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<channel>
	<title>Everything about Asia</title>
	
	<link>http://www.smoothasia.com</link>
	<description>&amp; Part and Parcel of Making Money Online</description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Making Money Online Consistently</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/money-maker/making-money-online-consistently</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/money-maker/making-money-online-consistently#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Money Maker]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[consistent]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[internet]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[internet gurus]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[make money online]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[OnlyWire]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=607</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I’m wondering how those self-claimed internet gurus make money online consistently. The keyword here is “consistent.” So far, I am able to get few hundred bucks from this website, but it is very difficult to make it as a constant income stream.
Here are some ideas gathered from the web that might help to create the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="justify"><a href="http://ezaidee.atomicblog.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=SMOOTH" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.smoothasia.com/images/atomicblogging.jpg" alt="Atomic Blogging" align="right" height="350" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="280" /></a>I’m wondering how those self-claimed internet gurus make money online consistently. The keyword here is “consistent.” So far, I am able to get few hundred bucks from this website, but it is very difficult to make it as a constant income stream.</p>
<p align="justify">Here are some ideas gathered from the web that might help to create the “constant.” (constant income!!) </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Create a Posting Schedule</strong>. It makes it easier for readers to follow you; indeed, look forward to your posts. If your schedule is erratic, it will take you much longer to build up a loyal following. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Post from Experience</strong>. Information is the best selling product on the web.  And, much of it is written in a &#8220;how to&#8221; format by authors who&#8217;ve experienced it first-hand. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Choose a Niche</strong>. Choose a niche and stick to it. It&#8217;s where the money is. There&#8217;s so much information on the web that it&#8217;s impossible to be everything to everybody. So, clearly define your niche and always post with their wants and needs in mind. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Interact with Other Popular Blogs in Your Niche</strong>. The most effective way to do this is by commenting on other popular blogs in your niche. Make your posts relevant. Don&#8217;t just post to post. This is pointless and is a waste of time. Use the space to leave helpful, relevant feedback. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Use Good Grammar</strong>. How good your post is, if it&#8217;s poorly written, you will lose credibility. Never underestimate the power of good writing. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Get a Clean Design</strong>. You don&#8217;t have to be a web designer to have an effective blog. After all, readers come for your information. If design is not your specialty, don&#8217;t sweat it. Just use a clean design that is easy to navigate.</p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Get Plugins</strong>. Plugins are things like &#8220;recent posts&#8221;, &#8220;recent comments&#8221;, etc. They encourage readers to hang around longer. The longer a visitor stays on your blog, the more likely they will buy from you - whether right now or at some time in the future. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Blog with SEO in Mind</strong>. Center each post on a keyword phrase. And, the writing doesn&#8217;t have to be bad to &#8220;force a phrase,&#8221; just keep SEO in mind when you blog. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Don&#8217;t Forget to Market Your Blog</strong>. Don&#8217;t stop at posting. Get mileage out of your posts. You might want to use <a href="http://onlywire.com/" target="_blank"><u>OnlyWire</u></a> service to update and submit your content to top social sites. </p>
<p align="justify"><strong>Don&#8217;t Give Up</strong>. Blogging is more time consuming than many think when they first start. This is why there are so many dead blogs on the web. But remember, success is a marathon, not a sprint. So don&#8217;t give up. </p>
<p><span style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight: bold;color:#48A2C0;">I recommend Garrett&#8217;s <a href="http://www.whatsuccesstakes.com" onClick="window.open('http://whatsuccesstakes.ashopcart.com/affiliate.php?id=102&#038;redirect=http://www.whatsuccesstakes.com'" target="_blank" style="color:#FB8A00;text-decoration:underline">Discover What Success Takes!</a></span></p>
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		<title>Undersea Dragon Arrived</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/undersea-dragon-arrived</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/undersea-dragon-arrived#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[DCNS]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[French]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[KD Tunku Abdul Rahman]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[malaysia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Navantia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Pulau Indah Royal Malaysian Navy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Scorpene]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Spanish]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[submarine]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[undersea dragon]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[warfare]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=601</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Malaysia’s first submarine “KD Tunku Abdul Rahman”, arrived at the Pulau Indah Royal Malaysian Navy base, Port Klang on September 3, 2009 and was received by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.
KD Tunku Abdul Rahman sailed from Toulon, France on July 11 and took 54 days to reach Malaysia, making [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="justify">Malaysia’s first submarine “KD Tunku Abdul Rahman”, arrived at the Pulau Indah Royal Malaysian Navy base, Port Klang on September 3, 2009 and was received by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.</p>
<p align="justify">KD Tunku Abdul Rahman sailed from Toulon, France on July 11 and took 54 days to reach Malaysia, making stops at Jeddah, Djibouti and Cochin on the 6,000<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautical_mile" target="_blank"><u>Nm</u></a> journey, which included 32 days of submersion and 10 days of surfacing.</p>
<p align="justify">The submarine was jointly developed by the French company <a href="http://www.dcnsgroup.com/surface-combatants/ssks/scorpene.html" target="_blank"><u>DCNS</u></a>, and the Spanish company <a href="http://www.navantia.es/irj/portal/anonymous?NavigationTarget=navurl://7a6e10a3c8d66d6d6e13bba2bf0027e5" target="_blank"><u>Navantia</u></a> and is one of two <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorp%C3%A8ne_class_submarine" target="_blank"><u>Scorpene submarines</u></a> acquired by the Malaysian government to strengthen the Royal Malaysian Navy.</p>
<p align="center">
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</p>
<p align="justify">With a maximum depth of 350 meters (1,148 feet), the <a href="http://www.dcnsgroup.com/files/pdf/Scorpene.pdf" target="_blank"><u>Scorpene</u></a> is able to achieve an average of 240 days at sea. The structure of the submarine uses high-yield stress-specific steel which allows for as many dives to maximum depth as necessary. Also the Scorpene allows for a greater load of fuel and ammunition thanks to the use of high-tensile steel that reduce the weight of the hull. The planning and design of the Scorpene was directed towards achieving an extremely quiet vessel with a great detection capability and offensive power. By using advanced hydrodynamics with an albacore bow shape the Scorpene has low radiated noise reducing risk of detection from enemy sensors. The equipment is mounted on elastic mountings and the noisiest systems have double elastic mounting. This greatly reduces the risk of noise profiles to be radiated outside the submarine.</p>
<p align="justify">Able to carry out anti-submarine or anti-surface ship warfare operations, as well as special forces deployment in coastal waters, the Scorpene is manned by a 31 man crew. The control room and the living quarters are mounted on an elastically supported and acoustically isolated floating platform. All living and operational areas are air-conditioned. The vessel is equipped with all the necessary systems to provide vital supplies, water, provisions, regeneration of the atmosphere, to ensure the survival of all the crew for seven days. </p>
<p><span style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight: bold;color:#48A2C0;">I recommend Garrett&#8217;s <a href="http://www.whatsuccesstakes.com" onClick="window.open('http://whatsuccesstakes.ashopcart.com/affiliate.php?id=102&#038;redirect=http://www.whatsuccesstakes.com'" target="_blank" style="color:#FB8A00;text-decoration:underline">Discover What Success Takes!</a></span></p>
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		<title>Search PDF Files Online</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/tech-info/search-pdf-files-online</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/tech-info/search-pdf-files-online#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Tech Info]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Adobe Reader]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PDF]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PDF file]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PDF search engines]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Portable Document Format]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=597</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Lengthy documents stored on the Internet are sometimes saved as PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Placing large amounts of text on an individual web page is considered bad internet practice since it causes users to scroll through a big web page, which can become tedious. 
The advantage of PDF files comes in their universal look; [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="justify">Lengthy documents stored on the Internet are sometimes saved as <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/" target="_blank"><u>PDF</u></a> (Portable Document Format) files. Placing large amounts of text on an individual web page is considered bad internet practice since it causes users to scroll through a big web page, which can become tedious. </p>
<p align="justify">The advantage of PDF files comes in their universal look; no matter what platform you open them on, they will look exactly the same. These create a much easier distribution method for the author, knowing that no matter how many times the file is duplicated, and in what manner, the look will remain the same. Another advantage to PDF files is the small file size. </p>
<p align="justify">PDF search engines are dedicated search engines to find PDF files only. You can’t find any other information from these search engines, since their database collects information about PDF files and their download links only. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.smoothasia.com/images/pdf-search.gif" alt=" PDF Search Engine.com" align="center" height="68" hspace="104" vspace="10" width="357" /></p>
<p align="justify">Now you don’t have to depend on common search engines like Google, Yahoo etc. start using <a href="http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/" target="_blank"><u>PDF Search Engine.com</u></a> to search PDF files fast. PDF Search Engine.com is a book search engine search on sites, forums, message boards for PDF files. </p>
<p align="justify">To find all information about making money online, you just need to type “make money blogging” and hit the Search Books button. It will display the list of your search results and you can prefer either to download those PDF files, read them online as PDF file or read them as HTML files. </p>
<p align="justify">To try it: <a href="http://www.pdf-search-engine.com/" title=" PDF Search Engine.com" target="_blank"><strong>Click Here</strong></a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight: bold;color:#48A2C0;">I recommend <a href="http://www.oxado.com/" onClick="this.href='http://www.oxado.com/?origin=pub180868'" target="_blank" style="color:#FB8A00;text-decoration:underline">Oxado</a> - the highest paying PPC</span></p>
<p><center>
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		<title>Malaysia Will Take the Grid in the 2010 F1 Season with Its Own Team</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/sport/malaysia-will-take-the-grid-in-the-2010-f1-season-with-its-own-team</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/sport/malaysia-will-take-the-grid-in-the-2010-f1-season-with-its-own-team#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:30:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Sport]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[1Malaysia F1 Team]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[AirAsia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[FIA]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Formula One Federation]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Lotus]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[motorsport]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[NAZA]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[petronas]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Proton]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[sepang international circuit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=591</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Formula One Federation (FIA) has accepted Malaysia’s bid to enter the 2010 and future FIA F1 World Championships, which will see the country’s participation via its own racing team - 1Malaysia F1 Team.
The 1Malaysia F1 Team is a government and private sector initiative, combining the collaborative experience of Malaysian Automakers - Proton and Lotus, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="justify">The Formula One Federation (<a href="http://www.fia.com/" target="_blank"><u>FIA</u></a>) has accepted Malaysia’s bid to enter the 2010 and future FIA F1 World Championships, which will see the country’s participation via its own racing team - 1Malaysia F1 Team.</p>
<p align="justify">The 1Malaysia F1 Team is a government and private sector initiative, combining the collaborative experience of Malaysian Automakers - <a href="http://www.proton.com/about_proton/proton_world/proton_worldwide.php" target="_blank"><u>Proton</u></a> and <a href="http://www.lotuscars.com/" target="_blank"><u>Lotus</u></a>, coupled with world-class expertise, and backed by <a href="http://www.malaysiangp.com.my/" target="_blank"><u>Sepang International Circuit</u></a> (SIC), Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) as well as Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) to compete in F1 for the standard contractual period of 10 years. This partnership is further enhanced with the proven capabilities of a group of highly respected Malaysian entrepreneurial investors consisting of Kamarudin Meranun and Tony Fernandes of <a href="http://www.airasia.com/" target="_blank"><u>AirAsia</u></a>, and SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin of <a href="http://www.naza.com.my/" target="_blank"><u>NAZA</u></a>.</p>
<p align="center">
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</p>
<p align="justify">The team will be based at Sepang International Circuit - where the cars will be designed, manufactured and tested, making this the first team to be located outside of Europe and only the second, to Ferrari, to have a race track 200 meters from their front door. These cars will be “Made in Malaysia, by Malaysians.”</p>
<p align="justify">“1Malaysia F1 Team will fly our colors on the world stage and be the product of our engineers, our universities, our hi-tech centers of excellence,” the Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak explained. To date two local universities, <a href="http://www.utm.my/" target="_blank"><u>Universiti Teknologi Malaysia</u></a> and <a href="http://www.utp.edu.my/" target="_blank"><u>Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS</u></a>, have already been engaged to participate, as has <a href="http://www.ctrm.com.my/" target="_blank"><u>Composites Technology Research Malaysia</u></a>, a leading composites manufacturing expert, with further announcements on both the sponsorship and technical side expected in the coming days.</p>
<p align="justify">Malaysia has been involved in Formula One since 1999 through Sepang circuit, which has been on the race calendar since and will host the 11th F1 Petronas Malaysian GP next year. <a href="http://www.petronas.com.my/" target="_blank"><u>PETRONAS</u></a>, a Malaysian owned oil and gas company, has made further advancements in this arena via its sponsorship of the <a href="http://www.smoothasia.com/general/malaysians-face-40-petrol-price-increase"><u>BMW Sauber</u></a> team for the last four years, so the setting up of a national team, as envisioned by the Prime Minister, is a natural progression to increase the country’s returns from investments in Formula One.</p>
<p align="justify">The 1Malaysia F1 Team takes its name from the ‘<a href="http://www.1malaysia.com.my/" target="_blank"><u>1Malaysia - People First, Performance Now</u></a>’ policy mooted by the Prime Minister in June this year as the unifying foundation for all Malaysians to come together in celebrating the co-operation amongst its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society for the betterment of the nation.</p>
<p align="justify">I believe the team has all the ingredients to succeed. You’ll see!</p>
<p><span style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight: bold;color:#48A2C0;">Newbie, short cut all the unnecessary struggles. I recommend <a href="http://www.atomicblogging.com" onClick="this.href='http://ezaidee.atomicblog.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=SMOOTH'" target="_blank" style="color:#FB8A00;text-decoration:underline">Atomic Blogging</a></span></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Chicken a la Carte - Let’s Make a Difference</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/chicken-a-la-carte-let%e2%80%99s-make-a-difference</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/chicken-a-la-carte-let%e2%80%99s-make-a-difference#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:14:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Chicken ala carte]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[children]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[dumped food]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Ferdinand Dimadura]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[hunger]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[social responsibility]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=583</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I can’t recall anything in recent memory I’ve seen that have affected me so profoundly.
A word of caution, to some, this might be a bit too hard to swallow.



View this movie at cultureunplugged.com


How can we make a difference? This could be a start.
Let’s appreciate every gift from God, hold each other hands and share love [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="justify">I can’t recall anything in recent memory I’ve seen that have affected me so profoundly.</p>
<p align="justify">A word of caution, to some, this might be a bit too hard to swallow.</p>
<div align="center">
<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNTM*OTE*NzgwMTgmcHQ9MTI1MzQ5MTUzMjkyNCZwPTI2ODg5MSZkPSZnPTEmbz1iOWJjYjhhNDgzNGI*YzNjODRkOWYyYjZiNzdlNjc*MyZvZj*w.gif" />
<div style="width:400px"><embed src="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/swf/embedplayer.swf" flashvars="video=http://cdn.cultureunplugged.com/lg/CHICKEN_ALA_CARTE.flv&#038;m=1081&#038;u=0&#038;thumb=http://cdn.cultureunplugged.com/thumbnails/lg/1081.jpg&#038;sURL=http://www.cultureunplugged.com&#038;title=Chicken a la Carte&#038;from=Ferdinand Dimadura" width="400" height="300" quality="high" salign="b" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" name="cultureUnpluggedPlayer" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" ></embed>
<div style="margin-top:5px;text-align:center"><a href="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a la Carte" target="_blank">View this movie at <u>cultureunplugged.com</u></a></div>
</div>
</div>
<p align="justify">How can <a href="http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/" target="_blank"><u>we make a difference</u></a>? This could be a start.</p>
<p align="justify">Let’s appreciate every gift from God, hold each other hands and share love with people around you. It always starts from the heart.</p>
<p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Happy Eid ul-Fitr</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/happy-eid-ul-fitr</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/happy-eid-ul-fitr#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:48:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[aidilfitri]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[eid ul fitr]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[end of ramadan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[fasting]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ramadan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=576</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
All Muslims around the world celebrated the Eid ul-Fitr yesterday. I wish happy Eid ul-Fitr all Muslim readers.
Let’s pray to God to give the opportunity of fasting again in the next Ramadan.


Social Bookmarking]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.smoothasia.com/images/aidilfitri.gif" alt="Happy Eid ul-Fitr" align="center" height="350" hspace="20" vspace="10" width="525" /></p>
<p align="justify">All Muslims around the world celebrated the Eid ul-Fitr yesterday. <a href="http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/festival-eid-ul-fitr"><u>I wish</u></a> happy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_ul-Fitr" target="_blank"><u>Eid ul-Fitr</u></a> all Muslim readers.</p>
<p align="justify">Let’s pray to God to give the opportunity of fasting again in the next <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan" target="_blank"><u>Ramadan</u></a>.</p>
<p align="center">
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Smiling Faces of MassKara</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/smiling-faces-of-masskara</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/smiling-faces-of-masskara#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:55:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Bacolod City]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Mascara]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[MassKara Festival]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Philippines]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=571</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

If you are a Filipino, you might be well aware of the MassKara Festival held every October in Bacolod City, Philippines.
The MassKara Festival is a celebration which has earned Bacolod the title “City of Smiles”. The word “MassKara” was coined from the two words “mass” which means “many or a multitude of the people” and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center">
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/azZrcy3Npyo&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/azZrcy3Npyo&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></p>
<p><p align="justify">If you are a Filipino, you might be well aware of the MassKara Festival held every October in Bacolod City, Philippines.
<p align="justify">The <a href="http://www.lagawan.info/2009/09/01/2009-bacolod-masskara-festival-schedule/" target="_blank"><u>MassKara Festival</u></a> is a celebration which has earned Bacolod the title “City of Smiles”. The word “MassKara” was coined from the two words “mass” which means “many or a multitude of the people” and the Spanish “kara” meaning “face”. The mask worn by the participants during the parade are always smiling. MassKara thus means “a multitude of the smiling faces.”
<p align="justify">To see these faces: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/byahilo-pics/2957736326/" target="_blank"><strong>Click Here</strong></a>.
<p align="center">
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		<item>
		<title>Buy Now, Pay Later in 3 Easy Installments</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/buy-now-pay-later-in-3-easy-installments</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/buy-now-pay-later-in-3-easy-installments#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[levis]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[levi’s jeans]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Priyanka Chopra]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=554</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Levi Strauss is making it easier afford a pair of their red-tabbed jeans in India. They are offering Indian shoppers the chance to buy a pair of USD 30 (EUR 20.93) jeans in three installments. “This is the first time the world over that apparel is being sold on credit that will be deducted by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.smoothasia.com/images/levis_jeans.gif" alt="Levi’s Jeans India" align="center" height="433" hspace="66" vspace="10" width="400" /></p>
<p align="justify"><a href="http://www.levistrauss.com/" target="_blank"><u>Levi Strauss</u></a> is making it easier afford a pair of their red-tabbed jeans in India. They are offering Indian shoppers the chance to buy a pair of USD 30 (EUR 20.93) jeans in three installments. “This is the first time the world over that apparel is being sold on credit that will be deducted by the bank in three monthly installments,” Levi Strauss India MD Shumone Chatterjee. [<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwsEPdQKwUMQ4PFX8iFSyC7SJUaQ" target="_blank"><u>AFP</u></a>]</p>
<p><span style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight: bold;color:#48A2C0;">Newbie, short cut all the unnecessary struggles. I recommend <a href="http://www.atomicblogging.com" onClick="this.href='http://ezaidee.atomicblog.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=SMOOTH'" target="_blank" style="color:#FB8A00;text-decoration:underline">Atomic Blogging</a></span></p>
<p align="center">
<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript" LANGUAGE="Javascript" SRC="http://pub.oxado.com/insert_ad?pub=180879"></SCRIPT></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Malaysia and Indonesia are Truly Asia</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/malaysia-and-indonesia-are-truly-asia</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/culture/malaysia-and-indonesia-are-truly-asia#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[batik]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[indonesia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[malaysia]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[negaraku]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[pendet]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[terang bulan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=560</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We can both take pride in the achievements we share and have shared over the decades, even centuries, enriching our cultures.





Why we have to  fight over batiks, songs and dances? Let&#8217;s live peacefully! (blame the  Discovery Channel)
I recommend SiteGround web hosting








Social Bookmarking]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="justify">We can both take pride in the achievements we share and have shared over the decades, even centuries, enriching our cultures.
<p align="center">
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pEFkFyIo9LY&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pEFkFyIo9LY&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
</p>
<p align="center">
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<p><p align="justify">Why we have to <a href=" http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gsgy-lSl3rGnAsIK5Fcyzdo4S72A" target="_blank"><u> fight over batiks, songs and dances</u></a>? Let&#8217;s live peacefully! (blame the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWjyCixyrenWfepU3EIQtevgQqnQD9AGF5O00" target="_blank"><u> Discovery Channel</u></a>)
<p><span style="font-family:Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;font-weight: bold;color:#48A2C0;">I recommend SiteGround <a href="http://www.siteground.com" onClick="this.href='http://www.siteground.com/atrack.php?referrerid=76468;'" target="_blank" style="color:#FB8A00;text-decoration:underline">web hosting</a></span></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Ramadan – Your Questions Answered</title>
		<link>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/ramadan-your-questions-answered</link>
		<comments>http://www.smoothasia.com/general/ramadan-your-questions-answered#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:21:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>MZaidee</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[fasting]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[muslim]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Quran]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ramadan]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ramadhan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.smoothasia.com/?p=544</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[


Every year during Ramadan I always get the same reaction when people hear I’m fasting – “Oh dear, you poor thing, you must be starving”. But for Muslims the month of Ramadan is seen as a great blessing and we congratulate each other on its arrival. 
When is Ramadan? 
Ramadan, the month of fasting, is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center">
<a href="http://photobucket.com/images/ramadan" target="_blank"><img src="http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h286/lumoto/Ramadan_1.jpg" border="0" alt="ramadan Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>
</p>
<p align="justify">Every year during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan" target="_blank"><u>Ramadan</u></a> I always get the same reaction when people hear I’m fasting – “Oh dear, you poor thing, you must be starving”. But for Muslims the month of Ramadan is seen as a great blessing and we congratulate each other on its arrival. </p>
<p><strong>When is Ramadan? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">Ramadan, the month of fasting, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts either 29 or 30 days. Because Muslims follow a lunar calendar, the official beginning occurs 11 days earlier each year. Throughout a Muslim’s lifetime, Ramadan will fall during bother the winter months (when the days are shorter) and the summer months (when the days are longer and the fast more difficult).  In this way the difficulty of the fast is evenly distributed between those living in the northern and southern hemisphere. This year, Ramadan begun on Saturday August 22, 2009. </p>
<p><strong>Why do Muslims fast? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">In approximately 610 A.D., the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and told him he had been chosen to receive the word of God. He received these revelations until his death and it is these revelations that form the Quran, the sacred book of Islam. For Muslims, the Quran is God&#8217;s literal speech, transmitted through mankind via the Prophet Muhammad, the last of a chain of prophets that included Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus. </p>
<p align="justify">Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (obligations) of Islam. The Quran says that the main reason behind fasting is to attain taqwa, or God-consciousness. </p>
<p align="justify">&#8220;O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you so that you may learn taqwa&#8221; (2 : 183). </p>
<p><strong>What does fasting achieve? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">During Ramadan, Muslims go through a period of intense reflection and devotion, seeking guidance and forgiveness. Sawm, or fasting, is practiced during the entire month, during which time eating, drinking (including water) and all bodily pleasures are forbidden during the hours of daylight. </p>
<p align="justify">When hungry and thirsty, Muslims remember the suffering of the poor. There is an increased compassion for those in need of the basic necessities of life, a sense of self-purification and reflection and a renewed focus on spirituality. Muslims appreciate the feeling of togetherness shared by family and friends throughout the month. It is an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. Perhaps the greatest benefit is the annual lesson in self restraint and discipline that can carry forward to other aspects of a Muslim’s life such as work and education. </p>
<p><strong>So what’s involved? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">The day begins whilst it is still dark and families will wake early for suhoor, a meal eaten before the sun rises. After sunset, the fast is ended with a meal known as iftar which traditionally includes dates, water, fresh fruits, appetizers, beverages and dinner. </p>
<p align="justify">Other duties during Ramadan include the obligatory five daily prayers as well as the recitation of the tarawih prayer, or night prayer. At mosques during Ramadan, about one-thirtieth of the Quran is recited every night as part of the tarawih prayers. By the end of Ramadan, the entire Quran has been recited. Some Muslims may decide to go into retreat for the last ten days of Ramadan when they spend their time in prayer and spiritual reflect and do not communicate with anyone until the end of Ramadan. </p>
<p><strong>Who is expected to fast? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">More than 1 billion Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan. Fasting is compulsory for those who are mentally and physically fit, past the age of puberty, in a settled situation (i.e. not travelling) and are sure that fasting is unlikely to cause any real physical or mental injury. From about the age of 12, all Muslim children will be encouraged to fast. However, there are some exceptions: </p>
<ol>
<li>people who are mentally incapacitated or not responsible for their actions</li>
<li>the elderly</li>
<li>the sick</li>
<li>pregnant women and nursing mothers</li>
<li>women who are menstruating</li>
<li>those temporarily unable to fast, must make up the missed days another time, or feed the poor. </li>
</ol>
<p><strong>How can non-Muslim co-workers and friends help someone who is fasting? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">Employers, co-workers and teachers can help by understanding the significance of Ramadan and by showing a willingness to make some allowances for its physical demands. Special consideration can be given to such things as requests for time off, the need for flexible early morning or evening work schedules and lighter homework assignments. Hospital workers should be aware that injections and oral medications might break a person’s fast. Patients should be given the opportunity to decide whether or not their condition exempts them from fasting. It is also important that Muslim workers and students be given time to attend Eid prayers at the end of Ramadan. </p>
<p><strong>What happens at the end of Ramadan? </strong></p>
<p align="justify">Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which this year will be round about September 20, 2009. Literally the &#8220;Festival of Breaking the Fast,&#8221; is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims give Zakat al Fitr, a monetary contribution to the poor or their mosques.</p>
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