What Simply Works!

With our impending apartment move, another item on our to-do list is the home moving companies. I will get quotes from at least three companies and decide from there. A website called MovingCompaniesOnline.com allows you to do just that. There is a feature called Quick & Free Moving Quote that lets you select moving companies based on your location and preferred moving date.

Also, there is an option to rent a truck instead. In my opinion, this will entail more work since there’ll be no professional movers to assist. If there are big furniture and appliances to be relocated, there is also the danger of damaging them. In effect it may not be worth the money saved.

The company also caters for international shipping of personal effects. With so many people being uprooted or expatriated to different countries, this business is definitely booming these days. The website has quick quote links that will give the required information in a few clicks.

We are toying with the idea of pushing our planned move to early next year. That is because of our busy weekends planned from this month until we leave for vacation by end November. Oh well, we’ll see how favorable the rental market is for us and we’ll decide on the rest of the details thereafter.

Ito ay kuha ko sa Singapore ilang taon na ang nakakaraan.  Chinese New Year noon at halos lahat ng lugar, mula mga shopping malls at kainan ay may nakalagay na ginintuang buddha.

~oOo~

This was taken in Singapore a few years ago.  It was Chinese New Year and almost all the establishments, from shopping malls to restaurants have a golden Buddha displayed in their premises.  It is said to bring good fortune.

More Litratong Pinoy entries here, here and here!

My personal laptops are both due for anti-virus software renewal. Knowing how the licenses get really expensive, I’m scouting possible alternatives to my current installed security software. My laptop was once attacked by an ad virus and it was a pain to run different anti-virus programs.

Apart from the popular security suites in the market, there’s a brand called Cyber Defender that offers the same virus protection at lesser price. They have both antivirus products and anti-spyware which for me are must-buys. Although there are freeware available for downloads off the Internet, they will not give full security compared to complete software packages. They‘ve got live technical support and one of their products has a 2GB online backup offer. Also, big companies have subscribed to Cyber Defender’s products, which should boost consumer confidence.

I’ve read once in the paper that spammers will likely increase in the months to come and that should already be a warning to us, computer users. I have already bookmarked their website and will work on buying a license soon. The Internet has become a big part of my day to day life and I don’t want to open up avenues for any computer virus attack.

Most of my friends who have computers at home own a blog. It is not surprising though because there are a lot of free hosted online journals nowadays. But for me, nothing beats a self-hosted blog using the awesome platform, Wordpress.

At first, it can be intimidating for a non-technical person to dive into the world of self-hosting. But with ample time devoted to research and seeking advice from other bloggers, managing your own blog or website can be a pleasant experience. For web host requirements, Fat Jack Hosting is a reputable company that offers shared, dedicated or private web hosting, 24/7 support and domain registration.

What I like about the company is that they offer CPanel, the best front-end configuration application there is. They are also in partnership with big companies like IBM, Novell, McAfee, among the few. This only shows that customers are in good hands with this hosting company.

There are so many gadgets these days that come in pretty packages but with no value-add.  This ‘helmet’ looking gadget is a simple bottle opener.  It looks stylish, I agree but as a practical consumer, the first thing I’d ask myself is, “Is there a need for a stylish can opener?”  What do you think?

[image source: yahoo.com]

In the past, getting access to county public records like marriage or birth certificates is a tedious process. Nowadays, these documents can be easily traced and gathered off the Internet. So gone are the days that one needs to spend a day queuing up and paying enormous fees. Thanks to technology!

With the photo and video files I’m accumulating of late, I need to find a good alternative to copying data to CDs.  I read from my current favorite pro photog/book author, Scott Kelby, that it is practical to bring along a 40gb back-up disk for quick uploads.  I’m not familiar with Drobo but the model above does look neat, agree?

[image source: yahoo.com]

Are you a big fan of Kanye West? I saw him once at the Oprah Show on TV and I was impressed with how much he adores his mother! He even sang a song for her, which I think he wrote, too.

West has a list of ring tones available for quick download at Kanye West Realtones. Maybe it’s time to give your mobile phones a new buzz.

I’m choosing between a Slik and Manfrotto tripod.  I’ve been warned that Manfrotto’s build is usually heavy but no one can contest about its popularity among photography pros and hobbyists alike.  Now I’m torn whether to get this Manfrotto model (picture below) or stick to a cheaper and lighter Slik model.  The Manfrotto unit already weighs about 2kgs and with the weight of my DSLR about 1.5kg plus the lens, which is roughly another .5 kg, I might end up crippled with the weight I have to carry!  I’ll check with some of my friends and ask about what they think.

Manfrotto 055x Pro

[image source: ephotozine.com/article/Manfrotto-055x-Pro--804-RC2-head]

We’re now on the 3rd quarter of the year and I haven’t updated our family budget spreadsheet. I have put all the bank account statements, credit card statements and bills on file, which is just what I need to start putting the numbers on our budget list.

Blame it on poor time management. I’ve been slacking to do this for the longest time. Hmm, if only there is a budget software that we can download for free. That would make my work a lot easier.

Now that my Dell keyboard is fixed, my next assignment is to reformat the laptop. Even after removing huge photo files and transferring them to CDs and my photo website, the computer memory is still very slow.

It will be my first time to reformat a computer and I’m pretty nervous about making mistakes along the way. I hope I get it right the first time and ensure that I have two back-up files as a precaution.

When my grandparents were still alive, my parents were always worried about possible emergency situations that might occur because of their health and old age. Although they lived with a house help, it was not possible to monitor every move that my grandparents made.

I read in a book that most senior people want to hold on to the freedom that they had when they were young. The transition from being independent to dependent and having to live with extra caution for the rest of their lives are just difficult.

With today’s technology, medical alerts in the family can now be monitored without being intrusive. A fall alert detector can be installed in the home, which triggers an alarm to an emergency staff once it senses an accident or collapse.

There is also a GPS tracking device that can be worn like a bracelet, wherein it serves as a phone of some sort. The elder can get help for emergency cases. It can also serve as a monitoring tool if the elder has memory problems and the location needs to be traced.

The wonders of high-tech gadgets – aren’t they amazing? If my parents knew about these, they would have bought them to avoid medical alerts.

In 2006, when we were planning to buy a condo unit, we consulted our friends who are in the construction and architecture industries. They know better when it comes to sustainable buildings design and prefabricated buildings (or modular homes).

Our friends went with us during the ocular inspection and checked the critical areas where my husband and I would normally just bypass. They are familiar with the building structure, when it was made and whether the developer is reputable or not.

Since it was a condo that we’re looking at, cool roofing options didn’t become a problem for us. It really benefited us that we have very helpful and knowledgeable friends in that line of business.

I had to forego watching my favorite crime shows on TV since my husband is away on a business trip. You see, I get very sensitive and affected with what I see on the telly. And after immersing myself in shows like CSI, Criminal Minds or Law and Order, almost always I will have negative thoughts in my head (that makes me feel scared) for the duration of the night.

Is it just me or have you noticed too how these crime shows have invaded television? It used to be just Law and Order, now each local channel and more so on cable TV would have its own investigation/crime show. Is it safe to say that more people are inclined to watch these types of TV programs over “happier” shows?

When I started blogging in 2004, not many of my peers have their own domain. The free hosting services offered by the likes of Blogger or Bravejournal were enough to share anyone’s thoughts to the world. These days, almost everyone who owns a blog, has their own domain. Aside from the price, both techie and non-techie people prefer the flexibility found in self-hosting. And what better way to start than by doing a bit of research on the ins and outs of hosting.

Webhostinggeeks.com is a good resource to start with. The site has a whole lot of fresh, updated information on domains, web hosting companies, user reviews and web hosting ratings (to name a few). If I had learned about this site at the time I started the groundwork of my websites, I would not have gone through a couple of mistakes in choosing the right web host.

An acquaintance from my photography class recommended that I checkout Ted’s Camera shop. He said that he bought most of his gadgets there and the prices are really good. He also gave a tip for me to consider Slik over Manfrotto for the tripod brands because of his good experience with the model he purchased. The one he has is of carbon fibre finish which makes it easy for him to lug around.  Its sturdy body can still hold his DSLR.

I need to decide on this before Saturday. I will buy a tripod for this Sunday’s group field trip, which I’m so excited about. On the other hand, I’m a bit sad that the photo workshop will end soon!

Do you have family or friends who have psoriasis? Well, I do. An aunt of mine discovered that she has this skin disease when she turned 30. It started on her hands and slowly crept along her arms. The condition worsened when she was still living in the Philippines. With the weather mostly sunny, her skin was almost always dry despite her continuous lotion application. Ever since she moved to San Francisco, USA, her skin has been better. Although she goes for treatment still, at least the discomfort she felt during hot and humid weather is now gone.

A knowledge base for psoriasis skin care called PsoriasisTx can be found on the Internet. It is created to provide an understanding of the various treatments and therapy through programs spearheaded by this company. There are research articles available for public viewing in one of the site pages which will educate psoriasis sufferers on the disease’s origin and the available treatments. Also, dermatology professionals provide answers to more specific areas of this disease, which can be found on a dedicated Q&A site page.

My aunt should benefit from this site. Hopefully, it will give her new insights on her current skin condition and a probable cure even.

True to the intent of the guys behind EntreCard, I have come to enjoy EC dropping. I have seen a few blog sites I’m interested to re-visit although some were just not visitor-friendly. What do I mean by that?

Well, if the blog site takes minutes to load, maybe due to the tons of widgets posted on the sidebar or the template is just image-heavy with flashing colors that can trigger a migraine (no kidding!), then I’ll be quick to leave the site if I don’t see the EC drop button upfront.

I know there’s a whole gamut of nice plugins and widgets out there but for the love of your visitors and would be readers, please refrain from making your site look like a circus. My blogs are far from the ideal, with my writing leaves much to be desired, but at least I try not to shoo-away my visitors by ‘scaring’ them with how I present my blogs.

It is usually at a time when we need to apply for legal documents such as licenses or travel passports that we realize the importance of keeping copies of required references like birth certificates or Public Marriage Records. Nationwidemarriagerecords.org has a good online database that is available for the public to use.

It’s in yesterday’s entertainment headline news that the group The Wiggles is the top money grossing entertainers in Australia.* They earned an estimated 45MIL AUD from last year alone! Wow! Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe were a bit behind the “colorful” group.

With their year-round world tour and concerts in Australia plus their TV shows, DVDs and other merchandise, it’s not surprising that they’re making huge money! Kudos, to you guys!

*Rated by Business Review Weekly