BlingMyBra! For Breast Cancer Research

In conjunction with Breast Cancer Month this October, a group of innovative individuals who ply the internet for a living on eBay, Bonanzle and other online websites, have come together to organize a campaign called Bling My Bra where 100% proceeds of all fantasy art bras sold will be contributed to breast cancer research through eBay's own Giving Works initiative.

Auctions have already started for since 24th September 2009 and will continue through the month of October, 2009. At this point of writing, there are already two bras up on eBay as you can see from these images enclosed.

From what I see, international bids are welcome. Also people who have no use for art or fantasy bras and yet would like to make monetary contributions to the cause could do so via PayPal. For more information, visit the website of Bling My Bra Campaign at http://sites.google.com/site/breastcancerresearchauction/

Burning Fat The Easy Way

I have a friend who has been struggling with weight issues for the past couple of years. When I met her last evening, I was surprised that she has grown sideways by so much, I almost couldn't recognize her! I remember when we were still in school she was as thin as a stick. I really didn't imagine that she is someone who would suffer from weighty problems like the rest of us!

The problem with her is that she could not resist food and unwilling to put in time at the gym. She wants to burn fat the easy way. This caused her to be on a trial and error experiment to find the weight loss pill that works.

I would recommend her weight loss products if I had tried any but I have lost a lot of weight these past four months I wouldn't dare try any of these products in case I get any skinnier!

PayPal Instant Update API

comScore recently conducted a study called PayPal Checkout Abandonment Study among a group of 553 online shoppers in the United States who recently abandoned an online shopping session.

It was found that the main factor that caused shopping cart abandonment is high shipping costs. Some of these shoppers left the online store to look for a coupon code to help bring down the total price while some left and bought the item from a competitor or a real store.

Based on this study, PayPal has developed the Instant Update API as part of its Express Checkout feature, where once implemented in the store, will show upfront shipping options, insurance choices and tax totals.

Still, a good way to attract online shoppers is to offer free shipping, even though the shipping isn't really offered for free, just added to the price of merchandise!

The Business Of Colon Cleansing

My friend told me that she is giving up her business of cleaning colon by way of enema. Business has never been good in the first place but it was enough to keep her going. Although there are a lot more people who are into colon cleansing because they are more aware of the benefits, they prefer to buy the best colon cleanse products available in the market today.

Frankly, if I am thinking of detoxifying myself by way of colon cleansing as well but I know I would never be comfortable with an enema even if it's self-administered. I certainly welcome the convenience of popping colon cleansing pills daily so I do understand why my friend's struggles with her company. It really is difficult for her to sell this service no thanks to the inborn inhibitions of Asians.

Three Years For Selling Counterfeit Products On eBay

I am often surprised by the fact that some people think they could get away with selling counterfeit products online. There's this man, Bryan Polee, who sold "as seen on TV" products from counterfeit magic blenders to AB Lounges and Liberator Cushions that on eBay that he imported from China.

Of course the main factor that drives people into selling counterfeit products is the money. Imagine the very low cost of procuring counterfeit products to be sold at actual market price, or slightly lower, of brand name products!

But I really do wonder if all these effort in a life of crime for fast profit will be worth it. In this case, Bryan Polee is just 28 years old. Now, he has to "do time" for three years!

Missing Family Vacations

As my siblings and I grow older and chase our own dreams, one thing I miss is the family vacations that we used to have during the year end school holidays every year. It did not matter if it was just a short trip to the beach or a longer trip to a neighboring country, we were able to spend quality time together.

I have been discussing with my siblings about this and reminiscing the old times and we all agree that it's high time we get away as a family again. We have read a lot about All inclusive family vacations and they seem like just the kind of vacation for us where we do not have to worry about anything except to get ourselves there!

I know that it would be difficult to get time off at the same time but it would be worth the effort. Besides, now that we are all earning, we now have the budget to enjoy a longer holiday together!

Illegal Papago Software By Maction Software Technologies

Lelong.com.my has served a notice on their forum a few days ago about complaints from Maction Software Technologies about illegal sale of Papago software or preloaded on GPS devices and mobile phones.

You know, when we list an item on Lelong, we have to agree with their terms and conditions and one of them is that we understand that it is a violation to list and sell software illegally. Therefore, once an announcement like this is made, should a seller continue to sell illegal software, and if the legal owner decides to take legal action on such sellers, Lelong will not protect the identities of such sellers.

If you have legal right to sell software or programmes legally, then get it written in black and white. You'd need it for verification purposes.

Dinner With Sarah Palin Closed At US$63,500

The auction of a dinner with Sarah Palin, former Alaskan Governor and Vice Presidential candidate, and her husband Todd, closed at US$63,500. Opening bid was US$25,000. This auction is in aid of Ride2Recovery, a non-profit organization that supports wounded war veterans through cycling programs.

This auction attracted a total of 61 bids but the winner of the auction is Cathy Maples of Huntsville, Alabama, who runs a defense contracting company and obviously a supporter of Sarah Palin and hopes that she would one day be the President of the United States.

Cathy Maples can bring along four guests to the dinner while Sarah Palin has the option to bring along three other guests, besides her husband. Needless to say, this dinner will be paid for by the winner of the auction.

Long Weekend

It's going to be a long weekend for some of us due to the weekend and Hari Raya, which starts on Sunday. While many offices are closed, my friends and I who run home-based businesses will probably work through the holidays. The internet, after all, never sleeps!

Luckily I had the mind to replenish my office supplies last evening. I was supposed to buy them last week but was too busy. If I did not go shopping last evening, I am afraid I would run out during the holidays and it would be too troublesome then as most shops would be closed already.

Shopping malls, which are expected to open throughout the holidays, would be jam-packed with people and I hate to be trapped in a holiday crowd like that!

VS Free Panty Promo

Victoria's Secrets are at it again. They are throwing in a free Victoria's Secret panty for any purchase of a full priced Victoria's Secret bra. Promotional code to use is VSPANTY. This is a great promotion that i know many people look forward to. the good thing is that you can select a qualifying panty as long as your size and preferred style is available. So you have to act quickly.

This promotion ends today, 16th September, 2009 at 11.59pm EST so there's still plenty of time if you want to browse through the collection of bras and panties that are available on the website of Victoria's Secret. But like I said, be quick as these things go very fast. You don't want to end up buying your second choice, do you?

Florida Holiday Plans

A friend, Sally, wrote to me to tell me her plans of a Florida vacation. I asked her if she never gets bored going to Florida again and again. If I remember correctly, she has been to Florida three times this year already!

Sally told me that unlike the earlier Florida vacations where the family visited Florida's popular theme parks, this time, they plan to holiday at Panama City beach FL. She said she has heard so much about the lovely beaches of Panama City Beach from her colleagues but this shall be her first visit there.

I haven't been there myself too and am so looking forward to viewing Sally's holiday photos when she comes back from Florida! At least I don't have to view photos of Mickey and Minnie Mouse again!

Walmart Marketplace

I have a friend, who a month ago, told me that he is planning to set up an online marketplace. he doesn't plan to sell anything but to offer the services of an online mall to internet merchants to utilize to reach out to more internet shoppers. he asked if I would like to join him in this venture but I was not keen. I figured that it would be tough to gain the trust when there are more established online shopping malls already like PayPal's marketplace and Amazon.

Recently, Walmart launched their very own marketplace, in addition to carrying products that you can already find at Walmart Stores. With the inclusion of new merchants, Walmart has easily expanded their online inventory by almost a million products!

Shoppers who shop at these third party merchants through Walmart website will also enjoy the safe and secure online shopping environment that Walmart offers. This is the kind of trust that we have to earn and frankly, I will not readily disclose my financial particulars at new or unknown shopping stores. If my friend's project kicks off and becomes successful, more power to him!

Stress & Flab

If you have been following my personal blog, you would know that I have having a terrible time, actually the worst period of my life, for the past four months. Even though I am eating normally, the stress and lack of rest caused me to lose a lot of weight. I haven't had the chance to weigh myself yet so I can't tell exactly how much I lost but my clothes are so baggy now.

The funny thing is that even though I am thinner, my spare tire is still around! I think if I could get rid of that, I would have the perfect svelte body that I have always envied but could never achieve. I need to find out how to lose belly fat quickly and effectively while my weight is still down. I am afraid that once this bad patch in my life is over, I would start to put on weight again and I would not have the body shape that I am aiming for!

Zero Insertion Fee For eBay UK and eBay.ie On 13th Sept. 2009

Some of my more enterprising eBay selling colleagues and one of my eBay friends who has migrated to Ireland sell their wears on eBay UK and eBay Ireland respectively. Well, here is good news for them.

For today only, 13th September, 2009, UK time, sellers listing their wares on eBay UK and eBay Ireland in auction style format or in auction with Buy It Now format will enjoy ZERO insertion fee, though other features will still be charged fees accordingly.

There are, as usual, some restrictions in categories as well as in qualifying sellers. Sellers selling in Motors, Property and Mobile Phones with Contract will not qualify. In addition, Business Sellers and PowerSellers will also not qualify for this.

This promotion is valid from Sunday, 13th of September 2009 00:00:01 until 23:59:59 BST. For full terms and conditions, visit this eBay announcement page.

Quality, Cheap Airsoft Guns

In a previous post on BB and Airsoft guns, a reader wrote in and scolded me for not getting my facts right that these are dangerous "weapons". What I actually meant was that these are dangerous only when people misuse them because they look like real guns. With this post, I expect a second round of firing (sorry for the pun!).

Anyway, if you are looking for cheap airsoft guns but do not want to compromise on quality, check out the selection available at Zephyr Airsoft. This is a leading online store that specializes in BB and airsoft guns and other equipment and gear. I noted their exceptional prices and I guess they could offer such a steep discount to buyers because of their sales volume.

I know of a friend who is looking for cheap airsoft guns since he just took up the hobby. I am sure he would be delighted to find cheap airsoft guns and gear for beginners here.

"The Beatles: Rock Band" Limited Edition Xbox 360 Console

My friend, Sam, keeps asking me to buy a game console so that we could play games together over wi-fi. She has all the major consoles so no matter which one I buy, we could still play together. I haven't decided which to buy yet and thank God I am no fan of the Beatles!

Look at this Beatles inspired limited edition Xbox 360 console of The Beatles: Rock Bank. At the time of writing, the current bid is US$14,100.00 with another 6.5 days to go. Some people say that with that kind of money, they could buy so many different gadgets and games with money left over for charity. This auction is in support of Doctors Without Borders USA, by the way, but then Beatles fans say that this is a must have limited edition piece. An Xbox 360 skinned with The Beatles, what else could a Beatle fan ask for?

What do you think? Would you pay so much for an Xbox? If so, would you be playing games on it or would this just be a display unit?

Lengthy Disclaimer: Dinner With Todd & Sarah Palin

You may have read about it on my blog a few days ago that Sarah Palin is auctioning a dinner date with her and her husband in support of a charity called Ride 2 Recovery. Opening bid is US$25,000. I have been so busy lately I just had the chance to take a look at Sarah Palin's auction listing on eBay.

The auction was live since 8th September, 2009 and will end on 18th September, 2009. Reading the lengthy disclaimer reminds me of the disclaimer by the seller who auctioned off her virginity. Of course, that auction was eventually pulled from the marketplace but in both cases, if you win the auction, you would be subjected to a background check and may not be allowed to claim your prize even if you have the money to pay for it!

For an amusing read, head over to the eBay listing HERE. But to pay that amount of money to have dinner with her and her husband and perhaps three of her other guests and pay for everything, I think I'd rather dine with somebody more interesting.

Buying Football Tickets Online

Football season is back again and tickets are once again selling like hot cakes. If you check online marketplaces, you will notice that some sellers try to cash in on the season and sell premium tickets at prices way above the face value of the tickets.

I have bought concert tickets online before and the principle of buying sports tickets is the same. We should only buy from reputable sellers lest the authenticity of ticket is questioned and you end up not with a ticket but just a piece of expensive paper!

A friend asked me if he should purchase Miami Dolphins Tickets from an online website. It should be fine if he bought it from an online site with a good track record. The website, miamidolphinstickets.com, even offers 200% money back guarantee on ticket purchases through them!

Victoria's Secret's Sweaterdresses

I received Victoria's Secret's latest newsletter via email promoting their latest fall wardrobe essential, the sweaterdress. I roughly have an idea what sweaterdresses are but upon visiting the website of Victoria's Secret and browsing through their selection of over fifty styles of sweaterdresses in cashmere, cotton and merino, I am afraid these are not clothes that many ladies would be able to carry nicely without showing bulges of fat here and there and that would be pretty unsightly! Have you heard of the saying that goes, "Brain cells come and go but fatty cells stay forever?" How true!

Anyway, sweaterdresses are very form fitting dresses, I dare not even attempt to try one on until I have clocked in enough hours at the gym but by then, autumn would be over and winter would be here; probably winter of 2010 too! And Victoria's Secret says that these are autumn wardrobe essentials. SIGH!!!

Outsourcing Debt Collection

A friend, Joe, who works with a bank at their credit card department, told me that he is like a debt collector now with so many of clients defaulting on credit card balances. Many people have the bad habit of not settling their credit card balances in full every month and the problem starts when they lose their job or involved in an emergency and they find that unlike previous months, they have no more money on hand to settle their credit card bills after receiving their pay check and

Joe told me that if this trend continues, he would have to propose to his management to outsource the task of collecting debt to Collection Agencies due to the sheer volume of defaulters. It is already very difficult to handle right now since he has to do his regular work. In fact, chasing after defaulters has taken so much time that he could not concentrate on his real work, something that he loves doing and excel in!

I say, Joe should just let his superiors know about this now so that they could start with the outsourcing right now? Why wait and waste human resources? Debt collection could be a very long process especially when defaulters refuse to pay up!

Canadian Taxman & the eBay PowerSeller

Canadian tax department may start to audit eBay PowerSellers as soon as this fall. It's just something that's waiting to happen since the Federal Courts of Canada has denied eBay's appeal to disclose 2004 and 2005 PowerSeller information and those whose sales hit at least US$1,000 per month with effect from 7th November, 2008.

Knowing that many eBay sellers would be affected by this, the Canadian IRS has allowed grace period for these sellers who have been under the radar so far to come forward to straighten their tax matters before the IRS starts their audit on them. Coming clean, they would avoid getting penalized. At least they have had ample warning!

So if you are a Canadian citizen or tax-paying resident and selling online, on eBay or otherwise, awarded with PowerSeller status or not, you should make sure that your income tax and GST returns match your ecommerce activities, particularly on eBay. You don't want to get entangled in law!

Return Of Mini Skirts

I used to joke to my mother that she should not discard her old clothes and shoes because I may need them one day. Fashion moves in cycles and I see people my generation going after fashion that I used to see in my mother's old photos, from hairstyle to clothes and shoes, bags, accessories and even the shape of sunglasses!

The mini skirt is back, if you did not notice yet. The warm weather is to be blamed, I say. And girls just want the opportunity to show off some tan skin. I say "blame" because, you know what? Not every girl could carry a mini skirt well. I know I don't, but I KNOW it and I avoid mini skirts!

But for those with slim legs, the good thing about mini skirts is that they don't require the wearer to be tall. Yes, even the not so tall could look good in a mini skirt, but of course, if one isn't that tall, it would not look good to match a mini skirt with a pair of thigh high boots!

When I was younger, I used to own a couple of denim mini skirts. Denim is like an all-season material. I wonder where my skirts are now. Perhaps they are chucked at the bottom of my wardrobe or something. It’s time I look for them, not to wear but to give them away!

Dinner Date With Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin, the former Governor in Alaska, may have lost in her bid to be the Vice President of the United States in the Presidential Election past but that doesn't affect her popularity at all. Do you think she has the chance to be the President of the United States one day? That is surely what she is chasing for, even to the point of giving up her governorship in the state of Alaska.

Next Tuesday, for ten days, eBay will be running a charity auction of dinner with ten celebrities, including Sarah Palin, whose opening bid is said to be US$25,000. This charity event is in support of wounded war veterans.

Do note that the winning bid does not include travel expenses to meet up with Sarah Palin or the nine other "celebrities" for the dinner date. That's a separate cost. I’m thinking these auctions could attract international bids as well.

Capital Guaranteed

My friend sent me a text message asking me if it is worth to invest in national bonds. I didn't explore the returns or compare bonds with other form of investments because I don't like investing in bonds because our capital is not guaranteed, so I told him so.

My friend is rather keen in buying bonds and does not mind that capital is not guaranteed because of the fairly high returns but the thing that's stopping him is having to queue up at the bank at three in the morning and only able to purchase a limited number of units since he is below 55 years old. Yes, bonds are THAT popular.

I told my friend that if I have his money, I would rather buy gold to keep. As you could see, gold price has been very steady throughout generations and no matter what happens, there is still value in gold, and I certainly couldn't say that about bonds and some of my friends could attest to that!

Public Email Address

With the deluge of phishing email that I am receiving lately, I am so glad that I have used a separate email for my online advertising. All email that go to that account, I am extra careful. Of course, I have been receiving spam email since the beginning of my advertising foray but spams are nothing compared to phishing mail!

I also get a lot of email from companies wanting to do business with me. This morning, one email came in from a China company which made me laugh till I couldn't stop. The email reads, "we learn your shop, who is rising on-line store in sex products business."

I was like, "Errrr since when did I sell sex toys?" Granted, I do receive an occasional request from my buyers to bring in adult toys but I don't meddle with that. Those are illegal in Malaysia, as far as I understand!

Printing Solutions

A friend told me that he has found a new "business" to do but he needs my help. He is a professional photographer and he would like to print high resolution photos to be sold on eBay and other online marketplaces. Since he is unfamiliar with online marketing and sales, he wants me to handle that aspect for him so that he could concentrate on taking good shots, developing his digital images and framing them.

I said I would like to help him since I will be handling the easy part of the business and I get paid sales commission so it is almost like free money for me. Unfortunately, until today, a couple of months since our discussion, nothing has yet to come out of this partnership.

My friend told me that he is looking for printing solutions and trying to figure out which one is the best for him. I told him that he could send his images to Commercial Printers but he said that he should buy his own printer as it would be worthier in the long run.

Oh, well, I guess I will have to wait for him to make a decision. Meanwhile, I have seen his photos and I am confident that there is a market for them!

eBay Give Good Green Win Sweepstakes

eBay is running a mega sweeps but unfortunately it is only open to residents of the United States of America who are also eBay users. The catch is that you must use eBay's services or help to spread the news about their sweepstakes.

There are many ways to put in an entry, by buying, selling, donating, investing, or spread the word via social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook. eBay allows up to twelve entries per person per day, from what I understand, so that's a lot of chances there to win prizes, but one has to start getting those entries in early.

The grand prize for this sweepstakes is definitely something green, in the form of a custom Tazzari ZERO electric car that has an approximate retail value of US$20,000. Cool, man. Too bad that the rest of the world are not able to participate and win. But we can go green too, though! For more information on this sweepstakes, visit eBay's give, good, green website at http://www.ebaygivegoodgreen.com/

Keeping Awake With Coffee

Working from home for myself, I have great time flexibility which I totally love. Unfortunately nothing is perfect and there are pros and cons to it. The thing I do not like about working from home is that the family fails to understand that I need time to work. Just because I am around doesn't mean that I am free, you know? Often times, I end up having to work in the wee hours of the morning when the household is asleep and I have some peace and quiet to get things done.

I know it's bad for health being deprived of normal sleeping hours, especially when I have to keep myself awake with coffee, instant coffee at that. I cannot do without coffee but I can definitely make drinking coffee healthier by brewing my own coffee.

I am thinking of getting myself one of those Keurig single cup coffee machines like the picture I have enclosed in this post. For one, making single cups would make me walk more away from my workstation. It will certainly provide me with an opportunity to stretch my legs and rest my eyes. Besides, I am the only one in the household who needs my daily coffee fix. Well, that is until I am able to convert them to be coffee lovers as well!

Turning Trash To Cash

My friend told me that it's "throw out month" this month and have already started to discard some stuff around the home. Of course, most of the stuff she threw belonged to other family members and not her own but she said that she would take care of those once she is done with those.

I guess unlike her, I could never throw away anything because I would keep asking myself, "What if I need this later?" I know that it is not difficult to throw away something. If it's in a box and you do not know what is inside the box, then you may throw it. If you haven't worn clothes for at least three years, then you can safely donate them to people who need them.

But for me, since discovering eBay, every time there is something that I want to discard, I would ask myself first if there's anyone who would want to buy it and if so, how much would it be worth? See, even for junk, I see its value. How then could I manage to throw anything away? LOL

Seeking Greener Pastures

Evon, an old friend who moved to the United States about ten years ago, told me that her husband has just been offered a promotion but the catch is that they have to relocate to another state. You see, due to the poor economy, the factory that her husband works at has to be closed. A lot of his colleagues have been issued the dreaded pink slip, some took up a mutual separation scheme while some were offered a promotion.

Some of these people who will be promoted in the coming months have been offered posts in other branches within the country, some in foreign countries. I guess Evon's husband is one of the lucky ones to be offered a higher position within the country though they would still have to relocate.

Evon told me that she doesn't relish the thought of moving yet again. She didn't have a good experience back then but that has been ten years and I am sure now with an experienced Moving Company to do all the physical work of moving from one state to another, it would not be as difficult as it was previously.

Moving to a new place is a challenge and an adventure. It sure takes a lot of energy to ensure that everything and everybody arrives safely. Evon would be better off leaving the physical aspect of moving their personal possessions to the experts!

Important Changes To Ebay Malaysia [September 2009]

September is here already and as announced a couple of months ago, eBay will be rolling out changes that would affect both Malaysian eBayers who sell internationally and Malaysian eBayers who sell domestically on eBay Malaysia only. For the sake of this post, let me just focus on the changes that would impact Malaysian eBayers that sell on eBay Malaysia exclusively.

First up, let me just say that I believe that whatever changes that eBay has in store for us is meant to make our buying and selling experience better. Changes are supposed to bring improvements, after all.

The following are changes that will impact domestic eBay Malaysia users:

1. Increased visibility of Store listings and introduction of new store packages
* More search results options available for buyers and changes.
* Increased exposure for Store listings (or SIF listings) in the main eBay search results.
* Enhancements to Best Match, enabling a good mix of relevant fixed price and auction listings.
* Introduction of new Store packages with free insertion fees and free subscription to Selling Manager Pro.

2. Improved service standards
* Changes to the PowerSeller programme.
* Optional buyer shipping insurance will no longer be allowed.

3. Easier & more profitable selling on eBay
* Streamlined My Messages and post-transaction emails for improved buyer communication.
* More control over international ship-to locations.
* Faster ways to edit bulk listings, even multi-quantity listings with a sale and listing descriptions.

Keeping Up With Fashion Trends

I told a friend that I want to do something drastic with my hair and dressing because I did a quiz a little while back and was shocked to realize that I didn't undergo too many changes in the past TEN years! When it comes to Fashion Trends, I could be quite blur and to think that I would like to set up a new business selling ladies' fashion wear! I better improve my own sense of style first!

This morning, I was introduced to an online magazine called EXO Limited. It's not exclusively an online fashion magazine but also incorporates other "beautiful" subjects like celebrity news, beauty trends, entertainment, lifestyle, food, travel, culture and media channels, just to name a few.

Right now, the top stories are of course the Mercedes-Benz Fashion week in New York and the winner of Miss Universe 2009, 18-year-old Stefania Fernandez. You see, EXO Limited is an online publication primarily focused on Latinos and Latinas and their culture and interests. I believe I will receive some pretty valuable tips on fashion trends from reading EXO Limited. You know how ahead Latinos and Latinas are when it comes to style!

Oh yes, EXO Limited has articles in English and Spanish and even though I only understand English, I still found plenty to read!

Reporting Phishing Email To MyCERT

If you have been following my blog these couple of days, you would know that I received two phishing emails purportedly from HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad. I believe they are from the same source, though definitely not from HSBC.

I have the intention of reporting them to HSBC Malaysia but could not find any quick link on their website to enable me to do so. A friend told me to email HSBC directly with the subject "Phishing Email" or something like that but it is not convenient and the email address is not one that is dedicated to reporting of phishing emails.

Another friend came to my rescue and told me that I don't have to report to HSBC Malaysia specifically. Just forward those email headers to "Malaysian Computer Emergency Response Team- MyCERT" at mycert@mycert.org.my.

I actually trashed the email messages already but salvaged them and will report to MyCERT soon, once I am done with work. Anyway, I think companies should make it easier for us to report such phishing attempts!

Personal Bankruptcy in Canada

This morning, I was surprised to receive an email from a friend who migrated to Markham, Ontario, Canada many years ago. Although we have each other's email addresses, we failed to keep in touch. I guess with the slow economy, she has more free time on her hands now and trying to reestablish connection with her old friends. Or perhaps she just wanted to find out if I am still in business!

In her email, Dee told me that many of her associates in Canada had to fold their businesses because they could no longer keep it alive. She asked me if the situation is the same where I am and I have to say that it is, unfortunately.

Dee also told me that some of these friends had to file for Personal Bankruptcy in Canada. It could be a long and confusing process and the decision to take this step forward is a life-changing decision. Sure being a bankrupt would free us from our debts but then we should know what happens if we are declared bankrupt.

A few of my family members are bankrupts and I would say that as a bankrupt, one loses whatever standing one has in society. I think that filing for bankruptcy to free oneself of debt problems should be the last resort.

Class Action Filed Against PayPal

A group of online merchants has filed Federal class action against PayPal regarding its dispute resolution policies which tend to favour the buyer. If you use PayPal or accept credit cards in your online store, you would understand the risks involved and the fear of buyers taking advantage of these policies is very real.

Buyers who file a complaint with their credit card companies to invalidate a payment would usually have their chargeback approved by PayPal and they know it and some dishonest buyers use this to their advantage. Do you think that once a reversal of payment against a seller's account has been approved that the buyer would return the item that he has bought to the merchant? No "sane" person would do that, right?

With a dispute policy like this, it is not surprising that online merchants who have the luck to meet dishonest buyers would end up with a loss, losing their product. It would be interesting to see how this class action would conclude, though I guess such a court case would be long-drawn.

Vocation To Religious Life

I met a friend a couple of days ago and was very surprised to learn that he is now a pastor at a neighborhood church. Previously, he was a pharmacist who has his own business in our neighborhood too. I knew that he sold off his business to a lady pharmacist but didn't know that he went to study Theology and became a pastor.

What surprised me was that he was willing to let go of his worldly wealth; as I understand it, he was making a five figure income per month running his own business. Not only did he turn his life entirely around, he even contributed the money he profited from the sale of his business to his church. I guess a vocation to religious life is not something that everyone understands.

Even when he was a pharmacist, whenever I drop by at his shop, I would see him on the phone talking to church members, arranging church activities and hosting cell meetings. I guess that he finally took a step further to be a pastor should come as no surprise, seeing how involved he was.

For people who are interested in receiving Theology Degrees, they should check out ILIFF.edu. It is a leading theological school in the United States of America with internationally known professors.

Misusing The Internet To Make Money Online

Although the internet is a very useful tool and we could make money online sitting at home with just the internet connection and computer particularly using online auction sites like eBay and Lelong, and in fact, quite a few people became millionaires by just trading on eBay, it could be quite foolish to misuse it.

I just read about the case where a woman stole shoes from the shoe retailer that she worked for and sold them on eBay. Her misdeeds only came to light when her eBay buyers called up the company seeking a refund and the company found that there were no receipt of payment and therefore not able to issue a refund. Her buyers said that they bought the shoes off eBay and the company says that they do not sell through eBay.

Now, who doesn't know how to make money like this, right? But is it something that we should do? Just because we have access to something that people may want, like in this case, brand name shoes, doesn't mean that we could sell them as if they were our own stocks. It would be another matter if she was able to procure those branded shoes at staff price and then resell them on eBay at a closer to market price since they would be "brand new with tag".

Doggie Boot Camp

My friend, Andie, has been complaining about the behavior of his new puppy. He bought it as a companion for his first dog, Ovaltine, but instead of being a companion, this puppy, Mylo, has disrupted the training that Ovaltine has received previously. Now, instead of having a naughty dog, Andie has two! Andie says he is so frustrated that he is thinking of giving Mylo away.

As a dog lover myself, even if I could take in Mylo just to save Andie's sanity, I feel that is not the right thing to do. Ovaltine would be sad, wouldn't he? I told Andie that the best thing to do is to send them both to Boot Camp For Dogs though I am unsure if there is one where we live.

The doggie boot camps that K-9 Companions run seem like so much fun for the dogs that they don't seem like real dog training at all. I am not surprised that quite a number of celebrities send their dogs to these boot camps and many past clients talk about getting a "new" dog when the boot camp is over. That's how good they are in training dogs, even the difficult ones with behavioral problems.

K-9 Companions are staffed with certified trainers so dog owners know that when they choose to send their dog to a K-9 Companions boot camp, the dog will be in safe hands.

Spam From Online Payment Gateway Providers

I have been receiving way too many emails from various local online payment gateway provides. I treat these emails as spam mail as they are not solicited. In fact, just because I run an online retail store doesn't mean that I need an online payment gateway provider. This is because my sales volume is low and Paypal would suffice. A friend told me PayPal may be expensive to some but compared to other online payment gateway providers, PayPal remains as one of the most competitive.

Truth be told, I hardly ever visit the websites of these spammers. I do sometimes read their email and I noticed that many of them who write in do not even provide their full name. Why would one use an initial if it was a business or professional email?

If I was running a company that makes me a high risk merchant, then I surely would check these services out since most banks would not handle high risk merchant accounts. So for the time being, I continue to trash these emails as they come in.

More Than Just Pet Boarding

If you know me, you would know that I have been so attached to my two dogs that some friends claim that it's unhealthy. Because of these two dogs, I have not been able to travel as much as I like. Of course, I could dump them at the local pet "hotel" which is actually an extension of the back of the building of a neighborhood veterinary clinic. I visited that place once and felt that it was not conducive for my dogs and refused to place them there even if it was just overnight. The charges were all right but that wasn't my concern.

I got to know of a California Pet Boarding that offers more than just boarding. They also grooming and training for the dogs. Seeing how pet boarders interact with one another happily, I know that this is the kind of environment that I would like my dogs to be in and not caged up in kennels at the back of a building.

I am surprised to learn that The Animal Keeper has been in business since 1979. That's a lot of experience they have with handling pets and they surely know what the pets and their owners want. Some pets would suffer from separation anxiety if the owners are away for an extended period of time but I believe that even these difficult-to-handle pets would have an enjoyable time when they go on a holiday of their own!

Leopard Print Lingerie

I received La Senza's latest online newsletter promoting their new range of sexiest bras. The word "sexy", let alone "sexiest", is most subjective but that didn't stop me from hopping over to their official Canadian website to have a look at their latest range of sexiest bras.

If you have been reading my blog all along, you would know that I actually prefer the styles of La Senza over Victoria's Secret. This time, I am rather disappointed that they have used the leopard print bra in their online poster.

I remember mentioning that I hate leopard prints. And the funny thing to me is that I sell leopard print lingerie as well and they are ALWAYS the first items to be sold! People just love leopard prints, except me, I guess. The problem is that with the demand for leopard print lingerie, which makes the wearer look 'wild", I guess, I keep selling them offering them to my customers too even though I personally don’t like leopard print lingerie! LOL

Cell Phone Signal Issues

As a blogger who sometimes blog about the issues I face with my cell phone and 3G service provider, I get quite a lot of email from customers of this provider who would complain to me that they are also facing similar issues, thinking that I am the service provider. It's funny that these people have a poor understanding of blogs and bloggers and that I am not the service provider and I do not have a solution for them.

However, I do sometimes reply these emails asking if they have a problem with receiving the signal for the phone and 3G. If they do, it could be easily solved with a cell phone antenna. Cell Phone Antennas are used to boost our cellular signal but not many people know this and we continue to suffer from poor signal and worse, dropped calls. If it was a business call, it would give a poor impression to the other party.

Even though I know that we could easily boost our signal with an antenna, I did not know that there are so many different types until I browsed through the website of wpsantennas.com. Not only do they have a large selection of antennas, they also carry amplifiers, adapter cables, coax cable assemblies, adapters and crimps.

It looks like whatever signal issues that you have, WPS Antennas may just have the solution for you.

2nd Phishing Mail from HSBC Malaysia

Soon after receiving the phishing email from HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, I received another one early this morning. The subject of the email this time is: Protect Your Internet Banking. The email that it came from this time is: onlineprotectionid12@hsbc.com.my

Although one may be fooled with regards to the authenticity of these emails because they both came from @hsbc.com.my domain, I think that it could be easily done to mask the REAL domain that it came from. I may not know exactly how it is done but I know it could be done.

Also, I was told to start protecting my HSBC internet banking from this link: http://www.hsbc.com.my/online/rbcguarantee.html. However, hovering my cursor over it, I was shown another entirely different URL. Needless to say, it is NOT the URL of HSBC Malaysia or any other HSBC domain. In fact, it is a Brazilian site.

If you did receive such an email, do take extra care. I have to say that it's rather alarming to receive two phishing attempts back to back even though I have been an HSBC customer for a long time and have never received phishing mails from "HSBC" prior to this.

Celebrity Sighting

A couple of days ago, I had the luck to bump into a Hollywood celebrity at a local exhibition. I am not going to mention her name here but if you know where I come from, you would know who I am referring to. There is only ONE Hollywood star from my hometown as far as I know!

I understand that this celebrity travels extensively but takes the trouble to come home as her family is still here and her parents are elderly. Besides, her father is not in the best of health. However, each time she is home, it is always a low-key affair. I was told that nobody would realize that she has arrived at the airport here so unlike other Hollywood stars, there is no crowd to welcome her home. That's the way she likes it, it seems.

I think it all boils down to security issues. Imagine if there was a crowd of fans waiting for her at the airport and the airports here lack Airport Security Stanchion and crowd control devices, unlike other modern, larger airports in more advanced countries. The situation may get out of control. Not only would it be difficult for her to move, fans may even get hurt.

Anyway, if you are thinking of bumping into her this time around, she has left for Hong Kong already. Better luck next time!

Phishing Email From HSBC Malaysia

I received an email purportedly from HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad in the wee hours of the morning. Actually, it arrived at midnight but I only saw it in the middle of the night. The subject of the email was: Customers Benefits And Protection During Celebration , (yes, comma included) and it came from this email address: customersbenefits@hsbc.com.my

I wanted to check it out but I thought that since it's some sort of a newsletter which I occasionally receive from my two HSBC accounts in Malaysia and USA, I will only do it in the morning. I hate reading non-important email, or do anything that could wait till tomorrow in the middle of the night because my mind is not alert.

Luckily for me, when I checked it in the morning, I found out that it was a phishing attempt. I was asked to verify my HSBC account, and I quote, "to enjoy the benefits of internet banking and finance and to avoid fraudulent activities on your account."

A link was provided but of course I was alert enough to NOT click on it because it certainly doesn't lead me to the HSBC website! Anyway, I went to HSBC website with the intention of reporting the phishing mail but hard as I look, even with the help of friends, I couldn't find any quick link or email address that would allow me to do so. Instead, I found a telephone number to call should I have concerns and I also found a page regarding online security, the meaning of phishing and its jargon. Strange! I know all these, that's why I am trying to alert HSBC about it but they, unlike Maybank, are not making it easy for me and other customers in a similar situation, to do so!