Get auto insurance

Like other insurances, car insurance is one not to be ignored. Luckily, in most states and countries, Car Insurance is required by law. Imagine if you and/or your family were to be involved in an accident, that car insurance would have taken care of costs of your injury (and your family's) as well as the damage to your vehicle.

These days, it is easy to get online auto insurance quotes. For example, if you are in the Connecticut and Maryland areas, you can obtain quotes from Connecticut Auto insurance and Maryland Auto Insurance.

The King and I, the musical - in Kuala Lumpur

Fans of lavish musicals, will be in for a treat in July when The King and I sweeps into town. The international production of Rodgers and Hammerstein will be staged for two weeks beginning July 13 at Istana Budaya theatre here. The production costs RM4mil and audiences would be assured of world-class props and stage sets. The lead actor and actress are Paul Nakauchi and Brianna Borger who wowed audiences with excerpts from the musical’s popular songs during an event at a hotel here a week ago.

10 talented Malaysian children would be selected to play the king’s children in the production and those who are interested should tune in to LiteFM from April 2 to 13 for more details.

Tickets are available from today and can be obtained at www.axcess.com.my.

Source: The Star

Collectica - The Place for Collectors

Are you a collector? If you are, then there is this site you wouldn't want to miss and you would want to join this community of collectors. The site is aptly named Collectica - The Place For Collectors.

Every type of collectibles (coins, sports memorabilia, dolls, figurines, lots more) can be found here and every type of collector that you can imagine is on the site, all sharing their fantastic collections. Remember to look out for Jay Leno's antique car collection. Here, you will be able to meet new collector friends, join clubs, and participate in forums.

100ml limit for liquids, aerosols and gels in hand luggage

Travellers departing Malaysia on all international flights to note that liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) in airline passengers’ hand luggage will soon be limited to 100ml per item. LAGs carried in containers larger than 100ml will also not be acceptable, even if the container is only partially filled."

These containers must be placed in a transparent resealable plastic bag of a maximum one-litre capacity and that the containers must fit comfortably within the transparent plastic bag, which should be completely sealed. More..The Star

Free classified ads

My new neighbours are a couple of elderly folks. Both husband and wife are in their seventies. I remember when they first moved in a year ago, I noticed that they did not have many things with them. What I mean is there weren't many boxes of stuff and I was surprised and complimented them on their travelling light. To that, they told me that each time they moved house (which they've done a few times already), they'd get rid of stuff that they did not need. They'd put them in Classified listings.

Free ads listing is what they normally use to conserve their pension funds. Among the things they have sold off are their furniture sets as according to them, these are items that eliminates labour when they move house. Apart from items being on sale, these Free Classified Listings are also great places to find jobs and services and that's how they've made friends with the local forwarder. I hope they'll stay here awhile as they're such nice folks.

Malaysian Currency

Before one embarks on visiting a country, one would be wise to find out more about it and the one thing that tops the list would be the country's currency. The Malaysian currency is called Ringgit Malaysia (RM). The currency’s RM3.80 peg against the U.S. dollar imposed on Sept 1, 1998 was lifted on July 21, 2005. One ringgit comprises 100 sen. The exchange currently is around the region of RM3.48 to one U.S. dollar.

The currency comes in the form of both notes and coins. Ringgit banknotes are issued in the following denominations RM1, RM2, RM5, RM10, RM50 and RM100 while coins are issued in one sen, five sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and RM1 denominations.

For more info, visit Currency.

Gardening made simple

Gardening will never be the same again with hose reels that don't need cranking back the hose to rewind it. Available in various designs, these NO-CRANK hose reels eliminate one of the most stressful parts of lawn and garden maintenance, besides these hose reels are powered by water, nothing else - a big savings on batteries, electricity, and springs. I know Jack, my neighbour, would love these too.

Reaching out to the Malaysian Government

www.gov.my - This is the only website that needs to be remembered when dealing with the ministries and government agencies. This website allows access to a host of government websites and obtain information ranging from payment to complaints, applications, search and services, among others. More..The Star

Protecting your IP address

These days, websurfers are getting more concerned about their identity being compromised. There's no telling the damage that will be done as a result. Good thing there is this outfit, Secure-Tunnel Anonymous Websurfing, that has tools for protecting Internet users identity. Their programs mask the IP and port numbers. The program bypasses filters for Online Games, P2P software, myspace and facebook blockers.

Anonymous surfing is the desired choice or Internet users naturally. Secure-Tunnel uses 1024-bit encryption so everything the user does online is completely encrypted. This is particularly popular with Myspace users. Get a free safebar with accounts from as low as $2.95/month. I'd say this is a great deal for a huge protection. Bloggers who would like to test the system first, could write it for a free test account.

Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, KL

If you have been up the KL Tower or its vicinity, you would have noticed the surrounding lush greenery around it. This is Malaysia's oldest gazetted forest reserve, the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, a 10-hectare ancient forest in the dense concrete jungle of Kuala Lumpur which is a rare feature in the world.

The city’s remnant of pre-historic tropical forest was gazetted as a forest reserve in 1906. Then in 1934, it was declared a Wildlife Reserve and Bird Sanctuary and finally in 1950, a Virgin Jungle Reserve.

By the way, the KL Tower which is the country's tallest is the world’s fourth tallest telecommunication tower.

Mortgage Refinance

Many homeowners utilise Mortgage refinancing as a way of reducing payments on interest rates. This is a popular solution to save money over the life of their home loan.

The Internet has made many things easy and convenient. With the Internet, even insurance quotes can be obtained online. Take for instance, someone in California will be able to obtain up to four free quotes on California Mortgages. He is also able to obtain quotes for other cities.

The Amazing Ten Animal Kingdom

While in Kuala Lumpur, there is another zoo to visit besides the National Zoo in Ulu Kelang. This other zoo, the Amazing Ten Animal Kingdom houses some pretty neat creatures that you probably won’t find in other zoos in the country.

Take this animal, for instance. It is a sloth and this zoo is the only one in the whole of Malaysia that has this animal.



The Amazing Ten Animal Kingdom is located in Gohtong Jaya which is on the way to Genting Highland. From Kuala Lumpur, the journey via the Karak Highway takes about an hour.

The Amazing Ten Animal Kingdom is open daily from 8.30am to 8pm. It is situated at Level 3 of Genting Skyway Complex.

Tickets are priced at RM18 for adult and RM10 for child below the age of 12. Foreigners will have to pay RM25 and RM15 respectively. The zoo management offers free entrance to children from orphanages, old folks homes and non-profit organisations. However, they must write in or contact the management prior to the visit. For further details, contact 03-6100 1099.

Source: NST

A Visit to Jersey City

My sister and her husband are planning a holiday in the Fall and were going through some brochures when they came across one on Jersey City. They are excited about the many attractions Jersey City has to offer a tourist.

There is the Statue of Liberty, of course, and the prospect of riding a ferry from the Liberty State Park, a visit to Ellis Island, the Liberty Science Center, a stroll along the Jersey City Waterfront along Liberty Walk, the stunning views of the New York Harbor and the NYC skyline, visits to the many museums and art galleries, go to the theaters, visit historic sites and buildings and parks and do some shopping, naturally.

My sis and her husband love nature. They like taking walks in parks and waterfronts so I know they'll enjoy Jersey City with her parks and waterfronts. A trip to Jersey City would be just their ideal holiday destination.

Renewing driver's licence online

Very soon driver's licence will be able to be renewed online. This service which is expected to be available next month is for holders of CDLs (competent driving licences). This can be done using kiosks located at testing centres around the country. Read story..

Get a Free Verizon Phone

With so many different phones in the market and so many phone services to choose from, one can be quite baffled by what to go for. My cousin, Sam, was undecided but not anymore when his friend introduced him to a range of Verizon Wireless phones. He was surprised that there really is a wide range and they are pretty trendy ones too. Take for instance this here LG Cherry Chocolate. Isn't it a beauty?



This phone has a stylish slider design with soft-touch external controls and is the first phone to be able to play either downloaded VCAT music or PC-transferred music files plus you can wirelessly stream music to your stereo Bluetooth headset. Cool, isn't it? Want this for free? You can. Get a free LG Mint Chocolate when you sign up for a Verizon account. In fact, there are other wireless deals such as free Verizon RAZRS, all waiting to be collected with a new Verizon account.

Verizon has been recognised as having the best wireless networks in the U.S. Verizon offers not only trendy and great-looking phones, they also offer great deals which could include discounts and rebates, free Bluetooth headsets and of course free phones. All these are available from Wirefly, the #1 online agent for Verizon cell phones.

If you are looking to buy a phone instead and want to be sure you are buying what's popular right now, why not check out Wirefly's Top Ten Verizon Phones. Get Verizon deals, you won't get them anywhere.

"Spiderman" scaling the Twin Towers

No, this is not a contractor working on some wiring work. This is "Spiderman", Alain Robert, taking a break on the 59th floor of the Petronas Twin Towers. He was commemorating his 10th anniversary of his last climb of the towers. Unfortunately, like ten years ago, he did not manage to complete the climb as he was forced to abandon the feat on the 60th floor where the authorities apprehended him.

Read story..The Star
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Looking for a Gift?

Christmas is over some months now but birthdays are ongoing and it's rather difficult sometimes to know what to buy for friends and relatives. Not anymore, since I found this site full of costume jewelry. This is my favourite section. There are pretty, hand-painted money bags, sweet feminine watches, keepsake boxes, and more.

In this artist gallery one can find lots of lovely pieces of jewelry that will surely stand out at any function. Many items are available including apparel, items for the home such as furniture, garden stuff, items for the kitchen and home office, even pet accessories are available. Not sure what to buy? Check out their "Gift ideas" section, you are bound to get something just right for the recipient. Check out the site, you won't regret it.

Extension of stay for foreign spouse

With immediate effect, foreign spouses married to Malaysians can now stay in the country for five years without having to go to the Immigration Department annually to have their passports endorsed. The Government announced the extension to make it easier on foreign spouses as well as with the aim of boosting tourism. Read story..The Star

Drug Rehab - Know more about it

I have a friend who's brother was a drug addict. It had become so bad that he began stealing from his family. Small valuables would be missing on a daily basis.

drug addiction is a universal curse and people, especially young people, need to be informed of the dangers of drugs. There is a very informative site that I found that has every information one needs to know about the subject.

Cord Blood Drug Rehab is dedicated to educating the public about the effects of drug abuse and to promote abstinence. It offers lots of information on symptoms, intervention, treatment and various drug rehabilitation programs. This website is really the resource on such an important issue as drugs. Check it out!

Special VM 2007 stamps issue

In conjunction with Visit Malaysia (VM) 2007, there wil be a special VM 2007 stamps issue. 1.5M stamps and 60,000 first day covers will go on sale at Post Offices starting Monday, March 19. Other collectible items include miniature sheet (RM2), first day cover (RM0.30), postcard with stamp (RM0.80 each with a RM0.50 prefixed stamp), stamp book (RM3) and souvenir packs (RM4 each). More..

Book Hotels at Lower Rates

My cousin, Anne, was in Japan last month for a meeting. She said even though it was late Winter, the weather was very cold and she was really looking forward to coming back to Malaysia for our sunshine.

We do not have the four seasons here in Malaysia and right now the weather is terribly hot, so hot that Anne is thinking about making a quick escape to Europe being Spring there. She loves spending Spring in Europe. She has been there many times and mostly during Spring.

I found this site, eurobookings.com, that offers very low rates for European hotels online. Anne will be able to save money for more shopping. It's not only hotels in Europe, there are over 30,000 hotels available in thousands of locations that eurobookings cover. Check out the site for your next holiday.

Golfing in Malaysia

Malaysia has over 200 golf courses which are of international standards. Even Tiger Woods has played here. Malaysia has the added advantage of the weather which enables the game to be played all year round. Why not come to Malaysia for your next golf trip?

Orlando Commercial Real Estate

Are you looking for a commercial real estate but haven't had much success? You may want to contact York Property Company.

York Property Company is an Orlando Commercial Real Estate Firm that specializes in exclusive tenant representation. They are the Orlando partner of ITRA—The International Tenant Representative Alliance which has the largest network of corporate real estate professionals in the US.

They have successfully helped companies secure desired properties including offices and warehouse facilities all over the world. Being in the business for over 22 years, you won't find another better property company that is committed to saving clients time and money. Call them today!

Lively nights in Trengganu again

When PAS was administering Trengganu, licenses for entertainment places were revoked and those who wanted entertainment had to drive out of the state to Kuantan or take a boat-ride out to Pulau Redang.

Terengganu nights are coming alive again as local authorities are beginning to isseu licences again effective immediately. Barisan won the election last September. Karaoke lounges, snooker parlours, discotheques and water holes will soon be a part of Trengganu's business and entertainment landscape. We will expect to see cinemas and cineplexes as well. More..

How to save on international calls - Use Pingo

My neighbour, Meg, treats her Filipino maid, Dela, very well. She is like part of Meg's family having been with them for three years now. Dela has an aging mother back in Philippines so she tries to call home at least twice a week.

The other day, a friend told me about Pingo VOIP calling cards. I think I will tell Meg about the mobile philippines calling cards. I'm sure they will come in handy for Dela's use. Meg would be happy too for a saving on her phone bills.

Calls to Philippines are easy to make with Pingo prepaid calling cards and the rates come with discounts plus the convenience of automatic recharging. Pingo is a service of iBasis, one of the largest carriers of international phone calls in the world, so the quality is very reliable. Meg can start saving on every call and when she signs up she will get $5 in free calls! Pingo would be the last calling card she'll ever need.

Visit Malaysia on a Homestay programme

Malaysia's multi-ethnic heritage and history offer much attraction to tourists who are interested to know more about the country and her people.

The Homestay Programme for tourists, now confined to 80 traditional Malay villages, may be open to all villages, according to the Deputy Tourism Minister, Datuk Donald Lim. The programme, which was started about 10 years ago, now involves 1,222 families.

If you are interested to stay with a family here while on holiday, you can contact our Tourism Development Board (TDC).

Keeping track of Internet activities

The Internet has become a popular playground for children. My colleagues are concerned that their children spend too much time on the Internet and are looking at ways they can monitor their surfing. They found this keylogger software that is able to track one's surfing in terms of the sites he visits and what he does. This is a great help for parents to ensure that their children are not surfing sites that they are not supposed to.

A keylogger is not only useful in the home environment. Many companies now install the software to monitor their employees online activities to ensure that their usage of the computer is within the company's Internet Acceptable Use policy. There are different versions of keyloggers at Spector.com. For example, Spector Pro records Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Myspace! whereas Spector is for the Mac OS and Windows! while the eBlaster 5.0 allows for optional Remote Install if you do not have physical access to the computer you wish to monitor. Check them out. There would be one that suits your need.

Miri Jazz Festival

If you are a Jazz fan, you might be happy to know that eight international bands will showcase their music at this year’s Miri International Jazz Festival. By the way, Miri is in Sarawak, East Malaysia.

The eight include the Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans, Habana Sax from Cuba, Lluis Coloma from Spain and Son2Nos (Britain/Venezuela/Philippines), who will play a variety of upbeat jazz music.

This jazz extravaganza which is organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), is aimed at boosting Miri’s tourism industry. Tickets priced at RM50 for one day and RM90 for two days and are now available online at www.ticketcharge.com.my.

Get a Smartphone

More people are upgrading their phone more often now than before and the popular ones these days are the smartphones. To quote Wirefly, "Smartphones are no longer just high-tech toys for IT specialists or mobile offices for business executives. The general public is now starting to embrace QWERTY keyboard smartphones as versatile cellphones for everyday use."

The new look of smartphones is an added attraction with smartphones now being slimmer. Drastically reduced prices are also contributory to sales being pushed up. Are you interested in getting a smartphone but not sure which brand to buy? Check out smartphones at Wirefly. They have just announced the Wirefly's 5 Most Popular Smartphones (by order of volume sales).

The Blackjack from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is Wirefly’s best-selling smartphone, while Motorola Inc.’s Q and Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8700 series round out the list, according to Wirefly’s sales figures.

One Website for Government info

Whether locals or foreigners we may one time or another have dealings with the government. In these technological times, going online is a natural progression. But how do we know which website to go to when the need arises? To make it easy for the public, the government has set up a website, www.gov.my. This is the only website we need to remember now.

The website lists 395 online services of ministries, departments and agencies. The public could at the click of the button obtain various information on services provided by the Government such as payments, applications, searches, filing complaints and other services. Included are over 200 online services on the site so that people can deal with the authorities in the comfort of their homes or offices.

Other services provided included enabling the public to make zakat, loan and quit rent payments; update postal addresses with the Employees Provident Fund; apply to extend archaeological search licences through the Museums Department; and apply for foreign workers with the Immigration Department.

Others to be made available include the public being able to send completed application forms downloaded from the website directly to the relevant authorities instead of having it printed and submitted by post.

Syabas! Way to go!

Read story..The Star

Sunglasses and Others

Are you looking for Eyeglasses and are unsure as to which to pick? Look no further as you have come to the right place.

www.OpticsPlanet.net is the leading online supplier of eyewear and sports optics. OpticsPlanet offers a wide range of eyeglasses to fit every lifestyle. Whether you are looking for stylish frames or effective lenses they can help you find what you are looking for. Whether you are looking for plain reading glasses or light adjusting lenses, they offer multiple types of frames. My friends went for the light adjusting lenses which darken on exposure to UV radiation thus allowing them to wear them as sunglasses when they are outdoors. This is a neat feature.

However, if you are looking for a pair of sunglasses, OpticsPlanet has designer sunglasses to suit every taste and budget. They carry a host of many types of sunglasses such as aviator sunglasses, safety glasses, shooting glasses, even sunglasses with interchangeable lenses, and more. They also have sunglasses for sports.

OpticsPlanet is not only eyewear, you can find lots of other products. They have a wide range of binoculars and scopes. They have goggles, cameras, even handheld GPS gadgets, gun accessories, printers, scanners and lots more. Check them out.

Saving with the right cell phone plan

Just like many other things, cell phones have become an important item in life. Not having a cell phone is like being cut off from the world, from your family, friends and everyone else. Many people I know carry two phones at any one time. That's how important the cell phone has become.

Most people look for great deals on cell phones and some of them change phones regularly looking out for the newest and latest features. Unfortunately, they forget to think about the equally important (if not more so) cell phone plan and which could bring about big savings if they switched to a plan that better suited their calling needs.

There are many plans available in the market and at times it can be quite daunting having to pick the right plan. Thank goodness there is Wirefly.

Wirefly can help customers find the right cell phone plan and help you save hundreds each year by switching to a better monthly wireless plan. Wirefly.com is a great resource to help you shop for the right plan.

Take a look at their service plan by carrier. If you've been agitated by dropped calls, the Cingular Wireless plan would work best for you as it has the ALLOVER network, with the fewest dropped calls. T-Mobile on the other hand, offers great value with more minutes and award-winning customer service; while Verizon Wireless plan features America's most reliable wireless network.

If you want nothing to do with roaming charges, then the Sprint Fair & Flexible plans would work for you. There is no huge overage on this one. However, if you like walkie-talkie phones, then you might want to sign up with Nextel. And if there are some numbers that you frequently call, there's the Alltel My Circle that let's you choose who you call for free - any number, any network. That would be great savings.

Having children? Disney Mobile phones are great for kids with the Disney-themed content.

Check out their Individual and Family Plans and their Popular Service Plans. If you sign up for a Family Plan now, you get two free phones. Now, where would you get this deal?!

You can find great resources to help you shop for the right plan (including a convenient wireless wizard tool to help you pick the ideal plan) at Wirefly: http://www.wirefly.com/resources/
It's now available at a discount of 40%. Shop at Wirefly. You won't regret it!

Turtle-watching in Sabah

Turtle-watching is one of Malaysia's attractions for tourists, foreigners and locals alike. Due to the dwindling number of turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs, there is now a need to monitor this activity. The maximum number of people allowed to watch turtles at Sabah’s popular Selingan Island off Sandakan, has been put to forty. This limit is aimed at protecting the green and hawksbill turtles which lay their eggs at night.

Are you Nutty enough?

People really are creative. No, let me reword that. Business people or entrepreneurs are really creative. I mean, look at the picture above. Doesn't it grab you? That's just a simple keychain but the mind runs wild, doesn't it? It's a keychain from the "YourNutz" store and there are plenty of such interesting and attention-grabbing items from where that came from and these nutz come in several sizes too. Oops!!

Noticed the yellow ribbon? "YourNutz" has respectfully placed it designating Support the Troops on their Exclusive 8” Customized Desert Scheme Camo Nutz. 25% of the proceeds from each sale goes to that cause. If you're looking for a cause to support, why not pick this one: Your Nutz Support the Troops Desert Camo

It was reported that a congressman proposed that "Your Nutz" plastic testicles should be banned. What he failed to realize is that

..YourNutz.com has been donating a hefty 25% of sales from their Desert Schemed Support the Troops and Urban Camo POW Scheme to Support the Troops and POW organizations.

If you're not into nutz, there are loads of other great nutty items such as this sticker of The Ass Family.



Imagine the fun it will be, watching people in the cars next to you, blast coffee or soda out their nose after they read this sticker on the back of your ride!

The ASS Family - Wise, Smart, Lazy, Kiss and Dumb

You might want to buy one for someone else's car!

This is a can’t miss! Shipping is free on this item.

If YourNutz.can actually sell more of these Desert and Urban nuts, the troops atually will make out. So, do check out the different categories of ballz and nutz available and the online special deals. Support this good cause.

Muslim converts in Perlis need not change father’s name

In Malaysia, the current practice is that anyone who converts to Islam will have to forego his father's or surname and instead adopt the bin Abdullah or binti Abdullah.

Perlis has taken a positive step with regard to this and the Perlis Fatwa Council has declared that non-Muslims converting to Islam in the state of Perlis need not (or not allowed to) lose their father's name or surname.

According to the Perlis Mufti, Dr Mohd Asri Zainu, this move was in response to complaints by non-Muslims who have stated that their right to retain the name of their father or surname when converting to Islam had been denied.
Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said the edict or fatwa

He said,
“When non-Muslims convert to Islam, their name is followed by `bin’ or ‘binti’ Abdullah. This should not be the case because they are actually being denied justice and their right besides affecting what had been upheld by Islam, that is nasab (descendants).

“Changing to ‘bin Abdullah’ is awkward and did not happen in the history of Islam. During the time of the Prophet, those converting to Islam did not change their father’s name or surname and other matters pertaining to their descendants.

Read story..The Star

Videos on Your Cellphone

My friend, Padma, loves to watch videos. She loves a good laugh. She said comedies are great stress-relievers. After she came back from her last holiday, she was lamenting that she missed watching videos especially the Indian videos. From now on, she will not have to miss any video when she is on holiday as there is now KONKAN TV, a video sharing site which not only streams videos on the web, but has partnered with 85+ mobile providers worldwide to stream videos onto cellphones. This popular site has 10 million unique users and 2 billion hits a month. Padma can now watch videos to her hearts content and on her cell-phone too. How cool is that!

Gentings-AirAsia Packages for East Malaysians

East Malaysians, look out for the attractive packages that Gentings and AirAsia will be dishing out for you. The Genting-Air Asia packages to be announced soon would likely include return air fare, transfers between KLIA and the resort, accommodation as well as tickets to the resort’s daily Fly show.

Many people have the misconception that Genting Highlands is just a place for gambling but in actual fact, there are lots to do and see for those not interested in the casino activities. Its integrated resort offers theme parks, hotels and extensive shopping and it encompasses six hotels with 10,000 rooms. Genting Highlands attracts some 15 million visitors annually.

Story source: The Star

PPP's great news to come

From the day I joined PayPerPost, they have been introducing one positive change after another. It was nice to be part of a growing outfit and the best part is, PPP keeps posties and everyone else informed of the changes and opinions and feedback were sought which quickened the fine-tuning process.

There is always something interesting happening at PayPerPost. This time, through an opportunity, PayPerPost announced that there will be some big news in the next few weeks. Posties are asked to guess as to what it is. This got posties thinking and speculating on all sorts of possibilities.

When I first joined PayPerPost, the max number of posts that a postie could take was two (down from three previously). I was happy being able to take most if not all of the opportunities. Unfortunately, (drastic) segmentation was introduced which put a check to the number of opportunities available. As if to pacify posties, PPP increased the daily max number of posts back to three. Under normal circumstances, this would be great news for posties but not necessarily for most as segmentation took care of that unfortunately.

So now, if I were to guess as to the big news that's coming up, I would want for segmentation to be abolished or to reduce segmentation where it becomes less stringent. Advertisers seem to forget that online advertising is meant to reach far and wide and restricting posties would be akin to restricting the reach for their products and services. If my wish comes true, it would be wild!!

Malacca NRD and Immigration Department open on Weekends

Ever since government offices and banks close on Saturdays, it has been difficult for the people to get errands run resulting in having to take time-off or leave to take care of errands. This move by the National Registration Department (NRD) and Immigration department to start operating on weekends in Malacca is a most welcome move for the people of Malacca. This is indeed a step forward for the people's convenience and to boost tourism.

The article from The Star follows:

NRD, Immigration departments in Malacca to operate on weekends

MALACCA: The National Registration Department (NRD) and Immigration department located at the state Home Affairs Ministry building here will start operating on weekends after the building's launch this Tuesday, said the ministry's secretary-general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat.

He said once Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launches the building at 2.30pm, it would also kick off the instant passport and MyKad programme which would enable the public to get their passports or MyKad on the same day.

"All the departments under the ministry is housed in this mini Homes Affairs Ministry, which is the third in the country after Ipoh and Kuantan.

"At the moment, the NRD and Immigration would operate from morning to lunch time during the weekends but if the response is could, we could consider extending the operating hours," Aseh told a press conference here on Friday.

He said the move was to boost and back-up tourism, adding the building cost RM59.3mil and is built on a piece of 11.8ha of land in Ayer Keroh.

One-stop Shop

A good friend who has just started his own electronics company was looking around for an alternative source of electronics and gadgets. I found a site that will surely fit his need. I was especially impressed with hit power cable inventory. It has the most up-to-date range such as their USB adaptor which is actually a 12-in-1 digital camera cable.

The power cords that are available here are suitable for domestic use as well as in labs and data centers. My friend would find these very useful especially when he can ask for specific custom lengths. And there are lots more he would be interested in such as fibre optics to iPod accessories to home theatre/videos to power cables and lots more.

Plane crash at Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Yogyakarta, we have a problem! Except that this was an airplane.

An Indonesian Garuda Airline passenger jet overshot the runway and burst into flames yesterday, March 7, as it landed in the cultural capital of Yogyakarta, but most of the 140 people on board survived, except for 23 including two Australians. The inferno reduced the plan to a smouldering wreck of twisted metal. More..

WomanSavers

Violence is one thing that will always be around and sadly that includes date-violence. Here in Malaysia, we have no way of checking out a date to determine if he is is alright to date. However, in the US, there is this WomanSavers site which has information on men, their history and so forth. This is a most helpful resource to protect women from abuse and such.

This website is also a great resource on other useful information such as free medical advice, free women's abuse advice from psychotherapist, a highest trafficked message board, and other women's related topics. WomanSavers.com-World's Largest Database Rating Men is indeed a dream-come-true resource for abused women. Don't get cheated again, check out your date before it is too late.

AirAsia fare as low as 30sen

AirAsia is again making headlines by offering tickets as low as 30 sen to Jakarta and Bandung. This is to salute the 30 million guests who have flown on AirAsia the past five years.

And for RM30, you can fly to international destinations like Bali, Bangkok, Macau, Hanoi, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap, and Phnom Penh.

The Star stated that the booking period started from midnight yesterday and ends on March 18 for a three-month travel period spanning July 1 to Sept 30.

AirAsia said that all fares quoted exclude airport taxes, fuel surcharges and fees, and were applicable for one-way travel only.

A Holiday in Langkawi

Malaysia has a lot to offer to tourists. Being "Visit Malaysia Year" this year, many new activities and public conveniences have been put in place for the benefit of tourists.

With her multi-racial society, tourists will get to see and experience the various cultures and her peoples. Tourists will get to immerse in the many colorful festivals and celebrations that occur throughout the year.

Besides shopping, food, cultures, places of interest, Malaysia is also well-known for her idyllic holiday resorts and islands. Malaysia is blessed with many great islands with beautiful sandy beaches and locations for water sports such as snorkelling and deep-sea diving. When you think of these, Langkawi comes to mind.

Langkawi is off the coast of the northern part of Peninsula Malaysia and is popular with tourists from Europe and the US. Even locals are now flocking to the island where it is a free-port. Hotels in Langkawi are aplenty and there is a hotel for every budget. Visit Langkawi for that truly memorable holiday of fun in the sun.

Earthquake in Sumatra

Did I mention that Malaysia is well-protected from volcanoes and earthquakes? Malaysia is indeed a safe country to visit.

Yesterday, Sumatra (Indonesia) was hit by three quakes measuring 6.3, 6.1 and 4.4 on the Richter scale.


Picture source: The Star

Credit and Finance

A colleague was lamenting the other day about having to go to several banks in order to get her loan approved. She just signed up for a brand-new semi-D property in an area she's been eyeing for a long time. The area has recently been developed and she found the type of house she likes. She doesn't want a bungalow because it can get too lonely she said, so she opted for a semi-D that has a neighbour beside her.

One time or another we all go through the credit process but sadly, being laypersons (most of us anyway), there are a whole lot of information out there about credit and finance that we are ignorant of and therefore not in a position to capitalise on it. I am sure there is resource like that somewhere. We just need to find it.

Piano keyboard

Saturday mornings used to be more pleasurable. A few things make that so. The one that I miss most these days is the absence of music from the house across the street. I found out from Meg that her daughter's piano needs tuning and the serviceman has not been able to come around. Did you know that the Piano Keyboard you choose can impact your music and its development? I found a site that would make a great reference resource since I am interested in picking up the piano. This site is just the site I need.

Shopping with Coupon Codes

Yesterday saw the last day of the Lunar New Year celebration. The Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Chinese community for a time-period of fifteen days. This year, the Lunar or Chinese New Year began on February 18. Many Chinese left the cities to go home to celebrate this most important of festivals. Kuala Lumpur was quiet during the holidays. For those not celebrating, it was a good time for a spot of leisure travelling considering the availability of cheap fares one can obtain online with coupon codes.

Travelling entails a few other associated activities such as shopping for suitcases perhaps or getting the right clothes or shoes for the much looked-forward-to vacation. Some reading material is a must, of course. For books, I like to shop at Amazon.com, and with Amazon.com coupons, there is no reason why not. And for greater savings, get some coupons when you next go shopping.

Retaining the Same Telephone Number

Some of us are reluctant to change service providers mainly because a new sign-up will mean losing the number that we have. This can create inconvenience as we will need to inform all our contacts all over again. The other reason may be not wanting to lose a nice and easy-to-remember number. There is good news as from next year onwards, we do not need to change our phone number when we change to a new service provider. Read story..