After several experiences in missing to read important stuff written in small fonts, I thought to write a little about the experiences. This might help some.

Example 1:
If you go to several super foods, health foods website, they say “as seen on CBS, Oprah” etc. I went on to reading what their claim was. Noticed that in smaller fonts, it is written elsewhere on their website – According to CBS, consuming fiber content is very good for the heart. Hence our product that is rich in fiber is very good. CBS has never approved or promoted this product, but still the logos of CBS and other major entities remain on their site with mis leading claims. If we don’t read carefully, we will think that these products are actually approved/promoted by CBS and Oprah and others.

raman amplifierмека мебелonline casinoExample 2:
I recently went to a self service car wash hoping to save some money. It said $3 for car wash. I was excited. Swiped my debit card and started washing my car happily – presoak, foam, rinse, spot free rinse, dryer and everything. When I returned to the billing equipment, it showed $11. I was shocked. Then I happened to read the small fonts, which said, $3 for 4 minutes and so on. I took 15 minutes and hence the $11.

Especially in the US, marketing covers a lot of facts or hides them in small fonts or under labels. So its better to be careful. Try to read the small fonts, find the catch.

I wanted to write about my recent experiences with this highly dangerous company. I don’t think they can operate with such fraud intentions within the US. But they still are. I need some tips on how to report such companies.

Here are the events that happened:

July 8: A marketing person from Mpingi calls me stating that they have this wonderful phone plan for $35 a month which has unlimited local calls and unlimited calls to a chosen number in India. He said that I could try this service free for a month and use these unlimited minutes.
This person takes my credit card and stores it in his database saying that once you cross this month, you will be charged the regular monthly fee of $35.

July 8: A second person calls to confirm my details and states that you have 250 minutes to use in your first month and did not mention anything about what will happen if you cross this.

July 26: The device for voip is delivered.

Aug 14: I try to contact customer service. I get to hear music from their toll free number for an hour for 3 days. I try to get the support online and finally get them through after this 3 days.

Aug 17: The guy at Mpingi states that if I cancel, I have to pay the 1st month’s service plus some additional charges. Total would be $46. The guy at Mpingi convinces me that the support problems were temporary and I can continue with their service. Unfortunately, I get convinced.

Aug 17: I cannot make any calls from the Mpingi phone. I cannot get customer support online again.

Aug 19: Finally get to talk to customer support and request service cancellation. This time, they say, I will have to pay around $80 for cancellation. Also, that I have to send back the equipment within 7 days. I sent it to them in a expedited post that weekend.

Aug 29: I receive a mail from Mpingi with a return label to use to return the equipment. It is also stated that if things are not done as mentioned, they would consider this equipment sold to us at $99.

You can see clearly all through this how Mpingi has beed clearly changing the amount I owe, not being honest.

PLEASE NEVER FALL FOR THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE A BIG FRAUD COMPANY.

You can see many more reports on the following websites of how people have been defrauded by them.

http://www.asteriskguru.com/tutorials/grandstream_handytone_486.html

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/General_Advice_on_Long_Distance_Telephone_Carriers-139156-1.html

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/303/RipOff0303628.htmколи под наем

I came across this good article recently. Please consider reading the whole article at the below link:
http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/find-clarity-in-one-day

I am not a believer on meditation. That would be the only point I would not accept from the article.

The author begins the article this way:

Do you ever get so busy with the details of your life and the countless things you need to complete, that you end up feeling exhausted and disconnected?

The result: Your mind becomes clouded and unable to focus and you start to make poor decisions regarding your priorities. You end up working hard instead of working smart.

How to start:

Set aside quality time to enjoy and do the things you love to do, simple things like walking, hiking, watch people etc. Main point is to turn off all distractions like phone and especially all media. Enjoy everything that you are doing as you are doing it.

Ideas from the author:

• Brain dump: writing all your random thoughts down
• Hiking
• Biking
• Working out
• Book store (no magazines)
• Listen to music
• Watch people
• Sit on your patio
• Take 100 photos

I came across this wonderful and thought provoking article today. Really made me think.

Here is the link to the article. I would recommend reading the full article on this link.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4362950.ece

This might be a long post as I am trying to quote the important statements from the article.

In particular, there is the great myth of multitasking. No human being, he says, can effectively write an e-mail and speak on the telephone. Both activities use language and the language channel in the brain can’t cope. Multitaskers fool themselves by rapidly switching attention and, as a result, their output deteriorates.

One American study found that interruptions take up 2.1 hours of the average knowledge worker’s day. This, it was estimated, cost the US economy $588 billion a year.

Television was the first culprit. Tests clearly show that a switched-on television reduces the quality and quantity of interaction between children and their parents. The internet multiplies the effect a thousandfold. Paradoxically, the supreme information provider also has the effect of reducing information intake.

Now teenagers just go to their laptops on coming home from school and sink into their online cocoon. But this isn’t the informational paradise dreamt of by Bill Gates and Google: 90% of sites visited by teenagers are social networks. They are immersed not in knowledge but in “gossip and social banter”.

Teenagers are being groomed to think others can be picked up on a whim and dropped because of a mood or some slight offence. The fear is that the idea of sticking with another through thick and thin – the very essence of friendship and love – will come to seem absurd, uncool, meaningless.

They have all noted – either in themselves or in others – diminishing attention spans, inability to focus, a loss of the meditative mode. “I can’t read War and Peace any more,” confessed one of Carr’s friends. “I’ve lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it.”

So what is the solution?

The brain is malleable. Just as it can be trained to be distracted, so it can be trained to pay attention. Education and work can be restructured to teach and propagate the skills of concentration and focus. People can be taught to turn off, to ignore the beep and the ping.

• Enjoy the simple things in life
• Read books once in a while
• Avoid multi tasking
• Stop listening to your ipod always

I got the below from a forwarded email from a friend. I thought it is helpful. Hoping to add more as and when I come across any.

- To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

- When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won’t be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

- If you accidentally over salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant ‘fix-me-up.’

- Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

- Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

- Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

- If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

- Don’t throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

- For cuts, wounds, dog bites etc: After washing the affected part with water, tie a bandage with crushed small onions and coconut oil. Pour water over the bandage often. The wound will heal quickly.

- To get rid of Roaches:

Boric Powder – 4 TSP
Wheat Powder – 1 TSP
Sugar – 1 TSP

Mix the above ingredients with enough milk to make balls. Sun dry these balls and keep them in the affected areas. You can also mix the ingredients to a paste and apply on the affected areas. Repeat after few months.

Just thought of noting down the ways I try to find a good deal (especially applicable for electronic products).

Check the below websites:

• deals.hardkap.com: This is a page I created that will allow fast search of various deal sites. Best method to search rather than visit all the deal websites.
• deals2buy.com: This is a popular deal site. If you want to get more details with pictures compared to the above search.
• edealinfo.com: Another popular deal site.
• amazon.com: Sometimes, we might be able to find good deals here.
• ebay.com: Make sure you look for “buy it now” items. Also check for the feedback of the seller.

Second set of sites you can search:

• bestbuy.com
• circuitcity.com
• frys.com
• target.com
• walmart.com

Usually, when I am looking for an electronic item. I search all these sites in the order specified and go for the cheapest and best deal. Make sure you check the full amount (price+tax+shipping).

Another post based on one of the recent reading on the web. This is related to presentation skills.

As always you are encouraged to read the full article at:
http://wziwyo.com/?p=177

Take aways for me from this article:

1. Set the theme: (example: There is something in the air today – a theme for Macbook air announcement). Once you identify your theme, make sure you deliver it several times throughout your presentation.
2. Demonstrate enthusiasm: If you think a particular feature of your product is “awesome,” say it.
3. Provide an outline: Make lists and provide your audience with guideposts along the way. Divide into sections and make clear transitions in between.
4. Make numbers meaningful: Dont just throw out a number. Make it meaningful, explain in detail.
5. Try for an unforgettable moment: This would be the part of the presentation that everyone would be talking about later.
6. Create visual slides: Even if its a single sentence, try having a slide.
7. Give them a show: Enhance your presentations by incorporating multimedia, product demonstrations, or giving others the chance to say a few words.
8. Don’t sweat small stuff: Don’t sweat minor mishaps. Have fun. Few will remember a glitch unless you call attention to it. Try handling such situations in a cool or funny way.
9. Sell the benefit: Your listeners are always asking themselves, “What’s in it for me?” Answer the question. Don’t make them guess. Clearly state the benefit of every service, feature, or product.
10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse: Self explanatory. This helps coordinate between the words, multimedia, slides etc.

We have put together a webpage which collects deals from different deal listing sites (currently 5 sites). This uses AJAX for faster search and jQuery javascript library for graceful behaviour.

Please have a look at http://deals.hardkap.com

We are planning for additional features like

This was basically done for our friends. Looks like it is being useful for many others. Suggestions and comments are always welcome.

Ghee made from cow’s milk – 1 cup
Til Oil – 1 cup
Honey – 8 cups

Mix the above ingredients and keep in a bottle. Give half to 2 Tsps daily according to the age. Shake the bottle before use.

After washing the affected part with water, tie a bandage with crushed small onions and cocunut oil. Pour water over the bandage often. The wound will heal quickly.