important information and their email on the go. As you know, business people are always on the move and it is impossible to stick to the desk all day long.

Well, as technology advances, now not only do business people need to be connected, even students and professionals need to go mobile as well.

Physicians and other people in the medial profession are able to access vital drug and medical information via mobile CME thanks to Epocrates. For your information, CME stands for "Continuing Medical Education".

Epocrates has developed compatible software for various mobile devices, including the Apple iPhone, to enable doctors and physicians to access their database for reference.

*** This announcement was paid for by Epocrates ***

All Kinds Of People

As an online seller, I get to virtually "meet" all kinds of people. Recently, I received a message from someone who wrote in to bargain my price.

I actually am fine with bargains and I do understand the mentality of a Buyer, since I too am a Buyer sometimes and don't we all want to get the most value out of our money?

So there's this item that I am selling at only MYR15 and there is a separate charge for shipping. I do not impose any handling fee at all in any of my transactions.

This guy wanted the item at only MYR10 PLUS FREE express shipping, which is MYR3, charged by Poslaju. That means, I am only going to get MYR7 for my item that I valued at MYR15.

Obviously, I have to decline his request. I don't mind if I am not able to dispose off my item this time. I could always keep it a little while longer than to lose. This is business, anyway!

New Victoria's Secret Dream Angels

I received this notification from Victoria's Secret about their new range of lingerie called Dream Angels. Wow... I thought that it was just a couple of days ago but it's almost a WEEK already!

Although I love the colour of this poster, pink is one of my favorite colours, I think that this model looks pretty fake. It’s like a painting. And the hair looks dull. Whatever happened, Victoria's Secret?

I went to their website to check out what's in store from Dream Angels and I have to say that it's one of those rare times that I actually like something from them. There are quite a few push up bras. I am afraid I am not hiao enough to wear those!

This is also one of those times that I will not mind paying US$50 for a pair of quality, branded bra!

Never A Wrong Time Buying Gold

Last evening, I was shopping when I went past a goldsmith and there were many people buying gold! I wondered if they were running a promotion or something because as far as I know, gold price has gone up yet again. How come there were still so many people buying gold then? Don't they apply the principle of buying low and selling high?

Apparently, they continue to buy gold jewelry in one part to wear and at the same time as an investment. They believe that although the price of gold has gone up, it will still continue to rise in the future so there is never a wrong time to buy gold, or other precious metals for the matter.

I too would love to wear gold jewelry but snatch thieves are rampant here in Ipoh! That’s why I never wear any accessories!

Oh, The Beautiful People!

It's been said that if you have beauty, you have an advantage over others. It is said that beautiful people are more likely to be hired over less beautiful people. And this is just ONE example. I think that beauty is God's gift!

If you have this gift, head over to http://www.lookoftheyear.com and check out the international beauty contest called "Look of The Year".

If you have ever dreamt of being a high flying international model, this is the chance that you MUST NOT miss! I was told that young, aspiring models are participating and the world will be watching. Do you have what it takes to win the Look of The Year?

Take the first step in being discovered by submitting your best photo to the Look of The Year contest. Even if you are not good enough to win the grand title, the experience you have gained would be invaluable. So good luck to you!

Expanding My Home Office

I am in the midst of expanding my home office and it is taking me an awful long time to clear off some of the junk to make way for new furniture. I know I have been accumulating way too many things over the years and did not have the time to declutter little by little.

Now that I have an idea in my mind to expand the way I like, I just want to clear off everything AT ONCE but it is not possible as I still have to continue working so clearing out my room is secondary and only done late at night.

As you can see, progress is extremely slow but I believe that I will be satisfied with the end results. I believe that with new furniture in place, I would be able to work more comfortably too.

I just wish that I would wake up tomorrow to a new set up...

Pesky Sales People

Many of my friends tell me that they hate sales people following them around like a shadow. It is especially irritating to them when they have no intention of making a purchase but only window shop.

Well, if you have bad complexion then bad luck to you if you chance upon beauty shops which have set up demo stalls at the mall during the weekends. Boy, these people would chase you around to sell you their beauty products and acne treatments that they claim will cure your face from spots!

I have been a victim of such people many times over. I do have spots so I am like their perfect target. It's too bad that so far, they have not been able to turn me into their loyal customer. That’s because I am still searching for the ultimate product that would cure my bad skin once and for all!

Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday: 25 - 27 April, 2008

Some of you may remember that my sister lives in the United States, in Tennessee in particular. She told me that residents in Tennessee will be "celebrating" something called "Sales Tax Holiday" on 25th to 27th of April. That's three days of tax free purchase. Well, almost, because there will usually be some kind of restriction like the kind of purchases and/or minimum purchase.

So you can imagine, everyone will be going out in droves making purchases since they normally have to pay quite a high rate of sales tax which I think, is awful!

Residents of Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon, on the other hand, enjoy tax free purchases day in and day out. AWESOMENESS! I think that even here in Malaysia, for some stuff, we have to pay sales tax too. Correct or not?

Just Send It To The Shop!

Last night, I was asking a friend how to write a script that would help me to lessen my workload by running an automated process. My friend told me that I could execute it with a batch file which is a script to command my computer to do my work.

This is all so alien to me so I asked him how to go about it. He started to explain but upon seeing my blank look, he said, “Aiya… tell you also you won’t understand! Just send it to the shop!”

Huhuhu…. Wouldn’t it be better if he just offered to do it for me? It’s not as if he doesn’t know how to do it since that’s supposed to be his expertise!! Well, I guess not everyone wants to buy my favor! LOL

19th April, 2008 - Public Holiday in Perak

It's a public holiday here in Perak today as it is the birthday of the Sultan of Perak. Yay... I don't know what programme the State has planned but I do know that, as usual, a big group of people will be awarded Datukships and other titles.

And I would like to inform everyone that there is no shipping today so I would only be able to ship out your packages on Monday, 21st April, 2008. I know there's a slight delay, I also hate delays if I was to Buyer but it can't be helped!

Personally, I don't have plans to get a holiday break but to do a little Spring Cleaning of my home office. Gosh.... I have accumulated way too much junk over the years and since I started my business, never had the chance to Spring clean at all! Today's the day, then!

Reconnecting Via 3gb

I little while ago, I met a friend in town. Did you know that although both of us have been in Ipoh since the day we left high school, we never chanced upon each other at all? Isn't it strange that when you think that the world is small, you don't get to meet the people whom you want to me?

I was, of course, pleasantly surprised to see him. I told him that I have not been in contact with anyone from school and he told me that it is the same for him. However, he does keep in touch with some of them on the internet. Well, it is said that a good excuse of not keeping in touch is when they are not on a social networking site!

A new site that netizens are flocking over to join is at http://www.3gb.biz/ and now that I know of it, I will register too to claim my ID. I use the same ID wherever I go so I have to be quick.

On 3gb , you can expect to have everything that a social network portal offers and more. Do you like chatting online or listen to the latest mp3? You can do these on 3gb too!

Did I already mention that you can reconnect with long lost friends or share you best shots with other members in your photo gallery? I believe that in no time, 3GB will grow to be huge.

Modern Kitchens

A week ago, I was at a shopping mall running errands when there was this stall set up to demonstrate an induction cooker. It's pretty impressive the things that this cooker [some people call it a stove] can do.

It's very clean and runs on electricity. I was told that we could cook anywhere we want to as long as there's electricity but if you are familiar with cooking, I am sure you know that you need plenty of running water so it’s pretty difficult to cook elsewhere other than the kitchen unless there are kitchen faucets nearby, don’t you think so?

But if price is not a concern, I would have bought it. Do you know how much they were selling it? Slightly more than MYR3000 for the double cooker, though they say that once you bought it, you don’t have to buy gas anymore! They conveniently "forgot" to mention the electricity!

Kava From Root Extracts

I am sure you have heard of the herb kava kava. However, did you know that if you bought your kava from the wrong source, it could prove to be harmful to your health instead of benefit you? What a scary thought, isn't it? This is why it is so important to only purchase your herbs from a reputable source.

I was told that the Kona Kava Farm sells their kava products that are ONLY made from the roots of the kava plant. This is because it is said that the stems or leaves of the kava plant could be harmful to our liver. Therefore, always buy your kava products that are extracted from the ROOTS. Be extra careful about this!

Did you know that there are plenty of ways to consume your kava products? Of course, the popular one is to make tea but if you check the Kona Kava Farm website, there is a few recipes that you can try out with your newly purchased kava products!

La Senza's Extreme Weightless Collection

I received an email from La Senza earlier today introducing their latest range of bras called "Extreme Weightless Collection". From their website, I see that they have only three items in this collection. It is said that these bras are "weightless". Well I don't know. None of my bras feel heavy at all LOL Maybe I am just picky!

Anyway, if you would like to try out this bra, you should check them out at the official La Senza website. These bras, which come in cup sizes from A to D only, are currently being sold at an introductory price of CAD29.50. Cheap? Not to me!

BBQ Gathering Over Golfing

Mark invited me to a round of golf before he leaves for Melbourne for good. I know, he wants us all to spend a little more time together as a group because once he steps on the plane we don't know when we will have the chance to meet again. Sure, Melbourne may not be a long flight away but then we will all be busy with life and work while he will be busy settling down in a new city.

Well, although Mark knows that I don't know how to play golf he still organized a golfing outing, I don't know why. I don't want to end up carrying his golf bag or picking up his golf balls, you know?

I think I will just propose that we get together for a round of BBQ! I know we have done this numerous times but I am going to tell him that this will be a last one in a long while! Hope he agrees.

By the way, who likes getting under the hot sun just to hit at those golf balls trying to get them into holes? Not me!

Get Covered With Travel Health Insurance

My friend, June, is flying to Bangkok again. At the rate that she is traveling abroad this year and until she comes back to Malaysia for good, she will be making lots of trips overseas. On one hand, I envy her that she gets to travel so much but on the other hand, I really do not relish the thought of having to travel with a couple of kids and making flight, accommodation and car rental reservations every single time.

I had a chat with her a couple of days ago and I wondered aloud if she took out travel health insurance so that should her family members require medical treatment overseas, their medical expenses would at least be covered.

Not to say I am bad hearted you know but it is always good to be prepared and get covered against these unexpected circumstances. I think that now she knows about it, she will be taking it out for all her trips. It's better to be safe than sorry!

OMG I Totally Forgot About PC Fair!!!

I've been looking forward to PC Fair Ipoh (I) since more than a month ago and guess what? Now that it is finally here, I totally forgot about it! How can?? See, I have been so busy working and working that I have not even been out of the house for TWO whoel days. SIGH!

And yes, I have a list of items to buy in PC Fair, mainly computer accessories. Maybe I conveninetly forgot about it becuse I don't want to spend money! Haha!

I would not even have remembered it today, 2nd day into the Fair[ tomorrow is the last day, by the way, and closing at 9pm], had my friend not sent me an SMS text telling me how jam packed the PC Fait in KLCC is.

Although I live close to the venue of PC Fair I think I'll only get my butt over there tomorrow lah. It's raining cats and dogs right now and I really hate to go out when the weather is bad like this!

So, see you there tomorrow. I'm not going to let you know the time though! I don't even know myself!

Seniorproofing Your Home

Most of my friends are not aware that as their parents advance in age, they need to make slight changes to the home to make it a better and safer place. Call me paranoid but since the day a friend's mother slipped in the bathroom and died from head concussion, I have been trying to make my home senior-proof.

Living in Malaysia, though, it is easier said than done. Malaysians are still pretty ignorant of the needs of senior citizens. To me, the most dangerous zones of the house for a senior citizen are the bathroom, kitchen and stairs.

But like I said, if you want to get walk in tubs for the bathrooms, you'd be hard pressed to get them here unless you buy them overseas. The best you could do is just place non-slip mats on the bathroom and kitchen floors!

Online Forex Trading

About six months ago, a friend told me that I could make some money by trading in forex. I know, but I am inexperienced and incompetent. Also, I also believe that we should only trade with capital that we can afford to lose!

My friend told me that there are a few currencies that are pretty stable, unlike the USD that is falling daily! She told me that she is trading these currencies online and that it is hassle free. I was a little concerned about how she could withdraw her profits.

I did a little research on online forex trading. This company, E-Global Forex, which you can access at http://www.eglobal-forex.com seems to be offering one of the best forex rates plus they allow small time investors and traders too. I think that for a newbie, it would be great if we could start small.

Also, although this company is headquartered in London, they have staff working in Europe and Asia. Moreover, E-Global Forex utilizes internet electronic payment systems. This means that we could easily fund our account and withdraw whatever profits we make.

In any case, when it comes to financial matters, it is always to your benefit to read through all terms and conditions before committing your money!

Giving Newbies A Chance

I don't understand why some of my e-trading colleagues are so nervous when new members place bids on their items. When they see a new member or a member without a feedback, or without at least ten positive feedbacks, they will at once shoot a message to this person asking if he/she is genuinely interested in buying the item.

As for me, I don't mind if the bidder is new or has zero feedback. I am only dismayed if he/she has a couple of negative feedbacks!

I believe that we should give every member a chance to purchase our items. It does not matter that a person is new and has no trading reputation. Heck, did we not start from the very bottom ourselves? Although our feedback count may be high now and out reputation may be glowing, let's not forget our roots.

Imagine how scary it is to suddenly receive a message from the Seller asking if you really want to buy the item or not. I am sure any new member would be bewildered wondering what he/she did wrongly! You, as a Seller, may put it down to a bad experience but each and every member is different.

Subscribe To Small Cap Research Reports For Free

Although I find joy in short term investments in stocks and commodities, what I do not relish is the amount of research I have to do just to spot the golden egg. I would sometimes ask my friends to see if they have any tips but they are mostly reluctant to share with me in case they are not accurate in their analysis which may cause me to lose money. That's why it is way better to get the opinion of an unbiased third party.

I was told that I could subscribe to the Latest Small Cap Research reports for free from Beacon Equity. This equity research company has vast experience in small cap research so if you are interested to know which are the potential money makers, I think it would be good to read some of the informative articles, news and commentary found on their website, BeaconEquity.com.

Need To Format My Nokia E61i

Well, it's almost a year since I bought my Nokia E61i. I think that before my warranty expires, I should send it over the to shop for a reformat. I don't know. Maybe there's a new mobile software version or something. Although there is nothing wrong with my phone, I just thought of taking advantage of the free service because after the twelve months is up, I would have to do stuff like these myself or pay them to do it.

The thing is that they work so really slow that they would require the whole day or even two days to get back to me. That's why I am reluctant to send it in and you know me. I need the phone 24/7. Well, not exactly the phone but I need it for my 3G line. I will have to switch to the iPhone for my calls and SMS text messages but that does not solve my 3G problem. Aihhh so sad my iPhone does not support 3G.

I remember the time I sent my Nokia in for checking when I first bought it, the staff did not even bother to call me to let me know that it's done and that I could collect it already. Bah... wasted time only!

Book Gift

I don’t know about you but I always have a hard time buying gifts, especially for people who, to me, already have everything! I mean, these people are rich enough to get whatever they want so they never have a "wish list" like us.

A friend's birthday is coming up in a couple of months and I am already starting to think of an appropriate gift. I need something that I could easily ship out since this person is not in Malaysia. I consulted my sister who told me that I should get a book. That sounds like a pretty good idea, actually. Books have a universal appeal and I would not be afraid of it getting damaged in transit or that the receiving end will get a tax imposed on the gift.

I did a check online to check the latest books recently released. The Appeal by John Grisham looks like a good book to get for my friend who is a great fan of the author. I hope to get it to him as fast as possible so that he would not have bought it himself first! You know what; the best gift would be a copy of The Appeal autographed by John Grisham himself! But I know that I would never be able to get hold of an autographed copy. *sigh*

Affordable Supplements For Children

A couple of days ago, I was chatting with a friend telling him how surprised I was to discover by chance that baby milk power and nutritional supplements for children are very expensive! Imagine if you were w parent and you know that these would aid in the mental and physical development of your child but they are so expensive that you could ill afford them. It's worse if you have a few kids all waiting to have these supplements in their diet! I don't know about you but I would feel extremely guilty!

Well, juts now, I was told that Allegro Medical sells Child Nutrition Supplements at very reasonable prices and that most working parents would be able to afford them.

The reason that Allegro Medical is able to keep prices at a very affordable level is because they are able to source for a broad range of home medical products and equipment at competitive prices that they passed on to their customers.

Payment Gateway

As a proprietor of an online store, I receive my fair share of unsolicited emails from people trying to sell to me their payment gateway services. I can understand that doing business and pushing sales could be tough and I close one eye when I do get these emails provided they are polite and honest. Otherwise, I will hentam them on my blogs LOL

Yesterday morning, I received an email through my WebStore from this person by the name of SUKI who also tried to sell the same service to me. But this Suki is very special. While other companies would write me grandfather stories three pages long, this Suki thinks that I am a mind reader. Her message only had two words. One was Payment and the second was Gateway. Check out this screen shot.

FitFlop By Victoria's Secret

I received in an email this latest product from Victoria's Secret. It's called FitFlop, which is actually a pair of sandals or shoes, if you wish. The amazing thing is that this is not an ordinary pair of shoes but a pair of fitness shoes.

I read that by wearing this all day long, or as much as we could, it will help to tone our muscle and shape our legs. Really can ar?? My legs need toning and I have wondered what sort of exercise could tone it seeing that I am glued to the computer the better part of the day.

A pair of FitFlop is selling at US$49.95 while a pair of LEATHER FitFlop is selling at US$59.95, just an extra US$10. That's not cheap. Definitely not! However, how could it help my legs with my butt planted on a chair in front of the computer almost the entire day and night? Maybe I could wear it sitting down and stomping my feet LOL

All For A Good Cause

Last month a friend of mine participated in a charity walk in my city. I had work up to my nose or I would have joined her as well. I could not simply push my tasks aside just to go training, right?

After the walk, she was very happy that she managed to complete the entire route as she was not very confident about it BUT, the following day, she called me up to visit her at her home. I went and was greeted by very nasty blisters on both her feet! Eeekkk it was scary. I winced in pain just looking at them. Haha!

I told her that the next time she goes on a charity walk, she had better equip herself with ENGO Patches. These patches are proved for Blister Treatment and prevention! She better make use of them or suffer the same fate again! In fact, she could even use them ordinarily and especially if she has a new pair of shoes to break!

Soliciting For Business Via Instant Messenger

This afternoon, I received a Friend request from an unknown person. So I allowed myself to be added on this person's list because coincidentally, I just replied to an email with my Hotmail email address so I thought that this is the person who wanted to chat online with me. Fine.

So, I sent this person a message asking who he or she is. And you can see from this screenshot, what transpired between us.

Really, what makes him or her think that I would do business with this company, in such an informal way? I am not going to even waste time talking to people like that who could not even let me know honestly how my MSN ID was obtained. Not that it matters. The most important thing is that my password and account are not compromised.

I think these people from China, if they want the respect from international business people, should learn how to conduct business online and not spam us or try to contact us via MSN, eBay, Lelong or other means.

The Best of As Seen On TV

If you watch TV, especially in the afternoon or late at night, I am sure you have seen many product infomercials. Do you sometimes which is the better product when there are two companies selling almost similar products? Well, with TV Overstocks, you can now have the best of As Seen on TV!

As a regular shopper, I find that sites like these that give the low-down on the best products in terms of quality and value for money very helpful to me. I don’t have to waste time and money on products that are not working as well as I have seen them on TV!

I found these two products on TV Overstocks that would be useful to me. Proactiv is what I need for my bad complexion. Bah! I have read about how good it is that even celebrities use it.

As for Sudoku, it makes a great commuting companion since I need to take long bus rides so regularly.

A New Survey Site

This morning, I joined a new survey site. If you read an old post of mine, I mentioned that I was paid by one Survey Company, so yes; I believe that we can make a little money from doing surveys.

The survey company that I joined this morning is actually not new. I knew about it a long time ago but I did not sign up because I wanted to sign up under my sister so that she could gain my referral fee. I wonder if there is any commission for each survey that I take. Being in the United States, I know that she would have more surveys to do that me in Malaysia but hey every little bit here and there helps, you know!

I told my sister that she has to do this every day when she is not working and she says that I am pressuring her. Hey, I think she has to pressure herself and be dedicated to earning money online!

Preparing For A Flying Career

My cousin told me that after the recent release of SPM and STMP results here in Malaysia, many of her friends who are fresh school leavers are aiming to be flight attendants. There will always be plenty of interviews by airlines in my hometown because of the myth that girls here are prettier than girls from other cities.

However, many of these girls are rejected. But I think that if they seriously want a flight attendant career, they better do something about getting an education in flight attending! Yes, there are courses to attend and with a certificate from a flight attendant school they would stand a better chance. Don't you think so?

I think that even before a student leaves school, she should read a good flight attendant blog so that she will know what the job brings. Not only the perks but also the other side of the coin, you know what I mean? That is a good way to prepare herself for a career in flying!

Beverage From Pure Water

Is it possible to have pure drinking water? Yes it is. A friend's mother bought a system that cost her a few thousand dollars just so that her family would be able to enjoy pure water.

It is too bad that she only told me about it AFTER spending the money on a water purification system. Otherwise, I would tell her about o premium waters where for a low monthly fee, she and her family would be able to enjoy pure bottled water as well without incurring the cost!

This coming June, the company, O Premium Waters, will be launching a revolutionary Esio Beverage System internationally. This system will allow us to make our beverage with pure water from O Premium Waters without hassle. As a family of coffee drinkers, this sure sounds like what we need!

DiGi's PostPaid Friends & Family Contest

Did you read about this DiGi's PostPaid Friends & Family Contest? Have you seen their banners on blogs and websites? Well, I went to the website of DiGi to busybody a bit just now. Although I do not have a 016 number, my brother has. SO maybe I can use his number to participate in the contest.

Apparently, this contest is only available for DiGi postpaid subscribers and we are required to activate as many friends or family numbers as possible. OK, the thing I don't get is that while we are required to activate all these friends and family numbers, is it not true that we are only allowed SIX friends and family numbers to enjoy the special tariff?

Well, it's too bad that none of my family members have a DiGi postpaid line. However, if you are interested to participate in this contest, you have to be quick as there are daily cash prizes to be won as well. This contest closes on 27th April, 2008 so there's not much time to play. Good luck to you!

Rates & Plans of St. Thomas Condos

I was chatting with a friend about how more and more people are opting to go to the Virgin Islands for their honeymoon instead of Pangkor Island or Bali. My friend laughed and said that these must be rich people based on the rates and packages found on this page: http://www.caretbay.com/rates-packages.php

Well, I don't think that they are exceptionally rich but they are great with vacation planning. This is why they are able to afford an international vacation per year.

It used to be that a St. Thomas vacation is only popular among newly married couples but now, even families are opting for a holiday there and for this group of holiday makers, St Thomas Condos are their favorite accommodation.

I went to check out the website of Caret Bay this evening and was pretty impressed with the romantic island and the beautiful experience that it could offer to visitors there. If I could afford it, I too would definitely opt for a holiday in the Virgin Islands as well. There’s no place else like this! But if I were to go, I would have to make sure that I go during the off season! Do you know, the rate difference between off season and peak season is $600 but it is $4250 between off peak and holiday season???

The Celebrity Connection

A few days ago, I wrote about the Paris Hilton Footwear line. Well, it is the trend now for celebrities to create, market and endorse their own fashion line including clothes, perfume, and lingerie and in Paris Hilton's case, shoes.

Actually, any company can obtain the endorsement of a celebrity. If you are planning the launch of a new product, you can create a buzz by getting a celebrity to appear at your product launch. Or are planning a fund raising campaign, having a celebrity lend his or hand name to your cause can only provide you with positive effects.

If you would like to connect with celebrities of the day or of yesteryear, no longer do you need to go through agents, managers or middlemen. Celebrity Connections is the company that has CONTACTS. CREDIBILITY. CLOUT. The experienced staff will help to match you with the most appropriate celebrity based on your requirements.

I read on the website of Celebrity Connection that it is backed by twenty five years of experience. And though the years, the company has made connections with more than a hundred thousand celebrities. With such a huge network of stars that clients of Celebrity Connection could access, I believe that no matter what your needs are, Celebrity Connection would be able to meet them.

My PayPal Withdrawal Delayed

Last couple of months, while I tracked the progress of my friend's PayPal withdrawal that until today is not solved, I was wondering if it was an isolated case of bad luck.

I initiated a withdrawal of US$500 on 1st of April and expected the money in my Public Bank Visa Electron Debit Card last evening but until now I did not see the funds.

This morning, I called up Public Bank Card Services Department regarding another issue and I asked the lady if she sees any pending funds to my card and she said no. Hhmmm In my case, the PayPal status of my transaction is showing "Completed" so this delay could be on the side of Visa.

I hope that the funds will clear this evening. I KNOW that PayPal did say that we should allow 3 - 5 working days for the funds to clear. However, from the tens of times that I have made a withdrawal, all took only three days. However, I noticed that although my funds used to arrive at approximately 4.30pm, it got later and later until the previous withdrawal only arrived at 7pm, but still, it was on the third days.

This year, a couple of my friends have informed me that their withdrawal took longer than usual too. I wonder if this is a global problem or only affects Malaysian members. Well, I hope to see my funds this evening.

Why Buy When You Can Rent?

My friend read about my post on buying the Fujitsu Esprimo u9200, supposedly a UMPC but I don't think it is small enough to be called a UMPC. It has a 12in screen and a 1.8kg weight without adding the battery yet.

Anyway, I told him that it's a back up system and I wanted small for its mobility and portability. My friend advised that it is not worth the MYR4K that I am prepared to fork out since it is way cheaper if I were to rent a system from a computer rental store if the need arises. He says that I could rent the latest and the fastest system and never have to worry about maintenance or going out of fashion of lagging in technology.

Well, it's a good suggestion but I still think that it is better to have my own system, you know? I feel more secure knowing that I have what I want at home when I want it.

Highly Portable and Convenient Go Mini’s

A couple of posts back, I was talking about my friend who is setting up a new architecture branch office in Boston. I asked him if he will be buying everything new in Boston but he said that he would be moving them from New York City. He said that it would be cheaper.

There's this company that is offering Boston Self Storage services that he could use. This company is providing moving and storage services with their Go Mini's, a kind of low cost storage containers

Out of curiosity, I went to the website http://www.gominis-ma.com/ to take a look. Well, at first glace, the Go Mini's does not look any different from ordinary shipping containers but Go Mini's come in different sizes and are used for the moving or storage of personal effects, household items, office furniture, like what is required by my friend, and many other large objects that require moving or storing.

Go Mini’s are a whole lot more popular than other forms of moving and storage containers because of their portability and convenience. These containers could be delivered to your door and picked up once you have finished packing. Besides, you could keep your cost low as it comes in various sizes to suit your moving or storage needs.

Everyone's Talking About Victoria's Secret's BioFit Uplift Bra

Everyone's saying how technology has helped shape this bra to fit every woman like it's custom made, but I tell you, I don't care how good fit it is, can't they make this bra more visually appealing? I hate bras that look like a blop of fabric and colour. Only one shade? That's like, so China-style. I don't like it even if it's in one of my favourite colours, PINK.

And what is it with this model? Look at her eyes! I know she's trying to look sexy with her sultry looks but what she managed to project is an image of a woman who is high on drugs, alcohol or both. Hahaha I am so snarky tonight but I am only telling it as it is and truth usually hurts, baby!

Outsourcing Information Technology

Information Technology is such an integral part of our lives, I was asked if I could go a day without it and I have to admit that my business would be badly affected. It is not only web-based companies that require IT management solutions but I have to say, as Information Technology revolves, all companies will rely heavily on it.

If you are not an IT company, then it is better to outsource IT management to a real IT outsourcing company so that you can concentrate fully on your specialization and not spend unnecessarily creating an IT department and training new staff to man it.

A little while ago, I was told of a Boston IT Outsourcing company called iCorps Technologies, which you can also check out at their website, http://www.icorps.com, which specializes in IT outsourcing in Boston and its surrounding area.

I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but my friend, whose office is in New York City and currently planning to expand to Boston, should hire an IT outsourcing company like iCorps Technologies. As an architect, he knows nothing about IT but at the same time, he cannot operate his business effectively and efficiently without it. Outsourcing IT to a professional company would leave him time and resources in building his new branch office.

Getting The Best of Vegas

A group of my friends are planning a trip to Las Vegas. They are going for a convention and they intent to pack in a little private time since it's a long way there and they might as well enjoy the trip! I heartily agree!

I told them about the discounts they will be able to get from best of Vegas, especially on accommodation at some of the better Las Vegas Hotels, discounted tickets to dinner shows and other interesting events that all tourists must visit.

Although I may not have been to Vegas before, my sister has been there numerous times and have told me of the ins and outs of getting the most out of a Vegas trip and the ways to get the most value out of their holiday budget.

I passed these tips to my friends so hopefully, they are able to get the best Vegas experience through Best of Vegas.

Pushy Astro Salesman

A few days ago, I received a phone call from a salesman from Astro. He asked me to take the Chinese package which is on promotion and he went, "Take this Chinese Package, OK?"

And kept pushing the package to me [Take ah! Take ah!] so I said, "Wait a minute, how much is this? The way you are talking, it is as if it's free." So he said, it's RM12 per month. I asked him, what is the current price then? And he said it's RM12.

I asked him in turn, just now you said it's on promotion? I don't see any promotion here when it's RM12 now and you are also selling it to me at RM12. Then he explained that Astro is going to increase the price so if I sign up first, and the price increases, I will be paying the old price. And they called this a promotion ...? I don't see it as a promotion. It's a sales gimmick in anticipation of a price increase.

And the way he pushed the package to me, it is as if I do not have to pay an additional RM12 per month. Eh... I don't even watch Astro and the only person who watches it at home is my father. Even if you give me free Chinese package also I may not take up because I do not have time for TV and besides, I don't know Chinese or Hokkien so it's going to be wasted on me. I turned him down and straight away he cut the line. Whoa... I know that his sole purpose was to sell me the package but still, that's pretty rude of him, me thinks, but then what did I expect?

MEPS Cash

Last week, I received an email from a company trying to sell me their online ecommerce payment processor. Well, I know how and where they obtained my email address but what pissed me off is that this guy started the email with this line, “With reference to our telephone conversation earlier...”

This supposed teleconversation never happened so do you think you can trust a company that lies like that? I can't.

Also, it is not like I am unwilling to try out something new but to use this as a payment option for my Store, it would only be viable for me if it is already a widely used and accepted mode of payment processing. Right now, their MEPS Cash is so new, their only wasting their time trying to sell it to me.

Currently, I am only just using PayPal for accepting payments via PayPal balance, bank account transfer and credit card and it is good enough for me.

The Prestigious Apogee Condo Address

Did you see the luxurious Apogee condo in South Beach, Florida? I just had the chance to view a few condos for sale at the website of a Realtor that deals in Apogee Condo South Beach. I simply love the architecture and design of these condo units. They are classy and elegant and unlike other condos, they are spacious.

I was told that the rich and famous in Florida have already made Apogee Condo in South Beach their homes thanks to the prestigious address of South Beach, making it like the playground of luxury living.

I am particularly impressed with the beach front units and the marina that is within walking distance. This would be a welcome for homeowners who also own a yacht, so they can park it there conveniently.

The beach front units remind me of those condos in certain beach fronted condo developments in Perak but seriously, those could hardly compare to the Apogee Condo!

Free Victoria's Secret Beach Bag

If you are going to buy Victoria's Secret swim wear at their online store, remember that you can qualify for a free Victoria's Secret beach bag when you buy their swimwear from the Miracle Bra swimwear collection. Free Victoria's Secret? Of course!

What you need to do is to shop at Victoria's Secret online as usual and when you check out with the Miracle Bra swimwear collection in your shopping cart, enter the Victoria's Secret promo code BEACHBAG and the free Victoria's Secret beach bag will be automatically included in your purchase. It’s easy, isn't it?

Fro checking out the swimwear collection from Victoria’s Secret, the lowest that we can get is about US$50 and that is a clearance price. I love clearance sale. Why pay more when you get the same item at a way lower price?

A Life For Sale

How much is a man worth? How much is an Australian man worth? And what about if you thrown in his house, car, bike, jet ski and even his job? How much would you be willing to pay?

This Australian guy, Ian Usher, is going to find out how much he is worth on 22nd June, 2008 when he put everything he owns on auction on eBay, including his life. Well, to prepare for the special occasion and to create a buzz prior to the auction, he has set up a website and has been writing about the WHO, WHY, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW.

If you are interested to place your bid, or at least interested in his progress, the run up to his auction and the outcome of the auction then you have to check his website. As for me, boy, I don't want to bid on no man but frankly, I am interested to know how much cash he could get from this.

Who Wants Discount Disney World Tickets?

One of the biggest problems when it comes to going on a vacation is budgeting. It is especially difficult when you have more than two people traveling, like in a group of friends or family. This is the time when you need to decide where you can safe, and where you want to spend a little more money on.

If you are heading to Orlando, Florida, then I would just like to remind you that you can buy your Discount Walt Disney World Tickets if you go through a reputable ticketing agent who is able to obtain these admission tickets to theme parks and dinner shows in bulk; hence at a lower price.

The ticketing agent will then resell it at a discount to their customers so that customers get to safe money. It is surprising that if you buy your tickets directly at the theme park, for example, you would not even get any discount. Plan your vacation well so that you do not have to pay more than necessary.

New Virtual Bank

Did you hear of the new virtual bank that is PayPal -like? Well, I will not be mentioning their name but they are giving new members US$25 just for signing up. And if these members can find new members to join the company, they will receive a referral fee of US$10 each. That is a lot of money. Do you remember that when PayPal just opened, they only gave new sign ups $10 each? How much they have grown and even taken over by eBay.

Anyway, I did not sign up because right now, this company is only open to residents of the United States. They better be quick in opening up their business to the world or they would not grow. What I like is that most of their transactions are free, like receiving and withdrawal of funds and also making payments. They do, however, charge for other transactions like e-check.

Anyway, I'm going to keep tabs on this company and see when they are going to welcome international members. But the thing that is ringing alarm bells is that their telephone number is X-XXX-PayPal... WTH? I thought these are different companies?

The Paris Hilton Footwear

Did anyone hold their breathe for the launch of the Paris Hilton footwear in late March? Well, the line has hit stores right now and I took this screenshot from this online store called Endless that is carrying the line.

The Paris Hilton footwear is retailing from $59.95 to $94.95 and Endless is giving free overnight shipping for them. I wonder if there are anyone willing to fork out this price for shoes that have nothing spectacular to them except the label which is carrying the name of a socialite? I would not, definitely not.

Some detractors are saying that the designs of these shoes look like they are for hookers. Well, I don't think so laaa... I would wear them if only they are cheaper. What about you?

Unlimited US Dialling & Free International Calls

A couple of days ago, I was told about the Nimbus VoIP Phone Systems by Xpander Communications where companies which have implemented the Nimbus would enjoy unlimited US dialing and free international calls to other Nimbus users too.

On top of that, set up cost for the Nimbus is way lower than setting up and maintaining the PBX phone systems. If you have tried using the PBX phone system and the new technology VoIP phone system, you will know that the VoIP system is more user-friendly. Cost is one thing, a system has to be easy to use as well and it looks like Nimbus has achieved that.

With such benefits and importantly, the clarity and voice quality of the phone lines are maintained, it is only our own loss if we do not switch from conventional phone systems to VoIP phone systems.

Whoa I Wish I Could Swim!

I received this latest newsletter from Victoria's Secret where they are introducing their latest range of Victoria's Secret Swimwear and to tell the truth, I wish I could swim just so that I could wear these. Don't tell me that I could wear them too even though I may not know how to swim but that would just make me look ultra dumb LOL

At the time of writing this post, unfortunately, the official Victoria's Secret website seem to be down for maintenance. HHmm come to think of it, it looks like they always pull their site down for maintenance around this hour because the site is supposed to serve mainly North Americans and they are all mostly in bed right now.

Oh, well, I think I will go and check out their range of swimwear later tonight. There's no hurry anyway, just want to look at them since I don't have plans to buy at all.

The PC Depot Gila Sale Is Back LOL

This company, PC Depot, which just opened in Ipoh slightly over a year ago is very smart in doing business. Each year, they will hold a GILA SALE the weekend just before PC Fair and if you do not already know PC Fair Ipoh (I) will be on 11th to 13th April, 2008.

So this GILA SALE will be on 5th and 6th of April and 12th and 13th of April. Not only that, they also have a Happy Hour which is a 3pm on Sundays (6th and 13th April). To be frank, I miss their Happy Hours ALL THE TIME because that is the time I am napping! LOL

I have gone through their promotional brochure and it looks like the only item that I am interested in is a laptop cooling pad. They are selling the transparent type at RM15 only, though they did not mention the size.

Oh yea, they are also offering a RM50 rebate for their range of laptops. I have been to their shop like last month and did not see any laptops that I want. They said that they did not have the Fujitsu Esprimo U9200 that I was looking for and they did not return my call. So ... *shrug*