How I conquer my fear of climbing a mountain

Does climbing a mountain sound daunting? That’s what I thought before taking the plunge to climb Mt Snowdon. I decide not to give in to my fears about height, worries about whether my legs can carry me and I am glad I did that. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be and the views were simply breathtaking. Every corner and turns reveal a different scene and its picture perfect most of the time.

Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) which stands at 3,560 ft (1,085m) is the highest mountain in Wales and the second highest in Britain. The mountain is situated within Snowdonia National Park in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales.

There are many ways to explore Mt Snowdon. The easiest ways to get to the top is with the Snowdon Mountain Railway. It’s a single carriage hauled either by a diesel or steam locomotive on the narrow gauge rack and pinion railway. We did consider taking the train but the price of £25 for a return ticket changes our mind.

Armed with determination and spirit of challenge, we begin our route using the Llanberis path. The path runs parallel with the Snowdon Mountain Rail track and as I found out later, it is one of the easiest but longest paths to the summit. Its sounds quite misleading to call it a path, the initial road towards the gate are tarmac and it’s pretty steep. After which, the path are made up of rocks, sand and rock debris.

We decide to walk towards the grassland where the sheep were grazing. As we do not know where we were going, there was a feeling of adventure. As we trudge past the staring eyes of the sheep and their lambs, sounds of laughter and water came up in the distance. It was a low lying rocky stream and a family enjoying the sun on a big rock boulder. It was a pleasant and relaxing sight.

Our walk finally brought us in the view of an oncoming steam train and we were able to capture a few photo shots of the steam puffing train. The Llanberis path becomes clearer as we head uphill and much to our amazement, it have so far been easy and we congratulate ourselves on the distance and the height we have surmount.

The rest of the path was gradual, a little bit of a steep climb at times but nothing that I can’t handle. Stopping occasionally to catch my breath and the scenery makes the walk pleasant. There was no rush and we even have time to chat with fellows walkers about their adventure.

As we reach the halfway point, a quaint stone cottage appears before us. It is also a cafe, which is simply delightful. Dusk is upon us and after 3 hours of walking, we decide to head downhill as it was getting dark.
We may not have reach the summit this time but the experience of being able to climb half way up Mt Snowdon makes us determined to come back for the summit. It was an exhilarating time for me as a novice mountain climber. I would never thought that I can make it this far and the admiring look from people in the train as they pass is pretty satisfying.

I have learned that I should not allow my fears to control my life. When nothing is venture, nothing‘s gain and what I gained from this walking experience is it isn’t as bad as what I thought it would be.

Hillwalking in Snowdonia: Glyders, Carneddau and Outlying Areas (Cicerone British Mountains)
Walk Snowdonia and North Wales (Walks Guide)

Facts and myths about Coffee

Ia 'Java' the universal name for coffee? what's the truth about Fair Trade Coffee?

Some of us can't start the day without a cup of freshly brewed coffee. I know I can never resist ordering coffee from a cafe when I see one. How much do we know or not know about coffee?

Well, the article below definitely answer a few questions. If you like the article and want to read more about coffee, check out my page on There is something about coffee and Coffee 101 .

Coffee Myths vs Facts - The Truth Revealed
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tom_Vincent]Tom Vincent

Over the years of being in the coffee industry and hanging around "coffee geeks" I've heard just about every form of coffee misinformation and lore known to man. I'm not exactly sure where it all originated, or why for that matter. These myths always gave me a good chuckle, but as of lately I have been encountering these imaginative illusions on a much more frequent basis. I went from having a chuckle, to being slightly annoyed, to downright frustrated. It's time to set the record straight on some of the most commonly circulated coffee myths.

Myth: Storing your coffee in the freezer will keep it fresh.

Fact: This is absolutely false. Coffee's big enemies are air, moisture, and time. If coffee is stored in a freezer, moisture or condensation can form on the beans, which can start the extraction process prematurely. In addition, coffee, just like baking soda can absorb odors right out of the fridge - destroying it's natural flavor profile. (Gross!)

Regardless of what you've been told, coffee has a short lifespan after roasting. Once roasted, it starts going bad (the same way food does after it is cooked). In-general coffee needs to "rest" in it's sealed air tight bag for about three to four days after roasting so it can release CO2 caused by the roasting process. Once the coffee has rested, it reaches it's "peak" flavor profile. If it is stored at room temperature in an air tight bag it can stay at peak flavor for about a week. The older a coffee gets, the faster it goes stale and loses it's intended flavor profile.

It is said that coffee can stay fresh in it's original unopened air tight bag for about two months. HOWEVER, once the bag is opened and the coffee is exposed to air; it will go stale rapidly (usually in two or three days).

Myth: Espresso comes from a specific type of coffee bean.

Fact: There is no such thing as an "espresso bean". By tradition, espresso is defined as: "A strong coffee, brewed under pressure, and served immediately to its intended consumer." In practice, however, we use a more strict technical definition. Below is the definition created by the World Barista Competition.

"An espresso is a one ounce/30 ml liquid including crema, brewed using an appropriate and consistent amount of ground coffee at a temperature between 195-205 degrees F where the machine brewing pressure is between 8.5-9.5 atmospheres of pressure. Extraction time must be between 20-30 seconds, and the beverage should be served immediately."

Myth: Bold (darker roasted) coffee has less caffeine than medium to lighter roasted coffee.

Fact: This one can be difficult. It really depends on how you measure the caffeine. When coffee is roasted the beans lose some water content (somewhere in the 20% range give or take a few percent). At the same time it is losing weight it is gaining size. This leads to a situation that makes this one a bit tough to explain.

Assuming all other variables are the same, if you measure by weight you actually have more caffeine in dark roast because the water loss is faster than the minimal caffeine loss during roasting. If you measure by volume you have less caffeine because the beans expand as they roast. This seems to confuse some people so let me restate the above. If you measure your coffee using a scoop you will have less caffeine per cup using dark roast coffee. If you measure your coffee by weight you will have more caffeine per cup using a dark roast. The difference one way or the other is small.

Roast magazine published rel=nofollow [http://www.roastmagazine.com/backissues/janfeb2005/caffeinecontrol.html]an article about this a while back stating: "Popular lore has always been that the darker the roast level, the lower the caffeine content. This is not really the case, as caffeine changes very little during the roasting process. Caffeine has a very stable crystalline structure with a boiling point above 600 degrees Fahrenheit, far above roasting temperatures, which rarely exceed 470 degrees Fahrenheit. This means there is very little change to the caffeine during the roasting process."

Myth: "Fair Trade" coffee is the only coffee grown and sold using sustainable practices.

Fact: This is a very common consumer misunderstanding. Think of fair trade as "minimum wage". It is a benchmark that guarantees farmers no less than a minimum designated "floor price". There are actually far better fair and sustainable prices paid to growers under "Direct Trade Certification". Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, North Carolina paved the way with their Direct Trade Certification program that guarantees growers at least $1.60/lb. for green coffee purchases, a minimum price that exceeds the Fair Trade Certified floor price by 19%. While $1.60/lb. sets a new, higher standard for green coffee purchases, they usually pay more than this minimum price for most Direct Trade Certified coffees, not including the additional financial premiums paid for exceptional quality.

"Myth: The best coffee in America comes from the Northwest.

Fact: This is rather subjective. A number of America's most famous coffee companies originated in the Northwest (i.e. Stumptown Coffee, Starbucks and Seattle's Best). All of which had a giant affect on the industry and established a "Second Wave" in coffee. That said, formidable coffee cultures have risen all over the U.S. with a focus on the "Third Wave" of coffee. ("The Third Wave of Coffee is the genesis and establishment of coffee growers, coffee roasters and coffee retailers that are focused on achieving the highest form of culinary appreciation of coffee.")

Some of the most prominent "Third Wave" coffee companies are based in Chicago, New York City, North Carolina, Oregon and California. Recently a number of new small artisanal coffee shops and roasters have been rapidly taking off in cities you wouldn't expect. Atlanta, Austin and Dallas in particular.

Myth: "Java" is a universal name for coffee.

Fact: This is false. For some reason, virtually every food writer refers to coffee as "java" at least once in coffee related articles. Java is simply an Indonesian Island that coffee happens to grow on. Coffee that comes from this Pacific Island IS known as Java, however coffee that does not originate on this island should not be referred to as "Java". Does this remind you of another popular beverage?

(For more on up-and-coming Third Wave coffee cultures check out this article: http://texascoffeecollege.posterous.com/dallas-fort-worth-the-next-coffee-mecca-2

To find more from Tom Vincent or to learn more about coffee education, barista training, and coffee company consulting - check out Texas Coffee College ( http://www.texascoffeecollege.com) or follow Texas Coffee College on Twitter (@TXCoffeeCollege).

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Coffee-Myths-vs-Facts---The-Truth-Revealed&id=3941894] Coffee Myths vs Facts - The Truth Revealed

Can positive thinking solve your problems?

Have we been fooled by all the theories of positive thinking? When I saw the interview with Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the Worldon News Night, my first thought was ‘At last someone is coming out to disprove the positive thinking hype’.

I agree with her that it’s no point telling a person who is suffering, in this case, she has breast cancer, and that she needs to be positive to get well. That’s not empathy, that’s dismissing her feelings of fear, anger and sadness.

Many of us are told that our problems will be solved if we think positively. Some of us are even made to feel that it’s our negative thoughts that are making our life miserable. Is this true? Can positive thinking solve problems?

As I thought further on the truth about positive thinking, I realised that I cannot dismiss the fact that positive thinking have in some point of my life help me overcome problems. The positive thoughts and positive changes I have made to my life have worked well for me. For those things that have not come into fruition, I accept that it is probably not right for me. I know this cannot be compared to someone who has a terminal illness and there is not much they can do to change their predicament.

The interview with the Smile or Die author have led me to realise that perhaps the truth about positive thinking is not about psyching ourselves into believing that saying daily affirmations and ignoring negative feelings is going to solve our problems. Positive thinking is about acknowledging and accepting that there is a problem; understand why we have negative thoughts and making a decision to make positive changes to our life.

Positive thinking can’t solve your problem; it wouldn’t heal you or keep you away from dreaded illnesses. Positive thinking can however help you decide on how you can make your life better in the midst of your problem.

Positive thinking can’t solve your problems. It wouldn’t shield you from negative feelings and life’s obstacles. It can however help you face your problems, make improvements to your life and keep you motivated in achieving your goals.
Positive thinking can’t solve your problem but having positive attitude can help make your life better. Believing in yourself and your capabilities whilst acknowledging your weaknesses prepares you for life challenges.

There is no doubt that having a positive attitude is healthy. You find a purpose in your life and you feel more fulfilled as you start to do the things that make you happy.

More self improvement articles can be read at Learning Curve

New Year's prediction?

The New Year is upon us and as usual, I will automatically search on the internet for some spiritual indication of what I could expect in 2010. There wasn’t much to discover in the first page of my search, ‘2010 forecast’. It’s just some prediction from businesses, economists and politicians on what they think the year ahead is going to be.

I search for fengshui in 2010 ( though it’s still early as the new year predictions is suppose to start from 4th February. After browsing through the search results and only getting an indication that the year 2010 is going to challenging for many, I start questioning myself on why I do this search every time in the new year.
A thought passes through my mind that perhaps I don’t really want to know if the following year is going to be difficult. Maybe, I should just trust my faith and not try to follow any predictions. Or could it be, I am getting bored with my usual desire on wanting to know what is ahead instead of allowing events to unfold. Or maybe, I just don’t want to know since there is a possibility that it might be difficult.

I guess I can’t have everything, there isn’t a magic wand where I can control and accept only things that I like to receive and avoid things that are challenging. That’s life isn’t. That’s the fascinating and intriguing thing about being alive. There is no prolonged certainty. This does not apply to human being only. Our pets at home, the animals in the wild, birds and fish in the ocean can’t always control the every aspects of their life.

The answer for me is probably here in this blog post. The predictions in 2009, good and bad have not really affect my life. In fact, I have forgotten most of it through the year. So what’s the use of finding out. This must be a waking call for me to let life run its natural course instead of trying to find out what’s going to happen before it happen. I should stop attempting to read the last page of a book before I continue chapter 2.

Today, I will recall my achievements and regrets in 2009. I will accept my failures and move on. I will acknowledge my achievements in 2009 and learn how to make it even better. I know that my interest in reading future predictions is because of my need to try to be in control. Being in control of our life isn’t a bad thing but controlling it with the desire of avoiding life challenges is probably a cowardly behaviour. I will remember the serenity prayer as I walk through life challenge in 2010 –

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things that I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference

What's the true meaning of Christmas?

What's the true meaning of Christmas? As I spend the last few days decorating and preparing for Christmas, I ponder upon the true meaning of Christmas.

Some people like my friend Nat, always feel sad during Christmas. She can't understand why. She have a loving family, a good job and some great friends. There should be no reason to feel sad, right? Perhaps! But sometimes, having everything isn't going to light up our happy cells.

A well known actress was asked recently on how she celebrates Christmas. She replied that she feels happy with herself when she give her time to children who have no where to go on Christmas day. She spent the day reading and chatting with them. That is what Christmas meant to her.

In my search for how other people view the true meaning of Christmas, I came across this article about how we can experience the true meaning of Christmas.

How to Experience the True Meaning of Christmas
By Suzie Sanchez

Christmas is the season for people to share and love others. There is a saying that it is hard to love the unlovable. But the spirit of Christmas clearly overcomes this concept. It traverses the borders of social status and indifference. It changes the hearts, even those that are made of stone, to learn how to share and experience the true meaning of Christmas.

For quite some time now, so many people have experienced receiving Christmas gifts given by the Secret Santa. In fact, said gifts have helped these persons in huge ways. These generous people even don't want to reveal their identities since they are not doing their charity work in order to earn recognition, but rather they give in order to share what they have, in cognizance of the essence of the celebration of Christmas. These people give without expecting anything in return. Even a word of thanks is not necessary. Their hearts and minds are set to give wholeheartedly, without any inhibitions.

This is indeed the true meaning of Christmas. It is the unselfish act of being able to give a part of oneself to others. But do you know that you don't have to be a billionaire or a millionaire in order to become a Secret Santa? This is not incredible and in fact it is not a far out idea. You can definitely become a Secret Santa as long as you have the heart to do it.

You don't always have to give money during Christmas to become a Secret Santa. You have so many things to give such as your talent, skill, presence, and even your time. You can all give these things wholeheartedly and without any inhibitions as well. You can visit a sick friend, just to let her know you care. You can spend time with your kids who at times you might have neglected due to a hectic schedule at work or in business. You can make something that you can give for those in need such as blankets or pillows to aid them during the cold season. You can even give some old stuff you no longer need instead of holding a garage sale.

You can do so many things to experience that satisfaction wherein you have selflessly given a part of yourself to others during Christmas. You don't need to save thousands of dollars to do this. In fact, you can even be like the Secret Santa with only a couple of dollars. You can even be like one without spending anything at all. Think about this, you'll find so many things within yourself.

Suzie has been writing articles on interesting topics including health issues and home decoration ideas. Her new interests are in vacuum cleaners such as Hoover Upright Vacuum and Eureka Upright Vacuum.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzie_Sanchez

Just like the above article, I believe the true meaning of Christmas is about giving. Whether it is about giving to family members, friends, a person in need or ourselves, it's a joy to see a smile in their face.

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Snow arrived early than usual this year. We live by the coast hence very often when we get snow, it would just be a dusting of snowflakes that melts within minutes. It was nice waking up to a sea of white today.

There is something nice about snow even though it can cause lots of inconvenience especially for those on the road. I loved watching snowflakes falling from the sky, it's like a dance. In the beginning, tiny snowflakes float down from the sky and dance gracefully like ballerina. A sudden strong gust of wind forcefully swept the snowflakes across and down, like skips and spins of a dance performance.

The way I enjoy this lovely display is snuggling warmly on a couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a biscuit.

I wonder and hope that we will get a white Christmas this year. The last time we had snow during Christmas was in 2006. Finger crossed !!!

Should I continue with this dancing class or should I walk away?

Having just came back from Singapore and though it was for a sad occasion, I did had a wonderful time with my family and friends, I was feeling good about people and life. Not till I attended my dancing class and I am brought back to reality, why is it that after 5 years of attending this class, I still feel like an outsider.

I know I have to take responsibility of my own feelings. Nobody can make me feel this way, right?

Before coming to UK, I never thought I would have a problem meeting new people and getting to know them better. I was in customer service and sales all of my working life and I have always enjoyed meeting new friends.

I take the responsibility that I speak rather quickly and with an accent that is sometimes difficult to understand. Another misconception I had was I thought I speak rather good English. I was wrong. When you are brought up with a mixture of English and a few local languages, there is a tendency to 'bastardise' the English language. I am often asked what is my mother tongue. Very quickly without hesitation, I would always say English. That's because I think in English, dream in English. it was my first language in school hence automatically, I thought my mother tongue was English. Now I realised that my mother tongue should be Hokkien, the dialect of my parents or maybe even Mandarin.

This is just a short background of where I came from. I did what I thought is right initially in an attempt to make new friends by being friendly and helpful. I am also mindful of the fact that the people here are very polite. I realised some would not ask you about yourself unless they know you well as it would be impolite. There are others who would not ask me to repeat when they don't understand what I said as it will be view as impolite too. Sometimes it could also be the fear of politically incorrectness.

I felt totally demoralised after attending class this week after an absence of a month. It's probably not a fair judgement. I had based my feelings of dejection from a small group of people. I have not really help myself by reaching out to more people. In the last few years, I have also taken the easy route of hanging out in front of my laptop, doing internet marketing and meeting people online. It probably doesn't help me to improve my socialising skills and that's bad for me as I do enjoy meeting people.

What should I do? As the year draw to a close, I am deciding whether I should continue with this class. ( I psyched myself that I need the exercise and I love dancing and I don't have to care about the people there ) or should I walk away. There are many nice people I have not met here. I shouldn't allow myself to be demoralised.

However, being stubborn, I don't think I am ready to give up. I am going to set myself a challenge. I shall continue with the dancing class. As there is a saying; ' we have to change ourselves first' I will make positive changes in myself.

Firstly, I will speak slower and pronounced my words clearly and more accurately. I will try my best not to try too hard to please people lest my action get misunderstood. I will still be nice, respectful and think well of people. I will speak positively and be a more attentive listener. I will open up to a wider circle of people.

I will challenge myself for one year. If in the end, I still have not managed to get accepted in this group, I know I have not lost anything.

Will the recent happenings in Tiger Woods personal life affect his reputation as a fantastic golfer?

Since the fateful night where Tiger Woods's car collided with a fire hydrant and a tree. it's like a can of worms is now opened.



A news article from Times Online on the 9th December, 2009 have cleverly recorded the build up of the Tiger Woods saga right from the night of the car crash....

It began with a car accident ...

November 27

•Woods injured in a car accident near his Florida home after colliding with a fire hydrant and a tree

•Florida Highway Patrol says alcohol was not involved but charges may be pending

•US gossip websites speculate that the incident may be connected to reports in the National Enquirer of an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel

November 28

•Florida Highway Patrol confirms it has been unable to speak to Woods and his wife, Elin

November 29

•Woods admits full blame for the incident in a statement

November 30

•Woods says he will miss his own charity tournament, the Chevron World Challenge

December 1

•Woods is issued with a traffic citation for careless driving and a $164 fine (£103). Officials declare the investigation over

•Florida Highway Patrol says: “There are no claims of domestic violence by any individual”

December 2

• Us Weekly runs interview with waitress Jaimee Grubbs, who claims she had an affair with the golfer

•Woods issues an apology for unspecified “transgressions”

December 4-7

•Several other women, including a porn star and a pancake house waitress, claim that they have had flings with Woods

December 8

•Woods’s mother-in-law, Barbro Holmberg, taken to hospital from his home

source :http://timesonline.com

What will happen to Tiger Woods after the whole saga? Is his clean cut image permanently damaged?

What's your opinion- Will the recent happenings in Tiger Woods personal life affect his reputation as a fantastic golfer?

Learn how to get started with CPA marketing- My review on Loot4leads program

I decide to embark into CPA marketing reading about how many have succeeded with it. What I like about CPA marketing is I will get paid by companies and advertisers when I send clicks, leads or sales to their site. After much research on the best way to start CPA marketing, I put my money on Loot4leads.

Here’s my review on
Loot4leads after purchasing the course for 1 ½ months.

What‘s loot4lleads?

Loot4leads is a
CPA guide and program created for not only for newbies but also to people who wants to explore new marketing tactics and strategies.

What does the program consists of:

The program consist of a well documented and provides an easy to follow step by step course and an interactive forum for members to learn and share their experience in CPA marketing.

Here’s a brief outline on what Loot4Leads offer:

It provides a Complete CPA Blueprint documented step by step from beginning steps to advanced strategies.

CPA Newbies Section
• What is CPA Marketing & How to Get Started
• How to Get Approved into CPA Networks
• What to do First After Getting Approved
• Understanding Offer Types & Payouts
• Setting Up a Campaign on An Existing Website
• Setting Up a Campaign Through Article Marketing
• Everything you need to know about Keyword- Research, using Keyword Tool and Keyword Competition
• Explanation of Backlinks

Intermediate
• Poll Technique
• Article Marketing with Polls
• Using Google Trends with PPC & Article Marketing
• Earning Money from 1 Page Mini Sites
• How to Redirect Your Domain Name
• How to Setup a Landing Page Using WordPress
• Using Your Own Template
• Everything on PPC Traffic, Adwords, Google Quality Score, Yahoo
• Traffic building – Free and Paid

Advanced
• Outsourcing Work
• How to Increase Your Payouts
• Do’s and Don’ts of CPA Marketing
• Real Campaign Case Studies
• Making Money With Incentive Offers
• Making Money on Forums
• Getting Listed On Google Free in 3 Minutes
• Real Life Profitable Campaigns
• Other ways of making money from CPA such as content

There are also 1 page mini templates to help members start immediately. The above programs are all part of VIP and Platinum membership. For Platinum members, you'll also get a fully customized turnkey money making niche website that is ready to make money with all your CPA affiliate ID's membership. You will also learn how to flip your website for huge sum of money.

Why I use
Loot4leads to help me start my
CPA campaigns?

It’s common to see CPA marketers using PPC campaigns to generate income. The advantage of PPC is the ability to make instant money as you pay for your website exposure. The disadvantage is it can drain your finances if it’s not managed properly. There are people who make more loses than earnings. Furthermore with PPC, you need a substantial capital to begin your campaign.

As I am not prepared to take the risk in PPC, I decided to look for a CPA program that will teach me how to start a CPA campaign and start making money without spending any money. That’s what attracted me to Loot4leads. Even though there is a section for people who want to do PPC campaign, a large section of the guide shows me how to use CPA marketing to generate permanent, long term income at minimum cost.
There are many strategies documented in the program, each strategy are easy to follow. It is said that sometimes you only need one idea to be successful. I have found more than one useful strategies in Loot4leads.

If like me, you want to make money with CPA campaigns but do not wish to spend too much, give
Loot4leads a try. The website is nicely set up and uncomplicated. The methods are properly documented and easy to understand. There’s no hype and wild promises, just down to earth CPA marketing techniques that works.


Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes. ~ Peter Senge

Was boy in the balloon a hoax ?

News update- CNN - Authorities in Colorado say criminal charges are expected to be filed against Richard Heene, a storm-chasing father whose giant Mylar balloon ascended into the sky earlier this week, sparking fears that his 6-year-old was aboard.

Richard and Mayumi Heene leave the Larimer County Sheriff's Office Saturday. 1 of 3"We do anticipate at some point in the future, there will be some criminal charges filed with regards to this incident," Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said.

The saga captured the nation's attention early Thursday afternoon, after authorities reported the family's homemade helium balloon was set adrift, apparently with young Falcon Heene inside.

Since then, speculation has mounted over whether the incident was a hoax by the father, who has appeared with his family on ABC's "Wife Swap," and posted videos of storm chasing and other activities online.

Earlier Saturday, in an impromptu press conference outside his home, Heene told reporters the runaway balloon incident was "absolutely no hoax."

Do you think that the boy in the balloon is not a hoax?
Yes
OR
No

Vote above and get a Free $1,0000 Gift Card to spend in Walmart.


The boy in a balloon have caused a national scramble in America. As everyone hold their breath and prayed for the safety of the 6 year old boy, it have left everyone puzzled and worried on the whereabout of the balloon boy. ( he was not in the balloon when it landed)

The helium balloon in the shape of a flying saucer drifted away from a home in Fort Collins, Colorado. After two hours of floating over miles of terrain, the balloon finally landed in a field and the boy is not in it.

The latest news is the boy is hiding at home and was never in the balloon. Theories that it is a hoax quickly emerges. Some say it is a publicity stunt made by the boy's parents who was a participant in US wife swap reality TV show.

Here's a video clip on the landing of the fly saucer ballon from Associated Press:



Whether it is a hoax or not, it definitely make this day interesting and exciting!

Do you think that the boy in the balloon is not a hoax?
Yes
OR
No

Vote above and get a Free $1,0000 Gift Card to spend in Walmart.

President Obama school speech, do you agree?

What's the purpose of education?

Many people believed that education helps cultivate a civilised society. Imparting education create and enables the development of a responsible and thoughtful society.
Education is believed to be responsible for the cultivation of a civilized society.

So when President Obama announced that his school speech is about encouraging students to take their education seriously and responsibily, why are there so many mixed reactions?

Do you think President Obama's school speech is political?
YES

OR

NO
Vote above and receive Free * $1,000 Wal-Mart Gift Card!


ON September 8, many schools in America are anticipating the number of school children turning up to listen to President Obama school speech. The school speech will be broadcast live from Wakefield High School in Arlington County.


The focus of President Obama’s school speech according to the White House is about motivating students to work hard, set educational goals and take personal responsibility for their learning.

Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education in his open letter last week wrote; “He will also call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens”

So why is there such a furor about the school speech. Perhaps it's because schools are given a Prek-6 menu of classroom activities and teachers are asked to engage students and stimulate discussion before, during and after the President’s school speech.

Some people feel that the school speech is trying to indoctrinate students, telling students what to do. The uproar has seen some effect. Some feel that the way children are educated should only fall into the hands of parents and teachers, the President should not interfere. It is reported that some parents are considering pulling their children out of school on Tuesday.

The White House have responded that President Obama school speech is not a policy speech but a speech to encourage students to stay in school.

Do you think President Obama's school speech is political?
YES

OR

NO
Vote above and receive Free * $1,000 Wal-Mart Gift Card!

Rock to the music of Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5

Get a Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii game console free here

If you like Guitar Hero World Tour, you will definitely enjoy Guitar Hero 5. Launch in US on September 1, 2009 and internationally within the same month, the rock music game have step up its mark with 83 separate artists in its track list. Amongst them is rock legend Kurt Cobain with two Nirvana songs, Smells like Teen Spirit and an unreleased recording of Lithium.

Guitar Hero 5 is released for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The four instruments rock experience in Guitar Hero World Tour is also enhanced with more flexibility and fun for players and Guitar Hero 5 is packed with several new features.

Find out how you can get a Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii game console free here

Here are some of the main features of Guitar Hero 5:

• There are 85 songs by 83 separate artists in the Guitar Hero 5 track list. Modelled with motion capture for avatars in the game, the musicians with works in the game include Johnny Cash, Carlos Santana, Shirley Manson, Kurt Cobain, Matthew Bellamy, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Vampire Weekend

• Players can make the band the way they want it. They can play on their own or customise their musical experience with any combination of guitarists, bassists, drummers or vocalists.

• A new feature, Party Play give players the flexibility of switching instruments or difficulty levels while playing, jump into a band or drop out in the middle of a song.

• RockFest is a new game mode in Guitar Hero 5. This feature creates competiveness and fun. It allows players to pitch their musical style competitively either locally or online with 4 or more person. Within Rockfest are sub modes such as:

• The Momentum feature adjusts the player skill level according to his performance. The momentum mode in Guitar Hero 5 increases the difficulty level when the player is performing well, drop the skill level when the player is struggling, that is, when they miss three notes in a row.

• Players are ranked by the percentage of correct notes hit in the Perfectionist game mode. Points are given to the player at different sections of a track and the final score will be calculated at the end of the track.

• In “Do or Die” game mode, if a player misses three notes in the current section of the song, they will be forced to wait out until the next section.

• The game between players is raised with the “Elimination” mode where the lowest scoring player will be eliminated at certain marked points in a song.

You can now rock to the music of Kurt Cobain and other rock legends with this latest console game Guitar Hero 5. The rock music game can be purchased as a standalone or together in a bundle, for example, video game with console.

Find out how you can get a Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Nintendo Wii game console free here

News clip - Racing for the first Jackson book

Read this on BBC news today- is it good news for MJ fans or.......?

Racing for the first Jackson book

By Dominic Laurie
Business reporter, BBC News

The first books will be on sale by the end of the week
We don't know if he has even been buried yet but already the first Michael Jackson tribute biography is bound and ready to go.

Harper Collins is one of 15 publishers racing to get their book onto the shelves first.

A printers in Somerset began running 110,000 copies of their edition on Saturday. Harper Collins hopes this means the book can hit the shops on Friday, just three weeks after Jackson's death.

How they did it is down to some of the tightest self-imposed deadlines the UK publishing industry has ever seen.

Race begins

The morning after the news Michael Jackson had died, Harper Collins sensed an opportunity. They decided a new book was needed, especially since the most recent Jackson biography in the marketplace was over five years old.

In terms of the reaction to the death of a public figure, it's probably the most significant publishing event since the death of Princess Diana

Joe Browes, music buyer for Waterstone's
The trouble is, they knew their competitors would be thinking the same thing.

"We needed text in two days, pictures in three days," says Carole Tonkinson, publisher for non fiction at Harper Collins. "We started the project Monday afternoon, and by Thursday we had to give it to the designer to put together, which is the tightest schedule in the history of our company."

To meet the tight deadlines the publisher had set themselves, they quickly brought in a freelance author, sat him down in an office on the editorial floor of their London headquarters, and told him to write 10,000 words of new material in 48 hours.

He shut himself away until he had finished.

Sales boost

"Being first is key, we need to get that slot in the retailers," says Tonkinson. "If our competitors sell them their Jacko book, then we're out in the cold. We need to be in that slot, on the shelf in the supermarket, in the book shop before anybody else."


Harper Collins gave itself the tightest schedule in its history
The book trade, under pressure from the recession and online media, is excited at what all the publishers might come up with.

"In terms of the reaction to the death of a public figure, it's probably the most significant publishing event since the death of Princess Diana," says Joe Browes, the music buyer for Waterstone's.

For the industry, this is great news. It means extra sales that had not been planned for.

But with four or five publishers rushing to be first to market, it seems likely that there won't be room in the market for all of the books.

Even though Jackson's commercial appeal is huge, the pie is finite and not everyone will get a bite.

Reacting fast is everything.

It will be interesting to see the contents of the book, will there be lots of picture and are there any new contents that we have not already know.

The book is due to be release on the 17th July, 2009. Amazon have already placed the book online. so if you want to know more, here are the links:

Amazon US - Michael Jackson - Legend, Hero, Icon: A Tribute to the King of Pop

Amazon UK - Michael Jackson - Legend, Hero, Icon: A Tribute to the King of Pop

Will you seek psychic advice?

We face many issues in our daily life. Life issues such as relationship, finance, marriage, children, career, education and health. Some of the life issues are easy to solve but sometimes we can be inundated with issues that seems to be bizarre or beyond our comprehension. We feel scared, tensed, unconfident, suspicious, nervous and stressed.

Nowadays more people are turning to psychics for help in their problems. People seek psychic help for many reasons. Some want to clarify why they feel uncomfortable about something or someone, some want to get confirmation of the direction they are deciding to take in their life and feel assured that it is the right decision.

Here are some reasons why people seek psychic help:
• To aid their search for the perfect mate
• At the crossroad of their life.
• Confirmation of a decision they are about to make
• For spiritual guidance
• To clarify their feelings about something or about someone
• The desire to change their destiny
• On unexplainable happenings

What can a psychic do for you?

Psychics aren’t super human being but they are people who possess certain gift, such as the gift of heightened intuition, clairvoyance, astro projection, light body healing, telepathy, precognition, channelling, psychometry and many others. With their special gifts, psychic can guide and show you the right direction. Psychics have a sense of uncanny feeling about things that could be causing problems in a person; they look for the root of the problem, reveal issues that could have tainted your progress, offer spiritual insight, guide you in significant decision making and help you find peace and comfort.

Will you seek psychic help? Many of us at certain point in our life do have the desire to get some sort of psychic advice.. Do your research before consulting a psychic and keeping an open mind when seeing one will help you get an accurate reading.

The advantage of online psychic sites is you get the chance to view and select the best psychic reader from around the world. The question now is which online psychic service you should use. You can find out more in Online Psychic Site Reviews.

Have you never been mellow

I would like to share a favourite song of mine, Have you never been mellow, recorded by Olivia Newton John and written by John Farrar. Whenever, I feel lost and stress, I would hummed the words of this song, kind of like a reminder that I should slow down and enjoy life's beauty.

Enjoy the words and let me know what you think!

Have You Never Been Mellow

There was a time when I was in a hurry as you are
I was like you
There was a day when I just had to tell my point of view
I was like you
Now I don't mean to make you frown
No, I just want you to slow down

Have you never been mellow?
Have you never tried to find a comfort from inside you?
Have you never been happy just to hear your song?
Have you never let someone else be strong?

Running around as you do with your head up in the clouds
I was like you
Never had time to lay back, kick your shoes off, close your eyes
I was like you
Now you're not hard to understand
You need someone to take your hand

Have you never been mellow?
Have you never tried to find a comfort from inside you?
Have you never been happy just to hear your song?
Have you never let someone else be strong?

Learning Success from others

I often ponder on the question about how I should look upon other people's success or failure. It's easy to fall into the negativity of envy and 'they are just lucky' mentality. I found this interesting article whilst surfing on the net and it confirm my thoughts that one of the main criteria for sucess is about learning from other people's achievements and failures. I have pasted the article here and I hope you will find it useful as I have:

When you're trying to make improvements to your life in a certain area, it can be difficult to look around and see others who have already achieved what you're still trying to achieve. If you're starting a business, you may feel twinges of jealousy or envy pop up when you read about someone who already owns an extremely successful business in the field you're attempting to break into. Maybe you're an artist and have yet to sell a painting, whereas other artists you know seem to sell their products by barely lifting a finger! Or maybe you just don't feel as happy or energetic as you'd like, but it seems like everyone around you always has that extra spring in their step.

Here's my advice for this: Instead of feeding into your twinges of jealousy or envy (yep, I get 'em too!), strive to learn as much as you can about how to achieve success from that person who has already achieved success in that area. The individual who is already accomplished in what you're hoping to make happen can serve as a great resource or mentor for you along your path to success! Not to mention, if someone else has already achieved your goal, that's a great thing for you because that is positive proof that it can be done. Hey, if they can do it, so can you!

If the person has written a book, read it! If the person lives in your area, ask to grab coffee with them and pick their brain about how they achieved their results. Don't worry, they will be extremely flattered if you tell them why you want to meet with them. If the person is a good friend of yours, then you have no excuses not to learn from them! Even just spending time with them and observing how they treat others or how they get things done on their to-do list can teach you a lot about success. Say you have a friend who is great with relationships and you're only so-so. The next time you hang out with your friend and her spouse, notice how she treats her spouse and see if it's any different than the way you treat potential suitors.

My point is, it can be easy to get frustrated when you've hit a roadblock or two and you see others around you who seem to be sailing through their goals with flying colors. Rather than feeling despair, however, a more productive thing to do is figure out what makes the other person successful and implement those techniques in your own life. This keeps you in action (learning and implementing new strategies) rather than staying stuck and feeling sorry for yourself, which is a much lower vibration. Remember, your external world cannot change until your internal world does. Therefore, if you are carrying around thoughts and feelings of, "Poor me, I will never get anywhere...", that is exactly what will keep happening in your life! To shift this to a more positive vibration, focus instead on the fact that someone else has succeeded and therefore, so can you. And your first step to success is observing how they have created their own success and seeing if you can replicate any of that yourself.

This is one reason why I love attending personal growth seminars put on by others who have already achieved what I'm trying to achieve. By observing how they carry themselves, how they interact with others, how they conduct their business, etc., I get a lot of great insight into how I can create similar results to them. Even if you can't attend a seminar, visit that person's website or sign up for their monthly newsletter to see if you can get any insights into how they have created their results. You don't even have to replicate what they do, but just open yourself up to some of the possibilities that are out there.

I recently met someone who has achieved several of the goals that are on my vision board and I felt myself starting to get down on myself for not having already achieved the same results. Then I realized what an amazing resource this person could be for me in realizing my dreams, and I started asking her a ton of questions and arranging to be around her as much as I could. I encourage you to try the same technique in your own life and watch as your results start to soar overnight! :-)

Mary Knebel is known as the Self Help Goddess, because she loves reading and finding the best self help books and resources to help others create their ideal life. She believes that everyone should be living their dream life, every single day. Check out her website at http://www.selfhelpgoddess.com to discover the best self help resources she has found over the years, and start living a life that is meaningful, fulfilling, and satisfying in every way possible!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Knebel

Recommended reading:
Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How successful people become even more successful

The importance of renewable energy today

The world is facing two challenges today; climate change challenge and the challenge to reverse recession.

In 2007, a not for profit organisation, UK8020 CIC, launched a global initiative; Climate Change Challenge to inspire individuals or groups to invent an affordable domestic renewable energy generator. The founder, Robert Lee, believes that the focus on renewable energy generators will help create a new industry with millions of new jobs.

The evidence of climate change is apparent. Erratic weather patterns causing severe snow storms, heat waves and hurricanes are happening more frequently. Our dependence on fossil fuels for energy is slowly depleting the earth's natural resources. Increased carbon emissions into the atmosphere are one of the main contributing factors to global warming. The rising costs of electricity also mean that many people are living in fuel poverty.

The growth of renewable energy industries is moving at a slow speed. The costs of installing a solar system or a wind turbine for our home are not yet within reach of many people. Furthermore with the downturn of the world's economy, one wonders if we can afford to look after the planet. This may not necessarily be the case. It could be our saving grace towards reversing recession and helping tackle climate change at the same time.

In Prime Minister Gordon Brown's speech to the US congress recently, he said "it is only by investing in environmental technology that we can end the dictatorship of oil, and it is only by tackling climate change that we create the millions of new green jobs we need".

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources like wind, solar energy from the sun and heat from within the earth. Such energy will not run out and can be used to continually generate electricity unlike the burning of fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These 'clean' energies do not release substances that are harmful to the environment. Renewable energy technologies include solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, geothermal and biomass.

As "invention is the mother of necessity", this urgency will push the development of renewable energy generators at a faster speed. Alongside local government's renewable energy policies and incentives they will help make such renewable energy products affordable to the masses.

As more people turn to renewable energy generating products, it will encourage growth in this new industry thereby creating new jobs. It is a win-win situation for the world's economy and the planet too.

Visit Climate Change Challenge for more information and give your support to this initiative.

Consolidation and Evolution

When I first start to blog, my enthusiam reach fever pitch and I was managing 7 blog. Why? I thought that it was fantastic to be able to create a blog for every interest I have.

It not easy to manage 7 blogs especially when I want to be able to write most of the them. I went from shopping, self improvement, sports, music videos, online dating tips to travel reviews. Here is the problem; if I can't dedicate enough time to make blog post, how can I get motivated to continue by the low number of traffic to my blogs? Consequently, the quality of my blog will suffer.

I have evolved. I am going to consolidate my blogging efforts on just two blog sites. I like writing about my travels, so I will continue posting travel reviews and travel tips on Travel Reviews Blog. As for the rest. I am consolidating blog posting here. I am not going to be like a headless chicken running around trying to make blog posting in every blog site.

From now on, I am going to share my thoughts, research and articles and updates from the websites I run in this blog.

Thank you for joining me in my journey to be a better blogger.