I am was an avid reader and used to read anything and everything that I could get my hands on, including the side of cereal boxes. I even had to take a book into the loo with me. However, I had to change my habit when I am on the computer for 20 hours a day and had to rest my eyes when I am off the computer, so no more reading for me. However, I am still buying books and magazines telling myself that SOMEDAY I will find the time to read them all!

Thinking back, I feel quite stupid to have spent so much money on the reading material when I could get them all for free online like downloadable e-books, e-magazines and newspapers. But the joy of feeling the book in my hands, I think that only another book lover would understand.

Now that I am computer savvy, I get all my books and magazines from online stores. Not only is it more convenient, it is way cheaper than what I am paying. For example, from this new online magazine subscription site that I came across at Magazine-Agent.com, I would be able to save up to 82% off cover price for the ever popular Time Magazine and that is A LOT of money!

Subscribing to a 36-issue of Shotgun News, my father’s favorite firearms magazine, through http://www.magazine-agent.com, will save us a hefty 80% discount from cover price. Moreover, Magazine Agent is even offering a 90-day no obligation free trial.

With prices like this, who needs to subscribe from the local news vendor anymore? It’s silly or me to have spent SO much money on these very publications before I discovered the internet!

If you have followed my other blog, my friend asked me for a gift and it was a Vacehron Constantin Malte Skeleton watch, and I stupidly agreed not knowing that these watches come with an obscene price tag! Since I haven’t even heard of this brand before, I went online to look for luxury watches. To be frank, after I found out the price, I called him up and asked, “Replica can ah???”

Anyway, when I was searching for luxury designer watches news and information online, I chanced upon this site at Watchluxus.com. What I like about this site is that it is not an online store but rather a site that lets us search for our favorite watches, learn about their features, read all about the latest news in the brand name watch market in the blog and discuss about our dream watches with fellow watch lovers in the discussion board.

Using their powerful search engine and filter, I was able to look for the watch my friend wanted since they have a database of over 20,000 watches. Once I have read through and am satisfied with the functions of the watch all I need to do is to click on the link and be taken to the website of the official retailer.

I really love this concept because I would be able to get impartial and unbiased reviews of luxury watches and they are not trying to SELL me the watches. Besides, by going to the website of the official retailer from Watchluxus.com, I am confident that the site comes highly recommended by Watchluxus.com and the watches are genuine. It’s quite scary how many people are selling replicas or imitations and passing them off as genuine!

Watchluxus.com also lets us search for second hand luxury watches. Perhaps my friend would settle for this! Haha!

Have you already heard of the contest that is currently held at Fuel My Blog in collaboration with Snorgtees? There’s a top prize of $500 and a Snorgtees t-shirt plus 99 other people will win a t-shirt each too.

$500 sure sounds awesome. Can buy an iPhone with cash to spare, even! But although I am someone who loves to participate in contests, this is too much work. I would have to solicit for votes and would have to be at the top position at the end of the month to be able to win the cash prize plus a t-shirt. It is too stressful to try to hit the jackpot and I would risk getting pimples pop up all over my face! Haha!

Since I never like to bother people to vote for me in contests, I shall pass this. Awesome as it may be. Besides, I won’t play if I can’t win. So good luck to you all who are participating and most of all HAVE FUN!

Have you heard the news that almost all the big time bloggers have suffered a penalization on their Page Rank or search results? One thing could be because we are leaking Page Rank here, there and everywhere while another issue could be because we have linked to bad neighborhood. Whatever the case, it looks like those who are affected will have no choice but to live with it until the next update.

Meanwhile, we can get help from a website optimization firm. This is the kind of company that would help us to get relevant links and raise the PR of our website. This is especially crucial for commercial sites because the more links pointing to our site, the higher our search results will appear on the major search engines.

If we are selling a competitive product on the internet, all the more we have to get ahead of our competitors and come out higher in the search results and we could do this with the help of a reliable website optimization firm. We all know how internet browsers search for their favorite products online and then go down the results list one by one. More often than not, I give up after viewing the second o r third pages and I believe I am not alone. Therefore, the higher our site is listed on the search results, the more web browsers we are able to attract.

Some of you know that I am hosting my blogs for free. In other words, my hosting is sponsored. On one hand, it is great that I do not have to fork out any money, keep remembering when to pay in case I am locked out of my own host for not settling my bill, yadda yadda yadda… I have been thinking IF I should host them on virtual private server and pay for it. I was told that it’s 66 per month. USD or MYR?? Per blog or multiple blogs?? HHmm I am so unsure I need to find out more details.

While free is good, I am afraid that sometimes the server goes down and I would not be able to do anything for hours. Sponsors will also be fuming if they cannot access their little virtual real estate and may flag or ban me. I think sponsors do not realise that blogs can be offline sometimes too, just like people can fall ill once in a while.

So, it may mean extra expenses but it will keep my blood pressure low 😀 What do you think?