FLASHBACK 2007

2007 has been a wonderful year since I started blogging. It all started on 30 April 2007 with my first posting titled 十八岁的回憶, meaning memories when I was 18 years old. Well, that was my first and last posting in Chinese. I realized that in Blogger, there are more English blogs rather than Chinese blogs and the chances of earning some pocket money through advertising companies like Nuffnang would be slim if I were to have postings in Chinese. From then onwards, all my articles were in English and it was surely fun.

Time flies real fast. Within a short period of 8 months, I have hit more than 330 posts and was given quite a few awards such as the Thinking Blogger, Awesome Guy Blogger, Power of Schmooze and Breakout Blogger. Moreover, I have put my computer graphical skills to test with the creation of hundreds of graphic and photography designs for posts as well as for banners. Here are some of them:

With self motivation, commitment and high spirit, I went deeper and deeper into expressing my thoughts and experiences in life by sharing what I have learned through my growing up years until who I am now. That is why I have adopted the name Criz’s Sanctuary, a place where there will not be short of love, life and relationship. Within days of being a newbie in the blogosphere, I was noted by the infamous AhPek and that pushed me to excel further into blogging. Thanks AhPek, I will surely not forget you for the spark you have given me to strive for the best in life.

Barely two weeks from joining in the blogosphere, I had another surprise. This time, it is from another family man. It is none other than PapaJoneh. Not only did he become my closest friend and buddy, he has given me the best time of my years. It is needless to say that his support, advice and guidance are like a precious diamond, priceless and flawless. Thank you for everything you have done for me friend. I appreciate it a lot.

I got to know many other bloggers who one way or another, who have guided and inspired me to stay on in the blogosphere. Cedric, thanks for showing me a better platform to start blogging. Pikey, thanks for the sharing of many priceless tips. Zewt, thanks for the support and inspiration articles you have posted up to keep me moving on. Wuching, thanks for the kick in the butt with your sense of humour to make my life joyful. Sweetpea, thanks for your sharing on how happy a family should be. Annabel, thanks for the support and sharing even though the time difference between here and Switzerland is so far apart. Lasker & Elise, thanks for the good times I had with ShoutOut.

Azmeen, thanks for the IT knowledge and good advices which you have shared with me. Daniel & Satkuru, thanks for the little tips here and there in making my blogs more interesting. EastCoastLife, thanks for tickling me always with your humour. Singapore mummy rocks! Jamie, thanks for the fun I had with Photo Hunt. It really stretched my creativity in photography. Well, at the rate I am going, I do not think I can thank everyone in one posting. To my readers and commentators, thanks for your support. I will try my best to blog better articles. To all the shouters, thanks for the good time you have given me. To those photo hunters, thanks for the support and opportunity to know you all from all over the world.

In order to show my appreciation, I would like to introduce you to the official launching of my new website Insight Criz. There is going to be a party all the way but drinks would be served in cyberspace. Haha… For this new acquired entity, I would be covering mostly on general life issues. It is going to be a thinking blog and I hope you all like it too. Anyway, this flashback post is getting a bit too lengthy. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone “HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!”

SURFERS’ PARADISE IN HAWAII

After finding out more about the Hawaii Travel Information through my American friend, it is no longer that hard to look for sunny beaches and tropical locations to visit. After all, where would be the most ideal place for a taste of beach adventure except for Hawaii, which comprised of 137 islands and atolls. Surrounding Hawaii are some of the world’s famous reefs. It would also be ideal for some snorkeling and scuba diving to see the wonders of the undersea.

Hawaii is a lovely place with beautiful sunsets, golden beaches, beautiful flora and fauna and warm friendly locals. There are many Hawaiian Beach Rentals available for you to choose, from Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Molokai to the Big Island. What a lot of choices for family or business vacations.

I will also be looking forward to visiting Oahu, the third largest and the most populated island in Hawaii. Through the Oahu vacation rentals site, I have found out that Oahu is nicknamed as “The Gathering Place” for surfers. It has one of the best waves for big time surfing. I just can’t wait to check into the hotel and change to my surfer suit to ride on one of those big waves.

PHOTO HUNTERS: MESSY

This week’s theme is on MESSY.
Last week I posted up a feather.
This week I will post up more feathers but this time on a real bird.
This is the photo of an injured sparrow I helped in nursing it back to health.
Look at how MESSY the paper is with the bird’s dropping.

Jon has been kind of cheeky and MESSY for the past few weeks.
I wondered what is so interesting in his Friskies Fish Diet
that made him play with them and made the whole place MESSY?

FEEL FREE TO DROP BY MY OTHER SITE FOR PHOTOHUNTER.
THIS IS THE LAST ENTRY FOR THE YEAR 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008 EVERYONE FROM MALAYSIA!

For those PhotoHunt members,
Please click Mister Linky above and enter your information for easy tracking.
Thank you and have a Nice Weekend!

PLAY TEXT BASED REVERSE AUCTION GAMES AND WIN PRIZES

Wow! I never knew that playing online games can be so fun and rewarding. All these while, I have been playing those Yahoo online games without getting any benefits. Now with the introduction of Bid4Prizes, a text based reverse-auction game where the lowest unique bid will win a prize; I can have all the fun and yet still get free gifts or cash prize just for playing the easy and user-friendly games. The best part is that I can opt for free games or sign up for their Premium membership if I am above 18 years old and resides in the USA or the District of Columbia.

By the look at their prizes list, I am amazed. They have prizes ranging from electronics, cash & gift cards, computers, travel, gaming, and sports & hobbies. My eyes are now at those Apple I-Phone, HDTV, Designer Bags, and SCION XB that they are giving away. There will be a winner daily too. Even if I did not win any prizes, I can use the points gained playing the games by redeeming items in their Rewards Store.

On top of that, there will be the Sweepstake where 40 players will win $100 monthly, 1 player will win $10,000 monthly and every token played has a chance to win $1,000,000 every quarter of the year. It is very impressive right? Why don’t you check out the site on how to play now and see how exciting it will be when luck struck at your door countless of time.

QUIET MOMENT WITHIN THYSELF

Sitting down, mindfully and stress free,
Searching inside what most could not see;
Chillness, instability and fears,
Pierced deeply into the bones as sharp as icy spears.

Shrill struck coldness into the heart,
Whining painfully inside urging to bark;
But the shivering feelings were just too strong,
Even to let one trying very hard to unbound.

Has anyone ever felt this way before? The feeling of fear within yourself even though you have done nothing wrong? The feeling of being so lost with no directions? The feeling of being so confused with truth and falseness? It felt as if something bad is about to happen. The mind goes wild thinking of all the possibilities of any bad happenings. What might be the causes these feelings? Could it be due to unrest worries, tiredness, illness, fearing death, fearing rejections, stresses, failures or even loneliness?

The answer is worries as many of us kept thinking about our future, consciously or subconsciously. Why would we still worry when we have adjusted our daily lives to whatever changing circumstances? We should be taking advantages of the present but not the past or the future. It would be absurd to look into the future and get to know what we should not know in the first place.

Some will be so desperate to find out about the worst part of their future through fortune tellers until they will spend thousands of dollars on rituals, charms or amulets just to make sure they will not be hard hit by misfortunes and bad lucks. For those who received good news on their luck, some will spend large sum of money gambling away hoping to strike that jackpot.

Do you think it is wise to act against the law of nature to live life one day at a time? We do not need to touch on sensitive issues here. But with a clear mind and understanding, isn’t it better to stay in the present and spend on what is required on a day to day basis? Not only will we save on money, but also the unnecessary worries we would put upon ourselves.

WHAT’S THE ITCHY BITCHY STUFF ON MY BED?

I have been very hygienic and dirtiness did not exist in my dictionary but somehow I have some skin irritations and rashes each time I woke up in the morning. I thought it was dust particles but I could be wrong. It could be bedbugs. Even though bedbugs are not dangerous, it could be annoying in a long run as they multiply real fast. You can imagine with 4-5 eggs daily, how many bedbugs you will have by the end of a month. The worst thing is that they live mainly off human blood and some other warm-blooded animals.

It is hard to see bedbugs as they are rather tiny and flat. They are just everywhere, from hotels, motels, furniture, luggage to even old clothing, and you may not aware of how easily they find their way into your homes. When they do that, they will hide practically anywhere and come out for their fiesta before each dawn.

There are many ways on how to kill bedbugs and eradicate them once and for all. One of the ways is to let your mattress out in the opening either under extremely hot or cold weather. You can even vacuum or steam clean regularly. If you are unsure that you will do the extermination properly, seek the help of the experts. It is baseless to save on something that is not within our ability.

EVERYBODY IS UNIQUE

“Every person born in this world represents something new, something that never existed before, something original and unique,” said Martin Buber. We are all born into the world, totally pure and unaffected by the outside forces. Our destiny is all within our own hands since we were born. How good or how bad our future is all lies with how positive and creative our minds are in seeking that special gift we have in all of us. It could be the gift of love, the gift of leadership, the gift of thoughtful thinking, the gift of sharing, or the gift of giving and so on. It is our own unique identity

By identifying and polishing up that gift, it would help to make a better society. Everybody would need love as comfort all the time. Those who are confused and lost would need someone to lead them towards the right direction. For those who have worked hard in the society, they would want some appreciation and gratitude. Other than that, some would want to share their knowledge with another in order to grow together for a better future. What about those who were born poor, sick and homeless? What will happen if there is no one with kindness and compassion to help them?

The world is filled with lots of confusion and suffering. Everyone in it has the unique task to make it better. It would not harm anyone if everyone were to extend the hands out and touch the world with an extra bit of love and kindness. You do not have to wait for an opportunity to do so. You can always lend the ears to someone in the old folks’ home, surprised them with a little gift of love and affection. Do something way out of your norm and see what will unfold. After all, there are many ways you can help in making the world a better place to be in.

ARE YOU A HARDCORE COLLECTOR?

Speaking about collecting stuff as a hobby, all of us have gone through that stage ever since we were a kid. Some will collect stamps, coins, currencies or even figurines ranging from Pokemon, Star Wars and many other Disney’s collectables. Some will even carry on with the interest even when they have grown up to be adults. I for sure am one of them.

Do you still remember the most loved and played Hornby trainset where you can join up different tracks and create nice sceneries with it? It really brought back many fond memories for me and my Dad. I was 3 years old then. I still keep part of the Hornby Collectables, namely the Duchess Class Locomotive with tracks and an over bridge proudly displayed in our showcase.

My Mum on the other hand could not get enough of the Wade Collectables. She loves to collect all those nice Wade ceramic figurines and plates from Whimsies to Felix Wade. One of her latest collection is the limited edition of the Wade Easter Bunny and it comes with a certificate too. These are of course displayed in the family showcase as well.

As for me, I would love to get my hands on limited edition or antique collectables. I still have my pearl white sport car displayed in my own showcase. There are only about less than 250 pieces in the world. I also have a huge collection of Disney characters in my possession as well as originals Japanese Anime DVDs. On and off, I would search for Antique Blog online to check on latest offers in the market. If I am lucky, I would get some good items to add to my existing collections.

Collecting items can be fun and interesting. Who knows? It might be a good investment after all for the future.

I HAVE SOME FUNNY BONES TOO

I do not know about you guys but I do have a lot of funny jokes up my sleeves most of the time. Have you all heard about one of the business jokes about a rich man’s death wishes? Well, Mr. TooMuchToSpend knew that he would not live long due to his critical illness and called his trusted pastor, doctor and lawyer to his mansion.

“I will not live long and I would want you all to do something nice for me during my funeral,” he said. Everyone was in shock and expected the rich man’s death wishes to be very demanding. They were relieved when the rich man continued, “I am going to issue a check for $100,000 each under your name and after deducting all the expenses for my funeral, please deposit the balance into my coffin before burial.”

A few weeks later, the rich man passed away. The pastor deposited $70,000 in cash into the dead man’s coffin after deducting the amount spent on the building a marble tombstone for the rich man. The doctor deposited $50,000 in cash into the coffin after minus the medical expenses of the rich man. The lawyer snapped at the other two for being cheaters. “I am not going to charge Mr. TooMuchToSpend a single cent. In fact, I am giving him more for all the businesses he had given me,” said the lawyer. He then wrote a check for $120,000 and deposited into the coffin.

Did you get the joke here? The jokes are on the pastor and doctor. One could be smart but there will be another who will be smarter. In the end, the lawyer who is the smartest of them all got the most!

VEGETARIAN MUTTON KURMA

INGREDIENTS
500g mock mutton
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 big onion (cut to wedges)
2” cinnamon bark
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1 full clove of star anise

2 medium tomatoes (washed and cut to wedges)
2 green chillies (deseed and cut into thick slices)

40 Mint leaves
300ml full cream milk (can be replaced with coconut milk)
Salt and sugar to taste
Some fried shallots
2 potatoes (optional)

BLENDED INGREDIENTS
10 shallots
2 green chillies
2 tsp coriander powder
3 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1.5” ginger
1/2 tsp grounded pepper

PREPARATION
1. Heat up the vegetable oil and stir in the blended ingredients.
2. Put in the onion, cinnamon bark, cloves, cardamoms and star anise. Stir until fragrance.
3. Add in the mock mutton and water. Simmer for 10 minutes on low fire.
4. Add in the tomatoes and green chillies and stir for another 5minutes.
5. Add in the full cream milk and mint leaves.
6. Add salt and sugar to taste.
7. Garnish with fried shallots
8. Serve with white rice, roti canai or chapatti.

STRESS FREE VACATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Touring around United Kingdom can be real fun a great experience. There are many places of interest which include the Buckingham Palace, home of the British monarch where you can see the changing of guards, London’s famous Tower Bridge along River Thames, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, London Eye, not forgetting the famous Hyde Park. Checking into any of the Hotels in London would be easy as they are scattered all around London town.

A bit up north of London is Birmingham, the largest core city of the United Kingdom. There are many places of interest in Birmingham such as the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Thinktank, the newest museums in the Eastside, Cadbury World, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Winterbourne Botanic Garden, three famous squares (Centenary, Chamberlain and Victoria), St Philip Cathedral, St Chad Cathedral, St Martin Church and also Europe’s largest mosque, the Birmingham Central Mosque. There are quite a number Hotels in Birmingham, with easy access to their many modes of transportation.

Traveling further north, you will reach Manchester. You would not miss the Manchester Town Hall, a beautiful building with Victorian era Gothic revival architecture. Manchester is well known for its centre of the arts, the media, higher education and commerce. It also housed the City of Manchester Stadium where you can enjoy a game of football by your favourite teams, Manchester United and Manchester City. The latest addition includes the 60m high Wheel of Manchester. There are many Hotels in Manchester which you can check in. There are lots of activities for nightlife, art and culture or simply just for shopping nearby.

CHRISTMAS WISHES TO EVERYONE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

This is the time of the year where everyone would be in Christmas moods.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone
Merry X’mas and a Happy New Year.

Friends like you are special gifts
worth more than finest gold.
You've been there in my darkest hours
with a comforting hand to hold.
You know my thoughts before I speak,
we share our hopes and fears and
when life brings us joy and grief,
we share our smiles and tears.
You're generous with your time and love,
always there with a hand to lend.
Life wouldn't be as rich without you.
I'm so happy to call you friend.

2007 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR CONTEST

Hey guys! Check out this interesting PhotographyCorner website. If you are in for some serious photography contest as well as publicity for your site, do log in now. The website is now having its 2007 Photograph of the Year contest with over $20,000 in prizes to be won, sponsored by namely SmugMug, PsPrint.com, MastersofWeddingPhotography, ScanCafe.com, FrameDestination.com, DigitalAnarchy.com, ArcadiaSoftware.com, Wondershare, OnOneSoftware.com, TribecaLabs.com, Lensbabies.com and Lowepro.com. The prizes include a grand prize worth about $5,000.

The contest will run from now until no later than midnight, GMT on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008. Winners will be announced on January 30th, 2008 in the PhotographyCorner.com forums. You can check out the prizes the sponsors are giving, as well as the rules of the contest before submitting a photograph. There is some information which is required upon submitting your entry in the “How to Submit a Photograph” page.

While you are logged in website, do check out the Photography Corner Blog. There will be ongoing news and notification in there regularly. On top of that, there are the forum, resources (articles, tutorials and product reviews), directory (partners & sponsors), galleries (a gallery of thousands of photos based on category), POTM (photograph of the month winners) and CCC (Contest Corner Challenge) which may be of interest to you.

What I love most about joining the forum is that I can freely post up a photo in the Critiques Corner or Feedback Corner and get the community to critique my work as well as giving feedback on my photograph. I have joined the community. Why don’t you join now and make yourself eligible for a share in the ever-flowing prizes?

PHOTO HUNTERS: LIGHT

This week’s theme is LIGHT.
There are many things that can be defined as LIGHT.
There first thing that struck my mind is
AS LIGHT AS THE FEATHER.

How to shoot a photo without LIGHT?
The feather being shot under the LIGHT of a desktop lamp.

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SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM MALAYSIA!

For those PhotoHunt members,
Please click Mister Linky above and enter your information for easy tracking.
Thank you and have a Nice Weekend!

WHOLESALE SUNGLASSES FOR YOUR BUSINESS

We will not miss the bright sunlight and nice beaches around here. Most of us would like the chances of indulging ourselves for some fun along the golden and glittering sand of the beaches. It is good to get some good Sunglasses to protect our eyes from the glare of the sunlight. In fact, all of us would want to look good by wearing designer sunglasses to impress others. There is surely a huge market for sunglasses over here. You can make great profit buying some Wholesale Sunglasses and making them earn money for you.

Would you not want to look fashionable and smart by wearing Wholesale Sunglasses from the leading brands? It is the ideal choice to look like actors and actresses of your dreams and yet you purchase them at vast discounted rates. Further more, you can easily retail them in your marketplace and make profit out from them.

DO YOU NEED HELP?

In our lives, we sometimes have some loan problems due to some unforeseen circumstances. We will either feel too shy to ask for anyone’s help or have no ideas of who to approach. Eventually, due to desperation and panic, some will go all out to seek the help of unlicensed resources without realizing the consequences of having absurd charges. In the end, they will get themselves into the worst scenario of owing even more.

BadCreditOffers, a free consumer resource company is here to help, by providing those with financial needs the knowledge and resources necessary to find the best bad credit loans. The consumers can compare all the different offers by the authorized loan companies online, whether for their credit cards, housing loans, automobile loans or even personal loans. There will also be a 30-days free trial for credit report and score. Moreover, consumers can also seek some credit counseling to repair their bad credit to get themselves back to the right track to rebuild their credits for the future.

MELE KALIKIMAKA THIS CHRISTMAS IN HAWAII

I would not be having my vacation in Hawaii this Christmas if I had not come across the advertisement for Hawaiian Beach Rentals. Hawaii is a lovely place with beautiful sunsets, golden beaches and warm friendly locals.

Browsing through the Hawaiian vacation information, I found much information on the many fun experiences I might gain, from ocean and water activities such as surfing, scuba diving to inland activities such as hiking up volcanoes and visiting pineapple plantations. It is truly amazing how detailed those information are.

On top of this, I also found information on Kauai vacation rentals. Kauai is the fourth largest island in Hawaii. It is a paradise for snorkeling. The clear and unpolluted water surrounding the islands is filled with abundance tropical fishes and reefs. It is a great place to witness the aquatic bounty of Hawaii.

I will be away for my sun and sand filled holiday soon. Mele Kalikimaka to everyone and have a great festive season ahead.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS MOVIE REVIEW

RATING: 4/5 AUDIO: ENGLISH SUBTITLE: CHINESE/ENGLISH/MALAY

INTRODUCTIONS
The original Alvin and the Chipmunks was created in the late 1950s as a recording and came to life as a cartoon because of their huge success. Three cute, furry and cuddly chipmunk brothers, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were adopted by a then-failed songwriter named Dave Seville. As mischievous as any kids would be, they created havoc in Dave’s life on and off but Dave realized that the messy chipmunks sure can harmonize very well and introduced them to his money-hungry record producer Ian.

The trio then became an overnight boy-band sensation. Things went well initially until Ian got too big a head and decided to trick the boys into his marketing plans for chipmunk merchandises and an exhausting world tour for the boys. The story continues on how Dave tried to save his boys from being exploited.

REVIEW:
This CGI/live-action family-oriented comedy gets a thumb up from me. The intrepid trio of Alvin, Simon and Theodore did prove that animation is not only for kids. It can also be enjoyed by parents and siblings. It is a smile and laugh movie that will capture the hearts of many. When things get bad and dull with the normal romantic or boring storylines, the boys will jump in and get you into stitches with their mischievous behaviors.

The starting plot of having the trio storing acorns for the winter was good. In fact, it was the song “Bad Day” that made it interesting, on top of their cute, furry and cuddly features. In the scene when the trio got thrown out of the house by Dave, the song “Only You” and “Funky Town” got me laughing all the way.

When Dave got the inspiration from the trio’s sleeping sound, he came up with the perfect song, none other than Alvin and the Chipmunks’ beloved tune, “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late).” It was amazing. The boys have never sounded or looked better. It has the touch of Christmas mood in it. The movie continued with the introduction of a few catchy and hip-hop songs that did well in following the music trend of today.

The director of the movie, Tim Hill (also directed “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties”) did a great job in holding on to the interest of the viewers by concentrating more on the boys rather than on Dave’s relationship and Ian’s one-dimensional money monger greediness. Overall, it was cleverly crafted plot the music business and the trappings of success. It is a movie you would not want to miss with your children and friends during this Christmas.

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACKS

01. Bad Day
02. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) (Deetown OG Mix)
03. Follow Me Now
04. How We Roll
05. Witch Doctor
06. Come Get It
07. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) (Deetown Rock Mix)
08. Funkytown
09. Get You Goin'
10. Coast 2 Coast
11. Mess Around
12. Only You (And You Alone)
13. Ain't No Party
14. Get Munk'd - Featuring Al D
15. Witch Doctor (Classic Version)
16. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) (Classic Version)

HAWAIIAN MOODS THIS SEASON

It is going to be a long stretch of holidays for me this year end and I am going for a vacation with my family to the land of the fantasy island, Hawaii. I am feeling excited right now and confident too as I did all my reservation through Hotel Reservations.

They are the best site for finding ideal accommodations, whether these are hotel rooms, motels, those vacation rental places like a cabin and many more and reserve them for your holidays. Moreover, you can compare all the prices of the accommodations available and get one within your budget easily.

I will be checking into Park Shore Waikiki, located just across the street from Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. The hotel has an outdoor pool and sundeck which overlook the ocean with views of Waikiki Beach. Don’t you think that will be very nice? I just can’t wait to leave for my holidays now.

I WAS ALMOST CONNED

I did not expect to receive TWO emails that are so convincing and genuine to find out later that they were phishing emails. Thanks to PayPal’s efficient team who responded to my suspicion in less than 3 minutes upon sending my email. If you find any suspicious emails regarding PayPal, you can email those fraudulent cases to spoof@paypal.com

DON’T YOU THINK THIS LOOKED GENUINE?

WHAT ABOUT THIS ONE WHICH CAME IN FEW HOURS LATER?

In fact, both the above are fakes. What is a phishing email? Phishing emails attempt to steal your identity and will often ask you to reveal your password or other personal or financial information. PayPal will never ask for your password over the phone or in an email and will always address you by your first and last name. (In fact, those emails also did state this information)

HERE IS THE ACCOUNT UPDATE REQUEST

IMPORTANT THINGS TO TAKE NOTE (LOOK AT THOSE IN RED SQUARE)

1. The URL is not from PayPal but from a redirection. (It should be http://www.paypal.com/????? and not from a third party website)

2. Why would they want my mother’s maiden name as well as social security number? (You must not simply provide any information online until you are sure that Item 1 is a secured and authorized site)

3. Why do they want my credit card number, card verification number, card signature/pin number? (You have given your credit card number and verification numbers when you have verified with PayPal. You do not need to do that again. As for the card signature/pin number, it is a personal number and SHOULD NEVER be disclosed to any party)

4. You SHOULD ALWAYS open up a new browser when you want to do any online transactions. Make sure that the website is from the EXACT URL you wanted.

Nowadays, people will do anything just to get hold of your personal information, especially your financial information. If they are smart in conning you, you have to be smarter than them. PayPal has come out with a test. Take up their Fight Phishing Challenge at https://www.paypal.com/fightphishing to learn 5 things you should know about phishing. It will surely help you in ensuring your money is securely where they should be.

FOLLOW THE WAVE WITH BLOGGERWAVE

The prices of things have shot up so much that without some additional income, a household would not be able to sustain the pressure posed. What could be a better idea than to put on your thinking cap and make money through blogging? Bloggerwave is the solution for all your woes. All you need is a blog to post up the opportunities and in no time you will see money creeping into your PayPal account.

It is so easy. Just log into bloggerwave and apply now. Upon approval by Bloggerwave, you can start counting your money happily in the bank. Why wait? Everyone is doing it, so start surfing the waves with Bloggerwave.

HELLO LOVE

Spew out the venom of hatred from your heart,
It poisons and chokes all the goodness in you;
Spew it out, throw it out, spit it out,
Thus life will be filled with peace ever after.

Fill your heart with the soothing balm of love,
Let it permeates every pore of your existence;
Reach out the mind of those with hatred,
With pure love and tenderness.

Let those who comes near your presence,
Feels the magic aura of your goodness;
Shower them with courage and confidence,
To face this ever hard and cruel world.

Like a little but steady glowing lamp,
We can ignite many other little lamps;
Conquer the black night of despair and delusion,
With the pure light of wisdom and love.

ADDING ACCENTS TO A ROOM WITH LAMPS

From my previous post on “Setting the right moods with proper lightings”, I shall now go into specific areas in the house that can be improved further. If you know how to place certain lamps at strategic area, the lighting can add that extra dramatic flair as well. Shining certain floor lamps through the foliage of plants will provide accents to specific parts of a room.

Let us look at the living room first. For the living room, a wide variety of lighting can be recommended. You can use anything from recessed ceiling light, strip lighting behind valances and wall sconces. You can even have some table lamps with dimmers can let your control over the intensity of the light you wanted. It is through these that make the room come alive.

For the dining room, a chandelier could be the key source of lighting. It should be hung about three feet above the dining table. You could install dimmers to lower the light level when meals are served.

As for the bedroom, functional lighting for activities like reading, writing or drawing is a must. Selected desk lamps would be appropriate as is a swing arm lamp for each partner. A lamp with translucent shade is good task lighting for a dresser with a mirror.

Maybe a visit to www.farreys.com to view their thousands of lamp samples will help you even more. They have the perfect combination of lamps for your living space to create the kind of mood and atmosphere you are looking for.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES FOR CLEANING AND POLISHING THE FLOOR

Vinegar: A few drops in the cleaning water will help remove grease panicles. Dull, greasy film on no-wax linoleum can be washed away with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed into 1/2 gallon water. Your floor will look sparkling clean.

For Linoleum: Mild Detergent. Damp a mop using a mild detergent and water for day to day cleaning. Keep water away from seams and edges to prevent loosening of the
tiles. To preserve the linoleum floor you may wish to add a capful of baby oil to the mop water.

For Wood Floors: Vegetable Oil and Vinegar. Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution and apply a thin coat. Rub in well.

For Painted Wooden Floors: Washing Soda. Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water and wash the floor with a mop, sponge, or soft bristled brush. This solution can also be used to remove mildew.

For Rubber Tiles: Mild Detergent. Avoid oils, solvents, and strong alkalis as they will harm the surface. Wash with clear water, a mild detergent, and a clean mop.

For Brick and Stone Floors: Vinegar. Mix 1 cup white vinegar into 1 gallon water. Scrub the floor with a brush and the vinegar solution. Rinse with clean water.

For Ceramic Tile: Vinegar. Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar (more if very dirty) into 1 gallon water. This solution removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn't leave a film. Washing ceramic tiles with soap does not work very well in hard water areas as it leaves an insoluble film.

Club Soda. Polishing your floor with Club Soda will make it sparkle.

WATCH TV, SURF INTERNET AND PHONE CHAT ALL IN ONE

Time has changed, needs has changed. With the advancement in the telecommunication technology, now we can watch TV, surf the internet and chat through the phone using only one line. Welcome to the world of broadband, an entertainment world that never sleep where speed and convenience rule.

BT Total Broadband is one such a reliable broadband service provider which offers quality internet connection from as low as £8.95 per month. You can imagine how fast and smooth your job will be done with a speed more than a hundred times the speed of a standard dial-up connection.

There are 3 options available to suit your needs. The basic package with a standard wired router will provide you with 250 minutes of wifi monthly usage which can be upgraded to BT Home Hub with a one time off payment. On the other hand, BT Home Hub will provide you with 350 minutes of wifi monthly usage. If you are an advance user who uses the internet a lot, you can opt for the Wireless BT Home Hub with BT Hub phone package which will provide you with unlimited hours of wifi usage. For more detailed information, do log in the BT Total Broadband website and order it right away.

WHAT A NICE KUCHING!

I felt in love with Kuching.
The stray cat just came towards me,
And rubbed his back onto my shins.
How many cats would do that to a total stranger?
He was skinny and purring with hunger for food.
I had none.
Out of compassion,
I walked into a convenience shop,
And got him a can of tuna and some clean water.
As I was moving away,
He turned towards me with that wet looking eyes.
And guessed what?
I saw him blinking his eyes
As if he was thanking me for my actions.

As I was walking down the road,
I heard a meow under a car.
Bending down and searching for the source of the sound,
I saw another cat,
Fatter than the last one.
The stray cat saw me,
And came rushing towards me.
Gosh, she was pregnant.
From the look of her nose,
I can sense the thirst in her.
Again I walked into another convenience shop,
This time with a Styrofoam bowl,
And a packet of box milk.
Seeing the milk in the bowl,
She gobbled down every single drip of it.
As I got up to continue my journey,
She came towards my legs,
With a purr of Thank you.

Compassion towards anyone or anything will somehow make a person happier. Everyone and any living creatures would want love unconditionally. This is why I loved Kuching so much. Kuching, a city that life is moving at a slow pace, where you will find peace at anywhere you go. With plentiful of greeneries and hospitable residents, no wonder even cats are friendly too.

AM I GETTING TOO FAT?

I have tried many diet supplements and fat burners that are available in the market to reduce that bulking tummy of mine but each time I am on a diet plan, I felt weaker. The weaker I got, the more I craved for yummy food. I ended up with my old habit of munching nonstop throughout the day, thus gaining more weight than before. I was beginning to get worried with obesity related diseases and thinking that there is nothing out there that can help me reduce my weight. I am going to die soon.

I was about to give up hope when I came upon a website promoting magnetic diet weight loss program. The more I read deeply into the website, the more determine I am in getting myself back in shape. This is exactly what I wanted all these while. I can eat as much as I want, do a few simple exercises and yet maintaining my lost weight and keeping myself healthy all the time.

The weight loss program basically teaches me how to differentiate the food that will create invigorating magnetism and contaminating magnetism. By learning how to consume the right food, I can lose unnecessary weight and yet have a healthier life. If you have the intention of reshaping your image, get yourself committed in the program now. After all, it is RISK-FREE and if you do not see a change in your weight within 8 weeks, you will get a full refund.

THE TRUE QUALITIES OF A GOOD FRIEND

How do you like your friend to be? Are you aware on how to grow your friendship? Friends can be measured in quantity, but friendship can only be measured by qualities. What are the qualities you look for in a friend?

Someone who would spare his/her time for you even though s/he is busy?
Someone who does what is hard to do just for you?
Someone who would give you what is hard to give?
Someone who would bear all the sadness you would have had?
Someone who would share his/ her secrets with you and yet will keep it well?
Someone who will not forsake you when you are in need?
Someone who will not run away when you are in trouble?
Someone who will accept who you are and not what others would want you to be?
Someone who will give you a smile and comfort you when you are sad?

The list of how, what, why, which and when will go on endlessly. Basically, a true friend should be generous not in materialism but in giving the time, service and patience with a smile always. Have you found such a friend yet? If you did, appreciate and cherish them by all means.

WHICH IS MY IDEAL WEB HOSTING COMPANY?

I never knew I could find a good and reliable web hosting company that falls within my budget until I found out about Web Hosting Choice. Web Hosting Choice is a useful resource guide that will assist us in choosing our ideal web hosting company, whether it is for personal or business usage.

The first moment you log into the website, you will see a searchable directory where you can key in your preferences and the amount you are willing to spend monthly. After you have confirmed you requirements, all you need is to click on the “Search for Hosts” button. It will display the recommended web hosting company with a list of different combinations you can choose from.

The site even has other options for those advanced users who need special specifications, from Unix Hosting to MS SQL requirements. These could all be done by clicking on their hosting plans directory or the advance search button prominently displayed on the website. For more information, why don’t you log in http://www.webhostingchoice.com to check on their other features?

CULTIVATING PATIENCE THROUGH BONSAI

This is one of the many ways to cultivate patience and tolerance in our daily life. By cultivating these, we will be able to avoid hasty judgments, criticisms and troubles that may arise in our life. The best way will be involving your little green fingers into gardening such as growing your own bonsai.

Bonsai are not genetically dwarfed plants. They are an idea to recreate nature’s most stunning and beautiful effects on trees which are reduced to scale. They can be created from nearly any tree or shrub species and remain small through pot confinement and crown and root pruning. Some specific species are more sought after for use as bonsai material. This is because they have characteristics that make them appropriate for the smaller design arrangements of bonsai. There are many different ways to acquire, cultivate and grow bonsai. Several of the most common includes growing from seed, cutting, air laying and grafting.

The possibilities of creating your own bonsai are endless. The trick is to find them and express them in your own beautiful way. There are many ways of growing the plant but there are rules for bonsai designing such as placing branches in certain ways. The thrill in growing bonsai is that you can break the rules and create something that is beyond the norms. (Life Quotes: Rules can be broken only if it does not harm the lives of the innocents.)

Bonsai is an outdoor activity as trees are meant to be cultured in the open. Make some space outside your house and your trees will be happier. Sometimes, in your process of starting out in creating your own bonsai design, the plant dies. Discover and understand the reason behind its death to prevent the same happening. Learn from that mistake. (Life Quotes: We should understand the requirements of others and allow them the opportunity to live their own life. There may be many occasions that we have disputes with them on certain issues. Learn from the mistakes and avoid the same happening.)

Limit yourself to a few kinds of plants as each tree has its own requirement. Join a club or an interest group, visit websites and workshops and learn from them the art of growing a good bonsai. Most importantly, remember that when you are putting a tree into a pot, you are committing yourself to the care of the tree. Ignore it and it will die. It is your responsibility to ensure that it will blossom into your pride years later. Practice it with care and patience and the end result would be worthwhile. (Life Quotes: Commitment and responsibility should be part of our lives. Without them, there would not be success in life. It takes years to have all that in control to see results. Thus, through the process of conquering them, you will understand life better.)

Do not expect your plants to develop within a few months. Sometimes it will take years for it to become your bonsai. Keep on working on it and do not be discourage by the time frame. Think of it as a part of enriching your experience in tolerating failures and cultivating patience in life. (Life Quotes: Do not be disheartened with endless failures for failure is the mother of success. Through determination and patience in studying deep into those failures and understand what went wrong, life will be a bed of roses ahead. This is part and parcel of learning and moving forward in your life.)

FREE CHAT IN TEXAS WITH TALK121

Interested to try out the chat lines in Texas? This is very popular amongst the Dallas, Houston and San Antonio locals and it is a fun way to chat with local Texas singles. Who knows through the phone chats follow up with dating, you could find your other half of your lifetime? For a limited period of time, they are having free trials for those above 18 years old to test out their systems. If everything ran smoothly for you, you can always purchase one of their many discounted packages easily available to you.

The advantage of this chat lines is that you can send or receive Voice Personals. What a good way to be still in touch when you are away by playing back the personal messages.Why wait now when you can use their Dallas Chat, Houston Chat and San Antonio Chat websites and try out now. Your love could be anywhere out there in Texas now.

CHRISTMAS BENEFITS WITH WHOLESALE CLOTHING

We are fortunate to have a roof over our heads, countless of clothing, gadgets, toys and having warm food being served to us by our loved ones during every Christmas time. What about those homeless people or children without any family? They are not as fortunate as we are. How would you share the peace, love and joy with them this Christmas? Have you ever thought of purchasing sophisticated wholesale clothing at amazingly discounted price and use the funds saved to get more for other less fortunate? If not, then this will be a good idea for making it a good cause.

Other than the wholesale clothing for the different gender and ages, you can practically get anything from shoes, jewelries, cosmetics, kitchen wares, electronics gadgets, furniture to even toys? Some of these might even be ideal for your own usage or as items for selling online.

Do not have the wrong perception on the clothing. These are not rejects or outdated stuff but wholesale closeouts & liquidation, overstock, surplus from department stores and factories all over the country. So, why are you waiting now? Log into their website now and see how you can contribute to touch the heart of another person this festive season.

RED FLUORESCENT GLOW CATS?

Red fluorescence glow Turkish Angola kitten under UV light? What will they think of next? Gyeongsang National University in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea had released the picture and information about the cloning process used to modify the genes in a cat to create a red glow under UV light as in this article. A gene altered cat will glow in red where as a normal will be in green, as in the above photo.

The red cloned cat research is expected to be utilized in dealing with certain genetic diseases in animals and humans. It will also help reproduce rare animals, such as tigers and wildcats, which are on the verge of extinction, the team said.

This is done in the name of science. How ethical it is to have this kind of research on animals? How promising the research will be to really help mankind personally as well as preventing other animals from becoming extinct? Sometimes, I wonder whether it is wise to alter Mother Nature’s original creations. What are your views on this?

ADVENTURE TRIP ANYONE?

It would be kind of boring with no activities to fill up my vacation time this coming holiday season. Anyone interested to go for an adventure trip with challenges? I was thinking of going for an adventurous expedition through miles of coastline, flaky white beaches, beautiful rain forests, and admiring the beauty of the paddy fields along the way. There will also be a few lakes for sport fishing while enjoying the flora and fauna of a peaceful country side with magnificent landscapes.

I will be driving my powerful yet luxurious Isuzu Ascender 4-wheel drive with enough room to fit in 5 passengers with baggage. Talking about the adventure trip, I better get my mechanics to buck up my vehicle. At the same time, I may install some cool looking LED truck lights or tailgate running lights. Holiday will be here soon and time is running out fast. Anyone interested?

SACRIFICE YOUR TIME FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Martin Luther King once said, “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” Even Mahatma Gandhi has his say in “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” What these two great men said is true. We have been so engrossed in our daily affairs that we no longer take heed of the needs of many worthy causes out there in our world. All the time we have been selfish in thinking about “I, Me, I, Me” without ever try laying a helping hand to serve others.

Think carefully. When was the last time you asked, “How can I of help to you?” It does not have to be to any charitable organizations or any social centres but to the people as close to you as your parents or siblings. Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Forgot when? If you do not have the financial ability to help, time is all you have and time can be the sort of service most people would want. Being with the people you love is a service. Lending an ear to listen is a service. Helping someone to carry things is a service. Even assisting a friend or colleague in learning something new is a service.

There are many ways you can provide your service to others. Big or small, people know, people appreciate and people will remember. So, during this coming celebration or just any other normal days, extend your hands to give your service to another. Spend some time with someone you do not know in an old folks’ homes, adoption centres, hospitals, children welfare centres. Volunteer yourself in social work. Support a worthy cause. Touch the heart of someone. After all, sharing your peace, love and joy would not hurt you except for that little bit of time.

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Since the first moment the magic word of “yes” is uttered and the engagement is official, it is all systems go in planning for the big day. The exhilarating feeling will soon disappear as it would be replaced by sleepless nights worrying about all the preparations prior to the integral wedding reception, namely flowers, guests list, invitation cards, etc to bridesmaid gifts and groomsmen gifts.

An engagement period of three to six months might not even be enough time for you to handle if you do not know where and how to get the things you will need for the wedding day. Cost is usually the consideration for this milestone in your life. Prioritizing your needs based on cost, necessity and practicality normally turns out to be the best way to cut cost, lend a sense of focus and yet still give you the perfect and personalized wedding.

The choosing of the date to tie the knot is just as important. Various considerations must also be taken such as one’s culture, finances, and even dates to enable relatives and guests from far and near to attend. Some might even choose dates like New Year Day, Valentine’s day, while others would want their Birthday to coincide with their happy day.

Since this is the celebration of the love between the two of you, dates, time, venue, size and style of the wedding should be compromised as one. As a couple, numerous details needed to be juggled which comprises the everlasting wedding rings, photography, video shooting, bridal wears for both, bridal make-up, wedding cars, dinner menu, business gifts and lastly not forgetting the getaway honeymoon.

Wedding bells are about to chime happily soon. So will you marry me now? Please say, “I do!”

THE SKY OF YOUR MIND

Even the sky has a question mark! It was born to be clear and unaffected by the change of climate. Eventually, mysterious dark clouds, swift scary wind, heavy acidic tears of the rain and the burning temper of the sun came. What has happened to the weather of yesteryears? Climate would not change in just a few days. It is due to the accumulation of abuses through the years that made it behaves this way.

So is the mind. The mind was created when we were born into this world. As part of the process of growing up, the mind was fed with countless of information. Whether the information is relevant to a person or not, it will somehow affect how a person thinks, behaves and reacts in this society.

The mind is a wonderful mechanism. It is always hungry for information and will never get enough of it. When there is no existence of a filtering system, it tends to end up with bottlenecks. As time goes by, it gets congested with problems and will explode in a matter of time. That’s life. When we do not have the guiding system to filter out the wrong views, principles, lifestyles, actions, and so on, we get even more confused mixing them with the right ones. We will get the wrong perspective of everything in our life. What might be right and we consider them wrong, vice versa.

Have you ever heard of the saying, “Take everything with a pinch of salt.” In life, we have to behave this way. The mind will need time to filter the information analytically and systematically. Rushing to accept any information will not help the mind. It is like your computer system. When you do not filter out the programs you are installing, but simply download anything off any websites, your system will not function well. In the end, it will just crash. The same concept applies to your mind.

Take time to read more, understand situation well, and apply those information into your daily life, you will not go wrong. In this way, your mind will stay as clear as the skies of yesteryears.