flickredit - Flickr photo display

flickredit

This Java application allows you to display and edit your Flickr photos on your desktop. You can download, upload or backup your photos.

Food Wishes Video Recipes

Food Wishes Video Recipes

This is a blog that provides recipes in the form of videos so that we can have a better idea of how to go about preparing the food. The recipes range from desserts to pastas to soups to vegetables, etc a wide range indeed.

MedlinePlus: Interactive Health Tutorials

MedlinePlus: Interactive Health Tutorials

What is colonoscopy or asthma? This site explains these and many other medical conditions in three different formats.

You can choose the interactive slide presentation where you decide when to advance to the next slide.

Or you can choose the self playing mode where the presentation continues by itself.

The third choice is to read the text which is in pdf format.

The Simple Dollar - Personal Finance On Just One Page

It is a blog teaching us how to overcome debt with proper spending habits. And how to avoid financial meltdown through uncontrolled use of the credit card to pamper to our momentary whims and fancies. It gives tips on how to manage our finances and save some money in the process.

Go to this link to download the book for free.
The Simple Dollar - Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page

This blog has a good comprehensive review of personal finance books.

See http://www.thesimpledollar.com/book-review-index/

lusherthanlife a macrobiotic blog

lusherthanlife a macrobiotic blog

A blog on the benefits of a macrobiotic diet in improving health and overcoming certain illness. It lists the latest workshops to learn macrobiotic cooking in Singapore.

Quick Pizza

Traditional pizza involves preparing the dough, then wait an hour for the dough to rise before adding toppings and putting in the oven.

For singles and working people in a hurry, there is another quick way. To reduce time in preparing a pizza use pita bread in place of the traditional dough. Just add the usual toppings and then put in the oven as before.

ScreenToaster - Online screen recorder.

ScreenToaster - Free Online screen recorder

There is no need to download any software. You can use it anywhere and anytime with one click. It captures videos of any onscreen action. Use it to record tutorials, demos, etc.

To record videos : Click on "Start recording" or "Record", start recording using the shortcuts or via the recorder.

To watch videos : Just click on a video to launch the player.

You can add audio, subtitles, describe and tag your video.

It is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X and Linux.

Dairy Farm Nature Park

Another new park has been completed by Nparks. It will have a Park Connector and a hiking trail in addition to the existing mountain bike trail. Will visit next week

Jurong Railway Line | Bridge Over Ulu Pandan River

Following tips from Lam Chun See's blog, we walked the abandoned line from Sunset Way to Faber Heights. Crossing the bridge over Sunset Way was okay stepping on the huge I-beams. But crossing the Ulu Pandan River needed some self-persuasion. On top of that, one of the side railing was loose and we almost lose one of our fellow hikers.

We had to stop at Faber Heights because trees were growing on the track itself and prevented further progress. At first we moved to the sides but these were full of pot holes, so we decided to leave the railway line and headed for the park connector to take us to the next section. LTA was doing some survey and planning a slip road in this area. Further down the line just after the bridge over the Pandan River, the line was boarded up for further construction work.

Because it was a hot day, we stopped here and visited Jurong Country Club instead then retired to a coffee-shop for a beer.

Zamzar Helps To View Word2007 Files

An online colleague sent me a Word2007 docx file. I could not read it 'cause my version is 2003 and I do not want to install the 20mb reader. So uploaded to Zamzar and voila got my file emailed back in Word2003 format.

Grooveshark -- Listen to Free Music

Grooveshark -- Listen to Free Music

Get access to any song by any singer and play it for free. Choose an album and it will continue to play the songs in the album. Good as background music while working.

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test

Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test
Local from Starhub the results were 8.47 mbps download .73mbps upload ping 23.

From LA to SG were 2.6mbps download .44mbps upload ping 222.

Local time is 09.51hr

My broadband is supposed to be 8mbps. As all my sites are overseas, should I downgrade?

Harvesting Personal Data Through Contests or Lucky Draws

You are at a mall or exhibition when someone ask you to enter a lucky draw or contest to win some insignificant prize. To enter you need to fill up a form. Be careful if they ask too many personal details such a birthday, ID number, etc. besides your name and address. Size up the company? Is it a reputable company - do you want to trust your personal details to these companies. Remember when we call up the bank and they want to verify our identity? They ask for our full name, ID number, birthday, address and phone number to confirm our identity. Do we want some unknown company to get hold of these details?

To err on the side of caution, skip these contests/draws.

I was recommended to register at a website for a free marketing magazine subscription. The site asked for too many personal details. I backed out and did not register.

How One Relationship Manager Sells

I brought my mum to sign up for a money market fund at the local bank. The young fresh out of school Relationship Manager (RM) welcomed us and started introducing the flavour of the month, a structured product. I told her that my mum is 80+ and I do not think her recommended product is suitable for her. She finally agreed to sign her up for the money market fund.

After filling up the forms, she got her supervisor to be the witness that we are fully aware of the risks, etc. of the structured product she initially pushed (this is to protect the bank). I first explained to my mum that this is the supervisor of the RM and it will be the first and last time my mum will see him. He was embarrassed. He then thanked her for investing in the structured product. I corrected him that she bought a market money market fund not the structured product they were trying to push!

The regulator talked about the bank’s proper selling process! But in the trenches its another process especially when their boss is pressing them on sales target of specific products. They roll their eyes when you want to place a fixed deposit cause the time spent could have been on a more rewarding client. They sell first then do profiling later as a formality!

Reserved Seats on Trains Make Passengers Sleepy

On one train journey, I remarked (with a serious face) to my travelling companion that those corner seats reserved for senior citizens and pregnant women, make people sleepy. He thought I was serious and looked around at all the four reserved seats and noted that all the young adults were indeed dozing away! He looked surprised and almost accepted my satirical observation. Of course my smile gave me away.

I am tempted to post all those sleepers on Flickr.

They Checked My Temperature But Not My Guests

I brought two friends to my club. As part of the regulations I had to sign them in. After that the friendly security guard took my temperature as part of the measures to contain H1N1. He pointed his temperature probe at my forehead and pronounced me free from fever. I somehow sensed that he will not take my friends’ temperature.

As expected he did not take their temperature. I silently had a laugh over this. Measures were set in place but do the people understand what they were doing. So intend was he in taking my temperature that he left out my friends. So much for process set in place but not understanding the intention! Of course I will not name my club. Rather embarrassing and the guard will get reprimanded.

Sim Lim Tower

I went to Sim Lim Tower to look for a CATV signal amplifier to improve my TV reception. Approached a shop on the 2nd floor. The salesman asked me to wait while he went to get a one input-four output unit to show me. He obviously went to the distributor to get the unit. He showed it to me. I asked whether there was a one input-two output unit. He derisively said no such thing.

I looked at the unit he showed me and asked how much. He said $35. I said too much. I was looking at one for $12.

I then went to the first floor and approached another shop. They showed me the same unit for $24 without bargaining. I asked whether they have one with 2 output. They called up the distributor to check then offered me one for $12!

Be careful when shopping. You must know your price before approaching the sales staff.

There was another time when I was looking for a remote for my Toshiba TV. The guy asked for $30. I finally bought one at Rochor Centre for $10!