Computing & Internet

Shorten Long URLs For Free

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You know, people are so savvy now, I have been losing quite a bit of referral fees because people no longer CLICK on a link, but hover over it and then TYPE out the link on their browser *sigh*

A friend suggested that I use link shortening service so that I could easily market my link and also mask the sites that I am marketing. Ah… of course I already know how to make long annoying URL short but it did not cross my mind about using it to market my affiliate links. Sometimes you just need to discuss with people.

There is this service offered by Fly2 that is free and easy to use. The most important thing is that it is search engine friendly! Another advantage of using such a service is that no longer do we have to deal with long URLs breaking up when we email them or post them in forums or discussion boards.

I am going to bookmark Fly2 and make it a habit to use it whenever I have the chance. You should too!

Computing & Internet

Ashwin ‘The Crook’ Khanna

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I am sure by now everyone who has participated in the $2500 link baiting contest would know that it was all a scam. When I first posted my entry on my blog, I too questioned if Ashwin would see it through.

I mean, $2500 is a lot of money and this guy even needs people to chip in to subsidize his website hosting. My own hosting was only $10 a year and it’s now even free and here’s this guy asking for donations and then saying that he would give away $2500. He has got to be kidding. I was even telling a friend that if he really has a winner, we won’t even know if the $2500 is in American Dollars or some other weak currency.

Anyway, Phil from Contest Blogger left me a comment and I believe, all who entered the contest, saying that Ashwin is full of crap. Well, I am a gambler and although I figured that he may be crapping, I still wanted to have an entry in, just in case. In reply to his comment, I said that time will tell. Nobody can escape from time and true enough, 20th August 2007 came around. I did not bother checking Ashwin’s site until a fellow blogger told me that Ashwin’s winner has a blog with a miserable blog post that is the entry to the contest and then followed by a copy & paste news report.

Ashwin may think that he is a genius in the game but this is such a stale trick. I feel sorry for people who had their hopes high thinking that they had a shot at $2500. To me, my entry was just another “interim” post and luckily I do not feel as if I was “cheated”.

Phil is giving away $100 to one blogger who has participated in the $2500 contest, if you would only edit the link to Ashwin’s post to Phil’s post. This is a smart idea but it’s GENUINE. So good luck to you all!

General

The Department of Education Stafford Loan

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The other day, I had the opportunity to chat with my friend regarding student loans. You see, he has been complaining that he is bogged down by such loans and that repayment is taking a toll on his financial health.

As for me, my only point of discontentment comes from the fact that I wished knew about college loans earlier so that I don’t have to drop out from college.

I checked out the department of education Stafford loan just now and compare to the loans that my friends took out that come with a high interest rate, Stafford college loan is a government guaranteed student loan that has very low interest rates.

I bet many people do not know that there are two types of Stafford college loans. One is subsidized and the other is unsubsidized. Subsidized in this context means that the government pays interest on the loan until the borrower graduates from college and then he takes over the repayment. On the other hand, unsubsidized loan means that one has to start paying the interest on the loan as soon as the loan is approved.

In any case, I believe it is of utmost important to make sure one compares all the different student loans first.

Blogging

Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-together

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I was told of this bloggers gathering last night by my friend, a prominent Malaysian blogger. Well, I am so lazy to keep tabs of the local blogging scene by blog hopping, especially to blogs of socio-politics, but thankfully I could get my information on demand. I just have to send an SMS message to my friend, “Eh, tomorrow got any bloggers event ah?”

He told me about the Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-together that is held in conjunction with Malaysia’s 50th Independence Day anniversary.

Event : Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-together
Date : 25th August, 2007
Time : 8.30pm
Venue : Blog House (home of Malaysian All Blogs) No.66, Lorong Setiabistari, Damansara Heights, KL.
Admission: Free, by invitation only.
Light refreshment will be served.

There will be a forum entitled ‘Bangsa Malaysia : The Way Forward’ at 5pm at the same place and time.

Speakers on the forum are :

1. Dato Zaid Ibrahim
2. Zorro Unmasked
3. Jayanath Appudurai
4. Rocky’s Bru
5. Malik Imtiaz Sarwar
6. Azmi Sharom

If you would like to attend, then I am sorry that they do not accept new participants anymore due to overwhelming response. However, I believe that if you know of someone who has an extra pass or go as his guest then maybe you could just worm your way in.

The organisers propose to sing the National anthem as well. I asked my friend, will they be singing Namewee‘s version? My friend said no, because they would then need someone to supply a pile of shit. If you watched Namewee’s video on YouTube, only would you understand this joke.

By the way, I don’t think that Namewee’s song is particularly offensive. I think that the media has blown it out of proportion.

For more information on this event, do check out this post on The People’s Parliament.

General

Solution To Drug & Alcohol Addiction

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I have a few friends who are heavy drinkers. While I think that they definitely have an addiction problem to alcohol and should enroll into a alcohol rehab program, they do not admit it. I think they are living in denial and should get a counseling to determine if they require professional help in kicking the habit.

Now, these friends are different from a distant relative of mine. This uncle readily admitted that he is an alcoholic. He was proactive in getting help and joined a detoxification program to be free from the disease of addiction and to reclaim his life.

After seeing what a difference the correct rehabilitation program could do to an individual, I believe that every person who is suffering from an addiction should be helped to see that he DOES have a problem but luckily, the solution is just right in front of their eyes.

I came across the website of The Watershed and the place looks like somewhere worth going for rehabilitation. Although the grounds of The Watershed look luxurious, I have been told that the programs are priced competitively because they believe in helping addicts. Not only does The Watershed offer a solution, they offer it at a very affordable price too. I believe more people should be made aware of the services of The Watershed so that more drug and alcohol abusers will benefit from their programs.

Charity

Every Click For Charity

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The other day, I was checking my traffic stats and came upon a referrer called Every Click. I have never heard of this website before and wondered why my link appeared on the site.

I checked it out and was surprised that this is a search engine that helps charity. I am thinking this is like Slash My Search, except that we get paid for searching via Slash My Search while the revenue generated through searching from EveryClick would be channeled to charitable organizations.

While these search engines are good and benefit our self (Slash My Search) or others (EveryClick), I find that it’s quite a waste of time using them if we cannot get the information we seek as their search results are not comprehensive and then we would have to fire up Google.

So yeah, Google is still my number one search engine even if EveryClick is for charity.

General

Taylor Swift Country Star Extraordinaire

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Just now as I was surfing Idol Me, I saw a link out to Taylor Swift. Hmm I have never heard of him/her but luckily there’s her biography that I could read. Well, it is no wonder that I have never heard of her before. She is a country singer! And I am a rock lover. My sister lives in Tennessee so I am going to ask her if she has seen Taylor Swift perform yet.

Reading the biography of Taylor Swift, I am surprised that she is only sixteen years old and already has two hit singles. I am so very impressed that she has held her own in singing contests and performing in public places at a young age. When I compare myself with her, I think that when I was her age, I was still hiding behind my father’s legs! I am still shy now and will never have the guts to sing in a public place. I can’t even sing in private to save my life!

According to her biography, her debut album was released in 2006 which means she was only fifteen at that time. Have I already mentioned that I am thoroughly impressed by her?

I am all the more blown away watching the music video of Taylor Swift’s Teardrops on my Guitar. What can I say, she is so talented!! I am her new fan! I will be checking out Taylor swift mp3 and music videos on the internet right after this. I am sure there will be tons of good stuff, if only I have known to look for them earlier!

I am not sure though, if her record is even in Malaysia yet or maybe I would have to order it through the record store or purchase it online. It is going to be more expensive but I am sure her music is worth every penny!

Random Thoughts Off My Mind