Metal cabinets for storage

The cabinets and shelves in the garage need to be strong and sturdy. I've used plastic shelves and cabinets before and regretted the choice since plastic tend to warp very fast under weight and will give way sooner. CarGuyGarage.com stocks a good variety of metal cabinets made from heavy- duty powder coated steel. These heavy-duty steel cabinets are good for storage since they can hold more weight. With heavy-duty steel cabinets, your storage cabinets will surely be more durable and last longer.

Convergence or simplification

I'm slow - slow in catching up with the cellphone trends. While others stay ahead with a high-resolution camera phone, downloading MP3 for the phone, etc., I'm still satisfied with the simple function of using the cellphone for dialling. I don't even text message often. While commercial cellphones have converged with multi-functions all-in-one such as integration of PDA, MP3, cellphone functions all in one phone, I ask sometimes - now, is a phone a PDA or a PDA a phone?

When I watch the Jitterbug commercial on TV, I began to think of technology going back to the basics. I'm not sure if this is trending or reverse-trending. Of course, the intended market for Jitterbug seems to be for seniors who we perceived may be confused with all the multi-functions on the cellphones nowadays.

Garage storage - utilize the space effectively

I store more stuff in the wardrobe than the garage. However, my hubby will definitely be happy with a large garage storage space. He could store all his work bench home-DIY tools, and bicycle in the garage. We currently lack storage space for his tools and could only make do with plastic boxes to store them. What's worse, the plastic boxes are sitting in my living room. How unsightly! To utilize a small garage storage space, having more shelving and multi-tier cabinets could really make it more functional and organized.

Being appreciated duly at work

Anonymity - need to be appreciated or given credit for what you have done, sometimes even your unique qualities and capability by someone of authority.

How many times have you seen or heard "I've done all the hard work but my boss is claiming credit for all these from his boss!!!". Bosses and managers, you can continue doing this but gradually you will find high turnover rates in your section or team since people WILL BE unhappy and they WILL leave. Is that what you want? This will shed bad light on you too. And bosses' boss, managers' managers, you know that happens. You must be observant and sharp and reward the right people. Of course, anonymity itself is a tricky issue. It's all about people, and when they are people, there is bound to be differences and conflicts.

You can also read about immeasurement and irrelevance .

Driveway file sharing - the coolest way to backup and share

Looking for an online backup for your files, photos and documents? I do have a huge massive folder of photos saved in my computer right now and I am finding ways to back them up - a secondary backup, just in case my computer decides to be on-strike one day and I will be totally "handicapped" when I lose all my bookmarks, essential files and my precious photos intended for publish in my blog.

Driveway looks almost like a perfect solution for me - an online backup for my files. Any file or folder not more than 500MB per file can be uploaded, with unlimited total storage. That means, multiple files can be uploaded.

Driveway also provides user-friendly file sharing. To the files to be shared, just enter the e-mail addresses of the recipient or recipients and recipient(s) will receive an e-mail containing a file read to the shared files. They can edit as well. This is useful if you have co-workers working on the same project as you, or owning a small ecommerce business together when communication via workfiles or exchange of work information is important. Driveway is a good tool to send large files easily and overcome the file attachment limitations imposed by some email systems.

In addition, the Driveway web widgets are really modern features and definitely appeal to me. A widget can be easily created for clear navigation among folders. What a simple way to view and share multiple files of any type - audio, video, pictures. And what is so updated - these widgets can be embedded in any website or blog! I am signing up now! Are you ?

Performance, function or style ?

I overheard a Fort Fusion commercial going on the TV. It puts Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion out for a swap and challenge. Guess what ? The send-home message for me the viewer, Ford Fusion is a car to reflect your personality, to show who you are. It totally undermines Toyota Camry as a reliable performing car.

I question myself - is buying a car such an inexpensive affair right now that style is more important than performance ? Hmmmm...

And see what they used in Ford Fusion's other ads found on Youtube.


Words such as Ford "tingles"....the "fizz".....hey...we are buying a car...not a soda or hair mousse, ok?

Get your next book from Lovereading - your new fiction resource

An independent bookshop with up-to-date selections of a mail-order book club - All FREE!!! Too good to be true? Too good a deal? Not anymore, at Love Reading - your new fiction resource. You can get a first glimpse of the book, read the opening extract (free .pdf downloads available) and reduce your risk of buying the book. You can even compare prices among the major UK book eCommerce sites from the search engine at this site. For people for owns a blog like myself, there is also a possibility to add RSS feeds of your favorite book collection to your blog.

Does irrelevance make you unhappy ?

I talked about immeasurement that makes one unhappy at work. I ranked "irrelevance" #2.

Irrelevance - you need to know your job matters to someone, to see the connection of work to the satisfaction of the other group. This also has to do with the value of your work. There is only value to the work you have done, when people put value to it, and people put a value to it, when your work benefits or helps them in one way or another.

If you find that everyday you keep doing piles and piles of report, and those reports eventually are just read once but the person who requested it, then it is quite likely you are irrelevant. To this, why not share your work knowledge and findings with more people - present your findings in small group meetings or hold a internal presentation to share your knowledge. This may help other people channel their attention to you and they may relevance to you ultimately. I believe this is two-way, but you may have to take the first step out.

Is irrelevance similar to being dispensable? Not really so. You can be relevant but still remain dispensable. As one of my ex-bosses said " no one is indispensable in a company". I find it very true. Just face it.

Sproose - a new search engine

Yay! I like exploring search engines and not limit myself just to Google. Sproose, is a new search engine of the people, and works by the people, for the people. First, key your inquiry in the search box; you get initial search results based on typical machine calculated rankings; then, you as users vote for your favorite resulted websites from the initial search results; finally you will influence the index ranking of the search results as a voter-cum-user, and the index is refreshed creating improved results for each user based on user votes. Click here to try sproose now!

My first digital book

Southwest Airlines has been a heavily-studied case and business model in many business management or MBA courses, and likewise in project management. I've heard about Southwest Airlines many times since last year from the Stanford's instructors in the APM course. Now I get reminded from the recent article in Costco. To not let this interest die off AGAIN...alas...after a year...I decided to buck up, and pick up the book - The Southwest Airlines Way, for a read. I did it via the digital way though, using my account with Califa.

I don't buy books ever since my college years textbooks. I seldom borrow from the library too, since I hate the idea of returning the books on-site, physically. Of course, nothing beats a book on hand, flipping the pages. To cut down the risk of spending money on a book that I'm afraid will be chucked to one corner again, I think digital book is one good alternative for me. It's just an alternative, and never will be a substitute for holding that real paperback or hard-cover book in my hands.

I just have 14 days to complete, after checking out The Southwest Airlines Way from Califa. I do hope to spend more time reading.

An all-different music gear website

goingTODAY.com is one different online retail site from the rest of the other music gear websites. One item is for sale each day, everyday until sold out. Just today, the site is showcasing an all-in-one folding pocketknife-type rench of string cutter, Phillips head screwdriver, slot head screwdriver, and seven sizes of Allen wrenches, all needed for a guitar. It's now simpler and faster since you can pay via paypal account. Wonder what will be up tomorrow ? Are you goingTODAY ?

Cash advance for an emergency use

You need money to tide you over for some urgent needs and the next pay day just seem too far away. Now, you don't have to worry if you could get a cash advance. Also known as payday loans, cash advance provides advantages such as a faster processed application and anonymity from the public. Before the cash advance payday loan application, make sure you work with a reputable lender, particularly if it is an online lender. For example, there should always be a "Contact Us" tab or link, and an email address or form for submitting any problems or directing any questions. A "Privacy Policy" and "Terms & Conditions" should also be clearly posted on the website. Now that you are ready for the application, prepare your documentation such as your latest pay stub and bank account information. You would need these information while completing the online loan application form. By following the easy application procedure in CashAdvance1500.com, your next cash advance payday loan is only a few steps away.

The spirit of Southwest Airlines

"...In any endeavor, having the right people in place is the overriding factor in success...". A play or movie without the right cast, a sports team without the right people in their positions just like a business running for profitability without dedicated staff. The article on Southwest in Costco Connection re-ignited my interest in Southwest Airlines again, not for the low-fares but for the inspiring story behind this organization culture.

Scenario 1 -
You : Why are you helping people with their luggage ?
Baggage Handler (any other competitor): That's part of my job.

Scenario 2 -
You : Why are you helping people with their luggage ?
Baggage Handler (Southwest): I'm helping this passenger get across to another state so that she can celebrate grandma's birthday

Can you feel the love ? Some call it the Southwest spirit!

Falling in love when you grow older

Who says you can't fall in love when you are old? Falling in love is one of the best ways to age gracefully too. Dating For Seniors is a senior match community for older men and women to find suitable partners and soul mates to spend their life with. This site features real people, real seniors who are currently single and interested in remaining active and social in their daily life. Single seniors who enjoy meeting friends and who want to widen your social circles can join this senior dating community and search for compatible friends and senior match who share similar hobbies and interests. Among some of these friends, you might just find your lifelong partner.

About immeasurement and metrics

Project management sometimes uses OUTCOME and OUTPUT to distinguish metrics.
OUTCOME - success criteria, the results of successful completion eg 20% increase in revenue, repeat customers
OUTPUT - actual deliverables, tangible items to be exchanged eg software, analysis reports, prototypes

It is important to learn how to transform OUTCOME(a number, typically) to OUTPUT (an action). Let's say your EXPECTED OUTCOME is...increase market presence/share (10%) of Product A from marketing exposure in a trade show.

OUTPUT (what do we do?) - max. exposure of marketing team highlighting Product A key features, make use of trade show peak periods to do announcements ==> METRICS - # of completed surveys from customers indicating knowledge of Product A, published media footage on Product A etc

Develop a SMART output - your OUTPUT needs to be
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Resourced
Time-bound

Bikerplanet.com - an online biker community

Wouldn't it be romantic to bike during the sunset evening in autumn? Especially romantic if you do this with your date? Just you and your biking date. If you have been doing this alone, now there is a site for biker singles to find each other, and do this biker dating activity together. Of course, Bikerplanet.com has more to offer. You can join this online community of single bikers, and know more biker friends, and in the process maybe find your ultimate biker date. When you sign up for Bikerplanet.com, you can search through the thousands of profiles on the site, and identify biker enthusiasts like yourself. Biking is such an engaging activity to be involved in with your future date. Biker singles out there, what are you waiting for?

Are you unhappy in your job ?

Do you ever feel miserable in your job or jobs? I used to hate going to work, when even dragging my feet every morning was hard. I was not happy. Miserablejob.com attempts to highlight three "culprits" that make you miserable at job. I have ranked them in priority and relevance, according to my personal opinion -

1. Immeasurement - being unable to gauge progress and level of contribution for ourselves. I would associate this with METRICS - coming up with the right metrics that measure our performance. It is easier to give call center representatives metrics (such as # of calls handled today, # of complaints received out the total calls, and # of complaints-cases closed out of the total # of complaints etc) compared to...say...an analyst whose job is to spend time and effort doing research for customers and the final deliverables is to draft a findings report to the client. How do we measure in such a case? # of reports completed, or # of hours spent scouring for data/findings, or # of actions that are implemented when recommended to customers, or even # of actions recommended to clients and which led to successful implementations? The challenge is how to measure VALUE, especially when it is intangible?

Success cannot depend on opinions of people(most of the times, your boss!, and most of the times, biased!). Humans are all-biased. Without tangible means of assessing success and failure, motivation deteriorates.

All the How-To about electric guitar

How-To-Guitar is a good resource all about electric guitars. It shares information and tips, especially useful if you are thinking of buying your next electric guitar or starting to learn how to play the electric guitar. If you are considering buying electric guitars, recommended merchants featured include MusiciansFriend.com and GuitarCenter.com; or if you are learning to play the guitar, you can find out how-to from GuitarLeads.com, GuitarIn60Seconds.com or GuitarCoaching.com. For just a small fee in GuitarCoaching.com, you get started with effortless 10-minute step-by-step practice sessions, hit songs formulas, and you do not even have to read music to learn guitar. Find out more about the Express Guitar in GuitarCoaching.com and learn in a whiff!

Ecommerce solutions from Ashop Commerce

If you are into ecommerce and thinking about starting your own ecommerce business one day, you will find this ecommerce software as useful as I did. This ecommerce shopping cart software will allow you to integrate and manage your online business and the website all by one shopping cart software. Since this shopping cart software is affordable and easy to install, you will not be spending unnecessary time and money, setting up this ecommerce software. Your precious time should be spent on how to earn money and income from your online business, and not wasting time and money on installing the supporting software. In addition, you get full technical support and customer service when you get this shopping cart software. They will help you with any software issues while you concentrate on operating your business. This shopping cart software is indeed one complete total solution with a secured host, free emails, 128 bit SSL checkout security, design services, full fraud alerts and web promotion services. What's better than this ? I will say, nothing.

More about creativity

I wrote about the Say It Sign It (SiSI) technology. Thanks to IBM yearly initiative called Extreme Blue which invites technically-minded and business students to collaborate. I'm sure many interesting ideas were created. SiSi is just one of the few. Do you also remember the mapmixer? This technology was "born" from Yahoo "Hack Days" - a 24-hr competition that seeks to bridge product groups within the organization in order to build rapid workable prototypes that can be commercialized.

Whether it is a bi-monthly, bi-annual or annual effort, I personally feel it's a good platform to bring together ingenious minds within an organization. Such can be a synergy between and among various R&D, or product groups and departments. Let creativity run wild. Stop talking about cross-industry barriers when companies can't even bring break down cross-departments barriers and let people work together and collaborate.

Beach cruiser bicycles - affiliate program and more

Beach cruiser bikes are comfortable and durable bikes that have become popular again in recent years. Known for their durability, heavy duty frames, thick balloon tires, large comfortable seats and low handlebars, beach cruisers are usually one-speed, and use a coaster brake. I simply like the wide variety of colors in these new models of beach cruisers. I'm eyeing at this Lady Metallic Baby Blue (shown in the picture).

XYZ BIKES also offers an affiliate program for beach cruiser bicycles. You can sign up for this affiliate program for beach cruiser bicycles and make additional income by using affiliate links and placing banners on your website or blog. With signing up, you can get beach cruiser bikes with additional discount for your own use or reselling.

Citibank virtual account number

Our printer's toner just ran out! After much consideration, we decided to get the replacement toner online since the stores were charging the same toner at a much higher price. After much searching, Circuit City gave us the best rate of $42 for the model we wanted. That was better than what Amazon or Buy.com could offer. I'm not going to review about the toner cartridge or the online retailers. What I want to "brag" about is the method of payment! HA!

We actually tried using Citibank's virtual account number for the 1st time! What an ingenious way to shop online. With this service for Citi card members, you never have to give out your real credit card number online. With one click, you can generate a random credit card number, and make it virtually impossible for anyone to steal your account number while shopping online. Then, you enter this number into the merchant's form and complete your purchase without revealing your real card number. In the process, you can also set the $ limit or $ and time limit for the virtual/random credit card for a one-time use.

Virtual Account Numbers are only good for online shopping. You cannot use them for purchases that require you to show your credit card at time of pick-up (e.g., movie tickets, hotel accomodations etc.), because the account numbers will not match.

Does your bank offer similar type of anti-theft solutions?

Insurance Marketing - choose the service that suits you

I've seen very successful insurance agents who make it to the million-dollar table -an insurance's prestige, every month; while I have heard real stories of insurance agents who fail to deliver. What makes the difference? You have to work smart. For example, selecting an insurance marketing service that provides targeted and quality lead generation makes marketing and selling a much easier job and this will elevate you faster to the next level.

Of Papaya and 881 - will this make it to the 80th Academy Awards?

The movie '881' will be submitted for the 80th Academy Awards. What's that? A rescue 911 spoof or what? If some of you do not know this movie, I forgive you because other than knowing the name of the movie, I don't know much about this movie myself. All I know is...it is Singapore-made film and HA....will be submitted to the 80th Academy. It will be submitted for the category of Best Foreign Language Film. Submit only, not nominated yet.

The movie was chosen as it represents the rich, colourful street culture and unique heritage of Singapore.

Just a bit more..."881" is pronounced Ba Ba Yao (in Mandarin) and sounds alike to Papaya.So the show is about the Papaya sisters and life as getai (stage) singers. I'm not sure if the show will be nominated but I will be interested to watch a "live" performance of the Papaya sisters on the Academy's stage if the movie do win. :)

Vacation Homes in Orlando, Florida

One day was just not enough in Disney. We will not make the same mistake that we made in California's Disneyland. When we visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida, we will make sure we stay for a longer time. We would definitely consider these Orlando vacation homes when we are in Florida. There are a number of spacious and private rental homes and condos available in Orlando and they are close to Disney World. Remember, we are not just limited to hotels.

Jellyfish-inspired hairstyle

Above was taken few months back at Monterey Aquarium, California. I was fascinated by how a jellyfish moves. The jellyfishes must be delighted to know they come to good use. They inspire hairstyles! Now, I'm truly fascinated!

















Yes, this is the latest hairstyle of Taiwanese artiste Rainie Yang. I don't know much about her and not crazy about her. I'm passed the age to "idolize" idols. I just felt funny seeing this hairstyle.


By the way, she is now touted as the "Asia new queen" -亚洲新天后!
Too soon or too late?

Enjoy city breaks with DialAFlight

When it comes to taking short breaks from work, I usually enjoy the cities. It's a good way to spend a short vacation, knowing more about the history and culture by immersing yourself in the city. There are so many worldwide cities to take city breaks such as in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town and Montreal. DialAFlight offers cheap flights and travel stopovers. I am thinking of visiting New York coming November, DialAFlight would be a wonderful site to look into.

AAA membership

I think I am an idiot when it comes to driving and anything about cars, and vehicles. I used to join AA Singapore as member so that someone can help me when my car break down in the middle on the road, or when the car gets a flat-tire or battery. I do not how to change a flat-tire. Bleh! :( Very naturally, when I came to US, I joined AAA. I had better reasons to since I was not very familiar with the rule and regulations over here.

Personally, I feel AAA offers much more than AA back in Singapore. I've used the trip planner in AAA so often - almost every time I go for a vacation in the US. First, as AAA members, we get FREE travel maps and travel tour guides/books. California, Las Vegas, British Columbia, Wyoming and Yellowstone etc....we have all the FREE maps sent to us at no cost. Another tool I started to use recently is the TripTrik planner. This tool is able to plan our driving route (eg. A to B) and along the route, we are able to map out the gas stations (with gas prices), attractions along the way, accommodations and even restaurants. Wow! We found the gas stations information most useful. We mark the gas stations out on our hard copy maps and in the process, plan our rest-and-gas stops from Point A to Point B. This really makes a better-planned road trip.

A double-duty lawn mower cover

When I walk past houses with gardens, I usually see some rusty lawn mowers chucked at one corner of the garden. It makes the garden lose its natural beauty. If you tend to forget to move the lawn mower back to the garage storage after use, it is best to get a lawn mower cover. Constructed from durable tear- and puncture-resistant PVC material, such covers keep metal parts of lawn mowers from rusting and prevent dust and debris clogging up the lawn mowers' engine. This Brookstone lawn mower cover fits push rotary and reel mowers, as well as snow blowers. It is indeed a double-duty lawn mower cover ready for all seasons. If you have limited garage or storage space, you can now leave your lawn mower out in the open. Just make sure to cover it with a lawn mower cover.

Homesick for Singapore - the FOOD!

When I read here about New Yorker's article about Singapore foodies, I was keen to check that out, and I found a short abstract here. Yes indeed, it wrote "Culinarily, ....the most homesick people...". Hahaha...talking about me? :) I'm not shy to admit that. I like Singapore for the convenience of getting food (good food). I also enjoy a variety of food/cuisines due to the existence of multi-racial culture - Chinese food, Malay food, Indian food are common in hawker centers, coffee shops and restaurants. Of course, we also get Peranankan, Thai, Vietnamese cuisine quite easily.


Oh, the writer was taken to the Old Airport Road Temporary Food Centre ? By this time, the new upgraded food centre has already opened and I'm so longing to pig out there. I used to frequent the Old Airport Road Food Centre and when it closed down temporarily and opened up another small nearby area as a temporary location, that was also the time I came to the United States. :( Old Airport has a good laksa stall, yummy chicken rice, two wonton noodle stalls(that competed side-by-side), famous LaoFuzi (Old MAster Q) char kway teow, Nanxing fried hokkien noodles....woooo...so much good food!

Black Friday Shopping - save money, no stress

Last year, we missed the black friday shopping spree. We were back home visiting in Singapore and not physically in California. Some of our friends in the Bay Area were so eager and excited for black friday to approach so that they can go bargain hunting and start shopping for Christmas. I like to shop but I dislike the queue whether at fitting rooms or at the cashiers. Now you tell me I have to stand in line at my favorite store at 5am? No way. With www.black-friday.net, why do I need to go through the hassle of waking up early and be sandwiched among the crowds of shoppers? Now, I even found my favorite store - Target on www.black-friday.net. I'm happy. I want a better equipped kitchen with Chefmate Toaster Oven, Kitchenaid Mixer and Mr. Coffee Coffeemaker. They are all available on Target Black Friday Ads. What do you say when you can save money without the stress? I'll say "Yes"! Even better, www.black-friday.net offers email alerts to keep you informed on new black friday ads once they are posted. What else is a bonus ? I do not have to be physically in the United States. I can be visiting in Singapore again and yet not miss all the once-in-a-year biggest bargains.

Is Costco executive membership well its worth?

We were on Costco Regular membership paying $50 per year and just few months back, decided to upgrade to Executive membership by paying an additional $50 (Executive membership cost $100). I was reluctant at first since I know we don't spend a lot at Costco. We usually just get fruits and basic groceries. At 2% cash back, I don't think we can break even. However, the customer service at Costco membership counter highlighted the benefits and worth of Executive membership. As Executive members, we will receive more Costco member-only coupons throughout the year and enjoy better savings. Of course, if we don’t "profit" with the Executive Membership, Costco will give us back the difference - the additional amount you paid for, to upgrade. For example, our case- we paid $50 extra to upgrade, if we only earn $20 in rebates (based on 2% cash back) at the end of the membership year, Costco will pay us back $30 to make up to $50 - we just have to bring our rewards check back to Costco at the end of the year and do this "claim". Ok, I need to verify this at the end of the year. Also, hoobie kept saying we should go ahead with the upgrade since at any time we are not satisfied and want the refund of membership fee, we could just cancel the membership. There should be no questions asked too. I'm still feeling fishy about the upgrade till today but since we have already done the upgrade, let's verify all these $ issues, when the time comes. Hmmm...did we make the smart choice?

Payday Loans

There might be times when you need some extra cash and money in between your paydays and you can't wait for the next payday since it's too far away. It's for an urgent use. What do you usually do? Borrow from friends? Well, you always could, provided they have the money to tide you over or you don't mind them asking you the thousand reasons for borrowing money from them. Alternatively, you could turn to Pay Day Loans. This is an online loan process that is fast and convenient. First, you can request a payday loan via an online application. Then, your online application is processed instantly via a secure server, and you get almost instant approval. Moreover, there is no application fees and you can have the cash you need quicker than you can imagine.

Creativity - find lots of it in Colorado

"If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come out with anything original", courtesy from here. Yes, we cannot stigmatize mistakes. This will hamper creativity. And if intelligence has anything to do with creativity, it's got to be diverse, dynamic and distinct.

Cross referencing to a news snippet from Coloradoan about how Fort Collins generates patents at 4x the national rate. It is not high-tech Silicon Valley, California, though we have bike paths like they do too. Hmmm....maybe they are nearer to the Rockies, it rocks their personality. Or is it the ski fields that mold this dare-daring, dare-devil characteristics? Well, you know...if you are not afraid of swooshing down the icy slopes in the mountains (sometimes in the face of danger and even death), how can you be afraid of just saying the wrong things in a board room of executives? That is my explanation.

Even Coloradoans themselves find it hard to explain this rise of the so-called “creative class” in Fort Collins. Possibly, it may have to do with the diverse technology base and the inspiring culture around. People just inspire to innovate! But my reasoning stays as - it's the ski experience. :D

New resource site all about bad credit offers

"Bad credit" consumers are on the increase in the U.S. day by day. If you are one of those on bad credit, fret no more. There is a bad credit offer resource site that helps "bad credit" consumers return stable on the financial grounds again. Being on "bad credit" does not mean you have no choices when it comes to credit cards and loans. You can still select from a number of bad credit offers and bad credit loans from major providers. Choose wisely, choose the one that fit your needs.

Is there any problem with Crocs technology ?

Who owns a pair or more than a pair of Crocs? When Crocs were first available in the market and when I saw it, I actually found it quite ugly. Oops! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't really like design because I thought the Crocs shoe-tip is big and round, makes one looks like Charlie Chaplin. :O

Ok. Design aside, Crocs made it by its functions - flexibility, grip, and light-weight. The non-slip technology of Crocs is actually from Quebec, Canada...did you know that? Of course, the technology has been now out-licensed. Crocs will also launch a clothing line soon. I'm just trying to imagine what will that be - funky colors, rubbery shirts or jackets? On the other hand (not so good news), Crocs maybe under attack due to a few recent accidents reported, as far as from Singapore and Japan. Some reports claim that the shoes get caught in the "teeth" at the bottom or top of the escalator, or in the crack between the steps and the side of the escalator.

Adirondack Chair Covers - durable covers to protect your furniture

Today, the 7-day weather forecast for the Bay Area indicates 20% chance of showers. My patio table and chairs will be drenched again. If only I had these Adirondack Chair Covers -- these tear- and puncture-resistant Brookstone chair covers to keep water out. Adirondack Chair Covers are durable and made out from tough PVC fabric. They protect your chairs from summer's heat, winter's cold (down to -22°F), moisture and scratches. You might have spent some money buying those expensive patio furniture and chairs, so it's only wise to protect them with durable covers so that those patio furniture can last for many years. Now, when I look at my worn-off table and moldy chairs, I'm regretting not having done a good job to protect them from the harshness of the sun, wind, rain, and cold.

Technology is about improving the lives of people

Technology - has got to do with how it improve the lives of people. Simple. Technology does not have to be the most complicated engineering. It does not always need to satisfy - all at the same time - a patentability criteria for being novel AND non-obvious to a person of skilled art AND useful. I choose to stand my grounds that a scientist or inventor with 20 patents to his/her name does not make he/she more innovative whilst if you are just a "normal" ordinary person, it does not make you less creative and innovative.

Here, a group of researchers from IBM has developed a technology that translates spoken or written words into British Sign Language (BSL), especially useful to the deaf. With more and more webinars, and online conferences, this technology will enable deaf people to attend the same presentations and conferences that their non-handicapped "counterparts" are attending via the web. This technology enable simultaneous sign language interpretations of meetings and presentations using speech recognition to animate a digital character or avatar.


You can read more about the technology(SiSi-also known as Say It Sign It) if you are interested in the specifics technicals. For me, I'm just amazed by how this will benefit the minority group. Now, this is another service and product being designed with their needs in mind.

R.G. (Red Gac) Skin Revitalizer - improving skin health

I was trying to pronounce this word - Gâc, when I came across R.G. Skin Revitalizer - R.G. as in Red Gâc. Gâc- a new word for me, just like it is a new fruit to me. R.G. Skin Revitalizer is a new skin nourishment and supplement rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to support the body against damaging free radicals, and this enables strong cellular rejuvenation of the skin. Just what antioxidant does Gâc contain? Gâc contains powerful antioxidants such as beta-carotene, and lycopene. Both beta-carotene and lycopene are considered carotenoids. Carotenoid as antioxidant claims to boost the body’s own defense mechanisms from free radicals, improving on the immune system; and supportd healthy skin by assisting the skin’s cellular rejuvenation process and by supporting the structural integrity of the body and skin tissues. In short, your skin will look and feel, firmer and younger when well-nourished. What makes Gâc different from other exotic fruit supplements, such as noni and acai is the fact that what is extracted out of a Red Gâc is oil, and not juice. Since it is a type of oil, Red Gâc is able to supply and deliver a high natural level of antioxidants to the body. You can try R.G. Skin Revitalizer as a dietary supplement that supports skin health and complements your topical skin care regimen.

Creativity - the Tony Buzan perspective

Few days ago, I was listening to a vodcast by Tony Buzan - the well-known mindmapper. The topic revolves around CREATIVITY. There were a few pointers he brought out that I'm still able to remember -

1. The worldwide global trend ~ Decline in creativity towards a child progression in education
Example: Before school, the child's creativity was 95%. After junior and high, it might decline to 70% and below and as as adults, psychologists gave a miserable 20% or less creativity

2. For countries such as China and Japan, it is normal for creativity to decline :O

3. But NORMAL is NOT NATURAL, says he

4. We have to LEARN "How to learn"

5. Routinize and linearize DISENGAGE the brain

Now, I have to ask you - in the practical world, if you don't follow SOP (standards of procedure) or chart down a table for project resourcing, timeline etc, who will chase after you ? Will it be accepted ? NO NO NO...it is not going to work, although how very true his points may sound. But if companies are able to staff "such a Buzan-individual" in a department/section that may be able to set rules or tweak the system, it may still bring some hope. Or maybe his thoughts could work in a department like marketing. Or maybe in a industry like advertising and branding. But when it's down to operations, it will make things really messy. If I articulate and break down further, it may work in a work culture of COLLABORATION (that emphasize customer intimacy) or CULTIVATION (that encourages disruptive innovation) BUT it is not possible to inculcate this Buzan-though in a organization culture of CONTROL (about operations) and COMPETENCE(about product leadership).

Trustedplaces list of London restaurants

Years ago when we visited London, we were not so fortunate. There were no online websites or sources to find out about the recommended places to eat and dine. We just depended mainly on tour books which usually give a few recommendations - most of the time "touristy" recommendations. That's not what we want. We want to eat where the locals eat. With Trustedplaces list of London restaurants, we know we will be assured good quality eating places the next time we visit London.

Anglian Home Improvement

We have always longed to do our own home improvements since this will give us leeway to design, install and build what we like instead of going with standard cookie-cutter designs. Anglian Home Improvements offers expert and quality craftsmanship in all areas of home improvements such as windows and doors, rooftrim, kitchens and even conservatories. I would really like to have a conservatory in my future home for that extra sheltered space outside the house. I could have this space for plants and flowers all year around and this space can be so therapeutic. Then I can also select from the range of driveways offered in Anglian - of contemporary smooth cobble finish (Mulbarton), traditional rippled effect (Rivenhall) or of rustic mosaic effect (Stonelea). I would choose the Stonelea driveway to be built, and leading to the house and conservatory. Anglian offers a high quality, service-based approach to you - customers, to create your ideal home in the UK. If you ever want some home improvements done, do check out Anglian since they are always improving on their product range.

Transdermal Patch

Hoobie is always talking about a caffeine patch -I wonder if there is such a thing. I know there are caffeine pills that keep people on the alert. Uses of caffeine pills include the military and long-distance truck drivers. Their jobs need them to be on the alert at odd hours. Coffee (even double or triple shot espresso) is just not strong enough and effective.

Anyhow, talking about transdermal patches, Today had an report on eye patches for children to correct "lazy eye". Tests found that wearing the patch for (on avg) 4.2 hours a day will able to improve "lazy eye" condition. Anything less than three hours led to a much slower improvement. I wonder if there will be significant side-effects. On the same day, Palo Alto Daily had a health report on patches too and oh my, there are so many different kinds of patches that I did not know of - Alzheimer's, depression, and motion sickness.

These stick-on solutions are convenient but just like oral pills, there can be side-effects too. When you use them, be sure to have a controlled dosage and usage.

Hahahh...and hoobie thought a caffeine patch will not have side-effects compared to a caffeine pill. I must tell him now "....he is wrong!"

Cross Site Scripting Security Scanner - FREE download at Acumetix

Acunetix recently launched a Free Edition of its popular web vulnerability scanner, which allows companies to protect their websites from the growing threat of Cross Site Scripting vulnerabilities. This Free Edition of Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner (WVS) is available immediately and you can download your Free Acunetix XSS Scanner at the Acumetix website. Just what is Cross Site Scripting and why does Cross Site Scripting make organizations’ sensitive data so vulnerable and under the attack of malicious hackers and thefts? The following is a informative press release about Cross Site Scripting.

What is Cross Site Scripting?
Cross Site Scripting allows an attacker to embed malicious JavaScript, VBScript, ActiveX, HTML, or Flash into a vulnerable dynamic page to fool the user, executing the script on his machine in order to gather data. The use of XSS might compromise private information, manipulate or steal cookies, create requests that can be mistaken for those of a valid user, or execute malicious code on the end-user systems. The data is usually formatted as a hyperlink containing malicious content and which is distributed over any possible means on the internet. Cross site scripting vulnerabilities are extremely dangerous and the number of the attacks is on the rise. More information about Cross Site Scripting can be found at http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/cross-site-scripting.htm

Many a large-scale corporation has fallen prey to Cross Site Scripting (XSS), as it is one of the most common yet underestimated of web attacks. In August 2006, hackers stole the personal data of nearly 19,000 DSL equipment customers through a vulnerability in AT&T’s online store. Whereas in June 2006, PayPal users were tricked into giving away social security numbers, credit card details and other highly sensitive personal information through a cross site scripting vulnerability in the PayPal website.

A report from Mitre Corp., a US government funded research organization, issued in September 2006 indicated that Cross-Site scripting ranked first in a list of top security risks. In a study conducted by Acunetix, 42% of the websites scanned with Acunetix WVS were found to be vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting.

“Companies don’t realize the danger their web sites are under and are therefore reluctant to invest in web vulnerability scanners. Consequently, security officers don’t have the tools to protect their websites. The free XSS scanner will give security officers access to a professional cross site scanning tool, that will allow them to assess their web sites for the cross site scripting danger,” said Jonathan Spiteri, Technical Manager of Acunetix.

Scanning for XSS vulnerabilities with Acunetix WVS Free Edition
To check whether your website has cross site scripting vulnerabilities, download the free edition from http://www.acunetix.com/cross-site-scripting/scanner.htm. This version will scan any website / web application for XSS vulnerabilities and it will also reveal all the essential information related to it, such as the vulnerability location and remediation techniques. Scanning for XSS is normally a quick exercise (depending on the size of the web-site). A detailed guide how to scan for cross site scripting vulnerabilities can be found here http://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/xss.htm.

The Free Edition also allows you to sample what other threats Acunetix WVS can find by allowing you to scan the Acunetix test sites for vulnerabilities.

About Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner
Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner ensures website security by automatically checking for SQL injection, Cross site scripting and other vulnerabilities. It checks password strength on authentication pages and automatically audits shopping carts, forms, dynamic content and other web applications. As the scan is being completed, the software produces detailed reports that pinpoint where vulnerabilities exist. Acunetix WVS Reporting Application allows security alerts to be presented in a document which abides by the PCI Compliance specification.

About Acunetix
Acunetix was founded to combat the alarming rise in web attacks. Its flagship product, Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner, is the result of several years of development by a team of highly experienced security developers. Acunetix is a privately held company with headquarters based in Europe (Malta) and an office in London, UK. For more information about Acunetix, visit: http://www.acunetix.com; http://www.acunetix.de.

Yahoo mapmixer

Do you know about the beta version of "map mesher" of Yahoo? To put it more correctly, it should be MapMixer. The webtool that will allow you to combine/overlay two different maps (either 2 existing Yahoo maps, OR 1 Yahoo map + 1 external sourced map) and get a hybrid (perhaps, more detailed) map. As a frequent traveler, I searched for maps quite often. I'm not really sure how MapMixer will benefit me as a map-user but the idea itself sounds really cool.

Since I'm planning to go Golden Gate Park, San Francisco tomorrow, let me see how Mapmixer can enrich this "map" experience.

1. Click the "Upload Map" tab and enter "Golden Gate Park"




















2. It then comes to a screen asking me to upload another map. So I did and uploaded this-










3. After that, click "Next" and this cute thingy appeared

















4. Then, I got this

















5. The next thing to do is to click 2 reference points in those points. First, find any Point(say Pt.A) A in YOUR map, and find another Point AA in Yahoo map, go to "Next" and you will be prompted to get Point B in YOUR map, and get Point BB in Yahoo map. Click "Submit"

















6. The result - I got an overlayed map like this

















Useful or not - I don't think so. But again, maybe I have not explored the full potential of this tool yet. Or did I do the wrong thing or anything redundant?

Hmmmm....

Anytime At Anywhere - your source for online backup services

With the large number of pictures I have uploaded to my computer for my blog to publish, I'm so worried that something might happen to my computer one day and all the data and pictures will all be gone. But with Anytime@Anywhere online backup, it might solve all my worries. This is a proven technology for secure, encrypted backup and protection of critical data. The installation is easy and and it is easy to use, requiring no special technical knowledge.

Bacteria that survive extreme temperatures

Proper cooking will kill bacteria in raw food such as raw meat/poultry and make the food safe. And I always thought cooking at high temperatures such as boiling, will kill all the bacteria and prevent food poisoning.

Guess what I learn in my recent trip to Yellowstone? There are bacteria which can survive extreme temperatures. These are otherwise know as Thermophile. Thermophiles are found in various geothermally heated regions of the Earth such as hot springs like those in Yellowstone National Park and yes...we saw orange-brownish bacteria mats at Grand Prismatic Spring, in Midway Geyser Basin.















At first, I thought it was "rust" caused by the hot temperatures and presence of moisture oxidizing the mineral and metals.

Import small volumes, factory prices

Unless you are dead sure that your product is going to be a sure-win or sure-hit, selling by small volumes might be a way to go when you are starting your business and do not want inventory problems. With smallvolume.com, you now have the perfect source to import small quantities at factory prices!. In addition, you can do so in unlimited varieties and flexible quantities from verified manufacturers and suppliers all over China. Whether you belong to the retailer, import/export, wholesaler, distributor or even the entrepreneur group, you are now allowed to buy in small quantities as little as one carton instead of a huge container load.

At the same time, smallvolume.com helps to consolidate your multiple orders as one single shipment by coordinating the delivery of your wholesale import/export goods from various supplier locations, and offers fast door-to-door delivery via courier, air or ocean freight. Imagine all the the cost-savings you have from consolidated and prompt shipping and cutting down on the "middlemen" charges incurred at every supplier's supply chain. It is also convenient and safe to order from smallvolume.com as they impose secured payment via credit card, paypal and wire transfer to company account and rather than personal accounts. At their website, you can now even view real time wholesale prices and bulk purchase discounts without having to sign up.

Customer satisfaction - equally important as corporate identity, AT&T

I think AT&T should do more than just being concerned with it's corporate identity. Having a unified corporate identity is critical but please be aware that when you buy/acquire companies, do a good job of integrating them. Coincidentally, and so UNfortunately, our subscribed TV channels are from AT&T or ATTHEOnline- ATT Home Entertainment Online? As if we had a choice for service provider - the rental community is not running Comcast cables, so we only could get AT&T. Now, why adopt a different name and website? To add to that, the AT&T Home Entertainment is so unprofessionally set-up. Where are the program listings and channels? You only tell us the subscription prices and charges...but you did not tell us what we are getting. Recently, our travel channel is gone! and there was no where to get updated?!?!?!?!

Our home internet and phone service - also from AT&T, and that was this other website I'm talking about. I suppose it was their MAIN site for AT&T bundle and services. Why can't they just add in Home Entertainment (TV section) and make bill payments for customers easier??

Soooo unfortunate again that Cingular has to be bought over by AT&T. Oh...bleh...we were using Cingular then, till now. We used to have no problems topping up our Cingular Go-card for cellphone but ever since Cingular has been bought, we were brought one big merry go-round just to top up our phone minutes. :( The cheery orange provider- Cingular, that AT&T claimed they were putting in hard work to fit both images under the AT&T label. Other than coming out with hard to pronounce names such as NEW SANFRAKOTA and CHILONDOSCOW, I think it is wise to get back to the fundamentals, get it right, and use it to improve customer satisfaction. We, as customers, of AT&T, ARE DEFINITELY UNSATISFIED!!!

(Part of the information, courtesy from Business Week)

Email Express Direct - your direct email marketing service

To help businesses leverage the power of email marketing and improve customer intimacy, Email Express Direct was developed to provide targeted email marketing services that companies can use for their direct emailing programs. Be it newsletters or even campaign or promotional messages and time-sensitive alerts, companies can now easily create and compose professional looking, graphics-based email messages using either a basic word processor HTML editor, or a stepwise template wizard. When you can create, target and deliver professional graphics-based email messages to your customers and manage them well, your company and its website will be ensured qualified and targeted web traffic, thus relevant leads that will improve your business. Turnkey email marketing programs or custom design email communications, Email Express Direct has the targeted email marketing services that your company needs.

Are they the same person?

I came across the Chinese newspapers and saw the picture of Chinese child actress (金铭, pronounced Jin Ming, in Mandarin). Oh, she has grown up! I remember watching her in Qiong Yao (琼瑶) love stories-turned-TV dramas. She was cute and innocent then.












I have not seen her on TV and other media for such a long time until today, in the newspapers. There are reports saying she has grown fatter and even wore revealing, sexy clothes. She is now 27 years old.












HUH? Are these two...THE SAME PERSON? They look so different to me. 女大可以十八变!

Some people really do change drastically in appearance - compare yourself when you were 10 and when you were 30. Are they two different person?

Source: Zaobao

Gainey Ranch - look for The Holm Group to buy or sell a home

Looking for a resort home? Stop searching too far. Considered the best resorts in Scottsdale, gainey ranch homes might be just the home you are looking for. Gainey Ranch is a well-established, secure and safe community to live in with amenities such as tennis courts, fitness facility and lap pool. In the vicinity, you can also find shops, boutiques, eateries and restaurants. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Gainey Ranch, look for The Holm Group - an experienced, reputable and professional Realtor serving both the Scottsdale and Phoenix real estate markets. For a start, you can check out The Holm Group website that is professionally set up with user-friendly tools and resources such as general or customized home and community search using Multiple Listing Service (MLS) number and golf maps in Arizona area.

Earthquake Singapore

This is so close to home. Earthquake in Singapore! Specifically, earthquake of 8.4 magnitude that struck Indonesia and felt by Singapore. CNA, Singapore has some videos taken up viewer who felt the earthquake. OMG! I even saw the chandelier swaying so drastically.

Now, can I say Singapore is not completely earthquake-prone? Is there a need to tell my family back in Singapore to prepare a disaster kit, like we do in California?

In where I'm staying (Bay Area, CA) currently, I make sure I have back-up supply (lasting 3 days) of drinking water. We also have some heavy items (eg. TV sets) secured on the cabinets using blu-tacks (museum putty). Too bad the rental community does not allow us to drill into the walls - if not we would have secured the wall cabinets to the walls. :O We also keep a pair of shoes under the bed. Most of them are in tune to the disaster preparation kit/plan.

Reading Tutors - engage Score for better reading strategies

Reading is fundamental. It helps you recognize words, and makes sense out of sentences. Reading is the key to quality education. If you can't read and decipher what you read, you may have problems with all other subjects that anchor on reading for understanding. I saw many examples of children falling behind classes due to a lack of motivation for reading. I am going to let my friend know about Score's Reading Tutors so that she could prepare her son for reading classes and in the process, help to develop her son's reading strategies and comprehension skills.

Skip work to boost birth rate

Singapore!!! Listen up! Skip work to make babies !Oh...no no no, not available in Singapore yet. :O But that's happening in Russia which is also facing declining birth rate (just like Singapore). The Russian authorities urged couples to skip work Wednesday and make love instead to help boost Russia's low birth-rate. LOL!

If you are not motivated to have a second child by the baby bonus, will you do so for the sake of an apartment? That's one of the top prizes if a baby in Russia is born on Russia's national day. It is claimed that this "baby-making" scheme is working in Russia.

Does this sound outrageous to you?

I know that some companies in Singapore have "Eat a meal with your family"-Day, ONCE A YEAR, to encourage home togetherness. When will there be a "Create a baby today"-Day.

The new online diet - Cheat to Lose Diet

I have quite a huge appetite and especially in buffets, you will find me in plates piled with food and going for third and fourth rounds. Of course I'm worried and conscious. I'm worried I'll grow F-A-T. I will be telling a lie if I were to tell you I'm not the least worried about my weight.

What? There is a Cheat to Lose Diet? That's one for me! Losing weight naturally and easily at the same time munching on French fries and licking on ice-cream. The Cheat to Lose Diet works with your body's hormones, metabolism, and cravings. There is even a customized online program that will guide you till you reached your targeted goal - your ideal weight. In the Cheat to Lose Diet, you will also be guided to eat the right balance of foods throughout each week in order to get your body in its maximum fat-burning zone.

Engineering jobs vs the other professionals

The image of engineering and engineers (in S'pore) needs some serious uplift. It is no longer a glorious job. Forget what the SG authorities say about having not enough engineers...they don't need it. Even if they need it, they are not doing anything to "fight" for it, or grooming them. I did not regret studying engineering but I do feel some regret taking up engineering jobs. Engineering jobs in Singapore is commonly termed "over-worked, under-paid"...seriously under-paid, IMO. It's not prestigious to the public. Doctors are an honor. Lawyers are too. Now, bankers and accountants are joining the bandwagon. However, engineering jobs are not valued at all. If Shell and Exxon are within top 10 rankings of private sectors (to join), that's because they are a good pay master. It's the oil and gas industry, you know. And if biochemical engineering is the "IN" thing, that's because of the hype the authorities has created. Remember 10 years ago when the semiconductor hype was generated in Singapore - and what is happening NOW?

Forget about engineering...it is DEAD. Period.

When asked what makes an employer of choice, the respondents cited "good career growth and opportunities" and "values its people" as the top two criteria. This was followed by "attractive pay, bonuses and other monetary compensation".

What a joke! What makes an employer of choice - THIS is the corrected priority
#1 : attractive pay, bonuses and other monetary compensation
#2 : values its people
#3 : good career growth and opportunities

Personally, I think it's hard to achieve #2.

Old Faithful Geyser - why can it be made an attraction, and not other geysers

With an error of 10 minutes, Old Faithful will erupt 65 minutes after an eruption lasting less than 2.5 minutes; or 92 minutes after an eruption lasting more than 2.5 minutes. The reliability of Old Faithful can be attributed to the fact that it is not connected to any other thermal features of the Upper Geyser Basin.

This video clip was made by Tigerfish(me!) on 1 Sept 2007, ~1610hrs. You are never going to get another "twin", "copy-exact" eruption any other time.


If you can't make a trip to Yellowstone National Park, there is always a webcam for you to catch the action of Old Faithful. How thoughtful.

Old Faithful is not the tallest or largest geyser in the park. That "...est" title belongs to the less predictable Steamboat Geyser. Steamboat Geyser, in Yellowstone National Park's Norris Geyser Basin, is the world's tallest currently-active geyser. Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from four days to fifty years. Gosh, who is going to wait 50 years to see that eruption? It's just a matter of luck.

That is why Old Faithful Geyser can be made an attraction - because it is predictable (thus, tourist-friendly). Of course, it has to be a spectacular waterworks show.

University life is so exciting with PayPerPost University

Hey, this is timely and so relevant. Just at the time when I'm taking up more PayPerPost opportunities these days and writing for these opportunities, I found that a PayPerPost University is being rolled out! Yay! What a pleasant and helpful resource, especially for bloggers - novice bloggers like myself. PayPerPost University is a useful platform with critical information and announcements put up together by PayPerPost and in my opinion, this will be a handy guide particularly for bloggers who are newly registered with PayPerPost, newbies who have not taken up any PayPerPost opportunities and intending to; and even those who have already started off with a few of the sponsored opportunities and gearing up to take up more - a refresher tutorial is just a click away.

To check out PayPerPost University, you can click on the community tab of the PayPerPost homepage. Yes, I want to get educated about best practices. I remembered when I first started out with PayPerPost opportunities, I was rejected a few times. Most rejected posts were for the reason - not complying with Terms of Service, and specifically sponsored post not being separated by non sponsored posts. PayPerPost's Best Practices provide guidelines in a snapshot to help Posties utilize the PayPerPost marketplace more effectively. If you are able to utilize sponsored opportunities more effectively, you will be ensured higher approval ratings and tack scores that will help you in future opportunities being opened up and made available.

PayPerPost University is also a community where you can attend and watch video tutorials. Something interactive can surely make a deeper impression on me. There is a video tutorial specifically on PPP Direct that I find very informative. I took a long time deciphering what was PPP Direct when I first started with PayPerPost. If only I had access to this video tutorial earlier. Well, it's always better late than never.

It's a collection of PayPerPost efforts to educate the entire PPP community. Get yourself "enrolled" in PayPerPost University. For once, university life can be so exciting.

Yahoo Photos is closing!

OK. I overlooked the major piece of news that Yahoo has acquired Flickr. No wonder I received emails in my Yahoo email accounts that Yahoo Photos is closing!
















No major strategic announcements are in view. However, changes are expected in response to the rapid changes in consumer behavior on the Web and competition from rival Google Inc.

There were even speculations that Yahoo search-advertising activity would be outsourced to either Google or Microsoft Corp. It's hard to believe.

No more Yahoo Photos. Changes to Yahoo Music. What else?


Source: IBT, Sept 2007

Time Tracking Book - time means money

If you are wondering if time tracking and time management have any connection to profitability of your company, then you should check out this book about time tracking. Face up to reality - time means money, as in time tracking to profitability People dislike tracking time and in this book, you - as business managers or owners, will know what to do about it. In this book, you will also learn how to negotiate with vendors about time tracking software, how to comply with government regulations, how to improve project estimates, how to automate payroll and billing - all these have to do with time, and ultimately profitability.

A fad or a trend

A fad is short-lived while a trend is more of a manifestation of some product or service that has unlocked or changed an existing consumer need, desire, want, or value The pizza cone is but just an exaggerated craze for fun food.

Years ago, bubble tea houses mushroomed all over Singapore and were ubiquitous. Now, only a handful or even less have survived. A fad.

I heard the same phenomenon happening to donuts/doughnuts in Singapore recently. Years ago, there was Dunkin Donuts in Singapore but it died. Now, donuts relived again. But what will be the lifespan, I wonder. I think it is just another fad.

I think that starting or following a fad is itself a trend. HA!

The Dream Community Forum

The Dream Online Community is a new community where you can talk about your dreams in the forums. How many times have you woke up in the day, with a dream of the night you remember and want to talk about ? Now you can. In The Dream Online Community forum, you can chat and discuss dreams about making differences, fulfillment, family and relationships, and financial goals and wealth. You can connect with other dreamers - who knows someone might share similar dreams with you. Dreams can give you topics of life to share in the forum, and in some instances, you can encourage and support other dreamers alike when it comes to achieving dreams.

LSI - what is new and old

There has been so many changes in LSI (previously LSI Logic) that a graphical representation is so much easier for recap.

This is the changes that has effected LSI, a fabless company that has exited ASIC.

The arrows "out" indicate sell-off or "being acquired" while the "in" are their "purchases and acquisitions".

California Mortgages

Currently residing in California, I know very well that California real estate and mortgage market is one of the most competitive in the U.S. So much has been happening and changing to home mortgages these days and such a one-stop mortgage financial services resource site, which provides updated competitive mortgage rate quotes and allows access to California mortgage brokers and experts who tailor to your mortgage solutions, is timely. If you find yourself paying unreasonable California mortgage rates, it's time to think about and consider a California mortgage refinance.

Gym equipment with cooling fan and LCD TV

The gym in my hood recently "upgraded" the old elliptical cross trainers and treadmills. Yay! The newer equipments have a personal fan - now...no sweat when working out on these equipment...oops, I hardly sweat anyway coz I don't work hard enough :O Hmmm...just thought the personal cooling fan is a good feature. Moreover, these fans on the treadmill or elliptical should be powered by some kind of dynamo -as you run or do the steps, the movement is "converted" to some kind of energy to power the fan. Other than the fan, there is also a fully integrated flat screen TV attached to the equipment. Wow! Unfortunately, my low-end device does not have a video output that allows me to "sync" whatever short videos on my PDA to the LCD TV on the cross-trainer.
Now, am I expected to work longer and harder on the treadmill or elliptical ? I really need to push myself harder. I HAVE BEEN SLACKING! :(

Learning Math with Score Learning

Math can be a nightmare for some kids. However, I have seen kids excel in Math as well. Math is one subject in which concepts and foundations need to be taught well and taught early. And once understood, math is so fun and no longer complicated as it seems. The Math Tutors at Score Learning centers are able to guide your child on improving problem solving skills and help them understand Math concepts. With that, your child can get ahead of the rest and make significant academic progress.

What is the Continental Divide

I felt so ashamed after my visit to Yellowstone. Even my hoobie shook his head - I did not know what is the Continental Divide!!! While driving in Yellowstone National Park, I noticed people stopping by signages "Continental Divide" and taking pictures. I felt so dumb that I did not know what it is. That' why this saying is true "Travel feels an empty mind with an open one".

Well, my geography and general knowledge in such areas have never been good (no interest). After the trip, I made sure I took a conscious effort to find out.

In short, this divide is the line of high ground that separates the oceanic drainage basins of a continent; the river systems of a continent on opposite sides of a continental divide flow toward different oceans.

Don't get it ?

The Continental Divide in the Americas is the line that divides the flow of water between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Rain or snow that drains on the east side of the Continental Divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean while precipitation on the west side drains and flows toward the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the divide runs along the crest of the Rocky Mountains, through British Columbia in Canada and through the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico in the U.S. Its central point is Colorado, where it has many peaks above 13,000 ft (3,962 m).

Trustedplaces - About real places and real people

How nice is it to have a community web site built from trusted sources - real people. It's real people sharing opinions about real places. In Trustedplaces, you can find out about the people-recommended places-to-hangout - for example in London - know which london bars are a sure-miss if you do not visit, and of course which ones to avoid. Trustedplaces at our fingertips, why not?

How to earn FREE hotel stay and FREE car rental

This might be not new to you, but it was my first time getting a FREE trip! Yes! Practically free! :D If you travel for business or leisure often and regularly, and have not been staying "loyal" to where you stay...then you might be missing out on something. What do I mean by that? For example, when you go traveling, do you tend to stay in Marriott-brand hotels - eg Marriott, Courtyard, Residence Inn etc ? Then you should get a Marriott reward card or be a member, accumulate your hotel/motel stay as points in which you can redeem later on. For this trip, we use hoobie's Priority Club Rewards since he has been staying in one of their hotels whenever he goes on business trips. More than 25,000 have been chalked up and we were delighted when we found one motel (at Utah) - Holiday Inn Express, that is redeemable at 10, 000 points per night.

We never enjoyed any freebies as Krisflyer frequent travelers because we were not so street-smart then. We never really took a good look at the airline and non-airline partners and earn miles across the partners. Seriously, I think hotel rewards might be easier to earn for free hotel stays. For example, try looking at Priority Club Rewards, they have a wide range of hotels. I think Hilton and Marriott brand has a wide array of hotels/motels and lodges/inns too. If you are already earning many points using your frequent flyer card (usually with air carrier), then continue doing that and even try to earn miles with hotel stays. If not, then get a hotel rewards card should be good enough to earn your next FREE stay! :D

In short, just be consistent and loyal and start...being smart.

A Cappella Music - your music store

No loud heavy metal - that's what I love about a cappella, the test of vocal harmony. If you are into a cappella, a cappella store offers a huge selection of a cappella CDs, and even instructional items if you want to pick up a new singing skill. The DVD and videos section in a cappella store also stocks many great a cappella performances titles.

Which Yellowstone travel route would you take ?

Few days before our road trip to Yellowstone, we were discussing the route to take. We did not have much time - just two partial days (partial Saturday and partial Sunday, each) of touring the national park whereas the remaining time will be driving, and on the road. We planned to fly on a Friday night to Salt Lake City, Utah; set off driving to Yellowstone on Saturday, tour the park on Saturday and Sunday, then driving back to Salt Lake City, Utah on the same Sunday; and coming back to California on a Monday flight. Do you think it is a tight schedule ?

Our initial route was the direct route - taking I-15 from Salt Lake City to Idaho Falls, Idaho and switch to highway 20 to West Yellowstone. The approximate distance ~322 miles; time ~ 4hrs54mins. Link here



However, one of our friends suggested that we should go to Grand Teton National Park, at Jackson as well. We have purposely intended to miss it in our original plan but since he suggested and said so - we reviewed here and looking at the approx distance ~325 miles; time ~ 5hr 33 min, we thought it was not so much difference in terms of driving time and heed our friend's advice.



The verdict after our trip completion: I think we should have followed our original plan of going straight to Yellowstone National Park. Not because Grand Teton National Park was not pretty, just because we have seen bigger mountains, prettier lakes, and better sights in Canada Rockies, Banff, Calgary, Canada.

Electronic disclosures - eDisclosures

Imagine the time, and resources wasted in the traditional paper-based mortgage process where loan documents are created, executed, and stored as paper files. Time and resources means costs. The electronic disclosures or eDisclosures process promises to reduce the amount of paperwork involved and save costs. Loan documents can now be converted to an electronic format known as SMARTDoc, and using SMARTDocs, loan documents can be queried, audited, executed, transferred, and archived electronically.

Freeways - interstate, federal, state, county

What did you do over the labor day weekend?

We went for a road trip - this time to visit Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Starting off from Salt Lake City, Utah- this is our first road trip that transverse fours states - Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, in 2 days. I'm still compiling the travel photos, so I can only update you on the trip later.

But do want to make a short comment about our impression(and questions) of the freeways (since we made use of them most of the times in our trip). Why is it that the state freeway in Idaho are better paved than the major freeways such as US-1o1 in California? Is there no budget to improve or "upgrade" some of the freeways in California? I mean, driving on 101 from San Francisco to the Bay Area can be like an old train experience. Bumpy bumpy bumpy! Irregular cave-ins on the road, and potholes. I-80 is another horrible freeway. And don't tell me the taxes need to be increased in order for some re-pavement to be done. Maybe I'm biased again - maybe we were just lucky to be driving on a good freeway in Idaho.

Just another of my ranting (or complaint).

Weight Loss Surgery by JourneyLite

If you are over your weight and dieting or exercise has not helped you at all, you may like to know more about the LAP-BAND® System obesity surgery from JourneyLite. The LAP-BAND System claims to be safe and completely reversible. In tune with helping you with weight loss, JourneyLite also provides resources and forums that may support your coping with weight issues and improve the quality of life.

Competitive intelligence and specialized search

Remember I wrote about these career websites ? Specialized career websites and search can help you understand the human resources strategy of companies and in effect (and indirectly), companies' strategies. For example, type of jobs being recruited for may help you identify new focus and direction of the company, and where the people are recruited may suggest the establishment and location of new office or production facility. More examples - when a few engineers are out looking for a new job, it may mean their current company may be moving away from a certain product development. Of course, it can always also mean bad company culture! :(

So you don't have to be looking for a job when searching career and job websites. You can be understanding your competitors, their employees, their operations, strategies and capabilities.

Electronic Vault - eVault

Encomia's full featured Electronic Vault or evault, is designed to store electronic loan documents in a secure location. Documents can be easily transferred and clearly audited using intuitive client interface, and in-built reporting tools. Using evault will expedite loan funding and reduce the cost of loan processing, and this Electronic Vault is also fully integrated with web services, and accepts common file formats. This e-mortgage software will certainly reduce the burden of massive paperwork from you and me.

Search effectively

The most common replies you get nowadays when someone does not know about something is..."it's ok...let me google about it"....or "I googled and found this". I admit I'm one of those people who google for this and google for that. However, being in CI team before, I have to tell myself I cannot just rely and trust one source. A comparison conducted by Dogpile suggested that just over 1% of the top search results from leading search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Ask and Live.com) were the same. This means that you may get different search results from different search engines.

There are other search engines that may be worth your checking out. One of them is Exalead - I like the side bar on the right side of the search page. It is able to narrow your search by site type (eg. blogs, or forums) or file types (eg .pdf or .doc). Very cool. I'll be checking out on more of such sites and will update you as soon as I find something good.

Digital cameras from RitzCamera

We were on a short vacation last weekend and captured many travel photo moments and took short videos-clips using our digital camera. Just three years ago, going for a vacation means having to prepare ten rolls of films and the nightmare of developing the photos after the vacation. With digital cameras, now we just need to bring a digital camera with us, that's it! And it's so easy to choose what photos to print using online photo sharing and storing software. We're using a 4x optical zoom and 5mega pixel camera currently, and thinking of upgrading to one with higher optical zoom and better resolution. In future, we could take better macro-shots with this new camera. There are so many cameras in RitzCamera to choose from, and we will surely be checking out these cameras.

Finds of the day - career search websites

Recently, I found some interesting websites and links. These few are related to career search. I found Vault to be one good informative site about careers. The Videos on Vault are really one of a kind; salary survey is a good benchmarking tool to use, and many career advice articles for various industries including banking, accounting, consulting, engineering, tech, and even human resource.

CEO, SVP, GM, Dir...ever dream of being one? Then, 6figurejobs might be one targeted career search site you are looking for. This targets high ranking senior positions jobs. A focused website indeed. Another "specialized" career website has to go to tinytechjobs - where every job relating nanotechnology, microtechnology, and biotechnology can be found.

Land investment - buy land online

I used to think that real estate and land investment is only for the rich. Thus, only the rich gets richer. Recently, I came across this site that offers land for sale, at prices and terms that are affordable for everyone. By purchasing land online, it becomes a fairer game as anyone can invest as long as the terms and prices are favorable to you. The world population is growing fast, and we see more and more high-rise buildings being developed to cater for higher density of people per unit area. Land investment is based on supply and demand. As land becomes scarce, demand for land will increase. So, start now. Search Land for Sale - Click Here!

Hidden talent, foreign talent, unwanted talent

I came across this letter in EE Times few days back - someone wrote and commented about American born engineers not being able to get a job in their home country USA, and losing these jobs to foreign engineers. Ahem, ok...so it's not just Singapore's problem, or maybe some Singaporeans' issue. Many Singaporean, including myself, have been complaining (it's a Singaporean thing to complain) about too many foreign talents (or foreigners) coming to Singapore and "rob" the locals of their jobs. Well, our local garmen says ....foreign talents help job creation. How true is it? Yes, if the REAL TALENT comes, and comes with the setting up of a new multi-national company or a regional branch that creates more employment opportunities. But if it's just another employee (may it be an IT programmer, accountant, or consultant), I DEEPLY believe there's already a LOCAL TALENT out there, waiting to be discovered and uncovered. Just like the mentality "the grass is always greener on the other side", we tend to think 喝过羊墨水 "the person who has drank the foreign ink" tends to be better. Sigh!

Wake up! Companies! HR! It's time to discover that hidden talent in your company and train them young, train them well. Train them to be the next manager or supervisor to lead the team, rather than getting another person (probably another company, or another country) to be that key leader.

Join the Lunian game community

Do you play Global Lunia: Record of Lunia War, the Action Arcade game? Or simply do you play online arcade games? If you are already a fan of Record of Lunia War, call yourself a Lunian and Lunia is the site for you to get everything Lunian - games updates, Lunia Forum, and Lunia Quest Guides. If you are interested to become a Lunian, start getting excited in this online arcade game by downloading the game at the homepage of Lunia . Thereafter, you can learn more about this game in this game community as there are Lunia Quest Guides and Lunia Forum for you to ask questions and interact with all other Lunian gamers.