CRIZ'S SANCTUARY

GETTING MORE EXPOSURES THROUGH SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

2011-10-19T02:51:00.002+08:00

Why is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so important to the growth of any website? SEO is applied basically to maximize keywords searches to improve a website placement in search engine listings such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. Of course, this is a MUST HAVE application for websites which are striving to be the best in their own fields. It’s also the most reliable way to naturally attract more internet surfers to visit any website without incurring much cost.

It might be a bit tricky for most beginners in the competitive internet marketing world to master the skills of applying great SEO. With the expertise of some of the world’s best known SEO gurus, it’s totally not impossible to achieve great results. You just need some professional tweaks by restructuring, resetting, proper internal and external linking and so on in a proper way to market your website through SEO. It’s all about relevancy in whichever ways to find the suitable keywords which would expand the search lists on your contents.

SEO is a technology that would help in magnetizing massive amounts of internet traffic to a website for FREE. It would require deep knowledge and understanding on how the SEO functioned and how to apply it to a website to obtain the best impact in marketing their products and/or services. In order to achieve this goal, it would be best to seek the assistance of the many online marketing firms such as the Third Block which specializes in implementing SEO strategies in various modes to boost up your website exposure. Some of their known marketing strategies include pay per click (PPC) marketing, email marketing as well as social media marketing.

THE AFTER EFFECT OF HAVING A DEATH AT HOME

2010-12-31T00:55:00.001+08:00

There would indeed be the never ending flows of pouring tears, heavy heartache, the feeling of guilt of not able to save a life and occasional mood swings. That was exactly how I felt when my favorite cat, Jeremy, passed away two weeks ago. I knew I had to stay strong but yet I was so deeply affected by my worst enemy – emotion. It was until a close friend told me her story about the rules of life when someone had decided to have a close relationship with another, may it be a person or a pet.

“Of Memory and Loss

Before I went to sleep, I decided that the next morning I would go and get a pet. I was not sure if it would be a dog or cat or bird or something else. All I knew was that I needed, no, wanted to share my life with another creature that would accept my friendship and affection.

As I slept, I fell into a deep dream.

There before me sat the most beautiful creature, neither male nor female. To either side of this wondrous creature, there were two identical waterfalls with deep clear pools at their base. From each waterfall, the most crystal blue water cascaded down. I was entranced. Never before had I seen such beauty, such serenity.

Wordlessly, the creature motioned me to come towards the pools at the base of the waterfalls. I noticed that at each pool, there was a small silver cup attached to a fine silver chain.

"Dip thy finger into the pool and taste," the creature said as it gestured to the pool to its left.

I did as instructed. As the clear cool liquid touched my tongue, my stomach clenched with pain and my heart pounded fiercely within my chest. Hollowness rang throughout my being that I feared I would never recover from.

"This is the Pool of Loss." the creature said and then it motioned to the other pool of water. "Dip thy finger into the pool and taste."

Warily, I drew my forefinger through the water of the other pool of water. As my finger touched my tongue, a joy so deep and pure touched my soul. A wave of happiness and wonder drowned the pangs of sorrow and loss the first pool had caused.

"This is the Pool of Memory," the creature said. "If you take one of God's creatures into your heart, you must be prepared to drink from both pools. Do you accept this as your covenant, your bond with one of God's creatures?"

Silently I nodded yes.

"Then drink from each pool." The creature instructed as it motioned towards the silver cups at the sides of the pools. "For now they will bear no taste, but in time you will discover how much you have partaken of each."

The very next day, I went and found a kitten at a local pound. It was the smallest one of the litter and it was the one who seemed to need me the most.

I watched it grow and play and I reveled in the smallest joy it brought to me. But then without warning, it was taken from me in a way most sudden and cruel.

Once again I felt the pangs I had felt in my dream when I tasted the waters of the Pool of Loss. Only this time, I thought the pain would never leave. Then, I remembered the taste of the waters from the Pool of Memory. Slowly the pain of Loss began to subside, and was replaced with the joy of Memory.

Now I realized that I had drank more from the Pool of Loss than the Pool of Memory in my dream. But now I knew that the Pool of Memory brought more than enough comfort to offset the pain the Pool of Loss could cause.

I now bear the knowledge that each time I open my heart to one of God's creatures, I drink from the Pool of Memory and the Pool of Loss. How much I partake depends on each creature and that, in the end, the power of Memory is so much more powerful than the Power of Loss.”

Therefore, the drinking from the Pool of Loss had to stop someday and somehow. It should be now as the water from the Pool of Memory would help ease the pain and sadness I had within me. For each and every of those memories, I should be glad that I had the opportunity to spend the happiest moments of our lives together, bringing smiles to each without fail daily. I still miss him but life has to go on. I’m sure he won’t want me to be sad forever.

Here’s a simple tribute video I did for him for the great memories we had for the last 3 years together. I’ll surely cherish all those sweet moments forever. I’ll miss you Jeremy… Rest in Peace~

Note: You might want to let it load fully before playing for the best effect. In case of failure to load well, try visiting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N76pO4zRv3I

ARE LOCKERS NEEDED IN PUBLIC AREA?

2010-12-28T23:58:00.000+08:00

The answer would surely be a yes. Can you imagine going for a swim and leaving all your belongings in the open? Your valuables might just attract the eyes of some thieves, usually found lingering about at such public places. There was a time when one of my friends at a public swimming pool lost all his valuables which included his branded attire. He has to call someone to pick up a set of clothes in order to get home. The first question that hit my mind was why there were no lockers around to prevent such cases from happening?

I personally had such an experience while visiting a nearby mall. Since there were no lockers around, I had to lock my helmet onto my motorcycle. By the time I had finished shopping and went back to the motorcycle park, my helmet was gone. Someone managed to cut off the strap and ran away with my costly helmet. Incidents like this should not have happened if only the mall management would allocate a space for public lockers.

Another incident happened when I was visiting a client in a semiconductor factory. It was the regulation of the factory to disallow anything electronics into the factory. Thus, I had to entrust my cell phone and laptop at the security checkpoint. Eventually after my meeting, I had a hard time claiming back my cell phone as it got mixed up with a bunch of cell phones of the same color and make. Someone must have accidentally knocked onto the small cupboard with all the visitors’ electronic gadgets in it. Since it was the regulation of the factory, why the management did not even consider having some pigeon hole like lockers? If I were to be allocated a locker with proper numbering, such silly incident may not have happened.

WHERE CAN YOU GET THE BEST WEB HOSTING AROUND?

2010-12-24T22:51:00.000+08:00

Nowadays, you would notice that the blogosphere has grown bigger with more and more bloggers appearing to share their piece of their mind. You might wonder how far this is true, considering that a prominent social network has almost controlled the web users from all corners of the world. One thing for sure is that these users might rant about their daily activities very often but on the other hand, they would also like to archive their experiences or products which could easily be accessed through the internet in years to come.

With domain names being sold so affordable for just anyone and great web hosting companies easily available throughout the internet, owning a personal or business website has never been so easy. There are even many free tutorials and ready-made templates available online to make the best out of your website. Some even came with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) features for easy online search such as from Google, Yahoo and many more.

Firstly, you would be required to identify what would your target market be, in order to get the best web hosting servers to meet your needs. Would the web hosting be just for personal website/blog or would it be for corporate or online business? As each category has its own requirements, you have to identify which web hosting company suits you best. There’s no right or wrong in choosing any of the abovementioned companies but make sure it’s one that would be dedicated to your interest in a long run.

TAKE TIME TO SAY I LOVE YOU

2010-07-29T12:02:00.006+08:00

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.” The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What's wrong, are you well,” she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “'I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded “just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can't wait to hear about our meeting.”

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu as her eyes could only read large print. Half-way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mother sitting there staring at me with a nostalgic smile on her lips. “'It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, 'I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed. “How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice, much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place Mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me.” “I love you, son!”

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off until some later dates.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby... That somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, “normal” is history.

Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... That somebody doesn't have two or more children.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery... That somebody never watched her “baby” get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten as she had experienced that before.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... That somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... That somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... That somebody isn't a mother.

This isn't just about being a mother; it's about appreciating the people in your lives while you have them... no matter who that person is!

Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

USING THE LOCKER ROOM WITH A PEACE OF MIND

2010-07-29T11:12:00.002+08:00

Nowadays, you would see more and more healthy conscious people around, especially a large percentage of business executives, hitting the gym after a hard day of work. After all, where else could be more perfect for exercising than a place filled with all the necessary equipments and facilities to ensure a healthier body? Most of these gyms would provide personal lockers to its members to keep all their belongings while having the peace of mind to get their bodies to be fitter than ever.

However, there are a few gym etiquettes that a user has to adhere in order for everyone to be happy at all times. One of these rules involved the gym lockers area. Cleanliness is the main concern for many users. You don’t expect to use a locker bench with stacks of dirty and sweaty laundries right? Be responsible to get a laundry bag to put in all your dirty clothes even before if you intend to prance towards the showers. Please remember that the locker room is not your home but a place for other users. Do place the bag at a place that won’t be an eye sore to others. After all, this would not be a hard habit to acquire right?

Getting cleaned up is one thing but leaving a trail of water after your shower might be hazardous. If you want to get to your locker for your clean clothes, make sure you wipe your body and feet dry before heading there. Accident might happen and a slip could be fatal. Be responsible for the safety of others too.

Another thing that most users would hate would be the amount of time you spent at your locker area, especially during the peak period of the day and the area is rather small. Do whatever you need to do and get out from the area as soon as you can. Some users can be so ignorant that they spent their time chit-chatting away, thus obstructing others the opportunity to change swiftly. Well, if you intend to do so, quickly get done and go to the nearest coffee house to chat all you want as there are a lot of people who would want to get home for their necessary rests.

These are just the few examples that most gym users would detest. The gym is a place to get fitter while the locker room is a place for a speedy clean up. If you intend to exhibit your “properties” by lingering a bit too long in the locker room, you should think about doing so in a competition. LOL!

LIVING LIKE A PIGEON

2010-06-15T17:21:00.000+08:00

Have life been unfair to everyone? While some of us here are comfortably in our homes with at least some moveable areas, some of those less fortunate people in Hong Kong are living in pigeon-hole like concrete jungle homes. Can you imagine having only a room to provide shelter to a whole household? That’s the problem in most developed countries where the living standards are so high that only the rich can afford a comfortable home. The cost of owning just a small piece of property would be almost impossible for any below average income group.

At least, there’s a roof above their heads but is this the type of living condition anyone would want for a lifetime? I guessed not. When a country with such a limited land developed so rapidly, the price for any vacant slot would definitely rise up within a matter of years. Thank the lucky star that you are not in that situation, at least for now. Appreciate what you have and be happy that your life is a livable one. You won’t want to live as the people below right?

MIND BOGGLING QUESTIONNAIRE

2010-06-14T18:40:00.000+08:00

Do you think you have the analytical brain in solving a problem especially a mathematical one? We are all born with different receptive powers in learning something. Some would take just a matter of seconds to digest the steps in a mathematical solution while others might spend hours, days or even months to understand just the basics. Unless the person is a mental retard, there’s always a way to nurture the brain to execute problems easily. There are many help out there on this nurturing method, may it be a private tutor or an online tutor. Let’s just look at an easy mathematical question here that some might find it quite mind boggling.

“There was a test with 20 questions. For each correct answer, 10 points would be rewarded while 5 points would be deducted for answering wrongly. I managed to receive a score of 125 points for answering all the questions. How many questions have I answered wrongly?”

Some people would have a hard time answering to the question above as it had a mixture of words and numbers. It can be rather confusing at times too. Do you have what it takes to solve the question or you really do need a Math tutor to guide you through every step in the problem solving? It may be easy for this time but do you think the question would get any easier as you progress into your college days?

Somehow or other, it’s best to seek some Math help in your earliest age to build up a strong foundation. There’s the saying that it’s never too late to learn but won’t you think it’s a good step to start early too to gain the wisdom you would need in your later stage of life?

Anyway, here’s the solution to the Math question above.

A perfect score: 20 questions x 10 points = 200 points
My score: 125 points (meaning I lost 75 points: 200 points - 125 points)
Each wrong answer I lose out 15 points (10 points incorrect + 5 points deduction)
Thus, I got 5 questions wrong (75 points divided by 15 points)

FOUL GANG BANG ALONG BAYAN LEPAS EXPRESSWAY

2009-08-17T17:13:00.002+08:00

UPDATED 8.15pm: Thank goodness the 28 years old lady driver survived the death blow but was pinned to her car for 35 minutes before the firemen managed to saw off the metals surrounding her.

So what if you are the “TAIKO”? It does not mean that you can be the “KING” and bully whoever you don’t like. There are still driving rules and courtesy you should follow and now what else can you do but regret your whole life when lives were involved??!! I wondered what had happened to the mentality of some of those big vehicle drivers. Each time I came across one while driving, I really had the cold sweat facing them; not because of those beefy tattooed body but the way those drivers were driving. They just do not care about the safety of anyone anymore. This incident happened today along the heavy trafficked expressway within the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, Penang around 2.00pm involving a garbage truck and four other vehicles.

With all the policemen, rescue personnel, ambulances, firemen and the squeaking and drilling sound of the electric saw, it was not a sight to stay put for a long time as I was afraid that it might just spoil my appetite for the day but I was tempted to take the photos an hour later after the ambulance, etc had left the accident site. The first car from the pile up accident was lucky as it was just rammed onto the pavement by the mini lorry but what worried me was the car that was barely recognizable, badly squashed within the high impact of the garbage truck. From the look of the impact, why was the garbage truck driving so fast while nearing a traffic light junction? The driver must be out of his mind!

I doubt that the victim(s) of the white would have survived the impact. Let’s hope there would be a miracle in sight at that moment. To the victims of the incident, my deepest sympathy and I would pray hard that there would be survivals instead…

WHY MORE ENGLISH TEACHERS ARE TAKING OPTIONAL RETIREMENT?

2009-02-21T00:04:00.003+08:00

I wondered what had happened to the mentality and maturity of kids nowadays. Were they exposed to the world of technology and internet way too early for their age or was the influence of television programs gave them such an imaginative state of mind? I too would have opted for an early retirement if I were to constantly face with the challenge of correcting their English essays.

Why would I say so? Just look at how a student in Hong Kong would have written based on a given topic such as “At a department store”. This essay got me banging my head against the wall as it was way too hilarious! This is just one of the many sample essays one would expect from a student. Could you imagine seeing three languages such as English, Japanese and Chinese written as an English assignment? No wonder it’s getting harder to get people to be trained in the teaching profession, especially in the language category.

Please read the below two attachments and tell me if you think that the children of today fantasize more compared to us when we were still schooling. Click on the individual attachment to view a larger version.

I just hope the English teachers here would not have to go through this type of stress level… Pray hard! Haha!

SHARING ANYTHING WITHIN THE SOCIAL NETWORK

2009-02-13T13:11:00.001+08:00

There are a few things that I would love to share with my friends and those would be having a great family of cats, restaurants that I had visited and recipes. When I have these wonderful things to share with the whole world, where would I go to? Other than a limited friend list in my blogrolls, I would share them in Acobay. You might have heard about MySpace, Friendster and Facebook but Acobay is totally different from them. They are a unique social network site where members would be well connected to share their interests and get personal.

There would be news of the hot five and top ten searches within the network. You could also click on the many categories available based on your interests such as Auto Accessories & Tools, Automobiles, Cameras, Cell Phones, Computers, Home Appliances,Home Audio, Media Players, PC Accessories & Peripherals, Software, Sports & Outdoors, Tools & Equipment, TV & Home Theater, Watches, Books, Games, Magazines, Movies & TV, Music, Musical Instruments, Pets, Toys, Websites, Destinations, Hotels, Restaurants or just anything that you would like to share under the sky or out of this universe.

This is definitely a great site to explore, show and network. Not only did I get better blog traffics, I got to know many other wonderful members and new products through their social and consumer network. If I were you I would just go right into the Acobay website and join them today.

BAD HEAT WAVE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

2009-02-07T13:44:00.000+08:00

There weather in SA has been so humid and dry over one week with more than 40 degrees Celsius daily. This has stirred a major concern for the southerners as any activities in the hot environment would cause body fluid loss and elevation of body temperature, leading to dehydrations, heat exhaustions and heat strokes. It was recommended that before exposing yourself to the outdoor heat, consume at least 500mls (2-3 glasses) and 200mls (1-2 glasses) every 15 minutes while outdoor.

It seemed not only human were affected by the heat wave, some animals too were affected, thus seeking salvation in cooler places. A friend of mine had just emailed me some cute photos. It was stated that a guy living at Maude received some amazing photos from his wife. A cute furry koala walked right up to his back porch for a bit heat relief. She had a bucket filled up and the koala did something amazing. I would too if I were to be under such heat… :)

HANDLING THE HANDLES

2009-01-23T02:23:00.002+08:00

When you are living in a house for a long period of time, your kitchen cabinets would have gone through the test of age. The knobs on the doors or the handles on the old drawers would have lost their shines and beauties. You could always get those cabinets replaced but then it would cost you a bomb. That would be such a bad idea during this period of time. Why not spruce up the beauty of those cabinets by giving them some fresh coats? You could always get some nice knobs and handles at affordable price at your nearest hardware store.

New knobs and handles can lend a fresh look and style to your kitchen cabinets, whether you have them repainted or cleaned up. If you have one of those contemporary Asian end cabinets with iron handles, you could always varnish it to bring it back to life. I’m sure you could find some great choice of handles to replace those iron handles which had gone dull with use and age.

There’s one important thing to take note when shopping for new knobs and handles, that is to remove one and carry with your when shopping. That would save you time and effort to find one that could fit perfectly to your existing screwed holes. Just in case you fell in love with some knobs and handles of different styles and sizes, do not get panic. You can compensate by filling the old holes with wood filler. When the filler dries, sand smoothes the surface and repaint that area to make the patch less conspicuous. It’s an easy job and you could save a lot by being a handy person.

INTERNET DISRUPTIONS ACROSS ASIA

2008-12-27T17:10:00.003+08:00

The internet and telecommunications between Asia and Europe was reportedly cut down (by most probably trawler nets) between Italy and Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea causing a major outcry for many internet users especially those who rely heavily on the website traffics. Businesses, especially those online ones, call centers, BPOs and others are likely to be badly hit by this outage, which were already undergoing severe economic downfall these days.

At this moment, most of the Asian countries are still experiencing slow browsing, poor throughput and high latency problems as the submarine cables known as SE-ME-WE3, SE-ME-WE4 and FLAG got damaged as early as 19 December 2008 and there were no time frame set for the restoration of all the three damaged cables. It was unclear how long the repairs would be back to normal as the cables might have been trawled many kilometers away from their normal positions and relocating them could be hard tasks. Once located, the cables would be brought to the surface and repair fiber by fiber and it could take days due to their huge sizes.

Bloomberg reported that priority will be to recover the SEA-ME-WE 4 cable, then the SEA-ME-WE 3 cable. There was information from France Telecom that SMW4 could be operating by Dec. 25 and that the situation for SMW3 should be back to normal by Dec. 31. The SMW4 cable, also known as SEA-ME-WE 4 or South East Asia- Middle East-Western Europe 4 cable network, connects 12 countries: Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Italy and France. A third line, operated by FLAG Telecom, was also cut and will be repaired by another ship. No date was stated for its restoration.

BOLT – THE SUPER DOG

2008-12-22T00:24:00.002+08:00

Bolt is a all-white German Shepherd who had lived all his life on the set of a TV show in which he portrayed a superhero dog. As a result he thought that his superpowers were for real. Accidentally, he got separated from the studio and was left stranded in the Nevada desert. He then met Mittens, a female alley cat who bullies pigeons out of their food and a hamster named Rhino, a huge Bolt fan. Along the way, he learns that he doesn't have superpowers and that the show was not realistic.

What will happen next? Is life outside the stage easy for Bolt, knowing that he’s not a superhero dog after all? Does Penny, Bolt’s owner really love him? How did Mittens and Rhino help Bolt in getting back to the studio? Don’t forget to bring your family over to the cinema to watch another rated-PG Walt Disney Animation Studios' computer-animated film this coming season.

THE MIRACLES OF MY KITCHEN PRODUCTS

2008-12-10T20:51:00.002+08:00

Whipping up something delicious and presentable will not be easy if you do not have the necessary kitchen utensils to assist you. Just look at the example of the Ms Orange Tomato Head I did for the 3rd Penang Floggers Potluck Gathering last weekend. I would not have carved out such a creative composition without my favorite carving knives set. Moreover those tiny little cherry tomatoes needed a small slit to stuff in some nutmeg strips.

If you study carefully at one of the dishes served which is the Spicy Chicken & Abalone Salad, you would see that there has been a lot of fine slicing of ingredients such as kaffir lime leaves, shallots, wood ear fungus, ginger flower and more. Thanks to my Japan made Kyocera Slicing knife that made my life easier. Without its sleek and ultra sharp blade, it would take me hours just to get those ingredients sliced to my preferred size.

Many people would think that by getting a daily use knife can make wonders in all type of situations. You are wrong. Each knife has its own usage when it comes to cutting, slicing, chopping or even carving. I bought mine through one of the online shops and those knives have been serving me for years without any disappointment at all. I guessed it pays to get the best amongst the rest.

SIMPLE YET ELEGANT HOME IMPROVEMENTS – PART 1

2008-11-29T00:50:00.001+08:00

Are you planning to move to a new house? With the increasing of world population, sooner or later there would be limited spaces left for a household of few members. What could you do if you were to have only a 700 sq. ft. built-up area for your house? How about the budget? I’m sure most people by then would love simplicity and yet getting the elegant state-of-the-art feeling of a home. After all, most people would hate cleaning up a messy house with lots of items scattered around right?

What would you do if you were a high tech person and admire all the latest gadgets and features in the technological world? Would you die to have this feature as your window? Not only are the posters printed beautifully, it has thousands of mini holes to let the sunlight in. I wonder if Bill Gates is having this in his house too. Haha!

The most important part of a house is the bedroom, where you would spend the most hours after a hard day of work. Sometimes you might even want to work on some schedules in preparation for the next day, but space might be a problem. With limited spaces, you can either work on your projects or sleep but you can’t do both at the same time. What would you do then? Would features like this help? I’m sure it would.

Dining room is another place where most of us would spend time together as a family. We have our breakfast, lunch, dinner and whatever other meals there. Would you want to have a square or round table which is so boring? Why not own something that’s creative and would brighten up the day prior or coming back from a hectic day of work? Would you go for this?

There are so many things we can do to make our house feel more homely. Limited space is not an issue if we put on our thinking hat to make it possible. I will talk more on other areas of the house soon. Do look out for Home Improvements Part 2.

FREE REGISTRATION FOR MYBROADBAND WIFI

2008-11-10T02:40:00.003+08:00

MyBroadband WiFi is an initiative by the Ministry of Energy, Water, and Communication to increase the accessibility of Internet through the usage of broadband in Malaysia. This initiative will also enable the public to access key government's web presences, and e-government services at any of the WiFi locations. MyBroadband WiFi is implemented through a smart collaboration between the government, the community, and the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), whereby each party would contribute different resources to the initiative.

Incorporated as part of the Penang i-Land 2010 Masterplan, the project is designed to provide the necessary infrastructure to realize Penang as a fully connected state by 2010 with reliable, fast broadband and affordable network infrastructure. A few strategic districts such as Batu Ferringhi, Batu Maung, Bayan Baru, Bayan Lepas, Bukit Jambul, Bukit Mertajam, Gelugor, Gurney, Seberang Jaya, Sungai Ara, Sungai Dua, Sungai Nibong, Tanjung Bunga, Tanjung Tokong and Teluk Bahang have already had the service booted up. More districts in Penang as well as Kedah would be up soon.

If you would like to try out the FREE WIFI SERVICE, do register yourself an account at http://www.mybroadband.gov.my to be eligible to surf for free. If you would like to be a provider to make Penang’s dream to be fully connected by 2010, just log in the service provider form to sign yourself up.

THE DANGER IN PLASTICS

2008-10-27T22:54:00.002+08:00

It has been such a common practice in our daily life to use plastic ware to serve, to store and to put our drinks into it. Did you ever notice that there’s a triangular symbol with a number in it? Most people would just take that as an advice to recycle the used containers but what actually does the symbols meant? If you have the perception of the symbol being a recycle symbol, you better read in detail what I would be sharing below. The NUMBERS meant the CHEMICAL MAKE of the plastic products.

Study carefully each and every of the numbers. Here are the actual chemical terms for the numbers.

You should be watching out for No. 3, 6 and 7 as they are the worst. You should be aware that the chemicals used to produce these plastics can easily creep their ways into your food and drink. How many times have you heard your friends complaining about a drink in a plastic bottle that has the taste of plastic? Well, if you encounter such taste, do not take the drink, just throw it away. They are many cases that people would recycle those plastic bottles to refill their drinks for a long time. Have you ever thought that lower quality plastic bottles under different temperature would emit certain percentage of chemical compound into the drink? AVOID reusing plastic bottles by all means to protect your health.

There are also many cases where serving dishes are left in microwave ovens for reheating food or drinks. AVOID doing that! Although some of those plastics have labels stating that they are microwave safe. How safe are they then? I won’t know unless I check with the hospital on the statistics on cancer patients. If you want to heat up your food, do use ceramic or porcelain that has no metal linings. If you can, do try to use your wok to steam up your food. What about taking you meals on plastic plates or bowl? Due to wear and tear and through the test of time, throw them away. Can you imagine taking in your food with the extra “loose particles” from the badly scratched plastic plates and bowls? No wonder there is a wide concern about the increasing cases of cancer and kidney related sicknesses on the rise.

Who would not be aware about the recent cases of melamine contaminated products? It has caused consumers to be on alert on what type of food they can consume. Worst of all, innocent infants and animals get affected and thus causing them to die. What has happen to the mentality of those manufacturers? Isn’t life worth anything now? How could they bet on the lives of users by only thinking on making profit? So, be careful of what you eat, what you use and aware of what’s the best for you and your future generations. Here is what you should know about melamine poisoning:

ROAD MADNESS

2008-10-25T03:11:00.001+08:00

One look at these photos and it scared the hell out of me after having the haunted experience of ramming my car against the divider and railings of a new highway during one of my trips up to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.

When I received these photos from my friend, I was wondering why would the government of such a country approve on such a wiggling road? Firstly, not everyone would be an expert in testing out roads of this kind, unless they are grand prix racers.

Secondly, with such a slope and if the weather was rather wet, won’t it add to the increasing statistic of having more accidents?

Thirdly, either the country must be real rich in resources or they have free flow of usage with the taxpayers’ money. Won’t it be easier to build a straight road rather than wasting more money on unnecessary building of roads.

Does that sound familiar? Haha… the world is getting weirder each day!

SECOND PENANG FLOGGER MEET

2008-09-25T22:53:00.001+08:00

MY DREAM VACATION TO THAILAND

2008-09-19T01:21:00.002+08:00

Mid way between Hua Hin town centre and the distinctive Takieb Mountain about 230KM south west of Bangkok, there is this resort that I have been dreaming of paying a visit. Let' s Sea Hua Hin AL Fresco Resort, a 4-star resort in Thailand has what it takes to make a vacation worthwhile. In fact it is one of the best in creating a memorable yet accessible escape for relaxation and some romance while barefooted along the wide fine sandy beach nearby.

There are all together 40 spacious retreats which consist of the Moon Deck Suite and the Studio Piers. There would be a mini garden upstairs where you can sit on the deck chair and enjoy the cool breezes while looking at the panoramic view to the beach.

I would definitely go for the Studio Piers suites as I would have easy access to the personal pier which has a canal like swimming pool.

Won’t you want to wake up first thing in the morning and walk out to the patio and there it is your own swimming pool right at your doorstep? I would surely like to visit this place during my next vacation. Won’t you? It is only as little as US$260 per day. :P

For further enquiries, please contact info.huahin@letussea.com

WHAT CAN 2 SEN DO NOWADAYS?

2008-09-03T02:11:00.001+08:00

With the implementation of Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) Rounding Mechanism effective 1 April 2008, the total amount of a bill which ends in 1, 2, 6 and 7sen will be rounded down while the total bill which ends in 3, 4, 8 and 9sen will be rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5sen. Foe example RM70.01 and RM70.02 would be rounded down to RM70.00 whereas RM70.03 and RM70.04 would be rounded up to RM70.05. What surprised me was that I had received an unexpected letter last afternoon. I had received many types of bill before and this was the first time I saw this type of envelope.

I opened up the envelope curiously to find out there was a cheque for 2sen issued by Standard Chartered Bank on behalf of Maxis Mobile Services Sdn. Bhd. This is crazy! Having endless of problems with no solutions when I was subscribing to Maxis Wireless Broadband services for more than a year was already a dilemma, and now they have decided to pay me 2sen just because I had paid more? What has happened to the BNM’s Rounding Mechanism? I know this is the act of being professional and fair but this is just plain absurd!

I do not think I would be crazy enough to bank in that cheque attached as I would be the laughing stock of the bank tellers. Just study the envelope and the payment advice above. Postage is 30sen, window envelope is around RM1, two colored letterhead would be around 80sen, laser printing would be another 20sen or so. What about the processing charges by the bank (RM1) and the time of the staff to generate this report? Let just put it as a total of RM3.30 just to process a payment cheque of 2sen. I do not think I am the only one receiving this as there could be hundreds or maybe thousands from the millions of Maxis subscribers all over Malaysia receiving this as well. Can you imagine that each 100 persons receiving this and RM330 would be wasted for unnecessary payments? Each one thousand would lead to RM3300 of wastages.

I think the company will need to look into their accounting system seriously and abide to BNM’s rounding mechanism. This is an unnecessary wastage of the company’s funds although it might be a small figure to the company. I rather have them spending the amount in R&D to find ways to improve their services better. I might be a discontented user earlier but it does not mean that I would not want to see the company improve itself better for the benefit of other users.

MAMA MIA! THE MOVIE - ANOTHER PREMIERE SCREENING BY NUFFNANG

2008-08-21T13:58:00.003+08:00

Wow! Finally I will get to watch Mamma Mia! The Movie which will be screened this coming September 2008 in Malaysia. I have been waiting patiently for its release ever since I caught a glimpse of the trailer during one of my movie outings. The good news is that I can win a pair of tickets to the movie, courtesy of Nuffnang on the 22nd September 2008. Thanks again Nuffnang! For more information, check out Nuffnang's website.

This is the movie version of the blockbuster stage musical shown in Stockholm since 2005 and was seen by more than 30 million people in 170 cities and in eight different languages. Finally the movie version was released this July 2008. The storyline was about a bride, her mum and three possible dads on the enchanting Greek island of Kalokairi. Here’s the trailer of the movie.

Although ABBA’s music was between 1972 and 1982, it never got out of style and remained as one of the all time favorites in major radio playlists. I was even hooked further with their music after being in the liaison committee to get their tribute band, Voulez Vouz in for one of the charity projects based in USM, Penang, Malaysia in the early 90’s. You know what’s so great about their music? The beat and rhythm of all their songs were catchy and their romantic songs will make any hearts melt.

Another great actress in Mamma Mia! The Movie would be Meryl Streep. She started her acting career as early as 1975 on stage and eventually moved into televisions and films. She holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations of any actor (11 for Best Actress and 3 for Best Supporting Actress). Moreover, she also holds the record for actress with the most Golden Globe Awards, with six wins. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her next movie would be based on Julie Powell's memoir Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, scheduled to be released in mid 2009.

Who won’t remember the charismatic face of former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan? He’s the lead actor in Mama Mia! The Movie. His cool but serious look and comical humor always brought out the best in his performance in any of his acting careers. From a stage acting career, he rose to popularity in the TV series, Remington Steele. Pierce is currently working on a new movie, The Ghost, a contemporary political thriller scheduled to be released some time in 2009.

DREAMZ ACHIEVED

2008-08-12T13:12:00.001+08:00

I was there in Genting last Sunday to watch the Dreamz. Thanks to AMBP for giving me the opportunity to make my dreams come true. The best part was that Genting management made my visit even better. Instead of sitting at the PS1 seats as allocated by them, my tickets were upgraded to VIP. Can you imagine the thrill and experience I had sitting at the first few rows just in front of the stage? The show was truly wonderful with their music being played by their live band.

As the opening, it started with two great illusionists (Italian, Loris Togni Alessandro and Spaniard, Enrique Polo) competing against each other for the love of one princess in a fantasy world. Featuring for the first time in Southeast Asia is a magnificent beast - the elusive white lion. Once thought to be a myth, the white lion first existed as whispered rumours in the wilderness of South Africa before finally being discovered in 1975. This highly elusive animal performs alongside the white tiger - possibly the most prized animal in modern times for its beautiful coat and stunning ice-blue eyes.

On top of that, there was also the colorful Belarus and Ukraine dancers, motorcycles stunts in The Globe of Death and some trapeze stunts by China’s Hua Chen Acrobatic Troupe.

Overall, Dreamz would great for those who had never watch any magic show live before and would like the experience of seeing the magnificent white lion and tiger up so close. You can call up the Genting Pavilion Box Office at 603-2718 1118 or book your ticket online through www.genting.com.my