Dieting & Slimming Down

My friend, Sue, is back from her holiday in Vietnam and each time she gets home, she will lament that she has put on weight AGAIN. This is an ongoing struggle that she has been facing for as long as I have known her. She gets to travel in the course of her work and each time she visits a new country, she MUST try out the local cuisine.

It does not help that Sue is already overweight and I have a feeling that it's genetic though her siblings are all of normal size. Sue knows that it is more of a eating habit but she is fighting a losing battle with the food!

Sue told me that she wants to try diet pills before going for something more drastic like liposuction or plastic surgery. THAT would be the last resort!

Meanwhile, Sue has been so busy asking friends, doing research among users of whatever diet pill, checking them out on the web and also comparing prices and effectiveness.

While I am unable to help her with recommending the best diet pills, I am helping her check out prices and comparing user reviews so that she has less websites to read through.

Sue has been saying that she is fine with her weight and she is comfortable with her size, but I know that deep down, she too would like to shed some weight and slim down somewhat. I know that it would not be comfortable carrying all that extra weight around and that must not be healthy, right?? Anyway, I hope that she will find success in her diet pills and does not have to go under the knife. That would be a little drastic. I think that one should only do it for serious health reasons. So if pills could do the trick, why not use it, right?

Mistake With My Hair Dryer Purchase

So I mentioned buying the hair dryer and I was quite happy with it although I felt that I paid a little more for it since it's a compact "foldable" hair dryer.

I went to another shopping mall last evening and the sale lady told me that if I want my hair to be "soft" then I have to get one with "ionity". Well, I have seen this term before but the other night when I bought my Philips, there was no such model there.

So the price difference was only RM20 to buy one with “inanity” and foldable too! I am pissed off! Urghhh

What to do? I guess I am stuck with it already since I don't want to lose money over it. If I could live with using a 40-year-old hair dryer, I could do without “ionity”. I hope that my RM65 hair dryer will last me for as long as 40 years too. LOL!

Car Insurance, Life Insurance

I received a promotional leaflet a couple of days ago that says, "Renewing your car insurance has never been so rewarding." Our car insurance will only expire this November but it is never too early to research on and compare auto insurance quotes. In this tough economic climate, a little savings here and there will surely make a huge difference.

Luckily, it is not difficult to compare insurance online and it is possible to look for one of the cheapest insurance prices from a single portal without surfing to various websites.

Also, I have been meaning to buy life insurance since a couple of years back but still have not gotten it done. I guess that as I research and compare auto insurance, I could do the same for life insurance quotes at the same time. That would be most convenient.

This morning, I had the opportunity to check out the website of Insurance 1 where I tried to request for quotes for my car insurance and life insurance. I just had to fill in a preset form with accurate details of my car and myself to obtain those quotes. It was a hassle-free experience.

One question that I have been trying to find out is how much life insurance do I need? Insurance 1 has a very good article on this.

Cabinet

I have been trying to buy a cabinet for my room measuring maximum size: 26in (H) X 17in (D) X 2ft (W) and it has been months with me going to almost all the local furniture stores and shopping malls, checking out furniture including DIY low-stress furniture yet, could not find a suitable one.

How come it is so difficult to find something that you like and meets your needs even if you are willing to pay extra? Do I really need to custom make it? I think that would be excessive, though. It is only a small cabinet with doors so I don't think I want to go to that extent of buying a made to order cabinet.

I guess I will continue to wait and keep an eye on stores which may bring in new stocks in the next few months. Bah….. I hate the wait, though once I get it, I will appreciate it more!

Top USA Online Casinos

I was chatting with my sister about USA online casinos and how exciting the industry seems. It continues to grow so rapidly it is amazing. The reason we even talked about online casinos was because I asked where she plans to spend her summer vacation. She gets a week of paid vacation and I am envious of her!

My sister tells me that unlike previous summers where she and her boyfriend would hit Las Vegas, this year, they will be spending the holiday at home. Well, I guess when average gas price went up to $4 per gallon, our lifestyle changes as well.

So what my sister has been doing lately is to look for the best online casinos so that her boyfriend could play casino games without going to a real casino. He has luck in the casinos and each time they make a trip to Vegas, he managed to win enough to cover the trip with extras too!

My sister tells me that one of the important factors to look out for would be high USA online casino bonuses because they surely would want the most benefit out of their "investment". I guess with quite a few top online casinos around, it would not be difficult for them to decide where to invest their time and money!

Finding Nemo Wins Malaysia Floral Fest

As an avid follower of Malaysia Floral Fest, it never fails to amaze me how creative people could be, using just flowers to create something that tells a "story".

This year's Malaysia Floral Fest is won by a creation of a float ala "Finding Nemo". It is too bad that I could not find details of the number of flowers used, the type of flowers, the number of people involved in making this Finding Nemo floral float or the story behind the float.

Perhaps these details are somewhere online but I just can't find them? Whatever it is, I am very impressed with this and other floats that participated in the opening parade of this year’s Malaysia Floral Fest. I wish I could do something like this! It’s not only in thinking up the design but in arrangement of the flowers that make up the winning floral float. It’s the team work.

LadyCare Menopause Relief

I always think that men are luckier because they do not menstruate. As a woman, I suffer from my share of period paid, acne and of course, PMS. As if these are not enough, I have seen how dreadful menopause could be from the experiences of my mother and aunt. If we thought that by going through menopause, we will finally be rid of the awful symptoms of menstruation, then we are very wrong. Symptoms of menopause are just as awful, if not worse!

This evening, I was reacquainted with the power and effectiveness of magnetic therapy. My friend gave me a magnet pendant that is supposed to energize me. As I was reading more about magnetic therapy on the web, I discovered that more and more women have opted for magnetic therapy to alleviate symptoms of menopause with LadyCare.

I have to admit that I have never heard of LadyCare because but magnetic therapy is not new to me. However, Ladycare Menopause Relief is an innovative magnetic device that attaches to the underwear of ladies and will effectively reduce the symptoms of menopause, which includes hot flushes, mood swings, heart palpitation, cold sweat, painful intercourse and many more!

I am sure that if LadyCare is available here, many women suffering from symptoms of menopause would willingly try it.

Workplace Rant

I've this friend who is already 52 years old and he tells me that his superior is trying to "pressure" him out of the company.

I told him that if he can't hold his job, then he might as well retire after this. You know, it really pisses me off. When he was laid off work some three years ago, I spent almost a year helping him look for a job. It was not easy as he was about 48 - 49 years old back then and frankly, he was damn lucky that any company would want to hire him.

No doubt, he was demoted from General Manager at his previous company to Country Manager at his present company, STILL at 48 - 49, it was like hitting the jackpot.

Now, he tells me that he is going through the same thing that he went through before. Hey, I told him that if he did not do anything wrong, as a permanent staff, did he think that he would get kicked out so easily?

Perhaps I am naive as I have never worked in a company like that before. Perhaps MNCs are way more competitive but then seriously, I found him the job, did he expect me to work his job as well? Then I might as well get paid too, right?

I believe that if someone has found you a job, it is up to you to hold it, and hold it tight too. If your superiors have set you unreasonable targets to meet then by all means MEET them!

If he loses his job again, what avenues does he have? I told him that he could forget about being hired at this age and that his option is to set up him own company, but I know that he does not have the capital. Am I being too harsh?

Do You Suffer From Acne?

I did and am still suffering from acne. It's strange that I have been told over and over again that there's nothing to worry about and that my acne problem will be a thing of the past once I reach a certain age.

However, I have reached that age where people say out hormones will settle down and I still have zits popping up on my face sometimes. Sometimes even on the tip of my nose.

As I grow older, though, I feel less of a need to pick on them and I guess this helped a little. Besides, my hands are kept busy all the time that I don't have the chance to pick on my zits anymore. LOL

Custom Print Personalized Photo Pillows and Blankets

My little niece is at an age where whatever her friends have, she needs to have as well. No matter how many times I explained to her that it is not good to copy her friends, she refused to understand what I am getting at.

So her friend recently had a bedroom makeover and she is asking for the same too. However, this time I am going to give her something special. Remember that a couple of months ago that I wrote about a bedroom makeover for her too? Well, I am going to get her a personalized photo blanket and pillows. I am going to make her the envy of her friends.

I am sure they have never seen a personalized photo blanket and they would then be the copy cats instead. And shall I let them know where they could get these personalized custom print pillows and blankets? I will if they are good.

Lost Touch

Wow, that day I was in a blogging marathon and after writing so many posts, I nearly got a mental block in my last post. I could leave it and only come back to finish the last one in the morning, but since it was the last post, I really wanted to wrap it up.

LOL It's funny that after not going on blogging marathons for such a long time, I have gotten rusty. In fact, I have generally slowed own my blogging pace and it is not because I want to.

Oh yes, my friend will be dropping by to Ipoh these couple of days so I will be off my blogs yet again. With people bringing distractions, it really is not easy to concentrate though we are supposed to be able to work wherever, as long as we have an internet connected laptop.

Unique Personalized Pillows

If you have read my posts in the past few months, you will know that I am trying to create a unique look for my room. My room is rather large because I used to share it with my sister but she has left the next and the whole room is mine now. I have always meant redecorate the whole room to suit my taste. It used to be half the room.

I remember about a site that I was recommended to make photo pillows. What I could do is to upload my favorite photos and they will be printed on pillows of my choice.

From the samples that I saw, these custom pillows are like real art printed on pillows. I love them and I already have ideas of what I want printed. Of course, it will be a themed set of pillows.

These personalized pillows would also make great gifts. I have a little niece whom I know would love to have these custom pillows as well.

Check out Vision Bedding and their unique technology of transferring your photos onto pillows!

171 emails

I am supposed to go through 171 emails in my Yahoo! email account. That's the account that I use to sign up with mailing lists, blog feeds and other semi-important information.

The problem is that I can never seem to finish reading emails that come through because I get tens of emails daily and even though I have set up to receive emails from this account on my iPhone and I could read the email from here wherever, in the toilet or in a car ride going to town or whatever, I still CANNOT seem to finish them. I don't even care what's in my Bulk Folder, though, so if there are legitimate emails trapped there, then it's too bad!

Right now, I am down to 160 and I think that if I do not have time to go through them by the day is over, it will go up to 200 tomorrow morning. Sigh... Luckily I have no pressure to read these emails since they are not exceptionally important.

I Will Survive July

I am so glad and I feel blessed. I am happy that the pressure is off me to come up with enough money to cover the bills, put food on the table and hefty allowances for my parents.

This month, the bulk of the money will be coming from my sister while I will only pay the bills, take care of Snoopy's expenses and my other expenses came from the desktop computer, other hardware that were killed by the lightning strike (miscellaneous expenses there!) and also my hair dryer (RM65 cheap or expensive??) and maybe I will get myself a pair of shoes too.

I have been trying to find a pair that I like, inexpensive and yet comfy. I saw a pair of Crocodile (NOT CROCS) ladies' shoes and they are selling at RM50. Don't know got discount or not. Hard to imagine that all these would add up to RM1000 already!

And I even have enough for a trip to Vietnam or upgrade my Nokia E61i to Nokia E71. LOL Which shall I choose? Cheapo me will probably just save everything else. When you sweat blood for your money, that's what you'd probably do too!

Are You A Coin Collector?

If you are, then you must check out the new Presidential Dollar Coins! I am not a coin collector myself, in fact I hate coins, LOL, but my mother is an avid coin collector. This hobby stemmed from her days as a counter clerk at the local post office where people tried to cheat her by using foreign coins to buy stamps. LOL

I told my mother about the new dollar coin and she has been busy browsing through the website of Cable Shopping Network. Yes, they have a section for collectibles too.

I won't be surprised if my mother decides to buy a set or two of these Presidential dollar coins. I only hope that they would be a cheaper set so that I could pay for her purchases and not go out of budget myself!

My New Philips Hair Dryer

I finally bought a new hair dryer this evening. I had wanted to buy one for a long time but since I could not find the recommended wattage of 1875W, I did not buy one. By the way, the wattage was recommended by my sister. Hahaha!

Anyway, I got fed up with the old one that my mother bought forty years ago. It's a National and I am surprised that it is still in working condition.

I got fed up because it lost its power somewhat and no matter how long I blew my hair, it would still be damp and I would be sweating instead, from all the "hard work" of blowing my hair. LOL

I don't think Ipoh has any hair dryer with 1875W so I grabbed whatever was on hand. A Philips 1200W compact hair dryer; compact in the sense that I could fold the handle.

It's RM65.... so you can add this figure to my deficit for the month lah. Hahaha!

Phuket Island Holiday

My friend asked me if I want a 3 day-2 night accommodation voucher at a holiday resort in Phuket. He promised it to me even before he got his hands on the voucher, though so I said I want it but I haven't given him my home address so that he could send the voucher to me.

My friend lives in Bangkok now or I would have preferred to pick up the voucher from him lest it gets lost in the mail.

But I have been thinking, with work bogging me down seven days a week, I don't see how I could get away on an island holiday, tempting as it is.

And what I hate about living in Ipoh is that I would have to travel to Kuala Lumpur or Penang to get on an international flight. It's just a waste of money and time! Don't you think so?

If my friend really sees through his promise, I think I'll pass it to my parents so that they could go for a "honeymoon" but then I would have to pay for their transport too. SIGH!!!

Free things aren't totally free, sometimes!

Used Car Engines and Transmissions

I mentioned in a previous post that I have a friend who loves cars, especially old cars. He takes up the challenge of turning old cars into much admired road worthy classic cars. He really spends way too much time and money on these cars that some people may consider as junks or bone shakers but my friend has confidence in his skills.

There are times where he would have to look for parts like engines and transmissions and it is not easy which the older models. I told him about midwest auto recycling so that he has another source for his car parts.

It is not always that he would be able to look for car parts from a reliable dealer who would also provide warranty for the items. That’s why I told him that the next time he wants to buy used engines or transmissions, he is better off trying Midwest Auto Recycling first.

49 Days

It's the 49th day that Dino has left us this coming Friday, 25th July, 2008. The Chinese believe that after a being has died for 49 days, his soul would leave the place where he lived and in Dino's case, our house.

I hope that Dino will be at peace and free from his aches and pains and earthly fears. I still miss him a lot but it is time to only keep the great moments in my memory and not think of all the horrible times that Dino went through over the years.

You know, I still look out for him when I come home, or in the middle of the night, I would try to listen out for his breathing like I did for 13 years! I am not going crazy, I know I am not but dammit, I sure miss him. Dino will always be close to my heart no matter what.

Low Tech

I mentioned quite a few times how low tech my sister is with the computer and other electronic devices and it is kind of funny that she studied computing when she was in college!

In her household, she is the one taking care of her computer because her boyfriend knows nothing about computing except to surf the web and check his email.

The other day, my sister asked me if I have an iPod and I said I do not have it. She said that in America, almost everyone would have one hanging from their ear. Come to think of it, it must be quite an irritating sight because it looks like these people want to be in their own world and unwilling to make small talk with other people.

So I told her that I have an iPhone which is an iPod PLUS phone, so it is not necessary to carry an iPod, right? And she went like, "Wah... so good ah??"

One would think that living in America, she would have been familiar with the iPhone already but not my sister and to think that she used to work on the same floor as an Apple Store and was around there when the first generation iPhone was launched. LOL

Getting All Bases Covered

Although I may not be an expert with my investments, I like to know that I have all my bases covered as best as I could. I am someone who does not like taking too much risk and my friend, a risk manager, has taught me not to invest by ear. If I were to place money in an investment scheme or something, I would need solid reasons on why this is a good investment. That goes for stocks too.

My friend told me about the iron condor spread strategy and it looks like a good thing for people like me. I haven’t managed to research more on this yet and I would need his guidance but it is a very interesting position to take.

Power Options has some of the most important features that a stock investor could utilize. These have been proven useful to some people. To know if you would be able to benefit from Power Options suite of tools, take up their 14-day free trial and see for yourself.

Free Wifi @ Big Apple Donuts & Coffee, Ipoh

My friend keeps asking me to join her at Starbucks or Coffee Bean and make use of the free wifi there. I kept turning her down. LOL

I see no point in paying so much for coffee just to use the free wifi, you know?

For those who do not know, there's also free wifi at Big Apple Donuts and Coffee in Kinta City. If you do not need to use their electricity, you can just steal their wifi signal and don't even have to buy their donuts or coffee. There are plenty of places to sit nearby anyway.

However, if your laptop runs out of battery and you need to plug it into a power point, then too bad la, buy a donut lah. How much is it already? I forgot but should be less than RM2. Way cheaper than what you would have to pay at Starbucks lah.

Scalar Energy

My friend told me about scalar energy and how people are buying items that are said to emit scalar energy or something. It seems that these are very popular in KL and there are quite a few companies doing these like an MLM business.

I am not interested in these things and I put it down to psychological effect and when he showed me the price list for the pendants, bracelets, flask and watches, I lagi not interested. These things cost at least RM500 per unit! Can pengsan!!

According to some people, after wearing these pendants and bracelets or drinking water from the flask, their aches were gone.

One guy even stopped taking medication for gout and has been happily eating seafood, something which he should avoid if he has gout. He sees no adverse effect in his diet and he puts it down to scalar energy.

Anyway, my friend is going to give me one or two items later so there's no harm trying them out lah. Hopefully scalar energy could take out the kinks from my body LOL

Doctors Getting Geekier

My friend says that I am not using my smart phone to the fullest. Some of you may remember that I am using Nokia E61i. My friend uses the Blackberry and he said that there are many freebies for Blackberries, including the free drug reference for blackberry from Epocrates.

I know about that free drug reference and IO believe that my Nokia is a supported device as well but I did not download it to my device because I don’t need drug reference in my work unlike doctors or other medical practitioners and clinicians.

Yes, doctors are getting geekier, can you imagine that? I believe that such a reference at the tip of their fingers would be more popular once hospitals are computerized. The next time you see a doctor and he seems to be playing with his phone instead of paying attention to you, he may be checking out drugs, you know?

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

Missing Mail

It is so strange that lately, I discovered that my mail have gone missing over the past few months. At first, it was a package from my sister which should have arrived months ago. I waited and waited and it did not turn up. My sister did not register or insure it because it's nothing important but to lose it, it is still painful.

And then my Celcom bill for June last month did not turn up either. Although I do not need it and I have already settled the bill via internet banking after getting the figure from Celcom Online, I would still prefer to keep a hard copy of the bill for future reference. I had to call them up to send me a duplicate copy.

Also, recently, I discovered that my Maybank savings account statement failed to arrive too. It's a statement from first quarter of 2008 and I should have received it in April 2008. It did not come. I should have realised it earlier but I was not keeping tab. I took for granted that it would arrive like it did for all my previous statements.

Now, I am required to go to my home branch or one nearby and request for a copy. And I would have to pick it up from the bank when it is ready too. Cheh, so leceh, right? How come they won't send it out a second time?

Vietnam

My friend, Soo, left for Vietnam today for a holiday with three girls. LOL I tell him that he untung loh, sharing a room with three girls but he says that he is afraid that he will be attacked by the girls. Yeah, he wished!

Soo tells me that it is only RM1250 for a three-day trip to Vietnam, most probably Hanoi, flying Vietnam Air.

Eh.... I think that is not bad at all wor. Some people would spend more than that in Malaysia itself, right? And his RM1250 includes the basis like air tickets, accommodation and meals.

However, Soo tells me that it is getting more and more expensive to visit Vietnam. It used to be a country where no one wants to go to. Now that more people are going there thinking that it is a cheap international destination, it has become more expensive!

RM1250 per person that Soo discovered is the cheapest already. I wish I could go as well!

Refurbishing a Chevrolet

I have a friend who is very enthusiastic about cars. I cannot understand how he could coup up in his garage every weekend refurbishing his car. By the way, he is a mechanical engineer by profession and he works in a “garage” as well.

This guy has been buying old cars that people are selling off as scrap and he picks them up for cheap and refurbishes them and then sells for a profit. Knowing him though, I know that his motivation is not in the profit that he could get reselling these cars but in his ability to turn an old car into its original look, or as best as he could.

His latest acquisition is a Chevrolet and you should see the number of hours he spend looking for suitable Chevrolet Radiators. Well, he should have asked me and I would have pointed him to the right Radiators online store!

Constipated

My poor Snoopy was constipated that day. I didn’t want to take him to the vet because it always stressed him out so I called the vet and asked him if there's anything that I could do to help him.

Guess what? The vet said that I could try honey or Glucolin. I wanted to laugh. Hey, aren't these what I take to curb my gastric? LOL

So now I know that honey and Glucolin are not only good for my gastric but also works for people who have problems moving bowels.

I gave Snoopy honey as I did not have Glucolin on hand. And sure enough, it worked for him even though I only put in a teaspoon of honey in his milk. Milk would also do the trick but a glass or two would not have the desired effect.

Solar Powered Cars

I was chatting with my friend, a car enthusiast, about solar powered cars. It seems like the answer to escalating fuel prices but he said that I am too simple minded.

According to this friend, solar powered cars are high technology cars and mechanics here are not up to that level to repair or maintain solar powered cars.

Also, the solar plates are not cheap and would need to be replaced after X years.

By the way, this is the friend who built his own home recently and I also asked him why he does not make it a solar home. LOL He gave me the same answer.

Hey it make sense living in Malaysia to make as much use of the sun, you know? Why waste energy, right?

If I have my own home, I would want to make parts of it solar powered. I wonder if that would be possible and surely by then solar technology would be more advanced and it would not be as costly anymore!

Romantic, Exotic Cancun

My friend, who is a proprietor of one of the larger tour agencies in the city, recently told me that holiday makers are opting for all inclusive travels nowadays. It used to take up a lot of time to plan a holiday back then. It’s not the same anymore. People could go on last minute trips since they just need to pack their bags and hop on a plane.

One of the most popular holiday destinations, especially among the younger generation is the all inclusive cancun tour package. Besides the fact that Cancun is a hospitable yet exotic place, holiday makers who are looking for a romantic holiday love the privacy that Cancun offers.

While I personally have not been there before, Cancun is definitely high up on my list of places to visit. It would be great to visit it with someone who means something to me. If not, I would go alone. I don’t care!

Annual Sports Day

A couple of evenings ago, I went to a retail store hoping to pick up an item but from a far, I saw that the store was closed. This store is located in a shopping mall and I think that since the day it opened its doors for business, it was the first time I saw it closed. It was a little odd.

They did have a notice on the door and it says that they are closing early that day for the "ANNUAL SPORTS DAY".

I never expected this. I mean, sales boys and girls need to participate in sports meet like school days? I thought we are past that already, unless we are in Government service lah.

I do know that staff from private sector have sports activities every week or every other week but a sports meet is serious stuff. LOL

I wonder what prizes were up for grabs.

Plastic Flowers

I was in Jucso a couple of evenings ago and I saw this vase of fake flowers. What species is this? Looks like tulips but they may not be. Anyway, they are plastic.

Every time I see plastic flowers, I will be reminded of a guy whom I saw at a gift store one Valentine's Day years ago who bought plastic red roses and he even asked the sales girl to wrap them up. I remember that the flowers were something like RM2 per stalk.

RM2 each is a good deal compared to real roses which could be anything from RM10 - RM15 each!

Paintball Gear & Accessories

My friend, Ong, who represents the country in paintball, has gone to work in a paintball store. I was a little surprised when I found out about it but then I guess when one is passionate about something, he would want to be close to it day and night.

However, I went to visit him at his workplace the other day and found that their prices are not that competitive. I mean, I have helped him to purchase airsoft gear and other paintball accessories before from an online store and even with shipping added, he could still bag a deal.

Paintball is not a cheap hobby and one session could cost a player a few hundred bucks. That's why when buying paintball gear and accessories, one would have to be a smart shopper!

I Need Budgeting Software

I don’t know if I am exceptionally bad with budgeting or whatever but it appears to me that I always start a new month negatively. This month, I was down by RM200. Last month, if memory serves me right, I was down by RM500 or so.

I know that I am not good in Mathematics but I thought that I have my finances under control but at this point, I still need another RM900 to cover the month’s expenses and there are still just 8 more days to go before the month is over. I thought that I would have a little breathing space as July is a longer month with 31 days but an extra day does not seem to be helpful at all.

The only solution moving forward would be to slash my parents’ allowances. While my friends are only giving their parents a few “hundred”, some not at all, I give them by the thousands. It is a burden to me, obviously. I need budgeting software to put my accounts in order. Right now, I’m just writing on pieces of paper which I discard once the month is over.

Perhaps this is why I am unable to track where the money has gone and I am unable to see if I have spent money unnecessarily. It’s time to make some changes.

Should I Be Pissed Off?

Some of you will remember that my Streamyx connection has been crap since my telephone line got struck by lightning a month ago. I kept calling Streamyx customer care and they came to replace the little box at the telephone pole. It was burnt by lightning. They also came to change my modem.

I meanwhile, changed everything else that was in the line of fire from network card to wifi-router to all the networking cables.

Streamyx kept saying that there is nothing wrong with my port and stuff, even though my friends who are Streamyx subscribers are also complaining of poor connection, though they are not anywhere near me. We may, however, share the same exchange. Only TM would know that.

Anyway, after three visits from three different technicians, the third technician told me to call him directly if the problem persists and I do not have to go through Customer Care. He mentioned that he is being screwed by the office and they questioned if he did anything. Otherwise, why is the customer still complaining?

So after going without Streamyx for hours, I decided to give this guy a call, by passing the office, like he told me to. He was off duty and said he would attend to my problem the following day. The following day, Streamyx was fine and I could connect. He came over to my home, saw that I could connect, and said that there is nothing he could do as he could not check for the fault.

He also said that if it was down, he could check for the problem, but how could I call him when my line is down as he may be already gone off work? If I knew about it, I would have gone through the Customer Care Service and not wait like dumbo without Streamyx connection for hours. I may as well put in a report and wait for the technician to come, right?

The Gift Of Life

When people talk of the gift of life, it is usually though organ donation. Now, with C'elle's innovative technology, no longer do we need to cut ourselves up, and/or die in order to gift "life" to our loved ones.

When life is going full swing for us, it is hard to imagine what it would be like to be ill. We don't even "feel" health but I believe that this is the time where we MUST take health in our hands to ensure that we are protected in our future.

C'elle's innovation has provided women with the ability to collect her monthly menstrual fluid and preserving stem cells from there in the privacy of her home. For more information on C'elle's innovation, please read C'elle website.

I also read C'elle Client Testimonial and I am pretty convinced that the more women know about it, the better it would be. Imagine, a woman's stem cells could also be a perfect match for close family members and relatives too. And when such a need arises, the woman is really giving the gift of life!

Compare Electricity Rates In Texas

I was complaining to a friend that beginning this month, our electricity board has raised our residential electricity rate by 18%. That is a lot considering that the company is raking in profits year after year.

My friend, Lui, asked me to switch to another electricity company. Well, he is American and he does not know that we only have one electricity company and the business is monopolized. That's why they could raise the rate by 18% and we cannot do anything but settle the bill.

Lui told me that in Texas, there are three major electricity companies and he, living in Texas, could switch from one company to another without a problem if he is not satisfied with what he is getting.

I was a little curious because that is a new concept to me but I definitely like it that there are three companies, Cirro Energy, Gexa Energy and Green Mountain Energy fighting each other for customers, by offering better rates and services.

If I were living in Texas, I would be a tad confused on which company to go with. With choice comes decision and you know I am bad with that!

However, there is a website like Texas Electric Rate which allows residents in Texas to compare the rates of Cirro Energy, Gexa Energy and Green Mountain Energy easily. I am sure not all Texan would know this information off hand!

If you live in Texas right now, you may want to check out Texas Electric Rate. Are you with Cirro Energy, Gexa Energy or Green Mountain Energy? Are you getting the best electricity deal?

Holidaying In The French Countryside

After working so hard for the past few years, I am dying of a holiday in the French countryside. I have never been to France before but my cousin, Jasmine, who works in London, just came back from one. It's easy for her to hop over to France from London. I am jealous!

She told me of the fun times she and her friends had where they had the chance to explore rural Brittany from a villa. Whoever who goes to France for a holiday should really explore beyond Paris, my cousin told me.

Optionally, I could visit Brest and rent a holiday home. Many holiday makers are opting for vacation rentals like holiday homes and villas instead of putting up at a hotel where one hotel looks very much like the other.

If holidaying in a group, I would be better off renting one of the cheap private villas in Lorient. There are quite a few to select from and there would be one to suit our needs and budget.

I really haven't decided yet but it is still my dream to travel the world. If I could not do a whirlwind tour then I would have to break up my travels. This year France, next year Australia.

My Wireless Router Is Home LOL

Wow... it has been a month since I sent in my wireless router to claim warranty. And I am glad that despite it being struck by lightning, I was able to make a claim. HAHAHA!

This means that I saved approximately RM130 which I promptly dumped into 1GB memory for my desktop computer. Actually, I dumped it into the RAM before knowing the outcome of my warranty claim.

But I am happy that I managed to save the money. I wonder if I broke this wifi-router again would I be able to make a second claim. My warranty ends in December this year from the date I bought the first set.

Exit Signs

Last weekend, I took a shortcut through the mall because I was late for a show and nearly lost my way. It was a little disconcerting as I have been to the mall a thousand times since it was opened for business but when I went through the back of the building, it was like a maze that I had to find my way out. If I had been alone, I would have freaked out but a friend was with me so we finally managed to enter the building proper of the mall which was brightly lit and entirely different from the back! I seriously considered lodging a complaint with the management for not providing signs and light in the corridors. Obviously, my friend and I missed the first half of the show.

I was reminded of this incident when I read an article on the web about exit signs. I am sure most of us are familiar with them. They use a lot of electricity to run, that's why I think building managements usually do not switch on the light.

The article mentioned that there is an excellent alternative to conventional exit lights and they are photoluminescent exit signs. These are exit lights that do not require electricity to light up. If you are familiar with "glow in the dark" products, well, this works the same. They absorb light in the day, when there is light and power themselves up when it is dark. They are cost saving and energy efficient.

Another more advanced technology when it comes to exit signs would be self luminous exit signs which are chemically treated and do not need electricity or any light source from outside. They power themselves through the day for YEARS. Talk about efficiency.

After reading the article, I came to the conclusion that not only should all buildings install exit signs, they should install glow in the dark or even self-luminous exit signs.

Imagine, if these are electricity powered and there is a power cut due to a fire or earthquake, what good would they do? Photoluminescent and self-luminous exit signs, on the other hand, would continue to light up no matter what.

Down By RM1230

I just did a rough calculation this morning and I am down by RM1230. It seems like no matter how much I earn it is never enough. I could support myself but the family is giving me a huge financial burden and I can't even 'close one eye".

This month, I did not even spend anything on myself, but two of the big amount bills came from Snoopy's supplement at RM200 and upgrading of memory for my desktop computer at RM135. Yes, older machines cost more to upgrade. Where got logic, right? I pray that it would not give me anymore problems anytime soon. it is so inconvenient carting it to the shop and back! So heavy, you know? And I can't even use it for days.

Again, with two weeks only before the month ends, I am a little jittery if I could cover all my expenses. Of course I hope I could but time is not on my side. Geee why does July pass by extra quickly??? Do you feel it too?

So I guess I could stop dreaming about upgrading my Nokia E61i mobile device to Nokia E71. SIGH!!!!

Hitting The Beach

My friend, Soo, the friend whom I sometimes write about, the rich man's son from Ipoh, asked me to join him in Lumut next weekend. He plans to hit the beach after his holiday in Vietnam. He also invited some of his friends and colleagues whom I do not know so I am still contemplating if I shall accept his invitation.

Anyway, he said that he wants to show off me his new G3 boat which he has modified and equipped with new G3 accessories. If you remember, Soo is an engineer by training and he loves modifiying and tweaking his cars, bikes and even the boat.

I am going to make him promise that I could ride on his Waverunner jet ski if I go with him to Lumut. LOL It's his precious and he is very particular on who gets to ride it. You should see the amount of money he spent on Yamaha Waverunner accessories this year alone and it is just only July now.

I think it would have cost a mini fortune if I had not told him where he could purchase discounted Waverunner parts. He was so happy with the savings. I think the least he could do to thank me is to let me ride on it, right?

Fun Theme Party

I was going through my old email correspondence when I chanced upon a party invitation a couple of months ago. I was a fun wild jungle animal theme party that was held in the city.

I did not manage to make my way there because of prior engagement that day. I was disappointed, of course, but there was no way I could wiggle myself from serious work-related matter and playing dress up as an animal, much as I would love to!

While browsing through the website of Celebrations.com, I was delighted to note that they have a good pool of party theme ideas from Island Bliss Getaway Party to Murder Mystery theme party ideas! The ideas for theme parties are just unlimited. I may have missed the wild jungle animal theme party but I wonder what the next theme party will be. This company never fails to surprise us!

Theme parties could be held for any occasion from birthdays to graduations and they force the guests to be creative to come up with party costumes to match the theme or they would not be allowed entry. LOL I think that it creates a sense of involvement for guests, even if they may not be directly involved in planning and organizing the party.

Gastric

I haven't been eating well lately. My meals are all right except that I am not keeping time. Everyone who suffers from gastric knows that it is very important to keep to strict meal times to prevent gastric from developing.

Well, sometimes there is nothing that I could do to eat when it is time. Life's like that and we can't plan every single minute.

My stomach feels gassy and acidic and I drank a few glasses of honey just now, mixed with water, of course. I hope that it will neutralize the acid. Glucolin works well but I do not have any on hand right now and it is already past 4am now.

Hopefully I do not have to drink more honey in the morning. I don't want to get diabetes on top of gastric!

Party Planning Made Easy

August is actually a month of celebration in my household. Like I mentioned, my dad's birthday is in August and my brother's too. My brother, though, will be planning his own party with friends, usually out of the house. Thank god for small mercies!

I haven't started planning the party yet though there's only about three weeks to do it but I will have to discuss with my parents to see what they are looking forward to and the number of guests they plan to invite. Of course, I secretly wish that they would say that this would be among the four of us only but their wish is my command.

Besides, I don’t think there would be a huge difference planning a party for four or a party for ten. The preparation would be the same, right?

Anyway, I am not going to fret myself over something like this. There's still a long way to go and what is there to worry about when I am well equipped with party planning tips, right?

Only thing is that I miss having my sister around. I would have been more fun planning a party together with her rather than doing it alone like I have done for the past seven years. Wow... has it been SEVEN years already?

I, Lazy...

I feel kind of ashamed that while my friends are working hard, I am "busy" being lazy. I guess my motivation broke when Dino died suddenly and it made me realise that there are more important things than work. Yes, work is important but not to the point of neglecting the people around us. One day, they may not be around anymore and that would be too late.

I picked up my pace at the end of the month trying to close my income gap, which I gladly reported that no, I was not in the red last month, thank God for that, and I hope that I will not be this month.

Anyway, my laziness crept in again I guess, when I started to watch Winter Sonata. I know, at the back of my mind, I wanted entertainment which I know would cause me to lose concentration but I still went ahead to watch it.

You know what? Since completing the Korean drama, I have not been working hard AGAIN. It's another two weeks before July is over and once again I am trying to balance my accounts. Better stop myself from being lazier.

Fresh Party Ideas

A couple of posts earlier, I wrote about getting fresh and innovative ideas for bridal showers. I provided a resource site for my sister to help her organize her friends' bridal showers. She is inexperience and the site has been of tremendous help.

Seeing how my sister stresses herself out over planning the two most memorable bridal showers for her friends reminds me of why I prefer to attend parties rather than host one myself. I would be stumped coming out with great party ideas!

The website, Celebrations.com, is a very resourceful site with plenty of party ideas that any party host could freely adopt. Of course, it is best to improvise them to add a personal touch to the party. Still, I have to admit that if not for ideas like these easily available to us, I would not know how to throw the perfect party.

Yes, I do throw the occasional party no matter how reluctant I am but then there are times that there is no escaping a social obligation. I am sure you know what I am talking about. And talking about parties reminds me that there’s one waiting for me to organize. My father’s birthday is coming up next month in August!

Trying Not To Get Overly Stressed Out

It's bad for my blood pressure, it's bad for my hard but it's not easy to stay impartial when most of my work depends on a fast, stable and reliable internet connection.

Yes, Streamyx was down for HOURS tonight and I could hardly get anything done even with my Celcom 3G. I think it's high time I change to Maxis 3G, but I can't be sure if there's signal here in my area.

I am only going to call up Streamyx and ask them to send me the Telekom technician to come over to change the telephone cable. It must be the culprit for the frequent disconnection.

Of course, I could call then now since they work 24 hours a day but I may end up not being polite with them and that’s not good because it is not their fault.

Organizing Bridal Showers

My sister told me that she has received a stack of wedding invitations. It happens every year around this time but it's a little peculiar to us because we are Chinese and the Chinese do not hold weddings, or any grand celebration, in the middle of the year. Westerners though, wait for Summer to get married.

Nevertheless, my sister has been roped in to help to prepare and organize a couple of her friends' bridal showers and she told me worriedly that she does not even know where to start, let alone be involved in two!

In cases like these, the internet is our best friend! Check the web, particularly authority sites for ideas. Celebrations.com has a comprehensive section particularly for bridal showers, from selecting a venue and decorating it to preparing a guest list and menu.

When we are throwing a party, we want our guests to have a blast and for the party to stand out from all other parties that they have to attend, sometimes on the same evening. That's why it's so important to make it as special as possible and by implementing professional tips shared freely on Celebrations.com, I am sure the bridal showers will be most memorable. Don’t you think so?

Removing Plaque From Arteries

Many of us do not realize that most of our health problems start with poor blood circulation. It could cause a lot of problems from minor issues like pimples to major concerns like cardiovascular diseases and a major contributing factor to poor blood circulation especially in older people is the formation of plaque on the inside lining of arteries and veins.

Through the years, plaque that has formed inside causes the arteries to be narrower and restrict proper blood flow. Recently, people are taking steps to clean up their arteries and unclog them with chelation therapy.

I understand that chelation therapy has been used for over fifty years and that it is a natural therapy, though I believe there are not many people who have heard of chelation, let alone tried it.

Anyway, those who would like to give this alternative therapy a shot should opt for either intravenous injections or oral chelation therapy. Which is more effective? I don't know! I guess it is an individual preference and people will tend to opt for the one most convenient to them.

While many people have the mindset to only seek a cure when they fall ill, I think that we should be more proactive in health matters and not wait till sickness knocks at our door. What do you think?

Memory In Sync

The other day, I added extra memory to my computer and I told a friend about it. Earlier, he laughed at me still using 512MB of RAM only but hey, when I bought this desktop computer, RAM was expensive, you know? And I did not bother upgrading my hardware until I could no longer stand the sluggishness. LOL


So I told my friend and he said that I must not combine a 256MB of RAM with a 1Gig RAM... hhhmmm is that true? He said that they would be incompatible and may render BOTH unusable. Really ah?

My laptop is also like this, if memory serves me right. 1Gig + 2Gig... and the technicians never mentioned anything about having then in sync like 256MB + 256MB, 512MB + 512MB and 1GB + 1GB.

Anyway, he told me that I should just remove the 256MB of RAM which I did. Let's see if there is any improvement.

Health is Wealth

It's very true when people say "Health is wealth." I came to the conclusion that we living beings are actually very weak. A slight knock on the head could kill some people. A small bang on our leg could break it.

A few months ago, a hawker who plies his trade at a wet market close to my home was involved in an accident. It was a horrifying tragedy and doctors had to remove almost his whole leg because it was crushed.

For some time, his family was "lost" which the sudden turn of events. They lost income because this accident victim is the breadwinner. At the same time, they were digging into their savings to pay his medical bills.

Things would have been different if they had access to free legal consultation on personal injury like it is being offered by the Omaha Personal Injury Attorney of Demerath Law Office but no, they had to pay for legal advice as well until they managed to claim compensation from the insurance company. I understand that it was not that much as well and they had to depend on welfare aid.

It's really sad, isn't it?

Keeping Drinking Water Klean

If you are health conscious, I am sure you have read about how plastic containers contaminate food and water. I am sure you noticed how we like to store water in plastic bottles, reusing mineral water bottles over and over again.

While these plastic bottles are safe for mineral water, prolonged recycling of these bottles will cause plastic leaching to contaminate water and this is just as bad as storing food or water with aluminum containers. Chinese people just love doing that!

When my friend heard how bad plastic bottles and aluminum cans are that some countries have banned the use of these to store food or water, he bought a new water bottle for himself. Yes, he was that proactive.

He did a research online and told me that the best waster bottles would be stainless steel water bottles. I guess most of us are already using stainless steel kettles and kitchen ware so we know how friendly they are with food and water.

A company, All Your Green LLC, has a good selection of stainless steel water bottles called Klean Kanteen. I am not sure if you have heard of them but they are an eco-friendly company with household products, apparel and outdoor accessories. I really like their colorful stainless steel bottles with interchangeable caps.

Telling Time With Animated Wall Clocks

A friend read my post about my trip to the gift shop the other day and that I wanted to buy fancy clocks for my house and room. I have a dream of building my home like a doll house where I decorate it with everything cute, from wall clocks to sofa sets to bookshelves and furniture.

My friend says that if I was not Chinese, she would have would have bought me a couple of unique wall clocks. I may not have the fancy house yet but I could certainly hang some fancy clocks in my house right now.

Unique wall clocks make great gifts, you know, and they are not even expensive, but make sure the recipient is not Chinese or you will lose your friendship! While the Chinese do not give clocks as gifts, I find that there was no such culture in other races. But like I said, only the Chinese are that superstitious!

If you fancy having animated wall clocks telling you the time, you should check out AnimatedClocks.net. I love dogs and there are two cute ones there. If you love cats then there are more for you to choose from. The funniest animated wall clock would be Chef Luigi. I laugh every time I look at it. I think this would make a great birthday gift for a chef. Right, Chef Ben???

Is He Or Is He Not My Friend?

Regular readers of my blogs would know that I lost my dear Dino slightly over a month ago.

There was a friend who got news that Dino died by reading my blog. He did not leave me a comment or called me up like some of my friends did. I appreciate those who took the trouble to call me up from out of state and even out of the country, to ask if I am fine and offered their condolence, knowing how close I am with Dino.

So there was this friend who after reading my post, wrote on his FaceBook profile where it says, "What are you doing now?" and he wrote that he was "Sorry about Dino".

Yesterday, he sent me a text message, about forty days after the tragic incident and asked me how I am and said that he was sorry about Snoopy. Niamah... is he my friend or what? If he is going to say the wrong name, might as well don't say anything, right? I was so pissed off!

Snoopy and Dino may be "just animals" to others but they are family to me. It's just as bad as knowing that someone's father died and there are people offering condolence because the mother died.

Unclogging Arteries With Chelation

A friend read about my posts on chelation about a month ago and she said that her father has been worried about his heart. As you may be aware, some cardiovascular diseases are caused by the formation of plaque in the inside lining of our arteries. With narrower arteries, blood circulation will be poor, blood pressure will rise and in serious cases, the arteries may be totally blocked!

My friend says that his father is ready to try something new like EDTA chelation. Well, it's not exactly new because this natural therapy has been available for fifty years but her father and her have only got to know about chelation recently. It’s not too late!

What chelation does is to unclog arteries from the plaque that has built up over the years and cause us various diseases! There are two types of chelation; intravenous injections and EDTA oral chelation. Simply put, it's like using amino acid to remove calcium and other mineral deposits in our arteries and veins, where they should not be there in the first place.

By doing so, blood circulation improves and health is restored in cases where poor health is caused by the built up of plaque in the inside of arteries.

What's On My Playlist?

I have finished watching 20 episodes of Winter Sonata. Yes, it took me a long time to start watching it but once I started, there was no stopping me. I watched up to five episodes per sitting. Hahaha! I am THAT addicted to Korean dramas!

Since then, Winter Sonata OST has been playing non-stop on my player! Whenever I had to stay up in the middle of the night, I try to turn on some music. Rock music usually does the trick but it has taken a back seat.

So what's on my play list?

These are some of my favourite Winter Sonata OST, excluding instrumental pieces:

1. From the Beginning Until Now - Ryu
2. My Memory - Ryu
3. Only You - Ryu
4. Don't Forget Me - Ryu
5. The Love I Cannot Send - Seon

It's kind of strange that although we listen to songs in foreign languages and do not understand one word of it if we do not look at the romanized translation of these songs, the melody of the songs really touches us.

Also, if you are familiar with dramas, you will know that you will have to listen to parts of songs over and over again. After a few episodes, the melody just grows on you.

When will my obsession with Winter Sonata OST end? I guess when I watch a new Korean drama. Hahaha! That will be a long time to come, though.

P/S: Park Yong Ha 4eva!

Playing Casino Roulette Online

While many of my friends try to stay away from online casino gaming because my friends and I are young and inexperienced, I was surprised to learn that a friend, Jason, has taken to online gaming like a fish to water....surprised because he is in his 50s and yet so nifty with internet technology! I never expected that at all since he just learned to use the internet a couple of years ago.

Jason, who has been involved in all kinds of gambling since young; from numbers to horse betting to sports betting and casino gaming , tells me that playing online roulette, one of his favorite games, is so convenient. He no longer needs to drive up to Genting. Moreover, it is not easy getting a companion to go along.

Jason says that there's not much difference playing casino roulette in a real casino or in an online casino. The concept will always be the same and he also gets to socialize with other players at the same table as well just like in real life. The ambience may be slightly different but the excitement and buzz are present.

Jason told me that I should try playing roulette and not just always poker, poker, poker. Well, I don’t know. I understand that roulette depends on a lot of luck and you know I lack that sorely!

Memory Upgraded And Yet

I seem to have a lot to complain about lately. I don’t know why. I just feel listless and want to just go off somewhere, anywhere.

Anyway, I mentioned that I have added 1gig of RAM to my computer which means now I have 1gig + 256MB of RAM. Still, I don't know why, I feel as if the computer is not performing like it has extra RAM. I feel as if it is just as sluggish as it used to be running on 512MB of RAM only. And I don't have a clue why this is so. I just feel like I should chuck this and get a new, faster machine.

But then that's just all talk. You know I'm a cheapo and will never spend unnecessarily. I think if my computer dies prematurely I will cry. It's only 2.5 years old! I only retired my previous desktop computer after 6 - 7 years! That's a looooong time!

Lets just hope that this computer will stop giving me so much problems!

Playing Dress Up

If you have seen me before, you will think that I do not have dress sense but hey I'm just lazy to dress up and don't even have the time, actually. Besides, I don't usually buy clothes because working from home, I can hardly wear them all! Most of the clothes I have are buried in my closet.

A couple of months ago, I was introduced to a fun website that lets us mix and match clothes from leading retailers or our own clothes or even clothes contributed from members of the Closet Mix community. This is a huge site with a selection of clothes that has a possibility to match two million different outfits! And they continue to add in more clothes!

Since the last time I was there, we can now Mix Candies, Kohls and Hollister clothes on ClosetMix.com! That's right, more labels, more clothes, more mixes, more FUN!

Mixing is very easy. You just need to click on the arrows at the side to scroll the tops and bottoms. Now, matching is a little tricky because it's a personal preference yet depicts your sense of dressing and style!

This morning, I took a little time to mix clothes from Candies because they are girlie, quite unlike how I normally dress and I came up with this combination. What do you think? Like it?

 

Candie's® Notch-Collar Vest Candie's® Striped Convertible Shorts Click to mix this outfit with other clothes - even your clothes using www.ClosetMix.com.

 

 

Issues With My Internet Connection

I am still having issues with my Streamyx broadband connection and frankly, I have no idea where the fault lies in. Telekom and Streamyx personnel have visited my home numerous times because they tell me that there is no problem over at their port or server side.

Yet, I am still getting my internet connection disrupted every few hours on a good day, or worse, every few minutes on an extremely awful day.

For the past two weeks, I have called up Streamyx technical support center so much that they are already fed-up with me. Well, I could understand that since they could not find what is wrong wioth my connection.

The guy from the telephony side has even told me not to call the support line anymore with this oissue but to call him up direct because he is being screwed by them for not doing a good job. Oh... that's too bad and it's not his fault!

This problem has made it difficult for me to work and I have no mood to also. That’s why Winter Sonata is here. LOL

Thinking Out Of The Box

A couple of days ago, my friend shared an interesting article with me. It's a research on the various lingerie brands in the market. The funny thing is that while most companies used words that imply sexiness, exude class and elegance, depict seduction and invoke our imagination, there was a company that used words that are dark and ugly.

And it is strange that with their out of the norm branding technique, they actually managed to get their brand name stuck to our heads just because they are different. Because they are not sweet and forgettable will the other 101 "sexy" lingerie labels.

Although I cannot imagine anyone giving lingerie from this label as gifts, it still appeals to people who would like to make a bold statement and judging from the popularity of this extremely unconventional brand name, there are many such people!
That’s why when it comes to branding and marketing, we are always encouraged to think out of the box, so to speak. Explore the possibilities, be bold and do not be afraid to go against convention once in awhile.

If this is not something that you could do confidently, just engage a branding and marketing company to undertake the task, then! It is better than starting on the wrong footing, right?

Whooosh!

I'm scared. I don't know if it is just me or it affects everyone. How come it feels like the days move on faster once we enter July?

In the beginning of the year, time seems to move slow, the days drag on and on, especially for March. Perhaps it has 31 days but so does July!

It's scary to know that we are already in mid month and before I could blink my eye, it will be the end of the month already and time to remit money to my mother :-(

I'm sad.

Do you feel the same as I do or am I alone in this?

Slimming Down

My friend, whom we all know as Fatty, said that he is giving up on slimming down. The thing is, I have known Fatty for a few years and he has been growing and growing and I thought that it's because of his gene or hormone. Turn out that he could not control his diet. Well, he did want to, but always lose his resolve.

I need to tell him about a New York liposuction center that may be able to help. It will be difficult to broach the subject but then once in a while, he will lament about his size and weight and how insurance companies deem him as a high risk client.

While I generally do not agree undergoing plastic surgery, there are some medical cases where plastic surgery is the only option. Like in my friend's case, I am really worried about his health.
He may not feel anything for the moment because he is still young, fit and healthy and in fact, he says that he has gotten used to his size and is comfortable with himself. Still, prevention is better than cure, right?

So, I guess I will have to wait for an opportunity to inform him of alternative ways to reduce his weight.

This is SO Weird!

So last week, I took my computer to the repair shop and it was hospitalized. I thought that I could get it back the following day but it spent three days there! The weird thing was that they told me that there is nothing wrong with my computer!

When I took it to the shop, they tried to load Windows and no, they could not do it. I guess after spending three days there, the computer cured itself, like it sometimes will happen.

I am so glad that it’s well, not because I could save the money to format my computer but because I do not have to restore my programs and files after a fresh installation. Gosh, that takes a lot of time, especially when there are just so many programs that you MUST use.

Anyway, since I saved the money for a format, I decided to upgrade the memory. I had wanted to do so but each time something comes up with the computer that I had to delay it. It’s only RM135, not that expensive but since it’s the older DDR 1, it is double the price of DDR 2 and it is only 1Gig! But still, I no longer have to make do with 512MB of RAM. LOL

Exotic, Rare Cars

Many people are of the opinion that cars, especially exotic, luxurious cars are boys toys. They can't be more wrong. Women are just as appreciative of exotic and rare Supercars, though we may not show it!

If you enjoy supercars as well, you may want to check out this blog called, what else but COOL SUPER CARS. At first, I thought that I wanted to set up a car blog as well. I have 20 blogs and ran out of niche topics to write on but after reading Cool Super Cars, I gave up the idea because I could not be as good as that!

Cool Super Cars may be a fairly young blog but the blogger is sure hardworking, publishing multiple posts per day. This blog is definitely an interesting read. Even if you do not like rare or exotic cars per se, you would still want to check out those cool car designs.

I appreciate creativity and it marvels me that there are people who could come out with car designs like those cars featured on Cool Super Cars. I don’t think these cars are cheap though. I wonder who could afford them. Definitely not me, though!

With fuel price going so high, many of us dare not dream of owning a luxurious car but the pictures sure make good eye candy! Check them out!

My Computer Is Hospitalized

Yes, yet again for dunno how many times already this year, and it is only just July now! So many times that I have even lost count.

The problem this time is that I could not load Windows. The loading process goes into a loop and each time I am required to select how I would like to start Windows and no matter which option I select, it still would not load.

This problem happened when I wanted to restart my computer. Cheh… the last time also. I think I will not restart my computer anymore. Or even shut it!

My friend told me that it could be hardware conflict but I did not add any new hardware. I did, however, installed FireFox 3 but that should not be the cause, right?

Image details: Stethoscope on laptop computer keyboard served by picapp.com

Anyway, I did as my friend told me to try by taking out RAM, graphic and network cards and slot them in again one by one to test. After taking out the RAM and almost not able to slot them back in, I decided to just send it to the hospital. I don’t have time to waste to troubleshoot.

Luckily I have my Winter Sonata files in my external drive as well, so I could continue watching. LOL Am at Episode 15 already. Last night didn’t watch any, too sleepy!

Outsourcing IT Consulting Services

All of us who grew up in the technology age would understand what a major impact technology has in our daily life. It is all the more important for enterprises to adopt internet technology in the daily running of the company.

This has been a point of discussion between my friend, Paul, the guy in New York, and myself, and how I urge him to engage a NY IT Consulting specialist to help him with advancing his company in the aspect of internet technology.

It's funny that for someone who practically spent his whole working life in such an advanced city like New York City, Paul is unaware how IT could benefit his company, even though he equips himself with the latest gadgets. They are but fun toys to him instead of work tools for many of us.

That’s why the other day, I was telling him that a company like iCorps would be able to assist him in bringing his company to greater heights by implementing internet technology.

I seriously hope that he would use this down time in business to improve his company. The good thing is that it is cost effective to outsource IT consulting services. With a company like iCorps, he would be able to access some of the most advanced IT solutions without setting up a new IT department.

New Toy

My friend bought a new toy recently. It's the Nintendo Wii. Isn't it surprising that even adults love to play console games? I remember I used to have a console game called MicroGenius but all my friends had Nintendo. SIGH.

My friend has been telling me that she and her husband are crazy over the newly released Wii Fit. She says that sine I have been complaining that I am not getting enough exercise, I should get Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit and get all the exercise I need in the comfort and privacy of home.

And my friend is also telling me that if I buy a Nintendo Wii or PS3, since I do not own any game consoles right now, I could trade games with her.

I would love to but I just don't have the time for games! My friend has more things to occupy her, particularly her children. I wonder where she has the time to play her game consoles. I guess I’d put it down to addiction. I certainly know how it is like!

Korean Dramas, Japanese Dramas, TVB Serials

Alamak, I only watched ten out of twenty episodes of Winter Sonata and I feel like I would like to finish the other half of it as soon as possible but I know that once I start, I would not be able to stop until the finale and I would not be able to concentrate on my work.

As it is, I am already behind, and if you remember, I have had a financially rough time over the past two months, so I really need to pull up my imaginary socks and start putting in more effort on my work and not get distracted by dramas and serials, and especially cut down on sleep.

Heheh… watching dramas can certainly keep me awake in the middle of the night, especially the sad sad ones that Koreans are so good with but then I would be crying my eyes out along with the actors and actresses that I again, would not be able to work so that defeats the purpose of sacrificing sleep for work. Haha!

Low-Priced Stylish Fashion Frames

If you are looking for a pair of glasses, you may want to check out Zenni Opitcal's range of frames. They are stylish and fashionable and do not come with a hefty price tag! You know how expensive fashion frames could be!

The reason that Zenni Optical could keep prices competitive is because that they manufacture their own frames. They do not need to get their supply from a middleman. Also, their frames are such a deal that they do not even need to advertise their business.

For people who consider their glasses as part of their fashion accessories, like some of my friends, they should check Zenni Opitcal at zennioptical.com. It is no longer necessary to pay a hefty price to look trendy!

Radio Reach

The radio used to be a huge part of my life when I was in secondary school, and after that, I "graduated" to short wave radio. However, to my regret, I no longer have time for the radio anymore, though I still keep all my radio sets, and hope that one day, I will have the time and the mood to listen to a good programme or two.

Now, the computer and internet take up the better part of my day and night. I guess, the reason my radio has taken a back seat, besides the propagation on shortwave radio stations caused by the computer, is the fact that I could listen to just about any song I want on the web. I could also tune to in radio stations, FM or SW on the internet but I no longer do that because it's a total distraction and I can't work.

The other day, I came across this chart, results from a survey by The Nielsen Company on the radio reach in Malaysia. It's pretty interesting see that Malay stations lead the popularity chart. And I am rather surprised to see that Hitz.fm, one of the most popular English language stations, "only" garnered an average of 7% of the weekly reach audience.

With so many more things to occupy our time, I wonder how the trend will shift to ten years down the line.

Treatment Potential In Menstrual Blood Stem Cells

As the sole financial supporter of my family, I dread falling ill. I have thought of creating a residual income so that even if I were unable to work, my family would still be provided for. There’s insurance as well but so far, I have yet to be able to find out that has a policy that suit my needs and yet not be forced to pay a high premium.

A couple of weeks ago, I read about the innovation of harvesting menstrual blood stem cells in a safe and non-invasive manner where we women, hold the key to our future health and possibly those of our closest family members; our parents, siblings and children.

If you are interested in this innovation in science, you can read more on this in an article on CNNmoney.com. This article is written clearer on what stem cells research has advanced and the therapies that are possible from stem cells, particularly stem cells from menstrual fluid.

For further information, you should also read C'elle Client Testimonial to see how women have taken this one step into protecting their future health.

What To Look For When Buying Laptop Computer

My friend asked me which laptop he should go for. He saw my Fujitsu laptop and was a little impressed with its ability to plug in a travel battery if necessary.

Well, I have to say that it was not my first choice. I actually was eyeing an Apple MacBook Air but Apple products are out of my league, seriously, so I might as well forget about them!

I did not suggest a particular brand to my friend but I did give him pointers on what to look for when buying laptop computers, particularly processor speed, hard disk space, memory, battery life, portability and screen size.

Most important of all, I told my friend, when deciding on a laptop computer, he has to determine his usage besides his budget. What will he be using it for primarily? Would it be for work, studies, work processing, normal internet browsing, gaming, etc?

For me, although I paid quite a sum for my laptop, I am quite happy with what I got, even though it is not MacBook Air!

Winter Sonata At Last

Finally, I started watching Winter Sonata, you know, one of the most popular Korean dramas. I had it in my collection for YEARS but I did not start watching it because I know that once I do, I would want to complete the whole series, neglecting other more important stuff.

I think that one of the reasons I managed to delay watching Winter Sonata is because the lead actor is not handsome but my god, the supporting actor is so good looking! Does anyone notice that he looks a lot like Ji Sung? Also, the weird thing is that this guy sang in one of the soundtracks of All In where Ji Sung starred in. *melt*

Anyway, I started watching late last night at 11pm and right now, I am have already finished Episode 7! LOL There are only 20 episodes. You know what? If I lived alone, I would have "Drama Days" once awhile where I would allocate one day to watch a drama from the first episode to the last. I would not even do anything but veg out on the couch.

So now you know why I have not been blogging much, huh?

How Was Your Fourth?

Fourth of July is a significant day for me. Sure, I do not have a holiday like the Americans who celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July, but it still is a special day for me.

Over here, I've been having problems with my Streamyx since the lightning strike and I can't concentrate on my work. Well, could anyone concentrate if their connection breaks off mid-work... and the number of times this happens in a day could be 30 - 50 times?

But I shall not complain too much since Telekom people, from the telephony and data departments have already visited my home three times. I hope the problem is resolved already whatever it was and I know that I should add more RAM to my computer. Let's see if I have to fork out $ for my wi-fi router or not yet. Otherwise that would be RM160 for the wi-fi router plus RM140 for 1GB of DDR 1 RAM. See... even though the month has just started, I am in the red already. SIGH

Anyway, I hope that this month brings me better blessings and I need to work harder. God please give me the focus, determination and mental strength.

If you are reading this post right now, may you have a great weekend!

I Love Free Stuff

My uncle asked me if I would like to have a couple of his company shirts. Well, I don't mind! I love freebies, even if some people say that if you are wearing company logo shirts, you are actually providing free advertisement to the company.

Some people think that if you wear a t-shirt with the logo of a company, the company should pay you for advertising! These are two different, yet funny perceptions, of course.

Personally, I don't care. If I have a free t-shirt, I would wear it even if it's printed full of logos and brand names! However, I only wear these kinds of t-shirts at home so I am not providing any free advertisements to the companies!! LOL

It's So Noisy I Could Go Crazy

My new neighbor who just bought the house opposite of mine is having major renovations done on it. And I have to suffer from noise pollution everyday for the next three months from 8am to 5pm, except for Sundays and rainy days!

Anyway, this guy lives in the same street but he wanted a corner lot so he bought this and sold that old house to a family member and bought this instead.

Everyone has been saying that he s stupid to spend so much money renovating an old house and that it is not worth it. With that kind of money, he could almost buy a luxury home in the Corpus Christi real estate development or something.

However, he told us that he was lucky to have secured this home before the fuel price hike. He said that house prices continued to rise despite that, although his renovation cost has gone up. Right now, it stands at RM95,000 and he has yet to take into account installation of pumbling and electrical wiring and an electric gate.

Do you think it's worth to spend more than RM100,000 on renovation and furnishing? With the price of his house, he could use the total sum to purchase a better house in a better neighborhood!

I Survived June

though Dino did not.... :(

Anyway, I closed the income gap of RM1500. I could just manage to cover the household bills and expenses, allowance for my parents and all the pet medical bills, food, supplements and miscellaneous expenses.

This means that I have nothing left for myself. Seriously! Thankfully I did not spend much on myself and I don't buy unnecessary stuff. I guess more of my expenses are on my bills and toiletries.

I only shop for clothes and shoes when there's a sale. And I think there was no sale in June. Or maybe there was. Either I subconsciously didn't notice any or I didn't go out often enough I was at home feeling depressed. SIGH!

I Need My Wi-Fi!!!

How long has it been since my wi-fi router got killed by lightning? I think it must be two weeks already. Although I sent it in for warranty, the shop only sent it to the manufacturer a couple of days later, at my expense.

Without wi-fi, I haven't been using my laptop much because I hate to plug and unplug my network cable from the back of my CPU which is wedged under the table! Grrrrr Next time when I buy a new computer desk, I have to make sure that the space for CPU would be easily accessible!

Anyway, the computer shop told me that the fastest is two weeks... I hope that they will be fast. I know I shouldn't complain since it was struck by lightning and it wouldn't be covered by warranty. I just want to try to save RM160, but still, it is soooo inconvenient. My iPhone is totally left idle. Without wi-fi I don't even get to use it. Which reminds me, I need iPhone 3G as well, but that's another story!

Carpool: Divide The Ride

The other day, I asked if there's any lifestyle changes that you have adopted. Well, personally, I STILL have not. My sister, though, already has. As you may recall, she lives in Tennessee, in the United States where according to her, there's no regular public transport and going everywhere requires a lengthy car ride.

Now, this is where Divide The Ride comes in. This is a children's car pool program where parents could freely use the service to seek out other families they know and organize a carpool to school or other co-curricular activity of their children.

This program is safe and information of families secure as people use this to seek out people they already know, to divide a ride. This is unlike other carpooling programs where families, who may not know each other, are matched just because they may be heading the same way. That, of course, is rather risky.

For more information on how you can participate in Divide The Ride, check out their website at http://www.dividetheride.com/

Free Bon Jovi Concert In Central Park on 12th July, 2008

Oh my God! I so want to be in New York right now! OK, not right now, but at least at 8pm on 12th July, 2008, where Bon Jovi will be giving a free concert in Central Park, New York. God, why do they have all the best things??

I have been a Bon Jovi fan for a long time now. How many years? 15? 20? I have lost track. I also have almost all their tracks. I say almost because I don't have their Christmas songs. LOL I love rock, not Christmas carols!

Many people are asking if this Bon Jovi concert is really free. Yes, totally free. However, only those with tickets will be allowed into Central Park but then these tickets are being distributed free. I can just imagine people queuing up for the tickets much like how they queued up to BUY an Apple iPhone. Heck, I would queue up too if I were in New York.

For more information on how you can get your hands on free Bon Jovi Central Park concert tickets, visit the official Bon Jovi blog.

I want to get my hands on a FREE Bon Jovi Central Park concert tickets. Paul, where are you???