Useful Tools to Update Your Facebook Status

Today, I received a message from a friend asking me to show her how to update her Facebook status via Twitter.

Well, these are some of the useful and free tools I use to update my Facebook status and other social networking sites:

1. From Twitter to Facebook:
Use Twitter apps: http://apps.facebook.com/twitter/

2. From your Blog or RSS Feeds to Twitter and Facebook
Use Twitterfeed: http://twitterfeed.com/

3. Schedule your tweets in advance:
1st: Plan and prepare what you want to tweet over a duration of time
2nd: Use SocialOomph: http://www.socialoomph.com/

If you find this article useful, feel free to share it with your friends!

Warm regards,

Sany Woo

Guide To A Better Life by Randy Pausch

This is amazing. Randy Pausch died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind...

In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "Guide To A Better Life" for his wife and children to follow. May you be blessed by his insight. 

Points On How To Improve Your Life

Personality:

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

3. Don't over do; keep your limits.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does.

5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

6. Dream more while you are awake.

7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

13. Smile and laugh more.

14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Please be Alert where you park your vehicle

I received the following email from a relative today. Read on and please be careful  where you park your car!

Subtle Break-in
 
You'll find this interesting. The criminals are getting smarter all the time. Don't be complacent, take a little extra time...be smarter than the thief.
 
I had a Sony digital camera lying on the console of my truck.. Upon returning from lunch and entering the vehicle we noticed nothing wrong or missing from the vehicle. It was two days before I noticed it missing. My first thoughts were,"I moved it or it fell to the floor mat or I removed it from my truck." 

After searching feverishly for two days, questioning anyone who had been close to my truck, and exhausting every possible location I could have put it, I began to have that sinking feeling I lost it or someone stole it. My new Garmin GPS had been in the truck the whole time, so I felt as if someone had entered my vehicle they would have taken it also. 

Fast forward to Wednesday, I approached my truck from the passenger side to place my computer bag (aka my man purse) in the front passenger seat. As I reached to open the door I noticed there was a hole right under my door handle. My first thought was, "someone has shot my truck !" I began to think about it and inspect it a little closer and the "light" slowly began to come on. I phoned my friend who owns a body shop and asked if he had any vehicles with damage to the doors that looked like a bullet hole.
   
The answer was, "Yes, I see it all the time. Thieves have a punch and place it right under the door handle, knock a hole through, reach in and unlock it, just as if they have a key. No alarms, broken glass or anything.
 
I was puzzled that they left my GPS and all other belongings. Here is where it gets scary!
 
"Oh no, he said, they want the break-in to be so subtle that you don't even realize it. They look at your GPS to see where "home" is. Now they know what you drive, go to your home, and if your vehicle isn't there they assume you aren't in and break in your home." He says they will even leave a purse or wallet and only take one or two credit cards. By the time you realize there has been a theft, they may have already had a couple of days or more to use them. This is another reason they want the break-in to go unnoticed. I didn't realize my situation for two full days! They even give you the courtesy of re-locking your doors for you. I guess they don't want it to be broken into by other thieves!
 
Had they have found your check book, they could have taken checks from the middle section so they wouldn't be noticed.
 
Please remove from your GPS unit your home address as "home" ASAP ! Put in your local Wal-Mart address or some where else! Park your vehicle in a highly visible place. I hope this is beneficial to you and helps you keep your valuables in your possession and your vehicle from damage. Most importantly, it may keep the thieves from showing up at your home!
 
DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN SIGHT INSIDE THE CAR. Periodically walk around your car, daily if you are in a shopping center or other parking area. Report thefts immediately....Bank w/missing check numbers, Credit card agencies, Police, and Insurance Companies.


Your friend in crime prevention,
Sany Woo

Enjoy These Tips for Living a Healthy Life

What is more important than the way you feel? Is there anything more important? Your physical health, the way your body "feels", is probably the most important determining factor in the way you feel. Any feeling, weather it be physical or emotional is experienced through our bodies and by applying these simple tips for living a healthy life, the way you feel will vastly improve.

Psychoneuroimmunology, the science of the mind-body relationship, has now produced scientific evidence of the effect of your mind on your body and vice versa. Depressed people use their bodies in a certain way that causes them to feel depressed and by just changing simple things like their facial expressions, studies have shown, they can literally change the way they feel instantly.

The significance of this fact is that it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that our physical bodies have a tremendous effect on the way we feel both physically and emotionally. The one thing we are all pursuing in life is happiness and happiness is nothing but "feeling good." By following some basic tips for living a healthy life we can make significant changes in the way we feel physically, emotionally and mentally.

We've all heard the cliche "a healthy body houses a healthy mind" and thanks to scientific research we now know this for a fact. Also, the opposite is equally true: a healthy mind equals a healthy body. If we learn to be in control of our emotional association to food, we will automatically take care of our bodies. The instant satisfaction we get from junk food caused a lot of people to make pleasurable association (in their subconscious minds) to these foods that lead to overeating and addiction.

Living a healthy life starts with your body. If you take care of your body you will develop that sense of pride in yourself and the consequently the way you feel about yourself (or your self esteem).

With this in mind, let me offer you some very simple and basic tips for living a healthy life.

Firstly, realize the importance of oxygen to your body and your health. Breathing is not just to get oxygen to our vital organs. Every cell in your body requires oxygen for it's survival and health.

You are only as healthy as the cells in your body. In order to fully oxygenate our bodies we must learn to breathe deeply, fully and effectively. Deep, diaphragmatic breaths will, apart from oxygenating your system, stimulate the movement of lymph fluid through the body. Lymph is the body's natural cleansing system, essential to keeping your cells free from toxins and maintaining a healthy environment for the cells of your body to live in.

To breathe properly you must breathe in the following ratio: inhale(1) : hold(2) : exhale(4). For example inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 8 seconds and exhale for 16 seconds. Doing this simple exercise with 10 deep breaths 5 times a day will vastly increase your health, your energy and help maintain a healthy immune system.

Secondly, understand the importance of water to your body and health. Our bodies consist mainly of fluids and water, along with oxygen is the basis of all life. Taking sufficient amounts of water is essential for health and life, but also we need to avoid foods that drain our bodies from vital fluids. Foods that are high in sugar, salt, caffeine and preservatives will actually absorb fluids from your body causing certain vital functions to shut down. Eating foods that are naturally rich in water is essential and include all fruits, vegetables and sprouts.

Your body is your temple and what you put in is what you get out. Stop abusing it and adhere to these simple tips for living a healthy life. The very least you must do to life a healthy life is to stop depriving your body from the two most essential element, water and oxygen.

Applying these simple tips for living a healthy life will vastly improve your health and consequently the way you feel. When we feel good life is a pleasure and we suck from it all the juice. Life is a gift and know that tomorrow is not promised to you. Live everyday like it's your last and constantly seek out tips for living a healthy life and improving yourself and the quality of your life. It's all out there and the only thing that is required to have whatever you want from life is for you to go and get it. Just do it and do it with passion and joy.

Author: Deon Du Plessis

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Provided by: Mobile device news

Top Ten Health Tips

You can use this as a checklist to determine if you are on track with a healthy strategy.

If you are not incorporating all the steps then try to add an additional step into your daily regime. Focus on one step for at least two-three weeks and then once it becomes second nature to you; it's time to move on to implementing another step.

Within a year, you can achieve all the steps and monitor how you are feeling along the way. Positive progress breeds inspiration and will motivate you to achieve optimal health.

Your health is worth it!

1.) Include healthy protein with each meal to keep your blood sugar level even as well as your energy level.

2.) Monitor your sodium intake:

If you ate fairly healthy food, you would probably get between 600-1000 mg of sodium a day. American's average 4000 mg per day. Equal to 2 tablespoons of salt. So the goal is below the middle point. About 2000 (almost 1 tsp) would be just OK, less is better.

1/4 tsp salt = 600 mg sodium
1/2 tsp salt= 1200 mg sodium
1 tsp salt = 2400 mg sodium

3.) Monitor your sugar intake:

The average American eats approx. 24 lbs. of sugar a year! Hard to believe isn't it. It's just not the sugar we notice we are using, but hidden sugars in our foods such as Ketchup, jams, soups, etc.

There are 9 teaspoons of sugar in 12 ounces of soda. Plain water would be a better alternative.

Try to keep your sugar intake to 32 grams of sugar daily.

4.) Eat 5 fruits and vegetables daily.

Eat organic whenever possible to lessen the toxic load.

5.) Drink plenty of water.

6.) Limit processed or fast food intake.

7.) Read the nutritional labels on food so you are aware of the nutrients that you are consuming.

8.) Take a healthy multi-vitamin for additional support for your body.

9.) Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily in some form.

10.) Get 10 hours of sleep every day.

Author: Nancy Guberti
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Excise Tax

33 Basic Smart Shopping Tips

by Sandy Shield

Here are thirty-three basic smart shopping tips that can be used anywhere you shop. Use them to save money, and as a guide to strengthen your purchasing power.

1. Plan your spending. Avoid impulse buys.

2. Advertised items are not necessarily the cheapest.

3. Watch for unadvertised specials.

4. Remember to ask for a "raincheck" if an item is sold out.

5. To avoid crowds, do not shop after work, on paydays, or just before holidays.

6. Buy items before you run out of them. Buy at clearance, or sale price, instead of regular price when you must have the item.

7. Know the sales cycle in your area.

8. Just because an item is on sale, doesn't necessarily mean it is a good deal for your family. If you won't use it, don't buy it.

9. Due to volume discounts, larger stores are generally cheaper than smaller ones.

10. Your emotions affect your shopping. Be careful of the "I deserve it" mentality.

11. Buy at the end of the season.

12. Stock up when prices are low.

13. Try alternative shopping: Shop salvage stores, thrift stores, consignment shops, warehouse clubs, yard sales, and garage sales.

14. Remember that no particular store has the lowest price on all items.

15. Create a "shopping pool". Agree with family and friends to shop sales for each other.

16. Shop alone. Other individuals will only help fill your shopping cart.

17. Check the entire store for specials and alternatives.

18. Get to know your favorite store's employees. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

19. Know your prices, keep a price book.

20. About Prices: Compare, Compare, Compare. This is how your price book helps you.

21. Larger is not always cheaper. Smaller is not always cheaper.

22. Look at unit prices.

23. You pay more for fancy packaging. Beware.

24. Remember the "Rule of Three": If an item has three different ways it can be used, you will not be wasting your money.

25. Never pay full price.

26. Shop defensively.

27. Try store and generic brands.

28. Watch as the clerk rings up your purchases. Check your receipt.

29. Shop for gifts year round.

30. Return purchases that do not meet your expectations.

31. Complain if it is genuinely warranted.

32. Call before you go to confirm item is available.

33. If you must, leave the checkbook and credit cards at home or in the car.

-----------------------------------
Sandy is a freelance writer and webmaster of TheFrugalShopper.com. She enjoys living the frugal life, saving money, and helping others to do the same. Subscribe to her newsletter to receive more money-saving ideas and frugal tips. Reprint permission granted with this footer included. Copyright © TheFrugalShopper.com 1999-2005.

In an emergency situation, call ICE!

Today, I received an email which I would like to share with all my friends. I believe this will help raise everyones awareness of the importance of helping strangers contact your loved ones should anything happen to you.

Here is the email. Please share this message with as many friends as possible so that they are aware about the "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign!

Warm regards,
Sany Woo
-----


Dear Friends,

We are human beings. Anything can happen to us any time.

Below given mail is self explanatory.

We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.

If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign

The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" ( In Case Of Emergency).

The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE."

For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!

Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our Mobile phones today!

Please forward this. It won't take too many "forwards" before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest .

Remember:-
ICE will speak for you when you are not able to!

Women's Safety Tips

I would like to share the following article with all women readers.

Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this... It may save the life of a loved one.

Because of recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation...

This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children and everyone you know.

After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about.

It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do:

The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!


2. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.

Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse.

RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!


3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.

This has saved lives.


4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.)

DON'T DO THIS!

The predator will be watching you and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat:

DO NOT DRIVE OFF!

Instead start the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car.

Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat, they will get the worst of it.

As soon as the car crashes, get out and run.

It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.


5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:

A.) Be aware:

look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor
and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.
Some serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back and get someone - guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)


7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,

ALWAYS RUN!

The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.

RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!


8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic:

STOP

It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathy of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane or a limp and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.


9. Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'

The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.


Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby.


The Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana

I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know.


It may save a life.. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters etc. you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Warm regards,
Sany Woo

All that Twitter is not gold

TheStar Online (June 17, 2009)

KUALA LUMPUR: Spammers are diversifying their reach to popular social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Network security company Symantec Corp said it has observed that Twitter, in particular, has become a target for phishing activities.

In these instances, it said, computer users are misled into logging into fake Twitter accounts or providing personal information and credit card details.

It also said spam attacks have leveraged on Twitter via two spam campaigns: Make Money Fast (MMF) and one that targets the Twitter dating site, Datetwit.

Symantec warned computer users to watch out for these e-mail headers; Twitter Guru Reveals All On Video; Use Twitter To Make Money; and Teenagers Are Playing Online And Making Grundles Of Money.

For Twitter, it said, the spammers creatively evade antispam filters by obfuscating e-mail messages with legitimate content.

According to Symantec, spammers continue to harvest e-mail messages and personal information by promoting a wide variety of products that include diabetes-related treatments.

The World Health Organisation has said that there are at least 170 million diabetic patients worldwide and that the number will double by 2030.

These diabetics, said Symantec, are potential targets for spammers taking advantage of those seeking cheaper treatments or medical products online.

Symantec said its State of Spam reports are a means of educating the public, as well as businesses, on the evolving challenges of keeping the Internet secure.

A full version of this report is available for download at
http://go.symantec.com/spam_report.

Facebook Manners And You

House buyers, take note of differences in systems

TheStar Online (April 08, 2009)

We at the HBA view with interest some housing project advertisements in the newspapers recently. They prominently state 10-90 as the mode of payment and went on to say, “Pay 10% and no payment until vacant possession.”

It would appear as if the mode of payment is similar to the Build-then-sell (BTS) 10-90 that HBA has been lobbying for and for which the Government is offering incentives to developers to adopt the system.

HBA feels that it is incumbent upon us to explain to potential house buyers the differences between the advertised 10-90 and the BTS 10-90 promoted by the Government under the amended Housing Act .

The advertised 10-90 system is actually a loan package deal whereby the buyer pays 10% upon signing the Sales and Purchase Agreement and the balance is progressively paid through the buyer’s housing loans. The loan is progressively disbursed to the developer as he builds the houses.

Hence the “… no payment until vacant possession” is not wholly true because, in actual fact, the buyer’s loan is used to progressively pay the developer. However, the interest payable for the progressive payments during the construction phase is shouldered by the developer.

In the BTS 10-90 system, the buyer pays 10% upon signing the SPA and does not make any more payment until the house is completed, with all the certifications obtained. Only then does the housing loan kick in and the buyer then pays the remaining 90%.

The vital difference between the advertised 10-90 system and the BTS 10-90 is that in the advertised 10-90 system, should the developer abandon the project, the buyer is left with a partially disbursed housing loan to settle.

The primary borrower is still the buyer and it is his sole responsibility to continue with the proper conduct of his loan from the financiers.

Banks have not been known to be sympathetic to victims of abandoned projects and the loans still have to be settled, house or no house. This is the predicament presently faced by tens of thousands of naïve and innocent buyers.

We would like to categorical­ly state that we are by no means implying that the advertised project is likely to be abandoned. This letter is only to inform potential buyers the differences between the advertised 10-90 and the BTS10-90 systems.

CHANG KIM LOONG,

Secretary General,

National House Buyers Association.