#208. Happy Chinese New Year

Gong Xi Fa Cai To You And Family

May the year of Tiger brings you abundance of wealth! And of course, good health and much happiness too!

#131. Maybank Site Slow

Maybank2u.com FAIL!

Maybank2u is very slow la!! Slow gila!

Change to new look but no improvement in speed.

What's wrong?

What's more all the old links are gone. I can't find the gold price... took a long time. But here is the gold price link for those who are interested. Click here.

But check out also the Public Bank Gold Price here.

#129. Clean Air For Health

Read This If You Want Clean Air

Most of us use water filters at home to filter the water for drinking. What about air?

Do you use any machine to filter, purify or sterilize your air?

I was at the 1Utama looking to purchase the Medklinn air sterilizer for my office use. Below is part of the conversation with the salesperson. Actually, I have read all the information on their website and was there just to buy it. But, it's fun just to test out their selling skills sometimes. 

Me: So what is the coverage area for this thing?

Salesperson: It can cover for an area of 600 square feet.

Me: Oh, my office is quite big, that means I need two.

Salesperson: If you are rich, you can buy two.

Duh! This person really lacks sales skill.

Besides persuasion skill, tactfulness and being diplomatic are the next best skills a salesperson should acquire.

I did taught some of these selling skills to my colleagues in a previous job. And I surely know at least some basic. Not to say I am an expert.

Anyway, to those who happened to find this post, I am sure you are looking for some information on this Medklinn product. Well, I can tell you it's definitely worth your money. The air in the office air-cond room becomes fresher and crispier.

When you eat take-away food in your office, the smell is also quickly neutralized. Maybe I can try eating durian in the office next time. Ha ha.

Also, I find the fresh air produces by the negative ion from Medklinn makes me feel better and in a happier mood. Now, I am considering buying for my home. 

Note: This post is not a paid article by Medklinn. Just my honest opinion.

So, what do you think of that person's skills?  

#125. Health Myth Exposed

Do You Think You Are Living Healthily?

There are three things that we constantly seek for: Health, Happiness and Wealth.

My blog talks about Wealth and a bit of Health. 

Now, there is a blog that I have co-created with my sister who is also the author of Juicing-For-Health. The new blog is Health-Myth-Exposed.blogspot.com.

With the reason scare of tainted milk in Chinese milk products, I thought it appropriate to discuss the danger of drinking cow's milk. I have know about the ill effect of cow's milk many years ago and have avoided drinking cow's milk since then. Instead, I drink soy milk. 

You just can't find a good reason to drink cow's milk. The myth of cow's milk being a good source for calcium and protein is busted. Cow's milk does not prevent osteoporosis, it encourages it. And there are better sources of calcium and protein - from vegetables. 

Bookmark Health Myth Exposed and come back from time to time to read more. If you have any good articles, you can also mail them to me. I will post it up for you.

#105. Malaysia GDP Per Capita

What is Malaysia's income per capita or GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita?

According to the estimation of CIA's The World Factbook as of March 20, 2008, Malaysia's GDP Per Capita is US$14,400. That means on average, a person in Malaysia earns a gross annual income of US$14,400 or RM47,102.29 (using today's exchange rate of US$1:RM3.27).

Earlier, I have mentioned about the car price in Malaysia comparing to the price in the USA. Let's look at the GDP per capita of the USA. It's Us$46,000. And if the Toyota Corolla is US$14,105 in the USA, it's only 30.66% of their annual gross income.

But in Malaysia, that Toyota Corolla (Altis) priced at RM111,400 will be 236.51% of a Malaysian's annual gross income!

What does that mean? It simply means that our quality of life is bad! We earn little and yet our things are priced expensively. Our income per capita is 3.19 times smaller than the USA. Yet their cars are more than half the price of our cars!

Our neighbour in the south even has an income per capita not only higher than ours but also the USA. Singapore has an income per capita of US$48,900. Isn't it sad that we are a country bigger than Singapore and with so much natural resources, yet we are poorer than them?

Let's look at other countries around our region.

Hong Kong - US$42,000
Japan - US$33,800
Brunei - US$33,600
Taiwan - US$29,800
New Zealand - US$27,300
South Korea - US$24,600
Thailand - US$8,000
Indonesia - US$3,400
Philippines - US$3,300

Other countries lower than Philippines are China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, North Korea and Cambodia. And so on.

Yes, we are better of than Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines. And the other countries. But shall we compare with them?

Hmm... the good news is it's cheap for us to take a holiday in these countries. The thing is our income per capita grows too slowly! If you remember, our currency exchange rate were almost similar with Singapore 20 or 30 years ago. I can't remember in which year. Today our exchange rate is weaker than Singapore.

Again, why is that so? I kept asking myself, our country has oil, tin, etc. The solution for many Malaysians is to seek work abroad. I have just said goodbye to another friend last week who is going to work in Singapore. I have friend working in the UK. In Dubai, in Australia, etc.

Don't think they will ever come back. It's better making a living there. I have another friend planning to go to the UK too.

Well, what can we do - those of us who can't leave Malaysia. Let's exercise prudent in our spending. Let's save whatever you can and invest to see your money grow. If your income can't grow fast, at least let your investment grow. Let your money work for you.

#103. Oil Supply And Peak Oil

Is The World's Oil Supply Depleting?

What causes the world's crude oil price to shoot up to above US$130 per barrel? Is there a shortage in supply? If there is a shortage, why are we still able to get supply everyday, conveniently, from the petrol station?

Clearly, the price increment is a result of speculators pushing the price up. Or is it?

Nevertheless, what I would like to discuss here is the theory of peak oil.

According to Wikipedia:

Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum production is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. If global consumption is not mitigated before the peak, a world energy crisis may develop because the availability of conventional oil will drop and prices will rise, perhaps dramatically. M. King Hubbert first used the theory in 1956 to accurately predict that United States oil production would peak between 1965 and 1970. His logistic model, now called Hubbert peak theory, has since been used to predict the peak petroleum production of many other countries, and has also proved useful in other limited-resource production-domains. According to the Hubbert model, the production rate of a limited resource will follow a roughly symmetrical bell-shaped curve based on the limits of exploitability and market pressures.

The article in Wikipedia is a good read if you would like more information. Anyway, when is oil supply going to be unable to meet the world's demand?

Now, Jeroen van der Veer, Chief Executive of Royal Dutch Shell plc, on Shell's website stated: "After 2015, easily accessible supplies of oil and gas probably will no longer keep up with demand."

Isn't this scary? 2015 is only 7 years from now. To those who have just bought a car in Malaysia with a 7-year loan, good luck to us all. Shell and other energy companies are constantly looking into other renewable energy or other form of energy that can complement petrol.

We have to start looking at the way we use energy. We have to use it responsibly so that we don't deplete this resource at a faster rate. Hopefully '2015' doesn't come so soon. Anyway, I am already picturing a world during that time where things will be very costly. The poor will be getting poorer and life will be hard. We have to start planning our finances more carefully now.

To paraphrase: Be prepared for a thunderstorm (rainy days).

#99. Buy Less, Be Green

Learn How Your Spending Has An Impact To Planet Earth

One thing industrialist wants us to do is to keep buying stuff.

They want you to buy, buy and buy. And they keep making new stuff so that you will keep changing your things. And what makes it worse is that they advertise their products enticingly. Really makes you want to buy the product so that you can keep up with the Joneses and Smiths.

What happens when we buy more stuff? More energy is needed in the factories to produce things. More pollution. More cutting down of trees. More oil needed. And where do you throw your old stuff? All our buying creates environmental and social issues.

Remember, the WWF slogan: When the buying stops, the killing stops.

So, really. Think before you buy. Consider whether you really need it or because you want it. It's really two different things. Need and Want.

Buying less is not only healthier for your wallet and bank account. It's also healthier for the environment. If everyone of us does our part, we can reduce the environmental and social issues.
Watch the full videos to find out the whole stories.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Extraction

Chapter 3: Production

Chapter 4: Distribution

Chapter 5: Consumption

Chapter 6: Disposal

Chapter 7: Another Way

#90. Flaxseed Oil Benefits For Health

Find Out What Flaxseed Oil Can Do For Your Health

Sometimes on this blog, I would like to write something about health as well.

Health is related to your wealth. Here's how they are both related and you should take good care of them. Wealth comes from you. You need to work to get wealth. To work, you need a healthy body and mind.

A healthy and happy body will put you in the right frame of mind, set you in peace to earn more money.

Only when your body functions at the optimum level then you will be more able to work creatively and productively. A healthy body produces a happy mind that will accomplish this.

I was reading a wealth related book by Ted Nicholas (world's most profitable copywriter) and he mentioned about his breakfast recipe that helps fight cancer. Wow! I thought. Next, I googled it and found this website giving his secrets to good health. Read here.

Ted uses flaxseed oil in his breakfast. And flaxseed oil has been proven to have a lot of health benefits. It fights cancer, diabetes, heart disease and more. The 3 illnesses mentioned are our modern world's curse to health. More people today are getting these illnesses than 50 years ago.

What are the health benefits of Flaxseed Oil?

Flaxseed oil is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids that is normally found in salmon. Omega-3 is beneficial to the health of our body systems. It helps to lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, thus preventing clots in arteries. Clots are the main causes of strokes, heart diseases and attacks, and thromboses.

WebMD wrote this: "It's the omega 3s -- "good" fats -- that researchers are looking at in terms of their possible effects on lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, lowering the risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancers, and reducing the inflammation of arthritis, as well as the inflammation that accompanies certain illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and asthma."

A research has shown that breast cancer and colon cancer are reduced when there is a high presence of lignan in the diet. Flax is 100 times more potent and richer in lignan than most whole grains.

Wow, nature really has so much to offer to us through this flaxseed.

There are so many more benefits as listed in eSsortment, Flaxseed oil helps improve the conditions:

• high blood pressure


• muscle fatigue


• sprains and bruises


• weight problem


• metabolic rate


• absorption of Calcium


• eyesight


• liver function


• many forms of cancer


• asthma


• eczema, psoriasis and dandruff


• rheumatoid arthritis


• diabetes mellitus


• allergies


• atherosclerosis


• depression


• mental function


• multiple sclerosis


• schizophrenia


• premenstrual syndrome

• skin problems
  

And more...

How do you take this flaxseed oil?

You can drink it straight from the bottle. 1 to 3 tablespoon a day is fine.

You can also get in seed form where you can add into your food, muffin, bread, salad, etc. Once you start consuming it, allow a few days to up to 6 weeks to see your health improve.

Remember to buy good quality flaxseed oil to ensure you get the best results.

You can read the book below for more detail on the health benefit of flax oil.

Dr. J. Budwig (herself lived up to over 94 years old) also recommended a diet that can help fight cancer. Read here. Ted Nicholas and her life partner themselves recovered from cancer and completely healed using this diet. Yes, cancer is curable contrary to believe.

Other links on flaxseed oil:

Wikipedia

UdoErasmus.com

#80. Mother's Day Gift Idea

What Are You Giving Your Mom This Mother's Day
When I help my struggling and shouting 2 year-old son change his shirt, I think of how my mom has changed mine when I was my son's age. Did I shout and struggle and cry when she changed my shirt?


When is Mother's Day? It's just round the corner. Every year on the second Sunday of the month of May. People around the world celebrate Mother's Day. The greatest person on earth.


When I took my son's small hand and led him to cross the busy road, I imagine how was it like back then. How did my mom take not just my hand, but also to keep her eyes on my 4 other elder siblings?


Show your appreciation to her this Mother's Day. Give her something that is precious. Perhaps a piece of gold jewelry. That's my thought. Since gold price has dropped a little now, would be cheaper now to get something from the goldsmith. And mom can save it till the price goes up and trade in for cash or change to some other gold jewelry that she likes.


Tip: Pick a gift that has good monetary value and also looks nice. Don't be cheap, since it's for your beloved mother.


So, what are you getting your mother this mother's day, besides the card and the flowers? Perhaps taking mom out for a good dinner? Sing her a song Tell us.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers!

#69. How To Lose Weight Without Sweating It

Learn How Donna Riviello Lost 28 lbs (12.7 kg) In 3 Months And So Can You

... Without Sweating It

My wife has been thinking of joining Yoga classes to reduce some excess weight. Not that she is very heavy though. Just that she has put on some weight after giving birth to my son in 2006.

Perhaps you have also been looking for ways that is easy to lose that baggage. And have been thinking how to do it without sweating it. Yes, you can. It's really simple. Set your goal.

How do you eat an elephant?

I explained to her, set your goal to lose weight say in 3 months time. Then break the goal down to smaller achievable targets. If you plan to lose 3 kg in 3 months, divide the 3 kg by 3 months. That's 1 kg per month. Let's break this down even further. Divide it to 4 weeks. 1 kg divided by 4 weeks is 250 gm a week.

250 gm a week, that's roughly 36 gm a day. Now this is your daily target. Work on this on a daily basis. So, what can you do to reduce 250 gm of weight a day?

You can do what this guy do in this video if you want.

Mr. Spartan has 11 similar training videos on YouTube. Interested to view more and get motivated to lose weight? Watch the videos. I feel so pumped up each time I watch them.

Don't Want To Sweat It, No Problem

You can still lose weight easily without all the intensive workout. Here are some testimonials of people who have lost weight without sweating it such as Donna Riviello.

Read how they did it here.

To know more how by using only water and sea salt, you can lose weight quickly. Get this book, Your Body's Many Cries For Water, by Dr. Batman as he is popularly known. Hey, that's his real name. Dr. F. Batmanghelidj.

How You Can Be A Millionaire Using Rule Of 72

It's the same principle for you to become a millionaire by following the how-do-you-eat-an-elephant concept. If you want to be a millionaire. Set a goal. Break it down to smaller bite-sized chunks. Say you want to be a millionaire in 20 years. Divide 1 million dollars into 20 years. Divide further with 365 days. Calculate how much you need to make a day to be a millionaire in 20 years.

Again, don't sweat it. Just use my Unit Trust Investment Millionaire Calculator.

What is Rule of 72

Rule of 72 is the formula for you to calculate how long it takes your original investment to double. It helps to calculate:

(a) If your money is earning say 10% per annum, how long does it take to double your money.

(b) If you invest your money for a period of 9 years, what is the return (%) per annum that you need to see to double your money.

It works like this.

For (a), if you have RM100,000 and earn 10%, using Rule of 72: 72/10 = 7.2 years. It will take 7.2 years to see your money double.

In scenario (b), 72/9 = 8%. You need to have a consistent or average 8% return per annum to see your RM100,000 turning into RM200,000.

9 years is a short period. Trust me, time flies.

If you like a further detailed explanation on this formula Rule of 72, you can read in Wikipedia.

There you go, now imagine how great you'd look with that six packs in your abs and feeling like a million bucks! It all begins with a tiny little daily target. It's the small things in life that made up the gigantic things. Save and invest daily to see that first million.

#67. Save Time, Get Firefox

Are You Tired Of Waiting For Your Browser's Page To Load?

Many PCs come standard with the Internet Explorer (IE) pre-installed with Windows. And many of you use IE to surf the net happily. But each time the page takes ages to load, you curse your Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like TMNet, Streamyx, Maxis, etc. Hehe.

Well, sometimes it's not because of the ISPs. I have seen my sister's internet pages load much more faster after installing Firefox. She was previously using IE 'happily' without knowing that you can save much more time with Firefox. Now she really is surfing the net happily.

Get more things done. Surf more pages. Use Firefox. Saving time is the virtue of a millionaire! Time equals to money.


Why Firefox?

Yes! IE may have improved a lot over the years. Until Firefox appeared on the scene. I have used Firefox since I-can't-remember-when. You will find out immediately why I love it once you installed it. It's free.

Among the features I liked most and sure you will too, are:

1. There is an improved tab browsing. All new pages opens in a tab within the same window. You don't have to juggle many windows screens anymore.


2. Voted in Top 100 Products of PC World, Firefox has an integrated search in the search bar. The search bar comes pre-loaded with search engines for Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay, Answers.com, and Creative Commons. You can do a search quickly without going to Google's page or Yahoo!'s page. Saves you even more time! The search bar also has a search suggestion. Why you key in the word you want to search, the search bar reads your mind and suggests similar search terms in a drop down list.


3. Too many feeds and bookmarks? No worries. With Firefox Live Bookmarks you can view all your feeds in one glance.


4. Pop-up blocker. What more can I say. Get rid of all the annoying pop-ups.


5. Stay secured while surfing the net. You have phishing protection, protection from spyware, clear private data after you surf the net and wipes all your personal data clean.


6. Free automatic update so that you don't have to worry about when the next update is. It's also free.


7. You can personalize your browser too with many add-ons provided from Firefox. Choose from over 1,000 add-ons to make your browser truly yours!

Get it now. Click this little picture to start saving time!

P.S. This site is optimized for Firefox viewing.

#59. Submit Your Site To Web Directories To Gain Traffic

Not Getting Any Visitors To Your Site After 6 Months?

Do you own a website and plan to make money from it?
To be effective, you need traffic to your site. More traffic results in more clicks to your advertisements and earn you more revenue.

Why should you submit your site to web directories?
Web directories essentially serve as a catalog of links sorted by relevant topics. In the earlier days, when search engines weren't as popular, directories served as the main method of finding relevant sites. But nowadays, search engines like Google and Yahoo have taken over and serve as the main medium that connects users with what they're looking for.

So why should you even consider submitting your site to the directories, especially when not many people use them any more?


There are a few answers to this question:
To get your website indexed
Search engines like Google and Yahoo send out crawlers (spiders) to search the web for new sites that come up everyday. If you have a new site and you want search engines to know of its existence, then there couldn't be an easier and better way to let a search engine know than having it find your site through links in various directories.

One way links -> Improvement in Search Engine Rankings
Most directories provide one way links, which is beneficial from the SEO aspect of your site. Search engines give importance to the number of inbound links to your site when ranking it for a given position during search and one way links are thought to be valued more than reciprocal links (links exchanged with other sites). Thus, directory links can help give a boost to your SEO efforts.

Targeting specific keywords / phrases
Most directories allow you to provide a link with keywords describing your site. It’s not easy getting links to your site with the keywords you want and directories serve as the easiest medium for getting such links. Getting links with targeted keywords / phrases can have search engines favoring your site over others when ranking for the given terms.

Traffic (not such a benefit with most directories)
There aren't many directories that could boast of providing your site with traffic that would number in the hundreds per day but there are a few directories that are known to give some traffic (albeit very little) to sites in certain categories.

Most directories are free to submit to
Given the benefits and most directories being free to submit to, it makes business sense to having your site listed in as many SEO friendly directories as possible. After all, you don't lose anything for doing so.

Submitting to directories can be a time-consuming process though and finding the right directories to submit can take quite a bit of effort. To save yourself the trouble, you may use directory submission services like DirectoryVault (click on the picture) to get your site submitted to all the top quality SEO friendly directories out there. It's a popular manual directory submission service site and it also has free SEO tools.