Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Friday, August 24, 2012
[PBP] Know Your Limits
For all the people who love to drink in this world, like me, I hope nobody ever needs to use TheSobrietySolution (but for those who need help, please do).Sometimes doing too much of something good will not turn out good either. I've never seen anybody around me (Thank God) who is addicted to that extreme, except on TVs. Something about being an addict to anything, not only it's unsightly, it simply proves you have lost control of your ownself - the only thing you should be in control of. They can control many other things in life and yet they let themselves go. How ironic can that be?
I love drinking with all my heart but I am glad I am not that extreme and there's no addiction and attachment to them. Because I've learned that everything is detachable - except for air and water. Think about it, we don't really need much in life except those 2 important elements for us to survive. If we need so little how come people could just lose themselves and be addicted to stuffs?
Ultimately, like anything else, we have to know our limits. We have to be in total control of no one else but our own body, mind and soul. Sure, we need to let ourselves go sometimes to have fun but don't let it down to the extreme path. For all things to function, don't forget to maintain the equilibrium of any elements in our life. Be balanced, my friends.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
SEM and SEO
Search engine marketing (SEM), a term that was almost unheard of in the in the early 2000s, now it has become one of the crucial element for any websites (commercial or personal) to establish themselves in the online world. I used to know very little about it however even up to now, it's like an entire universe on its own and the mastery of it comes with time.To simplify, it is a type of internet marketing that involves the creation of awareness of websites by increasing their appearances through search engines. The better the optimization, the more prominent your websites will be shown in the search results. However this type marketing doesn't limit itself only to online tactics, SEM also reaches out to more eyeballs through offline advertising.
Recently another term has been introduced - local search engine optimization (local SEO) - which has the purpose of increasing visibility for businesses interested to be discovered through geographically related keywords. So, if you have a website that's targeted only to the city that you live in, you have to make sure the keywords that you use are very niche to your target market.
Instead of doing everything on your own, there are local search
optimization companies that specialize in creating such strategies.You can really save a lot of time from the trial and error of which keywords are the most optimized for your needs. However, they may not come cheaply either.
When it comes to my own blog, I did think of exploring into the world of SEO, however not only I have not really dabbled into it in details but also I have no idea what my niche will be. It's hard to label something that's not specific. Since I'm tend to blog only when the thunder of inspirations strikes, I guess I simply let nature takes its course. :) But I do believe I will be embarking on the SEO journey in the near future. It has always been something that I put off for quite sometimes. Procrastination really gets the best of us, sometimes. Hope it won't be for too long. :p
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Buy a Pair, Give a Pair
I've been living with my eyeglasses for almost my entire life. The first time my parents discovered I really needed glasses, when I was 3 years old. I started to read book or watch TV with very close proximity. They knew then I needed a pair immediately. Since then, I've never lived without my glasses. Always surrounded by so many of them. There's always a spare one too lying around just in case I broke one somehow. If I could collect all the specs I've ever worn, I couldn't imagine what kind of mini tower would have been created. It was quite a pity that once it has of no usage, it was immediately being tossed away. Nothing much one can do about it with those old dorky frames and customized lenses.
However, one company had an idea and managed to at least make this industry more than pure consumerisms. They create a "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" program - for every eyeglasses sold, a pair will be given out to people in need. Based on their research, approximately one billion people don't have access to affordable eyeglasses which may possibly increase their income by 20% or even assist students in seeing better in class. Love the idea that this company, Warby Parker, walked the extra miles in working together with experienced non-profit partners to ensure each sale will actually help someone in need.
Such awareness needs to be made known of. You may check out their Youtube Video on how this program really works. Keep it up, Warby Parker! It's always nice to know when companies are able to turn profit into an opportunity to give to the society.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Wonder of Facial Expressions
I remember sitting down with 3 of my friends in a restaurant. We were having dinner and chatting as usual. At one moment, we were talking about something, which I couldn't remember what by now. But I remembered at one point, 2 of my friends were not saying anything but I knew at that exact moment what they were thinking. Just at that split second, I read their microexpressions and those spoke louder than words.
More often than not, our facial expression gives away things that we don't even realize. That's when we know someone is sad, happy, angry, etc without the need for the other party to verbalize their feeling. However, for people who are really experts in reading microexpressions, they could even detect lies.Through those brief and involuntary facial expressions, there are seven universal emotions such as disgust, anger, fear, sadness, happiness, surprise and contempt. Supposedly, it is very difficult to hide microexpressions reactions which only lasts for 1/25 to 1/15 of a second, unless one is a psychopath. That is totally of different wavelength.
I must say I learn quite a lot watching a TV show called "Lie to Me" (I have embedded the trailer video in this blog post for your reference). It made me more aware of others' facial reactions. Though I don't really know how to read them, but still interesting to just observe that tiny changes.
Pay attention next time. Watch when people talk. You may pick up one or two things you have never seen before.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Ringtone La La La ....
Have you ever felt frustrated in choosing your ringtone?
You have the perfect song but due to the limited tools to edit the song, you have no choice but to stick with the entire song. Instead of ringing from the chorus, it will ring from the beginning. When people call you, you will always listen to the part that you don't really fancy but that's the best you could do.
Did that happen to you? It did to me.
Then, Google arrived and I managed to find free audio editing software. A few of them were only free for a while and the process was quite tedious. But I used it anyway because I loved the song so much. Guess what? Technology is moving so fast that, seriously, who can keep up with all these? With the convenience in creating apps nowadays, there's even ringtone apps to help you do this with a few clicks only! Who said life doesn't get better? Haha. In this sense, it does.
But even with the technology, sometimes, I am still lazy to do it. Ultimately, they are just ring tones ... something fancy, not necessity. And, lucky me, my favourite ringtone - What a Wonderful World (by Louis Armstrong) doesn't require any tweaking. How about yours? :)
You have the perfect song but due to the limited tools to edit the song, you have no choice but to stick with the entire song. Instead of ringing from the chorus, it will ring from the beginning. When people call you, you will always listen to the part that you don't really fancy but that's the best you could do.
Did that happen to you? It did to me.
Then, Google arrived and I managed to find free audio editing software. A few of them were only free for a while and the process was quite tedious. But I used it anyway because I loved the song so much. Guess what? Technology is moving so fast that, seriously, who can keep up with all these? With the convenience in creating apps nowadays, there's even ringtone apps to help you do this with a few clicks only! Who said life doesn't get better? Haha. In this sense, it does.
But even with the technology, sometimes, I am still lazy to do it. Ultimately, they are just ring tones ... something fancy, not necessity. And, lucky me, my favourite ringtone - What a Wonderful World (by Louis Armstrong) doesn't require any tweaking. How about yours? :)
24 Hour Caskets
The title above is not a metaphor to something deep. It is literally what it means - 24 Hour Caskets. Even casket sales have taken into the virtual world and I simply can't believe it. Wow! Well, this is not McD Delivery hence it wouldn't be delivered within 30-90 minutes but from the website it's stated that they are able to deliver within 6-8 hours if transported by plane. Of course, this is only valid for locations in the USA. But still, it's amazing. Business is changing and either you keep up or you will be left behind, literally.
When it comes to this slightly morbid but important industry, do you know even that Federal Trade Commission who protects the American consumers' interest actually have a kind of funeral advice for people who are "shopping" for funeral services? This guide will assist the consumer in making better decisions such as choosing what kind of funeral is suitable, should it be cremated or buried, what you are legally required to buy, and ultimately how much all these will cost you.
Death is not a glamorous thing. But when the time really comes, there are so many earthly decisions that still need to be made. Sometimes without a concrete plan, it may leave the family in confusion and shambles, as they need to mourn but still need to be strong enough to handle all the practical matters. Guess soon or later we do need to face this matter, don't we? But for now, let's just enjoy every breath we take, we really never know when we may just need to call for McCasket one day. Happy living!
When it comes to this slightly morbid but important industry, do you know even that Federal Trade Commission who protects the American consumers' interest actually have a kind of funeral advice for people who are "shopping" for funeral services? This guide will assist the consumer in making better decisions such as choosing what kind of funeral is suitable, should it be cremated or buried, what you are legally required to buy, and ultimately how much all these will cost you.
Death is not a glamorous thing. But when the time really comes, there are so many earthly decisions that still need to be made. Sometimes without a concrete plan, it may leave the family in confusion and shambles, as they need to mourn but still need to be strong enough to handle all the practical matters. Guess soon or later we do need to face this matter, don't we? But for now, let's just enjoy every breath we take, we really never know when we may just need to call for McCasket one day. Happy living!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Detox
Detox programs! I believe you must have heard a lot of such things being advertised everywhere. Sometimes I wonder if they really work. Detoxification is the process of removing of toxic substances from our body. For our bodies, there are tons of ways to detox. I haven’t really tried any yet as I’m too lazy or just not disciplined enough to do it. I wonder fasting is considered one way to detox too. Hmm … However speaking of emotional and mental detox, I have been pretty good at it. I think, especially in the area of removing people who are really very toxic to your souls.
Don’t you just have those people who sap away all your energy and creative juices and yet you don’t know why you still bother to linger on to them until you are slowly dried up. I believe one must be aware when such toxic presences appear in your life. Don’t take them too lightly. One really needs to purge them away in order to stay mentally and emotionally sane. At first it may be very difficult to let go, but after a while you will feel refreshed and renewed.
How about you? Do you detox physically and emotionally on regular basis? After gulping some fast food last night, I am seriously contemplating to do some detoxing to my body. But seriously, Singapore has too much great food. I will just have the detox in my mind for now. :p
Don’t you just have those people who sap away all your energy and creative juices and yet you don’t know why you still bother to linger on to them until you are slowly dried up. I believe one must be aware when such toxic presences appear in your life. Don’t take them too lightly. One really needs to purge them away in order to stay mentally and emotionally sane. At first it may be very difficult to let go, but after a while you will feel refreshed and renewed.
How about you? Do you detox physically and emotionally on regular basis? After gulping some fast food last night, I am seriously contemplating to do some detoxing to my body. But seriously, Singapore has too much great food. I will just have the detox in my mind for now. :p
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari
One of my 2012 resolution, which I am rephrasing to a must-do list, is to read at least 2 books in 1 month. That's slow compared to what I could do long ... long time ago before I got too up-close and personal with Mr. Procrastination. However I am very glad that within 3 weeks, I have finished 3 books. One of them doesn't really worth mentioning. Quite a waste of one's time.
One of them was The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma.
Though this book is not really that fantastic either, still there are some gems to be collected from it. What I am going to list down below is the "spoiler" of the book. If you would like to enjoy "the journey" then I suggest you to read the entire book.
The lessons drawn are the following points:
We are encouraged to live our authentic life, to be true to ourselves which everyone knows, is not an easy task. We can learn this by understanding where we have been and then discover where we are going.
Personal take:
As I go through life, I realize being authentic has its own power. You may lose some people along the way, but you will gain more that will resonate with your true self. Speaking from my own experience, I really witness positive changes take place in my life. But the journey to be authentic is a long road and I am still traveling through.
Embrace Your Fears
"The more fears we walk through, the more power we reclaim. In this way, we grow both fearless and powerful, and thus are able to live the lives of our dreams."
Personal take:
I used to be a people pleaser. I valued quantity and quality (call me greedy or simply naive). I kept on growing the numbers of my friends and thinking they are all of good quality. My fear was losing the numbers, thinking I wouldn't be significant. But after I took the first step in cutting the weeds from the flowers, my life blossoms. I took on my fears and ever since I never looked back. My life has never been better. I let go of the quantity and focus on quality. Once you know how to do it, it becomes a habit and life gets easier.
Live with Kindness
"No action, no matter how small, is insignificant - how we treat someone defines how we treat everyone, including ourselves."
Personal take:
Pretty straight forward and no-brainer. For this I would like to share one of my favourite quote:
“Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you are.”—Unknown
Make Small Daily Progress
"The way we do small things determines the way that we do everything ... Mastery then becomes our way of being."
Personal take:
Mastery in anything takes time. There's finding that to do well in something you need to put in at least 10,000 hours. If you do it 4 hours a day which means you need 2500 days = 7 years. Imagine. If you don't start something you would like to excel today, then you may need to wait longer. This is one problem I need to tackle, discipline, consistency and persistence are need to be the best. But alas ... I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ... the only mastery I have for now is ... hmm ... I don't even know what ... HAIYA!
To Lead Your Best Life, Do Your Best Work
"One of the greatest secrets to a life beautifully lived is to do work that matters. And to ascent to such a state of mastery in it that people can't take their eyes off of you."
Personal take:
I have a friend who organized a party pretty last-minute-ly and one of the thing I took away from it that even until this moment I am so very impressed, were her cheese platters. I remembered standing there being at awe of the arrangements as if I was admiring a piece of art. By far, she has put in the best work I have ever seen into a cheese platter. I am not talking about fine dining restaurants, some cheese experts, etc. Even so, I don't think I have seen something as beautiful as these. Guess I was so cheese-struck that I forgot I needed to eat more of them. -_-"
Choose Your Influences Well
"It's a mark of wisdom to choose to spend time in those places that inspire and energize you and associate with those people who elevate and uplift you."
Personal take:
Out of all of the above, I can 99.9% swear by this lesson. People who suck your energy, pour you with unnecessary negative dramas, should be casted away asap. Unless you are able to transform those negative energies into a positive one, then, good for you. If not, stay away, get rid of them, find yourself new friends, new work environments, or best of all, new perspectives. In the last 4 years, I have been seeing so much impacts just by associating myself with positively happy people. Or even if they are not all the time happy, they are enriching in their own ways. As a result, I am positively happier person too. I believe strongly, the people I know now and the people I am going to know next are going to be awesome. Because if life is not uplifting most of the time, then you will miss out on the views life has to offer. I wonder if the monkey in Sangeh (Bali) agrees with me or not ...
Life's Simplest Pleasure Are Life's Greatest Joys
"Most people don't discover what's most important in life until they are too old to do anything about it. ... While society invites us to fill our lives with material objects, the best part of us knows that the more basic pleasures are the ones that enrich and sustain us."
Personal take:
13-16 November 2011, will be when I graduated in this life lesson. I booked myself to one of the not-so-cheap villa in Ubud, Bali, thinking I would like to spend my birthday on my own and pamper myself with the facilities offered by the resort. May I say, I regretted that decision ever! The villa even though it was so big and had all kind of things you need - even a coffee maker - was one of the most horrible stay I have ever had in my life. The first night I arrived at the resort, alone (stupid), I was cursing and swearing on why on earth I did what I did. Because after I have parted with my friends (also thanks to my own decision), then I realized, beautiful places mean nothing without the company of friends. Sure, we need our alone time once in a while, but when something is awesome, it's much pleasurable when we are able to share it. Even though it's as simple as,"Oy! Don't you think this tea is very nice? Don't you see the monkey is so cute! Oh come on, I think you look like the fat one."
The Purpose of Life is to Love
"How well you live comes down to how much you love. The heart is wiser than the head. Honor it. Trust it. Follow it."
Personal take:
Well, well, well ... sure love is nice. I love you. You love me. World peace. That's very nice. I just had a lengthy discussion 2 days ago with 2 of my wise and mature friends over this topic. One is very heart. One is very brain. Personally, I think one needs to balance between the heart and the brain. If you love without the brain, you may fall into dangers as you didn't see it coming before. If you think without the heart, you may miss out on life's miracles. If I could rephrase that, I would say the purpose of life is to live it by loving, thinking and sharing.
Stand for Something Bigger than Yourself
"...become successful, on your own terms rather than on those suggested to you by society. But above all else - be significant. Make your life matter - be of use. And be of service to as many people as possible."
Personal take:
This .... I have no comment. I don't know what I am standing for. But I know I am learning and slowly creating my terms day by day. I know my life matter but I don't know what service I am able to give to as many people as possible yet. Time to go to my dark corner to reflect or to sleep as the clock is not very friendly anymore.
---
I hope you enjoy my sharing from what I have read. The next book will be a brainier one and I doubt I can remember what I have learned from it! HAH! Ho-boy ....
For those who will be celebrating Chinese New Year, I am wishing you a new year filled with love, joy, peace, health and abundance. May all your goals come to fruition and stay happy always.
One of them was The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma.
Though this book is not really that fantastic either, still there are some gems to be collected from it. What I am going to list down below is the "spoiler" of the book. If you would like to enjoy "the journey" then I suggest you to read the entire book.
The lessons drawn are the following points:
- The Power of Authenticity
- Embrace Your Fears
- Live with Kindness
- Make Small Daily Progress
- To Lead Your Best Life, Do Your Best Work
- Choose Your Influences Well
- Life's Simplest Pleasures Are Life's Greatest Joys
- The Purpose of Life is to Love
- Stand for Something Bigger than Yourself
We are encouraged to live our authentic life, to be true to ourselves which everyone knows, is not an easy task. We can learn this by understanding where we have been and then discover where we are going.
Personal take:
As I go through life, I realize being authentic has its own power. You may lose some people along the way, but you will gain more that will resonate with your true self. Speaking from my own experience, I really witness positive changes take place in my life. But the journey to be authentic is a long road and I am still traveling through.
Embrace Your Fears
"The more fears we walk through, the more power we reclaim. In this way, we grow both fearless and powerful, and thus are able to live the lives of our dreams."
Personal take:
I used to be a people pleaser. I valued quantity and quality (call me greedy or simply naive). I kept on growing the numbers of my friends and thinking they are all of good quality. My fear was losing the numbers, thinking I wouldn't be significant. But after I took the first step in cutting the weeds from the flowers, my life blossoms. I took on my fears and ever since I never looked back. My life has never been better. I let go of the quantity and focus on quality. Once you know how to do it, it becomes a habit and life gets easier.
Live with Kindness
"No action, no matter how small, is insignificant - how we treat someone defines how we treat everyone, including ourselves."
Personal take:
Pretty straight forward and no-brainer. For this I would like to share one of my favourite quote:
“Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you are.”—Unknown
Make Small Daily Progress
"The way we do small things determines the way that we do everything ... Mastery then becomes our way of being."
Personal take:
Mastery in anything takes time. There's finding that to do well in something you need to put in at least 10,000 hours. If you do it 4 hours a day which means you need 2500 days = 7 years. Imagine. If you don't start something you would like to excel today, then you may need to wait longer. This is one problem I need to tackle, discipline, consistency and persistence are need to be the best. But alas ... I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ... the only mastery I have for now is ... hmm ... I don't even know what ... HAIYA!
To Lead Your Best Life, Do Your Best Work
"One of the greatest secrets to a life beautifully lived is to do work that matters. And to ascent to such a state of mastery in it that people can't take their eyes off of you."
Personal take:
I have a friend who organized a party pretty last-minute-ly and one of the thing I took away from it that even until this moment I am so very impressed, were her cheese platters. I remembered standing there being at awe of the arrangements as if I was admiring a piece of art. By far, she has put in the best work I have ever seen into a cheese platter. I am not talking about fine dining restaurants, some cheese experts, etc. Even so, I don't think I have seen something as beautiful as these. Guess I was so cheese-struck that I forgot I needed to eat more of them. -_-"
Choose Your Influences Well
"It's a mark of wisdom to choose to spend time in those places that inspire and energize you and associate with those people who elevate and uplift you."
Personal take:
Out of all of the above, I can 99.9% swear by this lesson. People who suck your energy, pour you with unnecessary negative dramas, should be casted away asap. Unless you are able to transform those negative energies into a positive one, then, good for you. If not, stay away, get rid of them, find yourself new friends, new work environments, or best of all, new perspectives. In the last 4 years, I have been seeing so much impacts just by associating myself with positively happy people. Or even if they are not all the time happy, they are enriching in their own ways. As a result, I am positively happier person too. I believe strongly, the people I know now and the people I am going to know next are going to be awesome. Because if life is not uplifting most of the time, then you will miss out on the views life has to offer. I wonder if the monkey in Sangeh (Bali) agrees with me or not ...
Life's Simplest Pleasure Are Life's Greatest Joys
"Most people don't discover what's most important in life until they are too old to do anything about it. ... While society invites us to fill our lives with material objects, the best part of us knows that the more basic pleasures are the ones that enrich and sustain us."
Personal take:
13-16 November 2011, will be when I graduated in this life lesson. I booked myself to one of the not-so-cheap villa in Ubud, Bali, thinking I would like to spend my birthday on my own and pamper myself with the facilities offered by the resort. May I say, I regretted that decision ever! The villa even though it was so big and had all kind of things you need - even a coffee maker - was one of the most horrible stay I have ever had in my life. The first night I arrived at the resort, alone (stupid), I was cursing and swearing on why on earth I did what I did. Because after I have parted with my friends (also thanks to my own decision), then I realized, beautiful places mean nothing without the company of friends. Sure, we need our alone time once in a while, but when something is awesome, it's much pleasurable when we are able to share it. Even though it's as simple as,"Oy! Don't you think this tea is very nice? Don't you see the monkey is so cute! Oh come on, I think you look like the fat one."
The Purpose of Life is to Love
"How well you live comes down to how much you love. The heart is wiser than the head. Honor it. Trust it. Follow it."
Personal take:
Well, well, well ... sure love is nice. I love you. You love me. World peace. That's very nice. I just had a lengthy discussion 2 days ago with 2 of my wise and mature friends over this topic. One is very heart. One is very brain. Personally, I think one needs to balance between the heart and the brain. If you love without the brain, you may fall into dangers as you didn't see it coming before. If you think without the heart, you may miss out on life's miracles. If I could rephrase that, I would say the purpose of life is to live it by loving, thinking and sharing.
Stand for Something Bigger than Yourself
"...become successful, on your own terms rather than on those suggested to you by society. But above all else - be significant. Make your life matter - be of use. And be of service to as many people as possible."
Personal take:
This .... I have no comment. I don't know what I am standing for. But I know I am learning and slowly creating my terms day by day. I know my life matter but I don't know what service I am able to give to as many people as possible yet. Time to go to my dark corner to reflect or to sleep as the clock is not very friendly anymore.
---
I hope you enjoy my sharing from what I have read. The next book will be a brainier one and I doubt I can remember what I have learned from it! HAH! Ho-boy ....
For those who will be celebrating Chinese New Year, I am wishing you a new year filled with love, joy, peace, health and abundance. May all your goals come to fruition and stay happy always.
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