Opting For Online Shopping

Although the tradition of shoppers to queuing up in the pitch black and cold morning after Thanksgiving outside stores to grab doorbusters, freebies and special deals that are loss leaders for many stores just to attract shoppers, this year has seen an increase in online shoppers, as much as 30% increment compared to last year on the same day, so much so that website of online merchants could hardly accommodate the surge in traffic.

Many people still like to shop conventionally at brick and mortar stores and truly, nothing beats the shopping experience of a Black Friday morning. And there's no denying that shoppers still like to touch and feel something before they buy, checking out the quality, size and expiry date, for instance.

But for many web savvy people who are now very comfortable with disclosing their financial information over secured servers, online shopping allows them to shop in the comfort of home without having to get into a fight with other shoppers. And often times, they are able to find what they want online at a comparable, or even cheaper price than buying from a local store. On top of that, online merchants sweeten the deal with free shipping, and sometimes freebies too.

Popular online stores should anticipate an even larger number of online shoppers next year as more and more people get onto the bandwagon of shopping online. They have to make sure that their servers could handle the traffic or it would create a poor shopping experience for the shopper. And then, the first time a person shops there could also be her last.

Lifelong Knowledge

The funny thing about being self-employed is that what I learned in school isn’t that important anymore. I don't have colleagues to compare myself with. There is no boss to tell me so-and-so is smarter than I am because she has a college degree while I don't.

The problem is that I, myself, would like to continue with my studies, probably online since it is so convenient but I have no idea yet what online college courses to take up, hence the procrastination.

Like I said, paper qualification may no longer seem important to me but I know that even if I have no use for it, I would feel so much better about myself. I wouldn't feel like I am handicapped and feel like the girls in my class in high school who always came out last in exams and now holding high positions in corporate companies are BETTER than I am.

If I have paper qualification, these friends may still be smarter than I but the gap would be closed and I would feel so much better about it!

“This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.”

Freebie Filled Free VS Runway Bag

If you are wondering what Victoria's Secret Online has in store for you on Black Friday, supposedly the busiest shopping day in the United States, then here is something really special. For one day only, they are giving away a high quality runway bag filled with beauty freebies if you spend a minimum of $60 on your regular purchases. Nothing comes absolutely free, don't you know? LOL Even so, this goodie bag isn't for everyone who qualifies. It's only while stocks last so you really have to be quick with your mouse. And of yes, I should mention that this freebie is only for orders shipped within the United States.

If you would like to have this freebie filled free VS runway bag and it is only happening on 27th November, 2009, online, shop at Victoria's Secret with a minimum purchase of US$60 and remember to check out your order with the coupon code VSFRIDAY. Your free bag, if your order qualifies, will be automatically included. Happy shopping!

All Inclusive Family Vacation

Evon, my friend who migrated to the United States over ten years ago, told me that her parents are planning a trip to visit her next year. Evon is ecstatic, of course, as she has not seen her parents for so long already. She is married and has two young children whom the parents have not even seen before! They haven't even met the son-in-law before too!

Evon said that she is so happy she wants to book a holiday at an all inclusive resort so that all six of them could have a fun time holidaying together, something that she has always longed for but haven't the chance to do so all these while.

Evon asked if Jamaica all inclusive vacations would be appropriate. I am not sure but I guess as long as everyone has a good time, anywhere would be fine, right? Besides, I know that Evon's parents wouldn't mind if there was no vacation at all. They just want to see their daughter and her new family!

In any case, Evon is already looking at various Caribbean resorts, wondering which one would be perfect for her family of six, even though her parents will not be there for a few more months. Evon told me that it's too bad that her brother and sister would not be able to make it. It would be awesome if they could all be together for a family vacation like last time!

Warehouse Sales

I read in the papers about the big bad book sale in Petaling Jaya that is currently on-going until early December and I am so pissed off that I cannot go! I guess I am unable to express my frustration of not being able to go and it would only be understood by a fellow book lover.

I told a friend that I wish I could live in Kuala Lumpur, and right now I can't due to family commitments, so that I could go shopping all the time! My friend, a KLite, told me that these warehouse sales are only during the end of the year, like end of November until after Christmas. And the retail business will be back to normal. But hey, there's Chinese New Year sales as well, and then Valentine's Day shopping, though there will be NO discounts during Valentine's Day. LOL!

The other day, this friend went to a Philips warehouse sale and bought a few popular consumer electronic products. He said that they were cheap! And Philips is a reputable brand so he wasn't worried about the quality or warranty. Living in Ipoh, I miss all these warehouse sales and could only look forward to PIKOM III which will be happening in mid-December, at the usual venue in Stadium Indera Mulia. Deep sigh!

Adult Vacation

My sister told me that this year, she would like to try something for her annual vacation. The winter is always too cold for her liking so it's time to go where the sun shines at this time of the year. No, she is not coming back to Malaysia. It's just too far and she couldn't take that many days off work. She is planning to go on an adult vacation in a neighboring country instead!

Kelly said that even though she has been in the United States for nine years already, she has not been on adult vacations yet even though these vacations are all the rage among her colleagues. They keep telling her how beautiful the adult resorts are, how memorable their vacation is, and showed her plenty of photos and videos of their vacations.

Although Kelly has taken her fair share of vacations over the years, they were always to Las Vegas and Florida. This vacation, she is going as a married lady and this change in marital status has certainly changed her outlook on adult vacations!

My sister hasn’t given me too many details yet since she is still planning but I expect her to tell me all about it when she returns from her well-deserved vacation! Boy, don’t I wish I could go on one as well!

Crazy Sale Starts Now

Now that Thanksgiving is over, people can start to keep away their cooking utensils, clean up the kitchen and go out there and clear out shopping malls! Yes, the crazy sales leading up to Christmas has started, beginning with Black Friday which sees people queuing up in the dark, in the wee hours of the morning outside stores even before the doors are open. If you are physically weak or small in size, then you are advised to stay at home and shop online. Truly, Black Friday shopping sprees aren't for the weak. It's like the fittest survive, with bags of cheap bargains!

It's just too bad there is no tradition here in Ipoh, heck, even here in Malaysia, or I would be out there, clearing shelves already. Hahaha! I tell you, shopping online can be addictive but shopping for real at shopping malls, jostling with the crowd could be extremely addictive as well, especially when one is swiping credit cards!

One good thing about living in Ipoh is the low cost of living and without shopping sales like these to entice us, we don't get to spend money at all, which is just as well since we don’t even earn that much in the first place!

Breakage Protection Plan

My friend, Davis, who runs an online store selling branded watches, told me that he would like to expand his business to sell branded sunglasses. He sought my opinion but I told him that if he couldn't source them cheaply, he shouldn't bother. I know of an online store that is selling Oakley, Ray-Ban and Dragon Sunglasses with healthy price discounts. If I were a "sunglasses girl" I would have bought a few pairs already!

One thing I like about Zephyr Sunglasses is that they offer customers breakage protection that is valid for a year from the date of purchase. This is great for people who always break their glasses. Have you ever wondered why people like to sit on their glasses??
Well, if you accidentally sat on it within the year and it was purchased it from Zephyr Sunglasses, you will qualify for the breakage protection plan.

Public Bank Flexipay - Buy Now, Pay Later

Public Bank credit cards have a new flexible repayment plan which would allow holders of these credit cards to make purchases now and pay later over a period of 6 to 24 months and enjoy a low one time upfront interest rate of only 2% for 6-month instalment tenure, 3% for 12-month instalment tenure and 6% for 24-month instalment tenure.

Of course, to enjoy this low interest rate, there is a minimum expenditure: RM1000 for 6 months, RM2000 for 12 months and RM4000 for 24 months. This looks very appealing, I have to say but then Public Bank is going out of their way to make credit card holders commit to their credit cards so this special offer is for a limited time only. It's not stated when it will end, though.

Anyway, reading the fine print, Public Bank explicitly states that once committed to a plan, the credit card holder has to go throiugh with it or an early exit fee of RM100 will be charged. So now you know why people don't want to clear their debts early even if they could afford to.

Passing Time During Thanksgiving Holiday

Although Thanksgiving holiday only starts tomorrow officially, I am already enjoying my own holiday beginning today because it's my birthday. The good thing about being self-employed is that I can declare my own holidays as and when I like. However, being the workaholic me, not working for a few hours has gotten me bored and I am looking for ways to pass time. It doesn't help that i am stuck at home due to family commitments. the only entertainment for me would be something that I could do online.

A friend suggested that I try out online casino games. I have to admit that I haven't played such games for a long time already and I am already out of touch. I have to read up on the best ten online casinos again and be up to date on the latest casino news.

If you are also looking for something to help you pass your Thanksgiving holidays, because not everyone celebrates it, visit Online Casino Spotlight for the top recommended online casinos.

eBay One Day 50% Off Insertion Fee

If you were one of the eBay sellers who received an email informing that eBay would be holding a three-day promotion on insertion fee, and subsequently were informed that the promotion has been cancelled, perhaps you would be happy to know that the promotion is on, but only for a day.

This promotion will be for listings on eBay.com, eBay Motors and eBay Canada only, though, and will last for one day only, 25th November, 2009. Apparently, the reason that the promotion that was announced earlier was cancelled was because of the server outage due to traffic overload and by reducing the promotion to a day, eBay figures that they would handle this surge better. On top of that, I don't figure there would be all that many people who would be sitting in front of the computers listing items for sale on the eve of Thanksgiving! Or would there be even that many people sitting in front of the computer searching for items to buy!

Anyway, while I do not think that 50% off listing fee is all that much, I do concede that if you are a high volume seller, there's some savings there to enjoy.

For more information: eBay

Omega 3 Dietary Supplements

Since last year when my mother was suffered from crippling pain in her knee due to osteoarthritis, she has been taking one type of medication after another, one dietary supplement after another. I am afraid to even count the number of pills she takes daily and worry that these may do more harm to her health than good, especially to her kidneys.

My mother is educated and would look up health information on the web but I sometimes wonder if the pain last year has caused her a psychological scare. Whatever it is, I am trying to help her reduce her dietary supplements that she has bought over the counter and maybe just go on Omega 3 health supplements. Of course, this will have to be under her doctor's supervision to ensure that there's no reaction to the medication that she us currently taking.

I am also on a combination of Omega 3 and Omega 6 supplement and personally, I didn't sense anything different to my well-being. But then I read that there are some supplements that contain other oils and not just purified Omega 3 or Omega 6 oils. Now that I know, I am going to be extra alert when purchasing my dietary supplements.

In my recent research on Fish oil omega 3 fatty acids, I read that these fatty acids actually help people who suffer from arthritis and I remember a friend, Nancy, telling me that she has it. I think I'm going to let her know that she could relieve the pain with Omega 3 fatty acids.

Black Friday Doorbusters

My sister told me that she will be having an off day on Thanksgiving Day like everyone else in the United States. The difference is that since she does not celebrate Thanksgiving Day in a big way, she will be well rested to queue up on the dark morning of Black Friday to take advantage of doorbuster deals.

Doorbuster events could be dangerous if one is not careful. One could easily be trampled and it has happened before but there is no denying the excitement and euphoria of getting hold of an amazing deal, especially those expensive top of the line consumer electronic products.

You know, while this tradition of a Black Friday sale and the doorbuster deals that attract the crazy shopping crowd to a store like bees to honey, are for people who would like to fulfill their Christmas gift list, many people now grab these cheap deals and then resell them online for a profit. I think that's most enterprising of them!

SEO Tweaks To Raise Web Awareness

When I first set up an ecommerce store for my lingerie business to be independent from online marketplaces like eBay a few years ago, I didn't know anything about the world wide web, especially the intricacies of search engine marketing. Getting no traffic to my store from search engines was pretty depressing so I set up a blog in hopes that it would redirect readers to my store.

Soon, I realized that search engine robots don't exactly work that way. I read up on search engine optimization and marketing from internet gurus across the web and tweaked the set up of my store. Tweaking links was one thing that I could easily do by myself. As an ecommerce store that carries a slew of brand name lingerie, I found it pretty effective in categorizing my products according to brand name. These are the popular keywords that are often searched by online lingerie buyers.

The template had to be tweaked as well and I got a friend to help me because I am not a technical person. Of course, if I had the budget, I would willingly pay for the services of a search engine optimisation UK or US company but I had to keep my overhead cost low. I have to admit that even now, a few years as webmistress, I still do not know how to search engine optimize my template and should I change the template of my store or set up a totally new store, I would have to engage the services of professionals.

Trying to raise the rankings of my ecommerce store in major search engines also saw me setting up a handful of blogs, all with the intention of backlinking my own store with relevant keywords. Of course, some may not agree that this is a good method but I do it moderately and always in context to my writings.

I am happy to note that although my online store could enjoy more traffic, I do get sales from strangers. I always ask my new buyers how they found my store and get a kick when they tell me that they found me though random searches.

Catch My Eye

I have been inundated with spam email from friends and strangers all urging me to join a local advertisement serving company that pays members by points which we could then use to redeem cash and other items. Like all pyramid schemes, the more members you have under you, the more money you make and to make membership drive sweet, this company is giving away a netbook to the person who refers the most members at the end of the contest period, hence all the spam!

If you know which local advertisement serving company I am talking about, you would know that their motto is, "you play, we pay" but if you hover your cursor over the logo on the homepage, you will be aghast to notice that the "hidden" motto is "you pay, we play"! So which is which? Are we playing or paying? Are they paying or playing?

Web business is all based on trust. Even if you may think that we are not losing anything just by recruiting friends, we don't want to promote something that will not be here for long. We also have our own reputation to take care of. Otherwise, who would believe us when we really have something good to promote?

Creating An Illusion of Space

I've been looking at apartments for sale in the capital city and am aghast to know that my budget only allows me to buy a smallish apartment that is only as large as four times my bedroom! On one hand, it's easy to maintain. On the other, it could be too small for comfort. A note of consolation is that we are able to at least create an illusion of space with strategically placed lights.

I visited the website of LightingSale.com this morning to look at the range of home lighting on offer. Just for your information, if you are looking for lights for your home, this website is running a promotion where you will enjoy a 10% discount but it is only valid for this week only. Granted, there's not much time to shop but with products by over 300 manufacturers, you will surely be able to find something that you like here.

With so many different designs of home lighting indoors and outdoors, fans, mirrors and other home decorative items, you may have a problem picking out what you like. However, if you are in need of home decoration ideas, in house lighting designers are on hand to assist you.

LightingSale.com is not just an ecommerce concern. There are six brick-n-mortar retail stores which you can visit if you are in the neighborhood. Even so, if you are like me, you would prefer shopping online. What more when shipping is free!

*** This post brought to you by LightingSale.com LLC

Voice Mail

I have been looking for a used car online at various popular local online marketplaces. Last night, I came across an advertisement that I am quite interested in and tried calling the mobile number of the advertiser. Unfortunately, until now, I have not been able to get through and have been directed to the voice mail, instead.

I don't know if it's only me, I don't like leaving voice messages because I never know if the person would even listen to my message. None of my friends do because they don't want to pay money to retrieve their messages. Personally, I have disabled my voice mail because I don't want people to leave voice messages for me and make me waste money retrieving them.

But going back to this used car seller, I wonder if he's even interested in selling. It has been more than 12 hours already, more than half a day, and he is still unreachable. Frankly, I am thinking twice if I should even continue to try and buy from him.

Low Cost Business VoIP

Running a home-based business for a few years now, it is high time I figure out ways to cut down my overhead cost. Besides the fact that the economy is weaker, I also haven't time to devote to the business, which obviously affects sales.

Anyway, I wanted to look for a low cost business voip for a while already but have continued to procrastinate. I use my mobile line for business and run up a hefty bill at the end of the month. I don't mind the charges so much because I know that if I want to use it, I have to pay it. However, recently, my mobile service was down on two occasions and for long hours too! How am I supposed to run a business when I am unreachable by phone?

This morning I was informed of this business VoIP service offered by Vocalocity that requires minimal start up cost, but don't mistake this as some low quality service. Vocalocity offers businesses, especially small businesses like mine, a feature-rich zero-maintenance hosted VoIP PBX solution that is easy to set up and use.

With a business that is heavily dependent on the phone, I place a lot of importance on the quality of my phone line. Vocalocity seems to be able to meet the demands of businesses with their affordable, quality voice services tailored to meet the budget of each business.

The eBay Mobile Boutique

If, after all these years since the launch of the first eBay website eBay.com, you still have not used eBay before or are even interested to try it out, then you probably never will and eBay knows it. What they are doing to rectify this, is to BRING you the eBay experience. No, you don't have to log on to eBay from your home computer. You probably do not own one, or suffer from technology phobia like my mother.

Yesterday, eBay kicked off this programme with its first ever mobile boutique dubbed “eBay @ 57th St.” in midtown Manhattan occupying 5,500 sq. ft. of space. What can you expect going there? There will be eBay trend experts and eBay personal shoppers to help you make your first purchase from eBay. Of course, since this is the holiday season, which is also THE busiest shopping season of the year, there are many other surprises planned.

If you do not live anywhere near Manhattan, fear not. eBay plans to take the eBay Mobile Boutique to twelve cities across the United States so surely you could visit at least one!

For more information: The eBay Mobile Boutique

Earn Cash Completing Offers

I know many people are looking for opportunities that would allow them to sit at home and at the same time, earn. Even if one likes her current job, it doesn't hurt to have a side income. I have been trying to look for something that my sister could do online, something simple that doesn't take up too much of her time, energy or brain juice.

A couple of friends have told me that they are quite successful earning money just by completing trials and offers. I am sure you have seen a few websites that scream "Easily earn cash from home for free TODAY!!!" Perhaps you have even heard of Project Payday already.

The concept is simple enough. Just help people to complete free trials and others will help you in return and at the end of the day, everyone gains something. If it's not cash, it could be popular consumer electronics that enterprising people could sell on eBay or Craigslist and make money too.

Although I haven’t tried this out myself, I like the idea of it. It’s a legitimate way to make money online and the payout is worth the time. However, one must carefully keep track of what trials she has signed up with and cancel her subscriptions before the free trials are over. Other than this catch, this is a really worthy venture.

Cyber Monday

Although the term "Cyber Monday", which refers to the Monday immediately after Thanksgiving, doesn't really hold water and has been said as just marketing hype, it is not wrong for online merchants to use it as a benchmark to get their online stores all ready for the crowd of online holiday shoppers.

Although Cyber Monday is said to be the busiest time for ecommerce stores, surveys have showed that the actual busiest time for online stores is one or two weeks before Christmas. Even so, I think that all online stores should be ready for business right after Thanksgiving.

Online merchants may even want to offer Cyber Monday deals in a bid to attract traffic to the store. As an online merchant myself, I discovered that the most important thing in attracting traffic is not how low a price you could offer but in linking, linking and more linking!

Unfortunately, this year, I will not have the chance to cash in on holiday sales because I don’t have the time to devote to my store and update my inventory.

Tracing Heirs & Beneficiaries

My friend, Sally, told me that even as everyone is busy preparing for their annual vacations, she may have to give up her vacation due to the mounting files on her desk. Working in a law firm is no fun, especially when she is not the lawyer!

Sally told me that one of her tasks is to trace heirs and beneficiaries and without much information, it is not an easy task! Not every family is straightforward and with the ease of air travel, there are many families which have branched off to other countries around the world. But it's too bad that even with advancement in technology that makes keeping in touch just a phone call away or as easy as sending an email, people still lose contact.

I think that Sally should just speak up and let her bosses know that she shouldn't be made to do such work and it would just be a waste of time and resources since she is not professionally trained to trace heirs and beneficiaries. Why not outsource the task and let professionals handle it?

Tracing heirs and beneficiaries looks like a complex and time consuming process but it could be accomplished quicker if there are people doing it full time without the distractions of other work.

No Medical Card Insurance

In an earlier post, I wrote about being offered a medical insurance by Ace Synergy Insurance where I did not have to undergo any medical test and it was an insurance policy that I bought over the phone.

This morning, I finally received the policy in the mail and although I am not exceptionally happy with how the policy is, different from what I was told over the phone, but then at RM50.10 per month, what could I expect, I am accepting it for the time being until I could go out and look for a more competitive policy.

If you also received a phone call with a similar offer that is only for Bonuslink card members, I am sure you would feel lost too, without anything in black and white to read, but do know that this is a no medical card insurance and should the policy holder be hospitalized, he/she will have to settle the bill first before making a claim with the insurance company.

No Exam Insurance

A couple of weeks ago, I committed myself to medical-cum-accident insurance that did not require me to undergo any medical examination. Although I do not carry any sickness now, that is excellent news to me since I am unable to get away for awhile due to commitments at home. Actually, I had wanted to buy medical insurance for a long time already but have procrastinated because of that.

Now that I have my medical-cum-accident insurance settled, I am looking for life insurance policy. Most of my peers already have life insurance and I know I am late already. Right now, because of circumstances, I prefer to buy life insurance no exam that would offer me the convenience of getting covered just like my medical-cum-accident insurance. I didn't even have to leave the house.

Hopefully, I will be able to find life insurance like this that would fit my budget.

Black Friday 2009

Many people are looking forward to Black Friday, which falls on 27th November, 2009 this year. As you may well know already, Black Friday is the Friday just after Thanksgiving, which is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

To prepare to shop to they drop, well, some people practically drop dead because of the human stampede, many people are already scouring online looking for Black Friday ads and deals. If I live in an area where Black Friday is observed, you can bet that I would be out there grabbing and shoving as well. Who wouldn't want to enjoy steep discounts?

Although traditionally, Black Friday is the start of the holiday shopping season where shoppers try to buy Christmas gifts, business minded people now go and grab discounted items, particularly ever popular consumer electronics, and then sell them online. There's money to be made.

Ah, don’t I love to be a real shopaholic once in a while!

New Camera Launch

My friend, Terrence, just sent me a text message that he is attending a camera launch this morning. Didn't he just attend one last week? I tell you, with the pace that new digital cameras are released, it really is not easy to keep up with the latest technology.

Actually, I had wanted to buy a new digital camera too. In my line of work, I really need a good one that could take great macro shots even in low light. In the end, I decided not to. After all, Terrence, a professional photographer has extra cameras that he could spare me. Although they are used sets, at least I don’t have to spend money unnecessarily! If it breaks down, I just have to returned it to him and exchange for another digital camera!

Limited Edition Chanel Jade Nail Polish

The limited edition Chanel Le Vernis Jade 407 and Jade Rose 493 have already been sold out in all brick and mortar stores but they are still available on eBay, provided you are willing to pay a premium for them.

How much would you pay for a small bottle of nail polish like this? It's Chanel but it was selling at "only" US$25 per bottle at Chanel counters and department stores just last October.

Would you pay US$80 - US$100 for a bottle of Chanel Le Vernis Jade 407 or Chanel Jade Rose 493? Sure, these are limited edition hues but at the same time, they are seasonal as well. Next season, Chanel will be coming with with new hues for your nails and if you are a fashionista, I am sure you wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing last season's nail polish, right?

Booking Budget Holidays Online

My friend who runs a travel agency told me that as people become more web savvy, his business suffers. From what he discovered, people now prefer to book their Holidays on websites that offer discounted travel packages and they buying air tickets online.

My friend said that his business is commission based but with holiday makers doing all these red tape and documentation themselves, he find it difficult to continue with his business. I didn't tell him that I too book my holidays online.

I guess the reason we head to the world wide web to look for our favorite holiday destinations is because of a larger variety of places to visit that local agencies do not offer and at the same time, with the soft economy and our limited budget, we get to save some money booking our holidays and air tickets online.

Checking out the website of ULookUBook.com, you can see how convenient it is to search for and book a holiday to your favorite destinations around the world. Besides a full tour packages, you could also look for city breaks for the leisurely weekend or just car hire, if you already have a vacation planned. If you are not interested in a package tour, you could book accommodation only or flight only.

Even if you are just planning a vacation, ULookUBook.com is a good starting point with the travel guides and weather images so you know exactly what to look forward to in each holiday destination!

Real Time Maxis Share Price Online

Since I have been successful with my Maxis IPO application, I have been searching for a website that would allow me to watch Maxis share price online in real time. A few friends suggested places but they all have a delay of at least five minutes. Wit shares, a minute makes a lot of difference in the price especially when you are selling it.

I was not able to activate my Maybank2U online share trading facility and it's unfortunate that I am unable to reach out to them via email but luckily, I finally found a website that provides almost real time Maxis share price watch online.

If you are also looking for real time Maxis share price online, ZoomFinance is a good site. I don't know how long the delay is, but it's better than other sites that I have visited. The link for Maxis share counter is this: http://www.zoomfinance.com/zoomfinance/S13_FastQuote2.jsp?txtSymbol=6012

Compression Stockings

I bumped into my neighbor yesterday morning and she told me that she has just been discharged from hospital to seek medical treatment for her leg. Her leg looked all right to me now but she said that it was Edema and it was so bad that she had to stay in the hospital overnight.

Mrs. F told me that to prevent it from happening again, she has started to wear compression socks but the ones that are available at the local pharmacy look too ugly. I had to suppress a smile with the thought that Mrs. F is still so vain even at her age!

There is a vast selection of juzo socks for people who are like Mrs. F, or suffering from one condition or another that requires compression socks as well. These socks are also suitable for tired legs, for people who spend long hours on their feet.

I read that Juzo socks are so comfortable to wear, soft and totally non-restrictive and yet still provide the necessary support. Besides they totally don't look like compression socks at all. I am sure Mrs. F would be happy with the various styles, designs and colors that Juzo compression socks come in. She can easily match them with her dressing too!

Maybank2U Online Share Trading Facility

I was looking for a website that would allow me to view KLSE share prices in real time without having to register for an account. A friend told me that all free websites have a delay of 3 - 7 minutes so I might as well activate my account with Maybank Investment Bank online that provides real time stock quotes.

So I submitted my application and it was rejected almost instantly, with the reason that my client share trading account number was wrong. Actually, I called up the office a couple of days ago to ask and that was the number given to me.

In the email, I was provided with an email address to contact should I have further questions but the email was bounced so I sent it again to the email address that it came from. Again, it was bounced.

IO don't know if you know how frustrating it is to be unable to make contact, so much so that I think I don't want to request for Maybank2U Online Share Trading Facility anymore. When something like this happens on a financial website, I don’t think there's trust from me anymore.

Book Business

My uncle has ventured into business right after retirement, selling books. My uncle was a sales executive with a school textbook and reference book company and after being in the industry for more than thirty years and was in charged of the northern region of the country, he certainly has a wealth of experience.

My uncle says that although being in business will be very different working as an employee, basically, he will still sell textbooks and reference books. This time, though, he also has to take care of other matters like management and accounts.

I am very happy to see that my uncle has found something to do that he loves after retirement. I personally think that the retirement age of 56 is still young and these people still have lots to contribute to society. Many people would take this time to enjoy life but my uncle says that if he loves his job, it wouldn't feel like a job!

Maxis IPO Opening Price RM5.50

If you have been successful in Maxis IPO which is being listed on KLSE this morning, I am sure you are excited about the opening price. It's RM5.50! Of course, if you have paid RM4.75 per share for it, you would have gained a premium of RM0.75 already.

Granted, there will be people out to make a quick buck and selling their shares today itself, like I sometimes to with my other successful IPOs and gain a small profit on opening day itself but for Maxis shares, I think that this is a share worth keeping for long term. Even if the price doesn't skyrocket the projected dividend of 75% of profit is an awesome ratio.

In any case, if Maxis could perform as well as it did the last time it was public, I would be very happy already! I wonder if Maxis would be declaring a dividend for the end of 2009.

Long Service Awards

It's the end of the year again and my friends who run their own companies have to crack their heads on how to reward their long service employees. These things make me see the bright side of running a one-man-show company. At least I wouldn't have to worry about such issues!

This morning, I received a text message from a friend asking me if I could help come up with a valuable gift for such employees. There are three who have served his company more than twenty years already since the days when his father was still running the show.

I thought that getting each of them a rare gold coin would be an excellent idea but I am afraid that if they are not interested in coins, they may not see the value in the rare coin and does not understand the recognition that the company is giving them.

My friend told me that it's pretty popular to award employees with tour packages but I am someone who prefers something tangible that I could keep. Well, it's up to him if he wants to take up my suggestion or otherwise.

Queuing 14+ Hours For SHOES!

Not just any pair of shoes, mine you. They are a new line of Jimmy Choo shoes that are being sold, for the first time at H&M on Regent Street cheaply, as low as £49.99. Well, not exactly cheap, cheap, but cheap by Jimmy Choo standards. Well, with this new line of Jimmy Choo's it looks like "now everyone can wear Jimmy Choo"!

Unsurprisingly, soon after, some of these shoes are already on eBay and selling at double the price. That's entrepreneurship, I say. LOL Who cares if you managed to buy them at £49.99 when there are people who willingly pay double the price because they are unable to or do not have the time to queue up for more than 14 hours?

While this new line of Jimmy Choo shoes sold out within hours, leaving many disappointed, hence the inflated prices on eBay (I am sure some of these buyers were those who queued up for hours in the rain and gale-force storm and yet went home empty handed because styles in their size ran out), a spokesperson of H&M said that they are restocking and those "sold out" styles will be available tomorrow.

Ahhhh wouldn't those who bought on eBay feel ripped off?

Concerns Over New NAP Conditions

The proposed imposition of a slew of new conditions under the National Automotive Policy (NAP) beginning 2010 in Malaysia has caused much anxiety for owners or older cars. Besides having to undergo an annual car test before one could buy insurance and have road tax renewed, insurance companies are also starting to look into the age of the car owner.

Another problem for owners of older cars is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase spare parts for the car and the import of such is to be banned soon. Seriously, such a move is going to kill the used car market.

My friend, Steve, told me that he is worried about such conditions too. I wondered why he would also be affected since he doesn't own any car older than 15 years but he said that as the owner of two hobby cars which he fine tunes every chance he gets with performance parts, he is afraid that he would not be able to purchase them locally.

As far as I know, one could still purchase aftermarket car parts online and there are surely plenty to choose from but I wonder if buying them online and having them shipped into the country would be considered an "import" even though the parts are just for personal use. Would the ban apply in this case?

My friends who moved to the States are all into cars. They tell me that unlike in Malaysia where we are governed by 101 rules and regulations by the Road Transport Department, they could modify or accessorize their cars however they like physically and/or performance wise and the authorities wouldn’t care as long as they have auto insurance.

I am going to show Steve the website of In Sixth Gear so that even if he could no longer purchase used performance car parts locally, perhaps he could purchase new ones online and continue to fuel his hobby.

Britney Spears Aussie Tour Tickets Selling Dirt Cheap Online

If you are a fan of Britney Spears and I mean, really, really huge fan of hers, and do not mind that she mimes and cannot dance, this is an opportunity to watch her live in concert at a dirt cheap price.

Of course, you will have to be in Australia as well. After all, it is fans of Britney Spears in Australia who are practically giving away Britney Spear's Circus concert tickets after discovering that she mimes and cannot dance and generally gave a lacklustre performance on opening night.

Well, I am no fan of the pop princess but frankly, if I were, I wouldn’t mind one bit that she lip synced and has two left foot. And since these concert tickets are being sold at as low as 55p way below face value of up to GBP90, this would be a golden opportunity for a true fan to watch her live. Don’t you agree?

Restaurant vs. Beauty Salon

My friend, Stella, and her husband, recently took over a Korean restaurant in Tennessee. Stella and her husband are naturally excited about their new venture which has kept them extremely busy lately.

Actually, when Stella asked me for my opinion before they committed their savings to the restaurant, I told her that it would be better for her to take over a beauty salon. She graduated from a Cosmetology School and is very well trained and experienced in the beauty industry. That would suit her more, though I cannot say the same for her husband, a chef.

I guess in the end, her husband decided that a restaurant would be better for him, for them, and Stella has to help him out at the restaurants, especially on weekends. Stella said that she still hasn’t given up her dreams of owning a beauty salon but may have to do it from home to cut cost.

Public Bank Credit Card - Low Interest Balance Transfer

In view of the implementation of RM50 annual service fee on all principal credit and charge cards and RM25 annual service fee on all supplementary credit and charge cards, Public Bank has taken the first move to entice credit card holders who are planning to cancel their existing credit and charge cards, if they haven't already.

Check out this image that I have enclosed to see the low interest rate that they are offering if only you would transfer your card balance to them. No, you don't even need to have a Public Bank credit card now. If you already have a credit card, you automatically will qualify for one from Public Bank.

This offer allows anyone interested to transfer his/her credit card balance up to 80% of credit limit on the new card. This means that if your Public Bank credit limit is RM10000, you may transfer up to RM8000 of balance from your existing credit card that you intend to cancel.

This looks like a pretty good deal to me and may even save you some money thanks to the low interest rate and one time upfront interest.

Unique Tibetan Singing Bowls

Denise, my old school friend, is really into Tibetan Buddhism. I only got to know about it when we bumped into each other by chance recently at a puja. Besides her interest in the religion, Denise is also very interested in the Tibetan way of life. She invited me to visit her home to view her collection of Tibetan relics; some were purchased locally at exhibitions, some during her travels to Tibet and other countries, while some were bought online.

According to Denise, she has a sizable collection of Crystal Singing Bowls too. I am not familiar with these but I checked out the online store of Silver Sky Imports to have a look at their Tibetan singing bowls. They carry so many Tibetan bowls of various sizes, up to 22 inches.

The fine singing bowls that are sold at Silver Sky Imports come with sound files individually recorded and enclosed in the description of every item of singing bowl in the store. It looks like a lot of work to me but that’s to ensure that buyers would know exactly what they are paying for.

Apart from singing bowls, Silver Sky Imports also offer chimes, bells, gongs, prayer beads and flags, incense and unique handicrafts. People who have an eye for fine Tibetan wares, this store is a good starting point.

Proton & Perodua Car Exchange Programmes Have Ended

Proton's car exchange programme may have ended on the 6th of November, 2009 but it is only today that Perodua's programme ends. For people who have intended to take up this programme which offers RM5000 in cash voucher by trading in a car, it is too bad if they missed the boat because apparently, these programmes will not be extended because the funds have dried.

From what I read, for every car that qualifies for the RM5000 rebate upon purchase of a new Proton or Perodua car, the Government forks out RM3500 while the respective national car maker pays RM1500.

Some people have wondered if this was a good deal. Well, of course it was good if the car that is being traded is a car worth less than RM5000. Also, interested car buyers will not have the choice to buy any car besides a national car. Well, I'm not saying that they aren't good but that limits our choices.

Anyway, a few of my friends participated in this exchange programme and they are quite happy with it. Perhaps there will be yet another round next year to stimulate the economy and automotive industry?

Hobby Gift

My cousin brother, Ken, is already home for the holidays and since his birthday is just around the corner, he has invited all of us cousins to his informal birthday party later this month. I have to say that I used to be very close to my cousins but we have drifted apart as we grow older and have our own lives to lead. This would be a good opportunity for us to reconnect.

I was discussing with my sister, Kelly, the kind of gift to get our cousin. She would not be able to attend Ken’s birthday party since she is in the United States but she said she wants to share with me the cost of the gift that I am going to buy.

Kelly suggested that we get him a Pool Cue case since Ken loves to play pool so much. In fact, he's so good at it that he even represented the State in competitions. Unfortunately, Ken had to give up his dream of playing pool competitively because his mother objected to it. However, until today, Ken still plays pool as a hobby.

I agree that a pool cue case would be a great gift. If not, it would still be a gift related to his hobby; perhaps a pool cue stick.

BonusLink - Ace Synergy Triple Hospital Care (THC) Insurance Plan

Last week, I received a call from a call centre that has been commissioned by Ace Synergy Insurance to offer a medical-cum-accident insurance plan to selected BonusLink members. Since I do not have any insurance at all, I was interested. Actually, I have wanted to subscribe to an insurance plan for a long time now but since I am unable to do my research or talk to insurance agents, I have procrastinated.

Since this was offered to me, I decided to hear the caller out. While I have to say that I eventually subscribed to Ace Synergy's THC insurance plan, I do not like the way that this business was conducted. Sure, I have no problems with the 100% phone binding clause but although I asked for the web address of Ace Synergy Insurance and it was provided for me, there was no information on Triple Hospital Care insurance plan.

I also requested for a copy of the policy before I commit to the plan but it was not provided for me. I wanted to call in to verify that they are legitimate since I have to disclose my credit card details over the phone which I am not comfortable with but was told that the call centre only serves outbound calls.

Only after I have agreed to subscribe to the insurance plan, like I said, I was ready for one but just never found the time yet, was I provided with the toll free number of Ace Synergy Insurance. Anyway, I am still waiting for my Master Policy, then only will I know for sure what insurance I have bought!

Medical Technology For The Elderly

While I am luckier than most of my friends in the sense that I do not have to worry about my parents' medical expenses since they qualify for 100% lifetime medical care thanks to the Government, there is still no defying age and the physical ravages that it brings on a person's body. I've lived with my elderly grandparents previously so I know.

Luckily, technology has provided us with devices that could somewhat give us peace of mind. For example, even if we are not around at home, we could still install a CCTV system at home at a reasonable price to keep an eye on our family.

Old people who are very prone to falling now have the aid of a Medical Alert that is worn around the neck. This device sends an alert so that even if the person is injured or do not feel the need to press the emergency button, the Medical Alert would still be able to detect the fall and help would be on the way, no matter where the person is.

I am impressed that this is a round the clock, global protection and it would still enable an elderly person to keep his or her independence, with a helping hand on standby, just in case it is needed.

eBay Malaysia Christmas X'Change Program 2009

Wow, in the blink of an eye, Christmas is upon us soon. Once again, for the fourth year running, the community of eBay Malaysia is running a Christmas gift exchange programme where members who wish to participate would have to buy a gift for a random person.

As in previous years, this exchange programme will be co-ordinated by Alex Jong and as in previous years, the minimum gift value is RM10. Hey, inflation already, you know? What decent gift could one get for RM10?

In any case, if you are interested to participate in this eBay Malaysia Christmas gift exchange programme you have to be a member of eBay Malaysia, of course, doesn't matter if you are a buyer or seller, visit THIS PAGE for the full low down on what to do and how to go about it. The closing date for your submission of details is midnight of 1st December, 2009.

Setting Up A Restaurant Business

My sister, Kelly, told me that her friend, Evon, who is actually also my friend but they are practically neighbors in Tennessee, and her husband are planning to set up a restaurant business. Evon's husband is a Korean but is trained Japanese chef.

Evon cannot decide if they should go ahead with the business plan. They have two young children who would need all the care and attention growing up and in they decide to go through with the plan, Evon would need to work full time at the restaurant as well.

Evon has asked Kelly to help them out since my sister also has a little experience working in a restaurant but Evon, after discussing with a Las Vegas cpa firm, plans to open her restaurant in Las Vegas.

Much as Kelly would like to help Evon fulfill her dreams of being a "boss", Kelly is unwilling to relocate to a new city. Sure, the zero income tax is definitely tempting but then she has a dream house in Tennessee which she has no plans to let go. By the looks of it, Evon and her husband would have to do this by themselves.

Win Up To RM30K Cash Prizes With CIMB Bank

CIMB Bank sent me a text message yesterday about their new promotion where we could win up to RM30,000 in cash prizes. Did you notice that they are working exceptionally hard to try to get fresh deposits from customers?

This promotion, although I do not have more information right now at this time of writing, websites are always updated too slowly, requires us to top up our deposits with the bank with a minimum of RM3,000. This is an ongoing promotion that will end on 31st January, 2010.

As always, they did not forget to stress that terms & conditions apply, though I don't know what they are now. Probably must be fresh funds from other sources outside of CIMB Bank. For more information, you can call 1-300-880-900.

No Christmas Vacation For Me

Business will be as usual for CyberPartyGal's WebStore this Christmas since I will not be taking any Christmas break. Not because I don't want to, not because I cannot afford the time to but it's all due to family responsibilities that demand that I stick around t home. I may even do some deliveries myself since shippers will be taking a few days off this holiday season.

My sister asked if I could visit her this Christmas since she is planning a vacation with her friends, another couple, and they are checking out hotels in las vegas. Well, unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to make it and my parents aren't keen on traveling long distance.

It’s too bad that I wouldn’t be able to take a break. I deserve it and yet that will have to wait while I get things at home settled. Could take awhile though by the looks of it, unfortunately.

PayPal's 2009 Holiday Shopping Campaign

According to a prediction by National Retail Federation, this year, about half of the total number of shoppers would be doing their gift shopping online. PayPal is certainly trying to get a slice of the action with the launch of their 2009 Holiday Shopping Campaign which promises great savings, cash back programs and free shipping with their partner merchants.

Although the figure of 50% of shoppers who would shop online sounds promising, I wouldn’t be surprised that our budget would actually be tighter given our current economic climate. That’s why people go online to shop, trying to look for greater shopping deals that are being offered at local stores.

PayPal’s 2009 Holiday Shopping Campaign runs from 3rd Nov, 2009 until 12th January, 2010, more than enough time for online shoppers to shop for gifts for Christmas and New Year.

Going through the offers that are provided by PayPal merchants for this holiday shopping campaign, I noticed most only offer a slight discount like 10 – 15% and free shipping. I think they can do better than that!

Baby-Friendly Bedding Sets

From chatting with my friends who are new mothers, I found that they are pretty fussy when it comes to raising their children who are just babies. Well, talk about starting them young. A friend is a chemist and she is extremely particular about exposing her children to only baby-friendly products that are free from chemicals.

Frankly, this issue never crossed my mind before, maybe because I do not have children and do not realize how vulnerable babies could be. But after seeing how my friend would only purchase high quality natural cotton Baby Bedding sets that don’t irritate the baby’s skin, I think she is doing the right thing.

I have to admit that when my friend first talked about cotton baby bedding sets, I thought that they only come in stark white. Well, how wrong I was. Just look at this image that I have enclosed. Isn’t this baby bedding set cute? These baby bedding sets are also environmentally friendly in the sense that they are 100% handmade in eco-conscious facilities.

What I like about them is that they come in 12-piece sets of various styles so it saves a lot of time to decorate a baby nursery. Just make your selection for a baby boy in blue tones or girl in pink tones, or perhaps just a neutral set.

eBay New Unpaid Item Message from OsJop2331: #20706516412 - Response required!

I received a phishing attempt via email this morning. The phisher even marked the email as High Priority but luckily, it was filtered to my Spam Mail. Even if it lands in my Inbox, it is easy to spot the phishing mail.

Like all such phishing emails, this one did not address me by name. In addition, if you noticed, most of these emails are composed using Cryllic font; probably they came from Russia or something. I don't really know how to check.

Another point to note is that all the links that are enclosed in these emails redirect us to another website, not the authentic one. So never click on them. If you would like to check your account for messages or alerts, access the website directly from your web browser by typing in the address yourself. Using FireFox, when accessing authentic websites of eBay and PayPal, for example, you will be able to see a green bar at the address bar.

The thing that is most obvious about this email about an Unpaid item is that I didn't make any purchase on eBay lately.

Proton & Perodua Xchange Programmes Ending Soon

I got to know from a friend that Proton's Xchange Programme will end this Friday, 6th Nov, 209, while Perodua's Xchange Programme will end on 15th Nov, 2009. I personally feel that these Xchange Programmes as good to participate in as long as your current car has a resale value of less than RM5,000 since the rebate is RM5,000 only.

This friend is forced to purchase a new car because of the new auto policy which aims to take cars above 15 years old off the road, seemingly for safety reasons. My friend's car may be old by is still road worth. Still, it's time to change a new car and the cheapest option is to participate in this program.

Even so, my friend says that he is going to strip his car off all auto accessories that he has installed through the years and plan to install them on his spanking new Proton, when the car is delivered. I understand that it could take as long as two months to receive the rebate voucher. It may even take longer now when people realize that the programmes are coming to an end!

PayPal Extends Protection To Online Buyers

PayPal has made a good move to extend protection to buyers of other online stores, besides eBay. However, this is a limited protection which only covers purchases that were not received. Other protections that are offered to eBay buyers like goods received that are not as described, goods that are damaged in transit or incomplete goods, are not covered.

When a dispute is raised for goods not received, the same way that a claim is made by eBay buyers, it is up to the Seller, in this case the online store, to show proof of posting, delivery and receipt. If there is no concrete proof, it's highly likely that PayPal upholds the Buyer's claims and initiate a full refund including shipping, packaging and/or handling from Seller's PayPal account.

Even if there are no funds in Seller's PayPal account, PayPal has the right to access funds from Seller's bank account that is linked to PayPal.

Maxis iPhone 3G

My friend, Terrence, told me that he would like to take up the iPhone 3G offer by Maxis but he has to subscribe to a new plan unless he is willing to pay a lot more for an unlocked phone.

I told him not to do that because it's not worth it. True, the iPhone is like a status symbol now here in Malaysia but then why would he need yet another phone when his Nokia E71 is working perfectly and he is already subscribed to another mobile plan? It's fine if he is a new mobile user, or if he would like to change to a Maxis mobile plan, or even if his mobile phone is out of order but as it is, it is just a waste of good money and that's what i told him.

Besides, as an iPhone owner, I can say that the iPhone isn't really a work tool. Granted, it's fancy, but you can't really WORK with it. I do more work with my Nokia E61i. Yeah, it's old but to me, it's better than the iPhone.

Inability To Bad Rate Buyers

Lelong has disabled the function to leave buyers a bad rating due to abuse by sellers. According to Lelong, many a buyer, especially new ones, left Lelong after being left a bad rating. Well, it's not known if the bad ratings were justified but as a new Lelong member and made my share of mistakes back then, I could certainly understand that some of these people get miffed just because of one or two bad ratings.

Lelong mentions that they have to, time and again, persuade these affected buyers to reconsider Lelong as a good alternative to shop online and to give it a second try but to no avail. Due to this outflow of new members, sellers suffer, the community suffers and certainly, Lelong cannot afford that to happen.

Lelong does concede that there are truly bad apples in newbies and if you have the bad luck to encounter one, you are requested to report the member to Lelong via email at feedback@lelong.com.my and in Lelong's own words, they will decide if such member is "bad only to you or to the whole Lelong community." Hhmm isn't that too subjective?

Sports Jerseys For Kids

I am in the midst of compiling my Christmas gift list. You may think that it's a little too early but I like to allow ample time to pick up my gifts. Although I love shopping, I hate the holiday crowd. I would rather avoid that than save some money shopping during holiday sales when stores are packed like sardines.

I have already decided on the gifts for my immediate family members. The problematic part is coming up with appropriate gifts for my close friend and her children, especially the boys. I tell myself that it's because I don't have children that I can't tell what they like although for girls, it's a lot easier. I just think of the gifts that I would have loved receiving when I was a kid myself.

For the boys, I am thinking of NFL Jerseys. Yes, AGAIN. What to do when these boys are sports-mad? They love ALL sports but especially NFL! I particularly love the idea that these NFL jerseys could double up as pajamas for the kids too and they certainly look comfortable enough. I bet the kids would love a new set of jerseys of their favorite teams, despite already receiving something similar last Christmas. They wouldn’t mind, would they?

*** This post brought to you by NFLUniformSet.com

Linking Malaysian Bank Account To PayPal

I have linked my HSBC (Malaysia) bank account to my PayPal account last week but have yet to initiate a transfer. I will only do that later this week. Although I have various savings bank accounts for different purposes, my HSBC (Malaysia) bank is my least use account with very little money inside.

I certainly do not feel comfortable linking my primary or even secondary bank account to PayPal and give access to my funds to PayPal. And since I already have a rarely used bank account, it wouldn't make sense to open yet another savings account specifically for PayPal.

Linking a bank account to PayPal is a pain free process. However, I did make a call to HSBC first for the Swift Code to make doubly sure that the one provided by PayPal is correct. Like I mentioned before, the one given for CIMB was wrong and until today, has yet to be corrected.

Since we do not have to verify our bank account in any way, I still cannot decide if I should just withdraw at least MYR400 to avoid paying MYR3 service fee, or just make a nominal withdrawal to test that the funds could be cleared in spite of the sequence of my name. If funds are returned, I would then have paid MYR3 for the service fee plus MYR15 returning fee. Hmmm what should I do?

Closing the Accounting Year

My friend, Steve, told me that with the closing of the accounting year looming, he is feeling the pressure of collecting debt from a few companies that have failed to settle their bills for work that Steve's company had done for them. I can certainly understand why Steve is angry. It doesn't matter the amount owed, large or small. When work is done, we expect payment and according to Steve, these companies have made no effort whatsoever to try to make payment; even if it's by installment.

Steve said that he's contemplating engaging a Debt Collection agency to help him recover his dues. He said that he needs professional help in managing his accounts receivables since the way that he has been handling them has not worked well so far but he wanted to have my opinion if it was a good idea bringing in a third party to recover the money as he was afraid that it would strain relations.

I said that if Steve does engage a professional debt collector, it would free up his resources and manpower. Collecting debt is really time consuming and it makes business sense to let people who are in the business of debt collection handle it. Debtors shouldn’t be angry. It’s their fault, after all.

*** This post brought to you by American Profit Recovery

VS Secret Reward Card

Victoria's Secret is running an interesting promotion throughout the month of November. Trust them to come up with something exciting at this time of the year.

From what I see from their brochure mailed to me earlier this evening, shoppers who shop Victoria's Secret by phone or online throughout the month of November, 2009, will qualify for a Secret Reward Card that could be worth $10, $50, $100 or even $500! A $500 Victoria's Secret gift card is certainly what I would like to have!

According to Victoria's Secret, this Secret Reward Card is redeemable from 1st to 24th December, 2009 in stores, online or by phone. Card has no value until 12:01 a.m ET on 1st December, 2009. The Card's value will be revealed at time of checkout. Don't you just hate surprises like these??

For Young NFL Fans

A former colleague, Alice, whom I still keep in touch with, asked me if I could help her come up with a unique gift for the son of our boss, now my former boss. I don't really know the boy well, since I left the company when he was still a toddler, but have learned that he is a huge NFL fan. Like father, like son, I guess.

I told Alice that buying a gift for the boy has got to be the easiest task since we all know that he would appreciate anything that has to do with NFL! Depending on budget, Alice could buy a set of NFL uniform for kids, which could also function as pajamas, without the helmet and shoulder pads, of course. You know how there are some kids who love their gifts so much they go to bed with them? NFL uniforms would be great in this case!

Or perhaps Alice could pool resources with a couple of colleagues and buy more expensive NFL Merchandise for his bedroom. The NFL fan locker seems to be a hot gift and what great news it is to see that it's currently on sale at only $59.99 each. The normal price for this is $129.99. What huge savings!

*** This post brought to you by NFLUniformSet.com

Will Banks Absorb The Credit/Charge Card Service Fee?

Although policies in a budget are supposedly just proposals, in Malaysia, it's like they are already set in stone, so credit and charge card holders are already prepared to pay service fee this coming 1st January, 2010. Service fee on credit and charge card is not something new as it was imposed on 1997, but abolished in 2001 but will now be implemented again to "promote prudent spending." Isn't this a load of crap?

Many of my friends who hold multiple credit cards have told me that this new service fee will force them to cancel some of their cards. I do agree that it's excessive to own too many cards since most of us will only use a couple of them regularly.

That's why I think that it makes more sense to impose a service fee on only the second or third card onwards. I think we should have the first principal and the first supplementary card free. After all, most of us aren't even paying any annual fee on our cards!

Do you think issuing banks and other credit card issuers will absorb the service fee? It makes business sense as they will then be able to keep their card holders and even expand their user base.

Rediscovering Television

I have to admit that it was a long time since I turned on the television. I am subscribed to cable TV too but I pay $50 per month for nothing because I don't even watch any of the programs. This doesn't mean that I don't have any home entertainment. I guess I spend so much time online that I just don't have time for TV anymore, so much so that even when the TV broke down, I didn't miss it at all.

My internet service was down for a few days last week and because of that, I passed time watching TV shows. It was a refreshing change but with all the "new" shows and even newer actors, I felt a little lost. When I was in school I was on top of all the celebrity news and gossips!

I love watching foreign dramas and spent a lot of time watching a Spanish speaking drama which I do not understand if not for the English subtitles. Hispanic people are exceptionally good looking, don't you think so? I am a little embarrassed that even at my age, I am curious enough about these Hispanic Actors to look for more information on them online. Hehe!

I remember when I was schooling, I would buy lots of magazines, especially those with my favorite celebrities on the cover. Thanks to the internet, I don't do that anymore and saved lots of money!

*** This post brought to you by EXO Limited

Another Round of Maxis IPO

Maxis, which will be relisted on KLSE on 19th November, 2009 after taken private in 2007, is open for IPO application until 5th November. I have applied for one lot using the blue form, which qualifies me for restricted balloting. Most Maxis users that I know only qualify for blue forms. I understand that Green Forms are for Maxis One Club members, Maxis customers whose bill exceeds RM1000 monthly.

Like I said, I have applied and most of my friends who are Maxis subscribers have too, or are going to. The thing is, RM5.20 per share is on the high side already especially in such a share market condition, which reduces upside potential.

I asked a friend, who is in risk management, if Maxis IPO is worth applying for, and he said it is, provided one does not need to sell early. He said that Maxis share is at market value and if he were to buy stocks, he would rather buy counters that are undervalued. On the other hand, he said that at a projected dividend of 75%, the yield would be even better than Fixed Deposit.

By the way, this friend, whom I consult all the time regarding financial matters, will not be applying for Maxis IPO. He isn't a Maxis customer. So, if you are offered a chance to apply for Maxis IPO using the blue or green form, are you applying or are you passing up the chance?

Freedom of Religion

My friend, Andrew, who has recently been appointed as a home cell leader in his church community, has invited me to attend a home cell meeting at his home this coming Friday. I am not surprised that Andrew is now a home cell leader because he has always been very committed to church work. At first, I thought that he would even enroll in a Theology course but Andrew said that it's not necessary for home cell leaders to have Theology Degrees.

In any case, I told Andrew that I don't have the time. In actual fact, I am not interested even when he told me that it's like a party with food, music and dance. Andrew knows that I am a Taoist and yet he keeps inviting me, I guess he feels that I need to be "saved." Even though I have rejected Andrew so many times, he continues to mention his home cell meetings each time we bump into each other.

Andrew also invited an elderly couple, who are my neighbors. This couple eventually embraced Christianity. It's fine with them since they were freethinkers. It’s good to see that they are a lot happier now, and more sociable with weekly outings with fellow church mates.

*** This post brought to you by ILIFF

Corporate Gift Giving

My friends, who are in the business of corporate gifts, told me that this is a very busy time for them. Yeah, moving towards the holiday season where corporations are busy with annual dinners, raffles and bonuses to reward their staff and clients, this is the time spend and spend. Wouldn't it be great to get a slice of those corporate expenses?

A friend based in Japan told me that it's office culture to buy expensive gifts for staff and even among colleagues. Handmade stuff will never do. Branded merchandise is the way to go. This is probably part of Asian 'disease' called 'face' which has to be cured with cash, loads of it.

My friend said that she personally hates it but when in Japan, she has to do like the Japanese do. It busts her budget every time there is a gift-giving (or cash-giving) occasion, be it a birthday, promotion or even death. But think of how much money one could make if one was in the gift-giving business in Japan. It's a multi-billion dollar industry, from what I read!

Star Gazing In Hong Kong

My friend, Dan, has just returned from a holiday in Hong Kong with his wife. Dan told me that while touring Hong Kong on foot, they bumped into a shooting of a drama which stars Kevin Cheng and Yoyo Mung. Dan doesn't know all these Hong Kong celebrities but his wife does and told Dan that these are currently big household names not only in Hong Kong but across Cantonese speaking communities around the world.

Dan wasted no time in taking photos of the shooting. I was surprised that Dan as able to get so close to the set. I thought that with these big stars around, the place would be flooded with fans and there would be some kind of Crowd Control measures taken.

However, Dan said that Hong Kong is just a small country and filming like that are normal occurrences that local people are already used to. Dan also said that the fact that fans could get up close with celebrities allow the stars to create a rapport with them and hence, another opportunity to build an even larger fan base. This in turn drives the popularity of the drama and ratings for the show, which all translate to profit for everyone.

It’s too bad that I am not able to enclose some of Dan’s photos in this post. They are not mine, after all.

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Gift Voucher Tops Gifting List Again

Gift vouchers are topping the gift giving list again, especially among women, or from men who are lazy to crack their head thinking what to buy for their girlfriends or wives.

I kind of like the idea of receiving gift vouchers, especially if they are from my favourite stores. Gift vouchers allow me the freedom to buy whatever I want, for free. Hahaha!

But on the other hand, if I were the gift giver, I wouldn't feel comfortable giving gift vouchers as gifts. It makes me seem like I'm not putting care and thought in picking the gifts, which I try to pick different gifts for different individuals, though it takes a lot of time.

Yet, there are certain friends I know who would certainly like receiving gift vouchers no matter what occasion it is and these friends, I definitely will get them gift vouchers. It saves me so much time and sometimes, money too. LOL

Small Sized Homes

I have been checking out real estate in the capital city lately because this is actually a good time to purchase property with the soft market due to the weak economy and the interest rate for home loan is at a low point right now. But at this point, even with the cheaper property prices, I realize that I could only afford either a low cost house or a small apartment unit.

My parents' home, although old, is very spacious and I have a large bedroom to myself. Living in a small apartment would take some adjustment. I don't mind so much but if I were to share it with one or two people, it would feel quite suffocating. After all, the size that I could afford right now is only five times the size of my bedroom!

I also realize that if I were to set up a house, I would not be able to save money by taking some furniture at home along. They certainly wouldn't fit. I would need to get some furniture custom made and since these would not be standard size, I would also need custom made sheets and even custom made Decorative Throw Pillows.

Of course I could take out a larger home loan to be able to afford a larger home but I am not keen to be in a long term debt. Sigh, at this rate, it will take me another five to ten years of savings before I could consider buying a larger home.

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