What Is It About Perfumes?

What is it about perfumes that make people willing to open their wallets to spend considerable sums of money? I guess as with all things, we each have our own motivation. For me, it would be largely two things. One would be to smell ALLURING (lolz) and the second would be to put myself in a good mood. The first reason is self explanatory and as for the second... when you keep smelling something you find nice, you feel uplifted. If you point a pistol at me and ask me to tell you exactly what I like or dislike, I still might not be able to satisfy you. Likes and dislikes are often very hard to pinpoint - you need to be faced with something and you will instinctively know whether you love it or you hate it. Generally, I like scents that are unique and which linger but must not be overpowering. I have encountered people who frequently spray a HECK OF A LOT of perfume on themselves day in day out. At first sniff, it may be a nice smell (and they might have spent a bomb on it). But too much simply ruins the smell and after being OVERPOWERED each time, you begin to actually HATE the smell. I know it has happened to me. So make sure that when you spray perfume, keep the amount decently reasonable. :P As for what scents I do not like, I generally prefer to keep food on the dining table. That means if the perfume smells of food, that is a big NO for me. And if I may digress, this extends to other toiletry items like soap or even toothpaste. I do not have any particular brand of perfume that I like. When I walk around departmental stores, I tend to be OVERPOWERED and that puts me off. I guess when competitors are all trying to sell the same category of products in the same place, the only logical thing for them would be to turn up the intensity of the smell... I half suspect that the promoters' sense of smell are all long ruined already. Poor them! Anyway if you are intending to check out new perfumes, there is a new perfume blog that has just been launched. Since you are spending good money on a tiny bottle, reading some reviews or chit-chatting with perfume lovers sure wouldn't hurt. :-) * This is a sponsored post.

Visual Talking -- Put Images Where Your Mouth Is!

A Visual Talking contest ... $1,500 total ... we want you to win!! Mark Grace, founder of Visual Talking, thanks all dNeero-ites for their suggestions and comments. Because of you, Visual Talking has redesigned their site and added features. They're not done, so please keep those suggestions and comments coming. The main purpose of this convo is build up the inventory of standard sentences - these are sentences that we use often - think of those texting abbreviations like OMG, LOL, CMON, WU?, GAL. We'd like you to create standard sentences ... create as many as you wish. And to encourage you to do that, we are going to run a contest. We'll choose the top 20 standard sentences in each category (Greetings, Questions, Answers, Love, Action), and then run another convo in which you'll choose your favorite sentences. The top five in each category will share a $300 purse ($150, $75, $35, $25, $15) ... and you may win in multiple categories!! How do we choose the top 20? It's up to you ... your answer to question 7 below will help determine the five criteria our judges will use.

Gmail, don't give me any task!

As you might have read (or discovered for yourself) from the numerous sites giving Gmail wide coverage on their online real estate, Google has apparently decided to make the Labs Tasks feature that was a spin off from some remember the milk thingy a permanent fixture on the left Gmail panel. Yucks! When the Labs feature for Tasks first came out, I tried it but I didn't like it. To start with, it looks ugly. To me, it is not utilitarian - it's just ugly. And I don't find it useful personally. Yet right now, I am forced to endure this Tasks sitting there permanently, it being a real eyesore. To check what tasks you have, you have to deliberately go and click on that link to bring up the Tasks pane. The chance is high that if you have just those few tasks, you will likely remember them at the same time you bring up the Tasks Pane - so fat load of crap Tasks is useful for. On the flip side, if you have simply too many tasks, I strongly urge that you polish your task management skills. If you are talking about tasks with long time frames, you need e.g a calendar (such as Google Calendar), and not that weeny Tasks pane. That is really useful for the original remember the milk kinda tasks... you know, (1) Buy ABC brand milk on the way back (2) Wash my hands after using the toilet (oh plzzz....) (3) Pay credit card bills... the point is, you can try to exercise your memory by remembering such small things. You don't need Tasks unless you keep having small things to remember - and in that case, those are probably repeated tasks that are harder to forget than remember. Yes yes don't yell at me just yet. I know there are MANY people who swear by using Tasks or related tools. To each his own, I guess! :P I came across this fabulous post by MAMBOLERO here. He really sings the beats of my heart. I will post his words below verbatim for your "enjoyment". On a final note, I hope Google will allow us to disable this Tasks feature. This toggling on-off can perhaps be included under Settings >> Labels. If it's already done, perhaps the feature has not been rolled out to me yet. --- I wish I knew! Please, Google, will you STOP already with shoving more immovable "options" into the left-hand side of my Gmail page? Don't misunderstand, I like the Labs -- I like them a lot -- and I've enabled all but 4 or 5 of them. However, I also like the ability to choose WHERE/WHEN/& WHAT goes in that left-hand column. After all, wasn't that the whole point of making the chatbox, etc., movable? At the rate you're "helping" me, Google, last week by splaying all 30 of my labels at the top of the left column, now by tucking Tasks under Contacts, my Chatbox will end up buried in a flutter of clutter "below the fold". Now, just stop that! Yes, I finally figured out how to knock the labels down to my five most essential; I prefer the neat and tidy drop-down labels list, thank you very much. "Tasks?" Hard as this may be to take in, my Google-y hosts, NOT all of us want to put our grocery list alongside our inbox or our To-do list anywhere but on Post-It Notes, the kitchen calendar, or maybe, just maybe, in our heads. Thousands and thousands of us DON'T work that way; we're mobile, we travel light, we organize to the beat of a different drummer. Options? We love 'em. Orders? No, thanks! Put an Off/On switch to "Tasks".

Do You Care? dNeero-ites Care!

Looks like dNeero-ites care ... celebrity deaths, international politics and problems, recession, flu, Harry Potter ... my o my ... here are some of the questions we all asked. For your User Question this time, suggest you concentrate on technology (gadgets, phones, TV, PC, whatever).

Lousy McDelivery Service

First time ever I want to try McDonald's delivery service and this happened. Great job Macs! I am starving but I think I will look elsewhere. Thanks, I mean, no thanks.

Health Care Affordability

Strong majorities of Americans across the political spectrum would support diverse approaches to expanding health insurance coverage, including letting uninsured adults participate in Medicare or state public insurance programs, such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, offering tax credits for people to purchase coverage on their own or requiring employers to offer and contribute to the cost of their employees' health insurance coverage.

How to cut down on your electrical bills?

I find this document I received (see below) pretty insightful. If this phantom load thing is true (see e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_power for more details), many people may already have wasted quite a bit of electricity. So it's your call... do you want to cut your pockets some slack and save Mother Earth as well? Cheers! :D Cut Electrical Bills 2009

Do You Care?

Why not? Why? There are so many things that happen, and so many facts ... but really, how much of all this affects you or that you can affect? dNeero is going to add "Do You Care?" conversations to it's already successful "SpitzTunes" series. We'll look at the news from many sources ... if you have a favorite online source, please let us know. We'll always end with the question "What do you care about most right now?"

Awesome packaging from Pringles

I think Pringles did it alright this time. The last time I went to the supermarket, I bought 2 bottles of Pringles when I spotted them along snacks aisle. And why is that? I was attracted to their packaging. The bottles now are tall and slim. Yes, read that again - tall and slim. When you see a tall and slim bottle, you cannot properly associate it with its supposedly unhealthiness. :P So I bought them. And when you eat them, you just keep on eating them till you have to stop yourself so that you won't guiltily finish the entire bottle in one sitting. And because the chips are not oily, you still won't remember you are eating unhealthy junk stuff lolz. So packaging is important (yea, don't we all know that?) and Pringles' new product designer needs a raise. :D

Endurance Athletes - A Panel

Thanks for the great response to "Endurance Athletes". We have chosen you for our Endurance Athletes Panel. This panel is made up of those that either currently are or have been endurance athletes. You will be receiving invitations to join conversations that revolve around the lifestyle of an endurance athlete ... that means we'll address training and competition, but also music, movies, vacations, politics etc. ... endurance athletes are people too! If you wish to be removed from this panel, please let us know in the last question or send us a message from your account http://www.dneero.com/account/inbox.jsp Let's start the stream of conversations with questions asked by your fellow dNeero-ites.

Does making money bust your conscience?

I was talking to a friend who recently got involved in "another" MLM kind of opportunity. Well I am not sure if it is MLM but the ignorant me tends to conveniently lump anything and everything concerning selling products by word of mouth or through an online network of leaders, distributors or what-have-you under the MLM category (or network marketing, whatever). Not sure if I am right but I don't really care lol. :P Anyway because he is a good friend of mine, I was racking my brains to think of ways I can help while he was telling me about his new passion. I was in fact looking at the product list and scrutinizing the text to see how any of the products might be of use to my family or me. I then asked him whether the products have been patented and if he can provide more details on how WOW the products claim to be, etc. But guess what? He replied that the products are not patented then went on at great length about how I can RECRUIT people, form teams and make this a stream of income. Everything will be done for me since the awesome system is automated online. Apparently he wasn't the least bit interested about the products (though he did try them out for the sake of "professionalism") and if I may say this irresponsibly, he couldn't care less if what he is selling is dirt or curd. And when I commented that this sounded like a pyramid scheme, he beat his chest and said that the company HAS PRODUCTS. In his mind, having products automatically separates the company from pyramid schemes. In our quest for money, do we sometimes need to take a step back and ensure we are acting responsibly and in good conscience? Well... to each his own. PS.: The cute inset image is from http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/money.jpg . I hope the kind owner doesn't mind. If yes, drop me a note and I shall remove it immediately and offer my apologies. Thanks in advance! :D

SpitzTunes -- Ya Gotta Love It!

Driving home from work the other day, Air Supply's "All Out Of Love" came on the radio. Despite the hilariously hokey melody and lyrics, I started thinking...are we in fact all out of love? What has happened to the love song? Has it changed for better or for worse? I guess that's for you to decide.

Computers make us lose touch with spelling

Recently, I was called back to the army to serve my annual required stint. In life, we spend one-third of our time sleeping. In army, we spend one-third of our time waiting. It is quite a perpetual game of waiting; but don't get me wrong - we do a lot of rushing too. You see, we rush to wait then wait to rush again. Loop it and you can appreciate the entire picture. Anyway, I digress. While we were waiting and about to fall off the fringe of sanity, a friend and I decided to play hangman. It is that game where we take turns to come up with a word for the other person to guess. For instance, if I have the word "miscreant" in mind, I would illustrate the 9 letters like this: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The person guessing will choose a letter and the correct letters will be written out. After each wrong guess of a letter or word, a stroke will be added to the hangman-to-be. When the hangman is finally completed, it is game over for the guesser. (If you feel like playing the game, check out e.g. http://www2.20q.net/hang.pl - this site looks real neat to me.) I used to pride myself at having a decent competency level of English. While playing this game, I realized that I have lost touch with spelling. I used to be quite a good speller. While providing words for my friend, I was embarrassed several times because I misspelled the words I chose for him to guess. As the cliché goes, I would find a hole to hide if I was an ostrich. Upon reflecting, I realize that I have been relying too heavily on computers. For practically all browsers and word processors, a misspelled word would be marked with a red underline. While this makes rectification of any error very convenient, it unfortunately is a bane too. You see, when I correct each word, I would immediately zoom in to the correction that is most obviously correct. If I have been spelling a word wrongly all the while, I would still be none the wiser. And in my usual haste, any slip would tend to feel inconsequential and relegated to the back of my mind. So how would I ever learn? As a result of this incident, I am resolving to take spelling more seriously from now on. Instead of simply right clicking on a misspelled word and choosing the most obviously correct word, I shall instead do manual correction. And if it turns out that I really cannot spell the word, I shall endeavor to find the right spelling and commit it to memory. I hope this post resonates with at least some of you and you would make the same commitment as me to strengthen your grasp on spelling. Cheers!

Endurance Athletes

Endurance training and racing requires quite a commitment from athletes ... the commitment is for time and money ... they put up with pain, they eat for the event and buy supplements that cost a bundle ... their equipment is specialized to their events (shoes, high performance clothing, bikes, skis, wet suit, heart monitor, exercise equipment, etc., etc.) Some of the athletes are in the professional ranks, but most are age-groupers. Why do the age-groupers do it?

Best way of closing down a site

I thought this is one of the most impressive site closing announcements I have seen. You know, most usually just disappear without a noise. :P Oh btw, I was trying to access drop.io (which turned out to be real crappy) but typed in file.io instead which is this site that has already "shut down". See above screenshot. :-)

SpitzTunes -- Working My Way Back to You!

I've been away for a while .. not because of lack of interest, but because I've been away ... wanted to get this convo going ... in coming convos I'm going to do themes ... for example, politics in music, sports in music, sexuality in music ... if you have any suggestions, please let me know in the last question. And yes, the first question came about because I just did exactly that, with The Best of the Four Seasons!

What's for dinner?

Can't eat pork, Swine flu... Can't eat chicken, Bird flu. Can't eat Beef, Mad cow.... Can't eat eggs, Salmonella. Can't eat fish, heavy metal poisons in their waters. Can't eat fruits and veggies, insecticides and herbicides. Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!! M M M M M M M M M M M I believe that leaves Chocolate and ice cream!!!!!!!! Remember - - - 'STRESSED' spelled backwards! is 'DESSERTS'

Hair, Beautiful Hair!

Short, long, high & tight, sculpted, point cut, dread locks, mohawk ... different climates, cultures, locations seem to demand different hair styles. Who leads the way in hairstyling ... Paul Mitchell, Vidal Sasson ... or is it the celebs with their personal stylists ... regardless the media picks it up, judges it, and we adjust.

Medical Advice to Live By

This is good! --- Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap. Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products. Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?   A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up! Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc. Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good! Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?   A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ..... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they’re permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you? Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach. Q: Is chocolate bad for me?   A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around! Q: Is swimming well for your figure?   A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me. Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?   A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride' AND..... For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies. 1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. CONCLUSION Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Memorial Day

In U.S. we remember those that have fought for our freedem ... we don't take freedom lightly, but sometimes we take those defenders of freedom for granted ... jeez, they're there, it's a job, do your thing, let me do my thing ... not quite that easy ... let's not forget that they also fought alongside our friends in many other nations to preserve a peacefully, free way of life for others, worldwide.

Optical illusions, anyone?

Anyone needing a dose of optical illusions? Well, I just thought one would give me a kick before I shut my machine. I fired up Google search and www.123opticalillusions.com is top of the pack. I love this Albert Einstein Marilyn Monroe Illusion. When you look at the picture at close range, you are supposed to see Albert Einstein. And when you stand up and move away a supposed 15 feet, you will see Marilyn Monroe. Well I managed to see both but geez, I am not dumb enough to literally move back 15 feet! *roll eyes* For smarty brain's sake, just shrink the picture and you will have the lady. For most browsers, using Ctrl-Minus (the "-" sign) will work easily. Enjoy!

Watch Out, Here Comes The Jury!!

Madonna's done it, Steve Carrell's done it, Brad Pitt's done it, J. Lo's done it, Harrison Ford's done it ... do you do it? The protection of rights and liberties of litigants in courts is largely achieved through the teamwork of judge and jury. That's us - The Jury.

The Aloha Spirit

Here's another good one. I need to try this technique of meditation... --- THE ALOHA SPIRIT by Serge Kahili King  copyright by Serge King 1990 The Aloha Spirit is a well known reference to the attitude of friendly acceptance for which the Hawaiian Islands are so famous. However, it also refers to a powerful way to resolve any problem, accomplish any goal, and also to achieve any state of mind or body that you desire. In the Hawaiian language, aloha stands for much more than just "hello" or "good-bye" or "love." Its deeper meaning is "the joyful (oha) sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo)."   As you share this energy you become attuned to the Divine Power that the Hawaiians call mana. And the loving use of this incredible Power is the secret for attaining true health, happiness, prosperity and success. The way to tune into this Power and have it work for you is so simple that you might be tempted to pass it off as being too easy to be true. Please don't let yourself be fooled by appearances.   This is the most powerful technique in the world, and although it is extremely simple it may not prove easy, because you must remember to do it and you have to do it a lot. It is a secret which has been given to humanity over and over again, and here it is once more in another form. The secret is this:                    Bless everyone and everything that represents what you want!    That's all there is to it. Anything that simple, however, does need some explanation. To bless something means to give recognition or emphasis to a positive quality, characteristic or condition, with the intent that what is recognized or emphasized will increase, endure or come into being.   Blessing is effective in changing your life or getting what you want for three reasons: First of all, the positive focus of your mind stirs up the positive, creative force of the Power of the Universe. Secondly, it moves your own energy outward, allowing more of the Power to come through you. Thirdly, when you bless for the benefit of others instead of directly for yourself, you tend to bypass any subconscious fears about what you want for yourself, and also the very focus on the blessing acts to increase the same good in your life. What is so beautiful about this process is that the blessing you do for others helps them as well as you.  Blessing may be done with imagery or touch, but the most usual and easy way to do it is with words. The main kinds of verbal blessing are:   Admiration - This is the giving of compliments or praise to something good that you notice. E.g., "What a nice sunset; I like that dress; you're so much fun."   Affirmation - This is a specific statement of blessing for increase or endurance. E.g., "I bless the beauty of this tree; blessed be the health of your body."   Appreciation - This is an expression of gratitude that something good exists or has happened. E.g., "Thank you, God, for helping me; I give thanks to the rain for nourishing the land."   Anticipation - This is blessing for the future. E.g., "We're going to have a great picnic; I bless your increased income; Thank you for my perfect mate; I wish you a happy journey; May the wind be always at your back."   In order to gain the most benefit from blessing, you will have to give up or cut way down on the one thing that negates it: cursing. This doesn't mean swearing or saying "bad" words. It refers to the opposite of blessing, namely criticizing instead of admiring; doubting instead of affirming; blaming instead of appreciating; and worrying instead of anticipating with trust. Whenever any of these are done they tend to cancel out some of the effects of blessing. So the more you curse the harder it will be and the longer it will take to get the good from a blessing. On the other hand, the more you bless the less harm any cursing will do. Here, then, are some ideas for blessing various needs and desires: Health - Bless healthy people, animals, and even plants; everything which is well made or well constructed; and everything that expresses abundant energy.   Happiness - Bless all that is good, or the good that is in all people and all things; all the signs of happiness that you see, hear or feel in people or animals; and all potentials for happiness that you notice around you.   Prosperity - Bless all the signs of prosperity in your environment, including everything that money helped to make or do; all the money that you have in any form; and all the money that circulates in the world.   Success - Bless all signs of achievement and completion (such as buildings, bridges, and sports events); all arrivals at destinations (of ships, planes, trains, cars and people); all signs of forward movement or persistence; and all signs of enjoyment or fun.   Confidence - Bless all signs of confidence in people and animals; all signs of strength in people, animals and objects (including steel and concrete); all signs of stability (like mountains and tall trees); and all signs of purposeful power (including big machines, power lines).   Love and Friendship - Bless all signs of caring and nurturing, compassion and support; all harmonious relationships in nature and architecture; everything that is connected to or gently touching something else; all signs of cooperation, as in games or work; and all signs of laughter and fun.   Inner Peace - Bless all signs of quietness, calmness, tranquility, and serenity (such as quiet water or still air); all distant views (horizons, stars, the moon); all signs of beauty of sight, sound or touch; clear colors and shapes; the details of natural or made objects.   Spiritual Growth - Bless all signs of growth, development and change in Nature; the transitions of dawn and twilight; the movement of sun, moon, planets and stars; the flight of birds in the sky; and the movement of wind and sea.   The previous ideas are for guidance if you are not used to blessing, but don't be limited by them. Remember that any quality, characteristic or condition can be blessed (e.g., you can bless slender poles and slim animals to encourage weight loss), whether it has existed, presently exists, or exists so far in your imagination alone.   Personally I have used the power of blessing to heal my body, increase my income, develop many skills, create a deeply loving relationship with my wife and children, and to establish a worldwide network of peacemakers working with the aloha spirit. It's because it has worked so well for me that I want to share it with you.                            How to Enhance Your Power to Bless   There is a technique practiced by Hawaiian shamans which enhances your power to bless by increasing your personal energy. It is a simple way of breathing that is also used for grounding, centering, meditation and healing. It requires no special place or posture, and may be done while moving or still, busy or resting, with eyes open or closed. In Hawaiian the technique is called piko piko because piko means both the crown of the head and the navel.   The Technique 1. Become aware of your natural breathing (it might change on its own just   because of your awareness, but that's okay).   2. Locate the crown of your head and your navel by awareness and/or touch.   3. Now, as you inhale put your attention on the crown of your head; and as you exhale put your attention on your navel. Keep breathing this way for as long as you like.   4. When you feel relaxed, centered, and/or energized, begin imagining that you are surrounded with an invisible cloud of light or an electro-magnetic field, and that your breathing increases the energy of this cloud or field.   5. As you bless, imagine that the object of your blessing is surrounded with some of the same energy that surrounds you. Variations a. Instead of crown and navel, shift attention from shoulder to shoulder or sky to earth.   b. To help focus the energy field, imagine it in color, as a tone or chord, or as a tingle.

buzzTrendz ... Bringing Twitter and YouTube together!

buzzTrendz combines the latest tweets with like-subject matter YouTube videos to give you "what's hot now" ... as I'm writing this the most recent trends are Mewcastle, Miss California, Shuttle Atlantis ... wait a few minutes and there will be others ... and don't ignore the "random trends" ... everytime you refresh, a new set of the hottest keywords used on the internet show you both the tweets and the YouTube videos that are making the keyword hot. Oh yeah, go to buzzTrendz.com.

The 84 year old bride

Here's another neat forward I received (click to enlarge). Enjoy!

Tattoos ... Unsavory or Main Stream?

Emerging from their often unsavoury reputation of the recent past, tattoos have gained increasing prominence in the past decade. Life magazine estimated in 1936 that 10 million Americans, or approximately 6% of the population had at least one tattoo. A Harris Poll, done in 2003, nearly triples those numbers and estimates that 16% of Americans now have one or more tattoos. According to a 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center, thirty-six percent of those ages 18 to 25, and 40 percent of those ages 26 to 40, have at least one tattoo.

Win TOTO Numbers by analysing your KUA Numbers

For those TOTO enthusiasts, I came across this link http://www.about-fengshui.info/toto/index.php which may be of interest to you. If you manage to win something from their help, of course, I definitely think they deserve your donation. :)

Science Museums - Fun, Education, Volunteering, Giving - Recession!?

Interactivity in museums ... in years past you would go to a science museum and look at the marvels that man had made or discovered ... informative, interesting, but something was lacking ... then came the idea of interactivity ... touch, feel, explore, experience ... and amazingly, we learn! Yet, we have this thing called a recession ... maybe it's global ... and "Only 16 percent of the nonprofits expect to cover their operating expenses this year, while 52 percent anticipate the recession will have a long-term or permanent negative effect on their organizations.

Quote on forgiveness and forgetfulness

I got this quote from one of the mailing lists I am on. I simply love it. In my opinion, this is quite the way of life all of us should readily embrace. XD --- "Often we allow ourselves to be upset by small things we should despise and forget. We lose many irreplaceable hours brooding over grievances that, in a year's time, will be forgotten by us and by everybody. No, let us devote our life to worthwhile actions and feelings, to great thoughts, real affections and enduring undertakings." Andre Maurois 1885-1967, Writer

Signs You're No Longer in College...

Here's another mass, courtesy of Joke of the Day. It's one of those nostalgic oh-so-I-am-not-YOUNG-anymore-OMG... Run through the list and see which one applies to you. The list may be reflective of the stereotypes of the author... not all of us had identical college life. --- -- You no longer know what time fast food drive-thru windows close. -- Your potted plants stay alive. -- You pay at least a dollar more than the minimum payment on your credit card bill. -- Your friends' hook-ups and break-ups are now marriages and divorces. -- You attend parties that the police don't raid. -- You're not expected to leave the room when the adults are talking. -- You refer to college students as "those kids." -- You drink wine, scotch and martinis instead of just beer, beer and beer. -- You feed your dog Science Diet instead of leftover pizza. -- At 6 a.m., you're putting your contact lens in instead of taking them out. -- Naps are no longer weekday options. -- Dating involves dinner and a movie, not keggers and Ecstasy. -- Grocery lists contain more than toilet paper and potato chips. -- You leave parties because you have a busy day tomorrow, not because the EMS guy has strapped you down. Image courtesy of DailyClipArt.net

Oprah, Hugh, Twitter and Entainment Stuff!

Some celebs are really into tweeting - Oprah appears to be one, but she's very new to it, so let's see how long she remains really active. WhoCelebsTweet.com is following bunches of celebs ... if you'd like some others, just make a suggestion.

Lack of transparency for Google Chrome update

If there is one thing strange about Google Chrome, it is a lack of transparency - something I thought Google is rather fond of portraying. I just updated my version of Google Chrome from 1.0.154.53 to 1.0.154.59. And after the browser is updated, I am still none the wiser what the changes are. Take a look at Firefox for instance, after any update, an "updated" page will auto load and we can see the changes made leading to the new version. Arguably, this page is no big deal for most people but it is still kinda nice to be able to know what have changed. It would be indeed sweet for Google Chrome to follow this example or do something similar. Then again, it might well be that the lack of ready apparent transparency is deliberate. After all, Chrome was touted as a browser simplified for the "IT-illiterate" masses - so why confuse with information that you most likely can't make sense of? If so, alright, I rest my case. :P PS.: I did not allow Chrome to auto-update like, I think, most Chrome users (since auto-update is the default option). Since I do my updating manually, I guess perhaps most will have no idea when and if their browsers have updated (I think updating was touted to be seamless, non-obtrusive and in the background) and so no information needs to be provided thus. :PP

whoCelebsTweet.com - Celebrities on Twitter

Twitter is all the rage these days. WhoCelsbsTweet.com allows you to see what celebs are saying and who they're saying it about.

Axe some processes and make your Windows run faster today

Want to make your computer run faster? Desire to have a smoother computing experience? Tweaked your operating system lately? I first chanced upon Black Viper's website when I was looking for a way to speed up my computer. Windows starts many processes by default even though many are completely redundant. I was using Windows XP and I was glad to find a comprehensive guide of the processes I can simply axe. The Black Viper site has undergone a complete overhaul since then and it now looks much slicker than before - and it is remarkably faster too. If you are on Windows XP, check out the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Service Configurations guide. If you are unfortunate enough to be using Windows Vista, then see this Windows Vista Service Configurations guide. A Windows 2000 Service Configurations guide is also available. Black Viper (real name: Charles M. Sparks) has also written a whole lot of guides on operating systems and mother boards. If you are looking for some software or game reviews, they are there too. So what are you waiting for? Get cracking and make your computer run faster now! :P

SpitzTunes -- Boyle-n' Over!

Let's suspend all those User Questions about 'what's your favorite genre', 'who's your favorite singer', 'do you like the xyz group' 'can you live without music' ... instead, please get into the conversation, understand it, feel it, think about it, and ask a question that applies to your life, your network. Here are some examples of what I consider a really good User Questions from our most recent SpitzTunes: "Do you think powerful concert mania equates to great singers?" "Do you enjoy outdoor summer concerts or do you find them packed and crazy?" "How much would you pay for a ticket to see Michael Jackson in concert?" "When does mania go over the top?"

Prison Mail

You know, I really love this joke. I came across it quite a few times before and still enjoy it each fresh read. :-) --- A prisoner in jail receives a letter from his wife: "Dear husband, I have decided to plant some lettuce in the back garden. When is the best time to plant them?" The prisoner, knowing that the prison guards read all mail, replies in a letter: "Dear wife, whatever you do, do not touch the back garden. That is where I hid all the money." A week or so later, he receives another letter from his wife. "Dear husband, you wouldn't believe what happened. Some men came with shovels to the house and dug up the back garden." The prisoner writes back: "Dear wife, now is the best time to plant the lettuce." Moral of the story: Criminals are far from stupid. :P

Cuba -- Is It Time?

Are diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba the right thing for the U.S.? Obama and supporters say "Yes"; some Cuban-Americans say "No". Broad economic sanctions against Cuba have been in place since 1962, with the original goal being to bring down Fidel Castro's Marxist regime. Has that goal been met? Is it time to change?

Your Fortune at Birth

Here's another forward I received. Looks pretty neat but I am not sure how true it is. :P --- Your Fortune at Birth From the Imperial Tung Shu comes this incredible poem of the four seasons ascribed to the legendary Yellow Emperor. From the poem can be obtained general indications of what life holds in store for a newborn baby. It is believed that depending on your season of birth, your life can be full of burdens or full of abundance. It all depends on which part of the Emperor's body you were born on. We present here brief predictive details of the four seasons poem for those wishing to investigate how, and at what stage of their life, they will enjoy the patronage and goodwill of the Emperor. The incredible Chinese Tung Shu is filled with the most fascinating esoteric information relating to destiny analysis, as well as the meanings of signs, marks and symbols. One of the more tantalizing chapters relate to making a quick and general forecast of a person's life destiny, based on the seat assigned to us when we are born. This is based on the season of one's birth, as well as the time of birth i.e. the exact time when the baby is expelled or removed from the mother's womb. Thus you first need to determine the season of birth - spring, summer, autumn or winter. The season of spring would be March, April and May; the season of summer would be June, July and August; the season of autumn would be September, October and November; while the season of winter would be December, January and February. Next, you will need to determine your hour of birth based on the 12 earthly branches. This divides a 24-hour day into twelve time segments of two hours each, with each time segment representing one of the Chinese astrological animals. With these two pieces of information, you then need to look at the illustrations of the Yellow Emperor wearing the robes of the seasons - green robes for the spring, red robes for the summer, white robes for the fall and blue robes for the winter. Look at the Emperor that corresponds with your season of birth, then locate on which part of the Emperor you were born based on your time of birth. Note from the time chart of the twelve time segments that each two-hour period has a special name. Locate the hour name on the Emperor's body and then check against the meaning given. For example, if your hour pillar is Mao in the season of summer, you look for the illustration of the Emperor in the summer season, locate where your hour name is located on his body and then read the meaning given under summer. Use the table and diagram here to determine on which part of the Emperor you were born, then refer to the descriptions below to find your destiny. Born in the Spring (March, April, May) Cher Born on the Emperor's Head You will hold a high position in life. You have power and great intellectual capability. You are also blessed with wisdom. This person has authority, power and responsibility. Such a person must be well brought up and properly educated. Tze & Wei Born on the Emperor's Hands Your attainments will be average and it is more beneficial if you work at starting your projects as the second-in-command and not as the leader. You can rise up high being the right-hand-man of someone powerful and wealthy. Yu & Mao Born on the Emperor's Shoulders You will never be short of clothes on your back, which means you will always be able to make a good living. There will be no shortage of the basic necessities of life, including owning a home and property. Wu Born on the Emperor's Stomach Your serious good fortune begins only in middle age when you will enjoy great good fortune in terms of the luxuries of life. There is plenty of food, clothing and all the material pleasures in this life. Choh & Hai Born on the Emperor's Girth You will go through many changes in your life and as you get higher up the social ladder, you will transform a great deal. This transformation may be for good or bad and it is advisable that if you are in this situation, you should strive to change for the better and become more humble as you become more important in your work and life. Shen & Shih Born on the Emperor's Knee You will have to travel a great deal in your life, so you can view this as good or bad depending on whether you enjoy travelling or not. Professionally, your life will be full of journeys. And like the wanderer, life is unsettled and transient. Sen & Yiu Born on the Emperor's Feet This indicates that there will be two marriages in your life. This is especially true for women born into this position. For men, being born on the Emperor's feet suggests a restless nature that is not easy to please. Born in the Summer (June, July, August) Wu Born on the Emperor's Head This is an auspicious indication, since anyone born on the Emperor's head in the Summer will never have any worries. There are no obstacles and difficulties in this person's entire life. This also suggests a person who will have an excellent intellect, and who is good at strategic thinking and planning. Tze & Choh Born on the Emperor's Hands This birth situation suggests that you will have more than sufficient money and business luck. Your good fortune improves with the years and you will attain great success during the later stages of your life. Mao & Yu Born on the Emperor's Shoulders You are so lucky if you have this birth situation, since it brings you a lifetime of wealth and prosperity, lacking for nothing. You will amass a fortune during your lifetime, and in your old age, you will own plenty of properties. If you live an honourable life, you will be blessed with plenty of grandchildren and live to an old age. Cher Born on the Emperor's Stomach This birth situation indicates there is plenty to eat and more than sufficient clothes to wear and to enjoy. There is good fortune luck from your late forties onwards. You will not have to worry about your old age for you will be well looked after. Wei & Hai Born on the Emperor's Girth This birth situation suggests that you will have loving parents and be surrounded by noblemen and important people. What you make of your good fortune at birth will depend on your own efforts. Shen & Shih Born on the Emperor's Knees It will be hard for you to be given the recognition for the work you do. There will be obstacles that can stand in your way and unless you can overcome this lack of recognition luck, by middle age, you will be exhausted. Yiu & Sen Born on the Emperor's Feet This birth situation brings an easy life where everything comes easily, especially to those born male. Also, if you are of the male gender, it is likely you will have more than one wife. Women will find you irresistible. You will be blessed if you have a good attitude and a pure motivation. Born in the Autumn (September, October, November) Hai Born on the Emperor's Head This birth situation is especially beneficial for girls, as it indicates you will have a very comfortable and stable life with plenty of good fortune and prosperity luck. But both genders will benefit from the wonderful good fortune of being born on the emperor's head in autumn. Tze & Choh Born on the Emperor's Hands This is an extremely auspicious situation of birth, as there is the promise of wealth coming from the four directions. Each time you travel, you will meet with a person of high standing who will help and assist you. You will benefit by going overseas to study or to work. Cher & Wu Born on the Emperor's Shoulders This birth situation suggests that there is prosperity luck and you will become rich in your middle age. You will also have the help of your siblings, especially your brothers. You are blessed with many genuine friends. Sen Born on the Emperor's Stomach This birth situation indicates that you will keep company with many clever people. They are people who excel in their career and their study and their presence in your life will inspire you to be ambitious. Happiness brings good fortune, so you must develop a happy disposition and be smiling at all times. Mao & Wei Born on the Emperor's Girth You will enjoy an abundance of food and clothing during your middle age. Your sons and grandsons will bring you much happiness and contentment, so you have quite outstanding descendants luck. Those with this birth situation will benefit if they get married at a young age and start a family in their twenties. Yiu & Yu Born on the Emperor's Knee You will need to work very hard during your early years and there may be some setbacks, but you are blessed with good fortune in later life. Those who have this birth situation should rejoice and never feel discouraged, as their success when they are older will more than make up for setbacks they may experience in their early years. Shih & Shen Born on the Emperor's Feet Your whole life will be safe and peaceful and there is nothing to fear in terms of being hurt by others. If you are ambitious and have the determination to succeed, you can reach great heights professionally. Even if you do not reach the top, you will nevertheless be content with what you have. Therein lies the secret of your happiness. Born in the Winter (December, January, February) Tze Born on the Emperor's Head If you are born on the Emperor's head in winter, you will make a brilliant marriage. Your spouse will be a well respected person who comes from a highly regarded family background. You will have luxury in your life with enough food and clothes. Hai & Wu Born on the Emperor's Hands You will have good family surroundings and there will always be occasions for rejoicing. You will be especially successful in your old age, when you have passed your 60th birthday Yu & Mao Born on the Emperor's Shoulders You are blessed with exceptional descendants luck, so there are many sons and grandsons in your life. You will have some problems and setbacks during your growing-up and early career years, but you will enjoy good luck in later life. A great deal of your luck will be brought to you by your spouse and then by your sons and grandsons. Cher Born on the Emperor's Stomach You are one person who is sure to enjoy singing, socializing and glamorous parties. And you have the luck to enjoy this lifestyle, as there is both prosperity and longevity in your life. It is however important for you to undertake some charitable work or donate to charity during your middle-aged years. This will bring you even more good fortune. Yiu & Sen Born on the Emperor's Girth You will be blessed with exceptional good fortune in your old age when there is gold, asset accumulation and a thriving business in your family. You have the luck to grow old with someone you care for and love. Choh & Wei Born on the Emperor's Knees You will have enough to eat and survive on, but little left over, and during your middle-aged years, there will be some truly trying times. It is incredibly vital for you to do charity and devote some time to caring for others. This will dissolve much of the negative chi that surrounds you. Shen & Shih Born on the Emperor's Feet You should live away from your parents and grandparents, as it benefits you to have your own dwelling place. If you have your own home, you will enjoy good fortune. The further away you are from your ancestral home, the better it will be for you.

SpitzTunes -- Concert Mania!

Mania- what is it? "excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood" ... you know when you see it, feel it, participate in it ... live performances generate the heat ... not all of them ... but concert mania happens when artsts like the Beatles, Cream, Rolling Stone, Michael Jackson, U2, Metallica, and even Miley Cyrus take the stage ... let's talk about the kind of mania that makes us feel really good!

Hug - Shortest Distance

Age - Mind over Matter

Has Creative Technology stooped so low?

In these tough economic times (when are times not tough? O.o), I have read that Creative Technology has not been doing too well (like many other companies too). It also has its share of pay cuts and retrenchment and this email flyer I received from them might possibly be an indication of how long the company has stooped. Qmax is a subsidiary of Creative - Creative being the major stockholder. When Qmax first entered the foray into the Wireless@SG market, we all know it is Creative (and not "Qmax"). When I signed up for a Qmax account for wireless internet surfing, I created a special alias for it - username+qmax@gmail.com - and never had I used the alias for any other signups. Lo and behold, this flyer dealing with Pepp was sent to this alias. Pepp is a drug for alcohol drinkers and you can read all about its claims in the flyer above. The point here is Creative as a technology company has abused its email database. As things seem to look, unless Creative has gone into the pharmaceutical field, it has sold its database to others without users' permission for who knows how much. Yet I used to have a certain amount of goodwill towards Creative. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. It is not impossible that Creative's database was stolen or one or more of their employees grew itchy hands. How much can Creative get from this? Is Creative that short of money? I just think it is not worth their reputation which I think is more than what they can get for selling a database. Yet, if you look at the advertised telephone number, it says 6796 0355. If you pull up Qmax's website, they have 3 numbers listed: Sales - 6796 0313 Customer Service - 6796 0350 Technical Support - 6796 0360 All these 3 numbers start with "6796 0" like the advertised number and the ending "355" falls in the range of the 3 numbers (313 - 360). Further to this, the email was sent through adv.qmax.com.sg which adds further credence that this Pepp selling is an official effort. Therefore one of the following seems possible: (1) Qmax/Creative has gone into the pharmaceutical line (yet I think they need a separate licence from ACRA for that) (2) A competitor is trying to sully the image of Qmax/Creative (3) One or more of their employees be moonlighting and be audacious enough to steal the company database AND direct customers to his personal line to solicit business for personal gain during office hours. (4) A lousy April Fools' Day joke because it was sent late on 5 Apr 09 (5) A bizarre marketing gimmick to get customers to sit up and take notice (6) What else?

Change to Amazon Associates program

Dear Amazon Associate: We’re writing to let you know about a change to the Amazon Associates Program. After careful review of how we are investing our advertising resources, we have made the decision to no longer pay referral fees to Associates who send users to www.amazon.com, www.amazon.ca, or www.endless.com through keyword bidding and other paid search on Google, Yahoo, MSN, and other search engines, and their extended search networks. If you're not sure if this change affects you, please visit this page for FAQs. As of May 1, 2009, Associates will not be paid referral fees for paid search traffic. Also, in connection with this change, as of May 1, 2009, Amazon will no longer make data feeds available to Associates for the purpose of sending users to the Amazon websites in the US or Canada via paid search. This change applies only to the Associates programs in North America. If you are conducting paid search activities in connection with one of Amazon’s Associates Programs outside of the US and Canada, please refer to the applicable country’s Associates Program Operating Agreement for relevant terms and conditions. We appreciate your continued support and participation in this advertising Program. If you have questions or concerns, please write to us by using the Contact Us form available on Associates Central. Sincerely, The Amazon Associates Program Wow. What a change. Is Amazon now on a war path with Google (and others)? Though I have not been feeding pennies into Google Adwords or kind to direct users to my Amazon affiliate links, I do know a significant group of people who have been doing so - and counting it their livelihood. With this change, this group's stream of income will slowly trickle to a complete stop ultimately on 1 May 09. After that, the stream will dry up and... that's it. These people will have to find a new way to adapt without infringing Amazon's policies. Most likely though, they would have to find a new non-Amazon rice bowl.