THE JOURNEY

A dog has decided to go for a trip around the country to see whether the grass is greener over the other side. After a few months, he came back thinner and more stressful. His friends asked him, “Hey mute! Did you face any problems during the trip?” He replied, “I met many people and animals along the way. Some humans were kind enough to feed me food and water and provided me with a cozy place to stay. I managed to have quite a safe trip all the way except for one thing.” Another dog asked, “Except what?” “I tend to have problems with our own kind,” he said while sighing. “Not only did they not leave me alone. They barked at me, chased me and tried to bite me!” he continued.

That is a dog’s life and it has no differences compared to ours. The world we live in does not always cater for our likings. There could be no world or life without problems. To some, the sun, the rain and the wind could be a blessing. To others, it may be the reason behind their sensitive skin problems, weak body immune system against getting flu or even the cause for their rheumatism. Life is not perfectly good or bad for everyone. It is how an individual accept life as it is.

Coming back to the topic on mankind, everyone is born with a brain but why does everyone thinks so differently? Look at the people around the world. Nations grow and die out, empires arise and fall apart, mighty palaces are built but crumble in the dust. What a world we are living in! Mankind lives but afflicted by the ignorance of Mother Nature, draining and raping her of her limited resources. It is the greed for self benefits that ruin the world. Trust no longer exists as they are afraid of intrusion into their life and properties. Fears become brutality when threats are found. Hurting, stealing, raping, killing and murdering have become their second nature.

We have modified the environment so radically that we find it hard to live in it without co-exist our way of living into a newer environment. Greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, sloth, envy and pride have injected their evil effects into our lives. Leading a moral life in our modern society is almost beyond our control. It is a war for the survivors of the fittest and mankind is left behind to fend for himself. This is the law of nature.

ROMEO AND JULIET

Handsome Romeo met his young wife, Juliet at a shopping mall. He was twenty one and she was eighteen. It was love at first sight. She was normal looking except for the facial cosmetics which are way overdone. There was something in her that made him in a trance. Was it lust or crave? He did not know as all he felt was as if a strong wind blew him over when he first saw her. Their parents knew that the romance for them will be against all odds as Romeo was the rascal in the neighborhood who jumped in and out of jobs without a steady income and Juliet was just a part time cosmetics salesgirl in a mall. They could not do anything as the two love birds were already too deep in love. They would not want the repetition of a suicidal incident as in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

After a year of courtship, they have decided to tie the knot without any celebrations or marriage certificate. It was based on mutual understanding. Romeo took out his life saving of $300 for their honeymoon. By the time they came back, they were left with a mere $30. Romeo assured Juliet that he would take care of her needs for the rest of her life. He deliberately worked two jobs a day, leaving his wife at home all the time. Months after months, all that he had earned was spent on his wife. He would buy the most delicious Western meals for her while he will only consume a bun.

This went on for the next one year and finally due to insufficient nutrients, he was gravely ill. He has no more savings left even to pay the doctor a visit. His wife has nothing left too since all the money she has taken was used to buy the cosmetics products for her beauty and the balance was used for room rental. Romeo was left helpless.

Feeling that her husband was no longer the money provider for her luxurious habits, Juliet left him and ran off with another guy. Romeo was heartbroken. All he did was to provide the best for his wife. He had stayed loyal to her and had never had any extra marital activities. What had happened to the love he once believed in? It was a healthy, strong and straightforward relationship but now all has changed. The once calm and beautiful lake was now filled with the ripples of life. Ripples from the sharp pointed stones thrown in. It hurt him deeply and getting over the breakup was not easy.

He has to lower his pride and seek the help from his parents. There is where the channel of undying love is and it will not cease until they no longer exist on earth. Marriage is not a game. Neither is love. And love does not necessary end up in a bed of roses. Unless you get all your career and life straighten out, do not ever commit in marrying someone without a steady financial status. Jumping into a relationship is easy but getting over a breakup will always leave a scar in your heart!

This post is sponsored

ARE YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR HAPPINESS?

Everyone wants happiness in life. All they want to do is to get rid of the sorrow and sadness and to stay happily ever after. Sounds like a fairy tale story right? If happiness is so wonderful, why is it so hard to achieve? The problem lies in your decision to put every events in your life in your own hand and wanting to control every movements you are about to execute.

Life is a complicated issue and is never predictable. It sways and drifts aimlessly whenever you try to control or master it. Just imagine you are the captain of your soul and your destiny lies within the grip of your hands. There are thunderstorm, lightning, typhoons, whirl pool, etc which defies your endless attempts to reach your destination.
How are you going to master something that is beyond your control? In fact, you will end up with more absurdity and sorrow than when you started controlling your life.

Let us study on an upbringing. Do you belong to the category of modern parents who make your children understand the cause and effect of a wrongdoing or are you one whom controls the lives of your children by commanding and caning? It is believed that parents who control the lives of their children will end up losing them as they reach adulthood as outsiders treat them as who they are and not what their parents want them to be.

How true this is as many of us, even adults in their mid years, are really frustrated with the lack of communication with our parents. I am sure you had experience the time when you tried to explain something or wanting to be heard by your parents and you were shot down before you could even blink your eyes. It was always the one-way communication when parents tried to impose the entire moral and personal values they deemed proper onto their children. Subsequently, children rebel with the attitude of “You do not want me to do this and I purposely do it to hurt you” and parents react drastically. There will be no ending of squabbling and quietness in your life.

Is that the kind of happiness you try to generate by imposing your will onto others as well as yourself? As I said earlier, life is a complicated issue. You may be in control your own life but other’s life is not within your jurisdiction. The need to lend the ears and to have a two-way communication is ideal for a better relationship with your children. It is said “Happiness starts within your home”, and the home is your family. Think about it!

MY TRIP TO BRISBANE AUSTRALIA

I am looking forward to visit my cousins again in Brisbane, the third largest city in Australia end of this year. I just love the climate and tourist spots there. It has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and dry, mild winters. This is just perfect for my family members who are so used to this kind of weather.

Finding a place to stay will not be such a hassle as Brisbane accommodation can be easily available along South Brisbane, across the river from the central business district. Since the past few visits, I have fallen in love with the Hillcrest central apartment hotel. The facilities within the apartment hotel were just perfect, with a balcony overseeing the activities along the Brisbane River. It is also an ideal location as the city centre is merely 2 kilometres away.

I do hope my cousins will bring me sight-seeing to all those beautiful gardens and sceneries which I have always adore so much. I better write down all those places and email them just in case they missed out any of my favorite places, namely the South Bank Parklands, the Roma Street Parkland, the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, the Mount Coot-tha state forest, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens which includes the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium and the "Tsuki-yama-chisen" Japanese Garden, as well as Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Brisbane Forest Park.

A short trip to the beautiful and enticing beaches in Gold Coast is also a must. I missed trying out the surfing along the golden beaches of Rainbow Bay. It was really an unforgettable experience for me. Brisbane! Here I come!

HOW TO HAVE HEALTHY CHILDREN?

If you do not stop your children from consuming lard filled diet during earlier years, you might have some problems in controlling them during their teenage years. There are so many fast food centers all over the country. Children will not be aware of its threat to his health if parents were not given the public awareness on the danger of unbalanced diet. Obesity may come in, bringing in other threats such as heart diseases, diabetes, strokes and so on to the child when he grows older. It is not that you totally banned your children from consuming fast food, but too much of anything can ruin his health. How healthy should your children be?

BE THE ROLE MODEL: Practice what you preach by setting a positive role model. Eat healthily and your children will be convinced to follow suit.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES: Set a date and time weekly and get the whole family out for some outings such as jogging, swimming, riding or simply play some garden games. At least everyone get involved in exercising themselves.

REWARDS: Do not frequently reward your child with snacks and candies for good behavior or achievement. Think of another healthier way such as purchasing a book or a toy from a nearby mall.

DIETS: Make eating vegetables and fruits as a must in your daily diet. You can allocate once or twice weekly as dessert day where you can take not-too-sweet ice creams and jellies. Too much sugar in a diet is a bad idea.

MEALS: Setting a specific time for the whole family to dine together is a great way to avoid unnecessary consumption of junk food between meals. Moreover, it is a bonus to have some quality time together.

TV AND COMPUTER GAMES: These should be limited as you not want them to end up with excessive snacking lifestyle. Encourage them to something they like, such as reading, writing, drawing, or doing quizzes. This will further help them in their future education.

FOOD INFORMATION: Try labeling the sugar and cholesterol levels on all the food in the kitchen in a chart form and paste it on the door of your refrigerator. Everyone will learn what is good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat. It is a habit that will help change their eating behavior for a lifetime.

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MEMOIR OF A ROMANCE BY THE BEACH

Flames from the campfire flickered and the shadows danced,
My love and I were romantically entranced,
Waves from the energetic sea lapping on the sand,
Serenaded us like an orchestra band,
Gentle breeze caressed our young faces,
Brought us closer to more embraces,
This idyllic, romantic setting,
Quickened our hearts’ beating,
Sweet whisperings greeting each glance,
As we were totally lost in romance.

Those were the days of my childhood romance that brought back many fond memories. Life was so care free then. There were no worries, stresses or pressures of whatsoever to enable both of us lovingly embraced each other at all the time. Time changed, needs changed, circumstances changed that resulted us to go our separate ways to seek our own life’s goal. But love never dies, as fate has its own plans in hand. The love was too strong to be unbounded by our distance, barriers and commitments in life.

A butterfly may fly off through the softly blown wind but it will still come back to the ground where it has found filled with rich lovely flowers. Love is like the butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. If you just let it fly, it will come to you when you least expect it. I am glad I still have my love with me through all ups and down in our lives.

JINGLING ALL THE WAY TO SHOPPING ONLINE

Christmas is just barely a month away from now and getting gifts have always been a headache for me. I am planning to get some nice gifts to surprise my parents this year. I was searching high and low through the internet trying to find something ideal for them when I came across CouponChief. I was amazed by the amount of discount coupons offered there to cater for so many different needs. I can save quite a lot there too.

I then saw some beautiful Shopbop handbags which will be ideal for my Mum. It would be nice for her to take along during dinners. Since my Dad loves sport wear so much, a polo shirt from Puma will sure suit him well. He can wear it out during his sporting events. I also saw I can get $100 off for the Sony Alpha 10.2MP SLR digital camera which I have been yearning for so long. It is a good deal that I surely would not miss. What I like is that they will deliver all the items up to my doorstep without any shipping charges.

Wow! What a great way to save with CouponChief. I can now confidently search for discount coupons for other items if any birthdays, anniversaries or housewarmings do pop up.

THE BEAUTY OF MICKEY MOUSE PLANT

The Mickey Mouse Plant is sometimes known as Ochna Serrulata and was originated from South Africa. This woody weed grows as a small, erect shrub up to about 1.5 m tall. It is a woody shrub, and has an angled tap root that is easily broken when hand-pulled. Leaves are up to 5 cm long, narrow and glossy with serrated margins. New growth usually has a bronze tinge.

Flowers are bright yellow with five petals. These petals fall off, leaving five sepals which turn scarlet red when the fruits appear. Fruits are initially green, turning glossy black in summer with some resemblance to Mickey Mouse’s ears.

STUDENT LODGING IN DENVER

Denver is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Colorado in the eighth largest state in the US. It is nicknamed the Mile-High City because of its exactly one-mile elevation above sea level. The economy is strong, the population is growing and the city's national profile is on the rise.

Denver has many colleges and universities with many different types of study programs. There are a number of schools located throughout the city and surrounding the metro area. Finding a student lodging is easy if you have the proper reference from online apartment rental sites such as ApartmentFinder.

Denver Apartments can be from a basic student lodging starting from as low as $400 up to luxurious apartments costing $2,000 and above. You can rent it either furnished or unfurnished. Most apartments will come with resort-style swimming pool with sun deck, gyms, BBQ area with grills, picnic tables and so on.

NATURE’S BEAUTY – BIRTHSTONES

Rocks are natural aggregates or combinations of one or more minerals. Earth which is believe to be more than 4.6 billion years old is in constant transformation, thus gems are constantly being formed. Man has long been drawn to the attractive colours of the stones and has utilized them for many purposes which include worshipping and healing purposes. Today, specific gemstones have been attributed for each month of the year symbolizing the beautiful qualities and characteristic of the Homo sapiens.

JANUARY
Gemstone: Garnet Characteristic: Fidelity, Consistency & Stability

FEBRUARY
Gemstone: Amethyst Characteristic: Sincerity, Honesty & Nobility

MARCH
Gemstone: Bloodstone Characteristic: Bravery, Courage & Compassion

APRIL
Gemstone: Diamond Characteristic: Innocence, Simplicity & Happiness

MAY
Gemstone: Emerald Characteristic: Wisdom, Frankness & Steadfastness

JUNE
Gemstone: Cat’s Eye Characteristic: Good Health, Wealth & Wit

JULY
Gemstone: Ruby Characteristic: Nobility, Contentment & Piety

AUGUST
Gemstone: Peridot Characteristic: Virtuousness & Open-mindedness

SEPTEMBER
Gemstone: Sapphire Characteristic: Wisdom, Prosperity & Contentment

OCTOBER
Gemstone: Opal Characteristic: Faith, Happiness & Friendship

NOVEMBER
Gemstone: Topaz Characteristic: Passion, Fidelity, Love & Power

DECEMBER
Gemstone: Lapis Lazuli Characteristic: Success, Prosperity, Steadfastness & Strength

WATCH YOUR SUGAR LEVEL

Asians are believed to be among the highest consumers of sugar in the world. According to the Ministry of Domestic and Consumer Affairs, the recommended intake of sugar is 50 grams a day for women and 63 grams a day for men. There are many complications that may arise with an overdose of glucose level in the blood system.

One of the main concerns is diabetes. Higher sugar intake for a diabetes person may results in hyperglycemia. In the long run without proper medication from the wide range of diabetic supplies easy available in the market, can cause metabolic damage and also structural damage to many body organs.

Today with dietary and lifestyle changes, cutting down the sugar intake is healthy. What is the best way to reduce your sugar intake? Let us look at some of the points below:

- Eat regularly.

- Limit gassy drinks and artificially sweetened fruit juices. Take fresh fruits compared to juices as it also provide you with the fibre you required.

- Add half time less sugar to your hot beverages such as coffee, tea, etc.

- Know what you eat. Processed food contained a lot of hidden sugar.

- Use two to three times lesser sugar in your baking or cooking.

- Exercise regularly.

- Choose alternative energy booster such as cooked rice, fruits, boiled potatoes and white bread.

TEN WAYS TO EASE A COLD

The weather has been very bad for the past few weeks and many people are down with cold and flu. Even my friend PapaJoneh was down with flu recently, making him a dangerous viral germs carrier which might affect his two few months old twin babies. Most people will just grab an aspirin when their noses started to run or their limbs begin to ache with pain. Why not try some alternative therapy for fast and natural relief. Below are the therapies which I am going to share with you.

HERBAL REMEDIES: Echinacea certainly deserves its reputation as the number one natural remedy for colds. It comes in many forms such as tablet, capsule, extracts or even tea. In case you have a sore throat too, try gargle with an astringent tea made with bayberry, myrrh or sage to soothe it.

VITAMINS: When the enemy strikes, take a divided dosage up to 2000mg of vitamin C throughout the day.

MINERALS: At the hint of a sore throat, take one zinc-gluconate lozenge every 2 hours for a week. It will soften the blow.

HOMEOPATHY: Remedies include Aconite at first sign of a cold, Oscillococcinum to zap a bug in the bud, and Allium to dry up a runny nose.

ACUPRESSURE: Partially flex either arm and apply pressure just below the elbow crease at the outer end. You can even press and massage from the top of your head down to the hollow at the base of your skull.

RELAXATION: Stress lowers your body resistance to viral infections. When you feel sniffles creeping into your life, try meditation or get someone to massage those aches and pains with some Eucalyptus Oil.

NUTRITION: Take more fresh vegetables and fruits. Stay away from those oily and spicy food. Clear chicken soup with chopped onions and garlic will be good as onions help clear the lungs, while garlic enhanced your immunity.

HYDROTHERAPY: To ease the bodily pains of aching limbs and throbbing head and stuffy nose, soak your feet in a basin of hot water with a teaspoon of mustard powder. You can even use essential oils such as rosemary or sage.

STEAM INHALATION: Make a towel tent over a pot of fresh herbal tea such as sage, eucalyptus or rosemary and breathe deep through the nose. You can even add a couple drops of the essential oils such as tea tree, lavender, or eucalyptus into a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam. The fastest way to inhale the steam is to make a cone from a piece of paper, cut off the tip and breathe in the steam through the hole. Local alternative to those essential oils is the minyak angin.

HUMOR THERAPHY: You feel lousy and easily agitated and this will make the germs grow stronger. Try watching a comedy show and chuckle all the way. This will stimulate the flow of feel-good endorphins. This therapy will provide you with a positive attitude to help you keep the bug from turning you into sickbed misery.

In case you still need some medication for those barking cough and painful sore throat, here are my two recommendations, Tussil for cough and Diflam Red/Green for the throat. Clarinase clears my running nose as it has no side effects such as drowsiness. Remember! When you are under the influence of a flu medication such as Bena, DO NOT DRIVE!

COOL GADGET FOR TRAVELLING

Since the first day Thomas Alva Edison created the tinfoil phonograph in 1877, audio instruments have evolved into so many cool gadgets that had changed the way we listen to music. I still remember my Dad’s first radio player which has became an old antique after he had purchased a new cassette player. From then onwards, newer instruments phase out the old ones and music can be played by using CD players, Discman, DVD player and so forth.

But we still find that rather inconvenient to carry around when we go traveling. With the advance technology, man created the smaller gadgets to store the music we love to listen to. Thus, the mp3 player was born. Initially, these mp3 players were using batteries of different sizes. But as time passes by, newer versions of mp3 players were created. This is the new generation of mp3 player which uses USB port as charger. It is small and recharging takes only a matter of minutes. I purchased one from here but what about you?

PEP UP WITH YOUR HEALTHY DRINK

You can do up your own fruit drink within minutes and stop your worries over those preservatives that are available in a packet drink. I love mango as few fruits can rival its succulent and aromatic delights in it. An average size fruit contains about 90% vitamin C and 75% of vitamin A and E. These vitamins are powerful immune system boosters. Let me share with you all a simple yet nutritious recipe.

MANGO MILKSHAKE (serves: 1-2)

8 oz medium ripe mango
8.5 oz soy milk (vanilla flavored will be ideal)
2 teaspoon honey
1 cup ice cubes
1 stalk mint leaves
Some whipped cream

1. Cut the mango on both side length wise and scoop the flesh into the blender. Try to cut around the pit to get any remaining flesh.

2. Add in soy milk, honey and ice cubes and blend until it becomes puree like.

3. Pour into a tall glass. Spray some whipped cream on it. Drip some honey. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE WITH DURABILITY

I have always dreamt of having a house by a swimming pool with rows of palm trees surrounding the sides, thus providing nice shades for some nice quality garden furniture to be displayed. Selecting some luxurious and durable teak garden furniture will be the right choice. Teak wood is an ideal wood for outdoor use. Not only will it resist decay, it will also last for years to come. Eventually, regular replacement of normal furniture will become history.

Who would not go for the finest quality handcrafted teak garden furniture that is rich enough to inspire envy amongst guests and neighbors? I have purchased a few units of Pattaya loungers for my regular sun-bathing and also some teak benches. How nice it would be to be able to laze around on the teak benches after dinner with my loved ones to watch the glittering stars above the sky.

Most people will look for stylish and durability in teak garden furniture. But the best thing is that I got all of these at an unbelievable and affordable price. They are made of the highest standard and have various designs to choose from. What an ideal way to set the atmosphere to be the best in the neighborhood.

SIMPLIFY ENGLISH?

It was discussed during the early stage that English will be replacing German as the official language of the European Union (EU). As part of the implementation, English will have to undergo a 5-years phase of evolution into EuroEnglish. Certain spellings will have to be improved to suit everyone.

1ST YEAR: “s” will replace the soft “c”. Sertainly, this will make sivil servants happy. The hard “c” will be dropped in favor of “k”. This should klear up konfusion and the keyboard kan have one less letter.

2ND YEAR: There will be a growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year. ”ph” will now be replased with the “f”. This will make words like “fotograf” 20% shorter.

3RD YEAR: Publik akseptanse of the new speling kan b expekted to reach the stag wher mor komplikated shanges are posible. Governement wil encourag the removal of doubl leters, whish hav ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of sertain silent “e” at the end of a word should b removd.

4TH YEAR: Peopl wil b reseptiv to steps such as replasing “th” wiz “z”, “w” wiz “v” and “y”wif “i”. During ze fifz year, ze unesesary “o” kan b dropd from vords containing “ou”. And similar shanges vuld of kors b aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

5TH YEAR: After zis fifz year, ve vil hav a reali sensibl writen stil. Zer vil b no mor trobls or difikulties and everion vil find it eazi to understand each ozer.

Zis dream vil finali kom tru. Lik it? Zis English sur roks! Wait! I fel zat I hav ben using zis English in IM all ze tim. Zey hav implementd it so fast?

BEDDING WITH A TOUCH OF STRIPES

Some people may have the idea of a perfect bedroom but their interior decorating ideas may be restricted by budgetary constraints. Little touches such as inexpensive prints, a bedding of different colors, design, texture and shades can do wonders in transforming an otherwise dull room into a smart yet elegant place for relaxation.

There are dozens of combinations you can mix and match with for yourself as well as for your children. Mixing of bold, complementary colors and daring stripes can create a punching effect that will exhibit your own style and personality. This Striped Bedding set comes in three variations which are vertical stripes, "flare" stripes and a "V" pattern of striping. Your children will sure love these lively stripes for their bedroom.

BUDGET MEAL: SERIES #7

RM10 budget for 2 persons for 2 meals
The food in the photo consist the portion for one person per meal only

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DISH 1: MIXED POTATO CUBE WITH CROUTONS




DISH 2: THAI CHICKEN ROLLS



ESTIMATED COSTING FOR INGREDIENTS:

RICE: RM1 (enough to serve 4 persons)

MIXED POTATO CUBE WITH CROUTONS:
Potato: RM1
Luncheon meat: RM1.50
Big onions: 20sen
Carrot: 30sen
Croutons: 20sen
Miscellaneous (salt, sugar, pepper, oil): 50sen

THAI CHICKEN ROLLS:
Chicken: RM3
Dried tofu skin: 70sen
Spices: 30sen
Big onions: 30sen
Wood fungus: 50sen
Egg york: 30sen
Miscellaneous (salt, sugar, pepper, oil): 50sen

TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT: RM9.30

Note: All amount stated will be based on the proportion used in the cooking.

PREVIOUS BUDGET MEAL SERIES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

HARMONY AND COMFORT IN YOUR HOME

You have a house purchased or rented, but have you ever wondered if your house is well equipped with furniture and settings that make it stress-free? Let us start looking into the different sections of your house and identify how you could improve further.

The bedroom served as a retreat for you after a day of stress-filled work. It is not only a balm for frayed nerves, but an aid in promoting a good night’s sleep. During the old age, man used rough mats and logs as bed and pillow. Today, varied and improved versions of bed have become a warm nest that we do not wish to abandon. Although we have firm mattress, fresh sheets and puffy pillows for a sound and restful sleep, bedrooms have evolved into a multi-purpose spot to work, appreciate music and reading. It has turned into something extravagance.

Living room on the other hand also plays an important part of in bringing out our quest for a peaceful atmosphere. Living room furniture will provide us with the real comfort we are seeking and thus a mental and physiological necessity. As you sit on properly-designed, well upholstered furniture, amazing things happen to your body. Your muscles begin to relax, your blood supply starts to circulate more freely and your back takes a well-earned rest as your spine is gently supported in the right place. A sofa loveseat would be ideal for the living room. It serves as a comfortable sofa for you and your loved ones to gather around as a family.

You will be spending many hours sitting in your special furniture. So be sure it will make your leisure time an enjoyable and relaxing experience.

WATCH YOUR PUSSIES

Having pets at home are fun. There can be adorable and filled with love and gratitude. Sometimes, their way of showing their gratitude can be rather out of this world and shocking too. I have been sheltering two pussy cats, Jon and Jess at home for the past 8 months. They are a loving couple with lots of “cat”whoring skills.

They are truly being pampered to the extreme with food of the finest quality. In fact, they will eat just anything from cakes, ice cream, and bread to dog food. I was wondering if they were incarnated from dogs at times. On and off, I will get surprise gifts from them such as those shown below.

Just today, Jess gave me something out of the usual insect kingdom species. This is the first time that I manage to save the “victim” from being mauled to death. I ended up having an additional pet at home which required nursing to health before I can release it back to nature. Cats are cats. They are good stalkers just for the fun of it. I just hope they will not bring back “Mickey Mouse” as Christmas gift this time.

I just hope my new pet sparrow “Jay” will recover fast. I hate to keep birds in cages when they should be flying as freely in the sky. What else can I do? I cannot spank a pregnant cat which is playful. I just wished that her offspring would not be as cheeky as the parents. But knowing cats’ characteristics, I doubt it! I will have to be more cautious next time to avoid posing danger to another life.

Update: Unfortunately Jay could not stand the after-shock and died this morning. It is not even 12 hours yet. So sad ...

SWEET MEMORIES OF MY LIFE

Life can so wonderful when you have sweet memories of everything from your childhood days until you are an adult now. I can still remember that cheeky smile I had when I was small, sitting on the stairways with bald head and few teeth missing in front. That was cute. As I was growing up, memories of those outings with my former primary and secondary classmates were also unforgettable. We had picnics, BBQs and telematches by the beach with girls from other schools. It was fun. That is where my relationship started when I met my first love and grew closer towards her and her family.

Moving towards my life journey, I have countless fond memories of my college years. The whole “gang” of college students’ activities was awesome. There were countless of parties, projects and activities to keep me occupied during this time. I missed all that. I missed the graduation too. What a great achievement towards the first step to start my working life.

There were the sweet time in my career with many achievements and many promotion celebrations with my colleagues then. So many fond memories but so few spaces left to display all my photos of my life but I have no worries after finding out about LCD digital photo frame. Not only can I display all my photos, I can also display videos of all my unforgettable moments. The best part is that I can opt for the different screen size from 7” until 15” by plugging in only my USB flash drive. It will play directly from it.

No more strenuous wiping of dust. No more cluttering of space. It is the ultimate solution to have a futuristic display taking up only a corner of my table. What a great gadget this digital picture frame is!

PHOTO HUNTERS: HOT

This week’s theme is on HOT.
There is one HOT item that we can’t live without.
The HOT blazing heat from a gas stove.
All Asian families have at least one.
Without it, we would not have HOT steaming food on our dinner table.

I was using the HOT gas stove today to cook something delicious.
Introducing my …
HOT STEAMING ABALONE MUSHROOM EMPEROR’S NOODLES

Christmas is approaching real fast.
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!

THE EXTRAORDINARY MEAL

Still remember that I brought my Mum for a vegetarian buffet on Mothers’ Day? Well, I went over there for a light lunch the last few days. Other than ordering the local delicacies like curry noodles, rice steamed in lotus leaves, koay teow th’ng (flat rice noodles in soup), chicken rice, nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk with curry accompaniments) and even satay, I ordered one their western food displayed on the menu.

You are right! I ordered a jumbo-sized super mouth watering croissant filled with beef rendang (spicy Malay curry). The shape of the jumbo croissant does look like the French croissant but the texture of it looked more of wholemeal bread. Nevertheless, the combination of the “local” croissant and the rendang was just awesome. The spiciness of the rendang was just right and not too hot for my taste bud.

Maybe you would like to hop over to Lily’s Vegetarian Kitchen for a change of meatless meals. They open daily from 8.30am to 9.30pm except for Monday. Buffet is served on the 1st floor of the building once a month. Drop there for a new experience with their meatless imitation.

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO STUDY

Are you losing out to your colleagues when it comes to job promotions? Try picking up from what you have left incomplete in your early education by checking out capella university, an online university that allows you to take all your courses in the comfort of your home. It will boost up your chances of climbing even higher in the corporate ladder. After all, you would not lose out by having an additional paper qualification to your name.

Currently, there are over 20,000 students enrolled in this university from all around the world, spreading from all over the 50 states and 56 countries. As of October 23, 2007, the university is offering 19 graduate, 104 undergraduate specializations and 15 certificate programs, with a total of more than 890 courses easily available for your selection. Capella University is also accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).

OMG – HOW TO CLEAN THAT?

I hate it when my household furniture and floors get stains that refuse to come off. Sometimes just for some rare stubborn spots, I will have to buy a whole bottle of solution to clear them off. What a waste! Homemade solutions can work just as well as some commercials products and it is definitely cheaper too. It is also one of the best means of avoiding exposure to house-hold hazardous materials. Here are some of my homemade “mix & match” time-tested recipes which may loosen your budget.

BRASS TARNISH: Make a paste with 1 oz. of lemon juice or white vinegar with salt. Apply with a clean rag and wipe off the excess.

CERAMIC TILES: Mix 10 parts of water to one part of white vinegar. Apply with a soft brush, then wipe with a damn sponge.

MILDEW AND SOAP BUILT-UP ON CAULKING: Apply by rubbing alcohol straight from the bottle with a clean rag.

MILDEW ON EXTERIOR WOOD: Mix 1 qt. of bleach and 1 oz. of non-ammoniated detergent to 1 gal. of water. Apply with a mop, work it in with a brush and rinse with clear water within 10 minutes.

FRESHEN UP PAINTED WOOD SIDINGS: Mix 1 qt. of bleach and 1 cup of trisodium phosphate. Dissolve in 3 qt. of warm water. Apply with a wide brush. Leave for 15 minutes. No scrubbing needed. Wipe off the area with clean water.

MOSS INFECTED CONCRETE: Mix 3/4 cup of bleach to 1 gal. of water. Clean of the loose material with a stiff brush. Apply the solution and leave for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

WATER RINGS AND PLASTIC STAINS: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water. Apply the surface with a clean rag and wipe off the excess.

CLOGGED PIPINGS: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the clogged piping. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover up. Let it set for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of boiling water down. Flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can break down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

LIME AND MINERAL DEPOSITS: Lime deposits around faucets can be softened for easy removal by covering the deposits with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about one hour before cleaning. This will leave chrome clean and shiny.

MULTI-PURPOSE CLEANER: Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good cleaner for all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

SHARE YOUR INTERESTS ONLINE WITH WIRECLUB

I am having an associate membership for this club and a life membership for that club and I am getting sick of paying yearly subscriptions and yet do not have much time to enjoy the facilities in them. Most of my time was spent in front of the computer to accommodate to my overseas clients’ requests and orders. Sometimes, it does get a bit boring while waiting for my clients’ responses with the vast difference in world time.

I do browse the web a lot for researches and do some downloading of movies but after a while it gets too monotonous and too routine. The whole atmosphere felt dead as the only sound I can hear was from my own breathing and the clicking of my keyboard. I need someone to chat to but who would want to go out with at 3am just for a cup of coffee? It sounded so ridiculous.

“Ding dong….,” came an incoming alert in my email. “Ah! That must be one of my clients responding to my quotations.” I thought. To my surprise, I received an invitation by my friend to join WireClub, an online club which I need not have to pay for any subscriptions or joining fees. Wow! That sounded so interesting.

Without fail, I click on the web link and was brought into an awesome webpage. By joining WireClub, I will get to chat with so many people in so many different chat rooms from all over the world. There are also a dating site, an online friend site, an interest club, a free blog site and also a cool photo album for me to share all my photography works.

WireClub organized clubs into a few categories and I can even create smaller clubs within each and every of the category. I can join whichever clubs available and chat with the members there in the built-in club chat room. What a wonderful way to do my job and at the same time chat with a few online friends, all in the comfort of my home. I have just signed up and why don’t you try signing up too? You may not know how many interesting friends you might get to know today.

JINGLE BELLS OR SUNSET BELLS?

Jingle bells, sunset bells or Annabel? Haha… this is just a joke for my Switzerland friend. Anyway, this plant is called Chrysothemis Pulchella and belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. Some people call it the Black Flamingo or Sunset Bells. It has a little resemblance to the African Violet but a bit larger in size. It may grow to approximately 2 feet tall and bushy-like.

This lovely plant originated from the West Indies with lovely bronzy-brown foliage so glossy that you will just want to give it the occasional wipe to keep it that way. The buttercup-yellow flowers are backed by long, persistent and ornamental, conspicuous, flower-like, bright orange-red calyces. It does not like strong and direct sun. It does better in areas away from sprinkler heads so go easy on the water. It does indeed look like an orange bell with yellow flowers shooting out in the middle.

FINDING A PLACE IN ATLANTA

I felt in love with Atlanta ever since it held the Olympics in 1996. Atlanta is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Georgia, and the core city of the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. It has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters. It also receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. There are also a lot of interesting sights in Atlanta such as the Georgia State Capitol, the World of Coca-Cola museum, Saint Mark United Methodist Church, the High Museum of Art, the Fox Theatre, Piedmont Park, the Georgia Aquarium, and so on. What an ideal city for me to set up my home.

After grabbing a complimentary booklet on Apartment Finder from a nearby convenience store, I found a few nice and strategic Atlanta Apartments for rent. After checking through all the descriptions available, I have decided to set foot in my new 982 sq. ft. home at the Lodge on the Chattahoochee. Nestled on the riverbanks of the Chattahoochee, these aesthetically natural-looking havens will provide me with everything I need from wood-burning fireplaces, private balconies, fitness center to a sparkling Olympic size swimming pool. It also has the most wonderful trek for a nice morning stroll by the riverbank of the Chattahoochee. Wow! This is going to be my new sanctuary for a long time.

KNOWING THE RINGS OF EVERLASTING LOVE

Ever wonder what is the meaning of a ring on your finger? It symbolizes many interests apart from marriage and courtship. Here are some descriptions of the different types of rings available in the market.

Engagement and Wedding Rings: These rings are usually found on the fourth finger of the left hand. The classic ones are single diamond stone rings. Most couples would have a set of wedding band rings for the exchange of vows in addition to the engagement and wedding rings. The plain wedding band is usually worn daily while the wedding ser is reserved for special occasions.

Eternity Ring: The ring has diamonds studded all around the band and is usually presented during anniversaries.

Promise Ring: Young couples who are going steady may wear this thin band with a small diamond on it. It represents pre-engagement.

Friendship Ring: Teenagers wear this very often. Normally it is a less expensive 916 gold or 926 sterling silver.

Class Ring: This is a trend amongst the Americans as it indicates graduation.

Signet Ring: This ring is with a metal or stone plaque for initials or family crest usually worn by the aristocrat lineage.

Birth Stone Ring: Some believe that wearing the birth stone which represents the birth month, will bring good luck to the wearer.

Cocktail or Dinner Rings: These rings are worn for dressy evening events. This ring features a diamond and some accent color stones.

Costume Ring: This ring is normally used as part of the costume jewelry to compliment with the colors of a dressing. They are usually made from cut glasses of different colors.

HUNTING FOR A PLACE TO STAY AT EASE

My cousin will be posted to California by his engineering company on a contract basis for a year or two at beginning of next year. Finding a suitable place has always being a problem for him as he will need to travel all over the city to seek for a place of his likings. Not until his friend introduced him to Apartment Finder, a search engine for Apartments for Rent nationwide in US, did he find the ideal place for him to move in.

Through his search, he found out about Porto Bella Apartment. The apartment is situated along Norwalk, California with a warm and friendly environment. The courtyard is so beautifully maintained with a Victorian style fountain and the neighbors are just great. Being a bachelor, the bright and spacious one bedroom apartment home is just right for him. There is also a barbeque area and a big sparkling swimming pool for his regular evening exercise.

Moreover, the 625sq feet one bedroom apartment comes fully furnished with microwave, refrigerator, gated entrance, vertical blinds, ceiling fans, mirror wardrobe and so on. It is such a good bargain with a monthly rental of not more than $1,100.

THE MAGIC OF FLOWERS

Your daily routine has gotten to you making your prospect of getting a long vacation slip away quietly. It is high time for you to revitalize, reenergize and rejuvenate your luster lack self in the radiance and splendor of fresh flowers. Flowers do not necessary be suitable only for the feminine species, men can also enjoy and breathe in some vitality and freshness into their life.

Drop by your nearest florist and pamper yourself to a vibrant, refreshing medley of colors. Feast your eyes with the brilliance of Mother Nature’s finest creations, and soothe your tired soul with its gentle and fragrant scent of peace and tranquil to the mind.

It would also be better to take the experience home with you by liven up your house with the cheery and friendly petals of the flowers. Your home will never be the same again. You will not be the same again. You will realize that the gloom and doom of your stressful life have quietly step out from your life!

We have been living in a concrete jungle for ages since we were young and it is time for us to just take some time off and clear our minds from the pressure and hustle of our daily life. Take a stroll down to the nearest botanical park and enjoy the fresh clear air of the atmosphere. Rest your eyes with the greeneries and floral surrounding you. After all, a clear and fresh mind works wonders for many years to come.

I JUST LOVE MINT

As time passes by, my love for Mint grew stronger and stronger. Not only does Mint accompany me during my lonely traveling time, Mint also assisted me during my time of financial crisis. Mint gave me the courage and breathing space to hold on to my life. What a true companion Mint is. I love you… Mint.

Do I sound romantic here? Well, what I said about Mint is so true. Which other credit card can give me such flexibility? With Mint, I can get 0% on Balance Transfers for 13 months, 0% on all purchases until 1 June 2008 and also 0% bonus offer until 1 September 2009 on balance transfers. Other benefits include having up to 56 days interest free on all purchases, ability to manage your Mint Credit Card account 24 hours a day online, download statement, receiving emails plus text alerts, up to £7,500 credit limit upon approval without annual fees, and also credit card consolidation.

Mint is a business name of the Royal Bank of Scotland which holds the MasterCard logo. It is accepted worldwide. If you are interested in applying for a low interest Mint Credit Card, just log into the Mint secure website and your application will be processed immediately.

HAVING A PARTY IS AS EASY AS ABCDE

Christmas is just around the corner and do you normally hold parties during this period of time? Well, if you do, let us look at some hassle free tips on getting the best out from the party. It is as easy as shouting out “A! B! C! D! E!” What are they?

A FOR ATMOSPHERE: You should set the right moods for the party. Choices of right music, right lightings, and non-stop flow of drinks are important. If you have the courage, dressing sexy and revealing are another options to boost the atmosphere. :P

B FOR BATHROOMS: Check your water pressure in your toilet prior to the party. Ensure that it is tuned to refill fast. You won’t want a long queue of crossed-legged guests, right? Place a few plastic buckets lined with garbage bags can be quite useful. You might not know what your guests might do with them. Haha!

C FOR CLEARING UP: Go get some rest after the party. Leave the clearing up for the next day. The next morning, open all the doors and windows to let the sun and fresh air in. It will get rid of whatever smell that got stuck in the house. Get big rubbish bags and throw all the junks into them. Dispose them immediately to the nearest dump. Please take note that precaution should be taken in avoiding throwing out the wrong items. Pets and in-laws should not be in the throw-out list. LOL.

D FOR DRINKS: Drinks play an important part in any party. Running out of drinks will kill the party. You might get some guests who will bring in a bottle of wine and expect that to last the whole night. Backup a few bottle of wine or a carton of beers in case those run out. Prepare lots of ice cubes and different types of soft drinks to ensure that your guests have the choices for their mixes.

E FOR EDIBLES: You do not have to worry about cooking up some exciting and out of the world kind of desserts. Just pour some peanuts and chips into small bowls and scattered them around. I am sure your guests will understand that you have done enough to entertain them to a sumptuous dinner.

LOSING HAIR IS NOT SUCH A FUN THING

What really causes hair loss? Is it due to job stresses, acute diseases, imbalance of the hormone or wrong choice of food intake? In fact all the above does affect hair loss one way or another. Both men and women are not spared from losing hair at certain period of their life journey.

Generally, there are few factors that caused hair loss. The first two can be call Androgenetic Alopecia, meaning having a genetic predisposition to balding and having a higher level of androgens (male hormones). The third factor which might be taken into consideration is aging. A person as early as late teens might experience some hair loss. Most people tend to ignore the symptoms and as age progresses, hair loss becomes more obvious and uncontrollable.

My Uncle who was with the medical profession down in Florida was not spared too. Even a doctor could not escape from the generic factor. During his last trip here for a visit, I was in for a surprise. He was no longer bald and he got his hair back handsomely. I got to find out that he had hair transplant in south florida. He was telling me about how good and professional the medical teams of Dr. Shapiro were and how my Aunt loves him even more with more bushes around. I am still figuring out the message in between the line but these two 60 years old love birds really got me in stitches all the time.

WHERE HAVE MY MONEY GONE TO?

I will do a small interrogation on how much I have spent bi-weekly. Most of the time, I will end up in shock as the amount earned disappeared mysteriously. It is like the more I earn, the more I spend and by the end of the month, my bank account practically depreciated to a danger level. That is the why I have started making a daily expenditure account and setting my budget right. Making a budget may sound easy, but sticking to it and living within the limits set could be rather difficult. Here are some tips which may help you in controlling your monthly money flow.

AVOID THE ATM: It is so easy to lose track of how much you will withdraw from the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) just to eat out, go for movies, or shopping. The best is to withdraw a set amount weekly and leave the ATM card at home. By limiting trips to ATM, you can avoid money leakage. At the same time your bank contents can last longer. By the way ladies, this does not mean you cannot take your so-called ATMs (Auto Transaction Mates, e.g. hubby/boyfriend) out. LOL.

GET REPAYMENT SETTLED EARLY: Well, some of us have some loan repayments (car loan, mortgage, credit card statement, insurance, rental, etc) that needed to be settled monthly. Get them paid early and you will have a better sense of how much more you have left for discretionary spending.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CREDIT CARD PURCHASES: If credit card purchases are the main culprit in overspending, keep track of your card spending and freeze it if necessary. If it reaches the “shopaholic syndrome”, just use a scissors and cut it into two. That will surely stop you from overusing. Haha…just hope you won’t reach that state.

TAKE WHAT YOU NEED: The easiest way to stop overspending or greed over your wants, take only whatever cash you need when leaving your house. Leave the rest at home for safe-keeping. Make sure you keep your house securely locked. You do not want additional strain to your existing monetary woes.

SAVING PLAN: To meet your saving goals, have a fixed amount generated monthly into your reserve account. Keep the account book away from easy access. You can even request your banker to transfer certain amount monthly into another savings account labeled household expenditure.

Temptation over whatever we want instead of need is hard to control. We should train ourselves to have the monetary discipline over our spending. “Save for the rainy days” is a good term used. What do you understand by the meaning of rainy days? It means your old age. When you get older, sickness visits frequently. You won’t want to be handicap without funds, would you?

AM I NAUGHTY OR AM I NICE?

I have been playing with so many personality tests online until I am bored with those mind boggling questionnaires that made my head swirled and dizzy for the rest of the day. After searching the internet for sometime, I managed to find out about Quiz Rocket. There are many tests in there that made me laugh by simply looking at the questionnaires they have provided. This site has so many quizzes that are funny yet fun to play with ranging from Dating Personality Quiz, Emo Quiz, Idiot Quiz, Sexy Quiz to The Impossible Quiz.

Since Christmas is approaching soon, I tried the Naughty or Nice Quiz to learn if I fell onto Santa’s Naughty List. “Oh Naughty Naughty… you don't get a present for Christmas!” Gosh! I was laughing all the way. They even gave me a badge towards the end of the quiz. I have never had such a fun test before. Why don’t you try out their online personality quizzes and fun tests? It’s free too.

BUDGET MEAL: SERIES #6

RM10 budget for 2 persons for 2 meals
The food in the photo consist the portion for one person per meal only

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DISH 1: VEGETARIAN CHICKEN CURRY



DISH 2: SPICY PRAWNS WITH DRIED SHRIMPS



ESTIMATED COSTING FOR INGREDIENTS:

RICE: RM1 (enough to serve 4 persons)

VEGETARIAN CHICKEN CURRY:
Spices: 50sen
Potato: RM1
Vegetarian mock chicken: RM1.50
Curry Leaves: FOC
Miscellaneous (salt, sugar, oil): 20sen

SPICY PRAWNS WITH DRIED SHRIMPS:
Prawns: RM4
Dried shrimp: 50sen
Spices: 50sen
Big onions: 20sen
Curry Leaves: FOC
Miscellaneous (salt, soy sauce, sugar, oil): 50sen

TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT: RM9.90

Note: All amount stated will be based on the proportion used in the cooking.

PREVIOUS BUDGET MEAL SERIES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

PLAYING WITH COLOR SCHEMES AT HOME

Here we are, mere mortal amateurs trying to create that desired stunning effect in our homes. We ended up many times that our choice of color scheme result in color clashes or simply being too bland. Let us discuss on some color schemes to shed some light on the best color combination for your home.

Personal taste plays a great role in your selection of colors. There is no right or wrong in your selections. How you use it, how you combine it and where you use it will need some considerations. For a more comfortable mood and ambience, harmonious color schemes should be used. It will be pleasant to the eyes and thus creating peace and tranquil within your home. If your choice of colors clashes, you will end up having mental stress all the time.

There are basically 3 types of schemes for different purposes within a home. They are the harmonious scheme, one-color scheme and contrasting scheme.

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HARMONIOUS SCHEME: This is a selection of soothing blending colors. These colors shared a common color base. They practically flow into each other as in your color chart. For example, a clear blue, blue green, aqua and green will give you a much cooler effect whereas pink, apricot, peach and gold will give a warmer autumn-like effect. Using different textured material such as rugs, laces and brocade also play important role in this color scheme selection. It will make your room feel more grand and sophisticated.



ONE-COLOR SCHEME: This is the safest and most practical selection to avoid the possibility of color clashes. Normally, white, off-white and grey are used in this selection. It allows you the chance of using small amount of an accent color to greater effect. Choices of warm off-white, cream, beige and brown will give you a warmer effect. Cool off-white, sky blue, blue-grey and royal blue give you a cool feeling. You can also add texture to the overall feel with area rugs, curtains and cushion cover. This color scheme is normally used in small rooms to give you the illusion of spaciousness.



CONTRASTING SCHEME: This is the scheme that you used for rooms meant for fun, cheerful activities or entertainment, e.g. TV room, children play room, games room or even nursery room. It is useful for creating a vibrant and stimulating ambience. The colors could include deep purple with violet, navy blue with yellow ocre, orange with apple green and so on. Other add-ons could include cartoon based cheap rugs, reflective curtains and vibrant colored sofas.



I hope this rough guide will enable you to expand your creativity to explore more imaginative color schemes in the future.

ALTERNATIVE TO THE RANKING HOLOCAUST

With many websites/blogs in yet another Google downgrading exercise getting slapped with a PR0 recently, it is rather hard for many people, especially advertisers/marketing people/bloggers to check on which are the quality or non-quality sites anymore. All these while, most people depended solely on Google PageRank. Now we have an alternative solution to rank a site with RealRank.

What is RealRank? It is actually another great project by IZEA to counter attack on Google’s PageRank massacre. It is a piece of JavaScript that many of the PPP members already have and those outside of PPP will be able to get from a separate site without joining PPP or SocialSpark. It also gathers REAL traffic information, much like your analytics platform and ranks users based on their standing within the network.

The formula is relatively simple. 70% weighted towards VISITORS per day. 20% weighted towards amount of ACTIVE INBOUND LINKS per day, where as the balance 10% weighted towards PAGE VIEWS per day. This project will officially hit the cyberspace within the next 2 weeks.

This new metrics will not only give an accurate statistic on a site’s worth, it will also provide those sites with some breathing space to earn some money online. After all, most earners around the world are mothers or fathers who would want to earn some extra cash to provide their children with a better future and living standards. I do not see anything wrong with that.

I have my rank checked at RealRanker.com. Have you check yours yet?

CASH BACK REWARDS FOR YOUR CREDIT CARDS

Owning a credit card has become part of our daily life. We generally hold a credit card for the convenience sake of not having to carry too much cash around. It is real useful when traveling overseas as you do not have to worry about changing your cash into foreign currencies. The card issuer will do all the necessary conversions for you and the best part is that your purchase will only appear in your credit card statement a month later.

Nowadays, applying a card can be quite a headache with so many banks around providing so many different types of cash back rewards. It would be a hassle to hop in all the banks to check on the best offer they have for you. I find CreditCardSearchEngine.com a nice site to solve my problems. It is a site where I get to compare and apply my choice of Cash Back Cards in the market. They have major credit card issuers such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank and leading brands such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card.

PHOTO HUNTERS: I LOVE MY LIFE

This week’s theme is on I LOVE … MY LIFE.
I LOVE MY LIFE being who I am without any worries.

I can play whenever I like and whatever time I’m pleased with.

When I’m hungry and need some attention,
I just meow and food would be served to me without any delays.

I can have the freedom to go wherever I like and do whatever I want,
and come back not worrying that I still have someone to hug in bed.

Don’t you think MY LIFE as a cat is so wonderful?
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!

THE SAFETY OF STEEL BUILDINGS

You might want to get a house of your dream to shelter your loved ones from external danger but getting one that can withstand nature’s unpredictable weather changes might not be so easy. Houses used to be built using bricks, sand, wood and iron. Those were the days where people will only look for a roof over their heads. Today with the advancement of technology and advance research on stronger buildings, Steel Buildings have become the choice of majority. Not only such buildings are strong and appealing, it is also very affordable.

With more than 30 years of experience in Steel Buildings, Olympia Steel Buildings Systems has provided the best deal in constructing any type of steel buildings. Their expertise lie in constructing steel metal buildings, standard steel metal buildings and metal building systems for commercial, agricultural, industrial, residential, automotive, trucking, aviary and so on. Their products come in different color tones of superb quality paint that protects the material from any torment weather attacks. The best part is that all these steel buildings are made out of 100% US steel and come with a 25-years warranty.

Wait no more. Give them a call now to get your free metal building price quote within the next 24 hours. You can even log in their website to get more information for a stronger, more stable and reliable steel buildings, not only for you but also for the safety of your family members.

CAN SEE BUT CANNOT DOWNLOAD – YOU SURE?

I immediately fell in love with this “How The Cat Wakes You Up In The Morning!” video in YouTube but the problem is that I cannot download the animation for my own collection. The only way I can keep it is by embedding it into my blog.

It was said that “curiosity kills the cat”. I did not die from my curiosity to find out more by searching all over the internet for the ultimate solution. In fact, I gained more knowledge on the online file conversion. I found www.vixy.net. This service allows me to convert a Flash Video / FLV file (YouTube's videos, etc) to MPEG4 (AVI/MOV/MP4/MP3/3GP) file online. It is using a compressed domain transcoder technology. It converts FLV to MPEG4 faster and more accurate than most transcoder.

Converting a YouTube movie to the format of your choice is as easy as ABC. Here are the few simple steps:

1. Open up http://vixy.net and select the format you want.

2. Open up the YouTube video that you would want to download. For my case, it is “How The Cat Wakes You Up In The Morning!” Click on “Share” below the video. It will show a link (URL).

3. Copy the URL and paste it into the blank column in VIXY and press “Start”.

4. Upon completion, a pop up menu will be shown. Click on “Save to disc”.

5. Congratulation…you have downloaded your favorite video.

PLASTIC PRODUCTS FOR ALL SEASONS

Halloween has just passed and Thanksgiving will be here soon. Before you realized about it, Christmas and New Year celebrations will be next. We indeed have so many celebrations and countless of parties that we hold annually. Sooner or later, we will end up with storage problems in our refrigerator. Would you go for the traditional way to stock your party food in boxes of containers and take up all your storage space or would you go for reclosable zip-lock plastic bags that will still maintain the freshness of your food? For me, I opt for the different sizes of plastic bags easily available in the market.

International Plastics is one such fine manufacturer of polyethylene film and Plastic Bags in the market. Other than the reclosable zip-lock plastic bags, they also have other products such as customized plastic bags, tubing & film, sealers & closures, retail packaging, boxes & mailers, cushioning, labels, tapes & adhesives, marking & stenciling, shipping and warehouse supplies.

I will be assisting in a product launch not long from now and I will be glad to appoint them to come up with beautiful merchandise shopping bags for me. Who knows? My client might also choose some from their 600 common sizes and styles of plastic bags they have in stock.

ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECTED

Sometimes it is nice to pamper ourselves to dine in an air conditioned restaurant to have hot steaming dishes served to us without worrying about clearing up the mess of unwashed utensils. What we are not aware of are the dangers that are lurking behind us when we least expected. This is the second incident that happened to my friend’s relative in a restaurant within a month.

This case happened in a Thai cuisine restaurant in Kuantan, Pahang few days back. This elderly man was having dinner with his 2 friends. They ordered steam fish as one of the dishes. When the fish arrived, the waitress lighted some liquid gel instead of the normal candles to keep the fish warm. The whole thing suddenly exploded, injuring his face, body and hand. He was admitted into the nearest hospital with second degree burns. He was lucky to be wearing glasses or else he would have been blinded by the blast.

The second case involved a lady who was having dinner with her friends. Happily, they walked into the restaurant. After dinner, the happy memories turned into tragedy when she tripped and fell down the stairways. She was declared dead upon arrival in the hospital.

You can call that fate or you can call that bad luck or karma, but one thing I can assure you. Life is very unpredictable. Anything can happen to you anytime, anywhere and anyhow. Stay strong to your spiritual belief and appreciate those people who loved you. You might regret not doing what you should do when it is too late.

GOSH – I AM OUT OF INK

Phew! I have so much of printing work to be done and yet so few days left before the deadline. I do hope that I can finish the project on time or else I would be blacklisted in my client’s suppliers list. Wait a minute! Why is the there a blinking light on my printer? Gosh! I am out of ink!

Do I feel panicky? No! I have the Cartridge Finder website address bookmarked in my browser. All I need to do is to search for the brand, model number, followed by my zip code and a list of merchants’ names and pricing will be displayed immediately. Finding the right pricing and having the right contact number is just a matter of pressing a few keys on my keyboard. I have the options of purchasing the cartridge online or calling up the merchant to have them delivered to me urgently.

You can imagine how much time and money I can save to have this convenient service available anytime I am in need of a cartridge replacement.

DO MEN HAVE “UNCLE’S VISIT”?

It would be a joke if you say that men have PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) or locally we call it the “Auntie’s Visit”. Unless a guy has ovaries that releases matured eggs every month, it is not possible. In case you guys do not understand the process of ovulation, let me brief you on the meaning of menstrual period. It is something that a woman would experience every month until the ovaries stop releasing eggs and it is real sufferings for them. You would not know the pain they are having unless you are in their shoes.

Once a month, the tiny maturing egg will leave one of the ovaries toward the uterus. If the egg was not fertilized by a sperm and does not attach to the wall of the uterus, the uterus will shed an extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg will then be dispersed out of the body. This is what we call a menstrual period. This process will go on and on for tens of years until the ovaries stopped producing eggs. Due to the hormone changes, there would be emotional swings for a woman throughout the week. This is the period where most women would need words of concern, understanding and some warmth from the people surrounding her.

Men do have similar symptoms as in fluctuation of hormone levels as many as 3-4 times a day for the rest of their lives. Some may call it mid-life crisis. Some may call it life pressures. But overall, these mood swings are caused by depression and anxiety. To me it is called “Uncle’s Visit” but there is a scientific name for it. It is DYSTHYMIA.

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Dysthymia are mild depression that most men take for granted in their daily lives. Most men will just ignore them and thus leaving themselves in a chronic state, emotionally for many years. This usually happened to those people who have an unhappy life, work or education stress, financial burden and love relationships. If dysthymia is not treated earlier with the necessary measurement, it will lead to severe depression. It might also lead to a high rate of suicide, work impairment, and social isolation.

Most of us are not aware that we are slowly sliding into depression. It can start as early as in our teen years and last for a long period until we were immune to it. We tend to adjust to every worsening mood and assume that they are reacting normally to life's circumstances. You might want to know if you are having dysthymia by studying your moods for the last 2 years. If your answers to the following questions are more than 6 “Yes”, it is better for you to seek medical expertise before it is too late.

1. Do you tend to have poor appetite or overeating problem most of the time?
2. Do you lose weight and gain weight inconsistently without any diet plans?
3. Do you tend to feel lethargic at odd times all the time?
4. Do you have prolonged insomnia or oversleeping problems?
5. Do you have low esteem, feeling lost, sad or “blank” most of the time?
6. Do you a mind that runs wild in your attempt to concentrate on your work or studies and finishing a task seemed to take a longer period?
7. Do you always say “errrr”, “maybe”, “let me think first” when an immediate answer is needed when making decision?
8. Do you have inferiority complex that you are hopeless or guilty or lost interest in everything that you do?
9. Do you get irritated easily and get restless, agitated, worried or bad tempered over small matters?
10. Do you have persistent headaches, indigestive systems or chronic bodily pain that refused to response to any medication?
11. Do you have uncontrollable emotion problems that lead you to unhappiness, sadness and negativity?
12. Do you isolate yourself socially or have withdrawn from your peers?
13. Do you have constant feelings of suicide, or contemplating suicide?
14. Does your family tree have a history of with depression, alcoholism or nervous breakdowns?

How is your result? Is it promising or is it such a terrible state that you will whack me for coming out with such a post? Hehe! Well, it is your choice. To seek treatment or not depends on you.

MY HOUSE IS UNDER ATTACK

Sometimes, I wished that my whole house were made out of concrete than to worry about those hot tempered termites drilling in every corner that is made out of wood. Those pesky little aliens are really getting into my nerves. I have just spent $500 to get certain parts of my house repaired and yet they still make their ways into my home without fail.

I think I should now apply for an annual termite bond where they can cover my house from termite damages. At least there is a termite expert out there whom can inspect my house regularly to get rid of the roots of my termite problems. Don’t you think that it would be better to pay the minimal amount for insurance than to pay hundreds every few years?

PAINTBALL MANIA

The Paintball Mania has now hit Penang. There are quite a few clubs being set up in Penang Island and Mainland. What exactly is paintball? Paintball is a combat sport in which participants eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with paintballs. Paintballs are spherical gelatin capsules containing primarily polyethylene glycol, other non-toxic and water-soluble substances, and dye shot from a compressed-gas-powered "marker".

The game may sound dangerous as it involved war and shooting amongst players but insurance statistics showed that paintball is one of the safest sports in existence, even more so than tennis. The games can be played either indoors or outdoors and usually involves two opposing teams seeking to eliminate all of the other team's players or to complete an objective, such as retrieving a flag, eliminating a specific player, and so on. There are many forms of playing of which some of the most popular are woodsball, scenario and speedball. Rules for playing paintball vary widely, with most designed to ensure that participants enjoy the sport in a safe environment.

Recently, I came across a beautiful man-made Combat Quarters Battle (CQB) scenario set on a 1-acre wide open field in Penang Island. It is one of Malaysia’s largest CQB field. It also has a speedball training field. This paintball park is managed by Kelab Sukan Paintball Negeri Pulau Pinang (KSPNPP).

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The Club has one of the largest rental equipment inventories on site and can accommodate any group of players. They can handle teamwork activities for corporate bodies, birthdays, bachelors or tournament events. Moreover, the site has well-shaded picnic area for spouses or friends to enjoy cool beverages while waiting for the game to finish.

If you are a keen paintball player, you can even apply a membership card now. The card is unique and has your name imprinted on it. A 10% discount will be given for all packages and item sales.

The packages that are available easily suit everyone’s budget. Here are the packages:

Here are some peeps into how the places looked like:

1. Bukit Gambir Paintball Park, Penang.

2. Taman Sukun, Seberang Jaya, Penang.

3. Paintball Scenario Training Centre (PSTC) at Taman Permai, Seberang Jaya, Penang.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Kelab Sukan Paintball Negeri Pulau Pinang
Office : 234, Jalan Permai, Taman Bukit Gambir, 11700 Gelugor, Penang
Tel : 604-6573866
email : clubpaintballpenang@gmail.com
Harris: 017-590 3333, Norha: 012-547 0202, Leo: 012-472 9686, Jeff: 012-401 7007
Opening Hours: 3pm - 11.30pm (weekdays) 9am - 11.30pm (weekends)

EMERGENCIES SAVERS

Gosh… Bills, bills, bills and more bills. I had enough of these! It is hardly the middle of the month and all I got are tons of bills ranging from telephone bill, internet bill, electricity bill, water bill, mobile phone bills to even my groceries bill. Payday was just a few days ago and all I have left would not even be enough to last me for another one week. I am getting panicky now as how am I going to feed myself after that?

Luckily I came across PaydayLoanQuotes, a free comparison service where I can request free quotes from their network of licensed lenders. Their No Fax Payday Loans are so simple to apply. All you need to do is to provide them with your contact information, identification, employment information, and bank account details. Once approved, your loan will be deposited directly into your bank account by the next business day. It is so simple and yet hassle-free.

BUDGET MEAL: SERIES #5

RM10 budget for 2 persons for 2 meals
The food in the photo consist the portion for one person per meal only

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DISH 1: STIR FRIED TURNIP WITH MUSHROOM



DISH 2: FRIED MACKEREL WITH FERMENTED BEANS



ESTIMATED COSTING FOR INGREDIENTS:

RICE: RM1 (enough to serve 4 persons)

STIR FRIED TURNIP WITH MUSHROOM:
Turnip: RM1
Carrot: 30sen
Ginger: 10sen
Pork: RM1
Garlic: 10sen
Miscellaneous (pepper, salt, sesame oil, oil): 50sen

FRIED MACKEREL WITH FERMENTED BEANS:
Mackeral: RM5
Ginger: 20sen
Garlic: 10sen
Fermented Beans: 20sen
Miscellaneous (pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, oil): 50sen

TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT: RM10.00

Note: All amount stated will be based on the proportion used in the cooking.

PREVIOUS BUDGET MEAL SERIES: 1, 2, 3, 4

YOU ARE ALWAYS CARED FOR WITH BETTERCARING

Many elderly people in UK find it hard to get through their life with hardly or none of their family members or relatives visiting them. Sometimes, they do get lonely and in need of companionships. BetterCaring comes in the picture by being the company with the solutions. They provide dedicated services to cater for those who are searching for care homes options for themselves as well as their loved ones. Deciding on which kind of care homes would not be hard too as they have options for you to choose between residential care home or care home with nursing services.

Bettercaring’s user-friendly website will provide you with you all the information you need to know about them. On top of that, they even have a community forum section which you can discuss your experiences and ask for advices from others. They even have the information you will need for consideration on the costs and the financial aspects of it all.

Elderly people need special care and attention. If you love them as part of your family, do give them the best care you can possibly provide by checking out the website.

FEAR OR LOVE?

“Danny was out on a business trip and will only be back tonight. I have no one to fetch me downtown to run some errands,” exclaimed Betty. Betty wanted to give her husband a surprise meal but the food left in her refrigerator was not adequate enough to make a wonderful meal for him. She then decided to use her husband’s favorite car to do some shopping downtown. It has been awhile since she last drove and driving alone without any company made her shaky a bit.

While she was driving, a cat suddenly shot across the road. She immediately stepped on the brake and before she knew it she rammed onto a lamp post. Feeling shock, she heard bits and pieces of the head lamp tinkling onto the ground. Passersby stopped and helped her out from the car. Luckily she was driving slowly at that time or else her life would have ended there.

“Thank God I was not hurt!” thought Betty. “Now I fear that Danny would kill me for smashing up his car. He treats the car as his pride.” Fears of what Danny would do to her kept sweeping through her unrest mind even though he was a kind and gentle person. Finally, a police officer arrived. “Ouch! That’s an antique car. It’s going to hurt the pocket for repairs. Can I see some documents please, Madam?” said the police officer.

Betty reached out to the glove compartment to grab the insurance and her license. As she was about to hand over the documents to the police officer, a piece of paper flew down onto the ground. She picked it up and was stunned for a second. It read, “My Darling, If you are reading this letter now, you must be in real trouble. I am glad that you can still read it. It shows that you are fine. Don’t worry about the car as it can be replaced. My love for you is irreplaceable. Come home safely to claim that love. Love, Danny”. Betty was in tears.

The most important thing in love is to ensure that the other half is safe from any harm at all times. Materialism can be replaced but not the life of someone you loved and promised to be with together until the end of your life journey. For the case of Betty and Danny, true love existed between the two of them. Betty was filled with guilt and Danny was filled with forgiveness. It takes two hands to make a clap. To live happily or angrily lies within your own decision. Don’t you think the Power of Love is great?

CYBER GAMES YOU WANNA PLAY

Cyber Cafes have been shooting out rapidly throughout the nation to meet the ever growing demands of many cyber games users. Games like Counter Strike, Half Life, Age of Empires, Starcraft, Warcraft, Red Alert, Gunbound and FIFA Soccer were the in trend games then. Nowadays, lots of people are crazy over Defense of the Ancients (DotA), which had replaced most of the cyber games throughout the world.

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With fast internet speed and state-of-the-art technology available, new cyber games have rapidly mushroomed within the cyberspace. Players are now enjoying themselves in the comfort of their home using the unlimited access of the broadband services. Some of the games that gained fast popularity were Ragnarok (RO), MMORPH, Perfect World, Kungfu Online and many more.

On top of that, gamblers are also spending their time at home to try out their luck on the easy available online gambling sites. Some of these sites do provide online gambling games such as online poker, craps, slots and roulette.

HOKKIEN MAGGIE MEE – THE HEALTHIER WAY

Many people would have just gone outside to buy a packet of this type of noodle as preparation is rather time consuming. You can imagine the time involved in softening the instant noodles, peeling the prawns, boiling the eggs, cooking the meat stock, blending the prawn skins, frying with chilies, shallots, onions and oil, not forgetting cutting the meat into strips. As for me, I do not mind having the effort to cook a healthier meal. At least it will free myself from consuming too much of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG).

What most people are not aware is the effect of ready packed instant noodles on our bodies. Normally, we just put in the water to boil, throw in the instant noodles, pre-packed powder and let it cook for 3 minutes. What we do not realize is the change in the molecular structure of MSG when boiled together with other ingredients within the powder, making it toxic to our bodies. Moreover the wax that coats the noodles will remain within our bodies for 4-5 days before it is totally out from them. Too much of foreign compounds in our bodies can be cancerous in a long run.

The right way to cook instant noodles is to drain away the excess water when the noodles softened. Boil another pot of water, off with the fire, throw in the noodles, powder and let it stand for a few minutes before consuming it. In case you want to have dry noodles, toss the cooked noodles dry and mix with the powder on a plate. Some people will tell me that it is a waste of time and gas. Would you prefer to have a healthier life or would you save cost on gases and ruin your life in the future? It is all up to you!

MY PASSION FOR RARE COINS

I have been collecting old and rare coins for investment ever since I was a kid and many times I have encountered fake ones along the way. That really gave me the lack of confidence in purchasing one that is genuine. I got back my confidence soon after I found out about Monaco Rare Coin, a trusted leader in precious metals investments for nearly 40 years. What I liked most about them is that they have a bunch of staff and advisors who are from a numbers of professional numismatics bodies. At least I can now be assured of getting the best quality rare coins available at best prices.

One of my main interests now is to get my hands on the morgan dollars. These are the much sought after U.S. silver coins ever since they were minted from 1878 through 1921. They are rare, beautiful and indeed good collectible coins for investment. I do hope I can get hold of one through Monaco Rare Coin before they are sold out.

HYBRID ORCHIDS CAN BE BEAUTIFUL

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi is distinguished by its rather plump, flattened inflorescence from which flowers with small petals emerge. This plant in my garden flowers almost continuously, and as older flowers fade, new flowers appear. Primary hybrids made with this species have been used to improve and give color to other generations of hybrids.

The most common color is yellowish green, and its markings are some variation of reddish brown or cinnamon colored bars, spots and blotches over all segments. The lip is white or near-white with parallel, reddish brown or cinnamon colored stripes on the lateral lobes and base of the column.

THE MAKING MONEY ONLINE LIST – SURVEYS & OTHERS

Here is the second part of the listing for making money online. It would be advisable to read through the first part “The Making Money Online List – Reviews & Advertising” before proceeding further here. Some of the links mentioned below are not suitable for people outside US.

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SURVEYS & OTHERS SITES:

SurveyScout: SurveyScout Private Site costs $69.95 to join, but they have an 8-week money back guarantee in case you are not happy with their service. They are now offering a limited 50% rebate. It is only $34.95 now for signing up as early birds.

MaviShare: This is a pay you as you try their products and services site which you will get paid for trying products, free samples, and free trials. The money will immediately pass on to you via PayPal. This is only for US and Canada citizens. You will only be paid upon the actual customers they gain. Well, $50 or more for a referral program would not be bad too.

Your2Cents: This is an “earn as you do survey” type of system. Payment will be from $1-$5. Payment mode is by check. This is more suitable for people in US as they might do an audio survey through mobile.

SendEarnings: Your get paid for completing surveys through your emails. The company made every effort possible to send Paid Emails™ to Members outside the U.S., but they can only guarantee regular Paid Emails™ to their U.S. Members.

Associated Content: Associated Content is a platform that enables everyone to publish their content in any format on any topic and then distributes that content to engaged audiences through its website and content partners. Those who contribute to Associated Content's ad-supported collection of original text, video, audio and images gain exposure and often earn cash for their participation. An upfront payment will be offered if your content is accepted. There is no guaranteed payment amount.

StormPay: StormPay’s primary function is offering individual sellers and advertisers a safe, easy, and low cost environment in which they can advertise and sell their goods. In fact, this is an online auction house where you will be charged a minimal amount as advertising fees after a week.

MyLot: myLot is a growing community of individuals from around the world who enjoy sharing information, meeting new people, and helping each other out. Discussion activity earnings are calculated based on a proprietary model that rewards quality responses, relevant discussions and images. By using the services, you will get paid monthly with a minimum account balance of $10.

WordLinx: If you have too much of free time in hand, this could interest you. Advertisers pay members to visit their websites. Members are paid $0.01 USD per click. Members must visit each advertiser's site for a minimum of 20 seconds. Members need a minimum of $10 in their accounts before a payout which usually takes 48 hours can be requested.

SurveySpot: SurveySpot works with marketing research companies all over the world, helping them find out what consumer think about products, ideas and issues of the day. If you qualified and completed a survey that offered a cash award, your award will be added to your panelist account 4-6 weeks from the date you took the survey. This is strictly for US, UK and Canadian citizens.

Synovate: Synovate Global Opinion Panels is one of the largest marketing research firms in the world. Membership in our Global Opinion Panels provides you with many opportunities to voice your opinions on the products and services you and millions of other people across the globe use every day. Checks are mailed once a survey closed. The payment is within 6-8 weeks. Surprisingly this site does not cater for Malaysians.

GlobalTestMarket: GlobalTestMarket was designed to give you the opportunity to get paid for directly influencing global market research. In partnership with top companies around the world, their online surveys offer you the ability to help influence the development of products and services that you use every day. Payment would be issued by check when you have reached 1,000 market points ($50).

Hits4Pay: Hits4pay is an Internet advertising company sharing its advertising revenue with its members. Advertisers all over the world are willing to pay you just for reading their promotional emails and visiting their websites. They even pay you $10 as sign up bonus when you have accumulated $25 in your account. This is more suitable for people in US as they require you to fill up a US tax form.

ClixSense: By taking advantage of the ClixSense online advertising program, as a potential online consumer, you can actually get paid for your web browsing, up to $5.00 for every 30 seconds worth of work. The income you earn is paid directly to you every month. The best part about the ClixSense program is that as a potential online consumer, there is no charge to register your new account and begin earning money immediately. Members will be paid all earnings (minimum $10) via check delivered to your postal address on file or other methods announced by ClixSense.com.

AdBux: Advertisers will pay YOU for every website you view and for every offer you complete! Additionally, you can maximize your earnings with their affiliate program where you can earn up to 150% of your referrals' direct earnings and commissions on any AdBux service that your referrals purchase! Payment can be either check or through PayPal.

Media Dollarz: MediaDollarz is a website where members get paid for participating in advertising promotions. You get paid for signing up for free promotions. You even get paid for completing surveys or even for testing products. New offers come in very regularly. Make sure you check your account at least a couple of times per week so you won’t miss out on new offers being placed! USA / CA / UK / AU / NL only.

Take The Internet Back: You earn by reading emails and by referring others - it is as simple as that. The more you read and the more you refer, the more revenues you will get. More points also mean more ownership of their company. Their program will benefit you both in the short term and especially in the long term. Once revenues start, they will pay out once a month, and your balance must be at least $20.00 to be eligible. They will pay on the 1st of the month and by company check or PayPal.

FinerWorks: This is a site where you can upload your pictures or photos for print. If someone wanted to purchase your print, they will have to pay you a royalty fee, which is 40% of the total sale cost. They will pay out your royalties once a month once the total amount due is $25 or more.

Inbox Dollars: Advertisers pay InboxDollars™ to reach consumers like you. InboxDollars™ shares the revenue we receive from advertisers with our Members. Your get paid for completing surveys through your emails. The company made every effort possible to send Paid Emails™ to Members outside the U.S., but they can only guarantee regular Paid Emails™ to their U.S. Members.

Snap Dollars: As a member, you will earn money from home in a variety of ways, such as get paid to read email, complete surveys and offers, refer friends, play games and more. You will even be paid to join Snap Dollars. Payment is by check. Members must have a valid U.S. or Canada mailing address.

CashMoneyEmail: Cash Money Email will pay you to receive and read email advertisements related to your selected interest. They will also pay you Cash Back for purchasing, joining requesting more information related to your selected interest. They will credit your account with $10 just for joining up now. Payment is through PayPal or by check when you meet the minimum $50 target within 45 days from your request to get paid.

EmailPaysU: E-mail Pays U offers its opt-in subscribers 2 very profitable forms of paid e-mails. Their standard paid to read email earns you $.02 per email advertisement you receive and read from their company. Subscribers can also earn valuable point e-mails that are exchanged for cash 6 times a year. Combine this with their powerful referral program and the pennies really start to add up. They are also giving $10 just for joining up. Payment is by check.

HEADACHE OVER THE AMOUNT OF DIRTY CLOTHES

Keeping fit by exercising daily sure keep the body strong and healthy but it also comes with a terrible headache. You can imagine how much of sweaty clothes you have to wash just after a few days of sports. I have been washing all my clothes manually for so long.

It has always been only my working clothes, house clothes and pajamas that needed to be washed almost daily. Ever since I took up jogging as a way to burn off my body fat, my clothes have been stacking up like mountains.

With a lethargic body after each jog, there is never the mood to do more chores, especially washing and drying up my clothes. They are always slow and time consuming to get them cleaned properly. I should have made up my mind to purchase one of those Kenmore Washing Machines I saw online some time back. At least it will lessen my worries of not having enough clothes for days to come.

PHOTO HUNTERS: FLEXIBLE

This week’s theme is on FLEXIBLE.
I am going to show you how FLEXIBLE my cat Jon can be.
I was wondering whether it is fate or just my sheer luck
to have Jon come into my life as such a FLEXIBLE actor.
Below are some of his FLEXIBLE expressions and actions
that made my life brighter with smiles always.

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

THE MAKING MONEY ONLINE LIST – REVIEW & ADVERTISING

The recent Google Page Rank (PR) upgrading has shown a huge jump in rankings for many websites/blogs around the blogosphere, especially those from blogger.com. With a nice PR reading, quite a number of people have asked me on the ways to earn some money online. Well, I must admit that I am still new to the online money making business but a bit of effort to do researches frequently have proven to be quite fruitful in my attempt to earn more. I am going to review and share with you a few sites in my list. Make sure you read through the policies and terms of each company before you sign up as each company has their own terms and conditions. Here is my extremely long list of potential money making links in no specific preferences or orders.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS TO START EARNING:

- A valid website or blog
- At least 18 years old
- A valid PayPal account or a US/Canada address for receiving check
- Active blog(s) with a minimum of 30-90 days old (requirements vary)
- Reasonable amount of traffics
- Some HTML knowledge

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REVIEW & ADVERTISING SITES:

PayPerPost: There are many opportunities here and you will get a minimum of $5 for writing each review. If you are lucky, you might even land yourself with a $500 or more reviews. Payment into your PayPal account will take about 30 days.

Smorty: Opportunities here are quite limited and tend to get snatch up rather fast before you can even receive an email from them. Refreshing frequently does help but not always. Minimum payment is $6. Payment is within a week or more.

LoudLaunch: Opportunities here are rather slow. Minimum payment is $10. Payment is within 30 days or more.

Blogitive: There are many opportunities here with over 100 advertisers hare. Minimum payment is $5. Payment is within a week or more.

Blogvertise: You will have to blog to promote Blogsvertise once you signed up. Tasks or assignments will be emailed to you to be completed within 5 days. The current payout rate for new accounts is $4 - $25 per entry. Payment is within 30 days or more.

PayU2Blog: Bloggers in their network get paid to blog. Making money with your blog is very easy when you are a member of the Payu2blog network. Bloggers in their network blog about many topics and have fun making money while blogging. You are paid every 2 weeks via PayPal.

SponsoredReviews: This is yet another advertiser pay blogger review site. The payout could range from $10-$1000. Payment is through PayPal bi-weekly.

Bloggertizer: Sign up and get your blog indexed. Once an advertiser contacts you, the two of you work out the terms, to include such things as length, fee, review process, method of payment, posting date, and more. Payment is through PayPal.

Blogging Ads: This will be the easiest way ever to make money blogging but approval for the blog will take up to six weeks. The company will supply the advertisers, the text and the money, all you have to do is post the ad on your blog. Minimum payout is $5. Payment is a week or more.

Helium: Helium is a community of writers who are revolutionizing publishing. Every article that comes to Helium is rated by other members, using our proprietary peer review technology. Through our fair, trusted and democratic rating system, each article submitted to the site is ranked against competing articles, until it’s placed in its proper position based on its quality. Helium shares a portion of its revenue with those who share the most and the best with us. They pay based on your quality of submitted article.

Money4Banners: Money4Banners.com is a new approach to Web site advertising that uses a standard 468 x 60 pixel banner, which is much more visible and appealing to surfers. They will reward you with $5.00 every month, as long as you keep three of their 468x60 ads. Your site may be large or small, with a high or low traffic count, but you will continue to receive $5.00 for as long as you retain the ads. What could be simpler? Join now and you will receive $10.00 after a successful signup. Payments via Amazon or PayPal are made the first week of every month.

Google Adsense: AdSense offers a number of ad formats and advertising products. Publishers are encouraged to experiment with a variety of placements, provided the certain policies are respected. You get paid whenever someone on your site clicks on one of the AdSense ads. Their EFT payment system which will help get your AdSense earnings delivered directly to your bank account every month without any additional effort.

Nuffnang: Nuffnang is a blog advertising community in Malaysia and Singapore. The dream of Nuffnang is to create an opportunity for local advertisers to reach out and experience the power of blog advertising in Malaysia. Payment is received about a month plus by check when you reach RM50 and above upon request.

Advertlets: Advertlets is a blog advertising network in Malaysia and Singapore. Bloggers make money doing what they love by selling advertising space on their blogs. Advertisers get to connect their message to the right audience through the use of demographics. They will pay you by cheque once your account balance reaches the minimum payout rate of RM100. Payment will be processed within 30 days.

Keep a watch out for the second part of this post. Coming up “The Making Money Online List – Surveys & Others”.

HARD WORK SHOULD COME WITH A TREAT

I have always dreamt of going to Disneyland for a long vacation but time and workload have been stalling me for some time. Before I even realized it, I have accumulated so many days of unutilized leaves. According to my company’s policies, all leaves will be forfeited by the end of the third year of carrying forward. It will be a waste if I just let it get forfeited without any compensation.

I guessed it should be time for me to take that long vacation. My friend who is also keen to accompany me to Disneyland told me that she has gotten a great discount on accommodations. The deals on hotels in orlando will save us quite a lot. Just imagine we can pay as low as $49 a night for a place to stay in and save the rest for more fun in Disneyland.

Disneyland - here I come!

EXPLOSION IN OUR COMMON BEVERAGE

Calvin was taking his son out for a regular weekend outing. Suddenly he heard his son saying, “Phew…it is a hot day Daddy. I want a drink?” What will be his first reaction when he heard his child nagging you for a gassy soft drink? “Wait son, I’ll get you a Coke.” Isn’t that what a typical father will do?

Halfway through the walk to their destination, they passed by a candy store. “Daddy, I want that mint candy!” Again for a father who loved his son very much, Calvin walked into the store and purchased a mini tube of Mentos candy.

The boy was jumping happily enjoying his candy as well as drinking the Coke which his Daddy bought for him. Suddenly, the boy just collapsed and brown foam could be seen spurring out from his mouth. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the nearest hospital.

Children do love fizzy soft drinks, especially Coca-Cola (Coke) since it is so widely publicized. On the other hand, Mentos is also another popular candy amongst children. Sometimes, some beverages were not meant to be mixed together. Coke was blamed for this unforeseen mishap. Who knows what other reactions will some other fizzy soft drinks cause? I won’t want to try too as I am not a fizzy drink enthusiast. Life is precious to me as I have yet to fulfill my dreams.

Parents should be cautious of what they give to their children. To be on a safe side, try to abstain from providing fizzy soft drink by giving the child fruit juices or drinking water instead. You might help yourself from unnecessary guilt and trauma later on.

Below are photographs of the shocking findings by a group of people:

GET PAID BLOGGING THROUGH BLOGSVERTISE

These few days, I have been looking around for more openings to earn some extra cash since most of the pay per post companies I have registered in were running low in giving out opportunities. I discovered Blogsvertise. Its new enhanced features, which are way much difference compared to the rest of the companies, truly amazed me. It is so user friendly. I can even add my photo, video and descriptions of my blog as well as myself.

This is surely an extra bonus for bloggers as advertisers will have a clearer and easier way to judge the blog, thus assigning more opportunities to them. What a great way to get paid to blog.

There are 4 ways you can earn money in Blogsvertise:

1. Blog Entries: 2-3 paragraphs of review on the advertiser’s products and services.

2. Blog Video and Entries: 20-30 seconds of video promoting the advertiser’s website plus a review.

3. Blog Homepage Text Link: Text Link Adverts at your website/blog’s side bar monthly.

4. Blog Homepage Banner: Banner Adverts at your website/blog’s side bar monthly. You can have a selection of different sizes.

Why wait now when you can register yourself at www.blogsvertise.com and get yourself earning more within the next 24 hours.

BUDGET MEAL: SERIES #4

RM10 budget for 2 persons for 2 meals
The food in the photo consist the portion for one person per meal only

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DISH 1: STIR FRIED WOOD FUNGUS WITH SALTED FISH



DISH 2: MONEY BAG DELIGHT



ESTIMATED COSTING FOR INGREDIENTS:

RICE: RM1 (enough to serve 4 persons)

STIR FRIED WOOD FUNGUS WITH SALTED FISH:
Wood Fungus: RM1.50
Mushroom: 50sen
Ginger: 20sen
Pork: RM1
Salted Fish: 50sen
Miscellaneous (pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, oil): 50sen

MONEY BAG DELIGHT:
Minced Meat: RM1.50
Corn Flour: 10sen
Carrot: 30sen
Turnip: 30sen
Onion: 30sen
Spring Onion: 20sen
Spring Roll Skin: RM1
Miscellaneous (pepper, salt, sesame oil, oil): 50sen

TOTAL AMOUNT SPENT: RM9.40

Note: All amount stated will be based on the proportion used in the cooking.

PREVIOUS BUDGET MEAL SERIES: 1, 2, 3

ALOHA HAWAII – HERE I COME!

I was in the midst of planning for a long vacation outside Malaysia when I came across an advertisement for Kauai vacation rentals. I have always loved places with the sun, golden beaches and the luxury of lazing around to get a great tan. Kauai, the fourth largest island in Hawaii has it all.

Browsing through the Kauai Travel Blog, I found much information on places to go, places to eat, what are the things that I can do, including how I can spend my time exploring the wonders of the sea surrounding the island. Scuba diving, surfing, fishing and whale watching will surely be in my list of “What to Do in Kauai”.

On top of this, I will also be looking forward to some nice big waves surfing in Oahu. Oahu, nicknamed “The Gathering Place”, is the third largest and the most populated island in Hawaii. It is a paradise for surfers. I will also be renting a car to do some sight seeing on the lush tropical flora and fauna of Hawaii.

YUMMY FORTUNE BUNS (MEE KOO)

Fortune buns? What are they? The Hokkiens call these buns Mee Koo (Steam Tortoise Buns). Tortoise is believed to have long lives and thus Mee Koo symbolized longevity. Mee Koo were originally made to celebrate birthdays, or given as an offering to the deities and to the King of the Hungry Ghosts during the Hungry Ghost Festival. It usually comes in the shape of a pink tortoise or peach. Sometimes, they do produce yellow ones for the birthdays of deities.

Initially, Mee Koo were produced in abundance during the 1^st and 15^th of the Chinese lunar calendar as an offering item. Nowadays, you can purchase them anytime throughout the year. It has become a delicacy amongst the locals, whether it is eaten plain, toasted or fried with eggs like French toast. Some of the Mee Koo are filled with groundnuts mixture or lotus seed paste. However in this modern era, these traditional Mee Koo have evolved into something different.

Yesterday I bought some “new breed” along with the famous round pink ones from Taiping, Perak. It is about 14” in length and pandan flavored. Moreover it has either kaya (caramel coconut egg jam) or red bean paste fillings.

Another version of Mee Koo found in the Taiping’s downtown “Pasar” is the long yellow Potato Mee Koo with chocolate filling. By the way, these long Mee Koo are called “Huan Chu Leng” amongst the locals and are fast to be sold out at RM3 each. They can only be purchased after 4.30pm daily.

Guessed what I had for tea? Pandan Mee Koo with kaya and my favorite Old Town White Coffee.

TRUSTSOURCE.ORG REVIEW SITE

Trustsource.org is a site to read about reviews by users of some products. In fact it is a good place to get to know more about the most hot-selling products on the internet. There are also many stop smoking products review and ratings. What caught my attention was the review on hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoid is commonly known as piles problem and is common amongst more than half of our population. It is the swelling and inflammation of the veins in the rectum and anus. Drinking more fluids and eating more dietary fiber such as fiber supplements, fruits and vegetables and exercising can help prevent the occurrence. On top of that, sitting too long on one place with poor posture, and wearing tight clothing including underwear which are a size too small may also promote hemorrhoid development.

With the lifestyle of our modern generation, time factor and diet are the two main culprits behind the inability to follow the prevention measures. Hemorrhoids cases still occur widely. There are many hemorrhoids treatments available in the market but the reviews in Trustsource.org will give you a clearer picture of which product is suitable to your needs.

PHOTO HUNTERS: CLASSIC

This week’s theme is on CLASSIC,
I am going to show you around the CLASSIC designs
of our local heritage hotel, Eastern & Oriental Hotel.
The hotel was built in 1885 and was renovated only few years back.
The CLASSIC Colonial designs of the building as well as
certain structures within the premises were restored to the original states.

CLASSIC Toilet Layout

CLASSIC Ceiling Lamp

CLASSIC Pole Design

CLASSIC Exterior By the Pool

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

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST HAUNTS INDEBTED BRITS

- New price saving site launches to save Brits up to 20% this Christmas –

As the nation approaches the final countdown to Christmas, new research rings alarm bells over the financial impact of Christmas in credit crunch Britain. The research from the new money saving website savebuckets.com reveals that as Brits prepare for Christmas, many are still paying off last year’s festive spending.

With 41 per cent of Britons paying for Christmas on credit last year, almost one in five are still paying for last year’s festivities (17%), fewer than one in three having cleared their Christmas debts when their January credit card bill arrived (29%).

Following a year of consumer confidence in 2006, Christmas spending soared 52 per cent in two years (from an average £548 per adult in 2004* to £837 per adult in 2006), with over one in five Brits spending over £1,000 on Christmas last year (22%). This year, with spending power at its lowest level for 10 years**, consumers are feeling the financial hangover from a more confident Christmas enjoyed on the credit card and loans.

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Alarmingly, it is cash strapped youngsters and low income earners who, having spent the most on last Christmas, are most likely to be feeling the repercussions of last year’s spending spree (see figures below).

The research into the financial impacts of last Christmas amongst a GB representative sample of 2,000 British adults was carried out by the new money savings website savebuckets.com which launches this week to enable Brits to get more for their money this Christmas.

With these alarming figures in mind, savebuckets.com will give shoppers the opportunity to save up to 20% on their Christmas shopping. Putting consumers back in control of their spending, the site searches over 700 retailers for the best price on around one million products. The site includes a unique price checker which allows consumers to set the price they want to pay for items, notifying them when the price of a product falls to within their budget.

GROWING UP WITH THE DANCING LADIES

I have quite a few varieties of orchids in my garden. Oncidium Gower Ramsey or commonly known as the Dancing Ladies are among the most popular and easiest to maintain orchid in the world. A member of the Oncidium family, the common name comes from the shape of the flower which resembles a lady with her arms outstretched on the top with a skirt-shaped lip below. With the evening tropical breeze, it looks like there is a whole troupe of dancers waltzing all the way in a ballroom.

Growing orchid is rather easy as a hobby. In Malaysia’s tropical weather, daily watering with a good orchid fertilizer is recommended. The large flattish pseudo bulbs will start to wrinkle if not enough of water is given to the plant. Burned or very light leaves will indicate too much of sunlight whereas dark green leaves indicate inadequate sunlight. The orchid plants should be repotted every couple of years after flowering. This will help the plant to bloom more. The best method to get good results will be either planting it in a coconut husk or using bits and pieces of charcoals.

UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLOIDAL SILVER

The first time I heard about colloidal silver, I was thinking that this is some sort of costume jewelry products since silver has been such a hot item to be combined with designers’ attires. I was wrong after I did some research on it. Colloidal silver is actually a type of homogenous mixture of silver particles in water. It has anti-microbial properties which is beneficial to our body system as a dietary supplement. What amazed me is that it is non-toxic and has no side effects to the human body.

In the 30’s, it was commonly used as an anti-microbial and anti-bacterial agent for treating external wounds and burns to avoid infections. Today, colloidal silver has also proven to have provided the highest level of effectiveness for maintaining optimum health.

The only product offering this powerful combination of properties is Mesosilver. It is a true colloidal silver that will strengthen our immune systems against pathogens. It is most effective in fighting off infections and sicknesses such as throat, mouth infections and influenzas. This product has also been used in the manufacturing of photographic films, cosmetics, preservatives, antibacterial coatings, and dietary supplements.

CRABBY WILDERNESS BY THE SEA

With casuarinas needle swaying endlessly,
Under the bright shining heat of the golden orb.
I sat on the slippery wet rock,
Thinking and thinking deeply,
About life’s empty wanderings.

Murky tides and wood bits splashing in,
Whilst I sat there enjoying my evening tan.
As I grasp upon the rock thinking ever deeply,
How life would be if I can break free,
Will I still be free from the nonstop lurking danger?

The grass may be greener on the other side,
With the blue hills buried under the big grey clouds.
That place is forbidden for me.
Will my life prosper there with happiness and longevity?
I guessed not as this is where my life should be.

CASH ADVANCE AT YOUR FINGER TIPS

Help! Christmas is getting nearer and I do not have that much funds to get all the presents in my long shopping list. Cutting down those names in the list would not help too as everyone in the list is just as important. This is an emergency for me as everyone will somehow be expecting at least a present from me.

Is this what you have in your mind this coming festive season and you are in need of that extra cash to let you pull through? On and off, we do have the need of a short term loan for some minor emergency that may arise. A cash advancement before your payday could be the solution to your cash flow problem. The payday loans are short term, small and unsecured consumer loans between paydays where you can borrow prior to your next paycheck.

Now you can get the cash advance all online in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Moreover, it has the security features to get emergency cash right to your checking account safely and hassle-free.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Many people are lonely inside
And they do need a friend
Some have plenty to spare
While others have merely a handful
If you only count only the true ones
You may end up with none.

Good friends are hard to come by
For many are really selfish within
Materialism, greed and defilements
Have made many lost in disillusionments
They are always around you if you can see
Only the mind can let you understand who you should be

We do not need to have many friends
Having one good one is good enough
You need not spend too much time together
To lighten each others’ woes
As simple caring and sharing
Is all I ever ask from you ever more!

GIFTS FOR GUYS

Christmas is just around the corner and I have a long list of people that I will need to get present for. Shopping gifts for ladies will be quite easy as there are so many selections to choose from. As gifts for guys, I am a bit confused. Should I get them a pair of socks, shirts, ties, underwears or even nice hand woven sweaters? Gosh! These items are so boring. I should be looking for something that will be more unique this season.

What do you think a guy would like as a present? I have received t-shirts before. It did not impress me at all even if it has a high price tag on it. I also did get a mug and a set of baths containers. What? These are too feminine. As a guy, I would like to get something that will show the manliness out of me. Most of my friends are car enthusiasts and getting them something related to cars would not be much problem at all.

I was surfing the net and came across some garage solutions that surely will impress my friends. These include Cabinets, Workbenches, Flooring and Storage for the Garage. I just wished that someone will give me that cool 3-door service cabinet for Christmas.