Life is getting ‘normalize’ for me once again after the Christmas and New Year holidays. I can tell you the week before New Year was crazy. I’ve been buying and buying non-stop. The big difference this year is I am doing most, if not all, my shopping online.

I always talk about the beauty of internet shopping and this is the time I guess I get to put money where my mouth is. I bought gifts for my family online and a big resounding yes, it’s cheaper. For those who love the crowd crazy holiday atmosphere, then I guess there’s nothing like sweating and roughing it out at the checking counter. I rest my case.

I’ve blogged about my Iphone obsession a million times on this blog and I’m still thinking if I should go all out and just get it over with. Iphone is not available in my country yet but there are people selling Iphone over here at around USD900+. Yeah, you hear me right. It’s more expensive over here.

That is so cheap!

Getting an Iphone over here is too expensive when I see bidding for brand new Iphones over at Bidaroo.com starts at a mere USD40. I’ve never bid for anything online before but the prices at the site are really tempting. What I don’t get is how Bidaroo.com can sell their products 80%-90% below retail price? I know it is a part Charity Auction site and at least 25% of the proceeds will be given back to cancer fighting causes and other charitable organizations, I still don’t understand how they can give out such Best Prices.

Anyone checked out or has experience bidding before on Charity Auctions like Bidaroo.com? Do share and help me get off my Iphone craving once and for all. I honestly don’t mind satisfying my craving and doing some good at the same time. It’s a 2 in 1.

You gotta be kidding me, right?

Obviously not. Time magazine named Russian President Vladimir Putin “Person of the Year 2007. ”

Well what do I know, right?

Like they say, you’re one minute on Time and the next, doing it. Not this guy though… it’s all his nemesis.

There has been extensive coverage on the TV news eversince Al Gore won his Nobel peace prize for his part on climate change and global warming. Heck, he even made a movie called Án Inconvenient Truth.’ Well, credit given when credit is due, he probably did much to deserve the award though I am no fan of his during his vice President days.

I applaud Al Gore for the penguins. Love them. It is just sad the penguins’ existence are now being threatened by the climate change. Yeah, the penguins and I ought to be grateful to Al Gore for highlighting their plight and world global warming. Look, let’s be honest, nobody would have cared if the message is merely coming from some poor unknown scientist.

I guess with blogs and online journals, ordinary peeps are overwhelmed by the sudden power to be the center of the universe in their little blogging world. Many times bloggers are just so consumed with themselves, it ’s like nothing else matters. The world revolves around them and their blogs.

The recent Google shuffle saw many blogs losing their PR. This of course led to much dissatisfaction and lamenting because of lost revenue from paid links or paid posts. I would know because I’m one of the people affected. I do paid posts and my main blog lost 1 or 2 notches (different data centers have different readings).

Will I see less paid posts opportunities?

You bet.

Am I mad about it?

I am not happy about it but I sure as hell not mad. Don’t get me wrong. No, it’s not like I’m such an exceptional being I can transcend beyond human emotion and remain nonchalant about my dwindling paid posts income. I’m not that good. I’m merely being logical about the whole thing. I try not to just stand from my alpha position looking out from my little world and expect everything to revolve around it. I just took a step out of my private zone and look at the whole thing from another perspective.

Like in any everyday business agreement, there has to be someone selling, and somebody willing to buy. There has to be a certain element of mutual benefit to the agreement. Nobody in their right mind will enter into an agreement if they cannot derive any sort of compensation from it. Unless somebody is pointing a gun at you…

In the paid posts arena, advertisers are purchasing your blog space and you are selling yours. I used the word blog space or blogs. Not the blogger. That is an important distinction. Many people had argued PR rankings will not affect the quality of the blogger. I agree 100%.

If a blogger writes good posts, they’ll continue to do so with or without PR ranking. The crux of the matter is, bloggers are not selling themselves to advertisers. They are selling their blogs or blog space. The commodity of the blogger here is their blog. If, the PR rankings of your blog drops, the value of your bargaining power drops. Simple. Nobody is less of a blogger if their blog rank goes down, but then your blog is less of a value if it does.

On a neutral note, benefit of an agreement should be mutual. Not just one sided. You cannot measure merely from your own standpoint. Advertisers have rights too. If, I cannot offer to my buyer/advertiser something of value, of course I won’t get the deal. Nothing is just about me.

What is there to be mad?

I’m finally letting my previous WP Mandigo theme go. The theme has been giving me erratic alignment problems. It would have been easier had it been consistent. The thing is, I never know when the theme goes out of alignment. One minute you see it, the next, you don’t. Sometimes it looks fine on Firefox, it goes haywire on IE.

While I don’t condone constant changing of themes, I have to concur blog templates are like relationship. You’ll save yourself alot of heartbreak knowing when is the right time to let it go. This current theme is much more easier to handle and I’ll still have much tweaking to do.

After 3 years of blogging, I still feel the excitement when someone new comes and leave a comment. Most of the time, I will seek the person out and visit their blog. There is nothing superficial or pretentious about it. I do think it’s plain courtesy. If I find the blog is something I can identify with, I will continue to drop-by. Afterall, I derive much pleasure reading their post and most of the time, a blogging friendship is formed.

In fact, that is how bloggers socialize and network in the first place. In real life, somebody has to take the initiative to walk the first step. It could be a smile or a casual hello. In blogosphere, where physical presence is not an option, leaving a comment in another’s blog is akin to a casual hello. There is nothing wrong.

I know, nowadays, everyone is viewing everybody with suspicion. God forbid, you might even be accused of whoring for attention by leaving a comment…. well, say what they want because I’m not buying it. That’s no way to live a blogging existence by viewing every commentator with doubt and malice. I say bring back the good old days when a smile is viewed as nothing but a smile. Start your panic button only after you get to know the blogger well enough to make an educated judgment.

Blogging is really a social network. Take away the social element, it is pointless. No matter how much money you’re making out of it. Well, at least that’s how I feel.

For the past few days, I had been doing posters and banners for my personal use. I am enjoying myself too much. Come to think of it, I might even like doing posters more than writing.

Since I’m doing paid posts, I do not mind incorporating a little self gratification by doing up posters for my sponsors. I know I’m not obliged to… but then I’m enjoying it.

Well, I’m not saying every person who do paid posts should go the extra mile, but then I love doing it so why not? Whatever rocks my boat. Nay, I don’t get paid for it. But then I could not careless. Fun is priceless…

Who says it’s a sin to find ways to enjoy paid posts even more? I’ll be putting up more self-made posters for my paid posts. It makes my blog looks nicer and as long as my sponsors are not complaining I’ll keep on doing it.

All the mystery surrounding the ’secret’ of withdrawing from Paypal has finally put to sleep. Forget about the elusive ‘e book’ teaching you how to go around the Paypal system. When I first started receiving funds to my Paypal around a month ago, I was one of the many clueless soul searching high and low in the forum for solution. As usual, there’s more confusion than solution.

Anyway, since Paypal announced last week Malaysians can now withdraw their money to their credit/debit card, that has to be the best news. As far as I know, at the moment it’s just Visa. A fellow blogger had blogged Paypal rejected his Mastercard.

I’m testing water now by trying to withdraw a minimal sum. Paypal charges USD5 per transaction (min transaction amount has to be at least USD10). I’m just eager to find out how is my Maybank conversion rate. Has to find out if it’s really worth it in the long run.

I’m withdrawing into my credit card, so, I won’t be withdrawing the money. I’ll just use them up. For those who want to feel the money between their fingers, it does make better sense to get a debit card. Specifically, Visa electron debit card. Debit cards without the Visa logo is useless. (if you want to withdraw from Paypal) At the moment, the only bank issuing Visa Electron debit cards over here are Public Bank and United Overseas Bank.

Personally, I will just wait out to see how’s the transaction rate on my Maybank credit card. Either way, I’m not exactly bitching. I’m just relieved.

Well, nothing like a good old bout of flu to make me realize there’s more to life than just sitting in front of the computer 24/7.

The few days I was in bed, I just let it go. Normally, I would spend at least 8 hours in front of my PC. Well, come to think of it, I’m merely being humble. It’s definitely more than 8 hours.

No, I don’t update as often, but then I do still make it a point to visit my blogging buddies. I hate to use the word networking though. It just sound pretentious. I don’t socialize much even in the blogosphere but, I do visit blogs I like. There is no hidden motive behind my visits and most of the time, I don’t even leave comments. If I enjoy what I read, that’s satisfaction in itself. Networking? Nay, that’s the word reserved for the marketing peeps.

While at it, I don’t do links exchange either.

Maybe I should. Well, I’ll sleep on it.

Many years ago, my father got me a clerical position in his working place. The company dealt in gold and jewelery. It was open knowledge the place belonged to Mr. Foong, one of the wealthiest man in my hometown. But, every once in a month, a shabbily dressed old man in slippers will come to my workplace and look through the monthly accounts. I was initially quite amused to find everyone in the office showed such reverence to this old gentleman. People always called him Mr X. Now, my father is an impatient man. It’s amusing seeing my old man going over the reports patiently with Mr X. Patience has never been my father’s virtue. I’m the first to know.

Finally, I asked my old man who is Mr X. My father told me he is the biggest share holder of the company. I almost dropped dead. That is not possible. Could an old man driving a beat-up Toyota and dressed in an old shirt which probably faded at least 3 shades its original colour owned this company?

It took me many years to realize, the richest people around might not be the ones constantly in the news, drives a Benz or BMW, wears the latest branded clothes and carry the newest handphones. They don’t live in Mansions or travel to Paris for a vacation. They may live next door to you and you may never even know their name. Many times, their kind of wealth is invisible.

The money test is simply how much wealth can one keep. Just because someone makes alot of money doesn’t mean they are wealthy. If their expenses equal or exceeds their income, they don’t qualify as wealthy. Company owners who owes the bank lots of money and lease everything they have is not wealthy.

Of course not everyone will get rich, but then the first step one has to take is to get rid of certain misconceptions :-

• If I had just a little more money, I’d be happy;
• If I were wealthy I could buy anything I wanted;
• I wish I were wealthy so I don’t have to worry about money anymore;
• I’m young, there’s still plenty of time. I’ll save later;
• I’m too old to start saving;
• I wish I’d saved more when I was younger;
• The only way to get rich is by inheritance, winning the lottery and owning commercial real estate;
• If I were wealthy, I wouldn’t care how much I paid in taxes.